Why had she come searching for a dragon blade if she was the rightful owner of Chopper? Had the story of her lineage and right to the sword been a fabrication to trick me into coming with her? Until she had an opportunity to steal Chopper from me? But if that had been her plan, why had she wanted to bring me to this awful place? Especially when she’d snagged Chopper back in the woods?
There was a dwarven engineer, Zav continued, that Peynar’dokla brought with her to make the aerosol and ensure the artifact was operational, and she was speaking to him as they ran the tests. She killed him once she knew she had a working system and added him to her undead army. The thief heard and saw all of this.
The skeletons hadn’t returned, so Zav lowered us to the ground. Sindari spread his legs, claws managing to dig into the hard salt floors, and appeared relieved to be out of the air.
We will go that way. Zav pointed in the direction that creaks still whispered from and where an army of those skeletons might be waiting.
That’s better than the other way? I asked.
The thief had a partner when she came into the mountain. The partner went that way and was incinerated by traps in the walls. It is possible that I could defend us from them, but it is also possible that if Peynar’dokla made them, they would be too powerful. Zav pointed again. Besides, I must go that way. The artifact and the poison are that way.
Is the lich that way too?
Yes. He strode into the lead again.
I trotted to keep up but said, Maybe we should leave and warn your people instead.
It takes time to transport to another world through a portal, and I fear they are already on the way. If they are coming while I am going… I would miss them and be too late to warn them. I must destroy the artifact before they arrive.
Am I right that it’s heavily guarded?
It is guarded by many minions and the lich herself. She is waiting for us.
How fun.
27
Immense energy radiated from the dark tunnel somewhere up ahead. It rolled toward us in waves, buzzing my senses and making me feel like I was approaching a giant microwave oven without a door. My skin crawled, and I wanted to sprint in the opposite direction.
Were these the enemies Zav had said he sensed? Or some nefarious trap that didn’t feel the need to hide itself?
Still insisting on leading, Zav strode toward the source of the energy without slowing down. He’d produced a magical sword I’d rarely seen him use from whatever interdimensional sheath he stored the thing in. Maybe he felt he needed all the help he could get, especially if he couldn’t find enough room in these underground passages to shift into his dragon form.
When we rounded a bend and entered a straight stretch of tunnel, a lit expanse came into view ahead, a jumble of pale yellow and blue light making me wince and turn off my night-vision charm. The creaking we’d been hearing all along came from the lit area, though I couldn’t see anyone—or anything—yet. The energy that buzzed at my senses grew stronger, almost painfully so. Oddly, the source seemed to be located just up ahead, before the opening of what appeared to be a deep cavern.
I sense many, many undead creatures in the chamber up ahead, Sindari said.
We were getting close enough that I could sense them, too, though something about this mountain muted my range a lot. You wanted a fight, didn’t you?
Sindari looked gravely at me.
There is a barrier across the passage, Zav stated.
Is that what I’m sensing? With all that power, I was expecting something more epic.
It is an epic barrier. Zav stopped to regard an invisible field blocking the tunnel. I believe I can break it, but then she will know where I am. That is most certainly the point.
Any chance you can burrow a hole in the rock and go around it? I suggested.
Zav considered the walls thoughtfully, then turned an equally thoughtful gaze on me. Perhaps I should alert her to my presence intentionally and see if I can get her to chase me out of the mountain. This would allow you to snoop around in her lair.
I adore snooping in the lairs of uber enemies who can kill me with a thought.
She will attempt to kill me with a thought. Zav’s eyes were fierce and defiant. If she can catch me. Meanwhile, you can attempt to find your sword and the artifact set to poison the air. If you can destroy that, there would be no threat to my people when they arrive, besides the lich herself.
The super powerful lich who’s stronger than any dragon.
His eyes flared violet. She is not stronger than two dozen dragons.
I’d been hoping for a hundred, but I didn’t say it. He was willing to nobly risk his life for me and his people. Not that I approved of that or planned to allow it, but I appreciated the gesture.
I patted his arm. How about we sneak in together, don’t let her know we’re here, and bash the artifact to bits while she’s looking the other way?
She will not be looking the other way unless she’s chasing me.
Zav… I frowned at him. You’re not trying to sacrifice yourself, right?
I am not. I will only do what I must to keep her occupied and ideally get her away from the mountain so that my people, when they arrive, can attack her without flying close enough to be poisoned. He rested a hand on my shoulder. But you must be careful not to unleash any poison or anything equally vile on yourself. Now that I think about it, there is no reason for you to go near the artifact if I succeed in leading her away from the mountain. Only retrieve your sword and then wait here for us to handle her.
Us? You’re so sure your people are on the way? Xilneth isn’t the most reliable guy, you know.
They knew I was coming and were preparing when I left. They will come. He lowered his hand. But I will first attempt to get around her barrier. I do not think it will be possible, but we will try your way.
Good. My way is always excellent.
Zav strode toward the barrier and stopped a few feet from it. He stepped to the side and placed his hand on the wall, magic trickling from his fingers.
I came up behind him and peered down the tunnel, hoping to get a glimpse of what awaited us in the cavern. Intense power heated my skin, and the buzzing of my nerves increased until it was painful. My heart seemed to jitter in my chest.
One of the skeletal winged creatures flew across the opening at the end of the tunnel, startling me. I started to lift my sword before I remembered we were all camouflaged. Beside me, Sindari also tensed.
It looked like our tunnel ended well above the floor of the cavern. More of those winged creatures flew into view, circling the open area ahead, and I realized their wings were what was responsible for the creaking noises.
I rose on my tiptoes, not quite able to see to the ground below, but moving skulls came into view, the heads of more undead dwarven warriors stalking about down there. Depending on the size of the cavern, there could be hundreds. Tall stone statues of dwarves wearing helmets lined the far wall, and magic emanated from all over down there, artifacts of all kinds. Maybe information on Chopper was down there. Maybe Chopper was down there. I hoped so. It would do little good to finally get information about the sword if I never was able to recover it.
With so many magical artifacts, along with all the magical beings, I had no hope of picking out the blade. The possibility that the lich had destroyed it made my stomach hurt.
And what of Li? We hadn’t heard another scream for a while. Was she still alive down there?