End of Chapter 9, Part of chapter 10, and the 50,000 mark

[nancynotes]

Kaerin carefully told Goron an edited version of the quest that had led the companions to where they were now… leaving out the reason for the quest of course. Goron had said little when she finished except to ask Ralen if he thought the meat was roasted. Deciding that it probably was, the game was dug up and shared around the camp. Favina asked if she could leave without him killing the others, and Goron waved his hand.
“As long as you’re not planning to teleport back with a rescue squad, I’ve no reason to kill them if you depart… since you asked. Now if you had just disappeared, things might be different.”
Favina had paled at that, but teleported away after one farewell kiss to Aleron. The Goblin looked over at the Drallyr.
“Explain to me, little brother, why you didn’t ask the goblins of Zrasi to come to this assembly of yours?” Goron asked around a mouthful of roast bird.
Aleron frowned at that. “Why are you calling me ‘little brother?’”
The Goblin laughed. “Because the Drallyr were made by Ghansri after we goblins were made, were they not? So you are our little brothers and sisters.”
Nervous looks circled around the camp. Aleron straightened himself in his seat. “I see. Ghansri is the Dark Mistress?”
“It is one of her titles, yes.” Goron nodded.
“and do the goblins of Zrasi serve her?” the Drallyr asked.
“Some do. Some do not. Most respect our dark mother, but have no sympathy for her imprisonment. If she were truly the clever goddess she thinks she is, she would have figured her own way out.” Goron said with a shrug.
“Is it possible…” Kaerin began hesitantly “is it possible that this is her planned way out?”
Goron nodded. “It is. And that’s exactly why we Goblins should have stayed out of it. But now these Firbrin wastrels come, they destroy our homes and try to make it look like the Shamai… only they fail miserably, for we know that the Shamai do not go into the swamps like that. They make war on the Shamai and try to blame us. And that works better, for most Shamai don’t know the difference between us. But they also polute our waters, and have no respect for those of us who already live there. They think that because they follow some Drallyr sorcerer, they are better than we are.” He turned his head and spit. “We’ve had our differences with the Shamai over who gets to use what, and sometimes we have to take what we cannot barter for” Ralen raised an eyebrow. “Okay, so sometimes we skip the trying to barter part. But we still care about our swamp home. We don’t overhunt… that’s what the Shamai herds are for… these Firbrin goblins have no respect for our home, and they refuse to swim… in a swamp. So even to our senses they stink.”
Henir chuckled at that. “So, why are you here?”
“We came to find out why these stinking Firbrin had invaded our home, but we get no answers from them, only orders, as if we were one of their mercenaries. You have told us why things are happening… well, some of it. I know there is more, and I know you’re not ready to trust me with it… and I respect you for that.”
Kai looked at the goblin thoughtfully. “So… if we tell you what we’re haven’t, will you help us?”
Everyone looked at Kai in surprise. Silence filled the camp for a few moments, before Goron’s laugh rumbled through.
“I will help you. So tell me how, exactly, you hope to prevent this sorcerer from freeing Ghansri?”
Carefully choosing his words, though not lying to the goblin, Kai outlined both their original plan, and their current one. Goron nodded.
“So you need to get to the walls. I can help you with this. Tomorrow, we will climb down the mountain. There is a cave at the base with a spring, where you can get water for your horses and for your journey. We will pick a door and get you a corridor between camps that leads to that door.”
Kana looked at the goblin suspiciously.
“I don’t follow.”
Goron drew in the dirt. “The goblins and the humans are ordered to be mixed, but the best that could happen is that they camp in stripes. We will go on either side of a human camp stripe and cause fights. The humans will not know we are not the Firbrin, and it will be good to use their trick against them. This will make a path through what used to be the human camp as each side fights with the neighboring Goblins. You, looking mostly like humans, will be able to walk through the human camp unchallenged.”
“I don’t know… that’s relying an awful lot on the humans and goblins fighting.” Aleron said doubtfully.
The Goblin chief smiled. “Trust me. It’s your only way to the city.”

Chapter 10: Blood, Tears and Crystals

The next day’s decent down the cliff was a terrible experience for Kaerin. She refused to ride, and brought up the end of the procession, staying as close to the rock face as she possibly could, enduring the taunts of the goblins the whole way down. Kai tried to help her, which only brought more jeers from the goblins. By the time she got to the cave, she was furious at herself for displaying her fears so, and furious at everyone else for not finding another way… despite knowing that there was no other way for her to have decended.
The city was in easy sight now, and it was clear to see the camps. It wasn’t as deep as Aleron had feared, but it was still a large number of people. Kai showed Goron where the door was that he hoped to use.
“We will go and mingle with the camps for now. An hour after sunset, we will begin our assault. Be ready.” Goron said as he lead the nearly three dozen goblins under his command off towards the camp.
“You know, he could be using us to get the gate to the city open.” Aleron said as he and Kai watched them leave. Kai nodded.
“That’s why I chose the door I did. It is flush and hidden with the wall, and small enough that only one person at a time can pass through, and even then they have to enter sideways. It is a very defensable door. He won’t be able to rush it, and it can be sealed again before any of the goblins get through.”
It was Aleron’s turn to nod. “Well enough then. I hope this works.”
Ralen was looking over the group and the terrain with more than a little dismay. “we’ll never make it. Even with the distraction… I don’t think a one of us could get close to that wall quietly enough to not draw attention… well, except me.”
Kaerin shrugged. “We’ll make it. Kai is very stealthy.”
Ralen raised an eyebrow at the slight undercurrent of venom in her voice. “Kaerin…”
“Just be quiet.” She said with finality. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Aleron returned to the group as it prepared by the spring.
“Be sure the horses are well watered. I don’t expect we’ll be in the desert long, but we’ll have probably at least one night out there before we’re across and reach the plains to the southwest of Myrdrala. Time is running out for the lord of Fyrnors. Maybe ten days, Favina thinks, before the comets are in place and the ritual must be done. If we can keep the crystal away from him for ten days-I’m assuming that he, like Favina, can teleport-we’ve kept the world safe for another age.”
Kana and Henir nodded and filled up water skins almost to bursting, to be sure that there was enough for the journey. Kaerin went deeper into the cave to be alone and to settle her nerves. She sat down on an outcropping just as the light from the cave entry grew to dim to make her way further.
She knew why she was mad at Kai, and somewhere knew that it wasn’t really his fault. But that didn’t make it any easier. That twice they had almost kissed, only to be interrupted just made her more sure that maybe Kai was nothing more than a passing fancy. It was still better than four months before she was free from her service to the Riordan, and at least two months before she might be willing to risk more than a kiss. Besides, she wasn’t what he wanted in a woman, if Beria Ran was any indication. She was strong, but not that strong. She was no warrior, and would need someone’s help to get through this, no matter how much she rejected Henir for it. Henir was rejected because he behaved as if all women needed a man to look out for them, and that was certainly not the case. She didn’t need a man making decisions for her, and that was probably what angered her the most about Henir. But she didn’t want to re-focus her already misplaced anger on Henir. Anoying though he was, it wasn’t fair to him. Especially when she could pick on him for having fallen prey to Kana. The dwarf hadn’t denied it when Kaerin had asked last night, though she said it was an experience she wasn’t soon interested in repeating… and by “soon” she meant “ever.” They just hadn’t gotten far enough away before Kana couldn’t take it any more and had to do something about it. Henir was closest.
Kaerin turned her thoughts back to Kai. Maybe it was best to put a wall between her and kai. Fate was doing it often enough. Besides, when it was all over, it wouldn’t be anything more than maybe, maybe a victory tumble anyway. Still, there were questions if that’s really all there was between them and so little time to find answers.

Sunset came, and the companions assembled at the mouth of the cave. Kana agreed to remain behind and watch the horses, being neither stealthy nor particularly swift. The hour passed and Ralen, being the stealtiest, led them across the sands towards the enemy camp. Ahead of them, they could see knots of goblins and humans form as fights began to break out between the two races. Other goblins and humans turned from their camps to watch the fights, and soon it looked that all attention was on the fights. And through the middle of it was a narrow, somewhat winding corridor. Rallen hurried through, walking with the determination that he knew where he was going. Once, it looked as if a goblin might have seen them, but another goblin soon punched him, bringing him into the fray.
The walls of Varsain loomed up before them. Smooth, and carved of a single great mountain, or at least so it seemed to Kaerin, though Kai had said how the walls were built. Some of the city guard had gathered on the parapets to watch the commotion below with amusement, and Kai called up to them
“By the Desert Sun, have you shelter for a lost cub?” he hissed.
One of the guards bent closer. “Captain Taros?”
Kai rolled his eyes. “The countersign, Donon. Come on.”
The Guard looked flustered. “er, right… There is no hiding from the Eye of Sham, but come in and be comforted in his light.”
The guard disappeared from the parapet while his companions looked on, now watching to see if the knot of humans at the base of the wall was noticed.
A few moments later, a narrow section of the wall, perhaps two feet wide, swung open, revealing a narrow passage under the wall. Two alcoves were nestled on either side of the door, and the guard Donon stood in one of them.
“Hurry up.” He hissed as the six companions hurried through the passage as best they could sideways. As Kai cleared the doorway, there was a call of alarm from above as a knot of humans and goblins rushed for the tiny doorway. Kai pulled the postern gate closed behind him, sealing it. As he and Doron came out into the street, he looked up at the guards above.
“Seal it.”
They nodded. A chain was released somewhere, and a massive slab of stone lowered over the interior entrance, and a rushing, rumbling sound was heard within the wall.
They were within Varsain.
“We’ll have to figure out another way out.” Kai said as he took the lead. “If they hadn’t seen us, we could have used it again, but our bargain with Goron was only for a way in, so I’m not sure how we would have used it to get out without being seen anyway.”
Varsain was different than Oros Nage, Kaerin could see that from the start. Where Oros Nage was a City that reached up to the sky, in more ways than one, Varsain sprawled. Many buildings were no more than three stories high, most only two. It was evening, and the city was quiet now. Most people were in their homes eating. The shop windows were covered with bleached and yet still colorful awinings, dropped down to allow privacy within. The shadows of the storekeepers and their families played on the canvas.
Doron scrambled to keep up with them.
“Captain. It is good to see you again.”
“Thank you, Doron. What is the situation?”
“We’ve been under siege just over a week, though they only settled down to starve us yesterday.”
Ralen shot Henir a triumphal grin.
“How are we doing?” Kai asked, his pace not slowing.
“We’ve got food enough.” Doron answerd. “The council wants those of us within the city to continue living as if we’re not under siege… well, as best we can with being under siege, but I don’t think most people are listening. The markets have been quiet, and all the militia has been called to help the guard man the walls anyway.”
“Do you know if a letter from Alderman Ban arrived?”
“I believe so. Just a few days before Fyrnors attacked, there was a letter from Oros Nage.”
“Anything said about it?”
“No sir.”
“Damn burocratic fools.” Kai muttered. “All right, Doron. I’m taking my companions to the temple of the Gray mother. I need you to take a message to the council. Tell them that Fyrnors is after the spear of Tandri. And I need to take the spear head. There is no time for council debate, and if they got the letter from Oros Nage, there shouldn’t need to be.”
“Yes sir.” Doron saluted his captain and rushed off into the city.
Aleron was impressed. “Do you really have that sort of authority here?”
“I did, until the Beria Ran incident. To most people, except the damn council, I never really lost it. The Bodyguard duty with Alderman Ban was supposed to be a humbling reminder that I’d lost my position.”
Ralen smiled. “And I can see that worked so well. I’m getting to like your interest in my cousin more and more.”
Kaerin glared at her cousin, but Kai ignored him.
“I’m worried that the little rush when we slipped in might cause a chain reaction. Seven days of siege activity is much more than the gates have ever seen.”
“Then let’s hurry, Captain.” Said Henir.
Their pace didn’t keep Kaerin from admiring the city. Many of the buildings had flat roofs which were guarded with parapets of their own, and she could see barrels and boxes and other storage containers dotting many of them. As they passed from the shops to an area of more residence, she saw that the basic square design didn’t truly change. Just the width of the windows now covered with canvas, and in some cases that canvas was on the inside of the walls, rather than the outside. It was, more so that Oros Nage, no matter how intriguing that citie’s library, a city that she would ineed look forward to returning to some day. Provided it was still standing.
A boom echoed from the front gates of the city, as the sounds of the besieging army rose into a roar. They were too far in to be in danger from them, but at the walls, a rain of stones and arrows could be seen assailing the guards. The attack was back on. Kai swore under his breath and increased their pace.
As the assault on the front gates continued, Kai rounded a corner onto a large street. Trees standing on islands in what was doubtless a series of pools lined either side and tood guardian in the middle of it. The pools were empty now, the water needed for more important things than watering decorative trees. The trees themselves seemed to be weathering the change fine so far, but Kaerin had no way to know how long they had been without water.
At the far end of the street was one of the largest buildings Kaerin had yet seen in the city. Four stories high, with massive columns of yellow granite, and a gleaming alabaster domed roof, Kaerin could see this as being the great temple of Varsain. Here there were records of the godwar kept with meticulous detail that Kaerin’s stories surely never held. Every maneuver of every battle. Every dragonslayer and swordsmith that crafted a weapon for a dragonslayer. Every soul lost to the dragons, and every creature that was created by the rain of the godblood. Or so she had once been told. And also within were shrines to all four of the gods who had a hand in creating Sham Adraith, even the Dark Mistress, though Kaerin was sure that most visitants left her shrine alone.
They were half way down the street to the magnificent temple when a great sound echoed through the streets, as if the face of a mountain had split off. Kana’s eyes widened.
“That must be the gates. The enemy is through.”
A look passed quickly among the companions, and as one they broke into a run to get to the temple as quickly as they could.
They were greeted at the temple doors by a woman in a gray dress.
“Captain… we had word that you were returning, but when the siege came…”
Kai shook his head. “No time to explain, reverend mother. I need the head of the spear of Tandri.”
She nodded. “and by the sound of it, you need it soon. Come with me.”
She led them through the marble halls of the temple to a pentagonal room. On each of the other four walls there was a single doorway. From three, a crowd of people spilled, all on their knees in supplication. The sounds of the battle now in the streets seemed far away, but the cries and whimpers of the people here left no room for doubt at the fear which gripped the city. As the reverend mother approached one of the doorways, the crowd parted as they were made aware of her presence, and the companions who followed were glared at as they made their way up to the statue of Tandri. One hand was splayed out, as if casting a spell, while the other hand raised a spear with a crystal head to the sky. But the priestess did not go to the staue, but rather into a small, curtained alcove behind it. A stairwell was there, leading down, and the companions followed the Reverend mother down the stairs and into a crypt below. The halls here were a maze of twists and turns, with the decaying corpses of priests and priestesses, as well as the noble who had died lining every wall.
In silence, the companions followed her through the maze to a plain door, which she unlocked with a silver key. There were no seekers in this room. Only a tapestry depicting the defeat of Llydri and before it on a long, narrow table, a magnificent spear with a crystal head.
With great reverence, the priestess removed the spearhead from the shaft.
“The council forbade this, but Haris Ban sent a separate letter to me, explaining what needed to be done.” The Reverend mother said as she carefully handed the spearhead to Kai. “Take it with the blessing of Tandri and complete your quest, captain.” She turned to Aleron.
“May the gods accept your sacrifice, young man. You do a noble thing.”
Aleron and Kai exchanged looks.
“Noble lady.” Kaerin begain, then looked to Aleron for permission. When he nodded, she continued.
“We have learned a terrible thing. Our enemy begain his search already in possession of one of the tears. And to that we must add more tragedy, as we failed to obtain the second tear in the city of the Dwarves. What was our quest when Haris wrote to you is no longer. We must take this last tear far from Sham Adraith, and find a new place for it that Fyrnors and his heirs will not find it, and so not be able to complete the ritual to their ends now, or in the future.”
The Reverend mother looked sad. “I see. Your honesty does you credit. The city is breached by those who would use the tear for evil ends. The only hope of thwarting them is if it goes with you. I still send you out with the blessings of Tandri. These caves are deep, and they spread under all the city and even out into the desert. I will show you a way out that will not take you through the city.”
They left the tiny room and followed the priestess through more twisting catacombs, though the bodies here were older and turned to bone and dust. The shadows grew deeper too, as the torches became fewer and fewer.
At last they came to a slightly wider area, almost like a guard room. On the far wall, a black doorway gaped.
“Through there. Follow the path there, it is straight and will not lead you wrong. It comes out in a cavern with a spring at the base of the cliffs.”
They exchanged looks. “That sounds like where we left Kana.” Henir said. The priestess nodded.
“Good-“
Whatever more she was going to say was cut off as a large shadow detached itself from the wall and lept at Kai with a wailing growl. The Varsain captain was knocked to the ground and the tear was thrown from his hand. Henir picked it up and rushed for the passage while Kaerin and Ralen drew their weapons to attack the shadow bear. Ralen’s blade bit into the flesh of the creature, but not deep. Kaerin used her sword to try to strike at it’s paws and get them off of Kai, but it wasn’t neccisary. Sensing it’s target had departed, the bear left Kai on the ground and took off after Henir.
The Priestess’s eyes were wide. “You must…keep… the tear…” she gasped. It was soon apparent why, as a blossom of blood spread across her chest, a sword point marking the heart of the crimson flower. Behind the priestess stood a tall woman in scaled armor. Her red hair was bound into a long, flowing braid, and green eyes glittered in anticipation.
“Sorry, Kai. I can’t let you stop us.” She said with a wicked grin.
“I don’t want to do this, Beria.” He said, his hand on his sword.
“Too bad. I do.” With that she kicked the body of the priestess off her sword towards Kai. Without thinking, Kaerin grabbed for the Reverend Mother, pulling her clear so that Kai could get his sword free and in position to block Beria’s attack.
Once Ralen saw that Kai was engaged, he began his shift from human to wolf, his body contorting and twisting to a rythym of sword meeting sword as Kai and Berria fought. Kaerin pulled the body of the priestess out of the way.
“I wish there was more I could do, reverend mother.” She said quietly. A small smile spread across the face of the dying woman.
“it is enough. Go now, and protect the crystal.”
Ralen’s shift complete, he bounded down the dark corridor after Henir and the shadowbear. Kaerin paused just long enough to close the priestess’s eyes, before taking up her blade and dodging her way past Kai and Beria, each more intent on the other than their surroundings. She paused for only a moment at the blackened hallway to look back at Kai before she plunged into the darkness in pursuit of Henir, the Shadow bear, and her cousin.

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