Firebrand

Chapter 458: Return Below

Chapter 458: Return Below

Return Below

The small group left The River Pearl, walking through some of the back alleys deeper into the bridge district. Martel was not familiar with these particular streets, and he brought up the rear, letting the others lead the way.

They eventually reached an unassuming, small building, wedged in between two larger houses. It had no windows, just a door; it looked like a root cellar or similar, meant to store food. The woman in front of the column opened the door, and they all marched inside.

A guard sat on a stool with a small lamp burning beside him, though he got up as they entered; as Martel's eyes adjusted to the dark interior, he recognised the insignia of the Night Knives on him. The women picked up torches lying on the ground and ignited them in the flame of the lamp.

"Any trouble?" Lady Pearl asked.

"None, mistress. It's been quiet." The mercenary took a few steps and bent down to open a hatch in the floor. Their descent awaited.

***

They entered a basement first; either this place really served as a root cellar, or it was part of the disguise. Making a path through various barrels, the woman in front – named Opal, from what Martel could tell – pushed a few crates aside to reveal a door half the size of a man. She opened it and disappeared into the darkness beyond. One after the other, the members of the group stooped low and passed the threshold.

They found themselves inside a tunnel. While several carried torches, Martel ignited magelight to rest at the top of his staff. It did not change much in terms of illumination, and the ground was even and easy to walk upon, but he felt a little better having his own light.

They walked for a long while in silence. Walking behind each other, one by one, did not encourage conversation; nor did their dark and cold surroundings make anyone talkative. Furthermore, the women walked without making a sound, not even Lady Pearl. If Martel kept his staff raised rather than plant it against the ground for support when he took a step, it left everything eerily quiet.

It also allowed him to notice the sound of running water. It struck him as strange at first until he realised they would be walking near the sewers. Judging by the slope of their descent, they were passing below the waterways, even. Which meant that if the roof broke, the tunnel would be flooded. Not a pleasant prospect.

At length, the tunnel widened. The flickering light of the torches were no longer trapped between narrow walls, but extended into the vast expanse of the surrounding darkness. Even if he could not see, Martel knew they had reached the great cavern that lay underneath south-west of Morcaster. They had arrived at the Undercroft.

***

Soon, they entered the edge of the subterranean city. They followed what appeared to be some manner of main road that crossed the area in a straight line, rather than snaking its way like many of the streets above did. In orderly fashion, the stone houses hewn directly from the rock lay at intervals on each side. Here and there, Martel caught the impression of larger buildings further away, but the darkness prevented him from any scrutiny. He had no desire to leave their path either and investigate; it seemed all too easy to become lost in the various side alleys of this city, swallowed by darkness.

With each step, Martel felt uncomfortable. Not only because of the oppressive mood that filled this enormous cave, but also from his memories. While he had been in fights before, the ambush down here had been especially terrifying. So much effort to lay a trap solely to kill him.

He glanced at the houses on either side, remembering how he had jumped inside one to seek refuge, only to get attacked there as well. They stood like shells, with no doors, windows, or shutters, just gaping holes that led into the interior of each building. He imagined how brigands might jump out at any moment and tried to calm himself. If Ruby was right, none of the Nine Lords had retained a wizard's services for tonight. While enchanted items could make a difference, it could not compare with the power he brought to a fight. They could be outnumbered, of course, but it would be easy to slip into the darkness of this city and evade any attackers. Assuming they could find their way back. Hopefully, Ruby had a better sense of direction than him.

***

At some point during their march, Ruby fell back a few paces to walk alongside Martel. She did not have a torch like some of the others; instead, she kept one hand on a throwing knife in her belt. The other reached out to squeeze Martel's. "You look worried."

"You should be watching our surroundings instead of me."

"I can do both," she claimed.

"Assuming this council isn't just for show, what'll happen once we get there?"

"Lady Pearl will have to answer the accusation that she sent her people to make an attack on the harbour," Ruby explained. "They'll argue and bicker. And we'll see who of the Nine Lords are with us or against us."

"You think that's the purpose of tonight?" Martel asked. "Measuring alliances?"

"It's one possibility, yes. And based on that…"

Something caught Martel's attention, and he did not hear the rest of Ruby's words. Something looked odd about the building up ahead, on the right side of the road. He increased his light as he approached and realised why; instead of an empty doorway, it was filled with dirt. Like a quick and cheap way of walling it up.

He frowned – he had not noticed this in any other house earlier. Even stranger, the small space between this house and the next was likewise walled up.

He realised the truth a moment before he felt the magic. A spell was released, raising a large wall of earth across the road. On either side, the houses and alleys had been blocked off. They were trapped inside this newly created dead end, with walls and buildings on all sides except the way they came.

Arrows flew, aimed by the light of the torches. Two struck Lady Pearl, piercing her clothing with ease, and she fell to the ground. Swiftly, more arrows followed, whistling through the air.