Chapter 259 - Secret Passage (Patreon)

I'm back on schedule! Long chapter today too. Hope you enjoy :)

“Be safe today,” Seira said, pulling Celaine in for a hug.

“I’ll be fine, Mum,” Celaine said. “I have Owalyn on my side.”

Her mother smiled softly, but Hump could see the worry in her eyes. Celaine hugged her father, and then Myra dragged her into her arms.

“You better come back,” Myra said. “I’m sorry I can’t be with… I’m sorry I can’t help. I-I want to… I wish I could, but…” Tears flowed down Myra’s cheeks.

“I’ll be back, Myra,” Celaine said. She gently pushed Myra back and gave her a reassuring smile. “I promise.”

Myra cried almost uncontrollably, but she managed a nod. “Mhm. And I’ll make sure Nishari is well while you’re gone.”

She turned to Hump and opened her arms. Hump hugged her. “Take care of her,” Myra whispered, so quietly Hump barely heard.

“You know I will,” Hump said.

Nisha scurried about their feet, clearly anxious, and even more so through their bond. Hump knelt. “I’ll be leaving you with Myra for now.”

Nisha stared at him with wide eyes, scurrying up to his face as close as she could get. Hump pulled her into a hug as Nisha put her paws on his shoulders and pressed her head against him. She made a quiet, whining sound and Hump stroked her back.

“I won’t be long, Nisha. Everything will be alright.” He reassured her through their bond, though it did little. Nisha was smart enough to know when something bad was going on. The excitement of Owalyn’s presence was gone from her now that she realised they would be leaving.

He passed her over to Myra, who lifted the little dragon against her chest, soothing her gently.

“Go,” Gareth said. “We’ll take care of her. Luck… to both of you.”

Hump shook the man’s hand. Gave one last look at Nishari who was watching him with her vibrant purple eyes. He smiled, then turned and walked away.

His heart melted as he sensed the fear through their bond, but he did not turn back. If he did, he wasn’t sure he could go. There was a fight to be won, and he was going to play his part.

“Let’s do this,” Hump said quietly as Celaine marched at his side.

“Damn right!”

Hump didn’t feel nervous as he strode through Drakalyn, he felt eager. A part of him still saw sense and knew that he was marching to a battle he may not survive, yet an even greater part of himself wanted to put this newfound power to the test. The dragon in his blood was thrilled for what was to come, and he supposed that rubbed off on him.

“We walk to battle alongside dragons and with the boon of a goddess,” Hump said. “I wonder if Bud will even believe it.”

Celaine chuckled. “I’m not sure Bud has it in him to doubt anything you say. He’d believe you if you told him you shapeshifted into a dragon.”

Hump frowned. “Is that a poor reflection on me or him?”

“Neither of you! It’s a simple fact. Not like you’d doubt him if he told you a tale too.”

Hump had to give her that. Bud wouldn’t lie to him, and while Hump might exaggerate his tales just a tad, nobody ever called embellishment a lie.

They followed the road through Drakalyn, many villagers wishing Celaine their blessings as they passed. Soon, they reached the edge of the village where a large mass of hunters gathered at the edge of Owalyn’s threshold. Their numbers were spectacular, yet they would pale in comparison to Lich Queen Irila’s army. What they lacked in numbers, however, they made up for in skill and ingenuity. If their reports were accurate, other than the lich she had no fighters beyond the equivalent of a fifth circle Chosen. Given the chance, Chosen like Yunillia and Ado would tear their ranks apart, and the dragons would obliterate the force in fire. They only needed to create that chance.

“Drinks this evening, Hump,” Vamir said, approaching. “We’ll meet at Whitefall Grove again this evening. Got it?”

Hump smiled. “You got it.”

“Cel, I still have a space for you with me if you want it,” he said. “It’s way nicer than that spot with Rujan. He may be a dragon keeper, but we’ve got style.”

Celaine laughed. “Not today.”

Vamir feigned a downcast expression.

“Don’t feel bad about it, I’ll be leaving Rujan’s party today too,” Celaine said. “I intend to join Keeper Yunillia alongside Hump.”

Vamir frowned at that. “I see.” He sighed, shaking his head. “A year away from me and it seems you’ve lost all sense. Alas.”

“Burn bright, right?” Celaine said cheerfully.

Vamir held her eye and gave a nod. “Burn as bright as you always have, and never go out. I’ll be waiting for you in the grove.”

“I’ll see you there,” Celaine said.

Keeper Yunillia stood at the front of the army, waiting for everyone to report to their commanders. Of the nineteen dragon keepers, nine would be accompanying Yunillia on the mission to infiltrate Highgaze Fort, while the rest would lead the war effort. The dragons themselves were to be kept in reserve until the lich’s counter measures were defeated. Only then would their advantage in the air be truly felt.

Hump and Celaine found Leif and the rest of the task force nearby. Including Hump and Celaine, they would be seventeen people. Hump was pleased to see Ado amongst them, and nodded a greeting to the shaman as he approached.

“What are you doing here?” Leif asked Celaine.

“Hump and I are a package deal,” she said. “Yunillia wants him, then I’m coming too.”

Leif frowned. “Celaine… Our squad is comprised of only those that are the fourth circle or higher. This is no simple trip. We’re to breach one of Irila’s stronghold. There is no telling what we’ll come up against.”

Finnian approached then. “I’ve already spoken to her, Leif. She will not listen to reason.”

“I do not need your opinion on this,” Celaine cut Finnian off. She turned back to Leif. “I’m coming with you. Whether or not you agree doesn’t matter. I’ll follow you alone if I must.”

Hump swallowed, a little caught off guard by the seriousness of her voice. He liked to think he knew Celaine as well as anyone at this point, yet still she surprised him with her bluntness. At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a little guilt. If she died today. If she died because of him…

No, don’t think of her like that, Hump told himself. This was her decision, and it was not his job to keep her hidden from danger. He had to trust in her abilities just as she had his own.

Leif gave her a helpless look. “There’s nothing I can do. The decision has already been made.”

“See, Celaine,” Finnian said. “I get you want to help, but we all have our role to play today. Your value will not be seen here.”

Celaine’s expression didn’t change as she stared at Leif. “Is that your decision.”

“It’s the decision of—”

“—Let her come,” Yunillia called.

They all turned to see the woman facing them from a dozen paces away. She was mid-discussion with one of her commanders, yet still had the ear to catch their conversation. The other commander stepped aside as she approached.

“Keeper Yunillia, this mission is too dangerous,” Finnian protested. “She’s not ready.”

“She’s a big girl, Finn,” Yunillia said. “That’s not up to you.” She addressed Celaine. “I hear you received your sixth blessing recently.”

Celaine nodded. “Back when we cleared the dungeon, yes.”

“Good enough. If you wish to go that badly, then fine. Come.”

Celaine met Yunillia’s eyes and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” Yunillia said. “I may have just gotten you killed.”

“The decision is my own,” Celaine said. “If my fate is to die this day, then so be it.”

“Hmm.” Yunillia frowned, then started back to her commanders. She said over her shoulder, “Leif, ensure she’s fully caught up on what we’re doing.”

“Of course.”

Celaine leaned closer to Hump and whispered, “Told you I’d figure out a way.”

Hump wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to laugh or applaud. She’d bullied her way into the attack.

“Maybe it is dangerous.”

“I’m one step away,” Celaine said. “I’ll never catch up if I avoid the dangerous spots.”

It was hard to argue with the logic when he’d used it numerous times before. Besides, at least this way they could watch each other’s backs.

“As if you’ll catch up with me,” Hump said, smirking.

She glanced at him with her mouth open in surprise. “Is that a challenge?”

“Take it however you want.” He grinned. “Still, I feel better having you along. I’ll not die if you don’t die, okay?”

She smiled back. “Deal.”

***

Hump was surprised to learn that Elder Ashera was taking command of the main force in Yunillia’s absence. He hadn’t realised it previously, but she was once the First Keeper, but lost her dragon in battle long ago. Suddenly, the reason she seemed so hostile toward Hump made a little more sense. Still unreasonable, but at least he could understand. They were her keepers—her dragons—it was only natural she was protective of them.

The army of hunters was silent as they moved through the forest. For now, Hump and Yunillia’s company remained with the main force, working their way through the forest toward Highgaze Fort. Hump could sense everyone around him through Owalyn’s boon. It was only slight, a tug in each direction, a spot of awareness in his mind that just told him companions were close. It was a good feeling. They were an army of wolves moving as one, and Hump had never felt so powerful.

His body was light and moved with such ease he thought he could keep running forever. And his essence… it searched within him as if a furnace burned at his core. With this power, he wasn’t sure where the limit was. A part of him thought there might not be one, but that was just the excitement. Wizard’s logic triumphed: Energy was finite, no matter the source.

The sky darkened as they neared the edge of the forest, the shadow of the lich’s power a constant before them. Clouds filled everything over the Charred Heights. An endless sea of grey that came to a stark end at the edge of the forest, where blue skies were clear over Owalyn’s land. The sight of it made Hump nervous. It was unnatural to see such a straight line in nature, and the vastness of it just made the lich’s power all the more clear.

If we’re lucky, we won’t encounter her today, he told himself. It was a small lie. In his experience, there was never any luck in these situations. The lich would know they were coming. Her bats, rats, crows, and gods knew what else would have long since spotted them in the forest. They’d killed as many of her scouts as they could, but some would have made it through. That factor had been accounted for. So long as the secret passage into the fortress remained undetected, the plan was intact.

He waited with Yunillia’s company as the keeper shared some parting words with Ashera. Beyond them, where the forest ended, Hump could see Highgaze Fort perhaps an hour from where they stood now. Even from so far away he could clearly make out the shield spell over the old fortress. Tall walls of faint blue light rose on each side, boxing it in. If he were to guess, there would be a large array of connected spellstones upon the battlements—a powerful spell, but one that was vulnerable from within.

If that plan failed… well, he didn’t see much opportunity to assault the fortress any other way. At least, not without heavy losses. It would require the concentrated effort of multiple powerful Chosen over a sustained period of time to bring it down, and during that time, they would need to contend with constant counterattack. Looking over the terrain, Hump didn’t like that idea of that one bit.

What had once been a grass plain was transformed into a muddy bogland. The lich had damned the nearby river, flooding the land and making the terrain difficult to traverse. For an ordinary siege, it would have made their efforts to siege exponentially harder, but fortunately today’s plan did not rely on heavy weapons of artillery or hosts of infantry.

Elder Ashera approached at Yunillia’s side.

She looked across them, meeting every individual’s eye, before finally looking at Hump. She held it for only a moment, but it was enough. He saw trust and appreciation in them. Whatever grudges she’d held previously were irrelevant for today.

“You go today into the darkest corner of danger,” she said, addressing the group. “But you are our beacon of hope. The fate of Drakalyn lies upon your shoulders, and there could be no better hunters for such a burden. Trust in each other, and trust in me. When the shields are destroyed, we will be there.”

“You honour us,” the group responded.

Hump remained silently, but his heartbeat hard in his ears. There was something about the darkest corners of danger that just seemed to keep dragging him back in. Nothing like a life-or-death quest to get the blood pumping, after all.

With that, they were gone. Yunillia led them back into the trees, and this time, they were not to be spotted. One of her keepers draped them in a veil that Hump could not even comprehend. The world beyond it turned to once of colour, where flowers seemed to blossom everywhere they walked, and the light of the sun stretched out in a line. It was like looking at the world on drugs, yet the group had complete confidence in the spell.

They raced for the river, where soon they located the section that the lich had dammed, directing a stream of water into the plains before the fortress. Traversing it would have been tricky for ordinary people, but enhanced by both dragon blood and Owalyn, Hump found he had no trouble with the marshy land and perilous crossings.

Quickly, they worked their way up the river to a large, rocky formation that lay behind the fortress. It was here Yunillia finally slowed down.

“What are we looking for?” Leif asked.

“I’ll know it when I see it.” Yunillia ran her hand over the smooth stone. “I’ll admit, it’s been a while. If Sulamir was here he’d be able to point at it with only a glance.”

To Hump, all he saw was dirt and stone. He supposed that was what it took for a secret passage to avoid the lich’s detection.

“Ah!” Yunillia drew her knife from a sheath at her belt and pierced her thumb, then pressed it to the wall.

A deep crack thudded from the wall. Dust puffed out as a rectangular slab of stone recessed, a door handle taking shape. Yunillia pushed it open.

“Right, Wizard Humphrey,” Yunillia said. “It’s your show now. Tell us if you detect anything.”

Hump nodded. “No problem. Just give me a moment.”

Hump took the appropriate herbs from his pouch, uttered Spark to light them, and then breathed deeply.

“Essence Sight.”

He stared into the passage, detecting only the runeforged enchantment that Yunillia had activated with her blood. Beyond that, there was nothing.

“It looks clear here,” Hump said.

“Then follow me,” Yunillia said. “Tessa, keep your squad at the rear.”

“Got it.”

Tessa, Gawain, and Finnian all stood to the side as the others started making their way into the tunnel.

For a moment, Hump hesitated. He glanced to the left to where the fortress lay, poking out over a hill in the distance. The world beyond it was dark with the clouds of the lich, resonating with a dreadful essence, yet that was hardly the worst of it. Sickly essence rose from the ancient fortress like rotting vapours. Disgusting purples, yellows, browns, and blacks washed together to create a sight that felt like slime over Hump’s skin.

And surrounding it, the size of the shield was even more clear. The barriers had to be two foot thick and were filled with so much essence Hump wondered how the lich was possibly powering it. While not as complete as the dome the warlocks had created when assaulting Sheercliff City, it didn’t have to be. There was no getting past it. Either they destroyed it, or the attack ended here.

“You alright?” Celaine asked.

Hump turned back to the passage ahead of him. His vision was sharp enough now thanks to his dragon blood that the dark was clear to him even without Wizard’s Light.

“I’m good,” Hump said, stepping forward. “Let’s do this.”