Her hands became slick with sweat and her heart pounded in her chest.
Her brother was in there, along with a man of unbelievable strength, five strong warriors, and three soulwalkers. They’d been fortunate thus far, but their luck couldn’t hold forever. If she descended into that absolute darkness, she was certain she would never see the light again.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Then she opened them and stepped into the dark.
59
The crack widened after about a hundred paces, opening up into a dark tunnel of broken rock. The passage was barely tall enough for Brandt, and he had to carefully pick his way over the sharp stone. The path angled down, turning at random intervals. It didn’t take long for him to feel completely lost. But there was only the one tunnel, so he for now he could dismiss his disorientation.
The group remained silent except for their heavy breathing and the sound of their feet against the stone. An occasional curse washed over him as one of their party slipped or stubbed their toes against the uneven ground.
They needed rest. They’d gained elevation all day, and this path before them was anything but easy going. But they didn’t have time. His only comfort was knowing that those they pursued had made the same hike. When they met, exhaustion would be a factor for them all.
The tunnel abruptly leveled out, surprising them. Brandt stumbled, caught himself, then noticed the darkness ahead of him had a different quality to what he had seen before. He kept walking, his torchlight finally finding the end of the tunnel.
When he stepped out of the tunnel, he stopped in surprise. The tunnel let out into a long chamber of smooth stone.
When Ana came through with the second torch, more details revealed themselves. The chamber wasn’t a single room, but a hallway. The walls were smooth and even, demonstrating a skill even modern masons would be challenged to display.
For a few moments, their wonder halted their progress.
What was this?
He’d never heard any stories of people dwelling underneath the mountains, or any legends of this type of work. But the evidence was right in front of him.
He shook his head, clearing the thoughts away. The hallway opened up in both directions, and they needed to find the Lolani and Kye before they reached the gate. But which way did they go? He looked down the hallway, but the smooth floor evidenced no marks of passage.
Alena closed her eyes. Brandt wondered if she’d become too tired to continue. Then her eyes opened, a fresh determination within. She pointed. “This way.”
Brandt didn’t know how she was so certain, but he had trusted her this far. He would continue to do so. He took the lead, torch held off to the side so as not to completely blind him from any dangers ahead. Alena and Azaleth followed, with Ana taking the rear with the other torch.
The hallway opened up into another room, larger than the average room in a house. Like the hallway, the stone was smooth.
The greater problem was that several hallways were connected to the room. Alena closed her eyes again and pointed.
Brandt didn’t like being forced to trust someone this much, but lacking better options, he agreed. They turned down the hallway Alena indicated, their footsteps echoing in their ears.
When they turned a corner they came upon a woman, pale even in the light of the torches. She lay on her back, her eyes open and glassy, staring at the ceiling. She made no movement as they neared, even when they approached closer.
“She’s one of the soulwalkers,” Alena said.
Brandt turned to her, surprised. Something in Alena’s tone implied she knew more than she said. He took a guess. “Did you do this?”
She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.
The woman was breathing, and despite her complete stillness, seemed healthy enough.
But she was an enemy, too dangerous to leave behind them. Brandt didn’t like his decision, but it was necessary. He ran his sword over her throat. She died without even a grimace.
They should all be so lucky to travel to the gates unburdened.
Alena gasped, but no one else made any comment. It was an ugly thing, but the risk was too high. He couldn’t allow the soulwalker to wake behind them.
They continued on. His stomach felt queasy.
Killing someone who was actively trying to kill you was one thing. But slitting the throat of a woman lying prone on the floor? His body told him that was murder, no matter how he justified it.
He pushed the thoughts down. He could worry about his soul later, after the empire was safe.
However, the presence of the soulwalker did make one fact clear: Alena’s information was good. Brandt still didn’t know how, but she knew, or at least had some clue, about where they were going. That, at least, was one burden off his shoulders. Even if he couldn’t explain it.
Wonder after wonder unfolded before them. Not every hallway or chamber was smooth stone. Whoever had built these structures also made use of a natural cave system. They came upon one room in particular where the ceiling stood far above them, so high the torches barely illuminated the stalactites hanging above. Another room had built a space for a natural pool. At times, slivers of light filtered down from high above.
The size of the place confounded his imagination. Either this had taken a great number of people many years, or several lifetimes had gone into this construction. The complex was a maze he could spend months exploring. Thankfully, Azaleth regularly left one of his stones behind, marking a path they could return on. He was grateful the Etari possessed such foresight. He hadn’t thought about it until too late.
Alena kept guiding them, stopping on occasion to close her eyes and perform whatever technique she used to track them. Brandt guessed it
