Path of Dragons-Chapter 78Book 8: : Necessity and Enmity

Miguel yanked his sword from the hairy monster’s body, then jerked around to continue the battle. However, after only one look at the slightly dazed solders – and all the bodies carpeting the ground – he knew it was over. His shoulders sagged in exhaustion, but he took the time to mechanically clean his sword, using his equally bloody shirt to accomplish he task, then sheathed the wooden blade at his waist.

With that done, he joined what remained of the other fighters to gather the wounded, catalogue the dead, and recover anything worthwhile. It was a gruesome task, but in the Hollow Depths, they couldn’t afford to ignore useful equipment.

Many pieces of Miguel’s armor had long since been destroyed. The lacquered wood might have been as strong as steel, but even that was insufficient when measured next to the natural weapons of the beasts and monsters who inhabited the wild, subterranean space.

He’d lost track of how long they’d been down there, but after circling crossing the grasslands and circling the sea, they’d trekked through the tunnels for weeks before finally finding something different. When Miguel had first laid eyes on it, he’d questioned whether or not it was real. Certainly, it didn’t seem possible.

But then again, everything he’d seen since first entering the tunnels seemed impossible. So what if there was a forest miles below the Earth’s surface? Why wouldn’t there be?

And yet, as he’d trekked through the wilderness – thankfully, the undergrowth wasn’t thick – he was continuously surprised when his previous assumptions about what was and was not possible were proved invalid. Ethera had changed everything. Given his previous experiences, that should have been obvious. However, it was one thing to accept that he might encounter a powerfully deadly monster or be able to use magical abilities, and it was something else entirely to find an entire world miles beneath the Earth’s surface.

It was as awe-inspiring as it was daunting, and those feelings were only supported by the weeks that had passed since stepping into the forest. Since then, they’d encountered a wide variety of beasts and monsters, all of which wanted them dead. Maybe Miguel would have been left to his own devices if he’d been alone, but with the others around, the most aggressive creatures would never ignore their presence.

So, the trek through the forest had been characterized by nearly constant battle. Barely an hour went by without one attack or another. From giant, bear-shaped creatures with beaks and feathers to more fungoids, Miguel and the others had been forced to lean on one another just to survive.

And a few hadn’t been up to the task.

The most recent battle had claimed three good fighters – all of which had already been wounded before the fight had even begun. When the little furry creatures – they looked a bit like monkeys, but with thicker proportions and fingers that resembled a gecko’s – attacked, Miguel’s most grievously injured companions hadn’t had a chance.

And now they were gone.

“You’re going to be okay, Jik,” Isaak said, kneeling beside a particularly injured Ranger. He sported a deep belly wound through which his intestines were visible. If they’d been back in Ironshore, Ron or Jess could have fixed him up in a hurry, but out in the field, they only had Lala.

And she’d been spending her ethera as quickly as she could get it.

The little gnome knelt beside another of the wounded, her hand glowing with her least powerful spell as she mended a chest injury. It was all she could afford.

Everyone in the group had been wounded to at least some degree. Miguel himself had suffered dozens of small cuts and scratches, a broken finger, and a multitude of bruises. He also felt like one of his ribs had cracked in the most recent battle, but he had no intention of complaining. His injuries were nothing compared to some of his companions’.

After Lala had done what she could for her current patient, she moved to Jik. The dwarf was a hardy sort, his beard matted, and his face covered with dried blood. They hadn’t had much of a chance to bathe since entering the Hollow Depths, after all. Once Lala was attending to the Ranger’s gut wound, Miguel pulled away and joined the efforts to gather the dead’s equipment.

Meanwhile, Colt spoke with the other senior fighters, establishing a plan for the rest of the day. Katis had died in the tunnels, so the Samurai was the next logical step in the chain of command.

Once he’d gathered what he could and piled it off to the side so it could be redistributed, Miguel retreated to the edge of the glade that had hosted the battle and sat with his back leaning against a tree. There, he ate some berries he’d found along the way. They were bitter and weren’t terribly filling, but they were the only food available.

Soon enough, Isaak joined him, sitting on the other side of the tree so they could watch both directions at once.

“What are you thinking?” the Sorcerer asked. Despite the young man’s weedy and bookish appearance, he’d proven himself to be one of the most durable members of the party. He clearly didn’t enjoy living in the wild, but he rarely complained about the situation. Instead, he just put his head down and worked, often making the difference they needed. His spells were powerful, and he’d saved everyone there multiple times.

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Miguel respected him more than he’d expected to.

In fact, he and Isaak had struck up a friendship that seemed destined to last if they survived their current ordeal.

“I wish Trevor was here,” he admitted, offering a few of his berries to his friend. Isaak took a couple, but grimaced when he popped them in his mouth. He still ate them, though.

Wanting Trevor there was a silly thought. The stag could never have fit through many of the tight tunnels they’d been forced to traverse on their way down. However, he would have been perfectly at home in the subterranean forest. What’s more, with his companion so far away, Miguel felt like he was missing a limb.

“Another strong ally would be nice,” Isaak agreed, holding out his hand and revealing a large mushroom. Miguel immediately knew it was edible.

“Where did you find it?”

“Near that pond we camped beside yesterday. I’ve been holding onto it since then,” Isaak said. “Go ahead. Take some. You’ve shared enough food with me that this doesn’t even come close to making us even.”

Miguel didn’t argue. Instead, he grabbed a handful of the spongey fungus flesh, then shoved it into his mouth. He closed his eyes to enjoy the flavor dancing across his tongue as he chewed gratefully. The mushroom wouldn’t make much of a difference in terms of sustenance. There just wasn’t enough of it. But what it lacked in meaningful nutrition, it more than made up for in taste.

He’d almost forgotten what eating real food was like. It was one of those things that, before the world changed, he’d taken for granted. Even when he and the other refugees had fled from Easton, his mother’s abilities as a Tradesman had been enough to ensure that it wasn’t entirely bland. And when they’d reached Ironshore, he’d grown accustomed to the availability of real Cooks. Since entering the tunnels, though, he’d been forced to eat whatever was available – which wasn’t much, so they’d foraged what they could and harvested their kills along the way. They didn’t lack for meat, but none of it was properly prepared.

So, the mushroom’s rich, earthy flavor was a godsend, and he intended to savor it for as long as possible.

Across the dell, Colt spoke to the Illythiri, Ektara. The two had spent quite a lot of time together, and everyone had come to accept her presence. They’d even given her a weapon – a necessity, given that they needed as many fighters as they could get.

“How far do you think we have to go?” Isaak asked.

Miguel shrugged. They’d been in the Hollow Depths for a while. First, they had fought across the plains and circled a lake, but that had only brought them to the forest. Ektara consistently claimed that they didn’t have far to go, but most people had begun to doubt her word.

Still, they didn’t have much of a choice but to follow her directions.

That was how it had been since the way to the surface had been blocked by the combination of a cave-in and a rock monster the Illythiri referred to as an earth spirit. For his part, Miguel just wanted to go home, enjoy the grove, reunite with Trevor, and see Hope.

But that wasn’t in the cards at the moment.

The only silver lining was that the constant battle had resulted in a few levels for everyone. And as one of the most active fighters, Miguel had benefited more than most. He was still a long way from catching up to some people who’d had access to the system since the very beginning, but he was slowly gaining ground. One day, he would count himself among Earth’s elite.

After a few more minutes, during which Miguel and Isaak continued to eat what food they’d gathered, Colt signaled that it was time to move on. So, they packed up the supplies they’d taken from their dead comrades, then set off through the forest.

With one last glance backward, Miguel wished that they’d had time to bury their fallen companions. But if they lingered long enough to dig holes and put them to rest, the scavengers would come.

And they were often even deadlier than the predators, especially when such a large meal was dangled before them. So, as a shudder went up his spine, Miguel hitched his pack higher on his back, then followed the others.

Over the next week, they experienced more of the same. The only respite came when they reached a large, deserted cave with only one exit. There, they managed to set up proper defenses so that everyone could rest and recover. Lala, in particular, used that time to regenerate her ethera and completely heal the group.

Miguel wasn’t sure if that was because so few were left or if her Regeneration had finally had the opportunity to refill her stores of ethera.

In any case, once they’d recovered as much as they could manage, everyone packed up and moved out. Another three days, and they finally reached the other side of the forest.

Or more importantly, the tunnel Ektara had promised.

Even more of a relief, it bore signs of civilization. There was a small fort – not unlike the one they’d overrun on the surface – manned by dozens of Illythiri.

“I want you to stay here with the others,” Colt said, his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I’ll go ahead with Ektara.” Then, he looked at Miguel, adding, “If I ain’t back in half an hour, I want you to come at ‘em with everything we got. Don’t hold back.”

Miguel nodded, though Ektara said, “That won’t be necessary.”

“Maybe not. I like to always be prepared. Must be the boy scout in me.”

“You are neither a boy nor a scout,” she said, narrowing her large eyes. “I do not understand.”

“Gonna have to get used to it, I s’pose. Some things just ain’t meant to be,” Colt said. “Let’s go. And no funny stuff.”

She gave him a curt nod before she and Colt set off toward the fort. The dark elves manning the towers had already seen them, so there was no response until the pair reached the gate.

“You think there’s something going on between those two?” asked Isaak.

“What? No,” Miguel said. “You afraid he’s going to steal your girl?”

“She’s not…I just…shut up.”

Miguel couldn’t help but grin. Then, he reminded Isaak to stay on guard.

After a small door embedded in the gate swung open, Ektara and Colt stepped inside. Then, Miguel and the others waited.

Five minutes passed. Then ten. Miguel was just getting ready to follow Colt’s orders when the Samurai stepped out and waved them forward. The fact that he was still armed told Miguel that everything had gone well. If he’d lacked his sword, Miguel wouldn’t have hesitated to attack.

When the group reached the gate, Colt said, “Change of plans. We’re not goin’ topside just yet. We’re goin’ some place called Eldrathûn to meet with their leaders. Apparently, they want to negotiate a peace settlement.”

“After what they did? They attacked us first,” Miguel pointed out.

“I know, kid. But they say that was a rogue element. They got nothin’ against humans or anyone else. Plus, I get the feelin’ they can’t deal with their problems by their lonesome. Necessity beats enmity every time,” Colt explained.

Then, he led them all inside. Miguel was the last one through the gate, and as he watched his beleaguered companions step inside the fort, he couldn’t help but wonder if they were making a huge mistake.