The story of the Elf Queen

* * *

"Wow..."

With this short phrase, the eldest of the dwarf masters summarized the story of Nicholas Meyer told by Luaval. There was silence in the small stone hall as the former prisoners considered what they had heard. The faces of the young ones were especially remarkable. Even through the odor-repelling ointment, one could see how red their faces were from the savory details. Ciara was the first to break the long silence:

"I have to say, your version is much more... detailed than the one I was told during my studies."

Grinning, Luaval replied in a calm voice:

"This case had made a lot of fuss in its time, both among the surface dwellers and the inhabitants of the Underworld. The Forest was no exception, paying close attention to the story. Well, that's enough stories for today."

In one cohesive motion, the dark elf rose to his feet.

"Get some rest. After you sleep, we'll recharge the amulet batteries. I'll take another look around. Don't go anywhere without me. No noise. I've explained how to go to the latrine."

No one was willing to argue, and everyone began to get ready for bed. It was quite warm in this part of the Underground, so they all lay on top of the bunks without covering themselves. The prisoners Luaval had rescued looked pathetic and funny at the same time. They were all grimy, with sticky hair and beards. While they were sleeping on the hard stone floor, which could be felt even through the fabric of the beds, the dark elf activated the cloak and left the observation post where they were stationed. It took almost an hour to survey the surrounding area, during which time Luaval silently and invisibly shadowed all the entrances and exits to the caves that led to the post, as well as the areas around them. At the same time, he placed beacons and alarms in the most inconspicuous places. He'd have to spend time collecting them later, but better that than to be caught unawares. He would have chosen another place to sleep and rest, but with a load as heavy as the ground squad that was impossible.

When he had finished his rounds, Luaval returned to the observation post. By now, most of the rescued men were asleep, and the rest were dozing. After ensuring everything was in order the dark elf went to one of the corners of the stone hall. There he easily found small special paired holes, made in the walls at different heights and with regular intervals. Luaval hooked his hammock, made of a very thin but strong fabric, into the holes. Once in it, Luaval closed his eyes and lay still for a few minutes, closing his eyes and listening to his surroundings. Home, sweet home. Just like when he had been a young boy, when he had first learned the hard work of a Hunter, along with his brothers and the few sisters who had also chosen this path. Now, almost none of them are alive anymore. And he still...

The awakening came suddenly, on pure reflexes. Luaval jumped out of the hammock in a single movement and landed silently on his feet, drawing his weapon. A moment later, his mind, torn from the embrace of sleep, recognized the reason for the sudden awakening. One of the signaling amulets had been triggered. Slipping under the cloak to the edge of the breach, Luaval froze against the wall, peering out cautiously. At that moment, another signaling amulet went off. Not good.

* * *

Take it easy. Easy. Breathe in. Breathe out. Slowly. Inhale. Exhale. A Hunter is calm at all times and in all places. That's what his mentors always said, and Giasar had heard the phrase thousands of times over the years. And it got to his guts. Easy for him to say! Try being calm when your prey is so close. Grabbing a short, curved blade, the dark elf glanced at his brother sheltering in the shadow of a huge stalagmite. He was perfectly still, and practically invisible. Unless one knew where to look, it wasn't easy to spot. But Giasar knew, and his keen eyesight could easily distinguish how tightly the fellow clutched his weapon. Tense, too. It was good to know he wasn't the only one. When will they be back? Why are you digging so hard? Or have they been discovered? No, then they'd know. And if-- No. Calm down! Take it easy. The Hunter is never in a hurry. That's the victim's lot. The Hunter will wait as long as it takes.

Breathe in. Breathe out. It was so hot and humid here. Even in the hunter's clothes... Finally! One of the two men who'd gone on ahead appeared at the wall of the cave where the tracks of their prey led, and all unnecessary thoughts went out of his head. Standing in the shadows, the scout quickly made a few hand gestures. Prey. Ours. Sleeping. Signaling threads. Cloaking. No one is on duty. No sign of dark elves. Whereupon, the scout disappeared once more into the shadows of the cave. At last!

After exchanging brief gestures with his fellow, Giasar moved forward cautiously. It was strange, of course, that the groundlings were here alone. But it couldn't be that the escort squad they'd been warned about had left no trace. It doesn't work that way. So they are alone. That's weird. Okay, we'll figure it out. When the dark elves approached the wall of the stone hall, in which the illusion concealed the breach of the observation post, they were joined by two more of their brethren, who appeared as if from nowhere. Without a single sound, all four of them activated their levitation amulets with almost synchronized movements, practiced by dozens of training. Then, at the same time, they took a short run up the almost sheer wall, clinging to the ledges and crevices on the edges of the breach, so they could not be seen from the inside. This was done without a sound.

Hanging back, the four young hunters froze in anticipation. A second passed. Two. Three. Silence. After a brief exchange of signs with his fellows, one of them carefully activated a small amulet, placing it against the wall at the very edge of the breach. At the same instant, all four heard the loud, by elven standards, sniffling of those sleeping. Several people. Five. A couple of dwarves. One breathing a little heavy. Everything was as they said it would be. At that moment, the two brethren who had come in from the caves activated their amulets. Immediately, the traces of the camouflage amulets that the fugitives had used to cover their resting place became clearly visible in their magical vision. But no sign of the kin they had been warned about before they went hunting. Not a single hint. Strange. And no one on duty. Relying on their amulets? Such carelessness!

A brief exchange of glances and signs resulted in a unanimous decision - to storm! At the command, almost simultaneously, the four dark elves silently rushed inside through the breach, with a move practiced in countless training. At the same time, right in a leap, throwing at the sleeping groundlings immobilizing amulets, which should have paralyzed them. Four enchanted metal balls whistled through the air and... went straight through the bodies of the sleeping men. A moment later there was a ringing sound from the impact with the stone floor, and the amulets discharged. This caused the sleeping groundlings to ripple and blur. Illusion! Ambush! The thought arrowed through Giasar's mind. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he immediately tried to do a sideways somersault, avoiding the unknown enemy. But something went wrong. In the last instant, the floor was sharp to the side, swapping places with the ceiling, and his consciousness was burned by a cruel pain, replaced by darkness.

* * *

Aah! The sudden and sharp pain that pierced his head and dispersed the darkness made him instinctively want to twitch and jump to his feet. But this was not possible. For the reason that his hands and feet were bound. What the... The words that were about to roll off his tongue froze in his throat. since the tip of a sharp blade touched it. A hunter's blade. Giasar stared for a few seconds at the tall stranger, dressed as a Hunter, without any insignia or symbols of the House. His face could not be seen in the darkness beneath the hooded mask. My heart was squeezed by the cold hand of horror at the realization of death coming. No, impossible, not like this...

"Dead."

Giasar blinked and opened his eyes wide, staring at his captor. His voice was completely devoid of intonation and depersonalized, obviously with the aid of a special masking and distorting amulet. Taking a step to the side, the unknown man repeated:

"Dead."

Slanting his eyes, the dark elf realized he was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall, right under the breach through which they had stormed. And to his left were five of his fellows, just like him, bound hand and foot, their hoods torn from their faces. And with equally dazed faces. Two of them had bruises on their faces, the one on the far right had a swollen left eye, and the closest neighbor had a broken nose with blood dripping down his chin. In the center of the observation room, right on the floor. Their weapons and amulets were neatly laid out. Including some that were concealed carry. The unknown man walked along the captives, stopping in front of each one and touching the tip of his blade to their throats. And repeating the same word:

"Dead."

"Dead."

"Dead."

"Dead."

Whereupon he stood in front of them and a distorted voice growled:

"Brainless idiots! You juvenile bastards! What were your orders?!"

What? What? Blinking, Giasar stared at the strange Hunter in incomprehension. And so did the rest of his fellows. He leaned forward in an elusive movement, grabbed the leader of their party by the pecs, and lifted him to his feet. Then he gave him a good slap.

"I said, what were your orders, you brainless morons?! Or do you have a hearing problem in addition to a skill problem?"

"Uh... I... well..."

"Why are you mumbling like a drunken bearded man who's had too much Mohlam's moonshine?! Are you a Hunter or what?!"

Another slap and a vicious growl from the unknown man affected the Leader, bringing him back to consciousness. He pulled himself to a standing position and reported in a clear voice:

"The orders were to search the Neutral Territories for signs of surface fugitives. Five humans and two dwarves. To be extremely careful, as they are accompanied by a squad of experienced Hunters. If any tracks are found, report to the Senior and await orders."

As soon as the Leader had finished speaking, he was once again hit with a thud, so he nearly fell over.

"What did you idiots do?! Answer me!"

Giasar, sitting on the floor, began to make sense of what was happening, and he could barely keep from breathing out a sigh of relief. But then, realizing what an ass they'd gotten themselves into, he hurriedly gave himself as indifferent an expression as possible. The Leader, who had received another slap, continued to report:

"We found the fugitives' trail. We followed it for one short crossing. We moved with extreme caution. We found no trace of the Hunter companions. Only the tracks of the landers. We decided to make one more small crossing. The trail got warmer, but still no sign of the hunter-companions. We reported to the Senior. She ordered us to follow the trail with extreme caution. She said she'd catch up with us. So we reached this hall. Here the trail led us to an observation post. We took it under observation, without approaching it, and waited. When the Senior arrived, she ordered us to reconnoiter. We were convinced they were the fugitives we were looking for. But there was no sign of any other Hunters. The decision was made to storm the place.

The Leader finished his report, and a tense silence settled over the observation room. Giasar and the others stared tensely at their captor, waiting to see what would happen next. He sighed heavily as he lowered his weapon, then suddenly bellowed:

"You brainless idiots! Have you ever learned anything!? You're a disgrace to the House, not Hunters! How did you even pass the First Initiation?! Kneeling on your knees and working with your tongues?! You empty-headed bastards, who let you out of the nursery?!"

Despite the torrent of profanity, Giasar felt not even a stone, but a mountain, fall from his heart. Thank you, Lady in the Dark, he would not be killed. And he'll endure any abuse he can get.

"You were told, you juvenile retards, that the Earth fugitives were being escorted by a squad of Hunters. You were on the trail, good for you. Next thing you knew, they were going unaccompanied. Earthers. Through the Underworld! That should have made you suspicious, you idiots! Then the trail led you here. To the observation room. Where you can see the whole area! Where it's almost impossible to approach without being seen! It's obvious to a child of 20 years old that this is an ambush! But not you knuckleheads! None of you even noticed my signal traps! You flashed the one at the entrance to the cave! You snagged the one between the fallen stalactite and the thicket of shimmering lichen. And you didn't even notice it, you morons!"

His brethren twitched in annoyance and humiliation, but quickly regained as much composure as possible. As they were scolded, Giasar's initial relief was replaced by more and more fear. As the realization came of just how badly they had blundered, and what would come of it. The word rest would likely be forgotten for the next fifty years. Judging by the faces of his brethren, they also realized it.

"And then you stormed off! And you did it brilliantly! Through the breach! Without covering each other on the approach! No running! You were visible for a whole run! Did it ever occur to you that if there'd been one good marksman under the illusion you wouldn't have made it to the halfway point? Of course not, you idiots! All right. You came up like a bunch of idiots but how did you storm the place?! How many times do I have to tell you idiots?! The battle amulets go in first, then you! Fucking idiots! Get up!"

The squad executed the last command with perfect synchronization, jumping to their feet in one united movement. The infuriated Senior Mentor (he wondered which one?) strode along the line, cutting the bonds with a single swing of his blade:

"You failed the test. When you return home, each of you will receive three Full Redemptions. And I'll talk to each of your mentors separately. I think they'll have something for you, too, when they hear how you've dishonored the House. In the meantime, I'll give you a new introduction and a chance to wash away some of the shame. You were taken prisoner, but by the grace of the Lady in Darkness, your captors were even bigger morons than you. You managed to escape. No weapons. No amulets. Nothing but your empty heads! The chase is about to begin."

Taking out a large amulet timing device from the pocket of his robe, the mentor activated it.

"You have four hours to get to the House. All of you. If one falls behind, it's considered a failure for everyone. Understood?"

"Yes, Mentor!" Six voices chorused in unison.

"Oh, at least we can do something. Pick up the weapon! And only it!"

He did not have to say it twice, and Giasar and his companions picked up their blades. They were tied to the scabbard by their hilts with a thin silk rope. And the knot was sealed with a simple magical seal. Damn!

"You'll take it with you so you don't have to run easy," the mentor continued in an angry voice.

"But! If one of you pulls it out of its sheath, it will be considered a failure. And I will personally raise the question of reviewing your First Initiation Do you understand, you assholes?!"

"Yes, Mentor!" The six voices still chorused in unison.

"In that case, why the hell are you still standing there?! Time's running out, assholes!"

All six of them jerked back through the breach, one by one. Without the levitation amulet, the landing was not as soft as he would have liked. But Giasar didn't even notice that. His heart was pounding like a madman, and fear and anger were mixed. He should have screwed up so badly! Damn idiots! The Guider and the Senior! Especially the last one, who gave the order to go to the assault and not call for help! And he knew something was wrong! He knew it! Damn it, now it's three Full Redemptions! It's gonna kill him. No, no, he's not gonna die after this! No way! He'll live. He will! He'll get stronger! And as the Lady in the Darkness knows, he'll find a way to pay back that brainless fool!

* * *

When the six idiots flew faster than arrows out the window, Luaval waited thirty full heartbeats. When he was sure that they had indeed fled, he said:

"Now you."

When he reached the wall, where there was nothing and no one, he bent down and lifted the dark elfess, bound hand and foot, to her feet. The illusion of the cloaking amulet that concealed her rippled. Pulling the gag from her mouth, he growled:

"What do you think you're doing, you brainless fool?!"

"What does it all meaaa?! Aaaaay!"

A swift slap made her outraged speech stop halfway through. Her eyes popped out, not so much from the pain as from the shock that a man had dared to raise his hand at her.

"How dare you! Aaai! Let me go!"

"Shut up, you stupid fool!"

"Grabbing the captive's long ear, Luaval twisted it with force, causing her to shriek and stand on tiptoe."

"Okay, those six little idiots, but what are you doing?! Don't you have any sense at all?! Why didn't you call for help? You could see that there was something wrong! Answer me!"

With her face twisted in humiliation, the helpless dark elf girl hissed through clenched teeth:

"A very generous reward has been announced for the capture of these fugitives....."

"Oh... You don't have to go on. Why do I have to do this, Lady in the Dark?!"

Releasing the captive's ear, Luaval theatrically pressed his palm to his face, hidden by the hooded mask.

"How can you do this?! You were told the fugitives were escorted by an experienced group of Hunters! How else could they have escaped from the Islands?! If your idiots didn't find any trace of them, what does that mean?!"

The captive's eyes glittered angrily, and she lowered her gaze to the floor but said nothing.

"I'm waiting for an answer!"

Pressing her lips together, the dark one twitched, but still found the strength to spell it out:

"I figured they probably escaped on their own. Or their rescuers supplied them with everything they needed and they went on their own. We did a reconnaissance! I didn't... there was no sign of them! I didn't think that uh..."

"Did you do a reconnaissance?! Don't be ridiculous, it's not a reconnaissance, it's a shame! You didn't think?! That's what I believe! Do you realize that if it wasn't a reconnaissance, at best you'd be dead right now, you stupid idiot! At best! And at worst, you'd be fucked in a month by some rich Humans who bought you on the slave market! What am I supposed to tell your mother?!"

The captive's eyes popped out of their orbits at what she heard, and she opened her mouth in astonishment.

"And don't you try to tell me anything about the nonsense that only the best survive and the rest are worthless and drop out! You can guess what she'll say and how she'll say it back to me! Oh, you've got a lot to learn."

In one elusive movement, Luaval spun the dazed captive around, then in the same elusive motion, untied her restraints.

"We'll continue this conversation at home. You tell your six knuckleheads that this was a test to see how they would behave in a situation where their superior gave knowingly erroneous orders. And that they failed miserably. Got it?"

Still reeling from her surprise, the dark one nodded hastily.

"I got it. I...."

"Later! Get your stuff and those assholes' stuff. And try to get home before they do. And in the name of the Lady in the Dark, stay alert on the way home!"

The dark one wanted to say something else, but at the last moment, she hesitated, nodded briefly, and quickly gathered the things the hapless hunters had left behind. Then, after activating a trio of amulets and drinking a couple of vials of alchemy, she jumped to the edge of the breach. At last, she still turned around and said:

"Uh, thank you. I..."

Without letting her finish, Luaval only waved his hand irritably:

"Just run. And take care of yourself!"

With a nod, the dark one jumped out and followed her subordinates. A faint smile tugged at her lips. Luaval sighed tiredly and said briefly, after he had seen her off, and waited until she was completely out of sight:

"You can come out now."

At the same instant, one of the side walls of the hall rippled, and from it came a company of fugitives that stood there, huddled close together and barely breathing. Ciara and Gion clutched their battle wands, ready to fight. At Luaval, they all stared, eyes darting. Except for the unresponsive Tiantrel, who was covered by an additional cloaking amulet.

"Quickly recharge the batteries, pack up and leave. We'll have to use more serious stimulants, but we have no choice. I was foolish to think they'd let us go for nothing."

The rescued men rushed to do his bidding. Ciara took charge of the drives. Her students sitting at her sides holding her elbows and supporting her with energy. The rest of the group quickly put their things away and now looked tensely at the breach and the caster with her students. Gion broke the nervous silence:

"I confess I was sure, honorable First, that you would kill them."

Turning to the boy, Luaval stared at him for a few seconds, then turned away and said indifferently:

"I prefer not to kill for no reason. Especially kids."

Everyone choked, especially the eldest of the masters:

"Are they kids?"

"Of course they are. Until they're 200 years old and Second Initiation, they're by default stupid kids. These particular ones are extremely stupid. Thank the Lady in the Dark that we've got just the right kind. Otherwise, it would have been much worse. Ciara, how soon?"

"Almost! Just a few minutes."

"All right. When you're done, everyone takes a full set of stimulants. We're gonna have to go fast. Very fast."

Listening intently to Luaval, Gion asked cautiously:

"But isn't that how we attract attention and...."

"We've already got it. The chase is a matter of time. A very short time. So there's no point in trying to cover our tracks anymore. We'll rely on speed and camouflage amulets. And try to avoid seeing anyone."

* * *

After gathering their belongings, the small group left the underground hall in a hurry moving further along the side wall. The speed of movement had increased considerably, even with the fact that tracelessness was now ignored. But the price was not the most harmless alchemy. They felt good now, their fatigue was gone, their minds were clear, and their bodies were full of strength. But there's a price to pay. Whatever, the main thing was to get to the rendezvous point before his little improvisation was appreciated and a real chase ensued.

The next two large halls were quick and easy to pass through, aided by the masking amulets that were in full power. There were even more underground beasts here than in the previous ones, including a couple of relatively dangerous creatures that Luaval had spotted. Fortunately, they were all passive hunters, preferring to wait in an ambush for their prey. Vegetation and mushrooms were also plentiful, largely because the temperature was even higher here, as was the humidity. On a couple of occasions, Luaval spotted units of hunters and gatherers. Two of them consisted of dark dwarves, another of his kin. The latter, of course, were harvesting wild mushrooms and plants not by themselves, but by the hands of slaves.

None of the squads noticed the fugitives, and they successfully crossed the boundary of the next hall. Luaval took a short rest and ordered everyone to drink half a flask of water and another stimulant. The fugitives breathing heavily, settled on a fallen stalactite that resembled a huge tree log. After taking a few greedy sips, a soaked Gion mentally asked:

Why doesn't anyone live in these places? There's water, and plenty of wildlife too. I thought we'd come across at least one settlement.

In response, Luaval, who had been keeping track of time, only grinned crookedly:

You'll see soon enough. Five more minutes and we'll move on.

This short phrase made everyone feel uncomfortable, but no one risked questioning. Gathering themselves, they moved forward. Unlike the previous halls, this one was much more spacious, with fewer small stalagmites and stalactites. But those that were there were astonishing in size. Some of them were joined to form huge columns, as thick as century-old oaks. They stretched from the high ceiling to the floor. The air here was not so humid. There was a rather noticeable wind. There was not much vegetation or wildlife, and all of it was concentrated around a single rivulet that gurgled about the center of the hall.

As they passed another column and a scattering of stones, the prisoners involuntarily froze in place, shocked by what they saw. Across the hall, as far as they could see, ran a huge crack, a couple of dozen meters thick, with steep edges. Streams of hot air were rising from the depths of the crack, blowing even at a distance. Just looking at it sent a chill down my spine. I didn't want to go even close to her. With a grin, Luaval pointed at her and said mentally:

That's the reason no one settles near here.

Swallowing involuntarily, Gion inquired cautiously:

Because of the possibility of collapse?

Because of that, among other things. But primarily because of what might come out of it.

By now everyone in the squad was swallowing. Ciara licked her lips and asked mentally:

And what dwells in it?

I have no idea, but it's certainly no good. If you meet one and survive, be sure to tell me, honorable Ciara.

Do we need to go to the other side?

Luckily no. But we'll have to walk along it for a while. Girl, are you feeling all right?

Sinha, who had been silent the whole way, shuddered and nodded:

Hai. I've gotten better. But now the voices are louder again. "Louder. Angrier. More coming from that deep place. They're... hungry.

Frowning, Luaval asked:

Do you understand them?

The slanting daughter of the steppes nodded her grimy head in response:

Hai. The Khao-tan speak differently than we do. But I understand what they want. It's... hard not to understand.

Talented girl. Communicating with the inhabitants of the Netherworld was a separate and extremely difficult art. Many people devoted their entire lives to it. And she could understand and hear the spirits of even a place as foreign as the Underworld. Good heredity. I can see why they'd risk it for her in the first place.

Try to ignore it. We don't have long to walk along it. Okay, enough rest, let's go!

The small group moved on, keeping to the edge of the huge crevice but not getting close to it. It wasn't always possible, and sometimes they had to get within a couple of meters of it, making everyone but Luaval breathless. Luckily for the fugitives, there were few such places, and they passed through them quite quickly. When the fugitives had passed another such area, they suddenly saw an almost completely open space in front of them and froze. A very wide and carefully paved road ran across the hall, through an area cleared of any stones, boulders, and fragments of stalactites and stalagmites.

It started from a wide tunnel cut directly into the rock face of the side wall of the underground hall. It was flanked by two wide ditches cut into the stone floor. A road rose almost a meter above it. How much labor was invested in the construction of such a road was scary to imagine. And it went exactly to the cleft, at the edge of which stood a small but well-fortified fortress, like the one they had passed the day before. On the opposite side of the cleft was visible exactly the same. Both of them were lit up with lights that were quite bright by the standards of the Underworld. Except that all the rays were directed deep into the cleft illuminating its sheer walls. The walls were lined with steel spears, forming a forest of sharp iron. The battle wands of six powerful stationary golems, three on each side, were also directed into the chasm.

On the walls of the fortresses, the figures of guards in armor were clearly visible. And the whole area around the fortresses was carefully cleared so it was impossible to approach them unnoticed. Each had a wide lift bridge that lowered to connect with the neighboring one, forming a crossing. Luaval looked at both fortresses for a moment, then said quietly:

They've fortified themselves quite well. I'm afraid to imagine how much they spent on it. Although, the toll probably pays for it all. When that crack formed and this Deep Tract was cut, a lot of people were very sad that the usual trade routes were cut off. They had to go around for two extra weeks.

Cautiously peering out from behind a large rock, Gion inquired quietly:

Where does this tract lead to?

From Antak na Shar'Dan to two other underground cities where you'd hardly want to be. Let's go while there's no one outside. If we run into patrols, we'll lose time. Amulets to maximum, and run!

No one argued, and the fugitives ran forward in barely discernible shadows. It was frightening to run, every moment expecting to be spotted from the fortress in the open and to raise the alarm. Everyone's hearts, except the elves, were pounding like mad. But all was well, and the party reached the cliffs and scattered rocks on the other side of the hall. Luaval led the party on without stopping, still not too far from the crack that split the underground hall in two. At some point, the dark elf made a sharp turn and headed for the edge of the hall, winding between the rocks. The dark elf turned sharply away and headed towards the edge of the hall, looping between the rocks.

It was a little cooler, but the air was humid again. There was water in the cracks of the floor. It flowed in many streams through the center of the hall. Stones, rocks, and stalagmites were abundantly covered with mosses and lichens, many of which glowed with varying degrees of intensity. The dark elf stood motionless for a moment, then gave the command and the troop moved forward, trying to keep to the side wall. About halfway down the hall, Luaval commanded a short halt. The heavy-breathing fugitives literally collapsed on the stone floor with their bales of belongings underneath them. The dark elf, who looked much better, quickly collected their flasks and left, leaving them protected by camouflage amulets. Soon he returned and handed out the filled containers.

Everyone drinks a full flask. I've purified the water with alchemy, it tastes like crap, but it's drinkable. Whoever needs to go to the toilet, you have ten minutes. We go over there by the wall with our amulets on. Then everyone drinks the little transparent vial I gave you and move on.

The fugitives groaned doomedly but did not argue. Taking the flasks from the dark elf's hands, they were quickly convinced that he was not lying about the taste. After a short rest, everyone moved on, quickly following Luaval step by step. Several hours passed in this manner. But gradually fatigue began to take its toll. The fugitives' legs began to grow weary, and their shoulder bags began to feel heavy. It was getting harder and harder to walk. Ciara's apprentice was the first to break through.

Honorable First, shall we rest?

In response, Luaval only shook his head negatively:

Be patient! We have two more halls to go and we're there! It won't be long now. You can rest there.

This gave the exhausted and flustered fugitives strength, and they rushed on.

Didn't you say we still have two more days to go? Ciara mentally inquired, wiping the sweat from her forehead and smearing the odor suppressor.

If we were going at the same pace, yes. But as you can see, circumstances have changed. Come, don't waste your energy talking, even mentally. It won't be long now.

Cheered, the prisoners walked on more cheerfully. When they finally reached the passage leading to the final hall, Luaval ordered them to stop. For several minutes, the troop stood motionless while the dark elf listened to the surroundings and went to reconnoiter. When he returned, he ordered briefly:

Okay, we'll have to walk very carefully here. There's another fortress ahead. This time a joint one between the dark dwarves and my kin. Amulets at maximum, do not spare charges, we have not long to go. Follow me.

They carefully descended the narrow path that led from one of the halls above to the one below, and then moved forward, still winding between the rocks and scattered stones. It was easy to follow, for Luaval was leading them along a well-traveled path, cleared of rock and stalactite debris. They had to watch their step, though, for there were occasional well-camouflaged signal traps. Without the dark elf, the fugitives would not have noticed most of them and would have fallen into them. At some point, the path had to be turned sharply aside. The reason became clear when the group passed a scattering of huge rocks, climbing a very high and flat cliff.

It gave a good view of the huge underground hall. About half of it was occupied by a huge lake, stretching as far away as the eye could see. Its waters were completely black, and almost motionless, like a mirror surface. On its shore, where a small underground river flowed into it, forming a large and wide pond, stood a fortified fortress surrounded by a wide wall and a deep moat. The entire shore of the lake adjacent to the fortress was carefully dotted with sharp stones and numerous steel stakes deeply embedded in the stone floor. A separate wall, stretching from the fortress to the opposite shore in the narrowest places, enclosed the river. The reason for this extra cost of defense was a dozen boats of various sizes that were moored at a small stone wharf. The water passed through a river gate that looked something like the one in Morgrave. Only noticeably more fortified. Especially the ones that blocked the mouth of the river, beyond which the vast lake began. They were reinforced by twin towers, each with a stationary golem. Three more of them stood on the walls of the fortress. Two of them were on the tops of the towers facing the lake.

The inhabitants of the fortress feared an attack from the water more than from the land. The path that Luaval's party had followed before led to the fortress. The area around the fortress was covered with beds of mushrooms and mohlum, just like the first one they came across. Numerous inhabitants of the fortress were visible in the beds engaged in agricultural work. They appeared to be slaves from among the surface dwellers. The wharf was no less crowded. А couple of boats were being unloaded there. One of them was carrying crates and bales, the other some strange fish that could not be seen from a distance.

Come on. A bit more.

The fugitives followed Luaval. He led them along the shore of the lake, away from the fortress, but not near the water. A couple of times they had to make a decent detour, avoiding rocks or piles of stones protruding from the floor. In the end, everyone could barely move their feet when the group reached a secluded and relatively flat stretch of shore. On one side of the shore was a massive rocky massif that extended far into the depths of the lake. On the other, a scattering of rocks and fragments of stalactites. When they heard the command to halt, everyone literally fell to the ground.

But instead of resting, they had to settle down first. It was not pleasant to lie on the bare stones, especially since it was not as warm as in the previous halls. The water was cold. Having laid out the beds, the exhausted fugitives were about to start eating. But first, they had to drink detoxicates with the rest of the water and wait for half an hour. A whole half hour. While everyone lay there, staring at the ceiling and counting down the time, Luaval went off for a while, checking the surroundings. When he returned, Gion sat on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

Tell me, Honorable First, we're under the Middle Sea now, aren't we?

Of course. Why?

Hmm... I just thought it was supposed to be an order of magnitude deeper. It's not like we're that far underground.

Hearing Luaval's quiet laughter in response, the young man looked at him in surprise. He wasn't the only one. The dwarves, too, grinned understandingly and looked at each other. Sitting down on a stalactite that had fallen from the ceiling, the dark elf answered without stopping to look around:

Don't try to accurately relate the depths and distances of the Underworld to the surface or to the depths of the seas. Dozens if not hundreds of scholarly men and women have devoted their lives to this, but all in vain. It's pointless. You can spend months trying to get to some hall of the Underworld from the surface, dig a whole chasm where a mountain could fit, but you will never get to it. Even though you will be absolutely sure that it should be here, just a couple of dozen meters underground. And in the same way, you can try to get to the surface from the Underworld by gnawing through the ceiling or walls, meter by meter. And never reach the surface.

The boy's mouth dropped open in surprise at what he heard. The rest of the youth also listened very attentively.

But why is that?

No one really knows. As far as I know, most of the scientists who have studied the matter think that the Underworld is a separate, isolated world, albeit connected to the surface. You can't get in here that easily, and you can't get out that easily. You can only get here in certain places. There are quite a lot of them, but still, they are not everywhere. And only on land. If it were otherwise, the Underground would have been flooded by seawater long ago. And by the way, masters who know how to find a place where they can make a new exit to the surface are highly valued in the Underworld

What about digging upwards for a long, long time? Or trying to widen the available entrances? Gion didn't give up.

They tried to. The consequences were very unpleasant. The most famous and large-scale attempt turned out to be that suddenly and without warning, the underground hall where the work was carried out simply collapsed. Having buried together with itself and most of the builders, and at the same time a considerable part of the neighboring halls, as well as collapsing a significant part of the adjacent surface. After that, such experiments are very strictly suppressed.

As the youth pondered what they had heard, the eldest of the dwarves mentally uttered:

When I was a child, I was told a story about a team of miners who dug ore so greedily and deeply that the bowels decided to punish them for their greed. The exit from the mine collapsed behind them as if it had never existed, and they remained in it forever. Doomed to forever try to dig their way out, but to no avail. And that in the deepest places, if you put your ear to the ground, you can hear the clinking of their picks and their doomed, despairing voices.

Told elsewhere, this childish dwarf tale of terror would not have affected anyone. But all the fugitives were clearly uneasy now. Ciara shivered and said carefully:

I've read a theory by a scientist at the Academy in Neirat that the Underworld isn't just a separate world. But that it is in some way... alive.

Nodding, Luaval replied in complete seriousness:

I quite agree with him.

In response to the astonished looks, the dark elf explained:

Not in the sense that it's really alive, like you and me. But in the sense that the Underworld is constantly changing. Sometimes very slowly. Sometimes fast. Some halls flood. Some drain. Some collapse. And in other places, passageways and new territories are discovered. And sometimes, old ones are discovered. Though some places would be better off gone forever and never to be seen again.

The last phrase was of obvious interest to all the listeners. Of course, everyone loves scary stories. Raising himself on his elbow, the eldest of the dwarf masters cast a sly glance at the youth who were listening and inquired:

Do you mean the Lost City, honorable First?

What city? Luaval didn't understand.

Under the questioning looks of the other fugitives, the elder master made himself comfortable, and explained with a conspiratorial look:

There are legends that there was a city in the Underworld where such dark and terrible deeds were done that it was too much even for the depths of the earth. Some say it was called Takar na Dran, others say Ezdoran, and others say Daerton...

Rolling his eyes, the dark elf mentally sighed. Dwarves. What can you expect from them? Even though they've lived longer than humans, and have chronicled traditions, they're still at it.

...and it perished with all its inhabitants so not a trace of them remains. But they say it is still hidden in the depths of the Underworld. As are the unmeasured treasures that its cursed inhabitants guard...

This time the effect was weaker than in the first story. Still, the stories were quite similar. Gion coughed and spoke:

When I was a child, I was told a similar tale, not about the Underworld, but about the Middle Sea and the city of Orndamar, on the island of the same name. Its inhabitants were also incredibly greedy and cruel, causing the entire island to drown in...

This was too much, and Luaval couldn't take it anymore, slapping his face loudly.

What the hell do they teach you guys?

Gion froze at his sudden thought, and everyone looked at the dark elf in surprise. Luaval took a deep breath and spoke in a calm voice:

I'll start with you, honorable master. What you have told me is not a legend. All three names you mentioned, albeit twisted in a dwarven style, are three real and different cities. Only one of them, Eziadrian, died as a result of a natural disaster when it and the surrounding areas were actually swept away. Tak'Aar na Diarn was flooded not due to natural effects but during a war with another city Doorbanor which was inhabited by dark dwarves. They managed to build three large dams, and diverted a huge flow of water that almost completely flooded it, as well as some of the surrounding areas

Taking a sip of water from his personal flask, Luaval continued:

As for Diyartan, a crack like the one we walked past today formed there. Right across the city, from one edge of the side wall to the other. And then something came out of it and ate all the inhabitants of the city, who didn't have time to run away in a panic. What exactly it was is not clear, so for all those who saw it up close, no one will tell anyone anything. Once it had eaten, it went back to where it came from. Of course, after a while, gangs of looters poured into the empty city, because this thing was not interested in things. And there were plenty of valuable things, from trivial gold to magical artifacts and secret documents of the dead Houses. Some of them had made a lot of money back then. And of course, seeing this, the city was flooded back by throngs of those who wanted to get rich. And there were so many of them that that thing came out again and again ate all those who did not have time to escape. I mean, the vast majority. At that moment, there were already quite serious units of different Houses and Clans. After that, the neighbors were so scared that they collapsed all the tunnels and passages leading to it

Everyone listened to the dark elf with their mouths open. Ciara would have taken notes if she'd had quills and paper. Luaval continued, turning to Gion:

Now you. Waran de Mar, the boy, was not sunk. It was drowned. Whole, the whole island, along with most of the inhabitants. That, as the halflings who live in Confederate territory say, is two very big differences. And it wasn't about greed or cruelty, that's just nonsense. Although, the city was indeed very rich, the second largest in the Island Empire. It was drowned by one of the two most powerful blows the Lord of the Deep had dealt to the followers of the Lady of the Seas. I hope you can guess what the first one was?

Swallowing, Gion said cautiously:

You mean the demise of the Grand Armada when it was almost entirely swallowed up by the sea...

That's right boy, I see, you've been taught something after all. But it's not the sea. It's the abyss, or the depths, call it what you like.

After a moment's silence, he spoke cautiously:

But I was told that she was sunk by the powerful magic. Combined Confederate and Elven fleets. In fact, after that victory, the scattered coastal cities banded together to fight back...

Bullshit, Luaval interrupted him gruffly.

Even the combined ships of the humans, who with great difficulty were persuaded to form a united front, and the fleet of the Forest could not compete with the Great Armada, especially with the support of the Lady of the Seas. So they had to ask for help from her, shall we say, rival. And it took a long time to beg for that help and a very high price to pay for it. And considering what sacrifices the Lord of the Depths prefers, and how regular prayers to him, not to mention direct worship, can turn out... It is clear that neither humans nor elves like to remember it very much. But it was worth it. Only after nine of the ten ships of the "Great Armada" and almost half of the small fleet suddenly just stopped holding on water. They were swallowed by the abyss, the coalition fleet had a real chance. And they couldn't finish them off, as you could see for yourself. Though it was mostly due to the direct intervention of the Lady of the Seas.

While everyone was pondering what they had heard, Luaval suddenly rose abruptly to his feet.

Finally. Packing.

What?

In response to the perplexed looks of the fugitives, the dark elf pointed toward the lake. Out of the darkness, a very unusual ship was slowly approaching the shore. From afar, it could be mistaken for a wide flat-bottomed barge that traveled along the same Dantra. Except that it was made almost entirely of metal. On its bow was a recognizable banner. A golden pickaxe and axe against a black mountain on a white background. The banner of the Undermountain.

* * *

The subterranean sea voyage of the Elf Queen's agent.