Chapter 112: Splitting the Party

Four more days and Allie was ready to start climbing walls. They had a heading. Somewhere deep in the mountains that formed the northern part of the border between the Elion kingdom and Larisea. It would take them weeks on foot, but Sandrel had taken it personally when Zaren had fallen prey to the trap and was searching for the closest point he could teleport them to.

But sitting around and waiting was driving Allie insane. They’d talked to everyone about the plans. They’d set the teams. They’d prepared all the gear they’d need. Cynthia had started the process for House Nocht to acquire the demi-humans who’d been conscripted by the military for one reason or another. By the end of the month they’d be employed as guards for the lower quarter, buying them another layer of safety.

And there were many layers. Not only were there wards protecting both the manor and the area around it, but word had started to spread about House Nocht challenging the Adventurer’s Guild. They had nearly fifty adventurers—the vast majority of which were women—who were more than happy to give up a portion of the profits on their next job if it meant a roof over their head and food in their bellies. It created a nice layer of seasoned fighters around the manor that would surely step in if something went down, if only to protect their own interests. And that layer would only grow as more adventurers signed on.

It was a genius move, she had to admit. With the way the Adventurers guild had been treating low level adventurers, Zaren giving them the bare minimum was going to earn him no small amount of loyalty in the long run. Something he’d also been doing with the entire lower quarter. Between the friends he already had in surprisingly high places and the ones he was making everywhere else—once again simply by providing the demi-humans in the district with the bare fucking minimum—he’d made it difficult for any enemy of his to get close to him in any other ways.

But none of that stopped her from being extremely worried that nothing had happened yet. Zaren was gone, and nothing had changed outside the manor. Their enemies hadn’t made any moves. Nothing had been done about House Nocht or their plans. She’d half expected their enemies to have already tried to dismantle House Nocht the second Zaren had drawn his last breath, but it was like they didn’t even know he was gone.

Worse, it was like they didn’t care.

She finished strapping on her gear long before everyone else. There was a sense of purpose in the manor that hadn’t been there a few days ago, but most of the others were still in varying states of shock. Allie had merely spent so much of her life in that very state that her body had taken over while her heart shattered.

She wordlessly helped Serena with her own armor. They’d only bought it the day before since she’d been wearing Zaren’s shadow armor for so long and she still hadn’t gotten the hang of strapping it on. Allie hated the distant look that still haunted her eyes, but she knew only time would banish it.

“You’ve got this,” Allie said softly. “This is the best lead we’ve had yet. You’ll find Allura.”

Serena barely even responded. “I’m still not sure splitting up is the best plan.”

Neither was she, if she was being honest. She was taking Therese, Nora, Noelle, and Reese to try and find Zaren’s body. Serena would be going with Tiana, Valith, and Safina to see if they could find where the enemy had Allura squirreled away. Serena had the Marker, which meant she had to be on the second team. Allie had dealt with more death than anyone else, though, and she knew it would be best if she was the one to find his body. Whatever was left of it.

Serena jammed her eyes shut and Allie leaned in so their foreheads were touching. In an odd way, having to be there for Serena had helped keep her feet underneath her. Without the priestess, she knew that losing Zaren all over again would have broken her.

“Come on,” Allie said finally, “let the others finish up while we meet with Sandrel.”

Serena collected herself, then nodded. Together the two of them headed towards the main room where the spymaster waited. He looked like he hadn’t slept since Zaren had vanished, which wouldn’t have surprised Allie in the lightest. The only one who blamed themselves more than Sandrel was probably Serena, after all.“Everyone ready?” he asked, standing.

Allie nodded. “As ready as we’re going to get. What’s gone wrong on your end?”

He arched a brow. “Why do you assume something’s gone wrong?”

She just gave him a hard look and he chuckled darkly. “Fair enough, lass. Councilmen Miles and Galloway were found dead in their homes this morning. They didn’t even take the effort to make it look like a robbery this time. What’s worse is we were able to appoint our choice for Bryce and Nairn’s replacements without the slightest opposition.”

Allie grimaced. “Sure feels like they’re cutting their losses, and I’m guessing its not because they’re giving up.”

He shook his head. “More likely they don’t need control over the government. Whatever their goals are, my guess is they’ve completed them. This has all been too little, too late.”

Serena’s fingertips brushed Allie’s arm between pieces of armor. “Think that’s why they haven’t made any moves against us?”

“It makes sense.” He shook his head. “No point in trying to take down someone who can’t hurt you any longer.”

Allie bit back a curse. “Their mistake, then.”

“I agree.” Sandrel pulled out two keystones, handing one to either of them. “Odds are Zaren was the only one they were afraid of. Him and that damn sword, at least. But Zaren didn’t bring you all together for nothing. If he trusted you, then the enemy can underestimate you at their own peril.”

Allie pocketed the keystone. “You’re clear on your part?”

Amusement glittered in his eyes. On some level Allie was aware she was giving orders to one of the legendary members of the Seven, but she couldn’t bring herself to care right now. “Aye, I’ll make it seem like your household is still around. Hopefully by the time anyone realizes you’re gone it’ll be too late. With things coming to a head in Larisea, hopefully they’ll be too busy to notice.”

“What’s happening in Larisea?” Serena asked.

“Chosen conflict coming to a head. If there was ever a time to try and sneak into the enemy stronghold, it’s now.”

“Hope Kat’s alright,” Allie said.

Serena chewed her lip. “We aren’t worried we’re heading to the border between the countries? What if them getting the Blade was the catalyst? What if we get caught up in it?”

“Then we retreat and reassess, but we won’t know anything if we just sit around and wait.” Allie squeezed Serena’s bicep. “Come on, we’ve prepared as much as we can.”

They said their goodbyes to Sandrel and headed back to where everyone had finished gearing up. Allie came to a stop when they found Rhallani waiting for them, wringing her hands. “Hear me out—” she started.

“No,” Allie said immediately.

“Oh, come on!” Rhallani said, stamping her foot. “At least hear me out and tell me to fuck off after!”

Allie sighed, then exchanged a glance with Serena. The blonde shrugged, so Allie relented. “Fine, I’ll listen.”

With a flick of her wrist, Rhallani summoned her book. Then, with a flash, she summoned Fang in his wolf form. With Festus sitting on his head in his tiny dragon form. “I’ve been training with the adventurers. Tiana asked if I could use my summons to simulate monsters, and I’ve been getting experience from it.”

“You can have two summons out?” Serena asked, her lips quirking up as she ran her hand through Fang’s fur.Rhallani nodded. “And, after everything with Stella, I realized I can be an asset. If I send Festus with one group and go with the other we can communicate between the both of us.”

Serena chewed her lip. “It is a good point.”

Safina strode over and palmed Rhallani’s head. “I’ll keep an eye on her, and Fang’s no slouch.”

Allie wasn’t sure when she’d become the one they all looked to for permission, but at some point that’s exactly what had happened. “Fine, but you don’t take any risks. You stay in the back with Tiana, and if Safina or Serena give you an order you follow it.”

Rhallani perked up. “Yes ma’am!”

Allie ran her hands through her hair. She felt like she was going to regret this, but Festus’s communication was too good a boon to turn down at this stage. Plus, she’d heard the stories of their journey to Amesseria. Rhallani had at least proven she could keep her head in a crisis. She turned to Stella, who watched them forlornly wearing nothing but one of Zaren’s shirts.

“The keystones finished?” she asked.

Stella nodded. “Yeah.” She started handing out the large multicolored gems. “Four pairs. Two that go to each other—one for each team—and two that’ll bring you back here. I also made another pair at Jack’s request that’ll let her and anyone else she wants to bring jump to you guys.”

Allie glanced worriedly at the redhead who’d been silently standing in the corner, well away from anything overly flammable. It had been her idea to leave her behind to protect Karina and the house since the last thing they wanted to do was deliver more Primal classes straight to the hands of their enemies, but it was clear she wasn’t happy about it. Allie was just glad she’d put down the hard liquor over the last few days.Allie inclined her head. “I’ll be sure to remember that.”

Jack didn’t speak, but she inclined her head right back. Then Allie turned towards her other biggest worry: Noelle. She still hadn’t spoken a word, but throughout the planning she’d been attached to Allie at the hip. She’d only relaxed when Allie had tentatively asked if Noelle wanted to accompany them. She was the only other one who could wield the Blade, and she was the only one who’d talked to Ash other than Zaren himself, so it made sense. That didn’t stop her from worrying about the Malachai.

She tucked a few strands that had escaped her long, crimson braid behind her ear. “You’re sure you’re up for this?”

Noelle leaned into her touch and nodded. That was the best she was going to get, so Allie was going to have to take it. “Alright, any other reservations?”

Nobody spoke up, so Jack let out a breath. “I’ll take care of things here. Good hunting.”

Allie nodded, then got her team together so they were all touching. She exchanged one last glance with Serena, hoping this wasn’t all going to go to shit and this would be the last time they saw one another. She didn’t think either of them would survive the loss of the other, and she already cared for Serena as much as she did Therese and Nora.

But she couldn’t sit and wait for even a moment longer. Festus hopped onto her shoulder and with one last look at everyone who wouldn’t be joining them, she activated her keystone.

# # #

It took them almost half a day to find an entrance to the underground.

Since they had Festus, Allie was more than happy to take full advantage of Festus’s scouting capabilities. She gave him the compass and sent him skyward to see what he could find, and what he found was barren mountainside. The compass was limited, but it was clear that they needed to be underground to find wherever it led.

The keystone Sandrel provided led them to an abandoned safehouse, so there wasn’t exactly somewhere they could go for directions. Thankfully, Festus came in handy once more. They split into pairs and started combing the mountainside. They came across a few caves and crevasses that ended in dead ends, either naturally or because of a collapse sometime in the mountain’s past, but it was nearly seven hours of searching before they found one that went deep enough to connect with a much larger network of caves and tunnels. Ones that were clearly man-made and not natural.

Then it was another four hours of exploring, backtracking, and weaving through the long abandoned tunnels before the tunnel they were in expanded into a massive cavern. Thankfully Reese was an adept pathfinder, and she made sure they’d be able to find their way back out. She was also keeping track of their progress, mapping out how close they were getting to where they thought the other compass to be.

Any other time and Allie would have had to pick her jaw up off the floor at the sight of the giant city that sprawled through the space large enough Allie was certain it wasn’t a natural formation.

Instead, she fought the urge to turn back and call it a night. It only took a brief glance to Reese to confirm the city was directly below where the compass had led Festus. The only thing to do was to send Festus in first to see what he could see.

She found his weight oddly comforting when he swooped down to land on her shoulder. “The city seems as abandoned as the tunnels, but there are signs of recent activity. I spotted the remains of several bodies, as well as at least one of the Eldritch Beasts. No movement, though.”

Not exactly ideal. It could take days to go from building to building, maybe even weeks. And that was if they split up. Sending both Noelle and Festus into the sky might help speed that up, but if there were Maleks prowling around or archers hidden in the city that could be dangerous.

“We stick together,” she decided. “Eyes up, watch for any movement. Reese, stay hidden but stay close in case we get ambushed. See if you can find any tracks of whoever’s been here recently.”

Reese nodded and pulled her hood low, then started towards the city in a fast moving crouch. Allie waited until Reese had a head start, then followed. “How are the others faring?” she asked Festus.

There was a pause while no doubt relayed the question to Rhallani. “ Serena feels a very faint pull, so they think they’re in the right place. They’ve met with one of Sandrel’s local contacts, and he said the Chosen and the armies of Larisea plan to attack some dark mage’s stronghold tomorrow at dawn, so they’ve agreed to wait and carry out their infiltration at the height of the battle.”

“Do they know if this dark mage has anything to do with our shit?”

Another pause. “The contact doesn’t seem to think so. His tactics are reminiscent of Grimsbane’s, but only the publicly known aspects. He hasn’t done anything that’s caused Sandrel or his spies to think he knows more than he should in that respect, though my mistress believes him to be an underwhelming threat when compared to the sheer number of Chosen involved in the conflict.”

That could only be bad. If the cosmos thought to make so many Chosen, there had to be a reason. No, it was all related, they just didn’t know how. “Sounds good. Keep them appraised of what’s going on with our end, then.”

Festus shifted on her shoulder and she glanced at him. “Rhallani would like me to pass along a message. Things might not be as they seem, so keep an open mind as you progress.”

What the fuck did that mean? But she knew it was vaguely worded on purpose if it came from Rhallani, so there was no point in pushing for more information. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The city was eerily quiet, and thanks to the mountain above them the air was stale and stagnant. Their footsteps felt far too loud in the dead city and every breath Allie took seemed to ring in her ears for far too long.

Reese would pop in occasionally to direct them to points of interest. Dead bodies that had been stripped of weapons and valuables. The carcass of a Malek that looked like half of it had melted away. A house that looked like someone had run a carriage in one door and out the other. There were obvious signs of a battle, but the few bodies they found had been stripped of anything that could tell them what had happened or who they were.

The decay on them matched up with the timeline for Zaren’s death, though. Her heart ached at the thought of him having to fight all these combatants alone, but there was nothing to be done now. Nothing but moving forward and finding out the truth, once and for all.

The longer they followed the trail of destruction, the more sick Allie started to feel. Whoever Zaren had fought his way through, they apparently didn’t care enough to take care of their dead. They just left the bodies to rot, and someone who cared so little for their soldiers could be dangerous. But they were nearly at the edge of the city when they came across their first sign of life.

Allie was ready for a lot of things, but the half-naked Ashra with half a dozen swords strapped to her body was not one of them.

She was about the same height as Allie, with a similar coloring to Noelle. The dark blue marbling pattern was much more prevalent on her, however, and rather than the bright scarlet hair Noelle had this woman had dark black hair with streaks that were that vibrant red color. Her chest was covered by torn strips of black cloth and she wore pants that were too large for her everywhere but her wide hips, hanging low enough that Allie could see the short, dark hairs at the apex of her thighs peeking above the waistband.

She froze, her crimson eyes wide. “Um, hi,” she said, waving with the one arm that wasn’t laden with goods.Noelle snarled and they all drew their weapons. The Ashra jumped back, dropping all the gear in her arms and throwing all four arms up into the air. The strips of cloth struggled with her significant bust, one nearly slipping out. “I’m a friend!” she cried.

They all paused. “You know who we are?” Allie asked.

Three hands remained raised towards the sky as she pointed at them one by one. “Allisandre, Therese, Nora, Noelle.” She looked between them and swallowed. “I think. You look a bit different than when I… er, last saw you. Um, please tell me you brought healing potions.”

Allie exchanged a glance with Therese. “The only Ashra we’ve met is Vanni. Who are you?”

“Nell.”

Allie frowned. “Why do I know that name?”

Festus made a squawking sound in his throat. “Nell? As in that Nell?”

She nodded. “Long story, but that can wait. Can we circle back to the potion question? I don’t see the priestess with you.”

“Why?”

Nell blinked. “Uh, for Zaren? The asshole hasn’t woken up yet and I’m really starting to worry.”