The way behind them was now too far to return to, both because of the enemies above on the surface and because of the damage the poison had already done to their bodies. Issen and Maereth could already feel their vision beginning to blur, and they knew that if they had less than two hours to live, then Bethryl and Ashar had even less. That meant they had to find the Kingdom now.
"You know, I've been thinking," said Issen. "This bastard, Ashar… do we really need him?"
In her exhaustion, Maereth truly considered the question.
"We get him to the Shadow Clan, and then we never see him again," she said. "We owe it to Kareth."
"But what's the point? What's the point of any of this? Is this why we travelled so far together?"
"I never expected you to become this way."
"Yes, yes, alright. Let's do it for Kareth. Let's do it for the Shadow Clan. If only we had something of our own to live for, at least once."
The mountain they had passed through was only one entrance to what lay below. They crossed through the darkness of the cavern's descending slope, and then, through a drifting mist of dust, they emerged into the first long passage.
"This can't be possible," said Maereth.
"I was right," said Issen. "We were in the right place after all."
Having left behind the initial miles of caves and shadows, they emerged into an underground corridor of blue stone covered in engravings. Issen led the way, and Maereth soon realised that this corridor belonged to one of many hundreds, perhaps thousands, forming a hidden system of civilisation completely untouched by the Lords.
"We need to be careful from here," said Issen. "It's been a long time since anyone lived here. For the last few hundred years it's only been wanderers, scum, and animals that come down here. But if we keep our footing, I think I can get us to the Abandoned Kingdom below. I know that place will have a healing spell. It has to."
"How far is it?"
Issen ignored the question and continued downwards.
They no longer had the strength to summon Axiom energy and could barely find the will to keep moving forward. But this was their only choice, and if it failed, then there would be nothing left.
"How big is this place?" Maereth asked.
"Bigger in some places, smaller in others. It runs beneath all the Realms. I'm surprised you've never heard of it."
"I've heard there were underground dwellings, but I can't believe they run on for this long, and that they're all connected. Who could have planned something like this?"
"There was no plan," said Issen. "The way I heard it, the first settlers down here were worshippers of dreams. They built everything by intuition, like they were guided by shared visions."
"And how do you know this place so well?"
"How do you think?" he smiled. "I was born here."
Birds moved silently above them, watching. Creatures of the ground crawled from hidden crevices and then slipped back into darkness. Both Issen and Maereth, even in their weakening state, understood what this meant, and they prepared themselves for the moment when it would happen.
Then, in one instant, a horned creature burst from a hole in the stone and leapt toward them—
—and froze mid-movement.
An Axiom arrow had pierced through its skull.
"Why didn't it get us?" asked Issen.
"I've had an invisibility barrier up this whole time," said Maereth. "Just in case."
"Of course you did," Issen smiled.
Deeper and deeper they travelled, through passages of blue, pink, and grey stone. They did not even notice how their pace slowed, how often they stopped to sit and rest. The poison was close to killing them now.
"Ugh," said Issen. "Didn't expect to get this tired so soon. Who would have thought this is where it ends for us?"
"It won't end here."
"Ah, it doesn't matter anyway."
Birds moved from corner to corner while the group slumped against the stone floor with vacant expressions.
"Even if we hand Ashar over to the Shadow Clan, what then?" said Issen. "What happens to us after that? Nothing. We keep crawling from campfire to campfire like we always have. All we've ever done is fight, hunt, and travel. Where does it end?"
"Not if we reach the cities someday."
"And you think it'll be any better there than it is out here in the wild?"
"All I know is that I made a promise to Kareth," said Maereth quietly. "And if I fail that promise, who will I be after that? I met Kareth and the rest of you at the lowest point of my life. Back then, when I—"
"You don't have to talk about it."
"It doesn't matter what happens. I have to pay him back. If I don't have that, then I have nothing."
"I just don't understand it," said Issen. "I wish I could. We've killed so many people and travelled so far, but even now it's all just as much of a mystery as it was at the beginning. A mystery… I think I like it that way."
"Well, I don't."
Their heads sagged lower. Their breathing slowed.
"Maybe one day, if we reach the cities," said Maereth, "all of this can come to an end. Maybe we'll meet normal people. Live normal lives. And everything that happened out here will just be a memory."
Issen looked at her, then down at the ground.
"Yes," he said quietly. "You're right."
Like so many times before in his life, Issen smiled faintly and then retreated into silence, resenting himself.
Soon Maereth had fallen asleep. Bethryl lay motionless. Only Issen remained awake, staring out into the hollow stretches of stone he had once wandered as a child.
No one could hear him now.
No one could see him.
He relaxed.
"I wish there would come a day when I could live far away among the trees, where there are no people," he whispered. "That's all I want."
Was he really going to die here?
He looked down at Ashar.
"Then you die here as well."
With the last of his energy he summoned a faint Axiom blade and held it above Ashar's throat. His hand trembled as he tightened his grip.
Then he looked at Maereth.
The blade faded.
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
The wild birds of the caverns crept forward. They had watched the group for hours, waiting patiently. No one travelled these tunnels anymore, not unless they wished to be devoured.
Now four fools had delivered themselves.
The birds drew closer.
Closer.
And then, at the last moment, Ashar's eyes opened.
"Eye of Sophia!"
When Issen woke again, they were lying on a narrow ledge overlooking an immense cavern carved from stone.
This meant they had passed far beyond the underground dwellings.
It meant only one thing.
Issen looked out across the darkness. From the ledge he could see a steep path descending toward a vast complex of ancient stone structures, rising upward around a massive temple at their centre.
"We made it!" he cried. "We made it to the Abandoned Kingdom!"
"It is not so simple," Ashar replied.
Issen turned and saw that Ashar, Bethryl, and Maereth were all awake. Their faces were pale and exhausted, but they were alive.
"How… how are we still alive?" he asked.
Ashar tossed the corpse of a dead bird toward him.
"Be thankful. They carried us here themselves. And with the last of their strength they breathed new life into our bodies."
"But they were going to kill us. Why would they sacrifice themselves for us? That doesn't make any—"
Then Issen saw it.
The Eye of Sophia.
"We are still poisoned," said Ashar. "All this did was restore some energy to our bodies. Once we reach the supplies in the Kingdom, we will be able to recover fully."
So this whole time, while pretending to be unconscious, Ashar had been concentrating—developing his abilities.
Demonic bastard, Issen thought.
With the last of their strength the group began descending toward the Abandoned Kingdom, and Issen grimaced at the thought that every time he had considered killing Ashar, the man had likely been aware of it all along.
"We have to be careful," said Ashar.
"It's very likely we are walking into a trap."