“Your presence among the living suggests you conquered Draeken in Blackwell Keep,” she said.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” she replied. “I could see it on your face when you spoke of the separation. Since tonight may very well lead to the death and ruin of everything, I thought I’d let you know that I’m proud of you.”
“For what?”
“For being strong enough to do what is necessary,” she said. “Would that we all had such courage.”
“I do not deserve such praise,” Water said quietly.
She patted him on the arm. “Just make sure you keep that woman of yours alive.”
“Lira?” he asked. “How did you know she was with me?”
“You’re a loud kisser,” she said.
He flushed and stuttered, “Sorry, I mean, I—”’
“I could hear you halfway across the camp,” she said. “But don’t worry, only the other sound mages would have noticed.”
“How many are there?” he hissed.
“A few dozen,” she said with a smile.
As he groaned, Queen Erisay accelerated a step and hurried to the front of the group, joining Rynda. Lira dropped back to Water’s side.
“What’s wrong? You’re bright red.”
“The queen of the dark elves just told me she could hear us kissing from across the camp.”
Lira chuckled, and then stifled the sound when one of the rock trolls glared at her. They all fell silent as they reached the base of the cliff. Bint and Bellin took the lead, and pulled footsteps out of the stone, forming a makeshift ladder up the steep incline.
For the next hour they climbed the outside of the volcano in near silence. Water vacillated between worry of discovery, and worry of failure. They stopped occasionally to rest, and Bellin pulled a ledge out of the mountainside so they could sit. Water’s legs burned from the climb, but it was better than fighting their way through the gates on the road.
Minutes turned to hours as they climbed, one painstaking step at a time. All grew tired, especially the dwarves. Their armor darkened with sweat, and Rynda wisely called for another rest.
Water looked out over the valley. Pinpricks of light rose from campfires, light orbs, and torches, and even with the distance, he could hear a scattering of hammers on steel. It would have been almost beautiful if it’s purpose had been different.
They slowed as they approached the top of the volcano. Just around the curve of the mountain, Water could hear the soldiers manning the final gate, the outer entrance to Xshaltheria. Their voices were muted and tense, and from their height, the whole of the valley stretched below them.
A fifty foot wall extended from the top of the volcano, the wall circling the summit. A handful of guard towers extended even higher, and occasionally soldiers patrolled the top wall. The two dwarves had taken the last few hundred feet of the ascent into a crevasse, allowing the darkness to hide their approach. Still, they probably would have been discovered if the fortress had a full garrison. Most of the forces had been placed further down the road at the smaller gates.
Water clung to the handholds the two dwarves had provided, wishing the wind was not tugging his cloak. He glanced backward and regretted the action. The ground seemed miles away, and if he fell, he would bounce his way down the slope for long enough to consider a multitude of regrets.
The two dwarves led the group to the base of the dwarven-made wall, where their magic could take them no further. Xshaltheria had been one of the first dwarven structures in Lumineia, and even then they had been overly paranoid about their city defenses. The fortifications of the citadel had been enchanted so stone magic could not manipulate the rock.
From near the front of the group, Erisay whispered into Lira’s ear, and she worked her way up the handholds to the front. Then she cast her magic, shaping the air into more handholds. Alone, she climbed the remaining distance and disappeared over the edge. Water watched the battlements, his heart constricting for each passing second until she reappeared and dropped a rope. One by one the others ascended to the battlements of Xshaltheria.
Water slipped over the edge, his eyes scanning the top of the fortress. Heated air washed across him, rising from the depths of the volcano, but the tension had already made him sweat. If someone spotted them they would sound the alarm, and Serak and Draeken would be the ones to come. Water shuddered at the prospect of them alone, especially after what had happened in Blackwell Keep.
“A handful of guards on patrol,” Lira whispered as the last of the group joined them. “I eliminated one. The next should be passing in a few moments.”
All turned when the faint humming of an approaching guard came through from the guard tower, and light bobbed on the torch. Erisay flicked her hand and an orange dagger appeared in her grip. She threw it at the open doorway, the dagger banking to the side and out of sight. The humming stopped and the torch dropped, extinguishing on the stones. No sound came from the impact.
Rynda pointed to the guard house. “Helliot,” she ordered one of the rock trolls, “deal with the bodies. Then wait for the remaining guards. The rest of you, line up to follow Lira.”
Water took his place next to Lira as she shaped her magic. The outer wall of the fortress had battlements on both sides. On the inside, Water peered onto the top of the hanging fortress, his eyes drawn to the two dragons.
Gorewrathian was perched on the outer wall just a few hundred feet to their right, above the main entrance. Serak’s mount had claimed a spot on one of the three giant chains that held Xshaltheria aloft.
“There it is,” Mox whispered, pointing to the top of the fortress.
As Rynda had described, the top of Xshaltheria was mostly flat, with a staircase descending into the interior. At the center of the circular platform, a hole extended through the structure, and smoke rose from the opening, suggesting it vented heat from the magma.
Adjacent to the vent, a large archway had been erected. The dark material seemed luminescent, and a quartet of guards stood watch. The four were obviously focused on the impending conflict, and spoke in low tones.
“Once we’re inside,” Rynda said, “we’ll be visible by the dragons and everyone else. We need to act quickly and escape. Remember, if we fail to break the Gate, Erisay has a plan to destroy it that will take more time. We’ll have to give it to her.”
“Ready?” Lira turned away from where she’d been casting her magic. “You can’t see it, but there’s a slide of solid air that will take you to the inside.”
Rynda reached out, her hand coming to rest on the invisible plank of solid air. She nodded to Lira, her jaw set as she lifted herself onto the battlement and knelt on the slide. She drew her sword and nodded to Lira.
“I’m ready.”
“Wait,” Erisay hissed. “Get down.”
Rynda dropped from the battlement just as two figures appeared on the stairs in the middle of the fortress. Water scowled when he recognized them as Serak and Draeken, the pair advancing towards the Dark Gate.
