299) The Salvation of Eden, Chapter 63 — Stealing the Most Powerful Weapon in All the Worlds

Squirrelly led the way down the slope. It was after midnight, the valley dark save the torch-light shining from the guard tower. Kohra crouched low to the ground, dressed all in black, whereas Lenny, looking very much like one of the soldiers, strolled confidently down the path, whistling. The guards spotted her immediately, and she waved up at them, keeping their attention on her while Kohra and Squirrelly made it to the shadows behind the storage building. Splitting off the path, Lenny jumped down onto the docks and ambled, casually, straight for the tower. Kohra prayed to the Gods — all the ones she could think of — that Lenny’s disguise was good enough.

Keeping flat against the ground, Kohra half-crawled, half-slithered across the rocky patch, past the barracks and toward the large building they assumed was the mess hall. Slipping around the far side, she slid along the rock wall that separated the combat area from the little forest at the far end. She waited to hear Lenny calling up to the guards, hoping they’d be distracted for long enough that they wouldn’t notice her quick dash past the spider statue to where the wagons were parked. This was probably the most dangerous part of their plan, and everything relied on Lenny.

We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. If anyone can sweet talk a couple of guards, it’s Lenny.

Squirrelly climbed onto her shoulder and she reached up to pet the little fluffball, not thinking in the moment how weird it was that “the little fluffball” was actually Reilly.

“Just checking on the tunnel exit,” she heard Lenny’s fake, husky voice call up to the guard tower. “Graxia’s orders. Anyway, did you see that dress today on the Boss?” Lenny whistled approvingly.

Kohra heard none of the response as she dashed across the clearing toward the wagons, which were unguarded, just as Kryndine had said. Crouching beside one, she snuck a peek back at the tower. The soldier-like figure she knew was Lenny was waving goodbye and ambling over to the barracks as though she was going to bed. Kohra tried to remain calm, although surely her heart was beating so loud it would give her away, her breath was rasping so loud it would give her away, her mind was racing so fast even it would give her away. She heard the guards laughing about something, and then the clatter of dice.

Scanning the wagons, she located Kryndine’s, and as silently as she was able, crawled from shadow to shadow until she was right beside the rear wheel, scooting quickly underneath and laying flat against the ground. Taking a few deep breaths to calm her zinging nerves, she glanced toward the tower. No sign of being detected.

Thank the Gods. And Lenny.

She looked around at the unguarded wagons.

Keeping the Sword here really IS a bold plan. I wonder if Kryndine was lying. Maybe there’s someone watching this he didn’t even tell Jewellee about.

She looked around the grounds again, terrifyingly certain that someone was watching her.

But isn't that the whole point of this valley? To facilitate illegal weapons sales? There can’t be secret spies in this valley; Graxia would lose all her credibility in the criminal underground.

She frowned.

Then again, WE got in. This valley turned out not to be all that secret after all. Plus, that Lila woman apparently has an invisible bodyguard. Maybe this is a trap, and we’re waltzing right into it.

She sighed, still laying in the dirt under the wagon.

Well, there’s no turning back now.

She smelled the pipe smoke a moment before she heard the splashing.

Splashing?

Memories flashed. The soldier back at her house. Dominic kicking his head like a football.

What should she do? The man was only feet from her. Surely, he’d see her. Surely—

The man screamed, a high-pitched ridiculous scream. “Dammit! What the Hells?!” Stomping and cursing, urinating all over himself, he jumped around in the darkness.

The guards in the tower shouted, “HEY! What’s going on over there?”

“Shut up!” the man yelled back. “Fernal rats in this fernal place! Freaking thing crawled right up my leg!”

Howls of laughter echoed through the canyon. “Johnil, you dumb-ass! Learn how to use the latrine!”

Johnil stuck his hands in his pockets, grumbling about “fernal rats” and how much he hated this Gods-damned place anyway, kicking at stones as he hurried, awkwardly, toward the barracks.

He passed Lenny, still in disguise, nonchalantly walking toward the wagons herself. She saluted him, mockingly. “Go to Hells,” he barked, and walked even more quickly, entering one of the barracks and loudly slamming the door. A few seconds passed before the barracks exploded in laughter and Johnil could be heard telling them all to go to the Hells.

Squirrelly rolled, actually rolled, on the ground near Kohra, kicking her legs and pounding her little paws on the rocky ground. She was quite pleased with herself. Kohra was still too terrified to move.

A couple of minutes passed, and it was clear the guards were back at their game, and the valley was mostly silent except for the teasing, and Johnil’s curses, coming from the barracks. Lenny walked right past Kohra and into the shadows on the edge of the forest where she slipped out of sight, then circled back, shadow to shadow, until she was hidden among the wagons. They could see each other, peering through wheel-spokes. Lenny gave her a thumbs-up.

Kohra reached up, feeling along the slimy axle for the bump Reilly had said would be there. And…yes! She found it, slid the button as instructed, and a little door popped open in the axle. Inside, she could see a silk bag, the end tied tight with a drawstring.

Gingerly, Kohra untied and loosened the drawstring, her hands shaking, waiting for some devious trap to cut her hands off or explode in her face. But nothing happened. Opening the bag, she saw the sword pommel, gleaming black, like obsidian.

She felt…insane. She wanted to do anything, pretty much anything at all, more than what she was about to do.

Everything is about to change.

She took a firm grip on the pommel, and gently tugged.

The Sword didn't move. She pulled harder. Nothing. It seemed to be stuck. 

“Lenny, I—” she started to whisper, but as she looked toward the wheel, realized Lenny was no longer there. A soldier was standing just a few feet from the wheel, walking away! Kohra froze, heart in her throat. The guard turned around, finger to his lips, and winked.

Whew, Lenny.

The Lenny-guard leaned casually against one of the other wagons, hand on her chin like she was deep in thought. A moment later, Kohra understood. A group of three soldiers were walking past, a short distance away, evidently heading from the barracks to the guard tower. They made some sort of passing comment, but Kohra didn’t hear what it was. Lenny laughed and said something about “pissed himself!”

Then they were out of earshot, walking toward the tower.

Lenny hurried back and stuck her head under the wagon again. “Kohra! The guards are changing shifts. Someone’s gonna see you. We're outta time!”

“It won't come! The scabbard...it's stuck or tied or something. I can’t—”

“Pull harder then! Gods, Kohra! There's no time! Come ON!!”

Kohra rolled out from under the wagon, stuck her hands through the spokes, braced her feet against the wheel, and pulled as hard as she could. A moment later, she was on the ground, on her back, the Sword in her hands. It was beautiful, a work of art, shining black blade streaked with silver swirls like a frosty vine silhouetted against a dark sky.

But she had no time to appreciate these details, because instantly the Sword itself shrieked in a piercing wail, “HELLLLLLPPP!!!” Followed by a blood-curdling scream that filled the entire valley, echoing off the rock walls. Followed by, “HELLLLLPPP!!!” Followed by another blood-curdling-scream.

Shouts rang from the guard-tower and moments later, two arrows thudded into the wooden sides of the wagon. Lenny stepped out, FrostBolts blasting out of her hands, forcing the tower-guards to take cover.

The three on the ground who Lenny had just been talking to whirled about, drawing swords.

Lenny yelled at her. “Time to go!”

Arrows whizzed past, torchlights sprang to life in the stone houses, bells clanged in the guard tower, and the barracks doors were flung open as soldiers poured out into the night, trying to figure out what was happening. All the while, the sword kept screaming.

Kryndine’s bodyguard, Jewellee, burst from the stone tower, and suddenly, the three guards on the ground fell over, arrows protruding from their backs. Another guard, closer to the barracks, spotted Kohra, raised a crossbow, and he went down too, a surprised expression on his face and an arrow in his chest.

Kryndine appeared in his window, and saw her, his Jewellee, shooting Graxia’s troops. His face twisted in fury as he raised his hand, pointing at her with one finger. For a moment, she froze, then her body convulsed, her limbs twisting, her face contorting with pain, her mouth opened in a soundless scream.

Lenny bowled into Kohra. “NOW KOHRA!! NOW!!”

The gut-wrenching darkness, the sulphurous heat, and they were in the cave, Lenny’s arms and legs wrapped right around her waist, the sword still screaming in her hands. The camp below was chaos, the soldiers running in all directions while the Captain shouted over the din, trying to bring order. Flares shot into the air, illuminating the cavern, as the soldiers reoriented towards the direction of the screaming sword.

Suddenly Kohra’s heart went cold.

Squirrelly wasn’t with them.

“REILLY!!!” she screamed.

All the colour drained from Lenny’s face.

The sword kept screaming.

Devona was screaming something at her.

Gorb was screaming something about clothes.

Melkorn was screaming, because everybody else was screaming.

Lenny screamed that she was going after Reilly and started out of the cave.

Dominic screamed “NO!!” and tackled her. She elbowed him in the ribs, then punched him in the face and scrambled towards the edge. Gorb grabbed one of her feet, bodily hauling her backwards, as Kohra stood, stunned and unmoving, the sword in her hands, screaming incessantly.

Arrows whizzed into the cave, clattering against the rocks. Kohra was dimly aware of Devona, pulling her further into the darkness.

Lenny screamed again, “Reilly!” as she saw the little grey squirrel tearing up the path, running for her life, soldiers a few paces behind her. Lenny planted her feet, spreading her hands wide. “RAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” FrostBolts rained down, forcing the guards to duck for cover.

Squirrelly shot into the cave, as Lenny lurched from the impact of a crossbow bolt in her shoulder. Cursing, she hit the dirt, scrambled backwards, then clambered to her feet and ran into the dark tunnel, one arm hanging limp by her side. Squirrelly jumped onto her as she staggered past, little claws clinging her shirt as she climbed up to Lenny’s shoulder. Lenny managed a wry “Nice to see you again, Reilly” as she lurched forward.

She passed Dominic, who was crouched in the tunnel fiddling with something. But she was in far too much pain to ask questions. Had to keep going. Had to keep moving. She could hear soldiers now, streaming into the cave, not far behind.

Then Dominic was there, slinging her good arm over his shoulder. “Come on!”

Fire blasted behind them. Screams. Dominic didn’t slow, and Lenny didn’t ask. A minute later, they’d caught up to Melkorn, who was struggling in the darkness to keep his footing.

“Melkorn! Take Lenny! Go, go!” Dominic shouted, and Melkorn responded instantly, picking her right up like a sack of flour and lumbering forward.

About three minutes later, Dominic caught back up with them, breathing hard. “I slowed them down as best I could”, he gasped. “But it won’t take them long. I only had time for a few snares, a couple of crossbow traps, and one more stretch of flaming oil.” As he explained, he quickly tied a tourniquet around Lenny’s arm. “We gotta move!”

Kohra made it to the exit first, falling right through the secret hole into the little cave of Kobold corpses. She realized momentarily that they were all about to die. Even if they made it out, the Kobolds would get them, or the Dragon, or whatever else in those mountains would be attracted by a constantly screaming sword. But the sword was so loud she couldn’t hold even that thought in her mind.

Then Devona was there too, followed by Gorb, panting viciously as he jumped through the hole. The cave was already stocked with packs of clothes and key supplies for the mountains. As always, Dominic had planned ahead.

“Get drrrressed! Quick!” Gorb shouted, turning back to help Melkorn lower Lenny through the hole, Squirrelly clinging to her shirt. Melkorn fell through after her, landing hard, but rolled to his feet without even a whimper. Dominic jumped down behind him.

Suddenly, the noise level dropped substantially, the sword's screaming muffled as Devona wrapped it in blankets, tying the bundle to Melkorn's pack. Kohra just watched, not knowing what to do, how to help, how to even make sense of everything that was happening. How did they...? What were they...? How in the worlds were they going to get through this?

She snapped out of it enough to throw the winter clothes on, everybody talking at once, Lenny moaning about Jewellee sacrificing herself, Squirrelly chittering wildly, Gorb shouting instructions, Melkorn and Dominic tossing kobold body parts left and right, opening up the little exit tunnel.

Kohra helped Lenny into her outdoor clothes, checking the tourniquet. Lenny's eyes looked unfocused, like she was slipping out of consciousness.

“GORB!” Kohra yelled. “GORRRRB!!” He rushed over, putting a hand on Lenny's forehead, then her neck, then reaching into a pocket, withdrawing a packet of what looked like spices and sticking them under Lenny’s nose. She twitched violently like she had been stung, coughing spasmodically, eyes watering.

“Thanks.” She grinned, barely. “Good times.”

Screams echoed down the hallway. Curses, more screams.

“Those are the snares! They’re almost through!” Dominic shouted.

More screams.

“That's the oil! That’s it! Go everyone! We've have to get outside!”

Kohra wanted to ask questions, but Dominic was waving everybody to run as he stood by the hole, bow at the ready. She noticed a lumpy bundle tied to his back, and realized, thankfully for once, that he still had Snakey.

“Go!!” he shouted at her, and in sheer surprise, her body responded and she scrambled into the corpse-infested hole.

They burst through the other side, heedless of danger. Luckily the Kobolds were nowhere to be seen, having evidently abandoned their prey. Lenny looked terrible, but her mouth was set, jaw clenched, sweat beading on her forehead as she tried to keep going, keep running, through the canyon and toward the Kobold Pass.

Grok’s seemed impossibly far away. The soldiers would catch them for sure.

Kohra groaned inwardly. We’re all going to die here.

Dominic took the lead, breaking trail through the freshly fallen snow, Melkorn in the rear and everyone else strung out in between.  They had no plan at this point, no real hope except some faint glimmer that somehow, if they could get to Grok's, she would be able to…save them?  Hide them?  It didn't matter what she was going to do exactly; she was their only hope. They couldn't even use the Wand of Secret Camping; their tracks would still give them away. Their only defence now was the frigid mountains, and their slim head-start.

So they ran, Devona staying back with Melkorn to help him balance. Heedless of trying to hide from the Kobolds, knowing that what was behind them was much worse, Dominic cut the shortest path he could find, right across the centre of the canyon.  “Everyone!” he yelled back. “If anything comes near us, BEEKO!” And that was the end of that conversation; they were done with being scared of gods-damned Kobolds.

Kohra caught glimpses of a few of the beasts, watching from the cliffs, but none ventured toward them, perhaps sensing that these quarry were not to be trifled with.  Then they plunged into the central pass, putting the Kobolds and howling winds of the main canyon behind them. Once through the pass, there was considerably less snow, and they picked up speed as they sprinted down the trail to Grok's.

They almost made it.