Art by Clea Harris

Chapter 9

Victory

OUTSIDE CLARANEL CAVES

West Æshorenth, Æshorenth, Vol’Tyr

The three walked into camp, and each in turn dropped their loot. Faelana laid the bottle on a stump, Osa carefully drew the axe, and dropped it into the dirt before coiling up, and Caliz hauled the tower shield off his back and dropped it beside the axe.

“My gods,” Akala stared at them.

“You did it,” her sister said, almost without breath. “You look like hammered shit. We have to get you to town.”

“I feel like hammered shit, and Osa’s in a bad way. We need to go. Now.”

“Is it safe?”

“It should be safe, yeah,” Caliz nodded.

“Okay,” Glam stood with authority, “Naevys, Filvendor, watch camp. Grym, watch them. We’ll get them into town. We’ll be back. I’m taking the culture.”

“Glam,” Akala interrupted, “Maybe it would be better to bring Naevys. She hasn’t been back to town since the incursion, maybe it would be best to let her get back to town to see her brother.”

“Her brother? Right! The sick one.”

“Yeah,” Akala gritted through her teeth. “The sick one. Besides, we have Filvendor to check on the existing brews, Grym to help move bodies, and me to… check the status of things, frankly. I need to run some numbers and analyze damage.”

Glam and Naevys helped the three into a cart, and got it moving.

“We’re a half dess out,” Naevys called from the driver’s seat. “But at least the road’s steady. The God Khan keeps them maintained.”

“What happened in there?” Glam interrupted.

“Long story short, lots of lizards, we killed some, but barely, we got the axe, got the bottle, investigated the ‘condemned’ area—”

“Right,” Glam said with a tinge of regret in her voice.

“Right. The expansion caves. Found a hole in the dirt. Turns out, your diggers broke into the lizard’s home. Then, when they came to talk, the diggers attacked. So, they attacked back.”

“Right,” she said, almost distracted.

“But. You collapse those tunnels, don’t dig back or down anymore, you’re good. You gotta collapse ‘em, though. You wanna expand again, dig up, or build out into the field.”

“Right.”

“Are you listening to me, woman?”

“Yes, yes, sorry. It’s… a lot, sorry.”

“Just collapse it.”

“How’d you learn this?”

“I spoke with the leader,” Faelana spoke up, holding bandages to her face. “After a lengthy combat, we spoke. I know the old tongue, and he speaks it. Older than the one I know, actually, but we understood one another. He told me the whole thing. And he says he won’t bother you again, just collapse those tunnels.”

“Yes, yes, I will. Don’t worry. Half convinced to just move my operation into town.”

“No need, he’ll leave you alone. He promised.”

“Yeah, he promised?”

“There’s a sense of… honor… among matched combatants. When two people locked in mortal combat realize they’re matched, realize that neither’s likely to win anymore, there’s a level of truth that comes out. Promises mean something in that moment. He won’t bother you. Trust me.”

She was silent for a time. “Okay. Alright. I’m staying in-town probably ‘til sunrise anyway. Need to get some folk to clean the bodies out. The leader want the lizard bodies back?”

“Didn’t say. Probably a nice show of good faith, though.”

“Yeah. Probably. Fuck. How many men did I lose because some stupid miners got scared?”

“Paid,” Osa muttered quietly.

“Yeah,” Caliz agreed, stroking her tail. “They paid for it. With their lives.”

“That’s fair,” she said into her horn of mead. “That they did. Look, I’m a woman of my word. You got my culture, you got my items, and you got them out of my caves. Checked all three boxes. When we get to town, I’ll get you all to a healer, then head for Farrow’s camp, and talk with her and Vaseron. I’ll put in a very, very good word for you two, and I’ll leave them with your coin reward. I’m sure they’ll put it in a locker for you, nice and safe. And any time you wish to visit my meadery, when we’re open again, or the Flaming Arrow, my mead’s free of charge.”

“Flaming Arrow?” Caliz asked.

“We own a tavern in town. They stock everyone’s meads, but any Claranel mead you drink there is on the house. You’ll get sick of it eventually and wanna try the others, I guarantee,” she smiled. “Thank you for doing this. I owe my business and livelihood to you three. We couldn’t have done it without you. We’re in the GGA’s debt.”

“Your gifts of casks to the camp is payment enough, as always,” Faelana smiled through a wince, and held the bandages a little tighter to her face. Her smile was just barely visible through the cloth, her starscape soaking into it. “I just hope I’ll be able to drink some soon. He did a number on my face.”

“Another half dess to town,” Caliz sighed. “Look, I need a nap. So does Osa, I’m sure. Look, I’m just gonna… lie right here,” and he settled down on the floor of the cart, and Glam put her hand on his head, between his horns.

“You did good todess, friend. Sleep well.”

His four bloodshot eyes closed as he fidgeted his arms into a position that didn’t hurt that badly.

Yeah. I did good. We did good. You’re damn right, we did…