Chapter 98 – The Greater Labyrinthine Horror

Turning her back on the greater horror took effort. It was large and vicious, and her mind could picture all sorts of ways it could mutilate her. When she heard its horrible hissing scream, it took a lot of effort not to turn to face it again. She just had to trust that the team would handle it. Professor Viridian had never mentioned them in his class, so she wasn’t at all sure how to go about even fighting one. Beatrice, Grimald and Cediri were the experts; she’d make sure their backs were covered.

The labyrinthine horrors coming from behind had thinned out, though. Mirian was finding it easy to pick them off; unlike human opponents, they didn’t try to take cover, and they certainly weren’t shooting back with spells or firearms. She kept glancing back to see how the battle behind her was going.

Grimald was swinging his warhammer around, but the greater horror was keeping its distance and only attacking with its spined tendrils. He was trying to strike moving whips, and so his hammer kept hitting air, and Cediri’s force aegis spell was taking a beating. The venom coating the tendrils seemed to be eroding the spell, causing cracks of light to appear on what should have been a barrier of pure force.

The tendrils of the beast were glowing, too. Mirian realized she was witnessing what Arenthia had termed ‘soul redistribution,’ something she knew Akanan auramancers did, but that she hadn’t realized myrvites could do. That meant the beast knew it was fighting arcane magic, and was using a trick of soul resistance to cut into their spells. Beatrice was sending out rays of fire, but the greater horror didn’t even seem to notice as the beams scored its carapace.

Mirian finished incinerating three more lesser horrors. No more came through the door.

She turned again to see how the others were doing. Grimald was breathing hard, sweat drenching his brow. Cediri’s shield was cracking apart, and the mage was struggling to hold it.

The creature must have sensed the weakness, because it charged forward, body slamming into Grimald so that he was flung back like a doll. Cediri’s aegis shattered and he let out a yelp, clutching his head and stumbling backward, trying to recover from the shock of having a spell broken.

Beatrice let out a blade wall spell, trying to force the beast back and cut the tendrils, but the writhing whips intensified their glow as the force blades failed to cut them.

Then those tendrils descended on Beatrice, coiling around her right leg and torso, snatching her up into the air. Beatrice didn’t scream, she just tried to let off another spell, but if the venom could crack open spells, it was probably stripping her aura bare, so nothing happened.

Then the eyeball-encrusted torso of the beast cracked open down the middle, revealing rows and rows of spiny teeth.

A jolt of fear ran through Mirian, and it overwhelmed her. The rational part of her brain knew this wouldn’t be permanent, that even if the greater horror ate Beatrice, she’d see her again, but the instinctual part just saw her best friend’s sister about to go to her gruesome death. Suddenly, her entire body was suffused with single-minded purpose. She didn’t even remember turning to her greater lightning page, didn’t remember thinking about the shaper glyphs or the intensify enhancement glyphs, and didn’t remember ending her light spell so that she could draw more mana. She didn’t remember moving past a stunned Grimald and Cediri as she stepped right up to the labyrinthine horror. She only knew that she was screaming “Beatrice!” and channeling every ounce of mana she had into her spell.

The lightning bolt erupted from her raised hand like a solid cylinder of electricity, roaring through the air so that it eclipsed every other sound. The shadows on the wall danced madly with its light as it slammed directly into the spiny mouth of the beast.

The horror reared back, tendrils suddenly flailing in all directions, falling back onto its rear legs. Maybe it screamed, but she would have never heard it. Maybe it tried to close its mouth, but was paralyzed by the electricity. For Mirian, there was just her, the spell, and the target. She could feel it concentrating its spell resistance in its torso now. She fed more mana into the intensify runes, and felt her aura sweeping around her like a whirlpool as it sped into her spellbook, then out her hand.

The beast stumbled back, letting go of Beatrice so that she crumpled to the ground. Mirian walked forward as the beast retreated, keeping the beam of lightning steady on it.

Then was a ripping sound as carapace all over its abdomen split apart, erupting with flames. Some sort of black tarry substance gushed out of it, and this time she did hear the beast scream, but she shouted right back at it. Then it shuddered once more and collapsed onto the ground, body hissing as smoke coiled around it, then was still.

Mirian let the spell go, then gasped for breath. Her whole body was trembling with adrenaline.

She turned, and saw that all three of her companions were lying on the ground staring at her.

“Who are you?” Beatrice finally said. “How do you know me?”

Mirian looked at her and felt a pang of sorrow. There was no hiding that she did know Beatrice, the way she’d shouted her name. “I can’t tell you. For both our sakes. I need to know Frostland’s Gate is safe, first.”

Cediri let out a hysterical laugh. “Safe? What in the five hells do you mean? And if you can do that—!”

Grimald muttered, “Pull yourself together.” He stood and started dusting himself off.

“I mean safe from Akanan spies. Safe from Deeps agents. Safe from impostors and corrupt officials who might be lurking in the shadows. I can’t hide that I’m not who I seem, but I’d ask that you keep my secret.”

Beatrice stared at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Torrviol is currently infested with dozens of Akanan spies, and a turncoat Deeps agent who killed her cell. The guards have all been bribed. Whatever conspiracy they’re part of extends through Cairnmouth all the way to Palendurio—at least—and across the Rift Sea to Akana. I need to make sure that conspiracy isn’t here, too, or someone… might come hunting for me.”

“Lily—!” Beatrice started, but Mirian said, “This doesn’t end until your sister’s safe. I’ve already promised that.” Which was true, but not in the way they thought. “Have you heard of a man going by the name ‘Sulvorath’? Perhaps promising gold for information?”

“No,” said Grimald, then Cediri echoed the same answer.

“If you do, let me know, and I’ll beat whatever his price is for information. The same is true for any of the royal agencies. They can’t be trusted. They’re being manipulated.”

“Why?” Beatrice asked. “What’s happening?”

“An… impending disaster. I’m trying to stop it. Save as many lives as I can. But I need more information.”

“On the leylines?”

“That, and the Labyrinth. The problem isn’t going to be solved by our current understanding of magic. I need to break new ground. So as I said in the tavern, I’d appreciate any help you can give me.” She sighed. “Let’s keep heading to the surface. I can’t manage that again if there’s another one of those things down here.”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here. That was way too close a call,” Cediri said. “I just want quick samples of the greater horror. If we leave it here, it’ll be gone by the time anyone returns. Elsadorra will buy them if no one else does.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“Those tendrils sapped most of my mana,” Beatrice admitted.

“Then let’s go,” Grimald said.

Mirian helped Cediri load up two vials with the black ichor, then stuffed one of the packs with other pieces of it. Then they left.

***

It was Cediri who found her the next day, after they’d made it back to the surface and had time to rest. She was in her room when he knocked. “May I come in?” he asked. “Business proposition. Wow, you’ve really warded up the place.”

“Sure,” Mirian said. Cediri took off his cloak and hung it on a peg by the door. They sat across from each other, a small wooden table between them. She was silent while she waited for his offer.

Cediri glanced back at her workshop, then said, “Beatrice still doesn’t trust you, but mostly because she doesn’t know what to make of you. I think if you wished us harm, you had the perfect opportunity. And you seem like the type that can keep a secret. So I’m willing to trade for information.”

“Coin?”