My staff thumped a frantic rhythm as I ran back to camp. I was sore, despite being uninjured, and I could feel the pressure of a headache building. A haze had fallen over my mind, and I wanted nothing more than to sleep. But I pressed on.
The halls were silent, but for my own movements, and my staff's echoes carried far down the hall. Because of that, I could hear the sounds of fighting from far away as I got closer. Goblins screaming and glass breaking. The air grew hazy as smoke lingered along the stone roof, even the magic of the place unable to disperse so much at once.
I refreshed my defensive spells once more and urged my tired body onward. I hoped to squeeze a few more minutes of fighting out of it before I collapsed from exhaustion. Had the goblins intended to attack while Wulthark dealt with me personally? Maybe they orchestrated two simultaneous attacks, hoping to kill Teija without a fight? I ran on, the light of my staff leading the way, and prayed I wasn't too late.
I might not have bothered.
I arrived back at camp to a scene of carnage. Flickering violet flames danced as they consumed the bodies of half a dozen dead or dying goblins, their gear suggesting they were all weaker than the ones I had just faced. Glass shards crunched under my foot, and the gelatinous flame had blackened the stone itself. And in the middle of it, Teija stood on a crate, laughing wildly with a flask in her hand and searching for more targets.
"Teija! Are you alright?"
The alchemist was so wrapped up in her battle she hadn't registered my presence. She spun to face me, raising the flask and I put strength into my shield, in case she threw it at me. Fortunately, it didn't come to that.
"Oh!" The woman came back to herself, the furious delight draining away, leaving fear, confusion, and exhaustion. "You're back. I thought you were…"
[Your followers repelled the attack on the camp.]
[You have survived the Deepdark Tribe's attack.]
Teija tried to step off the crate, but stumbled and fell. I darted forward, catching her and lowering her to the ground. Her face flushed from exertion and lay limp in my arms. Many of the surrounding violet fires flickered and died as whatever mixture caused them to burn ran out, and normal orange flames replaced them, burning whatever it could.
"I'm fine. What happened here? What were you throwing?"
"Alchemist's fire." Her eyes were closed and her body limp, but she was smiling faintly. "A combination of a potassium-chlorine mixture, sugar, and a gelatin. The chemical and sugar mix and ignite, giving the distinctive purple flame, while the gelatin ensures a long burn time and target adherence…"
Her words softened, eventually becoming a mumble and trailing off. The woman had fallen asleep in my arms, even as the surrounding corpses smoldered. I took a moment to examine the aftermath of her art before setting her on her cot and covering her with a cloak.
I'm glad she's on my side.
It took me a while to clear the bodies from our camp. The concoction had damaged most of their gear, leaving it unsalvageable, so I simply dragged them into the room I had found Torrel's body. Out of sight, out of mind. They could be useful if I ended up finding enough water and strangleroot to begin cultivation. My faith in Teija's alchemical knowledge had certainly risen a few notches after that display.
Teija didn't stir once as I worked, and I was more than happy to collapse on my bedroll, even without eating. There would be time for the rest in the morning. For now, I needed sleep.
When I awoke, the smell of boiling rice had replaced the sharp chemical tang and burned goblin. Teija was humming happily while stirring the pot, having apparently recovered from her ordeal from the night before.
"Feeling better?" I asked, pushing myself from my pallet.
"Oh! You're awake!" Teija smiled. "Just in time. The rice will be ready in just a minute. I mixed some cabbage in, along with the last of the jerky, so there should be some flavor at least."
"I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you last night, but I suppose you didn't need it. You handled the situation well."
A shadow crossed her eyes, and her hand trembled as she dished out and served me a portion of rice. Sure enough, there were strips of limp cabbage mixed in, though I didn't see any jerky.
"The pouch you brought me was a big help. Fortunately, the owner already had the mixtures I needed prepared, so I just had to combine them in the proper solution." She frowned, glancing at her improvised laboratory. "I'm already running low on some ingredients, though. Ended up using most of what I need to make alchemist's fire. I only have enough for a few flasks left."
"We will find you some more, if we can." I said. "Eat. You earned it. I found Sonja and Philip, by the way. You failed to warn me how… curt… Sonja could be. I thought she was going to cave my head in with that hammer of hers."
"They're alive?" Teija's eyes brightened immediately, and she bounced lightly in excitement. "I'm so happy to hear that! How is Philip doing? He's so cute, isn't he? Did you bring them? Are they going to camp with us?"
She spewed questions at me in a torrent, only taking breaks to have a quick bite of rice or to tell me a story of the short time she had travelled with them. Apparently, Teija had seen a very different Sonja than I had, despite how little time had actually passed since they had parted ways. She clearly missed them and, while I appreciated her help with both food and her alchemical knowledge, she would be safer with the others.
"Actually, they invited you to come join them at their camp. Now that Torrel is no longer with you, Sonja wanted me to let you know you are more than welcome. I know Philip misses his 'Auntie Teija'. It looks like they have set up camp close to the fountain you mentioned so you'd have plenty of water for cooking and your work."
"That's wonderful!" Teija shoveled the last of her meal into her mouth unceremoniously and wiped her hands on her simple pants. "I'll start packing immediately. Should be good in a few hours, less if you help me with the heavy lifting. I can't wait to see them again. Sonja seems fierce, but she has a good heart."
She had clearly missed the subtle insinuation of my statement, believing we were both welcome. Still, this was the happiest I had seen her since we'd met. No sense spoiling the mood until we got there. I helped her pack what few belongings we had, but left the scrap materials I had gathered in a pile. I suspected I would be back after I escorted Teija to her new home.
The journey was quick and, fortunately, uneventful. While I expected an ambush around every corner, Teija was happy to chatter on about Sonja and Philip, clanging and clinking as her various pots and implements banged against each other.
Loudly enough, in fact, that we found Sonja waiting for us by the crossroads where I'd first met her. Had she heard our approach? Or simply been hoping I would bring Teija this soon?
"Sonja!"
Teija ran forward, wrapping her arms around the sturdy red-head. Sonja staggered back a single step, then returned the embrace happily.
"I am so glad to see you safe, Teija. I was afraid I would never see you again after you left."
"You wouldn't have, if it wasn't for my friend here! He saved me from goblins and has been keeping them away from camp for the last few days. He even brought me some food and alchemical supplies, so I can start helping as well!"
"Yes," Sonja said with a soft smile as her eyes met mine. "He does that, doesn't he? Thank you again, Ciaphas, for your help yesterday."
"Ciaphas?" Teija turned to me, confusion melting into radiant happiness. "You remembered your name? You didn't tell me! Congratulations."
She grabbed me in a hug, and I patted her awkwardly on the back.
"It didn't really come up. We've been busy."
"Come," Sonja said, indicating the stack of detritus behind her. "Philip will be overjoyed to see you."
Teija hefted her pack and followed immediately, then turned when I stayed.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Maybe it's better if I headed back to my camp."
"What are you talking about? But you said…" The alchemist looked from me to Sonja, her cheerful attitude evaporating. "Sonja, of course he's welcome, right? After all he's done?"
Sonja's expression was pained, but she didn't speak.
"Teija, it's okay. I'll be fine on my own, and you'll be safe here. I'm sure Sonja could use the help watching over Philip."
I hadn't meant it to sound bitter, but Sonja flinched anyway.
"I'm sorry, Teija. I can't-"
"Bullshit!" Teija's voice echoed down the halls around us, and I glanced back, nervous it had been heard. "You can, you just won't. Is this about Torrel? Well he's dead, and Ciaphas isn't him."
"Teija, enough." My voice was harsh enough to draw her attention, and I jerked my head toward the east hallway. Where the goblins came from. It got the point across, and she lowered her voice.
"Fine. Enjoy your camp and tell Philip I'm sorry you're a coward." She hefted her pack, laden with supplies, and turned curtly. "Come on, Ciaphas. It'll take time to put all this back."
Teija marched away from Sonja and I followed without looking back. I could feel Sonja's gaze on my back, and I thought I heard a soft curse as we left. I gave Teija a bit of distance on our walk back, I could hear her sniffles from where I was and wanted to give her as much privacy as I could afford. She rubbed her cheeks more than once, and a part of me felt guilty for judging the woman as harshly as I had.
"Help me. Please!" The goblin's dagger inched closer to my chest. Teija huddled in the corner, screaming.
We made it back to our old camp without trouble, and worked together to get the campfire relit and Teija's implements back where they had been. Teija was silent until our bedrolls were out and the rice was boiling.
"I'm sorry she turned you away like that. I really didn't think…" She trailed off, staring into the pitiful fire.
"I understand. She's protecting Philip the best way she knows how."
"It's not right. You saved my life. From what you said, you might have saved Philip's too."
"To be fair, I don't think the goblins were going to hurt him. They're too afraid of their chief to go against him." Teija shook her head.
"It doesn't matter, you didn't know that. You're a good man. She'll see that in time. Just wait. She's just worried you'll be like-"
"…Torrel?"
She stabbed at the rice with her wooden spoon, stirring ineffectually, then portioned some out for each of us. It wasn't quite cooked all the way through, but neither of us commented on it.
"Will you tell me about him? You mentioned him before, but I still don't know anything about him. Except that he had this staff and a spell book."
Teija chewed mechanically, then nodded.
"I guess it's only fair, since he's become your problem too now, in a way. Torrel was the first human I met when I woke up here. I was on a stone slab and… thought I was somewhere else, I think. I screamed, and he must have heard me."
More rice. Chew. Swallow.
"He wasn't too bad, at first. Told me what he knew about where we were, explained how dangerous it was and how lucky I was that he found me first. He wasn't wrong, really. The goblins attacked us a few times and he always managed to kill them or drive them off. I felt safe. Safer than I would have been alone, at least. He even found me the alchemist's equipment I have now."
More rice. Chew. Swallow. I just listened silently, my rice cooling.
"A few days later he started getting angry. At the goblins, at the situation, at what little food we had. At me. He said that he was doing all the work, the least I could do was to, uh, make it worth it for him."
I didn't ask her to clarify.
"I didn't want to, obviously, and he was happy enough to let me cook and handle camp duties. For a day or two. After that… things got worse. Afterward, he would go back to how he was in the beginning like nothing had happened. Even apologized, once or twice. Sort of."
Chew. Swallow.
"We met Sonja and Philip shortly after. Camped with them for a few days. At first he went back to his old self, confident and kind. I started to think I'd been imagining things. Sonja, though, she never trusted him. Watched him like a hawk. I think it made him angry, because he started going back to the way he was with just me really quick. Made demands of Sonja now, as well as me. She wouldn't have any of it. 'Lay a hand on Teija or me, Torrel, and I'll break it.'."
She smiled faintly at the memory.
"That made him behave for a day. The next, though, he made a snide comment about Philip. I don't know what it was, didn't hear him say it. But I saw Sonja draw her hammer and it lit up with this… beautiful bright light. Brighter than any campfire. It burned my eyes, actually. And she pointed it at him and said 'Lay a hand on Teija or me and I'll break it. But lay a hand on the boy, and I'll kill you.'."
Chew. Swallow. The bowl was empty now, but Teija didn't seem to notice.
"He shouted at her for a bit, but she just stood between him and Philip like a stone wall, pointing that glowing hammer right at his chest. Her eyes… You may think she was mad at you, but she wasn't. I promise she wasn't. She told him to get out of her camp, that he wasn't welcome her. I could have stayed, but Torrel ordered me to follow him."
Now she noticed the empty bowl, and just held it loosely.
"I was an idiot for following him, but I was terrified of the goblins and I hadn't see Sonja fight, you know? I thought I would be safer with Torrel, I went with him. Obviously that was a mistake. We got into one fight too many and I'd had enough. I ran. He chased me, shouting awful things, and I think it attracted the goblins. I heard him screaming… You found me soon after."
Well. That certainly put a few things into perspective. Sonja's reactions, Teija's hesitancy to help a stranger… the way she'd kept a sword next to her as I woke up.
"Why did you decide to stay with me? After all that, when you could have stayed with Sonja? They have more supplies, better defenses. Philip." Teija snorted.
"I'll sleep better, for one. That kid can be a nightmare sometimes." I appreciated her attempt at humor, but waited for an answer. Eventually she sighed. "Seriously, Ciaphas. You saved my life once and intended to do it again yesterday. What would it say about me if I just left you out here alone? You'd be helpless without me."
She grinned as she said it, and I smiled.
"I'm sure I'd find a nice rat to gnaw on somewhere." She gagged, then laughed. It faded quickly, and she stared into her little wooden bowl.
"I guess it's partly an apology, too. That first day, when you saved me. I just froze, and it almost killed you. You were calling for my help, and all I could do was scream. I felt so useless."
The bowl trembled in her hand, and she put it down, then wrapped her arms around herself and shivered despite the campfire. I didn't know what to say; if there was even anything I could say. I gave her time to think, content to wait for her to continue.
"You don't remember much from, you know…" She gestured vaguely to the dungeon around us. "Before, right?"
"No."
"Well, I've got little bits. Splashes, here and there, of important bits. Some are nice, a warm breeze. The sun on my shoulders." She smiled for a second, just a flicker. "Some aren't. Mostly I remember…"
Her voice cracked, and she shook her head.
"Sorry, I shouldn't bother you with this. Not after dumping all that stuff with Torrel on you. We have more important things to worry about than things that don't matter. From another life."
I set my bowl of rice done, I wouldn't have had an appetite even if it hadn't been undercooked, and lay back on my bedroll, arms folded under me as a pillow.
"I have all night. Please, tell me." It was obviously important to her.
"I don't remember all of it, but I know it was important. There was someone important to me. Two of them, actually. Family maybe? Friends? It's all so fuzzy. I remember being terrified that one of them was going to die. Then I was alone. With the guilt that there was something I could have done to stop it."
Her cheeks glistened in the dancing firelight.
"I don't know if I want to remember, Ciaphas. I have to know, but I know it'll hurt so much."
I would have given anything to know the right words to have said there. To comfort her. But I could still picture her huddled in the corner, screaming as I was about to die. I felt guilty about that anger, and yet I couldn't get the image out of my head. She cried herself to sleep that night, but I lay awake for hours.
When I finally slept, my dreams were tormented by an overwhelming sense of anger and isolation. I had been betrayed by someone important to me, but I couldn't make out there face. I just knew, was certain, that they had ruined everything.
