Chapter 22: The Rescue

HARRIN

A loud and echoing blast rings out. Hitting the wall where the drow stands. A force field surrounds the sorceress as some of her fellow drow are impaled by debris. The cavern shakes and more large rocks fall to the already jagged floor.

"What the hell are you standing there for? MOVE!" The female figure says atop the ship. Another cannon fire sounds. This time, completely closing in the hole the drow retreated to. The sorceress and two other drow are stuck on the same side as them. She shoots fire beams as Kosh and Kith race to help Eris stand. She is conscious but still unsteady. Her skin is as pale as snow. They race to the boat and the sorceress continues to hinder their retreat. More stalactites fall. A good size one lands in front of Ren and Mili, who both stumble to the ground. Ren is quick to his feet. Mili trips, hitting her knee, causing her to scream. Kosh runs back to her and she climbs onto his back. As he loops his hand around her leg, she yells out again. Harrin hits the water. It's so cold his body begins to burn as he moves forward with zeal. Waves slap against his face causing his sight to blur and eyes to burn. What looks to be a rope ladder is thrown over the side. As another cannon shoots off and more drow pours through the other entrance. The cavern begins to shudder. Its roof starting to fully collapse.

Harrin swims the remainder of the way to the ship. Looking back he sees he is the last one. A whirl of arrows shoots by him and embeds into the ship. Blood drips down onto his hand. Harrin looks up to see two arrows stuck in Ren's right shoulder blade. Ren's climb starts to slow down and he grunts with each rung.

"Get the force field ready!" The female figure says.

Harrin is assisted onto the ship and he rubs his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Aluuna, Ren needs you!" Harrin shouts.

"Get them down below." The tall elven woman says. "Time to move out." Harrin is pushed towards a door and is handed a waterskin. The hallway is tight for someone of his size and stature. He must duck through the doorways or go flat against the wall when someone seeks to pass.

"We have two large rooms ready with several beds." Says an old man, who looks way too old to be adventuring down here. The old man points to his left. "Females in here, males further down, next door on the right."

Another man accompanies the men to their rooms. "No time to baby ya'. Got you bread and water. That's it 'til the mess opens. Stay in here af'er we get outta danger, one of da healers will be down."

The door behind Harrin is shoved open as Aluuna helps carry in Eris to lie her on a bed. She walks over to Ren and helps him to take off his shirt.

The man looks at Eris then back at Aluuna.

Aluuna looks up at him. "You try telling him she's going to stay in another room." She says pointing at their barbarian companion.

He closes his eyes and nods. Harrin smiles a bit as the tension in the room dissipates. Harrin tugs off his shoes and starts to remove his clothing. Water gathers beneath him. He couldn't help but shiver. If he kept his armor on much longer he would freeze. Kith adds more wood to a nearby firepot. It is quite small for the room. The room is sizable with several bunk beds on one side and a few worn tables and chairs on the other.

Flig touches Aluuna's shoulder. "I will help Ren, you should change and rest. Your lips are the color of frostberries."

Ren turns slightly with a wince. "I'm fine, Aluuna." Flig sets about bandaging Ren's arm and back.

Aluuna sighs and nods. Turning, she sees Harrin and quickly averts her eyes. Harrin looks at her questioningly. Is she upset with me? He would have to figure it out later. As he moves to sit on the nearest bed, the ship lurches forward. Cracking and rumbling grow louder as the ship dips and the men struggle to maintain their balance. Ren covers over Eris as she almost rolls off the bed. She groans, shoving him off and throwing up on the side. Harrin didn't blame her. The ship rocks furiously. After a few moments, the ship levels and calms. Eris continues to be sick as Ren holds her hair and Kith rubs her back. Whatever she is going through right now, he didn't envy. Flig retrieves his bag and its content that is now all over the floor. After mixing a few herbs and some water that he has on hand, Flig urges Eris to take a few sips. Although Aluuna took out the poison, Eris is still weak and the jarring movements of the boat didn't help.

A knock on the door sounds and quickly opens. The tall, elven woman from before enters. She looks peevishly at them.

"So, you're the Oaken Warriors, the Queen, dispatched my team to rescue." She pulls up a chair and sits down roughly.

"Oaken Warriors?" Kosh asks, sitting up on the bed. He fell asleep the moment we entered the room until now. How the hell he could sleep through Eris throwing up and the ship crashing around, he would never understand.

"Tis what the queen and council refer to you as." She says with a nonchalant shrug. "Don't you know not to bite off more than you can chew? Why the hell would you come down here?"

Ren stands to his full height and moves closer to the elf. She has the same haughty demeanor and sharp features. She is beautiful like him too.

"We certainly didn't come down here on purpose," Ren says. All his humor and elfish charm are gone. It's replaced with contempt and impatience.

The elven woman adjusts her bow behind her back to sit more comfortably. She stares at him with mild amusement. "Ah, you must be the necromancer everyone is abuzz about." She cocks her head to the side. "I must ask, why would you of all people, be a necromancer. The very thing that slaughtered your people?" The air grew dark and sickly. What the hell is this woman thinking? "Did you get a taste for causing death?" Ren closes the distance and snatches the female up off the chair by the throat. "Careful, black wizard," she says with a smirk.

Harrin looks down between them. A dagger presses against Ren's stomach.

His eyes are as black as onyx. "I have nothing to lose, laran."

Leaning in closer, she replies, "Neither do I, arakhor."

The air lightened and Ren took a step back. A mocking smile dances across his face and he takes an elaborate bow. "Everyone, everyone, behold we are basking in royalty here." He scoffs and claps his hands slowly. Meet Kessindra Stormarrow of Crying Leaf."

Harrin and the others look on in awkward silence.

"Crying Leaf?" Eris asks weakly. She struggles to sit upright on the bed. "That name sounds familiar."

Ren walks back over to Eris and bends to touch her head. "A traitorous lot they are." He says with a grim voice. "They left my people to rot, quite literally. Isn't that right, laran?"

Eris puts her hand on his and gives him a sympathetic look.

Now it is Kessindra's turn to be angry. "The healers will be down momentarily." The door slams and her yelling in elvish can be heard fading away.

"Well, that was interesting?" Kith says, stretching out beside Eris. Eris pokes at his side.

"I'm going topside for a bit," Ren says.

Kosh nods. "Try and stay away from her. Having an altercation after she DID save us doesn't look good."

Ren didn't say anything as he walks out the door.

Harrin finally lays down and thinks about all that has happened in the past few days. He has no idea once they get to the surface how close they will be to their destination. Who knew what awaited them there. Flashes of his mother enter his mind. Then, contaminated by images of his father. He grunts softly and rolls over to try and get some much-needed rest. Shortly before, a healer quietly enters. Calm fills the room and Harrin, peacefully, drifts off to sleep.

REN

Ren makes his way down the narrow hall. The ship is in much-needed repair. The wood creaks and moans as he moves across it. Pieces of scrap wood left here and there. Rope bundles and trash litter the floor in small piles.

Ren reaches the deck and the view is spectacular. Walking to the side, he sees an array of colorful fish and coral as they swiftly pass by. He has never traveled underwater like this before. The sails gently clank with the gentle rocking of the ship. The air is salty and the deck is bustling with sailors going about their business. Ren continues to look out at the sea. A large shadow approaches and Ren steps back unsure of what is coming.

"A whale." a voice says behind him.

Ren turns to see who spoke. "Aasimar? Kessindra keeps with a lively bunch doesn't she?"

"You have a problem with Aasimar?"

"Now, why would I have a problem with such a beautiful race?" Ren takes her hand and brushes a kiss across it.

"A kiss ass we 'ave here." A slight gnome approaches dressed in all black. "Not all here take kindly to such a silver tongue, wizard." the gnome says with a friendly smile and a shrug. Her smile grows bigger and she sticks out her hand. Luckily for you, I ain't one of 'em. Names Hyldi

Ren laughs and kisses her hand too.

"And I'm Dramina." The Aasimar has a quiet grace about her as she says it.

A noise sounds in the water and he turns to see a giant whale swimming alongside the boat. It continues to make whale sounds and other whales approach all around. "Where will we be when we're topside?" Ren asks.

"A few days off course to the west," Hyldi responds.

Nodding, he asks, "Any news?"

"We're to meet with the council of Lingard and Thisome after we get you back onshore. There have been more attacks on villages outside Belkzen and up into the Kodar Mountains." Dramina adds. Heg town was completely decimated. Only a few survivors made it out.

"I'm not sure if that's a curse or a blessing. I don't know what they saw, but the people around the capital say they aren't quite right." She taps her head.

Ren looks at them with disbelief and anger. It wasn't too long ago they were in that village, clearing out a local cave of giant spiders.

Perhaps noticing his distress, Dramina puts her hand timidly on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." The two of them walk off to give him space. Ren walks back to the room, not looking forward to telling his companions what has happened to the dwarf village.