Chapter 123

This level appeared to be living quarters, though of a very alien style, a lot of decoration, but very creepy to say the least.

“It’s designed to be unsettling, John,” Simone confirmed. “Their leadership may believe it toughens their people up.”

“Silly idea,” I chuckled. “All it does is make them miss the obvious when running into something new.”

“True,” Simone agreed. “I’m checking everything here as it seems wrong. If it was an ordinary room I wouldn’t be so thorough.”

“They don’t scare easily,” Dorry added.

“Neither do I,” I chuckled.

“Anything?” Morgana asked.

“Just a load of spy holes for keeping an eye on them and reporting back,” Simone shrugged.

“Trusting society,” Arch said with a wry smile.

“Very,” Morgana agreed as we moved forward, checking each room thoroughly in turn.

The level was deserted, though we left a couple of Æsir on guard just in case as well as sending up a signal for the other groups to start filtering down as the Drow had sealed every other doorway and were ferociously defending any breaches in them.

We descended to another floor and spotted a barricade that the Drow had hastily erected. Other than Adsila sniping at any exposed Drow, we left it alone as we searched a storage area and kitchens. We did find a back staircase, but all it led to was a space between the walls on the upper living area where the apparent spying took place.

Near the barricade, journeywoman Mage Kate had prepared an RPG and was just setting the internal Null device on it. At a nod from Morgana she loosed it at the barricade, hitting it dead centre as we all ducked back. A hail of debris plus some ominous grey dust from a dead Drow surged past us. Rinku’s team led the initial charge at the stunned survivors who were either dead or surrendering within a few moments, revealing themselves to be mostly kitchen staff.

They surrendered, yes, but none would say a word, simply following instructions and being led away to the Fae encampment and transportation to a holding camp on Tír na nÓg.

“Someone down there must be getting worried by now,” I commented to Morgana.

“I believe so, though it remains to be seen how they intend to resolve it.”

“Oonagh’s head on a plate might do it,” I chuckled.

“I don’t think they could match her very easily, plus she’s no doubt very much on her guard here, from the Drow that is,” Morgana replied.

“Be an idiot if she wasn’t, and whilst I don’t believe she played her cards to her best advantage, she’s no idiot,” Arch agreed.

“Yep,” Morgana concurred as we surged forward and down to the next level.

We found another barricade, again swiftly put up and hiding several Drow behind it. This time though, Morgana simply approached it, deflecting several initial bolts until she stood within speaking distance.

“We will permit non-combatants to surrender and be removed to Tír na nÓg. Any who wish to remain and fight after this will be obliged,” she stated loudly in Fae.

“We will never surr...” came a reply followed by a choked off gasp and a flowing mass of grey dust from the barricade.

Slowly and carefully a Drow stepped forward into our gaze and dropped his weapon. Several of the Fae stepped forward and beckoned him to follow them up the stairwell. He was followed swiftly by a veritable flood of Drow, including two children, all huddling together and acting very nervously around us, though with an air of palpable relief.

“That was easy enough,” Arch said.

“I think a lot of them just want out. That’s not to say we’ll not meet some significant resistance soon,” Morgana replied.

“Roxanne and Helen have reported they’ve finally broken through the door on the other side,” Adsila reported.

“Casualties?” Morgana asked.

“Heavy, seventeen Mages including Mages Erin and Angelique,” Adsila replied with a heavy sigh.

“I will make their leadership pay for this.” A whited-faced Morgana spoke quietly and with deadly intent.

“That we will,” a grim-faced Arch replied.

“Let’s go, Talshish. Your people’s turn,” Morgana ordered.

“Yes, Mage Morgana,” Talshish responded, moving with the Fae to lead the way downwards.

We entered what had to be a communal dining hall with pretty much the same ugly mind-disturbing décor.

“Surprised they could eat,” I said with a shudder.

“They do seem to have twisted the Fae concepts of beauty into the grotesque,” Talshish agreed. “In the past it was only our hearts and deeds that were ugly, not our surroundings.”

A quick search and scan by the Seers revealed nothing of interest, though we did find a family hiding in one of the side chambers who were only too glad to surrender, having not heard Morgana’s original terms.

“There appear to be large sections of the fortress not accessible to us yet,” Simone commented.

“Standard design,” Arch replied. “Last thing you want are invaders able to get everywhere from a single breach.”

“Somewhere or other they will have a central chamber. That’s essentially what we’re aiming for,” Morgana added.

“Roxanne is reporting heavy resistance, but the Mazdani and Craebh Ruadh are coping. Mage Helen is now in stasis, a bolt got her in the eye,” Dorry informed us. “Maurice reports the Maraú-Uxuí have cleared the upper chambers and are now on their way to join us.”

The stairway at the end of the chamber was far wider than the ones up to the upper chamber and platform. There were no defenders, but the Seers discovered a series of booby traps and trip wires which slowed our progress, but caused no casualties.

“Seer team two reports an attempted breakout to the North. It’s been contained, though there’s still fighting going on.” Simone announced. “Vaniralla Freya’s Murians have ported in to assist the wolves. A second Azuran Stormforce has arrived, Hinnit’s in command. He’s relieved Teali and she and her Stormforce are coming up the ramp to assist, along with our people. Hinnit has brought along a good few Malakha with him,” she continued.

“Every little helps,” Morgana nodded.

At the foot of the steps there was a formidable barrier in place, though no sign of any defenders, just something else to delay us. A Null medallion and some C4 soon had it removed and a hail of poisoned bolts shot through the gap, though catching no one out as we were all under cover.

“Looks like they’re getting serious about this,” Arch opined.

“Yep.” I agreed, adding, “Kate, can you get an RPG through the gap?”

“Yes, John.”

The grenade shot through the gap, punched through a screen of some sort and exploded some way back, causing a lot of screams. Talshish led his Fae through at a fast pace to get in amongst the defenders. He was joined by Marja, the wolves and my team. The fighting was fierce; these were clearly experienced assassins, though also clearly confused and disorientated by our attack. In this our armour stood us in good stead and the wolves were just too agile to be caught by the stab of a Drow.

This time there was no surrendering. The Drow fought to the bitter end, though only managed to take down five of Talshish’s Fae to their own estimated loss of nearly thirty, most of whom appear to have been caught out by Kate’s RPG.

“Must be something important here for this kind of defence,” I reported to Morgana as she led the rest of our attackers through.

“I’d presume so, though it may just be we’ve reached an inner cordon,” Morgana replied thoughtfully.

The teams spread out, carefully checking the area behind the barrier for traps and any indications of why it was so heavily and fanatically defended. It was, we finally decided, a school, though a school of the killing arts. Various displays showed ways to kill, disable, or even silence all manner of creatures using methods from poisons to nerve blows to blades or bolts.

“Destroy it,” Morgana finally ordered.

‘We would appreciate keeping their pharmacopeia, ‘ Maurice piped up. ‘We will pass on any good we find amongst it.’

“Very well, my friend,” Morgana agreed. “The rest must go though; it’s my way of making a statement.”

‘Agreed.’

“They may well have copies,” Arch added.

“Undoubtedly, but I’ll destroy them too if I find them. This cult of assassins ends here,” Morgana replied.

“Roxanne’s reported they’ve cleared the living quarters at their end and are proceeding downwards,” Simone stated.

“Casualties?” Morgana asked.

“None, several thousand non-combatants though,” Simone replied. “Verenestra has sent in another guard unit along with Talusi to assist their evacuation. Adelaide reports that the Azurans have broken through the third access point to the platform, casualties were severe amongst them, but dropped off significantly once they got through. Seems the Drow at least are pulling back.”

“Order Adelaide to be cautious in her advance,” Morgana commanded.

“Done,” Simone replied.

By now the magic users amongst us had reduced the displays and various killing charts down to their component atoms as one of the Maraú-Uxuí scuttled away with the Drow pharmacopeia or poisoners handbook as I saw it.

“Vanir Torsenn, could your people please lead the way?” Morgana requested.

“At once, Mage Morgana,” he replied.

“A full Æsir værinjar horde has just ported in courtesy of Vanir Snorrison. The ready division of the 82nd Airborne are also unloading courtesy of Mage Simon,” Dorry reported.

“What else are friends for,” Arch chuckled.

“Have them relieve Freya and the Murians. Freya can join Roxanne’s people as they’ve suffered the most losses,” Morgana ordered.

“Yes, Mage Morgana,” Dorry replied. “Word from Rowenna. Archon Rakona is sending the Loegrian special forces under Gindo to assist.”

“Going to get crowded in here soon,” I mused.

“Quite possibly, though one can never have too many friends,” Morgana replied with a wry smile.

“Another barrier, Mage Morgana,” one of Vanir Torsenn’s people announced. “Big gate, shielded too. They’re also in the side walls sniping at us, though our Seiðkonur are effectively dealing with that threat.”

“Let’s go sort it out,” Morgana answered and led the way.

It was a big gate and made of some sort of shimmering metal, though that was some effect of the magic being used to reinforce it. Also, the angle was wrong for hitting it with any sort of RPG, plus the physical defences around it were formidable enough to keep us at bay too.

“Seer Adsila, concentrate on where you think they’re firing from, the rest of you Null up bullets for her,” I ordered.

“Yes, John,” came the replies as Adsila got to work.

The armour piercing bullets Adsila chose to have nulled up were soon punching holes through the walls as she took aim at any area the Drow had to be shooting from. It was difficult to tell just how successful she was, but occasionally there were distinct puffs of grey dust from the holes she made.