Page 61 of The Night Prince 3

“Why would I? We fought together more often than we fought against one another. It is the law of the Under Dark. If I were to have a grudge against every species who had been on the opposite side of a battle, I would have one of the largest against the Sun Elves,” Helgrom gave her a piercing look. “But things change. Alliances shift. Enemies become allies become enemies become allies. You are too young to understand this yet, but everything comes around again.”

“You act as if you’ve seen the ages, Helgrom, or have you just heard of them from the customers in your inn?” Darcassan asked with a slight edge.

Helgrom met Snaglak’s eyes. Neither of them said anything. Snaglak wished there was another ham in Helgrom’s pack. But there was not.

“Well, history is all well and good, but what are we going to do about the present?” Elasha sat with her back against the boulder and her knees tucked against her chest. “Do we just wait for a rift to take us back? Will one even open anytime soon? And what about Uncle and the others? They could be in danger!”

“I–I don’t sense any rifts currently,” Darcassan said with a toss of his head, “but I will–”

“We will not be allowed to leave here until we do or find or see whatever it is that King Vex means for us to,” Helgrom said.

“You think he sent us here on purpose?” Elasha sounded more alarmed about that than if they had been simply spun off randomly into the Under Dark.

“There’s always the possibility that he merely wishes to separate us from our companions, but sending us here is no mistake. It is meant. There is too much history here.” Helgrom’s eyes narrowed as he watched the Australs lift off from the walls, fly in a certain pattern and land again.

“Get in there when that one fly. No see us,” Snaglak said, pointing the finger he’d stuck in his nose towards a gate in the towering wall. Sluggish, fetid water flowed through the bars and meandered into the darkness.

Helgrom nodded. “Yes, I think that, too. It could be done.”

“Done? You want us to go inside Xrdatha? Why? Especially after what you said those Australs could do to us, why would we risk it?” Darcassan’s eyebrows were both high and pulled together.

“You think Vex wants us to go in there?” Elasha sounded breathless. She clasped one hand in the folds of her tunic.

Helgrom studied both carefully. “We cannot know what he wants until we find it. But we do know what you want, Lord Darcassan, do we not?”

Darcassan blinked. “What I want? I want to get into Illithor for–”

“Weapons,” Helgrom ended for him. “If you want weapons capable of killing the Leviathan and anything else that may crawl out of the Under Dark onto Earth then you will find them in abundance in Xrdatha’s armory.”

The dwarf pointed down towards the occupied city.

“But surely they have been taken already by the victors over the ages.” Darcassan’s brows drew together. “This isn’t Illithor with its wards and Vex’s shadow to guard it.”

“No, it has a far more physical guard,” Helgrom said with a wry purse of his lips. “If anyone but the blood of the king had gotten into the armory, all you would see down there would be a river of lava. But the city still stands untouched.”

“There’s some kind of trap,” Darcassan began.

Helgrom nodded. “Meaning since it still stands, the armory is untouched. And as I have the blood of the king, we can get inside.”

“Is it worth it to risk our lives for some ancient weapons?” Elasha twisted the broach on her cloak. “Rhalyf pointed out that we could only carry a few weapons and how would such a handful help if the Leviathan were really to attack en masse?”

“They will attack again,” Darcassan said, his voice certain and his expression dire.

“Yes,” Snaglak said. “Leviathan come. Kill again. Never stop.”

There was another gasp from Elasha. “But surely, Snaglak, we have shown them that only death awaits any creature that comes through the rifts and means harm?”

“No. All come. Way open. Will find weakness. Will find way,” Snaglak nodded. “Unless kill first.”

“This would be the second time I’m agreeing with an orc today,” Darcassan sighed. “I have a bag here that can carry far more than it appears to.” He patted the head-sized bag that hung down from his belt. “Besides, we can also study the weapons and duplicate them. Make them our own.”

Elasha still looked uncertain. “Maybe we should simply try to get to Illithor. Since you know the way, Helgrom.”

Helgrom patted her arm. “Lady Elasha, five days journey in the Under Dark without food or water would lead us to certain death and that is not even considering all the creatures that would seek to kill us on the way. No, there is only one thing we must do.”

“Go into Xrdatha and steal weapons?” Her voice was tight.

“We are not stealing,” Helgrom answered her with a soft smile. “I can assure you that everything in that city is… mine. We’re just taking some of it back. That’s all.”

“Kill! Smash! Crush!” Snaglak grinned happily and slapped Glom on the backside.

The naki jumped in surprise, but then pretended as if it had expected the slap all along. He knew that it would definitely be going after his butt in revenge.

Hunkering down beside Helgrom, he and the dwarf led the way down the treacherous mountain pass towards the grate that would allow them access to the ancient dwarven city. Though they kept low and hid often, Snaglak knew that he would be bashing Austral skulls and other things before the endless night was done.

And that was good.

He’d liked it when he’d crushed skulls here before. This time they would be different skulls. He looked at the back of Helgrom’s head. He was glad they would be different. Very glad. Maybe he’d tell Helgrom that. Helgrom likely already knew. But if he told him maybe he’d get some free beer later at the Dawn. Or a chicken. Or a ham. Or maybe all three.

Life was good when death, beer, chicken and ham were on the menu.