I Don't Want to Be the Hero Vol. 1 by M. E. Thorne

Author:M. E. Thorne [Thorne, M. E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B08Z4GMMGH
Published: 2021-03-15T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

If I had been expecting to find myself in some kind of gorey abattoir or madman’s workshop, I was swiftly disappointed.

The entrance hall was free of any bloodstains, meat cleavers, or short-stacked murderers. Instead, it was ridiculously opulent, with elaborately carved columns covered in silver and gold, and walls that were decorated with horrifically detailed murals and carvings. Even the floor was shod in bronze, leaving our eerily twisted reflections walking in our wake.

It reminded me of the Bitch Goddess’s palace.

“For a bunch of psychotic munchkins, these guys knew how to decorate,” Gilly said sarcastically, her voice echoing oddly around the space.

“For all their faults, and there are many, the dwarves were obsessive, master crafters.” Annowan stepped up to a column, conjuring a small orb of light.

Looking more closely at the architecture, I could see the faint traces of ancient enchantments, long since faded and barely hanging on. They were formed similarly to the spells used in The City, making them easy to understand. Most seemed to serve as preservation and protection spells, though I could see the remains of several deadly defenses, including Poison Cloud Kill . Thankfully, they were all dead and inactive.

I pointed them out to the party anyway.

“Keep your eyes open then,” Annowan instructed me, before looking at the others. “Be mindful of more mundane traps and hazards as well. If the dwarves were fighting amongst themselves, as the graffiti indicated, then it’s likely this place is littered with surprises.”

It was easy to see which way the Slayer had gone, they had left a trail of footprints in the dust. They led through the center of the entrance hall, but rather than exiting through the gigantic doorway at the far end of the room, they veered off before following a side wall, then mysteriously disappeared.

I circled the spot in the wall but didn’t see any signs of magic that would have explained the Slayer’s unexpected trail. “Where did they go?”

Annowan tapped an armored knuckle against the wall. “Likely some kind of hidden door. Dwarves supposedly loved those sorts of things. Normally they open by manipulating some hidden lever or by use of a disguised keyhole.” She stepped back and spread her palm. “I don’t have the time or patience for such frivolity.”

Summoning balefire, she blasted the wall. It blew apart in a shower of plaster, wood, and stone. Beyond, I could see a passage running perpendicular to the entrance hall.

“Demons,” Gilly sighed. “They claim to be the most graceful, regal of all people, but throw a simple puzzle or barrier in their path and they’ll blast it apart with overwhelming force.”

Annowan grinned. “That is one of the great secrets to achieving royalty. If you encounter an obstacle in your path, you destroy it, and anyone stupid enough to get in your way. Preferably with fire, and with an audience watching.”

The hidden door left shattered, she simply kicked the rest of it out of her way, gleefully smashing apart the fake bricks and stomping on their remains.

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