The Sword of Life by Dave Morris

Author:Dave Morris [Morris, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Sword & Sorcery
Publisher: Fabled Lands Publishing
Published: 2016-02-29T05:00:00+00:00

Nine:

The Chasm

If the robed figure had any more to say it was lost as they submerged in stone. It was like sinking through thick tar at first, soon fading to no more than the breath of a slight cold wind. For a brief time there was nothing but a cocoon of darkness around each of them, the silence of an indefinite void all around.

At last they emerged from the rock into open air. Solid once more, they fell lightly to land on crude stone steps. An up-draught from below brought a stifling dank heat on which they could taste burning sulphur.

Imragarn clasped his hands to his shoulders and shivered. ‘I thought I had only imagined you rescued me... that I was back in the ice...’

Caelestis recognized the tinge of panic in the man’s voice. He did not entirely trust Imragarn yet, but there was no doubt his fear was genuine. ‘in this heat?’ he said, mopping his brow.

Imragarn gave a weak smile and Altor cast an approving glance at his friend. Caelestis’ joke had stopped Imragarn from going into shock. For all his faults and fancy ways, the young thief was a good judge of men.

Nodding ruefully, Imragarn visibly pulled himself together. ‘You must think me a pretty feeble ally.’

Altor laughed. ‘Look at us—bedraggled, covered in lake mud. Hardly the grand heroes that Magus Balhazar would want representing him!’

‘He’ll want his money back if we don’t get a move on,’ said Caelestis. ‘Not that he paid us in the first place, mind you.’

The three started to make their descent. The steps soon emerged onto a perilous ledge that snaked down the back wall of a vast underground cave. They looked out, awestruck, at the unearthly panorama before them. The cavern stretched away for two kilometres or more and the ceiling was a hundred metres high in places, supported by giant basaltic pillars that soared up into the dizzying gloom. The basin below was the crater of a dormant volcano, and a deep red glow illuminated the cave from volcanic geysers that spluttered and gurgled lava through cracks in the cave floor.

‘We must be right under the city foundations,’ said Altor, and the thought of the sorcery that kept the ravenous volcano in check took their breath away.

‘The power of the magi is...’ Caelestis paused, at a loss for words, ‘much more than I imagined,’ he finished somewhat lamely.

‘It’s nothing compared to the power of the True Magi who preceded them,’ said Imragarn. ‘Remind me to tell you about them later when we’re relaxing over a pint of ale.’

Caelestis smacked his lips.

‘Save that talk of ale,’ said Altor. ‘We need to keep our wits about us—now more than ever.’

Here and there from rents in the rock ceiling, trickles of noxious liquid sprayed down. The smell told them that those were the outlets from the Keep’s sewers, and the volcanic fires burned with a resentful green light whenever one of these streams hit them.

The bottom of the crater, far below the ledge,

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