Chapter 28 #3
Yes, I see the problem. The water is draining from the lake. Very… vehemently.
What does that mean?
A whirlpool has formed at one end. It has great power, and portions of the shoreline are being pulled into the water.
The burning ships are also being drawn toward it.
Swiftly and inexorably. Anything in the water is being pulled toward the whirlpool, including people trying to swim away. I don’t understand what’s happening.
I do. It surprised Vorik that the water flowing through the mine around him was so calm. Calm but, as Agrevlari had said, inexorable.
Vorik’s feet lost purchase on the ground again.
Grim, he started paddling. The two men behind him did as well, pulling Lesva along.
Fel was taller than the rest of them and still walking, but he was helping Syla as much as the other way around now, and that made their progress slow.
Even carrying Abrya, Vorik pulled ahead when he started swimming.
As Fel gave up and also started swimming, an explosion boomed somewhere ahead.
“Was that your aunt?” Vorik asked, the cold water enveloping him fully, some splashing his lips, its taste salty. Of course. “Who else is down here?”
“Wreylith said your people have taken over the buildings and have been coming down.”
Vorik groaned. He didn’t want to hear that.
“They’d better not be blowing up the lift cage,” Syla said. “That’s the only way out.”
Vorik had climbed down using the chains, but if he had to ascend that, carrying the lady over his shoulder, that would be challenging. And could Fel make the climb while injured? What about Syla? She didn’t seem injured, but did she have the strength to pull herself up that far?
Growing grimmer by the moment, Vorik swam faster.
Another boom sounded. This time, they were close enough that he also saw a flash.
“That could be my aunt.” Syla sputtered as a surge of water flowed past, maybe caused by the explosion. “But I really hope she’s gotten out of here by now.”
“Me too,” Fel said.
With strong strokes and determination, the group kept swimming.
The water had reached the level of the lanterns mounted on the pyramid supports, and they were starting to go out, leaving little light.
Even with his keen night vision, Vorik was surprised when something bumped past his shoulder. Was that…
“A body,” he said.
“Another one over here,” Fel said.
“The explosions,” Syla said, “must have gotten them. Or… fighting. I don’t know.”
Yes, over the last couple of minutes, a few clangs had reached Vorik’s ears, but he hadn’t known if they were from swords clashing or mining machinery or something else entirely.
Another body floated past, and they were near a lantern, so there was more light, enough to see the face, though Vorik had already recognized black rider leathers.
“Remarin,” he said. “He is—was—in my squadron under my command.”
He’d probably come down with Jhiton.
Syla glanced over. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“It’s what they chose.”
“It’s not what you chose though?” Syla glanced at the men coming behind them, but they were probably too busy swimming and pulling Lesva to listen in.
“I’m not even supposed to be here. I came because— Oh.
” Vorik almost laughed that he hadn’t had a chance to tell her what had changed things for him, making him disobey orders to come.
But it wasn’t funny, and he hesitated to give her more bad news now, but if they were separated…
“I flew past your castle. There’s a yellow flag hanging from the wall where your family’s was.
And there are dozens of Kingdom ships in the harbor, presumably to support whoever took over the castle. ”
Syla spat water. “Those ships are supposed to be coming here.”
“Yellow,” Fel said. “Is that the Fograth family?”
“Yes,” Syla said. “They moved quickly. I didn’t even know— I mean, I guess I knew, but I expected Relvin would be the one to take the throne. I thought he was angling for it.”
“General Dolok wouldn’t have supported him,” Fel said.
Syla coughed as more water flooded her mouth, and she focused on swimming.
So did Vorik. The current was more agitated now, threatening to separate them, to send them floating into the depths of the mine to drown instead of letting them reach the exit.
You have not drowned yet, Agrevlari stated. I sense through our bond that you live.
I’m fine. Other than needing to swim through what I walked over earlier.
Interesting. Up here, what is unfolding is, even by dragon standards, epic.
Agrevlari was flying above the barrier, directly overhead now, so he had a decent view of the island below and shared what he witnessed.
Beneath the barrier, Wreylith was sailing about, sending gouts of flames into troops and leaving trees burning in her wake, but the lake was what was mesmerizing, with boats being sucked under near the huge whirlpool the dragon had described.
Like a giant drain, it pulled down everything from wreckage to shrubs and trees that must have been growing close to the crumbling shoreline.
There is a hole, and the water is flowing into the mine, yes? Agrevlari asked.
Oh, yes.
You had better escape while you still can.
We’re working on it. Vorik shifted his grip on Abrya so that he could dash water out of his eyes.
Nobody was talking now, their group all panting from the ongoing exertion.
Only the shouts, clashes, and clangs from the direction of the lift floated to them, carrying far over the water and echoing from the salt pillars.
There is another complication, Agrevlari said.
What more could go wrong tonight? Vorik frowned as another body floated past, the woman’s throat cut. It wasn’t the water that was killing people, at least not yet.
During this time, the gardeners have continued to work to extract the weapons platform. It is now resting on the solid cobblestones of the street near the burned docks, and they are maneuvering an undamaged ship into place so that they can load it onto the deck.
Storm-cursed luck. Just when Vorik had thought things couldn’t get any worse for his people.
The next body that floated past wore a Kingdom uniform. That didn’t make him feel any better.
Wait, Syla is with me, and the aunt is down here too, Vorik said. They’re the only ones who can use the weapons platform, right?
I am unaware of its operational parameters.
Yeah, me too.
Perhaps you should have discussed them during one of your many encounters with your queen.
We were busy discussing other things then.
It wasn’t as if Syla would have told him all its secrets, anyway.
Sex orifices.
You’re a pain in the ass, Agrevlari.
Yet, I still await you beyond the barrier. If you can escape.
Another boom sounded, so close that it hurt Vorik’s ears.
And light flashed, revealing… by the eyes of the moon, there were not only people ahead around the lift cage, but there were a lot of people.
Swimming and wielding weapons, they battled each other and also shot wary glances toward a magical wagon larger than the one that had floated away.
It was also floating but seemed under control, like a ship with a wheel.
Tibby stood aboard, one hand on an orb that glowed with power and one… She was the one throwing explosives.
“Get away from the lift, you savages!” she called.
Two sodden Kingdom soldiers knelt on the wagon with her, a new pair that she must have acquired along the way after Jhiton killed the others. They gripped maces and kicked or swung at approaching swimmers—those were Vorik’s people trying to climb aboard to destroy the wagon and stop Tibby.
“How do we get to the lift cage and out of here?” Fel swam close to a pillar, pulling Syla with him, and gripped it to pause their advance. “Don’t call out,” he warned Syla.
She’d lifted an arm, probably trying to get her aunt’s attention, but they were in darkness and too far away.
Besides, Tibby was getting ready to throw another explosive.
The people treading water around the cage lift were fighting, as if not even aware of her threat.
Were they trying to kill each other? Or just get into that cage and escape the mine?
Vorik stared bleakly, realizing that was it. They weren’t fighting to kill each other; they were fighting for space. Four people had gotten into the lift cage, and they were pushing out enemies who tried to swarm in while simultaneously trying to pull in allies.
Though Vorik wanted to help his people—and also wanted to make sure Syla escaped—he followed Fel to the pillar and anchored himself on it, not sure what to do.
He couldn’t release Abrya, nor would he be as effective a combatant as usual while swimming.
Meanwhile, the water kept rising. Whatever the solution was, he didn’t think it was a sword.
Splashes came from behind him, and Tems cursed. Vorik turned in time to see someone swimming away, someone with silver hair. Lesva.
At first, he thought she’d woken enough to figure out what was going on and meant to take her chances fighting through the people around the cage and try to escape. But she swam back the way they’d come. Deeper into the mine.
Syla watched her go. “Is she going to try again to get into the shielder chamber? Those tunnels weren’t very high. They’ll be flooded by now. And she doesn’t have a moon-mark.”
“I don’t know,” Vorik said.
“Should we go after her, sir?” Merimoth asked.
“No.”
“Some of the stormers are climbing up the chains.” Fel pointed above the cage toward men slithering up into the darkness of the shaft.
Vorik nodded, encouraged. Everyone could escape that way if they worked together—or even simply ignored each other—for twenty minutes.
Syla wiped her face. “I think they’ll get captured. I’m talking to Wreylith. With her help, Lord Oyenar’s troops have reclaimed the area around the entrance up there.”