Restitution

Carn arrives at his destination, determined to stop the Dragon.

15.

Restitution

 

Carn had never used the relay system, but he found the sensation both thrilling and terrifying at the same time.    His trip ended abruptly and he staggered off the relay platform into a world filled with smoke.    For a few minutes he just struggled with breathing, but there was very little air to be found.    Keeping as low as possible in the desperate hope that there would be more breathable air closer to the floor of the cavern, he hurried forward.

His eyes burned from the toxic vapors in the air and he had to pause often to violently cough.   Some relief was found by filtering the foul air through the sleeve of his shirt, but still he felt as if he was being slowly asphyxiated.  

Ahead through the smoke was what he assumed was the city of Hor’olorbb.    He could hear the sounds of battle coming from somewhere ahead, yet to his surprise the city gates were open and a few figures, most carrying small bundles of items, raced through the gates.   

They did not even glance at him as they fled from the destruction, but they probably assumed he was just one of the servants from one of the city’s noble houses, or one of the usual Bugbear city guards that served along side their Drow masters.

Carn knew that the city would have 2 gates - this one, on the north side, and a second one facing the highway on the south side.   That was the direction from where the Goblinoid army and the Dragon would be attacking.

 

 

Shielding his nose and mouth the best that he could, he raced forward and no-one challenged him as he entered the city.   It was an average-sized Drow community with tightly packed buildings on narrow, twisting streets.    They were both beautiful and sinister at the same time, but the usual faerie fire magic that the Dark Elves loved to decorate their structures with was gone, due to the neutralizing effects of the Gem.   

 

The sounds of battle filtered through the empty streets as he followed the directions Gallus had given him to the Noble House compound.    He got lost twice, but kept his head and finally neared his destination.    The House was near the city’s southern gate, so he was not surprised to find the Goblinoid army battling the city’s remaining guards in a fierce street battle a half of a block away from the Ar’Rilla compound.

The Drow forces were being overwhelmed by the desperately driven Goblinoid army.    They were actually not much of an army, but more like a riotous mob of various Goblin and humanoid races.    Most seemed half-crazed by the continual threat of incineration by the Dragon that followed them, if they faltered or hesitated.

 

They wore beat-up armor and raggedy clothing, carried dented, broken weapons or make-shift clubs and were covered with scratches and minor wounds.   Apparently the Dragon that pressed them forward did not give them time to dress the wounds and perhaps not even rest.     Carn wondered how many collapsed from exhaustion and were left to die or were ignited by the demon-controlled Dragon for their weakness or failure?  

He knew Mazzikim’ruhin would certainly not hesitate to act so cruelly.  

 

 

 

The Ar’Rilla compound was surrounded by walls somewhat taller than the average Noble estate, and he could see the dim silhouettes of guards on these walls, through the hanging smoke in the air.

He had no choice other than to hope to persuade some of the Ar’Rilla guards that he was there to help, and hope they didn’t fill him with poisoned crossbow bolts before he had a chance to speak to them.

Carn ran directly toward the gate, anticipating the sting of arrows at any moment.    But none came, and as he reached the gate, he opened his mouth to shout to the guards that he knew had to be looking down at him, but instead the smoke choked him and he fell to his knees coughing and gasping, leaning against the metal gates for support.

Try as he might, he could not stop coughing, until he felt as if he was going to pass out from the thick noxious air.

Then the gate snapped open and several pairs of hands grabbed him and pulled him inside.    Someone shoved some sort of cloth, folded over on itself several times and moistened with water, over his mouth and nose.

“Breathe through this.”   A very muffled voice said to him and he had no choice but to comply.    To his relief, the cloth filtered the air sufficiently enough for him to gain control of his breathing.  

He looked up through watering eyes and found his saviors wore similar filters tied around the lower half of their faces.   Only their eyes showed, but he recognized the grey skin of the one who had handed him the cloth.    It was Duke Eleazar.

“Where are the others?”    The Half-Drow asked.

“I’m alone, sir.   The others still are on the quest.”

“What happened?”   The Duke asked, alarmed, and Carn quickly told him a much abbreviated account of what had happened.

“Why did you come here alone?”    Eleazar asked as he led him inside of the Noble House.

“I learned of the name of the demon controlling the Dragon.   Mazzikim’ruhin, I was told.”

“Yes, that is what we also were told by Sophia, who was sent by Yesh to warn us.”

“Well, I have had… dealings with this demon.    I know how to defeat him, sir.”

“You?   By yourself?”

“Yes, but…. I…I can’t tell you why.”

“Why not?”

“I…I’m…I’m…restricted.”  The geis made it nearly impossible to even respond in such a vague manner.

“Who is restricting you?   The Demon?”   Eleazar asked, and Carn simply nodded, thankful that the Duke had asked the right question.

“How could you stop this demon when he has possessed a Dragon?   Carn, this is an enormous beast.    A wizard of this city came to us with a similar claim that he could stop the Dragon.    He claimed that someone had sent him too.    Alleania left with him by a secret passage to confront the Dragon just half an hour ago.”

Carn grabbed the Duke’s arms in excitement, “Sir, I can help them!   Do you know the way to them?!”

“I know the passage that they took, but Alleania asked us to guard the house rather than go with them, due to the danger.   I really didn’t like that request, but we decided to honor it, so all of us wouldn’t be destroyed if their desperate plan failed.”

“I can stop Mazzikim’ruhin, sir!    Please believe me!   It is something that only I can do.   Please, Duke Eleazar, show me the passage they took.   If I can get to them quickly enough, I should be able to keep them from sacrificing themselves.”

“Carn it is too dangerous.   I am surprised Amala didn’t come with you.”

“I didn’t want her to, sir.   Thankfully I was able to evade her.”

“She tried to stop you?”

“Yes, but I had to reach you in time.    I can stop this destruction, sir.”

“Carn, you seem…different somehow.   Something has changed about you since last we met.”

“Duke Eleazar, we really don’t have time to go into all of that.   I assure you that I am the same as I was before, only now I am forced to be less careful.”

“Less careful of what?   Revealing your true self?”

“Sir, please!   Lives are at stake here.   If I was to survive the encounter with Mazzikim’ruhin, I will try to explain everything, but for now I need to attempt to stop the Demon.    We are wasting time, sir!”

Eleazar nodded, “Alright, Carn, I can see you are sincerely trying to help.    I will show you the passage.  Follow me!”

Carn followed him through the house and downstairs into the basement.   Aurei, Zeatt and Alvis all looked up in surprise as they rushed past, but the Duke told them that he would explain later.

Several moments later they reached a room in the large basement with a strong metal door at one end.

“That is the passage they took, Carn.    But let me ask you one thing before you go:   You said something about only possibly surviving this encounter.   You do not think you will, do you?”

Carn looked the Half-Drow in the eyes, “No, Duke, I don’t.   In fact, if I do survive, it will mean that I’ve failed.”

“Carn-“   Eleazar began to say, but the Bugbear shook his head.

“It’s alright, Duke Eleazar.    In fact, death sounds wonderful to me in many ways.   I’m not trying to sound macabre.   But I cannot explain it.”

“Is it a geis?    The demon put a geis upon you?”

He, of course, couldn’t answer, but he thought of something that he might be able to say to at least give Duke Eleazar a clue.

“I knew your mother, sir.    She was so very beautiful and feisty with life.    If it hadn’t been for me, she wouldn’t have met the end that she did.”

Eleazar was surprised by this statement and looked at Carn as if he was crazy, “What in the world are you talking about?”

“I don’t want to put her son or his family and friends in any sort off danger, sir.   I owe it to her.   Don’t follow me or let anyone come after me.     You’ll know if I fail or succeed.    Goodbye, Duke Eleazar, and thank you for showing me such kindness.”

He moved quickly while the Half-Drow was still stunned and pulled the metal door to the secret passage open, and then slipped inside, slamming it shut behind him before Eleazar could figure out what he should do.

Reviews

[Elina]

"I didn’t want her too, sir." Assuming I am reading this correctly, the "too" ought to be "to."
"Something has changed about you since I last saw you." You may want to reword this so it's a little less redundant sounding with the double usage of "you."
"He of course couldn’t answer, but he thought of something that he might be able to say to at least give him a clue." You'll want commas around "of course." Also, you may want to change the final "him" to "Eleazar" to prevent any confusion.