Chapter 36 – Assigning tasks

  “You’re back,” Victor said.

  “Did you…” Sylvian started but stopped unable to say more.

  “I meant your friend,” Savgar said. “It still lives. We came to an understanding.”

  “The other dwarves,” Sylvian continued.

  “I gave my word,” Savgar said. “And now I owe a debt, but that’s my business. I cannot promise what the other dwarves will do when they find out. And they will find out, it is only a matter of time, but I’ll do what I can.”

  “That is the best we can hope for,” Sylvian said.

  “Is there something different about you?” Jack asked. “Something seems different, but I can’t place what it is.”

  “Never you mind about that,” Savgar said, waving off his concerns. “What is this about Clayton? Are we finally going to kill him?”

  “If we can,” Teresa said. “We were just discussing it.”

  “He has our people,” Rayne said. “We have to do something.”

  “And we will,” Elaine said. “I’m just not sure about this plan. The Southern Lord is planning something.”

  “Not to be that guy,” Bryant said. “But what’s stopping us from just leaving the area? Make a jailbreak for the elves, and then just flee the jungle. It doesn’t go on forever, does it?”

  “No,” Daniel said. “But we can’t abandon the city or let Clayton grow any more powerful than he already has.”

  Jack nodded. “Even if we get the elves from him, he will just find something else to enslave.”

  “And with his new class,” Daniel said. “The longer he is not stopped the more dangerous he will become.”

  “I take it you have a plan,” Savgar said.

  “We were trying to figure one out,” Victor said. “A way to at least get the elves out. Taking on the whole camp would be suicide right now.”

  “We could mount a distraction,” Zajowle offered. “A group of us can attack from a different area and pull their focus away as a small group of us slip in and rescue the elves.”

  “I can take a person with me when I use my shadow shifting now,” Jack said. “Should be able to get them out of the camp with a few trips, but the whole camp is covered in webbing. When I went to see the prisoners, the spiders were quick to respond.”

  “There might be a simple way to handle that,” Daniel said. “If they are using their webbing to sense the area, then all we need to do is over stimulate their network.”

  “What are you thinking?” Reuf asked.

  “So long as it’s like normal webbing,” Daniel said. “Fire should be enough to get rid of it, and we may even be able to spread the fire throughout the whole camp.”

  “We are not lighting the camp on fire with our people still inside,” Rayne snapped.

  Sylvian put a hand on Rayne to help calm her.

  “It wouldn’t cover the whole camp immediately,” Daniel said. “But it would help to hide what we are doing. Then the others can rescue the elves from the camp as we divert their attention. How long do you think it might take to get the elves out?”

  “I’m not sure,” Jack said. “I can only take one at a time right now.”

  “You are not going in there alone,” Elaine said. “Teleporting spell or not.”

  “I agree,” Zajowle said. “But we can’t go in with a large group either. Perhaps only Jack, Elaine, and I should be on the rescue squad. The others can focus on distracting the camp.”

  “We won’t be able to do the same thing we did against the goblins,” Savgar said. “That only worked because goblins are relatively weak and stupid. If we are assaulting a fortified base, then we need more range fighters. They can also assist when we retreat.”

  “We could make more bows and arrows,” Sylvian offered. “Jack, is Carpenter one of your professions?”

  “Yeah, I have that one,” Jack confirmed.

  “Then, with some guidance, we should be able to make some decent ones,” Sylvian said. “We will need to leave this area first though.”

  “What are you thinking?” Rayne asked.

  “I think we need to prepare more,” Sylvian said. “Make more bows and train people to use them. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to try teaching each other some of our spells as well. If this distraction is going to work, we need to cause as much destruction as we can. And If Jack can teach other his Shadow Shifting ability, that should give us a better chance at surviving this.”

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  “That will take time,” Victor said. “Are you sure you want to wait that long?”

  Sylvian nodded. “I don’t like the idea of leaving them there, but I’m not willing to take chances with our people’s lives. I don’t think we will have a second chance at this.”

  “We will need an escape and fallback plan,” Daniel said. “We will be fighting on their home turf. They know this area better than us, and we won’t be able to escape them in the jungle.”

  “You want to escape into the jungle?” Savgar asked. “What’s wrong with bringing everyone down here?”

  “We thought about that,” Jack said. “We are mostly worried that since Clayton already knows about this entrance, this might be the first place he looks. Then there is also the cave-in issue, and we need to keep this place secret, as well.”

  “Suppose it would be a shame for the city to last for thousands of years, only to be destroyed by carelessness,” Savgar grunted. “Not sure how much of a threat a cave-in would be here. The place looks solid enough, but I haven’t seen any real infrastructure to support an underground city so far. Better not risk it. But you don’t want the elves to know about this place? Why?”

  “It’s not just the elves,” Jack said. “I was able to talk to one of the Beast Lords and they confirmed that they want the city kept safe if they are going to allow our city plans. I think we can let some know, but maybe just people who take the Trial or else become members of the Order?”

  “Been busy,” Savgar grunted. “Fine. Well keep the place secret. Probably for the best. However, if we are going to escape into the jungle, then we should at least make him think we went somewhere else. I might have a few ideas that could work. Let me think about it, but it can wait for now. We might need to collapse that tunnel if we are going to do this. No sense leaving an entrance right next door to the guy.”

  “You think you can collapse the entrance without risking the city?” Victor asked.

  “Collapsing a tunnel is not that difficult,” Savgar said. “But if we seal off that entrance, we will need another. That’s unless you have changed your mind about forming a proper underground city.”

  Everyone shook their heads at that, causing Savgar to harrumph. “Fine. Then perhaps it is about time to stop letting fate decide where we go and start carving our own path.”

  “You want to dig our own tunnel out of here?” Victor asked. “We don’t even have any tools.”

  “We have enough to work with,” Savgar said. “We can work on that while the elves do their elves thing and handle our range issue. The only question is where do we want the exit to go to?”

  “Southern Lord territory or Northern?” Jack asked.

  “Not the Spider one,” Victor said. “We all agree on that, right?”

  “I second that,” Bryant said. “No spiders.”

  “Not sure that will be an option if we are going to do this,” Teresa said. “I doubt the Northern Lord will be happy to help us once we toast some of its children.”

  “Then that means Southern Lord and the deal it will demand we honor as a result,” Reuf said. “I’m not sure I like that any better, but you’re right in that it might be our only option right now. But it rests on you, Jack. You will be the one most effected by that choice.”

  Jack nodded. “I’m fine with what I have to do for my part, so long as everyone else is okay with it.”

  “It’s not a short trip to the Southern Lords lands,” Savgar said. “We are within the Eastern Lord’s territory. We will still have to travel a ways just to enter the southern territory. We could make a tunnel all the way, but I don’t think you will want to wait that long before rescuing your people.”

  “We just need a way out that we can hide and protect from Clayton,” Jack said. “Somewhere he doesn’t know to look. That should give us a chance to make our way to the Southern Lord’s territory before Clayton can catch us.”

  “I might have a way of hiding the entrance,” Daniel said. “I’m working on something right now, but I think it might be just the thing we need.”

  “We should also try to reach out to Reynard, the Southern Lord, as well,” Jack said. “He told me he would provide a place for us to setup for the time being.”

  “We should spend today and tomorrow preparing as a group before we split up,” Elaine added. “Jack can try teaching the rest of us his Shadow Shifting ability during that time. Those that learn it can help the others learn it when we are split up.”

  “Not sure I like this,” Teresa said. “It is going to require a lot of us to be out of touch with each other. If something goes wrong then the others won’t be around to help out.”

  “We won’t be out of touch completely, or for long,” Zajowle said. “Eventually, there will be situations where we will need to stand and hold our own. This is one of those situations.”

  “It will be okay,” Reuf reassured her. “We have all grown stronger down here. Trust in us.”

  “I can help everyone stay in touch and updated on any changes as well,” Zephyr said.

  “Anyone who hasn’t done the Trial should do that as well before we assault the camp,” Sylvian said. “The Trial’s rewards will help improve our survivability.”

  “I can prepare some potions and poisons as well,” Elaine said.

  “I can help with that,” Zajowle offered. “I have some experience with poisons. Enough to assist.”

  “What will the others do?” Jack asked.

  “We will attempt the Trial and work on improving our abilities,” Reuf said, speaking for him and Sia. “I have a feeling, we will need as much healing as possible soon, and I might be able to create an aura effect to some of my spells.”

  “I will join you above once I have completed the Trial,” Sia said speaking up in one of her rare occurrences.

  “I’ll also attempt the trial and work on my spells,” Daniel said. “If there is time. I won’t hold anyone up, but I think I need to continue looking through these libraries. The class was bound once; there might be a way to do it again. If there is, our best chance of finding it is in these libraries.”

  “I can help with that,” Ciao said. “I am owed time in the library as well.”

  “So, what are we dividing into?” Bryant asked. “Two groups?”

  “Three I think,” Reuf said.

  “Then it’s settled,” Savgar said. “We all have our assigned tasks. Call it phase one. We only have a day and a night before we split up. Starting tomorrow night, the elves and boy will go out again to rendezvous with the Southern Lord. They’ll take care of our bow and arrows issue. I’ll take the old boy and new boy to work on making our new tunnel afterwards. The girl and lizard will work on our potions issue. Everyone else work on their skills or help where they can.”

  “I won’t be much help,” Jasper said. “I can offer advice maybe, but warfare is outside my expertise.”

  “What about Elizabeth?” Elaine asked.

  “We can watch over her,” Reuf said. “We are still working on helping her with her arm as well.”

  “Where is Elizabeth?” Jack asked looking around. The girl was usually a little quiet but not usually this quiet.

  “She left the room as I entered,” Savgar said. “Seemed like she was in a hurry too.”

  “Why would she do that?” Teresa asked.

  “No, she wouldn’t,” Elaine said standing up suddenly.

  “What?” Jack asked.

  “The Trial,” Elaine said.