Homeward (Ch. 35)
[Serial] Abaddon swings into action, the tomb gets more crowded, and Ryld returns a package.
Table of Contents
Part 1: The Grove’s Bounty: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11
Part 2: A Mayor’s Ransom: Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24
Part 3: Armageddon: Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 32, Chapter 33, Chapter 34
Previously, Abaddon’s infiltration of the Dwarven tomb went awry when Hrothgar dropped him off too early amidst an army of zombies. He managed to cast a silencing spell on the undead drum master, but not before it played a melody to send a thrall of its minions after him. Abaddon narrowly escaped by jumping off the ledge onto a nearby crane, only to send himself plummeting to the ground.
“The drums stopped.”
Aust sucked in a tense breath as he huddled behind Ryld and Doreff. They’d found a chamber of empty sarcophaguses with a vantage of the giant statue where the drum master stood.
“Damn, can’t get a shot.” Ryld leaned toward the edge of the chamber with his bowstring drawn. “Target’s too far back.”
“Where’s Abaddon?” Aust asked.
“How should I know?” Ryld grumbled. “Last I saw, he was running around on his hands like a moronic crab.”
He shoved his foot onto the railing and gave it a push. Solid Dwarven construction. Slowly, he leaned forward, putting more and more of his weight on the railing until the entire crown of the statue filled his field of view. The drum master was standing at the very back, and surrounded by a mob of undead Orcs. Something had stirred them up.
Probably Abaddon. That idiot could never stick to a plan. He should have been up there with the Orcs, making sure that Ryld had a clear shot. At least he’d gotten his silence spell off. So, they wouldn’t need to deal with reinforce—
Ryld jumped backward as something entered his peripheral vision. Flying toward him fast. Re-centering his weight on his back foot, he swiveled and readied to shoot.
A good thing he didn’t. Abaddon swung into view, his face coming within inches of Ryld’s own.
His feet pounded the railing with a rattling thump that knocked the Dark Elf off balance. Ryld almost let an arrow fly into his brother’s face, but stopped it at the last second with his finger.
“Uhm—hi, guys,” Abaddon said with a nervous laugh. The crane he’d swung on didn’t quite reach the railing, and he was just barely holding himself up with the strength of his toes.
“What. Are. You. Doing?” Ryld barked. “You should be sticking to the plan.”
“Well, the thing is…I had to change the plan.”
“Guys,” Aust gulped before Ryld could excoriate his brother further. “We’ve got company.”
A horde of Orcish zombies stumbled along the open-faced corridors. At least a dozen. Unlike the mindless workers tasked with perpetually building the tomb, these interlopers moved with urgent purpose.
“Oh, shoot,” Abbadon said. “They must have followed me.”
“Followed you!?” Ryld kicked the railing so hard it shook. Abaddon’s big toe lost its grip. “So not only did you fail to get me a clear shot, but you also led a horde of zombies toward us?”
“Well, the thing is—”
The shambling army kicked open the chamber door, and a flood of undead bodies spilled in.
“I’ll try to hold them off,” Aust shouted. “Go help Abaddon.”
The sorcerer’s knees wobbled as Ryld cast him a wicked grin. “You said they’re following you?”
Abaddon swallowed. “Uh-huh.”
“The drum master, too?”
“I think so.”
“Then. Go. Get. Me. My. Shot!” Ryld kicked the railing again, sending Abaddon flying backward.
The sorcerer sighed. After he’d tried so hard to escape. The arc of his fall brought him all the way down to the pit, sailing over the heads of the sea of Orcs waiting on standby.
The upswing carried him back up the statue, where the drum master waited. Abaddon’s stomach curled as the undead creature furiously slammed the percussive hides.
The sound of the drums returned.