Age of the Dragon 2: The Thedas Rider

Chapter 1

"Something is wrong," Fallyn paused to look back down the tunnel.

"We've checked the tunnels repeatedly," one of the Twins snapped.

"We've found nothing," the other finished. "Your paranoia is beginning to grate on our nerves."

"Fallyn?" Ajihad ignored them, looking to Fallyn in question.

"I can hear footsteps, yet I see nothing," she murmured. Her eyes flickered over the dark tunnels, every shadow clear and defined to her eyes.

But there was nothing, and the only sounds she could hear now was the breathing of the group with her.

Turning forward reluctantly, she kept moving. The group was to return to Tronjheim, having routed the Urgals from the tunnels. Still, the unease that settled in her belly would not abate.

Ajihad and his men climbed out, Murtagh turning to offer her his hand. She took it, and he pulled her up onto the surface, the men helping the dwarves out behind them.

Ajihad raised his hand, and the soldiers fell into formation and continued forward.

Fallyn felt the familiar tingle and turned sharply to see Urgals burst out of the tunnel behind them. Cursing, she cried out "Urgals!" and reached for her blade.

In the flurry of confusion that followed, she noticed a sudden swirl of mist. She grabbed Murtagh's arm and pulled him in behind her.

"Don't move," she said. "In the mist, they can strike anywhere."

"So, watch my back?" he asked lightly.

"And I'll watch yours."

When the mist thinned again, the only ones standing was herself, Murtagh, the Twins, and Ajihad. The Urgals converged onto them, and a Kull managed to disarm her. Reaching for her dagger in a hurry, she was grabbed by the neck. The Kull lifted her from the ground and snarled.

Grasping her dagger as black spots began to appear in her vision, she drove it into the creature's arm, forcing it to drop her as it howled in agony. As she struggled to catch her breath, she just noticed the Urgals dragging Murtagh back into the tunnel.

Visions of twisted monsters dragging soldiers below ground as they screamed filled her head, and she was reminded of her own terror in that dark place. Struggling, she stumbled to her feet and ran after them.

Into the belly of the mountain, she ran, her eyes fixed on the Urgals that attempted to flee from her. Her sword no longer in her hand, she held her dagger before leaping onto the back of the nearest Urgal, the dagger biting deep into his neck. Using the momentum of the falling Urgal to roll up onto her feet and cut the insides of the next one's knees.

In the chaos, her eyes locked on Murtagh's unfocused eyes which distracted her long enough to be struck over the head from behind.

Crying out, she fell to the ground and looked up unsteadily as the Urgals disappeared into the tunnels. Her vision faded, and she cursed her inability to stop the Urgals.