Abased - The Exiled Warrior

Chapter 19.1 - Deception

It was too dark for Alam to see the dargu, but by their mumbling it seemed they were unsure of what to do.

"Bow before me!" Tajar shouted in the dragon language.

Alam heard the sound of the creatures' bodies and weapons dropping to the ground.

"Good. I travel with the humans and Bouk. Keep my home prepared for my return." Tajar ordered before adding, "I will eat those of you who are lazy."

In the faint red light Alam barely saw Tajar turn towards the doorway he, Clarisai and Bouk were huddled in. He entered the doorway and pushed past Alam.

"Hurry up," he whispered as he clambered down the stairs. "Who knows how long they'll believe me."

"So you're not a dragon in human form?" Alam whispered while following.

"Don't be stupid," Tajar whispered back. "I'm a dragon slayer, not a dragon."

"Yeah, right," Alam snorted.

Tajar stopped suddenly. "Wait, we need light."

He pushed past his companions and hurried back to the dargu.

"You! Come back here! Bring me torches! Now!" he commanded from the top of the stairs.

A few moments later he was leading Alam, Clarisai and Bouk down the rough cut stone stairway. It was a relief to have torchlight again. Tajar carried one at the front, while Alam carried one at the rear of their party. The passageway only allowed them to travel single file and forced Alam, Tajar, and even Clarisai to stoop to prevent smacking their heads on the stone ceiling.

"That was very convincing, Tajar," Clarisai said quietly. "I am impressed."

"One does one's best," Tajar replied in mock humility.

"If you had not done so we would all surely be dead now," she said.

"Where are we going?" Alam asked. "Clarisai is badly wounded and my leg is struggling with these steps."

After a hushed conversation with Bouk in the dargu language Tajar said "This leads to the underground stream."

Moments later they found themselves in a natural cavern with a slender stream babbling loudly through its centre. The cavern was wide enough to provide a bank for them to rest upon. Two wooden planks made an unstable looking bridge that crossed the stream and allowed access to a tunnel on the other side of the cavern.

"Let's see that wound, Clarisai. We'll need to clean it," Alam lowered his torch to examine her stomach. The front of her dress had a ripped hole surrounded by a blood stain that was still wet. Clarisai parted the ripped cloth to allow Alam to see the skin of her stomach underneath.

There was no wound. Just bloodstained skin.

"What?" he muttered to himself and spun her around to look at the exit wound.

Again there was torn cloth and fresh blood, but no wound.

"You healed yourself," he stated.

"Not consciously," she said. Her voice sounded apologetic. "It just happened."

He turned her back around. She looked frightened.

"First the dargu, and now this," she pointed to her stomach. "It is as if the magic is taking over, acting without my permission."

She reached out and took his hand. Yet again he had to concentrate to avoid his life spirit being sucked away.

"What is wrong?" she asked.