Free Shadow Gambit by Adam Drake Page B

one, and he didn't become infected by the Demon King. And Tress, here, hasn't been infected either.”
     
    Mudhoof frowned. “So?”
     
    To Tress I asked, “Do you have more of these anywhere?”
     
    “Why, yes,” Tress said. “In my pack. I dropped it here somewhere.” He looked around and found his pack in a clot of webbing. Feign used his dagger to cut it free.
     
    Tress opened his pack and revealed an inner pocket full of necklaces with the white crystals attached to them. “You can have these if you want,” the jeweler said. “It's the least I can do considering you saved me from such a horrid death.”
     
    I thanked him and passed one each to Mudhoof and Feign. We all put them on.
     
    “What do you think?” I asked Feign who was scrutinizing his crystal closely.
     
    “I think this is better than nothing. But I'd wager that this crystal, and perhaps the charm within it, negates the Demon Kings magic to some degree.” He shrugged. “Or maybe it does nothing at all.”
     
    I stood and stretched. “Well, we needed to save this guy for some reason or he wouldn't be here. Let's hope it pays off.”
     
    Mudhoof said, “Let's go. I need to bash something before I climb the walls.”
     
    “Tress, you'll need to hide out somewhere. The entrance has collapsed. Can you manage?”
     
    The jeweler nodded. “Yes, yes. Of, course. There are plenty of places to hide down here. I'll be fine.”
     
    He wished us luck and the three of us returned to the tunnel and headed back to the main passage.
     
    “I'm not reading anything off of this,” Feign said holding his crystal up as we walked. “Usually the game gives even a basic description.”
     
    “I dunno,” I said. “But let's hope it doesn't matter. They're good luck charms, and we need all the luck we can get. Whether the game describes them as such or not.”
     
    Back at the main passage we paused to listen. Silence, thankfully. We resumed our progress down the main tunnel, Mudhoof at the front, Feign in the middle, and me taking up the rear.
     
    The tunnel eventually opened up into a huge cavern. Rail lines and ore carts lined the walls at different levels which also extended downward out of sight. Fire sconces spaced out along the walls offered the only light.
     
    We stood on the edge of our level and looked down. To the right the tunnel continue on.
     
    “This is huge,” Mudhoof said. His voice echoed loudly off the walls.
     
    “Shh!” I said, with a finger to my lips.
     
    There was another sound, coming from deep within the labyrinth of mining tunnels.
     
    We strained to make it out. But soon it became apparent what it was.
     
    “Screaming,” Feign said, looking worried.
     
    The sound got louder and became more defined. Screaming, and hollering and high pitched gibberish assailed our ears.
     
    “Douse these orbs, Feign! Quick!” I said.
     
    He did as asked, and our ledge went dark. Suddenly, at a level across from us people came running out of a tunnel.
     
    They looked similar to the townsfolk, black veined and disheveled but their clothing was different. Most of them clutched a pick-ax or shovel and were waving them wildly about with no care if they accidentally hit anyone near them.
     
    “Miners,” I said in a hushed tone.
     
    Dozens of them shot out of the tunnel and followed its rail line alone the edge of the deep abyss. They streamed into another tunnel and were gone.
     
    “Glad those twits are over there and not...” Mudhoof said when a loud scream to our left cut him off.
     
    A small tunnel entrance I hadn't noticed suddenly vomited up a group of crazed miners. Similar to the others, they were armed and completely insane.
     
    And they ran straight at us.
     
    “They're mine!” Mudhoof shouted. And before I could respond the minotaur lowered his steel-pointed horns and used his charge ability.
     
    Instantly, Mudhoof closed the distance between him and the miners. When he collided with the first one a shock