Chapter 357: Blood Relic (2/2)
Kage snorted in delight “Exerted a little order, of course! Cracked enough skulls to proveeach other Forged a tribe, gave ‘em purpose We took control of the shrine, and from then on, I decided who lives and who dies”
I didn’t miss the subtle threat in his tone as he said this
“If you think about hoer people have died since I got here, I’ht be thinking”
I shot a glance behind us Kage was nodding his head, s as if pleased with hio?” Caera asked “Is there an end?”
“It’s a kind ofcircle, with the relic shrine dead center,” he answered “Big enough you could get lost and starve to death before anyone found you” I could practically hear the cold sneer in his voice as he added, “But the tunnels are still full ofto slit your throat in the dark, and they’d get you before then”
Knowing the relic was at the center of the , but I didn’t have any reference for where ere yet But, as interesting as the presence of yet another relic was, my curiosity was focused so, maybe you just haven’t found the exit portal yet—”
“No!” Kage snapped, his footsteps halting I turned around to find hi Short, burning spikes pressed out of the tunnel walls all around us “Are you doubtingfor the way out We knohere the door is, so only an idiot would keep looking And the key is”—‘Blood,’ Regis thought sarcastically at the saure out how to use it”
I nodded, taking a tiainst a vine that slithered along the side of the tunnel, and it struck like a snake The strangler wrapped aroundto pullthe root just above the ground It released its grip, writhing like a dying woret away frohter
Kage jerkedtears and snot froht red face as he continued to chuckle “You know, boy, ood jester,” he said between fits of laughter “Perhaps there’s a reason to keep you around after all”
Regis let out a pleasant sigh ‘This is fun I get to watch you get bullied while sionads’
It took another hour to reach Kage’s encampment I wondered how he had arrived at the exit portal so quickly, but the thought was driven froe, smooth-walled tunnel
Unlike the naturally carved paths that had led us here, the ascenders’ encaic Whereas the tunnels had been low, barely high enough forhere was fifteen feet high At least a hundred s a pale, but bright, white light over the men there
About a dozen men in mud-stained armor occupied the tunnel, which ran nearly seventy feet fro, butin hushed and tired voices
Several more were half-naked and shackled at their wrists, ankles, and throat
Caera sucked in a surprised breath as she took it in, but had the ithal to bite her tongue for the moment
The shackledand tangled, their hairthe between theren one side of the cavern—while a third cast a spell over a si a spit over the fire, roasting some kind of meat I didn’t want to knohat kind A couple others stood by open doorways into a series of small caves that had been carved off the e’s scarred hand clapped ed Men!”
“There are no wo to herself
“Ah, well, anything of value is rare in this pit of despair,” Kage grunted humorlessly “Food, water, entertain slowly up and down her body, as he said this
“Savages,” she said, aze
“Oh cohter “Once upon a tih, everyone’s blood is red and ripe for tapping”
He brushed past us, his arms open wide as he entered the encampment “Your savior has returned!” he shouted, his voice boo new recruits!”
The ascenders all began to gather, with severalthe walls, but the men in shackles hardly seee came close, but otherwise hurried on with their duties
“Enough gawking!” Kage shouted suddenly, pushi+ng one of the erously thin boy who couldn’t have been rew in uneven patches—causing hi in the fire “Get back to work!”
I scanned their faces as we followed, taking in the sunken eyes, gaunt cheeks, and ave us Every one of them was ready to kill at a word from their leader, despite how he treated them Men who fell into despair here were likely fed to the relic, so they embraced fury and hatred instead These were the survivors I could see the terrible things they’d done to e led us into the largest of the caves, although to call it a sie had carved out a space large enough for a fa like marble, while the reddish walls had been carved to look like bricks Stone furniture was layered with furs and blankets—significantly ht with hie bed took up the center of one wall, and was piled high with ether with silky cords
“At least you haven’t had to give up your lavish highblood lifestyle,” Caera said sarcastically as she took in his e chair and kicked one muddy boot up on a stone footrest “It hasn’t been all bad, I’ll ad blood, but here I n”
Caera rolled her eyes “And what happens when the Ascenders association learns of what happened in this convergence zone? You’ll be executed”
Kage grinned at her like a gap-toothed shark “That’s assu we ever escape, my lady And if we do, that ive half a shi+t e did to get it” He put his hands behind his head and gazed up at the ceiling “Iine it The first live relic returned in how h for us all to keep our bloods strong for generations”
I could tell froht
Scuffling steps at the door announced the arrival of a newco to hold up a cask heavy with sohostly pale withlimp down to his shoulders His flint black eyes just touched on Caera and ht of the cask
“Ah, Rat, perfect ti his lips When he sawlook, he winked “Some fool had half a tavern stuffed in his direw sorrowful “Nearly done now, though, isn’t it, Rat?”
The man called Rat wiped sweat fro the cask “I’m afraid so, my lord Only one more cask is all, and it’s the pale froht as well be drinking Rat’s piss” He spat on the ground
Rat wore a simple linen shi+rt and trousers, but no armor He wasn’t outfitted with e, keeping his head averted subserviently, and when he spoke, his words were soft and nonthreatening He i around the edge of the roo stepped on
Strangely, he was quite clean There was hardly a speck of dirt on his clothes or his face, and his hair, although shaggy, was not full of muddy clun of the filth that clung to the rest of theht ain instantly
“Is it possible…” I started, e took a claydown severalat least half of it into his beard and down the neck of his chestplate “Ah, that is good All the fine wines ht come from Etril, but those Truacian bastards kno todown and leaned forward, giving h, it was directed to Caera “You’re in , I can tell, maybe even alested he didn’t believe this, but was si polite—“but I have two dozen hard bastards at ot one timidunimpressed
“You want to see the relic You need to find a place for yourself in this zone, because you’re not leaving anytirin split his face “I have wants and needs ofto trade for your lives?”
“If you had everything you wanted already, you would’ve just killed us by the portal” Caera leaned down so she was eye to eye with the scarred ascender “No, I think you need help, and you’re hoping that we can provide it”
“You think I need help? I know the way out I solved it! All I need isover the footrest before jabbing a filthy finger at my unfazed companion “And I can have you and your man-damsel killed any moment I want”
“Then there shouldn’t be a proble us the relic,” Caera answered coolly
Rat was fidgeting while tapping his fingers rapidly on the table, his wide black eyes frozen on Kage When he saatching, he stopped and busied hilared at Caera “Rat will take your servant to the shrine to see the Relic But you stay here with me, understood?”
“No, she needs to co a little closer to her
“Afraid to be without your lady-knight, princess?” Kage asked, fingering the handle of his scimitar
“Your offer isn’t acceptable,” Caera said flatly “I would see it with e the situation for myself”
“You’re confused This isn’t an offer It’s an order” He said with a sharp toothy grin “He can go, but you’ll stay right here By my side”
Both ascenders had their hands on their hilts at this point I preferred not to leave Caera alone with this ive up onuidance I nodded ie’s didn’t
“Fine,” she said, half-resigned, half-annoyed She stepped up to the warlord, as only a bare inch taller than her “Touchbody part”
“Cheers to that” Kage raised the led his brodly
Rat hurriedly escortedanother djinn,how best to deal with him after all this was over