The Shadowseeker - Victor Kloss Page 0,93

and destroy Suktar,” Dagmar said.

“We?”

“You will not be alone. But as the bearer of the sword, your job will be to strike the blow that ends his life.”

Ben ran a hand through his hair. “Great. So I have to kill him. What does everyone else do?”

“Each person will have a certain role, though I don't know what they are.”

“What is your role?” Ben asked.

Dagmar glanced down at her boots. “My job is to get us to Suktar. He will not be easy to find.”

Ben attempted to make sense of it all – his parents in some sort of underworld hell; finding Elizabeth's Armour; taking down Suktar. It was too much, even for him. Ben sat down on the floor. To his surprise, Dagmar sat down next to him, legs crossed, and George joined in, lying across the two of them, purring.

They sat there for some time, lost in their thoughts. Dagmar made no attempt to talk and Ben was content to let his mind drift for a while. Eventually, Ben started to relax and his mind cleared, bringing forth a new set of questions into view.

“You don't look like Charlotte,” Ben said.

There were some similarities, such as Dagmar's diminutive size and flawless pale skin, but Charlotte was slender and petite, whereas Dagmar most certainly wasn't.

“How do you know what Charlotte looked like?” Dagmar asked.

“I saw her in an old memory spell my parents left me.”

Ben expected his answer to prompt a dozen more questions from Dagmar, but she merely nodded, accepting his response as if it were perfectly reasonable.

“At some point down the family tree, one of Rowe's descendants married an Unseen. I have some dwarf blood in me,” Dagmar said.

“Oh right. Well, that makes more sense,” Ben said.

Dagmar stood up, pushing George off their laps. For a moment Ben thought his talk of her appearance might have caused offence, but her impassive face suggested otherwise.

“We should get going,” Dagmar said, glancing towards the tunnel. “I presume Mr. Hornberger and Ms. Dyer came with you but got stuck somewhere?”

Ben leapt up. “Oh my god. Charlie and Natalie! They must still be waiting for me.”

Together he and Dagmar began the journey back up the cavern. Dagmar proved a surprisingly able climber, despite her short, stocky build, and the two of them made good progress. The climb proved a welcome distraction, and both were content to limit the conversation to the climb.

It took less than half an hour before Ben recognised the thick black fog mist in the narrow tunnel that had foiled Charlie and Natalie. Ben found them sitting with their backs to the wall, talking quietly to each other. The looks on their faces when they saw him and Dagmar lightened Ben's mood.

“Ms. Borovich!” Natalie said, standing up, her hand covering her gaping mouth.

Charlie scratched his head. “How is this possible?”

Ben gave a tired smile. “I'll explain on the way up.”

The climb was arduous, but the time passed quickly, with Ben giving a blow-by-blow account of everything that had happened.

“I wonder what the dark elves will do now,” Charlie mused, as he looked for a hand grip.

“They will continue with their invasion plans,” Dagmar said. “But I also think they will double their effort to find Elizabeth's Armour.”

“Why, though?” Ben asked. He had reached the top of a large rock and was sitting down, waiting for the others. “If the Guardians are the only ones who can wield it properly, why doesn't he just kill us off? Surely that would be easier, knowing that the Armour is the only thing that threatens his immortality.”

“There will be a reason,” Dagmar said. “Suktar is a dark elf of incredible intelligence and cunning, as well as supreme power.”

They kept talking (except Dagmar, who just listened) for the rest of the journey until they reached the little door and crawled through, back into the outside world. They had to shield their eyes as they emerged from the small outbuilding, the sunlight a stark contrast to the perpetual gloom they had experienced for the last few hours.

“It’s 3:30pm,” Charlie said, glancing at his watch. “Not bad timing. I don't know about you guys, but I could murder some food.”

“I must get to work,” Dagmar said. “People will be asking about me.” She gave a nod to the three of them. “I will see you all Monday morning. Ben and Charlie, I will have your exam results then.”

Ben slapped his forehead. “I completely forgot about them.”

Dagmar raised an eyebrow. “Let's hope you have passed, otherwise you