Even Gods Must Fall - Christian Warren Freed Page 0,119

was hard-pressed to fight them off. Only Rekka seemed…normal. Bahr shrugged the feeling off and went back to scanning his group. Satisfied they were all in fighting condition, he looked to Anienam. The wizard appeared no more than a babe in Groge’s massive hand. In another time it might have been amusing.

“Alright, wizard. You’re up. Where do we go from here? Those Goblins won’t be fooled long and they’ll be looking for us,” Bahr said.

A thick cloud of black smoke passed by, briefly obscuring them from each other’s view.

Anienam cocked his head in thought. “We must find the direct center. More than likely the ritual chamber is underground.”

“More than likely?” Boen asked with a low growl.

Nothol added, “You don’t know?”

“Have either of you been here before?” Anienam snapped. He struggled to keep his voice at a whisper. “Find the center of this place and get me inside. I’ll provide enough cover for Groge to do his job.”

Scowling, Bahr knew there was no other choice and sticking around to debate the validity of Anienam’s guess was pointless. “Fine, what do we look for? How will we know when we find it?”

“Look for? Why, a lot of guards. Expect the Dae’shan to have their most lethal agents protecting them,” Anienam replied.

“Lovely,” Bahr frowned. “Let’s move.”

One by one they filed after the Sea Wolf. Arlevon Gale was much larger than any of them had thought. Scores of what had once been grand buildings and halls littered the area. Most were reduced to a mere few feet in height while others retained nearly two stories. Not a one was wholly intact. The rubble was strewn across the former roads and walkways. Hundreds of square acres were filled with ruins, clearly marking Arlevon Gale as a once important city. Bahr had spent a lifetime roaming the world and never once bothered to inspect these ruins. Whispers of ghosts and fell powers stalking the ruins kept most sane people away.

The stomp of many boots forced Bahr to duck into what had once been a meeting hall. They filed against the largest wall, weapons gripped tightly as a column of infantry marched towards the battle. More than one in his group held their breath from fear of being discovered. They hadn’t come to fight a war, just end the madness consuming the world. Bahr couldn’t do that if they engaged every Goblin element that marched by.

He gently eased his head around the grey stone edge. The last rank of Goblins had rounded the corner and were well on their way to meeting the Minotaurs. Satisfied the path was clear, momentarily, he gestured the others to follow. He took them skulking deeper into the ruins.

The buildings grew taller, suggesting they were nearing the center. It became increasingly difficult to avoid further Goblin units. Whole battalions were massed in wait. Many were already mustered and heading to the front lines while even more were preparing defensive positions for the eventuality of the enemy breaking through. Clearly whoever commanded intended to make the allies pay for every step of ground.

Bahr began to feel frustrated. Any progress his group made was stymied by the continuous stream of Goblins moving about. Thankfully the squat warriors were seemingly oblivious to Bahr’s task but he knew it wouldn’t last. Sooner or later their luck would run out and the Goblins would discover them. That fear kept him driving forward, sometimes taking roundabout paths to avoid Goblins. Anienam hadn’t mentioned it, but Bahr secretly began to suspect the wizard had placed an enchantment over them to prevent the Goblins from finding them. Regardless, he couldn’t trust to luck. Only skill was going to see them through to the objective--skill and a river of blood.

The rumble of gears and wheels forced him down the nearest side alley. A battery of catapults was being dragged towards the front, narrowly avoiding running into Bahr’s group. Groge barely managed to avoid detection as he ducked into a bank of shadows. Fortunately none in the Goblin army expected the enemy to be so deep within their ranks and walked with the arrogance of supremacy.

Satisfied the way ahead was clear, Bahr continued to lead them deeper into the ruins. The deeper they went the calmer it became. The air took on an arcane atmosphere, confirming they moved in the right direction. Nerves stood on edge. Hairs danced on end, as if tiny jolts of electricity lingered in the air. Stomachs roiled, threatening to empty at the alkaline taste permeating tongues and