Lacuna - N.R. Walker Page 0,89

is water below us,” Tancho said, standing up.

“You can feel that?” Crow asked.

He nodded. “I can.”

“What does that mean?” Samiel asked. “The water, it is significant?”

Tancho looked at the three elders when he answered. “It means there may possibly be another entry point.” He turned to the darkened end of the hall. “I think we should go that way.”

Crow considered this. “Splitting up has its advantages, but we don’t know what lies that way. At least we know what we’ll face this way.”

“We sit here with one exit,” Tancho replied. “Cornered and without any other means of escape.”

“Shh,” Karasu hissed. “Listen!”

Crow couldn’t hear anything, but Tancho, Karasu, and Kohaku could. They drew their weapons. “It’s too late now,” Tancho said, pulling Crow behind him. “We have company. Heavy feet, maybe six of them.”

Kohaku, Karasu, and Soko took two men from each army, signalled for them to be quiet, and they raced down toward the entry. Six Ascii burst through without a care, complacent in their approach. Large creatures, as tall as Kohaku but bigger, stronger.

Caught by surprise and with no chance of sounding a warning, they were slain before they realised what was happening. Kohaku and Karasu were fluid and graceful, the two Eastlanders were swift, and the Southlanders were strong. The Northlanders, including Soko, were beautifully brutal.

The only sounds the Ascii made were the bodies hitting the floor. Not even a quiet gasp of surprise, not even a gargle of blood from an open larynx.

They pulled the bodies out of view and ran back to formation. Soko held up his sword to show it was covered in blue-green blood. “Safe to say they are not from here.”

“They smell,” Karasu said, her expression one of disgust. “Worse than acrid.”

“Their flesh does not pierce easily,” Kohaku added.

“We attack now,” Tancho said. “There is no more time for back up plans. The creatures who are asleep were to finish their shift and will be missed any minute. Others will come looking and we can’t be caught here. We’re cornered here with only one way out.”

Crow nodded. “Agreed.” Then he looked at Samiel, Elmwood, and the guards. “Remember our plan. Stick together, and be safe. Watch your backs.”

They all nodded. “You two, as well,” Samiel said. Then she nudged Elmwood. “Come. We’ll take the east and south.”

“And that leaves the west and north for us,” Tancho said to Crow. Then his smile faltered. “Stay close and don’t you dare get hurt.”

Crow couldn’t help but smile. He lifted Tancho’s chin, slowing time for just a moment, and stole a quick kiss. “Same goes for you, my little fish.”

Chapter Twenty

The plan was simple. Well, as simple as a plan could be when they’d had only a few minutes to draw one. Upon reaching ground level, Samiel and Elmwood would go southeast, Crow and Tancho would go northwest. Their scores of armed soldiers would split equally with them, and they would flank back to the new grand hall where they expected Maghdlm and her men to be.

The new grand hall was where it made sense for them to be, for there was the biggest compass in all the kingdoms.

Whatever she had planned to come through it was either large or large in number.

They were to take out as many of the Ascii creatures as they could, all if they were able.

Tancho could suspend disbelief enough to reckon these creatures, these Ascii monsters, were not of this world. As if their appearance was not enough to convince him, but they bled green blood.

Whatever they’d come here for, they would not get it. Tancho and Crow and Samiel and Elmwood would make sure of that.

As they ran into the archīvum, they went their separate ways. Crow and Tancho ran for the stairs they’d taken when they found Maghdlm and they would hold point while every last soldier made it to the top.

The armies were a deliberate mix of white, black, green, and red. Each had differing skillsets, different weapons, and Tancho liked how they came together for one cause.

There was no single flag they fought under. They were a united kingdom, if but for one day. It filled Tancho with a pride he’d not believed possible.

“These walls,” Crow said. “The dark grey stone, it matches the cave walls below. The new grand hall is sandstone. One has to wonder when it was built.”

Tancho nodded. “And why.”

“Do you get the feeling this day has been coming for some time?”

“I do.” Tancho grit his teeth. “I get the feeling we