They emerged again in the chamber where Eraina had awakened. The cave was also swiftly filling with water, streaming down the walls from above. The earthy smell of rain filled the cave. An open tunnel still led to the north, offering uncertain escape. The passage to the west, toward the chapel, was still choked with rubble. Eraina began wading to the north, but Zed stopped her, seizing her by the arm and dragging her to the western tunnel. She looked at him in confusion, but he didn’t say a word. He clambered among the rubble and dropped under the water. Realizing what he was about, she followed.
Under the water, Zed pulled his long smoking pipe from his pocket, poking it through the surface to breathe. He took a few breaths, then handed it to Eraina, who winced at the smoky taste of the air before handing it back. They both held very still, moving just enough to pass the pipe.
After half a minute, another person clambered into the flooding chamber. Zed couldn’t see it clearly through the dark water, but it could only be Zamiel, returned to his human form to pursue them. He barely even paused before charging down the north tunnel. Waiting nearly another minute for him to leave, Zed finally emerged from the water. Eraina rose beside him, doing her best not to cough.
“We don’t even know what’s down that way,” Zed said, “but we know Fort Ash is the other way. Let Zamiel think he’s chasing us while we get out of here.”
“What do you think is down that way?” Eraina asked.
“Let me see your arm,” she said.
“No time,” he said, clutching his injured limb against his body.
“Zed,” she said more urgently. “Stop before you hurt yourself permanently.”
He sighed and relented, recognizing that to continue arguing against her was pointless. Eraina leaned close, holding his forearm gingerly. Her fingers suddenly tightened and he heard a quick snap. Zed winced and bit his lower lip to keep from screaming.
“You could have told me you were going to set it,” he rasped.
Eraina smiled demurely and splinted a shaft of wooden debris to his arm. “We can fix it properly later, after I’ve had time to rest.”
“Fine,” he said. He tucked his injured arm into his shirt as an improvised sling. “We have to get back to Fort Ash as quickly as we can. This cave is flooding fast, and I have a feeling there’s one good reason a sudden storm like this would have happened.” Zed looked at her meaningfully.
“Aeven is here,” Eraina whispered.
“Let’s hope,” he said.
They hurried through the flooding cavern as quickly as they dared. They reached the cavern where Zamiel had revealed himself and passed beyond into the tunnel from which he had come. The natural stone cavern ascended, becoming hewn stairs. Eraina drew her short sword and led the way carefully as they emerged into a stone cellar filled with barrels and crates. A flight of wooden stairs led the way to a closed door. There were no guards to be seen. The raucous sound of the thunderstorm resounded through the fortress, along with the clash and cry of battle.
“What’s going on out there?” Zed asked.
As if in answer, the cellar door burst open, nearly falling off its hinges from the force of it. A hunchbacked ghoul clambered out onto the stairs, sniffing the air eagerly. It threw back its head and gave a piercing cry. Three more of the wretches joined it on the stairs. Eraina held out her holy symbol and shouted in Boldrei’s name. The creatures shrieked and scattered. One withdrew, cowering behind the doorway. The other three tumbled off the stairs and scurried into the shadows beneath. Eraina ran up the stairs, Zed barely a step behind. She lashed out with her sword as she emerged through the doorway, keeping the last ghoul at bay. Zed slammed the door behind them and looked up.
The Seventh Moon now hovered above the courtyard, her elemental ring burning angry red. The ship moved much more ponderously than Zed remembered. Even from here, he could see soldiers fighting on the deck above, struggling to expel the undead that had invaded their ship. He searched the sky, but could see no sign of Karia Naille. Undead continued to burst through the gates and climb over the walls. The defenders of Fort Ash were fighting a losing battle.
“There’s nothing we can do to stop the Moon from down here,” Eraina said. “We have to escape.”
Zed pointed at a stable on the far side of the courtyard. The ghouls and specters had not yet invaded it. “Will your goddess forgive us if we steal a couple of horses to get out of here?” he said.
“I think she may take our circumstances into consideration,” Eraina answered, pushing past him toward the stable.
The instant Eraina unlatched the door, the horses began to whinny and kick at their enclosures. The animals could sense the unnatural creatures outside and were terrified. She quickly moved toward the two nearest steeds, soothing them with a few whispered words and calming them enough to accept saddles. Zed, feeling useless with his broken arm, stood in the shadows of the door and kept watch. Strangely, none of the Cyrans had moved toward the stable at all. None of them even seemed to be making any effort to escape, other than the ones aboard the Seventh Moon.
Either Marth’s soldiers were entirely confident that they would emerge victorious, or they were willing to die to the last man to repel the invaders. Whatever the truth, the time to leave was long past. Eraina led the two horses out of their stalls and handed Zed the reins of one. He eagerly climbed up into the saddle. The animal shifted from foot to foot, as impatient to be gone from this place as he was.
With a short cry, Eraina kicked her steed into a gallop and led the way out of Fort Ash. They ran as quickly as they could, before the undead could gather their wits to attack or the Cyrans realize that they were intruders. In seconds they had escaped the city walls and flew off down the road toward Nathyrr.
“Where is Karia Naille?” Eraina called out as they rode. She searched the sky desperately when the canopy allowed.
“She must be here somewhere,” Zed said. “All of that back there couldn’t have been a coincidence.”
“If she is here, she isn’t in time to stop the Seventh Moon,” Eraina said. “Marth is already on his way to Sharn.”
Zed nodded grimly.
“So what do we do next?” Eraina asked.
The sound of approaching horsemen drove them off to hide in the underbrush. Zed watched the road, expecting to see more Cyran soldiers. His eyes widened in surprise. A platoon of Thrane knights rode down the road, led by a warrior with a familiar banner.
“Draikus,” Zed said.
“The Thrane are working with Marth?” Eraina asked.
“No,” Zed said, shaking his head. “For all his faults, Draikus is no traitor. He wouldn’t ally himself with a man like Marth.”
“Then what is he doing here?” she asked.
“Maybe he followed us?” Zed offered, though he didn’t know how that could be possible. Zed frowned.
“I recognize that look,” Eraina said. “You have a plan-one that you know that I will dislike.”
“Actually,” Zed said. “I’m just scowling because I don’t like this plan. I’m about to suggest we do what I hate most.”
Eraina studied him for a long moment. “Ask for help?” she guessed.
Zed nodded.
NINETEEN
It was strange how, after all her adventures, something like running through the passageways of a renegade airship while the crew battled a hostile invading force in the middle of a rampaging magical storm just ended up feeling strangely familiar to Seren. Maybe she was becoming too jaded.
“The ship’s elemental housing chamber is this way,” Tristam said, leading them deeper into the ship. “We can disable the Seventh Moon the same way we did last time.”