He was about to start forward to deal with the creature when he heard Kat grunting and cursing behind him. He turned to see her jerking and twisting wildly; her feet had sunk deep into the moss right up to her calves. He raced over and took her hand.
“She will not escape.” It was the voice of Miriam. “And neither will you.”
Martok pulled with all his strength, but to no avail. He then dropped to his knees and began ripping at the moss with his hands, but it grew back as fast as he was able to pull it out.
“Leave me,” Kat ordered him. “They’re almost on you.”
Martok glanced back. The first of the kroma was only a few yards away. Three more were now free and another two were clawing their way out. He stood, his sword ready for action.
The kroma had raised its own blade and was bearing down. But it wasn't coming for him, he realized. It was after Kat. Miriam’s sinister intentions instantly became clear. With a rapid flurry of strikes, Martok sliced at the creature’s arms and torso, but with little effect. In spite of its fragile appearance, its flesh was hard as stone. Only a few of his blows penetrated any deeper than an inch or so.
Completely ignoring his attack, the kroma continued on its way toward Kat. It was time for a different tactic. Lowering his shoulder, he rammed it solidly into the creature's midsection, driving it back several paces. At least he had now gathered its attention. With surprising speed, it brought its weapon hard down. Martok stepped left to avoid the attack and then retaliated with a powerful blow to the kroma's sword arm. Growing fear for Kat's safety added strength to his latest strike. This time his blade cut deep, cutting more than halfway through the creature's limb.
Even this did not stop it though. The kroma merely switched its sword to the left hand and resumed its lumbering advance toward Kat, who throughout this brief skirmish had been digging furiously at the clinging moss with her dagger. Martok could see that the next kroma was also getting dangerously close to her. He tried to move in front of the first, but it swiped at him with its damaged arm, then followed up with a wide arcing strike from its sword. This forced him down and back.
“Enough of this,” he roared.
With precise steps he moved in, hacking at the creature's left arm and channeling all of his fury into the strike. And now - at last - he was able to completely sever the limb. Satisfied that this kroma was no longer a serious danger, he burst into a run and managed to deliver a solid kick to the second one's hip just as it was about to raise its weapon. The creature stumbled and then fell over completely, landing with a squish as it struck the damp moss. Before it had a chance to recover, Martok slashed down on the creature's wrist, completely detaching the hand with the blade still in it.
Snarling, the kroma quickly recovered to one knee and reached across for its weapon with its other arm. Having already seen the first one swap hands in the same determined manner, this was exactly what Martok had been hoping for. Just for a moment, bent over low like this, the creature was in the perfect position for him to strike at its exposed neck. It was as he suspected; the flesh here was considerably softer. His blade sliced easily through, decapitating the monster in a single cut.
Martok smiled as he watched its body collapse in a heap. At least he now knew how to stop these things. But lopping the heads off another five was still going to be a daunting task. One that would take all of his skill and experience.
The rest were still a few yards away, but the thrill of battle was now surging through him. He charged in with savage ferocity to meet them. Moving from side to side, he struck out again and again, attempting to separate their heads from their shoulders. But the kroma were better able to parry his attacks than their sluggish gait would have suggested. What's more, their relentless march toward Kat was slowly forcing him back ever closer to her.
By now she had finally managed to free one of her legs and was frantically stabbing away at the remaining moss holding down the other. “Just a few more seconds,” she shouted. “I’m almost there.”
Martok managed to disarm one of the kroma and kick another to the ground. But in doing so, a third had got by him and was already poised to deal Kat a lethal blow. He spun around, ignoring the danger at his back. With a heavy grunt, he took the head of Kat’s would-be killer just as its steel was about to begin its deadly descent.
The look of grateful relief on Kat’s face was instantly replaced by one of horror. “Look out!” she screamed. “Behind you!”
Before Martok could react, he felt a jolt and the sharp pain of steel penetrating his left shoulder. He lurched forward in order to dislodge the blade, then twisted right, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The blade made no contact, and another slash from the advancing kroma caught the back of his sword hand. Though not deep enough to do serious damage, it was enough to cause his weapon to drop from his grasp.
At that moment, Kat finally succeeded in freeing her other leg. Reaching out, she dragged Martok sharply back out of range an instant before a thrust would have skewered him fatally through the gullet. Without pause, she then scooped up his fallen blade and began hacking savagely at her attackers. Through the sheer fury of her onslaught, she was very quickly able to take the arm of the leading attacker.
Though injured, Martok was unable to stand aside and leave the battle solely to Kat; not even for a short time. Biting back the pain, he grabbed a sword from a defeated kroma. “Move back,” he commanded. “Let me finish this.”
But Kat was having none of it. Her blood was well and truly up. Ignoring his plea, she continued chopping ferociously away at the enemy. To Martok’s amazement, she took the head off one creature before he had even got back properly into the fight. With only one fully functioning kroma now remaining to face the two of them, this too quickly fell. Martok then finished off the final, already disarmed pair with flourish.
As the last kroma died he dropped to his knees, adrenalin spent. The injury to his hand was minor, but blood was pouring from his shoulder. Kat was instantly at his side. Ripping the sleeve from her own shirt, she bound the wound tightly, stemming most of the flow.
As soon as she was finished, he waved her off and got to his feet. “We need to find the crystal. That's the most important thing right now. I’ll be fine once we’re out of here.” He smiled playfully at her before adding: “Assuming you’ll heal me, that is.”
Kat returned the smile. “Does that mean I have a choice?”
Crossing over to the mounds, he began looking down the holes made by the escaping kroma. He paused beside the third one and waved Kat over. “Be a sweetheart and get that out for me,” he said, pointing down. “As you can see, I’m a bit incapacitated at the moment.”
Kat's eyes settled on a blue gem as large as a man’s fist resting at the bottom of the six-foot-deep void. The foul reek of death wafted up, assaulting her senses and very nearly inducing her to vomit.
“I’m sorry,” Martok continued, failing to conceal the tiniest hint of a smile on his face. “I’d get in there myself. I really would, but…” He glanced pointedly at his injured shoulder.
Kat let out a moan that clearly conveyed all the disgust she was feeling before, with her nose held firmly between two fingers, she slid down into the hole. After snatching up the crystal, she rapidly tossed it up over the edge and returned a hand to her nose. Martok reached down to take her by the other hand and helped her back out. His former hint of a smile had now developed into a fully formed grin.
“I must say, my dear. Even covered in filth, you are still quite fetching.”
“This isn’t the time,” Kat told him, though her tone and demeanor suggested that she was not particularly upset by the compliment. She picked up the crystal and wiped a little of the muck away. Strange runes were etched into the surface, and deep within the facets was a marble sized black orb. “So is this what will help us defeat Shinzan?” she asked.
“That is my hope,” he replied.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”
“You cannot leave!” The voice of Miriam echoed loudly. The ghostly figure returned, positioning itself directly in front of their only way out. “I will not allow it!”
Martok lowered his head. “I am truly sorry about what has happened. In spite of what you did to me, I do love you. And if I could have prevented the elves from meting out vengeance upon you, I would have done so.”
“You are a liar! And I never loved you. Never! You deserved what happened to you.”
He drew a long breath. “I know you never had any true feelings for me. I think in my heart I must have always known that. Even so, I
did
love you. I still do. But the truth is, you are well beyond my aid. And I cannot change the past.” He glanced over to Kat. “I must now look to the future.”
His final words drew a sinister laugh from Miriam's hazy form. “You have no future, Martok. Your time ends here…with me. I
will
have justice. And there is nothing you can do to stop it.” Her voice rose and her arm extended. “
Aktilinium toxo morticas.
”
The spell was instantly familiar to Martok. It was used to activate a previously administered poison, usually much later on when the poisoner was well away from the scene of their crime and could claim innocence of any involvement. Several mages he'd known of had invited a supposed friend to dine at their manor, then found themselves suddenly struck down by a fatal malady during the days that followed. Only an infinitesimal particle of the poison was required, and it could remain in the victim's body for as long or as little time as the killer required.
Awareness came with a rush. “The water from the stream.”
Even as he was finishing the short sentence, a wave of dizziness washed over him. With a deeply furled brow, he reached out and felt Kat’s hand steadying him.
“The stream water indeed,” Miriam mocked. “I knew you would be unable to resist tasting it. Especially after I created a little dryness in the air. I could have allowed the poison to work immediately, but I was curious as to what lies you might speak.”
A small gasp came from Kat. “She has poisoned you?”
Martok's voice was now nothing more than a strangled croak. “Yes. I must get to the surface...straight away.”
Miriam's taunting laughter grated against his ears. “You see? I have defeated you once again. Goodbye…husband.”
Gradually the spirit faded away, though the foul cackling of her amusement lingered, seemingly following them as Kat helped Martok to the entrance.
There was a look of deep apprehension on her face. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know,” he gasped. “Minutes...hours. It all depends on the potency.”
He could see the fear in her eyes and gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll make it. Ethan’s body is young and strong.”
Confident words, but Martok knew full well how far away they were from the surface. And the steep ascent, combined with his weakened state, was sure to slow them down even more.
Just getting himself back through the narrow opening was tough enough. But then came the steps. Up and up they continued, each new rising pace becoming ever more difficult than the previous one. He was losing all sense of awareness. Had they reached the top of the stairs yet? He had no idea. After what felt like an interminable length of time, all he knew for certain was that he could go no further. His legs collapsed beneath him and he felt the hardness of the stone wall pressing against his back.
“Please.” Kat’s voice sounded very distant. “You have to keep going. We’re almost there now.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I have failed you.”
“Get up, goddamn it! You have to get up!”
“I wish I could have made you love me…as I love you.”
“But I do. I do love you. Only you must get up.”
Martok was sure he must be hallucinating. Could it possibly be true? Did she just say...
He never got to finish this final thought before losing consciousness completely.
Oblivion. That was where he must have gone. Yet somehow, he had returned. The warmth of the sun on his face told him so. As did its bright light filtering in through closed eyes. But how did one return from oblivion? That was impossible. Wasn’t it? And yet here he was. He opened his eyes, though the dazzling rays immediately compelled him to shut them again. He tried to roll over, but it felt as if his body was paralyzed.
“Don’t move.”
The feminine voice was soft and muffled, as if coming from the other side of a door.
Kat? Probably. She must have somehow dragged his body the rest of the way from the passage and healed him. But if he was healed, why could he not move? What had the poison done? Perhaps it was beyond her skills to heal him completely.
Little matter. He would get them to Lylinora quickly enough. Now that he was outside, he could use magic to speed them along. Even if his body was failing, his power would be undiminished.
“Help me up,” he said. Even to his own ears, his voice was little more than a whisper.
“Be still,” she replied. She was sounding a bit clearer now.
He forced his eyes open again, this time squinting against the sun's powerful glare. “Where are we?”
“Just outside the cavern entrance. You almost didn’t make it.” Kat used her hand to help shield his eyes. “I had to carry you.”
“Thank you,” he said, forcing a weak smile. But something was wrong. Kat’s face was set hard. “Why do you look at me so?”
“I’ve known it was you all the time, Martok,” she said. “I’ve known for a while.”
He renewed his effort to sit up, but still with no success. “What are you talking about?”
“I know you’ve been pretending to be Ethan. Do you think I’m stupid? You think I can’t tell the difference?”
Martok’s senses instantly sharpened. It wasn't weakness that was preventing him from rising - he was being restrained. As awareness continued returning he felt something disturbingly familiar around his neck. The collar. Kat had put that cursed collar on him. The memory of his wife standing over him in similar circumstances came back in a rush. The hate in her eyes. The fury in her voice. And now history was repeating itself. Once again, a woman that he loved had betrayed him.
“Release me at once,” he demanded. “You're wrong. Wrong about everything.”
“Don’t bother lying. I know you blackmailed Renald into keeping quiet.”
Renald
. The very sound of the name provoked his anger to an even greater pitch. He would make very sure that the old man suffered once he was free.
“Renald is a fool,” he growled. “I should have known he cared nothing for his son.”
Kat shook her head. “Renald didn’t tell me anything. Lylinora discovered the truth by using a spell while he slept.
She
was the one who told me. Not that it made any difference. I already knew by then anyway. I knew the game you were playing.”
“If you knew, why didn’t you say something? Why pretend to love me as if I was Ethan?”
“I wasn’t pretending.”
Her response threw him for a moment. He eyed her curiously. “
Now
I would know why you are lying.”
“I’m not. I care for you deeply. You saved my life…and Ethan’s. And I can see how much you love this world.”
His voice rose sharply. “Then why have you imprisoned me like this?”
“Because if I didn’t, I’d lose Ethan forever. And my love for him is far greater than anything I could ever feel for you.”
These words cut into him deeply. “So you would rather die – you would rather see everyone die – just to have Ethan with you instead of me? Because that’s what will happen. You cannot defeat Shinzan. Not without my help.”
“That is a chance I'm willing to take.”
“Then you are a selfish child,” he retorted, hotly. “How I could have seen in you anything other than that is beyond my understanding.”
“Yes,” she admitted. “I am selfish. But so are you. You could have passed on the knowledge we need. But you decided to steal Ethan’s body instead. You still can’t get over what happened to you when you were alive. Now, all you are after is a second chance to get control and rule the world.”
Martok could hardly believe he was hearing these words coming from Kat. Not after feeling so sure just a short time ago that he was winning her over. “You speak about things that are far beyond your understanding,” he told her. “And because of this, you will doom us all. I only want to
heal
this world, not rule it. That's all I've ever wanted. Who other than me do you think could accomplish this? The dwarves? Your moron of a father? Do you honestly believe the races would unite under his banner? Even if you did succeed in defeating Shinzan - which you most certainly will not - your actions would ensure that Lumnia is ravaged by war for countless generations to come.”
“No, you misjudge them,” she countered, ignoring the insult to her father. “The people have already united. They don’t need an all-powerful leader to make them do what they know in their hearts is right.”
A mocking laugh slipped from Martok's lips. “Don’t be so naïve. The elves and the dwarves have come together out of necessity, nothing more. And humans have never been able to accept that they must share this world. The alliance you see will crumble the very moment they no longer have a common enemy to fight. Do you really believe thousands of years of hatred and distrust can be washed away so easily?”
Kat shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. Maybe this really is all for nothing. But I know I’m not going to let you go through with your plan. You will not have Ethan’s body. And you will not replace Shinzan.”
“Replace?” He struggled against the collar, but a searing pain shot through his head. It took several moments before he was able to continue. “Katyana. I am begging you. Listen to reason. The control I have over Ethan is permanent; it cannot be undone. Release me and I will forgive you for your lapse in judgment. I give you my word on that. Once we have resolved this misunderstanding, then together we will destroy Shinzan.”
Kat chuckled softly. “You honestly think I believe that?” She shook her head. “No, Ethan is still inside there somewhere. And when we get to the dragons, then he’ll be able to come back to me.”
A jolt of anxiety ran through Martok. He tried to disguise this with a scornful laugh. “The dragons? What good will going
there
do you? Ethan’s bond with the elves has left him vulnerable to me. And you should know that from all of the Dragonvein line, only
I
hold the knowledge and the power to use this crystal. Ethan certainly cannot.”
“If that’s true, then you have nothing to worry about, right? But then again, why would Ethan have told me to bring his body there if this ever happened? That's a strange thing to ask if he knew it wouldn’t do him any good.”
Martok's anger began to swell again. “Damn it, girl. Release me, or I swear I will rip Ethan’s spirit apart. I’ll send him to the depths of oblivion. Do you hear me? He will be truly dead. Forever.”
Kat stood and turned her back. “If I don’t do this, then he’s dead anyway.”
He grunted with frustration. “So tell me. How do you think to get me there? This collar may restrain me, but you have no way of moving me. That is, unless you intend to carry me across your back. I doubt even you could get me all that way without help.”
“That's true. But I’m not alone.”
Martok heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
“Is he fully restrained?” To his astonishment, it was the voice of Lylinora.
“Yes,” replied Kat. “The collar worked perfectly.”
“Do you have the dwarf object?”
Kat pointed off to her left. “It’s there in my pack.”
Lylinora bent down to meet Martok’s eyes. “I am sorry it has come to this. I mean that. But you left us with no choice.”
Martok sniffed. “You are as stupid as Katyana if you think this will do you any good. Take me to the dragons for all I care. Let Ethan cross over. I will tear his spirit to shreds and laugh as he fades into nothingness.”
Lylinora glanced up at Kat. “Are you ready?”
Kat removed a small silver key from her pocket. “Ready.”
The pressure on Martok's body eased. He sat up slowly and glared at the two women. “You will pay for this,” he growled. “I swear by my ancestors. You cannot keep me like this forever.”
Neither woman responded. With the key in her possession, Kat had complete control over his movements. Though she could not compel him to walk, he would only be able to move as far as she allowed. If they'd been alone, perhaps he could have manipulated himself into a position to get hold of the key. But with Lylinora helping her, that was unlikely. So now there was only one option remaining. And Martok knew precisely what that was.
Go with them to the dragons…and then kill Ethan Dragonvein.