Victor of Tucson Chapter 33: Into the Depths

“Victor! Victor, stop!” Thayla’s voice finally cut through his fury, and Victor looked up from the pulverized face of the mine employee he’d been battering. His hands were painted red to his wrists, and spatters of red decorated him, the canvas of the tent, and the faded yellow rug. “We have to get out of here!” Thayla urged, pulling at his shirt.

“Not yet,” Victor said, his voice thick with emotion. His neck was raw and burning, and only now that he was coming out of his fury did he notice it. “Let search this asshole,” he finished. He moved to the side, unsure when he’d straddled the man to better beat his face, and as he did so, thick motes of Energy rose from the body, confirming that he was dead, and surged into him. He didn’t level, but the influx did wonders for his scorched neck and cald his mind even more.

“Keep watch,” he grunted, glancing to see Thayla regard him askance for a mont, then turn to the tent flap, pulling it aside slightly to peer out. Victor ripped the man’s yellow and green uniform shirt open, sending polished wooden buttons scattering over the blood-spattered rug. “No necklace.” He wasn’t sure why, but he’d imagined the key to the cage hanging on a chain around the kidnapper’s neck.

“Get us out of here, please!” One of the cage’s occupants had gathered enough wits and confidence to speak up.

“Quiet! I’ll help you in a minute,” Victor snapped, afraid that more of the prisoners would start to clamor for release, and he didn’t know who might be listening from the neighboring tents. The man didn’t have a pack or pouches on his belt, so Victor looked at his hands, spotting a silvery band with carved black stone inset along its center. Victor pulled and twisted at the ring, finally getting it over a knobby knuckle, and then he trickled so Energy into it, just as he had with the storage bag they’d had him use in the delves to collect insect parts.

Suddenly Victor was aware of an enormous space inside the ring, along with quite a few objects therein. He scanned through the items quickly, figuring he could spend more ti with them later. He saw a baton, so knives, so clothes, a cloak, quite a lot of different kinds of food, a sheaf of folded papers, a notebook, so writing utensils, a belt, so boots, several pouches full of Energy beads, a ring with an onyx blackbird inset on a silver face, and several sets of manacles, collars, and a ring of keys.

Victor grabbed the keyring out of the space and slipped the storage ring onto his finger. He walked over to the cage and unlocked it, but before he opened it, he looked around at the prisoners, at least the conscious ones, and he said, “Ladies, I’m going to let you all go, but please wait until we’re all ready to move out. Let’s get everyone on their feet.”

“You heard him,” the woman who’d spoken before said. “Co on, let’s help get everyone up. Sir, you should know he had so soldiers with him earlier. He sent them to get soone.”

“Let’s fucking hurry, then.” Victor strode through the crowd of won and knelt before Edeya, her eyelids were half-open, but she didn’t seem to recognize him. “Edeya, you there? Co on, chica, snap out of it.”

“Don’t call girl,” she said, limply lifting a fist to prod at his chin. Victor smiled.

“That’s the spirit, c’mon. Up you go; everyone’s waiting for you.” Victor stood and pulled her to her feet. She was shaky, but when she grabbed onto his arm, her grip was tight, and she followed him when he walked out of the cage.

“Nobody coming yet,” Thayla said. She’d collected both of their batons, probably while Victor was pounding on the mine employee, and she held Victor’s out to him now. “You gotta do sothing about your collar; it'll raise questions if soone sees you like that.” Victor felt up to his bare neck and nodded. He looked down at his stretched and broken collar and picked up one of the elongated halves. He lifted it to his neck and bent it around so the two ends t in the back, then he gave Thayla a questioning look. “It’ll pass at a glance. Let’s go.”

“Alright, everyone, be safe; please don’t ntion to anyone,” Victor said, glancing back at the crowd of won, so propped up by others, and then he hooked an arm around Edeya’s shoulders and ushered her out of the tent, Thayla hot on his heels. “Gorz, please guide on the shortest route back to the barracks.” He felt a little bad taking off and leaving those other won to their own devices, but he also felt like he’d just robbed a bank and needed to get the hell out of sight.

“Of course! Take your next right,” the amulet’s slightly tallic voice replied. Victor walked quickly, trying to keep to the shadows and avoiding the crowds of miners they passed here and there, but no one challenged them or ca running behind them. Edeya shuffled along under his arm the whole while, her eyes downcast. Victor had to lift her while they walked to keep her moving fast enough to keep up, but it wasn’t hard; she felt smaller than ever.

They were back to the main settlent area and passing through a narrow alley of shanties when Edeya jerked against his arm and looked around with wild eyes. “Get off !” she cried, pushing against him. Victor let go and held his hands out.

“Easy, Edeya. It’s Victor; you okay?” She looked around, her eyes wide and her hands out, like she was ready to fight, but then sothing clicked, and she looked back at Victor.

“You got out?”

“ and Thayla,” Victor said, nodding to the tall Shadeni woman. Edeya looked at Thayla, and then a sob escaped her lips, and she crumpled against Thayla, who grabbed her in a hug.

“You’re alright, Edeya. You’re alright,” she said softly, stroking her hair, careful not to squeeze her broken wing. “Co on, little bird. We need to get back to the barracks; there’ll be people looking for Victor and probably , too.” Edeya took a long shuddering breath, sniffed, and nodded. Then, they all started walking again, Edeya holding an arm tightly around Thayla’s waist this ti.

“You think they’ll know it was us?”

“Yeah, I’d say. How many won did we spring from that cage? Nine? Ten? They won’t all keep their mouths shut, and then the mining company will send an investigator. They’ll do so scrying, and we’ll be deep in the roladii shit.”

“Of course—magical world ans magical investigators.” Victor smacked a fist into his palm. “Well, maybe you’ll be fine. I’m sure whatever they see with their scrying will be sothing like beating the shit outta that guy, not you.”

“Depends on how thorough the investigator is, and the mine can afford good ones.”

“Alright, well, let’s just talk to the captain and see what she thinks.”

“You sure we should? The captain works for the mine…” Thayla let her voice trail off.

“You know the captain; she has her own rules. I don’t think she’ll fuck us over.” Thayla didn’t reply, so Victor looked at her, and when their eyes t, she nodded over the top of Edeya’s head.

Listening to Gorz’s directions, Victor led them through the alleys and out into the main tunnel. After ten minutes of quick walking, avoiding the eyes of the strangers they passed, they were in sight of Lam’s Barracks. Walking up, they were greeted by the presence of Sergeant Fath, pacing back and forth in front of the building. When he saw them, he strode forward quickly and, in his baritone voice, rumbled, “You found her! Captain wants you to bring her in through her private entrance. Co on.” He turned and strode around the side of the barracks, and Victor, glancing at Thayla, who nodded, followed after.

Victor didn’t rember any side doors to the barracks, so he was only slightly surprised when, rather than a door, Fath led them to a ladder. He gestured for them all to climb it to the barracks' roof, and Victor did so first, reaching down to help Edeya up after him. Thayla ca next, and then Fath ca up, pulling the ladder after him. He pointed to a square of light near the rear of the barracks, and Victor walked to it, realizing it was an open trapdoor. “Drop in; she’s expecting you.” Sothing about the whole situation was making Victor nervous, but he couldn’t see another move; he supposed he could make a run for it, but if Lam wanted him, she could catch him, he had no doubt. He moved to the trapdoor and peered through.

It wasn’t Lam’s study, the floor was carpeted, and he thought he could see the foot of a fancy four-post bed. “Her bedroom?” he muttered.

“Hurry, drop down,” Fath said. Victor glanced at Thayla and Edeya. Edeya’s face was pale in the cavern light, and she wouldn't make eye contact with him. Thayla gave him another quick nod, so he stepped forward and dropped onto the carpet. Sure enough, it was a nicely appointed bedroom. The bed was large with a fluffy, white quilt, and the carpet was rich and clean. The walls were plastered a creamy white and lined with backlit display cases. Victor had just started to examine the contents of one of the display cases, so sort of manuscript pressed between glass, when Lam cleared her throat behind him.

“Victor, move so the others can co down.” He whirled to see Lam sitting on a low, padded sofa, watching him from behind a glass of liquor. He stepped toward her, but she held up a hand.

“Your collar.”

“Yeah, we ran into so trouble.” A thud signaled the arrival of Thayla behind him, then the soft sounds of Edeya being helped down, and then the trapdoor was closed from above, and Victor heard footsteps moving away over the roof.

“Best explain to , and quickly,” Lam said, taking another drink, her face not betraying her mood.

“We…” Victor started, but then Thayla stepped forward and cut him off.

“It was a mine employee. He had a cage full of abused won, and when Victor and I saw it, he activated his control rod to kill Victor and probably would have killed too. Victor ripped his collar off and beat him to death.” That got a reaction from Captain Lam; one of her wispy pale eyebrows lifted, and she actually smiled.

“I knew they ssed up with that collar!” She stood up and brushed past Victor to grab Edeya by her shoulders, leaned over, bent nearly in half to make eye contact with the girl. “Are you okay? I’ll tell you what I told Victor when he got attacked off by himself: I hope you learned sothing.”

“I’m okay,” she said softly. “They only had a little while.”

“Tut, look at your wing. Co here.” She glanced at Victor and Thayla and said, “Wait here.” Then, she led the diminutive Ghelli to the far side of her bed and helped her to lay down. She produced a small vial of glowing amber fluid, and Victor could just barely hear her say, “Drink this down; you’ll wake up feeling like a twirler on Starleaf Night.” A few monts later, Captain Lam ca back from around the bed and sat down in front of Thayla and Victor. “You’re likely in a bit of trouble.”

“Can you do anything?” Thayla asked bluntly.

“Oh, I imagine I could figure sothing out. Let’s think on it a mont. Back up and tell the whole story. How you found Edeya, who witnessed your actions, everything.”

“Alright,” Victor said, taking the lead. He didn’t want Thayla trying to cover for him or worrying about revealing too much, so he started from the beginning. He told Lam about questioning the guy at the gaming hall, searching the tunnels, and what he did when he found the man in the tent. He didn’t leave much out, mostly just his secret conversations with Gorz.

“How’d you know the gambler would be able to lead you to Edeya?”

“Just a hunch; I knew he was a scumbag, and so I figured he might know where to find other scumbags.”

“Victor, do you want my help?” Lam asked suddenly. He nodded, and she continued, “Stop being evasive. You’re holding sothing back, and I’m not going to stick my neck out for soone that’s not honest with .”

“Alright. The guy in the gambling hall was one of the assholes that jumped . I tracked them down a while ago, figuring I’d give them a taste of their own dicine one of these days.” He glanced sideways at Thayla and saw that her eyes had widened, but she didn’t say anything. Captain Lam’s lips spread into a wide smile, though.

“You keep surprising . Alright, next question; what did you do with the body?”

“Um,” Victor started, then shrugged.

“We left it,” Thayla finished.

“Oh, Great Forest!” Lam sighed. “Was he alone? Are you sure?”

“Actually, one of the won said he had sent his guards or soldiers to get soone.”

“Soldiers? He had soldiers? Did you catch his na by chance?”

“No, but he was a smug one; he seed full of himself,” Thayla added. Lam studied Thayla and then Victor for a mont while she thought. Her eyes fell to his twisted, broken collar, then down, over his body to his hands.

“You took that ring from him?”

“Uh, yeah,” Victor said, shrugging.

“What’s in it? Anything to identify him?” Understanding dawned on Victor like fireworks going off, and he turned his mind toward the space in the ring, producing the sheaf of papers and the blackbird signet ring. He put them onto the low table in front of Lam’s couch. “Alright, let’s see here.” She bent to pick up the ring and turned it over in her hand, a frown deepening the curves of her mouth. She set it down without a word, though, and picked up the papers, removing the cord binding them all together and opening the top one.

Victor began to grow nervous the longer Lam read through the papers without saying anything. He wanted to ask her what they were about, but he knew she’d say sothing when she finished, so he just stood there, fidgeting and wishing he could stand stoically and still like Thayla; she stood with her face impassive, eyes as severe as always. Finally, after reading through more than half of the papers, Lam looked up and said, “My options for helping you are slimr than I thought.”

“What does that an?” Thayla asked plainly.

“The Greatbone Mining Consortium is run by a group of families—rchant families grown so wealthy over the decades that they might as well be nobility. In fact, they own many of the nobles in the Ridonne Empire. Well, the man you killed was a mber of the ap’Yensha clan, one of those families. He wasn’t skimming; he was here to collect prospects for service in a new venture they were starting in Gelica.”

The dots started to connect in Victor’s mind, and he said, “So if he’d been so random employee stealing girls to make money on the side, you could have gotten us out of this ss, but seeing as he was a mber of so powerful family and he was here on business they condoned, we’re fucked?”

“I can help you slip free of the mine, but I can’t protect you beyond that. I’m strong and wealthy, but nothing compared to those families. They can afford to hunt you to the ends of the world.”

“Would they? Just to avenge that one asshole?” Victor asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe? If he was well-liked, then yes, they will hunt you. If you’d made him disappear with no witnesses, it would take them a lot longer to figure out what happened to him. As it is, there’s a good chance his soldiers are already combing the area for witnesses, and a scryer is en route. Also, there’s one more nuance: according to these papers, another of the families, the ap’Bale clan, wasn’t on board, and this fellow was taking these won under their noses. I’m not sure if that would help you or cause more problems, but I can assure you the ap’Yensha don’t want others finding out about this, so they’re motivated by more than just revenge.”

“What if we disappeared into the depths?” Victor asked suddenly.

“You an killed ourselves?” Thayla scoffed.

“No,” Victor licked his lips, nervous all of a sudden, but continued, “I’ve heard there’s a dungeon that leads out of the mine. If we can find the entrance, we could escape that way. They’d probably assu we’re dead if they scry us down there, right?”

This ti it was Captain Lam that scoffed, “You think you can find a dungeon down there? You know how long I’ve been digging around for treasure and hidden things in those depths? If you have sothing more to tell , I’m listening.”

“I saw a map. I saw a map in the ho of the asshole that tried to destroy my Core. He caught studying it, and that’s why he did it—fractured my Core and sold to the mine. I didn’t even really know what I was looking at at the ti, but when I went into the depths with you, I started to recognize the layout of so of the caverns. I think I could find the dungeon, or at least get heading in the right direction. It has to be better than what’s in store for us if those families get ahold of us, right?”

“Clever ploy, Victor. I like this captain of yours, but she may well want to take from you,” Gorz piped in, startling Victor enough to make his heart hamr in his chest.

“I won’t lie, Victor,” she looked at Thayla and continued, “and Thayla. I’m not excited about going up against those families, and if you were to disappear into the depths, that would be one less headache for to deal with. I hate to see you both throw your lives away, though. How good is your mory, Victor? You’ve continued to surprise , so I’d love you to prove wrong about this.”

Victor glanced at Thayla, and his heart hamred even harder—he saw hope in her eyes. God, what if he was wrong? “I think it’s pretty good, Captain.”

“Alright,” she produced a large sheet of thick, hexed paper and a set of charcoal pencils. “If you can draw the route, and if I recognize any of it as being accurate, I’ll help you get started. Start with lift fourteen-A.” She took one of the pencils out of the wooden case and held it out to him.

“Gorz, ti to work your magic. You need to describe what I need to draw in very fucking fine detail, please.”

“Understood, Victor, though it would be much easier if you had my old slate.”

“But I don’t, so please help here.”

“Alright, Victor. We’ll treat each hex as ten feet. For the lift room, draw a box near the top of the page that is eight hexes by eleven. Then draw an arrow down from that room that is exactly twenty-seven point five hexes long.” Gorz continued with his instructions until Victor had covered most of the sheet with winding tunnels and chambers, and when his drawing took him to the edge, Captain Lam handed him another sheet to continue on. By the ti he was finished, the map covered three large sheets of her hex paper.

“Victor, do you have so sort of genius for maps? Do you rember everything you see?” Lam quietly asked as he set the pencil down.

“I’m good with maps, but no, I don’t rember everything I’ve seen.”

“If you’re right, you’ve got more than ten miles of ground to cover down there; it’s going to be dangerous and take you days. What about this long wide tunnel with the little squiggles in it?”

“That’s an underground river. I think there’s room along its bank to walk, though. If I rember the map correctly,” Victor finished laly. Lam gave him another squinting examination but shook her head slightly.

“I don’t think you’re suicidal, so I’m going to go ahead and hope for the best. Are you going to try this crazy plan with him, Thayla?”

“Do I have a choice? I’m sure I’ll show up in the scries at the scene, and witnesses saw us running around together. Looks like I’m going to have to trust Victor.”

“Victor, I’ll make a deal with you. I already owe you and Thayla a reward for your ore find, so I’ll give you each sothing before I send you on your way. But, if you manage to escape through that dungeon, I’ll reward you again for any information you can give about what you find in the dungeon. Thayla, if you get to safety, just use that stone I gave you; I’ll be able to find you.”

“Alright, it’s a deal,” Victor said.

“Let get you so supplies; I don’t want the other delvers to know you ca back here, so sit tight.” Captain Lam stood up and slipped through the door, closing it behind her.

“We’re going to die down there,” Thayla said, stretching and cracking her neck.

“Maybe, but it’s a chance.” Victor shrugged.

“Can we trust the captain?” Thayla asked softly, a whisper that Victor could barely hear. He looked at her and saw the doubt in her narrowed eyes and how she pressed her lips together.

“If she wanted to betray us, she’d just beat us into submission. She’s higher than tier four, right?” That simple statent seed to send a wave of relief through Thayla, and she suddenly grinned, shaking her head.

“Good point.”

The door opened again a mont later, and Captain Lam ca through, quickly closing it behind herself. Her hands were empty, but Victor knew that didn’t an anything when you considered magical storage devices. Lam sat down again, oblivious or uncaring that Victor and Thayla had been standing for their entire eting. She began to stack items on the table—wrapped sausages, loaves of bread, sacks of fruit, several long lengths of thin, sturdy rope, a package of those self-sinking pitons that Victor had seen her use before, four glow lamps, and two bedrolls. She motioned to the pile of supplies and said, “Split it up in case one of you dies or gets lost.”

“Thanks, Captain,” Thayla said, starting to deposit so of the items into her hidden ring. Victor followed suit, taking half of the supplies into his new ring.

“I’m not done; you two don’t know the fortune I’m going to make off those ingots. I wasn’t joking when I said I’ll reward you for more information. Here,” she was suddenly holding a long, silvery-red, tal spear. She handed it to Thayla. “This is artificed to pierce armor. It’s self-sharpening and nearly weightless in the hands of its bonded owner.” Then she turned to Victor, “You don’t strike as a finesse-type fighter, so I’ll give you one of my first truly good weapons. I haven’t used her in decades, so I figure I’ll give her a chance to see so action. Treat her well, Victor.” Suddenly she was holding a black-bladed axe with a polished cherry-colored haft. The blade was bearded and glead along the edge like liquid silver.

“Wow,” Victor said, eyeing the heavy, wicked axe head.

“This is Lifedrinker, and she has a heartsilver core. Those she strikes suffer as she takes their Energy. Her thirst is great; I’ve never been able to sate her, but so say that given enough Energy, heartsilver will start to grow conscious.” She held out the axe to Victor, and he gingerly took hold of the haft. It was long enough to wield with two hands, but he could easily swing it with one.

“Thank you, Captain. I, I hope I don’t lose her down below.”

“You passed the first test; never call her an ‘it.’ Can you promise that?”

“Yes,” Victor said with a gulp, realizing he’d already thought of the axe as a thing in his mind.

“Very well; she wasn’t mine when I was given her to use, and now she’s mine no longer. Are you ready? Fath tells the mines are abuzz with the search taking place. I think you should be gone soon.”

“What about Edeya?” Victor glanced over at the slumbering form.

“You don’t have to worry about her. She reminds of a friend I had,” she glanced around and down at herself, then continued, “before all of this. I think I’ll buy her contract and get her so training. I’m not saying I’m going to coddle her, but she won’t have to worry about soone nabbing her if that’s a concern for you.”

“That’s pretty great,” Victor said, but his face fell slightly, and he frowned down at the carpet, avoiding Lam’s eyes.

“I’m ready,” Thayla said, still holding her new spear.

“Not quite,” Lam said, looking at the tall woman. She held out her hand, and Victor saw that she held a control rod like the mine employees all carried. She held it out toward Thayla, and a mont later, a click sounded, and Thayla removed her collar, now spread open at an invisible seam.

“Ancestors! It feels good to have this thing off.”

“I imagine,” Lam said, a slight smile twisting her lips.

“Don’t you see how wrong it is?” Victor blurted.

“Hmm?” Lam scowled slightly, looking at him.

“Captain Lam, you’ve been very good to , but don’t you see how wrong this all is? People being forced to fight and die while you dig around in the ruins? Look at Edeya! You seem to care about her, but she could die tomorrow protecting so miners while you dig around for treasures.” Victor wanted to kick himself or slap himself or sothing, but the words just ca flooding out.

“Strange way of thanking soone,” she said, standing up, clouds behind her eyes.

“I am grateful, truly, but I feel like you’re better than this!”

“Victor, you don’t know . You know a few things about , but you don’t know . I didn’t get where I am because I was coddled. I know what I do seems selfish, but that’s simply because it is: I work to improve my own power. So power cos with Energy and levels, so power cos with connections and politics, and so power cos with wealth. I do care about Edeya and others, but I also know they have their own struggles to get through. I might tip the scales in their favor from ti to ti, but I’m nobody’s savior. Not Edeya’s, not yours. I’m helping you because it won’t cost much, and it might pay off soday. Don’t mistake my aid for sothing it isn’t—I’m fond of you both, but I won’t risk what I’ve gained to carry you out of your challenge. You’ve got to do that on your own. Now, it’s ti you both got going. I hope I hear from you soday.”

Lam had been pacing the whole ti she spoke, and now she stopped under the trapdoor leading to her roof, and she motioned for Thayla and Victor to co over. Thayla got there first, and Lam, having opened the trapdoor, placed her hands on Thayla’s hips and boosted her up so that the Shadeni could scramble up onto the roof. Victor stepped up next, still holding Lifedrinker, and he said, “I didn’t want to insult you, Captain. Thanks for your help.” She nodded, grabbed his hips, and when he hopped up, she boosted him like he was a child, and he found himself on the roof.

“Close the trapdoor, please,” Lam called softly from below. Thayla gently lowered the wooden trapdoor, careful not to slam it, and then the two of them padded to the edge of the barracks’ roof and dropped down.

“You have a death wish?” Thayla asked as they hurried off into the darkness of the tunnel.

“What?”

“That woman could kill us with a thought, and you decided that, after she gave us her help, you were going to lecture her about her morality?”

“My mouth gets away from . I had to say sothing, though—I might never see her again, and I want to like her, but I can’t get past all the evil in this place that she turns a blind eye to.”

“As she said, we don’t know her whole story. Let’s be grateful for what we got, agreed?”

“Yeah, agreed.” Victor hefted Lifedrinker and almost put it into his ring, but then he decided not to. If he was going to think of the axe as alive, then he shouldn’t put it into a storage container. “Her,” he corrected himself aloud.

“What?”

“Just thinking about this axe. Can you believe these weapons? I feel better about our chances already.”

“Yeah, they’re nice, alright,” Victor saw that she’d already stowed her spear in her ring, which glinted with a golden luster on her hand.

“You moved your ring to your hand,” he said.

“Quicker to access things like weapons.” She shrugged. “I’m not trying to hide anymore.”

“Good point,” Victor said, stopping suddenly. He reached up and grabbed the ends of the twisted collar on his neck and pulled them apart, flinging the strip of tal to clatter among the stones of the tunnel. “Let’s go. It’s all downhill from here!” He laughed at his own wit, and Thayla, though she didn’t seem to get his humor, smiled along with him. Sotis, Victor figured, you just had to laugh in the face of the shit coming your way.