Nic bit back a yelp as something sharp dug into his shoulder. He had no time to stop and check if it was bleeding, already moving too slow from having to be careful with the egg. His flight through the tunnels had not been gentle and he’d accidentally bashed his charge against the walls more than once. Several cracks now ran up the shell, hairline but steadily growing before his eyes. Though much like his shoulder, Nic had no time to stop and check them properly.
Somewhere behind, Nic could hear his pursuers moving fast through the vents, their diminutive stature perfectly suited to the cramped space. They likely would have already caught up to him were it not for the bots continuing their patrol. If nothing else, the goblins had to put just as much effort into avoiding them as Nic did, perhaps even more as they didn’t have the benefit of his cloaking ward. Though it was a slim advantage at best and he could never seem to lose them for long.
Arriving at another intersection, Nic considered his options. All bad again, nothing but red warning marks adorning the walls. Nic had noticed he’d been getting short of breath in the last few passages, from simple exertion or from slowly suffocating, Nic couldn’t tell. He elected not to think about it and focus on the moment.
Before he could make a choice, something grabbed his foot. Nic did yelp this time, flipping around to see a metal claw wrapped tightly around his shoe. A length of cable ran from its end, running along the vent back to where Gob stood, grapple gun held in one hand, a devious smile on his face.
“Gotcha little thief!” he sneered. Pressing a button on his weapon, the cable began to retract with shocking strength, dragging Nic back along the vent.
“No!” Nic cried, losing his grip on the egg. He scrambled to grab it again but missed, sliding away as the cable reeled him in.
Flipping over, Nic saw Gob now held a long knife in his other hand, raised and waiting for Nic to come in range. Driven by a bolt of panic, Nic leaned forward, scrabbling madly at his laces before practically ripping off his shoe. He immediately stopped sliding, left behind as his captured footwear flew down the passage and struck Gob square in the face.
“Gah!” the goblin cried, stumbling back and out of sight.
Nic didn’t wait to see if he’d return, instead scrambling back to the intersection. The egg was still there, wobbling slightly as its occupant continued to waffle on the whole hatching thing. That was of secondary concern to what Nic saw behind it: Hob sprinting down the opposite vent. He was further away than Nic was, but had the advantage of size, able to properly run where Nic could only slide along on his belly. A straight contest would be close, and victory for Nic would just mean having to fight someone armed with many sharp objects.
Looking around in desperation, Nic’s eyes settled on the markings inscribed on the wall. He hadn’t noticed most of them before, more focused on the larger, danger related symbols. The nearest were a string of characters sitting above a large arrow, the latter pointing at a small button built into the wall. He had no idea what any of it said, but the possibilities slightly favored it being something useful. Throwing caution to the wind, Nic shot out a hand and firmly smacked the button.
Instantly an alarm sounded, followed by a loud clang as pressure doors slammed shut in all four passages. Nic just barely managed to avoid an impromptu dismemberment by pulling his feet in, mostly because he’d been startled by the noise. Hob wasn’t so lucky, also spared being crushed but finding himself on the wrong side of the door. A dull thud sounded from the other side as he failed to stop in time, followed by a string of angry syllables in a language Nic didn’t know. Despite himself, Nic chuckled with giddy, nervous energy as he crawled the rest of the way to the egg.
It was still intact thankfully, though it had become very animated. A large crack now ran down the center, wide enough that Nic could have fit his pinky inside and running the entire length of the shell. Fractures ran off its edges, forming a spider web of cracks across the surface.
“Bad time,” Nic hissed. “Bad time.”
The egg ignored him, instead beginning to rock back and forth as it worked to widen the crack. Nic placed a hand on the shell to try and calm it, but the attention only made the movement worse.
Nic didn’t really have time to think about it as more banging came from behind another of the doors. It sounded like footsteps, but they stopped suddenly, Nic watching the door intently as the silence became deeply ominous. It was broken by a sharp hiss, a bright dot of molten metal appearing at the same moment, spewing smoke and sparks into the chamber. Nic watched in terror as it began to glide across the surface, slicing through the material like tallow.
Nic scooted away, quickly running into the fourth and final door. He half expected it to buckle under some new trick from the goblins, but it remained solid. A mercy in one sense, but also firmly trapping Nic inside the vent. He cast his eyes around, searching for a catch or release, anything that might let him slip out of this dead end, the molten cut growing longer all the while.
What he found instead was a vent cover in one of the walls. It was small, another detail he’d missed, only barely large enough for him to squeeze through with the egg. He couldn’t see what was beyond it, glare completely washing out the room on the other side. It would be a complete gamble where exactly he’d end up if he went through.
A loud bang reminded Nic he had nothing but bad choices and this one at least got him out of these dark damned vents. Twisting around, Nic braced his back against the wall and began kicking the grill with the heel of his remaining shoe. It held fast at first, the shock of the impact shooting up his leg with each strike. Gritting his teeth, Nic pushed through it, kicking again and again until he felt metal beginning to bend. He redoubled his efforts, racing the cutting tool right down to the wire as the grill finally gave way just as the door did. With no time for second guessing, Nic grabbed the egg and slid forward out the opening.
He got lucky in the sense that the room he emerged into wasn’t that big, the ceilings a mere ten feet off the ground rather than the tall, vaulted ones he’d seen elsewhere. This was very important as it made his resulting fall merely dangerous rather than instantly lethal. Nic had no way to catch or arrest himself otherwise, realizing too late that he was now on an express trip to the ground. All he could do was hold the egg tight to his chest and wait for the hit.
He landed on something reasonably soft, though whatever it was shattered instantly under his weight. It hurt all the same, leaving Nic groaning on the floor in a heap.
“Ow,” Nic said, mostly just to vocalize his current feelings. He was instantly punished for the indulgence by long talons stabbing down around his neck. A third yelp formed in his throat, only for it to die as he looked up to find a griffon standing over him.
It took him a moment to recognize her. The High Queen had discarded her white cloth shift to lounge more comfortably in her chambers. Though she was smaller than most of the other griffons Nic had seen that day, she was still huge compared to him. She scarcely needed the claws of her prosthetic limb to sufficiently intimidate.
“Speak assassin,” she said. “That I might share your last words.”
A whimper escaped Nic’s mouth, the remains of whatever he’d intended to say. Nuthani’s talons tightened at his neck, their edges just pressing into his flesh.
“A poor choice, now you-”
She was cut off in turn, her gaze drifting to the egg where Nic clutched it against his chest. Her eyes went wide, cycling from recognition to worry to barely contained rage, the last turned back on Nic as effectively as any blade.
“You dare!” she hissed, anger hot and focused. “You will-”
“Greytower!” Nic cried as loudly as he could. It had the intended effect, Nuthani’s expression softening ever so slightly with curiosity.
“What?” she demanded.
“I’m Nicholas Greytower, apprentice to Orlin!”
Nuthani considered him a moment, metal claws held aloft like a guillotine. Nic’s heart raced as he waited to see if they would fall.
“Explain,” she said. It was a command, not a question.
“Someone’s trying to kidnap your heir,” he said, scrambling to continue as the claws tightened again. “Not me, not me! I was there by accident when it happened!”
“By accident?”
“I got lost,” he said.
She paused a moment longer, terrifying Nic with every second, before she lowered her metal claws and loosened her organic ones. Nic let out a long breath of relief as she stepped back, looking at him expectantly.
“Get up,” she said. “Tell me everything from the-”
She was cut off again, this time by a clatter from somewhere outside the room. She turned to look at the door, leaving Nic to pick himself up and stand behind her. The sounds continued, shouts and crashes, mingled with splatters that tended to cut off both. All of it quickly fell quiet, nothing but footsteps filling the silence. Nic gripped the egg tighter, Nuthani stepping forward to stand between him and the door as it opened.
Humanoid soldiers burst into the room, spreading out into a half circle and barring any escape. They were dressed in Harakin livery, breastplates and helmets just as gleaming as those worn by the honor guard. Though unlike them, these soldiers had traded out the long spears for crackling swords and compact rifles that glowed a sinister red.
“What is the meaning of this?” Nuthani said, unbowed by the display.
“You know what it is,” rumbled the voice of Sir Saku as he strode into the room, two soldiers stepping aside to let him pass.
“So, it’s treason then?” Nuthani said, her voice venom and steel.
“I do only as I am bidden.” Saku’s eyes drifted from Nuthani to Nic, his expression unchanged, though there was undeniable weight behind it. “As I am sworn.”
Nuthani stepped in the way, blocking Nic’s view of Saku.
“Touch either of them, and you will not live to regret it.”
“Your Highness,” Saku said. “I ask you, for the sake of your hatchling and the good of your flock, come quietly. No one need be harmed.”
Nuthani glared, never breaking eye contact with the Judai champion. Nic held no such discipline, eyes darting between the queen, Saku, and the many soldiers with their tense shoulders and itchy trigger fingers.
“No,” Nuthani said at last. “I do not think I will.”
Saku sighed, deep and exhausted before gathering himself.
“As you wish, take-”
Whatever he meant to say was lost in a clattering bang as something fell from the wall behind them. Nic, and most others in the room, turned to find the prone form of Gob squirming in pain on the ground. Apparently, the goblins had finally gotten through the pressure doors.
Any further thoughts on the matter were put aside as Nuthani sprang forward and attacked. She was among the soldiers before they realized what was happening, those closest to her screaming as she sliced into them with beak and claw. She spread her wings, sending soldiers flying in all directions, into walls and into Saku himself, the champion stumbling as he was caught off balance.
Nic could only watch, dumbstruck as the tornado of violence settled, leaving the queen standing on the cleared ground before the door. She panted heavily from the exertion, looking unsteady on her feet, but staying upright as she rounded on Nic.
“Run boy!” she screeched. “Get out of here!”
It was all she was able to say before Saku grabbed her from behind, his much larger form looming with menace. She did not bow under it, lashing out at him with all the fury of a cornered wolf, scoring a few good hits, but the winner of the contest was already obvious. Saku just had her too outclassed in all the ways that mattered.
Spurred by the thought, Nic sprinted forward through the fallen soldiers and towards the door. Saku tried to reach out and grab at him as he passed, but Nuthani was quick to punish his split attention by driving her metal claws into his neck. He shrieked and pulled back, giving Nic the opening he needed to slip through the door and run.
*
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Bleeding Quill 