The Shadow Labyrinth: A LitRPG Adventure Read online

  "What happened back there?" Terran asked her.

  Luna frowned, her whiskers twitching. "I...I didn't expect that either, but once I saw them, the fury of my kind's extinction overtook me."

  Luna's eyebrows wagged up, signaling they weren't alone. Terran turned to find an aged Barghest in formal robes, runed scarf hanging over his wide frame, shuffling into the room using a cane for support. He looked like an enormous turtle without his shell, the extra skin bunching as wrinkles. The Barghest's eyes immediately went to the tome that Newt had left on the table.

  "Is that...?"

  Newt appeared suddenly, bowing and handing over the tome. "Lore Keeper Gruul. This is the Census of Sumarak."

  The ordinariness of the book surprised Terran, so much that Newt smiled at his confusion.

  "Tax collectors are often the most exacting of sages given the purpose for their endeavors. This census explains much about the ancient cities of Belavar that you cannot find in flowery prose."

  Lore Keeper Gruul chuckled, his deep voice cracking, forcing him to clear his throat. "You are correct. This is more valuable than a hundred bars of gold."

  "A gift," said Newt, inclining his head.

  The Barghest ambled to a chair and let his weight rest upon it with a heavy sigh. The cane remained in both hands, set against the stone floor.

  "By the looks in your eyes you've known others of my kind, most likely mercenaries, as we are usually known," said Lore Keeper Gruul.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare," said Terran.

  The old Barghest eyed Newt, making noises in the back of his throat. "You're a scholar. Where did you study?"

  "The Reliant," said Newt.

  Lore Keeper Gruul chuckled. "The ship where you Offworlders come from. Don't be surprised. I've heard the stories. None of it makes sense, but I find the tales that come from your kind entertaining. Call me something of a scholar about Offworlders, not that anyone cares, which has always troubled me, how uninterested even our most studious sages are about the people whose lives, our lives, revolve around."

  It surprised Terran to hear talk about Offworlders in this way. The Lore Keeper was right, no one else really inquired about their former lives, an artifact of the game, he supposed.

  "Is there anything you can tell us about the Ice Giants?" asked Terran.

  Lore Keeper Gruul wagged his steel gray bushy eyebrows and stabbed his cane against the stone. "Besides tall, cruel, and cold? There's not much more to know. They live in great halls under their Jarl."

  Newt lifted his chin. "I heard High Keeper Astran mention a Jarl Maiden."

  "Humph, yes, a Jarl Maiden. A shapeshifter. Conjurer of illusions and death," said Lore Keeper Gruul.

  Keeper Latia returned a moment later, nodding towards the elder sage. "I was just looking for you. These Offworlders have offered to take care of the Ice Giants in return for knowledge about black crystals."

  "Where to find one specifically," added Terran.

  Lore Keeper Gruul lifted his wrinkled chin, squinting. "A Crystal Bard, eh? Impressive staff." He turned back to Latia. "What did our fearless leader say?"

  With a smirk, Keeper Latia dropped into the harsh cadence of her superior. "If the damn fools want to throw themselves at the Ice Giants for us, let them. If they survive, they can have whatever we can tell them."

  Lore Keeper Gruul slapped his knee. "I have no quarrel with this task. You are free on my account, though I ask that you wait until tomorrow. I would like to have words with this young scholar before me." He pointed his cane at Newt, who bowed in return.

  "I would be honored."

  "And you, Keeper Latia?" asked Terran.

  She raised an eyebrow, cocked her lips to the side. "I would have to lose all this work I've put into the migraine I'm developing."

  Quest updated: "Take care of the Ice Giants in return for information about black crystals."

  The ease with which they've agreed doesn't bode well for your chances

  "Thank you. Who knows the Ice Giants best? I want to be prepared when we head out tomorrow," said Terran.

  With half-lidded eyes, Latia replied, "I am the foremost scholar about Ice Giants. I cannot speak with you currently, I must attend the defense for my shift, but later I could enjoy a meal and discuss my studies."

  "That would be wonderful."

  Lore Keeper Gruul grunted as he rose to his feet, and he gestured towards the young sages on the far side of the room.

  "Show our guests a place to rest in the visitor apartments." He put his hand on Newt's arm. "Not you, of course. I hope you don't mind if we return to my quarters, where I keep my quill."

  After being shown to small quarters with a simple bed and desk, Luna climbed upon it the bed and curled up. "Killing makes me tired."

  Not wanting to wait, Terran wandered the Black Citadel. He was surprised by how empty it was compared to the size. By his estimates, it could hold a number of scholars four or five times their current numbers.

  A few hours later, he was headed up a flight of stones stairs when he ran into Keeper Latia, returning from the battle. She had rings around her eyes and her shoulders were slumped, at least until she noticed him, and put up a brave front.

  "I was just coming to find you," said Keeper Latia.

  "I can wait until you've had time to rest," said Terran.

  She shook her head. "Nonsense. This is the part of the day I've been most looking forward to. I have a meal being sent to my quarters."

  Terran followed her through the Citadel to a large room with a huge bed and ample space for living. The stone walls were covered in tapestries showing scenes of Ice Giants. Most involved war, the enormous blue-skinned giants assaulting villages or tearing down walls of great keeps, but a few were more pastoral, depicting the Ice Giants as farmers and tenders of the tundra.

  "You're quite the scholar of Ice Giants," said Terran as he examined the scenes from up close.

  Keeper Latia disappeared behind a tall privacy screen. He caught the shape of her disrobing and quickly looked back to the tapestries.

  "We each have specialties. Since I grew up north of here, I knew the Ice Giants best. On the tundra, we traded with them. Bone scrimshaws for ice flowers. Seal meat for ale. That sort of thing."

  The Keeper appeared a moment later, wearing a silken purple robe, her hair tamed with a bone clasp. She used a brush to work out a few knots, while Terran pretended not to watch.

  A younger sage arrived with a tray of food and ale. Terran sat across from Latia, who quickly dug into the wooden bowls. When he hesitated, she tapped on the containers and gave a quick explanation: "Tundra slug dipped in an elderberry sauce. Salted crash nuts. Lava tube larva cheese. Braised seal in port wine." Last she lifted a mug. "Ice Giant ale. It's stiff, but refreshing."

  The names sounded far worse than the looks of the food, so Terran focused on Latia while he sampled from the bowls, finding each one delightful, especially the larva cheese.

  "Tell me about the Ice Giants."

  Over the course of a few hours, Keeper Latia gave a history of the giants. To Terran, they sounded like larger versions of the Vikings from Earth history. Only the high mountains and enjoyment of snowy regions kept them from conquering the continent. In recent history, they'd been less warring, though Keeper Latia's speculation was that had to do with the lack of Offworlders.

  "So you're saying it's my fault?" asked Terran with a smirk.

  Keeper Latia leaned back in her chair, extending her long limbs, and smiled. "That's exactly what I'm saying. But that's the nature of this world. We're playthings for you Offworlders."

  Terran ran his finger across the top of his pewter mug. "I wish I had an argument against, but you're right. Whenever we return, the cycle starts again, but it wasn't always like that."

  Keeper Latia tilted her head.

  "The Beast That Eats the World," said Terran, to her nods. "But if it were alive, there would be no Black Citadel. It would wipe out anything related
to Offworlders, I imagine."

  Latia was about to take another drink but set her mug back down. "That would be Gruul's specialty."

  "Is there anything you can tell me about the Ice Giants that will help in battle? I know their history, but nothing more to help win the fight," said Terran.

  The corners of her eyes rounded as she stared at the table. "Is war that unusual?" She bunched up her hand into a fist. "I'm sorry. I'm being obstinate. Ice Giants are warring in nature—they organize themselves into warbands, which are displayed by a brightly colored ribbon around their arm. There's a lot of competition between them for glory, which has made this assault on the Black Citadel quite unusual."

  "How so?" he asked after taking a sip of ale.

  She grabbed a piece of bread and ripped it in two before dunking it into the elderberry sauce, but didn't place it in her mouth. "They like raiding, rather than sustained war. While catapults aren't foreign to Ice Giants, they typically mock them as tools for cowards who are afraid of wading into battle."

  "You can't wade through thick stone walls," said Terran.

  "Which is why they've probably accepted their use, though it suggests there's new leadership. I can't imagine the old Jarl Kalapik ever agreeing to their use." She paused. "But none of this answers your question, how to fight them. The tribes have been sending individual warbands to the line, while others rest at the village. This means the new Jarl is lightly guarded. If you could sneak in and take him out of the fight, then you could end this assault."

  "How many do think might be in the village?"

  Latia lifted a shoulder. "Probably three or four warbands of ten Ice Giants, and most Jarls have a special guard of four which usually includes a Jarl Maiden."

  "Ice Giant witch."

  Keeper Latia bristled at his words, her voice coming out low and hard. "Sorceress. Do not underestimate them."

  "Would you come with us? Help us fight the Ice Giants?" he asked.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. "No."

  Terran gestured towards the food and drink. "Most of what you told me was irrelevant to stopping them. You could have told me that last part in a few minutes. Why did you ask me here?"

  "I wanted you to understand the Ice Giants." Her ice-blue eyes flashed up. "And I had ulterior motives."

  Heat rose in Terran's cheeks. "I don't know what you mean," he lied.

  "The Black Citadel is a lonely place," said Latia, licking her lips as she rose from her chair.

  Before he could speak, she was straddling his legs, caressing his cheek. Her skin was slightly cold.

  "I...uhm," he said, thinking about Della and Chanterelle.

  "If you have another, I don't care," said Latia firmly. "And maybe I'll help you, as you asked."

  He didn't know what to say. Her lips were pressed against his before he could think of anything, not that it mattered. He wanted her. The offer for help was enough of a pretext to demolish his weak resistance. Their passion led them to the enormous bed that could have slept a dozen people. They used every inch of it. Terran was thankful for his demigod stamina, as the night was long and full of icy warmth.

  Chapter Seventeen

  In the slumbering haze of waking, Terran though he saw a much taller shadow beyond the privacy curtain, but a blink returned the expected proportions. A moment later, Keeper Latia circled around in her formal robes and sat on the bed next to him, a soft smile on her lips.

  "Good morning," she said with a hungry grin. "If we weren't at war, I could stay in bed with you for a few weeks."

  "I'd need to eat first. I'm famished."

  She gestured towards the table. "Food has arrived. Eat your fill. We must fight today."

  "We? You've accepted my offer?"

  Latia let her tongue tease the bottom of her lips. "You accepted mine. Quite well, in fact."

  The memories of last night's endeavors warmed him right through the middle, but the brief outline of her taller self was more recent and concerning. He smiled away his reticence.

  "I would be honored to have you join us," he said.

  "Good. I must speak to Astran to inform him of my choice. Meet me on the roof with your friends when you're ready." She pressed her lips to his, hungrily nibbling, before pulling away. Despite last night's excesses, he felt he could go another round. He dressed alone, gathering his gear, and found the others before returning to the roof, where the assault continued unabated.

  The sky above the Black Citadel was thick with clouds. The mountains to the east were covered by a snowstorm, which seemed to be steadily moving west. As they came up behind High Keeper Astran and Keeper Latia, standing at the battlements, speaking quietly, Luna put a claw to his leg.

  "What's wrong? I can feel your tension," said the lynx.

  "I thought I saw something this morning."

  "What you two do in the privacy of her quarters is up to you," said Luna.

  The two Keepers turned to them.

  "Are you ready?" asked High Keeper Astran.

  Terran glanced at Latia. "I'm rested, at least."

  "You must have had quite the discussion for Keeper Latia to agree to come with you," said High Keeper Astran, frowning.

  "Is that unusual?"

  High Keeper Astran turned towards his companion, appraising her. "Keeper Latia?"

  "You said it yourself, the Black Citadel is at risk if we don't stop them, and my abilities are less meaningful at a distance. If we can get to the Jarl then the reasons for the war might disappear. My knowledge will be more helpful at the Ice Giant villages," said Latia.

  High Keeper Astran seemed to want to say more, but squeezed his lips tight instead.

  "How can we reach them?" asked Terran. "Is there any way to take down the interdiction so I can teleport out?"

  "I'm afraid not," said High Keeper Astran glumly. "Your best bet is to wait for the snow and use it for cover. It will be here in less than an hour."

  True to Astran's prediction, the snow started not long after, coming down in thick flakes that got stuck in his eyelashes. Keeper Latia had changed into thick white robes which, except for her light blue skin, made her disappear against the backdrop. A sage let them out a postern gate at the rear of the Black Citadel. While the Ice Giants had encircled the keep, the majority were on the western side.

  The snow crunched underfoot as they hurried through the blizzard, visibility down to a hundred feet. The storm made the world muted. Luna led the four of them in a straight line, but slowed when they neared the Ice Giant line. She found a gap between two groups of catapults. The war machines kept firing in the snow, their ice boulders flying through the silent air, already set for distance. Behind Luna, they crept forward, keeping low and going slow until the last moment and then surging forward to reduce the chances of prying eyes.

  [You have increased the skill Stealth]

  Skill: Stealth (AGI)

  It's not like hiding in a snowstorm is that hard. Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.

  On the other side of the giant line, they slowed, heading into the pine forest, where the snows drifted higher.

  Keeper Latia took the lead, her lips cast in a grim line. "I know the way."

  They moved through the forest like a dream, the sounds of catapults lost to the snow, traveling for an hour before they arrived. Terran smelled fires in the village before he saw the first signs. A dozen longhouses filled the small valley, each one taller than the Ice Giants, incomprehensible runes displayed on the wooden doors. The storm had dissipated, so visibility was no longer an issue. Ice Giant guards patrolled the area in groups of three, each sporting the same colored armband.

  "The biggest longhouse in the back is the Jarl's quarters," said Keeper Latia.

  "Let's sneak around to the back, avoid the patrols," said Terran.

  Latia shook her head. "A smart Jarl keeps warhound pens in the back. If there's a new Jarl, I doubt he wouldn't do the same. We'd never get within a hundred feet before they warned him, so we have t
o go through the front. Don't worry, it's the safer path. If we engage a patrol, as long as no one else sees us, they won't go for help because they would be dishonored for being bested by the smaller races."

  "What about you, boom boy?" asked Luna, looking up at Terran. "Going to give away our position with your voice?"

  Terran turned in a slow circle. "How far do you think a patrol would follow someone into the trees? Far enough to making fighting safer?"

  Luna screwed up her furry face. "In any other circumstance I would dig my claws into your leg for volunteering me, yet again, for reconnaissance duties, but in this case I will enthusiastically join."

  Terran winked. "I knew you'd be up for it." He leaned on his staff. "What about you, Keeper Latia? What do you bring to the fight?"

  There was no give to her expression, and neither were answers forthcoming. "I'll be ready."

  "Very well."

  After they found a spot in a tight grove for an ambush and erased their steps with pine branches, Luna padded away, leaving them crouching behind a line of bushes.

  "You're in charge of keeping them in the clearing, Newt," said Terran. "We can't have a single runner."

  The dark-skinned mage nodded.

  Incoming!

  Terran didn't have to say anything to his companions because he flinched upright, and they tensed, staring intently at the gap between the trees. As snow fell from the trees, Terran readied his staff and steadied his breathing.

  Luna bounded over the fallen log and Terran worried that she'd pulled too many, but he only saw three Ice Giants thundering after the lynx. When they reached the clearing the lead giant said, "Where'd it go? I want that pelt for my wall."

  "Looking for me?" called Luna from a spot near them.

  The Ice Giants recoiled in surprise, but regripped their weapons for battle.

  "One or four, it doesn't matter," said the lead Ice Giant.

  Before the first could reach them, Newt yanked it towards a big conifer at the side of the clearing. It looked like the giant had been pulled by puppet strings, and the impact knocked it dizzy.