A Banner Torn (Book 1 Complete)

Kaelid :

They continued down the tunnel, stepping carefully around the remains of the fungus creatures. Kaelid noticed that the strange visual effect of the pulse was growing stronger. Each beat now sent a distinct wave of blue-green color washing across his field of vision, momentarily transforming the tunnel into something otherworldly.

"Are you alright?" Rannek asked quietly, noticing his friend's distraction. "You keep blinking and looking around strangely."

"I'm seeing colors," he admitted in a whisper. "When the pulse hits, it's like a wave of blue-green washing over everything."

Rannek's eyes widened slightly. "I'm not seeing colors, but... I've been feeling something odd too. Like I know when something's about to happen, just before it does."

So Rannek was experiencing changes too, though different ones. He wondered if it had something to do with the crystal shards they had absorbed from Curio. He was about to ask further when Brannic, who had moved slightly ahead, suddenly stopped.

"There's a larger chamber ahead," the dragonkin informed them, his voice low. "And I smell delvers."

"What are delvers exactly?" Grateful for the distraction from his growing concerns.

"Small humanoid creatures, about half your height," Brannic explained. "They're clever and use simple tools. The Petrakahrn believe they were once miners who became trapped and adapted to life underground over many generations."

"Are they dangerous?" Rannek asked.

"Not individually, but they work in groups and can be cunning. They've been known to collapse tunnels on intruders or lure them into natural traps." Brannic's expression grew more serious. "This will be a greater challenge than what you've faced so far. Stay close and follow my lead."

They approached the chamber cautiously, crystal lights held low to minimize their visibility. As they reached the entrance, He could see that it was larger than the previous chambers, with a high ceiling lost in darkness above. The floor was uneven, dropping away in places to form shallow pits. Crude structures had been built against the walls, resembling nests or small dwellings constructed from mining debris and stolen materials.

And there were the delvers themselves. Just as Brannic had described, they stood about half the height of a human, with thin, wiry bodies and oversized heads. Their skin was pale from generations underground, and their large eyes reflected the crystal light like those of nocturnal animals. They wore simple garments made from what looked like fungus fiber, and many carried tools that doubled as weapons, pickaxes and hammers sized for their small hands.

He counted at least a dozen of them scattered throughout the chamber, some working at what appeared to be a small forge, others sorting through piles of stolen goods. They hadn't noticed the intruders yet, focused on their tasks.

"We need to drive them out, not necessarily kill them," Brannic whispered. "They'll flee if sufficiently threatened, and the Petrakahrn can seal this section afterward to prevent their return."

He pointed to a large support column near the center of the chamber. "That's their central gathering point. If we can claim that position, they'll likely scatter."

Kaelid nodded, studying the layout of the chamber. With each pulse, the wash of color sharpened his vision for a heartbeat, revealing details that would otherwise have been lost in shadow. He could see trip wires strung across certain pathways, and shallow pits covered with flimsy materials designed to collapse under weight.

"There are traps," he whispered. "Wires across the paths to our left, and fake floor sections covering pits straight ahead."

Brannic looked at him with that same sharp, assessing gaze he had shown earlier. "You can see all that?"

Nodding again, he was uncertain how to explain his enhanced vision.

"Then you lead," Brannic decided. "Guide us through the safe path to the central column."

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Kaelid stepped into the chamber, moving slowly and deliberately. He chose a path to the right that seemed free of obvious traps, motioning for the others to follow exactly in his footsteps.

They had made it about halfway to the central column when one of the delvers looked up and spotted them. It let out a high-pitched chittering sound that immediately alerted the others. Tools were dropped as the small creatures scrambled to defensive positions, their movements quick and agitated.

"Keep moving," Brannic urged. "Directly to the column now, before they can organize."

They increased their pace, he still leading the way. The delvers began hurling small objects at them, stones and metal scraps that clattered against the floor around them. One struck Rannek's shoulder, making him wince but not slowing his stride.

As they neared the column, several delvers moved to intercept them, brandishing their tool-weapons threateningly. He felt that now-familiar prescience, a sense of knowing exactly where the attacks would come from before they happened. He ducked under a swinging pick-axe, then sidestepped a thrust from a sharpened metal rod.

Beside him, Rannek was similarly evading attacks with uncanny precision, moving as if he could anticipate each delver's intention. Together, they fought their way to the base of the column, Brannic close behind them, his larger size and strength causing the delvers to give him a wider berth.

Once they reached the column, they formed a defensive triangle, backs to the stone, facing outward. The delvers circled them, chattering angrily but hesitant to approach too closely now that their quarry had reached the defensible position.

"Hold your ground," Brannic instructed. "Show strength but don't pursue if they retreat."

One delver, larger than the others and wearing what appeared to be a crude headdress made of metal scraps, stepped forward. It chittered something incomprehensible, gesturing animatedly with a hammer.

"Their leader," Brannic murmured. "It's challenging our right to be here."

The dragonkin stepped slightly forward, drawing himself up to his full height. He let out a rumbling growl that seemed to vibrate the very air, his scales bristling to make him appear even larger. The delver leader took an involuntary step back, its large eyes widening further.

Brannic pointed deliberately toward the tunnel they had entered from, then made a sweeping gesture that clearly communicated "leave." The message was unmistakable even across the language barrier.

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The delver leader hesitated, looking from Brannic to the boys and back again. It chittered to its companions, who responded with their own high-pitched sounds. A debate seemed to be taking place.

Finally, the leader made a decision. It slammed its hammer against the stone floor in what appeared to be frustration or defiance, then barked a series of commands to the others. The delvers began to gather their most valuable possessions, stuffing them into crude bags and pouches.

"They're leaving," Brannic confirmed. "But stay alert. They might try one last attack out of spite."

Sure enough, as the delvers began to file toward a tunnel on the far side of the chamber, the leader made a subtle gesture. Three delvers who had positioned themselves on a ledge above suddenly hurled objects toward the ceiling directly over the hunters' heads.

He looked up just as the pulse beat sent its wave of color across his vision. In that moment of enhanced perception, he saw what was happening with perfect clarity. The delvers had thrown some kind of acid pouches at the ceiling, which was already weakened by their previous mining. The stone was beginning to crack, threatening to collapse on them.

"The ceiling!" he shouted. "Move!"

Without waiting for a response, Kaelid grabbed Rannek's arm and yanked him clear from the column, just as Brannic leaped in the opposite direction. A heartbeat later, a section of the ceiling came crashing down exactly where they had been standing, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.

When the dust settled, they found themselves separated from Brannic by the fallen rubble. The dragonkin's voice came from the other side, slightly muffled but audible.

"Are you hurt?" he called.

"We're fine," He checked Rannek, who nodded in confirmation. "But we're cut off from you."

"The delvers planned this," Brannic's voice came back, tinged with anger. "They're trying to separate us. Stay where you are. I'll find another way around to you."

He looked around anxiously. The chamber was now empty of delvers, all having fled during the confusion of the collapse. But he and Rannek were alone on their side of the rubble pile, with no clear path back to the tunnel they had entered through.

"What do we do?" Rannek asked, dusting stone fragments from his clothes.

Before he could answer, the pulse beat sent another wave of color across his vision. In that moment of clarity, he noticed something he hadn't seen before, a faint glow coming from a small tunnel opening on their side of the chamber.

"There," he pointed. "I think that might connect back to the main tunnels. The light has the same quality as the pulse node we saw earlier."

Rannek looked dubious. "It's pretty small. Are you sure?"

"Brannic, there's a small tunnel here that might lead back to the main section. Should we try it or wait for you?"

There was a pause before the dragonkin's reply came. "Is it marked with any Petrakahrn symbols?"

He approached the tunnel entrance carefully, examining the stone around it. "Yes, there's a small symbol carved here. It looks like a spiral with a line through it."

"That's a Petrakahrn navigation marker," Brannic confirmed. "It should lead to a main tunnel. Proceed carefully and I'll meet you at the next junction. If you encounter any Petrakahrn, tell them you're with me."

"Understood," he called back. Kaelid turned to Rannek. "Ready?"

His friend nodded, though his expression remained uncertain. "Lead the way. You seem to be seeing things better than I am down here."

Together, they entered the small tunnel, which forced them to hunch slightly as they walked. Their crystal lights illuminated smooth walls that bore signs of deliberate carving rather than natural formation. The pulse beat continued beneath their feet, guiding them forward with its steady rhythm.

As they moved deeper into the tunnel, he found that the visual effect of the pulse was becoming even more pronounced. Each beat now transformed his vision completely for a split second, revealing the tunnel in perfect detail from wall to wall, ceiling to floor. It was as if the pulse itself was illuminating the world for him in ways the crystal light couldn't match.

"The tunnel's widening ahead," he informed Rannek, who was following close behind.

"How can you tell? I can barely see past our lights."

"I just... can," Kaelid replied, unable to explain the phenomenon properly. "Trust me."

Sure enough, the tunnel soon expanded into a wider passage that allowed them to stand upright again. The walls here were lined with the same geometric patterns they had seen in the pulse node chamber, and the floor was smooth and level.

"This is definitely a Petrakahrn main tunnel," Kaelid observed. "We should be able to find our way back now."

They continued forward, following the pulse that seemed to grow stronger with each step. After several minutes of walking, they reached another junction where three tunnels converged. Standing in the center, waiting for them, was Brannic.

The dragonkin's expression showed equal parts relief and curiosity as they approached. "You made good time," he commented. "No difficulties?"

"None," Kaelid replied. "The tunnel led straight here, just as I thought it would."

Brannic studied him for a long moment, his golden eyes unreadable. "You've been experiencing changes since we entered the mine," he stated rather than asked. "Both of you, but in different ways."

He exchanged a glance with Rannek, then nodded slowly. "I've been seeing things I shouldn't be able to see. Details in darkness, colors with each pulse beat. And sometimes... sometimes I know what's going to happen just before it does."

"I've felt that too," Rannek added. "Like I can sense movements before they happen. It helped with the lizards and the delvers."

Brannic nodded, as if confirming something he had already suspected. "We should return to the surface," he decided. "We've cleared enough of the marked sections for today, and there are matters we need to discuss in the light of day."

He led them down the third tunnel, which sloped gently upward. "This will take us back to the entrance more directly than the way we came," he explained. "The Petrakahrn maintain these passages for their own use and for trusted surface dwellers."

As they walked, he found himself both relieved and anxious about returning to the surface. Part of him welcomed the chance to escape the strangeness he had been experiencing underground, but another part worried about what Brannic might say about their changes. Would the dragonkin see them as dangerous? Would he forbid them from training with Curio?

The tunnel continued upward, the pulse gradually becoming fainter as they neared the surface. With it, the visual effects he had been experiencing also diminished, the waves of color growing less intense with each beat. By the time they could see daylight filtering in from the entrance ahead, the effect had faded almost entirely, leaving only the normal vision he was accustomed to.

They emerged into the late afternoon sunlight, blinking as their eyes adjusted after hours in the dimness of the mine. The forest stretched before them, peaceful and familiar, a stark contrast to the alien world they had just left behind.

Brannic turned to face them, his expression serious but not unkind. "Before we return to the village, there is much we need to discuss about what happened below," he said. "But first, we must complete our business with the Petrakahrn."

As if on cue, a grinding sound came from the mine entrance behind them. Turning, they saw a Petrakahrn emerging into the daylight, its crystalline crown glinting in the sun. It was not the same one they had met earlier, this one bearing more elaborate crystal formations and patterns etched into its stone body.

"Brannic-of-the-Surface," it greeted, its voice like gravel shifting underfoot. "The Deep-Pulse senses the vermin have been driven back. Our agreement is fulfilled."

The stone being extended a hand, upon which rested three small objects. "Payment, as promised."

Brannic accepted the items with a respectful nod. "The upper tunnels are clear," he confirmed. "Though the delvers caused some damage in their retreat. A section of ceiling collapsed in the large chamber."

The Petrakahrn's glowing eyes flickered in what might have been concern. "We will repair. Stone speaks to us, tells us where weakness lies." It turned its attention to the boys. "Young ones performed well? First journey to the Deep?"

"They acquitted themselves admirably," Brannic replied. "They show promise."

The stone being studied them for a moment, its gaze lingering on him in particular. "This one hears the Pulse," it stated. "Rare in surface dwellers. A gift to be nurtured."

With that cryptic comment, the Petrakahrn inclined its upper body in a formal bow, then turned and retreated into the darkness of the mine, its footsteps fading into the background rhythm of the earth.

Brannic looked down at the objects in his hand, then held them out for the boys to see. They were small crystals similar to the light crystals they had used in the mine, but these glowed with a warm amber light instead of blue.

"Petrakahrn heartstone crystals," he explained. "Rare and valuable. They're said to provide warmth and comfort to those who carry them, regardless of the external temperature." He handed one to each boy, keeping the third. "You've earned these today."

He accepted the crystal with wonder, feeling its pleasant warmth against his palm. It pulsed gently, reminiscent of the mine's rhythm but softer, more personal somehow.

"Thank you," he said, both to Brannic and to the absent Petrakahrn.

"Now," Brannic said, his tone becoming more serious, "let us find a place to rest and talk. There is much to discuss about what you experienced below, and what it might mean for your future."