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For two arduous days, Toryn and the Amayans pursued the warlock. The tunnel took them deep beneath the mountains, so deep, Toryn feared they would never see the surface again. They stopped only for short rests, yet Amyra still seemed out of reach. They had heard no more cries of her anguish, but whether this was an encouraging sign, none dared to consider. Toryn found the closeness of the tunnel walls oppressive and longed for the open sky. But his mood had lifted once the ground had leveled, and their passage took them through a succession of what must have been vast, underground halls. Eryn believed Ormoroth had hidden his armies beneath the mountains during their conflict with the Elorym. The leagues of tunnels and many caverns allowed him to move his soldiers at speed, emerging to strike and retreat, while avoiding the eyes of the Elorym towers. Toryn’s skin had crawled as the Amayans told him tales of the cobtrolls’ ancestors. Both larger and more cunning, they presented a challenge even to a skilled fighter. But as Ormoroth’s strength waned during the last desperate battles, so had his command over the reluctant subterranean creatures.

Eryn hissed. ‘Wait!’ Her voice echoed. ‘They’ve stopped. I can’t hear the slap of the trolls’ feet.’ They stood in a hall, large enough for its walls and ceiling to evade the light of the Amayan blades. Eryn turned, stretched out her arms and splayed her fingers. ‘There are two, possibly three passageways on the north side, and perhaps on both the east and west walls. We appear to be at some sort of crossroads.’ She drew her sword. ‘Vordrak may be planning an ambush.’

Toryn wiped away the sweat pouring into his eyes. He bent to catch his breath. He had not wanted to hold up their pursuit, but he did not possess the stamina of the Amayans. Calestri patted his back. ‘Well at least you get to rest now.’

Eryn raised her blade and whispered a few words. Calestri and Arijan followed suit. Their light grew and shone like the evening sun, bathing the entire hall with its warm light. Toryn gasped as the vast space came into view. But it was not a place built to please the eye. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. What foul creatures had once gathered here? He could almost hear their glee as they awaited orders to commit atrocities he dared not to imagine.

Eryn’s voice echoed. ‘We should all rest. We’ll engage them before long, but in a place of their choosing, so be wary. Best we have an escape route planned, but not the way we came. We achieve nothing by retreating.’

Arijan circled. ‘Why here? Yes, they could surround us, but Vordrak knows his trolls are no match for the three… four of us. And if I could choose the ideal place to take them, it would be here. I prefer to fight where I have the space to swing my blade.’

Eryn took a step towards the north wall. ‘Then we must assume Vordrak has command of more than just his trolls down here. Let us find a suitable route for our escape.’ She led them to the northern end of the hall. Eryn pointed. ‘Three tunnels. But which one did they take? Ah! I can’t find Amyra through this rock. Can you feel anything?’ Her companions shook their heads. ‘Neither can I, and that’s what makes me uneasy.’

Arijan sat. ‘If they’ve stopped, so must we. I need to eat. While I don’t fear those little troll fellows, I still need my strength to see off a few dozen. I don’t want to give them even a small chance of wrapping their clammy hands around my throat.’ She glanced at the nearest tunnel. ‘But if you’re right, Eryn, we may have more on our hands than cobs.’

Eryn and Calestri agreed. They sat in a circle with their backs to each other, keeping a watch on all directions. Arijan handed out food from her supply and they ate in silence. When done, Calestri spoke first. ‘It’s too quiet. If an ambush is coming, they’re taking their time. We’d hear them long before they reach this hall.’

Eryn stood. ‘Something has changed. I can’t determine what, but we should be ready.’

Arijan joined her and pulled Toryn to his feet. ‘Then whatever he has planned, it doesn’t involve the cobs.’ They drew their swords.

Toryn stiffened. ‘Vordrak enters the Song.’ He staggered. ‘He’s strong. The Verses recoil from him.’

Eryn grasped his shoulder. ‘Where does he go?’

‘Give me a moment.’ He closed his eyes and let himself be drawn into the Song. The dark walls of the cavern flashed passed. The hall changed little as he ventured back through the years. A great murmur arose, rising to a cacophony as Toryn came across the Verses of a distant time. Through the mist of the Song, he spied thousands of beasts crammed into the hall. Large trolls, Ruuk-like creatures, and others resembling Norgog stood ready at arms. They shouted, barked, and growled in their harsh tongues, whipped into a frenzy by a warlock. The air rippled around the tall, cloaked figure as he waved his arms and bellowed an invocation to strengthen the grim host with his powers. Toryn’s heart sank as he saw what would come to pass. Warlocks commanded two larger armies, poised to strike from elsewhere beneath the mountains. They would be unleashed upon an Elorym city west of the Kolossos. The city would fall to the onslaught. Hundreds would be massacred, and thousands would be enslaved by Ormoroth’s legions.

‘Toryn?’ Eryn’s voice found him in the Verse. ‘Can you see him?’

His jaw clenched. ‘He's gone far back. Much farther than I am able.’ He found the shadow of Vordrak. The warlock stood not more than three hundred paces ahead of them. But he had yet to notice Toryn’s presence. Vordrak’s attention was fixed on a labyrinth of crudely fashioned passages far beneath their feet. Toryn clutched his stomach. ‘He desires to bring something back.’

‘What is it? To know what we’ll face would allow us to prepare.’

‘It... it can’t be possible. He’s found something. It’s solid rock, yet something stirs within.’

Eryn’s grip tightened. ‘How big?’

Toryn watched in horror as a creature thrashed in the foundations of the mountains. ‘It’s long, it’s like a… droog.’

Arijan cried out. ‘A rockworm!’

Toryn looked down. ‘It resists. Vordrak wrestles with it.’ The warlock’s head jerked up. His black eyes fixed on Toryn. Vordrak thrust out his hand. The blow slammed into Toryn’s chest, expelling him from the Verse. He stumbled back. Calestri steadied him. He opened his eyes, grateful to see the Amayans. ‘What is that beast?’

Eryn clenched her sword. ‘It must be a rockworm. An abomination of Ormoroth’s making. He formed them to carve out this labyrinth, far quicker than any creature with a pick. But don’t despair. Vordrak must be desperate to risk fetching a worm. He knows he hasn’t the means to stop us rescuing Amyra. And he’ll be exhausted from his efforts to summon such a creature from so far back.’ She swished her sword. ‘So thankfully he won’t be able to sustain its presence for long.’

Calestri grimaced. ‘He doesn’t need to. If that thing brings down the ceiling…’

The ground trembled. Toryn threw out his hand to the wall. ‘It’s coming. Does it have a weakness?’

Calestri answered. ‘It’s thrice the size of a horse. It chews through solid rock like a grub would an apple. Its skin is impervious to jagged edges. Ah yes, and it can vomit up stones faster than a trebuchet. So… no, no weaknesses. Or none that we know of.’

Arijan sighed. ‘We could just about outrun it, but that doesn’t help Amyra if we take the wrong tunnel. We must keep the way open to all three.’

Eryn glanced to her sisters, then to Toryn. ‘Then it looks like it’s up to you. The worm has no eyes, so we can’t blind it. Our swords are useless against its thick hide. It would be helpful if you can find something in the Verses.’

Arijan cried out. ‘It’s here!’ The floor at the center of the hall burst open. Fragments erupted from the hole and scattered across the floor. A large, droog-like creature coiled out of the pit, spewing stones from its gaping mouth, lined with rows of fangs. They ran, stumbling into the nearest tunnel. The Amayans turned back to face the entrance. Their blades sparked as they struck flying stones out of the air.

Calestri yelled over her shoulder. ‘Think of something, Toryn. Make it fast. If Vordrak commands that thing, it’ll crush us.’

Toryn stared at the rockworm as it writhed like a fish on dry land. But then it calmed, raised its pointed head and turned towards them. Eryn groaned. ‘He commands it.’ She threw up her hands. ‘Ah! Vordrak’s moving. They’re in the next tunnel. Quick Toryn. If you have a plan, execute it now. We can’t let them escape.’

‘I have an idea.’ He bowed his head. Vordrak’s power was consumed as he fought to control the worm, leaving the way to the Song open. Toryn found his way through the Verses to the cobtrolls running alongside the warlock. They appeared dazed, held by the greater power. He chose three larger trolls and wove a sphere about them. The ground convulsed. Toryn heard the desperate shouts of the Amayans, metal clashing against rock, and the screech of the worm. He directed his attention to the trolls. Vordrak perceived his plan, but chose not to relinquish his hold over the worm.

Toryn snapped the three trolls out of their stupor. Like the droogs, they detested their master. He saw his chance and directed their rage at Vordrak. The trolls fell upon him. They grappled with his cloak, groping with their long fingers to gouge out his eyes. The trolls did not have the strength to defeat a warlock, but they would help Toryn gain the advantage. Vordrak fought back, able to fend off the attack while restraining the rockworm’s will. But just as Toryn thought he had failed, his feet tingled. A source of power! Far below, a river flowed. He absorbed its energy. Heat surged through his bones. Toryn flung out his arms and hurled it at Vordrak. The warlock staggered. The rockworm fought back… and prevailed. With the last of his strength, Vordrak threw off the trolls and departed the Song.

Toryn withdrew. Rubble littered the tunnel. A bloodied Eryn cried out. ‘To Amyra!’ They ran, skidding on the debris as they raced to gain the adjacent passage before their way was blocked. Toryn clutched his ears as the worm shrieked. He lost his footing as the cavern shook. As they entered the tunnel, the worm slammed into the wall and brought down the ceiling. They scrambled clear. Then silence. Toryn looked behind. ‘It’s gone. It’s back in its own time.’

A faint glow lit Eryn’s scarred face. ‘And not a moment too soon. How did you do it?’

Toryn could not stop the grin spreading across his face. ‘I set a few trolls on him. It was just enough to take his attention and loosen his grip on that creature.’

Calestri ruffled his hair. ‘You have a habit of making yourself useful.’

He frowned. ‘But there was something else. There’s a river hundreds of feet below us. It gave me strength. I doubt I could have troubled Vordrak without it.’

Arijan looked to her sisters. ‘A river beneath the Kolossos? That is not known to us. Can you be certain?’

‘I felt its power. And so did Vordrak. It worked through me.’

Arijan patted his back. ‘River or not. You did it.’

Eryn scoffed. ‘Congratulate yourselves later. We need to move. If we catch them soon, we have a good chance of freeing Amyra and defeating a weary warlock with one strike. Now that would be something worth celebrating.’

Toryn took a step but stumbled into Eryn. She held him up. ‘You look spent. You’ve done your part, leave Vordrak to us. We’ll go on ahead. Follow the glow from our swords when you’re ready.’ Toryn slumped against the wall and sank to his knees. He watched the Amayans’ orange light flicker along the tunnel walls and fade. A deep ache penetrated to his core. He thought about lighting the torch in his pack, but his arms refused to move. He had faced a most powerful force of old for the second time. He closed his eyes, yearning to breathe the fresh air of the surface and see clouds floating across blue skies. He imagined lying in the meadows back in Midwyche after a long day’s work. The birds sang. A gentle breeze cooled his brow as he began to drift into—