Dalgron trudged to the most recently sealed mine entrance with Alyna walking next to him. Her unicorn, Syra, followed behind them. Dalgron liked the faun, despite her initial attempt to fool him into thinking she was a human. He believed in honor, and that first act had told him she lacked honor. But she had proven herself loyal. He hoped she remained that way.
Her concern for Vron both comforted and annoyed him. He was glad someone cared for the orc who was, quite possibly, his best warrior. At the same time, her concern only increased his frustration with himself for leaving Vron down there. He should have fought harder. Vron would have.
Though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he had let his fear get the best of him. There was something evil in that cave. Dalgron had never experienced sheer terror like that before. He hadn't wanted to face it again. But this time, he knew what was awaiting him. He was prepared. Nothing could convince him to turn tail and run.
With every step he took closer to the mine entrance, he felt that niggling feeling returning. Of fear. Terror. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his feelings deep inside.
"Are you okay?" Alyna asked, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're a pale green. Not your usual dark green."
"I'm fine." He shrugged off her hand.
Alyna pointed ahead at a pile of rocks. "Is that it?"
"Yes. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it took my strongest orcs a day to build that wall. You and I can't take it down so easily by ourselves."
Alyna turned back to the unicorn. "Syra, can you get us in there?"
The unicorn extended a leg and bowed her head, her horn level with the rock wall. She let out a hoarse roar, and a flash of light burst from her horn.
The wall exploded, rubble falling all around them.
Dalgron threw his arms over his head. "You could have warned me!"
"And where would be the fun in that?" Alyna asked, a smirk on her face.
He couldn't blame the faun for torturing him. He deserved it for leaving Vron in the tunnel. But he'd never admit that to her.
"Thank you, Syra," Alyna said. "You stay out here and keep watch. Dalgron and I are going to investigate this tunnel. See if we can find Vron." She patted the unicorn on the head as it stomped one hoof on the ground. Then she looked up at Dalgron, who was lighting a torch he'd brought. "Let's go." Without waiting for a response, she ran ahead and scrambled over the rubble into the tunnel.
Dalgron carried the torch in his right hand as he followed her inside. The flickering orange light bounced off the tunnel walls. He bit his lower lip, trying to block out how frightening his last trip down here had been.
"How far does this go?" Alyna asked, forging ahead without a care.
"Deep underground. There are many tunnels leading all sorts of places. We have to remember where we turn so we can make it back out again. An orc could get lost in here."
Alyna rested her hand on the black wall of the tunnel. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out three times deeply. Then she smiled at Dalgron. "It's okay. I'm a faun. I have a certain affinity with nature. We won't get lost."
"Nature? I don't see any trees or flowers in here for you to talk to," Dalgron scoffed.
"Rocks are nature, too. I can't speak to them, but they tell me things." Alyna's smile grew. "Don't worry. We won't get lost down here. I promise. You're safe with me." She turned on one booted hoof and continued down the tunnel.
Dalgron watched her until the darkness swallowed her. Then he steeled himself and followed her deeper into the mine.
Strange noises echoed in the tunnel, sending chills down his spine. He shuddered, despite every attempt to control himself. "Alyna?" he called out.
She stopped ahead of him, then turned around, her eyes wide. "Something doesn't feel right down here."
"I know," Dalgron said. "It's the infection."
"No. It's something else. Something malevolent. What's down here other than the mines?"
So, she feels it too, Dalgron thought. "I don't know," he said. "Orcs have been mining underground for centuries. I've rarely ever been here. As a child, the elders taught us the different types of vocations we could pursue as a grown orc. I knew the mines weren't for me, and I never looked back."
"There's an entire community of orcs who lived down here, and you, the general of the orc armies, don't know anything about them? That's reckless." Alyna glared at him.
"They're miners! Most of them are deaf. Half of them are blind to daylight. We had nothing to fear from them," Dalgron said.
"I didn't mean you should fear them. They are orckind. You should have cared about them." Alyna touched the wall and closed her eyes. Her mouth turned downward. "There is something down here that hates us."
"Like the xarlug?"
"Worse," Alyna said. "Much, much worse."
"Then let's get out of here. I'll come back later with orcs from my army." Dalgron was ready to leave, but he told himself it wasn't his fear that was driving his decisions. His plan simply made the most sense. He'd send his orcs here, and he wouldn't have to step foot in the tunnels again.
"No," Alyna whispered, her words barely audible. "It knows we're here."
"It?" Dalgron asked, his voice cracking despite his best efforts to stay calm.
"I can sense the orcs underground. There are many still alive. Some are riddled with disease, but others are not." Alyna pressed her other hand into the wall.
Dalgron could have sworn he saw a faint glow emanating from the faun's hands. But, no, it must be a trick of the torchlight.
"Vron is here." Alyna faced him, her eyes wide, tears streaming down her cheeks. "But there are too many diseased orcs between us. We can't get to him on our own."
"Then I will bring my army down here," Dalgron said once again. He was determined to help, but he knew he couldn't come down here again. It would kill him. His heart was already pounding harder than ever. His throat had gone dry. Soon he would start coughing just to catch his breath. Somehow, this place was trying to kill him.
"We have to leave. Now!" Alyna pushed Dalgron, turning him toward the direction from which they'd come.
He gladly took off at a run, Alyna on his heels. "What is it?" he asked, barely able to catch his breath.
"I don't know. Keep running. If we're to survive this…"
Then there was only silence behind him.
Dalgron turned back, but Alyna was gone. "Alyna?" he called out.
There was no response. It was as if she'd disappeared. As if something had swallowed her in an instant.
With a heavy heart, Dalgron ran until he stumbled out of the entrance. The unicorn stood guard, just where they'd left her.
"Can you rebuild that wall, too?" Dalgron asked.
The unicorn cocked her head to the side, looking at him quizzically.
"I don't know where she's gone to," Dalgron said. "Alyna didn't make it out."
The unicorn—Syra, he thought her name was—took careful steps toward the entrance. She placed one hoof inside, then reared up on her back legs, whinnied, and scrambled backward.
"I know, girl," Dalgron said, patting the unicorn's mane. "I'm afraid, too."
He picked up a rock and placed it in front of the entrance. He'd keep stacking rocks until it was completely covered once more. Somehow, he knew he was safe outside the tunnel—but he was too afraid to go back to the encampment and ask for help.