The next morning, I leaned against the city wall near the gate, gazing off into the streets, watching the flow of wagons and foot traffic passing into and out of the city, but not really seeing any of it. I mentally reviewed the list of possible threats I’d read about, thoughts slow and muddled. I was so lost in my musings that I didn’t even realize Vera had joined me until she cleared her throat loudly from beside me.

  “Oh! Vera, there you are.”

  The ogress raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. “Aye, here I am. Did you get any rest? You look like hell.”

  I glowered, shaking my head. “Barely. Marum, my roommate that is, extracted a promise I made and forgot about. Dragged me to a tavern and plied me with his favorite vice. I’m fine, just a bit hungover. But I did manage to stop by the guild and do a bit of reading. How did you fair?”

  Vera let out a barking laugh, chuckling further when I winced at the sound. “Well damn, I wish I’d known, would have met you for it. My night was pretty damn good,” she said, eyes twinkling. Only then did I notice the deeper shade of red to her cheeks, the confident, exhilarated way she stood, like nothing could stand before her. My eyes narrowed as her smile widened. “Let’s just say that though he definitely didn’t have a silver tongue, I’d wager that Bard’s is worth its weight in it!”

  It took me a moment to recall who she was talking about. A bard… at the Daisy, right, the stringy fellow. After a moment, my eyes widened before I rolled them pointedly. “First, really? The bard? I figured you’d be into… larger men. Second… nice.” My smile was genuine as she enthusiastically slapped my upraised hand.

  She rolled her shoulders, clearly the night had done her some good at least. “I can enjoy a brute whenever I want back home, but it’s the smaller fellows, they have less to work with so they learn how. Much more important. And I was able to shack up in his room, rather than hoof it back to your place. But yes, I got what I was looking for at the smith’s as well,” she said, patting the handle rising above her shoulder.

  Eyebrows raised, I circled around as Vera pivoted to show off her latest purchase. A massive longsword now decorated her back, sheathed in dark leather. The blade was nearly as long as I was tall, and broad enough to be very heavy. I nodded appreciatively. “Very nice. Might not be able to swing it down in a mine very well, though,” I said, thumbing my chin.

  She nodded in agreement, saying “Aye, I know. It’s more of a back up anyway. Depending on how much space we’re working with, I may just leave it outside. Still, happy to have it. Oh! And I did sell off that shard, I’ve got your share here.” She handed me a fat purse, full of silver on closer inspection. I nodded my thanks as she added “Did you learn anything useful in your reading?”

  I waggled a hand noncommittally. “Mmmm, maybe. There’s a whole host of things that could be living in a mine, and the description Ismo provided doesn’t really narrow the search much. And because it's underground, there isn’t really a range based on climate like on the surface.” And that was the truth, the bestiary at the guild was in dozens of enchanted volumes, taking up an entire wall of the store room. It had take me some time just to find a general section of cavern dwelling creatures.

  “So we’ve got no real idea, then?”

  “Pretty much. Just some possibilities. And a hope that it isn’t some elemental trapped on this plane. That would be… difficult.”

  Vera chuckled, clapping my shoulder. “Well, it's more of an adventure this way. Ready?”

  At my answering nod, we moved toward the gate. The traffic here was steady but not crowded, and we made it through quickly and without issue, finding the stocky form of Ismo waiting for us just off the road with a few of the mining company joining him. Waiving, we joined him. The other dwarves with him were a swarthy lot, with well built physiques clearly used to manual labor evident as they shouldered packs and one hand cart laden with supplies. Ismo’s beard split around the white of his smile, and he shook both of our hands vigorously.

  “Ah, good, yeh made it! Me lads n’ I weren’t sure yeh’d be back after seeing the state of yer city.”

  I nodded graciously, saying “We said we’d be here, and we are. Why don’t we start walking there as we discuss details?”

  “Aye, a good plan. It’s only a short hike, so we should be able to get started today.”

  Setting off down the road and turning east, our group made good progress through the growing hills, even when the negotiations for our pay got slightly more heated than I had anticipated. Vera was doing most of the talking. Though talking was perhaps too kind a way to describe the shouting match she was currently having with the dwarf.

  “-and who knows what hellfire-wrought creatures are living down in your pit! We’re providing a service, and you’re getting the best around! So you’re paying for the best!”

  Ismo blustered, cheeks burning nearly as crimson as Vera. “Fie! That pit is me great-great-grandfathers pride, it is no mere pit! It has miles of tunnels!”

  “Exactly! Miles! There could be any manner of beastie down there waiting for us! And for extra time spent, we’ll be charging the iron-rank rate for Guilders. That’s final!”

  Ismo threw up his hands. “Yeh don’t even know what’s down there! It could be some wee creature of no consequence!”

  Vera blew a raspberry, rolling her eyes. “Please, and killed nearly every one of your scouts? No, Iron Rank rate it is. I am Steel Rank, and Bram here is Bronze, so split the difference. You’re getting a deal here anyway, as we’re not tacking on the cost of supplies or unknown hazard rate!”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  It went on like this for some time. Eventually, Ismo accepted the agreement with a grumble, having excised a concession that if nothing substantial was found, we’d reduce the amount by half. My only contribution had been that I wanted all rights to the corpse of any creature they killed. That had earned a few strange glances from the dwarves, but in the end they’d shrugged and agreed. Vera had simply nodded, and continued with the discussion. Hopefully I wouldn’t be debilitated this time, and I’d had a big breakfast but… I was still hungry. I shook my head as we walked. Probably just a side effect of getting used to these new abilities.

  As the day crept on, we finally arrived at the mine. Set into the side of a wide, rocky hill sparsely covered in grass and spindly trees, the mouth of the mine was sturdily crafted of wide stone pillars holding it open, carved in the blocky hexagonal patterns so popular among dwarven architecture. The opening was closed, covered by a stone door that looked far too heavy for any mortal hand to budge. Set in front of the mine was a slapdash camp, with thrown together low wooden walls abutting the hillside and encircling the many tents and wagons that Ismo’s people were currently living out of in the small valley.

  Dozens of dwarves moved through the camp, buzzing with the sounds of life and commerce. A makeshift forge had been set up near the doors to the mine, and several dwarves made use of it, hammering in a rhythm that seemed to orchestrate the rest of the camp’s activity. There were several cooking stations erected throughout, though no fires that I could see as we entered through the hastily erected gate. I eyed it as we walked past, remarking “Have you had trouble out here as well?”

  Ismo just grumbled. “No, me head of security’s just a wee bit inflexible, don’t care for indefensible positions.” He scratched his beard, before adding. “Means well though. Born and raised in the deep, she’s not used to the open skies up here yet.”

  I simply nodded. I couldn’t imagine living my entire life underground, never seeing the sun, smelling the sea. I’d been under for just a few days and I had been desperate to return to the surface. And here I was ready to venture into the depths again. I shook my head. This time would be different. And a dwarven mine was bound to be a damn sight more sturdy than an ancient, unmaintained sewer system.

  As we threaded through the camp, Vera spoke up. “You said one of your scouts returned. Are they still here? I’d like to get a bit more info out of them, if we can.”

  Ismo halted, nodding. “Aye, he’s here. Won’t leave the wagon though, so it’ll be a squeeze. We’d only been here a day when we sent em in, hadn’t had a chance ta set up the walls. Poor bastard’s terrified we’ll send him back in.” The surly dwarf shook his head morosely. I raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. Few would care about their subordinates well-being enough to even think on it. My opinion of the mining company’s leader warmed by several degrees as we stepped carefully through the camp, arriving at a wagon that stood very near the wall farthest from the mine’s entrance.

  Ismo indicated we should wait as he clambered up into the wagon, murmuring quietly to the lone occupant. I turned away, studying the layout of the camp, though my ears picked up the shaking voice of the scout within as he agreed to speak with them. Ismo hopped down out of the wagon, waving them over, speaking quietly. “Alright, he’s ready ta talk. Name’s Morsten. Try ta make it quick, lad’s been through enough without havin’ ta relive it.” Vera and I both nodded, before we climbed up one after another.

  The interior was lit by several glowstones scattered around the wagon, banishing every shadow in a warm glow. Against the far corner of the wagon, wrapped in some dark fur, huddled the dwarven scout. His hair was a deep burgundy, and his beard was short, and not as full as that of the other dwarves in the camp. I pegged him to be in his late 30’s if I had to guess, based on what I knew of how dwarves matured, which admittedly wasn’t much. His eyes were bloodshot, flickering across us and cringing as we jostled the wagon. I tried for what I hoped was a friendly smile. “Hello there Morsten, my name is Bram, and this is Vera. We’re with the Hunter’s Guild in Balandor. I’m hoping you can tell us more about what you saw or heard down there.”

  Vera nodded beside me, a soft smile replacing her normal grin. Morsten hunched his shoulders and pinched his eyes shut, shuddering softly. After a moment, he opened eyes lit with a glimmer of strength as he nodded at me, before he started to speak. He coughed once, clearing a seldom used voice. “Aye, it were very dark down there. Very dark…” he trailed off, eyes going distant.

  I glanced at Vera, her mouth twisting in a sad frown. Before either of us could interrupt, he continued. “At first, it were so quiet, only sound were us and the sensors. We went deeper-”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, Morsten, I really am. But this could be important: what sensors?” I cringed at stopping the young dwarf, but details like this could help us identify whatever was down there.

  Morsten paused, cocking his head at me. Reaching into the folds of the fur draped over him, he withdrew a short spike of dark blue metal, shimmering in the wan light. It was roughly shaped like a narrow trowel, with a large flat pommel past the leather wrapped grip. I lifted the surprisingly heavy spike from his outstretched hand, examining the array of unfamiliar runes carved into the pommel as he explained. “Sensors… eh, we use 'em ta ken the rock.” At our blank looks, he continued. “The runes… they light up different fer each ore. We hammer 'em in ta the rock ta know if the mine is good still.”

  “Mmmmmm, alright,” I said, nodding in understanding. So the sound of hammering could have alerted whatever had preyed upon the scouts. Or it could have been mere coincidence. Still, I was curious about these ‘sensors’ and the strange heavy metal they were made of. “What are these sensors made of, Morsten?”

  The young dwarf’s mouth thinned to a line behind his scraggly beard, looking between us warily. Finally, he seemed to relent, saying “We’re not really supposed ta tell yeh. Outsiders, I mean. It just stirs up trouble, Ismo says. But… it’s Adamantite.”

  My eyebrows climbed up to my hairline as Vera let out a low whistle. The metal was legendary, and for good reason. Nearly impossible to forge due to its incredible heat tolerance, and practically indestructible once cooled, only the dwarves could forge it in their deep, hidden places with any reliability. It made sense that they’d keep this close to the chest, it made these sensors incredibly valuable to a thief, but practically worthless to anyone who truly understood the metal, as they couldn’t be reforged, and would make a poor weapon. I nodded my understanding slowly. “We understand, and they’d be useless to us. You’ll not have any trouble from us about it.” Vera nodded as well, before asking Morsten to continue with his tale.

  He shifted, wrapping his arms about his short legs as he began again. “Aye, so we were testing the stone, checkin’ fer veins. Fer a while, everything was fine. Mine had been locked tight fer years, nothin bothered us. But once we got deeper, maybe…” He swallowed thickly. “Maybe half mile down in the main shaft, we started to hear it. Something in the stone. It… it just came straight outta the walls and took Eivor, great dark maw, Orsted said. Didn’t leave nothin ‘cept part of his hammer.” Morsten shuddered, grabbing a broken shaft of wood that leaned against the wall next to him, running a thumb along the grain slowly. We waited quietly until he took up the tale once more. “After it took Eivor, we didn’t move. Fer hours, we stayed, waitin’. Worked up the nerve ta leave, and I… I grabbed this. Wanted somethin’, anythin’ to bring back. But it just kept coming back, takin’ us one by one.” Tears stained the dwarf’s beard as his shoulders shook. “It almost got me, too. Came back and took Orsted, only… I’m not sure. I’m thinkin’, thinkin’ it snagged my belt as it passed. Almost dragged me down with it. I dunno how it works, it… just disappears into the stone. Took me belt with it. Left me there by meself. I waited… I waited so long, thinkin’ it’d be back for me, ta finish me off. But it never did.” He sobbed quietly, and I turned to Vera, shaking my head as we shared a morose look.

  Vera reached out, patting the crying dwarf gently. “Thanks Morsten, I think that’s all we need. Thank you, this has been very helpful. We’ll find whatever did this.”

  I nodded, and tried to hand the sensor spike with murmured thanks, but he waved me away, and mumbled through his tears “Keep it, tis a cursed thing.” I frowned, but nodded and we left the cart as quietly as we could.

  Clambering down, we met a grim faced Ismo, who only asked “Get what ya needed?” Vera nodded, and I mirrored her, but more slowly. Vera discussed details with Ismo while my mind wandered. I sorted through my recollection of the bestiary this morning, frowning. Wolfwings were attracted to sound, but the great bat-like creatures were normally found in massive caverns, not narrow mine shafts. I also doubted there would be enough food in a mine to feed one, and they always lived in packs. Not to mention the creature supposedly moved through solid stone as if it were water. Nothing beyond an earth elemental could do that, I had thought.

  Vera’s warm hand on my shoulder drug me from my thoughts, looking up as we followed behind Ismo to the entrance to the mine. As we drew closer, the late afternoon sun drew long shadows in the small valley, draping the entrance in darkness that seemed to yawn open like a great mouth, welcoming us. We stopped at the door, pausing. Ismo tugged on his beard, nervous as I was likely. I turned to him, my mouth a grim line.

  “Give us three days. And… keep this door closed while we’re in there. I’m still not sure what it is, but we don’t want it getting out. Just make sure to keep someone listening, in case we’re back early.”

  Vera’s smile was dark, and I recognized a similar sentiment growing within me as well. The thrill of a challenge, the drive to test myself against challenges, each greater than the last. I grinned right back, clenching my fist around the sensor spike.

  We stepped through together, and the stone doors ground shut behind us, sealing us in darkness.