novelraw Chapter 142
Chapter 142
A soft, disarmingly sweet voice—yet edged with cold indifference—drifted back to her.
"If you have no fear of being blown into pieces, by all means, return to the entrance."
Azure flattened her wings, hovering in the smoky air.
Right. The weapons of these vermin are... anomalous.
She watched the white dragon check her dive, bank clumsily, and retreat. Azure said nothing. She simply folded her own wings and dropped like a stone, landing silently near the treeline.
Thump. Thump.
Both wyrmlings were back on the ground.
Bianca flattened herself against the earth, her soot-stained white head held high, staring unblinkingly at the fiery mouth of the cave. Her tail lay still. No wagging.
Azure glanced at her sister, then turned her gaze back to the inferno.
Deep below, Snaggle stood at the base of the tunnel, his jaundiced eyes reflecting the renewed intensity of the flames above. Sweat slicked his green skin, but he made no move to wipe it away.
Blocked again. And guarded.
We cannot exit here.
But he could not allow the besiegers to rest.
He thought back to the red dragon—the wyrmling he had glimpsed. Was it working with the others? Or was the blockade the work of a master, perhaps an adult chromatic dragon directing its brood?
They collapsed Tunnel Two. They destroyed the ventilation shafts. But they have not collapsed Tunnel One, only blocked it.
They are not trying to exterminate us.
If they wanted us dead, they would have buried us hours ago.
The realization struck him like a physical blow.
Enslavement.
The word echoed in his mind, cold and terrible.
Snaggle’s lips curled back, revealing yellowed fangs. A savage growl rumbled in his throat.
No! The wise and noble Gnome race will never be slaves! Not again!
Around him, hundreds of goblins stared. They were waiting. Snaggle’s orders had always brought food. Snaggle’s orders had brought power. They believed in him with the blind, terrifying faith of a hive mind.
Snaggle shook off his rage and scanned his people.
"Keep firing!" he roared. "Do not stop until the fire is extinguished!"
"GRAHHH!"
"Diggers! Do not stop! Those who reach the surface, regroup at Tunnel One and flank the enemy!"
"GRAHHH!"
The mass of green bodies surged into action. Some reloaded the cannons; others hefted pickaxes and scrambled for the auxiliary shafts.
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Whoosh.
[Burst!]
Rumble...
Aiden watched dispassionately as yet another ventilation shaft collapsed in on itself.
That’s the last one I could see.
He spread his wings, kicking off the ground with all four claws.
Snap! Rustle!
He burst through the canopy, shaking his head to dislodge a branch caught in his horns.
Boom!
The sound of an explosion rolled through the forest, heavy and dull.
Aiden pumped his wings, gaining altitude until the entire forest lay spread out below him like a dark tapestry.
He looked down toward the main cavern. His sisters were still hovering there.
Safe.
Boom!
Another plume of fire shot up from the cave mouth, painting the underbelly of the clouds orange.
Aiden’s eyes narrowed.
Artillery again? Their technology is persistent.
He prepared to fly back to support them.
Whoosh.
Just as he banked, a movement in his peripheral vision stopped him cold.
A thin grey column of smoke rose from a patch of forest he had thought secure.
Then another. And another.
Dozens of grey smoke signals began to curl up from the trees, dotting the landscape like pox.
Fire ignited in Aiden’s red eyes—literal flames dancing in the crimson irises.
Calm down. Calm down.
These goblins have value. They are assets.
Huuuu...
He exhaled forcefully, twin jets of fire shooting from his nostrils. The flames in his eyes died down, replaced by a cold, calculating annoyance.
Killing them all would be trivial. One [Starfall] into the main cavern and this problem is solved.
But enslavement… it’s such a tedious affair.
I'm starting to regret this. What a hassle.
He glanced back at the main cave. Azure was there. She was competent. If things went south, she was smart enough to grab the idiot and run.
They can handle themselves for a few minutes.
He turned his gaze back to the popping smoke signals—the "whack-a-mole" game from hell.
Ugh. Overtime.
***
Rustle.
Azure’s ear twitched. She lifted her head from her paws, scanning the bushes to her left.
Silence.
Just a frightened animal, she concluded, lowering her head. The forest had been noisy all night.
Boom!
The cave entrance exploded again. Fire surged.
Azure watched the flames dance in her vertical pupils. Persistent little vermin.
Rustle.
Suddenly, the bushes to her left parted. Not one, not two, but twelve muskets poked out in a ragged line.
Click.
Triggers were pulled. Transparent rings of force flared at the muzzles.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
...
Boom!
Eleven muskets fired. The twelfth exploded.
The barrel of the faulty weapon ruptured, spraying liquid silver fire over the goblin holding it.
"Grahhh! Grahhh!"
The goblin shrieked as it was instantly immolated, turning into a flailing torch.
Ping! Ping! Ping!
Eleven silver spheres struck the white dragon. Most bounced off her scales harmlessly. A few rolled to a stop right in front of her nose.
Huh?
Bianca blinked. Something tickled.
She looked down. A silver sphere, shiny and round, lay in the grass.
It reflected the firelight, glittering like a coin.
Shiny...
Wait. Silver? Shiny?
The White Dragon Logic Engine™ kicked into gear: Shiny = Treasure = Little Darlings!
Her eyes sparkled. She reached out with a claw, delicately picking up the sphere and placing it in her left palm.
Mine! These are Bianca's treasures!
Azure ignored her sister, her gaze fixed on the goblins stumbling out of the brush. They were panicked, disorganized, and holding smoking tubes.
Muskets, she noted. Gnomish tech.
Her lips curled into a smile that was not entirely sane.
Now, I am curious.
She glanced sideways. Bianca was diligently collecting the spent rounds from the grass, her head buried in the turf.
Bianca picked up the last one. She now held seven silver spheres in her cupped hands.
"Azure! Azure! Look!"
She held out her "treasure," her eyes wide with pride.
Azure looked.
Seven silver spheres sat in the white palm. Runes were etched into their surface.
Azure leaned in to inspect them.
Wait. Those runes are glowing.
The silver spheres began to turn angry red.
Bianca tilted her head. Huh? Why are my darlings changing color?
Azure’s head snapped up. She began to back away slowly, without a word.
Boom!
A cloud of black soot erupted, engulfing the white dragon’s head.
Bianca staggered, coughing.
As the smoke cleared, the pristine white head of the great Bianca was revealed to be... completely matte black.
She had, effectively, changed teams.