Ruein: Fires of Haraden: Action/Adventure Necromancy Series (Books of Ruein Book 2), G.O. Turner [little bear else holmelund minarik txt] 📗

floor, he retrieved a cylinder from his side bag. “Suppose this is a good a time as any. I like to call it…Friends of the Unseen.”

Ceer offered a tusky smile. “Deepwater magus say, make all Twigs’ friends no seeable.”

Twigs raised a hand. “Just understand, this is upping our contribution.”

“Bill us.” Ruein snatched up the cylinder. She unfurled it. “Huh. You paid a magus five hundred gold for this?”

The gnome sheepishly nodded.

“This is arcane magic. You couldn’t even cast it.” Yet another unfamiliar spell on a scroll. She’d done it before. All it required was to not get it wrong. The challenge, though—they had no time.

The three gathered hands upon Ruein as she spoke aloud the draconic.

Her first go at invisibility was uncanny. Ruein knew from the scroll’s draconic that she’d perceive her allies, but wasn’t expecting such ghostly forms.

While navigating the Apex halls, it became apparent this wasn’t going to be simple. Being unseen had its downsides, for no one would know they were present to avoid. Having four compounded the issue. Also, while for Ruein, Ceer, and Twigs, their leather soles were soft enough on the stone, Lightbringer armor was anything but.

Ruein regarded the gnome, his hand in hers. “Your spell-like silence, Twigs, we could certainly use another one of those.”

“Yeah, well, I already burned that trick.”

“Damn.”

There was an urgency in Ceer’s steps as he steadily pulled Liv along. Ruein reached out and grabbed her sister. “Ceer, stay close. Stray more than three yards from me, and you’ll sever the scroll’s spell on you. We all stay together, we all stay hidden.”

Pausing for passersby, and masked by the storm outside, their progression to the garrison arch had thus far met only minor inconveniences.

Coming to an intersection, Ceer raised a ghostly palm.

An Elite patrol of six approached. They drew up, settling themselves between marble columns. Ruein signaled with a ghostly, raised fist: hold your breath.

The mixture of halberds and falchions moved in lockstep, a whisker’s distance between them. Ruein’s ethereal hair fluttered before her eyes as they passed.

Three steps beyond, the backmost one turned with a snort. Eyes scanned.

Ceer bristled.

Ruein countered with a staying hand.

They waited.

The Elite scratched at his crinkled nose, then returned to catch up with his squad.

Once out of sight, they gasped.

Ceer whispered, “Even Ceer’s dark-orc brothers smell it. The odor of a fight.”

Liv yanked his hold. “Well, let’s say we don’t angle for any more.”

“Come,” Ruein pressed on. “…were almost there.”

As they rounded the next bend, a gong sounded from on high. It was large, deep, and joined by several bells.

“Fuck. No need for a guess on who that tolls for.” Liv pulled on the half-orc. “I knocked out that drow. No way she came to already.”

Ceer shrugged. “Orcses is hardy people.” The Lightbringer glared back, striding forward into the lead.

“What? Ceer offered to kill them.”

The hall widened to the reception antechamber. The high, vaulted ceiling gloriously presented the garrison arch. A squad of eight was already forming up. Two guards crossed halberds before the arch, a warning against any not to approach. However, having the alarm raised was going to make this so much easier.

Nice of them to provide just enough cover to hide the clang of Liv’s armor. Taking both Twigs’ and her sister’s hands, Ruein squeezed. “Stay close.”

Ceer’s ghostly outline nodded.

Cautious in their approach, they moved for the arch. The crossed halberds would be simple enough. Ceer reasserted his lead and dipped his head below the blades. Once outside the garrison, they could lose any pursuit in the city streets.

At the threshold, Liv lurched as Ceer passed.

Ruein held tight to her sister’s hand.

Ceer whirled around and stared gaping back at them. His eyes darting as if…

His form was no longer ghostly. Brightly lit from the antechamber, Ceer was as plain as day.

Crap.

24

Standing before her, within arm’s reach, Ceer glared back wide-eyed. He scanned the space between, clearly in search of them. He no longer shared their ghostly sight, for his invisibility had lapsed.

But, why?

The spell’s draconic clause smacked at Ruein. One must remain close to the caster. Though he stood right before her, the half-orc was well over a league away at the volcano’s base. The force of the portal had pulled him from their hold.

Damn.

Twigs moved to speak. Ruein yanked him to her side, his head buried to her hip.

Summoning air to his gut, Ceer stood tall and slowly turn to the squad. “Haraden! Ceer comes to learn and teach. Elite, tell Ceer, is better to give”—his knuckles cracked as he rounded his shoulders—“or receive?”

He barreled at them.

Ruein eyed her sister and nodded toward the portal. This time they’d go together. Arm in arm, they stepped. That morning, the gentle tug had been cordial; this was more a swift kick in the ass. Emerging together upon the lit garrison, they remained unseen.

Ruein lowered Twigs, stooping beside him, a finger to his lips.

In a lightning volley, Ceer deflected falchions and planted a foot in an unexpecting halberd-wielder’s face. He tumbled between and emerged beside their ranks, avoiding what was sure to be an inevitable flank.

Ceer’s appearance dislodged the soldiers from the task of shutting down the garrison. Their own continued invisibility remained the half-orc’s best chance. Ruein asked the gnome a hushed voice, “What can you do to slow any reinforcements?” She glared at the arch.

Tearing his eyes from his friend’s plight, Twigs resettled himself. He pulled an oil flask from his pouch. “Get me my staff and I’ll get this. Then you get him.”

Ruein and Liv broke for the weapons lockers. The clang of bells and the scuffle behind them no longer required them to mask their movements.

An attending svirfneblin peered out from behind his desk, watching the half-orc scrum ensue. The first locker opened to the svirfneblin’s shocked yelp. Ruein’s glaive floated out before him. His eyes went stark, lower lip quivering.

In a mad dash, Liv flung open all the doors. Gear and various items were tossed, Twigs’ staff hurtled his way, while other weapons