Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern

Chapter 10: Iskalon's Sacrifice: Medoc

 Medoc listened to the silver-haired Icer ranting below, then sighed and gave the order. “I had a feeling the King's 'message' would only stir the pot,” Renault confided after he had passed the command down.

 “Just make sure they know not to kill the princess—or should I say Queen, now,” Medoc said, shifting in his cramped position. He sat in a tiny alcove of stone adjacent to the burial shaft. In spite of the flaming Fireblood on his armor, the air was cold. He could not get used to feeling the ice through the stone, so close. He could see the immense shaft of burial ice rising above the cavern through the drop hole. T'Jas would not penetrate the purple, glowing ice, but it had parted with surprising ease for the Fireblood-coated torches. It had taken mere seconds to open the holes for the heads to roll through. Another hole in the rock, much smaller, revealed the cavern so that he could watch and direct the battle below. He preferred to lead troops, but under these circumstances, the first few waves would probably perish. So much for ending things without more bloodshed. Dynat’s plan was ridiculous. Had it been up to Medoc, he would have sent emissaries with terms for surrender, not the heads of their Royalty.

 Renault was speaking. “You should say Semija; I'm sure that's what his Majesty intends. Why he cares so much, I can't imagine. Do you think he’s—you know?”

 “I'm sure I don't,” Medoc replied curtly. “If you've nothing more to do than gossip about your King like a damn woman, I can find another officer who'd like your spot.”

 Renault grunted, but took the rebuff in stride. Medoc felt a twinge of fear. Dynat was losing respect. If Medoc continued to support him wholeheartedly, would he be overthrown along with the King? The men said they would follow him, but if he refused to lead, they might look to another. Renault would be the next in line. Unsettled, Medoc turned his attention back to the battle.

 He could not see much; the cavern was filling with smoke and steam as his Warriors went to work. The air in the tunnels became chokingly close, and Medoc drew T'Jas from his fire and created a shield around his mouth and nose. “Come on, iceworms,” he muttered. He wanted this battle ended, as swiftly as possible. He needed the Icers taken alive for his plan to work.

 Presently a young Scout came up the tunnel, his lava running in patterns that looked like veins. He bowed low and awkward in the tight, steep tunnel before Medoc. “Scout Gerad reporting, General.”

 Medoc nodded shortly for him to get on with it.

 “We killed several, and took prisoners in the large chamber below. But the bulk of the frozen ones have retreated into their smaller tunnels, and sealed off the entrances so that we cannot see where the tunnels start. We have Flames tunneling, but those who can dig through rock are weary, General.”

 “The Princess?”

 “Seems to have escaped, Sir. According to the first Flames in, her Semija guard rolled her out of the attack, and the other Icers formed a thick shield of ice while she tunneled away into the rock. We broke the shield, but she was gone by then.”

 Medoc swore. A damn simple operation, and they had botched it. Dynat would be furious. But then, this whole plan was Dynat's. Why by the Lava Lake had he wanted to send in the Princesses’ heads? Was he setting Medoc up for failure? The King had been very clear that Medoc’s future as General rested on his ability to deliver this Dreamer Princess. Well, he was done with Dynat’s plan. He would get her, but he would do it through tact, not force. “Is the chamber secure?”

 “Yes, General. All Iskaloners remaining below are dead or under guard. Shall we begin to send them up—”

 “No. I'll come down.” A chance to stretch his legs would be good. Medoc uncurled himself and followed Gerad's shoulders down the nearly vertical tunnel. After a moment of scrambling through rock and ice, hoping his fire would keep him warm enough to preserve his lava, Medoc popped out of the ceiling, and hovered against it, looking down at the cavern below.