COF 3: The Fallen Dynasty

16 | Alliance (III)

Reeca propped her chin against her knees. It would be nice to be like Elred—all composed and always seeing the bigger picture. How could the shard fairy be thinking of the war when Reeca couldn't even see herself outside this stupid mineral hole?

"We have no part in that war. Not when we're rotting here," Reeca rubbed her arms and rocked back and forth. "Now, the whole island knows where the thrones are because of the stunt I played," she raised her head to meet Elred's quiet gaze. Elred's unglamoured face, if Reeca was honest, was quite...ordinary. "I set everything off, didn't I?"

Elred nodded. "It's what I'm worried about," she said, tilting her head at the ceiling. Reeca didn't bother. It would still be the same purple rock. "However, if we want to get a step closer to winning, we need to make a move. We made ours. It's their turn."

"Will territories fall because of it?" Reeca crossed her legs. Already, she could feel the guilt worming into her gut.

Elred shrugged. "Who knows? The future is always so uncertain."

Reeca scoffed and pushed herself up. She knocked on the wall, her fingers barely making thumping noises against it. The ceiling was also a few inches higher than her head. "What are we supposed to do here?" she tried pushing against the rocks and only ended up spasming her arms. "Eat each other for breakfast? Consummate?"

"Shut up, Torlin. I have a husband," Elred's face fell. "I think," she shook her head and splayed her fingers in Reeca's direction. "Empty your pockets."

Reeca blinked. "What?"

"Just do it," Elred waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

Reeca exhaled through her mouth. One by one, she emptied the compartments between her armor and her normal clothes. Out came the maximizer, the unused sleeping potion she stole off Nyxis, the dwarven knife the Depandes thief left, a bag of versallis with nothing but a nosa sigra as the highest amount, and lastly, two packs of ilkai.

Elred raised her eyebrows at the Helinfirth delicacy that Reeca had come to love. Reeca shrugged despite the blood rushing to her face. "Helps me think."

"Just where do you store these things?" Elred passed Reeca the bag of versallis. Huh, the shard fairy barely blinked at the sight of coins. Understandable. Elred probably grew up being swaddled in versallis.

Reeca laid a finger to her lips and winked. "It's a secret."

Elred snorted with a chuckle. "Keep them then," she picked up the dwarven dagger. "Is this Dwarven metal?" Reeca nodded. Elred tossed it to her and Reeca barely caught it at the hilt. Elred pointed to a random direction. "Chip away a small hole on the wall."

Reeca knitted her eyebrows. "Did you see how my sword was ineffective? What damage could a dagger do?"

Elred's leveled gaze told Reeca that she just spouted the stupidest thing in history. "That sword is made of cheap silver," the shard fairy jerked her chin at Reeca's hands. "Dwarven technology is far more advanced than anything. It's worth a try."

"Okay, fine," Reeca hefted the dagger and drew it from its makeshift sheath. She turned around. "Where do you want me to start?"

Elred knocked on the south wall with her knuckle. "Lesium mines were on Helinfirth's west, with entrances positioned in the same direction," she muttered under her breath. Reeca watched Elred take the sleeping potion. The shard fairy poured some into the floor. "Mines generally slanted east, deeper into the mountain's heart," she pointed at the liquid snaking to one side. Elred pointed to the west wall. "Start there."

Reeca knelt in front of the wall in that direction and struck the wall with the dagger. She gave a dazed laugh when a small chunk flew out of the wall. "Gods, it worked."