Chapter 14

• *Underground Army*
• Davwan and Yanokas had gone from one chamber to the next asking if anyone would volunteer in the next mission. Explaining what the mission was and the job details, they had a crew of 65 males and females who were willing to work.
• Splitting the workers into five groups of 12, along with each group having one leader who had experience with mining. Yanokas had explained to the labourers that each group would work a full 12-hour shift. Then they would have four shifts off. This pattern would continue until the mission was completed.
• Making sure each individual was fitted properly for the shift, Yanokas took the first round of workers to the location he believed would get them to Stormfall Mountain.
• “This is the area that you will be working. We need a tunnel seven feet high that is four feet wide. Men you will be chopping away at the earth. Ladies, you will be clearing the rubble.” Yanokas had instructed the group.
• “What if the tunnel is not at those measurements?” A female who stood at the back of the group asked. "What if the tunnel is smaller?"
• Smiling at the female, he tried to hide the annoyance that he was feeling. “It is going to be a tight squeeze for the warrior to get through. The average height of a warrior here is six feet, five inches. A few are taller but not by much. The equipment they carry on their backs is heavy. I don’t know if you are aware but … when they carry their bags sway. The fighters need the room to move and not become stuck!” Yanokas replied.
• Lowering her head, “Sorry, I didn't mean to offend!” The female said with embarrassment.
• Realizing he had failed at covering up his mood, “Nonsense, it was a good question. If you are not a miner or warrior you would not have knowledge of this.” Hoping this time he did not sound as cross.
• “Boss, I am not six.five … we need to make the tunnel taller or I am going to keep on hitting my head!”
• Yanokas eyed the worker up and down, “I would say you are at least seven.two!”
• “Seven.three!” The worker chuckled.
• “You are one big boy … if you can’t fit through the tunnel without issues, a warrior would not as well.” Yanokas searched the group, looking for the head of the group, “Diggly! Make sure Behemoth makes it through the passageway without any issues.” Clapping his hands together, “Men get to work … Ladies follow me, I will show you where you are to deposit the rubble.”
• Taking the lead, Yanokas directed the four females from the work area to a tunnel that Davwan and his crew were working on.
• Davwan studied the females that were heading towards his crew, “this is the first group!” Nodding his head, Yanokas allowed the females to go to the location that Davwan was at. “Follow me ladies!”
• Davwan took the group to the end of the tunnel. “You will push the cart of rubble from the worksite to hear. Once you get here, the men will take over. They know what their task is. The only thing you have to do is wait here for them to empty the cart.” Davwan studied the females, “since there are four of you in this group, you will pair off, you can decide yourselves who you will work with. Each of you will take the cart this way and back. Are there any questions before you begin to work?”
• Raising her hand, “What is your name love?” Davwan smiled at the young female.
• “Osk sir, you said we get extra rations when we work … Can I give them to my family?”
• Davwan smiles at the young female, “Osk, you can eat them or give them away … the decision is yours.”
• “Can I pick up extra shifts?” Another female asked.
• “Your name love?” Yanokas asked the middle-aged woman.
• “Spurs!”
• “You can pick up shifts if there is a need for an extra set of hands. However you have to have 12 hours off between the shifts. Is that understood Spurs?”
• “Yes sir!” Spurs glanced at the workers gauging them.
• “Okay ladies, time to get to work!” Yanokas told the four women.
• “Boss!” The foreman said the moment the females were out of hearing, “Spurs, she’s a miners daughter. I know the glare in her eyes, you might want to keep an eye on her and upgrade her from cleaning duties.”
• Chuckling, “she will have to earn that job position first!” Yanokas said.
• The foreman began to laugh, “I will take her on my team before I take those yellow belly sprites. Women work twice as hard and don’t complain because the shift is hard and long.”
• Slapping the foreman's back, "we will know soon who will make the cut and who falls to their knees." Davwan glanced at the items that needed to be cleaned up, "back to work!"
• ***
• Carbel motioned her head up as she heard the click of her cell door being opened. Opening her eyes there had been three bodies dressed in black with only their eyes showing.
• “Came here to give me another beating?” Carbel spat out bitterly.
• “Dusk wants to see you, has questions and you are going to play nice and answer them. If you don’t … you get another beating!” A male hissed with rage.
• “Aks, stop being a dick! She is a Judas … like I was!” The female strolled over to Carbel and placed a collar around her neck. “This will stay on until Red Fang can trust you.”
• Snorting with irritation, “Akki, she is still one of them!” Aks crossed his arm in front of his body.
• Uncuffing Carbel’s hands, “Dusk will deal with that. Our job is not to judge but do as we are told. Or would you like me to inform Dusk of your behaviour?”
• Scoffing, Aks knew Akki would have no issue with snitching on him.
• Moving toward the prisoner, “Aks, there is no point in getting angry. Save that energy for when it matters. Dusk wants to see Judas … he did not ask for you to pass judgement.” The third individual placed his hand under Carbel making sure she did not fall.
• “It has been days since I had something to eat!” Carbel looked at the third individual.
• “We know!” Was all he said as the group led Carbel out of the dungeons.
• ***
• Sitting at the end of a table was a man who narrowed his sight on the group that was bringing the prisoner to him.
• “Sit!” He ordered as he pointed to a chair that had a glass placed on the table in front of the chair. “Aks, Akki … Jade, you are free to go!”
• Carbel pulled out the chair and sat down as she studied the man she assumed was Dusk.
• “Go ahead and drink, it tastes nasty when it is cold.” Dusk placed his glass down on the table as he watched Carbel bring the glass up to her nose to smell the contents.
• “Cervidae blood!” Carbel said before she began to drink.
• “You will find that here, if you do not have patrons you will only get the blood from the hunter's kills.” Dusk was studying Carbel. “From here on you will go by the name of Judas. You will be able to roam freely in this section, at least until you become trustworthy. When Akki has a task to do, you will be her second.”
• Carbel placed the glass down on the table, “just ask the questions and stop pussy footing around. What do you want to know?”
• Dusk smirked, “how close are you to the general?”
• Curling her lips, “Which one?”
• Both vampires had their sights locked on the other, “your maker!”
• “Viscarti!” Carbel intertwined her fingers together and placed her hand on the table. Spitting out the words, "He was my creator ... undead father!" She said as if the thought of the unregistered vampire was toxic to her taste buds.
• Dusk continued to judge Carbel as she spoke.
• “The female that was with child, the one Balvalur threw off the tower rooftop … Viscarti knows she is a vampire and Emperor Baldwin's daughter. He would have already told Zincan Ulla. That is going to be one problem for you. Zincan Ulla is hell bound on killing Emperor Baldwin. Zincan Ulla seer told him that blood will cover the land and the emperor will die at the tower.” She shifted in her spot, getting more comfortable. “I also know that Asema is in the North. If she was successful … she will have warned all the kingdoms of the unregistered army.”
• Dusk listened to every word that Carbel had spoken. Taking mental notes, “How many unregistered vampires are we looking at?” Dusk kept his blank expression.
• Clicking her tongue, “the population of Eastern kingdoms of Dorhelhound. From Bastion to Whitecrown Mountains … all the way down to Unzarar Mountains and to Wymbrind.” Carbel glared at her hands, “I was a whore! I know society looked at me as if I was the worst thing to walk the streets of Tastew. My family didn't have a pot to piss in. I had to make an income to feed two sisters and a brother. Mother died giving birth to my brother and my father was a drunkard. I learned quickly that my body could make easy gold. I never harmed a soul.” She swallowed the saliva in her mouth. Carbel looked up at Dusk, “I don’t want your pity, I knew then as I know now my place. But what Viscarti did to me … that was cruel. I never harmed anyone until he … he took away my humanity. Now ... I want him to lose everything that he has built.” Picking up the glass she drank the rest of the blood. “Cervidae blood is a lot better than a shifter. At least when I kill the Cervidae, I will not have any guilt. Shifters and humans can at least the carcass and nothing goes to waste!”
• Sighing, “You're still a fledgling!” He expressed his observation.
• “For 15 years I have been a monster. For 15 years I dreamed of Viscarit’s downfall. It was Asema who gave me the hope that the bastards would fall. I am not the only one. Because of you … my friends will not know that we have the opportunity to take Viscarti down.”
• “Oh dear Judas, if they are intelligent enough … they will know the tides are about to shift.” Pushing the chair out, “follow me, I have more questions.” Dusk led the way out of the area.
• Down the hall Dusk did not say a word, only when they went down a flight of stairs did he begin to speak. “In the halls you have to remain quiet. Each chamber is sound proof, this is how we keep the refugees safe.”
• Not questioning things, "understood sir!”
• “Good! Here you will find that once you work your way up the ladder, things become easier. The work is hard but the reward is worth the blood and sweat.” Dusk stood to the side to allow Carbel to enter first. “Have a seat!”
• Pointing at the map, “where is the general's position?”
• “Zincan Ulla never leaves the Azgar territory. He is a mean little man. He enjoys the suffering of others. He has an army of children, he prefers their chaotic little minds.” Snorting with bitterness, “I think he matches the children's mentality if you want to know my opinion. You also have to be wary of the Dark Brotherhood that he keeps there!”
• Dusk’s head shot toward Carbel, “Judas … Did you just say Dark Brotherhood?”
• “Yes, I saw one of them ... and I never want to ever again! This is only rumours but the word is that the Dark Brotherhood are Zincan Ulla's sons! I heard that the Dark Brotherhood is as corrupt as Zincan Ulla.” Carbel confirmed.
• “Do you know how many there are?”
• Motioning her head back and forth, “I have only been to Azgar once. Zincan Ulla eyed me up and down like I was a chew toy. Viscarti stepped in the way. Probably the only time I was grateful for Viscarti being around. I don't get scared that easily ... Zincan Ulla and his sons scare me more than shaking hands with the Grim Reaper.”
• “Give me an educated guess!” Dusk encourages Carbel to continue.
• “Maybe 100 sons!” Carbel shrugged her shoulders. Adding, "Zincan Ulla only has seven daughters, at least that is the rumour!"
• “That is good, this is something we did not know. Where are the other generals?” Dusk did not want to sound harsh as he was interrogating Carbel but he was pushing for more information.
• Pointing at the map, “Vafir Husol can be found in the Bruha territory. He manages the hired shifter and humans that are killers, a brutal bunch they are. They will do anything for the right price. The hired killers are primarily Bruha natives. I overheard that they were going to attack Stormfall Mountain, but first they had to teach the older fledglings how to climb the mountain side and not get killed the moment they attacked the region.” Taking a moment to think, “Perlen Rapidspirit and his kin have taken over all of the Eastern kingdoms. If you want to find him and his concubines, he likes to stay close to Alquaren. Perlen Rapidspirit is the muscle for that area. He has placed all the shifters into concentration camps. Separating the men and women. The men are the food source, the women are for breeding. Before the shifter turns 15, and the shifter gen takes over, they turn the males.”
• Placing a pin in the map and writing down the information. Dusk looked over at Carbel knowing there was more information, "Judas ... Why male shifters?"
• "Zincan Ulla found out with his attack on Azgar that youths that have not shifted before could be turned into a vampire. Those that had shift at least once, died and could not be turned." Carbel fiddled with her hands. "Zincan Ulla found out that as long as a male vampire has the sperm count, it didn't matter if the female was human or shifter. As long as they had a menstrual cycle, they could give birth."
• Dusk was doing everything in his power not to rage. He knew that Carbel was filled with useful information. Of all the unregistered vampires they had captured, she was the only one who was freely handing over information. "Where are the other Generals?"
• Sighing, “Sovexis has to take over the Western Kingdoms. He was to collect the humans and shifters. Divide the males and females apart. Sovexis was to reproduce the same system that Perlen Rapidspirit had going on in the Eastern kingdoms. Viscarti was taken over Grim Mountain, Whitecrown, and Lich Princess. He was also to deal with the kingdoms and colonies positioned along the Ace sea. After that is completed …” Carbel stood up pointing at the map, “Viscarti was going to take over the Wraith River that runs from Crypt Keep all the way between the mountain territories all the way to the South at Latun.” She ran her finger down the river that divided the Western and Eastern land masses. "At this point, Sovexis and Viscarti are working together to take over Dorasea and the Dark Crystal Tower. They are the only locations that have yet to be taken over."
• Sighing deeply, Dusk placed a pin on the map and wrote down the information.
• “Balvalur was to take over the Northern Kingdoms since he claimed he had information of the dark arts. He also claimed he knew all of the underground tunnels. I overheard that Balvalur had taken Prince Lich and Bloodrose's ruins. On the other side of the Northern Kingdoms, Ceolfru ... King Lich ... Glentwy Tower... Shadow Moor and Belle Keep. From what I heard, there was not much of a battle." She said each kingdom as she placed her finger over the areas. "I’m sorry I …” Carbel’s eyes were watering up as she shed tears of blood.
• “You have nothing to be sorry about. You gave me more information in 30 minutes of speaking than what we had collected in five years.” Dusk sat down in his chair across from Carbel. “We had our speculations but nothing to back up our claims.” He studied the female who was glaring at him as if she was the worst thing to exist.
• “I killed … I did unspeakable things to keep my head on my shoulders. I am a horrible person.”
• Duck forced a smile on his face, “Judas … it is going to get a lot worse before things get better. I can tell you this, those skeletons in your closet … There are not many. All of us here have our share of demons. We will speak again when I have more questions. You may go to your room. You will be placed with Akki!”
• “Sir! Viscarti will be heading to Lich Princess soon. I was to go to Whitecrown to get replacements. We were to meet up there four weeks after leaving Masi Swamp.” Carbel said as she stood up.
• With a wide grin, “Viscarti is going to be disappointed when he realizes his army isn’t there as he had planned.” Dusk stood up as well, “He might meet up with an unexpected army.”
• “Sir … if you find a couple of unregistered vampires killing those they came with … those would be my friends. They are as upset as I am.”
• “Duly noted!” Dusk glanced over at Akki who was standing in the doorway, “Show Judas around!”