CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The graphical highlights of the heads-up-display on Callen's goggles shifted as he ran highlighting the trail through the twists and turns of the underground labyrinth. He was lucky enough that Niknak was conscious, thus allowing Mavis to accurately generate a map by assessing his visual feed and continuously pinging Niknak's position.
"The cart's just ahead," Callen said. "We're gaining on them. I'm seeing six goblins escorting, all but one have primitive firearms...and one has a poorly maintained submachine gun.”
"I don't like this, lads," Corth said as he planted another Mavis relay beacon in the tunnel. They were too deep for normal broadcast signals and a network of relays was required to keep connected with Felix and Mavis.
"Yeah, well, what's to like? Least they have inferior firepower." Callen said. "But, it isn't like we have much of a choice. We don't have time to wait for reinforcements and you can't fight an army by yourself."
"Your right, lad." Corth agreed. "But that doesn't mean I have to like putting me grandkids in danger...but, I don't have much of a choice."
"They stopped," Callen said. "Just around this bend." He stopped running. "Sending you the tactical data now, Grandpa." He entered the commands into his computer. "I think this is our chance..."
"Wait, lad...let Mavis do its scan," Grandpa said. "Besides, yeh need a weapon if yer gonna back me up." He reached into his coat, producing his own hellbreaker. "Lad, take this...it's a bigger gun than you may be used to..." He handed Callen the pistol. "Yeh feel up to it?"
Callen took the gun and nodded. "Other than the fact that I'm absolutely starving, I feel fine." He checked the weapon and shoved it in the empty holster at his hip.
Corth handed Callen the ammo for the pistol, which he kept in a leather pouch. ".357 magnum rounds, a bit more stopping power fer yeh. They have a bit o' our technological upgrades too." He winked. "Explosive-tipped rounds."
Callen opened the pouch. Thirty-six bullets were held in rows by a plastic insert. "Nice." He grinned. He clipped the ammo pouch next to the sheath that housed Niknak's favorite dark blue swirled knife that was shaped like a dragon's tooth. He had felt a natural affinity towards the blade and had placed it on his left hip for tactical access. He made an adjustment on his wrist computer. "Pistol's synced."
"Treat her well," Corth said. "That ol' gun has gotten me out of a lot of tight spots. So, here's the plan. Callen and I will take out the goblins, Ania...you cut Niknak free. Callen, how's the tactical situation?"
"Mavis's scan is done," Callen said glancing at his computer. "Felix, can you layer the tactical data on our HUDs so we can see through cover?" After a positive response from Felix, Callen continued. "Got it, only partially. Anyway, it looks like they're surrounded by wreckage of something made from tires and stone..." He paused. "Part of the cart is blocking Niknak's vision...I can't get a target count..."
"Alright, we don't have much to go on..." Corth said. "Let's take it as it comes. If locking this virus away was yer pop's last act before he disappeared, we can't risk it getting out. Ania, hang back...I'll give you a sign when to move towards Niknak." He checked his weapon and crept forward.
"Callen." Ania grabbed his arm. "Something's not right. The gnomes are telling me there's more up there than just the goblins...and they are saying there's a lot of dead..."
"Alright," Callen said. "I'll be careful."
Ania nodded and pumped a round into Firestorm. “I’ll watch our flank.”
Callen took cover with his grandfather near some rubble. The signs of a recent battle were obvious. Dead gremlins lay scattered throughout the fort and large holes had been torn through the walls. The cart had parked near a large wall, and nine of Virette's gremlins were with the goblins making an exchange.
"Alright," Callen whispered. "I count nine...Ready?"
"Yeah, but...what's with the bodies, lad?" Corth asked. "Something happened here long before we got here..."
"My best guess is the dead are the part of the gremlin army that resisted Virette..." Callen sighed.
"Alright lad, on my mark." Corth raised his weapon and aimed it at the gremlin that carrying the most advanced weapon.
Callen looked at the holes in the walls of the fort made of tires and stone. It looked like something shushed through it and tore chunks out of the wall. That something had to be big. "Grandpa...wait...a sec..." But he was too late. Corth's bullet sliced through a gremlin and dropped a goblin near him.
Some of the gremlins and goblins spread and returned fire. With a few quick barks, the other gremlins took Niknak.
Corth and Callen dispatched the creatures effortlessly and moved forward after the cart, but as they rushed forward, the ground began to shake and a roar thundered down the tunnel leading to Gearshire.
Callen cursed as his goggles highlighted the source of the roar. The large ape-like beast with razor sharp tusks and buzzing electronic modifications charged forward. He tossed a gremlin body that he was munching on as he ran. It plowed through a chunk of concrete and tire wall. It lowered its tusks, which had been enhanced with metal blades.
Corth fired his rifle, and the rounds staggered it a bit, but it recovered quickly. "Fan out, lad!" He ordered as he fired two rounds at its knees. "Ania, take cover!"
The creature buckled but regained his footing. Another blast from Corth's rifle knocked the creature off its track. It crashed into the wall of the cavern as Callen dived for the some cover. He spun and aimed the pistol for the troll's large, singular electronic eye.
Callen fired a few shots as the creature thrashed. It's eyes exploded with electric fire. The creature staggered backward roaring. The explosive rounds had only damaged its eyes. There was no blood, only a dark metal skull casing beneath its warped flesh. It turned, partially blinded, to face Callen.
Callen used his rig to zoom in on the skull and saw a seam between the layers of metal plating. "There is no way a skull could take one of these explosive rounds, unless..." He activated a material composition scan. "Felix, see what you can give me..."
"Move lad!" Corth yelled as he adjusted his rifle. He took aim and fired. The gun kicked hard. The bullets hit the troll's knees knocking him flat with the crack of a sonic boom, just as it began charging.
The creature staggered, but managed to adjust. Although it was wobbly, it kept its trajectory towards Callen.
Callen jumped beneath the closest chunk of remaining building and rolled into the corner. A second sonic slug hit the creature's shoulder knocking it even more off balance. It stumbled and smashed down on Callen's cover.
Rubble went flying. Callen pulled his legs back to avoid being crushed. The troll had narrowly missed him, but the creature's face was inches from his. The creature struggled to get up, but its metal tipped tusks had gotten stuck in the wall behind Callen.
Too close to fire explosive rounds, Callen pulled Niknak's favorite knife and sunk the dragon-tooth-like swirled blade into the creature's forehead. Almost effortlessly, the knife sliced through the black skull armor. He twisted the knife and continued to cut.
The creature squirmed and the knife jerked free. A chunk of its skull armor fell to the ground as it tore its tusks out of the wall. It pushed itself to its feet and roared. It brought its fists above his head to smash Callen, but another sonic round from Corth knocked the troll to its back.
Callen scampered from the rubble, as the troll got up. It sat, for a second, and eyed Callen and Corth. It roared, suddenly, and rushed at Corth, who had just cracked this rifle to reload.
Callen didn't hesitate or attempt to make any targeting calculations using his rig. He just raised his pistol and fired. The explosive round hit the gap in the skull, piercing the troll's brain. With a sharp crack, the brain became mush and the troll staggered to the ground at Corth's feet.
"Grandpa!" Callen yelle
d. He ran forward.
Corth closed his rifle. "Nice shot, lad. It was one in a million."
Callen nodded and looked over the corpse of the troll. "Thanks." Callen chuckled as the results from Felix appeared on his goggles. He shook his head. "Looks like the metal plating is a boron carbide titanium alloy...designed from the molecule up..." Callen looked at his grandfather. "That seems too advanced for gremlins...and Felix says the way it was designed would make it impossible to pierce with what we have..." He held up the knife and gave it a hard stare. "Felix, what the hell is this knife?"
"Spirit-steel, lad," Corth said, even before Felix could respond. "Where did yeh find that treasure?"
"Niknak's belt." Callen answered.
"Wait, 'et me see that." Corth lifted his goggles and his old eyes stared at the knife as Callen held out the blade. "That knife...was yer mum's." Corth said. "Its name’s Carnwennan. The grips, they're made of dragon bone. It's been in our family for...a very long time..."
"What's spiritsteel?" Callen asked.
"Lad, it's a long story...all you need to know, is it is extremely sharp and durable."
"They're getting away!" Ania yelled as she approached.
Callen brought up the feed from Niknak. "We can't catch them now. It looks like all the worshipers of The Many are gathering outside the city to escort them in. But, it looks like there is still a battle raging in the city. So, that may be a good thing. But, still, an army of our own wouldn't hurt..."
"Too bad Sprocket is dead..." Ania said surveying the bodies of dead gremlins. She stopped and gave a hard stare at a pile of rubble near the far wall. "Guys, there's something...!" She darted towards the pile. "Hey!" She yelled as she pushed off some of the rubble. "Help me."
"What are you...?" Callen started to ask, but stopped when she removed a chunk of rubble. Underneath lay Princess Sprocket.
"She's alive!" Ania said.
"Marked One!" Sprocket coughed, as Corth, Ania, and Callen worked to free her from the rubble. "How...I thought..."
"Doesn't matter." Callen said. "What happened?"
"When I refused to give her the coin and scarab, she attacked. She used trolls and we were ambushed by her zealots." She said. "They tore apart our fort, and my mother...she has the..."
"I know," Callen said. "Sprocket, can you fight?"
Sprocket nodded. “Then she took control of the survivors...now, she has my army..."
"How were you not taken over?" Ania asked.
"My father removed scarab sensitivity from me and his most trusted gremlins." Sprocket said. "He knew the advantages of having a few allies that could argue with him."
"Lucky for us." Callen looked towards the tunnel that went towards Gearshire. "Or maybe not...considering that it's four versus, well...a lot..."
She nodded as she pulled herself from the rubble. "My mother, she...I don't know what she's done...but...if my father hasn't been killed already...then, he doesn't have long..."
"And neither do Sadie, Tende or the others..." Ania said. "Guess we don't have time to wait for help from the surface..."
"Sprocket, first, who isn't controllable by the scarab?" Callen asked. "Do you know a way to get us into Gearshire without being seen?"
"Well, me, my father, his Special Forces team, the head rabbi of the Forger, Virette...and that's it. I also know the way in." She answered. "So, may I ask, what do you have in mind?"
Callen reloaded his gun with a half grin. "We do what needs to be done. This whole thing revolves around Virette. So, we end her, plain and simple."
Confusion hung on Sprocket's face. "Where's alpha...is the plague...?"
"Short version is that the sorcerer's dead...as is alpha," Callen said. "We don't know about the plague, yet."
Ania looked towards the tunnel to Gearshire. "We'll explain everything else we learned on the way."