The Battle of Gul Garath: The Swarming Death, #12

By Steffen Larken

What horrors hide in the red keep of Gul Garath?

While desperately trying to destroy the spiders, Veric's quest takes him back to the one place he'd sworn never to go back to!

This time, he's thrown into the heart of the dark mages' lair, along with 12 human soldiers.

Now facing traps, magic, shadows, and visions, what started as a simple mission turns into a fight for survival.

Will any of them make it out alive?

This is the last installment in ''The Swarming Death'' series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ASG Worlds
• Release date: Aug 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9782493671141

Book preview

1.

The spiders were everywhere, all across the valley, as far as the eye could see.

I had wanted to reach the surface; to breathe the cold, fresh air; to escape these tunnels... Now I wished nothing more but to slink back into the darkness.

When I returned and told the soldiers what I’d seen, all their faces blanched. A couple in the back were nauseous enough that they emptied their stomachs against the wall.

Let’s just keep moving, said one of the cappans. His name was Thuvin—a tall, muscular, dark-haired man with worried blue eyes, who also was the oldest among the humans. He pointed at the tunnel that kept going beyond the opening. "We can’t go back, but we can go there."

Yes, but what is ‘there’? asked the other cappan—a younger man named Dornick, with blonde hair and weary brown eyes.

I don’t think that would be wise, I said slowly. During the brief moment I had looked above, I had seen what lay in that direction. It heads toward the red keep.

So? asked Thuvin.

It is not a place for mortals. Krin could have told you as much, if she still was with us.

Yes, well, she is dead. We are not. He pointed toward the hole above us. "And that is not a viable way out. Nor is backtracking."

Dornick nodded. We can only go forward.

I frowned. There has to be another way...

Thuvin groaned and waved around him. "Do you see any branches? Any other tunnels? No? Neither do I. Now quit arguing with me. As you so wisely pointed out earlier, you are not a soldier. These men are. I cannot command you, so you can stay here if it pleases you, but we are going that way." Again, he pointed toward the fortress.

Without another word, he turned and clapped in his hands to call for attention. I glanced toward the light above, hoping the spiders wouldn’t have heard that—but I assumed their clanking was so loud it would have covered it.

Alright, men. We march on. Follow us.

The two cappans took the lead and started down the tunnel, away from the hole.

I glanced at it again, then back at the humans.

What the shess was I supposed to do?

I hated the idea of going into that fortress. Every fiber of my bones was screaming at me not to follow. But the cappan was right. Where else was there to go?

Besides, there always was a possibility that the tunnel would run under and beyond the keep. Or that there would be branches further down, heading in different directions, away from that dreadful place.

One could only hope.

Because hope was all we had left.

With one last glance upward, I shook my head and started walking, trailing behind the soldiers.

My heart grew heavy with each step.

The feeling of unease had never left us, and I guessed it would increase further.

I now felt confident that the keep was the source of this.

How? I couldn’t say. Magic, possibly. Or a curse. Or both.

Maybe the gods had something to do with it.

My hand drifted to the amulet around my neck.

Could I call her?

She’d said to only summon her if I was in danger.

While I wasn’t technically in danger at this very minute, chances were high that doom lay before us.

But what would she do? Whisk me away?

What of the humans?

I wondered why I should care.

Because I had too many deaths on my conscience already, that was why.

Including six soldiers, burned alive by my ring.

I glanced at Amethyst, and my hand drifted down—away from the amulet.

At least, I still had Onyx.

I could always get away if things got out of hand.

But I couldn’t leave just yet.

No matter how much I wanted to.

2.

Forty humans had left Aruvan with me and the wizard. Only twelve of them remained. Krin, too, had perished.

As we walked further into the tunnel, the clanking sound of the spiders diminished.

While the strain on our beings did not increase, it remained constant. I could still feel the pain and discomfort in all the men—including the two cappans.

As we advanced, I suddenly realized what an idiot I was.

The spiders were outside. In the open.

Where dragons could roast them.

My hand went to my belt and grabbed the dagger. I unfolded the cloth that held it and wrapped my fingers around its pommel.

Our city sleeps no more. It shines beneath the violet skies.

I did not remember the sky being violet, but I did not care. We had more pressing matters to discuss.

You’re welcome. Now it’s your turn to keep your word. We are at Gul Garath. Do you know where this is?

We flew beyond the red walls, where the ancient gods fell.

I assumed that was a yes.

The spiders are here. In the valley. Thousands of them. You must come now, before they go. Destroy them.

There is magic there. We shall follow the flow.

I don’t know what that means...

But the voice had gone quiet.

I slipped the dagger back into the cloth.

The silent conversation had run in my head while I walked. No one else had heard or noticed it.

I was behind the humans, and none of the soldiers had once looked back at me, so they had not even seen me holding the dagger.

The dragons would come.

They had to.

I had given them back their city, had I not?

It was the least they could do.

We shall follow the flow.

Had it meant that magic would show them the way?

Look!

It was Dornick who’d called out. He was pointing ahead. It was too dark, and I was too far back to see anything. Some of the men carried torches, but I stayed a good distance from their flickering flames.

The cappans took a few more steps, then stopped.

Everyone crowded around them.

It was a narrow space, but large enough for three to stand side by side.

As I approached, I noticed what the torches revealed.

There were two branches on each side, and a large wooden door in front of us.

Everyone stared at it for a long moment.

Alright, finally said Thuvin. Grendt and Erdhell, go check the tunnel on the right. Thag and Rohin, go check the one on the left. Jalis and Rivthar, see if you can get this marding door to open. Everyone else, be on the lookout.

The men all set out to do their tasks, and I approached the two working on the door. The cappans stood behind them, watching anxiously.

It looks old and rusted at the hinges, I remarked.

Thuvin grunted.

It should be easy to open, mused the younger officer.

After a few minutes, we heard footsteps coming back from both tunnels.

The men came running and out of breath.

It’s caved in, said Grendt.

The two who had come from the other side blinked and blanched. The one named Rohin gestured over his shoulder.

It’s caved in on that end, too.

Thuvin grunted