Temple Hill - Drew Karpyshyn [104]
Fendel nodded. "Of course, of course. This rescue mission won't be much use if we don't all get out of here alive. It won't be long until one side or the other pays some attention to us, and our work isn't done yet."
"Lead the way," Lhasha said, clapping her hands in nervous anticipation. "I have no idea how you got in, but I'm eager to see how we're getting out."
"Just hold on a second, Lhasha," Fendel cautioned, holding up a gnarled hand to quiet her. In his other hand he held the strange glasses he had shown Corin earlier. "We may have a problem with the package. You two better keep your heads down. Look at the floor until I tell you it's safe. We don't want any more unfortunate accidents."
Slipping the protective lenses onto the bridge of his nose, the gnome craned his neck to survey the battle. "Where in Gond's name did that medusa go?" he grumbled.
"She was right over there in that corner just a minute ago."
Lhasha shivered at the mention of the creature's name. "Who cares? Let's just get out of here before we run into her." Like Corin, she was taking Fendel's instructions to the letter and staring intently at the ground.
"We can't just leave her behind to fall into the hands of whoever wins this battle," Fendel explained. "As long as she's still in Elversult, Yanseldara's life is in danger. The Lady Lord has many enemies, and a charmed medusa is the perfect assassin. We have to deal with this problem now, one way or another."
"Who cares about Yanseldara?" Lhasha made no effort to hide her exasperation. "She can look after herself. Let Vaerana and her Harper friends take care of her. The medusa's their problem now!"
The gnome gave Lhasha a stern glare of disapproval, his eyes distorted and buggy through the thick glasses. "I thought I raised you better than that," was all he said.
Ashamed, Lhasha replied in a chastened voice, "You did. I didn't mean that. I'm just… scared."
Fendel gave the half-elf a reassuring pat on her cheek and turned his attention back to his search of the room. "Uh-oh," he muttered. "Things could get messy. Don't look up," Fendel ordered. "The medusa's broken free. By the Wonderbringer's smock, shell kill them all. That would not be any great loss."
After a moment's consideration, the gnome added, "Get to the surface, both of you. I'll follow as soon as I can."
"What are you going to do?" Lhasha demanded, her gaze firmly on the ground.
"I've got a few spells ready to take care of our snakey-haired friend. I didn't want to kill her, but there's not much choice anymore."
"No," the half-elf said with a shake of her head, still staring at the floor. "We're not leaving without you."
"Don't be foolish," Fendel scoffed. "There's nothing you can do here, not with that beast making everyone into statues left and right. My glasses will keep me safe."
"From the medusa," Corin pointed out, "but not from Graal or Azlar."
"Believe it or not," Fendel said after taking a moment to scan the battlefield, "but I can't see that oversized ore or the bare-scalped mage anywhere. Maybe they ran off when the medusa broke free. I suggest you do the same."
"We can't," Corin said flatly. "The door to the sub-tunnel is closed. It must have been blown shut when Azlar came blasting through that wall. I wouldn't even know how to open it. You're the only one who can lead us back to the surface."
The gnome cursed in his native tongue. "All right, you're right. This is what we'll do. Stay close to me, and keep your eyes down. Watch my heels.
"I'll lead you across the cavern to that passage the cultists blasted to get in here. It must lead back into the main tunnel system somewhere. There might be a few guards, but it shouldn't be anything you can't handle. Most of their forces would have been brought into the battle already, so I doubt they've kept much back in reserve.
"Wait for me where the passage meets up with the original smugglers' tunnels. It should be easy to recognize the place. I think I can lead us out safely."
Corin grunted to show he understood and would follow, the gnome's instructions.