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Hell Cavern	By : Koori Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 3542 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Chapter Forty-One
The following morning the Clan gathered after breakfast. There hadn't been an announcement if they were expected at the mines or not. They would only bring eight if the bell rang. Sly and Red would stay behind in the camp. Shar assured him the vein they had discovered would be easy to mine once they got the tunnel shored, and that it wouldn't take too long to make the cavern secure. The hour to be called to the mines passed. As they were putting their tools away a clear sounding bell rang.
"Never known the demons to be late to summon us," Sid said as they quickly gathered their gear. "Something may be up."
Falcon nodded his agreement. "Just keep your eyes down and go with the flow, no ruffling feathers today if we can help it."
As his small band walked down to the mines, Falcon was surprised to see Ortug the Quartermaster handing out the bags for collection. "Clan Earthhunter reporting, Master," Falcon said.
The demon glanced at his group. "Reports have it your load has been lessened, your quota is now nine and half bags." The demon let out a dark chuckle. "Take your packs and get busy, the Master is pondering the worth of the mine and with that those within."
Falcon took the ten packs from the table and led his Clan into the mines. "We need to head for Silverhelm's claim first," he said. "Sid and Mudon, I need you to get them started in the right direction, like we discussed last night."
The two dwarves nodded. "I wonder where Visor is," Rarvo wonder aloud. "I can't recall a day where that devil hasn't been the one to taunt us at the table."
"Aye," Sid said. "And did you notice the lesser demons flying above; it looked like an angry beehive. There is something amiss."
Falcon had not noticed the activity above his head. "Well that may not bode well for us. But it is out of our hands, it would be foolish to rush now." When they reached the area in the cave Silverhelm called theirs it was still empty. "They'll be here soon. Shar take Crystal, Star, and Gola to our claim, start cleaning it up. Rarvo and I will be there shortly and bring the beams we need to shore it up."
"All right, lad," Shar said, taking the too small work force back with him to the caves which would lead them to the eternium vein.
The final morning bell echoed through the cavern as Captain Dylan and the rest of his clan appeared. There were warm but subdued greetings. "Morning, Dylan," Falcon said. "If half of your crew can follow Sid and Mudon, they'll get them started in the right direction."
"Miners or dregers?" he asked.
"Miners," Falcon replied.
There was some discussion and a dozen men followed the dwarves into the cave with their pickaxes over their shoulder. Falcon motioned the rest to follow him back toward the entrance, there could be found a couple of pull carts and some lumber used to shore the cave. "We need two carts full," Falcon said.
There was no discussion needed as the carts were quickly loaded. Falcon and Rarvo pulled one, a couple of Silverhelm clan members the other. Dylan pushed Falcon's heavy cart from behind. Falcon paused where their paths would split. "Will you be able to find the rest of your clan?" He asked one of the Draenei pulling the Silverhelm cart.
"Aye," the pale blue skinned being replied. "We use chalk to mark our paths, we may not be natural to the cave as the stout ones, but we make do."
"All right," Falcon replied. "Four of you get those beams to the others. The rest of you come with me, good chance your mine will not yield any ore today. You can share ours, but no chalk, we'll get you back out safely."
Gasps were silenced by a look from Dylan. As Falcon and Rarvo began to pull their heavy cart again, the druid noticed the dwarf Rad, from Ironsong, join in with the crowd adding his shoulder to the back of the wagon. Falcon relied on the dwarf at his side to lead them true through a dizzying amount of turns and twists. Eventually a light glowed in the distance and grew brighter as they approached. The rest of his clan had been warned ahead of time and showed no surprise as the others joined in cleaning up the site. A simple nod from Falcon caused Rarvo to disappear into the shadows and backtrack the way they had come to watch for wandering eyes.
Picking up a separate lantern, Falcon motioned for the two other leaders to follow him deeper into the cave. It took him a long moment to get Rad separated from the eternium. "I have never seen such a thing," the dwarf mumbled in awe as he eventually followed.
"We were just lucky," Falcon said. "It saved our lives … it was suppose to."
"Demons never play fair," Dylan said.
After the light behind them had become a distant glow once again, Falcon stopped. "Thanks for meeting me like this," he said. "I know it dangerous …"
"Simply getting up in the morning is dangerous here," Dylan said. "What is it, Falcon?"
"Our time is growing short here," Falcon said. "I can see two possible outcomes. We can keep doing what we are until every last one of us decorates the wall or is fed to the Panatas. Or we can escape."
"You speak the word as if it was an option, lad," Rad said bitterly.
"It is," Falcon said. "I've discussed it with my Clan last evening, they are committed to my plan but it is not something we can do alone."
"And what exactly is this plan?" Dylan asked. "What can you possibly do that no other has been able to do in the past?"
"We're going to slay a dragon," Falcon said grimly.
The two leaders were silent; the only sounds that could be heard were the distant ones of metal hitting rock or the hammering of beams into place.
"A dragon?" Dylan said dubiously, "I'm afraid you've lost me."
As Falcon opened his mouth to reply Rad waved them to silent. "Hush …" the dwarf whispered.
The elf tensed, had Rarvo sent out a signal that someone approached?
"What the," Rad whispered to himself.
"Rad?" Falcon said, "what is it?"
"I hear the sound of metal hitting metal," the dwarf said, "of forge work."
Falcon frowned as he listened; all he could hear were the sounds of picks and such from before. "That makes no sense perhaps one of the clans are …"
"Lad, I know the sounds of a Smithy and I tell you I hear one and it is coming from behind you deeper into the mountain. Is there something else going on you have forgotten to mention? Building of armor and weapons to slay that dragon of yours?"
Falcon frowned and looked down into the darkness, trying to hear what the dwarf did. Eventually he picked out a single noise which seemed to be a bit sharper than the others. There was a long pause but it repeated. "No," Falcon said. "That is nothing we're working on … can you tell how deep it is Rad?"
"Nay," Rad answered. "It bounces and echoes could be a hundred feet or a few miles."
"All right," Falcon replied, "as curious as that is I am going to have to put it off for now. Back to what we were discussing, the dragon in question is known to us at the Panatas. Sly got up and close view of it and says it is a dragon. We cannot slay a nameless demon but our people have killed dragons before, if we work together we can again. We kill their watch dog and the gate is open to us."
"And do you think the demons will watch idly by," Dylan asked.
"They will until it is too late," Falcon replied. "We all have armor and weapons the demons allowed us to craft or keep from our time before."
"None of that is dragon fighting worthy," Rad said. "It is junk made to kill one another against the horde."
"Dwarves don't make junk," Falcon said. "All it lacks are the enchantments they deny us. I have no one in my clan that can enchant the weapons and shields …"
"I do," Dylan said. "Silverhelm can enchant the battle gear."
"You must be stealthy," Falcon said.
"Like the panther's spirit you call on," Dylan said. "We can move weapons and armors back and forth hidden in the supplies we share."
"Get me a list of armor and weapons Ironsong can provide," Rad said, his voice resolved. "So it is settled, freedom or death, our time of being pawns is at an end."
"Aye," Falcon said. "Our goal is to be ready by the next day of rest, though if the demons move first we will have to be prepared."
"We will be, lad," Rad said. The dwarf lifted Falcon's lantern up and listened again. "I need to go see what that noise is, be it friend or foe."
"I'll go with you," Falcon said, "in case it is the later."
"I'm useless without my sword," Dylan said. "I'll backtrack and tell the others where you have gone, be careful you two."
Shifting into a panther, Falcon walked silently beside the dwarf. The deeper they journeyed into the cave the colder and staler the air became. It had been years since anyone had walked these caverns, at least as far as Falcon knew. However, the noise which had gotten Rad's attention was clearer. Then it ceased and the pair froze waiting for it to start again. The seconds became minutes and there was no noise except their breathing. "Kill the light," Falcon whispered. The lantern flickered and went out, the darkness was complete. The druid tried to use the cat's nose to pick up a scent to follow. There was something strange in the air but the wind currents from the various tunnels made it hard to figure out where it came from.
Suddenly there was an unearthly scream, it bounced off the walls and appeared to be coming from every direction. It lasted what seemed like an eternity before it stopped and the cavern was deathly still once more. There was a faint sound afterwards but it came from behind them. The lantern flared back to life and Falcon startled, almost sure he would be staring into the face of some monster. However, it was just him and Rad.
"That was Rarvo," Rad said, "there is company coming and it is the kind with wings."
"Lead us back, quickly!" Falcon said.
The dwarf nodded and the pair hurried back the way they had come. They had gone maybe a hundred feet when a roar was heard behind them, but this one was no mystery to them. "Cave in," the said together and increased their speed. However, it must have been deep in the cave because there was no sign of it in the cave they travelled. As they neared the warm glow of the work site they slowed their pace and Falcon switched back to an elf. They were kneeling beside the others when a demon appeared; he stood slightly taller than Falcon. "Quite the crowd we have here," it hissed. "What was the commotion I heard?"
"We don't know, Master," Falcon said standing. "It came from behind us, probably miles deep. All my people are accounted for; I don't know what could have caused it."
"These caves are old," Rarvo said, appearing and placing his hands on a beam being hammered into place. "The boards probably rotted away in one of the abandon mines and it collapsed. Happens all the time, but this one is secure."
"What about that scream?" A lithe Draenei female asked. "It was a death scream."
"Bah," Rarvo said with a shrug, "probably the sound of the beams breaking under the pressure of a mountain."
Falcon eyed the demon warily as he moved to stand on the scaffolding to work on the vein. They had to ravage this thing to get enough ore to feed two camps. The lesser demon seemed to glance nervously down the tunnel where Falcon and Rad had just been. Then with a slap of the whip he carried against his thigh he turned back toward the entrance. "Back to work, mortals," he hissed. Falcon brought the pick down against the ore.
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Hell Cavern