Friends in a Foreign Land

"What is this nonsense!?" Ehde bellowed. "I'm sorry you feel left out, but there's no need to make up stories!"

"I'm not making up anything. There's a person in that direction. He's hurt, and he said we should run."

"Typical human. One lie isn't enough, so you try to hide it with more lies!"

"He said his name is Talli," Wendell said with obvious anger in his voice. "And that we should run."

Edhe stopped what she was about to say, shock plain on her face.

Not seeing Edhe's expression, Celeste pushed Wendell out of the way and started casting.

"Seems easy enough to test." Celeste said as her spell formed. In moments solid cubes of stone were pulled from the wall and stacked to the sides.

While she was doing that Wendell walked over to Dakota. "I've been discriminated against all my life for being black. This is the first time it's happened for being human."

Dakota laughed, “Right! I thought coming to a new world I wouldn’t have to deal with jokes about being Native American anymore. Didn’t expect the gods to just make me some other race people disliked. But,” Dakota said as he patted Wendell on the shoulder, "something you said shut her up and it looks like Liam is about to find out what."

As they watched, Liam approached Edhe and asked, "What is the significance of the name Talli?"

"There's no way for you all to know that name."

"Didn't ask that. I asked what it means," Liam said a bit firmer.

"Each morning during shift change we've found marks on the wall counting something. It took a few days to figure it out but it was counting how many items were stolen the previous night. Whoever has been taking from us was also teasing us. The miners started calling him Tally for the tally marks that were being left. Then they started leaving out food for it, whatever it is, hoping it would stop taking things."

"Did it work?" Liam asked, curious.

"No. It continued to take things. But it did start to leave things. Gems usually. Gems worth far more than it was taking."

By this point, the rest of the party was near. Celeste looked exhausted and leaned on her husband.

"You know what it is, don't you?" Dakota stated.

"Some of the older miners say it's a Knocker. A spirit that likes to play jokes on miners. Some say they're good luck, others say bad. Many claim to have heard them knocking. I've never believed in them, myself. At least not until this trip."

Wendell just nodded and walked into the path Celeste had made. It went about 20 feet into the wall. Then he turned and came back out. "We're almost to him. Probably another five feet or so of stone."

"How? How can you know that? No human has our gift to feel through stone," Edhe said.

"You're right. But I do have the ability to detect the minds of others. It's kinda my specialty," Wendell replied calmly.

Liam, seeing Celeste was exhausted, set his pack down and pulled a pickax out of it before shouldering it again. "I bought one for myself before leaving. Never had a chance to mine something before. Seems like a good time to try."

He walked into the offshoot and started to swing. The first few strikes deflected off as Liam tried to figure out his stance and hand placement. The next few swings don't accomplish much either, so Liam continued to adjust. After a dozen or so swings, he seemed to find his groove and stone started to fall while progress was made. Soon the stone fell forward and revealed a small clearing about ten feet squared. But on the far side there was no wall but rather what looked like the sides of a tunnel.

Near it lied a small, wiry looking creature. His skin a gray stone color not too different from Dakota's. It appeared to be about two feet tall. It's brown eyes were glassy, likely from blood loss since there was blood all around him, especially where his right leg used to be.

"Found him, come quick. He needs healing." Liam yelled back down the tunnel before turning back. "I hear your name is Tally. I'm Liam and we're going to try and patch you up, okay?"

Tally tried to shake his head but it appeared to require too much effort. About that time the others crowd into the room. Celeste and Wendell immediately started to cast healing spells on Tally. While they were doing that, Miguel pulled out his canteen and gave it some water.

After taking a drink Tally looked up, "You all need to leave. You need to run. It will come back." Spotting Ehde at the entrance he said, "It heard your mining. I've been trying to keep it away with my magic. I wasn't fast enough today. It will come back."

Ehde, who had been staring at the tunnel on the far side of the room shook herself at Tally's words and ran out of the room. Her voice could be heard echoing down the tunnel.

Celeste kneels down, "Tally, how are you feeling now? I'm sorry we couldn't restore you missing leg but at least you'll live."

Tally vigorously shook his head while pointing down the tunnel, "We're all going to die. You need to run. It's coming and I don't have the strength to make it turn."

The party finally looked, really looked at the tunnel. It was around five feet in diameter and seemed to go on forever.

The size of the tunnel combined with the fear in the small one's voice struck home this time. Liam had just finished putting his pickax back in his pack so he tossed it to Miguel to carry and walked over to Tally. "Then let's get a move on then," he said as he grabbed Tally in a fireman's carry.

They all hustled back to the tunnel and down to the camp. Dwarves were running everywhere grabbing their gear.

Ehde walked up to the party and looked at Tally. "Was it full grown?"

"No. Wormling." Tally said fear evident in his voice.

Ehde and the miners close by all go pale.

"Then we are doomed." Ehde said in a whisper.

"What? How? Doesn't that mean it's a baby?"

"No." Tally said with finality in his voice. "Mother is close. Battle will draw her."

"Someone want to tell the human what's going on?" Wendell asked

"Worm." Ehde said, sounding numb. "A young one, but if the parent is close, then we're in trouble.

“I get that everyone is afraid, but we’re new and we’re going to need some information if we’re going to fight this thing. Now, were I come from a worm fits in the palm of your hand and makes good bait for fishing. It’s obvious that’s not the case here, but…” Liam said a bit exasperated.

“This tunnel you're standing it was dug by an adult worm,” stated Ehde with her arms wide trying to convey the size of it. “And a mother worm will be aggressive, wanting to protect her young. If the she is an elder worm, then it'll be even bigger. They eat everything. Their hide is difficult to pierce. And the spikes along their body move them through stone like a fish in water." Turning to the miners who had all gathered near her she spoke through a forced calmness. "I have reason to believe that we have one, possibly two worms near us. Leave everything except water and rations. Run for home."

Everyone seemed to pause, processing what was just said. Then the first miner started to run which woke up the others. Soon the entire crew was fleeing. Ehde turned back to the others.

"Sid payed you to protect us. Your job in this situation is to be our rear guard. Even with that it is likely none of us will make it back. Rather than stay back, I need you to run ahead. Get back to Kan Ladur and warn the guard. They need to be prepared."

Celeste walked up to Ehde and handed her Tally. "What if we do both? You have some way of communicating with home. You let them know what’s coming and we’ll fight the worm."

“I just have a sending stone and I’ve already used it today. So I can’t warn them until tomorrow.”

Digging in her pack, Celeste pulled out a sending stone. "Here, take this one. I haven’t used it today. It’s paired with one my daughter has. Give her the message and ask her to let Gito know. Do that and focus on getting Tally to safety."

Ehde nodded in agreement as she started to walk backwards carrying Tally, "Aye, that will do. Thank you for your sacrifice."

"Don't count us out yet." Miguel yelled after the foreman

"Hey Tally! Edhe! What are their weaknesses?" Liam hollered.

"Nothing!" Edhe yelled back.

Turning to the rest of the group Dakota asked, "Now what?"

Wendell shrugged, "We did such a great job running here we now get to run back."

They'd not made it fifty yards before there came a crashing sound behind them. The party turned to see the last of a dark colored worm coming from a new hole in the ceiling of the tunnel. It was a nearly five feet around and longer than a school bus with rows of spikes down it's body.

"Shit" they all said.