Chapter 4 Part 21

Though Avery and Armegon worked furiously they made very slow progress against the loose earth. As soon as they removed two handsfull of dirt, one more would fall from the ceiling to replace them.

"Why don't you just phase through the wall and get Tyson and Seymore that way." Marlena had not been able to help physically due to the fact that the passage they were in did not offer enough room for three to stand abreast and move about at the same time. So she had tried to think of alternatives to the digging.

"Tyson is quite capable of doing that himself," Armegon said between scoops of dirt. "The fact that he didn't means that he got trapped underneath or was ambushed. If he was ambushed and subdued in the few seconds it would have taken to phase through the rock on his own, the chances are that we would not be able to help him anyhow."

"Any enemy responsible for this cave-in would assume we kept running," Avery added. "If we cast a spell now, we three would have to face whatever the enemy threw at us with our backs against this wall. Not good."

"Then we hope he is trapped under this pile of dirt," Marlena concluded. "Seymore will not be harmed in his spelled state and monks have the ability to place themselves in hibernation for extended periods of time."

"Correct," Armegon confirmed.

"It's not fair that the mages of this world can sense the use of magic while we can't," Marlena complained.

"You can say that again," Armegon remarked.

"It's not fair that the mages of this world can sense the use of magic while we can't," Marlena reiterated.

"You asked for that," Avery said as Armegon growled playfully.

A few moments later, a glowing boot appeared. "Well, we have Seymore at least," Marlena said at last. But even after completely breaking through to the other side a few hours later, there was no Tyson.

"Okay, so he was captured or he phased through the wall and followed the others," Avery said.

"Tyson wouldn't leave Seymore," Marlena protested.

"I agree with Marlena," Armegon said. "He must have been captured."

"Well, what do you want to do about it?" Avery said after a moment.

"There is nothing we can do now." Armegon looked at the other two. "We have to get Seymore home. We are his only chance."

"What of Tyson?" Avery asked. "His life could be in danger as well."

"It could be," Armegon agreed, "but we can't be sure."

"But we can be sure that Seymore's life is in danger," Marlena reminded them. "That we do know."

"We could split up. Some could follow Tyson and some continue on," Avery suggested.

"There are only three of us here," Marlena pointed out. "It would be folly to travel in this world alone. That’s how Tyson got in the predicament he’s in now. No one was there to cover his back."

"Okay, then, for Seymore's sake, we stay together and continue onward." Armegon glanced back toward the mine entrance. "I hope Tyson will forgive us."

"Which way do we go?" Armegon asked. "We could phase through and try to catch the others."

"Since we would be moving and would have friends in the same passage, we might chance the magic," Marlena theorized.

"No, we take the other direction," Avery insisted.

"Why?" Armegon asked.

"We have been following the breeze flowing through the mine," Avery explained. "With the tunnel closed, there would be no breeze to guide us." He lit a torch and held it out in the tunnel they had dug through. The torch wavered emphatically. "Since the air flow through this passage has increased following the closing of the other tunnel, I strongly suspect that they share the same exit."

"Brilliant deduction, old boy," Marlena clapped her hands. "But won't the others get lost?"

"Probably," Avery agreed, "but when we reach the exit of the mine, if they have not passed by, we can backtrack their tunnel and find them."

"Well, lets get going." Armegon stood and pushed Seymore's body through the air in the chosen direction. Avery and Marlena followed.

"Old boy?" Avery asked Marlena as they walked. "You should talk."

Armegon was in the lead so he didn't see the act, but he heard the distinct sound of an open hand landing sharply against the back of a half-elven head. He smiled.