Leather soles slapped on the cobblestone.

  My heart was racing, and each thud in my chest was a warning.

  She’s coming…

  No…

  She’s here…

  My eyes snapped open, greeting the darkness that robbed my sight.

  It was the middle of the night, and my body was trembling.

  That wasn’t my body… That was the floor!

  "Isla," I whispered.

  I crawled to my feet, conjuring a tongue of fire to dance above my hand.

  "Isla!"

  "Whaa?"

  Her question trailed off into a yawn.

  "Do you feel that?!"

  "Feel what?"

  BOOM!

  The room shook. The wooden beams of the Pit creaked and settled into a tense silence.

  I crouched, my right hand grabbing the bed frame for balance.

  "Was that an earthquake?!" Isla asked.

  "I don’t know..."

  I lit the lantern on the dresser and slipped into my jacket. Out of my view, Isla changed as well, stepping into the light in her dress and cloak.

  BOOM!

  The room shook again. I grabbed the lantern before it fell to the floor.

  Stolen story; please report.

  That wasn’t an earthquake. That was a shockwave from an explosion. One much larger than Elmer’s hand bombs.

  What’s happening out there?

  I opened the door, sticking my head out the entrance.

  Thor's grunts were muffled in the neighbouring room. Other heads peeked out of doors down the hallway.

  "Castille?!"

  The door beside me ripped open.

  "I'm here!" she said, fastening the last leather strip of her breastplate.

  "What's with Thor? Does he smell enemies?"

  "Yes!"

  "Where?"

  "Everywhere!"

  BOOOOOOM!!!

  Another explosion rocked the Pit. Glass windows on the first floor shattered. A chorus of screams rose from the nearby rooms.

  Spirits below!

  "That one was closer!"

  'We need to get out there, double time!"

  We ran down the stairs, Castille and Dugan in front, followed by me, Isla and Thor.

  Something heavy slammed onto the floor. Outside the window, a torch flit into view.

  "Jacob, the torch!"

  "I-I’m not good at putting out fire!"

  Someone out of view tossed the torch through the window. Before it landed, a stream of water over my shoulder doused the flames.

  "I got it!" Isla said.

  At least one of us did.

  Castille and Dugan charged the entrance. I walked closer to the foreign object on the floor. It was a cracked stone pot the size of my head, wrapped in netting from the underground town. Something was leaking from it. It smelled like oil but stuck to the bottom of my boot like syrup.

  "What is it?" Isla asked.

  "Some kind of explosive."

  Thor waddled forward to sniff the stone container, wrinkling his nose at the pungent odour.

  "Anytime, you three!"

  “Sorry.”

  Isla and I ran to the front of the Pit, skipping over pieces of broken glass to press against the wall beside the front window.

  I took a deep breath and steeled myself to look outside.

  Stone men shuffled through the firelit streets, carrying torches and swords. Others carried spears, short bows or nets bulging with more stone pots.

  BOOOOOOM!!!

  A shop down the street exploded in a ball of fire and wooden debris. I turned away from the blinding flash of light.

  "Spirits below! It's like the end of the world out there."

  "Not if we can help it!" Castille said, beating an unseen enemy at the doors with the pommel of her sword.

  "How can we help?" Isla asked.

  "We're being boxed in! Jacob, we need to clear the stone men from the stairs. Get out that window and flank them.

  Isla, watch for more torches and explosives. If the Pit catches fire, we’re all dead."

  I handed Isla my lantern, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves.

  "Wish me luck."

  She smiled.

  "You don't need it."

  We'll see about that.

  I unsheathed my short sword and jumped into the fray.

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