Chapter 18 - The Final Clash in the Caves
Chaos erupted inside the sea cave instantly. Shouts of alarm echoed off the stone ceiling as the mercenaries scrambled blindly in the dark, colliding with crates and each other.
Rhys moved like a whirlwind of steel, his broadsword humming through the air, disarming and subduing attackers with practiced, lethal efficiency.
Sera wove through the narrow gaps between the stacked grain crates, her daggers flashing in the dim light. She ducked beneath a wild swing from a burly mercenary, swept his legs out from under him with a sharp kick, and pinned him to the floor before he could draw his secondary blade.
As the dust settled, only one man remained standing near the far exit of the cave—a scarred captain of Malrec’s personal guard, holding a lit torch in one hand and a barrel of black powder in the other.
“Stay back!” the captain roared, his eyes wild with desperate fury as he pointed the torch directly over the open barrel. “One step closer, and I’ll blow this entire cavern—and every grain shipment with it—straight into the ocean!”
Rhys stopped immediately, lowering his broadsword a fraction of an inch, his tactical mind calculating the trajectory. The distance was too great for a sword swing, and throwing a dagger carried the risk of hitting the powder keg.
Sera, however, didn't hesitate.
She didn't reach for a weapon. Instead, she grabbed a heavy, iron-bound wooden oar leaning against a nearby crate, wound up with every ounce of strength in her body, and hurled it like a javelin straight across the cavern.
Thunk!
The heavy oar struck the captain squarely in the chest with bone-crushing force, knocking him backward into the darkness. The torch flew from his hand, landing harmlessly in a puddle of seawater and extinguishing with a loud hiss.
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The cavern fell silent, save for the sound of heavy breathing and the gentle lapping of waves against the shore.
Rhys walked over, kicking the unconscious captain away from the powder keg, and let out a long breath. “Remind me never to get on your bad side, Sera Rowe.”
