The light was still flashing in their eyes, Tanis grabbed one of the grenades from his bandolier and lit it. He threw it into the fire and it exploded in a brilliant flash. Sebastian rushed the elder shaman and cut his head off with a single stroke. Twang looked over at Sebastian, " You can't hurt me" he cackled, " I am a GOD!"
Tanis hit him square in the face with a bone disintegrating thud that threw him into his throne. " Guess not" said Tanis.
Sebastian picked up the statue, " Damn, it doesn't work anymore" he said.
" I guess the jewel of a cruel, heartless monster gave it all its power" said Elanna, " who knew."
" But how do we get out?" asked Gabriel.
" Quickly" said Tanis, looking out the door as Goblyns raced up the stairs.
Tanis lit another grenade and tossed it down the stairs. It bounced into the middle of the rushing Goblyn horde and exploded. The Goblyns were thrown high into the air and the stairs where the grenade had exploded began to crack. Long cracks began to race all across the stairs and as more Goblyns raced up the stairs they crumbled under their feet. The stairs and several Goblyns went plummeting to the mine floor below. " Hurry" said Elanna, pulled on Tanis' collar.
The pair climbed back out the window and down to the mine floor. " No chance escaping that way" said Sebastian, " it is like a sea of Goblyns out there."
" Into the mines?" suggested Gabriel, " Tanis how well do you know these tunnels?"
" Five years digging them, and five more killing the Goblyns that invaded them, pretty good" said Tanis, stroking his beard.
" Are there an escape tunnels or anything?" asked Elanna.
" We built escape tunnels deeper in the mines in case of cave in but the Goblyn must know about those" said Tanis.
The sounds of the Goblyns were getting closer and they sounded pissed. " We have to risk it" said Elanna.
The four started running down the tunnel into the mines.

The Goblyns finally managed to get into their leader's throne room. " Lord Twang!" one shouted, " he is dead, oh our lord is slain by those vile pink skins and their Dwarf pet."
" First we need a leader" shouted another, " we need a leader."
" I say you" said another, pointing to the first."
" I accept" he said, " I..."
Suddenly a blade ripped through his chest. The blade slipped out and he collapsed dead on the floor. " I'm not dead" said Twang, " find Crax, and my brother get them to lead troops into the mines, you are not to kill the intruders, I want them for sport."
" Yes Lord Twang" they said before hurrying out.
Twang pushed his nose back into shape, he could feel Gurg inside of him. Gurg's military genius was talking to him, his love of tortue giving them plenty of ideas on what to do with the prisoners, and his lust for Elves giving him more ideas on what to do with the scrumptious Elf girl. Twang pushed his jaw back into the socket and slowly opened his mouth and spat the broken teeth on the floor, new ones were already growing in their place. Twang smiled, nothing could stop him now.

Arrows were pecking at the rocks around the four as they ran. The Goblyns were in hot pursuit, thankfully their fast pace didn't allow them any aim when firing their crossbows and all the arrows missed. Tanis raced down the left tunnel, everyone followed. It was amazing how fast that Dwarf could move, especially with hundreds of angry Goblyns closing in behind him. Tanis took a strange serpentine route through the tunnels, crisscrossing their path until finally the Goblyns got lost and stopped to figure out where they hell they were. The four kept running until they could smell the Goblyn's foul odor before stopping. Elanna dropped to her knees, her experience in the forge had taken more out of her than she wanted to admit. " Are you okay?" asked Gabriel, helping Elanna up.
" No" said Elanna, " I... I'm... afraid of close spaces. I was buried alive in an avalanche as a child, it only heightened our peoples natural fear of these kind of places. I'm scared."
" Its okay" said Tanis, " we're almost to an escape tunnel, I think."
" You think?" asked Gabriel.
" Look the last time I was in these tunnels was 80 years ago" said Tanis, " I've been a lot of place in 80s years okay."
" Let's just hurry" said Elanna.
" Agreed" said Sebastian.
They started again, Tanis walked over to Elanna and handed her a flask, " Courage Elanna" said Tanis.
Elanna took the flask and drank before violently coughing, " 180 proof Dwarven Courage" said Tanis.
" Not bad" wheezed Elanna.
Elanna took another drink and gave it back to Tanis. They rounded the corner and to all of their horror, the cave was sealed off. " Now where?" asked Elanna.
" We go deeper" said Tanis, " I just hope we don't run into it."
" What is it?" asked Elanna.
" In the Dwarven Tongue is Lonhumdhi" said Tanis, " there is no translation, it is a creature, an evil spirit. Dwarves believe they are earth spirits that are angry we are tunneling into their domain. These mines had one, most deep mines do. As long as we're nice and quiet hopefully we won't get its attention."
The four quietly snuck back the way they came and descended a ladder deeper into the mines. The mines were dark and damp, moisture dripped from the top of the tunnels on their heads, Elanna shivered with each drop, she knew any moment the tunnel would fall in on her and she would be trapped again. Elanna kept her courage, bolstered by Tanis' flask full of courage and kept on. The glowstones lit there way as they passed rusted picks, decaying bucks, the occasional burned out lantern, it looked like the Goblyns hadn't continued the mining the Dwarves had started. They went down another ladder and kept walking. Suddenly Tanis stopped cold, the runes on his warhammer were glowing bright. Elanna's ears twitched, she could hear something, it sounded like a wind and a moan. Suddenly a black heavy wind whipped through them, it shattered the glowstones and made Elanna scream. The wind passed, Tanis stumbled about using matches to try and find a lantern, one another the other burning his stubby fingers before he lit another. He grabbed the lantern and lit it. He turned and his jaw dropped. Elanna was gone.

Elanna awoke, feeling safe and warm. " Drink" came a welcome and familiar voice.
Elanna opened her mouth and felt the sparkling taste of Elvish spring water pass her lips. " Hey don't get too greedy" said the voice, " it is my last bottle."
Elanna looked up, her eyes slowly clearing until she saw Serenity cradling her in her arms. " Where am I?" asked Elanna.
" I don't know myself" said Serenity, " I heard rumors that the statue had been taken by the Goblyns, I had to politely ask two Goblyn raiders how I could enter their fortress. They told me but they neglected to tell me how to get through the caves."
" Why do you want the statue so much?" asked Elanna, " our people don't need those trinkets."
" I'm working for the Faeries, well I was until they thought they captured you" said Serenity, " they said I failed and put a bounty on my head. I thought I could bargain my life for the statue."
" Sorry, its worthless now" said Elanna, " the jewel held the spirit of Gurg the Undying which Twang used to try and become a god, before we killed him."
" Good riddance to that foul bastard" said Serenity, " you okay to stand yet?"
" I don't know, last thing I remember was being hit by a strange wind" said Elanna.
" I found you here" said Serenity, " I was worried you were dead but you were just asleep."
" I think I was attacked by some sort of earth spirit" said Elanna.
" Possible" said Serenity, " come on, lets get out of this awful place."
Serenity helped Elanna up and Elanna hugged Serenity, " I owe you twice now" said Elanna.
" It okay" said Serenity, " my people owe yours a great deal, besides helping one another is how alliances are made."
" You have my friendship" said Elanna, " you ever need a crew of mercenaries and an airship, just call and we'll be there."
" Thank you" said Serenity.
Elanna took a few tentative steps and found she was in fact feeling better than she did before the wind hit her. Elanna took Serenity's hand, " I have to find my friends" she said.
" How?" asked Serenity, " there are miles of tunnels in here, they're trying to find a way out as well, lets go out of this awful place and wait for them."
" Okay" said Elanna, " I'll feel better out of here."
" Tell me about it" said Serenity, " I hate these tunnels."
" They smell, their cold, they drip" said Elanna, " give me a warm forest any day."
" You're right" said Serenity, " come on, there is a nice warm forest just outside the opening I found."
The pair started down the tunnel again, hand in hand both happy at the prospect of escaping this wretched place.

Tanis led Sebastian and Gabriel down the tunnel in total silence, only the creaking of the rusty old lantern made any noise. Their spirits were crushed by the disappearance of Elanna and the fact that they would never see her again. Tanis silently cursed himself, he led them down here, and to Elanna's death. While Dwarves and Elves usually didn't get along, the Elves reverence for the earth and the Dwarves urge to cultivate the earth had gotten the two races into a mutual distrust of one another over the years, Elanna always so nice to Tanis. Tanis planned to pot several plants on the gun deck for Elanna when they got back. Tanis rounded another corner, they had been walking for ages and he wasn't exactly sure where they were anymore. He finally came to an exit, it was a bittersweet victory for them. He pushed the slab back and the sunlight poured in, temporarily blinding them. Tanis tossed the lantern behind him and listened to it crash. He slowly shook his head and suddenly cheered, making both Sebastian and Gabriel jump. By the time Sebastian and Gabriel had adjusted to the bright sunlight they saw Tanis racing down the side of the mountain towards Elanna who was sitting on a log.
Tanis tackled Elanna, knocking her off the log and hugged her. " You pointed eared lucky bitch" said Tanis, " I thought it had got you."
" I think it did" said Elanna, " but because I'm one with the earth it didn't harm me."
" How did you find your way out?" asked Tanis, " every escape we found was blocked."
" Oh I..." said Elanna turning to introduce Serenity to the others but saw she was gone, leaving behind her last bottle of Elvish Spring water with a small necklace around it, " I woke up next to one, I think it wanted me out more than to harm me."
The other joined them and both took turns hugging Elanna. " Thank god we are out of there" said Gabriel, " I was starting to get twitchy in those tight tunnels myself."
" Well I'm just glad we have the stupid statue" said Sebastian, " now all we need is a big fake jewel so Schwartzenselbe won't know the difference."
" I think he'll know when his little buddy doesn't get excited" said Elanna.
" One thing at a time" said Sebastian, " firstly."
Sebastian took out a amulet and pointed it up. The Amulet began to glow, attracting the Esmeraldas' Triumph's helm controller. Elanna shared the last of the Elvish Spring Water with the others while they waited. They had to wait for several hours before the Esmeraldas' Triumph appeared and dropped ropes to hoist them up. " Did you get it?" asked Elsenor.
" Yes and no" said Sebastian holding the statue up.
They groaned, " All this for a statue that doesn't even work" said Sam, " this sucks."
" Wait, I have an idea" said Elsenor, " stay right here."
Elsenor raced down to her quarters and took her favorite blue silk dress out. On it was the last of her jewels, she had sold the others over her years in exile. She took it off and kissed it. Elsenor returned to the deck. " This is my last jewel" said Elsenor, " I was saving it for an emergency, this qualifies as one."
Elsenor tore the golden adornment off the jewel and gently placed it between the statue's out stretched hands. Everyone immediately became flushed, " It works" said Sebastian.
Sam quickly closed the statue up in the box, " Let's go home" said Sebastian, " when we get paid I think a well deserved vacation is in store for all of us."
Elsenor put her arms around Sebastian and planted a deep kiss on his lips. " Thank you" she said, " for coming back to me."
" Nothing could keep me from my queen" he said.

The Esmeraldas' Triumph began its journey home, by tomorrow they would be in Westfall, a full day ahead of schedule. Dinner was a loud festive occasion, Sam outdid herself with every meal. They emptied their wine racks and by dessert were dipping into Tanis' barrel of Stone Ale, an expensive and very powerful Dwarven ale. Finally everyone except Elanna retired to their rooms, Elanna drawing nightwatch.

Elanna walked through the ship, Gabriel was in his room, writing the day's adventure in the ship's log, Sebastian and Elsenor were making sure the statue worked in Sebastian's quarters. Tanis was passed out in his room on the gun deck, Audrey and Alexis were washing dishes, while Sam teased them. Everything was back to normal. Elanna walked up to the top deck and to the very front of the ship. She took out the necklace that Serenity had left. It was a simple black cord with an Elvish coin on it. Elanna looked at the coin, it was ancient at least a thousand years back when all Elves were kin. Elanna smiled, mom would love to hear this story, maybe it would lead to another good era for Elves where all Elves could live together. Elanna smirked to herself, she was becoming idealistic, she didn't believe it was possible. Elanna put the necklace on and tucked it into her shirt. Elanna walked across the length of the ship and up to the flying deck. She stopped, she had a funny feeling around the magical helm controls, she ran her hand over it, she felt almost like waves coming from it. Elanna looked at her hand and back at the small wheel with the intricate symbols carved in it. Elanna put her hand against it and felt the power of the device. Elanna looked back at the mountain, she began to wonder if the incident in the cave had some effect on her. Elanna shook her head, no I'm probably just drunk she thought.