The downward-sloping tunnel was longer than Renato had expected.
As they descended the rough stone steps, the air grew steadily damper and more oppressive.
The tunnel was utterly dark. Weapons in hand, the Iron Price mercenaries descended the stone steps in two columns.
After about a quarter of an hour, a heavy stone door appeared at the end of the passage.
Rather than a stone door, it was a wall built from marble bricks. Renato narrowed his eyes. Darkness could not obstruct his vision. Twisted tentacles had been drawn in charcoal ash across the bricks temporarily blocking the doorway, and yellowish-brown earth filled the gaps between them.
A squad of warriors guarded the entrance, clad head to toe in chainmail. Even their heads were tightly wrapped in mail coifs, leaving only pairs of fanatical eyes peering through the gaps between the fine iron rings.
"That's them." Raven lowered her voice and tightened her grip on her battle axe. "The Swamp Sisters."
Renato quickly assessed the terrain and the forces on both sides.
The underground passage was cramped, wide enough for only three people abreast. Though the Iron Price mercenaries outnumbered their opponents several times over, the terrain severely curtailed that advantage.
Worse, the Swamp Sisters held spears and stood in a tight formation across the passage.
The scimitar-wielding Iron Price mercenaries could not break through the front of that spear formation, while the tunnel walls protected its flanks.
Still, with the advantage of higher ground, the mercenaries immediately raised their crossbows and aimed at the formation ahead.
Bowstrings snapped again and again. Crossbow bolts tore through the air, striking the Swamp Sisters unerringly. Without shields for protection, their iron chainmail was little better than paper against crossbows fired at close range. The bolt heads easily pierced the rings and sank