by Seth Ring
“Hey, Leaves, can I reserve those bracers?” A Dwarven player with the Death Fist Monk class quickly ran up to Seven Twisted Leaves, her eyes shining. “I don’t think I’ll have enough points for the whole set, but I should be able to get the bracers with this dungeon run, right?”
The players in Nova Luna, like in most large guilds, had an insatiable appetite for high quality gear, and players were constantly competing for the items that dropped in the dungeons. To prevent hard feelings, all of the drops were gathered up and deposited in the guild’s treasury. If a player wanted to upgrade their gear they were required to pay a certain number of contribution points. These points were an internal currency that the members of Nova Luna earned by performing their duties and contributing materials or gear to the guild.
The points could also be spent at all of the stores in Moon Wolf Citadel or on issuing requests and missions to the Night Walkers Association, the massive association of Wolfkin that had swept Northern Angoril after the race had become playable.
“Hey, I’m not in charge of items. You’ll have to talk to the treasury.” Waving her away, Leaves looked at Thorn. “That went well. You’re getting a better rhythm with the other tanks. Pretty soon you’ll be a pro.”
“Hah, thanks. I think we’ve wrapped up here so we can head back up any time.”
“Actually, we should clear the rest of the dungeon.” Mina spoke up from behind Thorn. Seeing his confused expression, she grinned. “We beat the dungeon, but we have not done a full clear. There could be all sorts of cool things hiding in the corners.”
“Correct, standard procedure is to do the full clear before we kill the last boss, but, uh...your method is a bit more, uh, direct. We still have two wings of the mansion and about half of the town to sweep through.”
“Oh, that makes sense.” Thorn nodded. “How long do you think that would take?”
“Well, the bosses are dead so I can’t imagine it will take us more than an hour or so.”
*ding*
“Ugh, I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to this,” Thorn muttered under his breath after reading Hasta’s message. With a sigh he lifted his head to look at Seven Twisted Leaves again. “On second thought, I have way too much stuff to do up above, so I’ll leave the rest of the dungeon to you. We’re going to be moving out in three hours, so keep a close eye on the time.”
“Yes, sir!”
With a salute, Seven Twisted Leaves led the team to finish exploring the dungeon while Thorn rushed back the way they had come, heading toward the dungeon’s exit.
Chapter Fifteen
“My lord, the Dwarves have refused to leave. We tried to move them to another tent, but they simply would not go.”
Commander Del’har spoke quickly as he hurried to keep up with Thorn’s large strides. Thorn had arrived back at the Iron Wolves’ camp a few minutes earlier, and the tension in the air was apparent.
“Are they all in my tent?” Thorn asked, his brow furrowing. “How many of them are there?”
“Um, three in your tent, my lord, and there are about ten more who have surrounded your tent and are refusing to allow anyone else near it. The commander is in your tent and there are guards who are blocking the entrance. That is why we almost got into a fight. Thankfully I was able to call our soldiers back in time before they attacked.”
“Only thirteen? Hm. I was expecting a few more.”
“There may only be thirteen, but they are quite powerful, my lord. They appear to be a larger version of the Stone Dwarves who were appearing in the valley before you defeated the Stone King, Courdum. I would hazard a guess that they are related.”
As the large central tent came into view, Thorn saw a large crowd of Wolfkin soldiers milling about. Their unsettled murmurs quieted down as they noticed Thorn’s arrival and they fell back, revealing the entrance to the tent where two rows of Dwarves in thick stone armor had planted themselves.
Each Dwarf was unusually large, standing at five and a half feet tall, though how much of that was the thick heel of their boots, Thorn could not tell. Solid stone shields were fixed on their backs and their arms rested on thick hafts of the double headed axe that was wider than their bodies. Every single one of the Dwarves had the typical long beard common to the race, though these were grey and black with flecks of white rather than the typical brown or black.
“Stop. State your business.”
One of the Dwarves stepped forward at Thorn’s approach, his hand raised for Thorn to stop.
“Stop? Why on earth should I stop?” Raising his eyebrows, Thorn continued to walk toward his tent.
The Dwarven soldiers’ eyes narrowed and they tightened their grips on their axes. The sight of the Dwarves getting ready to stop him nearly caused Thorn to burst out laughing, but he did his best to keep his mirth off of his face.
“No need for violence. I’m pretty sure your leaders want to talk to me.”
“Are you Earl Greymane?”
“Yup, that’s me.” Coming to a stop in front of the two lines, Thorn looked down at the Dwarven soldiers with interest. “And you are members of the Stone Legion, right?”
“Well met, I am Sergeant Hammerfall. Legion Commander Kavalas is waiting inside for you.”
“Oh, how nice of you to grant me access to my tent.” Thorn gave the sergeant a small smile as the Dwarves parted. Just before he entered, the sound of a notification rang in Thorn’s head, causing him to pause for the briefest of seconds.
The inside of the tent was exactly the same as Thorn remembered, only with three large Dwarves taking up the center of the space. The massive chair sat empty at one end and the table that held the map had been pushed to the side to make room for three smaller chairs that the Dwarves were ignoring as they stood. Two of the Dwarves looked much like the soldiers guarding outside, though they lacked the thick shields that the others carried on their backs and their armor was colored differently.
The first Dwarf was the largest, and his stone armor carried a golden sheen. Behind him stood another Dwarf in armor with a faint red coloring who had two war hammers attached to his belt. The last Dwarf, surprisingly, had no beard and was armed with a tall staff topped with a roughhewn stone.
“I don’t know why we came all the way here. The Earl isn’t even here to greet...” The Dwarf with the staff complained to the golden-armored Dwarf as Thorn entered the room.
“Enough.” The golden-armored Dwarf spoke in a gravelly voice, cutting off the other Dwarf and causing her to fall silent.
“Ah!” Her eyes lighting up at the sight of Thorn, the staff-wielding Dwarf pointed at him and spoke harshly. “Where is your master? Doesn’t he know that it is bad manners to leave distinguished guests waiting?”
Apart from glancing at the finger that was pointing toward his chest, Thorn ignored the female Dwarf and walked past her toward his large chair.
“Hey, I’m speaking to you.”
Annoyed by Thorn’s disregard, the Dwarf stepped forward to go after him, only to discover that Commander Del’har was standing in her way. Sneering, she tapped the tip of her staff on the ground and power surged up into the rock that capped her weapon. Dull yellow light surrounded the rock and it rose imperceptibly from its setting, beginning to turn lazily in place.
Sensing the energy gathering in the end of the staff, Commander Del’har’s hand rested on the pommel of his sword, ready to draw it should the energy be aimed toward Thorn. Still not paying attention, Thorn arrived at his chair and sat down, leaning lazily back as he took out an apple. Big and fresh, it still did not take him more than three bites to consume the entire thing, which he did with crisp crunches. Licking his fingers, he waved toward the commander.
“Stand down, Commander Del’har.”
“Yes, my lord.” Lifting his hand from his weapon, the commander retreated to stand behind Thorn’s chair.
“Hmph. So, are you Earl Greymane?” Her staff still charged, the Dwarf glared at Thorn, not bothering to hid
e the displeasure in her eyes.
*crunch*
Getting another apple out of his inventory, Thorn continued to ignore her, his eyes meeting the eyes of the golden armored Dwarf.
“I said, are you…”
Before the female Dwarf could complete her question, Thorn’s eyes narrowed and the temperature in the tent plunged as Thorn’s full aura activated. Ever since he had begun to unlock the effects of the [Stone Heart] his presence had taken on a whole new weight, and now it spread uncontrollably, rolling out from the tent and causing all of those outside to tremble. Even the Dwarven soldiers who stood in iron ranks guarding the entrance to the tent could not help but shiver, as if a massive predator stood at their backs eyeing their necks hungrily.
Inside the tent it was even worse. The golden-armored Dwarf only blinked, but the other two could not help but twitch badly. Dropping his hands to his two war hammers, the thickly armored Dwarf who had not yet spoken unclipped them from his belt and took a small step back, bringing them up in a defensive stance. His female companion paled as the words she was about to speak died in her throat. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped her staff tightly, a thick bead of sweat running down her neck.
Unable to maintain his calm, a faint frown furrowed the brow of the golden-armored Dwarf as Thorn’s aura continued to rise, growing thicker and heavier by the second. Sensing that his companions were soon going to be unable to bear the pressure, the golden-armored Dwarf took a small step forward and bowed his head ever so slightly.
“Greetings, Earl Greymane. I am Legion Commander Kavalas, Commander of the Stone Legion, defenders of the Earth.”
His face still impassive, Thorn took out another apple and polished it on his shirt before taking a bite. Though his aura did not disappear, it stopped growing, allowing the other two Dwarves some breathing room.
“My apologies for Drada’s disrespect, Earl Greymane. You may consider it the impetuousness of youth.” The Legion Commander spoke in a measured manner, his deep rumble displaying no emotion.
Thorn held Kavalas’ gaze for a moment as he finished his third apple. Just as everyone was sure that he would get out another piece of fruit, a grin stretched across his face. Despite the fact that he looked genuinely happy, the female Dwarf could not help but shiver slightly.
“Youth? She’s what? A few hundred years old? If not thousands of years old if you count the time spent petrified? And at least a sub-commander. Hah, you’re funny.”
“Regardless, I will make sure to punish her appropriately.” Kavalas’ voice remained even as he tried to close the topic off. Before he could change the subject, Thorn burst into laughter.
“You will? Really? I’m curious, Legion Commander Kavalas, what is the appropriate punishment for a legionnaire who insults their liege?”
The slight furrow returned to the Dwarf’s forehead as he considered Thorn’s question. Still chuckling, Thorn waved again and his overflowing aura began to recede until it vanished completely, as if it had never appeared in the first place.
“But where are my manners? Why don’t we start over? Commander Del’har, please call for some refreshments. No doubt our friends are hungry and thirsty from their long trip. Don’t skimp, they’ll need the sustenance for their return journey.”
“Yes, my lord.” Bowing his head, Commander Del’har opened up the flap at the entrance to the tent and called for some of the soldiers to bring food and drink.
It was not until the tall Wolfkin had returned to his spot behind Thorn that Thorn’s words registered with the female Dwarf, who immediately shot a concerned glance at Legion Commander Kavalas. The glance was quick, but Thorn still caught it, causing his smile to widen another notch.
“So, tell me, Commander Kavalas, how did you find yourself with only thirteen members. I was under the impression that the Stone Legion was huge. It certainly felt that way when I defeated Courdum the Stone King. We fought what felt like endless waves of stone Dwarves.”
“Hmph.” For the first time, the golden-armored Dwarf’s voice changed, getting even gruffer than it normally was. “When that madman was destroyed most of the legion fell with him. The magic that bound the legion to him brought cold death to us, just as it had once brought endless life. Those few of us that have survived have done so by the force of our will.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It is undoubtedly a terrible feeling to live while your companions have crumbled to pieces.” Thorn carefully erased the smile from his face as he spoke. Though he was still jostling for dominance with the Dwarves, he had no desire to mock them. “Please help me understand, however, as I saw many Dwarves when I was in Rakkam. I was under the impression that they were Stone Dwarves that had woken from the Stone King’s curse.”
“They were, but they were not part of the Stone Legion, they were simply cursed Stone Dwarves. The Stone Legion was, in ancient times, the personal guard of the Stone King. We serve as the final bastion of the king. There were once a thousand of us, now reduced to thirteen.”
“You have my condolences, Commander. I can only imagine what it is like to be separated from your companions forever.”
“They can still wake up…” blurted out the thickset Dwarf with the two war hammers.
“Felph! Hush!” hissed his female companion under her breath, shooting a glare at him.
Confused, Felph scratched his head and lapsed into silence, unsure what he did wrong. Thorn gave the Legion Commander an interested look and tapped his armrest.
“How fortunate.”
Just then the tent’s flap lifted and a few soldiers entered with a couple large trays of food and pitchers with drinks. Under Commander Del’har’s direction they pulled the table over and placed the food and drinks on it. After they had finished setting up the food, Thorn waved them out and returned to what he was saying.
“Tell me, how could something so magical exist? Can your friends really be brought back to life?”
The faint frown on Kavalas’ face had, by this point, turned into a full blown scowl, and the tent fell into silence as Thorn allowed his question to hang in the air. The answer to his question was obvious, but both Thorn and Kavalas knew that the one who mentioned it first would lose their little power play. Coughing into her hand, the female Dwarf was looking more and more embarrassed. Just as she was about to break her silence, Kavalas held up a hand to forestall her.
“Earl Greymane, my legionnaires who have fallen into the cold slumber of stone due to the curse that Courdum the Stone King placed on us can only be woken by the power of that same magic.”
“Oh man, that sounds rough.” Thorn’s eyes opened wide as he looked around in faux confusion. “Where on earth are you going to find a mage of that calibre? Courdum might have been absolutely nuts, but he sure was good at magic. I think it is pretty unlikely that you’ll find someone who can match him.”
Again the tent fell into silence as Thorn played dumb. While he had thought that his [Call the Stone Legion] ability was cool, reality had proved that it was significantly more complicated than he had realized. Apart from being small, the Stone Legion had come with a serious attitude, one that Thorn had no patience for. From the moment he had seen them outside the tent Thorn had resolved to send them away - after all, he had plenty of subordinates and did not fancy keeping a bunch of high maintenance Dwarves.
Chapter Sixteen
The silence in the tent continued to stretch as Thorn picked at the food that had been brought in. None of the Dwarves had moved to the table, maintaining their positions facing Thorn’s seat. Commander Del’har stood quietly behind Thorn, his eyes fixed on the Dwarves and his hand resting on his belt.
Thorn’s flippant attitude was plain to Legion Commander Kavalas, who was slowly beginning to grasp the game that Thorn was playing. Realizing that Thorn was serious about feigning ignorance, and that they would not make any progress if things continued in the same direction they were going, the golden-armored Dwarf sighed.
“You misu
nderstand, Earl Greymane, the magic we need is that of the Stone Heart. The Stone Heart has another name, one that is much more descriptive of its character. The Heart of Earth. Legend tells us that the Bearer of the Stone Heart is one who holds the power of the earth and is able to control the energy of the earth at will, granting life to even the coldest and hardest stone. What we seek from you is your ability to bring our frozen brothers and sisters to life.”
Lounging back in his chair, Thorn’s eyes squinted slightly as his gaze swept over the Dwarves.
“Huh, you sure picked a strange way to come and ask for help. You waltz in here like you own the place, try to boss around my soldiers, generally act like fools, and you want me to use my power to help you wake up your dead companions? Tell me, why should I help you?”
“You will gain the service of the Stone Legion!” Exasperated, Drada slammed her staff on the ground as she spoke.
“Oh, will I? And why would I want that? I have plenty of soldiers, even immortal ones. Besides, what use will a broken legion be? I don’t know if you noticed, but the last time I checked your legion had been smashed.” With a sigh, Thorn shrugged his shoulders. “Look, I don’t know what spirit possessed you to come here and be rude, but if you’re done I would appreciate it if you would leave. I am on a tight schedule and have way too much to do. Once you have finished up your refreshments please see yourself out.”
Thorn stood up as he finished speaking and began to walk out of the tent, Commander Del’har following close behind. The shock that his words had caused was apparent on Drada’s face, and even Felph showed his surprise. Proud of their abilities and the history of the Stone Legion, neither of them had ever expected that Thorn would turn down their service. A slight panic overtook the look of shock as Drada looked to Kavalas. Just before Thorn stepped out of the tent, the Legion Commander’s gruff voice rang out, making Thorn pause with his hand on the tent flap.