A Skeleton's Duty (Death Knight Series Book 4)

by Michael Chatfield

  “I don’t sense any magic,” Aila said.

  “Technology? Pure technology?” Claire turned the statement into a question as she looked over to Krosem, who had a pleased smile on his face.

  “Well, when we were going to the south, the princess made friends with a group of gnomes. They were technick types. They had created something called a steam engine. We agreed to house them here, support their research, and they have been making these engines. With the heat of Shivernsin, we boil water, and the hot water pushes gears and machines, giving them life. We just need heated stones, which are easy enough to enchant, and we can create a lot of power. We are adapting it to everything. I heard that there are even steam-augmented weapons.” Krosem’s eyes shone as he talked.

  “Tommie would love this place,” Aila said wistfully.

  “What is this called?” Claire asked.

  “This is an elevator—uses counterweights and a steam engine to raise and lower us. There are several on different floors now. Experimentation with the steam engines has exploded to every area. The dwarves have entered the age of steam!”

  Their ride came to an end and they stepped off the elevator.

  Aila was still intrigued by it as they passed through the center of the higher floor. There was a large hall with a familiar flame.

  “Guardian Flame,” Aila said.

  “You kept it alive?”

  “A week or so ago, fires on the different floors ignited and we started to get information from them,” Krosem said.

  Aila stepped up. As her emblem was recognized, messages started to appear.

  Anthony appeared in the flames.

  “Aila, Claire—we were ambushed as we were heading to Laisa. Watch out—it looks like there are some Agents of Chaos still working against us. The Drafeng must have got out word to some of their people. Don’t know if there are still Drafeng out in the world, or just their transformed Agents of Chaos carrying out their bidding. Tommie’s father fled to the south. The elves there are destroying the doorways. Look after yourselves.”

  Watcher Cecilia appeared. “Calling all Guardians. The doorways have started to open. We need to work quickly.”

  Tamarra appeared with another Guardian. “The Drafeng have emerged in Yelling Atoll. We are currently fighting them there and we are clearing the islands of all other doorways. Our military will move to support the elves in the Deepwood, forming up a United Army that will advance toward the north, clearing through the human and beast kin lands. We were able to do a sensing spell. They have appeared on Cheon, as well as their northern stronghold once again. Stay safe, all of you.”

  Anthony appeared again. “We moved through the cities and the camps, judging them and starting to create Guardian Flames. It was not enough. Bruce, Damien, and Penelope are heading off to Bracegar. It seems that the clan spirits have been restricted. They are going to remove these restrictions. Their secondary objective is to reach the line general on the beast kin side. Tommie and I will get the general on the human side. We will work our way north. Wake up the Guardians. We need them now more than ever.”

  Anthony was replaced by Tommie in his Gnominator. He looked tired but defiant. Aila felt that he had gone through a ground-shaking change in just the last few weeks.

  “Anthony is now in command of both leaders. Bruce, Penelope, and Damien are racing toward Bracegar. Anthony has brought the humans and the beast kin out of their fortresses and is going to start training them together and sending them out to destroy the doorways across Dena. Anthony is pushing himself to the limit. We have created several new Guardians. Watcher Cecilia is sending a United Army up to assist us in training and pulling the forces together. They’re more likely to kill one another than they are to fight the enemy. Also, guess I’m a Guardian now. Stay safe.”

  “We have a lot of work to be done and a war to fight.” Claire stepped forward.

  Everyone around the flame was quiet as they heard the reports from the different figures in the flames.

  Krosem jogged forward as they reached a large door. It opened to reveal a room filled with people from different races arguing with one another and a tired-looking dwarf sitting in his chair behind them all.

  Aila followed behind. The people in the room turned their blazing eyes on the door, ready to tear apart whoever disturbed their talks.

  Claire pulled back her hood, getting gasps of shock from people in the room as they looked at the lich standing in front of them.

  “You must be Stronghold Keeper Logan. The Guardians have need of your services. It is time to fulfill your family oath.”

  The tired-looking dwarf looked at Claire and then to Aila, seeing the purple emblem on her chest and then the purple flame behind her.

  He pulled out a truly ancient hammer carved from stone. Enchantments covered the hammer. He placed it on the table and the weight made the wood ring out.

  “I, Logan Icearm, descendent of Tairlyn Stone Hammer, take up the call. Stronghold Shivernsin stands with the Guardians. Claire, Battle Magess, leader of the Guardians, I offer you my hammer and pledge my loyalty.” He dropped to a knee and tilted his head to them.

  “Looks like I am not the only one who is well informed. I am no longer a Guardian, but this is Aila Wranoris, of the Dark Elves in the North, Princess to the Dark Throne, first Guardian of the new generation. We have much to discuss, Logan.”

  ***

  Admiral Raye looked at the shores of Yelling Atoll. Still the yells and screams sounded. He hid the shiver that ran through his bones and he closed his eyes.

  Behind his eyes, he saw the scenes: the rush to Yelling Atoll, the four-day bloody battle that had ensued.

  They had pincered the location the Drafeng controlled. They had hidden in the multiple uninhabited caves along the coast from the Yelling Atoll port.

  The port had been raided and many of the people killed. Few had survived, leaving in ships. Using their cannons, they had brought down the cave system, opening it up for the army to use long-range magic and attacks on the Drafeng. The Drafeng used the caves to launch an attack on the army, boiling out of the ground right into the United Army’s ranks. The Guardians, champions, and other powerful figures clashed with them. The chaotic beasts were powerful in ranged and close combat, strong enough to require a group of regular soldiers working together to defeat them.

  They had been repelled but with five percent casualties and many wounded or affected by the chaotic power.

  It was the first true battle they had with the Drafeng and it shook them; the chaotic beasts had used their power to destroy themselves just to inflict greater casualties.

  They had forged on, having to make their way into the ruins of caves, paying for their advance in blood. The courts were called down, using buffs on the friendly forces. Their offensive power was minimal and in the area of chaotic power, their strength would rapidly wane.

  With the buffs, the army advanced, reinforced by the navy marines. They took the caves and set up batteries that fired through the doorways without stop as mages attacked the doorways relentlessly.

  Guardians and champions sped up the process.

  The open doorways were much more stable than the forming doorways. It took a half-day just to destroy the doorways. Guns were turned to slag, tossed to the side as new ones were pushed out. They would fire out chaotic power, killing gunners and those attacking the doorway.

  It was a bloody fight. The proud navy and army had been attacked on their home soil and lost nearly ten percent of their strength. It was a cold blow and it taught them to not underestimate their opponent: these were not humans or beast kin.

  “New orders from the chief justice,” one of the Guardians of the fleet reported, pulling Admiral Raye out of his reverie. “We are to head to the Deepwood. We will meet up with the forces there, combining our strength and heading through Selenus.”

  “Cheon?”

  “The northern fleets have been dispatched to deal with the threat there. The army has wo
rked with the Guardians and the judges to clear the doorways and remove Agents of Chaos that created the different anchor points. Thirty percent of the army will act as a protection force, with the fifth and sixth fleet to patrol Epan and Ilsal.”

  “Seems that you have started to read my mind, Guardian Thunderwing.” Admiral Raye smiled at the rare elemental Guardian. It had the appearance of a bird, formed from golden lightning and clouds. A purple flame burned within him and a purple Guardian symbol appeared on his chest.

  “Just accustomed to it,” Thunderwing said.

  Admiral Raye smiled and then turned to his messengers. “Send the word to the rest of the fleet. We head for the Deepwood.”

  ***

  Anthony stood in front of the Guardian Flame, drawing power into himself. He had drained so much in the last few days. He took Fysher and Gheta, flying from camp to camp, having them give orders as he used Guardian’s Judgement to clean up the ranks.

  What he had heard and what he had seen had left him disgusted, angered, and feeling defeated.

  He sat down and looked at the flickering purple flames, getting lost in their motion. “I can hear you a mile away.” Anthony tilted his head to the side but didn’t take his eyes off the flame.

  “Yeah, need to tweak a few things still,” Tommie said as he walked up and then sat down next to the flame, staring at it as well.

  Anthony could feel that Tommie was waiting; he knew what he was waiting for. He just didn’t know what to say.

  “Is it all a waste? We did this once before and then look at what happened? Will anything be different this time? Will we survive? Do we deserve to? The things that the people of Dena did to one another, with just a little push?” Anthony fell into silence, not sure where it had come from, but feeling all his words rang true.

  “I was once told that the scariest thing is not the murderous psychopathic ones.” Anthony felt heavy as his eyes dropped to where the flame met the ground.

  “It’s the ones who carry out diabolical acts. They don’t really think that anything is wrong with it. They’re just doing a job. The emperor said that it was legal. They weren’t just doing what was right; they were following the law. I’ve seen it before: people who are idealists, but the idea that they follow is not something intrinsic, but a person. As that person changes their mind, as they become people’s moral compass, things that would have been unacceptable are just something different. Ideas can be a powerful thing. They can raise people to be great, or it can cause them to fall into despair, or remove their moral compass. If someone gives up their moral compass and doesn’t question it, then it can become deadly. Look at the militaries—if they tell someone to do something, then they will do it, sometimes out of fear, but other times because they believe in the military so much that of course the military wouldn’t do anything wrong.” Anthony shook his head. “People who walk the world thinking they’re awakened because of someone else’s vilification are the truly blind. Those who think they are blind but are searching for an answer will have their eyes open to the world around them.”

  Tommie didn’t say anything, just sitting there with his own thoughts.

  “Now we have to take these two militaries that hated one another, or were at least made to think that they hated one another, and have them fight beside one another.”

  “How?” Tommie asked.

  “First we get them to know one another, then we make them compete, and then they fight.” Anthony looked over to a tent in the middle of the line.

  ***

  Around the room, people and beast kin intermingled with one another. Each of them glared daggers at the others. They all knew one another, hearing reports on the others to know how they would think in battle.

  It felt as if they were chained-up beasts, all slashing and growling at one another, just inches away from drawing blood.

  “My name is General Fysher. I have been fighting since I was a young boy. All I know is how to wage war. I have had two wives and I have five children. Two of which serve—one as a familiar mage, the other as a regular soldier. The third, who hates me, is a merchant who left for Epan and Ilsal. The fourth is a mother and has nothing to do with me. The other is a boy. I heard that he was a landowner looking after my first wife. I would wish to be a ranger if I could. I like nature, being left alone and also searching unknown areas, foraging for myself.” Fysher gritted his teeth together as the purple bands around him relaxed.

  “My name is Line General Gheta. I have been fighting since I was a kid. I have raised eight children. My first husband was killed at the front. In order to get revenge for him, I joined the military. I have learned how to fight over my adult life. With the power of my old clan spirit, I was able to fight even in my old age.” Gheta looked at the staff in her hands. “I don’t think that I will be so capable now. I had him removed from my body as he used my mind against me. He turned me into a person dedicated to war. I have lost contact with my children who have grown up across Radal, the Deepwood, and the islands. I wish to go and find them again, not to talk to them or impose on their lives but to see how they are living. I wonder if they have children of their own.”

  Gheta had a sad smile on her face. “All I have is this now. So I will fight for the people of Dena and then I will wander Dena until the end of my days, serving others and helping them. I will probably never see my children again. It saddens me, but then I think about the people who will never see their children again because of my actions. Seems only fair.”

  The tension in the room turned as people shifted their feet.

  “ I am Vice Veneral Spiros, Father was a lord, I’m a bastard, wanted to get his eye fighting, instead he picked me to fight beside him,” Spiros looked at Fysher and frowned.

  “Someone needed to look after your stupid ass,” Fysher said.

  There were a few laughs as people started to let the tension bleed off, the humans and the Beast-kin still talked in their own groups, but they weren’t looking to actively murder them in the command center now.

  With their orders the groups were forced to talk to one another, share their story.

  General Fysher looked at the people in the room as they talked, as they learned about who they were, their family, what they cared about, and what they wanted to do after the war.

  Fysher found it harder and harder to look at them with anger. Their stories were so similar to his own people. He didn’t know what would happen.

  “Army to the south!” someone called out and reached the tent.

  Gheta and Fysher both ran out of the command tent and went up to the tower together. They were to stick together all day and night. They looked to the south.

  “What?” Fysher saw columns upon columns of men and women marching up the line. There were dwarves, elves, beast kin, gnomes, dwarves, humans, and goblins among them. An old banner that looked as though it had stood the test of time was raised in front of the army. It was black and red, like the armor that the army was wearing. Upon it, there was a purple symbol.

  Seeing them, Fysher felt shaken. Then he saw Guardian Anthony with his golden wings appear.

  The army snapped off a salute to him in a crisp fashion. He snapped off a salute back; a woman appeared from the middle of the army and saluted Anthony before hugging him. The two of them sunk into a talk as Anthony and the woman looked at the beast kin and human army.

  Fysher could feel the weight of their gazes. His eyes moved to the army once again.

  “Look, there are goblin grenadiers, gnomes in their contraptions and moving with the dwarves and their ranged artillery. The elves are with the humans, the hobgoblin shamans and the beast kin elementalists. Are those elementals with them?”

  “Each unit has all of the species in it. They complement and assist one another. Look at the melee units—there are dwarven gunners, goblin grenadiers, elven sword dancers, humans with augmenting familiars, gnomes in their war machines, and powerful beast kin melee types. Look at the ground,” Fysher said.r />
  “It is smoothing out for them, creating a road,” Gheta said.

  “I’m guessing that is the elemental’s work. I thought that they were a myth,” Fysher said.

  A horn came out from within the formation. They came to a perfect halt and stared at the beast kin and human army.

  The difference between the two groups was vast.

  Anthony and the elven woman who had greeted him entered the formation. After about ten minutes, the units started to move, heading east and west.

  “Come with me,” Tommie said to Gheta and Fysher, who were up in the tower.

  They quickly went down and followed Tommie like two children who knew they had done wrong. The two groups were headed into Radal and Selenus.

  “What is this army?” Gheta asked.

  “One of the United Armies that has been groomed and cared for by the elves in the Deepwood. There is more than just elves in those forests, you know?” Tommie said.

  “Where are they going?” Fysher said.

  “To destroy doorways that will allow the Drafeng in,” Tommie said.

  But they’re invading our lands, Fysher wanted to say, but he kept it bottled up.

  They passed the moving units and reached the command center that was a table with a map of the area.

  Anthony and the elven woman turned to look at the two generals. Those with them stared at them with distrust in their eyes.

  Fysher didn’t want to admit how much that look burned.

  “The United Army will head to the east and west to start clearing out doorways. You will be under the command of Watcher Cecilia, commander of the First Deepwood United Army. Formerly the First United Army of Dena,” Anthony said as they arrived.

  Chapter: Facing the Coming Storm

  Claire looked at Aila as she checked her gear.

  “I’m ready,” Aila said.

  The gate that led to the north was opened by the dwarves.

  “Once I meet with my mother and the dark elves, I’ll get them to pull back to Shivernsin,” Aila said.