The Blood of Kings (Book 4)

by Robert E. Keller

  Fadar pushed the cell door open and stepped into the hall. He closed it behind him. He wondered if this was a trick. It seemed very strange that the King of Bellis--armed with only a dagger--would come alone to escort Fadar to a meeting.

  Fadar stood facing King Verlamer, wondering what move to make. The king was reputed to be very skilled in battle and immensely strong, but Fadar was also a mighty warrior. If Fadar was able to strike quickly enough, he might be able to get the king's dagger from its sheath and take him prisoner. The situation seemed surreal. The most powerful king on Gallamerth was standing before Fadar--unguarded and seemingly unconcerned, looking as relaxed as could be. This was a man who'd conquered nearly all of Gallamerth and made countless bitter enemies in the process, yet he walked alone into dimly lit dungeons? It was baffling.

  King Verlamer raised his eyebrows. "Well, are you coming? We must not keep the crowd waiting, you know."

  Fadar deliberately avoided glancing at the dagger, and he simply nodded. He decided he would attempt it--even if it cost him his life. He owed it to Dremlock, to his god, and to his own sense of honor not to waste this opportunity. He steadied himself and prepared to go for the king's blade.

  But a scraping noise on the stone floor caused Fadar to whirl around. Coming toward him was a small golden Dragon--about the height of a wolf and about ten feet long from its nose to the tip of its tail--walking on four legs and gazing up at him. The scaly creature had yellow eyes, two curved horns, bat-like wings, and long claws on its feet. It also had a bird-like beak. Fadar knew this Dragon possessed enormous power (as all Dragons did) in spite of its small stature. He knew it could tear him to shreds in an instant if it chose to. Fadar was unarmed, but even an armed warrior was no match for a Dragon.

  Fadar raised his hands to show he meant no harm, and the Dragon paused before him. It cocked its head to one side, its yellow eyes gleaming. This terrifying beast was significantly more powerful than almost all other Goblins. There was something chilling about the way it slyly crept across the floor on silent feet and the cunning glint in its eyes. This was a proud, arrogant beast that considered itself quite important--yet it thought vastly less of others.

  "This is my best friend," said King Verlamer. "His name is Goratho--which is also the name of a forest near Bellis. He comes from your foul Bloodlands, yet Bellis law does not classify a Dragon as a true Goblin (even though they are actually a species of Goblin). A Dragon is more...dignified and powerful. Ageless and loyal. They make wonderful companions."

  Fadar stood still, knowing even a slight movement could get him killed. The creature was so deadly a single swipe from a claw could end Fadar's life. He would be forced to cooperate with the king for now.

  Verlamer stepped around Fadar and patted the Dragon on the head. "My loyal friend," he whispered soothingly. "How do you like your new kingdom? It is a fine one...legendary Dremlock. I am so proud to call it home." He glanced at Fadar. "And those who disagree with my right to rule here may find themselves facing a most unpleasant situation."

  In response, the Dragon named Goratho threw back his head and hissed like a serpent. Then he screeched like a bird of prey.

  Chapter 18: Courtyard Duel

  It was mostly warm and pleasant as Taris Warhawk's battalion rode for Dremlock. Some of the injured Knights healed and were ready to fight, bringing the battalion's numbers to over sixty. It was still a tiny force, but also a stout one that would be a great asset in Dremlock's struggle for freedom. Dremlock had been warned by the Elder Hawks, and now it was simply a race to get back home. The pace was swift and exhausting, and supplies were running low. Food had to be hunted and gathered. The riders, made weary from lack of sleep, swayed in the saddle, but the stout Greywinds held steady and did not stumble.

  They soon received news that the major cities of Silverland had fallen to Bellis, which confirmed their suspicion that King Verlamer had no intention of retreating again. Silverland, with its vast mountain ranges riddled with mines, was a treasure trove of resources that Bellis could not ignore. Conquering Silverland and Dremlock would open the doorway to the Birlote and Olrog kingdoms.

  When they were camped for breakfast one morning, Taris called a meeting. "We need to decide what must be done," he said, "when we reach Dremlock. We can't simply march in and go to war."

  "Why not?" said Daledus, waving a half-eaten hunk of venison as he spoke. "If we find the battle in progress, why not jump right in? I think sometimes we hesitate too much and that is why he fail."

  "Agreed," Valedos grunted. "We are the best Dremlock has to offer. Why should we hesitate? We should strike hard and send them a message!"

  The other Dwarves nodded in approval.

  "Taris is right," said Shennen, as he stirred some meat and mushrooms in an iron skillet. He sprinkled some seasoning over the meat. "We would be fools to rush in without a careful plan. The question is how best to use our two greatest resources--the White Flamestone and the Eye of Divinity."

  "The plan should be obvious," said Jace, as he paced about. "If we find the battle in progress, we must do what we did against the Blood Legion--surround Prince Vannas and allow him to attack from a greater height. Lannon can help shield him. We should let the White Fire do all the work for us." He raised his eyebrows. "It is quite possibly our only chance."

  "With Lannon's help," said Taris, "we could make it work. Lannon, can you shield the prince from harm?"

  "I do have that ability," said Lannon, "and when I focus all of my energy on the task, it works quite well. But it would leave me unable to fight."

  "With all due respect," said Jace, "your combat skills are not what we need, Lannon. We need a weapon that can slay thousands--as dreadful as that sounds. And make no mistake, such a thing is quite dreadful. I detest war. But we are left with no choice. Anyway, as I was saying, only a weapon like that can defeat Bellis. And when the White Flamestone is in Prince Vannas' hands, it has the potential to be that weapon. He alone can unlock its full power."

  "And with Lannon protecting him," said Jerret, "the prince would be unstoppable. I think you're onto something, old fellow."

  Jace grinned. "Of course I am. And that's exactly why Dremlock hired me. I get paid to think of these things."

  "You could make Prince Vannas invincible, Lannon," said Vorden, who'd been sitting with his head bowed and looking sullen. "Meanwhile, the prince could just keep hammering away at our foes, until nothing but ash remains on the mountain. We could actually win this war."

  "But something concerns me greatly," said Aldreya. "I haven't forgotten what happened last time, when Prince Vannas seemed to lose himself. Some of our Knights were killed...by accident."

  Lannon was glad he hadn't witnessed that terrible battle.

  "This causes me concern as well," said Lothrin, who was leaning against a tree. "I feel it could easily happen again in the heat of battle." Lothrin looked away. "I dream of it every night--my cousin turning into a monster like Timlin Woodmaster and..." He shook his head. "I will not speak of the rest."

  Vannas glared at him. "I assure you, cousin, that I am in control of my emotions. I was going through a time of uncertainty, and yes, I briefly lost myself. But I have worked hard to strengthen my mind and will, and I am ready for any challenge. Rest assured I will never lose myself like that again."

  "Your concerns are noted," Taris said to Aldreya and Lothrin. "But our situation is extremely desperate. No risk, perhaps, is too great at this point. I think forming a wall of protection around the White Flamestone is the best way to proceed. I believe that's how it was meant to be used."

  "But what if we find Dremlock already conquered?" said Shennen. "If the towers are occupied and many Divine Knights taken prisoner, we cannot simply sweep the kingdom with White Fire. It would be folly, for we would end up destroying our kingdom and any survivors with it."

  Jace sat down on a boulder and lit his pipe. "Yes, that is an issue. We would have to form a radically different plan--perhaps one of inf
iltration. Actually, that could work to our advantage. We are all much better fighters when in close quarters. We could liberate the kingdom from within. Then we could use the White Flamestone to fortify the wall as we had originally planned."

  "But how would we get into Dremlock?" asked Daledus. "Surely Darkender Tunnel, and the wall itself, would be heavily defended in preparation for our arrival."

  "We know of a way in," said Valedos. The other Dwarves of the Nine Axes nodded and mumbled in agreement. "There is a secret entrance in the mountains that leads through the mines--one of several, actually, that is sealed by bars of Glaetherin. The one I'm speaking of is easily accessed and leads to an exit inside Dremlock from the mountain wall. We would need to open a Wheel Lock, however."

  "Leave that to me," said Lannon. "Are you speaking of the entrance that leads to the Temple of Oracles?"

  Valedos' eyes widened. "You know of that route?"

  "I once used it to escape the mines," Lannon explained.

  "I was with him," said Trenton. "Though I barely remember it."

  "You took a nasty blow to the head," Aldreya informed him. "It must have dulled your memory."

  "I remember it quite clearly," said Jerret, with a glance at Vorden.

  Vorden looked away.

  "There was also a huge nest of Dark Mother trees," said Lannon.

  "Yes," said Jace, "quite a nasty snare. I would prefer not to have to venture through that cavern again."

  "Willan Shadowwalker lost his life down there," Shennen said quietly, pain in his eyes. "He faced the darkness alone and never returned."

  "Yet Dremlock had its revenge," said Valedos. "The Dark Knights cleaned out that nest completely. Not a stinking root remains down there."

  "And what of Willan?" asked Shennen.

  Valedos shook his head. "His body was never found. He must have been devoured bones and all by the foul beasts."

  Shennen turned away, a troubled look on his face.

  Taris was thoughtful for a time. Then he said, "So in either case we know what must be done. Does anyone disagree?"

  "I would love to disagree," said Trenton, rolling his eyes. "But I don't have a better plan. In fact, I don't think one exists."

  "It is something to work with," said Shennen, with a shrug. "I believe Bellis has no answer for the White Flamestone--other than to try to slay the prince. They may even seek to assassinate him before we reach Dremlock, so we must be cautious--more so than ever before."

  "Indeed," said Jace. "If they were able to get to Cordus Landsaver, it's not out of the question that Vannas could meet an unpleasant end on this journey. We must watch everything day and night. If we lose the prince, we possibly lose this war."

  The Dwarves had no objection to the plan.

  "Very well," said Taris. " Yet until we arrive and find out exactly what we're facing, it's all speculation."

  "Why not go to the Olrogs?" said Galvia, her expression full of youthful optimism. "We can ask them to join us, for the sake of their future. They have a huge army and a lot of mighty siege engines."

  Taris smiled. "And why not visit the Birlotes as well? The answer is that I believe neither kingdom will commit to a war against Bellis right now. No, we are better off trying to save Dremlock on our own."

  "Taris is right," said Valedos. "The Olrogs will not join this struggle, for King Verlamer has promised to leave them in peace and even signed a treaty. Until that treaty is broken, there is no chance the Dwarves will go to war. Personally, I believe it is foolish to place our trust in the signature of a mad king, but it is not my decision to make. Our king has absolute authority over such decisions--though he also had the support of the Great Council."

  "It is foolish beyond belief!" said Jace, waving his arms wildly. "What a bunch of folly from those stubborn Olrogs. And the Birlotes are fools as well who may end up paying dearly for hiding away in their forest kingdom and hoping the troubles of the world do not find them. Mark my words--eventually Bellis will march to the edge of Borenthia preparing to lay siege."

  "Yet unlike the Olrogs," said Aldreya, "the Birlotes refused to sign the treaty." She spoke with pride in her voice.

  Jace waved dismissively. "Bah, I say! They might as well have signed. Doing nothing without a treaty is still doing nothing."

  Shennen gazed at Jace, his eyes showing a hint of anger. But he said nothing.

  Taris simply sighed and shook his head.

  ***

  Later, when the battalion had camped at the edge of an ancient forest for a rest and some lunch, Lannon found himself feeling restless. He wandered into the woods, marveling at the beauty of it all, as the soft carpet of dead leaves beneath his boots was made pale by golden sunlight. Overhead, the small green leaves--not yet in full bloom--were rustled by merry birds, while black squirrels prowled the forest floor and mossy tree trucks. Everything seemed washed in the pale, warm sunlight, a world far away from the madness of war.

  Lannon drew his sword and practiced a bit, hacking at some rotten trees. He wondered what he would do if he found Dremlock captured. How much more bloodshed would have to occur to end the war?

  But it was difficult to focus on such things in this forest, and so Lannon quickly sheathed his sword and simply took to wandering around on a lazy afternoon. There was warmth and magic to be found here that pushed away the shadows and inspired pleasant thoughts. There was a glimpse of truth here that went beyond even the Eye of Divinity.

  As Lannon came across what seemed to be an ancient, leaf-covered path, three figures approached him. For a moment, he was gripped by fear and doubt--too shocked to even to draw his sword or summon the Eye. The figures were three giants--as large as Thallites but very different somehow. They seemed to possess power and strength that was very intimidating even to Lannon. They were magical beings of a race long forgotten--two men and a woman. The men wore green tunics and brown trousers, and the girl wore a grey dress and a tall, pointy hat. They smiled at Lannon and spoke in jolly voices that filled him with delight.

  These were truly happy folk, with laughter in their hearts and a warm greeting for anyone that chance happened to put in their path. Rarely seen or talked about by other races, they lived freely throughout the land--few in numbers but mighty in stature. Lannon was amazed at his good fortune, and he wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. In fact, he would have wandered off with them for a while if they would have allowed it. But they preferred solitude.

  The woman's curly hair, hanging from beneath her hat, was as golden as the fallen leaves, and she held a basket of large white mushrooms in one hand. She offered some to Lannon, and he accepted. He intended to cook them, but then he saw her bite into one raw and he did the same. It was like biting into the sweetest fruit. It tasted nothing like any mushroom he'd ever eaten. Where did these strange mushrooms grow? Perhaps where only the giants could find them.

  Laughing, one of the men patted Lannon on the back and whispered that he himself would have preferred a more hearty meal. Then the three giants moved off along the trail and disappeared from view.

  Lannon had been so overwhelmed by the encounter that he'd forgotten to use the Eye of Divinity, which could have revealed amazing truths about the three beings. Regardless, Lannon would say nothing of this encounter. It was just something one didn't talk about but never forgot.

  ***

  At Dremlock, Fadar Stonebow became fully aware of the grim shadow that had fallen over his kingdom. He was led to the North Tower Courtyard, where a massive crowd of Bellis' warriors was assembled. Also present were some of Bellis' Lords, Ladies, Wizards, and highest-ranking fighters seated at long wooden tables laden with food and drink. Vesselin Hopebringer and a few other Divine Knights stood nearby, their wrists in shackles. The acting Lord Knight's face was badly bruised, but his eyes held a determined look. The old man had received a beating, but his face showed an expression of serenity that Fadar didn't understand.

  King Verlamer sat down at the head of a table, with
his Dragon crouched on the ground near him. He motioned for Fadar to sit as well.

  The Birlote hesitated, then took a seat.

  "Eat your fill, my friend," said King Verlamer, lifting meat, bread, and vegetables onto his platter. "I feel my guards have mistreated you. You deserve better." He poured wine into a large goblet. "Yes, I serve myself. I need no one to tend to me as if I were a child. I choose to live like any man would. Now eat!"

  Fadar refused to touch the food.

  Bellis was all about drums--large ones, small ones, colorful ones that gleamed with gold, silver, and precious gems, and one huge one that was rolled about on wheels and boomed like thunder. The drums would beat for a time and then a period of silence followed, over and over. Bellis' Knights stood in careful formation in honor of the king, some of them holding banners, as young women danced and did cartwheels in the grass. Three Knights in silver armor walked past, back and forth, carrying a large banner displaying a golden dragon. Bards performed tricks and sang. Mock duels were fought with wooden swords. Under other circumstances, it would have been a festive scene to Fadar--who enjoyed celebrations. But all he could see was the ugliness of the loss of his kingdom to a tyrant.

  "You are the future of Dremlock, Fadar," said King Verlamer. "I want you to learn to love and respect me, to make me understand the ways of the Birlotes. You represent hope for the Divine Knights." His face darkened. "But only if you eat. I will take it as an insult if you do not."

  Fadar glanced at Vesselin Hopebringer and the others, then took some food. It would help no one to provoke Verlamer's wrath.

  "Your Lord Knight is too old to be of much use," said Verlamer. "I need a young Knight to help lead this kingdom. And so I turn to you, Fadar Stonebow. And you shall not refuse me, or you will bring needless suffering onto your brothers and sisters. Is that understood?"

  Fadar nodded. "What must I do?" He hated this game, for it made him feel like a traitor. But with Taris and Prince Vannas on the way, this was the time to remain reserved and play along.