Empire of Dirt

by Philip C. Quaintrell

  “The scaffold is also the structure that keeps the lift in place. What if it’s decimated before we reach the top?”

  “Pray to your gods.” Asher sheathed his broadsword and went to remove the dagger from his belt. “Just brace yourself against -”

  Reyna cursed herself for not hearing his approach, but the Arakesh moved with a speed that left no time for regrets. Ro Dosarn lept over the railing and barrelled into Asher, taking them both to the floor, while a second Arakesh came up behind the elf. All four were quickly confined to the platform in a struggle to survive.

  Asher managed to roll over and put Ro beneath him, but the assassin still had both of his short-swords in his hands. Reyna danced around her own Arakesh, parrying his attacks with her scimitar and counter-attacking by lashing out with the limbs of the bow. The curved ends were tipped with razor sharp blades that defied the effects of time and never failed to pierce armour.

  The ranger was kicked off and sent flying into the railing, which cracked under his weight. Reyna could see the man was struggling to keep himself standing, and no doubt Ro Dosarn and the Arakesh had kept out of the battle as much as possible.

  “You should have stayed in the wild…” Ro flipped onto his feet and lunged at Asher.

  “Hold on!” Reyna couldn’t believe what she was doing, but fatigue had curbed her inhibitions. The elf spun around her attacker and lashed out with her scimitar, cutting the taut ropes that kept the counterweights in place.

  Asher and Ro collided at the same moment the platform jumped, bringing them both down in a tumble of limbs. Reyna’s elven agility and sense of balance did nothing to help her. All four were plastered to the floor as the platform was hurtled up the height of the gate. The sound of the counterweights flying past the lift was brief and its descent quickly went wild, until several tons of destruction were battering the wooden scaffold. Darkakin were flung from the upper tiers, while those first out of the portal were crushed by the counterweights or fractured beams.

  Reyna rolled to the side moments before the corner of the lift was torn away in a mess of splintered wood and broken body parts. The Arakesh clawed at her feet, always searching for the kill-angle. A solid kick to the face had the assassin thrown from the platform, where he was intercepted by debris and bent out of any shape that resembled a human.

  Asher and Ro were still struggling, but the lift was almost at the top now. Reyna wanted to move and help the ranger, but the momentum had her pinned to the other side.

  “Asher!” Reyna screamed.

  The ranger took punch after punch until eventually he rolled with the swing and forced Ro to lie on top of him. It was too late for anything else. The lift came to a stop, as sudden as its lift off, only the end was far more violent. Reyna was launched into the air and saved only by her unrelenting grip on the railing. Asher and Ro however, were flung into the wooden ceiling above and thrown back onto the platform. The princess held her breath, expecting the lift to now fall back to the desert floor and kill them all. The beams creaked and the wood snapped, but the lift remained in place, for now. Her elven senses detected the slightest of movement, informing her of the ever-increasing lurch. The platform was about to drop.

  Asher groaned and rolled Ro Dosarn off of him. “You should have stayed in the dark…”

  “Asher!” Reyna hissed.

  The ranger let go of the assassin’s throat and dived for the edge of gate with the elf. Reyna felt the top of the lift brush against the soles of her feet as it plunged back to the base. Ro’s screams could only be heard for a second before the destruction and total collapse of the ancient scaffold became deafening.

  Reyna recovered first and pulled herself onto the walkway before assisting Asher in climbing up. The pain in her knee suggested she would have a limp and the agonising sting in her shoulder told of torn muscle. The ranger remained crouched, nursing his ribs, while the princess stood defiantly before the horde of Darkakin. The savages had filled out the walkway, shoulder-to-shoulder, and were growling and sneering at the pair, their crude spears and jagged swords baying for blood. Their bodies were covered in thick, black tattoos and mixed with piercings and decorated with loose scraps of armour.

  “Asher?” Reyna kept her eyes on the Darkakin and her scimitar held up.

  “I’m here…” Asher rose slowly to his feet and cracked his back and neck. The ranger’s ability to shrug off pain was testament to his life in Nightfall.

  The Darkakin quickly thinned out as the masses were redirected to the other side of the gate, now their only way down. As the numbers dropped away, Reyna was given a clear view of Alidyr, standing in the middle of the gate, with his white robes. Nakir was behind him, directing the dozens of savages that poured out of two portals.

  “Don’t run off this time.” Reyna knew they would only succeed if they worked together.

  “Don’t worry,” Asher croaked. “I want him to see what’s coming…”

  Between Syla’s Gate and Karath, the stampeding armies that rushed to escape the Darkakin were interrupted by a curious sight, unwitnessed by most mortals. A small patch of reality was ripped apart and replaced by an abyss that had no end.

  Valanis stepped through the portal and smiled from behind his mask.

  Darkakin could be seen in the distance, clambering over one another to reach the desert floor, while more filled the walkway atop the gate. Oh what a mess of their world he had made, Valanis thought. Smoke rose into the air and fires burned, with horses running in every direction and a field of bodies that stretched across the desert.

  The kingdoms of man would crumble under their own weight; savages killing savages. Those of his own kin who survived the war would either bow to the gods or be wiped out by them.

  The Karathans stopped in front of him, cautious of the mysterious figure who had come from nowhere. The dark armour that fitted tight against his torso glistened under the morning sun, while his black robes hung lifeless in the still air. Most examined his mask, which concealed his golden glow, but gave them a terrifying reflection.

  Valanis looked up, from under his hood, and beheld the red comet. Paldora’s star soared through the sky, much closer than it had ever come before. His fine eyes tracked the streaking star and observed the fragments that broke away and burned to ash.

  “Valanis…”

  His name was almost whispered and the tone was that of a woman, but the elf couldn’t find the source amidst the throng of soldiers and dirty faces staring at him. The herald of the gods didn’t have time for these mortals, though he would have enjoyed wreaking havoc among them with his magic. The power of Atilan coursed through him, keeping the seizures at bay, for now, while he focused on the details. Looking up at Paldora’s star, Valanis knew he was going to need that godly power if he was do what was required.

  The dark elf made for Syla’s Gate with confident strides. When the soldiers blocked his path with sheer numbers, Valanis swept his arms from side to side, every movement expelling a crushing wave of telekinetic magic. The soldiers, and even the horses, were pushed away with enough force to break bone and lift them from the ground. His stride never faltered as his spells created a cascade effect to clear a path, kicking up sand and dirt with the body parts that had already been removed in battle.

  Behind you! the voice of Krayt, the god of war hissed in his ear.

  In typical human fashion, a man attacked Valanis from behind. His cowardice could be seen as bravery, and was to be commended, since every one else behind the elf had continued to flee for Karath, but Valanis cared little for courageous humans. The herald spun about and caught the man’s sword with his hand mid-swing. A barely perceptible field around his hand prevented any damage or pain, but as soon as the blade was in his grip, Valanis switched from defensive to offensive. The man pressed against him with both hands, desperately trying regain control of his sword.

  “Nathaniel!” a woman cried.

  Valanis poured his magic into the blade until the steel turned or
ange and crackled under the immense heat. The waves rising from the blade distorted the man’s determined features and the woman who approached him from behind. The ancient elf used his free hand to unleash a blast of energy into the man’s chest, launching him into the woman and sending them both hurtling into the fleeing mob.

  He is here! Paldora whispered into his ear.

  The ranger… Atilan’s powerful voice had Valanis looking back at Syla’s Gate.

  The elf continued to make his way south; the men now giving him a wide berth. It wasn’t long before there was nothing but a field of dead bodies between him and the gate.

  Paldora’s star flared above him. Now was the time.

  Valanis raised his arms to the comet and felt the presence of all twenty gods surround him, keeping him up as he called upon the power of Naius.

  Asher used one hand to push a Darkakin over the edge, while swinging round to swipe another savage with his broadsword. As one toppled over the side of the gate, the other lost his head; these were the kind of numbers where an assassin excelled. Asher had the space to move and use his foe’s attacks against them. It didn’t help that the Darkakin had no style he could adapt to counter. They came at him without any planning or thought of the ally beside them, often resulting in them being the chief cause of death for their friend. The ranger could see how in great numbers this would make them unpredictable and hard to tackle.

  Reyna had fired three arrows since the melee began and killed seven Darkakin. The elf was certainly more warrior than princess now, though seeing Reyna in the thick of it was starting to redefine for Asher what a princess actually was.

  It only took them a few minutes to reduce the small horde to a pile of bodies. Asher was sure both of them had collected fresh wounds from the encounter, but they could take stock of them later… if there was a later. The ranger pulled his sword free of the last victim and sheathed it on his hip, watching Alidyr as he did. He wanted the elf to see him draw both short-swords from his back, one of silvyr and the other of magic.

  “That belongs to me,” Alidyr said.

  “Don’t worry,” Asher stalked across the walkway, stepping over the bodies, “I’m going to give it back to you.”

  Alidyr looked from Asher to Reyna. “You won’t close these portals, Princess. The Darkakin will bring these lands to its knees.”

  “Brother!” Nakir stopped directing the savages and ran to the edge of the walkway. “Look!”

  Asher hesitated, unsure if this was some kind of ploy, but seeing Alidyr’s expression it was clear that the elf hadn’t been expecting his brother’s actions. Both elf and man approached the side as one, neither looking away from the other.

  “By the gods…” Reyna said.

  Asher tore his eyes away from Alidyr and looked over the side. In the distance was a lone figure, clad in black, and marching towards the gate. Men and horses alike were being flung away from him by the dozens, adding to the mass of bodies. He eventually broke free of the army and stopped to raise his hands into the air.

  “What is it?” Asher asked, his eyes too human to make sense of it.

  “Calamity…” Reyna glanced at Paldora’s star before returning her gaze to the figure.

  “Now you will witness the power of Valanis!” Alidyr cried over the rush of Darkakin behind him.

  A pit opened inside Asher’s stomach as he started to put the pieces together. The comet flared above and began to break apart, streaking a brilliant red across the sky; fragments broke away dived into the mountain range around the gate. Within seconds the comet had clearly left the heavens and forced its way into Verda.

  Regardless of what would happen next, this was the perfect distraction to use against Alidyr. Without warning Reyna, Asher charged over the gate and jumped into the air, his silvyr sword angled down above his head, as if he held a spear. Of course the elf was too fast for such an attack, but Asher had anticipated his counter and spun around, once his feet hit the floor, to whip the magic blade across Alidyr’s face. The very tip of the sword cut a perfect line through the elf’s cheek, drawing blood.

  Alidyr gasped and removed his own short-sword, identical to Asher’s, and came at him with a slower, more calculated approach. Paldora’s star had overshot Syla’s Gate now and had begun to fall into the southern horizon. The impact could be heard as well as felt, giving Alidyr pause before striking. An explosion, bigger than anything Asher could have imagined, erupted in the distance, reaching the sky and shattering The Undying Mountains.

  There was a deep rumble under their feet and the explosion was soon followed by a wave of sand and dust that raced over the mountains and through the canyon. The wave consumed everything in its path, concealing the Darkakin below and blocking out the blue sky above.

  “Asher!” Reyna shouted as the wave swept over them.

  The ranger saw the princess dive for cover, but the opportunity was robbed of him, as Alidyr planted a foot firmly in his chest and knocked him into the middle of the walkway. The force of the wave dragged him across the gate and had him tumbling and rolling into the side, where the sand and dust pelted him relentlessly. He choked and sputtered trying to catch a breath, but his lungs burned.

  Eventually the force died away, leaving an atmosphere of sandy fog and a harsh wind. Something rumbled in the distance and the gate lurched. The sound of heavy rocks falling down the mountains caught up with the ranger and he realised that the noise was coming from either side of the gate. It was hard to see through the fog, but giant boulders smashed into the walkway and broke into a thousand pieces. That meant they were falling from a colossal height.

  The gate lurched again.

  “Reyna!” Asher yelled, inhaling more sand.

  The distant sound of avalanches was no longer so distant. The entire northern face of The Undying Mountains was crumbling to dust. The gate shook and the harsh sound of iron bending and twisting found Asher’s ears. The comet had caused an earthquake large enough to dislodge the gate. No, Asher thought, Valanis had caused this; the elf had enough power to bring down a star…

  Crawling on all fours, the ranger found both of his short-swords and caught a glimpse of Reyna on the other side of the walkway. When he reached her side they picked themselves up and peered over the southern edge, where the Darkakin army was still standing. Even through the fog of sand and swirling winds, their cheers could still be heard. They all knew what was coming.

  Syla’s Gate was falling.

  “We need to get down!” Reyna shouted, turning her head away from the blowing sandstorm.

  Asher squinted and looked across the gate, searching for any sign of Alidyr or Nakir. The portals had been closed, but the elves were still shrouded behind a veil of sand and dust. The ranger grabbed the princess’ arm and pulled her to follow him across the walkway, heading towards the remaining scaffold. The winding stairs were their only hope of reaching the desert floor again.

  Reyna’s cry of alarm was the only warning Asher had that Nakir and Alidyr were still up there with them. The princess was pulled away from him and dragged across the walkway by Nakir’s whip, its pronged heads wrapped around Reyna’s arm. Asher had his hand on the hilt of the magical short-sword when Alidyr emerged from the fog of sand and pounced on him. The elf pushed him back into the side of the gate by the throat and continued to push until Asher’s back was arched over the side.

  “Where is the rest of the gem?” Alidyr spat, his calm composure cracking. “WHERE IS IT?”

  Asher struggled to breath and fight off the old elf at the same time, all too aware of the magnificent drop beneath him. With a grip as strong as he could muster, the ranger desperately tried to snap Alidyr’s wrist, but the elf was too powerful. Through watery eyes, Asher caught a glimpse of Reyna kicking Nakir away, as she lay on the floor. The princess yanked her arm, pulling the magical whip taut, and lashed out with her bow, using the bladed limbs to sever it. A brilliant flash momentarily blinded them all and Nakir screamed in anger.

  R
eyna looked at Asher as he hung over the edge. The two held a silent conversation and the ranger knew what he had to do; he could only hope her elven reflexes were up to the challenge after the night they’d had.

  “Where is -”

  Alidyr’s question was cut short when Asher stopped struggling and gripped the back of the elf’s head. With all his might, the ranger pushed off with his legs and pulled Alidyr with one hand, sending them both rolling over the side into the empty space beyond. Asher reached out with his free hand, his fingers despairingly grasping at anything to hold onto. The ancient elf swore in his native language and immediately released his grip on the ranger. Falling from a deadly height was always guaranteed to give one a new set of priorities.

  “Got you!” Reyna’s hands came together around Asher’s wrist like a vice.

  the ranger dangled for a moment and he watched Alidyr drop to the desert floor with his white robes billowing about him. The falling elf never made it to the ground however, as his entire form was eclipsed by a flash of lightning, a spectacle that had him collapse into nothingness. Asher looked back up to Reyna for some kind of explanation.

  “He used a portal!” Reyna was clearly struggling with his weight.

  “Pull!” Asher used his free hand to grapple the side after Reyna pulled him up. “Look out!” The ranger pushed the princess away and dropped onto the walkway as Nakir came at them.

  “You broke my whip!” Nakir kicked the space where Reyna had been standing.

  Asher rolled over, his human reactions not fast enough to get him in the fight. Reyna and Nakir were already trading blows and dancing around each other with enviable speed. The dark elf had abandoned his whip now and was settling for killing the princess with his bare hands. Reyna swung her bow and attacked with every limb, but Nakir was too skilled to fall in hand-to-hand combat with a single opponent.

  Asher got to his feet and threw Alidyr’s magical blade into the air. “Reyna!”