Deepforge

by R. J. Washburn

  At this point in the battle, not one Deepforge warrior had fallen, and several hundred Drakmids already lay dead. Grognor swung down with his mighty hammer in one hand, and his battle axe with the other. At the first clash he took out four Drakmids, then he realized his horse would be better on his own. He quickly glanced around, seeing the other Deepforge warriors having already realized this fact. One by one they dismounted to let their horses fight unimpeded. He followed suit, and landed upon the head of a Drakmid. He pounded him hard with his warhammer, causing him to go down. Then, he swung hard with his axe and cleanly sliced the enemy’s head off.

  More than half a dozen Drakmids attacked any given horse, with the horse delightedly and sinisterly killing them by the same number. Grognor jumped high and engaged four Drakmids, each of them swinging various weapons at him. He parried their blows, quickly swung around and beheaded them all in a single attack. “Drakmid sport!” he screamed as loud as he could. Those that could hear him within the deafening sounds of battle repeated the words, and the sentiment spread like wildfire.

  Teelena remained on her horse, rushing forward and swinging a hammer in each hand. Drakmid heads rolled across the battlefield like some macabre game of Croquet. She spotted Grognor having the most fun ever, and screamed loudly, repeated his phrase, “Drakmid sport!”

  All the family of Grognor engaged the Drakmids with deadly delight, killing them by the dozens. The Deepforge dwarves pushed the Drakmids back, climbing atop their corpses as they killed more and more.

  “Jesus!” Bruno said as he and the rest of the army watched in amazement. The Stone Children hadn’t attacked yet. They, along with everyone else, stood ready to take out the next wave of Drakmids.

  “I fear our Emperor may rob us of battle, Bruno!” Eric said as he and the Nords laughed.

  “Damn, he’s amazing, isn’t he?” Thrúd watched in wonder.

  Everyone agreed.

  “It’s not just him. Those dwarves are deadly. Woe to anyone who tries to make…sport… with them!” Bōddy laughed.

  In the skies above, the dragon battle went well for the metallics. In only a few moments, the first black dragon crashed to the ground, nearly beheaded. The battle had moved further back toward the savanna, so the dragon hit the ground without taking out anyone else. Soon after, a red, then a white, another black and a green dragon slammed to the ground torn to shreds or burned to a crisp.

  Moments later, no more than thirty minutes after the battle began, all the Drakmids and dragons retreated as if an order had been given, although none had been heard.

  “Give chase!” Grognor ordered. “You! Want some action? Go get them!” He pointed his axe at the non-dwarves.

  “Finally!” Eric said. “Give chase!” he ordered.

  “Give chase!” was then echoed by Bruno and all the other leaders. Humans, elves, Nords and Stone Children, all other races and divisions rushed around the dwarves and pikes across the beach. The chromatics flew as fast as they could, with the metallics right on their tails.

  “My Queen! The battle goes badly!” The scryer announced.

  “Impossible! We sent twenty thousand!”

  “Come, see for yourself!”

  The Black Queen resented anyone demanding action from her, but she did go see. She climbed the stairs to the scrying room, where the device sat on a pedestal. Jennifer followed respectfully behind. They saw the progression of the battle unfold in front of them. The Black Queen’s anger rose quickly.

  “They’ve bolstered their numbers…and stolen our armor! Damn it! Why didn’t anyone tell me! Even the First One is there, why hasn’t he hidden away like a coward? Our chromatics are falling! Who’s responsible for this?!”

  “Your Majesty, I told you we should be prepared for this, but you wouldn’t listen!” the scryer said.

  Jennifer raised an eyebrow and smiled a little, anticipating what would happen next. The Queen slammed her open palm against the scryer’s chest, causing him to fly across the scrying room. He slammed hard against the wall, breaking bones and killing him on impact.

  “How dare you talk to me like that!” she screamed. She then looked around at the Royal Guard. She pointed one out at random. “You! You are now the scryer! Call the retreat immediately!”

  Without hesitation, the new scryer ran forward, grabbed the microphone and yelled, “All retreat! All retreat!”

  As the chromatics fled, the metallics continued their assault. More of the evil dragons fell the ground hard, but none of the metallics were even seriously injured.

  The Stone Children and the Nords were the first to reach the retreating Drakmids, and literally tore them to pieces.

  Final tally was: Drakmids- all dead. Chromatic dragons- all dead. Deepforge combined army- zero losses. It was a complete victory.

  Everyone cheered as the last chromatic fell and the last of the Drakmids lost their heads.

  Bruno began chanting, “Grognor rules! Grognor rules!”

  The chant spread quickly until the beach roared like a massive beast, all the warriors in synch, “Grognor rules! Grognor rules! Grognor rules! Grognor rules!”

  Deccon and the metallics joined in, and finally they all simply cheered, “Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

  Chapter 22

  The army moved forward on the beach several miles away from the carnage, and once again made camp. For their victory meal they had dragon steaks, all except for the metallic dragons, who opted for fresh Drakmid. A bystander might be torn to decide which was a more gruesome sight: the battle or the party afterwards.

  The kegs were tapped, and the victory party ensued. Piles of Drakmid armour lay at one end of the beach, so each warrior could pick and choose what they wanted. Kergnor noticed something very interesting, something they had all noticed but not realized the significance of. Where the black dragon’s acid splattered onto the Drakmid’s armor and weapons, they were more shiny and…tougher.

  “Brother, look at this,” Kergnor said as he showed a Drakmid sword to Grognor. “This sword was nearly bathed in the dragon acid. Once I cleaned it up, it seemed…well, just look.”

  Grognor took the sword and inspected it. It had nearly a mirror finish. He swung it a few times, then grabbed a still dull Drakmid breast plate and set it up, securing it in the sand. “Let’s see if this has changed any other properties of this strange metal.”

  Bruno and Thrúd glanced at each other.

  “Could this be it?” Bruno asked.

  “Yea, I think so! This is the discovery, it has to be.” Thrúd said, excitedly.

  Eric heard them, and looked on as Grognor swung down with the acid treated sword. It passed through the Drakmid armor like it wasn’t there, easily slicing it in two.

  “By the gods!” Teelena exclaimed.

  Grognor smiled and swung sideways, easily cutting the armor into fourths. “Everyone, I believe my brother Kergnor has just discovered something very important!”

  “The final phase of mithril forging!” Mergnor exclaimed.

  “Find me a breastplate also treated,” Grognor said.

  Kergnor quickly went through the pile until he had found one mostly shiny. His hand inadvertently brushed across a bit of acid, burning it badly. “Got one! Damn that hurts!” He washed his hand off, now scarred, and took the breastplate to Grognor.

  He shoved it into the ground, and then attacked it with the sword. Massive sparks flew as the two like metals clashed. Neither one was harmed. The force of the blow reverberated back, knocking Grognor to the ground.

  Grognor lay on the ground and laughed hardily. He then sat up and said, “Everyone. Protect yourselves as best you can. Strip down all your mithril armor and weapons, then bathe them in the black dragons’ acid glands. I think we just discovered a secret weapon! Dragons, your help would be much appreciated in this endeavor.”

  The copper colored dragons helped the most, being immune to the acid naturally. The army spent the better portion of that night partying and acid bathing their mithril
armor and swords. By daylight, they stood as a shiny, mighty army. They were impressive to say the least.

  “What are your orders, Brother?” Kergnor asked.

  “Mount up and follow their trail. We’ll drive our army right into the heart of the Black Queen’s realm, and take her down in her own territory! Move out!”

  The army roared agreement and moved out.

  “Husband, you should be happy, why do you have a look of doubt on your face?” Thrúd asked Bruno.

  “I got caught up in the moment. That was an amazing victory, but, I can’t shake the feeling something is wrong. You know what I mean. This is her we’re talking about. She’s laid waste to entire worlds. Why is her power diminished? I know you know something, Darling.”

  “Yes, my love. I do. She does have diminished power. You see, she’s lost her reality because of the things we’ve done, or will do. This is a desperate attempt to change the future. You were right about the mithril earlier on…Asgard has been watching, you see. Whomever controls the mithril in Deepforge controls the future. Her reality would be assured. But, the problem is, there is some sort of restriction placed around all of River Valley. Her direct attempts to take Deepforge herself have been thwarted. So, she conquered and recruited the other continent where the chromatic dragons ruled. Without realizing it, she has affectively shot herself in the foot by some of the things she’s done. Then, there’s me.”

  “You? What do you have to do with anything?

  “Nobody seems sure, but apparently I’m involved somehow. Something in my past and something in our future affects her reality as well. I’ve been given strict orders to remain incognito while I’m here.”

  “Wales. After the plane crash,” Bruno said. [5]

  “What?”

  “My love, you must have a swish-cheesed memory after all the memory readjustments you’ve had. I must confess I’m responsible for part of it. Unfortunately I don’t have talents to reverse it, so it’s fair I tell you what really happened, when I was Mike.”

  She gazed at him, confused. He breathed a sigh of courage and told her the whole story. She learned how the Black Queen Obsidian and her companion tried to incinerate her, chasing her through time. She was flabbergasted.

  [6]

  “Holy shit! Why would she want me dead so badly?”

  “I don’t know, but I think there is a bigger question. Why haven’t your parents told you any of this?”

  “Well, one thing is for certain. There’s a whole lot more going on than we know. We’d better just follow orders,” she said, obviously annoyed with everything.

  “I love you Darling, I’m so sorry I kept that from you.”

  She hardly acknowledged his apology and secured her helmet. “I’ll deal with you later,” she said darkly.

  After a full day and night of traveling, the army came near the part of the continent where the land suddenly extended to the south.

  “Sire, we might have a slight problem,” Bōddy said as he and the scouts returned to report to Grognor.

  “What is it?”

  “There’s a…barrier of some kind just a couple miles ahead.”

  “Ok…what kind of barrier?”

  “Well, it’s hard to explain. I mean, in ancient times it would make sense, but now it doesn’t. It’s a…” He looked around at the other elves, who seemed at a loss. “Sire…it’s a force field.”

  “A what?”

  “It’s an invisible shield preventing our passage west. It starts just beyond where the land turns south, and as far as we can tell, it’s circular, radiating from somewhere in the southwest.”

  “Can we go over?”

  “That’s unknown, but it does taper westward as it goes up, suggesting a dome.”

  “Halt!” Grognor ordered.

  Suddenly the army came to a stop. Grognor motioned for Deccon, who fell back into his human shape and stood before the Emperor.

  “Yes, Sire?”

  “Bōddy says there’s a…force field…or something blocking our passage west. Would you please go take a look?”

  Deccon nodded, formed back into his gold dragon shape, and flew west.

  Kergnor rode up to the front. “What is it, Brother?”

  Grognor related the situation, and instructed his brother to let everyone know.

  The Black Queen raged. Her servants pleaded for their lives as she screamed and killed one after another at random, in her dragon form. “This is impossible! They killed them all!” She flew through the hole in the ceiling and grew to her full size, roaring and screaming in absolute fury. She raged for nearly two days, burning half the city in anger. Finally, she formed back into her human form and stood in her throne room. Jennifer met and draped robes over her.

  “Please sit, my Queen,” Jennifer said as she motioned to the throne.

  “Thank you, Jennifer. You’re always so kind to me, even when I rage.”

  “It’s to be expected, plus there’s the other thing.”

  “What’s that, my loyal servant?”

  Jennifer leaned in close. “I love you.” She kissed the Black Queen passionately.

  The royal scryer ran down the steps calling, “My Queen! They’ve found it! They’re at the dome!”

  The Black Queen smiled. “Good. At least something’s going as planned. Release the Kraken. Come, Jennifer. Let’s go watch the carnage.”

  Thor sat in Bilskirnir watching this all play out until the unexpected happened. “Did she just say ‘Kraken’?”

  Sif stood nearby when she heard this. “Kraken? Wait, how the hell did she get a Kraken?”

  “I don’t know, but we need to let Father know immediately!”

  Deepforge army stood together at the invisible shield as Deccon and the other metallics returned. Deccon landed and became human.

  “Sire, It is a dome, centered somewhere to the distant southwest. There’s no way in.”

  “What the hell is this thing?” Grognor asked as he felt the invisible shield.

  “What the hell?” Teelena said, looking out across the ocean.

  They all looked at what she was looking at, not understanding the sight. The ocean retreated. The water line began getting lower and lower, several dozen feet out to sea. Out on the horizon, it appeared as if the ocean itself had pushed the horizon up.

  “Oh, Jesus! Tsunami!” Bruno said, instantly in freak-out mode. He looked over at Thrúd.

  “Oh, shit!” she said.

  Nobody else had any idea what they were freaking out about until Deccon chimed in. “It’s a giant wave! Sire, we need to get to high ground immediately!”

  Before Grognor could give the command, chaos ensued. Everyone turned and ran at their top speed toward the hills just south of the Savanna, but they were low hills. It wasn’t certain it was high enough ground to keep them safe. A few people glanced back at the ocean as they ran, seeing it continuing to retreat. Deccon and the other dragons began taking passengers.

  “Oh, crap!” Thrúd said as she saw the wave.

  Everyone paused to look back, frozen by the sight of it. The wave rolled in, pushing the sea back onto the beach and continuing on toward them as the rolling white capped wave bear down. They couldn’t outrun it. Then, on the other side of them from the direction of the savanna were nearly fifty thousand Drakmid warriors and dozens of chromatic dragons. They were motionless, watching.

  Grognor saw the Black Queen’s army on one side, the foreboding wave on the other. The metallic dragons took as many people as possible above the landscape, awaiting further instructions. To get as many people out of harm as possible, or take up battle with the chromatics?

  “Get them from harm, as far away as you can before the wave hits! We have only moments! Hurry!”

  Deccon and the elder metallics began teleporting as many away as they could, but thirty thousand people is a lot.

  “Brace for impact!” yelled Bruno.

  The ocean itself came up upon the land, crashing and rolling violently. Anyon
e still mounted was knocked off, into the raging waters. Everyone was scattered. Grognor had Teelena taken by the metallics before him. They were too late to get him. The roaring water rolled across the landscape, tumbling horses and warriors alike. Screams of terror came from beast and humanoid. The waters hit the war machines and destroyed them, reducing them to rubble as they tumbled. The rubble became rolling missiles against anyone near.

  It was total destruction. By the time the waters began to recede, the army was completely scattered. There was no telling how may had been taken. Bodies lay everywhere, covered and uncovered, both beast and humanoid. Horses whinnied and tried their best to pull themselves from the debris. Bruno and Thrúd had somehow stayed close together, but Thrúd had drowned. As the waters left the victims covered in debris, several began doing what they could to save others. Bruno woke up coughing, having suffered a solid hit on the head by one of the war machines as it broke up. He scrambled up, desperately looking out at the unbelievable destruction. He tossed a large beam off of Thrúd, and knew she was gone. He knelt down and picked up her cold, dead body.

  “It’s ok, my darling. You’ll be fine.” He placed her on her side on a large plank, and sat next to her caressing her long, but now very tangled blonde hair.

  Bōddy came running up with most of the elder elves and tried their best to help. The Stone Children began throwing large chunks of debris away, looking for people.

  “Oh, Bruno. I’m so sorry,” Bōddy said when he saw Thrúd’s dead body.

  “She’s not dead, not yet. Just give her a few moments.”

  Bōddy didn’t understand; she was clearly dead. As he contemplated his new friend not willing to mourn, Thrúd began violently coughing, her color quickly returning. Bruno held her as she retched and coughed.

  “It’s ok, I’ve got you,” Bruno said as she struggled to recover.

  She grasped him and pulled herself to a sitting position in front of him, looked into his eyes, and began to cry. “I thought I had lost you!” She grabbed and hugged him.