Demon of Destruction

by M. R. Mathias

  "It seems that you've saved me some trouble." The demon hissed.

  Reaton-Stav, now crumpled on the floor, was reaching up to Pharark, his fading eyes searching for help from the demon. "Please, Master," he finally managed with a gurgling mouthful of blood. "Please save me."

  "Bah," Pharark said and pushed Suclair to the side as he stomped Reaton's head flat with his booted foot.

  Suclair tried to move, but the demon's touch had left her incapable.

  Pharark spat on Reaton-Stav's dead body and said, "I would have saved you, necromancer, but you destroyed the bridge in Antole and my army of gothicans could not cross. Three days you cost them. Three days to circumvent the river, you stupid petulant fool."

  The demon paused to heave in a breath, then looked to Suclair as if she understood it all. "They could have been in Camberly by now had he not grown so cocky.” He touched Suclair again, and she was able to get back to her feet.

  "Now, we will see if your lover will come save you." Pharark laughed at her. "Come, I have just the place for you to wait and see. I could use an ornament to decorate my pile."

  Suclair knew she wasn't going to live through this, but she also knew Pharark thought she was Nixy. He thought Braxton would come for her. Before another thought could cross her mind, the demon grabbed her by the arm and the two of them flashed away in a foul-smelling cloud.

  Part II

  Plan of War

  Chapter Ten

  The war room was built just off the grand cavern and it was one of the dwarven kingdom's greatest creations. The long rectangular chamber was intricately carved and not a bit of it was left smooth or natural. In the corners, and equally spaced along the walls, fluted half-columns rounded out of the walls, and on each of them was an ornate sconce holding a flaming brand. Like most of the firelight the dwarves used inside the mountain chambers and halls, there was very little smoke or smell. Or maybe the smell of ale and liquor masked it, it was hard to say. The upper and lower corner molding, combined with the columns, framed several large battle scenes that were expertly carved into the walls. One depicted a battle of dwarves against dwarves, another of dwarves fighting trolls. One of them was dwarves battling the giant gothicans, but the one that drew Braxton's eye was of the dwarves fighting a giant dragon in what appeared to be the grand cavern that was right outside the heavy wooden doors.

  Even the ceiling had been carved. Oddly, it resembled the roof of the elven forest room he and Nixy had stayed in on the island of Jolin. The work was so perfect that he considered the idea that it was a real forest ceiling that had been turned to stone by magic.

  King Rockheart told them the room was over two thousand years old and had been carved long before humans or elves had come to this land. Even the tabletop was magnificent. Thick, long and oval, it was clearly cut from a single angled slice of an oak that had to be at least a thousand years old. It was supported so that its top was at the level of Braxton's thighs, by carved dragon claws reaching up out of the smooth floor. Braxton was told the entire chamber was cut out of the existing rock, not pieced together and brought in, and only the chairs and tabletop were foreign. Every tiny little sword or axe in the wall depictions, every leaf and vine on the ceiling, and each and every scale on the dragon claws that supported the slab, had been carved in place. It had taken over three hundred years to complete the room, and its magnificence was humbling.

  The dwarves gathered there hadn't yet started discussing war. They were drinking heavily and mourning the loss of their kindred in the slave forges. Prince Gruval had returned to his teary-eyed mother and a father with revenge on his mind. And though his battle and rescue of the dwarven prisoners in the north was mostly successful, he could not muster any pride for the victory. After learning that his older brother had been crushed by Pharark, he grew ashen and quiet. To make matters worse, one of the first things he had to do was to inform his friend, Lord Braxton, that Uppervale had been attacked and his father and both of his brothers had been killed, along with Davvy Flamus's father. The trolls had been driven back out of the valley, and the women of both families had been sent by river to find safety in one of the larger cities. Gruval told Braxton that Davvy had taken up with Dendle, and a group of banished gothicans, and that they were still having to work to keep the vermin out of the valley.

  Braxton took it all as well as could be expected. Cryelos had lost both Sorrell and Vinston-Fret, Gruval had lost his brother and many of his subjects, and Big H had lost a brother and his prince. Even King Rockheart had lost a son, and Chureal, who was currently being looked after by the dwarven queen, had lost her entire family. There was no room for Braxton to feel sorry for himself, so he and Cryelos drank heavily, and as the others gathered with them, they tried to put the pain of it all behind them so they could move on to what lay ahead without grief and sadness distracting them from the duty.

  After asking King Rockheart about the dragon depicted on the wall Braxton got a lesson in dwarven history. The grand cavern was once the lair of a mighty fire wyrm and the dwarves had to tunnel around it for hundreds of years to avoid the nasty beast. Finally, a floor caved in and a bunch of dwarves fell into the chamber. They were forced to battle it or become its dinner, and they somehow managed to slay the wyrm. Tons and tons of rock had to be brought in to close off the dragon's entry tunnel, but for dwarves, that was a small task.

  Braxton and Cryelos began to feel odd about their people. King Rockheart said that this land was once known as Gothica because the gods who created it gave it to the deity known as Goth. It had been inhabited by gothicans, trolls of all sorts, and dwarves for thousands of years. At one time, a colony of elves just appeared in the Gothful Forest, but they were killed by the gothicans before anyone could learn where they'd come from. Humans had never been in the land until Braxton's people came on ships and spread like rabbits in a pen.

  The king went on to say that Gothica outside of a few wars, had been relatively peaceful for thousands of years before the humans and elves showed up, and Braxton began to feel that his people were in the wrong, and maybe the gothicans had a real right to inhabit the lands the humans of the Narvozian kingdom had taken.

  That didn't matter, though. Braxton's battle was with Pharark, not the gothicans, and as Gruval had informed them, there were many gothicans who were willing to fight with the humans and dwarves. The trolls, though, were not men. They were beasts, and they had killed his father and brothers. He was glad to know the dwarves and gothicans, just like the humans, gave their lives no more value than rodents or carrion.

  Braxton also learned that the dwarven tunnel system was vast and one could get almost anywhere through them. They had shafts that were manned and opened daily to allow fresh air, and sunlight in. The sun was reflected by polished silver bowls down to the crops and many gardens the dwarves cherished. There were underground rivers and large open caverns where blind, pink-eyed, goat-like cattle were raised. There was even a tunnel that ran below the lake at Uppervale, with a hole that opened somewhere north of the valley.

  Much of the time spent behind the locked doors of the war room was filled with drunken sobbing and heartfelt consolations. Many a curse was muttered and even more vows of vengeance were made. It was Prince Gruval who finally suggested they go to bed, sleep it off, and return the next evening to begin making their plans. War was at hand, and Gruval had told Davvy and Dendle they would help protect Uppervale since Narvoza's fighters were cut off from the valley. His people were also going to help Braxton and Cryelos find a way to defeat the demon and said that planning of such things might take days. They all agreed to get a good rest and return clear-headed and sober the next evening so they could begin.

  Braxton spent a long time remembering his childhood, the mischief both his brothers caused, and his father's intolerance of it. The dam of his emotion broke when he thought about the last time he'd seen the man who bore him. His father had been so proud.

  And what of his mother and sister? Since he knew
the gothicans had come through Nepram, and they'd been sent by river, they wouldn't be safe for long. Antole had most likely fallen already. He hoped they'd made it beyond Antole before the gothicans arrived.

  He then began to worry about brazen little Nixy who was too strong-willed for her own good. He hoped the orphans were well out of Antole and she was somewhere safe.

  It was all a mess, and he felt utterly hopeless. He ended up crying himself to sleep. Even in his dreams, he felt the loss of his family and worry for his unborn child.

  He woke to an odd, wet, scraping sensation across his cheek and nearly cried out when he opened his eyes and found the shrunken dragon, Cobalt, contently licking his skin as if he were a scaly blue pet.

  Chureal's warm giggle over his reaction was welcome, and rather than let his dreams haunt his morning, he let her smile set the tone. If she could still laugh after all that she’d lost, then he would at least smile and look to her whenever he needed hope or reassurance. He took a moment to stroke the dragon's back, and Cobalt stretched his neck and crooned his enjoyment of the attention. A soft knock at the door came and Chureal scampered to get it. It was Cryelos carrying a tray full of steaming bowls that filled the room with an inviting, cinnamon smell.

  "They have you serving now?" Braxton joked with a grin.

  "I mugged the serving woman outside your door. There is porridge, sweet bread, and meat patties." He returned Braxton's grin. "Let's eat."

  "Mmm—" Chureal sounded as she took the first bite of her porridge. "It's so good."

  "Better than roots and berries, no?" Cryelos ruffled her tangle of hair. "Runners came back in the night from the north and the west," the elf said to Braxton.

  "What's the word?" Braxton asked.

  "I've yet to go find out. I wanted to wait for you to join me."

  Braxton hurried through his meal, then washed his face and combed his hair. Chureal, on the other hand, took her time eating and said she would be in the room and for them to hurry back. Cobalt leapt into the air and flew over to the tray and began licking bowls and devouring crumbs. Chureal laughed at delight over this, and the sound of it caused Braxton and the elf both to smile when they left.

  When the two found out what the runners had to say, their smiles were long forgotten. They day went by fast, and after supper, the war room was a madhouse. A dozen serious dwarves carried in maps and other paperwork in preparation for the upcoming council. Braxton and Cryelos were urged to wait in a nearby garden area until all was ready.

  The garden was like any other Braxton had ever been in, except it was underground and had no access to sunlight. Glowing yellow moss, like they’d seen on their way in, illuminated the space. They found a bench and waited patiently and were soon joined by Prince Gruval, who was red-faced and clearly aggravated. He only grunted acknowledgment of their presence at first, but after sitting for a moment and taking a few deep breaths, and just as many nips from a flask he kept hidden in his princely overcoat, he seemed to revert to his normal self.

  He wasn't mad at them, it turned out, but at his father for banning any sort of liquor from the war council.

  "Every dwarf there will be sipping away when no one is looking," he said with a growl. "It's foolishness to have to sneak around and drink me brandy. I was as drunk as Darblin on a bender the day we fought those trolls you know."

  Normally, Braxton and Cryelos might have laughed at him, but the reports of Antole's demise, and that the gothicans were already marching toward Camberly, had come from the west. From the north, word was the rock trolls and remaining wood trolls, along with bands of gothicans raiders, were pushing the Narvozian army backwards. It all unsettled Braxton greatly, and it was clear to everyone that King Barden's hatred of the gothicans had clouded his judgment. If he had any sense, he would call them in to Camberly, thus creating a siege. It wasn't an ideal plan, but with winter closing in, the gothicans would be forced to spend their time staying warm and the Narvozian army could attack from the wall tops if they tried to move in.

  Another dwarf sauntered into the garden and was introduced to Braxton and Cryelos as Dowgen. Prince Gruval recounted to them how the skinny dwarf escaped the prison camp only to be chased almost over a cliff by a pack of rock trolls, all so that they might be able to free their captive kindred. The dwarven prince explained that, just like Big H's brother Hooper, Dowgen had waded right back in to battle even though it wasn't required of him.

  Braxton was impressed, but Cryelos suddenly looked worried and voiced his concern. "Where is Hannival?" he asked.

  "He's with his ma. She's not taking the loss of Little Hooper too well," Gruval said. "Neither is he really. But he will be here later for the council."

  "Little Hoop died fighting," Dowgen said, seeming a little embarrassed to be in their company. Braxton knew the dwarves had been speaking of his deeds of dragon healing on the Isle of Jolin and the other things Big H had told them about him. The story of how he jumped off the back of a dragon to try and impale the demon before he could kill Darblin had been told and retold and probably blown out of proportion. Dowgen was also unnerved by Cryelos's yellow eyes.

  The truth of it was, to Braxton, Dowgen was a true hero.

  The thinner dwarf took a nip from the prince's offered flask, but it seemed as if he did so only because it was Gruval who'd offered. By the size of the sip he took, it seemed he might be the only dwarf in the whole kingdom willing to stay sober for the upcoming council. Big H appeared and was thoroughly smashed, but when they entered the war room, not even the king dared to mention it.

  The new reports were read aloud after everyone took their place around the big oak table. Braxton was told he could send a message to Davvy by way of a runner who was leaving when this meeting concluded. He was given a parchment, quill, and ink to write one out if he wanted to, and he did.

  A direct tunnel leading into the Uppervale Valley was under construction, which wouldn't be complete for at least ten days. Until then, the dwarven runners would meet the human and gothican runners at a designated hole and messages would be relayed that way. It was agreed by all that Uppervale would be a secondary concern, but even still the valley would be fortified with as many dwarves as possible as soon as the tunnel was complete.

  Over the next several days, loads of bickering and arguing about what else should be done ensued. Some of the dwarves wanted to leave the Narvozians alone and only help the people of Uppervale, and only because they had helped the dwarves. Others wanted to send a battalion through the tunnel that opened near Antole and surprise the gothicans from the rear. Some of the older dwarves thought the freezing months of winter should be used to dig tunnels all around or even into Camberly so that a surprise attack could be carried out, or if a siege did happen, the city could be secretly emptied from within.

  This idea was well liked and all of the dwarves seemed to look to Braxton when it was spoken of, but the only shaft that led anywhere near Camberly was known as the Riverbend Shaft because it ended just this side of the Vasting River where it turned due south from its westerly course. Camberly was just across the river there, and very close, but for some reason the dwarves seemed reluctant to pursue anything that involved that particular tunnel.

  Braxton and Big H talked with Cryelos one afternoon before the council met and all of them agreed that both the Antole plan and the Camberly plan were excellent ideas and that both should be carried out at the same time. Then Big H finally told them why the Riverbend tunnel was such a touchy subject.

  "That shaft is infested with tunglers and cravens, it is," he said with wide eyes. "The only way our diggers will go down that way to tunnel over to yeer great city is if the passage was to be cleared out and proven free of such beasts beforehand."

  "What's a craven?" Cryelos asked.

  "They're sort of like those things that first got us at the lake. Like flying kobls, about yay big." The dwarf held his hands about two feet apart. "Their bite is poisonous." The look in Big H's eyes was strange, an
d Braxton could see he wanted them to go clear this tunnel. Their dwarven friend wasn't fairing too well around his family. The loss of his little brother was eating at him, and Braxton sensed he was willing to risk tungler beasts and cravens just to get away from all the sorrow.

  "Too bad Suclair's not here," said Braxton. "She could just blast our way down the tunnel with gouts of fire. But either way, Davvy and I killed a tungler once in a cave near Uppervale. It can be done."

  Cryelos looked between the two of them and shrugged. "I'm willing if you are."

  Big H let out a long slow breath. "And I, as well."

  Braxton didn't want to spend the winter idling away and wasn't afraid of the challenge, but he had to worry about Chureal and Cobalt and still figure out how to deal with the demon. "Let me sleep on it," said Braxton. "Runners are coming in before tonight's meeting and I am expecting a reply from Davvy. If this is the only way to get the diggers to give us underground access to Camberly, I don't think we have much choice."

  Braxton looked to Big H. "Who do you think you can get to go with us?"

  "Might be just us."

  That night, as he meditated in the void, Braxton searched out the cavern at the lake where he sometimes talked to the creature that was Taerak. Words from the journal came to mind about the jewel leading him where he needed to go, and that he should choose the place to battle the demon wisely. For some odd reason, Camberly seemed the place for he remembered another dream he had a long time ago of fighting a battle with a giant. In the dream, he was also a giant compared to those around him. At the time, he hadn't met a dwarf yet and the distant memory seemed to make sense now.

  The one thing he remembered vividly from that dream was that he was fighting in the shadow of the giant statue called the Ancestor’s Dream. And the Ancestor's Dream was in the heart of Camberly.