“Then, Zorbin of the clan Ironfist, I must ask you as the man who killed him, if you will live in his behalf, keep the promises he made, pay the debts he owed to the kingdom, and support and care for his family to assure they may maintain their standing and position in the kingdom.”
“I will,” Zorbin grumbled honestly, the concern about what debt his cousin might have had that his family’s wealth could not have covered showing plainly upon his face.
“So be it then,” stated the king. “I shall absolve you of any crime, and adhere you to the promises you have made before me and these witnesses.” The king raised his arms beckoning to Linaya and Gumbi. “Sadly, time is of the essence, and your debt to the kingdom must be paid now, Zorbin. As you promised, please take Drummit’s place in the coliseum.”
Without another word, two dwarves appeared from the shadows carrying with them a ladder nearly twenty feet in length. Lowering the ladder into the hole in the center of the room they held its legs to support it for the dwarf who would be climbing down it.
Linaya watched in confusion, unsure exactly what had just transpired. Zorbin simply nodded to the king of the dwarves before walking to the edge of the precipice. Looking down through the hole, he then turned his gaze back to Linaya who stood, unsure of what she should do.
“Gumbi will see to it that you are given a room and your needs are met over the days to come. It is time for me to heed the call of my people, and repay a debt I have stolen from them. I hope to see you again.”
Without another word Zorbin turned and, grasping the ladder, he swung over the edge of the hole and quickly climbed below the surface of the room. Seconds later the dwarves yanked the ladder back up and out of the hole only to return it to the shadows. Linaya, still not realizing what had happened, spun upon her heel to face Gumbi, a million questions fighting to form upon her lips.
Her confusion evident, before she could even formulate a proper question, the king turned to her with the information she so desperately needed.
“Lady Linaya, it is my pleasure to meet you and hear your request for aide. At this time however, it saddens me to tell you that I will not be marching out my armies on any more campaigns.”
Linaya’s heart fell into her stomach. He knew why she had come. Already he had denied a request she had not even had the chance to voice. Silently she wondered, as the king began to speak again, if pleading her case or perhaps begging would avail her anything.
“You see, Lady Linaya, I am too old for such things, and it is a king’s duty to lead his troops into battle. That is why, as in the days to come, you will be able to observe below us; a new king is being chosen to lead the dwarven nation.”
Realization began to dawn upon Linaya. The debt Drummit had owed had not been money. He had been sworn into the coliseum to compete to lead the dwarven nation, but before he could arrive he had died. Now it was Zorbin who was representing Clan Ironfist in the battle to rule the dwarves. Linaya gasped. Her hopes and dreams for success had literally just been tossed down a hole in the floor to fight their way back out. Linaya remembered Zorbin’s explanation. Twelve entered the chamber, and only two would come out. One would rule, and the other would submit to rulership. That was the way of the dwarves.
Linaya was momentarily distraught. Their plans were in ruins! It wasn’t until her gaze met Gumbi’s that she saw the dwarf wink with a wry grin. He had known. If Gumbi had known then surely Zorbin had as well, but when had they realized? How long had they known?
There were a great deal of questions swirling in Linaya’s head, and it became apparent that the only real answers lay below. Zorbin was now her only hope. Only he could reverse the king’s ruling not to help the human kingdom, but only if he won the submission of a peer after defeating the rest. Only time would reveal the outcome of this battle. All Linaya could do now was wait and watch what transpired below. Zorbin had told her that this could take minutes or months. Valdadore didn’t have months.
* * * * *
Ashton struggled with his power, bending it to his will. No matter how hard he focused, the skilled healer could not achieve that which his patient required. His friend, the king, though on the mend, was still far from being healed. A great hole lay upon his ribcage, exposing the muscle, flesh, and bone beneath. Beyond that, upon the opposite side of his body, an entirely new arm had been created, but as of yet had not been covered in flesh. Ashton could not make the flesh grow, try as he might.
In Garret’s blessed form his skin was metal, or at least metallic, and Ashton could not force it to grow and expand to cover the exposed muscle and sinew. If the king awoke now, he would likely go into shock from the pain, or perhaps simply pass out again with so many exposed nerves.
If Ashton could get him to wake, and make him relinquish his blessing, at least for an hour, he could then complete what he had started, but now it was unlikely. Something upon the battlefield had changed abruptly. Whatever it was, it had lent courage to the attackers for now they pushed forward driving the Valdadorians back. The great wolf troops that Seth had created barked and growled, snarling in the distance like a pack of mad dogs. Sigrant’s mages pressed the attack on all fronts, throwing magic at anything that stood to oppose their forces. Ashton reached into the king with his blessing. He needed the king to wake.
Already the soldiers around Ashton were falling back. It was a slow process, but even so it was inevitable. Speeding the recovery of his one-time traveling companion, Ashton pressed on until he felt Garret begin to stir. As he released his blessing momentarily his white glow subsided as pleasure and joy washed through him, sending a shudder up his spine. He spasmed for a second, a grin on his lips, as he refocused on his patient.
If Ashton had thought himself prepared for Garret, he had been mistaken, for as the king’s eyes flashed open he snarled in rage and sprang to his feet looking for his sword. Then the pain hit him. Like a man run through the gut, the king uttered a blood-curdling, painful roar as the nerves in his side and arm awoke, sending unbearable pain to wrack his body.
Screaming, Ashton got Garret’s attention, and just as the king’s pained face turned to meet his own, he spotted something across the battlefield and indescribable anger consumed his features, as shock and unconsciousness tried to take him.
“Fix my arm, Ashton!” the king yelled, the agony and rage evident in his booming voice. “Now!”
“I can’t while you are blessed!”
The king became unsubstantial for a second and with a pop he shrank considerably.
“How long?” Garret asked.
“An hour, maybe less,” Ashton answered, already calling upon his blessing.
* * * * *
Springing to his feet Garret had spun upon his heel in an attempt to gain his bearings. Somehow he had lost consciousness. Somehow he had made it behind the front lines. Somehow the battle had changed.
Turning again, nausea overtook him as pain exploded in his arm and side and, glancing to them, it was obvious why. He fought the urge to retch. Hearing a familiar cry, Garret turned to find Ashton upon the ground near where he stood, but in the process, he caught a glimpse of a vision he could have never imagined. Across the field of battle, under a canopy of Borrik’s wings, his brother stood impaled upon a great shaft.
Though rage, pain, and sorrow threatened to overtake him, Garret knew he would be of no use in his current situation. He turned and addressed Ashton and seconds later stood before his friend, a normal-sized man.
“I don’t have an hour, Ashton, Seth is hurt!”
“If they were smaller injuries it would take less time, or if I had help,” Ashton was saying while working to close the hole in Garret’s side.
Garret thought it over. Time could be running out for his brother; he knew not how many minutes or seconds they had. Though struggling to remain coherent through the pain, Garret pulled away from his friend and did the unthinkable. Reaching down to retrieve a sword from the ground, Garret plunged it into his own shoulder between the ball of h
is arm and the socket. Twisting the blade he dislocated the arm as blood again poured from the wound. Then with a shove he pushed the blade further through the joint before pulling to one side, nearly severing the arm anew. With another quick hack the deed was finished and the king stood panting, sweat upon his brow, with one less appendage.
Without explanation Ashton took the meaning. Working fast and dirty he summoned his blessing and closed the wound as quickly as was possible. Garret again exploded in size, a one-armed champion, and took off across the battlefield in a dead run, soldiers from both sides leaping aside in an attempt to avoid being trampled. Garret sought to reach his brother, feeling in his gut as he ran that he was already too late.
As he neared, with fireballs crashing into his back, Garret watched as Borrik yanked the lifeless Seth off the shaft and bore his limp body to the ground gently. Unlike the last occasion they had fought a battle together, this time Seth’s body remained. Even over the din of the battle, with yells and screams of defiance and pain, Garret heard the anguished scream of his brother’s widow. So mournful was the sound it seemed inhuman, as if a soul fled her body through her throat, its tortured voice joining her own. Garret need not run further; Sara had already told him all he needed to know. Seth had fallen. He was gone. This time he would not return. Garret had lost everyone from his childhood he had ever loved, and even with tears streaming from his giant eyes, as his soul broke from the emotional pain that was too much for anyone to bear, so too did his vision turn red and a menacing chuckle escape from his throat.
* * * * *
Borrik stood like a twisted tree over his master’s body, his wings spread above the scene like a canopy above a funeral. Below, within his shadow, a single soul approached the walking god. Her flesh still smoking, yet regenerating rapidly, Sara gazed at the only man she had ever loved. She stood before him and placed her hand upon his cheek. She wished to hug him, but his unnatural posture, leaning back at such an angle, made it impossible. His head having fallen back, mouth agape, it appeared for any who saw that he screamed silently towards the heavens as if in defiance.
Sara sobbed uncontrollably, her tears washing away a small portion of the blood that covered her.
“Take him off that damned thing!” Sara shouted.
She knew Borrik would heed her, though he belonged to her husband. As he was ordered he stepped forward, careful to keep Sara in shadow, and pulled Seth’s limp body up and off the shaft before laying him upon the ground in front of his wife. He did it gently. Slowly. As if they were the only three upon the battlefield. Sara laid her head upon her husband’s chest, unbelieving that he of all people could die so prematurely. She listened intently yet no sound came. Broken, alone, and devastated she took her turn raising her face to the heavens and let go that which sought to escape her. Her anguish freed, she did the only thing she thought possible to bring him back. Pulling back his cowl further to expose his throat, Sara bit deeply into the flesh of the man she loved and drank heavily from his blood. Naturally, through her defect, her own blood would intermingle with his own. Sara thought that perhaps more of her own blood would increase the potential of saving him and bit hard through her own lips before pressing them back to the wound in his neck.
With nothing left to try she kissed him one last time before returning her head to his chest to listen. A moment passed. She waited. Many more moments, ones that seemed entirely too long and too empty, passed. Still no change. She punched him in the chest, angry that he could leave her, then pulled him close in an embrace, sorry she had struck him.
“Kill them all, Borrik!” she screamed and above her he leapt into the air, a roaring growl tearing from his throat, happy to do as she had ordered.
The light returned, and her flesh began to smolder. There was nothing she could do for him now. With tears continuing to stream from her eyes, Sara pulled her helm back over her head. If nothing else she would have vengeance. She cautiously lowered Seth to the ground, daring anyone to touch his body. Standing, she spun to face the enemy who even now dared not venture too near the fallen death mage. Like an animal she hissed at those who opposed her as the shadow appeared over her and the world began to spin.
* * * * *
Zorbin climbed down the stout ladder knowing that death awaited him below at the hands of members of his own race. Here was the one place where dwarven honor was forfeit. Here there were no rules except survival of the fittest. Here you were not judged by what you said or did, or by how you responded. Here, all you had to do was survive.
He stepped off the ladder onto the stone platform and looked around to gain a better understanding of what it was that he faced. Eleven opponents already stood around the giant round platform. Each of them stood upon the symbol of their house. The platform was nearly the size of the capital building above, and the room it stood within was almost the size of the city. This vast chamber was created with the same giant support ribs up the sides of the room. Within it a multitude of terrains, a river, and even a few buildings and cliffs were visible. Zorbin climbed down to the level of his adversaries, taking up his place upon the symbol for the clan Ironfist. These men were the best of their houses, and it was likely each was blessed with something they could use to their advantage. Zorbin had been outcast for many years; his knowledge of each of the houses was outdated. He knew not what he faced, only that time was of the essence.
Beyond this platform, within the vast chamber that surrounded them, several caches of weapons and supplies were visible from this vantage point. Even here, upon the platform, a handful of items were strewn about the floor to entice the combatants to remain and fight over them.
From the platform four paths led down to the giant chamber below, one in each direction of the compass. He needed to choose a plan of action before the ceremony started. Looking around he noted that many of his opponents openly scowled at him. None of them thought him their equal, each considering him a traitor to their race. Zorbin ignored the looks and focused upon the weapons and supplies that lay scattered about, calculating who would go for an item of worth, and who would turn and flee down the ramps.
From above, a trumpet sounded the beginning and each of the dwarves sprang into action. Decided, Zorbin, instead of rushing out to grab a pick he had been eyeballing, turned and ran straight towards his nearest foe, calling upon his blessing as he ran. With a concussive boom Zorbin exploded in size at the same time as he dove bodily into his smaller opponent.
Though most had fled the platform immediately, some of these perished on the way down the paths they were forced to share with others, and upon the platform only three remained.
Zorbin collided with his foe and such was the force of the impact of their bodies that the dwarf he hit flew backwards with a crunch and vanished over the side to plummet to his death.
The remaining dwarf snatched up a battle hammer with a huge metal head. Seeing Zorbin distracted the dwarf decided to attack. Rushing Zorbin the dwarf leapt into the air to bring his full weight to bear with the hammer. As Zorbin righted himself from the collision, in his blessed size, he listened as he rose. Hearing no steps upon the stone platform he stepped aside as he stood. The other dwarf slammed what would normally be a crushing blow into Zorbin’s shoulder, missing his head by mere inches. The blow, though painful, was nearly ineffective. Shaking it off, Zorbin backhanded the dwarf who sprawled away in an attempt to stay upright, blood pouring from his nose.
Zorbin wondered why he had not summoned a blessing; perhaps he was as yet unblessed. There were only two reasons a clan would send an unblessed man into the coliseum that Zorbin could think of. One, they had no one else willing to risk their life for the position. Or two, they wanted him dead for whatever reason. Otherwise, the only explanation was that the dwarf was indeed blessed, but perhaps in something that did not help in a fight. Perhaps he was a stone carver. No matter.
Afraid for his life, the dwarf who had dared attack Zorbin whilst his back was turned, now tried to flee the p
latform by running down one of its ramps to the vast floor below. Zorbin watched him run, and searching about him, picked up a standard pickaxe. Hurling it end over end after his attacker, the pick stuck into the back of the fleeing dwarf’s head. The dwarf staggered forward from the impact, and twisting slowly took three more steps before jerking suddenly and falling off the side of the ramp.
In the first three minutes, eight of the twelve dwarves were dispatched, most of them falling to their deaths. Zorbin walked about the platform and accounted for the foes that remained. Each of them now rushed towards the stashed weapons, armor, or other supplies. He debated, simply waiting them out atop the platform. From here he could see any approach from an adversary from any direction. None were likely to come up after him until they were the last two, and even then he could not be killed by his final foe. Two had to walk out alive.
Sadly time was a luxury Zorbin did not have. He could not simply wait and hope they killed each other quickly. If more than one of them decided to dig in and take a defensive stance it could be weeks or even months before one of them finally died due to starvation. Walking about the platform Zorbin collected a piece of chain, a shovel, and a chisel. Looking below, he chose his next adversary from what the dwarf had collected. Only one of the three dwarves carried more weapons than supplies. This would be the most aggressive dwarf. The most competent. The most assured of his ability to kill the others. He would be the biggest challenge, probably with a sizable blessing to boot. Zorbin began to jog down the ramp towards him. He only needed to kill two more, and he would rather not have an aggressive adversary stalking him whilst he stalked another.
* * * * *
Though Garret was led by his rage, so empty was his soul that it had nothing to take over. It guided him, spurred him on for kill after kill, but it was not the blind rage he had been lost to on previous occasions. Instead it was a hollow rage, uncaring if he died, that led him into enemy lines, hacking and stomping a path of gore. Though he chuckled, a sound coming deep from his chest, the one-armed king felt no emotion. He simply wanted everything that stood before him dead.
Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) Page 118