Knights: Book 03 - The Heart of Shadows

by Robert E. Keller

  Lothrin hesitated, his gaze fixed on the Flamestone that was cupped in his hands. His eyes looked distant, as if he were deep in contemplation.

  "Trust me, cousin," said Vannas, "I am okay to proceed." He extended his hand, and reluctantly Lothrin gave him the Flamestone.

  Taris glowered at the prince. "You may continue on, Squire, but next time you had better stay in formation! I thought you had more sense and were better trained than that. You could have easily gotten yourself killed and lost the White Flamestone to our enemies."

  Vannas bowed. "My apologies, Master Taris. It was foolish of me. But I was simply seeking a better vantage point from which to..." He let his words trail off, as Taris turned away angrily and ignored him.

  Jerret kicked the body of a slain Wolf. "If Galvia dies, I'll kill every Goblin in Silverland. Mark my words!"

  Aldreya put her arm around Jerret. "Galvia is a Grey Dwarf, and I think she'll be fine once the healers tend to her. Her kind can handle such wounds. She won't be happy to be out of the action, though."

  Jerret nodded, the usual sullen look gone from his face. He seemed back to his old self, his concern over Galvia perhaps taking his mind off Thrake. "I don't blame her. Not when there are Goblins to be hunted."

  Jace groaned and leaned heavily against a pillar, lighting his pipe. He rubbed his shoulder. "Ogres are rather strong, and not as stupid as many believe. These ones had an odd look to them, by the way."

  Trenton, who'd done nothing during the battle except hold formation, nodded in agreement. "Yes, I've never seen anything like this. It is almost as if they were a new breed of Goblin, very difficult to kill."

  "We were wise to investigate these tunnels," said Taris, "for it seems we have encountered a new mystery and another significant threat to Silverland. Aside from being very resilient, these Ogres and Wolves seemed more cunning in battle. The Deep Shadow was much stronger in these foes."

  "Definitely more cunning," said Shennen, leaning down to examine a fallen Ogre. "The Deep Shadow was indeed more potent in these creatures--perhaps whispering to them and guiding their actions. These Goblins may have come from the realm of Tharnin itself."

  "How can that be?" asked Daledus, wiping Ogre blood from his huge battle axe. "There aren't any portals around here."

  "None that we know of," said Shennen, a strange expression on his face. "But that doesn't mean anything. The portals could be new."

  "I highly doubt it," said Trenton. "Portals to Tharnin cannot be opened easily. It requires a catastrophic blast of energy to create a portal that will remain open for longer than an instant."

  "Regardless," said Jace, "I don't believe these Goblins came directly from Tharnin. Only a few creatures from the Shadow Realm can survive in our world, for the energy of living things here is like poison to Tharnin dwellers."

  "They were probably modified somehow," said Taris, "just as the Goblin Lords were. The Legion alchemists and sorcerers are always tinkering with Goblins, trying to make them stronger and more cunning. They probably did it here in this world--meaning a portal to Tharnin would not be necessary."

  "I suppose that makes sense," said Trenton.

  "Not to me," said Daledus. "I don't understand a bit of it."

  "But you're not a sorcerer," said Taris, "like Trenton and I."

  "Trenton is a sorcerer?" asked Daledus, raising his eyebrows in what could have been mock surprise. "I never noticed."

  "Indeed," Trenton said coldly. "What did you think I was, Dwarf? Do I look like an armored Knight, or carry the bow of an archer?"

  Daledus shrugged. "I always thought of you as...well, the Investigator I guess. I've just never seen you use sorcery in battle."

  Taris smiled. "Trenton is actually the most talented sorcerer I've ever known. At least, for the type of sorcery he practices."

  "I just do what is required," said Trenton, his face reddening.

  "Who would have suspected?" said Daledus, grinning.

  Trenton scowled. "Yes, I don't brag about my abilities, and I can't throw fireballs all over the place. Thus, most people don't think of me as a sorcerer. Yet I assure you that is exactly what I am."

  "So what can you do?" asked Daledus. "I mean, aside from..."

  "That is the business of a Green Knight," said Trenton, "which means it is none of your business. Ask me again when you're on the High Council, Daledus, and I might be inclined to provide an answer. It seems you're too young to understand your place--or the ways of sorcerers, for that matter."

  Daledus' grin vanished. He bowed. "Meant no offense, Trenton. I just figured I would ask, since we're all in this Divine Shield together."

  Trenton nodded. "You are strong and exceptionally talented, Daledus. I'll give you that. But you have a lot to learn about the ways of Dremlock."

  They rested a bit longer, and then Taris ordered everyone back into formation. Lannon probed the three tunnels and found that two of them contained traces of the villagers having passed that way--including the tunnel the Ogres and Wolves had come from. They opted to explore the Goblin tunnel, acting on the notion that the villagers who'd gone that way might be in greater peril.

  Stone steps lead them sharply downward, and the air grew foul smelling. At the bottom was a long tunnel. They started along it and came to a square pit with rune-covered stone blocks lining the edges and iron ladder rungs leading down into darkness. Lannon searched the pit and felt the presence of powerful sorcery. He also glimpsed ancient traces of pain and death.

  Taris decided that they would leap over the pit and continue to search for the villagers. "Whatever evil lurks below," he said, "is best avoided for now. That pit reeks of an Olrog trap."

  One by one, they leapt across the pit. It was a dangerous leap, but the Knights and Squires used their sorcery to remove any fear and guide their bodies across. They referred to such techniques as sorcery, when in fact they were based on the power of the mind--the ability to create extreme focus through meditation and cause the body to do extraordinary feats. Yet all special Knightly abilities depended upon the strength of one's Essence (or divine energy) and thus were classified as mystical in nature. Lannon didn't have much Essence, but he used the Eye of Divinity to help spring him across. Saranna the Ranger lacked Essence or Eye, and in spite of being quite agile, she was hesitant to make such a long jump. But Aldreya used her sorcery to help guide Saranna, and the two of them made the leap together. Darius the wolf fearlessly bounded over the pit after them.

  Then they started along the tunnel again. Taris examined the stone walls, frowning, and then ordered everyone to halt. "I sense traps," he said, "and the presence of some type of sorcery. "

  Lannon scanned the tunnel--but found that a shadow was clouding his sight. It was ancient Dwarven sorcery, meant to confuse. The shadow extended the entire length of the hallway. He reported his findings to Taris, who nodded--as if the Birlote already knew what they were facing.

  "Hold back, Squires!" Taris warned. "We must proceed with extreme caution. Olrog traps are nothing to fool with."

  The Squires and Saranna were at the rear, and they slowed their pace a bit. But it wasn't enough to appease Taris. Jerret was still pressing forward eagerly and prompting the others to try to keep pace with him.

  "I said hold back!" Taris commanded, in an angry tone.

  Jace turned around and placed his huge hand against Jerret's chest. "You heard Taris, young fellow. Slow your--"

  A rumbling of stone arose, and a metal slab with a sharp edge dropped from the ceiling between Jerret and Jace, cutting the Squires off from the rest of the group. The slab had dropped so swiftly and unexpectedly that it had chopped off Jace's arm, and the arm lay on the floor in the torchlight. Another slab had fallen on the other side of the pit, leaving the pit as the only exit for the Squires.

  ***

  The Squires gazed at Jace's severed arm in horror, and they could hear his cries of pain from beyond the slab. Lannon probed the slab and found it was made of Olrog Glaetherin--whi
ch meant it was nearly indestructible. He seized it with the Eye and tried to lift it, but he couldn't budge it. The strain made him drop to one knee, dizziness washing over him.

  "Now what?" Jerret muttered.

  They could hear the Knights banging on the slab from the other side, but moments later, cries and other sounds of battle arose. The sounds moved away from them and then faded out, muffled by a maze of stone.

  "They left us!" said Aldreya.

  "Sounds like they're busy right now," said Lothrin, shrugging. "Looks like we'll have to fend for ourselves."

  "Stand aside," said Vannas, holding out the White Flamestone.

  "That barrier is made of Glaetherin," Lannon warned.

  "I don't care what it's made of," Vannas snarled, the Flamestone becoming radiant in his hands. "I'm blasting through it!"

  The Squires hurried away from the prince. Vannas hurled pale fire into the slab, and a blinding flash erupted. The prince cried out and whirled around, his eyes tightly closed. He shoved the Flamestone back into its pouch. "That didn't work very well," he said, groaning. "Nearly blinded me."

  The Glaetherin slab was unharmed.

  "Yes, enough of that," said Saranna. She sat down on the edge of the pit. "Well, it looks like the Dwarves wanted intruders to be forced into the pit. There must have been some unpleasant surprise waiting down there--though if it was anything alive I'd guess it no longer exists, considering how old these ruins are."

  Saranna sighed. "What am I even doing here? Working for Dremlock is a fine way to get killed. Or lose an arm." She laughed. "Of course, the pay is good, so I suppose I have no right to complain."

  Aldreya glanced toward the severed arm, looking dismayed. "Poor Uncle Jace. I hope that wasn't his good arm."

  "Maybe Jace can grow a new one," said Jerret, his expression serious. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did, considering how he survived that fall through the ice. Who knows what a sorcerer like that is capable of?"

  Aldreya nodded. "Still, we better return the arm to him." She carefully wrapped it in cloth and put it in her pack. She sighed. "Uncle Jace uses his hands like weapons, so losing an arm could be especially devastating for him. Hopefully, we won't be trapped here so long that the arm will be rendered useless and the Healers can't reattach it."

  "They reattached Vald Sparklesword's leg," said Jerret, "after the leg had been carried off by Goblin Wolves and was missing for almost a day. The Wolves had already feasted well and were saving it for later, so it only had a few teeth marks in it. Vald doesn't even have a limp to show for it."

  Saranna shook her head in amazement. "Being a servant of Dremlock certainly has its privileges. When a Ranger loses a limb, it's replaced by a wooden one or, more often, not replaced at all. Many Rangers have been forced into early retirement after losing limbs to Goblins or infection while keeping the roads open for the Divine Knights to use."

  The Squires looked uncomfortable but didn't reply.

  "I could try blasting through the stone walls," said Vannas.

  "Not a good idea," said Saranna. "You could bring a bunch of rubble down on top of us. Just hold off on the blasting, okay?"

  Vannas nodded, but looked displeased.

  "Maybe we should enter the pit," said Jerret. "Might be a way out."

  "No, we should wait for a bit," said Lannon. "The Knights will return for us in time and find a way to remove the slab or tunnel around it--or something. Since the pit is an obvious trap, we should avoid it."

  "I agree," said Vannas. "We will wait."

  Jerret groaned. "We're stuck here while a battle is going on? I don't like it!"

  "Take a rest, Jerret," said Lannon. "And be patient."

  Jerret ignored him and paced about.

  Saranna sighed and slapped her thigh. "So what shall we talk about?"

  No one answered.

  "Not a talkative bunch, I see," the Ranger mused. "So how do you like being Squires at Dremlock? Is it everything you'd hoped it would be? Come on now, we might as well get to know each other a bit. Aldreya?"

  "Much more exciting," said Aldreya. "And dangerous. I had anticipated spending most of my time training and studying, instead of being thrown right into the action. But this is why I went to Dremlock--to battle Tharnin."

  Saranna seemed to sense something that Aldreya had kept to herself. "But you don't seem overly happy with it. I see doubt in your eyes."

  Aldreya shrugged and looked away. "As I said, it's not what I expected. And I miss Borenthia all the time."

  "I can understand that," said Saranna. "I had a home once too, before I decided to make my living wandering Silverland."

  "I love being a Squire," said Jerret. "It's far better than I had imagined. Of course, being part of the Divine Shield has added to the excitement. I get more battle opportunities protecting Lannon and the prince."

  Saranna gazed at him with curiosity. "What is it about combat that you love, Jerret? I try to avoid it myself lately."

  "As do I," said Lannon, admiring Saranna's way of thinking (and her beauty). He seldom took his eyes off the Ranger when she was around. Her clothes were dirty, her auburn hair pulled back in a simple ponytail, but her green eyes were captivating. A hard life had not diminished her natural beauty.

  "Battle fires up my blood," said Jerret, as he paced about. "It makes me feel..." He shrugged. "I don't know. I just enjoy it."

  "I enjoy advancing in my skills," said Lothrin, "but battle brings me no pleasure. I really don't think it's the way of a Divine Knight to relish bloodshed. A Divine Knight is one who fights for peace--and fights only when necessary. The Sacred Laws teach us that violence is a tool best used carefully and selectively, as a last resort. Love of bloodshed can lead to a dark path."

  "I wholeheartedly agree," said Lannon. "Well said."

  "I know all that," said Jerret, with a dismissive wave, "but I can't help myself. All I ever think about is proving myself in battle. It's just the way I am."

  "You're like a Grey Dwarf, Jerret," said Lothrin, as he sat next to Saranna and chewed some jerky. "You're all about combat and glory. You're definitely more Red Squire than Blue, and I sense that will never change."

  Jerret nodded, smiling. "I suppose I am like an Olrog. Kind of like Furlus Goblincrusher, maybe. I'll take that as a compliment."

  "If you must," said Lothrin. "But I'm glad your way of life is not mine."

  "Why?" said Jerret, a look of contempt and amusement on his face. "Am I missing out on the beauty of life and such?"

  "Something like that," said Lothrin.

  Saranna smiled at Lothrin and held his gaze for a moment. Lothrin was the oldest of the Squires, but still a few years younger than Saranna. "I like your attitude," she said. "But there is something else about you that interests me, though I'm not sure what it is. You seem familiar somehow."

  "I too am a Ranger," he said. "Or I was, prior to coming to Dremlock. I haven't lived as you've lived, though. I was a Ranger mainly for the enjoyment of it, as I certainly didn't need the money."

  "Of course not," said Saranna. "You're a member of the Birlote Royal Family. You must have lived a life of wealth and power."

  Lothrin nodded. "I had access to such a lifestyle--though I spent most of my time away from others, wandering the forest and the lands beyond. I'm somewhat of a loner, I suppose. So a Ranger's way of life was easy for me to adopt. I even spent time killing Goblins for pay, protecting some of the farms in Silverland. Finally I decided to try my luck at Dremlock, and being a Birlote from the Elder Family, the Knights were happy to recruit me. So that's my story."

  "A Goblin hunter, huh?" said Jerret. "No wonder you're so good with that bow, with all the trouble with Vultures. How many Goblins did you slay?"

  Lothrin shrugged. "A few dozen."

  Jerret's eyes widened. "That many? Quite impressive."

  "It's a busy job protecting farms," said Lothrin.

  "I must admit," said Saranna, "that I hate Goblins with all my heart." Her eyes were dista
nt, full of painful memories. "I started my war with them in the stinking Bloodlands at the age of fifteen, and killing them was all I knew for years. In fact, I used to measure a day's worth by how many I'd slain. I lost quite a few good friends in battle with them, which is why I despise them so much."

  "Understandable," said Aldreya. "They are spiteful creatures born of evil. The more that perish, the better. I was taught from birth to hate Goblins, and I was sent to Dremlock to make war on them."

  "I'm not fond of killing anything," said Lannon. "Even Goblins, as evil as they are."

  Jerret chuckled. "You speared that Wolf quick enough, my friend. That was an incredible move, by the way."

  "I never said I wouldn't kill them," Lannon pointed out. "As a Knight in training, it's my duty to kill Goblins. I simply said I don't enjoy it."

  "You're all talk, Lannon," said Jerret. "You don't fool me. You say you don't enjoy combat, but you sure do it well enough. That spear move was something only a real warrior would do, with a love for battle."

  "You're wrong about me, Jerret," said Lannon. He'd felt no satisfaction in skewering the Wolf. It had simply been a duty to him. The Eye of Divinity, and his training as a Blue Squire, made him deadly in combat, but he cared nothing for glory or praise. The things Jerret held in such high regard seemed empty to Lannon. Lannon was more concerned with the fate of Dremlock and Silverland. On the other hand, Jerret lacked the unique gifts of Lannon and Vannas and probably felt pressured to measure up to his friends.

  But Jerret wasn't listening to Lannon. His gaze was focused on the pit. "I'm going to see what's down there. Who's with me?"

  "It would be foolish to enter that pit," said Aldreya. "We should just wait for the Knights to return and free us."

  Jerret shone a torch into the hole. "Nope, I'm going in. There might be prisoners down there. We came here to rescue them, right?"

  Lannon sighed in frustration. "You're just hoping to encounter Goblins."

  "Either way," said Jerret, "I intend to carry out my duties. And did you even search the pit to see if the villagers went that way?"