Thunderbolt (Dynasty of Storms Book 2)

by Brandon Cornwell

  When they reached the large main chamber, Darby led them to a well-lit alcove on the right, which housed a massive forge. Dozens of workspaces surrounded a single firepit that sported three bellows. Darby walked up to a short barrel that had been cut in half and filled with arrows. Beckoning Elias and his companions over, he pulled one out.

  “Look at this'n here. It's not like what you'd normally see for hunting or battle; it's got no barbs. Just a needle sharp point.” He gently tapped the point with a finger, demonstrating the shape. “I hardened them myself. Now, if this steel were used for a sword or pick, it'd shatter. Not good for tools or something that'd need t' put up with a lot o' abuse. However...”

  He lifted a bow, and handed it and the arrow to Elias. Pointing to a breastplate on a stand, he said, “See what it can do for yerself.”

  Elias nocked the arrow and drew it back. It wasn't long enough for him to draw it fully, but he was used to shooting arrows that were too short for him. He sighted down the shaft and released as he exhaled. The arrow snapped across the open space and struck the breastplate directly in the sternum. Elias handed the bow back to Darby and walked over to inspect the damage.

  The arrow had punched through the steel of the breastplate and even dented the back plate. The sharpened point had shattered, and was shorn off at an angle inside the armor, but had remained sharp enough to dig into the steel and nearly punch through.

  Darby was grinning ear to ear. “See, a wide, flat head just nicks off o' a plate like that. That's what breastplates are made t' do. But this steel, I kept red hot and buried in charcoal dust for a full day. Once I had 'em shaped close, I dipped 'em in as cold of oil as I could get m' hands on, and they hardened fast. Tore up my whetstones to sharpen them, I'll tell ya that much.” He pointed at the barrel of arrows. “Kept my fletchers workin' a fair time to fill that barrel. I wager, if anythin' can pierce those dragon hides, that'll be what does it. Too bad dwarves make shit archers.”

  The sea elves emptied their quivers of the stone-tipped arrows they carried with them, and replaced them with the new steel arrows that Darby had made. They had drawn quite a crowd while they stood near the forge, several dwarves standing around carrying hammers or picks. Elias looked over the crowd, and held up his hand in greeting.

  When he acknowledged them, the crowd quickly dispersed. Puzzled, Elias looked down at Darby, who chuckled.

  “Try not t' take it personal. Half of 'em don't think you'll make it, and the other half have wagered on whether you'll succeed or not.”

  Elias lifted an eyebrow. “And what do you think?”

  Darby grinned. “I think those overgrown lizards won't know what hit 'em. With my steel and your arms, I don't think they stand a chance.”

  Elias frowned. “I've seen a dragon in action before. You say these ones don't breathe fire, but if they're anything like the one I knew, then we've got more than a fight on our hands.”

  Darby shrugged. “If it were something we thought we could handle, we'd be doin' it ourselves. As it sits, we've lost miners and warriors alike tryin' to get rid of these beasts. The way we see it, well, it can't hurt t' let you and yours take a whack at 'em.”

  Elias nodded. “And if we fail?”

  Darby smiled slightly. “If ya fail, then we're no worse off than we were before.”

  Chapter Five

  7th Waxing Autumn Moon, Year 4369

  Elias walked down the tunnel, torch in hand, stooping slightly under the low ceiling. Behind him, his warriors walked single file, followed by five dwarven miners. They had left the main settlement of the dwarves of Silverdeep nearly four hours beforehand, though in this darkness, without the sky above him, it felt like much more time had elapsed.

  According to Darby, the dragon's chamber was about ten miles down the southern tunnel, behind a pile of rubble that had been left in the unfinished road as an impromptu barrier. Most of the passage had been very tall, wide, and comfortable to traverse; at least three carts could pass down the tunnel side by side for most of the way, broad, regularly spaced arches of stone and iron supporting the ceiling. However, as they neared the end of the parts of the tunnel that were completed, smooth walls were replaced with unfinished stone, showing the marks of the tools used to carve through the living rock. Elias could feel the temperature rising now, which meant that they were probably getting close. The air in the mine had been cool and damp, but the breeze that came from farther down the mineshaft was warm and dry.

  Presently, the tunnel widened, the ceiling rising with it as the passage ended in a pile of broken stone that reached from floor to ceiling. Several large boulders seemed to hold back smaller stones, and though care had been taken to block the tunnel as fully as possible, hot air still flowed through along the ceiling, smelling strongly of burning stone, char, and smoke, accompanied by a dim red light.

  The five dwarves that had accompanied Elias and his warriors got to work immediately, pulling boulders away from the barrier, pushing them to the side. They were surprisingly strong for their size, and used their tools to great effect, levering the largest stones aside, and simply carrying many of the smaller stones. It didn't take long for the way to be cleared, save for one massive boulder.

  One of the dwarves turned to Elias, wiping sweat and dirt from his brow. “This'n 'ere is th' last stone in th' way. Once y' go through, we'll 'ave t' block 'er back up again, in case ye fail in yer huntin'. We'll stay 'ere 'till it's plain if'n ya still live.”

  There was no malice in the dwarf's thickly accented words. They were not warriors, only miners. They were not prepared to face the dragons, and could not afford to leave the passage open for the beasts to attack the city. Elias nodded and drew his sword from its sheath. Behind him, the elves nocked Darby's arrows to their bowstrings and waited.

  The dwarves gripped ropes that they had attached to the final stone, and hauled on it, causing it to grind sideways, opening the passage to Elias and his warriors. A blast of hot air assaulted his senses, and he was reminded of the cavern that Sargoth had been kept in, back at Greenreef. The smell was similar, but there was something more, something a bit more rank as well.

  The tunnel on the other side was covered in deep, long claw marks, some of them even on the boulder that had blocked the path. The dragons had tried to come through, but the dwarven barrier had held. The red glow was brighter now, revealing the passage far better than the limited torchlight had. Keeping his sword ready, Elias led the way down the passage.

  The tunnel broke through into a large chamber, the mouth of which was rough, as if it hadn't been properly finished. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, though few stalagmites mirrored them from the uneven floor. To Elias's left was a large pool of lava, bubbling and glowing red, illuminating the cavern. To his right, the cavern dipped down, and he could hear rushing water.

  As soon as he stepped into the chamber, there was a low rumble from his left. A hissing filled the air, as if water had been dumped onto the pool of bubbling magma. Almost before he had time to turn and face the new sound, something burst out of the lava, landing on the floor of the chamber and charging towards him.

  It was one of the dragons, but it was much smaller than Sargoth had been, and shaped differently. More like a lizard than Sargoth had been, its legs were long and powerful, but lacked the human-like hands that Sargoth had. Its head was more animalistic, with eyes set wider and more to the side, though still able to stare forward at Elias as it rushed him. Including the creature's tail, it was perhaps ten feet long and devilishly fast.

  Elias swung his sword with both hands, meeting the creature as it leapt into the air, hissing the whole time, its gaping jaws revealing three rows of razor-sharp teeth. When the blade struck the dragon, it was knocked off course, landing on the ground next to Elias instead of colliding with him.

  As the creature rolled to its feet, Elias was dismayed to see that his sword had not cut through the dragon's tough scales.

  He stepped back, readying a hard downward
swing, hoping the greater power of that strike would penetrate the dragon's hide. Just as he delivered his blow, three arrows struck the dragon in swift succession. Two of them glanced harmlessly off of the scales, spiraling away into the darkness of the cavern. One, however, came slightly from the rear and slid under the creature's scales, penetrating the soft skin underneath. The dragon roared now, the shrill sound filling Elias's senses, vibrating through his chest and hands. He swung hard, smashing the edge of his sword into the dragon with all of his might.

  The dragon was driven into the ground as if by a hammer, its roar cut short by the blow to the back of its neck. Several of its scales were cracked and torn loose by the force of Elias's blow, causing thick, black blood to ooze out over its glossy red scales.

  Elias readied another strike as the creature whirled towards him, lashing out with claws and teeth. He narrowly avoided the attack, stepping back as he swung down, ripping his tunic free from the jaws of the beast. The reptile slipped to the left, dodging his blow, and darted in to bite at his arm while he recovered. Instinctively, Elias swung his fist at the dragon's nose, catching it solidly on the snout. Its flesh was searingly hot, and if the contact had been much longer, Elias would have been burned. Scrambling back, the dragon left deep gouges in the floor of the cave with its long claws.

  Elias was aware of shouting from behind him as he faced off against the serpent in front of him, and the hissing of another dragon was accompanied by the scratching of claws on stone. He spun towards the new threat just as the dragon leapt at him, slightly smaller than the one he had been facing. Elias fell back, pointing the tip of his sword at the airborne reptile. The point of the blade struck it on the chest, just under its neck, the momentum of the dragon bearing Elias down against the stone floor of the cavern. Elias's sword was wrenched sideways, nearly out of his grip, but when the pommel caught against a crevice in the rough ground, the point of the blade slipped between the beast's scales and buried itself halfway into the shrieking dragon.

  Elias was pinned to the stone floor as the first dragon was upon him, sharp claws digging into his shoulder and chest as the beast hissed loudly, tearing into him. Teeth filled his vision as the serpent reared back to strike, and Elias squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. However, instead of having his head bitten clean off, his senses were assaulted by a strangled roar, and the dragon's claws were wrenched out of his flesh, causing long scratches in his skin. He rolled off of his back and sprang to his feet, whipping his sword free from the writhing body of the dragon that had impaled itself, bringing it to bear on his original quarry.

  The first dragon was clawing at an arrow that was lodged in the back of its throat, shaking its head back and forth, trying to rid itself of the offending missile. Elias swung as hard as he could, the blade catching the dragon between its gaping jaws. It carried through its gaping jaws, severing the beast's spine as Elias clove through its jawbone.

  He turned back to his warriors, hearing their screams and shouts. One of the elves had fallen, his stomach torn open to reveal his entrails as a third dragon feasted on him. Another was being whipped around as a fourth dragon tossed him to and fro, latched on to the warrior's mangled leg. The dragon released its victim for a moment, flinging the warrior aside before lunging forward and clamping its jaws around the elf's throat. The sea elf's screams were abruptly cut short by the teeth of the dragon ripping into him.

  Arrows bounced harmlessly off of their hides as the elves fired again and again at the serpents, to no avail. Elias ran forward, drawing the attention of the beasts, shouting to his warriors. “Fire from behind them! Shoot their eyes and mouths! You have to get under their scales!”

  Hearing his orders, the elves rallied and circled the dragons, who turned to face them, guarding their kills. They hissed and made false, feinting charges at the warriors, when the ground shook beneath Elias's feet. A bulge grew out of the center of the pool of lava, and a serpentine shape rose above the surface, molten stone rolling back and away from a massive dragon's head like thick syrup, streaming down. The creature looked down at Elias and his warriors, a bestial cunning in its eyes, and bared its dagger-like teeth, a low rumble emanating from its throat.

  This massive beast had to be the mother of the dragons that Elias and his warriors now faced. Another of the elves was dragged down as he tried to split his attention between the larger dragon and the one he was currently fighting. His screams ended as the dragon tore out his throat.

  “Fall back! Don't get caught between them!” Elias shouted as he brought his sword between himself and the dragons, calling the sea elves back to him.

  The brood mother surged forward, sending a wave of liquid magma rolling onto the stone floor. A wave of heat struck Elias, causing him to wince. One of the sea elves was not so lucky as he tried to rush between the two smaller dragons, and was caught by a spray of lava. He clawed at his skin, cursing as he tried to swat away the burning stone, but the larger dragon snapped forward, her jaws closing around his head and chest. Whipping her head back and forth, she used her front talons to rip the elf's body in half, flinging the fallen warrior's legs to her spawn, who gladly set upon the offering.

  It had been less than a minute, and already four sea elves had been killed. Elias regrouped with his warriors as the two remaining juvenile dragons continued their grizzly meal. The largest dragon, still laying with her hindquarters in the molten stone, tossed her massive head back, swallowing the upper body of the warrior she had killed. Her head was as large as a wagon, and the portion of her that had climbed out of the lava was at least two and a half times as large as her hatchlings. She stood over the feasting younglings protectively, her dark red, almost black eyes locked on Elias and the rest of the elves.

  Her gaze fell upon the nearer of the young dragons that had been slain, and she moved over to it, prodding it with her nose. The limp body didn't react, so she nudged it again. Sniffing the wound under its neck, where Elias's blade had run it through, she drew back. A low, deep growl emanated from her throat, and she bared her teeth, looking back to Elias. He could swear he saw her eyes narrow as she opened her mouth, hissing at him as she pulled herself further out of the lava. Behind her, on either side, the two younger dragons turned away from their meal and advanced on Elias and his warriors.

  Elias gripped his blade and gritted his teeth. "Circle around them if you can! Fire at them from behind! If we do not kill them, we die!” Stepping forward, Elias held his blade at the ready, as the monstrous reptile picked up speed. She opened her mouth as she surged toward him, her gait awkward and uneven as she closed on Elias and reared back to strike. Diving forward, Elias felt the wind of several arrows fly past him, most of them bouncing harmlessly off of her scales. Two, however, struck the boundaries between the plates on her chest, and sank in, causing her to recoil, missing her strike at Elias.

  Driving his swordpoint forward like a lance, Elias struck the dragon as hard as he could, putting his weight behind the blow. The tip of his blade slid across her scales for an instant before it found purchase, sinking into the soft flesh between the armored plates.

  The beast roared, thrashing and rolling to the side, wrenching his sword free of the wound. As she completed her roll, Elias could see the cause of her limp; one of her back legs had been torn off long ago, leaving a shriveled, mangled scar in its place. Immediately, he charged towards her flank, holding his sword back. If he could wound her there, get her bleeding, then it may weaken her enough that he could deliver a mortal blow.

  Her tail whipped around, slamming into his chest, knocking the breath out of him and bowling him to the ground, his sword falling from his hands. She reached out with her front claws, raking them over the weapon, trying to drag it towards her and away from Elias. However, it became stuck between two crushed stalagmites, and her toes drug along the blade, severing one of them and deeply slicing another two. She snapped her talons back, scrabbling at the wound, giving Elias an opportunity to recover his weapon.


  He turned just in time to block one of the smaller dragons as it leapt at him, jaws gaping. What they lacked in creativity, they made up for in speed and strength. Elias landed flat on his back, the beast on top of him, his sword the only thing holding the dragon back. His blade was wedged between its jaws, the edges digging between its teeth, slicing the jaws on either side, causing blood and hot spittle to rain down on him as he struggled to hold it back. The dragon raked its claws along the stone on either side of Elias, bearing down with all of its weight. As powerful as Elias was, it was still everything he could do to keep those murderous teeth away from his face as the beast's black blood dripped on him from where the blade was cutting its mouth. Meanwhile, the beast's mother was recovering, turning to face Elias and the remaining sea elves.

  Elias rolled hard, pushing the dragon off of his chest, using the handle of the sword as a lever to flip the heavy creature. As they both scrambled to right themselves, Elias brought his blade to bear. Flipping it in a full circle, he brought it down against the reptile's head with all of his might. The blow bore the dragon into the ground, splitting some of the scales on its forehead, but merely dazed it. Elias turned his sword in his hands and performed a coup de grace, skewering the beast between its shoulders, pinning it against the ground. He felt the tip of his blade strike stone as the reptile shrieked, scrabbling against the floor and drawing the attention of its mother. Whipping his sword free from the writhing dragon, Elias turned to face the larger dragon.

  The ground shook as the monstrous lizard thundered towards him, a sort of three-legged gallop across the chamber from where it had retreated. Its red-black eyes were fixed on Elias, and though Darby had said that these dragons weren't fire breathers, Elias swore he could almost see tendrils of flame coming from the beast's mouth.

  Elias broke into a run, charging directly towards the dragon. He held his sword like a lance again, the point in front of him, aiming just under the dragon's jaw. As he closed on the beast, it reared its head up, preparing for a strike.