Alynon's Tear

by Rick Brown

  Orlik’s face turned red. “You humans have no taste for beauty, that’s all! Every room and every passage holds grace that you blasted humans wouldn’t see if even if I pointed it out for ya.”

  “Sorry Orlik,” Abi apologized. “I’m just tired.”

  Orlik grumbled, but started to lead us to the new tunnel. Secretly, I shared Abi’s opinion on the caverns. Other than the crystal room and the waterfall, it all looked just the same.

  “Wait!” Brianna called out. She went back to the passage that led to Illiner. Grabbing a rock, she scratched an arrow into the wall. “Just in case something happens to Orlik, we’ll know which way to go.” That’s why I treasured Brianna so much. Her dedication to detail might just save all of our lives.

  This time, the tunnel ran straight for what seemed like miles. While some of the tunnels we followed were natural, the dwarves had obviously carved this one. I appreciated the smooth surface that we walked on. It made the journey much faster.

  Orlik held up his hand to stop us. Each of us repeated the signal back down the line. “I smell troll,” he whispered, “and it ain’t one of those dead kind either.”

  I dimmed our lights, so we could barely see, and we started creeping forward. As we approach an entrance to another cavern, Orlik signaled for us to stop, and then slowly snuck forward to look into the room.

  He crawled back to us. “It’s in there, a biggun’ too.”

  “Alright. Barad and Whilhoit, come forward. Father Yagen and Abi, you too.” I waited till everyone shifted around. “The magic users will strike first, hitting the troll hard. After our initial strike, Barad, Orlik, and Whilhoit will rush in and cause as much damage as they can. I’ll shout when the troll starts to recover and the three of you run, and then we’ll hit it again. That’s the plan until it’s dead. Watch your eyes when we first step out, because I’m going to flash the gems in an attempt to blind it. Father Pild, your job is to protect Doctor Yorlin and watch our backs. I don’t want another one of these sneaking up on us,” The priest nodded.

  Barad pulled out his two axes with a wicked grin. “Let’s have some fun.”

  Orlik looked at him. “What are ya gonna do with those tiny axes? That’s what we give dwarf babies as toys.”

  “Sit back you ole’ dwarf and you’ll see.”

  I was the first to step out into the cavern, patiently waiting for the troll to notice me. After a moment there was an excited roar as the beast spotted the faint light from my crystal. As it turned to charge, I flooded the crystal with energy, sending a blinding light through the cave. The troll growled angrily as it was blinded. I knelt on the cave floor, and using my magic, I started lifting all the loose stones and gravel, flinging them towards the troll. The particles tore into it as it tried to cover its eyes from the light. Abigail came to stand next to me, adding her flame to my wind, throwing the blaze far further than she could have alone. Father Yagen did the same from my other side. Soon a torrent of flame was pelting the monster.

  “Now!” I yelled.

  Barad and Whilhoit charged in and attacked the confused troll. It swung widely, trying to catch its prey. Whilhoit distracted the beast while Barad snuck up behind it. Swinging both axes at once, he caught the troll in its hamstrings, sending it crashing to its knees. Then, leaping up, he dug each of his axes into the shoulders of the now crazed creature. The troll’s arm slipped as it tried to catch itself, making it fall flat on the ground. Leaping at the opportunity, Whilhoit swung at the beast’s head, his sword bouncing off its thick skull with little damage.

  Barad jumped onto the trolls back and started hacking at its neck. Orlik charged to the other side and joined him. As the troll was struggling to rise, Orlik made one final swing, penetrating the tolls spine. With a thump, the beast fell forward.

  “Ha! That was easy,” Orlik said with a grin, while Barad rolled off the troll’s back, panting as he lay on the rock.

  “Good work, you three,” I congratulated. “Now let’s get moving in case another troll heard.”

  To emphasize my point, a troll’s roar echoed through the cavern.

  We quickly moved away from the troll, following the route Orlik identified. Brianna still marking the caverns as we went. It was with much relief that we spotted daylight ahead of us. As we exited the cavern, the sun identified it as near evening. In total, it took us a day and a half to make it through the cave.

  We made camp downslope of the cavern entrance, stashing our extra rations between some stones. Since we were exposed on the side of the mountain, with Dommerian soldiers below us, I decided we would go without a fire. Instead, I created a dome over us and slowly heated the air.

  “This is better than a fire anyway,” Barad observed. “You’re either freezing because the wind is blowing the wrong way, or you’re blinded by the smoke.”

  “Just be sure to scrape away as much snow from under you as you can. Otherwise you’ll be sleeping in a wet bed when that stuff melts,” I recommended.

  “Do we have any idea where the elves are?” Whilhoit asked.

  I nodded. “Ayisha said they were held in an old ruin at the base of the mountain. It was probably a watchtower for anyone coming over the mountains back when Alsselya was still a kingdom.”

  “May they all be ok,” Father Pild prayed.

  Considering we were sleeping on the side of a frozen mountain, it was a very comfortable night. The bubble of warm air I created over us kept out the winter chill.

  The next day we started down the mountain. Lenux and Brianna took turns as they scouted ahead of us. The snow gave way to stone and the ground started to level as we descended. We marched all day and it was that evening as we were looking for a place to camp that Brianna returned stating she had seen the Dommerian camp.

  She led Lenux and I to a location we could spy on the Dommerians. Squatting behind a bush, the three of us looked upon the tower that was our target. Ayisha was correct that it was a ruin. The top of the tower was missing some of the stone, and nothing was left of any structures around it, other than a short wall.

  “How did you spot it this far away?” Lenux asked, “Even creeping down as far as we have, it looks to just barely stand out.”

  Bri shrugged. “I saw a glint of steel reflect off one of the guards.” Lenux shook his head in amazement.

  “Well, I’ll need to take a look at those guards, lead the way,” I said, motioning to Brianna.

  It took another hour of moving down the mountain before I could get a good look. There were maybe fifty soldiers milling around the base of the tower. I suspected the priests were inside.

  Tied up in what would have been the tower’s courtyard were the elven prisoners. Counting them, I identified eight still being held.

  “I count eight,” Lenux announced, matching my figure. “How many were there originally?”

  “I don’t know,” I answered. “But I bet it was more than eight. If I’m not mistaken, that’s an alter set up on the other side of the camp.”

  Brianna gasped. “They wouldn’t.”

  “They would. You haven’t been to the front like Barad and me. Dommerian’s are not good people.”

  We crept around, encircling the camp as we continued to scout. As we crawled through a small ravine, we came across the priest’s victims. Four elves lay in the ditch with their chests cut open.

  “Can we bury them?” Lenux asked.

  I shook my head. “As vile as leaving them is, we cannot give away we are here. Hopefully, we can bury them tomorrow. Let’s keep moving.”

  Brianna continued to lead us around the tower until we were comfortable we knew the layout. We never saw the priests, but they were definitely in the camp. Their victims announced them as much as any sighting. We returned to our camp under the cover of darkness.

  “Did you find them?” Farloc asked.

  I nodded. “There are eight prisoners.”

  “Only eight,” doctor Yorlin asked, her expression strained.

  I sighed. �
��The priests have been performing sacrifices. We found four victims.”

  Farloc slammed his fist into the ground and stood, pulling his bow. I put my hands out to stop him. “Their camp is settling down for the night, there will be no more sacrifices. We will attack before morning. No more elves will be going on the altar.” Farloc looked as he might push past me, but then sat back down, driving his dagger into the dirt.

  “Do we have plan then,” Barad asked.

  “I’m working on that,” I replied. Grabbing a stick, I started to draw out the camp. Brianna and Lenux making corrections as we mapped it out.

  “There are at least fifty soldiers at the camp. Zarcharus mentioned that there were three priests when his unit was attacked, so we will assume all three are still here.”

  “Ten of us against fifty soldiers and three priests?” Whilhoit asked. “Not great odds.”

  “For which side?” Barad asked. “We’ve got three magic users ourselves, you know. One of them having inherited a powerful magic that would make these Dommerians wet themselves, if they knew what was coming.”

  “You both have good points,” I mediated. “Let’s not underestimate our enemy, but neither do we underestimate ourselves. Thanks to the gods, we have some incredible talent. Don’t let any of you make the mistake of assuming you are here by chance. The gods, themselves, have selected you. Now, sharpen your steel or sleep. It will likely be your last chance for days.”

  Chapter 29

  (Lee)

  I sat low in the grass, creeping up as quietly as I could. I envied Lenux and Brianna with their sneaking skills. I finally stopped behind the log I had targeted for my position. After a moment, I felt Abigail slide up behind me. We were to be the frontline of the battle. I looked to the tower and could barely identify the outlines of Lenux and Brianna, who were climbing to its top. The only reason I was able to spot them was that they were not trying to hide from me, but those inside the camp. Barad and Whilhoit were to have flanked on either side of the wall.

  The plan was for Abigail and I to attack the soldiers with fury. Barad or Whilhoit would cut down any who tried to run. Brianna and Lenux would shoot the soldiers who remained behind the cover of the tower ruins.

  Meanwhile, the Fathers, Orlik, and Farloc would try to release the prisoners while we were occupying the soldiers. As for the enemy priests, well, they were a wildcard. We would have to face them as they came.

  Brianna and Lenux would start picking off the enemy soldiers as they could. The signal to attack was when we heard the first alarm. Until then, we waited.

  Before us was a short wall, only about waist high. Behind the wall was the courtyard to the tower. The enemy’s tents were set up there. The wall wrapped around the courtyard, connecting on either side of the tower. The only movement within appeared to be a couple of guards.

  “How are you so calm?” Abigail asked, as she tightly gripped the dagger Brianna had loaned her. Hopefully, no soldiers ever came close enough that she would have to use it.

  “This used to be my job,” I reminded her. “Some people sell flowers, others serve the royalty, I killed people.”

  “It seems so different in the books I’ve read. The heroes were always brave, even taunting the enemy before attacking.”

  I shrugged. “It may not work out the way you like, but feel free to walk up to wall and stick your tongue out.”

  She rolled her eyes, “Behind this log is just fine, thank you. Do you think it will be long?”

  I glanced back to the tower. “I don’t see Lenux or Brianna, so I assume they are in position. The more soldiers they can take out by bow, the better, so let’s hope we have a long wait.

  After what seemed an eternity, the first alarm was shouted, quickly followed by two more. “Here we go!” I yelled as I pulled Abigail up with me into a standing position. I quickly placed a shield before us, in case anyone got an arrow off.

  Pulling some of the gravel from my pocket that I had collected overnight, I tossed it into the air, and then magically, I propelled it into the enemy camp. More shouts could be heard as I guided it through the tents, perforating their sides with the gravel.

  I looked at Abigail’s blank face, thinking that she had frozen in fear. It was something I had seen many times in the army. Before I could shake her, Lightning ripped from the sky, tearing through the soldier’s as they exited their tents. My gravel fell to ground as I watch her lay waste to tent after tent.

  Recovering from my shock, I stole an idea Abi used against me when we first met, exploding the earth beneath the soldiers as they rushed around in a panic. The chaos was all part of the plan. A sudden attack like this from unknown sources was always the most disruptive in creating a defense.

  I could see Bri and Lenux’s arrows raining down on the soldiers hiding behind the wall. Their arrows sudden stopped as a gush of flame shot from the ground below.

  “That’s us,” I said to Abi. Pointing to the location that the priest launched his fire from.

  She nodded and shot flames towards the spot. “I can’t see him!” she yelled in frustration.

  “Well, let’s fix that.” Focusing on the stone wall, I exploded it inward, towards the priest. For a moment all was quiet, then a spout of flame shot from the hole towards Abigail and myself.

  I grabbed Abi’s arm to keep her from running from the safety of my shield. The flame split before us, breaking against my barrier.

  As soon as it ceased, Abi and I both fired back, scorching the area that the fire had come from. The priest ran screaming from the rocks he had hidden behind, covered in flames. His shouting quickly ended from a sneak’s arrow.

  Lenux yelled to me from above, pointing to the prisoner’s area. Glancing that way, I could see Father Yagen’s magical flames keeping back the Dommerian soldiers from where he and the others protected the prisoners. I nodded in understanding, and signaled Barad and Whilhoit to engage.

  Barad was over the fence like a dog released on a hunt. An axe in each hand, he started cutting his way through the Dommerians. Whilhoit was right behind him, keeping Barad safe from being attacked from the rear.

  “All right,” I told Abigail. “Melee time. Stay close to me and try not to let any Dommerian near you.” She nodded in understanding, following in my footsteps and I leapt over the wall. Looking around, it appeared that most of the Dommerian’s had been killed in the initial attack. Still, we were heavily outnumbered with two Dommerian priests unaccounted for.

  I pulled my sword and dagger and charged the nearest Dommerian, quickly cutting him down. I fought my way through as Abigail followed me, shooting flames at any who got too close. An arrow whizzed past my ear, striking a Dommerian who was hidden behind part of the wall. I waved thanks to whichever sneak shot him.

  We froze when we arrived at the area where the prisoners were bound. One of the Dommerian priest held a knife to Father Pild’s throat, and the other priest stood behind him, hand pointed towards the prisoners. Flames floated above his palm. Father Yagen and Farloc stood off to my left. Orlik, waving his axe, was on my right. All of them were staring at the two priests.

  “So, you finally came,” the priest snarled. “High Priest Grenlow said you would. He predicted you were going for the elves, so we set this trap. All for you.”

  “What does your high priest want of me?” I asked.

  “Your life, of course, in trade for these elves and your priest. He very much looks forward to sacrificing you himself.”

  “You must not!” Father Pild pleaded.

  “Quiet!” The priest with the knife ordered. A drop of blood trickled down the father’s throat.

  Bows of the remaining Dommerian soldiers raised toward my chest. “I must say,” the priest continued. “I am very curious how you performed the magic you did. I have never seen its like. Don’t worry, you don’t have to talk now. I’ll have days of torturing the secrets out of you on our way back to Dommeran.”

  I dropped my sword and dagger and raised my hands. W
ith my left hand I casually kept just one finger up. “It’s a shame really.”

  “Is it?” the priest grinned. “Your surrender?”

  “No,” Answered with my own smile. “The fact that you don’t know enough of my magic to realize you’re already dead.”

  I snapped the finger down on my left hand, signaling the sneaks. Before the priest could react, an arrow struck him through the eye, killing him instantly.

  The other priest released his fire at the elves, only to have it bounce harmlessly off my shield. The same happened with the Dommerian archers, whose arrows shattered and fell to ground a foot before reaching me. Farloc charged forward, screaming in rage as he jumped at the priest, his daggers biting deep into his chest.

  Barad charged forward, both axe’s swinging. Yelling as he crashed into the now panicked soldiers. Orlik attacked them from the other side with his giant axe blade.

  I grabbed my own blades from the ground and charged forward, Whilhoit and the priests at my side. Within minutes, we had cut through their ranks, until only we were left standing.

  Before me stood Barad, his shirt soaked in blood and sweat, his axes still held firmly in his hands. “Was that a part of the plan I missed?” He asked.

  I shook my head, “Just our sneaks being their wonderful selves.”

  “Well, I’m giving them both a kiss when they get down.”

  “Careful, Lenux is still armed,” I warned.

  We walked over to Farloc, who was checking the prisoners. “Anything serious?” I asked.

  “Mostly bruises, and possibly broken bones,” He answered. “This one may be bleeding on the inside. We will need the doctor to examine them.”

  I glanced at Abigail, who was looking pale, standing aside by herself. “Are you ok?” I called out.

  She nodded and put on a brave smile. I looked to Barad, “Abi needs to step away from this. Take her and go collect the doctor from camp.” He nodded and left to talk to Abigail.

  I turned back to Farloc. “If there are any obvious injuries, I may be able to help while we wait for the doctor.”

  “This one has cracked ribs,” Farloc stated as he pointed to a prisoner who was lying on his back.