The little guy looked around speculatively.
“Perhaps, master. It is difficult to tell. The tunnel is still very old, but it could be one of the last lengths to have been cut out of the rock. I cannot say.”
“I don't think it's newer,” Aeris said to them over his shoulder. “I just think it's better maintained.”
He was floating at chest level, moving at a walking pace about a dozen feet ahead of them.
“What makes you say that?”
The road suddenly dipped again and the walls on either side widened and then suddenly disappeared.
“Because I do believe that,” Aeris said as he stopped abruptly and pointed downward, “is the city of Kingstone.”
Simon hurried to join him, with Kronk close on his heels, and he gasped at what he saw.
The ceiling above them continued on at the same height but the deep road dove into a huge cave, thousands of feet across. There were massive columns extending from the ceiling to the floor hundreds feet below them, supporting its great weight. The wizard couldn't tell if they were natural or made by the dwarves.
The road went down a slope to the floor of the cave and then disappeared into a maze-like tangle of high walls that seemed to extend around the entire circumference of the cavern.
And there in the middle of this maze, rising tier upon tier almost to the height of the ceiling, was the capital city.
“Wow. It's gorgeous,” Simon exclaimed breathlessly. “And it's huge.”
Walls, thick and high, surrounded the city. Atop the wall were flickering light that danced in the still air; torches or lanterns of some sort.
He saw masses of buildings beyond the walls but the city was still miles away and he couldn't make out many details.
The palace was easy to see, however. Soaring above the rest of the city, the castle was made of a light-colored stone that shone like a beacon in the distance.
“It actually glows,” Simon whispered in amazement. “In fact, the entire city is lit up like a Christmas tree. I never saw it from this distance before. When I was here the last time, I was brought in unconscious by the dwarves. And when I left, I only walked a few hundred yards beyond the front gates before I was able to Gate away. I still have no idea how the dwarves allowed me to summon enough power to do that.”
He continued to stare at the city, enthralled,
“It looks a lot different from inside, you know.”
He looked at the elementals curiously.
“Shandon told me once that his people originally lived on the surface and retreated to the depths because of an ancient catastrophe. Ever since then, they have lighted up all of their towns and cities, even though they can see in the infra-red spectrum. Has either of you heard that story?”
Aeris looked impressed.
“You were honored by the dwarven king, my dear wizard. It is rare for them to share that tale with outsiders. But yes, it is common knowledge among the elementals that the rock dwellers were driven into the underground long ago. A tragedy.”
“I disagree,” Kronk said stoutly.
He made a sweeping gesture at the immense cavern spread out before them.
“The rock brothers have thrived in the deep places of the world. They have made a home for themselves here and their civilization has endured. I do not think that they consider such an accomplishment tragic.”
Aeris shook his head and laughed.
“Of course you don't. You are an earthen. You love all of this gloom. Give me the sun and the open air any day.”
Simon interrupted before a full-blown argument could break out.
“Guys, another time, okay? We still have those undead on our tails. Let's focus on getting to the city.”
Aeris looked back and pointed.
“You mean them?” he asked lightly.
Simon turned around and stumbled back a few steps. The shambling horde was no more than fifty feet away. He must have been so fascinated by the distant city that he hadn't heard them.
“Oh crap. Come on, let's move!”
The trio hurried down the slope, the elementals keeping pace with Simon. Aeris led the way and Kronk stayed at the rear, keeping an eye on their enemies.
“Thank the Four Winds that they cannot run,” Aeris said as he looked back up the road. “There are more of them than I thought.”
“Yeah,” Simon panted. “Slow is good. I keep feeling like I'm in the middle of some cheesy zombie apocalypse movie. Maybe I should start beating those bastards over their heads with a shovel.”
The air elemental looked at him with a frown.
“I have no idea what you are talking about, but as long as you aren't panicking, I suppose that's the important thing.”
Simon fought back the urge to laugh; he needed to save his breath for the race, even if it was in slow motion.
“I think we are fortunate that no wraiths are leading those undead monsters, master,” Kronk spoke up from behind them. “They are very fast and quite clever; unlike those shambling piles of bones behind us.”
“You're right. I'm not sure how the wraiths are created but they seem quite rare. Fortunately for us.”
The road ahead entered the maze of jumbled walls and archways. Simon was grateful that his light globe was still dutifully following along, illuminating their path.
They walked through a soaring arch and turned to the right. The road seemed to twist and turn like a snake as it made its way toward Kingstone and Simon found it very confusing, not to mention exhausting.
“What's with the convoluted path?” he asked Aeris as the road dipped down and went left. “Wouldn't it have been easier to just make a straight road from the edge of the cavern to the city?”
“Security, my dear wizard,” Aeris said as he flew ahead, his body glowing in the darkness. “The dwarves' enemies can be easily contained and attacked in this maze-like area.”
He pointed up. Above them, the ceiling of the cavern soared so high that it was lost in the gloom.
“They intentionally left this section of the road uncovered so that all enemies must travel the path and not climb above it. It is a brilliant bit of engineering.”
They walked on. They had lost sight of the undead as soon as they'd entered the maze and now they couldn't hear them either.
“Are we getting farther ahead of the horde or does this whole place muffle sound?” Simon wondered.
“The latter I should think,” Aeris replied. “Notice our voices as we speak? They aren't echoing the way they did back in the tunnels. The dwarves have managed to dampen sound here somehow. Fascinating.”
Several more twists and turns finally brought them to a straight stretch of road. The final run to the city, perhaps.
They followed the path for several more minutes until a distant flicker appeared in the distance. They slowed down and Simon peered into the gloom.
He could see torches twinkling about a hundred yards ahead and felt a wave of relief wash over him.
“Guys, we made it!” he exclaimed as the trio stopped to look at the distant city walls. “Just a few more minutes and we'll be safe.”
“You will be safe, my dear wizard,” Aeris corrected him. “As I said earlier, Kronk and I would face a much different fate should we accompany you any further.”
Simon leaned on his staff wearily, his legs quivering. He stared at the elementals in confusion as he tried to catch his breath.
“What are you talking about? Come on, we have to get to the city before those undead bastards catch up.”
“I am sorry, master,” Kronk said gently as he stared up at the wizard, “but Aeris is correct. Elementals are forbidden in the cities of the dwarves. We know it and they know it. If we should approach too closely, it is quite possible that we would be attacked.”
He looked forlornly at the distant torches.
“And dwarves know how to destroy elementals, I'm afraid. Forgive us, master, but we can go no further.”
“But....but what abou
t the undead? If we split up, you'll be attacked.”
Aeris snorted with laughter.
“Your brain must be addled with fatigue, my dear wizard, to think that. Kronk will travel through the rock and I will simply vanish. I can fly above the vermin back to the main tunnel and then follow it up. Once back on the surface away from the dampening power of the deep stone, we can return to the tower instantly, thanks to your graciously giving us permission to do so.”
Simon looked from the small blocky face of Kronk to the semi-transparent visage of Aeris and then smiled weakly in relief.
“Crap. I forgot that the only really vulnerable one in this group is little ol' me. I think I'll agree with you, Aeris, and chalk it up to exhaustion rather than to just being dumb.”
The air elemental grinned widely.
“Oh, you can call it the latter if you want to. I have no problem with that.”
“Thanks,” Simon said dryly. “Okay then. You two head home. I should be safe enough walking from here to those torches. Watch over the tower for me until I get back, won't you?”
“Of course we will. Kronk's a mother hen, you know that. It will be fine. Who knows? Perhaps some of my people will have reported back in by the time you get home.”
“Hmm, maybe. I actually doubt that any of them will return for months. Anyway, we'll talk about it when I get back. Be careful heading home, guys. We know that the undead aren't the only dangers down here.”
“Thank you, master. We will be fine.”
Kronk stepped closer and lowered his voice and Simon bent down to hear him.
“Watch the dwarves, master,” the earthen whispered. “Their king may be your friend, but in the end he serves his peoples' best interests, not yours. Only trust him as far as you must.”
Simon stood up with an appreciative smile.
“I know, my friend. I know. The only people that I trust implicitly in this world, now that Daniel is gone, are you two. Now get going; the undead can't be far behind.”
Kronk bowed and sank into the solid rock of the road, disappearing from sight.
Aeris was no longer smiling. Instead, he gave Simon a solemn salute and shot straight up, fading and then vanishing in the distance.
“Okay Simon,” the wizard said to himself as he started to walk toward the city. “You're alone again. Try not to do anything stupid.”
Chapter 13
The wizard hurried toward the flickering points of light that were the torches at the city gates. He'd underestimated the distance in the gloom and no matter how fast he trudged, the walls didn't seem to be getting any closer.
Worse still, Simon began to hear the distant dry sounds of the undead as they dragged their bony feel over the ground. They were relentless and could chase him forever, while his energy was quickly being used up.
Shouldn't there be a patrol out here or something, he wondered. After all, the dwarves are the targets of the dark gods as much as we humans are.
The maze fell away behind him and Simon found himself on open ground with a straight path to the towering double gates of Kingstone. He was surprised by the sudden transition and staggered to a stop to get his bearings.
Behind him, the deep road entered the twisted barrier of rock that he'd just passed through, while all around him was flat and featureless.
It's a killing ground, he realized.
It sent a chill quivering down his back.
The dwarves on the high walls had a clear view all around their city of any enemies approaching and could attack them at a distance, before they even got close enough to be a threat.
Could they see him? Of course they could.
Simon hesitated for an instant, but the sound of pursuit was growing louder and he realized that he was out of options. He would have to trust that the sentries could tell friend from foe; and that they considered him a friend.
He stumbled forward again, using Mortis de Draconis to push himself along at a frantic, hobbling pace.
He was no more than a hundred feet from the gates when his globe of light was snuffed out in a loud poof of air. Simon almost tripped in surprise but forced himself to stagger on.
It was the ward against magic, of course. He remembered his last visit to the dwarven city and the dampening field that had prevented him from using his powers. Obviously the same protections still extended around the capital.
Great. Now I really am powerless.
“Hold, human!” a gruff voice cried from atop the wall next to the gate. “Come no further!”
Simon stumbled to a halt. He was now sweating and gasping so loudly that they must have heard him all the way from the top of the wall.
“State your business here.”
The wizard breathed deeply, trying to find enough air to reply.
“My business?” he called up to the unseen watcher. “I'm here to see my friend, Shandon Ironhand. My name is Simon O'Toole. I was a guest of the king a few years ago.”
There was a long silence and Simon turned to look back along the road.
“Excuse me,” he shouted. “But there are a few hundred undead monsters behind me. Shouldn't you be doing something about them?”
“It is already done, wizard,” the watcher replied sternly. “We waited for you to exit the tunnel before dealing with them.”
“Wizard? Then you know who I am?”
“I know who you say you are. The king will determine if your words are true. Be patient; a message has been sent to the palace.”
Simon stood in the silent darkness for a moment and then folded his legs carefully and sat down on the hard stone. If he had to wait for Shandon, he might as well take the opportunity to get a little rest.
He rubbed his legs and sighed as they throbbed under his fingers.
Oh, I'll be sore in the morning, he thought ruefully. I wish the dwarves had told me that they had destroyed the horde. I could have at least slowed down a bit.
He was so thirsty, his mouth felt like it was coated with dust. He spared a thought for his lost pack and hoped that he wouldn't have to wait too long for the king to verify his identity.
Simon stood up slowly a few minutes later, his knees creaking like those of an old man. The gates had boomed and shook the ground from where he waited fifty feet away and he decided not to be caught sitting down. He wondered why the massive portal would be opening now. There was a small entrance off to the side that he had used when he had left before and he was surprised that they wouldn't just use that.
The towering iron gate swung inward with a rumble and light blazed from inside the city. A lone figure silhouetted against the glow beckoned to Simon and he walked toward it carefully, afraid that his legs might buckle from fatigue.
Behind the short, armored figure, two torch-bearers stood supplying light. They were simple workers, wearing tunics and leather aprons, the symbols of the tradesman class. There were no other dwarves in sight.
Simon kept walking until he was a few yards away from the waiting dwarf. He could finally see the warrior's face and was surprised to realize that it wasn't Shandon Ironhand.
Instead, the helmeted dwarf was a much older person. Deep lines criss-crossed his face, as well as several battle scars. What little hair Simon could see beneath his helmet and cowl was as white as snow, but the dwarf stood straight and proud, a large axe dangling from his hip.
“Welcome, Simon O'Toole,” the dwarf said as he banged his mailed fist against his chest. “I am Ragar Blackrock, seneschal to his highness, King Shandon Ironhand. Welcome back to Kingstone.”
“Err, hi. I'm pleased to meet you,” Simon replied, a little confused. “I'm sorry, but I thought that maybe the king would be here.”
Ragar glowered at him.
“His highness is a busy dwarf, sir wizard. When the message came that you had arrived, he asked me to welcome you. Things are a little...hectic in the city at the moment and the king is otherwise occupied.”
“Oh, of course,” Simon said quickly as he realized ho
w arrogant his statement might have sounded. “I didn't mean to imply that I thought Shandon should drop everything just to greet me. I know I'm not that important.”
The seneschal looked him up and down and thawed slightly.
“I understand. You have walked far to reach Kingstone and I can see how weary you are. Sometimes we misspeak when we are fatigued. Please follow me. I have arranged for some refreshment and a room for you. You can recover from your journey and the king will summon you as soon as he has the time.”
Simon put his palm on his chest the way he'd been taught and bowed slightly.
“I am honored by your greeting,” he said, correctly this time. “The dwarves are well known for their hospitality.”
Actually they weren't, the wizard thought to himself. But they did love the niceties.
This time Ragar actually looked pleased and he returned the courtesy. A clatter of metal from behind him made the dwarf turn abruptly and he motioned Simon to the side of the gate.
“The watch is changing,” he said as a troop of armored dwarves marched past, heading out into the darkness. “The last shift took care of those undead marauders that had been chasing you and I am sure that they will be pleased to be relieved.”
So that's why the main gate had opened, Simon thought with some humor. It wasn't for the great wizard after all. Well, that's a relief.
“Now let us go. I can see you are in some discomfort,” Ragar said considerately. “Follow me please.”
They made their way into the city, passing scores of armed guards going about their business. Ragar was saluted politely by many of the warriors, and Simon received some curious looks.
He watched carefully but saw no hostile reactions to his presence. It's true that many of the dwarves appeared cool to seeing a human in their midst dressed in robes, but he saw no anger or irritation.
Maybe they're just polite, he thought. Or maybe they simply don't care one way or the other. That's probably closer to the truth.
Once they had passed through the troops guarding the perimeter of the city, Ragar guided Simon along several wide avenues and down a narrow side street to what appeared to be an inn of some sort.
The Dragons of Bone and Dust (Tales from the New Earth Book 7) Page 15