The Dragon Stone

by Andrew G. Wood

  As several more dwarf soldiers fell to the balgraf, the drawbridge finally slammed shut and the portcullis brought down behind it. Although a few of the dwarfs left out on the approach fought on valiantly, using their axes to cut deep into the flesh of the enemy, the balgraf soon overpowered them, leaving Balin to watch on as half of his small force he had sent to defend the approach path was wiped out.

  Now the bridge was up, and the others safely inside he could at least unleash his more powerful weapons without risk of killing his own. Balin gave the order, and Galdrac looked over to where a strange looking device was being readied. Two dwarfs took turns pushing down on a long lever, pumping a liquid that was then squirted out of a long pipe being controlled by a third. The jet of liquid shot out a good forty or fifty paces, covering the unsuspecting balgraf stood trying to figure a way over the gap now left by the drawbridge. The machine was stopped, and Balin gave another order, and Galdrac watched a dwarf mage positioned just above the gate, muster a small ball of fire channelled through a short stave and launch it down towards the enemy.

  The flame need not of hit a balgraf, as it happened it did, but the area was so soaked in the flammable liquid sprayed out by the dwarfs, that the entire area went up in an explosion of fire. Every balgraf stood on the approach way was instantly turned to flame, as clouds of thick black smoke engulfed the entire area. “Well I think that sorted that lot out,” Balin quipped, happy that he had so quickly dealt the enemy a blow.

  Galdrac, however, was only too aware that the dwarfs had killed, but a handful of those stood to oppose them, and although they were safely inside the walls of the capital, there was still an entire army of balgraf to deal with.

  Chapter 12.

  The hordes of the darkness seemed content merely standing and waiting. The figure of Abalyon just drifted from place to place, but never far from his forces, while the dwarfs on defensive duties along the front wall of Durn Raldun were made to wait. Despite Balin, the dwarf commander asking Galdrac several times, on what he thought they were doing, the mage still had no idea. Leyna though watched with interest as she was trying to learn how the balgraf had changed, and just as importantly, why.

  Was there indeed a link between her son and Abalyon as had been mentioned? Did that mean each time Finley grew in strength, so did the forces of darkness that now opposed them. It was true that in the time since Finley had come back into her life and discovered his somewhat unique powers, the balgraf had also changed from the wild incoherent beasts, into what appeared like a well-drilled army. Was this a way of the gods keeping everything on a level playing field?

  Her deep, thoughtful moment was interrupted by a shout somewhere off to her left. At first, Leyna could not see what the ruckus was about, as the balgraf were still where they had lined up on their arrival. However, Galdrac diverted her gaze not left or right, but upwards into the sky. “You have got to be kidding me?” she muttered under her breath.

  A dozen or so large black shapes now circled in the sky above the approach way, just out of reach of the defender’s crossbows. The newcomers had certainly caught everyone’s attention, as their large spanned wings helped them glide effortlessly above. Six balgraf from the front of the main rank stepped forward and started running towards the narrow approach, as the flying beasts swung about.

  Once the first of the balgraf was about three hundred paces from the city entrance, one of the huge flying beasts drifted down above it. The balgraf lifted its long powerful arms and grabbed the dangling legs that hung above, before being pulled up into the air. It was evident the new flying versions of the balgraf struggled with the weight of their regular cousins, as they were forced to flap their giant wings frantically. All the time, those stood ready and waiting along the battlements at the front of Durn Raldun, could do little but watch the spectacle unfold. The manoeuvre was quickly repeated as a second balgraf was picked up and lifted into the sky. A third and fourth followed suit as the first then made a move.

  Having regained sufficient height, the winged beast with the balgraf hanging underneath it, darted down from its elevated position, swooping in above the battlements, forcing several soldiers defending there to dive for cover. The balgraf then let itself go and dropped the remaining ten feet, landing amongst the dwarfs atop the wall.

  Clearly caught by surprise, it took a few moments for the defenders to even realise what was happening, as the second balgraf dropped down a few paces from the first. “I think it’s time you made a break for it,” Galdrac said turning to face Leyna who he thought was stood a few paces to his left. However, in the confusion and panic, she had been forced a little further away, as the dwarf guards were rushing to where the balgraf had landed amongst them.

  To their credit, the dwarf soldiers quickly linked their shields together, effectively enclosing the now three balgraf in at each end. After double checking Leyna was okay, Galdrac waved his staff in the air, producing a ball of fire and launching up at the next flying creature that approached. He thought he could now see the plan, and knowing the key to it all were the flying creatures, he manifested a second ball of fire and sent it soaring up at the next beast overhead. Although it missed the main body of the creature, it did strike one of the strange skin-like webbed wings causing the beast to veer wildly off to one side and crash headfirst into the rocks behind them, before rolling down, bouncing off the battlements and falling into the deep ravine far below.

  With crossbows being fired all directions, and those dwarfs with magical abilities doing likewise, the fighting atop the battlements turned to a chaotic farce. Balin tried in vain to get some kind of coherent order to his defence, but with more balgraf being dropped in, further along the wall, getting his orders from one end to the other was proving difficult.

  A second flying beast was sent crashing to destruction as it finally succumbed to a number of crossbow bolts, and a third was killed when it misjudged its level of fight. The beast came in too low, probably due to the weight of the balgraf it was carrying, causing the passenger to be dropped into the ravine. The flying creature was then brutally taken apart by several axe wielding dwarfs positioned, ready and waiting for it.

  Abalyon, realising his flying creatures were being lost and were tiring, had them pull back. All that was apart from one he had been keeping in reserve, circling higher up than the others, and not involved in the carrying. He had already marked his target, and with sufficient chaos on the battlements of Durn Raldun, he waited patiently to make his move.

  He ordered his entire front rank forward, just a hundred paces short of the approach way that would gain him access to the entire dwarf city. Those dropped in and causing maximum damage atop the battlements had orders to fight their way down the steps that led into the gatehouse, and drop the bridge effectively giving his army a free run at the capital. This, however, was not his main reason for being here. If the dwarfs were defeated or just dealt a minor blow, it did not matter to him. The main reason for him being there was still stood fighting on the wall, and as soon as the time was right, he would make his move.

  Leyna sent forth a blinding beam of light at one of the balgraf. The beast had already been injured and was dripping its dark black blood onto the stonework as two dwarfs took turns in swiping their large two handed axes at it. Leyna’s magical blast struck it in the back, causing the beast to stumble over howling and flailing its arms wildly, before dropping down in a heap. The elf looked about to see Galdrac helping another group of dwarfs as they tried to stop one creature making a dash for the stone steps that led down from the battlements and into the city itself. Whether the balgraf were intelligent enough to know how to drop the drawbridge if it got that far, they were not willing to find out, as they did everything they could to bar its way.

  Suddenly Leyna felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and a chill run right through her. Before she had a chance to react, she was jolted forward and off her feet. Her staff dropped from her hand as something clasped tightly over her
shoulders, lifting her high up into the air. “Galdrac!” she screamed, wriggling as best she could to try and break free, although doing so now might see her fall to her death anyway.

  Galdrac heard the screams and looked up straight into the despairing eyes of Leyna. He tried to muster a ball of fire as quickly as he could, despite already knowing he would be out of range he sent it skyward anyway. “Leyna!” he shouted, trying to run along the battlements to keep up with her position. Alas, it was all to no avail as he was helpless to save her, and reluctantly watched her disappear over to where the ghostly figure of Abalyon was standing.

  Leyna was dumped down onto the ground with a thump, as the flying creature swooped down low releasing her from its grasp. Before she could even stand, she felt herself being hauled back up by another beast who grabbed her arms and held on tightly to her. She looked down at the pair of black-haired clawed hands keeping her from making a run for it, knowing she would never have the strength to break free.

  The air around her felt stale and pungent, as the now familiar figure of Abalyon drifted over towards her. Moving on a swirling cushion of dark mist, the fallen god took his human shape and glared her direction. She felt a chill as the mist enveloped around and a dark shadowy face lifted up before her own. “My son will never join you!” she snapped in anger, but the figure remained silent as the mist covered her completely.

  Leyna felt a mixture of anger and hurt. While the vice-like grip on her arms had been painful, the creature had released her some minutes ago. The physical pain was there, but it was the thought of what now might happen to Finley that caused her the greatest hurt. Completely covered by the dark mist, Leyna felt her body weaken as if the very strength was being drained from it, so much so that her legs eventually gave way. However, her body did not slump to the ground as she might have expected, instead, it merely hung limply. With her eyes feeling heavy and her strength all but gone, Leyna finally succumbed to the darkness and passed out of consciousness.

  Galdrac could only watch on as he could see Leyna’s body surrounded by a black swirling mist, and disappearing into nothingness. While he was sure she was still alive, he was at a loss as to where she had gone. Galdrac did, however, know the reason why she had been taken, and he already knew the consequences of this event could be catastrophic. Finley was becoming powerful, and now Abalyon held his mother captive, the fallen God had leverage over him; something that concerned the old mage so much that he knew he needed to find her and quickly.

  The last of the Balgraf up on the battlements was finally dealt with as its partly decapitated body was thrown off the top and into the ravine below. The other balgraf were either still lined up in their ranks, just as they had been on their arrival, all that was aside from a few that were still stood near the approach way that led to the city entrance. At least the last of the flying beasts had vanished off into the distance, as Galdrac was thankful they had been so few in number. Abalyon though had clearly made another statement, and with his new flying balgraf had shown that even the strongest of the world’s fortresses could be breached if he wished it.

  The cost to the dwarfs had been quite high, both in fatalities and injuries. The thought of what might have happened if Galdrac and Leyna had not managed to get their warning over did not warrant thinking about. Had the guards not been called out to protect the walkway when the drawbridge was down, the balgraf would have merely been able to run across it and gain access to the city. Had that been allowed, every dwarf residing in the vast cavernous city of Durn Raldun would have been at risk. Thankfully that had not been the case, and now the dwarfs were aware of the inherent dangers, they would at least be more vigilant, and prepare for the inevitable war that was coming to the world.

  Chapter 13.

  Finley had been surprised by the sudden change in temperature as he and Moira finally made it to the valley in the mountains. He had seen several dark shapes soaring high in the cloudy skies, which the dwarf had pointed out to him as dragons. From such a distance it was hard to appreciate their size, but Moira assured Finley that the creatures could grow very large, even though she confessed having never seen one up close enough to tell.

  In the valley before him, was a thickly forested area, an environment to which he was more used to, and certainly one that he felt at home in. With the cold winds now blocked out by the surrounding mountain peaks, the entire area was several degrees warmer than that which had preceded it.

  While Finley had now spent a few days with the young dwarf, he had not found her company any easier to deal with. Her constant flirtatious nature left him feeling uncomfortable, and although he was sure she was only doing it to wind him up, he still wished she would stop. The other matter of her being convinced that she would soon die had not made things any easier, despite him telling her that was not going to happen. Hence, it was almost with some relief when Moira informed him that he would have to venture into the valley himself, as instructed by the Seer Meldra. If Moira went in with him, it would likely mean death to both of them, an outcome that did not appeal greatly to Finley.

  As a result, he now found himself walking down a slight incline using his staff in one hand to steady himself, through the long grass that swayed just ever so slightly in the gentle breeze that blew here. Just being somewhat warmer made the entire experience much more appealing than the earlier part of the trip, and the fact he had now separated from Moira’s insistent teasing was an added bonus. With his much smaller pack on his back, carrying just a few supplies, he walked with a spring in his step, even though he had no idea what he was doing or what he would do if he happened to come face to face with a dragon.

  He approached the first of the trees and stopped just briefly to examine one a little more closely. Here they grew much taller than he had seen, and certainly much wider in the trunk, although not as densely. The lowest of the branches stretched out a good twenty paces above him, so any chance of clambering up one if he needed to was probably out of the question. If he did happen to stumble upon a dragon, it seemed only running and hiding would be his only viable means of escape.

  There were certainly other strange and unusual plants in this area as if cut off from the rest of the world it had evolved differently. He walked around one such plant which had a rounded top, almost resembling a giant mushroom, only this also had broad leaves which sagged downwards from the stalk. He could hear the sound of birds somewhere over to his right, but despite trying to do so, he could not spot where they were.

  He glanced back up the sloping landscape to see if he could still see Moira, but she was no longer in view. His attention was drawn skywards as he heard a much louder sound reverberate above him. Despite the beast being a hundred feet up in the air, Finley found himself ducking slightly as he got his first decent look at a dragon.

  He stood and watched for a few moments as it flew overhead and off into the distance disappearing off from sight beyond the trees. As he was unsure as to how big dragons actually grew, he was unsure as to whether he had just seen a young or adult beast. With wings that spanned at least the length of three horses and a dark body he thought looked scaled in appearance, he was hoping that perhaps that had been one of the larger ones. Meldra’s instruction that he needed to find the smallest of the creatures was all well and good, however finding that one particular dragon may prove difficult.

  The only thing he had to go on, was the map that Galdrac had found, which they had figured out was supposed to be of this very area. With so few landmarks to go on though and the fact he was not much of a map reader, the copy the old mage had drawn for him did not make much sense. The only object on the small piece of paper he now held in his hand that he understood was the symbol depicting the stone circle. If he was holding the paper the right way round, this should be about two or three miles directly ahead of him.

  Stopping only briefly to take a drink and look at a few more of the strange plants that grew here, Finley thought he was making decent progress. Despite hearing
several more dragon calls, and spotting another beast circling in the sky far off to his left, these magnificent creatures seemed uninterested in him. As to whether that remained the case, Finley thought only time would tell.

  Nearing what he assumed to be the area he needed to be in, Finley glanced about to his left and right, looking for anything that might give him a clue as to whether he was in the right place. The thick trunks of the trees and the thick foliage made it difficult to see too far ahead, and so he just kept going the way he thought he was supposed to. Aside from a glimpse of what he thought was a deer and a few birds, he had not seen any other animals. Whether that was down to the fact they were just not showing themselves or whether they did not exist there, he did not know.

  After stepping through an area of trees that had been more tightly compacted together than the others, he found himself out in a clearing. He afforded a smile as stood before him was a circle of stone pillars. Each stood about fifteen feet in height and spaced just a few feet apart. Finley walked up to the nearest one and ran his hand gently over the surface, thinking it strangely smooth for just a rock. The pillars had undoubtedly been built and could not possibly have been a natural structure, but by whom or what he did not dare to guess.

  While walking around the circle in its entirety, he paused at another stone, noticing symbols etched around the base it. Further inspection of the others revealed the same thing, confirming his previous thought about them being built, perhaps as a place of worship or for some other kind ceremony. He thought it strange that despite the length of time these pillars had evidently been here, none of them appeared to have been eroded by the elements as one might have expected. Inside the stone circle, the area was just hardened earth, yet he noticed nothing seemed to grow in it. At the exact centre was a much shorter pillar, made from the same stone as the outer circle but standing only about three feet in height.