Death Knight Box Set Books 1-5: A humorous power fantasy series

by Michael Chatfield

  Anthony reached out and touched her hand with his armored gauntlet. “I’m here now. Let my shoulders take on some of the weight.”

  They rode in silence for some time.

  “We’ll reach Ascen in five days,” Claire said. “At least we’ll be ready for it,” Anthony said. “I hope we will.”

  Chapter: Moving Pieces

  Tamarra looked at the maps around the room. There were generals and admirals, as well as leaders of the judiciary.

  I guess I should be calling them liaisons to the Guardians.

  A secretary walked in and passed Tamarra a letter.

  She picked it up and looked at the symbol on it. It was from the human emperor. Cracking the seal, she read the contents inside.

  “Emperor Midros sends a decree. He says that the war between Selenus and Radal cannot continue. He asks that we join in on his side or else he will cut off all trade and he will see us as an enemy,” Tamarra said.

  There was a stir in the room. “Thoughts? Admiral Raye?”

  “Selenus and Radal have the biggest navies, but they aren’t as strong as ours. Even if they want to threaten us, they need to guard against each other in their ports, to the south and to the north. They will only have a third, maybe less, of their force to attack us with. They are powerful on the battlefield but in the seas, I am sure that the alliance will hold its own. If they are to land, then it will be a much harder battle.”

  The generals in the room nodded in agreement. They were is- land people.

  “The elves have also remained neutral. They have said that they will support us, and I have promised that we will support them if they need it. At this time, I believe we should make it clear that we are neutral toward the war front. Also, offer that we will be taking in refugees,” Tamarra said.

  This created a bigger stir in the room.

  “How can we be sure that they aren’t spies?” General Mohjus asked.

  499

  “That is the job of the judges.” Tamarra looked at the Guardians and judge leaders in the room. “Are you sure that you can assess all of the people coming in and make sure to separate out those who wish to harm the alliance and those who have good in- tentions?”

  “We believe so, High Judge,” Julie, a dwarf, said. The others agreed with her.

  “Very well. Then we will draw in as many people as possible. Also, we will step up all of our fighting forces, regular and reserves, while we begin training any and all who wish to join the military. Again, the judges will be on hand to verify and check those ap- plicants and will assist in training as they have before, overseeing and being a neutral third party for people to talk to and raise issues with.”

  “What about trading?” Raye asked.

  “People and the goods that they transport that are coming in will be inspected before they reach the harbor. We don’t want to check them as they’re inside our harbors and then they make a move,” Tamarra said.

  One of the generals made to open their mouths and then closed it

  They would dare attack us if they could clear us out. The humans see us as nothing more than a secondary annoying island to their own lands. The beast kin tolerate us and treat us as if we’re beggars. Both sides hate us but they can’t win against our navy.

  “Those of our people who wish to trade with the other lands are welcome to do so, but advise them that piracy will probably in- crease in these times of war,” Tamarra said.

  Chapter: Ascen

  Tommie and the rest of the party looked up the large hill to Ascen that the city stood on. To the west, there was a large lake that flowed out to the northeastern lands of Radal. To the north, there were wild forests and remote fortresses; to the south were the plains where Radal’s food was grown and harvested to feed the people.

  Tommie felt out of place, looking at the capital of humanity. There were humans riding around on expensive and high-class horses and carriages.

  The slaves were working out in the fields and moving down streets that were designated for them. In the middle of the city, atop the hill, there was the Church of Light’s cathedral.

  It reached up thirty stories into the sky, made of polished stone that shone in the rising sun, making it look golden. The last several floors formed into three peaks that stuck up into the sky. A white light glowed in its base of each spire, filling those three peaks with light.

  There were messenger birds and aerial riders coming in and leaving from the top of the cathedral to administer to the congre- gation.

  Across from the cathedral, there was an opulent palace, where the human emperor ruled.

  The buildings rose like pillars supporting the heavens. Four tall towers rested in each of the corners as the emperor’s palace and compound remained within like a sleeping dragon. All other build- ings within the compound and the city were lower than the palace’s graceful sweeping roof with its rounded tiles. Greenery filled the grounds, making one feel relaxed and refreshed.

  The other buildings in the capital all tried to emulate the curves of the emperor’s palace and the lines of the Church of Light’s citadel.

  501

  “They weren’t able to cut the Guardian eye out of the building, so they covered it over with stone and plaster,” Claire said.

  “Defacing our house—we should teach them better manners,” Anthony said as they veered off the main road into Ascen.

  “Where are we going?” Aila asked. “A different way,” Claire said.

  “The city is still down there?” Anthony asked. “Yup,” Claire said.

  “Anyone want to help me connect the dots?” Aila asked.

  “This used to be the capital of the gnomes. It was a brilliant city. The best gnomes from all around called it their holy place. All of the other races came here if they wanted to increase their knowl- edge on alchemy, smithing, and enchanting. Even the elves even sent people over. They were the ones who tapped into the ley line first. They shared the power with the others, though, and were mas- ter traders, allowing them to bargain their way through the tough times and get the assistance of their allies. There was an issue with the formation that controlled the city’s power and corrupted mana started to fill the area. The automatons that the gnomes made to run the city started to come alive.”

  “Might have been a really powerful and pissed-off necro,” Claire said from ahead.

  Tommie listened to every word. He had heard of this before in tales and legends. “What was it called?”

  “I’m not sure. Claire?” Damien looked ahead. “Ashmere, the gnome holy land,” Claire said. The hairs on the back of Tommie’s neck rose.

  “Ascen was a mix of Ashmere, from before, and central. This be- came the center of Dena and of the people. We created a capital here that had people from all races and all backgrounds. It rested on the bones of our ancestors. Wonder why there is a massive hill

  in the middle of an otherwise flat area?” Claire turned and looked at them. Her eyes fell on Tommie.

  “When Ashmere fell, the creations from the city tore through Dena. It took the people working together, the first time all of the races operated as one, to push back the machines, destroying them and cleansing Ashmere. They sealed the capital until the Guardians came across it, led by our ancestors. With the people of Dena, we created Ascen. I think that the first Guardian leader just forgot to add in the d to Ascend. That guy’s penmanship was horrible!”

  “He was half blind,” Claire said.

  “And probably half legible, in his mind. I swear, he had secre- taries there to just decipher his words!”

  Claire built herself up and then let out a sigh. “Yeah, actually, that is probably true. We rarely get any normal people as the leader of the Guardians.” Claire shrugged.

  “Keeps it exciting, though! He might have been half blind but he kept on escaping his guards all the time and dressing up as a regular Guardian and taking on jobs all over the place.” Anthony laughed.

  “Well, he thought that others didn�
�t know who he was. Wasn’t really hard to track a battle scarred Dwarf bard with a mechanical fake eye. Bard’s have an almost impossible time keeping their mouths shut anyway. Trust me that eye wasn’t just for decoration, could see better than someone with four eyes.” Claire said.

  “What? No... Really?”

  “Gave the guards a few days off before they went to go and find him. Why do you think that he would be fighting off dragons, or an insurgency every time he went off ? It was great for the ran- dom Guardian locations—had someone high powered to clear out the area. Set an example for the other Guardians to go out and clear the rosters in different faraway lands. You never noticed how they always mentioned the people who went to the frigid north, or

  the deserts and the crappy places to carry out their duties?” Claire asked.

  “Well, what about the time we went to the north to deal with that ice troll incident?”

  “Oh, I knew full well that it would get us on the board. You had been bugging me for months. They really did need our help and it would get you off my ass about getting on the board, because it was so damn cold up there.”

  “You used the board against me?” Anthony asked, aghast. “Ahh, they’re so cute when they’re dumb.” Claire pat his head

  and looked at Aila, who snorted. Damien looked away, coughing as he admired his landscape.

  Tommie cracked a smile, his eyes shining, excited to see Ash- mere, a place of gnome legends.

  ***

  “Why are we going through the sewage pipe? Again?” Anthony complained.

  “This is not what I pictured.” Tommie looked at the pipe that connected to a river that ran into the big lake to the northeast of Ascen.

  “Well, come on,” Claire said. She used some magic to cut a lock and open the door.

  “Always into the pipes. Have to be all sneaky—never just go in through the front door,” Anthony complained to himself.

  Damien looked at Anthony and Tommie.

  “He had a bad time with a berg in Norland,” Tommie said. They had left their mounts in the forest. He checked his gear—his back- pack of knickknacks and the short sword on his waist.

  “We don’t talk about that!” Anthony said as he reached the en- trance to the pipe.

  “Keep it down,” Claire hissed and pushed him inside.

  “I couldn’t get the smell out of my clothes for a week,” Aila complained, following them.

  “You were also tied to the back of the ship—” Tommie cut his words off as he saw Aila’s hand on one of her blades, her eyes staring into his soul.

  “Yeah, that was the berg.”

  “Yes, it was.” Aila kept moving.

  “What happened on the ship?” Damien asked in a low voice as they entered the massive pipe.

  ***

  “Here we are.” Claire cut a hole in the side of the pipe with her mag- ic. It fell away and dropped a few feet.

  She stepped out and dropped to the ground. Anthony went af- terward and Aila followed. With her Night Vision, she could see every grisly detail of the pipe.

  As she got to the hole, she looked at the gnome capital.

  There were massive gears that had collapsed, falling on build- ings and crushing them. Sections had been covered with dirt and debris, only a few sections she could see. There were large open ar- eas where one could land or take off with their aerial beasts. Chim- neys sprouted everywhere. Buildings seemed to look more like they were built around the giant capital turned machine. Like ants gath- ering around a clock and living inside it.

  Water wheels fanned out, a complicated system of water and steam pipes connecting the capital together and powering it.

  She stepped out of the pipe and looked over it all.

  The central building had been shattered. Now just a broken mess, massive metal supports pierced through the buildings, reach- ing up to support Ascen above.

  “It looks like some giant’s tomb,” Aila said.

  Claire used a Clean spell on everyone since they had forgotten the smell and their journey.

  Tommie looked at everything and anything, his mind trying hard to take it all in. “Those must have been enchanting workshops, and those were smithies. Those are runways! They must have had the famed aerial gliders of the gnomes here. It was a machine you could strap onto your back and it would allow you to fly through the skies for hours, reaching much farther than a mount. You would need to refuel and use a launcher or jump off a tall hill and you could just keep going.” Tommie looked around, just stunned and overwhelmed by it all.

  “Gnomes soaring the skies, dwarves working above ground, and beast kin working on enchantments—it was a place of wonder, science, and creativity pulled together,” Claire said in a soft voice.

  She pointed to the main building. “That’s where we need to go. It connects to the Guardian headquarters. There is no knowing which passages the Drafeng know about and not. Be ready for any- thing. We could meet with guards, chaotic beasts or even saints down here.”

  With that, she jumped down off the building, landing below. “Wee!” Anthony followed.

  “Quiet!” Claire hissed.

  Aila followed and Damien grabbed Tommie. Tommie closed his eyes against the wind, as Damien landed and put Tommie down.

  “Thank you,” Tommie said weakly. “No problem.” Damien held out a fist.

  Tommie hit it, a little too hard. It rang out and he bit his lip while shaking his hand.

  “Can you stop making noise?” Claire asked.

  “Sorry.” Damien put his hand behind his head awkwardly as Tommie jumped up and down, trying to stop himself from yelling at his badly bruised hand.

  “Come on,” Claire said with a defeated sigh, passing Anthony. “Stop teaching others your bad habits.”

  “Those habits were already there when I knew them!” Anthony replied and then hurried after her as they walked through the bones of Ashmere.

  ***

  General Fysher stood up as an official messenger stepped into the tent and held out a scroll for him.

  Fysher took the scroll and read the contents.

  I knew that the order was coming the entire time but it doesn’t make it any easier to read.

  “I acknowledge the emperor’s orders.” The messenger nodded and left the tent.

  “Raise the other generals. We are at war!” he said to the mes- sengers in the tent.

  People ran out and jumped on their mounted beasts. Flags in the fortress were changed, sending messages to the other forts.

  Gates were sealed as soldiers grabbed their gear and pulled it on. They strapped swords to their hips and checked the bindings of their armor. Their familiars flashed with power. Long-range weaponry was checked and loaded. Military units moved out of their secondary forts that had been built just to hold them. They moved out to create a line, forming at the southeastern end of the line.

  In the north, cliffs exploded among the mountains. Ice and stone dropped into the passes, cutting off both sides as forces were moved to reinforce the passes that couldn’t be closed.

  Patrols were sent out in the south; navies left their harbors and unfurled their sails as their enchanted hulls carried them forward.

  At dawn tomorrow, the army of Radal would cross the line once again.

  Another messenger arrived and passed a message to General Fysher. As information came back in, the map started to change once again.

  The enemy started to react and move their own forces, ready to repel the humans.

  He took the message from the messenger. It was a small scroll from a messenger bird.

  Letanya arrived at Laisa. Hopefully we can use the war to hide what happens at Laisa. He let out a tired breath through his nose, feeling tired. It won’t be the last time I have to cover up the church’s culling.

  ***

  Todd was sharing a drink with Gunnar, Sofie, and Katrine. The trio had come down for some work, assisting the farmers in clearing more land and guarding caravans that moved through th
e Deep- wood and the other villages.

  After the goblins had taken over, Laisa had undergone a change for the better.

  “Seems a lot lighter in here from when we arrived,” Sofie said, with a satisfied sigh.

  “Is that the drink talking?” Gunnar asked.

  “I run a fine establishment here, well-lit and airy!” Todd waved his finger at Gunnar before his mock serious expression turned into a smile.

  “I think that the people are happier. There are groups of differ- ent races working together. People were all grouped up—humans with humans, gnomes with gnomes and so on,” Katrine said.

  “And you thought that Anthony was a bad guy,” Gunnar said. “What am I supposed to expect with a passed-out elf and a

  knight standing over her?” Katrine said. “We did the right thing,” Sofie agreed.

  “He is a strange character, that Anthony, but means well,” Todd said. “I wonder where they are now.”

  “Your boy went off with them, right?”

  “Last I heard, they were going to the east. I hope that they didn’t get into trouble.” Todd sighed, worried as any father would be with his son gone for a long period of time, to lands unknown.

  A goblin ran into the tavern, huffing and puffing as she ran up to Todd and passed him a letter. “Gob!” She jumped up with the word before turning and running away again.

  Todd opened the letter. His hands shook and his face went paler. “The Church of Light is leading a group from the armies here!” He raised his voice so everyone could hear.

  “What are they coming here for?”