by Jason Sander
Laisarus
Laisarus ran, pebbles and rocks scattering beneath his feet and tumbling to the valley below every time he lost his footing. The goblins were gaining on him again so he fired another arrow into the lead pursuer and carried on running, knowing it would hit its mark.
A gurgled cry spiralled down into the valley as Laisarus grabbed a handhold to climb to a higher ledge. He could hear the goblins cursing behind him as they navigated a narrow stretch and he heard another scream as a shaman fell.
A spear hit the rocks beside him narrowly missing him as he dragged himself onto the ledge above and scrambled out of their sight. He waited a moment to catch his breath then ran along the ledge crouching low. Rocks smashed around him as the goblins below tried to hit him but only shards ricocheted into his body.
Laisarus rounded a corner and realized that the path was taking him further away from the valley where the dwarves were marching. If he continued on then they would receive no warning. He prayed for guidance and Gaia appeared before him, her form barely visible and her face clenched in pain with the effort to appear within the goblin god’s territory.
“Can you warn the dwarves that the goblins have set a trap for them?”
“…” she mouthed growing frustrated that she could not speak. In the end she shook her head.
Laisarus drew his last arrow and prepared to shoot the first goblin that came around the corner but Gaia waved her hands wildly and pointed down the valley to where the dwarves would be coming.
He realized instantly what he had to do but the thought made his blood run cold. He aimed the bow into the air and drew back further than he had any right to. The runes on the bow flared brightly as they strained to hold the bow together and the wire cut into his flesh.
Blood welled between his fingers as he let his spirit fly free seeking his target. He passed by the scouts leading the way, moved between the ranks of the dwarven warriors and found the strong heartbeat beating like a drum. He cried out in anguish as he released the arrow and it flew through the air, ripping some of the feathers off but maintaining its flight.
He held the target in his mind guiding the arrow as it raced over the mountain and dropped towards the ground.
Behind him a goblin stood looking at the faded apparition of Gaia as she watched in horror. The goblin smiled at her and kicked Laisarus off the ledge. Even as he fell he concentrated only on the arrow as it sped through the air in its final rush to hit its target.
His eyes opened wide in horror when the arrow reached its target and he whispered, “Forgive me.” Pain flared through his body as he slammed into the ground driving all thoughts from his mind.
CHAPTER 98
Tagier
A line of swaying white lights moved steadily through the valley. One light shone brighter than the others but flickered at the end of a staff like the beat of a failing heart and fell further back as time passed.
Tagier walked behind Amelia not saying a word, her distress was obvious and he felt responsible. He had tried and failed to drive Cane away fearing that his own darkness was within the human. He realized now that he needed to come to terms with his own dark legacy. He had to accept who he was.
Dagar intended to march without rest until dawn when they would be safer from goblin attack.
His people had developed great night vision living underground and their dimmer lights were adequate for them but even Carthus’s brighter light was barely enough for the elves.
Tagier stopped when Carthus stumbled again and the crystal in his staff went out. He heard Amelia curse as she tripped over a rock and realised he had to do something.
Tagier said to the other two as they got off the floor, “Follow me.” He hesitated a moment, then before he had second thoughts he opened his eyes to the night. The blue glow of his night vision flashed in the darkness causing Amelia to take a step back in fright but Carthus held her shoulder and smiled reassuringly at Tagier.
An hour later Carthus’s leg gave in and the elves were forced to find a place out of the chaos to rest. Amelia dozed off against Carthus’s shoulder and Tagier gazed down on her. In the time he had spent with her he had become attached to her as a friend, she even felt like a sister he had never had. He had asked for her forgiveness for his actions and was surprised when she had accepted his apology.
Tagier regretted that he had not been able to apologize to Cane, but he vowed that if they both survived and met again he would.
He had developed respect for both Laisarus and Carthus during their journey. Both had qualities of loyalty and strength. He wondered what had happened to delay Laisarus from sending a message back to them and was about to ask Carthus when Amelia’s eyes opened suddenly in alarm and she shouted, “Laisarus!”
At the same moment Tagier whipped round to stare into the sky as he felt danger approaching and spotted the arrow descending towards him with his night vision. He instinctively drew his swords and knocked the metal arrow aside before it hit him. The blades on the arrow sliced across his leather armour.
Adrenaline made his eyes flare blue and he took a few moments to calm down his sudden anger.
Behind him Amelia whispered Laisaruses’ name again as her breath escaped from her mouth. Dread filled Tagier as he turned and saw the arrow buried in Amelia’s shoulder.
Carthus was already staunching the flow of blood with a piece of cloth torn from his robe.
Tagier shouted for a medic and as he bent to help Carthus he recognized the arrow’s unique metal shaft. “Why?”
Carthus saw the anger and confusion warring in Tagier’s eyes and answered his question, “Laisarus sent the arrow as a warning to us. He knew that only you had the skill to deflect it. Hitting Amelia is the last thing he would have wanted but we can’t let his warning go unheard. Tell Dagar or Hanbar about it. Tell them that the goblins have somehow cut us off from Broken Pass Keep.” The blue light died in Tagier’s eyes but he hesitated not wanting to leave Amelia.
Carthus urged him on, “Go! The wound is minor, I can tend to her myself until help arrives.”
Tagier rose and realizing he was still holding his blades he sheathed them. A sudden chill swept through him as he wondered what would drive Laisarus to such desperation.
CHAPTER 99
Commander
The metal turned in the fire burning white hot as the bellows breathed more air into the forge. As it withdrew from the blaze it illuminated the commander as he moved it to the anvil. Two bloodkin pounded the metal over and over shaping it as the commander held it in place.
“Stop!” he commanded and he moved it back to the forge.
The metal heated up again and he moved it back to the anvil for the final shaping. Sparks flew as the hammers fell bringing it to life as the blade emerged from hot metal. As the last heat faded the commander passed the blade to one of the bloodkin who placed it into the forge to reheat.
When the blade was ready the bloodkin withdrew it and laid it flat on the anvil. Taking a hammer the commander picked up a chisel from the workbench with a rune embossed on its end and held it perpendicular over the hot blade feeling the heat waves singing the hairs on his fingers.
He struck it until he was satisfied with its depth, then he picked up the next rune chisel and positioned it next the first rune indentation. The blade returned two more times to the forge before the final rune mark was made and the commander was satisfied.
The commander placed the blade back in the forge and checked the pot in the forge to see if the crystal had reached the right temperature. Trial after trial had finally allowed him to create a liquid form of crystal he could bind to metal.
The commander waited until it was just right and pulled the pot out. The bloodkin pulled the knife out and placed it on the anvil.
Sweat dripped off the commanders brow as he manoeuvred the pot and poured the liquid in.
The liquid crystal ran along the rune groove filling it from one end to the other.
Behind him a b
loodkin cut its wrist and dribbled blood into a metal cylinder.
The commander worried that he had not timed it right but as the cylinder overflowed the crystal began to harden. The bloodkin holding the blade lifted it point down and plunged it into the cylinder of blood.
Steam flashed from the cylinder and blood splattered the bloodkins’ arm burning its skin but the bloodkin held it immobile until the blade was quenched.
Before the commander could admire his work a messenger crashed through the door, “The General needs to see you now commander.”
Sensing an emergency the commander raced to the command building only to discover that the soldiers that should have been inside the building were nowhere to be seen. As he moved cautiously through the passages he sensed a familiar touch and for a moment he felt fear.
He passed quiet rooms where kitchen staff should have been preparing breakfast for the command staff and rooms where staff should have been typing reports and letters for the day but all around him only silence reined.
He finally reached the doors of the General Allister’s quarters and detected the smell of blood from the other side.
The commander drew his wand and entered hell. Bodies lay everywhere, guards and staff members had been torn to pieces and stacked around the General’s chair in a disturbing display of violence. The General himself seemed alive but oblivious to his surroundings.
More terrifying was the bloodkin standing next to the General. Blood covered the remains of its clothing and body and the commander could not tell where blood ended and skin began. Worse though were the bloodkin’s eyes. The commander remembered those dark eyes.
The commander slid the wand back into his belt and said, “I know what you are, wraith.”
The bloodkin appeared shocked for a split second but laughed manically as it said, “I was right, you are the one I was sent to kill.” The wraithlord glanced back at General Allister before continuing, “I touched his mind and realized that you had the real power here. He will be easy to dominate but I will enjoy killing you.”
The commander crossed his arms in challenge and said, “Try me.”
The wraithlord launched itself from the bloodkin’s body and hit the commander so hard he toppled over.
The wraithlord entered without obstruction and began searching the darkness of the commander’s mind for his consciousness. Minutes passed and the wraithlord began to get frustrated. It cried out, “Where are you?”
“Everywhere,” answered the commander’s voice.
The wraithlord slashed in every direction with its powers but nothing happened - the commander was beyond its reach. “Show yourself coward!” screamed the wraithlord.
“No!” replied the commander.
The wraithlord tried to escape the commander’s body but now the resistance was immense, it clawed and smashed but could not escape the darkness around it.
Eventually the wraithlord stopped fighting and at that moment the commander moved in for the kill, wrapping the wraithlord in bonds so strong that even as it tried to slip away the bonds dug deeper into it. “How?” it screamed as the bonds sliced through its substance.
“Like I said, I know what you are. I had an encounter with a wraith on Earth, it held me captive for days as it moved across my world killing for sport but I held on and learnt from its memories how the Titans held it captive. Then I found the means to destroy it and all its knowledge and power became mine. As soon as you entered me you were doomed.”
The bonds drew tighter and tighter around the wraithlord slicing off pieces that were absorbed by the darkness around it. The terror of the wraithlord grew as its memories were torn away until nothing remained but a spark of light. “Only one more thing remains for me to take,” said the commander.
The point of light was quenched as the darkness closed in. The commander opened his eyes feeling new energy coursing through his body. He swayed as he stood up and a thousand years of alien memories swept through his mind.
His body flickered between solid and shadow before he finally gained control and solidified.
The commander mentally called his bloodkin to clean up the mess as he forced himself to get off the floor.
His thoughts returned to the knife. It was only half complete. The runes had the ability to channel energy now, enough to open a gateway.
CHAPTER 100
Amelia
Amelia felt a connection with Laisarus as his body was racked with pain, she could feel every injury in his body and the arrow wound in her shoulder throbbed in sync with his pain. She drifted for hours in the shared pain and fever.
Around her the dwarves were readying themselves for battle as they approached the last stretch to Broken Pass Keep. Far behind them the might of the goblin horde was swarming over the dwarven rear guard and in their last moments a dwarf sent out a mournful horn blast that was abruptly cut off. The horn blast was caught up and passed along by other honour bound dwarves until Dagar heard it and cursed.
Amelia felt more pain and fear coming from even further south and as she tried to locate it she finally realized what it was. In her delirium she cried out and Tagier held her trying to comfort her.
She felt his final heartbeat and minutes later another life ended.
She knew instinctively that the Emperor Valorus was dead and the High Priestess had died holding him in her arms. Her world was falling apart around her, the woman who was like a mother to her was dead, the leader of her people was dead and Laisarus was dying alone somewhere in the mountains. Even Cane could already be lost to her.
Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and only Tagier’s arms gave her any comfort as he held her tight.
CHAPTER 101
Bittermouth
Bittermouth watched as the shamans created clouds of dense smoke with their staffs. The black smoke rose into the air and turned the morning light into dusk filling the valley with a protective shadow that stretched to Broken Pass Keep and would eventually cover the approaching dwarves.
His army formed up a thousand strong, more than enough to hold the dwarves until the rest of the horde attacked their flanks. The addition of many shamans to his command ensured the dwarves would never break through.
The gods would reward him well when the Stronghold dwarves were dead just as they had rewarded him with command of these forces for planning the trap.
The shamans summoned power for the battle ahead and the warriors cut bloody lines across their hides in anticipation.
In the distance he could hear the dwarves approaching, the thunder of their footsteps echoing down the valley.
CHAPTER 102
Cane
Cane moved through the unguarded tunnels into the heart of the dwarven city. Following the directions on the map he drew ever closer to the diamond marker. He shuddered as he passed corpses of goblins, dwarves and stranger things that defied logic. The stench of decay filled the passages and he threw up until his stomach was aching. The tunnels were strangely quiet and Cane started at every noise but the darkness remained empty except for the rats feeding off the dead.
Finally he found the area indicated on the map. The building appeared to be a column no different than any other, he could see the windows in the floors above him, mere slits of darkness but as he circled the base he found no entrance.
Cane looked at the map once more and was surprised when the map was replaced by a rune pattern. He carefully walked around the base again studying the fine runes surrounding the building like a mosaic.
Finally he located the pattern that appeared on the locket but a piece of the rune pattern appeared to have been deliberately left out.
Carefully Cane drew the missing piece on the wall and was surprised when the new rune began to glow. The light spread from rune to rune until it encompassed the entire base in light.
Cane stepped backwards as the light grew brighter and was barely able to see the dwarf sized entrance that opened.
Cane moved forward covering his eye
s to protect them and felt the light burn him for a moment before he managed to get into the entrance. He moved forward and the light from behind disappeared as the doorway closed shut behind him.
Ahead he could detect another light source, dimmer and more inviting.
He crawled forward until he reached the end of the tunnel and stood up as he entered the small nine by nine foot room. The only thing inside was a large smooth-sided rectangular block of metal, upon which lay a large book.
Cane could hear a humming noise coming from the block and placed his hand on it. The metal vibrated gently beneath his hand.