Reborn: Book 2 (Chronicles of Ghost Company)

by Shawn Muller

  The complex housed almost fifty dwarven families and was more a small village than a trading station. Schools, smithies, stables and a marketplace were all dug out of the mountain. Every nook and cranny were lit by the soft glowing crystals. Asking Big Bear about the origin of the lights, he politely told me it’s a state secret. I gathered that the ability to make crystals glow was a very closely guarded secret.

  A gong sounded through the complex announcing supper time. We followed our host back to the room where we had lunch, and a small feast awaited us. The table was ladled with succulent roasts, dishes of fresh vegetables, breads, baskets full of various mushrooms each one prepared in a different manner, and of course, a keg of ale.

  Our hosts made us feel very comfortable, almost dishing up and spoon feeding us. It seemed that the dwarven society was a very social and friendly one, one where neighbours are more than just people but friends and close family.

  Everybody helped with everything, from cooking to settling disputes to helping a groom pay a dowry for his future bride. Of course, the entire community was involved in the mining of the minerals in the mountains surrounding the complex, and the defence of the area.

  Men and women would often rotate from mining to guard duty to running the complex. Everybody had a chance to do everything. Shard explained that Bear Cave was a small look into Dwarfinaan itself. The thriving underground city where we were heading was run in much the same way. In fact, the entire dwarven empire within the Great Divide Mountains was like this.

  On the odd occasion, an entire population of a complex would move to another complex and vice versa, with populations of all the complexes eventually returning to Dwarfinaan for a few years before heading back out to the edges of the empire.

  After the excellent and tasty meal, small sugary eats were passed around, together with a small pot of hot liquid. The liquid was black but had a very strong and familiar aroma. Sniffing gingerly, a huge grin began to spread across my face. I quickly poured a mug of the liquid, holding it tightly in my hands I brought it up to my nose and took a long, deep sniff.

  “Mmm, I really thought that I would never smell this again,” I said with a dreamy look on my face.

  The other earthlings were in a similar dreamy trance, each taking an alternate sip and smell of the contents.

  “Yer know aboot the kafeen beans?” Big Bear asked, amused at us.

  “Yes, sir we do. We call it coffee on Earth, and man, do I really miss my cuppa Joe in the mornings,” I explained.

  “Well then me laddie, yer in luck. I was looking to send a few bags back to the capital, but if yer take them for me, I will give ye each yer own bag of beans.”

  “Deal!” We all shouted at once to a raucous laugh.

  Mia and Carl just pulled their noses up at the coffee, claiming it was too strong and bitter. Fremod took a small sip and politely turned it down, preferring water while the orcs drank their ale instead.

  Of course, the elves had to be different and they chewed the beans themselves, the damn show offs. All too soon, the coffee was finished and we headed off to sleep. Tomorrow we would leave for Dwarfinaan through the tunnels.

  ***

  “Captain Bob, meet Ward. He will be leading ya through the tunnels to Dwarfinaan. He will also be leading the mules which are carrying the kafeen beans,” Big Bear said as he introduced us to Ward, a short, squat dwarf even by dwarven standards.

  His grey beard hung down to his knees while his head was completely bald. He wore a plain chainmail surcoat over some leather clothes and had the traditional axe strapped to his back.

  “Pleasure to meet you, Captain Bob,” Ward greeted me in an accent-free voice.

  “Pleasure is mine Ward,” I greeted in return, shaking his hand.

  “I know, hearing a dwarf speak without that accent is rather odd, don’t you say. I was fortunate enough to be schooled away from Dwarfinaan and was taught how to communicate in the correct manner, unlike these buffoons under the mountains,” he said smiling at Big Bear.

  “Buffoon yer arse. Yer just lucky that yer folks raised ya inna human cities that’s all. Ag, don’t mind his might lordship here. He is also our best trader outside the mountains,” Big Bear said clapping Ward on his shoulders.

  “I am happy to say it is true. My upbringing has its advantageous. Ah, here are my escorts,” he said looking past my shoulders.

  A formidable looking group of dwarven men approached us, armed to the teeth with axes, swords, mauls and bows. But hulking behind them was an apparition which I could not make out. It seemed to shift in and out of a shadow, refusing to be seen no matter how hard I looked or squinted at it.

  “Yer boys still plying the trade routes with ya old man?” Big Bear asked as the new group joined us.

  “Yes, sir. Along with a new recruit which is a bit shy to reveal itself to so many strangers,” replied one of the new dwarves.

  “Ag crud wit that bollocks. I know it’s a damn ogre yer daft old fool. Only an ogre can hide in the middle of a group with this much light shining down on it,” Big Bear said turning to Ward

  “Oh alright, so you are not as daft as your mother made you out to be then,” Ward said conceding with a grin.

  “Ai enough wit the chit chat. Yer better get a move on then. Yer still got a fair amount of travelling to do. Farewell Bob and the Ghosts. Be seeing yer around,” Big Bear bid us a farewell as we followed Ward out the complex.

  We waved our farewells and led our horses after the short dwarf while most of the guardian dwarves trailed us with the albino looking mules.

  Before long we had left the complex proper and walked down a large boulevard which was part natural, partly carved.

  “Those mules you asked about are born and bred under the mountains. They see better in the dark than us and are very sure-footed. Stick close to one if you become lost and it will lead you back to safety. Good hard breed which took many a year to get right,” Ward explained when Max asked about the odd mules.

  Ward was very informative as we journeyed through the mountains. He described the glowing crystals to us, which was in turn rather simple. As we travelled down the tunnel, crystals glowed directly overhead, almost like a bulkhead light on a ship, and where the roof was too high, the crystals were against the walls.

  They were spaced far enough apart that there was an almost constant light for us to walk in. Ahead of us, it was a solid dark wall of blackness, but as we approached a crystal it began to glow from about twenty metres away, and only going dark again well after we had passed it.

  “You see Bob, the crystals are an amalgamation of alchemy and magic that we dwarves have been developing for thousands of years. The crystal is grown in vats filled with chemicals and infused daily with specially prepared spells which fill the crystal itself with the ability to produce the light as and when needed, lasting for decades before a refresher spell is needed to be cast against it. These tunnels we are travelling through are one of the last to have the crystals installed. The older tunnels are already on their third generation crystal,” Ward explained to us.

  “What utter rubbish!” Thackeray exclaimed. “Everybody knows dwarves are non-magical beings.”

  “Non-magical? We have chosen, as a race not to reveal our abilities to most people. However, I was granted permission to inform you of this fact through our journey, seeing as you are on your way to gather the help you will need.”

  “What do you know of the help we will need?” I asked sharply.

  “Not much really. I am only a messenger here. That will all be explained by the council once we reach Dwarfinaan.” Ward explained.

  “So, what are you supposed to tell us then?” Max asked.

  “Other than explaining our magical abilities, to introduce you to another race that no other race knows about, yet.”

  “The ogres?” Fremod asked from the back of the group.

  “You are correct dear Fremod. The ogre civilisation is a rather shy. Preferring to stay within th
e swamps they call home and only dealing with us dwarves. However, this help that you, Bob, need will also involve the help from the ogres who have decided to end their seclusion and to embrace the other races on Curixeus.”

  “And when will we be meeting the ogre who is travelling with us?” I asked looking about for it.

  “When the time is right, it is still weary of others and wants to see for itself what the other races are like. You are kind of, an experiment. If the ogre feels comfortable around you and is willing to show itself, then the rest of the ogres shall do the same.”

  “Great, now we are an experiment, and we don’t even know where the damn ogre is, what it looks like or how big it is,” grumbled Max.

  “You will see soon enough,” chuckled Ward.

  We travelled the rest of the time in relative silence as we walked through the supposed magically lit tunnels. Most of the time the tunnels were rather broad, allowing two of us to walk side by side with our horses and pack horses behind us, and high enough for Fremod to walk without having to duck his head.

  However, the last kilometre or so I judged, was a lot narrower and the roof lower, causing Fremod to walk almost hunched over. But at last after a winding route, we reached a rest area. It was a naturally formed cavern which was converted into a rest camp.

  Semi-permanent sleeping huts were built along one wall, with a small paddock for the horses to be rested. A central fireplace with a hole in the roof above it had a bundle of wood neatly stacked in it, ready to be lit with a bigger bundle laying nearby for additional firewood.

  As with the tunnel itself, the glowing crystals were evenly spaced along the walls and roof, lighting up as we approached them to give off enough light for us to see by. I asked Ward if we would have the light from the crystals to show our way the entire journey.

  “Unfortunately not Bob, while great strides have been made to light up the entire route, only sections like this have regular crystals to show the way. The middle sections between rest stations only have a few crystals here and there which light up, more to guide you than to light the way. But never fear for I have brought enough torches for us to use,” he said confidently.

  ***

  Time seemed to have stopped as we journeyed through the tunnels. With no natural light, we relied heavily on the dwarves to guide us and to set a routine with the food. It must have been a few days later, at another rest camp, when Mia joined me beside the fire. She handed me a mug of tea, which she always seemed to be drinking.

  “I have been thinking about what you said the other day,” she began.

  “Look, Mia, I was outa line,” I tried to apologise.

  “Oh keep quiet,” she snapped. “I am trying to tell you something you daft fool!” With that, she surprised me by leaning over and kissing me.

  It was the softest, most memorable moment in my life, feeling her soft lips on mine in a warm embrace.

  It all ended when a goblin, riding on a giant spider, landed on my back and knocked me down and almost out. I felt the spider trying to bite me with its mandibles, but my dwarven made chainmail protected my exposed back as I lay groggily on the floor pinned underneath it. I black out momentarily before my eyes fluttering open to see Mia shooting a blast of fire over me. I slowly blinked and tried to push myself up.

  Everything was in slow motion. I heard screams, fighting, and the clash of metal on metal as if it was through a thick helmet of cotton wool. A concussion of energy forced me down where I blacked out again. This time, I woke up with my head on Mia’s lap and her gently wiping my forehead with a wet cloth.

  “Shoo, don’t move too much. Thackeray is busy stitching your arm,” she said softly.

  Then I felt the sharp pain as Thackeray pulled the thread tight and tied off the stitch.

  “You’re good to go, Bob. Nothing too serious, just a gash from that damn spider as it landed on you. Lucky Mia was busy kissing you,” he said with a naughty grin, “cause she sure fried that bug and goblin good.”

  I nodded my thanks at him, still groggy. I tried to sit up, but Mia gently held me down.

  “No, lay still. We are all ok. Nobody was seriously hurt except you. It was a small band of goblins which thought they could strike at us while we were settling down, but our training paid off once again. They were quickly overpowered and were either killed or sent off running,” she explained.

  “Thanks, for saving my life,” I whispered to her.

  “No thanks needed,” she said, still wiping my face gently.

  “As I was trying to say before we were interrupted. I have thought about what you had said. And, I think I feel the same way, Bob. I have never felt this before, for anybody. It’s scary and exciting at the same time and I don’t want it to end, ever,” she said with tears running down her face.

  “Me to Mia, me too,” was all I could say back.

  “Awe. That’s so sweet,” Max and the boys said as they gathered around us. “Here we are killing bugs and goblins, saving your ass, and all you can do is lay around and chat up the chicks,” Max said with a cheeky grin to a chorus of yeses and grins.

  “Piss off!” I shouted back, with a bigger grin on my face.

  I gingerly sat up under the concerned look of Mia. I had a nasty bump on my forehead and a bruised back to go with the gash on my lower arm.

  “Ok, damage report,” I asked while taking a small sip of water.

  “Couple of small cuts and scratches, the odd bruise here and there, you were the worst actually,” Max relayed to me as he sat next to me. “We killed five goblins and spiders, wounded another ten maybe before they ran off back down the tunnel, in the direction we are headed.”

  “So they snuck in while we were settling down then? Ward, I thought these tunnels were safe?” I asked the dwarf.

  “Mostly Bob. The odd goblin raid does happen as it did now. But the use of the giant spiders is new. I had thought that the breeding nests were all destroyed, but it seems a few were missed.”

  “Right, from here on we post a guard at each entrance when we stop for a rest, with a backup not far behind them. Ward, I want extra eyes upfront and behind us as we travel as well,” I ordered.

  “It will be done, Bob. The ogre will scout ahead for us from now on while my boys will watch our backs.”

  I nodded my approval before we all settled down once again to rest, this time with sentries to watch our backs. I hadn’t even closed my eyes it seemed when Titanius waked me. It was time to move out again. I grimaced as I stretched my sore back and limbs, before packing my things together. Mia joined me, leading her horses, before helping me tie down my goods onto my horses. Soon we were already and we left the rest area.

  The next few days were a running battle. Often a small group of goblins would try and raid us. But the tunnels were narrow enough that we could hold them off without any serious consequences. Eventually, we were forced to walk with full battle armour and shields against these attacks.

  I issued the lead elements and those walking behind us with the spears we were carrying to give them an advantage. Thackeray and Mia took turns helping out front and back, by hurling balls of fire and pure energy to drive the goblins and the spiders back.

  The going was slow. Most times we would reach a rest area, only to find it had been taken over by bands of goblins. A few bursts of fire would flush them out, but they ended up destroying everything within the rest area. I doubled and then tripled the guards as we rested. And eventually, rest was hard to come by as the goblins continuously tried to attack us.

  The ogre, at least, gave us enough of a warning as it ranged out in front of us. Not that we could actually see it. It was a constant blur out the corner of our eyes if we tried to focus on it. As of yet, we did not know what it looked like, or if it was male or female. During our brief skirmishes, it vanished completely, not helping at all to defend us other than to relay a warning to Ward that more goblins were approaching.

  We were starting to become desperate, the closer we go
t to Dwarfinaan. Our torches were running low, as was our food and water. The constant fighting in the confined tunnels left us all tired and exhausted. We all had various cuts and injuries by now, with two of Ward’s sons being seriously injured.

  To add to this, the goblins began to destroy the light crystals which were in the tunnel, denying us that valuable light. Often that light was our saving grace, as it warned us when something approached. I began to get an uneasy feeling that we were going to face something nasty before we made it to the safety of Dwarfinaan.

  We were roughly two days away from the outskirts of Dwarfinaan when we stopped at the second last rest area. By now, all the light crystals between us and salvation were destroyed. I deployed a heavy guard at each of the two entrances into the carved out room. Those who needed medical attention were seen to by those of us who weren’t too serious.

  The two dwarves who were in a serious condition were hanging on by the skin of their teeth. We all were. The constant fight in the tight, twisted confines of the sometimes pitch black tunnels began to affect us mentally. If we didn’t break through the goblins in front of us soon, we would all be lost down here, making the tunnels our final resting place.