The Cavalier Trilogy: Book 03 - Glimmer in the Shadow

by Jason McWhirter

  Lor-telliam was standing near King Baylin, one hand alight with fire that was reflected in his eyes. No trolls were willing to risk attacking them, fearing the fiery destruction from the diminutive elf. Lor-telliam was watching the fight, waiting for an opening to unleash his fire. King Baylin moved to help his comrades. “No, stay behind me!” Lor-telliam yelled over the din of the battle.

  “I will not stand here idly while everyone else fights!” the king yelled back, his eyes blazing.

  “You will! This mission depends on your survival!”

  “I am king!” Baylin shot back.

  “I know! Now act like it and stay behind me!” Lor-telliam ordered.

  The king looked as if he were about to strike the Ekahal. No one had ever spoken to him like that and certainly had not dared to order him around. But this was an Ekahal, and deep inside he knew the elf was right. “For now I will do as you say,” King Baylin growled. He remained next to the elf but he kept his sword drawn, clenching it angrily as he glared in frustration at the continuing battle.

  Cade and Tolvar fought side by side. In fact it looked as if they were glued to each other’s hips. And in a way they were. Each warrior had a three foot chain looped around his belt. One of the chains now spanned the gap between them and connected each other solidly together. One or the other chain could be quickly connected to the other’s belt by custom built clasps. Tolvar carried his two handed battle axe easily with his right hand while Cade used his left. Tied together as they were they became a fighting juggernaut. Under most circumstances, and with most warriors, this technique would not be successful. The chain would get in the way and their movement would be hampered, fouling blocks and attacks. But with the brothers, who had mastered the technique over a hundred years of fighting together, it worked perfectly. Their blades worked harmoniously together, blocking each other’s flanks like they too were twin brothers. Their silver axe blades cut and spun as they moved together in unison. They had obviously perfected this tactic and no troll could come near them without being cut down by either axe. The duo's short stature enabled them to slice into the trolls' long legs, bringing them down like timber. When the beasts tried to use their long arms to grab the stout warriors, they ended up with bleeding stumps. Soon the ground was littered with slithering arms and legs, while what remained of the trolls stumbled about or even crawled across the ground, panicked and confused as to why their limbs were not regenerating. Normally a wound would heal or a severed limb would grow back in minutes, but these injuries were being inflicted by dwarven made axes imbued with the magic of their best priests. Dakeen only fought with the best.

  There was a quick reprieve from the fighting since all the nearby trolls were dead. “Let’s go, we have to move!” Lor-telliam yelled as he raced ahead. The others quickly gathered themselves and ran after the nimble elf. Jonas helped Fil find his sword and Jonas brought up the rear, with Tulari loping easily behind him, drifting in and out of the greyness.

  The next several hours were spent running and battling trolls, as the beasts followed and attacked them from the shadowy fog. They fought their way onward, but for every troll they dispatched, it seemed another appeared to take its place. They had only managed to progress maybe a mile into the misty realm and they still had a ways to go.

  Everyone, including Jonas, was beginning to tire. He could no longer pray to Shyann and feel her energy flow through him. He was on his own now, and he had to rely only on his physical strength, just like everyone else.

  And yet, though he was beginning to tire, he was a bit surprised at his improved speed and how easily he was able to keep up with Allindrian and Lor-telliam. It had not been difficult for the Blade Singer to outpace Jonas in the past, but now he was leaping across logs and dodging holes filled with black stinking water almost as quickly and nimbly as she. He caught her glance at him briefly a few times, and noticed her smile as her eyes moved to his magical boots. Jonas had to admit that his newfound speed and agility were exhilarating. Shyann had not left him without some powerful tools.

  And it was a good thing too, for a huge uprooted tree suddenly flew at them. He and Allindrian spun and jumped at seemingly impossible angles, narrowly avoiding the somersaulting missile. But King Baylin was not so lucky and the tree clipped his shoulder sending him spinning into the mist.

  “To the king!” Kromm yelled as the giant warrior ran over to King Baylin.

  Jonas then quickly turned to face a huge troll who was bounding at them from up ahead. Jonas guessed that it must have thrown the tree, and now its long strides were bringing it closer to Jonas and Allindrian faster than he thought possible. Jonas readied himself, but the attack never came as flames suddenly engulfed the creature, burning it to ash.

  Lor-telliam was next to him instantly, one hand holding a silver sword and the other grasping his long staff, its tip glowing with blue light. “We must find the king,” he said as he followed Kromm into the mist.

  Kromm had found him ten paces away lying in a pool of black water about a foot length deep. He was struggling to rise from the muddy ground, but Kromm didn’t have time to help him, as three more trolls came at him like ghosts from the fog.

  Kromm roared as Cormathiam, Kromm’s sentient sword, infused him with new energy. His shield came up, blocking a strike from the troll on his left just as he crouched under a clawed hand, swinging his glittering sword in a dangerous arc, disemboweling the troll in front of him while severing the leg of the troll to his right. Fueled by battle lust he spun toward the opponent to his left. He took two more powerful blows with his shield, which dented it badly and forced Kromm back away from the king.

  But King Baylin was up now and his blade sliced into the troll’s thigh, giving Kromm the second he needed to push forward and ram Cormathian up and through the beast’s chest. The troll howled in pain and in its last dying moment it brought both fists down towards Kromm’s head. Kromm quickly released his grip on his sword, side stepping to avoid the blow, then thrusting his heavy boot into the troll’s knee, the power of the kick crushing its kneecap and causing its legs to buckle. The troll, already dead from its chest wound, fell face down in the muddy ground. Kromm gathered his sword as the others joined them.

  “Are you hurt?” Lor-telliam asked King Baylin. The king was holding his arm at an awkward angle. His face was pale and it was obvious to all that he was biting back pain.

  “I think my shoulder is broken. I cannot move it.”

  “I will heal it. Form a perimeter,” the elf said. But no one needed to be told. They had already made a circle around them.

  Lor-telliam placed both of his hands on King Baylin’s arm as the others quickly drank from their canteens and watched the perimeter. It wasn’t long before the elf’s hands glowed, and as he continued to chant healing energy found the king’s broken bones and fused them back together, mending the surrounding tissue in the process.

  Jonas again felt Tulari's presence in his subconscious. New danger, she said as she silently came to him from the shadows. He wondered what words she was able to communicate and comprehend. So far her messages had been brief and simple, but it had been enough.

  “Something else is coming!” Jonas warned the others. The razor sharp edge of his blades were glowing a translucent blue. It seemed that his weapons and armor had the capability of warning him of imminent danger, or evil, he was not sure which yet. Or maybe they could do both.

  “I need a few more moments,” Lor-telliam said.

  “And you shall have it,” Kromm growled. Jonas looked at the king, seeing only iron resolve. He had never fought next to anyone like him. Kromm had just dispatched three trolls as if they had been new recruits. He feared nothing, and every inch of his body resonated with devastating power. He stood tall, covered in sweat, mud, and the blood of his enemies, his shield dented so badly that it was nearly unusable. And yet he might as well have been riding a white horse and wearing the armor of a cavalier, for he had the same effect on those around hi
m. He was a leader, born to show men what kind of iron they had inside them. Jonas found himself calming standing next to the man, eager to fight, and not afraid to die if need be. If he were to die, he would be proud to die in his company.

  Tulari growled and lowered her massive body to the ground, ready to spring at any moment.

  “They are near,” Jonas whispered as the others surrounded Lor-telliam and readied themselves. As Jonas’s heart began to pound, he sought the state of Ty’erm, hungrily searching for the calming effects and heightened senses of that meditative state of consciousness. He focused his mind, breathing deeply, finally connecting with it, as an iron wall surrounded his emotions, calming his mind and focusing his energy on the task before him.

  The grayness of the thick mist permeated their surroundings, making it seem as if it were perpetually dusk. Everyone knew it was not yet night, and they could catch glimpses of the sun futilely trying to push its way through the dark clouds, but even that could not mask the oppressive and ominous darkness that filled the air.

  Dark gray forms began to emerge from the murky surroundings. They looked human in shape, but their movements were slow and jerky, bird-like and awkward at the same time.

  “What are they?” Fil asked, nervously gripping his sword and holding his shield before him.

  “How long, Elf?” Kromm asked tensely, his eyes scanning the new threat.

  Whatever they were, they were in no hurry. Slowly they moved to surround them, closing the noose as they drifted closer, finally coming into view through the shifting mist. They did, in fact, resemble humans, but their skin was gray and their faces were distorted with grim demonic features. Yellow eyes peered at them through the darkness and they caught glimpses of long fang like teeth reflecting against their ashen faces in the dim light. Their hands had abnormally long fingers ending in curved black talons. Some wore the remnants of tattered leggings and tunics, while others were covered in rusty armor or decaying robes. Some were completely naked, oblivious of the cold and their surroundings. And though none carried weapons, their appearance was terrifying. But what was worse was the stench of death that surrounded them, a suffocating smell of rot and decay even worse than the trolls. Jonas felt his stomach rise in his throat.

  “What are they?” Jonas gagged.

  “I’m not sure,” Allindrian replied, her face twisted in a grimace of disgust.

  “They are ghasts,” Lor-telliam said as he joined them with King Baylin, whose arm was now healed. The king's shield was again strapped to it as if it had never been broken. “Evil creatures that were cannibals in life and are worse in death. Their touch causes brief paralysis so be wary,” Lor-telliam warned. He then whispered a few words, and from the tip of his staff shot a metal blade as long as a man's forearm. The blade glowed with an intense blue light, and crackled with magical energy.

  “Lead the way,” Kromm said to Lor-telliam. “Jonas, bring up the rear. We will have to fight our way through, so be vigilant. If someone becomes paralyzed we must stop and protect them, so keep an eye out for each other.”

  Everyone nodded in agreement and ran after the Ekahal. The nearest ghasts were only twenty paces away by now so the elf had to punch his way through them. But no one had anticipated how fast they were. As soon as they had moved it was as if the creatures had become animated with unnatural speed. Some ran hunched over while others flew across the ground on all fours, but all moved with lightning speed, and they were upon them before they had moved fifteen paces. Their blood chilling screams filled the air, a deafening cacophony of shrill screeches and piercing howls so awful that the very sound sent shivers down Jonas’s spine and he almost dropped his swords to cover his ears.

  The stench hit Jonas first. And then they were on him. The group was forced to slow their pace as they engaged the ghasts. The creatures were fearless, and two came at him with no apparent concern for his glowing blue blades. Deadly claws shot for his throat while out of the corner of his eye he caught the shape of another one flying through the air at him. His right sword cut the attacking hands off at the elbow, but the thing still came at him with snapping teeth and yellow eyes burning with hunger.

  The leaping ghast never reached Jonas, but instead found itself flying through the air in the opposite direction dangling from the jaws of the night wolf. Tulari dropped the beast, then pounced on it, ripping into its belly. Undaunted, the undead creature struggled to get up and continue its attack. But its damaged torso could no longer keep it erect, and it collapsed, landing again in the mud where it continued to crawl on its hands and knees towards its enemy, its hungry mouth searching for warm flesh.

  Jonas kicked the handless ghast in the chest, launching it away from him while dancing left and right, deflecting more attacks while slashing at two other ghasts who had come at him. The group was forced to a standstill, engaged in a whirlwind of fighting as they frantically battled the hordes of creatures that pressed in on them from all sides.

  Tolvar roared loudly as three ghasts jumped for his brother. Cade rammed the spike on the end of his axe directly into the chin of one, spearing it through the brain and clear through its skull. But then Cade found himself launching backwards as Tolvar yanked hard on the chain, while simultaneously jumping forward toward the other two attacking creatures. His axe flashed as it cut the closest one in half, but the third ghast struck Tolvar in the side, raking its deadly claws across any skin it could find. Tolvar wore no helm, but his shoulder and torso were protected by armor. But the beast managed to find flesh on the side of his head, neck, and exposed arm. Rivulets of red poured from the gashes and he grunted in pain. He felt a sudden jolt hit his body, and his dwarven constitution kicked in, trying to fend of the deadly paralysis. But for a few seconds he couldn’t move, and he tumbled to the ground with the howling ghast on top of him.

  Cade roared as he copied his brother’s technique. Tolvar had used the chain to pull him from the immediate danger, and now Cade did the same, yanking on the chain, hoping to pull his brother from the monster’s grasp. The ghast would not let go but the action saved Tolvar’s life. The ghast’s hungry mouth was just diving towards the Dakeen’s exposed throat when he was yanked violently through the air, jerking the beast’s head back and exposing its gray sinewy neck for Cade’s axe. The ghast’s head flew from its shoulders and Tolvar, landing at Cade’s feet, slowly regained his movement. “Do ya always have to copy me moves?” the dwarf asked as his brother helped him up. With a quick chuckle, they both rejoined the fight.

  Lor-telliam and King Baylin fought side by side. The elf was a blur of seemingly effortless movements, while the powerful king swung his long sword in great arcs, blocking with his shield and cutting into the advancing beasts. Lor-telliam’s staff spun in wide circles, easily slicing through their flesh, the magical blade relentlessly and precisely dismembering beast after beast. He flowed like water around rocks with no black claws breaking through his defenses.

  But though they fought with the skill of heroes, they were being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the undead beasts. Even Allindrian could not totally avoid the array of black claws flying from the mist. One ghast managed to rip a nasty cut across her thigh, causing her to spin, foiling her parry of another’s attack. She tried to regain her balance but her body wouldn’t react as it should, the pain from her thigh accompanied by a bolt of paralysis. Dwarves and elves were naturally more immune to such attacks, but even though the paralysis was brief, the seconds lost to it could be life threatening in combat.

  Luckily, Kromm was near and he slammed the edge of his shield down on the head of the attacking ghast, crushing its skull as if it were a rotting pumpkin. But no one was there to stop another beast from leaping on top of the Blade Singer’s frozen body.

  Allindrian felt the thing’s claws dig into her shoulders and knew that its vicious teeth would find her throat in seconds. Her shaking body was still immobile but she thought she could still use her mouth, at least enough to cast a simple spell, as it
would be her only chance. “Ul anthar Luminos!” she screamed. A bright light instantly flared from her hand shooting into the side of the ghast and exploding in a brilliant white. She had hoped to hit the thing in the face but she could not move her hand well enough to aim properly. But the light flared bright enough that it startled the creature just as its nasty teeth were descending toward her throat. The creature screeched and jumped off of her, away from the light. The light did the ghast little harm, but it was enough to give Allindrian a few more seconds, which luckily was all she needed. As she regained the ability to control her limbs, she scooted quickly away from the beast, giving herself a few more moments to recover completely.

  But once the ghast had recovered, it readied itself for another attack to finish off its elven prey. But before it could attack, a fiery blue blade erupted from its chest, while a second blade flashed through the air relieving the howling creature of its head.

  “Are you okay?” Jonas asked frantically as he pulled her to her feet. She reached down and picked up her sword, fully feeling her senses come back to her. But that was a two edged blade since the deep wounds in her shoulders now rocked her with pain.

  “I am now,” she returned with a forced smile.

  Jonas saw the blood and immediately felt useless again. New frustration overwhelmed him as he realized that he could not heal his friend.

  Allindrian saw his pained expression. “I will be fine, Jonas. You saved me. Besides, I can heal myself when I have time. They are just scratches.”

  There was a small break as the first wave of ghasts had been destroyed, but no sooner had they caught their breath when several dozen more of the creatures began emerging from the surrounding darkness, their fetid stench preceding their arrival.

  “We cannot keep this up,” Fil said, sweat still pouring from his face. Everyone was tired and splattered with mud and blood, thankfully not much of their own.