by H. J. Cronin
'I think he's resistant to magic, Ardag,' Bry said.
'You don't say,' Ardag said sarcastically. 'We need another approach. Bry, take on your bear form, we need to overwhelm it,' he called out, struggling to get his words out above his breath.
Bry instantly transformed into her light-brown bear form. The chimera spat acid at the companions as well as fire, but luckily they managed to avoid it. It wasn't long, however, before someone was hit, and that unfortunate person was Finnvid. He fell, fighting the urge to grip his leg as the acid burned through clothing and half of his leg, revealing bone. All he could do was scream, 'Help! It burns! The acid got me!' There was nothing the others could do, even Jess couldn't spare a moment from her archery to help.
Still the arrows came in – the careful precision of the archers avoided any friendly fire. The chimera had eight arrows protruding from different parts of its body. Its snake tail whipped around like a piece of string in the wind. It struck Bry hard, sending her flying; she landed with a thud and gave a low frustrated growl.
Still Ardag tried different spells, everything from ice to fire. He strapped the staff to his back and drew his old friend, the katana. He joined the melee, scoring several cuts that were nowhere near enough. The goat’s head saw the perfect moment to attack and spat a mouthful of acid at Ardag. Just as Ardag looked he saw the spittle coming towards him. He could do little because he had seen it too late. He lifted his sword hand up to get the brunt of the acid; luck was on his side when the acid struck the blade. Ardag instinctively dropped it, the steel began bubble and melt, and soon the blade reduced to just the hilt.
The companions pulled back, as did the chimera. The demon laughed, hissed, and mocked them. 'You see, I cannot be defeated by you. Your comrades have fallen, you will now join them!' Shneesh launched herself at them, flames shooting from his mouth.
All the survivors managed to evade the flame except for one warrior who burned for his lack of speed. Johan suddenly had an idea; he called out to the others, 'Distract it, I will go for the filven!'
Ardag nodded and ordered the others to take the fight away from Johan. Bry had recovered and rejoined the fight. Johan ran over to the pile of silver and picked up the block of filven – he had one chance to get close enough, any failure would result in incineration. The companions were on course to lose this fight if he wasn't quick enough.
He ran back to the fray; luckily the chimera and all of its parts were distracted. Johan had found the perfect opportunity. He ran to the side of the beast, raised the filven above his head and brought it down on the chimera, just at the top of its spine. Johan heard a crack as its spine snapped; the sheer weight of the filven brought it down – with a broken spine and under metal of unknowable weight, the chimera now lay immobile. Only the goat’s head and the snake moved, the lion’s head still growled, but Shneesh could not utter a single word.
Without wasting a single moment and whilst Shneesh panicked, Johan drew his blade and hacked several times at the neck of the beast, severing her head completely. The rest of its body immediately ceased to move.
'How did you know?' Ardag asked, looking at Johan with a childlike smile on his face.
Johan smiled proudly, 'I figured that if nobody else could carry it, it must have a certain weight to it, a weight not even a demon could handle – it was a gamble.'
'A darn good gamble as well, lad,' Finnvid said, limping over to them, gritting his teeth in pain. His right leg had suffered acid erosion so badly that in some places, from the knee to the foot, bone could be seen.
Larko and Jess came over from their positions. Bry returned to human form, and they all shook hands and embraced, congratulating each other on their efforts. 'I can attempt to heal your leg, Finnvid,' Ardag said, looking at the corroded limb.
'Thank you, it will be a miracle if you can,' Finnvid replied, a hint of scepticism in his voice.
Ardag smiled as he spoke to the larger man, 'I have been given powers I am only just beginning to understand, healing may be one of them.' He pointed his staff towards the mangled leg and concentrated on healing it, and to his and everyone else's amazement, a green cloud flowed from the staff, covering the leg. As the green cloud disappeared they were all shocked to see the flesh had grown back.
'By the gods, you did it! I can't feel any pain, there is no proof it even happened – how? Why?' Finnvid said, astounded by the sight.
'Magic is a mysterious tool, friend,' said Ardag, looking at his staff. 'I am yet to find many answers.'
Bry cleared her throat and spoke, 'As exhausted as we all are, we have found what we came here for. I suggest we quickly leave before any other unwanted things turn up. We all fought well today, it was looking as though the result could have been very different.'
'I agree with Bry, we cannot give our warriors the proper funeral rites so we must leave at once, Jess said, looking around anxiously.
'I think we can all agree on that, ladies,' Ardag said. 'Come, we have a long road back to the village. First we must see the Frost King and hope he keeps his word.'
17
Long Awaited Confrontation
Ardag threw the severed head of Shneesh in front of the Frost King; no expression could be read from the cruel, twisted face. The frost giant stared at the companions silently, tapping his fingers on the arm of his icy throne.
'The great demon Shneesh has been slain by our hands, Frost King,' Ardag bellowed, so all the giants could hear. 'We have done what no other could, and because of our efforts, you are free to do what you want here.’
'Was it a hard battle?' the king asked, surprised by the result.
'The hardest we have fought, we lost seven men to the abomination but no more can these halls be terrorised by him,' answered Johan.
'I will be the first to congratulate you, human,' the Frost King said, and the companions couldn't make out the sincerity of his words.
'I trust you will keep your end of the bargain?' Ardag asked, gripping his staff.
The Frost King paused for a moment, 'You have proven yourselves honourable. You may leave peacefully. All attacks on the Mjorn will stop, for now, but if any of them enter my territory, things will return to how they were. Now be gone and never return!' He slammed his fist down and one of his giants led the companions away.
'At least if we fail in destroying Darkool,' Johan whispered to Jess, 'I will be happy to know your people are free of that thing’s tyranny.'
'I just hope he keeps his word,' Jess responded, giving Johan a warm smile.
The freezing cold air in the Cold Wood was not a welcome thing; the party had been warm in the mountain and now they were back in the cold. They managed on what little food they carried and could find before reaching the small, green oasis where Kris lived. Johan had carried the filven the whole way, but although it was as light as a feather, it was a large block of metal and awkward to carry.
Kris was happy to see them but saddened by the loss of the warriors. They told him of their encounter with the Frost King and his giants as well as the battle with the demon Shneesh. He was proud of them and fed them well.
'So here you are, almost on the last stretch of your journey,' he said to them all as they prepared for bed.
'We still have a long way to go, Grandfather,' Ardag said with a sigh.
'That is true,' added Johan, 'the easy part is over, now the hard part begins.'
'I am sure you will all do your utmost to succeed. I give you enough food to last on your journey back to the Mjorn town,' Kris said, handing over some sacks, with an empty one for Johan for the filven.
'Are you not coming with us?' Bry asked Kris.
'I have had enough of war, young Bry. I will stay here until my body gives up,' he replied with a smile that hid a troubled mind. 'Rest here for the night and leave at first light, be wary of the wild and any strangers.'
'Thank you for all you have done for us, Kris,' Johan said, and patted him on the shoulder.
'Thank you, Johan, f
or what you will do for the world,' Kris responded sincerely.
The small party, exhausted and full of food, went to bed with no further conversation. They rested well and left as soon as the sun rose. They said their farewells to Kris; Ardag felt particularly emotional but didn't show it. Kris was his last remaining relative and most likely the two would never meet again.
The party travelled back the same way they came, across the frozen lake, where they had fled the frost giants and their giantlings; they even rested under the same rock they rested under before. The journey seemed quicker, the high morale of the party aiding their passage.
After many weeks of travelling since leaving the mountains, the party were only a day’s march from the Mjorn town. They entered a large opening in the forest and decided to set up camp; they placed their belongings on the snowy ground and began lighting a fire.
Suddenly a bolt of green and black energy burst from the tree line and headed towards the companions – nobody could stop it for it was too fast. It hit Jess in the chest and the sound of electricity echoed throughout her body; she dropped down onto the ground, motionless. Another blast came that missed, and then another hit the last remaining Mjorn warrior.
'Jess!' Finnvid cried aloud and ran over to his sister. Tears welled up in his eyes as he shook her, wanting a response. 'Jess, not like this, please, no, my baby sister. She's dead!'
'What was that?' Johan called out to Ardag as they all dropped to the ground.
'I think I know,' muttered Ardag, who had been dreading this from the moment he was warned of the lich king, Shalon.
'Well, speak,' demanded a tearful Finnvid. 'What killed my sister? I will crush it with my hammer and spit on its corpse.'
'It is beyond any mortal weapon, he is Shalon the Lich King, servant of Count Darkool.' Ardag told them about the lich king.
Finnvid had Jess's head on his lap and stroked her hair. Johan and Bry, weeping, came over and sat with them. 'How do we defeat it?' Johan asked.
'I don't know Johan. You all must leave, I will confront it,' Ardag said.
'We're in this together Ardag, through good and bad,' Johan said.
Ardag was about to respond when he saw a dark figure approaching from where the bolts had come from. He sighed and said, 'He is coming.'
The companions formed a line in front of the body of Jess as Shalon approached. The hideous looking lich king stood before them, his face like a skeleton with bits of flesh still visible, and a dark robe covering his fleshless body.
'High Count Darkool sends his regards, Johan, last Night Hunter,' he said in a cold voice.
'Away with you, creature,' Ardag said pointing his staff at Shalon, 'Return to wherever you came from.'
'Raaaa,' roared Finnvid as he charged at Shalon with his warhammer held high.
The others couldn't stop him. Shalon laughed menacingly and blasted Finnvid with a bolt of green and black energy. Finnvid lifted his weapon in time for it to absorb much of the impact but in doing so was launched back a dozen yards; he hit the ground with a thud, and fell unconscious.
Bry took on her bear form and roared but Ardag motioned for her to stay back. 'There is one way he can be defeated through arms or strength. I will duel him and defeat him.'
'Ha!' Shalon laughed again. 'I can see you have the same eyes as your deceased son, Ardag. He had your courage as well before I took his life. You cannot defeat me, your quest ends here, now you meet your doom.'
The mention of his son infuriated Ardag. He lifted his staff and slammed the butt of it into the ground, cracks began to appear in the snow and the ground slightly opened, the crack heading towards Shalon. When it reached him the crack burst, sending rock, dirt, snow, and Shalon into the air.
The others charged the downed Shalon but he quickly got up and retaliated by shooting an arc shaped blast of red energy at the companions, engulfing them all except Ardag, paralysing them instantly in a tangle of red vines.
Shalon then immediately shot dozens of tiny, white, sparkling star-like magical bolts at Ardag. Ardag quickly responded with a magic shield that formed an oval shape in front of him. The magical bolts were absorbed harmlessly into the shield. He then sent a shot of lightning towards the lich king; Shalon used a defensive shield himself to block the attack.
They both stopped for a moment, analysing each other’s moves. 'You have powerful magic flowing through your veins,' said Shalon, not taking his morbid eyes off Ardag. 'Your attempt to humble me will be futile, though. Hand over Johan and I will pardon the rest.'
Ardag didn't even need to think before he responsed, 'If you want Johan, you're going to have to kill me first. I will not allow this world to fall into darkness because of your master.'
Shalon laughed. 'Wilmurin is already shrouded in darkness, soon that darkness will spread throughout the world.'
'Not if I have anything to do with it,' Ardag exclaimed. He quickly shot a magical bolt of energy at Shalon, striking him in the chest. Shalon recoiled slightly and then responded, angrily, with a hail of green lightning. The lighting struck Ardag’s staff but the mage’s growing strength helped him hold the lightning at bay – he even managed to reverse the effect and send the lightning back at Shalon. It returned to his staff and, once again, a standoff ensued between the two magical beings.
'How did you find us?' Ardag called out to his opponent.
'For many weeks I have searched for you and I have slain many in my attempt,' replied Shalon. More guilt built up inside Ardag, he felt responsible for the loss of innocent life. Shalon continued, 'I was close to the large local town when I sensed a magical being in this direction so I followed my senses and lo, I found who I was looking for.'
'This is as far as you may travel, your destiny ends here,' Ardag said authoritatively.
Shalon laughed and mocked Ardag, 'Do you not know my fate is tied to High Count Darkool? I will be on this world for as long as he lives, which will be for all eternity, and you cannot stand up to his power.' Shalon lifted his staff in the air and slammed the butt down into the snow, and began chanting in an unknown dialect. On the ground around him, hands started exploding from the ground, first one, then three, then dozens, and then hundreds, all over the open space. The hands stretched and gripped on to the ground from beneath the snow; out crawled dead humans with morbid flesh, hundreds of them, groaning and approaching Ardag and the other companions. Shalon laughed again, 'This was once the scene of a battle long ago – now your end has come, druid.'
To Ardag’s horror, he had forgotten that Shalon could animate the dead, having been a necromancer in his human life. The end seemed near and he didn't know what to do.
The mage could only think of one thing – to fully test his power. With the end near, it seemed the perfect opportunity. He raised his staff in the air and bellowed louder than he ever had; the trees surrounding the opening shook and the cry sounded throughout the land, even Ardag hadn't expected it to be so loud. He called out, 'By all the good in this world, overcome this abomination called a lich king, this unnatural evil has plagued the world for too long, forces of good assist me! Destroy this army of the dead!'
As he cried out, the staff began to shake, it began to glow blue and became warm. Next, an enormous blast came from the tip and a large blue ring of energy erupted from the tip. The ring expanded as it spread out and rushed towards the tree line. Every single dead creature, including Shalon, became engulfed in blue flame. They all dropped to the floor and burst into dust, except for Shalon who only fell to the ground.
Ardag stared for a moment in disbelief, then realising his true power he approached Shalon. He revived each of his friends and shot a chain of lightning at his enemy, tying him to the ground. As his companions came to, they stared at the scene in awe. There were hundreds of holes where the dead had risen, as well as black dust covering the ground, then they all saw Shalon trapped and approached.
Johan looked at Ardag who had a grave expression on his face; he couldn't recognise his friend a
s he stared at Shalon with hatred. A strange aura surrounded Ardag, as if he had changed.
Ardag was contemplating what his next action, but before he could do anything Finnvid charged over with his warhammer gripped in both hands. Taking no notice of the lightning, Finnvid brought his mighty warhammer down and crushed Shalon’s skull; the lightning had no effect on him. Shalon’s body twitched for a moment before bursting into black flame and disappearing.
Finnvid, breathless and wearing a grim smile, looked at Ardag, 'Is he gone?'
Ardag gave a disappointed shake of his head, 'That is not the last time we see this abomination, he will return to his master.'
Finnvid nodded and then ran over to his sister. He held her cold, limp body in his arms and wept, cursing his gods. Johan walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Finnvid looked around at him, red in the face with anger; the larger man got up and pushed Johan so hard the latter fell down. Finnvid pointed at him and spoke harshly, 'If it wasn't for you and your friends coming to Jotun, my sister would still be alive. You brought that creature here.'
Johan was taken aback by the sudden outburst but knew Finnvid was right. Ardag came over and stood between the two, 'We will mourn your sister’s fall, Finnvid. We have all lost people in this struggle – my wife, father, and son perished at the hands of the enemy. Let the enemy see your fury, rather than your friends.'
'Your son?' Finnvid asked sympathetically, controlling himself. 'How can you cope?'
'I must fight on for him,' Ardag sighed, 'If I give up and stop the struggle then his death would have been worthless, together we must continue.'
Finnvid looked troubled for a moment, then looked down at Johan, and offered him a hand. 'I am sorry, friend, my anger overcame my emotions. I didn't mean to strike you,' he said with shame in his voice.
'I understand,' said Johan accepting the hand.