Kingdom Come (Price of Power Book 1)

by Blake Bisciotti

  Elberon and Ostinus exchanged glances once again. Neither knew what to think of the scenario. Ogres? A power to the east? Why were the dwarves trading less? Where were the craftsmen? If not for goods, for what then were the forges being lit? The answers to the questions would have to wait though as Tidor turned and walked towards to his dwarven companions. The two men slowly began to follow him. Tidor then turned back to regard Elberon and Ostinus and motioned for them to move quicker to come join him. They tied the mule to a post and approached the host of dwarves.

  “You boys in a rush to get back to Lunemire?” The eyes of all five dwarves were now on the companions.

  “No. Why do you ask?”

  “We’d like you to come into the city, some o’ the nobles might be wantin’ to talk ya’ as good lads from Lunemire.” An eerie silence followed the dwarf’s comment. It was evident that this was not just decided. The dwarves had been waiting on the two humans to invite them into their city. They left the mule, their goods and their weapons with a guard and headed towards an entrance to the mountain. Elberon and Ostinus had only been into the actual city of Orzalar twice, and had never even seen a dwarven noble, nonetheless met one. It was clear Tidor was not being very forthcoming with the situation in the mountain. They both knew they were about to find out a bit more information…and that this trip into the mountain city of Orzalar was going to be much different than the previous two…and likely less enjoyable.

  ***

  Eighty-five battle tested dwarves scrambled around the large cavern, finishing up the orders of their commander. The space was one of the larger expanses in the eastern part of the mountain. It was the junction of several tunnels, some leading back west to where the dwarves had come from, and others further east, which was the direction of the oncoming enemy. There hadn’t been much time for preparations, but Captain Ibelgof Opfs had set the battlefield as well as he could. The task was of utmost importance, he and his army had to defend the mines of the east.

  “Pull them boulders back to the wall!” He yelled to a few dwarves who held ropes that surrounded two massive round boulders five feet high. They were set in the back of the cavern behind the dwarves. The floor sloped to the east and the heavy boulders would be released into the charging enemy horde, crushing those in their path. With heavy sighs the strong dwarves heaved the boulders flush to the wall.

  The mountain was the dwarves turf and they knew well how to defend it. The plan was to defend in open ground with the main dwarven force well positioned to take wave after wave of assault in the open chamber. The dwarves knew that they were likely the better-trained, more vicious army. In addition to the eighty-five warriors in the center chamber, two contingents of twenty dwarves were waiting in two small tunnels to the left and right of the main hall. These passages linked to the main tunnel from which the enemy was expected to arrive and also to the main chamber. The mission of these two details was to prevent the enemy from pouring into the fray from side tunnels, possibly flanking the defensive positions of the main host of dwarves. Those tunnels were much narrower and would hold only five dwarves shoulder to shoulder; so a wall twenty strong well-armed dwarves deep would be a difficult obstacle to push through. If all the monsters attacked from the main chamber, then those dwarven warriors would come forth from the side tunnels and bolster the defense with a surprise assault.

  Huge ballistae were set on makeshift platforms above and behind the main army and were aimed directly at the center of the vast chamber. Two dwarves on each platform were set to reload and fire massive spears from the ballista into the enemy ranks. The chamber was mostly empty except for two large statues about five feet apart in the center of the space. One was a statue of Ramdeen, dwarven god of mountains and stone, and the other was a famous dwarven hero Logan Rumbler, whose image bowed facing his god. These statues had sat in the center of the chamber for hundreds of years. Torches were lit on the walls throughout. The widest point in the cavern was the width sixty-five dwarves, but they would not fight in the middle. They would fight near the mouth of the tunnel from which they arrived, allowing them to keep their ranks tighter.

  When all of the preparations seemed in place Captain Ibelgof Opfs took a few steps towards the middle of the chamber and turned to face his troops. He stared at them, looking left to right. The site of their leader quelled all the noise from the small army. The torchlight flickered off his fine dwarven armor, light plate mail made from extremely strong steel called red steel. In the dim lighting of the chamber, the red hues that gave the armor its name appeared a darker maroon like color. On his breastplate was the symbol of Orzalar, an anvil with axes crossed behind it.

  The captain had a round steel shield on his muscular right arm. On the shield was the symbol of his family, Clan Opfs. The symbol itself was a kite shield, half black and white checkered half solid black with a small flame imposed in the center. Ibelgof Opfs was a noble himself, and he led many of his own men into combat in the chamber. It was not uncommon for noble dwarves to have a place in the front lines of battle. He nodded his head in approval and wore an expression that showed he was proud and impressed with his troops.

  “I’ve never seen a better lot to defend our tunnels than what I see here before me eyes” he continued to nod and a few soldiers hooted, but the silence settled again quickly. He pointed his axe towards the main tunnel from which they predicted the bulk of the enemy army. “From dem tunnels I’m expectin’ the most unfortunate, unlucky, stupidest group o’ ugly dogs I ever seen in all me years. Can ya’ believe it…they think they’re going to take our tunnels…pillage the steel and ore mines that were worked by our father’s father’s father?” His face turned to a shocked expression and then twisted into anger. More than a few curses at the enemy came from his troops.

  “Well let me ask you something,” the cavern began to lightly rumble as the army of monsters approached from somewhere deeper in the tunnels. They were still far from view but the sound of the march grew louder. Ibelgof Opfs seemed not to notice. Then suddenly Captain Opfs’s voice exploded in anger. “Whose mountain is this?” A wild scream erupted from the army “Whose damn tunnels are these?” The captain screamed again, a louder response of “ours” came from the dwarven soldiers filling the chamber.

  The captain screamed one more time at the top of his lungs, spit flying from his mouth “Who dies in this chamber today?” The enemy surely heard the loud screams that followed from Captain Opfs’s soldiers as they all screamed and pointed their weapons towards the opposing tunnel appointing the enemy as those condemned to death. Ibelgof Opfs's small army had to win this chamber, or the mines would be lost.

  “Defensive positions!” yelled the captain and a front line of heavily armored dwarves, all with large rectangular shields formed a curved wall surrounding the mouth of the main tunnel behind the them. No room was left near the walls in order to prevent the monsters from attempting to circumvent the main barricade of soldiers.

  The rest of the dwarves packed tight behind the main line. The cranking sound of the ballista was soon drowned out by the screams and growls of the enemy who entered the chamber at the far end. The first visible foes were goblins. Some had light armor but many wore none. They poured in with great numbers but did not charge. Instead they spread wide into chaotic formation. As they tightened into more organized ranks they stepped forward into the chamber and orcs began to enter behind them. More and more orcs entered the chamber. Their numbers were alarming to the defending dwarves.

  A tall broad goblin stepped forward and called a command in the goblin tongue. A contingent of about twenty of his kin stepped forward with crudely made bows and aimed up in the air. They sent arrows arching up towards the stalagmite covered ceiling and then descending into the mass of dwarves. The defenders threw up a wall of shields over themselves and deflected the missiles. Only one dwarf was hit and took an arrow into his forearm. The arrowhead pierced his armor but entered his flesh less than a half of an inch. He pulled it out with a
grunt and growl. The dwarves screamed in rage and batted their weapons against their shields.

  “Hold!” Screamed Captain Opfs.

  The goblin leader then pointed his sword toward the dwarves and screamed a word, and on came the goblin charge. Just as the advancing goblins neared the statues in the middle, the dwarven captain yelled, “Oh Ramdeen punish these bastards…Boulders boys!!” The defending wall of dwarves quickly parted in an organized fashion into two vacant columns. The large boulders were released and heaved forward. The ranks of dwarves filled back in quickly as the large boulders rolled towards the enemy. The stout warriors, along with the slope of the chamber, were able to get the boulders rolling downhill quickly. The first rows of the four-foot tall attackers evaded the threat, but the boulders pummeled into the ranks behind them. The devastation was greater than the dwarves had expected with goblins and orcs alike being crushed or bludgeoned by the stones. The goblins and orcs in the back of the chamber were able to scatter and the rocks smashed against the far wall with a resounding thump.

  On charged more goblins. Their screams were closer to screeches. “Hold!” Yelled Ibelgof Opfs again. He was positioned in the middle of the dwarven army, a few rows behind the vanguard. “Crossbows!” He finally yelled when the goblins were within twenty yards.

  The front row of dwarves dropped on a knee behind their large rectangular shields. The row of soldiers behind them pulled up large crossbows and fired. The arrows drove into the attackers stopping many in their tracks while piercing through their bodies. Many goblins threw spears as they approached and a few of the crossbow wielders were caught by surprise and were impaled, falling wounded or dead to the floor. The site of their dead companions increased the dwarves’ fury.

  The first wave of goblins collided with the wall of shields that was hoisted by the brawny dwarves; the sound of weapons and bodies crashing into the shield wall rang throughout the chamber. The front row of sturdy dwarves did not waver at all, but took the charge and retaliated with a brutal onslaught of war hammers, axes, and swords in masterfully organized fashion.

  The battle raged on at the frontline as more goblins attacked. The dwarves were well trained on making an effective seemingly impenetrable shield wall. The defenders chopped down row after row of the thinner green creatures. Bogo, one of Captain Opfs’s most vicious officers, pushed himself out of the front row into the onslaught of goblins. He became surrounded and ferociously fell into a rage, smashing relentlessly with his war hammer. Bones and skulls shattered under his blows. He took repeated hits but few pierced his fine heavy dwarven plate armor, and the ones that did apparently did not affect the savage warrior. Eventually a fellow dwarven soldier pulled him back behind the front line, just as the cowardly goblins began to fearfully avoid him.

  Fatigue was beginning to set into the dwarven front line. A few dwarves were chopped down and goblins broke through the shield wall only to meet furiously anxious warriors who quickly dispatched them and filled in for their fallen comrades. Still, Captain Opfs began to worry. More than ten fine warriors fell and the attack persisted. “Ballista!” He screamed and the giant missiles were let loose. The massive spears smashed through goblins and would at times impale two together. But yet on they came.

  The captain looked at one of the dwarves reloading on the ballista platform and hollered “What of the orcs?”

  The dwarf near the ballista halted reloading and looked to the far end of the cavern. “Still holdin’ their ranks,” he replied much to the dismay of his captain. So far it was only the weaker goblins. The more formidable adversary hadn’t yet made their move.

  Captain Opfs’s attention returned to the situation immediately at hand as the soldier in front of him fell back with a spear lodged into his shoulder. The captain then saw a couple of goblins hop another dead dwarf and move in. A short sword from a comrade to Ibelgof’s left cleaved one monster to the floor. The captain swung his double-sided axe hard and its blade wedged into the chest bone of the other unfortunate creature. He raised his shield and stepped in to fill the gap in the front line. After yanking his weapon free, the dwarven leader wedged into the formation and smashed over and over with his axe. The site of their leader on the front line inspired the warriors, boosting morale and causing some to forget exhaustion or the pains of wounds.

  Captain Opfs deflected a club with his shield and cut down the goblin that swung the weapon, but as the captain watched the monster fall to the ground dead he noticed the dwarf to his left fell lifeless as well. “How many of the wretches are there?” He thought to himself.

  At that moment he heard a shout from the ballista platform. The message was daunting: “The orcs are chargin’!”

  ***

  They had both been in what was known as the “Great Hall” of Orzalar one other time, but Elberon and Ostinus again stood in complete awe as they entered the massive expanse. The only other time was a quick pass through when they went to a pub with Tidor.

  Dwarves milled about everywhere. Some pushed wheelbarrows filled with dirt and minerals extracted from the mountain, others were armed and rushing about. The sound of hammers smashing anvils could be heard in the not so far distance. A few female dwarves walked by carrying heavy baskets of cloths and wood. In passing they stared at the visiting humans, who returned their looks in shock. Both Ostinus and Elberon quickly glanced away awkwardly as they realized that a couple of the females had thin fine beards themselves. Groups of burly, dirty dwarves stood conversing and pointing to different parts of the antechamber or had their hands on their hips wearing grim expression. It was obvious that times were not pleasant in the city.

  Branching from the main entrance, where the two humans and their dwarven guides had just entered, were three walkways. Two enormous columns of stone were in the middle of the Great Hall, creating two passages around the sides of the antechamber and a large one through the middle. The columns were long semi-circles with the rounded part facing out, curving with the walls of the roundish hall. Straight ahead of the men was a set of short steps, stretching from column to column, that led to the next level in the center. Heavily armed guards faced the main entrance from each side of the raised level. Behind the guards were two stone monoliths carved artfully with figures and images, which depicted scenes from the long history of the dwarven civilization.

  Beyond that, another set of steps led to a much longer level. At the back center of the Great Hall were the entrances to the main mines and forges of the city of Orzalar. Mines were the heart and soul of dwarven civilizations. Many dwarves hustled about, going in and out the numerous passageways of the industrious sector of the city. The bearded folk were hard at work.

  As they looked around, two armored guards approached from the passage to the backside of the column to the left of the humans and their dwarven chaperones. They wore chainmail under a thick steel breastplate and wielded halberds the height of a tall man. Axes were strapped across their back. The seal of Orzalar, an anvil with crossing axes behind it, could be seen on their breastplate under their thick black beards.

  “And what’s their business?” One of the guards said while motioning his halberd towards Elberon and Ostinus.

  “They’re from Lunemire and we’ve been asked to take ‘em to the house o’ Runsevor to speak with Geeyor Runsevor,” replied Tidor. This led to confused stares from the humans who had no idea what their purpose was in the dwarven city.

  The guards turned to allow the dwarves and humans to pass. Ostinus did not miss one of the guards glancing down at the small, sheathed dagger at his waist. The dwarf did not stop him. The group walked on around the large column to the left. Doors lined the left wall of the chamber, the first several seemed to lead to shops. As they progressed though, the doors became more ornate and fortified. Engraved signs were on or beside each door, bearing the name of the dwarven clan that was housed in the chambers within.

  Elberon stopped and looked at one of the doors as the others kept walking. After a few strides O
stinus, Tidor and his dwarven companions stopped to regard the priest.

  “What is happening here?” Elberon asked with a perplexed look on his face. “Why are we being brought before your nobility?”

  The dwarves looked at one anther then Tidor approached the priest of the order of Phelios. “Me friend Elberon,” the dwarf said calmly, “Please don’t be alarmed and take me word. We were asked if we were knowin’ anyone who was from Lunemire that could be trusted and was honorable enough. When I heard the request I thought of you and that lad over there,” he pointed a stubby finger at Ostinus and smiled with one side of his mouth.

  Elberon looked at his companion, who offered only a shrug of his shoulders. A smile appeared on the cleric’s face as he tapped his bearded friend reassuringly on the shoulder and began to walk towards the other dwarves.

  Tidor put his hands on his hips and shook his hairy head then stormed after Elberon. “Bah, don’t be thinkin’ I think too highly of ya’, I just couldn’t think of a dwarf in that damned city o’ yours,” he said, thinking he made himself sound soft.

  After walking another hundred paces, the group stopped before a large stone door with a bronze plate on it. Written in bold letters on the plate was the name Runsevor. Neither Ostinus nor Elberon knew what to expect as Tidor Stonesmasher banged his thick fist hard on the door.

  Chapter 4

  It was the orcs time to enter the battle. Many of the cowardly goblins that had engaged the dwarven defense began to try and back away as they realized the more powerful orcs were charging from behind. When they arrived at the fray, several enraged orcs mercilessly chopped the smaller goblins aside to collide with the dwarves.

  Luckily for Captain Ibelgof Opfs and his soldiers, their comrades made their way in to the battle from the side tunnels at nearly the exact same time that the orcs charged. No attackers had come through the adjacent tunnels and the dwarves could tell from the noise that their kin in the main chamber were hard pressed. They intended to make an immediate impact with the element of surprise. The contingent from the left arrived first and burst into the side flank of the orcs wildly with great fury. They, like the pig-faced creatures they battled, were hungry for war and thirsty for blood.