Forging the Half-Goblin Sorcerer

by J. Craig Argyle

  “I have been in this dung pit 21 years, 2 months and 10 days for stealing leftovers from the kitchen where I served. I figure I’ve paid for my crime. I want out, even if it only gets me an early grave.”

  Krage speaks up, “It is good to have you with us. Our plan is simple. We will overpower the guards and free Hogarth and his men. We will then fight our way into the palace and free the king and hide him from Lord Lizardthroat. We believe Hogarth and his men will give us enough armed strength to accomplish the rescue.”

  Cook stands silently for a moment and replies, “The best time to strike will be this evening after the changing of the guard. The guards coming on duty bring their appetites with them. They expect us to provide them their supper. We can overpower the jailer who carries the gate keys and then disarm the guards at each checkpoint. Getting out of the prison shouldn’t be much of a problem. But once we are out in the street, I don’t see how we will last long against the Secret Police.”

  “There are great risks, but I think I can hide all of us,” Krage counters. “Are there any others in the prison who we can trust?”

  “I trust a couple of kitchen workers; they have been here almost as long as I. They are former soldiers who were involved in a tavern fight in which an important noble was stabbed.”

  Cook escorts his two coworkers, Krink and Marnad, into a larder. They are surprised to see Grenab and Alexia, whom they remember. “Ye’re back,” quips Krink to Grenab. “What did ye do this time?”

  Cook interrupts and explains, “Tonight, with the aid of these friends, I am going to break out. You can either join us or lay low until it is over.”

  Krink is in, but Marnad, the other coworker hesitates. Finally, he agrees to participate when he is reassured that there is at least some chance of success. The cooks go about their daily routines while Krage and the others hide in the kitchen’s larder. In the evening Cook enters and announces, “It’s time. We have a problem; Marnad’s feet have gone cold.” Marnad and Krink enter the room. Marnad looks distraught. “I can’t go through with this,” he pleads.

  “Very well, you can stay in the kitchen and claim you knew nothing of our scheme,” Krage offers.

  Wearing prison garb, Cook, Alexia and Grenab walk the corridor carrying trays bearing bread and bowls of soup. They meet the key master and follow him deeper into the prison. Before they reach the first guard station, Krink emerges from his hiding place and clubs the key master. They leave him unconscious on the stone floor. As they round the bend, the guard at the first gate suspects nothing. He is reaching for his bowl when Krink hammers him with an audible clunk. The only other sound is his bowl clattering on the stone floor.

  Cook approaches the next guard and places a knife against his chest. “If ye make a sound you are crow bait. Krink uses the stolen key to open the gate and shoves the guard inside. Cook conducts them to where Hogarth and his officers are caged. They have been locked up for over a month, but didn’t seem worse for their imprisonment. Hogarth strips the guard of his armor and weapons. The prisoners in the adjacent cell hear the activity and plead to be released. Krage is reluctant, but the inmates swear they will start yelling for the guards if they aren’t let out.

  With Krink in the lead, the escapees move toward the prison entrance. It seems the last obstacle is the sole guard at the prison’s entrance, but as they approach the middle gate, Krink lungs ahead, dashes through the gate and slams it shut. Hogarth is the first to see what is happening. He attempts to stab the traitor through the bars, but Krink is too quick and after locking the gate, springs back out of reach. Smiling, he announces, “Sorry, Cook. I just figured that if I spoiled your escape, I might walk out of here with a pardon.” Krink turns and runs up the corridor to sound the alarm.

  Krage jerks hard on the locked gate. There is no way they can break out before Krink returns with guards. Grenab yells, “I’ll kill the traitor, if it is the last thing I do.” He can’t believe his bad luck. Fate had once again sealed him in the detested prison.

  “Wait!” cautions Cook. “There is yet reason to hope.”

  ***

  A moment later, footsteps are heard in the corridor. Marnad emerges in the dim light. He holds a blood-stained kitchen knife in his right hand and the gate keys in his left. Marnad says, “Cook thought Krink might try something, so he told me to pretend to have cold feet.”

  Grenab is relieved to see the gate open. He takes the lead and dispatches the guard who mans the main entrance to the prison.

  Krage’s group holds back as the prisoners who had joined the escape rush out into the street and scatter into the surrounding alleys. They hear the shouts of the City Police who are almost immediately in pursuit. When the streets have quieted, Krage guides his party through the back alleys out of the city and into Holy Mountain’s hidden entrance.

  Humock Gutcutter and three of his men are waiting for them when they enter the tunnel. Hogarth draws a sword and has to be reassured that the police captain is there to help. Humock brought food and fresh clothing, including several tunics that bear the Blue Dagger sigil. “I thought you might need these to pass undetected into the palace.” Hogarth’s men help themselves to a cache of swords deposited on the ground.

  Humock says, “I wish I could join you in the king’s rescue, but I will be more useful if I remain in the city to assist you if something goes wrong. Take Saliger with you. He is a good fighter and knows the palace well.”

  Krage explains to Hogarth and his officers, “We will proceed through the passages and take the corridor from the temple to the palace. Once in the palace, Hogarth will direct us to the king’s residence.

  Hogarth asks, “Where will we hide the king after the rescue?”

  “We will return to this tunnel where we will be safe for a time. My plan is not subtle or even fully conceived, but I’m certain we must act now before Melkerei returns to the city. His highest priority will be to eliminate the king and have himself crowned.”

  Hogarth is anxious to get on with it. He blames himself for the king’s capture. On the night that Melkerei’s police entered the palace and slew the guards protecting the king and his family, Hogarth was asleep. He awoke to find five swords pointed at his chest. He never got an opportunity to defend the king, as is his sworn duty. His escape from the prison gives him what he most hopes for–a chance to redeem himself.

  Besides Krage, Alexia, Grenab, Cook, Marnad, and Saliger, Hogarth contributes eight more fighters to the rescue party. Hogarth is confident they have sufficient swords for the task, but Krage cautions Hogarth. “We must first navigate the tunnels. Last time we came through, they were crawling with white goblins and Blue Daggers.”

  Hogarth hands a torch to one of his captains and orders, “Lead the way!” Krage and the royal guard follow while Alexia and Grenab fall to the rear. The rescuers move swiftly through the tunnels. They pass the fork leading to the ruins of Ardonbrae. Only a few scattered rat-gnawed bones remain to witness the fighting that took place in the tunnel a fortnight before. As they approach the corridor that connects the temple to the backside of the mountain, the rescuers slow their advance. Two scouts investigate what lies ahead and report two Blue Daggers stand guard. Hogarth and his officers storm through the gap in the wall and the two guards turn and run toward the mountain’s exit. Hogarth begins to give chase but Krage stops him. “I do hate to see goblins killing goblins,” he explains.

  “Better get use to the idea,” retorts Hogarth. “There are likely to be many unfriendly goblins between us and the king.”

  The party passes through the cavern where the huge stone goblin stands watching. A weak orange glow now illuminates the ceiling. The Stones of Septan are beginning to take on a blood-red glow. “The earth continues to awaken,” Krage reflects. “Perhaps my strength is also waxing.”

  Two Blue Daggers stand in the passage leading from the temple to the palace. Hogarth has three of the royal guard don Blue Dagger tunics and walk casually toward the two sentries. The sent
ries don’t suspect an attack until it is too late. They are tied and left in a side passage. Hogarth hates to waste time, but Krage insists.

  As they approach the palace, Hogarth divides the party into two groups. The first group is tasked to protect the escape route while Hogarth guides the second group through the palace kitchens and up the servant’s staircase directly to the king’s private dining room. The rescuers find the king, the queen and the prince in their sleeping garments enjoying a midday meal.

  The king is startled by the sight of guards wearing Blue Dagger tunics. He recovers when he recognizes Hogarth and Krage. He seems detached from his circumstances and politely offers his guests tea. A moment later he recognizes Grenab, whom he has not seen in almost two years. “It is good to see you, Grenab. Where have you been?” he asks absentmindedly. King Giforing has grown accustomed to his luxurious captivity and appears far too relaxed to suit Hogarth. “My Liege, you must flee the palace. Melkerei is coming to kill you.” Hogarth exaggerates the immediacy of the threat to get the king moving. The king insists they delay while the royal family dons suitable clothes for the escape.

  The captain, tasked with protecting the escape route, rushes in and announces, “A large number of Blue Daggers, including Lord Lizardthroat, has just entered the palace.” Melkerei has returned to the capital within the hour and upon hearing of a prison break, realized immediately that Hogarth’s first order of business would be to free the king.

  Hogarth hears shouting in the feast hall and the clashing of metal swords. They rush back through the underground corridor. Palace servants loyal to the king crowd the corridor and attempt to hinder the pursuers.

  When Krage attempts to enter the tunnels beneath the mountain, he confronts scores of Blue Daggers at the passage’s far end. Hogarth curses, “I knew we should have killed the two sentries when we had the chance. Frightened soldiers only stay scared so long,” he reminds Krage.

  Krage immediately detours into a corridor leading to the scriptorium. The group enters the storeroom and ascends the staircase to the catacombs. They are able to close the altar’s lid behind them. Their pursuers wait at the base of the staircase for Lord Lizardthroat to arrive and give instructions. Krage counts on the fact that none of the Blue Daggers know that the hidden staircase leads to the catacombs. Within minutes they will discover the lever that frees the altar’s lid and attempt to force their way into whatever lies beyond.

  Lizardthroat’s troops find the lever but fear that the narrow passage at the top of the staircase represents a bottleneck. Hogarth’s swordsmen could easily kill them as they attempt to crawl through the opening. Melkerei orders his men to fetch Alrik. “Where does this staircase lead?” Melkerei asks the high priest.

  Alrik replies, “To the catacombs. There is only one other exit and that is kept locked.”

  “Take us to the other exit. We have them trapped,” Melkerei exclaims with pleasure. A few minutes later, Alrik unlocks the door to the catacombs, and Melkerei with two squads of Secret Police storm into the crypt. At the same moment, a captain releases the latch that locks the lid on the marble altar and scrambles into the domed chamber. He lifts his lamp to stare into the darkness. The only movements he sees are the shadows of the four stone goblins that support the ceiling dancing across the walls.

  Melkerei cautiously moves down the catacombs’ central corridor, peering down the dark intersecting passages. A moment later, his captain runs forward to inform him that he has encountered no one. Melkerei sends pairs of guards down every tunnel. They discover no trace of King Giforing. Melkerei is convinced there must be a hiding place somewhere in the crypts. He searches everywhere. When he begins breaking into sarcophagi, Alrik objects, “What you are doing is sacrilege.”

  ***

  By the next day Melkerei is ready to give up. He assigns four soldiers to guard the crypt. It is possible they are hiding in a secret chamber and will eventually emerge. Of course, Krage, upon entering the catacombs, went directly to the sarcophagus where the key and the map were hidden; he retrieved both and exited via the main entrance and locked the door behind him. He and his accomplices disappeared into a secret passage minutes before Melkerei entered the catacombs.

  Of the original fourteen loyalists only eight are left. Four of the royal guard did not made it out of the palace and two more were lost defending the entrance to the scriptorium. Hogarth is proud of his officers. They fell protecting their king, the only honorable death for a member of the Royal Guard.

  The escapees return to the secret room where Krage and Myrel stayed a fortnight before. They are surprised to find that someone has augmented their supplies with food, clothing and blankets. Someone else knows about the secret escape passages. What’s more, their mysterious benefactor has anticipated their arrival. The clothing and blankets are put to good use. Alexia and Grenab show the others how to position themselves at key points during the day to eavesdrop on conversations and how to raid the temple at night for food, water and needed supplies. Even the king, who is unaccustomed to performing mundane tasks, tries to assist in the preparation of meals. The party probably can stay hidden in the passages indefinitely, but Krage knows that they cannot tarry.

  Krage overhears a temple worker reporting, “Melkerei publically declared the Thaumaturgist led the royal family into the tunnels beneath Holy Mountain where they were massacred by white goblins. Their bodies were unfortunately not recovered. The commander of the Secret Police expressed his sorrow at the loss of the king’s son, the last heir to the throne. He announced that because of his love for the kingdom, he would bow to the wishes of the thousands of citizens who beg him to accept the crown. He announced his coronation will take place in seven days in the Great Hall of the temple, a space large enough to accommodate the entire population of the city.”

  Another voice asks, “If Krage is dead who will be the next Thaumaturgist?”

  “Melkerei asked Alrik to become the next Thaumaturgist. Alrik refused. Even if the Thaumaturgist is dead, Krage has two children who are still alive. Melkerei has no interest in bringing Trak back to the capital. He has not forgotten how the cross-breed worked some strange magic during his confrontation with King Red and forced his voice directly into his consciousness.”

  Krage struggles, “How can I prevent or at least disrupt the ceremony.” His thoughts drift toward generating an emergency that will preoccupy Lord Lizardthroat. Krage needs to communicate with Humock. Perhaps together they can foil Melkerei’s plans.

  Krage leads Grenab and Saliger to the mountain’s hidden exit. There they find food supplies left by Humock. The food is fresh and undisturbed by rummaging animals. They must have just missed the delivery.

  It makes sense to send Saliger to find Humock. He is not known to be one of the conspirators and hasn’t escaped from any prison. As a member of the City Police, he is free to walk about the city. Krage and Grenab wait in the tunnel until Saliger returns, bringing word that Humock will join them after dark.

  When Humock is sure he hasn’t been followed, he slips into the tunnel and finds Krage, Grenab and Saliger waiting for him. Humock reports that Lord Lizardthroat was furious when he returned to find Hogarth and his men had escaped. He learned from some of the recaptured rabble Krage led the prison break. Melkerei didn’t want the escape of the king to delay his coronation, so he concocted the tale that the royal family was killed by white goblins as they fled the palace. For all he knows, the story might even be true.

  Krage focuses on his chief objective. He has to keep Melkerei from claiming the throne. If he can smuggle the king to a safe sanctuary where Melkerei can’t reach him, the king could reappear and publically expose Melkerei’s crude grab for the throne. Humock departs the tunnel with instructions to contact Lord Ellot Fishbeater, the king’s naval commander, and arrange for a small ship to stand ready to transport the royal family to safety.

  Krage initiates his plan the following night. He stays behind as Grenab and Saliger guide the others thr
ough the mountain to where Humock awaits. Humock leads the party directly to the harbor where Lord Ellot has readied the royal yacht. The celebrated naval commander welcomes the king aboard

  Lord Ellot is still basking in the glory the king bestowed on him after achieving a brilliant victory at the Battle for the Isle of Uisgebeatha in which he destroyed three enemy warships and saved the island by ramming his vessel into the enemy’s harbor fortifications. Lord Ellot even went so far as to commission a well-known artist to paint a large mural depicting the great naval battle. It portrays the commander in his dress uniform climbing out of his wrecked ship and leading a hundred goblins in a charge against an enemy who cowers before him. He likes the way the artist captured his supreme calm, ignoring the burning warships and carnage surrounding him. Lord Ellot intended to present the mural to the king to hang in the feast hall of the palace, but because of the coup it still sits in his office at naval headquarters. Before dawn, the ship sails for the Isle of Uisgebeatha.

  Chapter 19

  Bretwalda: The New Foundry

  Lord Ran is pleased with the turn of events. When Lord Lizardthroat departed the exchange point, he expected Trak to leave with him. He thought it likely that Trak would fall victim to Melkerei’s plotting or simply choose not to return. But instead, Lizardthroat left Trak behind. Ran expected Trak’s enthusiasm for the iron works to be diminished by his experiences in the meadow; but surprisingly, Trak immersed himself in the construction of the kilns.

  In the weeks that follow, Trak only once inquires about the fate of his mother. Lord Ran assures him that the queen has reestablished her residence in King Red’s fortress and is doing well. Trak considers visiting, but for the moment it is too risky.

  Trak welcomes Baron Teiber’s builders and craftsmen as they arrive at the site of the new iron works. Many of the tools and special materials are already waiting for them or in the process of being delivered. He holds a daily consultation with Lord Ran and his crew chiefs where he issues whatever instructions are needed. Mostly Trak busies himself searching the nearby towns and villages for laborers with useful skills. Trak’s newly earned reputation as a sorcerer precedes him. He finds workers eager to join him and merchants willing to expedite his requests.