Fortress of Radiance

by Marc Alan Edelheit

“In all honesty, I don’t think they are worth the effort,” Karus said.

  You may be right. They appear rather scrawny and are likely too bony for my tastes … Still, perhaps I’ll take just one.

  The dragon’s jaws parted, revealing rows of serrated teeth. Her red tongue licked at the air, before the jaws snapped twice with a loud popping sound. Cyln’phax took another step closer.

  May I have one of them, Karus? You brought food with you. I haven’t eaten since before we left Carthum. I am quite hungry. A snack before the next leg of our journey might just hit the spot.

  Karus wondered if the dragon was serious. He decided she wasn’t—at least, he hoped so.

  “Were I you, I’d get going,” Karus told the leader, who shot him a quick look before returning his attention to the dragon.

  Cyln’phax let loose a small jet of flame. The light from it lit up the square around them. Karus could feel the intense heat upon his skin. The guards did not need any more convincing. They turned and rapidly made tracks across the square. Their flight made Karus grin. It served them right. He hated bullies and always had.

  “Well, Dennig,” Karus said, turning back to the dwarf, who appeared just as amused, “we need to leave. Let’s get you up and secured on Cyln’phax’s back.”

  “What?” Dennig asked, eyes going wide as he glanced toward the dragon. “You must be joking.”

  Sadly, he’s not, dwarf, Cyln’phax said. Trust me, this wasn’t my idea. It was all him.

  “I will not,” Dennig said firmly, looking back on Karus. “You can’t ask this of me. My kind and theirs are not what you might say … generally on the best of terms. Hateful enemies would be more like it.”

  Karus felt himself frown at the dwarf and shot a look at Cyln’phax.

  You dwarves hunt our kind, too, the dragon said, as if that made things right between them. Let’s just agree not to like one another and get it over with. Once we’re away from elven lands, I can set you down. You can be on your way and we on ours.

  “I am not going,” Dennig said forcefully. “No way, no how.”

  “This is the only way,” Karus said, becoming frustrated and wondering on the bad blood between dragon and dwarf.

  This is good, Cyln’phax said, suddenly sounding pleased. I did not want to sully myself by carrying a dwarf anyway. The shame is almost more than I can bear. Karus, you can now leave him, and with no regrets, too.

  “Look,” Karus said to the dwarf, “I really don’t want to leave you behind. Just climb onto the beast so we can go. It is as simple as that.”

  Who are you calling a beast? Cyln’phax asked indignantly.

  Karus ignored the dragon and did his best with Common, making sure he spoke slowly so as not to make a mistake. “I’ve gotten you out of the warden’s prison. I will do my best to get you back to your people. The dragons are the only way out of here. I can’t force you, but I’d suggest you come with us. Unless you’d like to remain a guest of the warden?”

  The dwarf sucked in a breath, regarding Karus. He looked back into the trees, suddenly less than certain.

  “No thank you. The warden’s accommodations are not the nicest, nor friendliest,” Dennig said. “Why did you free me?”

  “I’d heard you came seeking allies,” Karus said.

  “We do not ally with humans,” Dennig said matter-of-factly. His eyes narrowed. “Still want to take me with you?”

  “I don’t care if our people ally or not. I wouldn’t leave you here with the warden,” Karus said. “She’s too much of a nasty bitch, with whom I’d not even entrust my enemies.”

  “That I can appreciate.” Dennig barked out a laugh and then sobered, turning to look at the dragons. He shook his head slightly. “We must ride them, you say?”

  Karus gave a nod.

  “All right,” Dennig said and puffed up his chest. “No one will call me weak-kneed.” He bellowed out a laugh. “I will gain much legend from this.”

  And I shame, Cyln’phax said sullenly.

  Karus motioned for Dennig to follow and walked over to where Si’Cara had left the wool blankets. Amarra had already taken a blanket for herself. He handed one to Dennig, who looked back on him curiously.

  “It’s cold up there.” Karus pointed toward the sky. “This will help to keep you warm.”

  They moved over to Cyln’phax, who lay back down so that they could climb up onto her back. Karus allowed Dennig to go first. The dwarf quickly clambered up. Karus started after him.

  Karus looked in the direction the guards had gone as he pulled himself up. So fast was their flight from the square, there was no longer any sign of them.

  Tal’Thor had already secured himself. Their eyes met. The elf puffed out his cheeks.

  “Would you really have eaten them?” Karus asked.

  No, Cyln’phax said. As I said, elves are too bony. Not enough meat. Besides, they actually taste terrible. The dragon swung her gaze around to look upon Dennig, jaws opening to reveal her long teeth. Now dwarves … that’s an entirely different matter. Plenty of meat on their bones.

  Dennig looked to Karus, alarmed.

  “She’s not serious,” Karus said, even though he was concerned the dragon might be.

  Of course I am, Cyln’phax said with a slight trace of amusement. Now, get yourselves tied down. I want to be out of this den of the senselessness.

  Karus shook his head, moving over to where he had left his straps and ties. Tal’Thor tossed Dennig a few. The dwarf, without needing to question their necessity, began to tie himself down a few feet away.

  It was time to go. He began securing himself, making sure the straps were tied tightly. He did not ever wish to return to Irin’Surall.

  Chapter Eleven

  Cyln’phax blew a narrow stream of fire onto the stacked pile of wood Karus and Dennig had built. Having been scavenged from the forest a few yards away, the wood was damp from a recent rain that Karus was thankful they had not flown through. The wind was bad enough by itself. There was no need to add rain.

  The wood hissed against the jet of fire, steaming and hissing loudly. The dragon paused for several heartbeats to regard her work, then shot out a second longer stream of fire. Karus had made sure to stand back, well clear of the fire. He resisted the urge to take another step backward as the heat intensified. After a dozen heartbeats, the stream of fire ceased. Cyln’phax’s jaw closed with an audible snap.

  “That’s a good fire,” Karus said. The blaze cracked and popped loudly, almost pleasantly. Starting a fire from wet wood was always a pain in the ass. The dragon’s effort had saved him considerable time. “Thank you.”

  The dragon tilted her head, fixing Karus with one baleful eye.

  Don’t mention it … ever.

  Karus and Dennig were alone with the two dragons. Si’Cara, Amarra, and Tal’Thor had gone for water. Karus was none too happy about that, but Amarra had left him little say in the matter.

  Cyln’phax eyed him a moment longer, then drew her head back and away from him. The dragon moved a little closer toward the forest. The ground trembled at her movement. She lay down, tail curling protectively around her body. On the other side of the fire, Kordem had already lowered himself to the ground and was watching Karus. The end of the dragon’s tail was swishing about in the grass, like a cat toying with a mouse. The dragon’s scrutiny seemed rather intense and made Karus slightly uncomfortable.

  Since they had landed at the base of the hill upon which sat the Fortress of Radiance, both dragons had almost seemed ill at ease. If Karus had not known better, he would have thought something was bothering them, for they were fidgety, constantly shifting about.

  “That was great.” Dennig was standing next to Karus. He held his hands out toward the fire, warming them. “I can now see the advantage of having a pet dragon.”

  Watch your mouth, dwarf—Cyln’phax swung her head toward them, jaws parting to display her vicious-looking teeth—or you will end up in mine.

  Dennig gla
nced sharply at Cyln’phax, then to Karus and back again to the dragon. He blinked several times, but he said nothing further. After what Karus was sure were several uncomfortable moments for the dwarf, Cyln’phax turned away, as if she had lost interest in him. Dennig let out an almost imperceptible breath he had been holding.

  Karus found himself somewhat amused. He was beginning to suspect Cyln’phax was mostly bluster, with little if no bite, when it came to those she thought were friends. Karus certainly wasn’t about to test that himself. She was a dragon after all—a dread creature.

  The blankets Si’Cara had provided had made the trip much more comfortable. Yet, it still had been a long flight, and the inability to stretch his legs had made it rather uncomfortable. His old thigh wound ached abominably, and in fact his entire body was sore. This was partly due to the lack of sleep. Karus understood that years spent marching under the emperor’s Eagle had also taken their toll. He was feeling his age. With each passing year, the aches and pains were growing. Karus stretched out his stiff back and then cracked his neck.

  It was well past noon. Both suns were high up in the sky. The air was just warm enough not to be uncomfortable. It seemed almost like an early fall day. However, he understood this was deceiving. They were only a few yards from the edge of the forest and the shade of the massive trees. The cool air from the dark forest flowed outward, washing over and around them.

  The dragons had landed them at the base of a large hill, upon which was perched the Fortress of Radiance. From his vantage, Karus could only see one side of the fortress’s outer walls. He suspected the hill was not a natural feature, as it had a mound-like shape to it. It was as if a child had formed it out of sand at the beach, which led Karus to the conclusion the hill had been made. It was the only elevated ground for miles and miles around, completely surrounded by a veritable sea of trees, which reinforced his feeling. It reminded him very much of the hill the legion had found itself upon when they’d been transported to this world. Like that one, this hill was also bare of trees, covered only in long grass and scrub brush.

  “Are you hungry?” Karus asked Dennig, who was still staring warily at the dragon.

  Karus bent down and opened the pack that contained their food. He rummaged around inside as Dennig tore his gaze away from the dragon.

  “I am so hungry I could eat a teska by myself,” Dennig said.

  While they had been gathering wood in the forest, Karus had noticed that Dennig moved like an old man. He observed how the dwarf’s legs seemed unsteady and his arms trembled with the effort of picking up and carrying the wood they’d scavenged. Still, the dwarf had not complained while they worked. Karus felt certain that while in the custody of the warden, Dennig had missed more than a few meals. He was clearly too proud to show or admit any hint of weakness, especially to a human. He had not even asked for food. Karus knew the dwarf’s type well. Dennig would keep going ‘til he collapsed.

  Karus pulled out a small bundle of bread and a wedge of cheese. Both had been wrapped in gray cloth. Dennig’s eyes lit up at the sight of the food and he held his hands out. Karus tossed them one after the other to him. The dwarf caught both and moved away a few paces, settling down in the knee-high grass near the warmth of the fire.

  Earlier, Karus had made sure to uproot the grass all around where he had placed the wood for the fire. A second pile of wood, mostly broken and snapped branches, sat off to the side, ready to be tossed in when the blaze began to die down.

  A gentle breeze caused the nearby trees to rustle and creak. The flames shifted with the breeze, the smoke abruptly swirling and blowing in Karus’s direction. He held his breath until the wind passed and the smoke shifted once again.

  Unwrapping the food, Dennig began to greedily eat, first choosing to tear into the cheese with serious relish. He closed his eyes as he chewed rapidly and swallowed the first bite, nearly wolfing it down.

  Karus left the dwarf to eat and walked over to where Kordem lay. Still intently following his every move, the dragon watched him with what seemed to Karus more like curiosity than anything else. Karus approached but said nothing. He felt like a mouse trapped in a cat’s mesmerizing gaze, the hunter coiled and ready to spring for the kill, or perhaps catch and just play with him for a time. Despite his earlier feelings about Cyln’phax being all bluster, he wasn’t sure if he would ever become comfortable with the two monstrous creatures.

  Putting that thought from his mind, he grabbed both Amarra’s and Si’Cara’s packs where they had left them and brought them over to the fire, setting them down next to the others. The blaze had fully taken hold and the fire was shedding quite a lot of heat. So much so that Dennig had scooted several feet back from the blaze. The fire pushed back at the chill air emanating from the forest.

  Karus turned toward the tree line, sweeping it with his gaze, eyeing the spaces in between the giant trunks warily. Dark and heavily shaded, the forest felt more than foreboding, especially now that he knew elves lived out there amongst the trees. He still found he had some difficulty believing such massive trees could be real, even when he could walk over and touch them himself. It was like the dragons, orcs, elves, gods, and magic … hard to credit such things were possible. At times he felt as if he were in a dream come to life. Or was it all just a terrible nightmare?

  Before landing, they had spotted a large river winding its way through the forest. Amarra, Si’Cara, and Tal’Thor had decided to go to this river to fetch fresh water. Karus figured it was about a quarter mile from where the dragons had put down. The forest was so thick and impenetrable-looking, he voiced concerns that they might lose their way.

  “We know this forest,” Tal’Thor had said. “No need to worry. We shall not become lost or turned around.”

  Amarra had been surprisingly eager to go with the elves, to explore the trees. It had left him torn. Though Si’Cara and Tal’Thor seemed sincere enough about helping, Karus had long since learned trust was something that needed to be built and developed over time. However, it was very difficult to do that when distrust already existed. A few hours before, both would have willingly killed him and Amarra without a moment’s hesitation.

  That aside, Karus had had no choice in the matter. Amarra was determined to go into the forest with the elves, and go she did. Every fiber in Karus’s body had screamed, No, don’t go. Amarra, for her part, had not seemed concerned in the slightest. Karus felt she was being entirely too trusting and had almost voiced this opinion in front of the elves. She had shot him a final look dissuading him from the idea of any additional protest. She was going and that was final. In a way it had been their first disagreement, and a minor one at that.

  The entire time she’d been gone had left Karus anxious about her safety. He found himself periodically glancing toward the trees, searching the forest’s murky depths for a sign of her. He discovered it was not a good feeling.

  “Why are we here?” Dennig asked through a mouth that was half full of cheese, which made his heavily accented Common more difficult to understand. The dwarf gestured with the wedge of cheese toward the fortress. “What’s so important that you would come all the way out here to that miserable-looking ruin? What’s up there?”

  Karus considered Dennig for a long moment. He badly needed allies, and Dennig perhaps was the key, or at least the first step, to gaining more. If Karus could manage to build a bridge with him, it might also be done with the other dwarves. So, he settled for honesty and openness. Besides, he reasoned, the dwarf would find out soon enough why they had come.

  “There’s something important up in that fortress,” Karus said. “We believe it can help us with our struggle against the Horde.”

  Dennig raised his bushy eyebrows at that. He took another bite and chewed thoughtfully, tilting his head slightly. “What exactly is it that you are looking for?”

  Karus was silent a moment as he considered how to best answer. He needed not only allies, but information, particularly about the struggle between the
dwarves and the Horde. The dwarf might be able to provide both. At the very least, Karus might be able to gain some valuable intelligence concerning the enemy.

  “How about you answer a question of mine and in turn I will answer one of yours?” Karus suggested and paused to let it sink in. “Does that sound agreeable?”

  Dwarves are not to be trusted, Cyln’phax said.

  “The same could be said for thieving dragons,” Dennig retorted acidly, his cheeks coloring.

  The only sneak thief here is you, dwarf.

  “Stop it,” Karus ordered, raising his voice and holding up his hands to Dennig while shooting the dragon a meaningful look. He very much desired to keep this cordial and didn’t need Cyln’phax and the dwarf going at it.

  The dragon seemed to sense Karus’s intention, for she made a loud snorting sound and lowered her head to the ground, where it landed with a solid thud that he felt through his sandals.

  “We’re going up there to retrieve a sword.” Karus jerked a thumb at the fortress. “It’s apparently special.”

  “Special? A sword?” Dennig’s brows drew together. “What kind of sword? How is it special?”

  “It’s your turn to answer a question,” Karus said.

  “All right,” Dennig said, “we’ll play your game. Ask away.”

  “The elves tell me you came seeking allies,” Karus said. “Is that correct?”

  Dennig took another bite of his cheese, this one smaller than his last. He chewed and swallowed before answering, a sour look overcoming him.

  “In the past we have sought to enlist the elves as allies. This time, we came seeking assistance, or really permission.” Dennig dug up a tuft of grass with the heel of his boot. “I was sent with a delegation to see if the elves would allow my chieftain’s war band to move through elven lands, to take a shortcut, if you will.” He stopped talking as he moved the dislodged tuft of grass around with his foot. “I did not expect my mission to be successful, but we had to try.” Dennig paused and looked back up at Karus. “So, now it is my turn. What’s so special about this sword you are looking for?”