The Demon's Chamber

by Brian Spielbauer

  “Lizzy, I just remembered something, I need to get back to my post,” Telon said, pulling Lizzy to a stop just out of sight of his mother.

  “So soon? I was hoping to introduce a kind soldier to my mother? But if you must go I thank you for helping me this far,” Lizzy said, trying to help Telon lower the baskets to the floor. She found herself face-to-face with Telon, the basket between them. Telon leaned forward for a kiss.

  “Prince Telon!” a soldier interrupted, snapping immediately to attention in front of them.

  Telon stood quickly and said, “Soldier, carry on.” Then he thought for a moment and stopped the soldier again. “Soldier, to whom do you report?”

  The soldier snapped once again to attention and said, “General Deron.”

  “Soldier,” Telon commanded, “inform General Deron that I was here, and that he needs to remind his soldiers that they serve the people of the mountain. The people of the mountain do not serve the soldiers, and any soldier found disrespecting the workers here will be dealt with harshly. Do you understand?”

  “Yes sir,” the soldier answered, his brow showing signs of sweat.

  “Carry on,” Telon said, and then the soldier left.

  “So,” Lizzy began, grabbing his hand again, “can I assume your name isn’t Quaid?”

  Telon saw she was still holding her smile, but he was embarrassed just the same.

  “No, it is not,” Telon began, “I… I…”

  “Why didn’t you tell me your real name?” Lizzy interrupted.

  Telon swallowed hard and said, “Sometimes it’s nice to be anonymous. If no one knows who you are, you are treated differently. Now, I, Telon, Prince of Tunder Bin, really must go,” Telon said sullenly as he let go of Lizzy’s hand.

  “Well, Prince Telon…” Lizzy said, and then paused. Telon turned to her, and she reached again for his hand. “You still have my thanks for carrying my baskets. I have never had a prince help me before.”

  Telon’s whole body flushed, yet he held her gaze. Sweat now appeared on his own brow.

  “Oh,” she said. “By the way, I expect that I will be seeing you in passing soon. In a few days, I will begin helping Lady Milan. I will be her nanny.”

  Telon was overwhelmed beneath his flushed, sweating skin.

  “I look forward to seeing you again,” Lizzy said as she flashed another smile and turned to leave.

  As she headed toward her stand, she glanced over her shoulder, only to see Telon smiling, still frozen in place. Telon instantly fell in love with her smile.

  Δ

  Telon turned and headed toward the Great Hall, ready to meet another long day despite his lack of sleep. His chance meeting with Lizzy nearly had him floating through the mountain. A voice from the side caught him and kicked him straight in his gut, crushing his state of ecstasy.

  “So, you fancy the farm girl?” Deyanira asked, her shrill voice slicing threw his dance with destiny.

  Telon slowed a bit, and Deyanira joined him for the walk back. “She is just a friend mother, don’t make a big deal of this, please. I just met her and helped her carry some baskets.”

  “You are a prince of Tunder Bin, you need a certain kind of woman to marry. Trust me, that farm girl is not it,” Deyanira stated very directly, concerned already that he desired the girl.

  “I know who and what I need mother, and I will be the one to pick out just who that is,” Telon responded, hoping to get her to stop.

  “You have not known many girls. Your father and I were soon going to approach Marku about matching you with his daughter.”

  “His daughter is but a little more than a child. I will not be matched by you or anyone else, nobody matched Tegan,” Telon challenged.

  Deyanira stopped her son, turning him around to face her, “Son, you have done many great things and are destined to do so much more. Make sure you take a wife that can help you get there and not one that will take you down.”

  Telon could not believe the contempt his mother had for the less fortunate of the mountain, and apparently for most of the people of Tunder Bin. Deyanira always seemed a bit snobbish to him, but this day he saw her in a new light.

  “Perhaps you don’t think Lizzy, a mere girl from the farmlands, is good enough for me. But were you not a simple, and from what I hear poorly dressed, girl from the fields yourself when you came to work for Tegan’s mother?” Telon was trying to hurt her, and put Deyanira in her place.

  “Yes,” Deyanira snapped back, looking sternly into her son’s eyes, “I was a girl from the fields, not unlike this girl! I know how hard it was. I dealt with all the looks, the gossip, and the many whispers from the shadows. No one ever tried to help, only to hurt me, and put me in my place. I am just trying to protect her from the same fate I have endured, and protect you also. You can do better, and she will be so much happier with someone else, someone of the same level to her.”

  Telon stood still, not believing what he was hearing. He turned to address his mother again, “I know you want the best for me, and always have, but this decision will be mine and mine alone. Please do not interfere with this again, as your thoughts on this topic are not wanted. Good day mother!”

  Deyanira could not believe what had just taken place. It seemed her son was ready to make his own decisions, and she wasn’t quite ready for that. Deyanira was proud of him for that, but at the same time she knew she needed to act quickly to find another for her son, and she had a good idea just what to do.

  Chapter 4: Erol

  When Tegan and Telon were but little dwarves, less than five years of age, they often were inclined to explore the lands around the city. On one such adventure, they happened upon two small and abandoned (or so they thought) mountain tiger cubs. The tigers were a dying breed, even in those days, and seldom seen. What happened to the mother they could only guess, but the cubs were very undernourished and on the brink of death.

  Moro would scold his sons for doing so, but they each carried a cub home to raise and keep. Moro often told them and others, “If their mother had come back and discovered those two dimwits carrying her cubs, they would have had dwarf to eat!” Mountain tigers grew to an immense size, on all fours standing almost twice the height of dwarves. They were extremely wild creatures and Moro doubted heavily they could ever be tamed, let alone whether they would ever be safe enough to live in the mountain.

  Over the years the four became inseparable, the tigers did prove to be safe to have in the mountains.

  Tegan named his tiger Elard, and Telon named his Bramble. The tigers even allowed the dwarf princes to ride them, but only Tegan and Telon were permitted this privilege. Any other dwarf that tried was honored with several deep scratches, courtesy of the tiger they were silly enough to try and mount. This ability enabled the princes a way to travel quickly at need. The cats even carried the brothers into battle, fighting side by side with their masters. As a team, they were very formidable in battle. On this day, they were in the lower hills of the mountains, investigating a bear sighting from the night before.

  Elard carried Tegan deftly down the slippery, green laden slope, early on the spring morning. There was little sound save the cool rain falling against the dampened forest floor, which whispered of the winter that still had a strong hold in the mountains above. The rain helped soften Elard’s steps on the bright, almost glowing, moss that covered the ground and trees of the forest. Tigers were great hunters, and sneaking up on prey was their specialty. Given the bonus of the wet ground, their approach was almost undetectable.

  Tegan sent his brother farther ahead to cover more ground in the search. Only Tegan’s insistence could overcome Telon’s reluctance to separate from his brother. The bears around Tunder Bin were nothing to mess with, so they agreed to signal the other should they discover anything. Tegan wanted to find them fast, before any unsuspecting travelers found the bears, and their death.

  Bears and other beasts of the mountains usually would avoid contact with the dwarves, especi
ally with Elard or Bramble with them. Had they known what they would encounter, the brothers would certainly have brought more help with them.

  As Elard skillfully picked his way down the hill, Tegan could see and hear a battle in full swing below. His axe drawn in his right hand and his small dwarf shield and a handful of mane in his left, Tegan was ready for whatever awaited him. He whistled loudly to let Telon know of the need for him.

  The closer they worked their way to the fight, the easier it was to hear every sound of the great fight. The sound a limb getting bitten, and the following scream of pain filled the forest. As he drew close enough to see the battle clearly, he knew the reason for freakish mashing of body parts, for there was not one but three nearly full-grown bears in the fight.

  “Where in Lemuria is Telon?” Tegan thought aloud. Elard gave a quick look to Tegan as he was having the same thoughts of Bramble. Below him the bears cornered a young ogre. It was obvious from the looks of the four combatants that this battle had been going for some time.

  The ogre was struggling for every breath, with scrapes covering most of his body and ripped clothes. His most serious injury appeared to be his left arm, harbored useless from a terrible bite. The bears also looked worn, with several swollen eyes and at least one missing ear.

  In another area of the forest and at a different time, Tegan would have enjoyed watching this battle, much like a great play. It was not, however, another area of the forest. The fight was well within the boundaries of Tunder Bin, and further none of the passers below had asked for permission to be there. It was always difficult to enter a fight halfway through and try to decide who was right and wrong, and Tegan needed to decide quickly if he was going to help the ogre before it was too late. He really had nothing against either the ogre or bears in general, but he decided he would join and help the ogre as he was outnumbered. Anyone or anything that could be in a battle with three giant bears was someone he wanted to be on his side.

  Elard and Bramble (if the cat and Telon ever showed up) hated bears. It was a very easy decision for them as tigers and bears have forever battled for feeding grounds. They would often fight for dominance in the same areas for years upon years. Elard was eager for the fight, and would not be held back much longer.

  Dwarves loved to fight, and Tegan’s fighting days were numbered. After the coronation, Telon alone would get the assignments to check out these disturbances. Although a few weeks had passed since Moro’s death, Tegan was just beginning to feel joy again. He was eager for this fight, and would not wait for Telon.

  The bears had the upper hand, with the ogre pinned against a large tree. He was using a branch in his right arm to keep the bears at bay. Though his left arm was maimed, and despite the immense pain, he used it to club the bears if they came too close too fast. Though this battle could continue for quite a while, the victor was decided. It was only a matter of time before the quickly tiring ogre would fall as he was outnumbered and severely wounded. All involved were huffing heavily, sweaty, and tired when Tegan decided to enter the fight.

  Elard, finally allowed to pounce, bounded over the hedges that had shielded them with a deafening growl that drew the attention of the bears. As the bears turned on Tegan, the ogre eagerly took a chance to gather his breath, allowing his exhausted body to relax against the tree behind him.

  Tegan stood on the Elard’s back while holding onto a handful of tiger mane for balance, as the tiger landed Tegan launched himself through the air at the closest bear. The bear was ready, and quickly stretched his head out to meet the onslaught. Its jaws opened to catch Tegan, but in doing so the bear opened himself to Tegan’s axe, which he slashed sharply through the bear’s snout. It lurched back away from Tegan as it tried to wipe the pain away with a paw. The axe split the bear’s nose clean in two as blood spurted out of the fresh gash.

  Elard went after his own bear, even as Tegan flew off his back. They squared off, slowly turning around each other. The two ancient enemies feigned swings with their deadly claws, probing each other for a weakness to exploit. The two reared back and sprung together, locking with incredible force. All in the clearing felt the impact. The collision caused each attacker to glance back, and then re-engage in a blood-letting embrace. The fight was intense, with each delivering blows that would have killed lesser foes.

  Having recovered his breath and with his courage emboldened by the help, the ogre attacked anew. The third cat was his target, but it forgot the ogre was behind him. The ogre put the bear into a headlock, causing it to squeal uncontrollably as it fought to draw a breath, but getting away from the ogre was impossible. Tegan and the ogre were in control, when suddenly, a fourth bear rushed from the forest. This one, however, made the other bears look like babies. In fact, they were babies. Her babies.

  The mother bear bounded over the bushes without altering her stride. These were the same bushes Elard had jumped only moments before. She looked to her children and saw their disadvantage. The tide turned again as she entered the fight. The bear went straight for the ogre, sinking her teeth into his good arm as he again wailed in pain. The mother bear nearly lifted him off his feet, his maimed left arm doing him little good. He had to release his hold on the first bear, which immediately attacked the defenseless ogre.

  As the mother released her grip to gain a better hold, the Ogre fell to the ground, cradling his mangled arm. The bears then rolled him over and began pawing at his back as the ogre lay face down to protect his arms and face. Each swipe gouged into the mighty ogre’s skin, blood quickly soaking into his already dirty shirt. He tried to crawl away from his attackers, but found no reprieve.

  Telon finally arrived. He stood for a moment just outside the opening where the mighty foes had challenged each other, watching the battle in front of him. A part of him was hesitant to move in, but he knew he must. He could feel the urge in Bramble to join the battle, and Bramble could sense his hesitation.

  Telon pulled out the ring his mother had given him so long ago, and gave it a quick kiss before putting it back inside his shirt. He held tight as Bramble lurched through the trees and into the clearing. Bramble roared as he entered the battle, letting all know that there was yet another foe joining the fight. Bramble jumped onto the largest bear sinking his dagger-like claws into its side, ripping strips of hide off the beast, even though it was twice his height.

  Telon rolled off Bramble’s back onto the ground, landing right next to Tegan.

  “Glad to see you could make it,” Tegan said, while still tangling with his bear.

  “Someone had to save you! What were you thinking jumping into this alone?” Telon reprimanded, concerned for his brother’s brash behavior.

  “Sorry, brother,” Tegan answered. “I didn’t notice that I was quite saved yet. Maybe you should tell the bears they are beaten so they can go home!” Tegan was glad to have Telon by his side.

  “All right, let’s get this over with,” Telon said as he readied himself to engage. Before he could, Elard took a tremendous swipe at his bear, knocking it back onto the ground. The bear landed between the two dwarves. Both landed lethal blows with their axes into the beast. As the blades found their marks to the throat and chest, the young bear gurgled its last roar. The throaty wail hurt even the ears of the dwarves, who felt bad for ending its life early. There was now one less bear to fight.

  The sight of the dead cub enraged the other bears. The feeling of the entire battle elevated in intensity. The remaining cubs regrouped behind the mother bear, who roared wildly as her cub lay dead at the feet of the dwarves. Her body shook with anger as she contemplated a charge through her cub’s slayers that would end the battle quickly, one way or another. The other two cubs stood by her as Tegan, Telon, and their two tigers formed up in front of them. The ogre was unconscious behind the dwarves, and could offer no more help. Tegan stepped toward the bears cautiously, hoping to calm the wild beasts down.

  “Bear,” Tegan started, unsure if he would be understood, “we had to kill
one of yours, and you may have killed the ogre. You will surely take several of us in a fight, and we will probably be able to take several of you before we are done, even if we lose.” The bear was calming and starting to feel the effects of her torn hide and other injuries, although the agony at her lost cub would not soon die. Tegan continued, “I regret we had to kill one of your cubs, but I do not want to take any more. Leave now and we will not pursue, you have my word as heir to the throne of Tunder Bin.”

  They held their ground in front of both the fallen cub and the unconscious ogre, waiting to see what the bear would do. The mother lost a cub, but still had two to take care of. Had they been fresh and without injury, the bears could most certainly win this fight. As it was, the outcome was uncertain, but surely death awaited both sides before the end.

  The bear slowly took three steps back, calling back her two remaining cubs. She then lowered her head to signal the fight was over, and lumbering past Tegan went over and picked up her fallen cub in her mouth and slumbered away. The other two cubs followed in tow, forming a funeral dirge which brought sadness to the dwarves. The battle was not won, but it was over.

  The dwarves and the tigers bore injuries from the furious battle, but first they needed to discover if the ogre lived. Tegan and Telon slowly stepped toward the ogre, not knowing what its temperament would be, if it lived. He was young, roughly half grown, and severely injured. He was breathing heavily labored, and deep moans showed its level of suffering, but he still lived.

  “Bring some water!” Tegan ordered Telon. As he began to clean the scrapes and cuts of their new friend, Telon hurried to the stream close by. Tegan then leaned close to the ear of the enormous man, and softly assured the ogre, “Friend, I am Tegan. Be calm, we will help you.”

  The ogre struggled to open an eye, it finally focusing on Tegan. He did not speak, but did lay his head farther back and began to relax. He knew he was safe.