The Demon's Chamber

by Brian Spielbauer

  The gargoyles were known to steal the harpy women, capturing them to fulfill their needs. Then they subjected them to a horrible life of cruelty. The goblins and gargoyles were jealous of the harpies’ beauty, as they both had none.

  As they saw the harpies below, Farin ordered two of his guards to capture a harpy or two, “Cast a net and secure them, but we will have to come back!” Regardless of the situation, the gargoyles never missed an opportunity to capture a harpy.

  The harpies saw the enemy coming and began to flee, but one did not notice until it was too late. Her name was Angelica, and she was a daughter to Bella, queen of the harpies.

  “Help!” Angelica cried, looking to her people as the gargoyles entangled her, but the other harpies already fled for their own safety.

  “No help for you! I will enjoy your company when I return!” the soldier laughed sinfully. The two gargoyles tied Angelica to the branches of the tree, eagerly awaiting their return. Angelica had heard stories of harpy treatment at the hands of the gargoyles, and the thought of what awaited made her shudder. She was a very young harpy, just coming of age, and was scared for her life.

  Milan felt sorry for the young harpy and hoped someone would be able to free her before the gargoyles returned. Their eyes met as she was carried away, each doubted they would ever meet and feared for the other.

  As Milan’s captors left the captive harpy behind, they soon approached the mountains ahead. The gargoyles desperately beat their wings harder as they began to rise higher and higher. The slope of the rocky walls rose sharply to the sky. The Demon’s Chamber was built and carved directly into the mountain, and was very like Tunder Bin but not nearly as lighted or clean. The feel was evil and the look sinister.

  As they landed Milan realized several other gargoyles had joined them in flight. She recognized them as the group that was passed by on its way to attack Tegan. They were not all there, and the ones that were each carried their own wounds.

  “I take it you found my husband,” she asked with a hint of a grin, forgetting for a moment her tenuous position.

  One of the attackers swiftly lunged at her, cackling, “It didn’t go well for us indeed, but far better than it went for the dwarves!”

  She quickly looked down into the diamond that would not leave her hands, and saw the glow was far dimmer now. Something indeed must have gone bad for him, the glow was not out, but it was very low. Concentrating with all her might, she sent as much of her energy through the diamond as she could, and into her trance.

  As she sat there holding the red jewel, paying no attention to her surroundings, a very large and beastly looking gargoyle walked in. He stood twice the height of the other gargoyles and carried a three-spiked spear called a triton. The gargoyle first spoke with Farin, who bowed deeply before him. When Farin stood, he said, “Lord Sain, the child was not there. We tore her quarters apart looking….”

  With a slight wave of his triton, Farin was thrown across the room like a toy. He rolled to a stop on the rough stone floor, fighting to scramble back to his feet. Sain was sorely disappointed to not have both Milan and her son.

  “Fools!” Sain said in a voice that sounded like thunder as smoke emitted from his mouth, “the dwarf queen is smarter than you!” Sain moved closer to look at Milan who, for the first time, noticed the King of the Gargoyles.

  As he looked down he caught Milan’s gaze and held it, and they searched each other’s mind. Sain thought words and they wrapped around Milan like a tornado, “Your husband cannot save you from here. The trap is set and you are the bait, the Master’s plan will soon be complete!”

  Milan did not squint and did not blink as she stared down her captor defiantly, thinking back to him (much to his surprise), “You cannot see all, and you don’t know all. Your Master’s plans will fail and all who help with this plan will be destroyed with it!”

  “I admire your courage, you would have made a good gargoyle.” Sain said aloud, the others around him laughing, “But it is a fool’s hope you have. Our army will show itself soon and all will fall before it.”

  “Evil has one army, but all of the armies of good will defeat you.” Milan said aloud also as she held her stare, before she looked down again. Ignoring where we she was, concentrating only on where she wanted to be, she prayed for Tegan’s safety. The gargoyles, following Farin’s orders, carried her into a separate room. She would be given no food, no drink, and no place to lay down. No comfort would be afforded her. All she had was the hopes, dreams, and the prayers she carried with her. Nothing more.

  Sain surrounded her with evil spells that were relentlessly attacking, ever weakening her. He knew that while she was strong, they could not touch her. She would weaken though, eventually, and then she would fail.

  When she did eventually succumb to the evil attack, the revenge and humiliation of Dorir, Moro, Tegan, and all the lands of the dwarves would be complete. Herrog, the most powerful sorcerer ever known, would have what he most desired. He would have the destruction of the entire race of dwarves, and the rule of Lemuria along with it.

  Chapter 16: The Failed Plan

  The inescapable tension ever worked to increase its grip on the good people of Tunder Bin. Dwarves were bustling about, frantically securing their homes in preparation for war. Try as they might, they could not erase the avalanche of thoughts about what they believed loomed just ahead of them. Their queen and her son were kidnapped, with their adored King gone to find her. The goblin and gargoyle attacks on the city had all on edge. Dwarves that were normally good natured were grumpy, and the normally grumpy dwarves were down right impossible.

  Telon took his responsibility seriously, and was unyielding in preparation of the army. The soldiers were put to the test under his watch, spending the first half of every day drilling the tactics of war. The second half was spent safeguarding the city as much as possible and making the weapons of war that soon would be needed. His men worked very long days, starting well before the sun rose without little more than a pause until long after it went down.

  The women ceased to fare much better, as many of them were being taught self-defense and swordsmanship in the afternoons after working hard all morning doing their normal duties. Much was expected of them, as dwarves they were taught how to handle weapons, though they were seldom used in fighting. Their latest lessons served as a stern dual reminder; how to handle their weapons, and that they would never be allowed to use them. Either way, the women were all too eager for the lessons.

  “Let us fight!” Seran, Jaric’s wife, pleaded to Coric as she brandished her axe masterfully through the exercises. Seran was once quite a beautiful dwarf woman, but the years (and many children) had taken their toll. She was on the border of elderly now, having reached the age of one hundred and fifty-two. During her best years she had given birth and raised fourteen children. All ten of her boys were rising through the ranks of the army, proudly following in the footsteps of their high-achieving father.

  “Your husband would die many deaths before he allowed the women dwarves to pick up an axe or sword. Do you not trust in our army to defend you?” Coric questioned Jaric’s wife.

  “I do trust the army, but what if we are needed? Should we not be ready? I would rather give up my life than to see young dwarves have to die,” Seran said trying to reason with Coric.

  “That is why we have you training, but that is a last resort! Woe to any that challenge you and many of the women under this mountain, and to our enemy should that last resort be needed. But I assure you, just as the sun chases the moon out of the sky every morning, our army will be strong enough to end this war in our favor. We soon will come back in peace to live many more years under this mountain, and see our children’s children grow old.” Coric tried to calm her worries and went back to his duties, which now consisted of barking swordsmanship orders to the other women of the city.

  All of this and more Telon diligently oversaw as the king. Nothing was left to chance under his watch in
the city’s time of need.

  “You were born to do this,” Deyanira gushed, very proud of the job he was doing.

  “No, I was born to help my brother do this, it’s his job when he returns,” Telon contradicted, still perturbed he was not with Tegan (the blame of which he lay directly on his mother).

  “Of course, I was only trying to praise your effort,” Deyanira corrected herself, “I am proud of both of my sons and pray for Tegan’s soon and successful return.”

  A messenger came forth to Telon, interrupting their conversation.

  “Lord, a private message has come for you.”

  “I will leave you alone,” Deyanira replied as Telon and the messenger went into a side room. Even though Deyanira was nosy, she knew it was time to leave the King alone. She could not have been prouder, it was the happiest she ever was to be excused from a conversation.

  After entering the room, the messenger continued, “It was sent by falcon. It is from your brother.” He handed the message to Telon.

  Telon excused the messenger and then looked at the note, the words of which pained him to read. He immediately called for General Deron, Jaric’s eldest son.

  Deron arrived shortly, and upon entering the room said, “Lord, our army is ready for whenever you call for us.” He was pleased of the gains they had made.

  “General, I have received a message from Tegan,” Telon relayed to Deron, almost in a whisper, “He has received information that we have a traitor among us. This dwarf, who will meet a lengthy and excruciatingly painful death as soon as we find him, has been providing the gargoyles with information for the attacks. We must be discrete in our search, Tegan has reason to believe it is probably someone of high rank. I trust you, which is why I am confiding in you. Do you have anyone who you might suspect?”

  “No. None I can think of. I will keep a watchful eye. The news of a dwarf betraying their own to an enemy is grievous news indeed!” Deron lamented.

  “Yes, it is,” Telon replied, trying to think of who it might be.

  “Is there any other news from Tegan?” Deron asked, trying to find some good news from Tegan.

  “He has had a stroke of luck, and has been given a map to the gargoyles lair, a place called the Demon’s Chamber. That is where he believes Milan is being held. The four are still together and closing in. Tegan does not think Lizzy and Jedrek are with Milan, we need to again search the city for any sign of them.” Telon paused for a second to consider the possibilities of where Lizzy and Jedrek might be. He then looked back to Deron and finished by saying, “The time is near. Our army needs to stay ready.”

  “We will check the records to see who has come and gone, and what their purpose was,” Deron said. “I assure you, we can do no more than we currently are to get our army ready.”

  Telon then said sternly, “We can always do more.”

  “Yes Lord!” was Deron’s only reply.

  Telon then excused him. The King toured the city, noting anywhere that needed fortified. He finally ended up at the lower gate and decided to check the books to see who had been coming and going. The only dwarves that checked out who weren’t working outside on the fields were Deyanira and Milan.

  He addressed the guard, “Are we certain Lizzy has not left by any of the tunnels?”

  “We are certain Lord, unless she would have taken some of the abandoned tunnels. Those have not been used for years, and surely would have put them in the goblins hands. We have kept very accurate records ever since the word came down.”

  “Check all of the tunnels, there are a few the goblins never found out about. We need to find any sign of them. If anyone unusual tries to come or go, detain them until we can check them out. Also post guards to watch our lesser used doors, someone may be sneaking in and out,” Telon commanded.

  “Will do Sir,” the guard responded, clapped his hand to his chest, spun and departed.

  Telon’s thoughts of who the traitor could be shackled his attention, and he was unable to set it free. He knew it wouldn’t be Deyanira or Milan. Possibly a soldier that had been overlooked for promotion? The only dwarf that came to mind was Coric, but even that he greatly doubted. He walked through the halls, working his way up to the Great Hall. He was very proud of the work his people had done to prepare the last few days. It was a difficult task under tough circumstances.

  Despite the hard work and rough times, he marveled at the toughness of his dwarves. Even now there was time to smile, time to laugh, and time to appreciate. Then, once again, his thoughts came back to the trial of these times, but no doubt the hardest thing to stomach was the traitor among them. He also began to really accept how much he missed Lizzy, and how he dearly hoped to see her again. He wanted to search for her but he knew he couldn’t leave the duty bestowed to him by his brother.

  Deyanira was waiting for him when he reached the Great hall, “What’s wrong? Have you heard poor news from Tegan?”

  “Yes, he is on his way to a place called the Demon’s Chamber. That is where the gargoyles have taken Milan. He also said he doubted Lizzy or Jedrek were with them.” Telon was worried about saying too much, but it was his mother, whom he trusted above all.

  “Lizzy will have quite a price to pay for taking Jedrek, I knew she was nothing but trouble!” Deyanira snapped.

  “Mother, Lizzy did not steal Jedrek. She is in trouble, and we need to find her,” Telon was tired of the endless accusations by Deyanira, and couldn’t take it anymore.

  “I am sorry, I just have never liked that girl. It is hard to understand your feelings for her,” Deyanira explained.

  “Lizzy is a strong person and she will find a way to make it through this.” Telon wanted to try and explain why he loved Lizzy, but he knew it was a waste of time. “I also fear for Tegan, I should be with him.”

  “You need not worry about your brother, Tegan is a strong and a mighty warrior. He stands a good chance in any fight, no matter where it takes place,” Deyanira said, digging for more.

  “There is something else,” Telon said grudgingly, not sure if he should continue, “He believes we may have a traitor among us, someone that may have been in contact with the gargoyle king.”

  “That seems quite possible. How could they know exactly where to go to get Milan and Jedrek? The goblin attack was just a diversion from the real attack!” the scorn of betrayal filing her voice.

  “We have to find this traitor before any more trouble is caused. This battle is only beginning of an all-out war, we can’t have our every move known by the enemy,” Telon agreed, determined to find the traitor and remove him.

  “Telon, we must consider all possibilities. Everyone is a suspect, including you and me. Milan must also be considered, she is with the enemy now. Who knows, she may have been planted by the enemy! Maybe her kidnapping was a fake?”

  “Mother that cannot be! We know Milan is not the one,” Telon was exasperated by his mother’s accusation, and could not believe what he was hearing.

  “I am not saying it is her, just that everyone is a suspect. I am sure you could even come up with reasons why it may be me. Until we know who it is, mark no one off your list!”

  “Mother, you are wise, but I hope you are off the mark. Can’t we even trust our closest friends and family?” The weight of being king was dragging on Telon, there was so much for his mind to consider. He wished for the days when he was younger with no worries, but those days were long gone.

  Telon thought about everything that was going on, and came to a conclusion. “I trust the city to you and your wisdom. I was not made or meant for this position. I am taking our army and marching to aid Tegan, if we are not too late.”

  Telon made a decision that, right or wrong, he could live with. He would send messages to all the tribes of dwarves to inform them of his intentions. If he couldn’t trust what he did while in the mountain, he would not be in the mountain anymore.

  Telon announced to Deyanira, “It is time for the dwarves to march to war, we will d
epart in the morning to aid out King. You will be in charge when we have departed.”

  “Your brother trusted you to run his city, this is not what he wanted,” argued Deyanira, not wanting Telon to leave.

  “He did what he had to do, and I do the same. I pray we are both right.” Telon felt locked in, and desired the freedom of being out. He knew he was never meant to be king and was glad to be rid of the duty.

  Deyanira tried one more time, “Telon, you have an obligation to your king and your family to stay here and perform this duty, please do as your brother asked.”

  Telon turned around and looked Deyanira in the eyes, “Mother, Tegan wanted me to do what was best for the city, and trust me, that is to have Tegan back. I will go to help him find Milan and bring them both back.”

  Telon sent orders for his army to assemble the very next morning. All went to sleep early that night, after spending the last few precious hours with their families.

  In the middle of the night, a guard woke Telon from his deep sleep. “Sir, General Coric was seen leaving the city earlier. We knew you would want to know, a tracker is following him.”

  Telon thought this indeed strange, and immediately dressed to see what Coric was doing. Telon went with the guard out into the night. The tracker left many signs for them to follow as they slipped past the river where Milan had been attacked, and deep into the woods on the other side. The tracker met them at the base of a small hill, cautioning them to be quiet.

  “Lord Telon,” the guard whispered, “Coric is not far ahead. It appears that he is going into the woods to meet others, but I did not go as far as to see who it was.”

  “Thank you. I will go ahead alone,” Telon advised. “Be ready to come when I call.”

  He crept up the hill silently. As he approached the top, he could see the glow of light from torches over the hill. He could barely make out the two voices ahead, but one sounded quite familiar. He scurried over the rim of the hill and crawled behind some fallen trees to remain hidden. Torches were still lit on poles below, but the people who were there seemed to have disappeared. In the opening stood two dwarves in an argument, one holding a knife to the other. The voice he made out was General Coric. To Telon’s astonishment, Coric held a dwarf against a tree with a knife to her throat.