“Mother!” Telon screamed as he ran to save her.
Coric turned to address Telon, “Lord, you must wait to hear me out!”
“Put your knife down, have you gone mad?” Telon protested, trying to figure out what was taking place.
“He is the traitor, he killed your father and is now going to kill me!” Deyanira screamed in defense.
“Quiet liar! You will spread evil no more!” Coric yelled as he readied to stab Deyanira.
Telon saw the blade being swung at his mother and reacted quickly, throwing a knife that pierced Coric’s hand, knocking the blade to the ground.
With a quick glance to Telon he muttered, “This ends now, and he drew his sword with his left hand, raising it to swing at Deyanira. Telon again acted, this time not to slow his foe, but to end him. Before Coric could bring his weapon against his target, Telon’s sword stabbed through the heart of one he knew well. Coric froze in death, and fell forward onto the ground at the feet of Deyanira.
Deyanira held tight to the tree, with several scrapes on her head. She turned, slowly and painfully, toward Telon.
“Telon, I hoped you would come for me,” she said weakly.
“What happened? How did you get here?” Telon asked Deyanira.
“Telon,” started Deyanira, “Coric was the traitor. I went for a late-night walk and he came from behind me and brought me here to give me over to the gargoyles! They were angry with him because he failed to bring you or Tegan, and they left him here to kill me.” Deyanira was lost in her tears, and spoke no more about it.
Telon and the two dwarves escorted Deyanira back to the mountain, but all Telon could think about was why Coric had betrayed them. He was always suspicious of Coric, but Telon never expected this level of treachery. Tegan would take the news of Coric poorly when he found out. He was still thankful, however, that at the least he could save his mother from death at the hands of the gargoyles.
Telon could not sleep, and early the next morning he went to check on Deyanira, who was still resting. Her maidens kept a vigilant watch over her, tending to her every need. Telon sent word to his soldiers their march would be postponed a few hours, and then went to breakfast with General Deron.
“Coric was the traitor, he has been plotting against us for some time. Last night he tried to turn Deyanira over to the gargoyles. We were just able to save her from his knife. Who can we trust?” a distraught Telon asked. So much had happened in the last few weeks, his head spinning from it all.
“Where is he now?” Deron asked, not believing his ears.
Telon looked at Deron, “He is dead, at my hands.”
Deron spoke slowly, carefully picking his words, “Lord, it is tough that we are not able to get Coric’s side of this. I have never once seen, nor heard, anything that would lead me to believe this.”
Telon became irritated. “General, what are you suggesting? What else explains them being out there at that time?”
“Sir, I don’t pretend to know what to suggest,” Deron said in a very calm voice, “only that it is unfortunate that we don’t get to hear from Coric. He was a dear friend to me and many, for as long as I can remember. We have rejoiced with him, fought side by side with him, and buried dear friends with him. Does that not buy him some benefit of the doubt? How can all the things we know about someone be so easily discarded at first sign of something to the contrary?”
Telon could only stare at the food in front of him that remained untouched. He understood what Deron was saying, but he also knew what the evidence of the night before suggested.
Deron then began again, “It may very well be that what happened last night is exactly as Deyanira has implied, and I am not suggesting she is lying. I only wish to say that it is unfortunate that Coric will never be able to defend himself.”
Telon thought for a bit and said, “I only know one thing for certain. If Coric has betrayed us and turned over Milan, Jedrek, and tried to turn over Deyanira, it has gone far better for him that he died in haste at my hands than if he was brought back here in disgrace.” Telon did not look at Deron when he said this, only staring at the table as he sat.
The two were quiet for several uneasy moments, until their silence was interrupted.
“Lord, I have an urgent message for King Tegan. Where is he?” a messenger said. From his dress, it was obvious he was a dwarf from the Flats.
“Has Fiji made it home safe?” Telon looked up from his trance and inquired, thinking it odd he wouldn’t have been home for several days by now.
“Yes, Lord. It is something else.”
“If your message is for the King of Tunder Bin, then that is I. We have much to do here, so deliver your message or be gone,” Telon said, trying to be patient with this visitor.
“King, I am sorry. King Fiji asks that I deliver this,” the dwarf said, as he handed Telon the message.
Telon read it, and crumpled the paper in anger as he sat silently in deep thought, wrestling with the request in the letter. Feeling as though he couldn’t take any more, he looked to General Deron, “You must take control of remaining army and stay here. I am taking five hundred dwarves and marching toward the Flats to aid King Fiji.”
“What has happened?” Deron asked, seeing the despair in Telon’s face.
“He has asked for our help, and we will give it. I don’t know when, only that he urgently needs as many soldiers as we can spare. I don’t know the reason for the request, but he has always answered our call. We will answer his, even now.”
“We will be ready for your return, and use the extra time to prepare the city for when we are gone. Be safe on your journey and send reports as you can. If you need further assistance, we will be there in a day,” Deron said as he stood and went off to order the troops.
Telon quickly formed his warriors and began the short march to the sea, where the Flats village lay. Try as he might, Telon’s cloud of doubt clung to him on his journey.
Δ
It was less than two days’ march along the river to the southwest. Telon took Aaron, Deron’s brother, with him and his legion. Aaron previously reported to Coric, and would be the new general to take over for him. “Our soldiers are wondering what they are doing, and what happened to Coric. Is there anything I can tell them sir?” Aaron inquired gingerly, careful to not upset his tender leader.
“You could tell them when their King delivers an order, the prudent thing to do is to follow it. As for Coric, I will tell them in time,” Telon was not a mood for bantering words.
“Yes, of course, lord. It’s just that we thought we were going to help Tegan, and now we march in another direction, with our General Coric nowhere to be seen. Is he on a special mission for you or Tegan?” Aaron was pretty sure the latter was not true, but was trying to put a positive spin on the question.
Impatient with the inquiries, Telon snapped, “King Fiji requested our assistance, he said it was of necessity that we march immediately to the Flats. He has always been a great friend to our people, often without us knowing the extent of his good will. We will return the favor!”
Telon quieted for a few seconds as Aaron considered how to end the discussion. Telon, leaning toward Aaron to shield the sound of their talk from reaching others, continued, “In truth Aaron, I am not sure what is going on or why we are needed. I have been King for only a few days and am beginning to greatly doubt my ability to lead our people. I fear beyond knowing that soon everyone will see that doubt. I am going on feel now, and I feel we need to be here to help our friends!” Telon then calmed himself again, finishing, “As for Coric, he is dead. Ask no more, lest you be relieved of your duty and sent home!”
Aaron looked at Telon as he marched. He never broke stride. No one watching them could guess that Telon had anything but the utmost confidence in what he was doing. “Sir, we trust all that you do and order, and we will carry out those orders the best of our ability. Doubt no more!”
Telon did not answer, but he felt a little better. They
marched late into the afternoon and into the night, stopping briefly to gain fresh water, a bit of food, and some well-earned rest. Telon wasn’t sure what awaited them at the sea, but he wanted to ensure his army would arrive with some energy.
The small army rounded the last little hill before the village. Laying before them, nestled quietly along the shores of the ocean, was the settlement of the Flats. It consisted of huts built on stilts. The houses stood about a dwarf’s height above the ground, which kept them dry during most storms and high tides. The city was around three thousand dwarves strong, all situated along the sea. Before each hut burned the bright fires each used for cooking their evening meals. It was unusual for them to still have their fires burning this late, as it was well after midnight.
Then Telon noticed it. Not far off shore there were perhaps five ships anchored, lighted by a few torches each. The dwarf that delivered the message was marching alongside Telon. “Take me to Fiji,” Telon demanded, desiring an answer to this riddle. Telon hoped to quickly rejoin his troops at Tunder Bin, but he would not be able to do so until all was taken care of in the Flats.
Telon left his army as they set up camp just outside the city. He, Aaron, and the messenger went to King Fiji. The king’s hut was no bigger than the others. Fiji did not consider himself better than any of his dwarves, and it was evident in all that he did and how he lived. As they approached they saw Fiji sitting outside his meager home, with a few other dwarves by his fire.
“Telon, thank you for coming so soon. Where is your brother?” Fiji asked confusedly, noticing Tegan’s absence as he rose to embrace Telon.
“Gargoyles and goblins attacked our city soon after all of you departed. They took Milan and her child. Tegan left with a company of four to try to save her. The last we heard from him, he had found a passage through to a place called the Demon’s Chamber, a hidden stronghold of the gargoyles on the far side of the Dead Mountains. They departed three days ago.”
“Did Erol go with him?” Fiji asked.
“Yes, along with Timo and Jaric,” Telon answered, curious as to Fiji’s interest is Erol.
“That is a strong group, with a great chance for success in their mission. Erol was sent here for a reason, and perhaps this is it.” Fiji thought aloud, then to Telon, “I have hope, you should also.”
“I do,” Telon replied, but the words even sounded hollow in his ears. “We were ready to march to his aid when your messenger arrived. We altered our course and came here immediately. Tegan appointed me King, but the crown did not suit me in the least. I left it for Deyanira, and prepared the army to march even as your messenger approached me,” Telon explained, trying to show he was up for the task.
Fiji looked at Telon with compassion for one he had known since he was born, knowing all that he had lost, “You carry a large burden for a young king, and have been fraught with tough decisions. You chose to come here instead of aiding your brother, I will not forget that.”
“You were my father’s best friend, and I will not forget that. There is also more bad news, Coric has turned traitor and attempted to give Deyanira over to the gargoyles. I killed him. Thankfully Deyanira survived. We can trust no one.”
“We can trust each other, I know that,” Fiji said, “The enemy wants us to believe we have no hope, and that we are all alone. It is not true! Although we have lost some along the way, and we may lose others still, but all is not lost! Do not let evil completely cloud your mind, hope is what keeps us searching for answers and truth. Lose hope, lose everything!”
Telon listened intently to Fiji. His words did bring Telon hope, and cleared his mind. “I am here, my soldiers are here. I chose this path and we will carry it out. I pray in the end we can look back and decide I planned wisely.”
Telon then switched gears, addressing the problem off shore. “What is the situation we face, who is in those boats?” Telon inquired, wanting to change the subject.
“I know not. It has been three days since we were aware of their approach, and we still have had no contact with them. They have not sought permission to land, which makes me cautious. The boats are not familiar, but they may be from the north of Lemuria. There are so many boats that I am not sure we could defend our city if they attacked, which is why I sent for your help.”
“We need to contact them,” Telon said. “We have sufficient forces now. At dawn let’s head out to meet them with a small party, and see what the sea has delivered to us.”
“Yes, I was just waiting for you to do that,” Fiji agreed with a smile.
Fiji and his sons spent a lot of time on the water with Telon and Tegan over the years. They were very fond of each other, and spent the rest of the night discussing the attack on Tunder Bin and Tegan’s plight, and of course the gargoyles. Fiji spoke of the ancient tales of epic battles between the dwarves and the gargoyles. Though he had never fought in any of them, he was alive during the last ones, but too young to be allowed to fight.
“Gargoyles can never be defeated. They lay their eggs by the thousands, and it takes hundreds of years for them to hatch. You can never find all the eggs, as they lay them in secret places. My father died in the last battles, and we were foolish to think we found all the eggs. We must always remain vigilant. I warned Moro of this, but he never thought they would rise again. It had been so long since the gargoyles were last seen, I even tricked myself into thinking they must have been killed completely.”
“We will defeat them, just like we did before,” Telon ensured Fiji.
“At what cost? There is always a cost,” Fiji asked, fearing the cost of lives that was sure to come.
“The cost will be paid, whatever it is. We have paid it before and will again.”
“It is good to have friends, I appreciate you coming here when you did,” Fiji grew hopeful with every word from the young King of Lemuria.
Telon turned his attention again to the issue at hand, “Where might these boats be from?” Telon asked, not wanting to talk about his father.
“I have visited with the centaurs on the island of Sundaland. They are a bristly people if ever I have met any! But a beautiful island it is, if ever you get the chance to be there. I have been as far to the northwest as the isles off the coast, though I have never been to them. They protect Lemuria from the wicked storms of the northwest that would otherwise wreak havoc on the coast. Other than that, I have walked the border of the Wild and the great Nubari Desert. There is a land to the northeast of Lemuria, Calonia it is, but only one dwarf ever dared to venture there, and he was never seen again. Of the lands to the east, I know well the dwarf lands and those to the north of them. The great battles of old were waged there, up to the edge of the desert. With all of that said, I have never seen boats like these.” At the last Fiji waited for more questions of the lands, but Telon did not pursue it.
Switching back to the here and now, Telon pondered the ships off shore. “Tomorrow will bring what it brings. We had better get some rest,” Telon said wisely. They slept for the rest of the night, with no movement from the boats by the shore.
Δ
At dawn, three boats left the shore with lightly armed dwarves. If swimming was needed, they didn’t want to be bogged down by the thick steel. Telon was only able to see a small number of boats in the dark of night, but the day revealed there were many more anchored than he first believed.
“Why isn’t anyone on deck, I see no one?” Fiji wondered aloud. “Are they manned by ghosts?”
They stopped within a short distance of the first boat. Fiji stood and yelled, “We seek permission to board! Please announce your intentions!” There was no answer.
Then a human man limped up onto the deck. He was injured, and looked ill. He only waved his agreeance for the dwarves to board, not having the strength to speak. As a symbol of peace, he drew his sword. He held it across his hands, and set it on the deck. He then sat and waited for the visitors to board.
The dwarves made their way to the boat and then climbed th
e rope ladders hanging from the side. As they got closer, they could tell the boats had been under heavy attack, there were holes from cannon fire and many of the boards were damaged. The masts were dirty and torn, with a lot of the ropes broken. At one time, this must have been an impressive fleet, but now Telon wondered how the boats had made it this far, and were not resting at the bottom of the sea.
Fiji and Telon were the first to get on the boat, and found the soldier sitting by his sword watching the dwarves board.
“Welcome aboard, dwarves of the south! I wish we could give you a proper welcome,” the man said with a soft smile and dry, creaky, voice. Just listening to the man talk made Telon thirsty.
“Soldier,” Telon began, “who is in charge here? We wish to determine your intentions.”
With great effort, the soldier stood. He was injured and dirty from recent battle, but as he stood, Telon could tell by the way the man carried himself that he was very proud.
“I am Arlow, king of my people, from the land of Calonia in the north. We beg for your mercy, as we have been driven from our homes and land. We have nothing to offer, save our thanks. I have many injured men, and our women and children have gone days without food or water. We were too weak to go further, or even contact you. Please go below and see for yourself. It is a miracle we made it this far. Many have died, and many more will in the coming days, even if you generously decide to help us.”
Telon and several dwarves went below to verify Arlow’s claim. They would not soon forget the horrors that awaited them, as they saw many men were injured. Only a few women were strong enough to try and help their people. The children were dirty, and many were sick or injured. They needed food, rest, and medicine, and they needed it quickly. Telon went back up and said to Fiji, “I know not if these be good or bad people, but we have to help them if we can. They need to get off these boats very soon.”
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