The Demon's Chamber

by Brian Spielbauer

  “Mother?” Tegan asked, thinking she was far away.

  “She is here, arriving last night with a brigade brought by King Fiji. He is here with the remaining human men. King Arlow left a host of men to watch the city at Deyanira’s request.”

  “King Arlow? What men?” Tegan had heard nothing of the men, having left the city before all had taken place with the men and King Fiji.

  “Their coming is a blessing,” King Fiji started, as he entered the area with the other dwarves as Tegan rose and they embraced. “They came down south, having been driven from Calonia in the north. They are mighty warriors and will aid us greatly in our battle with those in the mountain.”

  “I look forward to meeting these men, and King Arlow. First, I need to see Deyanira. Where is she?” Tegan asked.

  Telon took him to a tent at the far end of the camp. They entered to find Deyanira sitting in a chair, as if she was waiting for them to arrive.

  “Mother,” Tegan said as he knelt before her. “I doubted if I would ever see you again.”

  “Tegan, I knew you would succeed,” she said as she rose, pulling Tegan to his feet, embracing him. “And you saved Milan, but what of my grandson?”

  “He is with Dorir’s people, we hope. Lizzy took him there just before the attack. We have sent searchers to find her and Jedrek.”

  “Lizzy is an imbecile! For her sake, I hope she made it. Why wasn’t I included in the decision? Was I not trusted?” she asked, very angry that she wasn’t told.

  “Mother, Milan did the best she could. I left her when she needed me the most. She had to make the decisions for our child’s safety. Do not question her, please,” Tegan compelled.

  “I only ask because I could have helped. I would do anything to ensure my families safety. It has always been the main factor behind everything I have done,” explained Deyanira.

  “Then you will understand why Milan did what she did, for you both share the same motivation,” Tegan said as he rose to leave.

  “Son,” Deyanira started in a calm voice, “I am sorry for how I came across. I only am questioning Milan because I question myself. I have not put myself in a place where Milan would trust me completely, and that is my fault. I am sorry.”

  Tegan paused for a moment and then turned to his mother and said, “We have all been out of sorts. We probably have or will say something before the end of this that we wish we could take back. There is nothing to forgive. I must go now to see about Jedrek.”

  After sending dwarves out to search everywhere between Tunder Bin and the Ring of Mountains, Tegan turned his attention to the task at hand. He left to meet with the leaders of each group that made up the army to battle Sain and the gargoyles.

  In the meeting was King Fiji and his son Treeg, Bryon and King Arlow, King Dorir, Erol, and Tegan and Telon. “What are our numbers?” inquired Tegan. “Telon tells me we had three thousand before King Fiji and the men arrived.”

  King Fiji rose, “I have brought an additional eight hundred dwarves and King Arlow another four hundred men. I also have word from Darrow, Marku’s son. He has sent one thousand warriors to us. They should arrive tomorrow. Marku has passed. Darrow is now King of the Dragon Glades.”

  “That is bad news of Marku, but Darrow will be a great leader. Any word from Kilgore?” Tegan asked.

  “No,” Fiji answered.

  “Nothing,” agreed Dorir.

  “He will send what he can,” added Fiji. “He is loyal.”

  Cries arose from outside, and all went out to see what it was.

  Tegan exited his tent to see Kyrie, surrounded by a growing throng of dwarves with axes drawn. All of them had seen Sain on the plains a few days before, and assumed this was him again. Kyrie was holding his ground, not wanting to hurt the dwarves. Tegan quickly ran and stood in front of Kyrie, ready for battle, much to the dismay of the dwarves.

  “He is with us! Stay yourselves! He is with us, and be glad that he is!” Tegan yelled to his kinsmen.

  Kyrie then knelt and laid his hands on the ground, palms up, to show he had no ill intentions.

  Aaron stood forth and said, “You maintain strange friends, Tegan.”

  “I do, and you are counted as one of them!” Tegan shot back, his temper obvious. “In these times, I will take any friends I can get, strange or not!”

  The dwarves were wary of the gargoyle, but allowed him to enter their camp. Kyrie followed Tegan to his tent and entered, though he could barely fit inside. All except Jaric and Erol grabbed their weapons before Tegan could slow them.

  “Friends,” Tegan began, “this is Kyrie. He helped me when I was in need. The gargoyles attacked us while we were chasing Milan. Without him, we would be dead.” Tegan paused for a moment, and then continued, “He helped us a second time after getting Milan out of the gargoyle’s castle. His friendship is proven.”

  Kyrie waited as all eyes turned to him, then he spoke, “I have helped as best I could. I am Kyrie, rival to Sain, ousted and thought dead. I am a gargoyle, but I crave not destruction as Sain does. I believe we can coexist, and even be helpful to each other. I will be challenging Sain soon, and I will defeat him. In this endeavor, it is I who will need your help. We will also need to heed the advice of Quelna, who has worked long in anticipation of this trial.”

  At that moment, a hooded figure stepped forward from the corner of the tent who no one had noticed to that point. It was Quelna, sorcerer of Dorir. He lowered his hood and looked and the assemblage in front of him, and then addressed them, “You believe you are here to take down Sain, King of the Gargoyles, but you are mistaken. Sain is but a puppet to Herrog, who was my mentor. He is the one that set these events in motion long ago. Herrog is still the one pulling the strings of the actions today, even though few of you have ever heard of him and even fewer have seen him. He is the one that must be defeated, he is where our focus must fall.”

  King Dorir stood, having known Quelna the longest. “Quelna has long warned me of the wizard Herrog and his evil intentions. For the longest time, I did not want to know the extent of these intentions. If recognized, I would have taken a far more urgent stance against him, and alerted all of you. I apologize for my ignoring this, but we must be bold in our actions now. What do you propose we do, Master Quelna?”

  “We need to put our full force against Herrog and Sain,” Quelna answered. “Timo has been held captive by Herrog, and we need to set him free. I sent him there to observe and to discover, if possible, a weakness. Our only hope is that he found something that we could use to defeat Herrog.”

  “On the attack, I will confront and draw forth Sain.” Kyrie suggested. “That will give someone the chance to enter the Demon’s Chamber to find and free Timo.”

  Telon stood forward. “I will go for Timo, and I think it best if I go alone,” he proclaimed.

  “Alone?” questioned Tegan. “Surely you have gone mad.”

  “A large group will never enter the Chamber,” Telon replied. “Never. But if you can distract the main force, I can get in there.”

  The group fell silent waiting for Tegan to respond. He knew it was a good plan, but in his heart, he wanted to find a reason to not do it.

  Quelna ended the silence. “You are brave, Telon, and wise. But you will not go alone, as all our hopes for success go with you. A small group will accompany you and escort you to the mountain at the very least.”

  Tegan nodded his approval, and then moved on with the planning. “We will attack at dusk. While it may give the gargoyles an advantage at night, it may also give Telon more cover.”

  Shortly thereafter, the group broke to prepare for each of their parts in the upcoming battle. It would be a long afternoon, as all thoughts drifted toward the battle ahead.

  Dorir stayed to talk with Tegan, a conversation he was slow to have.

  “When we rode out to meet Sain, he said something that has eaten at me since,” Dorir was having difficulty getting the words out, knowing Tegan would not take the new well. />
  “What did the serpent say, and why is it worth believing?” Tegan asked, trying to help Dorir deliver his news.

  Dorir set his jaw, and said, “Sain told us Telon turned on us, that he was the one who was telling our secrets and that he killed Coric to keep his secret.”

  The words were like a sword to the side of Tegan. He didn’t believe the message, not one word, but Dorir did. That was where his pain came from.

  “Do not question my brother again, ever. How could you be turned so easily by the words of one so evil?” an angered Tegan challenged the father of his wife.

  “I don’t know,” Dorir said, not sure why he believed it either, “I think it is something we need to watch, I hate the thought of it myself.”

  Tegan got up to leave and just before he left his tent, he turned to Dorir again, “Never bring this up to me, or anyone else again.” Then he turned, and walked away.

  Telon went to his tent, and found Deyanira sitting on his bed. She had been crying. Upon him entering she went to him, trembling, and said, “I am sorry, I don’t know why I did it! I’m so sorry, but you can’t go! Promise me you won’t go!”

  “Mother, what are you talking about, what did you do?” Telon tried to get the story from her, but she withheld. Deyanira shook her head, not wanting to tell her son what she had done. “Mother, what happened? You must tell me!” he demanded.

  Deyanira sat quiet. Then, speaking softly, almost in a whisper, “All of this is my fault. Everything happening now is due to my obsession.” She looked at Telon, with her eyes full of tears and face swollen from sobbing, and began to explain, “I only wanted you to be the king. We deserved that, can you blame a mother for wanting good things for her son? I just wanted you to be king, why did you never want it for yourself?”

  The last question burned through her heart. She could never understand how Telon could care so little about something for which she cared so much.

  “What obsession? Why did you want me to be king, when your other son is? How could you choose between us?” Telon asked Deyanira, not truly grasping her desires and intentions.

  Deyanira lost control, and went into a rage, “Tegan was not my son, he was the son of that whore! She was not fit to be the queen, nor a mother. Her son has no right to the throne of Tunder Bin, it should have been you! Yes, I took care of Tegan and tried to love him as much as you, but Tegan was not my son. He is not my son! I wanted you to be king, and did what I needed to do to make it happen, though it seems my dreams will not come true.”

  She quieted, trying desperately to stop herself from shaking. Deyanira realized she had said too much. She stepped away from Telon, who stood still. After a pause, she and went on, with more control, “Everything that has happened since is my fault. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. Tegan was supposed to lead that patrol and he was never to escape that mountain. Everything was set. Everything was set.” The last of Deyanira’s words trailed off.

  Telon, while not knowing what exactly Deyanira had done, was beginning to realize the importance of what she was saying. He stood and grabbed Deyanira by the wrist, “Come Deyanira, you will need to tell your story to Tegan, the King!” Telon drug her to Tegan to face him. They entered the tent with Tegan, King’s Dorir and Fiji, and Kyrie already there. Quelna was there as well.

  “Telon! What are you doing?” Tegan said, seeing the struggle between the two. “Let mother go!”

  “Tegan, Deyanira has things she needs to tell you,” Telon said as he threw his mother to her knees in front of Tegan. She only looked to the ground, weeping.

  Tegan reached down and lifted her chin until their eyes met. He spoke to her in a kind voice. “Mother, what do you have to tell me? What have you done to anger my brother so?”

  Deyanira became angry again at having to answer the questions from one she had grown to detest over the years. Her voice full of resentment, she said, “You are not my son! I took care of you almost from birth, but you are not mine.” Deyanira looked away, thought for a moment, and then looked back at the one she no longer cared for. “I have put into motion events so that my true son might be king, as he rightfully should be…” Her voice trailed off as she finished, “… but they have failed.”

  She looked back to the ground, spent. Tegan would not have it. He lifted her chin again, angrily this time. He said with growing contempt, “Woman, you will tell me what you have done!”

  “I can tell you,” Kyrie said, walking into Deyanira’s sight, for she had not noticed him earlier. Deyanira cowered at the sight of the gargoyle. “So, you are the one,” Kyrie said. “You are the traitor. You are the deal maker, and the one who speaks with Sain in the forest. I have seen you on several occasions. Tell me what you have done, and how it can be undone.”

  “I don’t know who you are, but no one here can undo what I have done! The picture is painted, and it only needs to dry. It is done! Sain will soon rule all the land, for none can oppose him,” Deyanira said, straight-faced, as if in a daze. She looked at Telon. Her regret returned as she went on desperately. “I only tried to save my people and my family. I was required to give up Tegan, and that I tried to do. But… instead, my beloved husband was murdered.” Deyanira then went quiet and would not speak further.

  Tegan could not contain his emotions anymore. “So, you chose to give me up by having my wife and child taken, knowing I would follow? Thus, making Telon King in my place? I loved you like a son because that is what I was, and all I have ever known… your son! I did all that you asked. How could you do this?” Tegan ranted. “You tried to have my wife and child killed, Coric murdered, and his family shamed! You are responsible for Moro’s death!” Tegan ended his rant and then turned away from Deyanira. He could no longer look at her.

  Deyanira looked again at Tegan, revealing her true feelings for him, “You detest me?” she asked mockingly. “I despise you! I sacrificed my life to raise another’s child out of my duty to my husband. He loved you above all! Above me… and above Telon. Above all! Nothing we did could ever compare with the first son of Tunder Bin.” Her sarcasm was thick, her contempt obvious.

  “If you want to blame someone for Moro’s death, blame yourself!” she began in her own rant. “You are the one, my dear son, who was set up to die that night. Not Moro. All that has happened since is because your father took your place, your fate, and above all, your death. Into eternity I will seek to ruin you. Even death will not stay my spite! Did I want to kill your father? No, I wanted to kill you!” As she finished her rant, Tegan stood quietly. He looked away, taking her words in. Without a word in return, he walked out of the tent.

  “You are no longer my mother,” Telon said angrily. “You are nobody to me! You will no longer live here nor benefit from us in any way,” Telon commanded. He grabbed her wrist again and drug her once more through the dirt and mud to the edge of the camp. The other dwarves watched, amazed at Telon’s treatment of her.

  Deyanira broke her silence once again, and begged her son, “Do with me what you will, but do not attempt to get Timo. Sain waits for you, and he will destroy you! Timo is lost.” Despite all that was unfolding, she knew Telon would be killed if he went for Timo. Above all, she did not want that.

  Telon grabbed her by her the collar of her dress and pulled her close one last time. "You tried to kill Tegan in the forest, but father was killed instead! You tried to set up Milan by the river, but that was thwarted by Erol! The blood of Coric stains your hands! You go to that lizard, and you tell him I’m coming. It will either be my death or his!” He then shoved her toward the woods that led to the Demon’s Chamber and turned his back to her. The dwarves who witnessed the excommunication turned their backs to Deyanira in support of Telon.

  Telon rushed back to the Tegan’s tent, “Brother, I knew nothing of what she did! You must believe me.” Dorir was also there, wishing this moment would have never occurred.

  Tegan raised his head to Telon, tears running unfettered down his soiled cheeks. He grimaced sole
mnly. “I do not know who to trust, brother. I wish it were not so.”

  Telon was lost at the words of his brother. The actions of Deyanira created a rift between the two that might never be healed. He then looked to Dorir, and knew what Dorir must have said to Tegan of the words spoken by Sain. Try as he might to control his anguish, he could not, and burst forth, “If I cannot be trusted by my people, even by my brother, then I must go.”

  He turned to leave the tent, but before doing so he ripped the stone given to him by Deyanira from his neck and threw it at Tegan’s feet. It took all the strength he had to hold himself together. All he had ever known and trusted was reduced to rubble in mere moments.

  Jaric entered the tent. He was unaware of what had just occurred. He tried to stop and console Telon, but was nearly knocked to the ground as Telon departed. It was quiet for a long moment. The magnitude of the events slowly sunk in for all those who were present. The loss of such a great warrior on the eve of the battle was not what they wanted, nor expected. Tegan, too was torn, unsure of his actions. Until now he trusted everything in his world to his brother.

  Quelna stood forward, “It will be wise to keep ourselves guarded against all, for there may indeed be more yet doing the will of Herrog. This treachery grows deep. I know not if Telon was part of this, and I pray we may soon find truth to the contrary.”

  Tegan bent low and picked up the stone. He then placed it in his pocket and looked at those still in the room, wondering if there were more in the group he couldn’t trust. “What shall we do now?” he asked. “Does this change any of our plans?”

  Kyrie knew it was his time to step forth and challenge Sain. “It will not take long for Deyanira to make her way to Sain,” he said. “And he will know quickly who I am. His attack will be fast. Many gargoyles would be supportive of me if they knew I lived. We need to act quickly.”

  A soldier entered the tent. Frantically, he announced, “King Tegan, Telon has departed the camp. I tried to stop him, but I could not. He would not tell me where he was going.”