by Brian Murray
Slowly, the Keeper started to walk down the steps. Dax turned his eyes to the Keeper. Sweat started to gleam on his forehead. He could not even afford to wipe his brow. He hoped Zane remained close by in case the Keeper spotted Thade. He looked up at the moon—another large cloud slowly glided towards it. The silhouetted mass moved slowly, too slowly for the warrior’s liking. But it would soon block out the moonlight. The Keeper stopped at the bottom of the steps and gazed around. It stepped out onto the courtyard and its feet crunched on the sandy ground. The creature stopped again. The Keeper paused two strides away from Thade.
Thade began to get impatient and desperately wanted to move his head. He heard footsteps crunch on the ground, getting closer to him. He knew it was not Dax as this person dragged his feet. The footsteps stopped by his head. Thade slowly moved his hand, and his fingers curled around the hilt of one of his daggers. His heart pounded in his chest and he held his breath.
With the Keeper in front of him facing away, Dax risked pulling two daggers free. He hid the shiny blades in the folds of his dark cloak. He looked up again. The cloud edged closer to the moon. The Keeper took another step forward. Stay still Thade, thought the older warrior, do not move.
Thade heard the person take another step closer to him. He slowly exhaled, calming his breathing, so it was long, even, and silent. He wanted to jump up and face his enemy. Every fibre in his body told him to rise, except for his mind. Something deep down in his mind told him to stay still. So, he remained motionless.
***
Zane hid inside the doorway. He heard someone approach him and skulked back into the deep shadows. He watched the Keeper walk past him and outside. He looked out the huge arching doorway and watched the Keeper move smoothly down the steps towards Thade. His mind raced. He watched the Keeper walk across the courtyard, a few strides away from where Thade lay motionless. Zane looked down at his feet and saw a small rock. Swiftly, he bent down and picked up the stone. He looked out at the Keeper and then threw the rock farther into the building. It clattered against a far wall.
***
Dax heard something bounce inside the building. He watched the Keeper turn sharply and face the doorway. Dax could not see into the creature’s deep hood, so could not see which way it was looking. He did not move. His eyes were fixed on the Keeper. The Keeper took a step towards the stairs, away from Thade. Then, swiftly, the Keeper walked up the steps and into the building.
Zane wanted to see if his plan was working. He edged towards the doorway. Suddenly, the Keeper moved silently past him. The Keeper paused. Zane held his breath. The Keeper turned and stared into the darkness where the young king hid. Zane could not see the creature’s ghostly blue eyes, but knew it was staring directly at him. Another noise came from deeper into the building. The Keeper swung away and strolled farther down the corridor without a backwards glance. Watching the creature leave, Zane let out a long breath and his shoulders sagged with relief.
Outside, the cloud drifted across the moon and the courtyard was again engulfed in darkness.
Dax grunted like a badger.
Thade rose swiftly to his feet and raced to where the older warrior waited.
“You will be the death of me, boy,” hissed Dax coldly.
“What, you want me to give you an easy life? I think not,” replied Thade. The two men moved to the steps, climbed them slowly and entered the building.
Zane reached out and grabbed Dax’s cloak.
Dax spun quickly, his daggers in his hands, ready to attack.
Zane held up his hands. “It is I, Zane,” whispered the young king hoarsely.
“Do you want to join with the ground at an early age?” murmured Dax, sheathing his daggers. He looked into the building moving off. “Stay close,” he ordered.
Stealthily, the three men moved farther into the building towards the murmuring sound.
***
Commander Fontis arrived at a hill where he could see into the courtyard over the castle wall. They had found the king’s and his friends’ tethered horses. He had sent down men to scout the area while the rest of them remained on the far side of the hill, out of sight. He peered down into the compound, but saw no movement.
***
The three men moved past several chambers, but there was no activity in them. They continued silently towards the sounds they could hear. A shaft of orange light sliced through the darkness farther along the corridor. As they drew closer they could hear chanting. Edging forward, they reached a set of tall doors that led to the main hall. Dax advanced closer to the doors. They were slightly ajar, so he peered in.
In the hall, several Caynians stood either side of two tall, blackened pillars. Below the pillars several Keepers milled about. Suddenly, a bright light flashed. A fraction of a heartbeat later, the hall was swallowed up in darkness. A gust of wind blew through the gap in the door and Dax’s hood was pushed off his head.
Dax closed his eyes to adjust them to the darkness. When he opened them, he saw the image between the two black pillars had changed. No longer was there a sandy brown wall. Now amid the pillars was pure blackness and it seemed as though a shimmering film of black liquid covered the space between the two pillars. A voice barked out a guttural command and several torches burst into life. Once again, the hall was filled with an orange glow and dark inky shadows. Then shuffling into view came a small man in long black robes. His hood was in place, but Dax instantly knew him—it was the Darklord.
Dax watched the Darklord as he raised his arms. He started chanting in a language the warrior had never heard, the words harsh and guttural to his ears. Two words of modern tongue were said that Dax did recognise. “Come forth.”
Then from between the black pillars Talon Hunters, Shadows, and Caynians appeared. As the creatures walked though, the black film stuck to them, pulling thin. It stretched, split, then snapped back and rippled between the pillars.
Suddenly, Dax realised the creatures moved towards the double doors and him. He rushed back to Zane and Thade and whispered hoarsely, “Move!”
The three men raced down the corridor and ducked into a nearby doorway. They left the door slightly ajar, so they could see out.
“What did you see?” asked Zane. Dax put his index finger to his lips. Zane nodded and kept quiet. Scraping and movement came from down the corridor towards them. Caynians, Shadows, and Talon Hunters passed the doorway where the three men hid. Zane’s mouth dropped open as the steaming creatures passed them.
A Talon Hunter stopped by the door and sniffed. The three men moved away from the door. The Talon Hunter sniffed again, bringing its snout close to the gap in the doorway. Dax looked behind them. There was no escape, no other doors or any windows. They were trapped.
The Talon Hunter pressed its snout against the door and it slowly creaked open. Suddenly, a roar came from farther down the corridor and the Talon Hunter’s head jerked back. It then returned its interest to the doorway. The roar sounded again, but this time louder. The Talon Hunter snorted and left the door, moving away towards the courtyard. Zane exhaled dramatically.
Thade pinched the bridge of his nose and whispered, “That was close.”
“Aye,” answered Dax softly. The older warrior moved to the door and looked out towards the large hall. All was clear. He opened the door wider. Gradually, he stuck his head out and looked in the other direction.
***
Commander Fontis waited on the hilltop watching the compound, drinking water from his animal skin canteen. He nearly dropped the canteen when the beasts loped from the fortress. Hundreds of different beasts left the building and raced away. Then behind the beasts came huge warriors riding immense horses. They all headed to the southeast, away from the hill. His gaze followed the creatures until they disappeared in the gloom of the night. He wiped his mouth, closed his eyes, and shook his head. After several moments, he took a deep, calming breath and returned his attention to the fortress.
***
Inside the
fortress, Dax watched the rear end of a huge horse disappear around a corner. Opening the door wider, he stepped out into the hallway with Zane and Thade following close behind. Luckily, the double doors were still ajar. The three friends moved closer to the gap. Suddenly, the door opened and a huge Caynian faced the three men. Dax did not hesitate. He un-harnessed his two short battle-axes and charged towards the huge but stunned warrior.
The old warrior charging towards him startled the Caynian. Dax required that second of indecision. Looking like a small teenager in comparison to the mighty man-thing, he leapt and ploughed both of his axes into the Caynian’s cranium, smashing through the creature’s skull and reaching soft grey matter. Yanking his death-dealers free, Dax turned to the other two stunned men.
“RUN!” he screamed.
The three men fled from the hall, followed by several more Caynians. They sprinted through the corridors, skidding around corners heading for the exit. Footsteps behind them were getting closer so the three picked up their speed. The men reached the exit, jumped down the steps, and landed on the sandy ground in a puff of dust. Without pausing, they sped across the open courtyard.
***
Commander Fontis looked up at the moon as a storm cloud cleared it. The area became suffused in hoary moonlight. He peered into the courtyard and saw three figures looking like ants emerge from the gigantic building. He squinted as more figures appeared chasing the three men. That was all he needed. He called his scout.
“Report to Urkin. Tell him we’re engaging the enemy.”
The scout saluted and skidded down a slope to this mount. Within seconds, he was galloping to the west. Fontis called his men and the company of axe-wielders climbed up the slope. Without waiting, Fontis led his men down the slope towards the fortress.
***
Dax, Zane, and Thade raced across the courtyard with six Caynians in pursuit. They reached the wall and Dax risked a look over his shoulder. The Caynians were closing fast. On the sand crossing Dax skidded to a halt, spinning as he did so. Thade heard his mentor halt and he also stopped. He drew his two gladiator short swords and walked to join his lifelong friend. Only Zane had seen the men streaming down the hill and continued to race towards them. Then he realised there were no footsteps around him. He took a quick glance over his shoulder. He swore aloud. Using the slope to slow him down, Zane turned and raced back. He pulled his short swords free and skidded to a halt next to his friends.
The first Caynian reached the crossing and met Dax swinging one of his axes under handed, taking the creature under the chin. The Caynian flew back and cannoned into one of his brethren. The pair fell into the sandy moat and the churning granules instantly swallowed them. Two more Caynian appeared on the crossing and both Dax and Thade jumped into an attack.
The massive man-like creatures did not intimidate Thade. He ran at one and skidded on his knees under a wild hack. He stopped just before the Caynian and stabbed up and forward with both swords. The blades pierced the Caynian in the groin and its life fluid pumped out of the wounds. Thade swiftly rose to his feet and hacked at the beast’s neck. It fell to the ground dead.
The Caynian facing Dax chopped down. Dax swayed to the left, avoiding the creature’s axe. Crouching low, Dax swung his right-hand axe and buried it deep into the creature’s ankle. The Caynian roared in anger and pain. Dax stood and at the same time propelled his body forward into the creature’s midriff. The Caynian staggered back, but its leg snapped at the ankle and it fell. Dax swung both his axes and buried them into the Caynian’s chest. He heard a commotion behind him and to his relief saw a company of axe-wielders. He dragged Thade back and the axe-wielders clashed into the remaining Caynians. The creatures died under a flurry of hacks and chops.
Commander Fontis scurried up to his men. “Hold the crossing!” he ordered. He then turned to face the three men and smiled broadly. “I’d heard you attracted problems, your Highness.”
Zane grinned his crooked grin, leaning forward and breathing heavily. “It is not I, but my friends here. They’re always leading me astray.”
Fontis looked at Dax and Thade. “If you say so, my lord,” he replied, shaking his head. “I’ve asked Urkin to bring forward the army and then you can decide what to do.”
“Good,” replied Dax. “Have your men hold this crossing until they reach here. How long are they away?”
“A couple of hours, sir.”
“We have enough time.”
“May I ask a question, sir?”
“Spit it out, man,” snapped Dax.
“Those creatures . . . ”
“They are the beasts we will soon be fighting. Do not worry about them. They can be killed. These have killed enough of them already,” announced Dax, lifting his death-dealers.
Fontis smiled. “If those little woodcutters can kill them, then our axes will have no problem.”
“Woodcutters,” snorted Dax as Zane and Thade laughed.
***
The Rhaurien force began arriving within the next couple of hours. Dax started to worry. Having watched the fortress, he knew the next group of beasts would emerge from the building soon. He did not have to worry, as enough men had arrived and the crossing was quite narrow. He started to think of the best way to stop the creatures from leaving the fortress. He had a couple of options, but he knew one of the major threats came from the Darklord.
Dax knew of the man’s evil, but he did not know how powerful his magic was. He thought of Gan-Goran and wished the old magic-master was with them. But he was not.
As more of the Rhaurn army gathered by the fortress the three hours were nearly up. Dax sat to one side with Zane, Thade, and Urkin. He explained to the newly appointed general the building and the problem they faced.
“Any thoughts?” Dax asked.
“There are only a couple of options, but we need to remember we have to take as many men as possible to Kal-Pharina.”
“That I understand, but also remember that if we can stop the beasts arriving from here, it will give us more of a chance to defeat the Dark One.”
“So, we leave some men here,” said Zane.
“We have to,” insisted Dax. “The only two questions are, how many and where do we leave them?” Urkin raised his hand. “Just speak, man! No need to be so formal,” barked Dax.
“Well, if it’s creatures they’re fighting, then open ground conflict should be avoided at all costs.” The others nodded. “Therefore, we should have men hold the corridors within the fortress. From what Dax has described, the building is a maze of corridors and rooms and most importantly, there is only one exit from the hall.” Urkin looked at Dax for confirmation. The old warrior nodded. “So,” continued the general, “we keep those whoresons pinned down in the corridors. They cannot use their horses and furthermore, they cannot swing their weapons effectively.”
Dax looked at the new general and a grin grew on his face, flashing his lost youth. “We will not need to leave as many men as the front line would be small. I like the idea. Arm the men with crossbows, spears, and axes and they should be able to hold the fortress against any number of creatures. I like the idea,” repeated the warrior.
Thade nodded and Zane looked on, his face asking a question.
“Spit it out, Zane.”
“How many men?”
“One company should suffice,” said Dax thoughtfully, picturing the corridors.
“Five hundred men,” confirmed Zane, grimacing.
Urkin nodded.
Zane thought for a while, then nodded in agreement. “Urkin, have the men readied,” said the young king.
“I’ve already picked the company led by Commander Fontis to remain behind.”
“Is he the axe-wielder who was here earlier?” asked Dax.
“Yes.”
“Good choice.”
As soon as they were ready, Dax escorted the men inside the fortress. They did not have much time for the portal to open again. Each man was issued with a crossbow, wi
th one hundred iron bolts, a spear, and of course they carried their legendary axes. The axe-wielders marched silently through the winding corridors and finally reached the double doors that led to the great hall.
“This is it,” whispered Dax to Fontis.
“Fine. I will be seeing you soon, Dax.”
“You too, commander.” The two men shook hands warrior style, clasping each other’s wrist. Then Dax was gone, leaving the axe-wielders to their fate. Fontis had briefed his men before they entered the fortress. They were to hold the fortress and had to ensure none of the creatures left the building—plain and simple. The axe-wielders had brought a thick horseshoe-shaped iron bar. Two of them rushed forward. They slammed the doors closed and forced the bar through the two handles with the ends pointing down. Instantly, pounding started on the other side of the door. The iron bar held. The question was, for how long? All the axe-wielders could do now was wait. Wait for the iron bar to break. Then and only then would they fight—fight to the death.
***
Zane, Dax, Thade, and the rest of the Rhaurien army started their journey across the Steppes. The first watering hole was three days away. The three companions rode ahead to ensure all was safe and to advise any clansmen why they were in Phadrine. Behind them in the distance dust rose. The Rhaurns were coming.
CHAPTER 11
ALL NIGHT WAS the same. Thump, thump, thump on the doors that led to the great hall within the fortress. Many of the axe-wielders slept farther down the corridors where the sound was merely dull thuds. At the door, Commander Fontis waited with fifty men. At the front, he had three rows of five men with crossbows. The bows were not primed, as that would have weakened them. Behind them, twenty more men waited with long lances. These were either laid on the ground or leaned against the sandy walls. Lastly at the rear sat men in groups of five carrying their legendary weapons, ready to close any breaches. Some of the men honed their axes, whilst others sat and gazed at the large double doors. Very few of the men had seen the creatures they were about to fight. The ones who had not were told they were beasts not of this world. The others could only imagine what the creatures were like and the bloodshed to come.