A Lich’s Love
Death Knight Book 5
By: Michael Chatfield
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter: Open and Closed doors
Chapter: Kin Revival
Chapter: In Hidden Corners and Foreign Lands
Chapter: A Foothold in the Sand
Chapter: A Different Home
Chapter: Opening of the Northern Basin
Chapter: In the Darkness
Chapter: Wrath of the Protector
Chapter: Army of Light’s Trial
Chapter: Reinforce the North
Chapter: Legion’s War Horns Sound in the East; Army’s Drums Sound in the West
Chapter: Friends at the Gates; Enemy on the Horizon
Chapter: New Arrivals
Chapter: A Lich’s Duty
Chapter: Battle on Three Fronts
Chapter: Under the Cover of Cannons
Chapter: Hidden Might
Chapter: An Oath Taken; An Oath Received
Chapter: Shifting Tides
Chapter: Plans on Both Sides
Chapter: Port Frostfinger
Chapter: Flying Fleet
Chapter: First Battle of Its Kind
Chapter: War on All Fronts
Chapter: We Are the Harbingers, the Peace Seekers, the Blood Letters, the God Killers, and the Farmers
Chapter: Does the Adventure Ever End?
Chapter: Open and Closed doors
The majors of Shiversin Stronghold stood silent and listened attentively, their eyes glued on Claire.
She stood in the middle, resting her hands on the command table carved with a map of Dena.
The cold winds of Shiversin couldn’t be heard inside the command center carved from stone.
“We need to send out war bands to eliminate the closest doorways connecting the Drafeng to Dena. Allowing them to continue as they have, we put our rear in danger. Our forces will be spread too thin and we’ll die by a million cuts.” Claire said. “Doorways are formed with locus stones, destroy them and the doorway collapses.”
“Can they be broken with normal weapons?” A Beast kin asked.
“Yes, the locus stones are located at the base of the doorway. Do not step into a doorway. You may be teleported to the Drafeng’s plane. It is a place of incredible heat and desert. Our men will not last long there.”
Logan, the leader of Shiversin had a grim expression.
“Any issues that you can see?” Claire asked.
“That is a deep ravine, no way we can get cannons in there,” One of the Dwarf Majors pointed to one of the doorways to the South East.
“What if we drop some Goblin explosives and collapse the ravine?” A gnome asked.
“That should work.” Claire said.
“If we want to hold Shiversin stronghold and take out those gates we have marked. We won’t also be able to attack the Northern Basin,” Logan said.
“Then I hope our reinforcements, willing or not will arrive soon. I didn’t just sense doorways, the Drafeng also brought Queens.”
“Garron’s beard,” Logan grit his teeth. “A Queen produces Chaotic beasts. If chaotic beasts kill and consume enough power from one another, they transform into Drafeng. They’re turning the Northern basin into a warrior factory.”
Claire nodded slightly, the leaders around the table taking sharp breaths.
“There is a silver lining. Queens need tremendous amounts of mana. Too many of them in an area and the mana depletes, dropping their reproductive speeds. If we can hamper the mana, we reduce their reproduction speed and gain time.”
The Majors were all listening in at this recommendation.
“The Northern Basin looks scary, but they are pinned in one location. The doorways are spread out. Villages, towns and cities lay ahead of them, some with only wooden walls and soldiers that are too young or too old to fight in the Southerners stupid wars.”
“Why do we care about the Southeners? How many legions and armies attacked our gates?”
“It doesn’t matter, Southeners, Northeners, people from the islands, from the east or west. We are people of Dena!”
She had infused her voice with power, making everyone stand up straight, their hair shooting up.
“You have manned Shiversin, trained in the dark and suffered in the light. You, each of you are descendants of the Guardians, even if their blood runs through your veins or not. Being a Guardian is not a blood right, it is a code one takes up, devotes themselves to. Here, you make a choice, will you; the legions of Shiversin show Dena the strength of your oaths, or will you turn a blind eye?”
Logan’s eyes scanned the room.
“Shiversin, is a stronghold made by the people of Dena, in its defense. I will sleep in my crypt knowing that I carried out my duty. When others bred hate and anger. We did what was right. Not what we wanted to do it just because it was convenient.”
His eyes were clear as he looked at Claire. “So, we take care of these other doorways. Hold the north and then we will remove the Drafeng stain in our northern Basin.”
“That’s the plan,” Claire said.
Grim men and women stood ready for their orders.
For honor and for oaths that many forgot. They’ll take on thankless missions to carry out their duty.
Claire stood straighter in the presence of such people.
***
After the meeting Claire wandered the stronghold as she looked over the units stationed in Shiversin.
“You know I don’t need protection,” Claire said, looking back at the two Dwarves following her.
“Millie and I were just going on a stroll,” Krosem said with a lopsided smile.
Millie rolled her eyes, her rifle stuck over her shoulder, longer than she was tall.
“Fine craftsmanship,” Claire said, looking at one of the Shiversin Warband’s bays.
“Goblin Grenadiers with Gnome grenade throwers, Dwarven gunners using Goblin powder, Gnomes using their Mech-aniks, even Beast kin using a mix of weaponry that fits their fighting style. Dark Elves that animate smaller Mech-aniks and weaponry with their necromancy, or act as mages and all of them wearing some form of Dwarven armor.”
They all looked rough around the edges, scratches and drawings on their machines and armor, more earrings and tattoos, even a few mohawks here and there.
They might look different physically but the way they interacted they were all the same, all well honed bands.
A war band moved towards the lifts that would carry them to the surface, their Mech-aniks thudding with each step as the others checked their gear, other war bands followed them out.
Claire looked away from the groups as they moved out. For years, their only opponents had been the beasts that lay in the depths around Shiversin’s mines and dealing with the occasional attack from the humans and the Beast kin.
I just hope that they make it home.
With a heavy weight on her soul, Claire kept on walking and inspecting the groups of fighters within Shiversin.
***
General Fysher and Gheta spent most of their time dealing with the two of their armies fighting than they dealt with anything important.
Within the ranks of the United Army, there were more Guardians who Anthony had sent out to command the mixed groups of humans and beast kin.
Anthony had headed off to install more Guardian Flames in the different cities, leaving Tommie and Watcher Cecilia with their United Army to drive the coalition forward.
They herded Fysher and Gheta’s forces into the west, breaking up their force into more manageable chunks. Thankfully, the camps had been fully
supplied with food and water. Caravans of traders and conscripted forces were keeping them supplied.
Now there was a different issue.
“That is a doorway,” Cecilia said as the two of them stepped up closer to her.
They looked at the forest ahead. It looked normal for the most part. But as they looked closer, they could see the twisted trees and vegetation. The blackened ground smoked slightly, covered with ash and embers.
“Looks like the Drafeng have already entered here. We will need to encircle them and advance as one. Our mounted forces will ride around to the western side with the assistance of the Guardians. As they do so, we will advance forward. They might have their traps in place, and defenses. We will need to break them down to destroy the doorway.”
“What traps?” Gheta asked.
“They cannot move through the ground but they do bury their chaotic beasts underground sometimes to attack us as we pass. They can use anti-magic formations that make people unable to draw upon external power, or illusion spells that will drive one mad,” Cecilia said. “Make sure your people keep an eye out.”
Gheta and Fysher looked at each other. They had a begrudging peace between them.
Tommie and the mounted forces set off, moving to the south.
With Gheta and Fysher’s orders and the United Army’s goading, the human and beast kin forces were moved around.
The units weren’t mixed; there was a fear that they wouldn’t be able to fight if that happened. Although Anthony wanted them to work together, he didn’t want it at the expense of lives.
Instead ,he is using the rivalry of the two groups to see what he can goad us into doing. Since we cannot fight one another, then we can try to show the other our true strength.
Fysher looked at the forest ahead.
Till this point I have only heard about the Drafeng—I have never seen one. Hell, I didn’t know that they existed until a few days ago.
Fysher started to work with the different leaders and mobilize his forces. After being pushed around, now they could show off and prove their worth.
***
Tommie stared at the Doorway Keep. A twisted growth of crystals jutted out of the ground to create a bowl around the doorway.
Light played off of the crystal spikes sticking in the air. Tommie felt a chill looking at them.
One hundred meters to the end of the forest, four hundred meters across dead ground patrolled by chaotic beasts. The real Drafeng warriors must be hiding in the camp. Ready with their chaotic beams.
Movement caught his eyes. Chaotic creatures patrolled outside the camp. The ground was lifeless, the Drafeng sucking the very life out of the land. A chaotic beast stepped on a withered husk of a tree.
The once might trunk as wide as a man shattered like a twig.
With their unnatural consumption of mana, everything is dying. It looks like a fire burned through here. And we’re running right into it. Seal the camp up, bring up the artillery and hammer the crap out of anything that even looks Drafeng. We need to take out that doorway as fast as possible before they can call in reinforcements or retreat.
Tommie put away his magnifying glass. He pulled the different levers in his suit, checking them. Gnomes put their heart and soul into their creations. With Tommie becoming a Guardian he found that not only did he receive a boost to his strength and abilities, his Gnominator did as well.
There were other gnomes among the ranks of the United Army. Many of them worked with the siege engines among them and there were also elites that piloted mechaniks. Grand machines of metal, magic and steam. They lacked the power and versatility of Tommie’s Gnominator, needing to be charged, unable to alter their arms. While they were juggernauts, the Gnominator was a specialized weapon of destruction.
There were so few blueprints I could find as a trader in a small village. I prefer my Gnominator more anyway.
Tommie was standing with the command group, watching and waiting. Behind them there were beast kin mounted on Bedar, Human cavalry mounted on Familiars and the United Army that were mounted on an array of creatures, or were inside a Mechanik.
A purple light shot up into the mid-morning light.
“That’s our signal.” Tommie stood and turned to Major Esteban, a Hob goblin.
Esteban raised his axe.
“With me!” he barked. His warthog carried him forward as his close goblins let out excited whistles and riding behind him. They loaded slingshots with explosives as they went.
Goblins and their explosives.
Tommie grinned as he applied power to his feet.
The waiting line rose up and charged toward the enemy camp.
Familiars appeared, light transforming into their animalistic bodies among the roving patrols.
They attacked first. Chaotic beasts that had been snuffling along the ground were cut down.
Tommie was close to the leading edge as he felt the power of his Gnominator. The rolling gait, the mass around him. He grunted and the Gnominator leaped and cleared a small stream.
In a panic he dodged around a tree, getting his stumbling steps underneath the gnominator he left the greens and browns of the living forest.
He had walked into the Drafeng’s paradise, Dena’s hell.
Movement, chaotic beasts attacked familiars. Shattering light signaled the chaotic beast’s victory.
Tommie fired arrows from his arm by feel alone, the large arrows pinned the chaotic beasts to the ground.
Tommie didn’t pause his advance he shouldered a husk of a tree out is his way and pushed thru the brush and into what looked like a blackened circle around the huge crystalline camp.
He slowed down, sighting a group of chaotic beasts that all seemed to notice him at the same time.
Tommie raised his left arm, launching grey spheres that arced through the air.
I missed! The Goblin grenades turned trees into wooden shrapnel, and the ground into a series of angry craters.
Other than being alarmed, the Chaotic beasts showed no fear.
Luckily for Tommie, they were in his range; but he wasn’t in theirs.
Compensating for the powerful kick, Tommie led a line of explosions over the chaotic beasts.
There was little left of the group as Tommie saw another patrol of seven charging towards him.
Too close damnit, I’d blow myself up.
He fired with his right bow-arm, the other transforming with moving metal parts and gears.
Arrows took down two. Tommie shook his right bow-arm as the bow parts retracted.
A sword appeared in his hand as thunder rose at his back.
Tommie felt a rush of wind that was able to make even the Gnominator stumble.
Familiars, Bedars, mounted beasts and powerful Beast kin passed him in a wave of battle while the Chaotic beasts rose to counter their attack.
Under blasts of magical power, Familiar attacks, swords, spears and axes. They were but a footnote in the army’s charge.
“Watch out for the camp!”
“Elven barrier units!”
The crystals glowed with internal power. Shifting lights made Tommie feel the reapers hands around his soul.
“Get to cover!” Tommie half-turned to yell, his stomach dropped. Beams appeared among the charging line.
Tommie turned away, fearing to look over. He felt like he would be confirming their deaths if he looked.
He let out a yell, as if screaming louder and running faster would somehow act as a protection.
Power built up in the crystals and lanced out ever-changing light again and again.
Parts of the charging line were cut down. Where the beams missed, they carved lines in the forest and melted the very ground, turning it to glass.
A group of familiar-riding knights disappeared in a flash of brilliant light, a mage summoned their turtle familiar.
Beams struck the turtle, intended for the Beast kin and Goblins underneath.
The Turtle’s body was starting to flake aw
ay from the massive amount of damage being absorbed. The mage’s skin showed familiar tattoos, the light was burning away, a fire inside his body, turning into embers.
Familiar and summoner mage, the determination in their eyes was identical.
Tommie stomped forward, his body shook with every footfall. He tasted blood in his mouth as the Gnominator’s power runes lit up as his power rose.
Elven mages shot out on their elk mounts, moving through the armies and the forest.
“Cover them!” Esteban howled.
Tommie drew on his power as a guardian, the Gnominator’s runes showed a purple light as purple smoke appeared around the Gnominator’s chest, leaking out.
The line were being slowed down by the sheer number of patrolling chaotic beasts. Spells, arrows, spears, Chaotic pillars it all flew between the camp and attackers.
Tommie and others moved to protect the Elven Sorcerers that charged forward, dodging between attacks.
Tommie cut through a group of chaotic beasts engaged with mounted humans.
He didn’t take time to look back, running across the open ground, passing fights, reaching the nearest group protecting an Elf.
His arms changed, into a bow and a goblin grenade launcher.
We’re still so far from the wall.
He saw a patrol charge towards his group.
“I’ve got them!”
Tommie fired on them and peeled away from the sorcerer’s protection. The chaotic beasts spread out, coming for him in different directions.
A chaotic beast charged him from the right.
Tommie dropped under their lunge. He slid on the ground, shooting another chaotic beast in the face with his arrow. His grenade launcher turned into a blade for melee.
Another chaotic beast pounced, in mid-air he had nowhere to go as the blade hacked through him.
Tommie’s Gnominator added a layer of blood as he got to his feet, shooting an arrow into the beast that had lunged at him first.
The spear sized arrow affixed them to the ground.
Tommie’s hairs raised up, a sixth sense towards danger.
He held his hands together, turning as his arms connected to one another and metal plates interconnected and layered on top of one another.
Tommie grunted chaotic beams crashed into his double-arm shield. His feet dug into the ground, leaving two lines in the ground.
A Lich's Love (Death Knight Series Book 5) Page 1