Bladeborn

by Clayton Schonberger

  In another week they reached their destination, the secret door from the underworld to the Third Realm. The door was blocked with heavy stone from the inside. Telunk called upon a lesser Dwarf Priest, one named Spike, who had brought a magical pick of sundering to use on caved in passages such as this.

  Spike claimed such rock could be knocked or chipped through quickly by those who knew how to use the magic pick.

  Spike and his brothers took turns chopping at the stone until the way was punched through.

  As Spike worked, Telunk said, “Can you hear the stone throb?”

  “What do you mean?” Bladeborn asked.

  “There is a mighty hammering, coming from about a mile away…”

  “Could you be more specific?” Bladeborn asked the cleric.

  “I don’t know anything that makes that sound, General,” Telunk said. “The stone tells me no more.”

  Spike and his brothers broke through the collapsed passage revealing a dusty, wide stairway going up. One young woman sat on the stairs, holding her crying baby and rocking back and forth.

  “Go down!” Bladeborn said to the woman, pointing. “Through the passage!”

  “Come on, Bladeborn,” King Rosen said. “We’ve got to hurry! There are others!”

  Bladeborn turned to Taylon, who was right behind him, and said, “Get this woman and her child to safety and prepare the way.”

  At the top of the stairs was the interior of a huge underground room that normally only Caverncattle and their herders could be found. At that time, the room held hundreds of women and elderly, sitting and the dirty ground and cowering in fear. The pounding echoed throughout the space. The hammering was much louder there.

  “THIS WAY!” Bladeborn called to the throng in his loudest voice. “GO DOWN THE STAIRS!”

  People looked up and someone said, “By Saint Morth! Its General Bladeborn!”

  “GET THROUGH THE DOOR BEHIND ME!” Bladeborn shouted. “QUICKLY!”

  Bladeborn realized where the sound came from. Ogres were swinging mighty hammers within the Grande Tunnel trying to break down the iron gates that led to the Third Realm. It sounded like the hammering came from both the Second and the Fourth Realms simultaneously.

  The people got on their feet and began to rush toward the long-forgotten stairway leading deeper underground. When Bladeborn saw the throng was moving, he ran across the cave to catch up with King Rosen.

  More people cowered in fear on the upper floors, but they were beginning to head in the right direction. In each room and every hall, Bladeborn and King Rosen would call to the people, “Go down into the cattle pens! Hurry, now!”

  The pounding filled the entirety of the Third Realm. It seemed that all the remaining humans of the Valleys had been forced to retreat to the Third Realm.

  Finally, Bladeborn and King Rosen found King Dale and King Blair. They were near the Royal Quarters, and by then, thousands were trying to escape into the underworld as they had been told. The gates still held, but Bladeborn knew it wouldn’t be for long.

  “Dale! Blair!” King Rosen exclaimed. “By Sacred Morth, it is good to see you!”

  “Who ARE you?” King Blair yelled. “Guards! Get this old man out of the way!”

  “King Rosen?” King Dale said. “By Heaven, it IS you! We had given up hope!”

  “We don’t have much time!” King Rosen began as the hammering continued. “We are going to have to try to get everyone out by going downward, through the Caverncattle pens! I don’t have time to fully explain, just have you men help with the evacuation!”

  “Yes, my brother,” King Dale said, “I will give the order. Thank the gods you have come!”

  “Wait!” King Blair said. “Dale, just hold up here! We are all ready for a last stand! If the Army of the Sun breaks ranks now and the doors fall we won’t stand a chance! We can hold these halls indefinitely!”

  “King Blair,” King Rosen said, “there are possibly two Rhinolon legions on the other side of those doors. How long can we hold against those odds?”

  King Blair shouted, “You have been gone for over a year, King Rosen! How would you know what our Army is capable of?”

  Bladeborn interrupted, between the swings of the hammers, “I know what the Army is capable of. We MUST evacuate. Now.”

  “General Bladeborn?” King Dale said hopefully. “They said you were dead!”

  King Rosen argued, “King Blair, I am still senior among the rulership of our nation. We simply must evacuate, the sooner the better. We have no time. Get everyone down to the Caverncattle pens. The Army will go last.”

  “This is a terrible mistake,” King Blair said.

  “All right men!” King Dale shouted to his Royal Guards. “You heard King Rosen! Get the people out!”

  Bladeborn spoke to Young King Lauren, who was standing nearby dressed in a suit full battle armor.

  “King Lauren,” Bladeborn asked. “By any chance do you know where Queen Deocarla is?”

  “Bladeborn!” King Lauren exclaimed. “I am ready to make a stand with you!”

  “Listen, King Lauren,” Bladeborn repeated. “Have you seen Queen Deocarla?”

  King Lauren said, “I was told she stayed behind the with the wounded in the First Realm, General. I …I don’t think anyone from there survived. I am sorry, I know you once had something with her before she was betrothed to Lord Esket.”

  Bladeborn was stunned. He realized that Queen Deocarla was likely forever out of reach.

  ~~Don’t think about searching for Deocarla, Swordsman! She is gone!~~

  “Silence, Nightslayer!” Bladeborn thought to the Sword, his temper flaring. “She could have been taken prisoner. I will decide what to do after the people of the Realms are secure.”

  Word was passed among the humans and Drommu that everyone in the Third Realm should get ready to go farther into Draconia than people ever had dared to go before. They were also told that at the end of the journey was a new homeland.

  As the people started to move, King Rosen told King Dale, young King Lauren, and King Blair about the Dwarven Maps that would guide them and about Bladeborn’s new ally—a fully developed blood dragon—who had proven itself loyal on many occasions.

  There was no time to summon a full council with all the guild leaders and merchant Nobles. Some protested, but their choice was to go or be left behind.

  The combined people of the Realms packed up all they could carry, got what few carts they had, harvested their last underground food, then herded all the cavern cattle and deep sheep together. The last men to leave were the Knights of the Army of the Sun, led again by Bladeborn. As these men reached the cave of the Caverncattle they herd one set of iron doors give way. Bladeborn instructed Spike and his brothers to take the pick of sundering and collapse the tunnel behind them. The people of the Realms, with Telunk and Taylon at the front of the column, wasted no time near the Third Realm. Setting out, they formed a long train to go through the center of Draconia toward a safe place on the yellow sun side of the world.

  Chapter 24: Within Draconia

  Led by the maps that Telunk interpreted, they traveled as straight as possible into the core of Draconia. They made sure the passages behind them were caved-in as they went. In this, the Dwarf named Spike and his magic pick were essential.

  They were a miles-long line of men, women, babes-in-arms, animals, small carts, Drommu, a few Lizardmen, plus the Dwarves and Elf warriors along with the dragon. They tried to spread the soldiers in small units along the length of the column, with even spacing. They passed through seemingly endless uninhabited caves and corridors; some carved with old, worn, dangerously steep steps. Who or what had carved these steps was unknown, for they were far deeper beneath the surface of Draconia than any had ever been known to go. Moving the carts and cattle through these places was slow and difficult.

  Here and there, bridges spanned deep chasms, some amazingly wide and others fit only for single-file passage. Many were made of stone
, while some were seemingly formed of single pieces of steel. All the bridges were of unknown origin.

  The passages and ecosystems varied widely from one area to the next, and although the maps gave general knowledge, often there was no way of knowing the specifics of what lay ahead. The way would be narrow, then the cavern walls would stretch out of sight, or they could be slimy and wet, then dry and dusty. As the weeks passed, and the maps were flipped over or refolded, they would reveal new areas to the Dwarven Priests. As a light source, the humans used the glow-globes brought from the Realms, having carried as many as they could, and the Dwarves used their blue light staffs, so that a weird aura of blue-green light permeated the length of the column.

  Considering what they had been through and what they were undertaking, spirits were good in the first days, or at least it seemed so to Bladeborn. Food and water rationing was working, and the babies they had with them were healthy. There were also several new births, lightening the hearts of everyone.

  After traveling for some time, they came to an area where the ground was unevenly covered with ancient rocks and dust. A Dwarf cleric said, “The ground is old here. The stone has stood for ages. This is a good way.”

  During a period of rest, Bladeborn was wandering among the people, something he often did, since he required less sleep than most of them. He looked at one of the men whose clothing was finer quality than the others. There were several Guardsmen sitting around the fire with him that weren’t regular soldiers. The man was strangely familiar.

  Bladeborn moved closer to the glow-globe that half-lit the man’s face to get a better look. When he did so, he instantly recognized the man from his past. It was Lord Esket, the Queen’s bodyguard—her fiancée!

  Shocked to anger, Bladeborn shouted, “YOU!”

  He lunged at Esket and grabbed him by his shirt, then heaved him to his feet from the ground where he had sat. Esket’s personal Guards sprang to their feet trying to come to attention.

  Furiously yelling into Esket’s face, Bladeborn demanded, “How did Deocarla die? Why didn’t you save her? Why is it you live?”

  Lord Esket was still coming to his senses, but it didn’t take long. Bladeborn stared into the eyes of his old rival, whose eyes narrowed with understanding and malice.

  “The mighty General Bladeborn, I see,” Lord Esket hissed. I suggest you unhand me immediately, or my men will certainly impale you.”

  In his fury, Bladeborn had not noticed the Guards surrounding with their pikes.

  Bladeborn let go of Esket and stepped back a few paces.

  Esket straightened his collar and said, “What a mess you have caused for our nation, General! We are now little more than refugees waiting to be eaten by…”

  “WHAT HAPPENED TO HER? TELL ME, OR I WILL BREAK YOU IN HALF!” Bladeborn yelled, jabbing his fist in the air.

  In a fluid motion, Lord Esket stepped further back, drew his rapier, and slashed the air in front of Bladeborn, who didn’t flinch. “LEAVE ME BE, OUTLANDER OR I SHALL BLEED YOU LIKE A STUCK RODENT!”

  Bladeborn realized the aggressive approach wasn’t getting the information he wanted. So, instead of drawing Nightslayer, he asked.

  “What happened to her, Esket?” Bladeborn asked, with some degree of patience.

  “So, you fear me, ehy?” Lord Esket mocked, passing his saber again through the air between them. “I thought ‘the invincible’ General Bladeborn felt no fear! And yet here you are, begging me to tell you about dear Deocarla, my recently-deceased fiancée.”

  Infuriating as it was, Bladeborn needed to know what had happened to her. He repeated, through gritted teeth, “Why do you still live, Esket? How did Deocarla die?”

  “I don’t know how she died, nor do I care,” Esket retorted defensively. “I left her to the tender mercies of the Rhinolon. She went crazy in the end, refusing to leave the First Realm with me, preferring to stay with the sick and elderly. What nonsense. I consider the whole fiasco over with.”

  The Sword of the Ancients interrupted momentarily, ~~CALM DOWN, SWORDSMAN! This is hardly worth your time! A crowd is gathering and you are acting with rage that is uncharacteristic of a leader of men!~~

  Despite Nightslayer’s words, Bladeborn fumed at Lord Esket, “You should have stayed with her, protected her! Or gotten her out alive!”

  “Foolish oaf!” Esket shouted, circling and menacing with his rapier. “She refused to leave! If I had stayed with her, we would BOTH be dead!”

  “But you LOVED her!”

  “Wrong. Deocarla and I had a business arrangement,” Esket claimed. “That is all. I gave her gold for the war, and yet she paid no heed to my attentions! Over five hundred pounds of my gold went to you and your lieutenants after the second year of the campaign when she put the flowers on your heads in the First Realm’s assembly. I had to stand by and watch her throw that gold away—MY GOLD!

  “That gold was from her personal fortune!” Bladeborn countered.

  “No, it wasn’t! The treasury of the First Realm was barren—just like her! Years of mismanagement left her Realm dirt poor! I acted like an idiot for that woman.”

  Lord Esket paused to let the words sink in, then said, “Don’t you have something else to do instead of harassing me? She is dead, and we both have more pressing concerns!”

  Bladeborn’s temper cooled, just a bit. Esket must have sensed this, and his posture became less threatening. A large crowd had gathered around them and Bladeborn could see Spe was among the onlookers, shrunk down to the size of a Rockcat.

  Bladeborn still had many questions. “I don’t understand, Lord Esket,” he declared.

  Lord Esket laughed loudly, puffing up his chest and throwing back his head. After catching his breath, he said, “You just don’t get it, do you? She needed YOU to fight in the war—and ME to pay for it! Her only concern—ever—was for her kingdom.” Lord Esket straightened up and sheathed his Rapier. “General, just walk away. NOW. I have no real quarrel with you. There is no reason for us to fight. She is gone.”

  Bladeborn rubbed his forehead in confusion. His pride was wounded. Was Lord Esket telling the truth?

  “The reality of it hurts, ehy?” Esket declared, shaking his head in disgust. “Deocarla used us both to get what she wanted. But it all collapsed around her… And now, we are on a death march, trapped here in this horrid under land.”

  Bladeborn had let his temper get the best of him, something a man in his position could not afford to do.

  For the moment, it seemed to Bladeborn that Lord Esket was right. He considered the man’s eyes, and could discern nothing but cool mockery. “I must think,” Bladeborn said, turning away.

  ~~Look out Bladeborn!~~

  The moment Bladeborn started to go, Lord Esket drew his dagger and sprang on him.

  Esket grabbed Bladeborn around the neck from behind, trying to cut his throat. For a moment they struggled, the weapon’s tip on Bladeborn’s jugular.

  Esket screamed, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, YOU BRAZEN INTERLOPER!”

  But Bladeborn was by far the superior warrior. He twisted suddenly, throwing Esket head-over-heels across the cavern. Esket landed hard, slamming his head on the stone floor of the cavern, and lying motionless.

  Bladeborn ran over to Esket’s position, worried that the man’s guards would try to back up their Lord. Bladeborn placed his hand on Nightslayer’s hilt and Esket’s sergeant shook his head and dropped his pike. The rest of Esket’s men followed suit.

  The sergeant said, “You’re not our enemy, General.”

  Bladeborn knelt and turned Lord Esket over. When he landed, Esket had fallen on his dagger. It was buried in his stomach up to the hilt. It was too late for the man.

  Esket was conscious only long enough to taunt Bladeborn a final time, lacking any kind of repentance. Lord Esket left the world with these words on his lips:

  “…it was I that stole your war money, General! On my order, the Silver Regiment killed your squire and took every bit of the loot from
the sacking of Onager...! I stole your woman too… Deocarla would never have married you. In the end, you weren’t even there to protect Deocarla from the fate she suffered! I have…the last laugh…”

  The man’s life ebbed away to the Judge of the Dead.

  Bladeborn heard people saying, “…the King has arrived...!”

  The crowd parted, and King Rosen knelt next to Bladeborn, who cradled Esket’s head in his hands.

  King Rosen heard what had transpired, and he knew the details of Bladeborn’s feelings more than anyone there.

  “General Bladeborn,” King Rosen said, “come away. Esket is dead.”

  They walked away even as word spread about the incident. King Blair demanded an inquest, since Lord Esket had been such an important man. But even Lord Esket’s guards reported accurately that Esket had died trying to back-attack the General.

  The next day, King Rosen, King Blair, and King Dale heard witnesses tell similar stories: Bladeborn had acted out of anger at first, but in the end, it was self-defense, and so there were no direct repercussions. The story was told and retold by those in the camp.

  Despite Esket’s death, Bladeborn was inconsolable. Nightslayer, Spe, and King Rosen all made attempts to address what had happened, but they were each rebuffed.

  * * *

  Bladeborn had several days to consider the fate of Deocarla. She never had taken her Heartring off until the last, it seemed. Her fate was barely imaginable. Yet he kept his anger bottled inside. Days after the incident with Esket, Spe came across Bladeborn some distance from camp, standing at the edge of a deep chasm. He held the ring between his fingers.

  “Tell me, Bladeborn,” Spe asked. “Will you keep the Heartring now that she is gone?”

  “I don’t know. I may as well leave it here, or throw it away. It is a symbol of the past, of what I once was. All of that is gone.”

  Bladeborn took the Heartring and threw it away, deep into the darkness.