Chapter 171:
Anton stood at the prow of The Snowberry as they approached the Dwarven Isles. At least this time their destination was clearly visible, no mist to impede their sight of the massive mountain range jutting from the calm seas, reaching tall enough to cut through the highest cloud. It was a lovely, peaceful day, with just the sound of water cascading against the hull to fill their ears. What Anton didn’t expect was the number of ships sailing through these waters; ships from Seocuria, Graterious, Qaiviel all sailed through these waters, though Anton wondered if they were simply merchants flying their flags for defensive reasons.
“Who are those?” Anton asked, pointing to three nearby ships approaching the Dwarven Isles.
Wilford drew his telescope and followed Anton’s hand. “Ah. That’s the Frindal Emirate. You can see the green crescent moon, that’s definitely them. Not a bad place, but…You definitely want every woman to look like Kal.” Wilford tried to smile. “Otherwise they could be attacked for public indecency.”
“Really?” Anton asked quietly.
Wilford scoffed. “Never understood it. They’re more than happy to ogle at everyone else’s womenfolk when they're abroad. Don't understand it. It's not like their women are ugly, maybe they think they are? Absolutely stupid if you ask me."
“And them?”
Wilford directed his telescope to a white flag, a red cross with two blue stars nestled close to the upper half of the cross.
“Ah, the Holy Kingsland. Another interesting place. They love their wine…And their god. But overall they’re quite nice people. Lots of good food and people, perhaps too many.”
“The Holy Father?”
“Yes.” Wilford lowered his telescope. “I’ve heard there’s been some mess in Qaiviel with them. They created monsters out of abducted children. Do you think that’s true?”
“Unfortunately it is,” Anton said.
Wilford looked directly into his eyes. “I’m not surprised.”
“And who’s the last one then?”
The last ship looked dramatically different. While the others could easily be described as European this resembled something from the Orient. Something about the ships sails and its general structure pulled at the back of Anton’s mind. A golden dragon, like a snake rather than a lizard, surrounded by white flapped in the wind from the tallest mast.
Maybe there were more people from Earth than just the soldier and nurse. It would make sense to try and bring their culture with them, if nothing else to not get homesick.
“Ah…The Xiam Empire.” Wilford frowned. “The largest human empire in the world. Far larger than even the Holy Kingsland. Unfortunately, that size seemingly affects their ego. They think they run the world…They kind of do, in a way.”
“Are they a threat?” Anton asked, resting against the railing. “Do they want to expand their empire?”
“No. Not that I’ve heard of. They’re more than content to make alliances with other kingdoms and empires, but that’s usually heavily favouring them.”
“Tributary states.” Anton mused. “I imagine the demands are quite harsh.”
“I honestly have no idea. But I don’t recall anyone that’s rebelled against them so it might not be so bad.” Wilford lowered his telescope. “I’ve heard it’s not always gold or silver. Sometimes it’s preserved foods or some exotic clothes. I’m sure the Frindal Emirate gives them boatloads of spices for their tribute.”
Verona chuckled. “Some hot powder is a lot easier to give away than a chest of gold.”
“They are quite expensive.” Cetina mused. “And they’re very tasty.”
"Wars have been fought over less." Anton gripped the handrail with one hand. They thought he was exaggerating but he hadn't told them about all of Earth's darker moments.
Wilford closed his eyes, folded his arms and nodded in deep agreement. Pleasant memories floated through his mind.
“What is their stance on Beast-kin?” Anton asked. Kal remained perfectly still.
“Not sure. But I don’t think they have any. If…” Wilford frowned and paused. “If you want more you’ll have to go to Seocuria…Or the wastelands to the east of the Frindal Emirate. Though I’ve heard those are hostile and feral.”
“I wonder if we’ll ever meet this Emperor of Xiam.” Anton chuckled. “Unless there’s some sort of rebellion I don’t think we will.”
“Or whenever we turn up.” Verona laughed. "We'll do something to draw their attention, I'm all but certain of that.”
The Snowberry carved its way through the open seas, growing more turbulent as they approached the mountain ranges. Anton looked through the clear water, far below he could see coral reefs teeming with thousands of fish and other sea creatures darting through the colourful coral mazes stretching as far as he could see.
Wilford rallied the crew as the approached the Dwarven port. The main faces of the mountains gave little hint they were the home of Dwarves. Anton could see the outlines of little outposts, similar to the one they had on top of Mount Aspire, with trails of smoke rising into the clear blue sky, otherwise devoid of life, at least on these faces. The port was a different matter entirely. Stone harbour walls extended far into the water, safely nestled between two mountains, forming a channel of ports and docks. Unlike the humans or the Dark Elves, these were perfectly straight and neatly organised. As ever the Dwarves attention to detail was on clear display. The channel was more than wide enough to hold a hundred ships length to length and yet it was quite cluttered.
Umikgruid and Gosthilda approached, the full throng of Dwarves right behind.
“We’re back here so quickly…If only the Dark Elves hadn’t turned up when we did.” Umikgruid smiled heartily. “But if we hadn’t a lot of those Brown Ears would have died. Probably all of them. And even I wouldn't be able to sleep right knowing we had left them to their doom.”
“Indeed.” Anton didn’t want his thoughts to linger on their involvement too much. “So which dock would be best? Which is closest to your clan?”
“It really doesn’t matter.” Umikgruid stroked his beard. “There are tunnels underground that we can take. It's how they transport goods from one side to the other, on rail carts. No point in taking it over, where the wind or rain could whip at you."
“Are we going to have to crouch through these tunnels?” Verona slyly asked, her expression quickly turned serious. “I mean, I know I’m short but I’m taller than you.”
“Only in the lowest areas,” Gosthilda said. “If you’re just going to the trading areas, where humans and elves would…interact with us then it’s more than high enough.”
“We’ll just have to endure.” Anton shook his head. “But I’m sure that it’s not going to be that bad.”
Wilford received an order from a small lighthouse at the edge of the harbour and manoeuvred the ship into a dock.
“What’s our next destination?” Wilford directed his crew to lay down the wooden boarding planks. “Or are we heading back to Graterious?”
“Head to the Frindal Emirate. We’ll make another stop there, then it’s probably to the Holy Kingsland then the Mycean City States. With that route you won’t need to double back on yourself, correct?”
“Indeed.” Wilford nodded to a small group of armed Dwarves slowly approaching. Each looked more like a walking suit of armour than a Dwarf. “Is there any chance we could buy a few things here? To trade with the Frindal’s. Your payment is more than fair but I would like to maximise my profits. And the hold is essentially bare, since you aren’t bringing any Beast-kin with you.”
“Of course. But nothing illegal. I don’t want to find the ship has been impounded or seized because you wanted to bring some drugs to the Frindal Emirate.”
Wilford chuckled nervously. “Of course not. Not after last time…We’ll make sure that everything is legal, in all lands and ports.”
“Just be careful with what food you bring then.” Umikgruid waved his finger. “They don’t like beef or pork. Or chicken. So…Just take some dried fish and vegetables. That’s your best bet.”
---[]---
After paying their dues to the Dwarfs managing the dock, a hefty sum but still more than manageable for them, they followed Umikgruid through the trading levels and into the depths of the Dwarven Holds. They had no time to peruse the wares on display, even with Dwarven criers, Anton couldn't shake the feeling of the children in Boreana selling food, they did not stop. The corridors dropped in height, Cetina had to crouch lightly but she didn't complain. As they travelled further down, Umikgruid clearly avoiding the inhabited areas, the conditions grew worse and worse. At first, the stone became more rough, then wet, then moss and slime with chunks missing and still they descended.
"This isn't right." Anton ran his hand along the slime, great pools grew around his fingers.
"You can see why we want to leave," Gosthilda grumbled. "But where we live is a little better."
Some of the dwarves behind scoffed at the notion.
Umikgruid led them off the descending path and into a narrow passageway. At the end Anton saw a bright light, suspiciously bright in these dim tunnels, with ever diminishing numbers of Light Crystals the further they travelled down, illuminating a broken half column alongside the silhouette of a Dwarf resting upon the stump.
"Who goes there?" The voice boomed, echoing down the small passageway.
"It's us," Umikgruid shouted back. "Don't be a twat like that. It'll get you into trouble."
“They’re back!” The Dwarf spoke with a much lighter voice now. “Umikgruid’s back. Tell the Elders!”
The young Dwarf hoped down from the small column, only then did Anton realise he was missing a leg, replaced with a wooden peg-leg, and most of his fingers on his left hand. Apart from his voice the only real difference was his beard, shorter and decorated with fewer bands of metal.
“We’re back.” Umikgruid grabbed the young Dwarf and hugged him tight. “How’s your mother?”
“Okay. She’s doing okay. But they’ve just driven us out of another habitation block…It’s not looking good.” The young Dwarf nervously picked at his fingers. “I’ve got five other people sleeping in my room and they’re looking to put another two in there. I used to have it all to myself and it wasn’t that big then.
The young Dwarf craned his neck up to get a good look at Anton. “Are these them? Are they who you saw?”
Umikgruid smiled at Anton. “Honestly, no. They aren’t what I thought I’d find. But they are the answer to our problem.”
“Hello.” Anton knelt down, not that he had much of a choice. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you lose your limbs?”
The young Dwarf raised his leg. “Oh…I lost it in the forge. I…How much do they know, Umikgruid?”
“Enough.”
“I lost it a furnace. I’d worked for three days straight,” He looked to Umikgruid. “They’ve reduced the wages again, and without that I wouldn’t be able to pay for everyone that’s sick. So…Now I can only help with chores in the forge. And that really doesn’t pay well.”
“Let me help you.” Anton placed his hand on the Dwarf’s shoulder. “This might feel a little odd.”
“Just trust him,” Umikgruid spoke calmly. The young Dwarf had already reached for a small blade at his hip.
Anton chanted a full healing prayer. It knocked the wind from his chest but he could still stand. The Dwarf stumbled back in shock, the wooden leg rattled on the ground as a new leg pushed it free. He stared at his fingers, still wrapped in the fading white light of Tethra’s power, before touching his leg. He gasped as his stubby finger made a light depression into his flesh.
“It’s…It’s real! By Esperit, thank you! Thank you so much!”
The Dwarf hugged Anton. He was just as strong as his fellows and almost removed what little was left in Anton’s lungs. Anton patted his shoulder and gently pushed him back.
“I’m glad you’re better.” Anton took a pause to properly refill his lungs. “Just tell your friends that I can’t do that more than once a day. Just so we don’t get swamped.”
“I understand.” The young Dwarf waved them forward, deeper into the dank tunnels. “I’m sure the Elders will want to see you.”
“Let’s hope…” Verona laughed. “I’m sure they will, this time.”
The young Dwarf waved them forward. The area’s belonging to the Dragongaurd Clan were far, far worse than those above. Not only were they older but the water, seeping through infinitesimally small cracks and running down from above, gathered in great stagnant pools along the floor. Some clever Dwarf had dug small grooves into the stone to collect the water but even these overflowed with moss and slime. The tunnel widened as they reached a habitation block. It looked nearly identical to the old Blood-Hammer hold below Atros but overwhelmed and crowded with Dwarves. Anton’s first thought was a refugee camp; far too many people squeezed into a space that could barely hold a quarter. Drying clothes hung from lines between the blocks dripping onto the walkway below, stacks of items and barrels of water filled the main thoroughfares. The Dwarves stopped, Anton spied his first Dwarven children, just like a baby human but shorter and wider, and all stared at the giants visiting their realm. A great chorus of voices travelled rapidly through the block, everyone eager to understand what was happening.
“Right in here.” The young Dwarf led them to a large room on the ground level, large being relative, especially with barely enough room for a dozen small chairs crammed alongside piles of broken metalwork and crates of unknown origin. He shouted to the Dwarves above. “Someone get the Elders. They need to come here right now.”
“I don’t want to say it.” Verona chuckled nervously, taking a seat next to Anton. The wood was old but a layer of fur, goat fur by all appearances, made it far more bearable.
Umikgruid ordered their Dwarves to wait outside and keep the people at bay. Sure enough, the Dwarves surround the room, not out of anger but with a mixture of curious and hope-filled eyes. Umikgruid had left under dubious circumstances and yet he had returned, just as he said he would. Anton wondered how they would take the prospect of their new home, one potentially filled with giant Insectoid creatures but free from oppression. Time would tell.
Five Elders soon arrived; three women and two men. All walked incredibly slowly, suffering from advanced cases of arthritis, not a single strand of hair was anything but grey and all were covered in deep wrinkles and crags. And yet despite their age they still held a fire in their eyes, a desire and motivation to see things through, unlike the Dark Elves.
“I thought you would be gone forever.” The female elder in the middle began. “You have been gone for a long time.”
“It took longer than I thought, than we thought, but we have arrived with everything that Esperit promised.” Umikgruid smiled. “Maybe more. Who’s to say?”
The Elder stroked her chin. “Just given what happened to you underneath Esperit’s…touch. I thought it wasn’t a good idea to let you go.”
“I know. I would have locked me up too.” Umikgruid held his wife’s hand. “But I only received those visions when I wasn’t journeying to Atros.”
Passing out and…relieving oneself isn’t what anyone would call an ideal interaction.
“So who are your human friends?”
“Can I remove my mask?” Kal asked. “It’s quite stuffy down here.”
“Can you keep this a secret?” Anton looked to the Elders. “This knowledge cannot leave this room or your lips.”
A male Elder, next to the central Elder, chuckled. “Boy, we’ve kept more secrets than cycles you’ve been alive.”
They must be several hundred years old at the youngest. Definitely seen their fair share of weirdness.
Kal received a nod and removed her mask. The Dwarven Elders were surprised but held their composure well.
“A Beast-kin?” The female Elder mused. “So they’re working together again? I imagine that would be difficult given their history.”
“Not yet.” Kal smiled. “It’s just a few.”
“Oh…I think I understand. You have our word that this will not be spoken of outside of this room.”
Apart from the closed wooden door, there wasn’t a way to see in. Kal’s secret was safe, for now at least.
Anton quickly explained who they were, why it had taken so long and what they had found beneath Atros.
“The Blood-Hammers?” The male Elder stroked his beard, a finger playing with a small bronze encrusted dull gem. “They’ve been gone for some time.”
“We found their markings on the battered armour of long-dead warriors,” Anton said calmly. “It’s just a theory but we believe they were supplying the United Empire with the majority of their weapons. And were probably making a lot of money from it.”
“There’s still the obvious question…” The female Elder said softly.
Anton slowly nodded. “They fell for a reason. They dug too deep, possibly chasing a mineral vein, and stumbled upon these giant insectoid creatures. They must have poured in and destroyed the entire hold in under a day, we didn’t find any human or Beast-kin corpses, at least yet, and any evidence was covered up, by the survivors or the United Empire.”
“This is the place that you want us to travel to?” The elder looked to Umikgruid.
“Much better than here.” Verona pointed to the small pools of stagnant water gathered in the far corners of the room. “Can’t be very healthy for you to live around all this…"
“I saw a lot of Dwarves hiding sickness,” Kal said softly. “They put up a brave face but they’re hurting inside. I can see it in their eyes, the wrinkles on their faces and the twitches of their lips.”
Anton gently nodded. “I’ve heard from Umikgruid and his companions that things are only getting worse, and there aren’t many options left for you.”
The Elders shared a glance, even Anton knew they were up against the wall.
“Now.” Anton raised his hand, attempting to cut off any negative thoughts formulating in their heads. “Before you worry too much, I plan to transport all of your clan to Mount Aspire. For free.”
Anton summoned a lightning and fireball above his hand.
“And I have considerable magic at my disposal.”
The Elders looked quite impressed.
“I will use my magic to help take the Blood-Hammer hold back, room by room, and protect it from any further Insect incursions. I will need to have your warriors, those that could qualify, aid us to ensure they stay safe.”
“You think they’re still there?”
“Unfortunately I do. They were there before they found them and certainly sure they’ll live happily once they’d driven the Dwarves out.”
“So far we have taken back a habitation block.” Umikgruid began. “It’s got a lot of room. And I’ve taken a rubbing of the stone map.”
Umikgruid passed over a rough piece of paper.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“It’s big.” The female Elder rubbed a hand over the map. “I don’t know if it’s big enough for all of us…”
“Surely you know how to dig more,” Anton said quietly. “If the other clans are really taking advantage of you, forcing you to do all the hard and dirty work for little pay, you'll know what you're doing. I’m sure that digging in the lowest depths would count as nasty work.”
“We do.” She sighed. “We could build more. But this all seems rather risky.”
“I am more than willing to bring a few Dwarves back with us so I can prove that we are honest.” Anton looked to the decrepit state of the room. “But, if I’m honest things can’t get much worse before you snap.”
The Elders whispered amongst themselves. Anton could have listened in but he chose not to this time.
“What will this cost us?” The female Elder asked calmly.
“The transportation, for all of your clan, will be for free. Though it will take some time.” Anton looked to Umikgruid. “Small batches at first, maybe a dozen or so at a time.”
Umikgruid nodded. “Only because they won’t be used to the distortion.”
“Other than that...” Anton leant forward. “Right now we don’t have access to much of what you would call an economy, so we can’t pay you but we won’t be collecting taxes. I can’t say when that will change or how much it will but I can assure you that it will be very reasonable. Umikgruid and Gosthilda will always have my ear, as will you. In the meantime, instead of taxes, I ask for labour. Nothing too dramatic.”
“Anton has a city.” Gosthilda continued. “One that needs a lot of work. We’ve been there only for a little while and it’s come a long way. Oh.” Gosthilda smirked, nudging her husband. “They’re also giving us full control of the design of the city, so long as humans and the larger Beast-kin can live there comfortably.”
That last fact alone enticed the Dwarves. Anton thought it was so strange to become excited over such a single facet, so long as it convinced the Dwarves he didn’t care.
The Elders talked amongst themselves for almost a minute before coming to a conclusion.
“Given our circumstances, we will agree to this plan.” The female Elder said softly.
“Excellent.” Anton smiled. “You won’t regret it.”
“But, do not think that we will not be keeping an eye on you, on what you’re doing. We won’t be leaving the Dwarven Isles for human lands only to find something terrible waiting for us.”
More terrible than those giant insects?
“That’s a little harsh.” Umikgruid chuckled. “But, given my time spent with Anton and Atros I know they’re good people. They have Beast-kin living with them happily-”
Gosthilda shuffled in her seat.
“-so Dwarves will not be a problem.”
“And how do we transport almost one hundred and fifty thousand Dwarves across the sea?” A different Elder asked. “How many ships do you have? And will we have to cross Qaiviel first? Do they even have enough food for the journey?”
“Probably not.” Anton shrugged. “Qaiviel's still recovering from a civil war and I only have one ship and that’s, hopefully, about ready to leave.”
“Then…”
Anton raised his hand. “Before I get into that, how are the other Dwarven Clans going to react to this? Are they going to be mad that you left?” Anton looked to Umikgruid. “Sounds like they’re making a good profit by abusing your clan.”
“They do.” The Elders nodded. “But they want us gone.”
“They want you controlled,” Kal said. “Pushed into little areas with no hope of getting out, forced to do whatever dirty work they want for scraps, because they can and don’t want to get their hands dirty.”
Anton nodded. “And you haven’t tried to leave yet. I’d like, if possible, to do this with the utmost secrecy. Until the last moment, of course, then we take the last of the Dragon-Guard Clan and race out of here before they know what’s happening. Once you're gone they simply won't have a choice but to suck it up.”
“I still don’t understand how you’ll get so many people up to the surface.” An Elder sighed. “I’m sure the other clans know there’s a group of humans…They won’t know you’re a Beast-kin, but they’ll know that there are humans down this far, and that doesn’t happen…Well, ever.”
“We need somewhere secure.” Anton began. “Somewhere deep in your territory, away from prying eyes. That’s where we’ll establish our portal and you can start bringing your people through. Definitely the warriors first, just to make sure the scourge of these Insect creatures are put to rest once and for all.”
“What’s to stop them from killing our people again?”
“We seal the doors magically, ward them so that anything that touches them gets a lethal shock, on the outside at least.” Anton smiled. “And we’ll be down there too until we can find the breach.”
Anton summoned a Fire Imp and a Lightning Crow. The Elders were utterly stunned by their sudden appearance.
“And I can summon creatures to fight for me too.”
“Anywhere’s got to be better than here.” One of the silent Elders grumbled. “The best place would be one of the water storage blocks. No one really goes there, and we can keep control of the Dwarves that do. That’ll keep things quiet, for a little while at least.”
He frowned deeply. “The other clans will find out about this eventually.”
“Let them.” Anton shrugged. “As you said, they want you gone. And now they don’t have to pay a single copper coin. But, since we’re in the Dwarven Isles, we need to do some shopping. The hold’s forge is old, very old, and I’m sure in the interim there have been some advances.”
“Those won’t be cheap…”
Verona chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. We have all the silver in the world…Shame we don’t have a gold mine yet.”
“Gold and silver are sometimes found together.” Umikgruid smiled. “Though we didn’t see any, who’s to say there isn’t a giant lode just below the surface.”
“Excellent.” Anton clapped his hands. “We need a lot of metal working too. Especially things like armour and weapons. The Beast-kin have different bodies compared to us, some will need specialized equipment. Like Rasha, she’s easily half of me taller and a lot wider.”
“And all muscle,” Cetina smirked.
“So I’m sure you’ll have to get imaginative there.” Anton smiled. “How good are your best metalworkers? Your smiths?”
“Better than any human alive.” An Elder spoke proudly.
“They do have a very, very good smith in Atros.” Umikgruid chuckled. “For a human. Especially for what he’s got to work with. I couldn’t do better if I just had an open flame.”
“A human that skilled…”
“Jonathan said that he learnt just by practice and by watching his father,” Anton said. “The man has a real knack for smithing. So do his children…That’s something we need to talk about as well, Umikgruid. When we’re discussing my project.”
Umikgruid nodded.
“We can send you a few thousand of our best.” The Elders shuffled to their feet. “And we can easily create a list of items and materials that we will need.”
“And new Charge Stones,” Umikgruid said. “The Blood Hammers forges use the ones that you can only find in the oldest tunnels.”
“That will create some suspicion,” Verona said softly.
“We have no choice.” The female Elder shuffled forward and held her hand out for Anton. Anton gently shook the hard but warm hand. She didn’t retract and held his tight. “Can you save the Dragon-Guard Clan from rotting away in the dark depths of this hell?”
Anton breathed deep and nodded. “I can. No…I will.”
The Elder smiled. “Then we will follow. Begin the preparations with all speed. We need to be free of this place as soon as possible.”
---[]---
With the Dragon-Guard Dwarves spilling through the portal, most had to be convinced to take the first step onto the shimmering white disk and then removed when they found themselves in an ancient and long forgotten hold, work restoring and securing the hold progressed rapidly. With the Dark Elves joining them, Calo and Sheso leading, once again positioned behind the Dwarves to safely shoot over their heads, they were able to secure more and more rooms, each time magically repairing and sealing the doors while opening those that only led to secure areas.
“That’s a third of the hold secure already.” Umikgruid smiled, standing before a more complete stone map. “Are things going too easily?”
“Absolutely.” Anton mused. He looked outside of their current room, a storage block filled with rusted equipment and the desiccated husks of food, towards a pile of dead Insects. “We haven’t found any of those yet.”
“The other room?” Kal asked. She pointed to the large block far away from the rest of the hold. “We still haven’t found that yet.”
Umikgruid shook his head. “We’ve got a lot of blocks to recover before we can hope to get that far.” The Dwarf rubbed his beard. “I wonder what’s inside…”
“Hopefully nothing like the pit.” Anton mused.
Almost upon arrival, the new Dragon-Guard Dwarves sought out the stone maps, their questions were mainly concerned with the two oddities in this hold. Anton didn’t want to explain and simply told them it was under control, but they couldn’t enter either. They wouldn’t be able to open the sealed door anyway, even though it was just a few paces from the forge.
Gosthilda whistled as she ran towards them, running for a Dwarf. “The forge’s almost ready to start working again…I’m sorry that we had to drain most of your treasury.”
“It’s fine.” Anton chuckled. “Gold isn’t worth much unless you spend it.”
He wasn’t about to deny the loss he felt watching their chest filled with gold coins leave Atros. They still had the chest of gems but that wasn't the point.
“We do need that silver soon.”
“Maybe that could be the taxes?” Cetina offered. “We get to keep the silver, or most of it.”
“We’ll work it out later.” Anton smiled. “It’s all a little bit soon to be worrying about that. Especially with those things potentially still lurking below us.”
Anton pointed to the incomplete mining area beneath the main hold. “We need to cross these areas, then we’ll get this breach. If they’re not there we’ll seal it up…And then we can take a quick detour to find the second oddity. Find out what’s happening down there.”
“That’s almost underneath the mountain range to the north of Atros?” Rasha asked. She had to stoop very low to see the stone map. “Isn’t it?”
Anton nodded. “Maybe the mountain has another entrance. We could get right to the Clansmen and Orcs if we wanted to.”
“Or them to us.” Verona mused.
Anton gave a final nod and ordered their group to continue their descent. The further they continued the greater the number of dead Dwarves and Insects. He began seeing giant ballista, some still loaded but no longer able to fire. On the far sides of the wall lay the giant bolts, embedded deep into the stone wall or an unfortunate Insect. These too were growing larger and more vicious; larger teeth, claws and a much darker colour to their shells. One of these darker Insects lay behind a screen of normal Insects, probably a commander of some sort. Just like the Black Goblins to the Yellow and Greens.
Upon reaching a large ore sorting room, still full of carts and literal mountains of unsorted ore, with just two more blocks from the suspected breach Kal pulled hard on his arm.
“I hear something.” Kal drew her bow, an enchanted fire arrow ready. “Scraping its way along the floor. A lot of them.”
Anton pushed Calo and Sheso back, once again with them and taking the smart position of behind Anton. Kal pointed to the large corridor, their previous destination. Everyone waited in perfect silence until the Dark Elves began acting strange. A quick nod from Calo and Sheso confirmed they too could hear something. Anton summoned a small, bright fireball and pushed it deep into the corridor. Nothing emerged.
Still nothing could be seen in the infinite blackness. As Rasha leant down something finally moved through the darkness. An Insect, whatever they were really called, emerged, its chitonous nose sniffing for its prey. A small, thin tongue licked at the air, but this lacked the innocence of Eider’s. This creature was clearly a killer. The red compound eyes, no longer dried and cracked, focused on the small fireball. It recoiled from the light for but a moment before pressing forward. After another step it sniffed again, its teeth began to gnash and it raised its rear legs. Again Rasha moved to ask when saw it rubbing its rear two legs together. He forced magic into the fireball and threw it at the Insect’s skull. It evaporated in a blast of flame, the creature stumbled to its side and collapsed against the stone wall. Its legs twitched violently before finally falling limp and still.
Verona and Kal looked at Anton. A fresh source of the charge was racing up his tail. Not much, less than the Stitch Soldiers, but more than the Goblins.
“That thing just gave me a charge,” Anton said softly. “I’ll keep an eye on it. But that thing called for help. We’re going to have a lot more.”
“Hold here or push forward?” Cetina asked.
Anton pointed to the tunnel. “We need to push forward. There could be millions waiting below, and that’s going to make this whole endeavour pointless. Besides, Kal has a way of dealing with huge numbers of enemies in tight confines.”
Kal smirked. “Someone just needs to get me a stone.”
“Won’t this go over the Earth Mana limit?” Verona asked. “Just a thought.”
“Shouldn’t, not this far from Atros. No one said anything strange happened when we used the recharging station.” Anton summoned four large Fire Imps and Lightning Crows. “Go forward and kill every Insect you can find.”
The creatures obeyed and scampered ahead. Before they left their sight lightning rumbled and echoed through the tunnel and into the sorting room. Flashes of flame from the Fire Imp’s swords darted through the darkness.
“He was just a scout.” Anton readied a Lightning Lance. “We’re going to have to fight our way through.”
He threw the lance, striking an Insect square in its chest. It, like the other, died instantly. Kal released her arrow followed by the Dark Elves. Kal’s arrow immolated three insects and killed one of Anton’s Fire Imps. He wasn’t particularly worried, it wasn’t deliberate. The Dark Elves arrows struck the insects chitonous armour, only those that found the joints dug deep enough to cause a damaging wound, the others only embedded as deep as their arrowhead.
If only we had Eider’s venom. A little late for that now…
“Aim for the joints,” Calo said to the Dark Elves. “Don’t waste your arrows.”
“I don’t think we can get more easily.” Sheso looked at Anton.
“We could set up a portal.”
Anton looked towards the tunnel as two of his fire Imps died, ripped to ribbons by claws capable of tearing through stone.
“But we might not get that chance.”
Cetina and Rasha moved close and readied their weapons. Verona summoned her blood shards and kept them as a mauling shield of razor-sharp shards in front.
“I can handle the front.” Verona smiled. “Let’s get this done.”
---[]---
Nearly an hour passed before they reached the breach into the hold, all the while they were continuously set upon by waves of Insects. Despite Anton’s fears, there wasn’t an innumerable horde waiting in the shadows but it certainly felt close. At any one time they could easily count ten Insets, always more lunging out of the shadows. With Verona taking the lead and taking advantage of the Dwarves narrow and rigid construction there were very few chances to break through Verona’s defence. However, they were almost out of time. Verona had already drunk five mana vials and was looking weak by the time they arrived.
The room they found themselves in was very different compared to the standard Dwarven design. It was utterly massive, lacking the straight rigid order found in the other Dwarven blocks, only random and chaotic. Really, it was a large room over multiple giant voids leading down into the depths. Surrounding the pits, some glinting with shiny metal ore, laid piles mining equipment, all clearly dropped where they fell alongside hundreds of Dwarven corpses. Many pulleys and ropes led down, several Dwarf corpses were still attached to the ropes still wearing mining equipment. And out of every pit, dozens of giant Insects continued to emerge.
“Thank all the gods,” Verona mumbled. Calo and Sheso gently supported Verona underneath her arms, she was grateful for the twin’s help.
“Someone get me a stone,” Kal ordered.
A Dwarf broke formation and retrieved a small cast-off stone for Kal. She murmured her thanks as she clasped the stone tight and began her mumbled chant.
Anton glanced behind to a door, thankfully not broken or damaged. And it was the only way out of this part of the hold. Perfect for the plan.
As the seconds dragged on Verona’s shard wall began to falter. There were simply too many Insects for her to catch at once, especially with her depleted mana reserves. The Dark Elves aimed at their heads, most arrows finding a joint in their armoured plating, but one broke through. The Dwarves were stunned by the size of the creature, barely reaching the top of one of its numerous legs and stood frozen in place. Cetina and Rasha pushed their way through the Dwarves, Rasha simply stepped over them and attacked the creature. Cetina dropped her sword and held her shield tight, the swipe from the insect digging deep into the metal and tearing a great rip. Rasha growled and thrust her halberd into the Insects mouth, covered in saliva, eagerly awaiting its pretty. The pointed tip slid through its teeth and out the other side. It staggered for a moment but it was clearly dead. Rasha ripped her halberd free and kicked it back, back into the swirling mass of blood shards. Rasha was breathing very hard when she returned, a hint of a frenzy in her eyes.
“Are you okay?” Anton asked.
Rasha snorted, stomping her hoof repeatedly. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”
Cetina shot Anton a look, she wasn’t entirely sure. Rasha's breathing did not calm nor did the wild look in her eyes dissipate. She was very, very angry right now.
“Just stay back with the others,” Anton ordered. Rasha glanced back and obeyed his order.
With each Insect’s death, the charge only grew along his tail. Already it was near the base of his tail, and he still didn’t know what would happen if it reached the base. Thoughts of King Harold flashed through his mind.
If they’re giving me the charge then maybe…
Anton created the Marble Spear.
“Verona! Make a hole.”
Verona glanced back, smirked and moved some blood shards away from a charging Insect. Before it could be peppered with arrows he threw the spear at its chest. The spear drove effortlessly through its armour and deep into its flesh. Just as before the majority of the spear disintegrated, leaving the tip embedded in its hide. The white corruption began to spread, slower than the Goblins or Ghlotsm. The other Insects regarded it with confusion and hostility. Any that tried to attack it during its transformation were struck down.
The completely white Insect shuddered and stood taller, prouder than the rest.
“Just like those Ghlotsm.” Cetina mused.
“Go down and corrupt every Insect you can find,” Anton commanded.
The corrupted insect darted through the crowds, dodging swipes and bites before itself into the pit, striking the those still climbing up with a claw swipe to their legs and back. Three-quarters of those struck began to transform, though were unable to hold on and fell into the depths. Anton had no idea if they would succeed or not but the simple distraction would be sufficient.
“Done!” Kal yelled.
A dark red and brown thick smoke leaked from her gloved hands. Instantly Kal began to gag, even to Anton it smelt utterly vile. His nose burned with unimaginably blinding pain.
Kal threw the stone into the closest pit, the Insects completely ignored it, and Anton ordered everyone back. Verona kept her blood shards inside the room, even as it began to fill with the acrid smoke, and the doors were pulled shut. Anton enchanted the door to remain shut and shock anyone bar him that touched it.
“It’s done. Verona, you can release your blood.”
“Thanks.” Verona’s unnatural red glow dissipated. “I hope it’s over now.”
Nothing tried to come through the sealed door, not even the tiniest hint of scraping claws or a wisp of the acrid smoke.
Anton retrieved Verona from the Dark Elf twins and held her underneath her arms. Verona winked, chuckled but was clearly about to pass out.
“Thanks, Verona.” Anton kissed her forehead.
Verona patted his cheek. “Make sure to reward me later.”
“What…” Sheso looked to her sister, both understood and flushed vividly, their ears turning bright red.
“Is that thing still under your control?” Kal asked. She helped him rest Verona against the wall.
“For now. It’s got a fair few under its control, but it’ll probably die when it breathes too much of that smoke. What did you make anyway, Kal?”
“I asked Tethra to make smoke that would burn eyes, skin and lungs.” Kal smiled, almost a hint of malice in her face. “For the next thirty days they'll be drowning in it.”
“Last time it was just thick smoke.” Anton smiled. “I don’t think they’re going to last long with their tunnels filling with that.”
Cetina frowned lightly. “Do you think that the other one has actually stopped? There haven’t been any more Goblins coming from that hill.”
Umikgruid approached, gently swinging his axe back and forth. “That was…Well, I was expecting a bigger fight.”
“Some heroic last stand?” Anton asked.
Umikgruid laughed. “No. But I thought I might actually stain my axe.”
“There's a chance they could still come back.” Anton took out a Strohierite gem from a small bag, binding a Lightning Crow within. “Stop any Insect that comes through that door, aim for its head.”
The Crow nodded and waited patiently on the stone.
“The Crow will buy us time." Anton turned to the twins. "We might need some Dark Elves to stay here, alongside some Dwarves. Just in case they break through."
"Leran." Calo nervously scratched the tip of her ear. "He won't like having some of our warriors down here all the time."
"We'll send some of the other clans then," Anton said. "Besides, their job will just be to run and warn us, not to fight."
"Meaning that the Dwarves are just to buy time?" Umikgruid nodded to the happy Lightning Crow. "Like him?"
"I wouldn't put it that way..." Anton trailed off. "But these things will kill everyone if they break out."
Umikgruid glumly nodded. "I would like them to have a few ways to slow them down."
"We still have money." Verona pushed herself off the wall, now with only a slight stagger to her step. "So buy whatever you need."
"I think we'll just do that." Umikgruid looked to the sealed door. "There's just one more thing to find in this hold, isn't there?"
---[]---
Every step taken through the rest of the hold, still completely silent and devoid of life, was taken with the utmost trepidation. Every step felt like they would stumble across another horde of Insects, another breach, but it was not to be. Anton had no idea if the Insects had some sort of air pocket in their underground caverns but he doubted that Kal’s toxic smoke would be the last of them. The controlled insect was fighting while descending, escaping the smoke but its horde was growing very slowly. The time needed to fully corrupt the Insects was quite long, enough for the other insects to kill most before they could fully transform. Regardless it was enough to cause chaos in their ranks. No sign of a Queen or where they laid their eggs.
The long corridor to the second oddity was utterly barren. Not a single corpse lay along its entire length. Only at the very end did they find two entangled in some eternal struggle, an Insect and a Dwarf in the most resplendent armour Anton had ever seen. It was made entirely from Adamantium. Though it hadn’t buckled the tiny gaps between the plates was more than enough to let the Insect’s claws through and into his neck. However, the Insect had been killed shortly after, an Adamantium Axe driven deep into its skull.
“At least he got the bastard that got him.” Anton mused.
Umikgruid knelt by the dead Dwarf. “This looks like a Hold Lord. No one else could afford such a suit of armour. Right…Think of him like a King."
“The king came all this way?” Verona asked. She was walking on her feet but Calo and Sheso remained close, just in case.
“Yes…” Anton looked away from the corpses to the rest of the room. “But why here when everyone else was dying?”
The rest of the room was odd, very odd. On the far wall lay a giant Adamantium and Chelium door, far larger than the door protecting the Dragon creature suspended over the magma pit. There appeared to be no lock or any sort of beam preventing access. An assortment of items just before the door, neatly organised, only raised more questions; piles of decayed food, wood and clothes, unfit for Dwarves, alongside piles of a dark maroon silk.
“Did you guys have a market down here?” Verona asked.
“Strange to bring it all this way.” Rasha murmured. “This stuff looks pretty heavy, even for me.”
“Indeed.” Umikgruid stroked his beard. He pointed to a box of what appeared to be the desiccated remains of mushrooms. “I’ve never seen those before.”
A small flame insignia was etched onto the side of the crate.
“Is that the United Empire’s?”
Umikgruid shook his head. “No. I’ve never seen this before.”
“Okay…” Anton turned to the door. “Can you get this open?”
Anton stopped when he reached ten meters from the door. His body tingled, not from a charge but something much deeper, something that ran through his very veins. He tried to summon a small lightning sphere. The sphere was distorted, drawn like gravity towards the door and slowly floating towards it. Anton stepped back and pulled the Lightning bomb away, the feeling subsided and the Lightning bomb returned to normal.
“That’s new.”
“Wards.” Gosthilda nodded. “Lots of them. Very, very powerful ones. Stronger than the ones I’ve seen on treasury vaults in The Dwarven Isles.”
“No magic’s going to get through this.” Anton sighed. “It feels like it’ll just rip it out of me. Or worse. I suppose it’s up to you and your skills now.”
Gosthilda shook her head. “There’s no lock for me to pick. We’re going to need someone a lot more experienced to deal with this. One of our Rune-Smiths should be able to unlock it. Are you sure you want to though? They wanted this sealed up tight. No one is supposed to get in here.”
“Yet they brought all this stuff here.” Anton shook his head. “And I doubt it was offerings to those Insects.”
Umikgruid snapped his fingers. He took an arrow from a Dark Elf, who was rather miffed and tossed it at the door. As it approached the arrow began to distort until it made contact, exploding in a white flash, sending sparks and splinters everywhere.
“That’s going to make things difficult.”
“Is that it then?” Calo asked. “Nothing can get close…”
“We have some things that can.” Umikgruid winked at the young Dark Elf twins. “But…They’re going to be expensive.”
“How expensive?”
“Not too bad.” Umikgruid nervously stroked his beard. “A few of those blue gems and we should be fine. Regardless, it’ll take some time. Are you sure you want to know what’s inside?”
“Absolutely.” Anton nodded. “With the silver we won’t have to worry about money for some time. Get…Get the material but don’t start yet. Umikgruid, how long do you think it’ll take to gather your best smiths?”
“For your special project? Should be sometime tomorrow.”
“I want those working before we open this door.”
Rasha leant down to Cetina. “What is he talking about?”
Cetina smiled. “That’s a secret.”
Rasha pouted, she didn’t like to be kept out of the loop. Anton doubted if Cetina truly understood the importance of the bolt action rifle.
“Alright. It’ll probably take a few days before we could open it anyway.”
Anton threw a piece of timber at the door. Again it exploded in a shower of sparks and splinters.
“Blood-Hammer Dwarves, what were you hiding here?”