First of Frostmaire

There was almost absolute silence in the tunnel. The shades made no noise as they operated their tunneler, growing ever closer to their goal. Twenty dwarves marched behind them, none speaking a word. Walking in the lead, Desuri silently cursed his foolishness at agreeing to lead this mission. He was an advisor, not a warrior, though he had fought in combat just like most dwarves. The mountain depths were home to all sorts of beasts, and it was rare to find a dwarf who didn’t not know the art of killing. Still, Desuri had no love for it. Damn you, Nizali. He couldn’t say no to the prince, even knowing that he was preparing a bid for the throne once this campaign was complete. Nizali would take the Source for himself, Desuri knew. He had to succeed if Zimari were to stay in power. Even in war, politics reigns.

The tunneler went silent, and Desuri signalled for his men to stop. He looked up at the tunnel roof, knowing that he wouldn’t see anything, yet still giving in to the instinct to look towards his goal. He could feel the buzz in the air, knew that they were close. One quick strike and they could end this war with no glory to Nizali. The king would stay on his throne, and Desuri would enjoy a prestige beyond his wildest dreams.

He pushed the thought from his mind as the shades gathered together and began to hum. Even though he had been fully briefed on what would happen, he felt a sense of unease as the air began to shimmer around the spirits. He heard the other dwarves draw closer, even though they’d been assured that their positions didn’t matter. Falkar himself had given the orders, but Desuri had to fight his fear as a bright light surrounded the shades, then burst forth over the whole tunnel. He felt a rushing sensation, and his ears popped as the pressure began to shift.

***

It was dawn on the surface. Belkai and Davos were asleep on bedrolls in the ruined watchtower, the only movement coming from the pair of elves patrolling the clearing. Even the two archers on the roof of the watchtower stood motionless as they searched for dangers. The night was still, with barely the flutter of a distant Blackwing to bother the watching elves. Belkai was the first to notice the coming danger, her eyes slowly opening as she felt a subtle presence drawing closer. There was no time to react. The earth shook as thunder roared, and a moment later an elf flew through the doorway, his body shredded by the blast. Davos was on his feet in an instant, his sword by his side. A horn blew to sound the alert, and already Belkai heard the clash of steel.

The dwarves emerged from the hole with weapons at the ready. The two elven archers reacted instantly, but their hasty shots bounced off the invaders’ bronze armour. Two dwarves fired their mechanical bows, and the archers went silent. By the time Belkai and Davos made it outside the watchtower the small defence force was dead, the dwarves moving into the latrine building. The pair ran towards the rear guard, Belkai raising her longsword even as her senses reached out and wrapped around the two dwarves standing before them. She didn’t hesitate. She threw the sword with all her might, and it buried itself in the first dwarf’s face, sending his body crashing into the wall behind him. For a second he blinked, wide eyes focused on the blade as his life faded away. The second dwarf simply collapsed as Belkai snapped his neck. His body hit the ground a second before Belkai reached him.

Davos paused over the impaled dwarf.

“That was a little excessive,” he said, nudging the body. It didn’t move. He glanced over at Belkai as she retrieved the dagger from her belt and held it in a reverse grip.

“I was in a rush,” she replied. He recognised the look in her eye, the same anger that she had shown when she’d killed the vampires that had been his captors in the desert. You dwarves have no idea what you’ve unleashed. He tightened his grip on his sword and followed Belkai as she stepped inside. There were four dwarves still on their level, and they turned as they sensed their approach.

“I’ll go left,” Davos murmured, and they moved a few feet apart as they advanced. The dwarves charged, hammers and axes already swinging. Belkai sidestepped her first attacker, giving his shoulder a light touch as she sent a jolt of fire through his veins. He fell to the ground screaming and she gave her full attention to his comrade. He swung his hammer, but Belkai grabbed his wrist, spun him around, and slashed his throat as he came around. His comrade was starting to rise to his feet, and Belkai kept advancing towards the trapdoor as she found his heartbeat and ended it. Her head swam, and she put a hand out to steady herself. She forced the feeling aside. There were more enemies in that tunnel, and she had no time for weakness. Davos joined her, blood dripping from the end of his sword.

“Are you okay?”

Belkai nodded as she straightened. “I’ll be fine. The stairs are clear. But the Watchers will need help.”

“Then let’s go.” Davos led the way down the stairs. Belkai took a moment to compose herself, then followed. There were fourteen dwarves ahead of them, Belkai knew, and she could sense Eliana and Vaskil readying themselves for the fight. There were too many in that crowded space, she knew. The Watchers could put up a good fight, but they would be quickly overwhelmed without help. It only took a few seconds for them to catch up with the dwarves. One started to turn, but Belkai wrapped an arm around his helmet, jerked his head back, then stabbed him once in the throat. She let him fall in a growing pool of blood as she advanced. Another leapt for her, but his knees collapsed beneath him and he fell, his face landing on the blade of his axe. Beside her, Davos parried a blow, then pushed the dwarf into the wall before slashing his blade across his face. He turned away as the body collapsed, finding his next target.

Belkai jumped backwards as a dwarf stabbed at her with a short sword. He parried her counterattack, then kept pushing her backwards with attacks too fast for her to bring her magic to bear. She dropped to the ground, and he overshot. As he stumbled past, she stabbed him through the thigh, pulling the blade out as he fell, then ramming it through the back of his neck. She looked up as another dwarf came forward, his sword already rushing for her. Before it landed, a flaming red whip wrapped around his arm and pulled him off balance. He spun around, only to receive a fiery sword to the chest. He collapsed to the ground, a four-inch hole burned through his armour. Belkai rose to her feet, surprised to see that only one dwarf was remaining. He was sprawled against a wall, groaning as blood gushed from a wound to his chest. Belkai knelt before him and sheathed her dagger.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice low and unthreatening. He must have known that he was dying, because there was no lie in him as he replied.

“Desuri. I am an advisor to the king.”

Belkai shook her head sadly. “Not anymore.”

He tried to spit at her, but his heart cut out before he could. His head slumped forward, and the saliva dribbled from his lips.

“This war is a waste of life,” Belkai said as she stood and looked back at the bodies. “Such a damnable waste.”

“It isn’t over yet,” Davos told her. He nodded at the artefact sitting on its altar a few feet away. “But they almost got their hands on that thing.”

Belkai stared at it for a few moments, then turned to the Watchers. “Eliana, Vaskil, get to the surface. Make sure there aren’t more coming.”

She waited until they were gone before leading Davos into the chamber. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

“If we’d been a moment slower…”

“Then they would have accessed that portal, and gods know what would have come out,” Davos finished for her. “This was either desperation, or a distraction.”

Belkai nodded. “Their next assault will be their final push. They thought that they might avoid it altogether.”

“Their next attack will break us,” he told her. “We cannot sustain these fights. There is only one way to end this.”

Belkai studied the artefact. She could feel the presence drawing close, its haunting voice pressing at the edge of her consciousness. She shook her head. “The risks are too great. We don’t know what this thing is.”

“It is the source of Narandir, and the cause of this war,” Davos said. “What else do we need to know?”

“The tablet spoke of Zumani’s guardian,” Belkai reminded him. “There is something on the other side, Davos. Something that will try to kill us if I open that doorway.”

“You are the Lord of Narandir. You have authority over whatever is on the other side.”

Belkai took a faltering step towards the artefact. The orb of light seemed to grow brighter as she approached and felt its power call out to her. The crystal capstone began to run with a cascade of colours, and the air itself seemed to shimmer.

“I’m right here,” Davos whispered, and Belkai glanced back at him.

“Whatever happens, I did this to save us all,” she said, and he nodded. She looked to the artefact, and sent a pulse through the portal. She felt the presence come close. You have returned, its words echoed in her mind. You claim to be worthy?

“I am the child of Elkur, sent for this hour,” Belkai said with a firmness that surprised Davos. “You will bow to me.”

Davos heard footsteps behind him, and turned as Vaskil approached. Before the Watcher could speak, Davos put a finger to his mouth. Vaskil nodded and stood silently beside him, watching as Belkai reached out and put a hand on the obelisk. A white sphere slowly appeared above its tip, and Davos found himself taking a small step closer. The sphere continued to grow, and Belkai’s hand dropped towards her dagger. She smelled salt, heard a strange rushing sound, and then without warning the sphere filled the room with blazing light and she felt a rushing wind envelop her. For several long seconds, all she could see was the light as she was buffeted by the wind. Without a warning, the wind stopped, and she found herself falling, catching a glimpse of sand and grass before she hit the ground, rolling twice before coming to a stop. She didn’t move at first, listening to her body, and slowly rose to her feet only once she was sure that her only injuries were some bruises. She frowned as she looked around. Everything was dark; the sky was a strange mix of dark green and black, and seemed to shift as if it were smoke. About six feet ahead of her, the sand ended in water, waves gently lapping onto the beach. She smelled the salty air, shaking her head in disbelief. She heard vomiting behind her, and turned in surprise to see Vaskil doubled over as he heaved the remains of his last meal. Davos was walking towards Belkai, eyes wide as he soaked in the scenery.

“My grandmother used to tell us stories of the sea,” he said as he drew near. “I used to dream of it as a boy. This…this is not what I expected.”

“This is not our world,” Belkai assured him. “It is similar, connected somehow, but not ours.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“Then what is it?” Vaskil asked. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and spat out a final glob of vomit. He looked around with narrowed eyes. “It doesn’t feel right.”

“I don’t know,” Belkai admitted. “Whatever this realm is, it’s foreign to me.”

Davos grunted. “So what do we do?”

Belkai pointed to the distance, where a faint column of light seemed to rise from the sea. It was off to their right, beyond another small island a hundred feet away. “If in doubt, follow the signs. Magic always leaves a mark.”

“Are we planning on swimming?” Vaskil asked, not smiling despite the sarcasm. “I never did learn.”

Belkai didn’t answer as she made her way to the water’s edge. She looked down and pointed. “I don’t think we’ll need to. That looks solid.”

“What is it?” Vaskil asked. Belkai didn’t have an answer. They looked like solid plants, their colours uncertain under the dark clouds. There were thousands of them, though, of all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some looked like rocks covered in holes, while others were like fans. Tiny fish darted in and out, and Belkai shook her head in wonder.

“They’re alive,” she whispered. “Whatever they are, they’re living things, or made up of living things.”

Davos bent down and ran his hand over a fan. He jerked it back and swore, blood leaking from a small but deep cut. “It’s sharp. What the hell is it?”

Belkai shrugged. “I have no idea.”

She took a hesitant step, and the living rocks held her weight. She glanced at the men, then began to walk towards the other island, her footing steady on the submerged path. They were about halfway there when Vaskil called out,

“Belkai, something’s coming.”

She froze, and her veins felt as if they turned to ice. “I feel it too. We need to hurry.”

Davos heard a splash, and in the distance something big moved under the water. He cursed, then followed the others as they tried to run across the water. The disturbance in the water was moving faster as it approached, and several longer objects seemed to branch off from it. It seemed far too long before his feet finally hit relatively solid ground, and he drew his sword and Vaskil summoned his black battle axe. Belkai’s dagger was in her hand, but a yellow light shone around her other.

“This realm has a Protector,” she said quietly, eyes locked on the ripples. “It will kill us or die trying.”

“I choose the latter,” Vaskil growled. “Give no quarter.”

This was its home ground, Belkai knew. They had no idea what they were facing, or how to kill it. They needed an advantage, even if it were only small. She sent a flash of pain through the creature, just enough to enrage it. The water went still for a moment, then exploded as something massive and orange stood upright. It looked like a massive leathery ball, easily the height of six men. A dozen long and thick tentacles covered in claws rolled out from the lower end, and it slammed them into the water as a threat display. I see you, Belkai heard in her head. I warned you.

“Come and get me,” she growled. In response, it slipped back under the water, deep enough that it left no trace of its coming or going. Belkai heard Vaskil curse, but kept her senses trained on the creature. It was coming fast, and there was no time to call out a warning as it shot out of the sea in a spray of water and crashed into the island, standing upright on its tentacles. It was enormous, and only now did they see just how tough its skin appeared. Flaps of skin retracted to reveal two yellow eyes that looked on them with an alien disinterest. It threw a tentacle towards them, and they each dove their separate ways. Vaskil was the first to rise to his feet, and swung his battle axe at the muscled mass. His was a weapon of the Arcane, filled with their energy and capable of shattering the toughest earthbound armour. Though he wielded it with his own hands, it was beyond the physical, existing in two realms simultaneously. As it slammed home, a crack appeared in the blade and the shaft shattered. Vaskil released it, and it vanished as it fell. The tentacle drew back unharmed. He glanced at Belkai, who had watched with wide eyes.

“Run!” she screamed, and led the way, angling for the next island. She heard thumping as the creature followed, and a spiked tentacle smashed through the sand beside her. Too close. They couldn’t outrun it; it had the reach to overcome their speed. Vaskil’s weapons were powerless, and even if they weren’t, neither she nor Davos had the power to wield them. Their own blades would be as worthless as slinging wet sand. The water.

“Keep going! Don’t stop moving!” Belkai yelled. She dodged right, heading for the water rather than the submerged path.

“Belkai!” Davos called.

“Just keep moving!” She felt him hesitate, but then he grabbed Vaskil and pulled him along. Her foot dropped into the water, and she was surprised by how cool it was. She kept going, wading until she was waist deep, then let the water lift her up and carry her.

Every Child of the Wind coming out of their silent year was sent on their Pilgrimage. On the night of their ceremony they would be drugged, hauled to a distant point of the Dominion, and ordered to find their way back to the Citadel. Belkai had been dropped in the foothills of the Artax Mountains, a region populated by particularly human-hating orcs. She had seen a fellow student strung up and gutted on her fifth day. In her desperation to get away, she had drawn their attention, and to escape she had jumped into a lake. In that moment she learned an important lesson: water was its own separate, alien world. It teemed with tiny life, far too small to be seen. It was calming to her senses and helped her focus and expand them.

Now she was in the Protector’s domain. As she floated, she felt it turn away from the others and approach her. She focused on its body, not trying to kill it but rather to understand it. She found both of its hearts and a set of lungs built differently to anything she’d encountered before, but it took time to find its brain. Now she focused, and tried to speak to it. We are not a threat, she tried to say. We only seek to understand. It spoke no reply, but one tentacle crashed to the sea beside her, breaking her focus as she was plunged beneath the surface. She forced herself to the surface, gasping for air as another tentacle wrapped around her leg and pulled her into the air. It brought her close, dangling her upside down before one of its man-sized eyes. We are not a threat, she repeated. But I will defend myself. If it comprehended her words, it gave no sign. She could hear Davos screaming her name but tuned him out. No distractions. She would only have one chance at this.

Time seemed to slow as she focused her energies on the beast’s hearts. She was surprised by the resistance that she felt; not pure strength like Adrianna and Kane, but rather a deeper magic that pushed back. This wasn’t a natural creature, but she recognised the magic. She sent a jolt of pain through its tentacle, and it reeled backwards, still unaccustomed to prey that fought back. Belkai hit the water like a rock and plunged beneath, but instead of fighting to the surface she let herself slowly drift upwards. Her lungs soon burned for oxygen, but she kept her eyes shut as she reached out and felt the presence of millions of invisible lifeforms, the creatures of the sea. She drew on their energy, pulling it into herself, letting it build as she floated upwards. She felt the beast’s arms crash into the water around her and curl over her body. She broke the surface with a gasp, and surprised herself by giving the creature a grim smile as the skin beneath the body retracted to reveal a beak easily the size of four men. A yellow light grew around her hands, and she bent back to take one last glance at Davos as he watched in horror. She closed her eyes, and felt the beak drew near.

“Not today.”

She released the magic that had built up through the energy that she’d drawn from the sea, focusing it on its two hearts. She felt them erupt under the sudden pressure, which expanded outwards, shattering its body as if struck from inside by an explosion. She fell from the suddenly loose tentacles, hitting the water a second before a shower of pale pink blood. After a few seconds she bobbed to the surface, unmoving, overwhelmed by the sudden explosion of power.

***

Belkai woke to a slap to the face. Her eyes slowly opened to see Davos looking at her sheepishly as he rubbed her shoulder.

“Welcome back,” he said softly. He helped her roll to her side, and she coughed up the last of the seawater from her throat. “I thought we lost you there.”

“What happened?” she managed to gasp. Vaskil grunted.

“You managed to get yourself caught on the damned tentacle,” he said, waving at the creature sprawled out in the water near the beach. “Davos is a good swimmer, it turns out.”

“Saved your life,” Davos confirmed. He held out a hand and pulled Belkai into a sitting position. She began to brush the sand off her. “Though we’re a long way off from our goal.”

“Maybe not,” she said, and pointed ahead. The column of light seemed closer, but that didn’t make sense, Davos thought. They hadn’t advanced during the creature’s attack.

“That’s not possible,” Vaskil murmured.

Belkai smiled at him. “Anything is possible with magic, Vaskil. A Watcher should know that.”

“Can you stand?” Davos asked. Belkai held out a hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She swayed for a moment, then nodded as she found her balance. White birds were circling the giant corpse as the three of them made their way across the next pathway.

“This place isn’t natural, is it?” Vaskil asked. “This is a clear path from the portal to that light.”

“It is a test,” Belkai replied. “Only passable by someone with the right magic.”

“A Brilhardem,” Davos said.

“Correct. A test set by Elkur, to ensure only the chosen obtain the prize.” Belkai shrugged as she stepped back onto dry land. “The question is, what’s the prize?”

It didn’t take long to cover the remaining distance. The shaft of light seemed to emerge from a rocky outcropping a short swim from the final island. There was no pathway, and Vaskil gave a quiet curse as he entered the water.

“I was never much of a swimmer,” he explained, and Davos laughed.

“A warrior, a hunter of beasts, a rock in the water,” he said, ignoring the obscene gesture that Vaskil made. Belkai grinned but said nothing as she led the way. She was the first to reach the outcropping and helped the other two up. They climbed to the top, and light faded away. At the centre of the outcropping was a steep stone stairway leading into the depths.

“Another cave,” Vaskil said. “It always ends in a cave.”

Belkai ignored his comment as she took the first step down. “Stay close. Don’t get separated.”

Vaskil summoned two flaming swords, giving enough light for them to find their footing as they entered the darkness. Water dripped down the moist walls around them, every step echoing in the still air – and bringing them ever further into a growing darkness. By the time they reached the bottom, it was pitch black and even Vaskil’s blades didn’t penetrate more than a few inches. Belkai waited a few moments, then told him to let the weapons go. He hesitated, then the red glow disappeared. No one moved or spoke, the oppressive darkness like a weight upon them. After a few minutes, a purple glow appeared around them, and a blurry outline of a man formed. Its head seemed to face Belkai.

“None have made it this far,” it said, and she instantly recognised the voice as that which had spoken to her through the portal. “Perhaps I was wrong about you.”

“The Protector is dead,” Belkai informed the spectre.

“Thus confirming your claims,” it responded. “You are, then, the heavens-sent. All who came before perished.”

The dwarves, Belkai thought. The spectre seemed to hear her.

“So they called themselves,” it confirmed. “They sought a means to conquer. The strongest of them made it to the second island.”

“So what is this place?” Vaskil asked. “What realm is this?”

“This is a place of ascension, for the one Elkur chooses,” the spectre said. “Such is my purpose, to select the one deemed worthy. Belkai, daughter of Androv, Child of the Wind, Lord of Narandir, Exiled Child, and husband of Davos, your answers lie before you.”

They didn’t know where the light came from, but it expanded to reveal a second room just beyond them. Belkai took a hesitant step, then stopped and looked to the spectre.

“What trial remains?” she asked.

“A wise question.” The shadowy figure almost seemed to nod. “I suspect that you have already had quite the journey to come here. Narandir is not a gift given freely. And don’t think that you are unknown here. The slayer of Ashelath is known in every realm.

“No, you have earned the gift of Elkur already. All that remains is to take it.”

“What is it?” Belkai asked.

“Power beyond recognition. The Mighty Ones – the Arcane, you would call them - were created as servants to execute Elkur’s will. He knew a time would come when they needed to be reminded of this. He decreed that a champion would rise at the changing of eras.” To Belkai’s surprise, the spectre chuckled. “I would say that three dead Arcane would meet that description.”

Belkai turned back to the room. A crystal hung in the air, radiating a million spectrums of light. “This is the source of Narandir?”

“The Forest was always a place of magic, with the elves as its stewards. This realm was always the source, but the crystal was for the purpose of Ascension.”

Davos stepped forward. “Belkai, our people are dying.”

Belkai looked at him with sad eyes. “I feel every one, my love.”

She turned away and slowly walked into the room. The crystal seemed to pulse with light, beckoning her, calling her to take hold. And she did, slowly closing her hand around it. She was bathed with light as bright and overpowering as Ashelath’s darkness had been deep, and fire burned through her veins.

The universe disappeared in a blaze of white flame so intense she felt as if she had become fire itself.