The Dwarven Rebellion

by J. J. Thompson

  “Can you transport us to their location?” Shandon asked Odella abruptly.

  She looked at him dubiously and then glanced into the mirror.

  “Josper and Khara are outside of the shielded wing,” she said softly. “Hmm. If Walkar holds the Magic Mirror spell steady, I should be able to ride the connection through the energy field surrounding the palace. It will be tricky but yes, it could be done.”

  “You are not going anywhere without me!” Walkar objected. “Those are my people in there and I will not sit on the sidelines while they are in peril.”

  Apparently Khara and Josper could hear them arguing. Khara rolled her eyes at her partner and spoke up, interrupting the debate.

  “Are you overtired, Walkar?” she said, sounding testy. “There's no need for you to hold the connection. I can anchor your spell here if you are so insistent on joining us.”

  Walkar stared at her image for a moment and then chuckled as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand.

  “Perhaps I am a bit weary,” he admitted. “Thank you, Khara.”

  He looked at the king.

  “She is correct, my lord. I can let Khara hold the connection between us and then both Odella and I can follow it into the palace.”

  “We'd better take some help with us,” Hallic told Shandon. “I doubt that just the four of us are going to turn the tide of the battle.”

  “I agree,” the king replied with a mischievous grin. “Luckily, we actually have a few people waiting outside who should be eager to aid us.”

  “Good idea,” Hallic said with a short laugh. “Shall I fetch them?”

  “Please do. Time is not on our side.”

  Hallic hurried across the room and left the office. He looked around as he stepped on to the ramp, wondering if the others had become impatient while they waited.

  Jergen and Pieter were standing together speaking with Brokk. Apparently the three of them were discussing old battles.

  Strake, Mel and Annia were simply watching the office doorway, waiting for something to happen. They were leaning against the railing with the pit at their backs and the trio all straightened up as Hallic appeared.

  “Any news, Father?” Mel asked him.

  Everyone looked over at him and Hallic noted the identical expressions on all of their faces. They looked both eager and worried in equal measure. He understood exactly how they felt.

  “We've made contact with the mages inside of the palace,” he told them. “The place has been invaded by goblins and a lot of the royal guards are dead.”

  Commander Brokk stroked his goatee calmly, but his deep-set eyes glowed with suppressed anger. Jergen and Pieter weren't as controlled in their response to Hallic's news.

  “Goblins in the palace!” Pieter exclaimed. “How could that happen?”

  “Corbin and his pet witch,” Jergen told him angrily. “They lured us to Cindercore and then attacked while our attention was focused on that threat. I don't know how many of those damned goblins they have at their disposal, but they must be using them as shock troops to take over the palace and install Corbin as the new king.”

  “They dare?” Brokk said coldly. “Such an installation would have no legal standing. The people would never recognize the king's son as their new ruler.”

  “Wouldn't they?” Hallic replied skeptically. “If this coup were to be contained within the palace grounds and Shandon was killed and disposed of privately, all that the populace would ever know about how the change in monarchs occurred would be rumors and innuendo. Most people never see the king in person, you know. They live their lives day to day and let the nobles and higher-ups do what they do. Many of them would be upset, I suppose, but what would they do? Rise up and march on the palace? I doubt it.”

  “Oh, Corbin is much more clever than I gave him credit for,” Mel told her father. “We should have killed him when we had the chance, before all of this began.”

  “And then the king would have wiped out our guild in retribution,” Hallic replied heavily. “We made a choice, Mel, and we'll have to live with that. Besides, I am more convinced than ever that Cindra is now the one calling the shots in this rebellion, not Shandon's idiot son. She wants to be the power behind the throne. Corbin will rule as a figurehead while the witch wields the real power.”

  “This speculation will have to wait,” Brokk stated. “What does the king want us to do right now?”

  “He wants us to follow him into the dragon's den, of course,” Hallic told the commander with a wry smile. “We are Gating into the heart of the palace, to the mages' wing. Care to come along?”

  Jergen and Pieter both grinned at his news.

  “Now that is the Shandon I've been waiting for,” Jergen exclaimed. “As bold and courageous as ever! Let's take the fight to the enemy and stop this coup before it goes any further.”

  Brokk looked eager as well and Hallic rolled his eyes at the other rogues.

  “Warriors,” he said, shaking his head. “I will never understand them.”

  Annia and Strake laughed while Mel stepped forward and patted Hallic's shoulder.

  “We don't need to understand them, Father,” she told him. “We just need to do our part. So shall we get started?”

  “Yes, I suppose so. Come along, everyone.”

  Hallic walked back into the office with the others following along behind him.

  Inside, both Odella and Walkar were standing in the center of the room. Shandon smiled at the group as they entered the office.

  “Hallic has brought you up to speed?” he asked them.

  “Aye, we're going into the palace to crack some skulls,” Jergen replied enthusiastically.

  The king chuckled at his old friend's response.

  “Close enough, I suppose. Odella will be Gating myself, Brokk, Jergen and Pieter. Walkar will transport Hallic and the rest of you. Does anyone have any objections or doubts? If so, tell me now.”

  “We are wasting time, my lord,” Brokk replied impatiently. “Every moment that passes could mean another life lost.”

  Shandon looked at Hallic, who just shrugged.

  “He's right,” he told the king. “Let's do this.”

  “Very well. Everyone gather around your assigned mage.”

  Shandon nodded at Odella and Walkar.

  “Whenever you are ready,” he told them.

  “On three then,” Walkar said to Odella. “One...Two...Three!”

  “How is Larin doing?”

  Shandon and Hallic had entered the mages' wing of the palace after they had Gated inside the walls. The others in the group had remained with Khara and Josper to guard the entrance while the king went in to discuss the situation.

  “He sleeps, my lord,” Hadd replied. “That is all I can say. He is uninjured, but his energies are very low.”

  The mage was the de facto leader of the mages while Larin was incapacitated. He met the king just inside the main entrance, his silver beard still neatly twisted into three long braids. He wore a simple brown robe over his thin form and his gray eyes met Shandon's with calm resolve.

  “At least he lives,” the king said with relief. “After he Gated so many of us at once, I feared that he had critically overextended himself.”

  “It was a near thing,” Hadd told him. “But Larin is very strong, stronger than any of us, and it served him well in this case. But now we must make our plans without that strength to rely on. What do you have in mind going forward, my lord?”

  “Do you know what is happening in the rest of the palace?” Shandon asked him. “Have you used your powers to scout around?”

  “Only peripherally, my lord,” Hadd replied. “There are pockets of resistance all over the palace and the surrounding grounds. Your guardsmen are continuing to fight heroically, but there appear to be twice as many goblins as there are defenders. Sadly, it is probably just a matter of time before they all fall.”

  “And my son and the witch?”

  “I do not know, my lor
d,” Hadd said, shaking his head. “The throne room is shielded and my spells are ineffective against it. I assume that Cindra and the prince are in there, but what they are doing or how many others are in there with them is unknown to me.”

  Shandon looked around the large hall that he and Hallic had entered. A staircase rose up to the right and circled around the circular hall to the second floor. He spotted several small faces peaking over the railing above them and he smiled in spite of the grave situation.

  “Ah, the innocence of children,” he said softly. “Even in the most dire of circumstances.”

  Hallic and Hadd looked up to see what had caught the king's eye and both of them chuckled.

  “Yes, our youngsters have little understanding of current events,” Hadd said as he gazed at the little faces fondly. “They only know that their parents are afraid, so they are also afraid.”

  He looked gravely at the king.

  “My lord, can you save them?” he asked.

  Shandon stared at Hadd, his emotions clearly showing on his face.

  “We will save them,” he assured the mage. “Together. Josper says that there are enough mages amongst your people to Gate everyone to safety. Is that correct?”

  “Perhaps, my lord,” Hadd replied dubiously. “But where can we go? Who can we trust?”

  “You can trust my people,” Hallic said firmly. “Our guild-house is secure. Odella can pass along the description of our entrance hall to you. It is more than large enough for all of your people to Gate there at once.”

  Hadd looked at him for a long moment, as if weighing the rogue's sincerity, and then he smiled.

  “You are very kind, Guildmaster,” he told Hallic. “And the king trusts you, which is good enough for me. But my lord,” he added, turning to Shandon, “we must leave a few of our mages here to aid in your battle against the invaders. And to hold the shield blocking hostile magics around this wing of the palace until we are ready to Gate. Who should remain?”

  “I'll leave that up to you, Hadd,” the king replied. “I would welcome any help that you can give us, but not if it risks your people, especially your children. The decision is yours to make.”

  In the end, four mages elected to remain within the palace. Walkar, Odella, Josper and Khara volunteered to stay with the king, while Hadd and the other mages capable of Gating gathered all of their people together in the hall just inside of the main doors. Khara had maintained her lock on the small weakness in the energy shield surrounding the palace and she had given that information to Hadd. That was how the mages would be able to escape to safety.

  The doors to the hallway were opened so that the quartet of mages guarding the wing could coordinate with Hadd. Hallic and Shandon both went out into the hallway to join them once everyone had gathered into small groups for transport.

  “We must be precise,” Hadd called out to Odella and the other mages. “A mistake could prove fatal.”

  He was surrounded by four children and three adults. To the king, they all looked much more calm than he might have expected them to be considering the circumstances.

  “I will count down from five,” Hadd continued, speaking loudly enough for everyone both inside and outside of the large hall to hear him. “When I get to one, Odella and the others will drop our shield and the rest of you will Gate immediately. You all have a firm visualization of the target?”

  The other mages in the hall signaled that they did and Hadd nodded to the king.

  “Good luck, my lord,” the mage said. “I hope to see you again soon. I just wish that we could do more to aid you.”

  “Take care of your people, Hadd,” Shandon called back. “That is all you need to worry about. We'll be fine.”

  “As you say, my lord. Everyone, get ready!”

  The air suddenly began to feel heavy, even out in the hallway around Hallic and the others. They could hear the mages murmuring as they prepared their Gate spells and there was a slight scent of ozone in the air, as if a storm was approaching.

  “Five,” Hadd said loudly. “Four. Three. Two. One.”

  “Now!” Odella ordered. “Drop the shield!”

  The four mages made an identical gesture with their hands while, simultaneously, dozens of bright flashes within the large room dazzled Hallic and the others who were watching. A moment later their vision cleared and they were looking into an empty hall. All of the mages and their people were gone.

  “It worked!” Mel exclaimed with delight.

  “You sound surprised,” Khara told her with a smile.

  “Well, maybe I am. A little.”

  “So what happens now?” Jergen wondered.

  Josper turned to look down the long hallway.

  “Now?” he said evenly. “Now the fun begins. The magic-users among the goblins would have sensed it when we canceled our shield. I assume that they will move to attack very quickly.”

  “Odella, can you Gate us to my quarters?” Shandon asked.

  She seemed surprised by the question.

  “Yes, of course, my lord,” she replied. “We can travel anywhere inside the palace except for the throne room. The goblins have shielded the perimeter of the building, but that will not affect us in here.”

  “You want to have one last drink before we enter the battle for the palace?” Pieter asked the king brightly.

  Shandon laughed at his old friend.

  “Not right now, Pieter. After we win, we can celebrate our victory.”

  “If we win,” Strake muttered to Annia.

  She poked him and tapped her lips for silence.

  “There are twelve of us now,” Shandon said to Odella, looking concerned. “Can you transport that many at once? You must be tired.”

  “I will do it, my lord,” Josper spoke up. “It is a very short distance, after all. Odella and Walkar have both had a long day and should conserve their strength.”

  “And you shouldn't?” Odella asked him with a fond smile.

  “Bah, I've barely used any of my energies so far today,” the older mage replied as he looked at the king. “Shall we go, my lord?”

  “Please.”

  Josper's Gate took them into the king's quarters in the blink of an eye and the group looked around the lounge as they materialized in the center of the room.

  “Now that was fast,” Jergen said with a grin. “Certainly beats walking.”

  “Strake, check the front room.” Hallic ordered. “Make sure that we're alone and that the door is locked.”

  The rogue nodded and slipped out of the room.

  “I'll go with him,” Annia said quietly as she hurried after Strake.

  “Good call,” Shandon told Hallic.

  Everyone waited silently until the two rogues returned.

  “It's clear,” Strake told Hallic and Shandon. “I'm guessing that the goblins haven't had a chance to ransack this wing of the palace yet.”

  “I've locked the door, so if they try to get in, we will at least hear them coming,” Mel added.

  “Well done,” Hallic told them.

  Everyone found a chair and, once they were sitting comfortably, Khara looked at the king speculatively.

  Shandon had remained on his feet. He walked over to the bar and leaned against it, adjusting the hammer hanging over his shoulder so that it was settled more comfortably on his back.

  “Is there a reason that we are here, my lord?” she asked him.

  “A couple of reasons, actually,” Shandon replied. “First, it gets us away from the mages' wing, which will surely be attacked at any moment. And second, I have a way into the throne room that I am quite sure neither Corbin nor his witch knows anything about. That passageway leads from my bedchambers.”

  “Really?” Jergen asked in surprise. “There's a secret entrance? I never knew that!”

  “If you did, it wouldn't be very secret, now would it?” Pieter told him with a chuckle.

  “Um, well, no. That's true enough, I suppose.”

  “We c
an't Gate into the throne room,” Shandon told the group. “And if we could, we might be slaughtered before we even had a chance to defend ourselves. I don't know what my son or Cindra are up to, but I fear that they are about to unleash something horrific on Kingstone. And we are the only ones who can stop them. So, since we can't go through their shield, we will go around it.”

  He pushed himself away from the bar and walked to the doorway.

  “Everyone, follow me,” he told the group. “We're going on a little hike.”

  Chapter 35

  “Oh joy, more walking,” Strake said with a sigh.

  Annia chuckled as they joined the line that was filing out of the lounge.

  “It builds character,” she told him.

  Strake gave her a sour look and then followed her out.

  Inside of the king's bedroom, he swung open the double doors of his wardrobe and pushed aside the clothes handing inside. He pushed against one spot on the side of the wardrobe and the rear wall sunk backwards and slid to the left, leaving a gaping opening that led into darkness.

  “Anyone have a light?” Shandon asked over his shoulder.

  Hallic was standing close behind him and he smiled as he made a tossing gesture. A wisp of light appeared above the king's head and floated into the dark passage leading from the wardrobe.

  “Oh, I'd forgotten that you had one of those,” Shandon said with surprise.

  “So did I, until just now. Thanks again, Odella.”

  “You are quite welcome,” the mage replied with a smile.

  “All right, let's go,” the king said. “Hallic, keep that light over my head, please. There are a lot of doors that I have to open and the locks on them are complicated.”

  “Locks? Ah, now I'm intrigued,” the rogue replied with an eager smile.

  “Don't be. The ancient traps that would be set off if anyone who doesn't know the secret codes tried to open them would be fatal. Don't allow your professional curiosity overcome your common sense.”