by Jaxon Reed
He nodded and painfully gathered his feet under him, then slowly made his way out of the tomb and into the cavern, hunched over and holding his side.
Darkstone stood too, and turned to gaze at the little body lying near the slab. She made her way deeper inside, reaching for her magic when she cleared the doorway. It still did not come to her.
She furrowed her brows, unsure of the dagger’s location and why she could not walk away from its power.
At last in the very back of the tomb, her power began to return. She approached the body, slumped against the slab. She raised the staff defensively.
But a large gouge in the back of Lok’s head had spilled far too much blood. He had struck the edge of the slab, crushing open his skull and leaving a large hole.
She stared down at the blood, flowing freely from the little wizard’s head. The red liquid did not pool, but continued to flow. She watched it trickle into a channel carved in the floor. It drained into a hole at the base of the slab.
Somewhere, deep within the mountain, she sensed movement. A low rumble forced its way up from the stone bowels below.
Dudge walked up beside her and stared down at the body of Lok. He wanted to inspect the remains of his brother, had nodded a greeting at the injured Stin heading in the opposite direction, then made his way further back in the tomb to ensure that Lok was truly dead this time.
“There be black dus’ e’erywhere,” he said.
Darkstone’s eyebrows rose and she looked back the way they had come. Indeed, black dust coated most everything in the tomb, and much around the doorway too.
“Methinks th’ dagger exploded when y’ hit i’ wi’ yer stone. Nay magic now in th’ fron’ par’ o’ th’ tomb an’ back o’ th’ cavern. The dus’ be preventin’ it.”
She nodded. Dudge’s explanation made sense. The darkstone was more powerful than the dagger. When they struck, the dagger vaporized, turning to dust which spread out in a cloud during the explosion. Now, wherever the dust lay no magic could occur.
And here the dust would remain, Darkstone thought. The Forlorn Dagger was no more. Lok’s tomb was coated in its remains.
She turned her attention back to the dwarf wizard’s lifeless body.
“Why do you suppose his blood is channeling through those rivulets like that?”
Dudge looked down where she pointed and watched as it drained away through a hole under the slab.
His eyes widened.
“I’ be a blood spell. Likely set a long time ago. They were t’ spill ’is blood ’ere t’ seal th’ tomb, mayhap.”
The mountain rumbled again, this time louder, as if agreeing with Dudge.
“Lok was ne’er meant t’ be brought back. ’Is blood was t’ be spilled, bringin’ th’ mountain down on ’im. We need t’ gi’ outta here!”
-+-
Greystone pulled Redstone to his feet while trying to cast a healing spell, but nothing happened.
Still dazed, Redstone said, “Did we get him?”
“The battlemaiden took care of him for us.”
“Oh. I thought she was a wizard now.”
“Whatever she is, I’m glad she’s on our side. I’m not sure we could stop her if she ever goes against us.”
“She won’t go against us,” Redstone said. “I’ve seen her heart.”
Nearby, Oldstone lifted Loadstone up and wrapped a supporting arm around his shoulder.
Loadstone groaned and met the older wizard’s eye.
Oldstone chuckled and said, “You won’t be facing Judgment today, friend.”
“That’s good, I suppose. Not particularly looking forward to it.”
The floor of the cavern shook as the rumbles grew louder. A stalactite fell behind them, landing on the floor with a loud crash.
“Come along,” Oldstone said. “I fear we can’t cast a transport globe at the moment. We’ll have to get out of here on foot.”
The Port Osmo guards glanced around nervously, but they waited on Dudge. He came running from the tomb door, followed closely by Darkstone.
“Ge’ out! There be a blood spell! I’s gonna bury th’ whole place!”
Another tremor hit, this time much stronger. It knocked everyone off their feet.
Darkstone tumbled to the floor hard, her head narrowly missing another falling stalactite. She scrambled to her feet and followed the dwarf prince, who pulled ahead.
Stones fell all around them. Something hard landed on Darkstone’s shoulder, knocking her down. The leather protected her, but without its magic she felt intense pain.
The other four wizards stumbled toward the tunnel, holding each other in pairs. The guards waved at them to hurry, shoving them forward when they came close.
Stin followed, at a slower pace, in obvious pain. The guards waved for Dudge. He passed Stin, ran through the entry and down the tunnel without looking back. The guards followed.
Darkstone stood up again. She shook her head to clear it, and entered the tunnel at last. The cavern’s ceiling collapsed behind her.
Inside the tunnel, the shaking grew worse. Stin stumbled forward, bouncing off walls. He ignored the pain in his side, willing his legs to move. He ignored everything except making forward progress.
He came to the junction where a natural fissure joined a drainage tunnel. The mountain shook violently now, but there in the middle of the intersection stood Wizard Redstone, holding his hands against the top of the tunnel.
He looked over his shoulder as Stin approached and shouted over the rumbling, “This is the weakest point! I’ll hold it up! Go through and you should make it! Hurry!”
Stin nodded weakly and squeezed past the wizard. He turned and headed up the drainage tunnel toward the surface.
-+-
Kirt found everybody easily enough, following their tracks in the dark. He had made his way back to the road and headed down into the quarry when the first tremors struck. When he came to the large crowd of dwarven guards standing near Horse, the cart and everyone else, the quake hit in earnest.
Horse danced around, straining against the cart’s brake. Bellasondra pulled on the reins while Kirt ran up and wrapped his arms around the animal’s neck.
He whispered soothing words. Horse quit straining, but the wild look in his eyes remained.
One by one, dwarves came running out of the drainage hole, covered in dust. The two scouts ran up to deliver a report when a larger quake struck. More dwarves came running out, followed by three wizards.
Dudge came out and looked around.
“Di’ we all make it? Who be missin’?”
Bellasondra heard him and said, “Where’s Stin? Have you seen Stin?”
“Th’ thief?”
Dudge sighed and ran back in.
-+-
A rock struck Stin, glancing off his head. He stumbled and fell to his knees. Ahead he could sense a brighter light and guessed he was near the entrance. He crawled forward, and more rocks fell on him, striking his back and legs. He screamed in pain and passed out.
Dudge dodged the falling rocks, running into the tunnel. The body of a human lay in his way. He stopped and grabbed a handful of hair, pulled up and look at the face.
“Th’ thief!”
Stin groaned and Dudge’s eyebrows shot up.
“Still alive.”
He wrapped Stin’s arm around his shoulder and trudged forward, dragging the larger man.
“Come along, lad. Thirty more paces an’ yer free.”
-+-
When Darkstone reached the intersection of fissure and tunnel she found Redstone holding open the way using his magic. The mountain shook without stopping now, and she knew they only had a moment.
“I’m the last one!” she yelled over the noise.
Redstone nodded at her and yelled back, “Go on! I’ll hold it open for you!”
“No, you go on! I’m stronger! I’ll hold the roof up the rest of the way for you!”
She took her place beside him, lifting her
hands to the ceiling.
He started to protest, but then he felt a huge wave of power emanating from her. The drainage tunnel would hold. He nodded his thanks, released his spell, and ran for the entrance.
He found the prince dragging Stin by one arm near the top of the tunnel. He stopped and grabbed Stin’s other arm, and together the three emerged out in the quarry.
A large crowd of dwarves stood at the tunnel entrance. They were overjoyed to see Dudge make it back out. They swarmed him to clap his back, ignoring the humans.
The quake’s intensity increased suddenly as the mountain collapsed fully into the tomb and cavern below. Horse reared up on his hind legs in fright carrying Kirt, still hanging on his neck, up too.
Oldstone had the presence of mind to cast Spell of Tranquility on Horse and he settled down, suddenly oblivious to the quake and everything else.
Redstone and Dudge dropped Stin down on the quarry floor as dust billowed out of the drainage tunnel.
Bellasondra ran up to Stin, threw her arms around his neck, weeping. He seemed barely conscious.
Redstone tapped her on the shoulder and shouted in her ear, “Move aside! I need to heal him!”
She nodded in understanding and stepped out of his way.
Redstone placed a hand over Stin’s wound and reached out with his power. The poor chap had lost a lot of blood, Redstone thought, which could not be replaced by magic. But at least the wizard could mend his wounds.
-+-
Dally watched as all the dwarves came running out of the tunnel. She watched as Dudge and the two humans came out.
She said to a dwarf nearby, “Th’ Crown Prince! Where be th’ Crown Prince?”
But the young dwarf shrugged at her and moved away from the hole now bellowing dust.
She found one of the last dwarfs to come out and repeated the question. He gave her a haunted look that chilled her blood, but did not answer.
She ran up to Dudge and grabbed his shoulders.
“Where be Pudge?”
The look Dudge gave her made her burst into tears. His eyes held nothing but sadness, a deep sorrow she had never seen before.
“Pookie!”
She turned and ran toward the tunnel entrance.
“Dally! Nay!”
But she slipped past Dudge’s grip and ran inside. He moved to follow her, but the rumbling reached a crescendo. The tunnel collapsed completely, stones and dirt falling in with a great cloud of dirt whooshing out into the quarry. Dally was buried inside.
In the stillness and quiet that followed, dwarves and humans alike looked at one another with wary eyes.
“Is it over?” Bellasondra said.
Dudge nodded. “Aye. I b’lieve so.”
“Where’s Darkstone?” Greystone said.
“She was holding the junction last I saw her,” Redstone said.
“Is she dead?”
Everyone remained quiet, watching the entrance to the drainage tunnel, sealed shut with tons of rock. A cloud of dust drifted up into the night sky like smoke.
Kirt left Horse and approached the group of Wizards standing by the entrance. He looked down into it with them and slowly shook his head in response to Greystone’s question.
He said, “No. She’s still alive. I can feel her.”
The wizards turned and looked at him. Three looked at him with surprised expressions. Oldstone, though, tugged at his beard thoughtfully.
-+-
Inside the tunnel, Darkstone struggled to contain her claustrophobia. She had been unable to keep the tunnel open at the very end, but as it collapsed she had cast Globe of Protection around herself. It held, barely.
The fissure, although Redstone indicated it was the weakest part of the tunnel, had provided her some protection against the cave-in. Thus, she survived.
Her problem was that any drop in concentration would result in a weakening of her blue globe. And that, in turn, would result in her being crushed.
And so, she felt trapped.
She considered giving up and letting the mountain fall down on her.
But no. She could maintain this spell for quite a while before thirst and exhaustion set in.
Maybe she could figure a way out. She ran through ideas in her mind. All of them would result in less concentration on the Globe of Protection, even if only for a second or two. That would be disastrous.
So she held the spell, trying to ignore the tons of dirt, rocks, and debris all around and above her.
-+-
The four wizards huddled together, quietly discussing a plan of action while everyone else waited and watched. Word had spread through the crowd. The battlemaiden was trapped inside, and alive.
All else were presumed dead including Prince Pudge and Princess Dally, their guards, and several human nobles who had gotten inside the cavern somehow, along with one evil human wizard. Last but not least the great dwarf wizard Lok had been confirmed at long last to be truly and completely dead, with no chance of coming back.
They waited, humans and dwarves alike, as the wizards discussed what to do about their trapped colleague.
Oldstone said, “Is there any way to fortify that part of the mountain?”
Redstone shook his head and said, “It was a weak point to begin with. She’s been holding it all this time. The bubble she’s in is it. On top of her is the mountain. When that globe disappears, it comes down.”
Loadstone said, “If only I could draw her out with my stone. But, I would need to have a sense of her presence, somehow. And it takes at least a few seconds to complete the spell.”
Greystone said, “Why don’t we just make a Globe of Transport where she is, leading out here? She can walk free.”
Oldstone said, “I fear that would disrupt her concentration and lead to fatal results. If she could safely cast her own Globe of Transport, she would have done so by now.”
And so it went, the four tossing out ideas, examining each in turn, and discarding them one by one.
At last Greystone threw up his hands and said, “Look, you have the best transport skills, old man. Why don’t you cast the globe, and I’ll jump in there and fetch her?”
Oldstone said, “The minute that globe appears, it will surprise her. And then the mountain comes down.”
“We can’t just leave her in there. I’d rather die trying to get her out than stand about doing nothing until she gives up.”
Reluctantly, Oldstone nodded. A certain level of tension drained from the men once the decision had been made.
They broke apart to give Oldstone room to cast the spell. Greystone stood to one side, crouching down, ready to spring into the globe.
Yellow smoke drifted out from Oldstone’s open hand, flowing a large hazy globe. No sooner had it started to spin than Greystone jumped into it. He came out on the other end with Darkstone in his arms. They tumbled to the ground together.
Deep inside the mountain everyone heard a distant rumble as the final mass of rock settled into the last open pocket.
Darkstone stood up and dusted herself off, then reached out a hand to help pull Greystone to his feet.
She said, “Thanks. I’m usually the one saving old wizards around here, not the other way around.”
Greystone cackled in delight, brushing off dirt from his own robes then from his blond and gray beard.
He said, “Wizards always do best when working together, my dear.”
He looked over at Oldstone and said, “And I told you that would work, old man.”
Oldstone nodded and smiled. He said, “So you did. So you did.”
Chapter 22
Most of the wizards left, porting back to their lairs. Greystone stayed with the party returning through the night to the gate of Port Osmo. He happily walked with the guards, exclaiming how rarely he had a chance to stretch his legs these days. In contrast, the dwarves marched in glum silence.
The twins, the pirates, Kirt, Stin and Phanissa all crowded into the cart, which Horse pulled slow
ly behind the main group. They remained mostly silent as well.
It was early morning before the group returned to civilization, with dawn threatening on the horizon.
As the guards dispersed throughout the city, heading for their respective homes, Dudge turned to the wizard and other humans.
He looked tired and stricken with grief but he maintained a neutral tone when addressing them, betraying nothing of his inner struggles.
“On beha’f of a grateful people, I invite all youse t’ stay a spell a’ our expense. Visit Pywot a’ th’ Tin Hammer, an’ ’e’ll put y’ up. ’Ave ‘’im charge th’ city fer yer room an’ food.”
The humans in the cart looked at each other. Veeroy and Plinny clearly relished the idea of free food and drink. Stin remained sound asleep in the back, recovering after Redstone’s healing spell.
Bartimo looked at Phanissa, then Bellasondra who was driving, then back in the cart at Kirt. All nodded at him in turn.
He said, “Thank you, Prince Dudge. We accept your offer of hospitality.”
Dudge nodded, tiredly, and said, “Jus’ follow th’ main street. Y’ kinna miss i’.”
He turned to go but stopped when Greystone said, “Prince Dudge, I’m sure you’ll be wanting to send word to Ore Stad about recent events. Would you like me to cast a Globe of Transport for you?”
Dudge nodded and said, “Aye. Bu’ firs’ le’s all sleep a while. Iffen y’ cas’ it after lunch, I’d be migh’y obliged, Wizard.”
Dudge headed off to the great hall. Greystone smiled at the people on the cart, then cast a Globe of Transport for himself. He walked through it and disappeared.
Bellasondra flipped the reins lightly on Horse’s back and they headed into the city.
-+-
The humans had a late lunch in the Tin Hammer’s common room, all save Stin who remained asleep. In dribs and drabs, with some of the dwarves present, they were able to piece together all that happened in Lok’s tomb.
