The Darkslayer: Bish and Bone Series Collector's Edition (Books 1-10): Sword and Sorcery Masterpieces

by Craig Halloran

  “We aren’t so old,” Venir replied.

  “No, but I know that you feel it. I swear, the more I walk, the more my bones rattle.”

  “It’s all in your head.” Venir spied the dragon rising high in the sky and out of sight. He couldn’t tell if Boon rode the dragon or not. Blackie appeared to be alone.

  Cass approached. “You worry the dragon won’t return, don’t you, Venir?”

  “No. There aren’t many things a man can count on, especially monsters, but I’m glad he brought back my friends.”

  “Blackie is far more noble than any man.”

  “If you say so. Would you like to join us?”

  “No.” She brushed her white locks over her shoulder. “No, I have plenty of stitching to do. In the meantime, try to keep yourselves together. I’ve a feeling that we’ll be running out of thread soon.” With a naturally seductive swagger, she walked away.

  “She really has a fine bottom,” Billip said as he nibbled a stick of cheese. “A fine everything, actually, but chiefly the bottom.”

  “There’s nothing more tantalizing than a deranged and witchy woman,” Melegal said from a shadowy spot behind him. “The likes of her makes stars of your eyes. But she’s far too sophisticated for a grunt like you, Billip.”

  “As compared to who, a hen of a man like you?”

  Melegal laughed. Stepping out of his spot, he said to Venir, “We’ve lived to fight and die another day. Now what?”

  “Mood will come soon and we will meet. Dragons or no dragons, what we’re doing here isn’t getting it done.” He rubbed the fingers of one hand together. “I’ve fought underlings all my life. The way they attack is abnormal. Something we aren’t seeing is going on.”

  “If you had the helmet on,” Nikkel suggested, “perhaps we could foil their plans. That’s usually how it works. Isn’t it?”

  “No, there are too many. When that time comes, it comes,” Venir said.

  “Ah, yes,” Melegal remarked. “Nikkel shared with me the incident in the cell. I thought he was exaggerating.”

  “If only he was,” Venir said. “We need to round up those mages and see if they have come up with anything. We need another shot at Master Sinway. He needs to be rousted. If we only had someone on the inside.”

  “Maybe we can disguise you as an underling, Billip?” Melegal said. “If we paint your skin gray, with those hairy arms, you’d be perfect. Or maybe we could try you as a small, but very attractive orc. I think it’s doable.”

  Billip frowned. “Har, har, rogue. Stand there and joke all that you want, but how many of our enemies have your jests killed? Not a one, I reckon.”

  Melegal checked his dark launchers. “I’m just waiting for the big moment.”

  Billip dusted the bread crumbs from his hands. “Then you’ll be waiting a long time.” He stood. “I’ll see if I can track down Mood. I want to hear the plan and get some shut-eye.”

  “War makes people so edgy,” Melegal said. “And I thought I was edgy.”

  “I have to say, I’m not unaccustomed to your current disposition. It makes me a little suspicious.” Venir swallowed a mouthful of ale. “Ah. Why don’t you see if you can track down Fogle before my own eyes get too heavy?”

  Melegal nodded and backed away. “I don’t think the fighting is making you tired. I believe it’s those big words that you are unaccustomed to using, lout.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Fogle and Boon reunited inside one of the abandoned clothing stores that sat on the other side of the Royal Roadway across from the castles. Many of the buildings had been taken over by the troops and were being used for shelter, supplies, and planning. There were a handful of dwarves propped up and resting against the walls. One of them was a blood ranger. He stood in the doorway with his back to them.

  “Keep flipping,” Boon said to Fogle. His eyes were beacons of light, the same as Fogle’s, which mystically illuminated the pages and enhanced their sight. They’d been scouring the hundreds of spells in the book for hours. They took long breaks as they took turns memorizing some of them. “I know it’s in here.”

  “I told you, some of the pages were ripped up,” Fogle said. He’d lost some of the pages in the Red Clay forest when Rane, an old nemesis of his, destroyed them while he had Fogle imprisoned. “And it might help if you told me what spell you were looking for?”

  “It’s a very simple spell.” Boon ran his hand over page after page. “You would like it. It suits you.”

  “So, I’m to believe that a simple spell will destroy the underlings?” As Fogle recalled, Boon alluded to the fact that there was a spell in the book that would wipe out the entire race. But, it was on one of the pages that had been ripped out. The bad news almost put Boon in a fit of rage. “Boon, listen to me. I’ve had the book for a long time. I’m very familiar with it. Just tell me the name and let me look.”

  Boon looked him dead on. “No.”

  “You sound like a child.” He reached for the book. Boon pulled it away. “And you are acting like one.”

  “It’s a mage thing. It’s my spellbook, and if I can’t find what I wrote in it, well, then that’s disgraceful. Just give me a few more moments and I’ll have it.”

  Hands up, Fogle backed away. “Have it your way, Magic King. I was only trying to help.”

  “Yes, well, you’ve been plenty helpful. Now watch an old man do his work. It should provide a learning experience for you.”

  “Of course.”

  Boon set the book down on the table, started at the beginning again, and ran his finger down every page of the heavy tome.

  Fogle sighed. One thing Boon was notorious for was saving parchment. He’d finish a spell in the middle of the page and start another. It made it difficult to track them down, but given the size of the book and the number of pages, it ended up saving a lot of room. It was only later that a spell was created that shrank the big book, but even so, it still needed to be big enough to read. With a word, Fogle let his bright eyes go out. He rubbed them. “I think I’ll have a seat. If I sleep, just wake me when you are—”

  “Found it!” Boon’s finger pecked the page in the book. “Found it! I must have overlooked it once or twice… three times, maybe. Come, Fogle. Come.”

  He shuffled over and looked at the title beside Boon’s thumb in the middle of the right-sided page. “Mending?”

  “Yes.”

  Fogle’s chin hit his chest. “What good is that going to do? Will fixing the torn stitches on our robes terrify the underlings? I was expecting something much more involved than that.”

  Boon shook his head. “You never could see the bigger picture. You see, when I started writing this book, and my spells became numerous, I realized that there was always a possibility of losing them. After all, it’s not uncommon for one vengeful mage to rip out the pages of another’s book.”

  “True. I’ve seen teachers do it to students, though it never happened to me.”

  “Of course not, you are a Boon. As I was saying, I made some modifications to this lesser mending spell. Whereas it was used for clothing, pottery, and tinkering with leather, I added a deeper level of restoration. I created this spell particularly for this book. I can restore the lost pages.”

  “Why didn’t you mention that before?”

  “I’m old and I was younger than you when I wrote it. You can’t expect me to remember everything, but as I soared the skies above on the dragon’s back, I found… clarity.”

  Fogle gestured at the book. “Do your best, Grandfather.”

  Boon gave him a quick little wink. Focusing on the words of the spell, he began to read out loud. The mystic words he said had a poetic rhythm to them. Fogle found himself in the harmony that stifled the air in the room. Boon’s utterings diminished. The spellbook shifted. The pages leafed back and forth with a life of their own, stirring the room with a noble breeze. There was a crinkling sound of parchment. The book slammed shut on its own. “Let’s take a look.”

&nb
sp; Gingerly, Boon opened the book and leafed through the pages. Fogle could clearly see that the pages that were once lost appeared to be intact. “May I?”

  “Of course.”

  Fogle’s fingers rummaged the book. Not only were the pages back, but the lettering was, too. “That’s no minor spell.”

  “No, it isn’t. But, if that page were to be ripped out, then we would have been in a bind. Heh-heh. But let’s keep this one in the family.”

  Fogle nodded. “So, now that the pages are back, what spell were you originally wanting to cast? I’m very curious.”

  Boon made it almost halfway through the spellbook. “This one I can clearly remember because I always wanted to use it. But, the right occasion never came to pass. But now, that time has come.” He slid the book over to Fogle.

  He read it. “The Tremor of Doom?”

  “A quake in the sands that could swallow an army of giants.”

  “Impressive. And you meant to use this on the underlings outside of the wall. Won’t that be risky?”

  “No. When I battled Master Sidebor, I learned a very dark secret. Those underlings you see are all of their fighting men. The Underland is defenseless. Only its despicable women and children remain.”

  “You aren’t suggesting we go to the Underland?”

  “Not only will we go, but we will bury it forever.”

  CHAPTER 29

  Loud arguments broke out inside Castle Kling. Ebenezer shouted at the top of his lungs, “Enough! Enough! We can’t continue on like this! Everyone, take a moment. I humbly ask this as lord of the castle.”

  Red-faced, Boon sat down in his chair. Bristling, Mood walked away from the table.

  “That’s better.” Away from prying eyes and ears, Lord Ebenezer Kling took Venir, Mood, and their men to the castle chancery, the lord’s place of official business. The long cherrywood table’s polished surface remained unscathed and hosted twenty chairs. Most of the company was sitting, but Venir and Mood stood at the fireplace with their arms on the mantel. At the table were Melegal, Jarla, Billip, Fogle, Boon, and two blood rangers. The air was rife with tension.

  At the head of the table, Ebenezer said, “As much as I would like to insert my opinion on the matter, I admit, I’m at a loss when it comes to dealing with underlings beyond these walls. But, if I may, I’m glad to be the mediator of these conversations. Does anyone disagree?”

  No one spoke. Boon toyed with is moustache, his brows buckled.

  “Good, now, with less fervor and more clarity, Boon, will you please explain your plan?”

  “My plan is a fatal one for the underlings. We will take their own underground river, known as the Current, from here to the Underland. There will be some powerful opposition, I assume. After all, the women will defend their children fiercely. I’ll just need a few hundred dwarves for protection. I’ll need time to release the spell.”

  “My kind is on the verge of being wiped out, and you want to borrow them on this insane quest!” Mood stomped his foot. “Nay, magic-user! I say if the underlings are on the surface then we slay them while they are here.”

  “Don’t be a fool, Mood.” Boon rose to his feet. “The underlings are more exposed than Dwarven Hole is at the moment. They don’t have a man to defend them. You know, if I did the same as your kind it would be the end of you, because you are exposed.”

  “Is that a threat?” Mood stormed to the table, bumping into it. He gave it a shove, scraping the table over the floor. “I think it’s a threat!”

  “It’s an opportunity!” Boon said at the top of his lungs. “We can’t miss it!”

  “Order! Men! Dwarves! Order!” Ebenezer said. “Boon, we’ve heard your plan, now let’s hear some others out.” Mood backed away. Boon took his seat. “Venir, do you have anything that you would like to add? Anyone?”

  “I think the mages need to use their resources to find Master Sinway. If they can create a hole in the world, then I certainly think they can locate him. Do it.”

  “You can locate him as well, Venir,” Fogle said. “You’ve admitted that much yourself. Perhaps you are holding back.”

  “I’ll tell you what I’m holding back. I’m holding back my fist from your face, you cocky mystic! If you are unwilling to assist, then take that black boat and your father into the Underland’s belly.”

  “It’s grandfather, and I’ve wholeheartedly objected to his plan. As for locating Sinway, my eyes in the sky are still searching, but without any fortune. Sinway could be anywhere in this vast city. He’s a needle in a haystack.”

  “Listen to me. Destroying the Underland is the only clear path to victory.” Boon pecked his finger on the table. “You have to understand, without their women, in time, they will face extinction. The lethal blow will rock their dark spirits.”

  “I’m not keen on the slaughter of innocents,” Ebenezer commented.

  “Innocents?” Boon said. “Are you deranged? Do not let their dark intelligence fool you. They are monsters, one and all, who will devour everything, the same as a dog eating raw meat. What you’ve witnessed in your streets, in this castle, is nothing compared to what will happen if we lose. From the sky, I saw those bodies burning. I can see the necks hanging from the gallows in the streets. Wait until the flaying begins. The screams of terror. The day will come when they will wear your skin as a blanket, royal.”

  Ebenezer swallowed. “I stand corrected. This is war. The victor cannot be merciful. Are there any other ideas on how we can find Master Sinway? Perhaps we can climb in behind their ranks and attempt an assassination.”

  “We tried that, Ebenezer,” Venir said. “Sinway ran with his tail between his legs. He fears the armament. I know it. That’s why he hesitates to reveal his power. He and I are playing cat and mouse with one another. But, we can’t wait much longer. Boon is right. Our forces are dwindling. We can only hold them off for so long.”

  “We can hold them off for months,” Mood argued.

  “Yes, but no cavalry is going to arrive and save us. Not unless every man in this city turns on the underlings, but as I understand it, more men are joining their forces,” Venir said in disgust. “I can barely stomach it. We have to strike at them somehow, and soon. I think Boon’s idea is reasonable. He doesn’t need that many men and they won’t see it coming. It might give us the edge we need.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. He’s not asking for your kin,” Mood said.

  “I wouldn’t ask for your kin, but they are best equipped to survive the trip,” Boon replied. “Men can’t handle the long time in the darkness the same as the dwarves can. King of the Dwarves, I need them.”

  “So you say, but I’m not very fond of sending the dwarves on one-way trips either.”

  Fogle straightened up in his chair. “What does he mean, ‘one-way trip,’ Boon?”

  “He’s a dwarf. He knows what he says.”

  “But—” A loud pounding came from the entrance door into the chancery.

  On a nod from Venir, Melegal walked over to the door and opened it. A blood ranger entered the room with a harsh expression on his face. He took a knee and bowed toward Mood.

  “What is it, brother?” Mood asked.

  “Our human allies have attacked our kin like a brood of night vipers. Our ranks are falling. The full force of the underlings’ advance.”

  “What treachery is this?” Mood yelled at Ebenezer. The royal paled. Mood shouted to his blood rangers, “Seize that traitor!”

  CHAPTER 30

  Carnage. The Royal Roadway became a path of dwarven blood. In the dark of the night, the citizens of Bone lashed out against their dwarven allies. Sleeping dwarves were stabbed and gored by wild-eyed men that attacked in a mindless rage. The seething human troops attacked the dwarves manning the blockades. Many dwarves fell quickly under the surprise assault.

  “What madness is this, Ebenezer?” Mood said. He had the royal by the neck with both of his hands as he dragged him down the streets. “Is this how the royals
repay us? By stabbing us in the back! I should have known.” He shoved Ebenezer to the ground and drew his axe. “I’m taking your head!”

  Just as the dwarf was about to deliver the blow, Venir’s voice rose above the chaotic scene. “Stop, Mood! Look!” He pointed to one of the skirmishes that had broken out in the streets ahead. Men were fighting men in tussles of steel and armor. Many of the men slavered and swung like animals. “They are possessed and fight all that cross them!”

  Mood kicked Ebenezer over on his side. “I should kill him, regardless, before he puts his sword in my back or yours!”

  The dwarven battle horns blared. All of the dwarves that had escaped the insane fringe’s swords scrambled into battle. The well-oiled ranks busted into the wild soldiers and unleashed their anger. Mood took to the streets. His axes became haymakers.

  Venir helped Ebenezer to his feet. Rubbing his throat and coughing, the royal said, “I swear, I had nothing to do with this, Venir. I don’t know hardly a one of these men either. They strike like lunatics. Look at them.”

  “I can see it. Slat!” The underlings, ogres, and orcs charged the blockade as one. There weren’t enough defenses to hold it. Half of the soldiers guarding the barriers were dead. Waving his arms, Venir said, “Every man and dwarf to the front! Hold those blockades!”

  The soldiers who hadn’t lost their minds stampeded by with the dwarves. Billip and Nikkel saluted Venir from the roofs.

  Brak appeared behind Venir’s shoulder. “What would you have me do, father?”

  Brandishing his axe, Venir said, “For now, we’ll have to be the East Gate’s last line of defense.”

  “We aren’t going to do any fighting?”

  “No, we wait and see what slips through.”

  ***

  Inside a crowded hallway deep in the bowels of Castle Kling, dwarves were busy trying to open a tarnished iron door. By torchlight, the dwarves scraped the dirt from the door’s edges and hinges. It looked like no one had passed through the door since it was built countless ages ago.