Verdunmull

by Jared Zakarian

  A group of dwarfs turned the fight in their favor, causing the dragon to stumble and collapse onto a pair of houses. The buildings were flattened, and then another line of dwarfs charged the dragon, taking it by surprise. The dwarfs swung their weapons at the dragon’s thick hide and created shallow wounds in the dragon’s side.

  The dragon roared in pain, swinging its head and knocking the row of dwarfs off their feet. Faolan moved to join the fight as he unhooked his swords and sprinted toward the dragon, but he stopped after a few steps. A pair of dwarfs had managed to sever the tendons in the dragon’s back legs. The dragon’s hind legs buckled, and its massive body dropped to the ground. Again, the dragon roared in pain as it looked back at its assailants. Dozens of dwarfs emerged from hiding with their battle-axes and war hammers, and they assaulted the wailing beast.

  Faolan watched the dwarfs’ strategy come to an end. He rehooked his swords and made his way over to the twin healers.

  “Are you two all right?” he asked them with concern.

  “Yes, we are just shaken up,” Leith said.

  “Stay here and stay out of sight,” the guardian commanded. “I am going to help Ehreion.”

  “Who?” Leith questioned with a puzzled expression.

  “I will tell you later,” Faolan answered as he sprinted away.

  The guardian made his way back down the road toward Ehreion’s last known location. Another dragon flew overhead, scraping the roofs with its claws. Faolan ducked in fear as its roar shook the ground. When he turned the street corner, he looked down the road where he had left Ehreion. He was surprised to see the dwarf fighting not just one dragon, but three.

  They surrounded him, and the crazed warrior was scrambling on the ground for the battle-ax he had dropped. Ehreion gripped his ax and barely spun around in time to watch as one of the dragons’ tails slammed into his chest, throwing him off his feet. The dwarf fell hard on his back and slid to a stop as a scraping metallic sound pierced the air. He had little time to react as another dragon’s thick legs moved overhead. His eyes widened, and he quickly rolled to the side, barely escaping as it smashed the ground. Ehreion erupted in hysterical laughter as he rolled up onto his knees, and with the added momentum, he whipped his battle-ax around, slicing deep into the back of the dragon’s leg. The warrior ripped his ax back out of the dragon’s flesh before the beast recoiled in agony. The dragon’s leg buckled, and the ground shook when its leg collapsed.

  Faolan increased his speed, but he was unsure if he could reach Ehreion in time. The battle had moved farther down the road during his absence. He ran as hard as he was able, and his lungs burned as they fought to gather enough air. Adrenaline increased the beat of his heart.

  Ehreion’s laughter filled the air. “There could not be a worthier fight this day.”

  A dragon spun, and a thick tail slammed across Ehreion’s chest. He flew backward into a wall, and the building cracked and shook from his impact.

  “He’s mad!” Faolan exclaimed.

  The unbroken dwarf laughed.

  Ehreion stood up and collected himself with a firm grip on his ax. The joyful dwarf charged at one of the dragons. He dove below a sweeping tail and rolled back up onto his feet. He laughed again as his battle-ax sliced into the second dragon’s hide. The second dragon roared in pain, and Ehreion pulled his glistening ax from the beast’s side. The two wounded dragons were stumbling about and crushing houses underfoot. The dwarf turned and charged the third scaled attacker. The third dragon was closely watching the formidable warrior’s movements and rotated its body to face the crazed dwarf. The dragon lowered its head and readied its maw for the fat meal charging at it.

  “What?” Faolan whispered in disbelief. “You are insane.”

  The guardian watched in wonder as Ehreion smiled gleefully. Faolan unhooked his swords midstride and joined the battle. He was instantly greeted by a whip of a dragon’s tail, and it connected with his back, propelling him forward into an uncontrolled roll. His blades flew out of his hands in opposite directions as he tumbled. Once his momentum stopped, he scrambled onto his feet and frantically looked for his swords. He caught sight of one, but his attention was redirected as another attack was coming his way. He dove forward, lying flat against the ground as another thick tail whipped overhead. Faolan looked around and noticed Ehreion was not far from him, but the dwarf was now in real trouble, backed against a wall and pushing his battle-ax with both hands against a dragon’s slightly parted jaws. The beast’s saliva dripped from the tips of its sharp teeth.

  “Hold on, Ehreion! I am coming!” Faolan shouted.

  “Elf, stay your distance!”

  Faolan scrambled to grab his nearest sword. He watched the dwarf. “What is wrong with you? You are going to die!”

  “I, Ehreion Hammerforge, require no one’s aid, much less an elf’s!”

  The dwarf pushed with all his might against the dragon’s maw, and the beast returned the force in kind. Its strength was much greater and compressed Ehreion against the wall. The warrior’s arms were pressed flat against his breastplate, and the edge of his battle-ax was pushed backward over his left shoulder. His ax’s sharp edge ground against the stone wall as the dragon’s large, jagged teeth hung inches before him. The beast’s hot breath billowed around the dwarf as its foul stench filled his nostrils.

  “Ugh, so terrible!” The dwarf gagged at its odor.

  Faolan watched as an instantaneous change washed over the dwarf. Vibrant orange light engulfed Ehreion’s eyes. Flames sprouted from his chubby fingertips and fluidly expanded over the entirety of his hands, then flowed past his wrists and up his forearms, halting at his thick elbows. The chaotic fire bathed his arms, and heat radiated into the surrounding air.

  Shock struck not just Ehreion, but the dragons as well.

  “Elf, what magic have you cast!” Ehreion panicked.

  Faolan’s eyes widened in astonishment. “That is no elf magic. That must be Ikalreev magic!”

  “What are you talking about, elf?”

  Faolan had no time to answer as an eruption of fire expanded from Ehreion’s hands. The flames swallowed the dragon’s head, and Ehreion disappeared behind a wall of fire.

  The young guardian bolted backward as the searing heat began to burn his skin. He guarded his face with his hands, though it was a futile effort to ward off the unbearable heat. When Faolan felt the heat dissipating, he looked back at Ehreion and saw an awe-inspiring sight. He gasped as he looked at the destructive nature of the Ikalreev’s magic. The dragon’s head was lying motionless on the ground, scorched through and through. Then Faolan noticed Ehreion’s fearsome figure. The dwarf’s armor and battle-ax glowed like the molten armor in a forger’s fire, yet Ehreion himself was unscathed, his hands still bathed in free-flowing flames.

  “Are you able to control the magic?” Faolan shouted.

  Ehreion shook his head with a mix of fear and anger. “Control it? Why are my arms on fire, elf?”

  “Just try directing it at one of the other dragons!”

  Ehreion grumbled at the unwanted magic and stepped around the burned head. He aimed his hands in the direction of the nearest living dragon and concentrated on his target. After a moment, the flames danced around his hands, flickering and pulsing, and then fire exploded out of his palms. A direct stream of flame raced toward the second dragon, but halfway to the dragon the fire stopped and for a second, hung motionless in the air. Then it unexpectedly collapsed inward and rushed back toward Ehreion. The diagonal pillars of fire enfolded on themselves as the dwarf watched the approaching wall of flame helplessly.

  “Ehreion!” Faolan cried out.

  The fire swallowed Ehreion whole.

  “No!” Faolan yelled.

  The orb of fire swirled around the dwarven warrior, obscuring him from view. Faolan stood still as the violently rotating ball of fire began expanding outward. Its diameter grew inch by inch, and nearby dirt and dragon flesh caught fire in the expanding orb’s perimete
r.

  Faolan spun around and sprinted away from Ehreion as quickly as he could. He looked up and noticed that both remaining dragons were entranced by the growing orb of fire. He did not know how this would end, but he realized staying any longer would be folly. The guardian raced off the road and disappeared in between the buildings of Ardara. He maneuvered down several alleyways, desperately trying to flee the searing heat on his back. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a bright reddish-orange glow over the rooftops. It looked as if the sun was rising in the middle of Ardara. The vibrant colors reflected off Faolan’s face, and he felt such an intense fear that his clothes changed colors. Oddly shaped patterns of blue and orange appeared randomly on his uniform.

  The dynamic glow vanished in a sudden explosion of energy, and the heat dissipated. Faolan breathed in relief but assumed the worst. He ran back to Ehreion as quickly as he could, and when he stepped back onto the road, he witnessed a completely charred landscape. All three of the dragons were burned through and through, and a foul stench filled the air. His eyes came to rest on Ehreion’s motionless body lying in the middle of the three large corpses. All traces of the magical fire had vanished. The dwarf’s eyes were closed, and his armor shimmered like molten metal in a forger’s fire. Faolan slowly walked over to the motionless dwarf with cautious steps.

  “Ehreion?” he called out as he knelt next to the dwarf. “Ehreion, can you hear me?”

  Faolan did not dare touch the dwarf, as he knew the armor would burn him if he tried. The heat radiating off the dwarf’s armor was intense.

  “Ehreion, do not die!” he pleaded. “I am going to find help.”

  Faolan stood up and shuddered at the scene around him. He was still in shock from the recent events and could not believe the Ikalreev magic was capable of such destruction. If the five mages truly could be found before the First Seal opened, then perhaps they could indeed stop what the prophecies foretold.

  Faolan ran from the gruesome scene to find help for the fallen dwarf. The charred landscape and dragon corpses were just a glimpse into the capabilities of the Ikalreev’s power.

  Chapter 18

  “The Path of Folly”

  “The ground is faithful, but heed your steps. Find understanding. You may have to fall.”

  The Ikalreev Prophecies 3:4–6

  A raucous commotion filled the old building that served as the medical quarters. Screams filled the air as the injured writhed in pain. Healers ran to and fro by candlelight, scrambling for supplies and tending to the wounded. Dwarven soldiers half in battle dress assisted the healers to the best of their abilities.

  Faolan burst through the hall’s front doors and shouted Aili’s name, but he received no answer from the loud room. He then shouted Leith’s name, and again no answer was returned. A frantic look crossed his face as he did not know where the twin healers had gone. He had lost track of them during the battle and worried about their safety as well as Ehreion’s. He had been looking for a while, but to no avail. He figured the healers might have come to the medical quarters to assist the dwarfs. His eyes searched the faces of the desperate healers as they scrambled around the room. The dim candlelight made it hard to discern the identities of others as he squinted through the shadows. He shouted the twin healers’ names over and over again. He searched the length of the large building twice over, but he did not see them. He shook his head in frustration as he could not tell if Aili and Leith were there or not.

  “Faolan!” Aili’s voice rang above the noise.

  The guardian turned and spotted Aili running toward him. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

  “I am so glad you’re all right. Are you hurt at all?” she cried.

  “I am fine, Aili, but Ehreion needs your help. He fell in battle . . . he is an Ikalreev mage.“

  She released her firm embrace and saw his straight face. “You are serious!”

  “Yes, come with me,” he insisted, holding out a hand.

  She glanced down, stunned he had found another. Her soft hand took hold of his and let him lead the way. They sprinted out into the deepening twilight, and she glanced up into the approaching night sky. She was surprised time had passed so quickly in the heat of things. After Leith was no longer in danger, they had helped carry the injured to the medical quarters, and they had lost track of time as the injured streamed in without pause.

  She looked at Faolan, and her eyes panned down to their interlocked hands. A smile slowly found its way across her face.

  Soon the gruesome scene surrounding Ehreion came into view. Aili’s jaw dropped, and a slight gasp slipped from her lips. She saw the lone dwarf lying in the midst of the three charred dragon corpses. The healer could not fathom what had taken place.

  “You were here?” Aili was in awe.

  “Yes.”

  “What happened?” she asked as she glanced around the scene.

  “It was the Ikalreev magic. Fire consumed Ehreion and then this entire area.”

  She knelt next to Ehreion and checked him for injuries, though she hesitated after a moment of inspection. “If what you say is true . . . how can this be? He has no burns on his skin.”

  “What?” He was surprised.

  “He is not burned. At all,” she said.

  Her statements did not make sense to him because he knew Ehreion had definitely been consumed in the fire. Faolan had seen the events unfold, but Ehreion came out unscathed.

  “How is this possible? Are you sure?”

  “I am the best healer in Verdunmull. I assure you, he is unscathed,” she said. “Must be the magic’s doing.”

  He knelt next to her and inspected the dwarf with his own eyes. “We must find Caedmon. He needs to know we found another Ikalreev mage.”

  She glanced up at him. “How will we move him? If he is like Ireli, then he will not wake until he reaches the trials. The two of us cannot move him alone. His armor is much too heavy.”

  “I shall find help, and I will find your brother. Stay with Ehreion,” he said.

  Aili nodded.

  He sprinted away from her and shouted over his shoulder, “I will not be long.”

  ◆◆◆

  It did not take Faolan long to locate Leith and a spare horse. He even found a couple of willing souls to help hoist the heavy dwarf up onto the steed. The two individuals who offered their help were Stoneskins, a species native to the Yohsolar Mountain Range, which stood southeast of the dwarven lands.

  The Stoneskins assisted the dwarfs in the vast mines of the Verdunmull Scar, their hard skin protecting them in the harsh environment of the mines. Their strong, seven-foot-tall forms could more easily haul the heavier gemstone loads. They did not demand much in the way of monetary pay or material goods, and they were simple minded and kind natured. Their natural calmness made them slow to anger, yet no sensible individual would wish to anger one of the humble Stoneskins as they would be very difficult to injure and most likely the victor.

  “Thank you,” Faolan said, bowing to the noble creatures.

  The Stoneskins finished tying Ehreion to the saddle and then spoke their parting pleasantries in the dwarf tongue.

  Faolan turned around and saw the healers’ weary faces as he walked over to the twins.

  “We must rejoin the others,” he told them. He knew they had just arrived at Ardara, and the dwarfs really did need their help, but in the larger scheme of things, Ehreion was the priority. His being an Ikalreev mage meant they had to get him to Caedmon as soon as possible.

  “What is your plan?” Leith asked with a yawn.

  “We shall travel north around the Verdunmull Scar and meet up with the others back in Odemar. I do not know how long it will take as I am unfamiliar with the lands outside the Mythios Woods,” Faolan said.

  “Wait, your entire life has been spent inside elven lands?” Leith asked.

  “Yes,” the guardian replied.

  Leith was surprised because most scouts traveled far outside the elven b
oundaries for their required duties.

  “How old are you?” Leith asked.

  Faolan hesitated and shook his head. “I do not remember.”

  The healer was slightly confused. “Amnesia?”

  “Yes,” the guardian answered.

  “Then how do you know you are truly a forest elf?” Leith questioned.

  A stern look crossed Faolan’s face. “What do you mean by that?”

  Leith hesitated before saying, “Well, you do not exactly look like us . . . you are shorter than every elf I have ever seen. Your hair is not blond. And while your ears are pointed, they are dissimilar to ours.”

  “Why are you asking these questions?” Faolan grew agitated.

  Aili stepped into the conversation. “Leith, hold your tongue! You are being rather disrespectful.”

  Her brother shrugged off the growing unease. “Very well. I was only stating the obvious. I am sorry if the words sounded unkind. Please forgive me.”

  After a brief diffusing silence, Aili urged, “Let us be on our way.”

  Faolan grabbed the horse’s reins and began walking. The horse moved forward with a labored gait under the overbearing weight of Ehreion. The twins followed the troubled leader as he began moving north.

  The young guardian knew he was not an elf; even though he shared their fair skin tone, he had characteristics different from theirs. He wanted to know who he was, too, but without an identity, what would a person be? Pretending to be an elf had given him a home and a place to belong. He could not help that he had amnesia, and his memories were hidden from him.

  Aili elbowed Leith.

  “Why were you questioning Faolan?” she whispered.

  Her brother shrugged. “I was curious.”

  “You are to hold your tongue; do you hear me? I do not want to see you disrespect him again! His past is none of your concern. Elf or not, I trust him with my life,” she angrily whispered at her brother with a scowl.