by Tiger Hebert
“Then where is your body?” asked Sharka.
“People trained in the magics can learn to open small doors in the very fabric of our world, letting us reach into the space between worlds. Those that are adept at this can create secret vaults, hidden from the mortal realm, where we can store and hide things. We call these Alcoves,” said Duroc. “With my final spell I destroyed them, as you’ve seen from their remains, but with their casting of the severing and binding before their demise, my spirit was anchored here while my body was locked into an Alcove.”
“So, if you can retrieve your body, then you will be released from your prison?” asked Dominar.
“More or less,” said the king as he placed his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth. “It is a bit more involved than that, first we’d have to free my spirit. Then we could begin the process of recovering my body, then un-severing me.”
“We are not wizards, how do you expect us to help?” asked Theros.
“I’m not a wizard either,” blustered Duroc indignantly. Then, when he saw the looks of confusion on their faces, he continued, “Yes, I have been known to dabble in the dark arts, and you might call me a sorcerer or a mage, but I’m no blasted wizard!”
They all gave him strange looks, and Nal’drin said, “Uh, aren’t they the same thing?”
Duroc shot the boy a cross look and said, “By Caer’s Promise, no! Sorcerers and mages develop a bond with the Qarii, and it allows us to call upon their power and perform fantastic feats. Wizards, oh no, wizards are a whole other lot. Very dangerous.”
“So, what’s the difference,” prodded Nal’drin.
“I shouldn’t really speak of such vile things,” said Duroc.
Dominar shot Nal’drin a concerned look, but Nal’drin ignored him and prodded further. “Well, if you want to be free, then yes, you should speak of such vile things.”
The king stopped his pacing, and he turned to look at the young king. He viewed him in a new light. The king smiled at the boy and nodded with appreciation.
“I knew I liked you, boy. You’ve got spirit. Very well, then. To know of wizards is to know of dragons,” said Duroc as he began his lesson. “In the ancient age, dragons roamed the land, and they were the most powerful beings therein. Nothing bound to the mortal plane could match them in terms of intellect or power. They had a certain potency about them.”
“It must have been terrible, I should wonder how anyone survived,” said Kiriana with a gasp as she recalled the havoc and destruction that Slayvin had wrought.
Duroc smiled at her and said, “Frankly, it was not. In fact it was one of the most peaceful times in all of Aurion’s history. But you see, dragons were different then. When man tried to destroy them, the dragons often just left. It wasn’t until an event known only as the Shattering, that they changed.”
“What was the shattering?” asked Dominar, his gaze intently fixed on the king’s apparition.
“One cannot say for sure and the theories are vast and unfounded, but they generally point to a war in the heavens. Whatever it was, it is widely believed that the effect was cosmic,” said Duroc.
“Hold on, we are not scholars, what does cosmic mean?” asked Kiriana.
Duroc lifted his hands and spread them wide and lifted his eyes to the ceiling and said, “It means it was everywhere, far beyond us and this world. Whatever the event was, its impact rippled through every dimension in creation. New energy flowed through creation.”
“Wait, there is more than one world?” asked Nal’drin.
“Hundreds upon hundreds,” said the king with an all-knowing look.
“Okay, so back to the dragons, what happened to them?” asked Kiriana.
“As the ripple effect tore through our world, it had the greatest impact on the dragons. You’d think as powerful as they were, that they would feel the impact the least, but it was quite the opposite. It is the answer to the age-old question of what happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object. That is what happened when this newly released energy crashed against the dragons’ potency. In the end, it drove them mad, every single one of them, and that is why to this day they are locked away in their prison,” said Duroc, as he continued his teaching.
“Right, except for the big black fire-breathing creature from the pit of hell that just tried to destroy all of us,” remarked Nal’drin.
“Shekra Lecinoth was freed from his prison, and summoned into this realm. Now, I said I liked you, boy, don’t make me change my mind,” bristled Duroc with a glare.
“What does that have to do with wizards?” asked Sharka.
“Wizards are the crazy bastards who’d use dragons as their access point to both sources of power,” shouted Duroc in excitement with his eyes wide and his bushy eyebrows arched.
“Wait, how is that even possible? You know what, nevermind,” said Nal’drin as he waved off the response.
“There are ways, which we can discuss at length later, but right now, I’d much rather spend time discussing how you might free me before the goblins, the mahlzur, or the titan find you. So, can we hold off all these unnecessary questions for a moment?” snapped Duroc.
Theros stepped closer to the ghostly king and asked, “How do we know that you should be freed?”
“Theros, my friend... listen, I’ve made no efforts to hide my mistakes. There are things that I should have done differently during my rule, but everything I did was in an effort to protect my people. If you still see judgment waiting for me, then at least release my soul that I might meet it head on. I cannot sit here, hidden in silent immortality any longer. It’s why I’ve called you here,” admitted the dwarf sorcerer.
“You called us here?” asked Dominar with an eyebrow cocked in suspicion.
“Of course, who do you think was releasing all that magical energy? Any sorcerer worth their salt knows that the use of magic leaves a certain signature, a vibration, or pulse. I had to do something, I was just afraid that there might not be anyone left that could detect it anymore. Besides, you all already know this, you’ve all discussed it already, so don’t play dumb with me,” said Duroc.
The hard lines on Theros’s face remained. He said, “Well we’re here now, so what do we need to do to free you?”
The king’s incorporeal eyes seemed to sparkle with a new intensity. “The first step would be to retrieve another Elder Stone. Even in this state, I believe that with two more stones, I will be able to draw enough power to break my bonds.”
“Where is the next stone?” asked Nal’drin.
“It is in the western sanctum,” said Duroc.
Theros shot him a look that said, “that’s not very helpful.”
“Oh right,” said Duroc realizing the oversight. “This is the northern sanctum. If you leave here and take the left-most passage, you should find the western sanctum. It is nearly as large as this one.”
“What are you not telling us?” demanded Dominar with a scowl.
“Is that how you talk to kin? And a king no less,” said Duroc with an imperious glare.
“Kin don’t send kin to die, so I’m not sure what you are,” admitted the cautious Dom.
Duroc threw his hands on his ghostly hips and sighed. “Fair enough. I’m not hiding anything, though. However, if you had let me finish, I was about to explain that the stone does have a guardian. His name is Reluk, and he is rather... attached to the gem.”
“Like Krom Krom?” asked Theros.
“More or less.” Duroc’s saddened eyes fell to the floor and he said, “You will have to kill Reluk to get the gem from him.”
“Other than your freedom, why should we kill this Reluk?” Kiriana asked with a sharp edge to her voice.
“When you see him you will understand. Reluk isn’t hiding in that chamber, he is imprisoned. We all are. He should have died long ago, and he would have welcomed it, but the magic sustains him. Does it break my heart to conspire to murder my own children? Of course, this is madness!�
� wailed Duroc, his hands shaking as emotion overtook him.
“They weren’t just servants,” he continued, “they were my children and my friends! But in my foolishness, I cursed them with immortality. Do you have any idea what happens to the mind when you are imprisoned and you can’t even escape it through death’s door? Reluk, like the rest of my children, does not deserve death, only the freedom it offers.”
The room fell silent for a time. Even in his intangible body, the dwarven king still shook visibly as the torment of his regrets sieged him. It even seemed to them that he had wiped tears from his eyes. How was that even possible?
“You’ll need to be careful when you encounter Reluk, he will be a more formidable foe than Krom Krom,” warned Duroc without lifting his eyes from the floor.
“Great,” muttered Nal’drin.
“What is he?” asked Theros.
“Reluk is... a mankir,” answered Duroc as he scratched his head in contemplation. “There is none like him.”
“You’re not exactly helpin’ here,” said Nal’drin, devoid of the decorum one would show a king.
Kiriana jabbed him gently in the ribs with her elbow.
“Oh, of course, you’re right. Reluk is part man, part scorpion. I know, I know, you’d probably think of him as an abomination. His design wasn’t something I planned, it was a freak accident when the stone gave him life. But even though he was a pariah here, Reluk was a good son,” said Duroc.
“Like a centaur?” asked Sharka.
“Uhh, not exactly. You’ll just have to see him for yourself. But...please do not take him lightly. Despite his...strange appearance, he is a deadly fighter. His reflexes are... unnatural.”
“Is he venomous?” asked Theros, his fingers tracing the white braid that fell from his chin.
“Deadly. He secretes it from glands in his mouth,” said Duroc as he eyed the team.
“Don’t scorpions usually sting with their tails?” asked Kiriana.
“That is his tail; you’ll have to see him to understand. Just be careful. I can’t bear more deaths,” said the king, his tone somber.
Theros’ eyes met with Duroc’s and his tone grew dangerous. “How do we kill him?”
“Without magic, I truly don’t know...” answered Duroc, his voice trailing off.
“What about the other stones, are there easier ones to retrieve?” asked Dominar.
“Not a chance,” whispered the spirit bound king.
“It’s time to go,” said Theros, his voice becoming a throaty growl.
With that final word, Theros dropped his pack to the stone floor near the king and he turned to walk away. The others set their packs and large satchels aside and followed after their leader. King Duroc waved goodbye with his wispy hand, then the stream of shimmering mists broke and swirled and he was gone.
Theros led the crew out of the king’s sanctum and then he found his way to the passage leading west. This passage had no door blocking the archway, but the entrance to the short tunnel was remarkably small. Apparently there had been other passages, but they had been sealed off with stone. So the team was left with no other option.
Theros had the worst time of it. His large frame could barely fit through the tunnel as it was, meaning some of the armor had to go. Sharka helped him unfasten the large iron pauldron that rested upon his shoulder. Theros took a long look at the wolf’s face that was engraved into each side, the face of Swift. I miss you friend, thought Theros. Then he turned and, without a word, he squeezed his bulky frame into the tunnel and he began to crawl.
Fortunately, the tunnel was only four or five meters long. The room ahead was already illuminated with the same pale blue light that was used throughout most of the king’s palace. Soon Theros was able to pull himself free, and he found himself tucked away in a corner of the room. Just to his left rose a large stone wall that stood three meters in height. He scanned the room as his friends made their way out of the tunnel. Theros scanned the room again, and chills shot down his spine.
“Something’s not right,” he said in a hushed voice as he held Vrasch en Drak with two hands.
The others wasted no time. Their weapons were drawn and they too scanned the area, but they found nothing. Theros moved ahead a step, and he scanned the room once more. They stilled their breathing just in time to hear a series of clicks. Theros snapped his face back toward his companions, his scowl showed anger. Click... click-click. It wasn’t them.
A new wave of chills ran down the orc’s spine as fear took root. He whipped his head back around and prepared the battle axe for a strike. A thin stream of sour liquid dripped down upon his exposed right shoulder. Venom. Theros looked up in time to see a terrifying creature perched above them on the ceiling.
Theros screamed, “Get back!”
Reluk didn’t wait to see if they would obey his command. The half-man, half-scorpion leapt from his perch. The strange creature’s lower body descended rapidly. Its eight heavily armored legs braced for impact. The team barely escaped as the creature’s hardened body slammed to the ground with tremendous force. The creature lifted its huge body off the ground, and then the human shape of Reluk finally came into clear view. In the place where the tail would be, rose the figure of half a man brandishing twin long blades. The armored segments of his unnaturally elongated torso eventually gave way to flesh and bone. Reluk had the chest, arms and face of a man, but he writhed to and fro like a scorpions tail, ready to strike.
Theros stepped back a few more paces and cursed.
“So, he traps me in this prison, and then he finally sends people to kill me,” hissed Reluk, revealing his fangs.
“Who trapped you?” asked Theros, his knuckles momentarily turning white.
“Don’t play stupid with me, orc,” snapped Reluk,
The mankir spat his toxic venom upon his blades, and crept forward. His scorpion legs clacked against the hard stone floor as he advanced.
“Spread out,” said Theros, his commanding voice booming in the far-too-small stone chamber.
His four companions did as he said. Sharka and Nal’drin fanned out to his left flank, while Kiriana and Dominar were off to the right. Kiriana set her sights upon the monster, her fingers prepared the triggers of her repeaters with a soft touch.
“Duroc does not want you dead; he just wants the stone,” said Theros.
“Lies,” said Reluk as he writhed in agitation.
His foe was frightening to behold, but Theros didn’t back down. “Just give us the stone Reluk.”
“You’ll have to kill me,” he snapped.
“Very well,” said Theros.
The orc sprang out to his left. It opened up a clear line of sight for Kiriana. In less than a breath, the bolts were gone. The four quarrels spiraled through the air as Theros charged, but the half-scorpion monster struck forward with its tail-like humanity. The shots missed. The scarred flesh of Reluk’s body darted toward Theros. His long blades dove down at the orc like serpent fangs. Theros sidestepped the monster’s thrust. The worn steel blades clanged as they stabbed empty ground.
Theros swept his axe out in a wide backhanded arc, but the mankir recoiled too fast. Theros missed the sword. Reluk pulled partially upright, then lunged for Theros again. Theros tumble away to his right, just barely escaping the taste of steel. The whirring sound of spinning filled the air followed by four quick thunks. Four more quarrels zipped through the air. The first grazed the monster’s human shoulder, slicing the flesh open with a nasty but non-fatal gash. The other three missed.
Reluk hissed in pain as fresh blood seeped from his wound, but his gaze never strayed from Theros. The monster leapt forward with a surprising suddenness. The mankir’s massive shadow blotted out the pale blue light that once covered Theros. The orc tried to position the axe to impale his attacker, but he wasn’t fast enough. The hardened shell of the creature’s underbelly slammed the orc to the ground. The orc groaned as half the air was driven from his lungs. Kiriana fired again, but sh
e couldn’t find her mark on the writhing target.
With the orc pinned beneath him, Reluk stretched around his own body. With Theros in his sights, he thrust downward for the killing blow. He never saw the dwarf’s charge. The stout little warrior slammed the massive gavel into his back. Reluk’s arms swung out and his face and chest slammed downward onto his own armored body.
Like a reflexive twitch, Reluk’s human body jerked backward towards Dom. His back crashed into the dwarf, sending Dom stumbling backwards. Dominar tripped and fell onto his back. The mankir twisted his almost serpentine figure around to eye Dom. Blood ran from the creature’s newly flattened nose and busted lip. Dominar was a cockroach trying to right himself when the monster lunged. The monster’s steel fangs descended upon Dom.
The steel tipped bolts struck their mark. First one, then three subsequent wounds appeared in Reluk’s side as the bolts pierced his flesh. His blades however, still descended upon his prey. An arc of silver flashed before his eyes. Nal’drin parried both attacks in a sweeping strike.
Reluk frothed and spat, “I’ll devour you all!”
Nal’drin traded blows with the incensed monster, but he was quickly overwhelmed. It was enough, though. Sharka helped Dom to his feet, as Theros fought to unpin himself.
“His legs, get his legs,” hollered Theros.
Kiriana couldn’t take out his legs, so she just peppered his human body with bolts. Dominar, on the other hand, was a wrecking crew. He put dwarven iron upon the mankir’s segmented legs. Snap! The massive hammer rendered the exoskeleton useless. Shattered fragments sprayed the ground as the broken leg crumpled. Dominar wasted no time. With a loud grunt, he smashed his hammer down through a joint on the next leg. The shell fractured. The dwarf yanked his hammer over his head once more, and slammed the mallet down again. The shell exploded. Reluk howled in fury as another leg collapsed. Theros pushed with all of his might, and the monster shifted. The uneven distribution of weight caused the creature to stagger. Theros was free.
The mankir twisted away from Nal’drin and Sharka, back to Dominar the demolition man. With broken legs and blood seeping from his face and the dozens of wounds on his body, Reluk struck at Dominar with the fury of a cornered beast. The first blade missed, but the second blade slammed right into the dwarf’s back.
