The Hammer's Fall

by Summers, Derick

  Lots of time before daylight, he thought with a smiled.

  He moved back away from the shaft towards the fortress’ outer wall. There wasn’t much of a chance of being spotted in this darkness but he’d rather not take the chance. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hushed voice reached him through the darkness.

  “Bout, time!”

  Logan looked around for the source and smiled broadly as he saw Raeth materialize out of the darkness. He stepped up to her and hugged her closely.

  “It’s good to see you,” he whispered.

  “You, too,” she replied in the same tone.

  He stepped back and gave a questioning look to the assassin.

  “How’d you know I’d come out tonight?” he asked.

  “A certain golden haired elf had a feeling,” she replied with a smile.

  He laughed quietly, the perks of their bond he guessed. The sound of grunting came from the shaft and Raeth quickly stepped back and away from Logan. He saw the glint of silver as she drew a knife. Placing his hand on hers, he restrained her. She looked at him questioningly.

  “A friend?” she inquired.

  He nodded and the blade disappeared into her cloak as Jarod pulled himself out of the shaft. He lay gasping on the ground for a moment before struggling to his feet.

  “Lo…” he started to call out, but Raeth’s hand on his mouth and knife at his throat stopped him.

  “Quiet,” she hissed before releasing him and sheathing her knife.

  Logan whispered into the night.

  “Jarod meet Raeth.”

  The human nodded dumbly, the colour began returning to his cheeks. As he did, a large figure clambered out of the shaft. Raeth warily stepped further back into the shadows. As the troll rose up to his feet, Rimple jumped down from his shoulder.

  “Well, your friends are getting more and more interesting,” Raeth whispered to Logan.

  “Yeah,” he responded with a smile. “Soon, I’ll be hanging out with shape shifters.”

  Raeth threw a dark look back at him and his smile grew.

  Logan gave them all a chance to catch their breath as he consulted with Raeth. Apparently, his friends had been spending their time making discrete inquiries amongst the various races and classes in Tael. None really supported the slave trade and nearly everyone in the lower and working classes knew of someone who’d been sold into slavery or sent to the mines. The problem was, that the throne did approve of the practice, the nobles backed the throne and the merchants would engage in whatever would turn them a profit.

  Logan sighed as he heard this. He just didn’t understand this all-encompassing need for money and power. Couldn’t the humans just be happy living in peace and harmony with those around them? He shook his head. Unfortunately he already knew the answer to that question. It was the nature of humans to never be satisfied with what they had.

  He brought Raeth up to date on the state of the slaves in the mine, and more importantly on the number of guards he’d seen when he was brought down. She smiled as she heard this. Her black eyes glinted at the prospect of potential mayhem in the very near future. Logan had to smile at his friend.

  He was about to gather up the others when she laid a hand on his arm. He gave her a puzzled look as she produced a large bundle from near the wall.

  “I brought you a present,” she said. “A certain elf maiden wanted you to have it back as soon as possible.”

  He accepted the cloth wrapped bundle and quickly pulled his battle-axe free. A feral smile crossed his lips as he hefted the weapon in his hands.

  “Good to have her back,” he murmured.

  “As for your friends,” Raeth continued. “We’ll have to borrow something from the soldiers.”

  Raeth led them along the courtyard wall until they came within striking distance of the main entrance to the mine. She stopped and signalled to Logan in the moonlight. He nodded and she disappeared into the night. When she returned she gestured to him. There were two guards at the entrance, she’d take them. That would leave two more inside for him to deal with. He nodded as she continued to signal, plus another guard on the wall who made regular rounds.

  Turning to Rimple he motioned the gnome forward. He told the gnome about the guard on the wall. Rimple smiled as he guessed what Logan was about to request.

  “Consider him gone,” he looked to the woman in black. “Might you have a knife I could borrow, m’lady,” the gnome inquired quietly.

  Raeth stared hard at the gnome before handing him one of her throwing knives.

  “I’ll want this back, little man,” she said firmly.

  Rimple smiled at the woman and gave a little bow.

  “Of course, fair lady.”

  The gnome disappeared into the night. Logan hoped he’d been right to trust the little man.

  Ah, well, he thought. I’ll know soon enough.

  Logan next summoned the troll forward. He held up two fingers and gestured toward the mine entrance. The big troll nodded and gave him what Logan assumed was a smile. All Logan knew for sure was that whatever the expression was supposed to be, it was terrifying.

  Raeth disappeared into the night and soon returned carrying the cloak of one of the guards. She was wearing the other. She threw the extra cloak at Jarod and dragged him forward. She had already moved the bodies into the shadows and Jarod quickly gathered up the weapons from one of the dead men. He then followed Raeth’s lead and took the guards place at the mine entrance.

  Raeth nodded at Logan when all was clear and he and the troll moved quickly across the dark yard and through the mine’s entrance.

  The two guards in the mine didn’t even have time to draw their weapons before it was over. Logan’s battleaxe slammed down in an overhead arch that cut the first man down the middle. As blood sprayed across the room and Logan pulled his axe free from the man’s body, the troll caught the other guard in those massive claws. A cracking sound followed as the man’s neck was snapped and he fell like a rag doll.

  Moving as fast as he could, Logan gathered up the keys from the fallen guard and headed down the stairs into the mine. He unlocked all the chambers he came across and hurriedly gave instructions to the slaves he found in them. He hadn’t realized that there would be so many.

  By morning’s light, he had opened ten separate chambers each holding at least a couple of hundred slaves. All were very happy to be free, and none were particularly inclined to go back.

  Almost two thousand angry slaves came boiling up out of that mine, they bore shovels and pickaxes. Against them stood two squads of soldiers, two hundred men, many of them fresh out of bed without even time to don their armour.

  A few of the soldiers thought they were being attacked from the outside and ran to reinforce the walls. They didn’t realize their error until it was far too late. In the end, two hundred men died very quickly.

  An hour after dawn, the slaves had the fortress. It had been the troll who found Morgan Jones. Logan didn’t like to think about how that man had finally met his end. All he knew was that there was incredibly little left of Morgan when they finally found him.

  Logan had told the newly freed slaves that any who wished to leave were free to do so, but those who were so inclined could stay and help him. He explained that he was going to hold the fortress and the mine until the rulers of Tael abolished slavery or a new king was placed on the throne.

  This last statement was met by looks of disbelief until Logan introduced Jarod Laird and explained the man’s heritage. Many of the humans present remembered the young prince and remembered his supposed accident five years before.

  Many of the freed slaves decided to leave, but many more chose to stay. And, when word came that a dwarven caravan was coming down the road, Logan was able to welcome his friends with a well-manned fortress.

  Chapter Sixty-One: A Message Received

  When merchants stopped receiving regular shipments from the mine, they became concerned. It would never occur to them t
hat the mine was taken, but something was delaying their shipments and that caused a loss of profits. They conferred with the throne and the issue came to the general’s attention.

  Runners were sent to the mine and when they failed to return, concerns grew. The general sent the captain of his guard to investigate the matter.

  Laird Sonin led a troop of twenty armed men to the mine. When he arrived, he approached the fortress walls cautiously. Something didn’t feel right and he had long since learned to trust his instincts. He hailed the fortress and the gates were opened for him. He walked his troops towards the gates. All the while, something told him it was all wrong. Stopping his men fifty feet from the gate, he studied the wall again.

  He caught the movement from the corner of his eye, an archer on the walls. He was already moving as he heard the twang of the bowstring. The arrow took him through the left shoulder instead of the chest.

  More archers were taking aim as he whirled his mount and commanded the retreat, arrows rained down on him and his men.

  Of his troop of twenty men, only four survived to limp back into Tael. Laird brought the news to his general. The mine had been taken.

  Word spread quickly through the city. The mine had been taken and the slaves were free. The question on everybody’s lips was, how? But, nobody knew for sure. Speculation ran rampant through the streets of Tael. Many suspected that revolution had finally come to Tael, but most were afraid to get their hopes up. They had seen the way the city guard of Tael dealt with dissent. It was both severe and prompt. No, they felt it was wiser to adopt a wait and see attitude.

  This attitude did not extend to the palace itself. The nobles had concerns about the potential danger to their status and way of life, the king assured them that the situation was well in hand and the matter would be resolved quickly. The majority of the noble class accepted this decree and chose to ignore the situation, though when the military locked down the city and imposed a curfew on its’ residents, even they had their doubts.

  These doubts were brought to the fore when the merchants found that they could neither get into or out of the city without the express written permission of the general himself. Any who tried, ran up against the stone-faced wall of the city guard, their response was simple and unarguable.

  “Take it up with the general!”

  They grumbled but few complained openly.

  Back in their own chambers, Lan and El figured they had a pretty good idea of what had happened at the mine, as well as a pretty good idea of who had caused the uprising. Both were more than a little surprised and impressed that Logan had succeeded. They knew his plan was to take the mine and free the slaves held there, but neither had felt very confident about his ability to make it happen. Though, as they discussed it, they both realized that they shouldn’t be too surprised. They had both witnessed Logan perform some amazing tasks and knew that when he put his mind to something, it usually happened.

  That only left them with the worry about how Logan was going to get those freed slaves into Tael. The city was nearly impregnable and the gates were well secured by the city guard. In fact, they weren’t even sure how Logan was going to get himself into the city and back to them, though Lan’thor had a feeling that Raeth might have some ideas about that.

  In the meantime, the two elves had to go about their daily business as though nothing was wrong. It wouldn’t do to arouse suspicion at this point, not when they were nearing the end. Even so, neither of them was particularly comfortable waiting.

  Chapter Sixty-Two: The Key To The City

  Raeth led the small group of rebels through the knee-deep wastes of the sewers of Tael. The smell of the place was nearly overwhelming, yet Raeth couldn’t resist smiling to herself. Just the thought of the look on the general’s face if he ever found out that the rebels entrance to the city was provided by an ancient map of the city found within the library of his own assassin’s guild. It had a certain irony to it.

  She shot a quick look back at the group she led. In the flickering light of the torch she carried she could see the determined look on the face of Logan as he followed her through the tunnels. The man was nothing short of amazing. It wasn’t his fighting prowess or his strength, though those things were impressive in their own right. No, it was his sheer will and his ability to bring others to his cause. She had never met someone so charismatic. Sure she had fallen for Lan’thor, but Logan was the reason she was slopping her way through the city’s waste. She could understand how El had fallen for the man, and why she was so protective of him. If she were in the elf’s position, she would never let him out of her sight.

  Behind Logan came the most recent additions he’d drawn to his cause. Jarod came first, the rightful ruler of Tael, he was actually holding up better than Raeth would have thought. Generally, she had little time for royals of any sort but this one was different. His time in the mines seemed to have made him more of a realist, maybe even taught him a thing or two. She supposed that was the main reason that when the young man approached her with an offer she didn’t ignore him outright.

  After the dethroned monarch, came a small party of ex-slaves. They were all human and all ready to seek justice for their time of forced labour. Logan had asked for volunteers and was nearly over-run. These were the strongest and healthiest of the lot, and all six moved with grim determination. They were the ones who, with Jarod, were responsible for opening the south gate. Their success was crucial and Logan had made sure that each understood the weight that was riding on them. The rest of the freed slaves were outside the city preparing for the conflict to come, if this group failed, then the soldiers of Tael would pick them off and all would be for naught.

  Behind the men came Smash, the troll, carrying the diminutive Rimple on his shoulder. The troll was not entirely pleased about this arrangement, especially since the gnome was treating the massive man more like a steed than a companion. The only reason that Smash tolerated the gnome at all was because Logan had asked him to. The troll was so enamoured with the thought of actually being asked to do something like a real person, that he was willing to accept this burden. Again, Raeth marvelled at Logan’s ability to bring out the best in people. Though as Rimple insulted the big creature for what must have been the thousandth time, she wondered how long it would be before the troll drowned the little man in the surrounding filth. Gods knew she was considering it.

  Once into the city, the group split up. Jarod and his group of men were familiar with the streets of Tael and quickly disappeared into the dark shadows of the main street. Smash followed. The troll would rather have fought with Logan, but Logan had explained to the big man how much depended upon this group’s success. Smash accepted Logan’s logic and realized that his strength could be a deciding factor in the group’s success. That didn’t mean he was entirely happy about the thought of Logan facing enemies without him. Smash voiced this concern one last time before following Jarod and his men.

  Rimple had left the group a short time earlier. For some reason, Raeth really wasn’t surprised that the little man was familiar with the sewers. She got the distinct feeling that there was more to the little man than he cared to admit. He had disappeared down a side tunnel and promised to return with ‘his people’. Jarod had been sceptical of this, but Logan had merely nodded and thanked the little man. Again, Raeth marvelled at the man’s way with people. She had mentioned to Logan that it was quite possible that the little man might be going to the city guard to let them know their plans, Logan had merely nodded and agreed that was a possibility, but for some reason he couldn’t explain he trusted the little man. Raeth had just sighed and continued down the tunnel.

  With the rest of the party about their own business, Raeth and Logan made excellent time as they made their way through the sewers and into the cellars of the palace. Moving silently past casks of wine and ale, they stepped out into the kitchen proper. Raeth led the way around the main hearth and nearly walked straight into a royal guard. The man had lef
t his post to sneak himself a snack and as he suddenly came face-to-face with Raeth he jumped in surprise. For her part, Raeth was more than a little startled by the man’s sudden appearance, though before she had time to react, Logan’s axe came down in an overhead strike that nearly split the man in two in a shower of blood. The man was dead before he hit the floor and Logan wrenched ‘Leveller’ free. Raeth looked at the mess on the floor and walls.

  “Well,” she said softly. “Subtle you’re not.”

  Logan grinned back at the assassin.

  “Oops,” he replied.

  Raeth smiled and shook her head.

  Ooops, she thought with a sigh?

  “Well at least help me move him into the wine cellar,” she said as she reached for the corpse.

  Logan nodded and they dragged the man away. They used table linens to mop up the mess as best they could before proceeding.

  Chapter Sixty-Three: One Last Summons

  Logan and Raeth finally made it to the chambers El’dreathia and Lan’thor had been given, only to find Lan alone and pacing back and forth in front of the large fireplace in the main sitting room. He whirled to face them as they entered.

  “El…?”

  He was surprised to see Raeth and Logan, but that surprise quickly turned to relief.

  “Thank the gods you’re back.”

  Logan’s eyes narrowed as he studied the chamber then his friend. His voice was low when he finally spoke.

  “What’s going on Lan? Where’s El?”

  Lan looked more than a little frustrated as he answered.

  “She received an invitation … oh Hades, a summons given that the captain of the guards came personally to deliver it. She was to meet with the general.”

  “She went?” Logan asked in disbelief.

  “She had no choice really, they weren’t about to take no for an answer. I tried to go with her, but they wouldn’t let me. The guard captain said he’d be back for me later.”