by J P Nelson
Tammin cracked his knuckles and replied, “Ah understand.”
Mahrufael said, “I can only do this once.”
It looked as if Tammin had an acid-laced retort rise to lips, but he made a deliberate effort to keep it in, “Then make too keep fiper …” he waved his hands laterally, “… in y-y-yong vay …” he tilted his head and squinted an eye to see if Mahrufael understood.
The elf nodded congenially and said, “Done!” Looking to the others he said, “You might want to move back, back into the staircase entrance, and watch your heads.”
Gordi drank the last of his potion and commented, “Hey, now that’s not half bad. Logan’s learned to put some kick in his juice.”
Mahrufael saw Gordi already begin to heal, at least as much as the potion would allow. The man still looked rough. Mahrufael then turned to task as he pulled something out of his pouch, crumpled it, waved hands and incanted, » Sérhuia-sérhuia-et-noas-zhysni-tah! «
Dessi had closed the keep’s inner door and got out of the way. Tons of old wooden beams began to tear loose from resting places, float in the air, change position, then lay in a tight multi-layer pattern in front of the door.
Tammin then reached deep into himself and focused. Rot and mold popped from the timbers as spores filled the air, but the fibers of the wood all interlaced with each other and formed one huge block of wood many, many tons in mass. It wouldn’t be a permanent barrier, but it would last for years unless someone cut through it.
Tammin looked to Mahrufael, who looked in turn back to him. There seemed to be unvoiced communication between the two, then Mahrufael offered his hand to Tammin. The latter considered it, then took the hand as the two made firm their clasp.
Gordi flexed his knees and said, “I ain’t going to be good for a four-forty …” he glanced to Feila, “… but I can run.”
The seven quickly made way down the stairs, through the tunnel and to the Clarise.
It can only be assumed Old Liam showed or made known to the trolls the tunnel entrance at the village. This species must be claustrophobic, an above ground variety by all evidences gathered, and not given to the closed in construction of the tunnels. Like orgs, trolls of all kinds are extremely superstitious … but that is beside the point. For whatever reason, only a few chose this route.
There are species of underground troll, but they weren’t here this day. These could not see in the closed in dark, hence the need for some kind of light, which they didn’t have. Apparently relying on Liam’s description of the tunnel system, they expected to find supplies of torches, matches and what not along the walls. There were none to be found.
As they used scraps of their own clothing wrapped around clubs for light, they moved into the tunnel system with hopes of entering the castle grounds from beneath. As they moved around the bends of the corridor, they did not see or hear a door open, an arm snake out around the throat of the last one in line, and slide a long blade stiletto into the back … then pull the brute back into the room.
When it was realized the troll was missing, one was sent back to see what happened. He did not see the shrouded form in the shadow, he only heard a twip-p-p sound, and a thin metal spike was suddenly in his in his throat and he was dying.
As the others were waiting and turned toward the rear, another door soundlessly opened, and the troll in front felt a wire wrap about his throat. His cudgel dropped to the floor, but in the time it took his companions to turn around he was already gone … disappeared into the closed door.
What words were spoken nobody knows, only that there was an argument and severe apprehension. But they continued on, ever so cautiously as they seemed to be looking for spooks in every shade.
They found a door with a scrap of cloth torn as if someone’s clothing had been caught as they hurriedly went inside. Knowingly, they now had it figured out, there was something human lurking about these halls. The new leader opened the door … and was greeted with an impaling missile of wood.
The next in line grimaced and looked to his companions as if in an obnoxious joke. After all, how stupid can you be to poke your head into a dark, strange room. He was laughing in a trollish, barking laugh as he looked into the now safe room … and his foot touched an unseen thread. Something hinged from the top and side swung down and drove a sharpened rusty bolt through his head.
An eerie, deep voiced, yet hushed sound came from the hall the way they came. The remaining three ran down the tunnel with sounds not unlike yelping of dogs in pain. Around a corner they ran, then found themselves skating about with legs and arms flailing the air as they encountered a floor covered in stone marbles. One reached out to grab an empty candle fixture in the wall … and the floor opened as two of them fell into a pit of spikes.
One troll left … recovering his balance, he held his torch to look down at his companions. He sensed rather than heard a presence to his back. Turning, he saw a human shape emerge from the shadows, an older man who was … who was biting off a piece of jerky and in calm tone said, “You are one ugly son-of-a-bitch.”
The troll tilted his head, then the human casually raised his right arm and touched his elbow. A spike left from under his sleeve with a twip-p-p and embedded itself in the troll’s chest, knocking the troll off balance and teetering on the edge of falling into the pit.
Fizer chewed his jerky, and with a grin walked up and touched the flailing troll on the protruding end of the spike and gently pushed.
Chapter 70
TWO MILES DOWN the river the third shaman was hard at work. He had his staff out before him, standing on the bank’s edge, reforming the ice in a barrier as quickly as he could. Freezing the whole river was not his intention, but to block the one ship, which in turn would block the others.
Coming round the bend, Ervis saw the action. Standing at the bow he yelled, “Straight at ‘em Mister Rufus. Break out the hankies and shirts if we must!”
The drums were beating-to-quarters and Rolan was raising his hands to enhance the winds as best he could. All crew not touching ropes or sail took aim with crossbows. They knew it was up to them and the unicorn on their bow.
The bolts bent in their trajectory against the troll, and then the ship collided with the icy barrier. Dirty hard water shattered as the Ubank valiantly broke through. Chunks of ice flew as the ship sailed with only a small loss of speed. The path was but ship wide, but the way was clear as the Qua’Korr was only moments behind.
In the distance, trolls could be seen running toward the river to board the fleeing expedition, a ready food source at easy disposal. But the shaman was not finished. His hands were raised high and staff in motion as the ground began to groan, the water churned, and river ice started to tremble.
Then the troll aimed his staff along deck of the Ubank, and a ball of solid fire sixty feet in diameter exploded along the bow. The foremast shattered on impact, men were burned to death in moments, Ervis was caught in the heart of the blast.
Men were yelling, many were screaming as they ran like human torches, more than one leaped over the side. A huge beast raised up from the water at front of the vessel; favoring descriptions of the teerex but with longer arms, composed partly of flesh and partly of stone, and bigger.
The elemental seized the front of the vessel and muscled it over at one angle, then another as the shaman troll aimed that staff again to the stern-castle. Another of those vast balls of fire hit the ship, destroying the transom and poop-deck, instantly killing many who had run aft to escape the initial attack. At same time, the beast let fly a breath of chlorine spray which ran the length of the ship.
The Qua’Korr was coming around the bend and saw the blaze and wrecked Ubank. Her compliment of missiles was largely untouched, so Anu directed fire at the riverbank where trolls were gathering.
S’Getti had made his way to deck upon crutches, in spite of attempts to keep him in quarters. With an arm around one mate for stability he called, “Anu … see they qualm to touch river’s edge.”<
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Anu picked up on it fast and began aiming the Balders into the ice, firing solid balls at full wind-up bow strength. Marksmen made steady fire at the trolls upon the river’s edge, as they in turn hurled javelins at the ship. All men praying the flying tolls were all dead.
The shaman was moving toward the Qua’Korr, either too lazy or overconfident to run. The ship was still moving, but at reduced speed. She was fairly trapped, but beating-to-quarters as her crew prepared to fight to valiant end. S’Getti stood the deck, cutlass in one hand, crutch gripped in the other.
Clarise now made the bend as Jha’Ley was at bow, steeling his mind for the worst, then they saw the Ubank.
Time and manpower had not allowed for the Waddles to be returned to deck, rather she was being towed by line. Gordi grabbed JéPahn, “Get Ru, link and send him …” he pointed to the shaman.
“But what …”
Gordi ordered, “Just do it …” as he ran for the stern.
JéPahn quickly ran to find Mahrufael, who was with Jha’Ley, Feila and Albri as they were preparing their action. He repeated the message, but even as he spoke they all saw the Waddles skim quickly in the water toward the burning ship.
Jha’Ley demanded, “What is he going to---”
Albri swore heavily, “I know what he is going to try.”
Mahrufael disappeared in a bright blue flash of light.
Then there were shouts from aft, “Trolls … the really big ones!”
Three Uordaks ran down to the ice edge and leaped … impressive leaps with each succeeding in hooking claws to the side of Clarise. More were running to the edge to follow suit. At same time a flash of blue light appeared twenty feet from the shaman troll.
Albri was yelling, “You must decapitate or pierce their heart to kill them. Fire will keep them from healing so fast …”
Men quickly set a fire pit and coated crossbow bolts and blades with oil.
Caroll’s scimitar was out of light, but he cleanly sliced the top of a troll’s head off with one swipe. Toagun chopped three times with his combachete as fingers flew, then a wrist, and laid a blow to the throat as his foe fell into the deep water.
Tammin stepped up and calmly brushed his hands back and forth before one troll. The brute suddenly stopped, looked confused at the man, tilted his head, and lips began to quiver as it began to cry … then simply let go the rail and fell into the river.
Seedle saw the action and paused a moment, “What was that?”
Tammin shrugged, “Ah do not see. It vas his paddest thought.”
Then Seedle saw another troll vaulting, aimed his rod, fired into the Uordak’s head, then said, “Cool!”
Dessi and Fhascully together were in exchange with one which almost made top of the poop-deck. One more troll grasped upon the starboard rail and was taking heat from Feila and Albri.
Albri yelled, “Where is Jann Raul?!”
From under the water a figure flew up like a sky-bound torpedo. Jha’Ley rammed his dao-sword straight up the troll’s groin, all the way to the hilt. The troll stopped, stared at Feila and Albri, then groaned with a low pitiful sound. Klaus shot one of those over-sized arrows into its chest at point-blank range as he said, “You have been bad, no toys for you.”
Jha’Ley flew from the water up on deck, found Dalton and Telroy and ordered, “Your call. Team. I am going to see what I can do …” then as Albri and Feila came running to ask him questions, he vaulted over the stern and into the river.
Gordi knew one thing, the Ubank was done for and her crew probably all dead … it was now in the way. He used the momentum of Waddles to aid his jump as he vaulted to deck of the inferno which used to be a ship. How could he get it away from the elemental?
From his peripheral vision he saw his answer. Out from high up of one of those beautiful oak trees a blurred image emerged; it was U’Lahna and that flying spear. She quickly encircled the head of the elemental and hit it in the eye with a … snowball? Then she did it again. Annoyed, it turned to her as she maneuvered about its head and body … twice coming dangerously close to getting swiped … She baited and teased the creature until it chased her out of the river, onto the riverside, then let loose a gout of that chlorine breath … right into a group of fleeing trolls.
Gordi reached down, all around Ubank with his essence and gripped his hands. Never had he done anything of this magnitude. Last time, it was like pushing a wheelbarrow. But this time ...
He felt the concussion from a sudden blast down below, but it didn’t affect him and what he was trying to do. The ship was heavy in his telekinetic grasp, but it groaned as the flames began to heat his buckskin clothing. It was bigger, heavier than the Qua’Korr.
Gordi threw his head back, arched his shoulders and screamed … a lo-o-on-ng-g guttural scream … as the Ubank slowly rose up out of the water … inch … by painful … inch … a foot … now two … three … not enough … more … MORE … blood began to pour from his nose as the burning vessel steadily, ever so slowly rose upward.
Jha’Ley saw the lower body of the elemental as it was swimming at the Ubank’s bow. He also counted five, six men in the cold slush, not sure which way to go or whether to tread water. Jha’Ley saw the keel of the Ubank as it slowly rose out of the water. He was amazed at the sight, but had no time to gander. The creature was swimming away from the hulk. Why, Jha’Ley didn’t know, but no matter ...
He drew in deeply and channeled his passion and rage, letting fly with the loudest ~}H-hw-w-wh-wh-wha-aug-gh{~ force sound he could. The blast hit the lower torso, but hard, and the creature thrashed the water. Thankfully it did not come after him.
Jha’Ley needed to save his men. Sheathing his blade, he made quick time to get the Ubank’s survivors out of the water.
When Mahrufael appeared on the riverside, the troll was already ready. It faced the elf and launched an onslaught of energy bolts which were countered in similar fashion, the two engaging in what appeared to be a lightshow of blasts and parries. A mingled aroma like burning compost and white hot iron filled the area; wavelets of energy made the remaining trolls run for cover.
Those who saw the dragon were frightened, fascinated, or both. The shaman troll’s attack on the Ubank caused anxious thought at the very least. An elemental attacking from the river was terrifying, and the dual between Mahrufael and the shaman electrifying. But those who saw the flaming Ubank rise to clear the ice surface by fifteen feet, then float sixty feet away to be deposited on the port-side of the river, were caught up in enamored fascination.
S’Getti caught himself staring with his mouth open and hanging onto a rope, “Mas’r Rosey, yon passage is clear … make haste … full ahead, sir, full ahead! Mister Anu, all Balders by Ambrose Harpoons to the creature … Fire rotation duo-stage volley …”
As the Clarise drew close to the dueling wizards, Seedle came up to bow with the staff. Dessi asked, “What are you doing?”
Kneeling and taking aim like a crossbow, Seedle was very serious when he replied, “I have no idea, there is one more left and I cannot get a fix on what it is.”
Closer and closer they got, then Seedle released the effect. Mahrufael and troll had locked into a steady stream of energy transfer, the elf’s blue beam against the troll’s purple one. Seedle’s effect hit the troll from its side … and suddenly the shaman began to change shape until it looked like an oversized, upright pig.
For an instant it looked around bewildered, then Mahrufael’s bolt hit it, making it explode. All men who saw the bits of meat flying around cheered.
U’Lahna, however, was still busy. The Ubank was clear with no sign of Gordi. Jha’Ley placed the last man on the port ladder, then leaped aboard. JéPahn said with urgency, “Mahrufael says go, there are more coming.”
Up ahead the Qua’Korr was at full sail and firing Balders at the elemental. With a look to Feila and his pop, his face was anguished as he said, “Miu’Ganté ma’nuri … Dalton, full ahead!”
U’Lahna knew she w
as pushed far beyond her abilities, but if she could just … Mahrufael sent a thought to her mind. She did a bank and roll in front of the creature’s snout. Then a solid ball of blue flame hit it in the torso.
The creature focused on its new antagonist as U’Lahna flew wide and in a large circle. The elf summoned all his energy, metabolizing his remaining effects into one final release as he saw trolls beginning to come his way.
Opening his hands, he manifested a pulsing beam of raw eldohrich energy, hitting the creature full center as a ray of light, followed by five large pulses which hit like claps of thunder. As the final pulse hit, U’Lahna came in at maximum speed from behind, jumping as a glowing N’Sehlien ran it through exiting the front.
The elemental screamed as U’Lahna grabbed a protrusion on its head and spun around, coming to rest on top of its brow with one hand raised to the heavens. Wind whirled all about her as snow was sucked in from the trees. Pressing her palm downward but an inch from its skull, she released ice lightning through its body.
The elemental imploded as she fell into the water. Mahrufael dove in; rising up with her in his arms he knelt on the river ice. The trolls began to line up on the river side, grinning. They had him now. Then the elf took the device found on Carlson’s body and twisted it. He and U’Lahna then vanished from the trolls sight.
As the Clarise sailed around a bend and out of view of the blazing Ubank, it seemed all was clear, at least for a while. Jha’Ley really wanted to spend reunion time with his pop, but first call was see to his crew. Unknown to him, there had been battle in the hold.
It was Yeau who came to a battered Fhascully once they were able to catch breath. Yeau was quiet for a moment, then Fhascully knew something was wrong.
Yeau began, “Ah am fewy ssowwy …”
