They moved out into the cavern, edging slowly away from the tunnel.
“Don’t go too far, I won’t be able to protect you if you don’t stay close,” Bahbaz said.
They watched as the molten rock seemed to bubble and even leap up in bright yellow arcs. The heat in the cavern rose, and Zollin had to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. Then the luggart appeared. It looked like a huge, glowing worm. It flopped up and then fell on the cave floor, sending drops of molten rock flying around the cavern. The dwarves all had short-handled hammers that were shaped like mallets. They brandished the hammers like weapons, each of them swaying on their short legs like runners at the start of a race.
The luggart opened a gapping maw, revealing a wicked-looking eye that focused on the dwarves and several tongue-like appendages. The luggart gave a loud, cough-like roar and then one of the tongues whipped out. It reminded Zollin of a frog’s tongue that could shoot out and capture flying bugs that came too close. The tongue hit Bahbaz, knocking the dwarf off his feet. The tongue stuck to him and began pulling him toward the creature’s open mouth, but the dwarf next to Bahbaz slammed his hammer down on the tentacle-like tongue. The blow made a sickening, wet thud, and Bahbaz was thrown back as if a blast of air had blown him backwards.
Another tongue shot out and the process repeated. It went on and on, the dwarves hammering the luggart’s tongues until finally the giant, worm-like creature retreated back into the molten pool.
“That was the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,” Brianna said.
“It isn’t over,” Bahbaz said, panting. “It’s waiting for us to come closer. Then it’ll attack again.”
“What can we do?” Zollin asked.
“Just wait it out,” said one of the other dwarfs. “Eventually it will give up.”
“Or,” Zollin said, “we could take the fight to the worm.”
Everyone looked at Zollin with surprise, and he smiled.
“I’ve got an idea,” he said.
Chapter 11
“How many creatures are there like this?” Zollin asked.
“Not many,” Bahbaz said. “Why?”
“Is it intelligent?”
“I’ve no idea. I didn’t think to ask it any questions.”
“I was just wondering what would be the the most effective thing we could do. I got the distinct impression that this fire-worm was trying to protect something. So I’m wondering if we would be better off to kill it, or to teach it to fear coming out of the pools.”
“They’re killers,” said one of the dwarves. “You never know when they’re going to come out and strike.”
“We’ve learned how to fend them off as long as there are at least four of us,” said Bahbaz.
“Okay, so let’s lure it out again. Give me a chance to see what I can learn about it.”
“I think we know all we need,” grumbled one of the dwarves. “You’d be better off killing it.”
“Perhaps, but if the creature is intelligent, we might be able to form a truce that would allow you to travel without fear.”
“I’m not afraid, southlander,” said the dwarf fiercely.
“I meant no offense,” Zollin said, trying to pacify the angry dwarf. “I don’t mind fighting or killing when necessary, but it’s been my experience that many magical creatures are misunderstood. If I can’t reason with the beast, I’ll kill it. Or at least hurt it badly enough to make it think twice before bothering anyone again.”
The dwarves didn’t seem convinced, but they were persuaded to move back into the tunnel and watch. Brianna waited in the cavern. She had her bow in hand with an arrow nocked on the string just in case Zollin needed help.
He walked slowly forward, letting his magic flow out in front of him. He could sense the creature waiting just below the surface of the molten rock. He began to send friendly thoughts toward the creature. He had been able to calm frightened horses and even influence wild mountain lions with this same technique. It worked best on other people, but Zollin hoped he might be able to deal with the luggart peacefully. He wasn’t sure what spell to use on this giant worm-creature that was obviously impervious to heat and fire.
When the luggart moved it wasn’t slow or peaceful. It lunged out of the molten rock like a fish, sending burning globs of magma everywhere. Zollin raised his shields to protect himself and Brianna, while quickly back-peddling. He tripped over the rough surface of the cavern floor and fell on his back. The luggart’s maw opened and Brianna shot her arrow. The wood burst into flame just before reaching the creature and, while it still struck the beast, the arrow shattered into ash upon impact, having virtually no effect.
Zollin was scrambling away from the creature but its tongues were too fast. They whipped out to grab him, but Zollin shoved them away with his magical power. He got back on his feet just as the tongues tried again. This time he used his magic to grab the tongues, holding them fast. The luggart bellowed in fury, but Zollin wasn’t through. He levitated the creature, which wiggled and squirmed in the air. It reminded Zollin of his earliest experiments with his magic. He would spend hours trying to isolate and levitate fish from a stream. They, too, had wiggled and fought his power, but he had mastered the technique of holding them in place. The luggart was extremely heavy and incredibly strong, but Zollin held the beast fast, lifting it higher and higher. He could feel his magic roaring inside him, but his magical containment held fast and seemed to channel his power so that it was stronger than ever before. He felt the exertion taking a toll on him physically, but whereas previously attempting such a powerful spell would have left him exhausted after only a few minutes, he could tell that would be able to keep up his strength for a prolonged period of time now.
As the creature rose higher in the air, fear began to break down its will. Zollin hadn’t hurt the beast, but he could tell all it wanted was to get as far away from the cavern as possible. Zollin let the creature’s head dangle toward the pool of molten rock. Then he let go. The luggart fell into the pool and disappeared, but the splash was massive. Molten rock flew in all directions. Once again Zollin threw up a shield to protect himself and Brianna. The temperature in the cavern rose dramatically. Brianna grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward the tunnel.
“That was impressive, wizard,” said Bahbaz.
“That will teach the wormy beast,” said another dwarf.
“It’s gone now,” Zollin said. He reached out and accepted the canteen of arkhi that Bahbaz offered him. “I can’t say it won’t be back, but I doubt it will come back anytime soon.”
“Why didn’t you kill it?” asked the dwarf who had challenged him earlier.
“Well, I didn’t see any reason to kill it. And to be honest, I’m not sure how I could have. I did try to calm it down, but it was a wasted effort. It’s either a very simple-minded creature with no concept of emotion, or a very angry beast.”
“Well the good news is that you can now begin to build the bridge,” Bahbaz said.
“He needs to rest,” Brianna said protectively.
“No, it’s okay,” Zollin assured her. “The containment is working. I’m not nearly as exhausted as I would have expected.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. We just need to let the cavern cool down before we all go back through, but I think I can get the bridge built from here.”
An hour later they crossed the bridge that Zollin had created. It was much like the first bridge, but this time Zollin added a wide barrier between the bridge and the pool. There was no way to keep the cavern from being extremely hot, but the barrier kept the travelers from being exposed to the direct heat from the pool of molten rock.
They traveled on until they came to another dwarven village. This clan lived far underground with no easy access to the surface. Their forges were smaller and the dwarves less hospitable to Zollin and Brianna. Bahbaz explained that Zollin was a wizard and was rebuilding the Stepping Stones, but still the dwarves kept their distance. The travelers ate
a warm meal of potato hash with bits of fish and more of the round loaves of bread that the dwarves had brought as rations. The food was warm and flavorful. Zollin was tired and fell asleep right after eating his supper.
Brianna stayed awake longer. They had been given a room in the village that was used as a storeroom, with wooden boxes and barrels scattered around, but it was large enough that they could both stretch out to sleep. Brianna wondered where the wood came from. The dwarves were able to cultivate some root vegetables and tubers, but mostly they subsisted on the strange round bread and animals such as goats. They made almost everything from carved stone or forged metals. Brass, copper, tin, and iron were abundant, but where did the wood come from? she wondered.
The next morning they were given bread toasted over open flames and smoked fish. The fish came from a nearby stream that flowed under the mountain, Bahbaz told them. Then they set off again. They journeyed in this fashion for over a week. Every day, they came to caverns with molten pools, but they encountered no more luggarts or any other monsters. One day, Zollin was called on to repair a bridge that crossed a deep chasm. It was in one of the larger caverns, devoid of any light except for the small lanterns the dwarves carried, and here Zollin felt the greatest fear. He was tired of being constantly in the dark. He was tired of the hot, oppressive air and longed to be back in the mountains. There was a wild freedom in the mountains he had felt no where else. But in these large, dark caverns, the absence of light threatened to destroy him. He had the overwhelming desire to curl up into a ball and cry. Once he completed the bridge, he held onto a bit of hemp and, when they were halfway across the dark expanse, he set it ablaze.
“What are you doing?” Brianna asked.
“I just wanted to check something,” he said.
Then he tossed the burning hemp over the rail of the bridge. Zollin and Brianna watched as it tumbled down into the darkness, flickering as it went. The light faded until it was a pin prick, smaller than a star in the night sky. And then, it disappeared.
“Did it burn out?” Brianna asked.
“No,” Zollin said. “I don’t think so.”
“What happened to it?”
“It’s still falling,” said the gruff voiced dwarf behind them. “It’s just too far for you to see.”
“Have you ever gone down there?” Zollin asked.
“No. We dwarves are mountain folk. We live in the roots of the mountains. Foul things dwell below, in the deep places of the earth.”
They continued their journey in silence after that. Both Zollin and Brianna wrestled with ideas of what could be down deep in the bowels of the earth. The luggart had been horrific, but could there really be worse things? They didn’t understand how the dwarves could live exposed to such terrifying creatures, but they kept these thoughts to themselves.
The next day they came to another dwarf village. It was located next to a Stepping Stone cavern that still had an intact but ancient bridge. It was a crumbling structure; the rails were broken down and the edges of the path over the center of the bridge had fallen off, leaving jagged edges that encroached on the path, making it narrow and dangerous to cross. It also left the traveler exposed to the heat from the molten pool below.
“What brings the Oliad clan here without arkhi to trade?” asked a fat dwarf with a dirty beard.
“We are traveling the Stepping Stones,” said Bahbaz.
“The Jaq clan has one of the only usable caverns left,” said the fat dwarf. “But you can’t cross for free. And I don’t see anything you brought to trade, Bahbaz.”
The fat dwarf said the Oliad clan leader’s name with scorn. The other dwarves bristled with injured pride, but Bahbaz just laughed.
“We don’t come empty-handed,” he said. “The Oliad clan never comes with nothing to trade. We’ve brought a wizard.”
“Bah, there are no more wizards,” said the fat dwarf.
“Hammert, your skull is as thick as your belly. Here stands a wizard, and a powerful one at that. He defeated the luggart.” Bahbaz pointed to Zollin as he spoke.
“Bah! The only thing the Oliad clan brings is lies. Where did you find the tall folk? Lost wandering in the mountains I expect. We’ve no use for southlanders.”
“Your bridge is crumbling,” Bahbaz said. “As is the reputation of your tribe. I’ll trade my wizard’s work on your bridge for. .” He let the thought trail off as he pondered what the village had to offer.
“Nothing,” cried Hammert. “I wouldn’t trade with grifters like you. We’ve more sense than that.”
“No, you don’t,” said Bahbaz. “In fact you’re already proven how very little sense you have. Why don’t you welcome us into your village? Are you so poverty-stricken that you can’t offer basic hospitality?”
“Bahbaz, you old fool. If you insult us again I’ll cave in your skull with my hammer.”
“You’ll try, but I’m warning you not to threaten me again,” Bahbaz said menacingly. “We’ve repaired the Stepping Stones between here and the Oliad village. Do you really want people to have to try and cross that ruinous relic you call a bridge? Most traders will bypass your village rather than risk it, and your pride will be the reason that your clan suffers.”
“What do you know of suffering? The Jaq clan has fought the luggart for decades. We’ve held the only Stepping Stone bridge in the North. While you Oliads brew your drink and live in safety, we’ve sacrificed to make sure that trade has prospered in the dark days.”
“What’s he mean by dark days?” Zollin asked.
“He’s referring to the loss of magic in the land and the decay of our way of life. There are fewer dwarves now. Some of the clans have been lost in the darkness. But that’s changing now,” Bahbaz said this last part loudly, as much to Hammert as to Zollin. “You’re the proof of that. The magic is awakening and prosperous times are ahead for the dwarves. Here is a friendly wizard. One who would fix your bridge and share your bread, if you’ll but offer it to him.”
“He’s not welcome,” said Hammert. “No one is.”
“You refuse us?” Bahbaz said angrily. “What kind of dwarf are you?”
“I’m the kind that knows what it takes to protect my clan,” he said. “Move on, I’ve no more time for your idle talk.”
“Hammert!” Bahbaz shouted. “What is wrong with you? Are you so old and bitter that you’ve lost your senses?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hammert screamed back.
“What’s wrong?” Zollin said.
“Keep your pet human on his leash,” Hammert said.
The group of dwarves traveling with Zollin were angry now. They were prideful people, and while hearing the Jaq headman insult their leader could be excused as poor trading, they would not let Hammert slander Zollin.
“I’ll have your head for that,” shouted Bahbaz.
“Come and get me,” Hammert taunted.
He was standing on what amounted to a balcony that overlooked the tunnel as it opened into a larger cavern. There was an arch of stone with heavy metal doors that blocked their way forward. Bahbaz and his kinsmen were about to charge forward with their war hammers, but Zollin spoke again.
“What is it? Sickness? Plague?” the wizard said loudly.
This made Bahbaz hesitate. Hammert looked crestfallen. His pride was gone, and so was his defiance. He hung his head and leaned heavily on the balcony rail.
“I can help,” said Zollin. “Please let me try.”
“You can’t,” said Hammert. “Our best healers have all failed. If you carry this sickness to the other clans, we could all be wiped out.”
“What is it?” Bahbaz called.
“It’s a wasting disease. Fever burns and food can’t be kept down, not even water. We’re dying here, Bahbaz. Go and leave us to die in peace.”
“Perhaps he’s right,” Bahbaz said.
“No, I can help them,” Zollin said.
“He can,” Brianna added. “He can heal people using
magic. I’ve seen it.”
“They may not allow us and even if they did, Hammert’s right,” Bahbaz said. “We could get sick and spread the disease.”
“Just let me go in alone,” Zollin said. “If I can’t heal them, you can leave me here.”
“No!” Brianna said loudly. “We’re not leaving you.”
“You’d never find your way out of the mountains,” Bahbaz said sadly. “Even if you weren’t killed by the disease. And you might spread it to the other clans. We can’t take that risk.”
“Then I won’t leave. I’ll stay here if I can’t heal them.”
“Think about what you’re saying, Zollin.”
“I am,” he said. “I can’t just leave these people to die.”
“Dwarves to die,” corrected the gruff-voiced dwarf.
“I’m not leaving you,” she said firmly.
“You don’t have to. Make camp here,” Zollin said. “I’ll go in and see if I can help them. Then we’ll decide what to do.”
“I’d rather take you around the village,” Bahbaz said. “Then we can repair the rest of the Stepping Stones.”
“I can’t,” Zollin said. “Besides, how long would it take us to go around?”
“Only a few more days.”
“We can’t risk that,” Zollin said. “The dragon would be too far ahead of us.”
“Forget the dragon,” Brianna said. “I’m not sure you should take the chance. You don’t know if you can heal dwarves.”
“I don’t know I can’t,” Zollin said.
“But you don’t know for sure,” she argued.
“It’s a risk I’ll just have to take,” Zollin said sadly.
Chapter 12
The giant metal doors swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. Like all other examples of dwarfish workmanship, the metal doors were well made. Hammert met Zollin at the gate. He had a look of skepticism on his face, but also grave concern. Zollin assumed they had tried everything else to no avail and Hammert was desperate.
“We’ve tried to quarantine the sick,” said the fat dwarf. “This way.”
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