The Wither King

by Mark Cheverton

  “The Dual Dunes.” Watcher moved to Planter’s side, then pointed. “Look … the Dual Dunes.”

  She followed his finger and stared at the two huge sandy mounds; then realization dawned on her face. “It’s the entrance to the Hall of Planes.”

  Watcher nodded.

  She pulled out the Amulet of Planes and found the red gemstone in the middle was blinking as if it had a heartbeat. Stepping into the crater, Planter moved closer to the dark stairway, Watcher at her side. The ancient relic pulsed faster and faster as they moved nearer to the shadowy passage.

  Watcher glanced over his shoulder and nodded to the rest of the NPCs. “Everyone gather your things and leave your horses. Our path now leads downward.”

  The villagers moved down into the crater in complete silence. Watcher knew they were scared; he could somehow feel their tension through the enchantments pulsing through his body. When they reached the bottom of the crater, the company stood around the staircase, staring down at the steps disappearing into the darkness.

  “This is the entrance to the Hall of Planes.” Watcher turned and looked at each member of their party. “We have no idea what dangers we’re heading toward, but as you saw from the village around us, these creatures must be stopped, and we’re the only ones here. If we don’t stop the zombie warriors and stop the king of the withers from releasing his army, then the Far Lands will likely be in the greatest danger it’s faced since the Great War.” He paused to let his words sink in. “We can do this if we work together. Now follow me.”

  “I’ll be right behind you,” Fencer shouted enthusiastically.

  Watcher rolled his eyes as the rest of the warriors laughed.

  Then, drawing his enchanted blade, Needle, he headed down into the darkness.

  Watcher moved down the dark stairway, his arms and his sword giving off their magical iridescent glow, making it bright enough to see the path before him. Other soldiers followed close behind, trying to stay within his circle of light, though Fencer was right behind him, talking incessantly.

  “Good thing we’ve got the glowing boy up ahead,” one of the soldiers behind them said softly, “or we wouldn’t be able to see a thing in here.” Some of the other warriors chuckled.

  “They should be more respectful. I’m sure you’re going to figure out how to stop these zombies,” she prattled. “You’re a wizard, after all, and they don’t know who they’re messing with. I know it’s hard being a wizard, but I have faith in you.”

  “Can someone tell her to shut up?” Blaster’s voice rang through the dark passage.

  “Fencer, you need to be quiet.” Watcher glanced over his shoulder and tried to frown, but when he saw the optimistic and confident expression on the girl’s face, he smiled a little.

  Fencer can be so annoying, he thought. But I must say, it feels good having someone who understands me and has confidence in my abilities. And besides, she’s right; I’m a wizard, and I should be treated with more respect.

  Watcher continued to descend, going deeper and deeper beneath the desert. Soon, the oppressive heat was replaced with a cool, damp feeling, and the air began smelling musty and old. He could tell this passage had been here for a long, long time, maybe even since before the Great War.

  His steps echoed off the cold stone walls, mixing with the footsteps of the others. It sounded as if there were hundreds of warriors with him.

  If only that were true, Watcher thought wistfully.

  After they’d descended for what seemed like hours, a light started to emerge in the distance. It was a sparkling, luminous glow that outlined what appeared to be the end of the stairs. As they neared, the sound of metal grinding against metal, coupled with the pounding of heavy footsteps, filled the passage.

  “What’s that noise?” Watcher whispered over his shoulder.

  “I don’t know,” Mapper replied. “Maybe some kind of redstone or piston mechanism.”

  “But what about the footsteps?” Watcher glanced at Planter; she had a scared expression on her face. “It sounds like a giant down there.”

  She nodded, pulling out her enchanted axe and shield. “Maybe more than one.”

  “I’m sure you’ll take care of it, Watcher,” Fencer said. “You can do it … I know you can.”

  Watcher sighed as Planter rolled her eyes.

  Holding a fist up into the air, Watcher stopped the party, then slowly crept to the end of the staircase. The pieces of an iron door lay on the last few steps, the metal looking as if it had been peeled apart by something sharp and vicious.

  The ground shook as the huge … whatever … stomped about, the metallic grinding sound getting louder. Watcher drew his sword, then glanced over his shoulder at the other warriors. They all pulled out their weapons, bows, and shields, getting ready to confront whatever was causing the sound.

  With fear pulsing through his veins, Watcher moved to the end of the staircase and stepped out of the shadowy passage. Before him was a long hallway, the ground made of sparkling bedrock, the stone floor clearly enchanted with powerful spells. The subterranean corridor extended off into the distance, seemingly going forever.

  On either side of the wide hallway stood large rings, big enough for a troop of soldiers to pass through. They were each made of enchanted iron blocks, with a sparkling green field filling each. Watcher instantly recognized these rings as portals, likely leading to the different planes of existence. They splashed a warm emerald glow on the ground but had no effect on the walls of the passage, which was strange. In fact, now that Watcher paid attention to them, the walls seemed completely black, as if they were made of … nothingness. It was tempting to reach out and touch the immaterial wall, but for some reason, that seemed dangerous.

  “Who enters the Hall of Planes?” A voice suddenly boomed through the passage, making the very ground on which Watcher stood shake.

  Just then, a massive creature made of iron blocks stepped away from one of the portals. Watcher hadn’t noticed it before, as it blended in with the metallic ring, but, now that he saw it bathed in the sparkling light of the portal, Watcher instantly recognized the creature: an iron golem.

  More of the huge giants stepped away from the portals and lumbered down the center of the Hall of Planes, heading straight for Watcher.

  “We are the Guardians of the Hall,” the creatures bellowed. “Only those with a key may enter. Leave now or abandon all hope.”

  Watcher put away his weapon, then held his hands over his head, showing he wasn’t armed. “Look, I’m not carrying a weapon … I’m a friend.”

  At the sight of his glowing arms, the creatures stopped their advance, expressions of wondrous surprise on their metallic faces.

  “A wizard,” one of the golems said in awe. “He is not an enemy.”

  “If he is a wizard,” growled another, “then he knows he must have the key or suffer the consequences.” The discontented golem glanced at its comrades. “It is the law.”

  The other creatures nodded, then continued their slow advance, huge steel fists clenched at the ends of their muscular arms.

  “Wait … wait!” someone shouted from the stairway.

  Watcher glanced over his shoulder and saw Planter running out of the passage. She stopped at his side, then reached beneath her chain mail, searching frantically.

  “Wait, we have the key!” Planter’s voice sounded nervous.

  The iron giants were getting closer, their fists making a crunching sound, as if there was something in their hands being pulverized to dust.

  “It was right here a minute ago.” Planter was starting to sound scared.

  The golems were getting very close now, anger painted on each metal face.

  One of the huge monsters kicked aside some iron blocks that lay on the ground in the vague shape of a golem. The cubes of metal slid across the bedrock, then hit the inky black wall and fell off the edge of the sparkling walkway, plummeting into the darkness.

  Watcher noticed that a couple of
the golems had scars across their arms and chest; deep gashes were sliced into their metal skins, the wounds jagged and rough. In some of the other golems’ legs, deep teeth marks slashed across the metal, as if some kind of creature had taken bites out of them. Some of the guardians limped, their bodies wounded, but they refused to slow their advance.

  “You have been warned!” the closest golem bellowed, the metal giant’s voice filled with fury.

  “Wait, here it is … here it is!” Planter held out the Amulet of Planes. The gem at the center burned with crimson intensity, forcing the two NPCs to shield their eyes.

  Instantly, the iron golems stopped their advance and bowed their heads.

  “You are welcome into the Hall of Planes,” one guardian said, its voice deep and rumbly, like distant thunder.

  Watcher sighed with relief and put a hand on Planter’s shoulder. She turned and smiled back, and it seemed as if all his problems just evaporated. Glancing to the stairway, he signaled the rest to come out. Cautiously, the warriors emerged from the dark passage, their wary eyes still focused on the golems.

  “By the looks of these golems, I have no doubt Krael and the Broken Eight came through here.” Watcher pointed to the wounded guardians.

  “Did you notice the pieces of iron on the ground?” Mapper said. “It seems as if the zombies and wither destroyed one of them.”

  Watcher nodded.

  “Which portal do you think they used?” Planter asked as she put the Amulet of Planes back under her shirt.

  “I can just barely see their charred footprints on the bedrock.” Watcher knelt, allowing the Guardians of the Hall to see Er-Lan standing behind him.

  “A warlock!” one of the metallic creatures roared. “These are not friends! ATTACK!”

  “No, he’s a friend! Er-Lan’s a friend!” Watcher tried to explain, but by then the golem was within arm’s reach; the metallic giant swung its muscular fists through the air, just missing him.

  Rolling to the side, Watcher drew Needle and crouched, ready to evade another attack. “Everyone, stay away from them!”

  Some of the villagers drew bows and fired at the golems, but their arrows just pinged off their metal skin, doing no damage. One of the villagers drew a pickaxe and attacked, the metal tool denting the monster’s chest, but then the golem raised its arms quickly, catching the NPC under the chin. The blow threw the warrior high into the air, flashing red as he took damage. Other villagers backed away from the golem, hoping to catch their comrade and limit his damage, but the doomed NPC flew sideways and sailed off the bedrock path, falling into the darkness. His screams continued as he fell; they seemed to go on forever.

  More of the golems were drawing near, driving the NPCs back toward the stairway up to the surface.

  “There is a charred footprint on one of the portals.” Er-Lan pointed to the third glowing doorway. “The wither and Broken Eight went through that one. That is the path to follow.”

  “Right … everyone get behind me.” Watcher put away his sword and drew the Flail of Regrets.

  The enchanted weapon grew bright as power from Watcher flowed into the weapon.

  “Stand back, I don’t want to hurt any of you.” He swung the Flail over his head. “I’m a wizard and I command you to back up.”

  The iron golems just moved closer.

  “Please! I don’t want to hurt any of you.” Just then, Watcher’s arms flared bright, filled with magical power.

  The guardians continued their advance.

  “Everyone get ready.” And then Watcher charged. “Follow me!”

  He swung the Flail into the chest of the closest golem, knocking him to the ground, and ran toward the portal. As the metal monster struggled to stand, the rest of the villagers trampled over him, trying to keep up with Watcher.

  A pair of iron fists streaked past his head. Watcher rolled across the ground, then swung the Flail at the golem’s legs. The weapon smashed into the two steel pillars with a sickening crunch, taking the legs out from under the guardian. The huge creature crashed to the ground, the impact making the Hall of Planes shake.

  Now, only one more guardian barred their path to the portal through which the wither and zombies had passed, the other golems too far away to be of any help.

  Watcher held the Flail of Regrets before him, ready to attack. “I don’t want to hurt you, but one way or another, you must let us pass. The wither and zombies are heading for the Cave of Slumber to release the wither army. We’re going to stop them. Now, please, stand aside. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  The golem glanced at its two fallen comrades, the metal beasts still struggling to get back to their feet, then glanced back to Watcher’s glowing arms. The creature seemed to relax a bit, but when its metallic eyes fell upon Er-Lan, the golem stiffened again and stood tall. “Warlocks may not pass, and friends of warlocks may not pass.”

  Then, before Watcher could react, the Guardian of the Hall clenched a fist and swung at him, aiming directly for his head.

  Fear seemed to envelop every fiber of his being. His arms still pulsed with power, but terror ruled his mind, making it impossible to think or move. But before Watcher could make himself duck or get out of the way, Planter leaped in front of him, her enchanted red shield held high.

  The golem’s fist crashed into the shield, causing the rectangle of wood and metal to flare bright, blazing with magical energy as purple flames covered its surface, pushing the giant back a step.

  “Everyone, get into the portal,” Planter shouted.

  The golem attacked again, this time bringing both fists down toward Planter, who held the shield bravely over her head, hoping to deflect some of the damage.

  Watcher cringed as he watched the scene play out as if it were in slow motion. He swung the Flail over his head, hoping to strike at the metal monster’s arms, but they were too fast. His Flail missed.

  The iron fists smashed down upon the shield, but, as before, the rectangle flared with magical power, creating a dome of flames that covered both Watcher and Planter and pushed the golem backward a couple of steps. Planter advanced, holding her shield tight in her hands.

  “Everyone … go!” she shouted.

  The other villagers ran over the fallen guardians, then stepped up to the shimmering portal with a single, charred footstep on its edge. They stood before the sparkling field, uncertain.

  “All must hurry before additional guardians arrive,” Er-Lan warned, pointing at the infinitely long hallway. More of the iron golems were coming; they would reach the group in minutes. “Quick, into the portal.” The zombie glanced reassuringly at his companions as, with confidence on his scarred face, he stepped through the portal.

  “Come on, everyone.” Blaster jumped through the shimmering emerald field, disappearing from sight.

  “Planter, Watcher, come on … into the portal.” Cutter pushed a group of villagers through the portal, then dove through himself.

  The rest of their company dove through the magical doorway, leaving Planter and Watcher alone with the golems.

  “Walk backward toward the portal,” Watcher told Planter as he held onto the back of her enchanted chain mail and guided her to the portal.

  “Look out!” She held her shield up high as another metal fist came pounding down toward them.

  The wooden rectangle of her shield flared bright again, filling the Hall with iridescent light and pushing the golem back three steps, where it crashed into the incoming guardians, causing them to stumble and fall to the ground.

  “Hurry … run!” Planter turned and sprinted to the portal, then dove through.

  Watcher glanced at the damaged golems, thinking with a shudder about the poor NPC who fell into the dark abyss wrapped around the Hall of Planes.

  Then he dove through the portal, heading toward who knew what.

  Watcher tumbled through the portal and landed on a soft, spongy, pinkish-gray surface. Tiny black spores floated up from the ground, some of them getting caught i
n his nose and making him sneeze.

  Sitting up, he looked around and found the NPC warriors in a defensive formation around the iron-ringed portal, each person holding an iron or stone pickaxe as they all stared at the magical green doorway with trepidation, as if expecting the iron golems to emerge at any second.

  Standing, Watcher moved to Planter’s side and helped her to her feet. He glanced at her shield, the purple flames that had saved them from the iron fists now extinguished.

  Why didn’t I know that shield could do that? Watcher pondered. My magical powers must have leaked into it somehow.

  Planter put the shield back into her inventory, a strange expression on her face, as if she’d just been caught in a lie … somehow.

  “Planter are you okay? You look—” Before he could finish, he was interrupted.

  “Watcher, are you okay?” Fencer came running up and grabbed his arm with both hands.

  “Yes, we are both okay … thanks for asking.” Planter scowled at the young girl, then stormed away.

  “You did it, Watcher, you stopped those terrible metal monsters.” Fencer looked up at him as if he were a hero, which made him feel good.

  Maybe I did do something pretty incredible back there, he thought with pride.

  “Those weren’t monsters, Fencer,” Watcher said. “They were iron golems, and they’re just doing what they are supposed to do: guard the Hall of Planes.” Watcher glanced at the portal, the sparkling green field within its iron border almost beautiful to watch. “I don’t think the golems are gonna come after us through the portals. They’re likely only allowed to exist within the Hall of Planes.”

  “Good … they didn’t seem all that friendly.” Blaster smiled at him, then glanced at Fencer’s hands on Watcher’s arm.

  Watcher looked at the girl, then pulled his arm free from her grip and moved toward the other warriors. “We need to get moving. Their tracks are easily visible on the ground.” He pointed at the charred footprints on the pink mycelium blocks. They led across the landscape, heading to the north.