by Sam Ferguson
Captain Ziegler put a hand on Jonathan’s forearm and squeezed. “Jonathan Haymaker, it has been a deep honor.”
Jonathan faked a smile and shook his head. “Tell my brother…” the words caught in his throat.
“I will,” Ziegler promised. “Now, get that troll king.”
Jonathan cleared his lungs and then took in a deep breath. He slid into the rushing water and the current swept him away in a flash.
The rushing water sounded like thunder as he coursed down the chute. The smooth rock had him slipping and sliding up the sides as he zipped down at incredible speeds. Sometimes he nearly fell vertically while at other times the water pushed him along a level plane. He kept his eyes squished shut and his lungs tight as he raced through the waterway. There was no way of knowing how far he had travelled, but the journey came to an awkward end as he spun out of the chute and into a larger, orb-like structure. The water rolled him over and over until he finally saw the opening that would allow him to exit to the deeper pool above. He caught a glimpse of sparkling orange flames dancing beyond the surface above and knew that was where he needed to be.
Jonathan struggled to right himself, wasting precious seconds fighting against the swirling current as he tried to angle himself toward the opening. He nearly panicked as his lungs began to burn and ache. They almost involuntarily expelled his breath to prepare to suck in a breath, but the young man held onto his air and closed off his windpipe with the sheer power of will. Then he cleared his mind, and allowed the current to work for him. He stopped fighting it and used it, gaining momentum until he finally was able to break out and grab the rim of the opening, but he wasn’t clear yet. The opening was tight, even for him.
Jonathan slipped one arm through with the bow first, and then he pulled his shoulders through. His ribs scraped along the stone opening. He could feel two jagged points cutting into his skin, but he didn’t stop. Better to have a couple of minor cuts than to drown.
When he finally got his hips and buttocks through he quickly pulled his feet up and then used the top of the stone to propel himself upward. He broke the surface of the water quietly, grabbing hold of a stone outcropping near the wall. As quietly as possible he let out his breath and sucked in new air. Then he looked around the room. There were many braziers with great flames rising high into the air. The throne of gold and bones sat behind a large, black altar just as Ziegler had said. A wide walkway of stone led from the altar out to some tunnel. On the opposite side of the walkway was another pool of water. Behind the throne was a wall that rose up high into the arched ceiling that was beset with thousands of tiny red stones that glowed in the darkness above.
Everything was just the way he had expected, except for one thing.
The troll king was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 18
Jonathan pulled himself up on the handhold, lifting himself out of the water a bit. He looked around the chamber, but he saw nothing. He slid the bow over his shoulder and then dipped back into the water. He moved with slow, controlled stokes so as not to splash in the water as he swam to the stone walkway between the two pools. As he moved around the rock outcropping he looked to his left and saw a vast tunnel that ascended abruptly in a steep, wide set of stairs.
Where was the king?
He grabbed onto the walkway and was nearly about to pull himself out of the water when his left hand began to tingle. He paused, looking up the stairs. No one came. Finally he looked to his right, confused by the fact that he couldn’t see anyone. Then he saw it. A glowing purple heart was approaching the back wall about ten yards away from where the throne sat. As the young archer focused on the wall itself, he saw a thin outline of a doorway in the stone.
Jonathan slipped back into the water and moved back to the outcropping. He put his hands to the rock and took a deep breath as the stone doorway swung open. The glowing heart stepped through just as Jonathan dropped below the surface of the water. The troll moved toward the altar and then lifted himself onto it.
Another figure moved in behind the first and even under the water Jonathan could hear the reverberating echo of the stone door closing. Slowly, Jonathan broke the surface of the water just enough so he could breathe through his nose as he watched his target intently. The second troll was most definitely the king. He wore the long, black hooded robes that Ziegler had talked about. He stood maybe nine feet tall, towering over the smaller troll, who himself was no feeble creature.
As the troll king turned and produced a wickedly curved knife from the folds of his robe, the blue amulet swung into view. The gem glowed brightly, and was easily the size of Jonathan’s fist. It dangled from a chain of black metal as it swung softly back and forth.
The smaller troll laid upon the altar and became motionless.
The troll king began to speak. His voice was low and hoarse, echoing off the walls and filling the room. As the large troll spoke, the fires dimmed in the chamber. It was as if the king’s chant absorbed all of the light. The fires quieted down and came to be only miniscule flames that barely flickered above the braziers. Shadows swept into the great chamber, leaving only a small sphere of light around the altar itself.
Jonathan used this time to get into position. He crept along the rim of the pool until, hidden by the dense shadows, he was able to pull himself onto the walkway. He pulled his bow around and nocked an arrow. Like the previous shaman Jonathan had slain, the troll king’s heart did not glow under Kigabané’s enchantment. The young archer would have to aim this one all on his own.
He drew in a deep breath as he slowly pulled the string back. His shoulder blade tensed as the arrow came to rest against the corner of his mouth. Jonathan focused on the troll’s chest, aiming for the creature’s heart. The troll king raised his curved knife into the air and then shouted something that Jonathan could not understand. Down came the knife and the troll upon the altar died instantly, but this time the glow did not fade. As the troll convulsed in death, the purple glow from its heart rose from its body like a mist and entered the blue amulet. The amulet glowed much brighter, creating an indigo hue of light that enveloped the troll king. So entranced by the sight was he, that Jonathan nearly forgot what he was to do.
As the troll king raised his head toward the ceiling and let out a feral cry, Jonathan took his shot. The arrow flew straight and true. It buried itself into the troll king’s chest and the giant creature stumbled backward a step.
The blue light swirled back into the amulet and all at once the fires in the braziers raged into full force again. The troll king lowered his head and looked directly at Jonathan. He reached up calmly and snapped the arrow shaft with one hand. He pulled it up to inspect the arrow and then tossed it to the ground.
“Kigabané,” the troll king shouted. Then the giant troll ripped its robes away to reveal a long shirt of chainmail that glimmered in the firelight. “Kigabané kus do frobar!”
Jonathan didn’t hesitate. “Heart or head,” the young archer said as he drew another arrow. This time he aimed for the king’s left eye. He let loose the arrow and it flew swift and straight.
The troll king waved his hand and the arrow veered off to the side, slamming into the stone wall and snapping the head clean off as sparks flew out.
The troll king laughed and then he chanted something that Jonathan didn’t understand. A column of water emerged from the pool on the left and then it stretched out to strike Jonathan, throwing him down to the ground and nearly sweeping him into the other pool. Jonathan rolled out of the water and came up with another arrow. He fired, and then quickly grabbed a second and a third arrow. He fired all five of his remaining arrows in less than two seconds, hoping that his speed would somehow get through the troll king’s spells. The first two arrows dropped to the ground, skittering across the stone but not breaking. The third and fourth were directed into walls and shattered. The fifth was redirected down and sunk deep into the troll body on the altar.
Jonathan ran forward, knowing that thr
ee of the arrows would return to him. He sprinted in closer, hoping that by decreasing the distance, he could shoot faster than the troll king could react. Walls of water rose from the pools, slamming into Jonathan as he barely managed to keep his footing and run toward the altar.
The arrows began reappearing in the quiver and Jonathan pulled them as quickly as they appeared. He fired them all and continued running. As the troll king’s attention was consumed by the flying arrows, the walls of water stopped emerging from the pools. One arrow turned up, striking the ceiling and snapping in half, another turned down and sank into the water, and the third spun out to hit the wall.
Two arrows left.
Jonathan ran in close, now only twenty yards away from the giant troll. The troll king grinned wickedly and raised its curved knife in its right hand while calling forth more columns of water with his left.
The arrows reappeared and Jonathan pulled the first. A thought came to his head then, that perhaps the troll king was counting the arrows as well. If so, he would be expecting two this round. Jonathan fired the first and then went through the motions of retrieving the second arrow and pretended to pull the string back and then release his fingers.
The columns of water fell and the troll king turned his magic to divert the arrows. After the first arrow shot down and struck the altar, the troll king flicked its green eyes around the room, looking for the next arrow as he sent a wave of air up. By the time it looked back to Jonathan it was too late for the king.
It summoned forth a column of water, sending it parallel to the floor, but Jonathan dropped onto his left leg, easily sliding over the wet granite surface as he drew his final arrow and aimed for the troll king’s eye. The troll king looked down in horror, snarling wildly as the arrow shot up and crossed the five yards between them much faster than the troll could react to. The arrow tore through the left eye and sunk deep into the troll king’s skull.
A whoosh of air swept through as the troll king’s slow attempt to block the arrow failed. The large creature fell back to land half-way in the large throne. Some of the bones cracked and the large chair broke and leaned to the side under the impact of the giant troll’s body.
Jonathan slowly rose to his feet as his last arrow reappeared in his quiver. Blood oozed from the troll king’s left eye socket, dripping down his ashen skin and falling to the floor below. The young archer looked to the stairs behind him, fearing that perhaps the commotion had drawn the attention of troll soldiers. For the moment, at least, the path was clear. He sighed with relief and then moved to the troll king. For good measure, he took the arrow out and shot it through the other eye. He was not about to chance anything with a creature such as this. The arrow went in easily and the head jerked to the side.
Figuring it was now safe, Jonathan took the large knife, which compared to his size was almost the size of a full sword, and climbed atop the king’s body. He raised it high over his head and then came down on the troll’s neck. The head dropped unceremoniously to the floor and rolled around the back of the throne. Jonathan dropped the bloodied knife and put his left hand to his mouth to ward off the stench of the blood. With his right hand, he took the amulet and then jumped down.
He thought of keeping the stone, and trying to take it back to the others. Perhaps Raven could tell him what it was used for. Then again, as he looked to the stairs, he knew the chances of him escaping at all were less than favorable. He looked to the stone altar and gripped the chain tightly in his hand. Perhaps it was better to destroy the item. Whatever it was, it was fueled by sacrifice. Jonathan couldn’t imagine letting an item like that fall into the wrong hands.
With every amount of strength he could muster, he swung the chain behind him and then whirled it up over his head and down toward the altar in a mighty chop. The amulet whined and whistled as it ripped through the air, and then exploded upon contacting the obsidian altar. Shards of blue stone flew out in every direction, and even the altar itself cracked in half and fell apart. A great burst of purple and gold light erupted from the impact and Jonathan was sent flying backward to land against the dead troll king’s body.
Screams and screeches filled the room, causing the entire chamber to tremble and quake. Jonathan covered his ears and fell to the floor in agony as the screams threatened to rupture his ear drums. His hair and clothes whipped in a great vortex of wind, and all the fires in the chamber were blown out.
Bits of stone and dust began to fall from the ceiling. Explosions of water lashed out at him as hunks of stone splashed down. Other pieces fell to the ground, shaking and cracking the walkway and the area around the throne.
The only saving grace for him was the fact that there was a purple and blue light pulsing from the shattered pieces of the amulet, and they were augmented by the red, glowing stones in the ceiling and in the hunks of rock that had fallen. It wasn’t a lot of light, but it was enough for Jonathan to try to escape.
He got to his feet, gathered the bow and looked to the stairs. Great hunks of stone fell all around him. There was no way he would make it, he knew. So he turned to find the hidden door behind the throne. No sooner had he gone four paces, than a gigantic slab of stone crushed the throne and squished the troll king’s body. The impact caused Jonathan to stumble, but he caught himself with his hands and scrambled toward the secret door. His hands rubbed and felt all along the surface, but there was no handle that he could find. He slipped his hands into the small crack around the doorway, but couldn’t get a good grip.
Stones fell all around him and the light was dimming. Dust and water filled the air, making it difficult to breath.
“Think!” Jonathan shouted to himself. He glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of the troll king’s knife shimmering in the faint light. He rushed toward it, dodging a stone the size of his head as it crashed into his path. He grabbed the large knife and ran back to the door. He slipped the blade into the crack half way and then pressed against the handle. Jonathan grunted and groaned as his arms and legs pushed against the heavy portal.
Finally it popped open and moved just enough that Jonathan could slip inside. He took the knife with him as he leapt into the secret tunnel.
Two seconds later, a massive pile of stone fell onto the door. Sparks shot out as the stones broke and smashed into each other, and the impact sent him tumbling into the tunnel, gasping for air against the eruption of smoke and dust.
Chapter 19
The sun was just breaking over the eastern horizon as Jason and the others came close to Shadowbore’s entrance. The golden rays streaked out over the bleak, gray stones and refracted off the rain to create a faint rainbow that disappeared as it arced up into the dismal clouds above. The only bit of clear sky they could see was off far to the east, between the rising sun and the blanket of gray storm clouds that covered The Warrens.
“There it is,” Raven said as he leaned heavily upon Miranda’s staff to traverse the rocks.
“I don’t see Captain Ziegler,” Bull said as he scanned the area about them.
Raven shook his head. “He likely stayed behind to guard the entrance to the waterway.”
“Let’s move in,” Jason said.
Moose reached out and seized the young man with one hand. Everyone froze as the large man turned about, scanning the area. Moose pulled his warhammer to the ready position and shook his head. “They’re coming,” he said.
“Now how can you know that?” Bull groused. “I don’t see anything, do you, Winnie?”
Bear grimaced and drew his knives. “I never knew Moose to be wrong.” Then he pulled one of his knives out and pointed it at Bull. “And call me that again, and I’ll be sure to cut your tongue out and hang it on a necklace.”
Bull winked.
Off in the distance a plume of smoke erupted from the ground, spraying shards of small rock up into the sky and raining them down on the area around the freshly made hole.
“What in Hammenfein was that?” Bear asked.
The War
rens shook terribly then, throwing all of them to the ground as waves of rock heaved up and down and the whole plane shook from side to side. Great gasps and screams filtered through the ground as some places sank in, collapsing underground tunnels, and spears of rock stabbed up through the surface in others.
“Raven, do something!” Bull ordered.
The cracking rocks crashed around like thunder as The Warrens continued to shake and tremble violently for more than thirty seconds. The area around Moose fell into the earth about ten feet, jarring and throwing the large man against a great boulder.
Bear crawled over to check on Moose, and barely saw the big man offer a thumbs up gesture before a gust of wind and steam shot out of the ground and threw Bear four feet into the air. The man dropped onto the ground hard, tweaking his shoulder and taking a cut from a jagged rock that sliced the side of his left arm when he hit.
Bull stood to rush to his aid. Bear tried to wave the bald-headed warrior off, but Bull was too stubborn to listen. A massive spire of black rock shot up from the ground, catching Bull in the stomach and heaving him fifteen feet into the air before the jagged rock cracked and tipped precariously to one side.
Raven used his magic to buffer Bull’s fall as the man slipped from the spire, cushioning him as he tumbled onto the ground. Miranda then sent a series of fireballs that managed to push the drooping rock enough out of the way that Bull was unharmed when the stone toppled over a few feet away from him. Raven shot a nod of approval toward his daughter, and then the ground opened up into a wide fissure beneath him, sucking him down feet first.
“Father!” Miranda shouted. She could see him clinging to the edge with his elbows and chin, straining not to slip on the wet stone.
Jason rose to his feet and rushed over to grab Raven and pull him up to safety.
The shaking stopped then and the earth groaned heavily.
