The servant produced a key and unlocked the low, heavy set door in the building in front of them, “Right, we’re ‘ere - who wants the key?”
Votrex held out his hand, “I’ll take it.”
As he inserted the key into the heavy set door the wind whipped up the light drizzle and howled around the tall stone buildings. The lock was not stiff, but turned with a heavy clunk. As they filed in, ducking under the low doorway, the young man who had led them there called after them, “Lady Kyla has asked for you to be brought some provisions, I will be back shortly.”
Saul was the last to cross the threshold, he turned and smiled, “Thank you, it is much appreciated.”
The group looked around, trying to take in their surroundings. Votrex was the only one who seemed to have a grasp on this unusual building. The ceilings were low to most of the warriors, Korhan having to dip his neck slightly even when not under a doorway. The ground floor opened up onto a large, open plan room, which was filled with boxes and old furniture, covered up with sheets and with a thin film of dust on top. The belongings of the dead? Or some family who had moved away to escape the plague, having left their things in such a way as to facilitate their return at the right time... It was difficult to say. Before anyone could say a word Votrex was clomping up the stairs, Saul screwed his face up at him, “Votrex?!”
“We should go up to the bedrooms, light a fire and rest.”
Amidst weary sighs the rest of the companions trudged after Votrex up the poky, narrow stairs. Everything about the building wore the dwarves love of stone like a badge of honour. Anything that could be made of stone was, the lamp brackets, the handrail, everything. When they emerged on the first story, all except Votrex were surprised to see that even the bed was made of stone. There was wood already stacked by the large fireplace, so Saul immediately kneeled down and assembled a small fire then arced his fingers at the kindling and uttered a spell, “§irn §ar!” causing the wood to slowly crackled and burn, in moments building to a stable but roaring fire.
Vashni chuckled at this, “I’m impressed wizard... You’re usefulness seems to stretch beyond preparing ‘slipperin oil’ for dragon slaying... I have to say I found your spells lack of effect against Thrax rather disheartening.”
Brael slumped onto the edge of the bed and held out his hands towards the fire, “You shouldn’t be too judgemental; Thrax had woven powerful wards of protection around himself. He knew we were coming and was well-prepared.”
Korhan groaned, memories of Harald and Silus flashing through his mind, “Enough! We do not need to deliberate over Thrax; the deed is done, so let us move on. Do we head to Felgard in the morning? Or something else?”
Saul stood up and edged away from the fire, planting himself on a small stone chair in the corner of the room, “Callen must have headed to Felgard, I see no other even remotely sensible option for him. If we reach Felgard and there is no sign of him there - then we should turn around and try to make our way back to Cormaroth, avoiding Brunwelt and Duramer.”
Votrex scowled, while this had been happening he’d found himself a spot on the large bed and sat, leaning against the wall, “Abandon him?! What if he never made it past Brunwelt? And if we DID abandon him - how are we supposed to get back to Cormaroth, the Servant will be looking for us when they find out we’ve killed Thrax.”
“Votrex, you are right, but the importance of the heart stones outweighs the life of a blacksmith’s son and a foolish girl who desired to be eaten by a dragon. We will do our best, travel to Felgard - if he is not there then we must return to the empress. If we did not, if we entered Brunwelt and never made it out alive - the empress might not understand the scale of the problem and the cult could spread... We need to warn Empress Jade about what is happening in Brunwelt. I’ve been thinking about our route actually, I think when it comes to it, we should head south until we hit the the great divide, then follow it around until we reach Kelen. It is many days ride, but I believe it’s our only option.”
Votrex grunted, “Hmmph! Tis a long way to Kelen... We will have to make sure our flasks are full and probably have to stop to hunt on the way.”
“Better than running into ‘the servant’ I suspect...”
While this bickering was going on, Korhan had positioned himself by the tiny porthole window in the wall. He peered out through the rippled surface of the rough glass to the town below. He was musing to himself how futile and pointless life seemed to be. It often felt like this after a major battle. On the run up to the battle, the thought of it overbore everything, the adrenaline, the anticipation... It felt like all the worlds woes would be solved in one swift stroke before such a battle... The depression that followed a battle was not simply for the comrades lost, in this case Silus and Harald - but also for the fact that victory often brought news that the battle was not the final battle but merely another battle along the way. Instead of the perceived triumphant ride back to Cormaroth with people lining the streets and calling their names, they were holed up in a plague ridden town, two of their number dead, Callen missing, discussing how they could avoid running into the fanatical cult which the ‘Servant of the Flame’ appeared to be...
As he was mulling all this over, he felt a delicate hand rest softly on his shoulder, he turned to see Vashni looking concerned at him, “How fare you Ri§ine?”
Korhan sighed. “I was just thinking about things... Harald... The mess we’re in... Does life not seem futile to you sometimes?”
“Hmmph! Maybe... But Orion guides me, and I go where I am lead... The will of the gods is mysterious and not for mortals to comprehend. Everything we do, every hardship we face has a meaning Ri§ine.”
“Hah! Do you think so Mir§a Vashni?”
“I know so... Every trial I have put you through, every test I have given you - has it not made you stronger? A wise philosopher once said, ‘The trials which we fail, but survive, give us the strength and wisdom to succeed.’ I think this philosophy is true.”
“You may be right, I feel stronger, faster, like I have more control... But...”
“Hah! You have a long way to go Ri§ine, you are still a child in the ways of mental warfare and using your ‘will’, but I will give you some praise... You have a good heart, and you have a natural talent with the blade... Allow me to mould you, into all you can be... And you will become a great warrior...”
“Sigh... Thank you Mir§a Vashni... I will, though I do not wish to face any of your lessons or trials at this time though... My heart is heavy with loss, and my body is weary with fatigue...”
Before Vashni could speak the servant appeared at the top of the stairs with a small sack, “Ere’ Kyla said to bring you some provisions... And ask if you’d come and see her in the morning.”
Brael took the sack, “Thank you, you may tell her we’ll come and find her at first light.”
Kyla’s servant left, letting himself out.
While Brael emptied the sack of fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese and wrapped meats onto the bed, Saul rubbed his chin as if deep thought then looked to Vashni, “Mistress Vashni... The Berger of this town is gravely ill... Do you think you could save him with your skills?”
She glared at him, “Grrrrr! Possibly... Probably not... I do not know... I do not wish to become a travelling healer, moving from town to town, healing all at their whim! What do you think would happen if I tried and failed, or tried and succeeded? If I failed, I could be blamed for his death and be forced to flee or face judgement... If I succeeded it would only be a matter of time before some other important dignitary in the town heard of my feat and wanted their relative saving? No, Kyla appears to be less tyrannical than most and her father has probably enjoyed a long enough life - let him take his seat in Kirkfell.”
Brael shook his head subtly at this comment and ripped himself a chunk of bread off before passing it on to Votrex. The mood was heavy, the fire crackled away, casting a warm, soft glow throughout the room. The warriors ate in silence, Korhan obe
ying Vashni’s instructions to abstain from meat. There were some flasks of mead in the bag too, which were passed around, again in silence.
Votrex sat chewing on a cut of cured Pork and some bread... He was studying the wall over the small fireplace. After a few moments he stood and approached the fire, reaching up he wiped the dusty wall with his hand, to reveal a series of runes carved into the rock. Saul raised an eyebrow, “Votrex?!”
He turned to him chuckling, “I thought so! It seems the Berger has given us lodgings inside a ‘Lo House...”
“A Lo House?”
“Yes, a house which by special concession, has direct access to the warren.”
“What is the wa-”
Brael cut him off, “A series of tunnels built by the dwarves under the surface of Torea, they run deep and long and connect most if not all of the towns and holts...”
Korhan turned to him, “Does that not mean you could use this ‘warren’ to gain access to to your ancestral home?”
“In theory yes, but I’ve already tried. It seems Durgheim Holt is magically sealed from the pathway in the warren too.”
Saul’s face lit up, “Perhaps we could use the warren to get past Brunwelt and Duramer? Are there any exits that would bring us out in the right place?”
“Hah! I don’t know, I don’t know what state the warren is in this part of Torea. When the dwarves were flourishing, we maintained it painstakingly... But the earth moves and rocks crack, I don’t even know if it will really be accessible from this point, and if it is, how much of the main tunnel will be intact... I suppose we could investigate?”
Korhan sighed, “What about Callen?!”
“Calm yourself Korhan son of Brian... We will investigate, then travel North to see if he made his way to Felgard. With him or without him, we can make our way back here and enter the warren through this house if the tunnels have survived.”
By this point most of the food was eaten, and the mead drunk... So the warriors rose and headed to the door after Votrex, except Vashni, “Halt... I will remain here with my Ri§ine... I do not like being underground and I would like to spend some time alone with Korhan.”
Korhan shuddered at this, clearly she had something in mind... Whatever it was would probably not be pleasant... But he remained, watching Votrex lead the others down the narrow stairs.
As they disappeared Vashni turned to Korhan, her sharp, pointed features seeming even more prominent and alien in the soft flickering light, “Lie on the bed Ri§ine...”
He was shaking softly, “Mir§a Vashni, I am not ready to-”
“Shhh... Lie still, obey me... You promised you would listen to me.”
He relented lying carefully down on the bed. She curled up next to him, “You need to rest Ri§ine, I shall whisper you into a deep, deep sleep, we shall continue your ‘improvement’ once you are fully recovered.”
It was an interesting offer, it was true he did feel troubled, uneasy... And longed for rest, though didn’t feel inclined to. In this company, made up of a wizard, rare enough in Torea and elves, and dwarves... He felt insignificant, like a spare part... The fact that he’d dealt Thrax’s killing blow and survived the encounter were difficult to focus on. He sighed deeply, “So be it...”
Vashni curled up closer to him and began whispering again, this time a more melodic whisper, almost like a whispered song, with a story woven into it - though the meaning was lost to Korhan. It was soothing and as she whispered he felt her words penetrating his mind and weaving their way into his thoughts, soothing him and reassuring him. He felt like a child, being coaxed to sleep like this, but he felt his tensions melt away. In ways it felt submissive and embarrassing, but at the same time it was welcome... Vashni continued her whisper until he was in a deep, deep slumber... She smiled at him and stroked his forehead once he was fast asleep. She felt a paradoxical relationship between them. Their experience had given them a bond, a tenuous one, but a bond nonetheless. She no longer felt simply that he was amusing and useful, but a little part of her cared for him. Not in the way Korhan would have liked, but as a child whom she saw it her duty to care for and look after. He looked several years her senior, but the reality that he was younger than an elf-child and she had lived for many times his short life-span.
Smiling to herself she closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall asleep next to her Ri§ine.
Votrex led Saul and Brael back to the ground floor of the house. Though at first glance the many artifacts and belongings looked untidy, upon closer inspection everything was fairly ordered. Votrex for his part, immediately began wandering amongst the covered boxes and furniture, looking, looking around for something. Brael followed his gaze wherever he could, “What exactly are you looking for dwarf?”
“Hmmph! A... Something, something to open... something that doesn’t look quite... Aha!”
Brael followed Votrex gaze, as did Saul, slightly bewildered by the experience. The fact was Votrex was looking for a discreet lever or similar, something to open a doorway or hatch that would give access to the warren. His eyes had fallen and were resting on a candelabra on a bracket in the wall, Saul looked at it, then looked at the others that were spaced around the room, “Hmmph! I don’t see what’s special about it!”
Brael chuckled softly under his breath, “I see what the dwarf sees - very clever... Look at the curvatured of the steelwork, it is identical in every candelabra in the room, and this one is nearly identical - but the tip is subtly straighter than the others.”
Votrex looked up at Brael stroking his beard approvingly, “Very good Gravian! Well spotted!”
Saul screwed his face up, peering closely at the steelwork embedded in the wall, “Subtle? I cannot see a difference! It looks like all the others!”
Brael sighed deeply and stepped closer, “Wizard... Dwarves have over seventy different words for ‘steel’, they have thousands of words for ‘stone’ and they, like the gravian live a great deal longer than you do... Every creature in Torea has it’s abilities which are born to it... Trust me, trust Votrex, though subtle, this one is different, the others are identical. Given the dwarves love of uniformity and order, one different one will not be a result of mishap, accident or bad craftsmanship, it will be for a reason.”
Votrex nodded approvingly stroking his beard, “Well said gravian... Hmmm, let’s see...”
Saul and Brael watched as Votrex approached and manipulated the ancient fitting, this way then that... Sure enough it turned, but nothing appeared to happen. Votrex spat, “Pah! Tis broken... I wonder what has failed?”
Brael and Saul stepped closer, Brael blew the wall near the fitting and rubbed a hand over it, “Hmmm, it seem the circuit is embedded fairly deeply... Either the accumulator has become damaged or the circuit has a break in it...”
Saul screwed his face up, “What are you talking about?”
Brael was about to answer but Votrex cut him off, “Hmmph, the gravian knows more about dwarven rune magic than most... Hmmm, how to explain it... Runes are... Like written magic, not spoken and in many cases unpronounceable but they can collect and shape magic, and structure it... They are like permanent spells, writing runes is a difficult and almost lost art, the interactions between power words, manipulators and accumulators, structurers, and codices are exact, a series of badly placed runes will result in the spell system failing, or worse having an effect that is the opposite or completely different to the intended effect. I suppose it is somewhat like ‘grammar’ in the human tongue, the meaning can be changed by the subtlest mistake, and that mistake can be catastrophic.”
Saul nodded, stroking his beard, “A spoken spell, that is worded badly... Can also have dire effects...”
Brael pointed at the wall below the fitting, “Votrex, can you identify the location of the panel of stone which covers the circuit? Saul could possibly weave a spell of subtle force to open it... We may be able to mend the circuit.”
Votrex ran his hands over the stone, as if feeling for a chan
ge in texture or temperature or something else. To Saul, even to Brael the wall looked like a smooth solid surface, but after a few moments Votrex leaned back and placed two fingers on the wall, “Wizard, these are the two corners of the square panel, can you remove it?”
Saul rolled his sleeves back out of habit and arched his fingers, as if trying to grip an invisible wheel, then he uttered under his breath, “§ath §alala, morakoth...”
There was a soft at first grinding noise, and slowly, slowly as the wizard drew his hands towards him, a square panel of stone juddered and jerked outwards. As it came out Votrex and Brael gripped the edges with their fingertips and teased it outwards, positioning themselves to take its weight as it fell. Eventually, about an inch thick plate of stone dropped into their hands and their arms staggered as they took the weight. Placing it carefully down Votrex peered at the silver lines and the embedded writing, as he looked he turned the ancient fitting above the panel with one hand, when he turned it a rod dropped and a gleaming silver portion of the rod joined two lines up, and broke the connection between two other lines. He smiled, Brael looked at him, “What is it?”
“It’s working... An ingenious circuit, when the fitting is upright, if the accumulator has sufficient charge, it connects this line here... Activating the spell of opening. If it doesn’t have sufficient charge, it discharges its energy into slow release heat through this spell here. When the fitting is horizontal it activates the accumulator, charging... Observe...”
With that he pulled the fitting horizontal, Brael pointed at the accumulator rune, “How do we know when it’s charged?”
“There’ll be a subtle visual cue... It shouldn’t take long.”
After a few minutes of waiting Brael smiled, “I see it...”
Saul screwed his face up, “I see nothing!”
“Ahhh, but human eyes are not attuned to lazy light... This is light which can be seen by dwarves, gravian, elves and some nocturnal animals... It has less energy than visible light, moving more slowly... Watch...”
Deathsworn Arc: 02 - The Verkreath Horror Page 3
