The Eastern Dwarfs: Part Two - The Underground Journey

by Leo deSouza

  “There is our road.” Thuor said pointing to a footbridge that followed close to the right wall of the cave, a high elevated way above many pillars of stone, going further inside the darkness.

  Torag looked back inside the yard and the wall walk, he realized that there was now a large army set there, four hundred helmets he guessed. Time passed, the tension was still in the air but silence took the ambience, from time to time, wind blew coming from inside the cave and stirred the flames of the torches there, but no one was now talking, and only the metal sounds of shields and axes could be heard sporadically, besides some whispers among the warriors. Rurur and Olaf came back, they stopped on the yard looking for the others, the captain whistled and waved, calling them to come up through the staircase and so they did, but not without some effort as they were now carrying many loaded packs and bags.

  “We took everything the way ye told us, captain.” Rurur said when they reached Thuor and Torag.

  “Yes, dry food only, and some good beverage that we found.” Olaf said as he came after.

  Thuor checked the packages. “I think it is enough for us, but this journey will be different from the one on the fields. There is no food source across the way.” He spoke.

  “Fine.” Rurur said. “When are we leaving?”

  “As soon as we find out what this incoming sea of fire is...” Thuor whispered

  “Heh…” Olaf muttered. “Captain… I just came to remember more about the dream I had, just a few moments ago.”

  “What is it, Olaf?” Thuor asked.

  “This city… Captain… The one thing about to hit here… It comes from the Vulcan.” Olaf continued.

  “But Rodro said nothing could come from there. What are ye talking about?” Thuor continued.

  “War, captain. I saw it, war will hit this place.” Olaf spoke.

  “For war to happen, Olaf, at least two armies are necessary, I think ye are not reading it right.” Thuor said.

  “Ye talk about war.” A voice sounded suddenly. It was Rodro who approached without being noticed. “This is not time to keep secrets anymore. Tell me now, captain Thuor, what is happening.”

  The captain thought for a moment, then finally spoke, revealing the truth: “I think ye are a fair friend who deserves the truth, Rodro. Olaf, he once met the Warlock, the Dark Rider, and since then he dreams about his deeds, somehow he is connected to him.”

  “Why did not ye tell this before to the Queen? Do ye understand how serious it is hiding secrets from her?” Rodro asked.

  “Hiding secrets is sometimes the way to defend your ones, and spreading them may cause more harm than good. Ye must understand Rodro, what is happening is too big to be treated like a simple matter of rule by any King or Queen!” Thuor replied.

  “So ye can see inside his mind? Olaf.” Rodro asked.

  “Not exactly like this. I dream about him.” Olaf replied.

  “Right. What do your dreams says about war?” Rodro insisted.

  Olaf looked at Thuor as if expecting him to confirm he could tell, the captain nodded. “A big battle is about to happen. Here, a big frenzy.” Olaf said.

  Rodro seemed intrigued. “For now all we have are reports about a sea of flames. How could it mean war?” He asked.

  “Olaf’s dreams proved right all the times, Rodro, this is not something to be underestimated!” Thuor spoke.

  “Do ye see I’m underestimating anything here, captain?” Rodro asked as he motioned around, showing the Thick Beard army ready under the walls. “I’m not going to make any judgment for now about this.”

  “What is happening is above us all, Rodro, it’s even above your Queen, keeping us here is hindering our only chance for discovering the truth about all this!” Thuor continued.

  “Maybe… Still ye stay, for now.” Rodro said as he left.

  Nothing more was said, there the group sat and rested, they lit a pipe and shared the smoking, the army stood quiet, and time passed. Every dwarf in the company was feeling an increasing tension, but the captain stood serene, infecting the others with his stillness, yet tension before a struggle was something that Torag actually enjoyed. Looking down they could see Rodro passing among the warriors of his army, checking their armors and giving orders, everything seemed properly done, and the Thick Beard dwarfs looked ready for anything that could come, confidence was evident in their faces.

  After a long while waiting, someone’s voice finally sounded: “Hey! Look!” It was one of the warriors, and everyone saw when he pointed at the huge cave gap ahead. Out there afar, amidst the deep darkness, their eyes could see something, a line of trembling, diffuse, weak light, Thuor and the others rose from the wall walk and squinted, looking at it.

  “A sea of fire… Coming toward us…” A nearby warrior whispered.

  Rodro went upstairs to the wall walk and looked out too, then turned back to the yard and shouted to the army: “The mighty of the Thick Beards!”

  The army sounded a loud cry, so strong that it echoed though the cave.

  “Our King is our sovereign!” He continued. “His word is law, and his will is our fate. Ye are Thick Beard warriors, ye fear nothing. Whatever comes through that cave, be still, and be sure nothing can pass our walls!”

  Again a loud cry was heard. For a while no one said anymore, the line of light became bigger and stronger as it approached, the reflection of it began to hit in the walls, vibrating as if the entire cave gap had turned into a huge sconce, then Torag stepped back, the others looked at him waiting to hear. “This is no sea of fire… They are torches, thousands of them… There is a marching army coming!” He said.

  Now everyone could see, the so called sea of flames was actually as Torag said, thousands of torches held by an entire army. The catapults were aimed, the ballistas were set to shoot and everyone got into defensive stance over the wall walk. The sound of drums echoed through the cave, like war percussion, Rodro sounded his trumpet loudly, but just a moment after another trumpet sound came from the incoming army, twice louder, and yet the Thick Beard dwarfs did not waver, all them began to hit their weapons on their shields or armors in unison, soon the entire void of the cave became like a big sounding board. Now Rodro looked at Thuor and his company from afar, as if finally linking the things he heard from them to what was about to happen. “Attention army of the Red Star City!” He shouted. “We don’t know this army, and we don’t know where they come from, but does it matter? Grab your axes, maces and spears, no one will pass these walls!”

  One more time the warriors replied to him with a war cry.

  “Now, prepare the catapults! Aim them to the rock ceiling, over their heads!” Rodro continued.

  The crew of the catapults did as commanded, they aimed the engines not against the army, but towards the ceiling above it, now the incoming enemies where close enough to be seen, Thuor and the others could now know who they were. Blood Orcs, horrid creatures, with such a red skin that it gave them their name, their eyes and tongues were dark, and their shrill voices now cursed and scolded loudly.

  “These orcs do not forge any metal. How did they get this weaponry?” Thuor asked himself.

  And in just a few moments more, the enemies were close enough, into the catapults range.

  “Fire!” Rodro shouted.

  The engines fired, the barrels were thrown and went flying in the air with their wicks on fire, everyone saw that they went too high, exactly like Rodro planned. The barrels hit the rock ceiling and exploded casting a strong luminescence all over the gap of the cave, releasing a rain of fire above the enemies. The attacking army agitated, their warriors ran and spread, the places where the burning oil had fallen formed pools of fire. The Thick Beard warriors cried loudly, but soon the orc army rearranged, and then Rodro saw something he was not expecting, from among them lava trolls came, creatures similar to the western ones of their kind, but red and thin, yet not weaker, at last not in malice, they came pulling huge wagons filled with many rocks, the big trolls took
the boulders and prepared to throw them.

  “They are going to hit the gate!” Thuor shouted as he approached Rodro.

  The captain was right, the trolls threw the rocks against the only gate in the wall, a big reinforced metal one, the boulders hit, making it tremble, but the Thick Beard dwarfs just stood, though the impacts were strong and noisy, these dwarfs were revealed to be brave enough to not waver.

  “Ballistas! Hit the trolls!” Rodro shouted.

  One more time the dwarfs under his charge obeyed their captain, the projectiles were fired, large arrows against the big trolls. But they did not hit the target, for before reaching their destiny, the trolls themselves covered themselves behind large metal plates like shields.

  Rodro was surprised. “This is impossible! These creatures could not have planned all this alone!” He said.

  As the ballistas were being reloaded, the trolls began again to throw rocks against the gate, it trembled increasingly, Rodro came downstairs to see the gate hinges warp. “Hold the gate! Don’t let it fall!” He shouted.

  Many warriors answered the call bringing logs to prop the gate, now the enemy army was close enough to the walls for the dwarfs above it to start firing their crossbows, a wave of arrows flew through the air and hit the enemies, killing only a few of them, for they were well prepared and raised their shields in defense. Torag, Rurur and Olaf where far from the gate, on the right side of the cave, close to the staircase that gave access to the big footbridge. Olaf looked at the huge army at the foot of the wall, the sound of war could be heard around, metal hitting, warrior’s cries and fire burning.

  “Lest is to know who is their master, who prepared all this, and why!” Torag argued.

  “They said they are nothing but savage folks, but I see a well prepared army with a clear intention here!” Thuor spoke.

  “Then someone must be inflaming them against this city! Olaf said.

  “Who?” Torag asked looking at him. “If your dream was really a prediction, then the Warlock has more power than I thought, he can move armies!”

  “He is not here…” Olaf said as he looked around.

  Meanwhile Thuor was beside Rodro, a new charge of ballista arrows were ready to be fired.

  “Aim at one troll at a time, he will not resist loads of shots.” Thuor said.

  Rodro nodded to him and raised his arm. “The one more to the left!” He shouted. “Aim the troll on the left, near the wall!

  The ballista crews obeyed, they all turned the engines towards a single troll.

  “Fire!” Rodro shouted.

  A volley of ballista arrows cut the air passing above the enemy army, the troll one more time covered behind a big metal plate, but this time he could not resist, the first arrows hit the plate in many places and it fell on the ground, more arrows came and trespassed the creature, killing him. Again was the turn for the attackers, the trolls began to throw many rocks against the gate, and one close to it could see it would not resist much more. A new rain of fire was about to happen as the dwarf catapults where ready to fire oil barrels again, Rodro raised his arm in the air, the catapult crews looking at him and waiting. “Fire!” He shouted.

  The barrels flew in the air, getting height and finally hitting the rock ceiling of the cave, the burning oil fell on the enemy army and its warriors covered under their shields, but many of them could not avoid being killed. It was a big surprise for everyone there when after many turns of rocks being thrown, ballista arrows, flaming barrels and crossbows being fired, the strong gate was broken with a huge noise; for a moment the warriors from both armies stood motionless, as if none was really expecting it. Then a war cry was heard from the orcs and they ran towards the broken gatehouse, the gate had fallen, now the only obstacle between the attackers and the city itself was the Thick Beard warriors in the yard right before the walls. Like a wave, the enemies entered through the gate, all dwarfs ran there and a sock between the two armies was heard, metal plates hitting, axes and shields crashing, now a big battle formed, the crowd was squeezed in the bottleneck of the gatehouse. Rodro was right above it on the wall walk, shouting orders and firing a crossbow against the enemies down there, Torag, Rurur and Olaf came close to him, there was also Thuor. Many dwarf warriors above the wall walk were firing at the enemies still outside, Rurur and Olaf also took crossbows and started firing at the orcs, Torag had his own weapon, and it was being particularly pleasant for him to shoot. Thuor went downstairs with Rodro and both began melee fight, blood splashed, heads were cut out of necks and the sound of thousands fighting was heard all around the place. This first strife lasted for a while, as the orcs insisted they gained space inside the yard so the battle spread around all of it, now dwarfs and orcs faced each other mostly individually. The training of the dwarfs proved superior, but still the orcs performance surprised Rodro as he noticed that they were not fighting like savages, instead they applied some formation tactics, and that drew Thuor’s attention too, he was now side to side with Rodro, in the middle of the battle.

  “Who is in charge of them?” Thuor asked.

  Rodro had just stuck his axe in the head of one orc, he pulled back his weapon and turned to Thuor. “I still don’t see, I was looking for a leader since they first arrived, but still can’t see anyone. They fight like in frenzy!”

  “Like Olaf predicted!” Thuor replied.

  Now Rodro looked at him. “Yes… I don’t understand how he can see such things, but he was right. Ye was right captain, something big is happening, and somehow ye and your company are in the center of all this! Like the Queen said.” He said.

  “And that is why we can’t stay anymore! We must find out what this is all about before we all get doomed! Rodro, ye must let us go!” Thuor shouted.

  But Rodro just looked back to him, and Thuor saw doubt in his eyes, as if not knowing what to say or to do. The battle continued, skill and tenacity from the dwarfs slowly pushed the orcs back to outside, now there was a mound of corpses right under the gatehouse, from warriors of both sides, and it took some more time for the dwarfs to completely expel their enemies from the yard. It was then that Rodro went again up on the staircase, stopping in its middle, there he shouted: “Fix the gate! Prop it with metal!”

  So the dwarfs began the work, they took everything they could and propped the gate from inside, closing the passage, the ballistas had already eliminated the trolls following Thuor’s tactics, the orc army forced against the walls and the gate, not managing to enter again. The dwarfs with crossbows were sending consecutive volleys of arrows against the enemy army, and those could already feel their losses; that was when a new menace came. From among the orcs army came riders above their mounts, strange mounts that no dwarf there had seen before. Big lizards, with their scaly skin and their long claws, they advanced at a disturbing speed, making it difficult for the crossbow dwarfs to hit them, and the dwarfs got surprised when they saw the lizards climbing the walls, not just a few but dozens of them. Now a fierce fight started above the wall walks, the dwarfs dropped their crossbows and grabbed their axes, the orcs mounting the animals attacked with spears, the lizards themselves bit and whipped their tails, throwing the dwarfs down the walls.

  Rodro came alongside Thuor and they joined the others there to fight these monsters, a long battle happened there, and at its end the dwarfs were forced to retreat to the yard again, the lizards conquered the wall walks and the defenders where now waiting for them to come down and fight again, but the riders on their mounts had another objective in mind, some of them came to the gate and started dismantling the shoring, the dwarfs under Rodro’s charge tried to prevent it happening but came too late, from outside a strong blow was cast by the orc army and they entered the yard again, now with such a force and number that the dwarfs knew it would be impossible to block the gate again. The lizards and their riders came down and now another struggle formed in the yard, catapults were destroyed, barrels broken, wood, metal and all types of stuff cracking and being thrown by t
he dwarfs against the aggressors in a desperate attempt to save their city as the two armies collided. Even with the advantage for the orcs at this moment, the dwarfs did not waver, they kept fighting as if the battle had just started, Thuor and his company were now alone on the wall walk.

  “Listen, captain. Don’t take me wrong, ye know I’m the one among us who likes a good fight, but look at this.” Torag said pointing to the orc army still outside the wall and coming in. “There are too many of them.”

  “And there are still lots of dwarfs inside the city, don’t think Rodro brought all his warriors here, they can resist inside the halls and corridors still for a long time.” Thuor spoke.

  “I’m not saying our cousins are going to lose this battle, it is just that we are not helping much here, and this will still take a long time!” Torag continued.

  Thuor looked at the fight, he was dirty and had blood on his face, but this was not his own blood, the warhammer in his hands was restless. “Ye are right, Torag. I think it is time, and there could be no better occasion.”

  Rurur and Olaf came close, carrying their packs and bags.

  “Rodro!” Thuor shouted.

  This one looked up to him from down the yard. Thuor said nothing more, just raised his fist. Down there Rodro stood looking at them, as if taking decisions in his mind, he finally nodded and replied raising his fist too, then he went back to the fight, that was enough for these two dwarfs to understand each other. Thuor motioned to his company and they ran towards the staircase leading to the footbridge, they reached there and climbed it, taking the elevated path.

  “Hey, look!” Olaf shouted pointing at something.

  The others looked out and saw a dwarf running whilie pushing a mining car into the darkness on the rail along the footbridge.

  “It’s the little crook I saw before. He is a criminal and was expelled, his name is Montaron.” Thuor spoke.

  Ahead of them extending a long way, a rock platform with no handrails and wide enough for the four of them to walk side by side; the footbridge. But they did not walk, they ran, passing quickly at a great height above the heads of the orc army down below them, still the sea of flame, but ahead the darkness towards a mysterious underground passage, the path they were about to take, leaving behind their cousins in a battle the result of which they would not get to know for a while. Still Torag fired a last arrow from his crossbow while they ran, the company left the Red Star City.