Kathir's Redemption (Book 6)

by Kristian Alva

  “Don’t be so discouraged,” said Kathir.

  Skemtun sighed. “I’m trying, but it’s hard. I wish there was a way to rout the orcs without damaging our home.”

  “Just remember all your people waiting for you back at Highport,” Kathir said. “The people who used to live in this mountain are more important than the mountain itself.”

  “Aye, you’re right.” Skemtun scratched his arms absently. “I feel strange—itchy all over.”

  “It’s a reaction to the concealment spell,” said Tallin, who was riding behind them. His face looked strained. “The concealment spell we are using now is much stronger than most—it’s of elvish origin. Everyone reacts differently to elvish spells, but the sensation you describe is perfectly normal.”

  “So we’re hidden from view right now? The orcs can’t see us, even if they’re right in front of us?” asked Skemtun.

  Tallin nodded. “That’s right. We are completely hidden from sight, smell, and sound.”

  After another hour of careful riding, they left the horses tied up near a patch of scraggly trees and continued on foot. Druknor’s hounds refused to stay behind, but the group decided that a pair of attack dogs could be useful against the orcs and allowed them to trail behind Druknor at his heels.

  The dragons flew higher, rising into the sky to hide themselves in the clouds above the mountain. Even with the concealment spell, they moved as quietly as possible, and tried to stay hidden within the shadows.

  As they walked on, they saw that the land was blackened and burned. Where there were once trees and gardens, now there were just tangles of burnt grass and debris. Charred stumps dotted the blighted terrain. They soon came upon water and saw a large band of orcs dressed in leathers. At one point, Bolrakei was so frightened that she started hyperventilating, but Komu delivered a sharp slap to her face to shut her up. Bolrakei rubbed her cheek and frowned but did not reply.

  As they walked, more and more orcs came into view. They worked outside in large groups, building huge war machines.

  “Look at all this mud!” said Bolrakei. Her boots stuck in the sopping red clay from the orc’s construction.

  Tallin cast his gaze around the horizon. The orcs had redirected the water that seeped into the mountain outward in order to support their building. Seeing so much water outside the mountain worried Tallin a great deal, but he decided to keep his concerns to himself for the time being.

  They made their way around the orcs cautiously. Sometimes, the orcs were close enough to touch, but the travelers held their breath and kept their distance. Tallin and the elves kept their eyes pinned on the treacherous greenskins. Their concealment spells held.

  When they made it to the southern side of the mountain, Tallin and Mugla paused near a patch of twisted rubble. There were no openings in the stone, but there was a black boulder that was darker than the other rocks around it. Tallin shot a small fireball at it. The fireball sparked and bounced off the hidden wards.

  “This is it,” Tallin whispered. “This is the spellcasters’ entrance. Mugla must deactivate the wards. That will take a few minutes. I don’t know what it’s going to be like inside, but we’ll need to stay together. We’ll go in, check out the spellcasters’ chambers, and then finalize our plans from there. Agreed?”

  Everyone nodded. With a series of muttered words, Mugla temporarily deactivated the wards on the entrance. The black stone shimmered briefly and then disappeared, revealing a dark passageway. They started to squeeze through. Skemtun was the last one to pass through the warded entrance, which sealed behind him. Although the old dwarf looked nervous, he also had the look of a man coming home.

  16. Into the Tunnels

  Tallin led them through the tunnels, using a small magic flame to light the way.

  “Will the orcs be able to see us?” Sela whispered.

  Tallin shook his head. “No, this passage is sealed. The orcs don’t have any mageborns among them, so they won’t be able to enter the spellcasters’ chambers unless they destroy the walls. But there’s no telling what the dwarves left behind, so be careful where you step.”

  Collapsed sections of tunnel forced them to change their route several times, and they had to squeeze around various rock falls. The orcs had made the caverns unstable.

  “Skemtun,” Tallin called back, as quietly as he could.

  The dwarf clan leader squeezed his way to the front of the group. Kathir followed close behind him. It seemed that the mercenary was still focused on keeping Skemtun safe.

  “What do you need?” Skemtun asked.

  “These tunnels have changed since I was last in them,” Tallin said.

  Skemtun shook his head. “I know. It’s a bad thing. Our tunnels shouldn’t change. There’s a lot of damage here. I’m not sure if it was done by orcs or by our own spellcasters trying to seal the passage.”

  “Look here,” Tallin said, pointing to a section where the floor was strewn with boulders. “I’m not sure we can pass through. This passage is almost completely blocked. We’re running out of detours.”

  “Aye, well, we had to seal some of the tunnels when we left. That will have affected things. Mount Velik has always been quite changeable. Then again, it is a dead volcano.”

  “A volcano?” Amandila asked, and Tallin could hear the worry in her voice.

  “Yes, of course. There’s ore in many places, however, the walls of the lower caverns glitter with diamonds and precious stones. Why do you think there are so many gems for Bolrakei’s clan to cut and mine? All our diamonds and rubies come from the mountain’s deepest chambers,” Skemtun said. “But like I said, the volcano hasn’t been active for centuries.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that, old man,” said Mugla. “Ye don’t know all the secrets of this mountain!”

  Skemtun looked at her strangely but said nothing.

  “Follow me,” said Mugla. “There’s no reason to hide the mountain’s heart anymore.” She walked along the narrow tunnel until she reached a small opening at the bottom of a stairwell. She got down on her hands and knees to crawl through the opening, and the others followed her through.

  Eventually, the passage widened and they were all standing in a vast cave with many twinkling points of light. A circular pool of slow-bubbling magma simmered in the center of the cave floor. The chamber glowed with orange light.

  Mugla pointed to the far side of the chamber, where an opening showed the continuation of the tunnel they had been following. “Over there—there’s another passage that leads to the spellcasters’ chambers.”

  Skemtun looked dumbfounded. “How come I never knew about these tunnels?”

  Mugla shrugged. “I’m a lot older than you, Skemtun. Old enough to remember that Mount Velik is full of secrets. These passages are very old—they were carved before my great-grandmother’s time, back when the Kynn Oracle was born. These tunnels have fallen into disrepair over the centuries. I haven’t been down here in hundreds of years. The magma pool is much bigger than I remember it.”

  “We need to find a way around this,” Tallin said. He could feel the violent heat of the magma on his face even though he was far away from it.

  “Maybe there’s another tunnel.”

  “Why go around when we can go across?” Councilor Delthen said. “Magma is hard enough to walk on when it cools, correct?”

  Skemtun looked startled, but he nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  “I assume that everyone here knows how to cast Bjarg-Risa?” Even when he was being helpful, Delthen managed to sound patronizing. Still, Tallin nodded.

  They lined up as close to the edge of the magma pool as they could. Of their party, only Bolrakei, Druknor, Kathir and Skemtun stepped back. The mageborns stood on the edge together, circling the pool.

  “On three,” Tallin said. “One, two… three… Bjarg-Risa!”

  The s
pell struck and spread, leaching the heat from the magma bit by bit. As the magma cooled, it went from vibrant orange to dull brown, and finally to glossy black.

  Tallin stared at what lay in front of him for a second or two. Magma still flowed underneath, but now the pool contained a bridge of solid obsidian, which ran straight from one side of the flow to the other.

  “Is it safe to walk on? How thick is it, do you think?” Bolrakei asked skeptically. “I don’t want to step on there and get cooked like a dinner goose.”

  Tallin tapped his foot on the bridge. He could still feel the heat all around him, but the bridge felt solid enough to cross.

  “So which of us wants to volunteer to be the first across?” Druknor asked, but he stopped short when he saw that Councilor Komu had already stepped onto the bridge.

  “Ah, this reminds me of freezing the ponds in Miklagard when I was a boy so that we could skate,” he skipped across the magma flow. His assistants followed him to keep him from teetering over the side. The rest of them crossed one by one.

  “This chamber is fascinating. I might have to rebuild it when we get back,” Skemtun said, smiling. Mugla shot Skemtun a strange look, but said nothing. They all knew there was a possibility that none of them would be coming back.

  Skemtun took the lead. He used his instinct and experience in the tunnels to pick a route through the mountain. “We should be close to the spellcasters’ chambers now. I can almost feel it in my bones!”

  Tallin agreed, but not because of instinct. He could hear faint screams and the thud of picks against rock in the distance. Occasionally, the faint beat of marching feet echoed from one of the corridors. They finally reached a strange dead end, and Mugla stepped forward. The wall was carved with ancient runes. “This is it… the entrance to the spellcasters’ chambers. Everyone step back.”

  Mugla waved her hand and muttered something under her breath. There was a bright flash, and the chamber was filled with light. Mugla closed her eyes and walked into the blinding light. The others followed behind her.

  Once they were all inside, the light dimmed, so that they could see. Several of them jumped in surprise. The chamber was filled from floor-to-ceiling with piles of gemstones, jewelry, and shining coins.

  Druknor’s eyes widened greedily. He reached out and sifted a handful of coins with his hand. “Holy Baghra! Look at all this gold!”

  “Don’t touch it!” Bolrakei shouted as she slapped his hand away. “That’s our gold!”

  Druknor glared at her.

  An overwhelming scent of burnt incense hung in the chamber. The scent was laced with the faint odor of decay. “Something’s happened in here,” Tallin said ominously.

  He walked into the adjacent chamber, which was also filled with gold coins. There was a dead dwarf lying face-down on the chamber floor. Tallin kneeled down and flipped the man over. Chills went down his spine — he recognized this dwarf— it was Graff, one of the dwarf spellcasters. Tallin’s stomach was empty, but he felt nauseated all the same.

  “All things have an ending, and all things must die,” said Mugla, standing at the chamber doorway. She approached the body and nudged it. “He’s only been dead a few days. The body is just starting to smell.”

  “He was young…why did he trap himself in here?” Tallin asked, stunned. “Why didn’t he try to escape? Why would he seal himself inside this room?”

  Mugla shook her head slowly. “Look around you. Before he became a spellcaster, Graff was a member of Klorra-Kanna. He was always a bit greedy, but fear of losing everything must have driven him to madness. He died trying to save the dwarves’ riches.”

  Tallin looked down at the dead man and didn’t know whether or not he should pity him. “Then it’s true. None of the other dwarf spellcasters survived. You’re the last one.”

  Mugla smiled slightly. “You’re a spellcaster too, my dear. Or have you forgotten that?”

  Tallin frowned. “You’re a pureblood. I’m only a halfling. It’s not the same.”

  Mugla didn’t bother to argue with him. They went back into the other chamber told the others about the body. Bolrakei shivered and looked away.

  “So what do we do now?” asked Skemtun.

  “Well, we can’t stay in here,” said Tallin. “We’ve got to go out and face them.”

  They made their way to the chamber exit. Mugla deactivated the exit wards and they stepped out into the orc-occupied mountain. The elves activated their concealment spell again. “Everyone, stay on your guard,” Tallin whispered, “and stay together!”

  A couple of corridors later, they spotted an orc patrol. There were a dozen of them; most were in dark iron armor, and all of them were carrying sharpened spears or maces and had spiked whips on their belts.

  Tallin pressed his back against the wall to avoid them, and all the other members of the party followed suit. Druknor’s dogs had remained silent up until this point, but now they started to growl menacingly. The elves’ eyes narrowed dangerously, and they looked ready to attack, but Tallin held up his hand. “Let’s observe for a while,” he said quietly. “We need to get a better idea of their numbers and their organization.”

  As the orcs stomped past them, they were close enough to touch. The orcs smelled foul and unwashed and were drenched with sweat.

  Tallin held his breath. Even though the concealment spell masked them completely, it wouldn’t conceal their presence if one of them vomited on the floor.

  “Thank Baghra,” Sela whispered as soon as the orcs walked out of sight. She rubbed her nose. “Those greenskins smelled absolutely rancid.”

  Tallin glanced at Amandila and Fëanor. “How long can the two of you hold this spell?”

  Amandila inhaled deeply. Her skin looked paler than normal. “Over this many people? While we move? Not much longer.”

  “It would be better to conserve our strength for when we really need it,” Fëanor said. “We can always cast the spell again when the orcs get close.”

  “Orcs will be around us constantly now,” Tallin said. “But you’re right. We can’t exhaust ourselves.”

  Mugla raised her finger. “I have a suggestion. Why don’t we cast a more basic concealment? Then, if orcs get any closer, the two elves can use their version so that we disappear completely.”

  Tallin nodded. “It sounds like a good compromise. Remember, everyone—this spell is weaker. It won’t mask your voice or your smell. Don’t speak unless it’s absolutely necessary. And for Baghra’s sake, Druknor, keep those dogs quiet!” He cast a weaker spell, extending it outward to cover Skemtun and Kathir while Elias covered Bolrakei and Druknor. The others all had the skill to conceal themselves.

  As the party continued, they moved through more caves and open caverns. Orcs worked within the caves, chipping rocks, skinning animals, and crafting iron weapons. Tallin led the way, trying to pick out a route that kept them as far from the orcs as possible.

  Foul smells and chaos were everywhere. As they reached the center of the mountain, they heard roars from the drask in their breeding pits.

  They paused for a moment near the drask pits. Tallin pointed to the chamber floor. “Look—the orcs have painted dozens of fighting circles on the ground here. The white chalk outlines are stained with blood from recent battles. But why aren’t they fighting now?”

  Fëanor spoke. “This is unusual. The orcs use fighting circles to settle even their most basic arguments. So they should be fighting one another now. In fact, there should have been fights breaking out in every room we passed through. They are unusually…calm. It’s very disconcerting.”

  Tallin frowned. “King Nar is a stronger leader than we originally anticipated,” he said. “The orcs are more organized than I’ve ever seen.”

  “Maybe the orcs have always been smarter than you’ve given them credit for,” Druknor said.

  Tallin’s eyebrows ros
e. “You sound like you admire them, Druknor.”

  Druknor shrugged. “No—but I can respect a powerful leader. There is much to admire about any leader ruthless enough to control his people so completely. That does not make him any less my enemy. If anything, it makes Nar more of a threat to me and to my fortress in Sut-Burr. Nar must be eliminated. I will not allow threats to my interests to survive.”

  Tallin decided to let it go. For now, he had to focus on getting them to Mount Velik’s main hall. Whatever was happening inside the mountain, he was sure that they would find some clue to it at the heart of the city. So they crept along, wrapped in their concealment spells. They kept to the shadows and pressed themselves against the walls whenever any orcs walked past.

  When they passed into the main corridor, they got their first clear view of the interior under the caldera. The destruction was awful. The planted fields hand been trampled into nothingness.

  Skemtun’s face fell. “They’ve destroyed our home. The loss—.” His voice trailed off.

  “What happened to the spring?” asked Mugla.

  Tallin’s blood ran cold. All the water wells were sealed. The area where the spring had been was now a layer of solid rock. “The orcs sealed the spring. That’s why we saw so much runoff outside the mountain. They’ve redirected the water outside.” Tallin felt their carefully laid plans slipping away. How could they flood the caverns without a water source? How else could they drive out the orcs?

  “But why?” asked Skemtun. “It doesn’t make any sense. Even orcs need a water supply.”

  “Maybe… they never planned to stay,” said Fëanor. “Perhaps their goal wasn’t to occupy this mountain—only to destroy it… and to destroy the entire dwarf kingdom as well.”

  “If that’s their plan,” said Druknor, “it looks like they’ve partially succeeded. The walls are crumbling, the water’s polluted, and the surrounding forest is beyond repair. And the stench in here is awful—the whole place stinks. Who would want to live here now? These caverns are finished.”