“I'm not insane,” Tallin said, his voice growing louder as he grew impatient with her. “But at this point, it may be our only option.”
“I have never heard such a ridiculous plan in all my life!” Bolrakei screamed.
Skemtun raised one hand and spoke. “I don’t think it will work. The mountain is dead. It hasn’t erupted in thousands of years.”
“I agree with the old dwarf,” said Druknor. “It would never work.”
“No… it’s possible,” replied Sela, “The volcano isn’t dead; it’s just inactive. It could be done—if we all worked together and had the dragon’s strength as well. It would take a lot of energy… ”
“The elves have spells that can do this sort of thing—manipulate the natural order of things,” Amandila said. “Fëanor and I could spark the natural processes of the volcano enough to create a true eruption… that is, if we had enough help. We just need a catalyst— something with great heat.”
“Dragon fire would work,” Tallin said, astonished how quickly this had gone from a vague possibility to something that now seemed like an obvious solution.
“Stop talking about this ridiculous plan!” Bolrakei snapped. “We should be gathering an army to retake Mount Velik, not plotting to destroy it. The humans and elves can help us! They’re our allies, and they owe it to us!”
“It’s too late for that, Bolrakei,” said Sela quietly. “Mount Velik is lost.”
“No!” Bolrakei screamed. “You can’t do this! You can’t destroy everything we’ve worked for!”
“There is no other way,” Tallin insisted.
“That’s a lie!” Bolrakei was the angriest Tallin had ever seen her. Her fists were clenched, and her face was hard with hate. “I will not agree to spend the rest of my life living with the Vardmiters!”
Tallin looked at Skemtun, who looked defeated. He would have expected more of a fight from the old dwarf.
“This is our home,” Bolrakei continued, “This is where we live and work—it’s where our jewels are mined! There’s nothing for us in the Highport Caverns. Nothing!”
Tallin fought to keep his anger in check. “We’re not putting our lives in danger in hand-to-hand combat just so your clan can continue to dig gemstones out of the mountain. We need to stop the greenskins, and this is the only way to do it.”
“There’s one thing we haven’t discussed,” said Elias quietly. “If we force the mountain to erupt, we’ll kill thousands of orcs. If there are any humans or dwarves nearby, it might kill them too. We’re talking about taking thousands of lives.”
Fëanor snorted. “They’re just greenskins. Why does it matter?”
“Every life matters, every death matters,” Elias said. “Every life counts—even an orc’s.”
Councilor Komu stretched and yawned. “That is a fine sentiment, young man. Although I doubt the orcs would feel the same way about you.”
“With all due respect, sir, that isn’t the point,” Elias responded.
“I agree… it’s horrible,” said Sela. “And there are a lot of risks. We might not survive this ourselves. But we don’t have another choice. If we don’t do something, thousands of innocent people will die—we can’t allow the orcs to begin their war march. If there were a way to end this peacefully, we would, but the orcs don’t negotiate with anyone. We need to do something, and this is our only option. Are we all agreed?”
Everyone except Skemtun and Bolrakei nodded.
“We’re agreed then,” Sela said.
Skemtun’s shoulders fell. He stood in silence, staring down at the floor. “My people are more important than this mountain. As long as they are safe, I will agree to help.”
“No!” Bolrakei said. “How can you agree to this, Skemtun?”
Skemtun’s expression was tightly controlled. “Because it needs to be done. I will do my part.”
“It’s settled then,” said Sela. “We’ll start tonight.”
“This isn’t going to be easy,” Tallin said.
Mugla smiled beside him. “We’re blowin' up a mountain, dear. Of course it won’t be easy.”
18. Runestones and Markers
They rested for a few hours and discussed their plans. Tallin and the elves contacted the dragons and let them know what was happening. All the spellcasters discussed the spells they would use. The finer details took some time to work out. There were endless conversations about how to smuggle the dragons inside the mountain and about how to activate the volcano in a controlled manner.
Mugla provided a lot of useful information; she used her extensive knowledge of enchantments to suggest a way to hold the spells while they escaped the danger.
“The idea is simple,” Mugla said. “All the spellcasters will pair up and make their way around the caverns under concealment. You must enchant certain critical spots—marking stones at specific points within the mountain. The idea is that we’re laying a web of spells. They’ll remain inactive until we are ready to activate the molten rock below. When we are ready, we’ll trigger the spells with concentrated blasts of dragon fire from the caldera. The dragon fire has magical properties, so it will increase the strength of the enchantments. The molten rock will be triggered and will erupt upward, which will destroy the caverns and drive the orcs out of the mountain. Does everyone understand?”
Amandila raised her hand. “There’s one problem. Rock enchantments take time and delicacy, and they are notoriously unstable. If we don’t get them in place quickly enough, then we might get a nasty surprise when the time comes to trigger the spells.”
“Such risks can’t be avoided,” Tallin said. “When the orcs see the dragons flying into the caldera, they will panic. We won’t have much time to act after that. We only have one chance to do this right.”
“We need to split up then,” Councilor Delthen said. “Two mageborns should be enough to lay one enchantment.”
“If we split up, each of us will need to lay two or three spells each,” Sela said. “That should be enough. Then we’ll all meet back here before sundown, and the dragon riders will fly in to trigger to the enchantments while the rest of you get clear of the mountain.”
The mageborns discussed suitable spots to set the spells, so that the enchantments would be spread evenly throughout the mountain. Then they divided into groups. Kathir and Skemtun were paired with Komu and his assistants.
They crept outside the chamber with Skemtun as their guide. Kathir found himself pitying the group that had Bolrakei as a guide, but not too much, since it also included Delthen, Fëanor, and Druknor. If it weren’t for the fact that they needed every group to succeed, Kathir would have hoped for them to get lost. Komu and his assistants used concealment spells, but they all still held their breath every time an orc came into view. The orcs seemed more on-edge than before—almost as if they were expecting trouble.
They tiptoed their way along the tunnels, pressing themselves into niches as orcs passed by. Once, Kathir saw an orc sniffing the air around them, and he lunged forward to stab it in the heart before the creature could raise an alarm.
“We need to move quicker!” Kathir said. “We aren’t safe here.”
“We aren’t safe anywhere,” said Skemtun. “And I’m going as fast as I can.”
Kathir sighed. He knew it was true. Even with his aides, Komu could only move so quickly.
They stopped inside a darkened alcove. “It’s time, Councilor,” Blias whispered.
“Time for what?” asked Komu with a bewildered look on his face.
“The enchantments, Councilor,” he reminded him.
“What? Oh yes… of course. The enchantments.” In that moment, Komu’s features sharpened, and he seemed much more in control of himself than usual. He rubbed his hands together vigorously. “Let’s get started then.”
He began to cast the spell, mumbling under his breath
. His fingers touched the rock, which vibrated lightly under his palm. Skemtun and Kathir kept careful watch on the corridor, making sure that no orcs came near.
The stone under Komu’s hand started to glow, and bright lines of burning red appeared on it like a spider web.
“There,” Komu said at last. His breath came in ragged gasps. “It’s done. One more to go, I believe.”
The next spot was harder. It was inside a small cave, but a group of orcs were sitting in the middle of the floor, talking in guttural tones and eating their foul food. Kathir paused at the entrance, hoping that they would move out quickly, but after a few minutes of waiting, it became obvious that the orcs weren’t going anywhere.
“It has to be in here?” Kathir whispered to the others. “Can we go to another spot?”
“This cave is right in the center of the fourth quadrant. It’s in a strategic place,” Skemtun said. “It has to be here.”
“Then I guess we do this the hard way,” Kathir sighed, drew his sword, and charged forward. His body shimmered and became visible as he leapt outside the perimeter of the concealment spell. The startled orcs jumped up from their stools, but it was too late.
Kathir’s sword sliced the first in the throat, and he was already turning toward the second when Skemtun hit it squarely in the chest with his axe. Their concealment spell gave way entirely as Komu took the last orc down with a well-aimed fireball. The five of them scrambled inside the cave and covered the entrance with an animal skin.
“We need to work quickly,” Komu said to his assistants.
Kathir nodded. “We’ll keep watch at the door.”
It didn’t take long for them to set the second enchantment.
“The others will be finishing soon,” said Kathir, “We need to get out of here.”
They hurried out of the cave and went to join the others in the spellcasters’ chambers where they were waiting.
“Everything went all right?” Tallin asked. “We ran into a bit of trouble with a few greenskins.”
“Everything went fine,” Komu replied, a satisfied smile on his face.
Bolrakei looked frantic. Her face was tear-stained, and her hair was a mess. “Are you sure we need to do this?” she cried, wringing her hands. “We should wait… talk it over first.”
“We’ve waited long enough,” said Tallin.
They all stared thoughtfully at each other and nodded. Bolrakei started to cry.
“Then there’s just one more thing to do,” said Sela. “We’ll give you all some time to get clear of the mountain, but we can’t wait long. Follow Bolrakei outside; let her guide you to safety. Mugla and Skemtun will stay with us, since they are the most familiar with the interior caverns. As soon as you are outside the mountain, send us a telepathic message. You must hurry—everyone except the dragon riders needs to get outside to safety.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Councilor Delthen said. “We’ll be safe.”
Bolrakei was strangely silent throughout the conversation, and she did not object when they started to leave the spellcasters’ chambers.
“I’m surprised that Bolrakei is going along with this,” Skemtun said once she was out of earshot.
“Me too,” Skemtun said. “Maybe’s she’s just accepted it—like I have. I’ll go speak with her.”
Skemtun headed over to Bolrakei, and just as he approached, he saw her take something from inside the gaudy expanses of her dress. Skemtun knew what it was at as soon as he saw it. A section of rock, etched with power, burning red with a web of magical runes.
“You stole one of the runestones?” Skemtun whispered with shock.
Bolrakei gasped and spun around. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” She jerked back and hid the stone behind her back.
Tallin heard the exchange and ran up to Bolrakei; he grabbed her by the arm and wrenched it from her hands. “What have you done?! The spell won’t work unless all the runestones are set! You’re trying to sabotage us!”
Bolrakei stumbled backward and fell to a sitting position on the ground. She was crying. “It’s an evil thing! You’re going to destroy our home. If Mount Velik is destroyed, we’ll be forced to live in Highport!”
“Better alive in Highport than dead in Mount Velik,” said Skemtun. He grabbed Bolrakei and lifted her up despite her protests. Sela and the others came forward and surrounded her.
“She’s stolen this,” Tallin said, holding up the stone. “She wants to sabotage the spell.”
“Which location did you take the stone from?” said Sela with so much anger in her voice that Bolrakei couldn’t stop herself from cringing.
“A spot near the main hall,” Bolrakei said meekly. “Right near the doors.”
“The stone must be replaced—and quickly,” said Sela.
Skemtun stared at Kathir. “I know where it is. Kathir and I will go back and replace it. The dragon riders can prepare themselves and get ready for our signal.”
“You’ll both be killed,” said Tallin.
“We’ll both be fine” said Skemtun firmly. “I know the main caverns like the back of my hand. There’s lots of spots to hide along the way. We can make it.”
Kathir didn’t hesitate. “We need a concealment spell. The best you can manage.”
“It won’t last,” Tallin said. “Not without the caster present. You need a mageborn to go with you, and we can’t spare any of the spellcasters to help you.”
Mugla stepped forward. “My concealment skills aren’t great, but I’ll volunteer to go. I’ll be able to give them some cover if an emergency arises.”
“No,” Tallin blurted out. “That’s out of the question. You can’t move fast enough. Plus, you’re the last living dwarf spellcaster! We can’t risk losing you.”
Mugla paused as she let out a heavy sigh. “Yer not thinking with your head, my dear, yer thinking with your heart. I’m an old woman, and if something happens to me... well, it’s better than it happenin’ to one of you.”
Tallin winced but did not reply.
“I wish there was another way, but there isn’t,” she finished. “My mind is a bit foggy, and Skemtun knows the caverns better than anyone, so he will be our guide. Kathir will protect us with his sword, and I’ll be there to make sure that the runestone is replaced and enchanted properly.”
“How will you know when it’s time to strike?” asked Druknor.
“I’ll send Tallin a message when the runestone has been replaced,” said Mugla. “You must all be ready.”
“But how will you escape? The fire will devour you,” said Tallin.
“Don’t worry about that. We’ll manage,” Mugla said absently.
Everyone grew silent. They all realized that Mugla, Skemtun, and Kathir would almost certainly die. But they also knew that there was nothing any of them could do to stop them.
“Wish us luck,” Skemtun said finally. He smiled and waved his hand, but there was a darkness in his eyes.
“I wish that luck would help,” Tallin said quietly. “Hud-leyna. Now go!”
The concealment spell washed over them, and Kathir, Mugla, and Skemtun jogged for the chamber exit. They went as fast as they could, and Mugla did all she could to keep up the other two. At one point, Kathir picked her up and carried her; he jogged down the corridor with Mugla flung over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes and with his sword ready in his other hand.
The enchanted stone glowed eerily in the dark, and its light grew stronger as the minutes ticked by.
“You don’t have to be here for this,” Kathir told Skemtun. “You probably could have stayed behind.”
“You think I’d let you do this alone?” Skemtun replied. And then, more jokingly, “You can’t send a human to do a dwarf’s job, mate.”
“Very funny,” Kathir said with a wry smile. Then he froze.
&nbs
p; Up ahead, an orc popped out from behind the wall. It spun at the sound of their voices. Kathir sprang into action immediately; he put Mugla down and dispatched the creature almost simultaneously. They kept running.
“It’s best if we all keep quiet at this point,” Mugla whispered. “My concealment spell isn’t strong enough to mask your voices.”
Skemtun and Kathir both nodded. Skemtun turned to Kathir and whispered quietly, “I’m proud to have you as a friend, Kathir.”
“I feel the same,” said Kathir softly.
Skemtun smiled. “Now, less talking, more running.”
They sprinted through the tunnels, toward the main hall. They hid in alcoves whenever they saw orcs nearby. Their progress slowed as they got closer to the center of the city.
Skemtun began to hear sounds coming from the great hall. “We’re very close,” he whispered.
He could hear the fall of the hammers and the roaring of the forges. The open doors lay ahead, and they were once again guarded by a pair of orcs.
The guards sniffed the air curiously, and a shocked look on their faces revealed that they knew there were intruders nearby. As one reached for the warhorn to raise the alarm, Kathir stepped out and sent his dagger into the creature’s fleshy green neck.
Skemtun and Mugla cut down the other with a fire bolt and a quick strike of an axe.
“I can’t believe we made it,” said Kathir.
Mugla placed the runestone into a niche near the doors carefully.
“We did it,” said Skemtun. “It’s done.”
“But it’s not over,” Kathir said, pointing to the doors, which were swinging open ominously.
A sea of shocked orc faces lay beyond—and all of their eyes were staring at them. For a moment, nobody moved. At the back of the hall, King Nar stood, huge and imposing in his black armor. Nar stared at them over the crowd for a moment, and then he laughed. The sounds was deep and booming, and it rolled through the room like thunder.
Kathir's Redemption (Book 6) Page 17
