by Alan Mundle
'How dare you act against me!" Canara's restraint had disappeared. The tone of her voice was one of utter rage. 'This cannot be tolerated from a Warrior of the First Battalion. I order you to take your blade and end your life immediately!'
Torbin stayed in his fighting stance, Soraba and Dalara flanking him with their own weapons. The remaining First Warriors rushed to their Regent's side. 'I think I've died quite enough for one lifetime, Regent!' shouted Torbin.
His words made Canara's sword end dip a little. After a momentary silence, she regained both her composer and her vile tone. 'Torbin! You died! I made sure you were dead myself! What trickery is this? I command you tell me immediately, or I'll send you back to the Void that spat you back out! And this time, I'LL MAKE SURE IT STICKS!'
'It doesn't matter Canara, your time in this is done. I will not let you slaughter the Griftin OR us. I'll make sure you see the Void first before that happens.'
At Torbin’s words, four trams appeared from the tunnel, each packed with the Commander's guards, all fully armed with Tenabin at the lead. They filled the chamber, quickly joined by all the other guards already present, surrounding both Torbin and Canara's forces.
Torbin felt a great relief as his friends all appeared to his aid. He looked behind Canara and found Forin. The boy looked frightened and confused, he did not know what was happening around him, he just couldn't understand. He then found Torbin’s eyes and started to calm down.
'Forin, come over here.'
But Canara was quicker. 'Take him!'
Two First Warriors subdued Forin back to the ground.
'Let him go, Canara!' shouted Torbin.
'I think not. You have my Second, and I have yours. I will not let this blasphemy continue for a moment longer.' She looked round to all the Dwarves that arrived. 'Listen to me, all of you. I will not deceive you. It is true that all of you will never leave here. You must understand that this creature and all who know of it have to potential to destroy all that our kind has achieved. The danger it would rain upon us is unimaginable if it were set free, but that is nothing compared to the fear and terror stories of it will bring from your mouths. Should word reach the mainland of its existence, panic and civil uprising would not only rip our great Nations apart but strike at the very heart of our beliefs, not to mention start a war with the Separatists.' As she spoke, Canara attempted to lower her tone and speak with a more civil, authoritative manner. Torbin thought it might have worked too, if she had lowered her sword. 'The fate of our world will be decided in this very moment. I intend to send this creature and all those in this prison to oblivion. I call upon you all, by the authority of the Empire, the Empress and the Gods themselves that empower me, do not prevent this. Do not put your own needs ahead of everyone else.'
But none of Torbin's guards faltered. They kept their focus and their loyalty. 'A fine effort, Canara, but these Dwarves see through your words just as I do. They have done nothing to warrant death. All we have done is the duty that the Empire and the Gods gave us in the first place. This creature too is blameless. Its only crime was trying to save everyone from an evil that could have long ago killed us all.'
'Are you all so selfish and stupid!' shouted Canara, her voice not only full of furry again, but desperation too. 'Your great Commander has been bewitched by this evil beast. It speaks in his mind, using its Magic to pollute and twist his thoughts to its own ends. It had him the first moment they found each other. It uses it's Magic to shield him from death and controls him still. This Dwarf that you have put your faith in above me is a puppet for a beast that would see us all doomed, just like the other races...'
Canara's voice was drowned out as Torbin's mind filled with the musical voice of the Griftin in his head. 'She plays for time. Her followers prepare to use their flying weapons against you.'
Torbin snapped back into focus. True enough, while all were focusing on Canara's words, the First Warriors were readying their new weapons. 'To arms!' shouted Torbin.
But it was too late. The First Battalion drew their weapons and fired. Within seconds, over half of Torbin's forces were slain. The rest charged against the black Warriors. Hand to hand combat ensued, and Torbin ran straight for Canara. She too ran to challenge him. The two rivals became locked in combat, while the First Warriors also met the expedition guards with swords.
Torbin fought furiously, determined to defeat this foe that had so irrevocably ruined his life and that of his friends. He lunged, chopped, swiped, blocked and pushed. He forced her up on the platform, coming near the Griftin, but not close enough to put it in danger. It seemed that he was winning, that he was about to remove this sorry excuse for a Regent from the world. But he was no Warrior. Canara, on the other hand, had trained with the sword all her life. She easily countered him. Her form and technique were perfect. She let him put his all into it, making him tire himself out. Finally, she had him where she wanted him. As they fought, Canara allowed Torbin to drive her back to the chamber wall. Torbin thought he had her and plunged his sword forward to pin her against the ice. But in a fluid motion, Canara dodged the blow, and let his sword sink deep into the cold wall. Torbin tried in vain to pull it free, but Canara sent a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him sliding back to the platform. When he had stopped, Torbin couldn't help but double over in pain. Even through his armour, Canara had landed an expert blow, winding the Dwarf. He tried everything he could remember from his brother Etarin about keeping calm in a crisis, putting all thought of pain and panic aside and focus on the situation. He slowly managed to get to his knees and looked around what was going on.
His vision was blurred, and Torbin realised that his eyes must have watered from receiving Canara's blow. Everything he could see seemed to be moving in slow motion. He could see his guards fighting with everything they had, but most were being cut down by the First. He saw them fall to the ground as the black weapons sliced through armour, spraying blood along ice and stone. Most died instantly. Some landed with their helmets detaching from the rest of their armour and Torbin didn't know what was worse, knowing his Dwarves had fallen in battle or that the cold icy air would take them in seconds. He couldn't bear it. He tried so hard to get to his feet when he felt both of his arms being seized from behind. He looked to his side and discovered he was being restrained by two of the First. All he could do was stare in front of him. Canara quickly approached, filling his field of vision as the tip of her sword stopped right in front of his helmet. Torbin tried to look round to find a trace of Soraba, but the First held him steady in front of the Regent. He watched as the viper in gold armour held her sword with poise and knew that she was relishing every bit of this moment. She quickly held her free arm in the air and shouted.
'STOP!'
It only took a few seconds for silence to fill the chamber. Torbin almost found the lack of noise a blessed relief. Almost. Canara paced back and forth in front of Torbin, making sure that all could see her and read her intent. 'You have all fought bravely and worthy of the sword. Now, those few of you that remain standing lay down your arms or I swear to the Great Rock, I will run your hero through!
Ever word hit Torbin hard. He tried to struggle free, desperate to show resistance and give his friends some hope. It did not work. One by one, he heard the clatter of swords and axes falling the ground, and he knew all was lost. He had lost.
Canara moved closer towards him, bring her head down towards his so that her words were only for him. 'I’m going to end you now, traitor. You, your Dwarves and this abomination. But don't worry. Your family will be joining you in the Void soon.'
'You can't do this!' shouted Torbin.
The Regent turned around slowly, her cold eyes penetrating Torbin's. 'Oh believe me, Commander, I can. And I will.'
Torbin ragged with anger. Everything that mattered to him was about to be destroyed in seconds. To his right, he could finally see Soraba. She was pulled over by two of the First and thrown down, bleeding all over the stone, Warriors of the
First still holding both arms to subdue her. Dalara was being held two, a sword to her throat, desperately looking to him for a solution. Forin just stood still, a sad look in his eyes, barely aware of what was happening. And poor Tenabin. The good Dwarf lay dead before him. Torbin could felt agony for his soul, lost without any earth to help him find his way Home. All was lost. He looked back to his prize, his last reminder of glory.
'Begin the story Forin, son of Zentin!'
Regent Canara's words filled the chamber. Forin, as always, did what he was told. He took up position as he had done at the back of the chamber where the pictorials
began and started to dance. The Griftin's head rose quickly, looking straight at Torbin.
'Thank you, Child of the Rock.'
The message drilled into Torbin's head, but he mustered the will to respond. 'For what?'
'So many things. You have released me from my prison, given me knowledge of the world as it stands and even more about the ways of your people. I go now to finish what I started. You, like the rest of the land kind, will fade from the world. The Griftins will rise and devour all!'
Torbin's heart broke. He had been wrong. So wrong about everything. Forin started the dance, making the pictorials glow with power and the voices to return. But before Forin got half way around the chamber, light exploded from the Griftin that threw everyone off their feet.
Forin slammed against the wall, the pictorials turning dark and the voices silent. Torbin tried hard to regain his sight. All he could see was Forin being picked up by nothing. The boy was floating, moving towards the centre of the chamber to the Griftin. Torbin tried to reach Soraba. He rolled her over onto her back, looking for signs of life. Her eyes were open.
'Torbin? Is that you?'
'I'm here, hold on! I'll get us out of this!'
'It's not bad, a flesh wound. What's happening?'
Torbin honestly didn't know. Forin was now in the creature's grasp. It clutched him around the throat, sunk a claw in the middle of his forehead and started to sing. The lights on the pictorials lit up again, brighter than before and began to flicker violently. What happened next, Torbin would take to his grave. The glowing marks started separating from the walls and flew to the middle of the chamber towards Forin and the Griftin, circling them, building speed as more came off the stone. When the walls were empty, they enveloped Forin and the Griftin like a tornado before they flew straight into the top of Forin's head.
The boy screamed, the light of the markings giving him a sinister glow as they all sank faster into his head. When the last of the them had entered him, the light went out, and the Griftin dropped the poor boy to the ground. All the fallen Dwarves were back on their feet.
As soon as her head cleared, Canara shouted at the top of her voice. 'OPEN FIRE!' The First took aim and fired their weapons. The same instant, the Griftin's paws burned with blue energy and walls of ice burst from under the stone, surrounding the creature and Forin, protecting them from the flying metal. The First fired their weapons until they were out of metal. The ice wall remained firm. 'Warriors, hack that ice to pieces, use all weapons, use everything, just get the beast!'
But before the Warriors could strike a blow, the ice shell exploded. All Dwarves were knocked over by large flying shards, others impaled by them, filling the chamber with more blood. Amid their pain and confusion, the Griftin began to Sing again, releasing more energy into the ice, flooding the floor and walls with more blue power. Parts of the ice exploded again, not releasing shards, but something even more terrifying.
Torbin saw hands and arms bursting from the ground beside him, flowed by heads and shoulders... all made of ice. The Griftin had regained control of the water element and was using that power to conjure its own huge Warriors from the surrounding ice. The one beside Torbin finished its ascent, pulling out a ice sword from its side and struck down towards him. An axe deflected the blow. Torbin looked to see Soraba attacking, trading furious blows. 'Get up!' Soraba shouted. The instant he did, he saw the Griftin take Forin under one of its massive arms, stretch out its great wings and fly out the chamber entrance at high speed.
'Torbin!' shouted Dalara, 'we can't let it reach the surface!'
'Go, I'll keep these things off you!' shouted Soraba. It was the last thing Torbin wanted. He wanted to get his love to a Healer, terrified she was going to bleed out. But Soraba had set her course on fighting, protecting her love. 'I SAID, GO!'
It was the hardest thing Torbin had ever done, but he turned away from them all and headed to a tram. As he got in, he took one last look back. Soraba had just cut through one of the ice Warriors and looked to the cart. They held each other's gaze for a few seconds before Torbin hit the leaver and disappeared up the tunnel.
When Torbin reached the top, he found nothing but blood and slain bodies, not a soul left alive. He got out the tram and made for the Command Cabin as fast as he could. The Griftin was fast, but if he got into the Command Cabin, he could activate the outer facility doors and seal the best in. Though it had become more powerful, Torbin doubted it could quickly get through a two-meter thick door of pure steel. Not for a while, anyway.
He found the cabin completely deserted, all personnel that hadn’t been locked down had left to deal with the creature. He went for the central controls, found the main leaver for the facility's exit and pulled hard. The dials on the control panel read that it had closed with a perfect seal. Torbin waited for a moment. If the Griftin had reached the surface, alarms would be going off from the security towers, messages for help sounding. There were none. Either Torbin had succeeded, or the Griftin had made short work of the towers and had gone. Either way, he had to know. Before leaving, he activated the security alert for the towers, hoping he was in time and that there would at least be another line of defence.
He raced through the corridors again, slain bodies of his people everywhere, the sight of every one of them filling him with panic. Their lives were his, and he'd let them down. Torbin tried to push these thoughts aside, trying to think of Forin, to help his friend and how he might battle the beast again. He came to the facility entrance and found both Forin and the Griftin. The sight made his heart freeze. Knowing it couldn't get through the fortified door, it was using its powers to liquefy the ice surrounding it. Hearing Torbin's footfalls, it stopped its Magic and turned to face him. Though Torbin knew nothing of Griftins, he was almost sure the thing was almost smiling at him. He activated every tool he had on his gauntlets and charged. The Griftin sent great shards of ice hurtling towards Torbin. The Commander responded by firing his jets, filling the corridor with fire, melting the ice as he moved forward. As the Griftin shielded itself against the flames, Torbin charged, blades extended and once again smashed into the creature, impaling it through is great wings.
The creature shook violently, shock and anger running through it as Torbin had outsmarted it again, locking onto its wings and savaging them. Torbin twisted and pulled as hard as he could, bringing the wings down so he could look into the beast’s eyes.
'Stand back, Forin!' Torbin shouted to his young friend but didn't have time to see if he understood. He locked eyes with the creature and turned his jets on full. Fire burned all over the beast, its feathers smoking, its massive torso blistering with the intense heat. This is it, 'Torbin thought. He would bring the thing to its knees and knock it out. Then the two combatants blew apart from each other.
Torbin struggled on the ground before bringing himself up. I didn't understand what had happened. The Griftin was in no position to use Magic or defend itself physically. He looked up for an answer. He found one. Forin was standing in-between him and the creature. A bright green light glowed through the gaps in his visor, his whole armour crackling with sparks of power.
'Forin? What's going on?' called Torbin.
But instead of an answer, Forin raised both hands in the air, and Torbin found his body rise from the ground. He hung in the air, motionless.
'Forin stop, what are you
doing?'
Forin moved his glowing hands again, slamming Torbin into the wall. Energy crackled around the Commander, ice started growing from the walls to cover his back and legs. Torbin couldn't move from the spot. He waved his arms to activate his wrist weapons, but Forin shot him again with more energy. It cracked round Torbin's armour, making its way to his Runes. Energy leapt from them to the Griftin, healing its wounds. Once all their power had gone, the Runes turned blank, and the Griftin got up.
It moved towards Torbin, cautiously. Despite its predicament, the creature had learned caution when dealing with this Dwarf. It approached him slowing, filling the view of the visor with its head. 'You are a most worthy opponent, Torbin, Commander. Certainly, the Rock made you for something great. But this conflict has come to an end. I will leave you here to be discovered. I know how your kind fear dishonour before death. I hope you enjoy yours.'
Torbin knew his only chance now was to delay the creature as much as possible before help arrived.
'You did it! You were somehow involved with the other races disappearing!'
It considered him before answering. 'It is true. My followers and I wanted to break away from the Song of our people, to rule over the land and all its splendour. We succeeded, removing the scourge of the Humans and the Elves from the world. We even tried to get rid of your kind at the same time but knew from experience that your people were immune to Magic. We never considered that the force that gave us the power to be rid of the land dwellers would fail to take even you. But those unworthy among my brethren managed to use my power against me, locking me in time before they too were taken. But now, things have changed. Your kind has spread out across the planet, spawned many generations on the land and have lost your resistance to the Magic tides. We will take our power and use it again to rid ourselves of you vermin. Then we will come for whoever is left in your mountains until every last one is but a stain on the earth.' In the distance, Torbin could hear movement inside the facility. Hearing it too, the Griftin made to leave. 'Farewell, Torbin.'
