by Alan Mundle
The chamber sounded with rapturous applause and cheering. Many started kneeling as the Empress made to leave the chamber. She stopped in the middle, giving her people the chance to kiss her hand or to be blessed. Then the whole room shook.
Silence filled the chamber instantly, everyone looking around to find out what happened. It shook again, harder than before. Many trays of food on long dinner tables fell over to the floor, parts of the ceiling began falling. The Regents and the First Battalion rushed to the Empress and formed a protective wall, moving her to safety.
Then the ceiling cracked open. Giant chunks of rock smashed to the floor, landing on Nobles, killing them and injuring many others. A great shard of light poured through a gaping aperture above. Slowly, something else appeared from it.
Darina strained to see, fighting against her guard that was all but smothering her. What she could see, she couldn't bring herself to believe. A figure started floating
down from the aperture. The more it descended, the more she was sure that the thing was an armoured Dwarf, floating down into the room. Slowly, it made contact with the floor. Everyone, even the First were stunned by what was happening, all looking to the Regents for orders, who were just as shocked. The Dwarf was tremendous in his stature, the most muscle-bound Darina had ever seen. His head was bowed to the floor, his breathing steady. Suddenly he looked right at the Empress and she, with all the people, took a step back. A strange green light shown brightly from the strange Dwarf's visor and Darina felt a great surge of fear as he looked straight at her.
'Forin!'
Darina looked around and saw Lord Zentin start to approach the intruder slowly. She heard the Lord call him by name. She then recalled the details of what had happened at the prison before it was destroyed. The truth of it was too much. This thing is Lord Zentin's son? she thought.
Forin looked back at his father, regarding him blankly. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.
'My son, what has happened to you... what have you done?' The Lord’s voice trembled with shock, but before he could say anything else, the boy lifted his arm to his father. In the same moment, a great burst of fire issues from the boy’s hand and screams filled the chamber, but none were louder than Zentin’s. The old Dwarf was engulfed in flames, he ran out a few steps before dropping to his knees. When the flaming body fell to the floor and the screams stopped coming, the Empress knew that the Lord was dead.
'First, take him!'
Darina heard the command issue from one of her Regents, and black Warriors surged in to intercept Forin. But they never got close. Every team that approached the boy was sent flying in the other direction with an almost casual wave of his hand. Other Warriors changed tactics, they drew their ranged weapons and fired. The deadly metal pieces struck the young Dwarf. For a moment, they seemed to be doing damage, making the assailant fall to the ground.
'Cease fire!' a Regent shouted. 'Get the Empress to safety and clear the Court. First, stab that THING through to make sure it's dead! The other Regents began to move the Empress out as the First descended on Forin.
None of them got very far. Before the First got close to the boy, they fell to the ground, each one withering in agony, while Forin began to stand. Fear continued to fill Darina's heart as she saw the holes in the boy's armour close and the blood disappear as he once again locked her in his gaze. As he started to walk towards her, the Warriors at this feet burst into flames, the screams terrible.
'Protect the Empress!' shouted the Regent in charge, and she drew her sword and charged. Though she managed to get close, Forin held his hand out and suspended her in mid-air. Closing his fist, her whole body cracked and contorted out of shape before it was sent flying away.
Darina’s heart broke at seeing one of her closest companions die before her in such a grotesque way. But this was not the time for grief. Forin was still looking straight at her. And this time, he charged. At a dazzling speed, he bolted towards the Empress, knocking back every Warrior in his path like they weren't there. With every Regent laying dead next to them, Forin and the Empress stood a foot apart from each other.
Silence screamed in the chamber as the world fell around them all. Darina stared into the glowing green eyes of the monster before her. Gripping Canara's sword, she decided that she was going down fighting. In perfect form, she swung an uppercut that sliced through the boy's torso. But no blood spilt from the wound. Light glowed from the parted flesh before the skin and metal quickly came back together, repairing themselves. Darina put aside the shock and made for another swing, but Forin acted first. He grabbed her by the neck and held her aloft. The strength of the boy's grip made the Empress drop her sword and clutch at her captor's wrist. Air was quickly leaving her, but there was no sign of pity in Forin's eyes, only a cold malice. More and more guards were rushing towards the conflict, their swords held to bear.
'STOP!' one of the Nobles shouted. 'You'll hit the Empress!'
Everyone was starting to surround the horrible scene, Nobles, Warriors and court hands, all desperate to find a way to free their great leader. What happened next was nothing short of terrifying. Forin started to rise from the ground, his grip on Darina still strong, lifting her up. Once they had cleared a metre off the ground, the two of them shot at great speed through the large hole in the ceiling. All the other Dwarves could do was look up where their beloved Empress had disappeared, incapacitated by shock. Many silent tears streamed from the eyes of the females, and all males had lost their speech. The world as they had always known it was over. There was nothing left, except panic.
