The Dark Monolith: Heroes of Ravenford Book 3

by F. P. Spirit

  Up until now, the golem had ignored him, continuing its circular path around the islet it guarded. Lloyd stopped one isle over and turned toward Seth. The halfling had positioned himself on an outcropping near the wall of the chamber, awaiting Lloyd’s signal. Directly across the chamber, Alana and Ruka were also in position, within a few strides of the other golem. Donnie mirrored Seth, sticking as close to the wall of the pit as possible. Ruka peered over at Lloyd and gave him a single nod, signifying they were ready.

  Lloyd nodded back, then shifted his gaze to the cliff top, locking eyes with Elistra. The seeress gave him a nod as well, then closed her eyes, her brow furrowing with concentration. A couple of yards from where Lloyd stood, a shimmering appeared in the air. It grew brighter and brighter, then abruptly coalesced into a humanoid form. The creature was roughly Lloyd’s size, although a bit bulkier, the vague outlines of a face sitting atop its semi-transparent body. As soon as the creature finished forming, it marched forward toward the golem.

  “Go!” Lloyd cried across the pit. He caught a brief glimpse of Ruka and Alana wading forward as he drew his own blades. The young warrior then spun around and rushed after his strange companion as they began their assault on the iron giant.

  Donatello watched with trepidation as Alana and Ruka lined up for battle. The two women warriors stood on a wide patch of rock, one islet over from where the golem plodded through the lava. Donnie’s eyes shifted from the duo to the golem itself, his jaw dropping as he got a true perspective of the creature’s size.

  That thing is huge! Donnie had to bite his tongue to stop from crying out. The iron creature towered over the duo, even being knee deep as it was in the molten lava. Luckily, the golem continued to ignore them. Donnie crouched a short distance away, near the base of the cliff, surveying the surrounding area. He was supposed to wait until the two women warriors distracted the creature, then get to the switch behind it without being seen.

  Thankfully, this side of the pit was dotted with numerous rocky outcroppings and islets. Still, he wanted to find the quickest path to the isle with the lever on it. As soon as both he and Seth were in position, they could pull the levers and be done with it. The plan was not at all to Donnie’s liking—he was too afraid that someone would get hurt.

  It should be me out there. Donnie might not be able to hurt the golem, but it would have little chance of hitting him either. He had no choice, though—he and Seth were the only ones who could reach the switches undetected.

  Donnie chided himself. Alana is a seasoned warrior, and Ruka has proven time and again that she can handle herself.

  Still, he could not get the knot out of his stomach. If anything were to happen to either of them, he would never forgive himself. Well then, you just need to reach that switch as fast as possible.

  Donnie peered across the pit and saw Lloyd and Seth were in position. There was a sudden shimmering in the air next to the red-clad warrior, and then Elistra’s construct appeared. The creature immediately charged the golem in front of them.

  “Go!” Lloyd shouted from across the pit.

  Donnie shifted his focus back to Alana and Ruka. The duo separated, Alana’s shield up, her sword springing to life with a brilliant white glow. Ruka had her short sword out and pointed it at the golem.

  Kraaaaacccckkkkk! Thunder rolled as a bolt of lightning jumped from her sword and caught the iron creature square in the chest. The golem immediately slowed down, arcs of electricity skirting across its torso.

  Alana charged into the lava, the molten liquid nearly up to her waist. She came within striking distance of the golem, then slashed at its knee viciously with her glowing sword—once, twice, three times in quick succession. The golem slowly turned to face its attacker, but the lady knight had already backpedaled out of the lava and onto the islet where Ruka still stood.

  Donnie nodded approvingly. Very clever. They were attempting to draw the golem out of the lava and onto dry ground. That way it couldn’t heal itself with the hot liquid.

  Kraaaaacccckkkkk! Thunder rolled once more across the cavern, this time from the other side of the pit. Donnie chanced a quick glance in that direction and saw a purple robed figure hovering high in the air, while the red-clad form of Lloyd rushed forward into battle.

  “C’mon, big guy!” Ruka voice drew his attention back to the clash in front of him.

  Alana waved the golem on. “Yes… this way.”

  The creature ponderously marched through the lava and out onto the rocky outcropping. The two female warriors backed away, drawing the iron giant toward the center of the isle. The creature’s back was almost to him now.

  This is my chance, Donnie realized. He spurred himself forward, moving across the rocky ledge as far as he could go without stepping into lava, all the while without taking his eye off the battle in front of him. The golem had swung at Alana, but the skilled warrior ducked under the creature’s blow. Meanwhile, Ruka had run in and slashed across the golem’s legs, another charge leaping from her blade.

  Kraaaaacccckkkkk! Thunder rolled yet again. Arcs of electricity danced across the golem’s torso, causing it to slow down once more. Alana took advantage of the moment and rushed in, landing three more blows in quick succession on the creature’s knee. She was so skilled with her weapon, that every blow landed in precisely the same spot.

  Even from here, Donnie could see the gash opening in the golem’s thick leg. A few more blows and she just might sever it completely. Donnie looked away for a moment as he leapt across the lava to another outcropping. He deftly landed on solid ground, then turned his attention back to the battle.

  The electric arcs around the golem had dissipated, the huge creature already turning after its foe. Suddenly, a large limb lashed out, and a cannonball-sized fist hurtled directly toward Alana, giving her little time to react. At the very last second, the lady knight side-stepped, and raised her shield arm defensively.

  Bam!

  The sound of metal on metal resounded across the lava pit. The force of the glancing blow was so great that it backlashed on Alana.

  “Ooofff!”

  The air was forced out of the lady knight as her entire body rebounded from the collision, pushing her back a few steps. Donnie froze in his tracks and nearly called out her name. He had to clamp both hands over his mouth to stop from screaming as he watched Alana struggle to maintain her balance. She finally managed to regain her footing, but the golem had followed her. As the creature recoiled for another blow, a cry rang out from the cliff above. “Alana! Watch out!”

  The switch be damned! Donnie swore silently. As he launched himself toward the lady knight, something flew through the air toward the golem’s back. It was Ruka!

  “Oh, no, you don’t!” the girl warrior screamed. She hefted her short sword high above her head, its blade crackling with electricity. Before the golem could unleash its blow, Ruka slammed into it, her weapon digging deep into the creature’s back. Sparks flew as an aura of electricity encircled the golem’s large frame. The creature stopped in its tracks, seemingly frozen in place, as the loud hum of electrical current filled the pit around them.

  Donnie had pulled up short, and watched in awe as Ruka continued her electrical assault. Her feet planted firmly on the golem’s broad back, she held onto the embedded blade and fired bolt after bolt of electricity into its innards. Once, twice, three times, and more. So many times that Donnie lost count. Steam rose from the space in the golem’s visor, and then from its joints. Still Ruka continued her unrelenting assault.

  Finally, the young warrior stopped, heaving heavily on her short blade, and wrenching it from the golem’s back. Ruka crouched, then pushed off the golem’s back, flying backwards in a long arc, then summersaulting in mid-air and landing on her feet a few yards away. In the meantime, Alana was not idle. She launched herself at the still frozen golem with a loud cry over her shou
lder.

  “Move, Donnie!”

  Donnie, still astonished, forced his feet into motion once more. He changed directions back toward the lever, but refused to take his eye off the incredible battle. Alana rushed the golem, once again hacking away at its wounded knee. She expertly slashed at it over and over, cutting deeper and deeper with every blow. The golem did not react, still frozen in place, steam continuing to rise from its innards.

  Alana hit the knee with one last heavy blow, nearly slicing through the entire leg, then quickly backpedalled as the golem teetered precariously on the nearly severed limb. The large form finally tipped over and crashed to the ground with a loud boom, the pit around them trembling from the shock.

  Donnie shook his head in amazement as cheers broke out from the cliff above them. What a team those two make! He was still grinning from ear-to-ear as he made the last leap to the isle with the lever on it.

  Stealle

  He was flung across the islet, crashing hard into the rocky surface

  While Ruka and Alana waged war with their foe, the assault began on Lloyd’s target. He had worked out a strategy with Elistra, Glo and Alana, the seeress’ construct already wading in, and drawing the creature out of the lava. Meanwhile, Lloyd turned his focus inward to bring his mind, body, and spirit together.

  Kraaaaacccckkkkk!

  A roll of thunder momentarily broke Lloyd’s concentration. He allowed himself a brief smile—Ruka certainly wasn’t wasting any time.

  The young warrior turned his focus inward once more, this time his body, mind and spirit converging. He was rewarded with a patch of metallic grey appearing near his abdomen, quickly spreading from there, and covering his entire body.

  Stealle Skin his father called it, a thin layer of tensile steel, flexible and lightweight, that would protect him without slowing him down. The golem was nearly at the center of the rocky islet, trailing after Elistra’s construct, the astral creature already missing large chunks from its torso. As the golem reached the center of the small isle, a flash of light crashed down on it from above.

  Kraaaaacccckkkkk! Thunder rolled once more across the chamber, marking Lloyd’s entrance into battle. The young warrior rushed forward, his black blade readied, not looking up to see Glo still hovering there. The golem had been slowed down, arcs of electricity skirting across its torso. As the astral contruct lumbered forward, Lloyd raced under the golem’s arm and slashed fiercely at the exposed knee joint. His black blade bit deep into the giant hinge, opening a gash in the creature’s leg. Lloyd pulled the blade back, swiftly spun around and sliced into its knee from the other side, the black sword once again cutting deep into the exposed joint.

  Kraaaaacccckkkkk! Another roll of thunder rumbled from across the cavern, but Lloyd had no time for even a quick glance. The huge leg suddenly pulled away as the golem swiveled around to face him. Lloyd swiftly spun around and retreated, instinctively ducking as something large passed overhead. He turned about and saw the iron giant following him, the construct all but forgotten.

  A sudden cry came from across the pit—“Alana! Watch out!”—but Lloyd couldn’t manage even the briefest of glances as the golem marched up and swung at him once more. The young warrior tumbled out of the way and came up at a dead run toward the golem’s legs. As the creature recoiled, Lloyd lashed out once more, his blade biting nearly halfway through the joint this time. Not daring another blow, Lloyd continued on past the golem. He had only taken a few steps when he heard a frantic cry from above.

  “Lloyd, look out!”

  Lloyd tried to duck down, but something smashed into his back, sending him flying haphazardly across the islet. He tried to pull in his arms and legs, but the ground rushed up at him and he slammed into the rocky surface. The entire world around him went hazy, everything spinning out of control.

  He heard a voice cry out his name. “Lloyd, get up! Get up, Lloyd!”

  Lloyd fought down the urge to puke and rolled himself over. A huge metallic figure filled his view, growing larger and larger by the second. The young warrior forced himself up onto one knee, but the world around him started to spin again. Lloyd tried to focus on the metallic creature, but something abruptly blocked his view. He steadied his head with his free hand and the world suddenly came back into focus. The iron golem towered over him, but was being held at bay by Elistra’s construct.

  Lloyd took advantage of the brief respite, calming his mind and effectively shutting off the pain. The young warrior then forced himself to stand, grasping his black blade firmly in both hands. At the same time, the iron golem reached down and grabbed the astral creature by the arms. Lloyd watched in horror as the golem pulled the helpless creature from two directions. There was a sick, tearing sound, and the poor construct split right down the middle. The iron golem callously dropped the two halves to the ground, the remnants of the contruct quickly dissolved with a faint hiss into nothingness.

  Lloyd was momentarily aghast, but then felt a deep, unabiding anger well up from inside him. That construct saved my life! It didn’t deserve to be ripped apart like that.

  Cries of victory suddenly rang across the chamber. It could only mean that Alana and Ruka had won. Well if they can do it, so can I!

  The young warrior set himself for another assault, the combination of those triumphant cries and his own anger fueling his determination. The iron golem took a step toward him, when suddenly, the air around them lit up with a brilliant flash.

  Kraaaaacccckkkkk! Thunder rolled again across the chamber. Lloyd had nearly forgotten about Glo, but the wizard had given him his chance. The golem slowed down again, arcs of electricity skirting across its torso, yet instead of rushing forward, Lloyd reached down inside himself once more. The world appeared to slow to a crawl as Lloyd touched that spark of spirit, his surroundings blurred, and he found himself directly behind the golem.

  Lloyd did not hold anything back, letting his anger and frustration out in one vicious swing. His black blade connected with the creature’s wounded knee, cleaving straight through what was left of the metal joint. Lloyd swiftly backpedaled away as the golem teetered precariously on its one good leg. Finally, the creature toppled over onto the ground with a resounding crash.

  Cheers went up again across the cavern. The golem was down. They had won!

  Seth and Donnie signaled each other from across the chamber, and then pulled the two levers simultaneously. The result was nothing short of spectacular—all the molten lava flowed toward the center of the chamber, welled up and slowly formed into the shape of a long bridge, connecting the two cliffs on either side of the pit. The thick, yellow-gold liquid then cooled, hardening into solid rock. During the solidifying process, Glo, Seth, Ruka and Donnie helped Lloyd and Alana rejoin the others—the young warrior and the lady knight had each taken a major beating in their battles with the golems. Aksel immediately began healing the lady knight, while Seth tended to Lloyd.

  “You guys go ahead,” Seth told the others as he knelt down beside the young warrior and ran his hands over his torso.

  Donnie peered speculatively across the room at the door on the other side of the cavern, then shifted his gaze back to Seth. The expression on his face was tentative at best. “You sure about this?”

  “Sure,” Seth drawled, “what’s the worst that could happen?”

  Elladan placed an arm around the slight elf’s shoulder, and let out a short laugh. “Donnie here could get himself fried.”

  Seth did not look up, but the side of his mouth lifted slightly. “Like I said, what’s the worst that could happen?”

  Donnie’s hands went to his hips, his eyes shifting between the amused duo. “Thanks, guys.”

  Meanwhile, Glo had gone to examine the newly formed bridge. It appeared completely solid, but the young wizard had learned as of late not to take anything for granted. He stopped at the edge, bent down a
nd held a hand out over the solidified rock. Though it had only cooled a short while ago, there was no sense of heat coming off the stone. Glo tentatively reached down and placed a finger on the bridge, but it was cool to the touch.

  “Larketh’s work with golems required a level of control over the elements that few have matched, even to this day.”

  Glo spun about and saw Elistra kneeling next to him. He had been so entranced with the bridge, that he had not even heard her there. Glo responded with a wan smile. “It is rather amazing.”

  The seeress’ eyes danced with amusement. She reached out and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You are not the first to marvel over the Golem Master’s works.”

  Abruptly, Glo felt a hand on his other shoulder. He whirled around and saw Elladan standing above him. The bard nodded toward the bridge, his expression one of awe. “Larketh definitely had a flair for the dramatic.”

  “You can say that again,” Glo agreed fervently.

  So, while Aksel and Seth continued to tend to the injured, the rest of the companions proceeded across the newly-formed bridge. Donnie led the way across, halting at the door on the other side. There was another chakra lock here, but Elistra once again provided the key. The door slid open, revealing a cave beyond that split off into two separate tunnels.

  Since Seth was preoccupied, the others decided to stick together and explore the passageways one at time. That turned out to be an excellent decision since, like the earth room, there were jet traps embedded into the walls. Donnie nearly got burnt by the first one, leaping out of the way just as a spray of flames burst out of the tunnel wall.

  “Yow!” the slight elf cried, gingerly brushing the hot embers from his clothes. Unfortunately, he was not quick enough—the edge of his vest caught on fire. Donnie danced around, trying to pull it off, until Ruka rushed forward. In one swift motion, she yanked the burning cloth from his body, threw it to the ground, and stamped up and down on the vest until the flames went out. When she was done, Ruka picked up the still smoking cloth and held it out to Donnie, her mouth twisted into a thin smirk. “Next time you might want to watch where you step.”