Remnant's Past- The Fall of Stoneholt

by Beaux Riley

  "You know, the look on his face when he died, it was worth its weight in gold, boy." Keth taunted Teravin. The prince was furious as he lunged again at Keth, this time their blades meeting. "This is all you are?! A boy wanting to cry for his daddy?" Keth had continued to mock Teravin as their fight was incredibly one-sided. As their blades met, Keth pushed Teravin's sword aside and punched him hard in the face, pushing the prince down to the cold stone floor.

  Keth made no attempt to strike down Teravin. He had several chances to do so, but chose not to.

  "I can kill you anytime I want, boy. Without an army, you are nothing. This, right here on the floor, this is all you are." He pointed towards Teravin, who felt a lump building on his left cheek. "You will never accomplish anything on your own." Keth grinned cheek to cheek.

  The doors flung open. Familiar faces peered in on Teravin and Keth's duel. Stratus stood in front of this group, his arm raised. He called out to Teravin.

  "The fight is over, my King! Keth's forces have surrendered. It is time."

  Stratus words rang out triumphantly in the hall. Teravin was the only one not to hear it. The prince became enthralled in his gaze with Keth. He couldn't undo what this man did if he couldn't stop him with his own hands.

  The Zirris soldiers did not arrest the betrayer, Keth. They continued to wait as Teravin and the older man fought near the throne.

  "How would you like it if I surrendered to them now? Sitting in a cell for the rest of my life knowing justice was met?" Keth's words came hard. Teravin's judgment was clouded now.

  Father, I can't think straight. Keth doesn't deserve to live. I hate him.

  I want him dead. How can we let degenerates live when people like you die?

  How can I not be a monster?

  Keth kicked Teravin in the chest as the prince tried to stand up. His sword was raised high above his head and he laughed.

  "I'll think about you both in my cell." Keth laughed as he thrust his blade down.

  The clang of metal was loud in the throne room. Keth's blade did not strike Teravin. Instead it met with Stratus' arm. Keth and everyone in the room was surprised to see the Zirris leader's arm not be lopped off. Zirris had armguards that could catch a blade's strike. Stratus pushed Keth away, knocking the steward off balance.

  "My King, you proved more to us than we'd have asked for. You need not do this alone." Stratus words were strong. He wouldn't let Teravin die to justify his right to be back on the throne. Teravin got on his feet and thanked Stratus.

  "So the King can't defend himself?" Keth's mocking knew no end.

  "Why did you kill Grand?" Stratus stood facing Keth as the Steward readied his blade towards the Zirris Commander.

  "If only you knew, Stratus. There is something coming to this land." Keth's vague response began to infuriate Stratus. Stratus opened his palm towards Keth, and suddenly a glowing warmth illuminated the room.

  Keth went speechless. His mouth dropped in awe.

  "I remember you now. You were an outlander. YOU ARE WITH THEM!" Keth called out. "If you men know what is good for you, arrest this MONSTER!"

  The Zirris were amazed at Stratus feat, but their resolve did not change. A majority had been in the room and the rest guarded the hallway, looking in to the fight.

  "Years I spent looking for two sisters...and you knew this the entire time?" Stratus' words were cold. Keth grinned as he eyed Stratus.

  "They sought sanctum here months after you and your bastard son arrived. While I humored their request, they sought to find somewhere more secluded. I can help you find them, but you seem hell-bent on killing me." Keth had the upper hand in knowledge. Stratus’s search went cold right when they arrived in Saebel. He feared he'd never find them. Eventually, the Zirris became Stratus and Asa's life.

  Stratus raised his hand towards Keth and the Steward clutched his blade, ready to fight.

  "I know where they went. Kill me and you'll never find them." Stratus once again illuminated his hand with the new-found power.

  The Light emerged from his hand, striking Keth's body. The Steward screamed as his skin was searing from the unknown power. His blade fell to the ground as his entire body was engulfed in the Light. In that same instant, Teravin tackled Stratus. The Light from his hand disappeared.

  "STRATUS, ENOUGH!" Shaking, Teravin gripped Stratus' shirt. "Jus...Justice. Don't be a murderer." Teravin couldn't continue to speak. His anger in allowing Keth to live was stressing him immensely.

  Stratus kneeled down at the burnt Keth. The steward's body was entirely burnt by the Light. He shook and moaned as his features were all but gone. "You think this is pain? Enjoy being a scab, you ugly son of a bitch."

  Stratus motioned over to his soldiers, several of which came to finally assist Stratus and Teravin. Teravin had moved to the throne. Keth was carefully bandaged and arrested. Too burnt to speak, his grunts could speak volumes of hate to the Zirris Commander.

  The soldiers knelt behind their King, awaiting his command.

  Teravin raised his sword. He stared at his father's chair, his family's legacy. Stratus approached and knelt beside his fellow Zirris.

  "My King...."

  Teravin waved his dirty hands across his face, looking to the front of his palm and to his knuckles. His hands glowed.

  "What is this power, Stratus? Were we all affected by that magic?" Teravin turned to Stratus as he pressed these questions.

  "I am afraid…that is the case. I knew the man who discovered the power. It's strange that it reached us here. The country that the Light originated from was destroyed." Stratus replied to the prince.

  "I want your soldiers to keep this power in check. Protect Saebel from itself." Teravin turned to the throne and raised both his hands, Energies emerged from his palm and began to destroy the throne. Huge chunks of the throne were blown away, until a burnt pile of wood remained. "Keth's actions showed me that even a sliver of power can mean death. I will ensure the last light he ever sees will be that which destroyed him."

  The soldiers held in their emotional outbursts. Stratus’s face went stern. "Why. Teravin..."

  "Saebel doesn't need a King. It needs its power returned to the people. My father was a man of his people and the furthest thing from a King. Let's honor his selflessness....Stratus, let's rebuild our home."

  Chapter 4- The Lesser Archivum

  "Why…why would you give them such a tool to survive?" Kimura was scared. Illoke didn't bat an eye at the paladin as he replied.

  "It is a magic of trust, my boy. The wood they carry and burn endlessly is of my mother's tree bark. If the flames of the Char bring harm to Ela'syn elves, the magic will dissipate." Immediately Kimura understood. The sisters could never harm the elves. Illoke had a brilliant idea.

  "Have you seen them since giving them those enchanted pieces of wood?" Kimura finally asked.

  "It was given to their leader, Vallen Char. I've never personally seen the other two. Although it matters little, compared to what happened in that mountain." Illoke response was interesting to Kimura. This gave Kimura ideas on how he can protect himself during the search. "Now that I've answered your question, you'll answer a few of mine, paladin."

  Kimura nodded slowly.

  "I'll ask again, please explain how that Light emerged from the mountain." Said Illoke as he examined Kimura. Moments passed as the paladin began to muster the courage to tell the story of the incident.

  "My brother fought me. It was like he was....possessed by something. He tried to take an object we were guarding, to tap into its power." Kimura revealed the Beacon of Light to Illoke.

  "A perfect orb, I wonder how Zahn found this." Illoke spoke as he took the Beacon, looking it over. The blue-gold orb reacted to Illoke's touch, causing it to fall out of his hand in a startling way. "Perhaps it knows power when it’s near it...interesting." Illoke fell into thought. Kimura continued his explanation.

  "I woke up with dust all over my body. It smelled faintly of my brother. I didn't see
him die, but I felt it. It's hard to explain. I....I believe he killed himself over something he learned. What, I have no real idea." Kimura dusted himself off a bit. He was sad, that much was clear.

  "Your Light seems to be incredibly taxing on the body if it can kill you on use." Illoke mused. Kimura wondered what he had meant by that.

  "I can't imagine how he would just go off of the handle and cause all this destruction. I'd been in possession of the orb this entire time. He'd never touched it once till we were on the mountain entrance." Kimura paced a bit as he spoke.

  What difference could there be with my holding of the Beacon of Light, compared to Aedrius?

  "You said he was gone when you awoke?"

  "I saw a pile of dust where he was after I woke up." Kimura replied.

  "So you never actually saw him die?" Illoke continued.

  "I did not." Kimura's eyes widened with realization. He had never seen his brother's corpse. Perhaps he was still alive. "I based it on feeling, King Dawnsent. When Vathra was destroyed, my brother and I could both feel Zahn's presence disappear, like a weight was lifted from us. The Light seemed to grow weaker."

  Illoke's series of questions seemed to come to an end. The Elf King bowed his head to Kimura, who immediately did the same.

  "If he is still here, he'll most likely be after your primary target, the Char." Illoke pointed to the newly-made bridge and rallied his men and women to begin their invasion. "With his army lost, Kaydren will have to submit to his crimes. Ela'syn, we strike!"

  Illoke marched ahead, only moments passed as he reached the end of the makeshift bridge. The entrance of Stoneholt was still closed off by two stone doors. Illoke placed his hand on the bridge and the roots reacted to this, spraying forth and pushing into the doors. The roots opened these stone monoliths after moments of struggle and then rested as though they'd never moved to begin with. The doors had no resistance met when opened. No dwarven soldiers nor any citizens approached the elves as they entered. Archers entered first as a flank of elves protected Illoke with long shields.

  Blood. The sight and smell of it was all over the walls and floors of the mining city. The elves gasped as they saw the remains of bodies strewn about.

  "What happened here?" Caliya cried out. The elven soldiers tightened their formation around the King and Princess. "Their bodies...crushed. This is wrong...so wrong."

  "Fan out and find any sign of life. If you find Kaydren, bring him to me." Illoke called out to the soldiers.

  ***

  The Dwarf King stumbled from his throne room into the open halls of his people. Barely an hour had passed since the Char sisters had been betrayed. The power he had gained had begun to fade. Kaydren clutched his chest as he felt a flame coming from his body. He felt burning and yet there was no fire.

  "What in the hell was that stone made of? What could give me such a power?!" Kaydren cursed himself. He knew so little about the sisters' true intentions. "My soul is burning..." Kaydren fell against a wall. He groaned as his body began to turn blacker and blacker. He stared at his hand as it began to turn to what looked like coal. Kaydren turned his head as he heard voices, not of dwarves, but of elves. As they came down the hall, he was met at the end of several blades.

  "King Kaydren, you are to answer for your crimes against the Ela'syn." An unfamiliar voice called out to him. Kaydren faded in and out of consciousness.

  "I was tricked..." Kaydren managed to say.

  "What?" The elf that kneeled down to him happened to be Caliya. "What...who tricked you, King?" Caliya had a hand on Kaydren's shoulder and felt as though she broke it. She pulled back, frightened as she saw soot on the palm of her glove.

  "...Char...Two women..." Kaydren's whole body had turned to coal, his beard fell off. Slowly his hand cracked and fell apart, bits from his fingers fell off until his arm came off entirely.

  "King Kaydren...what happened to you?" Caliya turned her head as she stepped away from the mound that used to be the Dwarf King. Caliya returned back down the hall, as the corpse of Kaydren turned to a pile of ash.

  The other squads had spread out throughout the halls of Stoneholt. The same gory mess had happened in every room, hall and corridor. It came to the hope that they'd find someone, civilian or otherwise, alive.

  Illoke and Kimura descended down the main hall which stretched nearly a mile straight. Several lanterns that lit the halls had either been destroyed in the scuffle, or were covered in a thick layer of blood. Scenes of children and families crushed together made even the elven King, sick.

  "I've never seen this in all my life, Kimura." Illoke stated as they tried to avoid the piles of corpses all around them.

  "I have my doubts the sisters would remain here. It seems that nothing is alive here...at least I can't feel anything other than the elves present." Kimura stared around as he palmed a blade given to him by an elf only a few minutes prior. The group was no larger than fourteen in total, including the paladin and the Elf King.

  Time went by slowly for them. Rooms had been crushed into by a force that they could not figure out. It seemed like everyone was crushed by something much larger than they were.

  Suddenly, they heard a rumbling underneath them. A groaning seemed to come from the rocks surrounding them. An elf in their group felt the rocks grip onto her and she was pulled up as the stones formed into a body. The giant made of these stones had red glowing eyes and growled as he gripped his fist and blood sprayed as the elf was broken in two.

  Illoke cried out in anger. "DEA! NO! BASTARDS!!" The Elf King raised his right hand towards the stone giant as it faced Illoke, ready to strike. A series of writings that Kimura could not translate began to envelope Illoke's arm and funneled towards the giant. Roots deep from the earth plunged into the giant, breaking into it until roots emerged from its eyes. The giant seemingly died as the stones fell to the ground, once again inert.

  "Father! FATHER!" Caliya called out as she heard her father's cries of pain. Illoke turned and faced his daughter, hugging her as she caught a glimpse of Dea’s mangled body.

  "She will be given her respects. Right now, we must find Kaydren." Said Illoke.

  "I...I have found him." Caliya said quietly.

  "Where is he? Bring him to me." Illoke was looking at Caliya's escorts, not seeing a dwarf in sight.

  "He is in the corridor about a hundred feet behind us." Caliya pointed behind her. Her escort separated themselves to either side of the Princess to give room for Illoke to pass. The King quickly made his way passed the guards to the supposed corridor. As he looked around, he saw nothing more than a pile of ash with dwarven clothing. Illoke inspected the pile, realizing it faintly looked like dirt had been carved to look like a person. It barely looked like a man. He then saw Kaydren's face.

  He turned to see Kimura had kept up with him. Both laid their eyes on Kaydren's corpse, quietly drawing on the same conclusion.

  Could my brother have had this happen to him as well? Did the sisters find us before we found them? This just raises too many questions.

  "I think, we should leave. The massacre that happened here will not be solved easily. I fear the dwarves are dead, all of them. Jestine, Vitta, gather our soldiers, we are leaving." Illoke ordered two female soldiers that Kimura could not tell between due to the similarity in their armor being quite unisex. The soldiers in question saluted their King and disembarked into the passageways.

  ***

  "Should we wait for them to leave?" Agatha asked as she looked to Talus.

  "They don't seem to be enemies. It is the Ela'syn. Mostly looking to be their entire army." Talus replied as he looked from the third story window out to the bloodied floors.

  "Talus, the Ela'syn are not our enemies. It was Kaydren, all of it. Sealing off the city, the blood rituals, hell the entire reason for our training was to fuel that damned ritual. Our purpose as Rune lords is pointless now." Milla's reasoning was heard by the other survivors. She was quite open about her opinion and Talus respected that.r />
  Talus continued to watch until the elves began to leave. He saw one among them who was clearly not an elf, different skinned and dressed.

  "Who do you suppose that is with them? A Zirris soldier, Saebellian perhaps?" Talus questioned himself. Milla looked beside him until it seemed like the mystery man looked right at them.

  "There! I saw them again!" The voice called out. Talus cursed in dwarven tongue.

  "We've been found out. That didn't take much." Talus sarcasm was thick in the air.

  "You say that as though we wouldn't be found by elves. They can hear you think." Milla returned the sarcasm, forcing Talus to laugh.

  "Please come out!" A different voice called out. Now it was the sound of a woman. "We are here in peace!"

  Milla recognized it to be the daughter of Illoke Dawnsent. She sighed and used a rune to open the door, to the left of the group. It revealed runes etched along the door that reacted and showed a staircase leading to the lower floors. As the eight dwarves descended the staircase, they were slowly greeted by several elves at the base of the third floor staircase. They were surprised by the fact that none of the elves had their weapons unsheathed. The dwarves held their arms up in a sign of surrender as they walked passed the elves to be met with none other than the King, Illoke Dawnsent.

  Talus chose to be the first to kneel to the King. Illoke was startled by this show of respect.

  "My King, may I be the first to say..." Talus was surprised when Illoke placed a hand on his shoulder.

  "Your people are in your home. We are guests here. I should be bowing to you." Illoke's words brought some warmth to the suffering dwarves.

  "My King, have you found Kaydren? The madman killed our people. We locked ourselves away..." Talus was short on breath. The stench of blood was apparent to everyone, elf and dwarf alike. It was overwhelming to Talus and he'd have fell to his knees if he weren't already.

  ***

  The brigade of elves finally ascended from the tomb that was now Stoneholt. The horrified soldiers helped Talus's group as many were too scared to talk. Milla seemed to be the only one who kept her composure, despite all that happened to their people. The dwarves witnessed the elves carrying a bloodied body under a white cloth out with them. Unbeknownst to them, it was the last victim of Kaydren's golems, Dea Aram. Dea was closed to Illoke and he seemed the most torn up by her death. Her body was placed at the border of Ela'syn.