Any conversation between Finley and his guide was brief, consisting mainly of Moira telling him to keep up. He wasn’t sure as to why the young dwarf was so willing to take him where he needed to go, but thankful nonetheless. During their brief stop, she had pointed out the direction they needed to travel in, and towards a range of mountain peaks far into the distance, which she claimed to be a few days walk away. Provided he could keep up, by then they should be ready for the climb up, after which she would have to leave him to continue on his own. That was a rather sobering thought, and one he decided to push to the back of his mind, for now at least.
Chapter 8.
Leyna and Galdrac had headed out after breakfast, riding a pair of sturdy looking horses. Both dark tan in colour and covered in a thicker hair than normal, the beasts were clearly quite hardy and used to the cold weather this far north. Riding in the opposite direction to that of her sons, Leyna felt in a solemn mood, meaning conversation was minimal at best. Galdrac knew it best not to speak unnecessarily, realising how much she was hurting at being coerced into agreeing to part with them.
Karesh and Sessi had been the last to leave as Meldra had wanted to explain where he needed to go. With a large backpack of supplies to carry, as well as his large two-handed sword, the elderly dwarf had also handed him a map, and a strange looking object that always pointed the way he wished to go. Apparently, this item was imbued with magic, and so long as Karesh had the thought of where he needed to be in his mind, the device would point the way.
The young orc had found the entire thing quite amusing, especially as Meldra had him practising how to use it. Sessi was sent to hide, and Karesh had to think about finding him. With the object held in the palm of his hand, the needle twitched a few times as it locked onto his thoughts before pointing the way he needed to go. As had been instructed and explained so long as he kept his mind focused the device would indicate which way he had to go.
Only when Meldra was happy the young orc knew exactly what to do did she explain his task in a little more detail. To find a troll, if they indeed still existed, would mean crossing over miles of the dead land, once home to the elves, before even reaching The Wastes; a land even more desolate and bereft of life. To exit the dwarf lands, though, she revealed the use of a long forgotten tunnel that passed under and through the mountains that separated them from that of the elven territories.
These lands were not only inhospitable but also very dangerous, as this was the precise place thought to be the origin of the balgraf; the beasts of the darkness. Although Meldra thought the bulk of the creatures were probably preparing to attack the elves and dwarfs, there was a very good chance that dozens of these beasts, perhaps hundreds would still be roaming the dead lands. However, providing he was vigilant and used the wolf to scout ahead, there was a decent chance he could make it. Supplies would have to be rationed, especially water, but Meldra reiterated the importance of his mission, telling him that only when the five races had been united could Abalyon be defeated.
Karesh, despite being an orc of immaturity actually appeared unfazed by anything the dwarf had said. In fact, quite to the contrary, he was undoubtedly finding it all very exciting, as if this was the adventure he had always longed for. Sure, he would miss his mum and brother, especially as the latter had not long been in his life, but from somewhere deep inside, he felt he needed to be doing much more with his time. An Orc did not belong indoors reading books and listening to the way the government was run, Karesh felt an urge for something far more physically demanding as if there was a great warrior within longing to express himself. Already having a taste of battle at Barilyn, in that single moment of fighting he had felt the bloodlust of his people and felt his inner orc awaken.
With his large pack of necessities neatly and tightly packed away and carried on his back alongside his massive two-handed sword, Karesh, with Sessi at his side headed south-west. Just like his brother, he would need to travel on foot, as the route he would be taking was not suitable for horses or waggons. Although he had no link with Sessi, it seemed the wolf was happy to listen to his instructions, and while Karesh could not peer through the eyes of the creature as Finley could do, he did feel a certain bond with it. Whether that bond was merely a mutual friendship or something deeper like the honour of two great warriors, Karesh was unsure.
The pair of them would need to head the same direction for a day or more, passing between the first of the mountain ranges that divided the lands of the elves and dwarfs. In that gap, he would then find a long tunnel. This was apparently the route used long before Waygates and magic and had once been a busy thoroughfare between the two races, linking one with the other. However, Karesh had been warned that the tunnels were dark and home to the shadow and that travelling through would be dangerous. If luck were on his side, he would pass through unnoticed, although that in itself would take almost a day to do so.
For now, though, Karesh had a spring in his step, and despite the chilly weather and heavy load he was carrying felt the sense of adventure far more alluring. Like Sessi, he was a natural fighter, and although his upbringing may have been contrary to that belief, he felt the pair of them had something in common. The wolf, still a pup, much like he was, had much to learn about the world, and with the current scenario thrust upon them, he guessed they would have to do so.
After making what he thought was decent progress, Karesh found himself a rock to sit down upon. After removing the pack from off his back, he took one of several water canteens he was carrying, something he would need to refill before entering the tainted lands, and took several large swigs of water. He thought about removing the metal dish he was carrying on the side of his pack, and offering Sessi some, only to see the wolf had found a puddle and was already taking a drink.
Much to Karesh’s delight, the dwarfs were more attuned to orcs when it came to their dietary requirements. As a result, much of the food he carried was, or at least contained, some form of meat. He unwrapped a small parcel for Sessi and threw a piece of raw red meat up into the air, which was expertly caught by the wolf as he leapt up to grab it in his jaws. Although orcs apparently ate raw meat, Karesh preferred his to have been cooked and decided to eat a couple of the big fat sausages that Meldra had prepared for him, and wedge them between two thick slices of buttered bread.
After resting for ten minutes after he had eaten, he thought to check the direction they were heading was the correct one. After removing the strange little device given to him by the dwarf and placing it on the palm of his hand, he tried to picture a troll in his mind; which was not as easy as it sounded being as he had never seen one before, other than a few sketches of them in books. Thankfully the needle bounced a little from side to side before pointing between two large mountain peaks, and he knew he was heading the right way.
Lifting the pack up onto his back, he checked the ground around to make sure he had left nothing behind, before heading off once more. The wind blew hard, and despite the coldness of it upon his face, Karesh did not feel affected by it. Orcs were tough creatures, and able to endure temperatures at both ends of the scale far better than any of the races. Sessi was a wolf and had thick white fur, and was probably as unaffected by the cold as he was.
It wasn’t until the sun had lowered in the evening sky, and the first of the stars could be seen that Karesh decided to make camp for the night. In his pack, he had been given a sheet to place on the ground for him to sleep upon, and another that he could use to tie over a simple frame to make a bivouac. While this was not an ideal form of camping, it would at least keep the wind and any rain that fell during the night, off him.
Once his small temporary home was up, he gathered a few rocks and placed them in a circle, remembering what his mother had taught him when he was little on how to make a proper campfire. Placing stones around would stop the wind from spreading the flames further than he wanted, although he doubted much of what lay on the ground around him would burn very easily.
&nb
sp; Finding dry timber was a little problematic, although after much searching he felt he had enough to at least get a fire going. The damper wood and sticks he would add only once the flames were intense enough to burn them. Using the flint from his pack, he eventually got a small fire going, and carefully added the driest of his sticks to it, until the flames took hold. Clapping his hands together, he then rummaged in his pack and removed the small kettle from it. While he did not feel the cold as others might do, he felt it beneficial to have a hot drink nonetheless; besides which he quite liked the strong sweet tea the dwarfs drank.
Knowing his fire would likely burn out while he was sleeping, he made sure all his things were under cover of his bivouac, before wrapping a thick fur blanket around himself and settling down under the cover of his improvised home. Sessi waited for him to lie down, before slipping in alongside and doing likewise. Aside from the crackling of the campfire, Karesh could hear several other noises. The creatures of the day were probably all holed up and sleeping, those that walked the night were now making themselves heard.
A hundred miles further east, where the mountain ranges were much lower, the first of the balgraf bounded across the borders and ventured forth onto the lands of the dwarfs. Under the cover of the dark, hundreds of beasts followed as Abalyon made good his promise to attack the race created by Thedan. The elven towns further south had been passed by almost unhindered by the hordes, aside from one that had happened to be directly in the path of the dark forces. A small village of no more than ten houses had been ravaged, its occupants slaughtered as food for the advancing army of darkness.
Now the first of the dwarf settlements were in range, the balgraf stopped, turned direction just slightly as if getting their bearings. Their target now was Durn Raldun, the capital of the dwarf empire, home to its rulers and lawmakers. Abalyon had already decided to keep his word to Zerus Maldhor, and not attack the elves. He had though made no such arrangement concerning the dwarfs, and while the half-breed had not yet agreed to side with him, Abalyon was convinced it was only a matter of time before he turned to his side as he had before. The fallen god thought the others were fools for giving Zerus Maldhor a second chance; it had not worked in their favour last time, and he was convinced it would not do so again. Once the half-breed felt the true powers given to him, his darker side would appear, and then he would be Abalyon’s for the taking. Once Zerus Maldhor was his, and under his influence, there would be nothing in the world that could stop him. He would have his armies enslave the races, and have their creators watch on, helpless to intervene, until all that walked the earth served only him, effectively wiping the other gods from the minds of mere mortals.
Chapter 9.
Akeev had just awoken. Having decided, for now at least, to move further up the coast, he had managed to survive by feeding off the small rock pools left by the ebbing tide. His biggest problem thus far had been finding water suitable for drinking. While he had discovered a decent amount in the first set of ruins around the base of the statue, carrying it with him had been all but impossible. With no container to speak of, he had been left with little alternative but to drink his fill, and hope his next stop would have something similar.
The previous night had been a restless one, as the stench of death seemed even more overpowering than normal. Akeev was unsure as to why that would be the case, being as there was not actually anything left to die, so the chances of him stumbling across anything dead would have actually been welcome. In the few hours’ sleep that he had managed, he had very distinct visions of a strange being, which he could only think of as an orc, although he was unsure as he had never physically seen one. This ‘orc’ seemed to be walking, not fighting or dancing or talking, always walking, and beside it was strange creature he was unsure of. This peculiar yet seemingly friendly beast walked on four legs and not two, and was covered entirely in thick white fur. Akeev had deemed the creature as vicious when he had first spotted its large teeth, but it appeared to walk beside the orc as though it were its friend.
Although not troubled by these pictures in his mind, Akeev was confused as to why they were there. Had he seen something that had been, something that was or perhaps even something that had yet to be? Whatever they were, they felt so very real, so much so that he could recall even some of the finer details about them. The wolf’s bright blue eyes, and pure white coat, and the large metal sword carried by the orc were all things that sprung to mind.
Despite having left his few friends and family behind on the islands, Akeev actually felt no remorse in doing so. His mother had always been somewhat strict and sometimes abusive towards him, whether that was down to the anger that she felt at the injustice of the world, or because it was just the way she was, he did not know. Even though the land he walked was for all intent and purposes dead, the small oasis’ of life that were keeping him alive meant he had probably eaten much more regularly than if he had been back home.
Akeev walked the dunes that bordered the dead land to his right and the coast to his left, never veering too far into the former, and never too far from the latter. He knew his lifeline was nearer the sea, yet for all the reasons for staying close to it, he felt the need that he should head a different direction. He could not explain the feeling, nor did he understand why he was feeling it, but whatever it was, it appeared to want him to go a different direction to the one he was travelling. If he could find a way to carry fresh water and food, it may be something he could do, until that time the need to survive along the coast was greater.
After pausing briefly to rest, Akeev continued onwards, knowing it would soon be time to start thinking about finding somewhere to stop for the night. After sliding down a dune, something caught his eye just off to his right. Intrigued, and somewhat confused, he ventured closer to investigate. Slowly creeping forward and hiding behind a large single rock that jutted out from the sand, he looked out across the land of his ancestors. About a mile or so further inland were hundreds of dark shapes he could only describe as egg-shaped. Walking around them were dozens of large, dark-haired beasts standing taller than any creature he had ever seen. Although not sure what they were, the stories of the monsters that had destroyed the land of his people were still very much part of the information passed down from one generation to the next, and these looked to fit that description. He sat crouched, watching for a while captivated by one of the eggs breaking open. From it emerged a different kind of beast, one with a much smaller body, yet with wings.
With the air around these parts far more putrid than normal, Akeev knew there was nothing to be gained from getting any closer. If these were indeed the creatures that destroyed the land of his forefathers, then there was little he could do, and the area was best avoided. He crept slowly away, back towards the cover afforded him by the dunes, before any of the beasts happen to spot him. However, he glanced back to see one of the dark shapes bounding his direction, moving quickly and getting closer by the second.
In a panic, Akeev started running, but the sand beneath his feet was soft and not easily climbed. He glanced back to see the beast nearing, just as he reached the top of the dune. Not sure what else to do, he headed as fast as he could towards the sea; knowing he could swim, and hoping the beast that was approaching could not. Pumping his legs as hard as he could, he dared one more look over his shoulder to see a snarling, drooling, salivating mouth just twenty paces behind him.
Akeev felt himself being knocked to the ground as he went face first into the wet sand just on the shore's edge. With no weapon at hand, he rolled onto his back to see the huge creature stood over him, its mouth salivating as the drool glistened off its huge yellowing teeth. Making a low growling sound it stood up tall, its thick arms held outwards in a show of power ready to strike down at him at any moment.
The only weapons at hand were his small steel bladed knife and the strange stick he carried. Akeev never gave it any thought or consideration as he grabbed the stick and held it up towards the beast. The c
reature snarled as if it were mocking him, as Akeev shuffled back a few paces nearer the water’s edge, before trying to stand back on his two feet.
With the waves now lapping around his ankles, Akeev held the strange stick out, not even sure why he was doing so. He doubted the thing was even sharp enough to break the skin, never mind, inflict any considerable damage, yet something told him to keep it there nonetheless. The balgraf seemed almost as unsure as he was, as it sidestepped a little, tilting its head as if it were assessing the situation.
During these surreal moments, neither seemed to know what to do. Akeev was beginning to think the creature might back down and run off back to its friends, as it stepped back a pace or two. He waved the stick around a few times in an attempt at looking threatening, although quickly realised it probably only actually made him look foolish.
The balgraf suddenly stopped moving as if it had made up its mind on what to do. Stretching its body out once more, it then crouched down just a little to get some spring in its jump and launched itself forward. Akeev had no time to react but felt his life was likely to end any second, although keeping the strange stick pointing outwards as he watched the beast leap towards him. A blue stream of light soared forth from the end of the stick, and although Akeev had no idea where it had come from, he was thankful for it all the same.
The Dragon Stone Page 6
