Peter of Dwarven Stone (War of Contractia Book 4)

by Tj Dixon

  (Peter)

  Faeries have served the elves for generations according to Dairon. It seems the races are closely related too, both tracing their roots to the same ancient ancestors. So given that elves aren’t exactly famous for their dimensional abilities I was surprised to learn that faeries are particularly skilled at dimensional magic. If I had any doubt though, it would have been killed by the ease with which they ignored the port block to send General Karina into the tunnel and back again when she was ready. They even offered to port more dwarves but Karina was confident she would be enough.

  It seems that we were moments too late though, and Karina saw the king moments after he died. Thor, who we fought earlier was responsible, but got away. We have no idea where he went, except that it wasn’t within the palace. The faeries would have known if he or anyone had ported to anywhere within the palace inner dome.

  With the Council of Elders gathered here and the gates closed Karina is directing the battle and it sounds like it is going well. The problem is that even if we beat our current enemies we will need to move the domes or we will simply come under attack again by more enemy forces. The Fallen Angels don’t exactly have a shortage of armies, especially now Minerva has fallen and they only have one border world with Contractia. Unless Contractia has retaken Minerva, but I doubt Contractia has even attempted to do so. The other scarier possibility is of course that Portalis could have fallen. If that has happened all of my friends back in Contractia are in great danger, so I pray that it hasn’t.

  The Council of Elders is preparing the king’s funeral pyre. Normally it would be conducted somewhere more private, but that isn’t an option right now. Anywhere more private would leave them vulnerable, so they are stacking the consecrated coal in the throne room with Karina’s company and the Royal Guard present. Delaying also isn’t an option, because the final rites of dwarves must be conducted soon after death. Everyone seems to have forgotten about us but if the situation is under control we may as well remain here and rest where it is safe.

  Each dwarf in the Council of Elders summons and blesses one long slab of coal that looks a bit like a blackened plank of wood. Then they line up silently in exactly the same order each time with their coal slab resting on their arms. They line their coal slabs in a single long row. They repeat this sombre process, stacking the coal on top of their previous slab each time.

  They are halfway through stacking the seventh layer when there is a loud thud that slightly shakes the ground. The sound seems to come from the gates. Every eye turns nervously towards the gates. Then there is a second thud just as loud that shakes the ground again. Thankfully the shaking isn’t enough to disturb the stacks of coal, but it seems clear we are under attack. All eyes turn to Karina now.

  “We will hold the enemy off if they breach the gates. Continue with the king’s funeral. We shall not allow our enemies to dishonour the king.” Karina tells everyone confidently and then she begins to organise her mages into positions within the main corridor. The thuds continue with one about every five seconds. At least the enemy seem unable to simply port through the dome that protects the palace.

  “Hello.” A nervous looking dwarven girl says as she approaches us. She is looking at Dairon, who is surrounded by the faeries, though they are just a blur at the moment.

  “Hello.” Dairon answers nervously.

  “Karina has asked for your assistance should the enemy attempt to control us with their magic again.”

  “Of course.” Dairon nods.

  “Is there anything else we can do to help?” I ask.

  “Don’t worry. As long as we are in control of ourselves we should be fine.” The dwarven girl answers with a confident smile now. “I need to get back to my position, but thank you for your assistance.”

  With that she hurries back to the rest of the dwarves in the corridor. They seem to be taking up very simple positions. That is to say that they are simply forming one large wall of dwarves. They are still organising exactly where everyone stands in that wall, but they must be planning a straight fight of brute magical force. A fight like that is one that Elucia would be very helpful in.

  “Let’s move closer to the dwarves. That way we can help if we need to. We can just say it’s because the faeries want to be closer to the dwarves they’re supposed to protect from enchantments.” I suggest.

  “Let’s stand to one side though. We don’t want to get hit by stray spells.” Lucy suggests and floats down from my shoulder to point at the wall just inside the throne room to the left of the main corridor.

  “Sure. I have no wish to be killed by a stray spell.”

  “Shouldn’t the king be the one making these decisions?” Legate Sakura asks as she removes the magic that hides her. She is just to Lucy’s right now. She both sounds and looks really annoyed as she glares at me and Lucy.

  “It’s fine, Sakura. I don’t want to be killed by a stray spell either.” Dairon says with a calm smile. We haven’t told the faeries why their new king obeys me. It just didn’t seem wise under the circumstances, but that is a bridge we will have to cross sooner or later. Just not in the middle of such a vital battle.

  “Very well your majesty.” Sakura says lowering her gaze in apparent embarrassment.

  “Thank you for your concern though.” Dairon smiles.

  “Thank you very much! I am unworthy of your praise, your majesty!” Sakura says brightly now.

  “Well, let’s go.” Dairon says blushing at Sakura’s words and leads the way. Sakura smirks at me and Lucy as we follow Dairon. Elucia and Kai follow us and Kai chuckles at Sakura’s expression. This prompts a glare from Sakura but as Dairon turns to talk to her the glare disappears and is replaced by a huge beaming smile.

  Once we reach the wall we simply wait. The coal pyre is being stacked quicker now and has reached the ninth layer, but it is still being done in a respectful silence and manner. Just as the dwarves start to stack the tenth layer the thud is replaced by a boom. I feel air enter the palace as the doors shatter. I use my senses to work out what the enemy looks like and shiver in horror.

  The enemy is twice as tall as the corridor at twenty foot tall. It quickly shrinks until it is only ten foot tall and can enter the corridor more easily. Even shrunk it is terrifying. It has dark leathery wings lined with death feathers. It’s more or less the same shape and size as a ten foot tall human. Unlike a human though, the arms, legs and body are formed of molten lava with hands and feet formed of green gems merged into the rough shape of hands and feet, minus the fingers and toes. Each foot and hand has a silvery metal talon. The neck and head are formed of the same silvery metal as the talons. It has no hair, eyes, mouth or nose.

  Magic emanates from the head and forms a huge lightning bolt. The dwarven shields hold, but the roar is deafening. The monster laughs a cruel laugh that reeks of death and despair, as it walks towards the dwarves. It is followed by ten male elves each wearing only leather shorts. The elves have pale skin, brown hair and dead green eyes, but what strikes me even more than their appearance is their aura. Each of their auras is filled with demonic mana. As they walk they begin chanting words that I don’t understand. The dwarves send rock fists and flames at the elves, ignoring the huge monster for now.

  “What is that?” Kai asks and her voice is shaking.

  “The Envoy.” Dairon says with a deep hatred in his voice.

  “Wasn’t that girl we fought with the Kuroneko’s help, the Envoy?” Kai asks confused.

  “Yes, but this is its true corporeal form.” Dairon says bitterly.

  “What are the elves chanting?” I ask Dairon.

  “Death magic, and much more powerful than simple Death Feathers.” Dairon tells me. I thought Death Feather were bad enough so to say I am worried is an understatement.

  “Anything you can do about it?” I ask hopefully. Dairon considers for a few moments and then shakes his head. “Will the dwarves be able to get through their shield in time?”

  “Not at
the current rate.” Dairon answers.

  “Elucia, can you burn those elves?” I ask, not wanting to ask her to kill ten people, but not wanting them to kill us and all the dwarves.

  “I can try.” Elucia says and closes her eyes. Her flames roar up around the elven shields. For a moment the shields flicker and then the Envoy shields them. Its shield holds up easily. Elucia then gasps and holds her throat. Her flames disappear and she is struggling for breath. I try to send air into her but a powerful wind resists my attempts.

  I step towards Elucia and kiss her. I take mana from her and send air into her. She’s finally able to breathe but now I am having trouble breathing. I take as much power as I can without killing her. I prepare a huge lightning bolt but then I feel something desperately fighting its way to the surface of my mind. No, not my mind, my soul. Desperate I try to give the power back to Elucia. It is a struggle, because part of me is fighting to keep the power.

  In the background I hear a faint roar followed by a little explosion. I notice mana flowing freely in the air as if people were fighting. Weird. Why would people be fighting? Strangely I can breathe fine now, but I hardly even notice the air. What is of much more concern is the mana and the strange force rising up within my soul.

  I hear a dim boom droning on about something. I don’t care who it is or what they are talking about. Right now the only thing that matter is killing the boy Peter and taking his place. Who is this Peter and how dare he take my body? He seems to be a mere human. Does he not know who I am?

  In fact is it even Peter I am fighting now? It feels like something else. Something sacred and powerful. I try to take more power from the girl, but she resists and even dares to pull more power from my body. I would kill her, but to do so would be too great a distraction right now. She’s not worth it.

  What are you? An angel, a revered nature spirit or perhaps a mere godling? Who are you that you dare defy me? I will not stand for this! I feel something metal pierce this body’s heart, but I regenerate the heart and shatter the very reality of the being that dared attack me. As I do so I feel my power slipping away from me. I desperately try to claw my power back but it just slips away even faster.

  I desperately force my will back and send the power back into Elucia. Whatever it was that took control of me seems to be weakening. I can still feel its desperate attempts to dominate me, but they seem weak now. My power is back to the same levels as when Elucia gave me power the other times. I can no longer sense anything within my soul. In fact I can no longer sense my soul, but that is normal.

  Elucia pulls away from me and looks at me fearfully. I take a step back too and place my hand on my chest as I try to breathe normally again. I feel like I’m in shock and I seem to be wet. I look down and gasp. I am covered in blood. I look all around me. My friends other than Lucy are all staring at me. Lucy looks at me with a sad smile and points behind me. I turn and see dust in the air.

  “What is that?” I ask weakly. Lucy sighs.

  “The Envoy. It flew over the dwarves, right through their shield and attacked you. The blood on you is your own and you should sit down. I healed you a little and you seemed to heal yourself too, but you are still suffering from blood loss.” Lucy tells me calmly. Turning to look at her I can see she looks tired but turning makes me dizzy. I sit, or more precisely fall and land on my bum.

  (General Karina)

  The demonic beast roars, angry at something and charges through the air at us, with its wings beating and tearing through the silver roof and gem encrusted walls as if they weren’t there.

  “All dwarves, shield!” I order even though I know we cannot afford to let the elves complete their invocation. The demon still way above us hits our shield, which to my horror shatters. I send stone shards at the beast in a hopeless attempt to kill it. The cloud of stone shards are easily repelled by the beast but it ignores us. We are hit by our own attacks as they fall back down to the ground, but just as they were too weak to seriously harm such a beast they are also too weak to harm us.

  Rather than attacking us or the council as I had expected, it charges downwards at the outsiders bellowing something I cannot understand. It sounds evil and furious. A shield goes up around the outsiders. Unlike ours which shattered instantly it holds for a few moments, before shattering with an ear splitting bang.

  The beast charges straight at the human boy who is kissing the human girl. The right hand hits the boy and its talon goes right through him, hitting his neck and coming out of his chest before hitting the floor. I wince, unsure why the beast considered a mere human such a worthy target that it ignored us, but deeply sorry that the outsider died after having helped us in our time of need.

  Then the demonic beast turns into a dust like cloud and the boy is still standing and seems to be alive somehow. The mini human uses healing magic, which confirms my belief he is alive. I don’t know if this is just a trick or if the beast is truly destroyed but we cannot ignore the elves who are still chanting their foul death magic. Other dwarves have already resumed their attack, shaming me as their leader for being so slow.

  I send my best attacks, no longer saving anything for the beast. If it is still alive we are most likely dead even if we save power, but if it is truly destroyed then we need only defeat these elves and we will be victorious. At least for now. I can sense the enemies are close to completing their invocation as the powers begin to take shape in the air, but their shields are starting to waver.

  All of a sudden I notice dwarves charging the elves with swords drawn. I hadn’t even noticed the dwarves approaching and neither had the elves. They port away before the dwarves skewer them. Then the dwarves disappear and I realise they must have been an illusion created by the faeries. It seems our friends from the outside are developing a habit of saving us from our enemies. It is shameful, but right now I am glad to have had their help.

  I turn and see the pyre is complete and lit. It will only take a few minutes now before the pyre has burned and sent the king peacefully to the halls of our forefathers in the spirit world. Once his soul has recovered he will return to this world and bless us with his presence in a new body just as all dwarves do. I smile sadly for a moment and then turn my attention to my more immediate concerns.

  To my shock all of the enemy are in retreat and our forces throughout the city are no longer in danger. The question is what to do next. Without the king how will we move the domes to a new hidden spot? If we remain here we will simply have to fight again and again until we are defeated. That is not an option. Unfortunately I am having a hard time figuring out any other options.

  Then I hear singing. It is the elf who has been helping us with the other outsiders. His song is beautiful, but why is he singing? Is it to honour the dead king?

  (Grunti)

  I’ve returned to the city with Nairon and the little elf girl that I freed from the Envoy’s possession. I found a spot to hide from both friends and enemies. The girl hasn’t woken yet and her sleep is troubled. I don’t like the clothes that the Envoy made her wear, but she is very pretty. From what Nairon told me she is only a little child and she has had most of her childhood robbed by the Envoy. It makes me angry just thinking about it. How could you do something like that to an innocent little child?!

  The thought of the Envoy chills me to the bone though. It may have been cowardly to flee, but its power was way beyond my worst fears. My invention that I had prepared wouldn’t even have scratched the beast. If I hadn’t already used my ultimate weapon to kill the damned drakes perhaps that might have worked. Or perhaps it wouldn’t have. There was no time to make another one and the materials required are not only very difficult to find, but beyond even my ability to create. At least this girl is saved. I pray the Envoy hasn’t simply possessed the body of another child.

  “Grunti?”

  “Dad?!” I exclaim as dad sticks his head through a small newly formed hole in my hideout and then opens the hole a bit more before walking through it.
/>   “Found another girlfriend?” Dad asks sounding really tired.

  “No, she’s just a little child. She was possessed by an enemy. I got the enemy out of her and brought her here with Nairon to hide. I didn’t know what else to do. Our home was destroyed. I had to destroy our whole dome. Sorry about that.”