The Wealth of Kings

by Sam Ferguson

  His mind returned to the current dilemma of finding the addorite. He knew he could go to Roegudok Hall and request the dwarves to look for it, but he wanted to spare them that fate if possible. If he could find the addorite Tu’luh had stolen, then at least he would have something to work with without risking the dwarves. He turned down the first corridor on the right. He walked for several hundred feet, passing chambers and rooms on either side of the hallway. As he glanced through the glass he saw groups, or sometimes individuals, deep in study. At the end of the hallway, he opened a door that led to a stairway spiraling down into the ground.

  As he descended the stairs, the light from the light blue energy flowed through the walls, the stairs, and the ceiling above to illuminate the area. That was why the dragon liked the crystal from which he had formed the glass slabs that made the palace. It was a perfect conduit for the energy that flowed through the palace, offering not only light, but actual wisdom and knowledge to those who sought it.

  He descended deep into the mountain. The air remained warm and dry as he walked downward for nearly thirty minutes before finally reaching the bottom. He put his hands on the door, which had so much energy flowing through it that it appeared nearly solidly blue in color, and pushed it open.

  The door moved silently as it glided open.

  His eyes were assaulted by an exceedingly bright light, far whiter than anything he had experienced elsewhere on Terramyr. He raised his arms up to shield himself from the brightness while at the same time he felt an inviting warmth wrap around him.

  He walked through the doorway and heard a powerful roar. He moved his arms enough to peer around them while still trying to adjust to the light. The giant chamber was so large that he could not see any walls except the one behind him. About thirty feet in front of him stood a massive dragon. Its legs were blue and gray. Its snout was covered in shiny scales that only accentuated the sharp fangs protruding out from under the lips. A thick pair of horns grew up and back from the rear of the skull, ending in sharp points that would put any spear to shame.

  The dragon growled, but not in a menacing or threatening way. Then it turned aside and bowed its head.

  “Garek, nice to see you again. Still keeping watch?”

  The bowing dragon replied with a simple, “As always, my king.”

  There were dozens of dragons. All shapes and sizes mixed in together in the giant, seemingly endless chamber. There were blue and red skytes darting about through the air like sparrows. There were wingless drakes that walked upon all fours and breathed fire and wisps of smoke. There were greater drakes that had wings, larger dragons, and then there was a group far in the distance that appeared to be as large, or much larger, than Tu’luh the Red, but none were as large as Hiasyntar’Kulai’s dragon form.

  Hiasyntar’Kulai moved further into the chamber and transformed back into his natural form. He beheld the hundreds of dragons all bowing to him and addressed them in his loud, booming voice of thunder. “My fellow dragon-kin, over the last five centuries, we have been here, unraveling very threads of time and fate, interpreting them and creating prophecies of the future. Now that Nagar’s Blight is no more hanging upon the Middle Kingdom, it is time to return to our full capacity. I would have you again spreading out through the world and giving your dreams and visions to good men and women who would use the knowledge for the betterment of Terramyr.”

  A mighty chorus of roaring dragons shook the chamber.

  Hiasyntar’Kulai tapped his talon on the stone floor and then there was silence. “I will select three of you for a special assignment. Tu’luh has committed yet another crime against us. He has stolen addorite that was hidden away in Valtuu Temple. You all know how important that substance is for what we need to do. I ask for three volunteers who will search for a tribe of goblins who have taken the addorite from Tu’luh and hidden it deep within a network of caves far to the west. The rest of you shall resume the duties you performed centuries ago, helping to guide the mortals of Terramyr.”

  The first three dragon spirits to volunteer were given a vision of the conversation with Tu’luh and sent out to discover whether any of the addorite remained.

  The rest of the dragons launched into the air and flew up through the high ceiling, disappearing from view and resuming their sacred work of guiding the blessed races created by Icadion and the Old Gods.

  Hiasyntar’Kulai watched the great dragons leave, and then he turned to the drakes and wingless dragons still in the chamber with him. He set them to be messengers and laborers throughout the palace, a station which they had occupied prior to the existence of Nagar’s Blight.

  Then he turned to his left and moved toward the far wall. He blew on the glass and the blue energy rippled through the wall until there appeared a doorway large enough for him to walk through. He entered his secret chamber where he read the signs and omens of the stars to help understand the future.

  There, upon a black pedestal of stone sat The Infinium.

  Hiasyntar’Kulai felt a nagging, persistent sadness whenever he saw the book, for he had personally known its author. The Aurorean, a dragon composed entirely of light that always shifted and changed, and who had held the total sum of wisdom and knowledge known by any being in the universe. He was the one who wrote The Infinium. The Aurorean was also the creator of all dragon kind. As mighty and powerful as Hiasyntar’Kulai was, he considered himself as nothing compared to The Aurorean.

  He approached the book and sighed. The Aurorean had written it so that others might know the secrets of the universe. How it works, how it can be controlled, and how it can be saved. The problem, was Hiasyntar’Kulai had read all he could without suffering the damaging effects of its power. He opened the cover carefully with one of his talons. The blue light in the room intensified even more, sending actual tendrils out from the walls of the chamber to flow into him as he scanned the first two pages.

  A green vapor rose up from the book and then formed into a thin, string-like column of light that waved and danced under the dragon’s breath. A spark emerged at the top of the string of light. A second string, this one of violet light, extended out. A third one soon appeared and glowed bright orange. Hiasyntar’Kulai watched in wonder as four more limbs grew out from the spark. Each of the limbs was a brilliant color, and they shifted and danced in a slow, methodical rhythm. He watched for several moments, admiring the sliver of self that The Aurorean had managed to put into The Infinium, and then he closed the book.

  “We must find the addorite,” he said aloud. “Otherwise, I shall need to command the dwarves to reopen the mines, and that will only bring them death.”

  Unbeknownst to him, the stirring in Roegudok Hall mentioned by Al’s father’s spirit, was created by the fact that the dwarves were already doing just that, unaware of the dangers it would bring down upon them.

  *****

  Al stood on the jagged balcony overlooking the plains to the north and took in a deep breath of fresh, mountain air. Between the many meetings over the last several days and then the rescue operation that yielded some treasure, but was ultimately unsuccessful in saving any of the miners in shaft thirty-seven, he needed out. The weight of the crown was wearing on him.

  Roegudok Hall was bustling with activity now. There was a lot of restructuring to do. There were vacancies to fill in the court, trade routes that needed to be reestablished, and mining to be started. Al took in another breath of air.

  There was also the accident.

  He had to settle that, and quickly.

  The only problem was he wasn’t sure what to do about it. The dwarves needed someone with more experience. They needed his father back. The dwarf king sighed and turned away from the view. He knew he had stayed out too long already. He needed to return to his duties. Chief among those duties was the riddle of the Wealth of Kings. If only he could solve that, then all of his problems would be solved.

  That’s when Al saw him.

  A stranger standing between Al a
nd the doorway that led back into the mountain.

  He wore a green, shimmering robe and carried a long spear. Al was put on edge immediately. How could a human have found him here? The tunnel was a secret that ran straight to this stone balcony from the king’s chambers. No dwarf would be caught dead allowing a human to walk around freely through those areas.

  That could only mean one thing.

  An assassin.

  Al pulled his war ax and held it up. “You won’t find me an easy mark,” Al warned.

  The stranger held up his left hand and said, “I am not your enemy. I have come seeking knowledge.” The voice was extremely nasal, which annoyed Al almost as much, or perhaps more than the stranger’s presence.

  “The court is where I consult with visitors, after the councilors deem the visitor worth talking to,” Al said grumbling as much about the process of vetting a visitor in the stuffy court as he was protesting the stranger’s request.

  The stranger locked his fierce, blue eyes with Al. For a moment, Al couldn’t move. His mind froze in mid-thought and his muscles remained still and calm as those light blue eyes held him in their trance. Then, a few seconds later, Al was released from the spell, and the stranger was gone.

  Al pulled his axe and looked around.

  His heart was racing and there was a dull ringing in his head.

  Who was that, and what in the blazes of Hammenfein did he want?

  Al rushed into his room and shut the door to the tunnel leading out to the balcony. He slipped the bolt into place and then went to his desk. Had the stranger been looking for the Wealth of Kings? Al breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he saw that all was as he had left it.

  Still, having an intruder meet him on the balcony was beyond unnerving.

  He went to the door and opened it.

  The two guards outside saluted him silently.

  “Did you let anyone through?” Al asked.

  The two guards shared a puzzled look and then shook their heads.

  “Nobody’s been in there but you, my king,” they said in unison.

  “Go and get Alferug. I need his advice about…” About what? He wasn’t even sure what had been down in the depths of mine shaft thirty-seven.

  “’About’, Sire?” one of the guards prompted.

  “Just tell him to find the best bestiary for the Middle Kingdom and bring it to my chamber.”

  Al shut the door and went back to his desk. He poured over the books and clues about the Wealth of Kings once more. Nothing new jumped out at him. Worse than that, he hadn’t found this secret book that Sylus mentioned in the faded note. At least some treasure had been found in mine thirty-seven. There had been enough there to buy provisions to help through the summer, but not enough to fully alleviate the problems facing Roegudok Hall.

  The dwarf king lost himself in thoughts and theories about the Wealth of Kings. How could he get into the library again? As he thought about everything he had ever heard about it, he remembered the voice from the tunnel.

  The words it spoke were perplexing to Al. First and foremost because it seemed a ghost had been talking to him, but also because of what the voice had said specifically. It hadn’t said that Al was destined to reopen the library, which he assumed was the Wealth of Kings. It had said that Al was destined to find the Wealth of Kings. That made it sound as if the Wealth of Kings was not the library at all, but something else.

  Could Threnton have been right all those years ago when he dragged me to the mines looking for the Wealth of Kings? Al wondered. Might there be some tunnel overflowing with riches? Is that what Sylus had hidden down below that had been the source of his prosperity? If so, then why hide it?

  Knuckles rapped on the door three times. “Sire, you called for me?” Alferug’s voice called out from the other side of the door.

  “It’s open,” Al said.

  Alferug pressed the door open and closed it behind himself. Al noticed that he was breathing a little heavier than usual, and his legs seemed stiff as he walked.

  “Are you alright?” Al asked.

  Alferug nodded and waved the question away. “Just age catching up with me, Sire. I’m afraid the trek up to your chamber is not as easy as it once was.”

  Al frowned.

  The counselor pulled out a thick, brown book from a leather satchel hanging by a strap over his left shoulder. “I heard you found some treasure, but that the other miners were killed by something?”

  “I asked them to keep it quiet,” Al said.

  Alferug nodded. “My nephew told me. He was one of the soldiers that accompanied you on the rescue mission. I doubt he will tell anyone else. He probably figured I needed to know.”

  Al shrugged. “Your nephew tells you, the others tell their families. Sooner or later it will come out, I suppose.”

  “He told me how you sealed the tube and set guards. The people will see you are doing the right things. We need treasure to fuel our economy, and we have guards now to protect the miners. It seems reasonable.”

  Al shook his head. “Nothing was reasonable about it.” The king rubbed a hand over his weary eyes. “There was no trace of what attacked them. There were streaks of blood, but that was it. No clothing, no body parts. Nothing. Just pick axes and what they had managed to mine before they were attacked.”

  Alferug grunted thoughtfully and stroked his beard as he moved to lean against the desk. Al quickly pointed to the chair at the desk and Alferug nodded his thanks as he sat down. “I am afraid there isn’t much in the bestiary that will help.”

  “Nothing about creatures that live in the underground?”

  Alferug set the book on the desk. “Plenty about that,” he corrected. “I have a list of terrible creatures as well as some that are friendly to elves and dwarves. However, all accounts say that the depths below Roegudok Hall are a special place. None of the creatures listed in the bestiary can survive here. The one exception being cavedogs, of course. So, unless they smelled wild cavedogs, I am not sure what your animals found down there.”

  “Something provoked them,” Al said. “They were as wary as if we were marching into battle. You could see it in their eyes, and the way they moved. They were ready to fight.”

  “It is a mystery I cannot solve, I am afraid.”

  Al nodded and sighed. “Then I hope the guards are enough,” he said.

  Alferug changed the subject. “What did you find in the way of treasure?”

  “Diamonds, and a modest vein of gold ore.”

  “That is impressive,” Alferug said. “Enough to help?”

  Al nodded. “For a while. It wasn’t a very large amount, and certainly won’t go as far as six fully productive mines would in buying food for the winter and helping us get Roegudok Hall running properly again.”

  “It will come,” Alferug assured him with a soft smile. “Every king has challenges to face, my lord. In fact, only the best of kings are given so much adversity in their days. Only under the weight of challenges can you become the great king you are destined to be. It’s like producing a diamond. Without pressure, there is no gem.”

  Al shook his head. “My father was a far better king than I could ever hope to be, and he never had to face things like this.”

  Alferug shrugged. “One cannot know the plans of fate until they have traveled along the winding path,” he said, quoting an ancient elvish proverb.

  “Do you think the creature might have attacked because it is drawn to treasure?” Al asked, changing the subject to something more comfortable.

  Alferug stroked his beard and hummed again for a moment before nodding slowly. “You know, that might be the case. From my knowledge of Ancients I have learned a great deal about dragons. For instance, did you know that precious stones and metal actually help them heal and reenergize? Most humans think dragons hoard treasure because of greed, but it isn’t as shallow as that,” Alferug said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “A dragon hoards wealth because he can regenerate while sleeping ins
ide of it. The metals and gems actually sing to the dragon’s soul. It heals not only physical, but magical and emotional wounds. It is conceivable that another creature may also seek treasure for a similar purpose.”

  Al nodded. “Perhaps that is why it attacked them. They were taking its treasure.”

  “You found no sign of the creature?” Alferug inquired.

  Al shook his head. “None.”

  Alferug held up a finger and wiggled his head as he cleared his throat and then ultimately said, “Then I don’t think it wants the treasure. If it did, it would have taken the wealth the miners dug up, but you say everything of value was still there.”

  “Yes, it was just lying on the ground. There was one bag that was lying on its side and empty, but I assumed it had always been empty for inside there was only a fine, pink dust. As if gems had been there before they started mining in the chamber and he hadn’t yet filled the bag.”

  “Pink dust you say?” Alferug asked. “But there were no red or pink gems found?”

  Al shook his head. “No. There was nothing pink in the chamber. Why do you ask?”

  Alferug shrugged. “It may be nothing, but if all the other bags you found had something inside, but this last one had only pink dust, perhaps it did have something that the creature wanted. Maybe that is what it took, and it left the rest of the treasure in the chamber because it had no use for it.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Year 3,407 King’s Era.

  207th year of the reign of Sylus Magdinium, 5th King of Roegudok Hall.

  “So this is it,” King Sylus said as he moved into the rounded tunnel sparkling with pink crystal formations growing upon several columns and walls.

  “We have guards stationed in each mine, just like you asked,” a stout dwarf officer said.