Alexander nodded gratefully.
“If’n ye don’t mind,” Brick offered, “I’d like to try me hand at it?”
“Of course, master dwarf. Be my guest.”
Brick walked up to the block of stone, which was taller than he was. It was roughly 12 feet tall, and maybe 5 feet wide and deep. He laid both his hands on it, then turned his head as if listening to it speak. Alexander watched with his mage sight as the dwarf explored the rock with tendrils of silvery magic that traveled through cracks and fractures, learning the stone.
Beautiful!
Then Brick began to move his hands across the stone, following a fissure that ran the length of the block. He moved his hands apart, and with a crack the block separated into two roughly equal pieces.
Repeating the process on the left hand block, Brick again separated it in half lengthwise, giving him two pieces 12 feet high and just over a foot wide. He looked to the wizard, who nodded encouragingly. As Brick began to work on one of the pedestals, Fitz levitated the remaining large half of the original block to an out of the way spot near the wall by the stables. Alexander had raised much more than they needed, but he was sure they’d find a use for the stone.
Alexander continued to watch Brick work. He sent out word in group chat for the others to come watch too, if they weren’t busy. Max had apparently gone out into the city, but Lainey and Sasha came to sit next to Alexander. He begged Fitz to cast mage sight on the two ladies, so that they could observe the beauty of Brick’s magic. Fitz nodded and complied. Both girls gasped as they got the first look at magic in general, and especially the beautiful fluid silvery magic Brick was using.
Obsidian is very hard, brittle stone that was favored for primitive weapons for those qualities. It was relatively easy to chip off a sharp chunk and use it as an arrow head or knife blade. The dwarf instinctively knew the history of the obsidian. It was born in lava, deep below the earth, in liquid heat and pressure. Brick was also a blacksmith; he knew heat, and the shaping of heated metals. As Brick ran hands over the stone, he returned it to its original form, making it flow and reform into the shape he willed it before cooling to harden again. He made the column thicker and heavier at the base for the lower two feet, then he rounded and smoothed the rest. He must have pulled some sand from the earth below and mixed it into the rock in swirling patterns, the sand melting into glass. When he stepped back after about 10 minutes, there stood two columns of beautifully polished dark stone with swirls of silvery glass that glinted in the morning light.
The ladies gasped, and Lainey actually had tears in her eyes. “Brick! You’re an artist! They’re beautiful!” And that silver magic you made!” she said, jumping up to hug him.
“Indeed, master dwarf.” Fitz sounded impressed. “You truly are an artist. I’ve rarely seen such beauty, even from the dwarves of Broken Mountain, who are masters of earth and stone.”
“Thank ye, master.” Brick bowed to Fitz. “Twas you who opened me eyes and gave the me this gift.”
“You are most welcome, Brick. I would be happy to teach you more as time allows. You are a promising student.”
“Now! Alexander, you’ve had plenty of time to rest. Let’s finish this” the wizard pointed toward the columns.
Alexander lifted the left column and set it in a spot indicated by the wizard. The stone floor of the courtyard liquefied again, and he sank the column down two feet, until the wide base was flush with the paving stones. He then moved the other column twenty feet to the right, and repeated the process.
“Good. Now, watch carefully, all of you. I’m going to infuse each column with specific elements of earth, air, light, and dark magic. I will go slowly, so you can observe how I blend them, and I will do this twice.”
The wizard proceeded to infuse the first pillar. He first used earth magic to reach down and tie the column to the power of earth, giving it a source of magic to draw from and creating a sort of ‘battery’ in the wider base under the surface. He then repeated the process, instructing the surface of the column to draw air magic from the wind as it passed. Alexander could not see a physical source for either the light or dark magic, but he could tell that the wizard had ‘programmed’ the stone to gather them as well, though in much, much smaller quantities.
They all watched closely then as he tied the four forms of magic together into inscriptions he created on the stone that looked initially like ancient celtic runes. Alexander could tell they were less of a language, and more about a physical representation of intent. He could read instructions for the formation of the portal: its size, a sphere roughly 20 feet in diameter; compression of the energy sphere into an infinitely thin event horizon, creating gravity that was directed in upon itself to create a sort of black hole; energy of the hole was directed toward another location (presumably the Broken Mountain?) in coordinates using a complex formula including vectors for direction and speed, adjusters for the rotation and gravity of the moon itself and nearby bodies; and some sort of time suspension that made the travel instantaneous. It all made Alexander want to go home and read up on quantum physics.
When it was over, the wizard took a break and asked for a snack before he did the next one. Alexander didn’t blame him. I’m exhausted just watching. Sasha brought everyone what amounted to sausage and cheese sandwiches. They sat and ate in silence, the four friends trying to process what they’d seen.
“Any questions?” Fitz looked at them individually.
“Aye,” Brick was thoughtful, “but if ya don’t mind, I’d like ta watch it again, then noodle it a bit before I ask?”
Alexander nodded his head in agreement. “I’ll ask one now, though. The light and dark magic. Where do they draw from?”
“Very astute! Most new students don’t reach that level of understanding for years. I’m proud of you, boy, so I’ll tell you plainly. There is a bit of light and dark magic in everything. They are basically the essence of matter, tiny amounts of each one balancing each other’s forces. Think of them as creation and destruction. They are extremely powerful. This is why holy spells like Brick’s paladin spell Lay on Hands are so powerful. Their opposite nature is why holy spells and weapons are so effective against demons and the undead. In those creatures, the balance is slightly off. They have a larger element of dark magic.”
“At any rate, I’ve drifted off topic. Light and dark magic are the most powerful. Small amounts are all that are needed for our purposes here. They are a… regulator, rather than a source of power, keeping in balance the wild nature of portal magic. So I instructed the stone to draw miniscule amounts from everything around it. Small enough not to unbalance anything, and easily recharged.”
“Thank you, Fitz. That was very informative.”
Hearing no other questions, the wizard went to work on the second column. Again the friends all watched, and learned what they could of the process. Alexander thought he had a better understanding of the instructions, if not the math required to establish them. When he was finished, Fitz asked them to hand over their guild amulets. Alexander watched is he programmed in what looked like a trigger or authorization code, along with two sets of origination and destination coordinates. Presumably so that they could “dial” the portal both directions.
“As you are all just learning the basics of magic, I’ve programmed your amulets with the activation and deactivation spells. At the moment, we have only one destination programmed. Later we can add more as necessary.” He handed them back their amulets. He then programmed several more and handed them to Sasha. “Exchange these with Max, Lydia, and her husband. I’ll deliver one to the king. They are also all attuned to the wards around the compound. When you need to activate the portal, or modify the wards, simply make physical contact with your amulet, and focus on your instructions.”
“If you have no other questions at this time, I’m a bit tired. Some noisy children woke me up just after dawn, and an old man needs his sleep!” He winked at Sasha.
“Thank yo
u, Fitz. For all of this.” Alexander and the others all bowed slightly to the wizard.
“Bah! Just hurry up and bring me back those dwarven spirits!” He handed Brick a list. “These are the spell components I need.”
Max returned shortly with the giant draft horse pulling their wagon. He drove it into the courtyard and took in the sight of the portal pillars. “We’re to have our own permanent portal? I thought Fitz would just open one for us and come along to open one back! Do you realize the value of this?”
“Indeed. And as time goes on it will only increase as we add the ability to choose other destinations,” Alexander replied.
While Brick ran off to the palace to visit Master Knox and pick up any additional dire wolf pelts available and collect his 250 gold for the original 50 pelts, the rest of the group explained to Max what they’d learned about portal magic and bragged about how awesome Brick’s artistry was. Max was truly impressed with the columns. He also eyed the roughly one ton block of obsidian by the stables. Sasha switched out his medallion with one of the new ones Fitz had made.
When Brick returned, the others agreed he should have the honor of activating the first portal. He was, after all, the trade emissary. Plus, he was wearing plate armor and was most likely to survive if the entire thing exploded. They all stood back as Brick kissed his medallion for luck, and focused on opening the portal to the Broken Mountain.
There was a swirl of color, and a whooshing sound, almost like the sudden decompression of an airlock, and between Brick’s columns, a portal opened. The friends could see the other end let out into a wide stone courtyard. Dwarven warriors, more than 100 of them, who had just a moment ago been sparring with each other, were scrambling to form up into a defensive line across the courtyard, blocking access to the city beyond. Without a word, in unison they slammed their shields into the stone, one overlapping the next, forming an instant shield wall.
Oops.
Nobody knew they were coming. As far as they knew, nobody had used that portal in decades. The group quickly decided Brick should go through first, and they would follow.
Brick stepped through the portal with his hands in the air. He led the horse and the empty wagon behind him, and called out to identify himself.
“I be Brick, Paladin of Durin, and Trade Emissary of King Charles of Stormforge!” he shouted. “I come as a brother, and as a friend!” He motioned behind him at his friends, “These be me friends and guild members!” The rest of the group stepped through the portal behind the wagon, arms up, weapons stowed in their inventories. They stood several feet behind Brick in a line, and tried their best to look friendly.
The shield wall parted briefly, and an ancient dwarf with silver hair and a long braided beard stepped forward from the formation. He approached Brick confidently, looking him up and down. He cast quick glances at the rest of the group, noting their lack of weapons, before returning his focus to the dwarf.
“This be the home of the Broken Mountain Clan!” he growled. “Ye have entered our citadel without warning or permission. Arm yerself!” He lifted his shield and withdrew a hammer much like Brick’s.
Brick tossed the horse’s reins back to Max, and withdrew his shield and hammer from his bag. Setting his feet and raising his own shield, he prepared for an attack. The old dwarf didn’t make him wait, rushing forward to slam his shield into Brick’s. Brick held his pose, but his feet slid backward about a foot, carving gouges in the stone. He retaliated with a swing of his hammer, which the old dwarf block seemingly without effort. The two dwarves began an incredible display of strength and endurance, hammer swing and shield parry, back and forth, neither giving ground or making contact with his foe. After a few minutes, the other dwarves began to beat out a steady rhythm, hammers and swords striking shields. The elder dwarf, never pausing in his rhythm of attack and defense, began to sing what sounded like a war chant in a loud, clear voice. It spoke of honor, loyalty, strength, and the joy of battle. After the first verse, Brick joined in the chant. Still the two dwarves pounded at each other. Soon the rest of the dwarves took up the chant, and the entire courtyard vibrated with the song of a hundred stone-like voices. The friends could feel it in their bones. It was a call to battle, a communion with the earth below, a tribute to their ancestors, and a plea to Durin to give them strength.
Brick and the old dwarf began to glow. Both dwarves grew, or at least it seemed so. They moved faster, hit harder. The display was nothing like Alexander had ever seen.
The song ended, and the elder dwarf took two steps back. Lowering his shield and weapon, and glowering at Brick. Brick lowered his own shield, and saluted the elder, hammer across his heart.
“BWAHAHAHA!” The elder roared. He stepped forward and seized Brick in a massive bear hug, lifting him off his feet. He set the younger dwarf down, and turned to the other dwarves. “A wandering brother has returned home!”
There was a roar of approval. A hundred dwarven weapons struck a hundred shields in unison three times. Then, as if nothing had happened, the dwarves disbursed and went back to their sparring.
Brick motioned his friends forward. “Master Stonehand, these be me friends. Sasha, a Druid healer. Max, a Ranger and a good man despite bein’ half an elf. Lainey, A Valkyrie gifted with the power of Odin’s lightnin’. And Alexander, formerly a great warrior, who has decided to wear a skirt and become a mage.” Grinning at his friends as they each bowed to the elder dwarf, he continued. “Friends, this be Master Stonehand, Elder and War Master of the Broken Mountain Clan, and the man who taught me how to raise a hammer when I first came to this land.”
“Aye, a pathetic wee thing you were! Didn’t know which hand to lift a hammer with! And now you’ve become a paladin of Durin! Though you don’t seem to have grown much…” Master Stonehand eyed Brick up and down.
Brick laughed. “No, it appears not. Though I did manage to grow quite a bit in the last few years, I was reborn when I became a paladin, and Durin saw fit to have me start again.”
“Well, you look good, lad! And you’re home again. With good news, I hope?”
Brick pulled out a dire wolf pelt. “A gift for me mentor. I’ve been sent by the human King Charles to trade with our people. We bring an offer of friendship, and more of these pelts. I am authorized to enter into long term trade agreements. We’ve set up a permanent portal at me guild’s compound in Stormforge.”
The Master examined the pelt, tugged at it to test its toughness, and rubbed the fur against his face. “Dire wolves. Aye, these be worth a bit. They were killed off in these parts centuries ago. What does your human King want in return?”
“ALE!” Brick shouted with glee. “And spirits. He has a taste for both, and has missed them sorely.”
“So, a ruler with good sense, then!” Both dwarves chuckled at that.
Master Stonehand led them across the courtyard and through a massive doorway that led into a large cavern inside the mountain. He called over two young dwarves and spoke quietly to them. One sprinted off toward another set of doors leading deeper into the citadel, while the second one politely retrieved the reins from Max and led the horse and wagon off to one side.
Master Stonehand made small talk with Brick as he led them through doors and down corridors, then across a stone bridge that spanned a crevice about 100 feet wide. As they crossed the bridge, Alexander looked down over the side and felt slightly dizzy. The void below the bridge must have been a thousand feet deep. Alexander could barely make out what looked like a stream of magma flowing along the bottom. The walls on either side were carved with doorways, staircases and balconies going down dozens of levels.
On the other side of the bridge, the features of the corridors began to change. Where before they were just smoothly carved stone, now there were reliefs carved into the stone of the walls depicting scenes of battle, of weapons being forged, and of celebrations of one form or another. Each doorway they passed through was intricately carved with runes and images of dwarven life.
Eventually they reached a great hall with massive stone doors. Each door was 20 feet high and 10 feet in width. The left hand door was carved with an image of Durin, legendary hammer in one hand raised as if to strike. The opposite door depicted a dragon, wings half furled and head back as is poised to breath fire.
As they passed through the great doors, the group found themselves in an expansive chamber with a throne made of black stone at the opposite end. There were massive hearths on either side of the room, with long stone tables and benches running nearly the entire length on each side. Gigantic columns of engraved stone placed every 30 feet held up an impressively carved cathedral ceiling. The group halted, mouths agape, staring at the ceiling. Its carvings detailed an epic battle between an army of dwarves swinging hammers and swords at an endless horde of orcs, goblins, trolls, and other creatures of the dark. The impression was so real that the figures seemed to actually move as one’s gaze shifted.
Their study of the amazing work was interrupted by hearty laughter. “Aye, that be the reaction of most who enter me halls for the first time!” A large red-headed dwarf with a circlet on his forehead walked toward the group. Brick dropped to a knee and bowed his head. The others followed his lead.
“Me King!” Brick simply said.
“Oh, stand up! And welcome to me halls. I be King Thalgrin of the Broken Mountain.” As the group rose, Master Stonehand stepped to the king’s side and spoke quietly into his ear. He held up the dire wolf pelt, which the king took in hand and inspected in much the same way the elder had. He looked at Brick. “Welcome home, lad. Me uncle here tells me you come with an offer from Stormforge?”
Brick bowed his head briefly. “Aye, me King. The human King Charles named me trade emissary and tasked me with establishing both friendship and trade with ye. He remembers with a fondness his time here as a young lad, and most especially our ale and spirits!”
“HA! I remember him as a lad. Me da was still King when he visited. Many a night we spent playing drinking games. He did his race proud!” Thalgrin laughed. He motioned them over to one of the stone tables and took a seat, indicating that they should join him. Servers brought mugs of ale and platters of fruits and pastries. “Our kingdoms have never been close,” he mused, “but we’ve never been enemies, either. What is your impression of him, paladin Brick?”
The Greystone Chronicles: Book One: Io Online Page 26
