Treachery in the Kingdom

by Dan Zangari

  As the magic clusters in Dith’s hands, the gangolin abruptly stops and a loud sniffing sound echoes across the clearing. It turns its head slowly, looking over its left shoulder, its sharp horns brushing the follicles along its forward limb.

  A snarl forms upon its scaled snout as it spots the conjurer, yet it stands stilled.

  Meanwhile, within the cover of the trees, Cornar hastily motions for the warriors and two thieves to dart forward.

  “No,” Amendal grumbles, having moved to another tree and is comfortably resting against it. “If you dart out there, it will attack; right now it is simply studying him.

  “Dith probably aggravated the last one he encountered.”

  From the party’s view, the magic grows in front of Dith; it forms into an oval shape that has grown slightly larger than the conjurer.

  The gangolin continues to examine the puny conjurer, still holding fast in its glancing stance. After a moment, the gangolin turns around and resumes its rummaging through the debris, swiftly rolling pieces of stone, twice the size of an average man, across the clearing

  Another moment passes when the magic in front of Dith has grown nearly five times larger than the conjurer; the golden-white light courses with streams of grey and charcoal magics in a swirling pattern.

  In that same instant, several more high pitched honking shrills echo from the western side of the ruins.

  The gangolin in front of Dith looks up from the rubble and lets out a single honk then steps away from the conjurer, searching further along the debris leading to the western ruins of the tower.

  As the gangolin moves away from the conjurer, the grey, charcoal and white magics wisp from the growing golden oval and race toward the enormous creature. The magical energies seep into the gangolin, abruptly causing it to turn around with a menacing glare across its scaled snout.

  Enraged by the magic, the gangolin rears up upon its hind legs and stretches its body and neck high into the air; all the while spreading its upper limbs and splaying its claws. It lets out a bellowing cry which echoes across the woodland and the ruins.

  “Now you can run out,” Amendal smirks and closes his eyes, then softly utters the words of a magical incantation.

  With incredible speed, Cornar, the other eight warriors and Dendra dart from the dormant trees while the thieves veil themselves from sight.

  The gangolin in Dith’s magical grasp struggles to lower its body and upper limbs. It attempts to twist but is stop mid-motion. Reluctantly, the enormous creature takes one step forward, coerced by Dith’s magic.

  At that same instant, another gangolin rises above the horizon, climbing on one of the towering ruinous structures to the west; it grips the building with one of its upper limbs, hanging mostly erect.

  On the ground just below it, a third gangolin quickly darts on all fours between the ruined buildings and into the clearing.

  “Surround Dith!” the leading warrior shouts to the others as they near the conjurer and the gangolin gripped in his magical grasp.

  Kalder, Nordal, Midar, Aron and Demsal draw their bows and notch the magically composed arrows. They take their aim at the enormous creature racing toward them.

  The warriors let loose a volley of arrows as the third gangolin darts around the one enthralled by Dith. Each of the arrows sing through the air, and penetrate the scales of the gangolin; erupting in a burst of icy magic which spreads several phineals across the creature.

  The gangolin lets out an agonizing scream and abruptly stops, rearing up upon its hind legs.

  “Push it back!” Cornar shouts and dashes forward, accompanied by Menal, Ordreth and Dendra.

  The three warriors and former guardswoman maneuver around some of the smaller debris and toward the gangolin who is regaining its footing; the dragon-like beast snarls as it eyes its four small opponents rapidly approaching.

  Cornar is the first to reach the creature, and lunges for its nearest claw with his weapons drawn.

  The gangolin quickly reacts to the advancing warrior and swings at him, but Cornar swiftly throws himself sideways, dodging the claw and rolling over on his shoulder then recoiling back toward the beast.

  Menal moves for the opposite limb and swiftly twirls his elven fanisar above his head, pressing upon two indentations along the center of the staffed weapon. In that same instant, the two bladed ends of the weapon fly from the center section of the blade, wildly swinging through the air and connected by thin woven chain.

  As one of the bladed sections strikes against the gangolin’s claw, the magic imbued within it surges across the scales of the creature’s limb.

  Dendra swiftly darts toward the claw that had swatted at Cornar; her blades graze across the follicles of the creature and the magic freezes the thick hairs.

  The gangolin lets out a shirking scream and stumbles backward; as its underbelly is exposed, the warriors near Dith let loose another volley of arrows.

  Icy magic erupts as the arrows impact upon the gangolin’s belly, causing the creature to completely fall backward and land upon the ground just in front of the broken elven archway.

  At that moment, the three advancing warriors and former guardswoman continue their dash forward; another volley of icy arrows races overhead and strikes the fallen gangolin, further debilitating it in shivering spasms.

  Cornar and the others reach the convulsing creature within several seconds: The leading warrior extends both of his weapons as he comes within a phineal’s reach of the gangolin, piercing it along its side.

  Ordreth strikes the creature in a similar fashion, while Dendra twirls her blades to face downward and stabs between the gangolin’s scales with her left blade then jumps to impale her other weapon higher than the first; she swiftly removes her left weapon and ascends the side of the gangolin.

  Menal moves directly for the creature’s short tail, which is flailing about on the ground. The former Guardian of Soroth swings a portion of his broken apart fanisar and strikes the tail, causing it to abruptly stop from the freezing magic. Menal then completely spins around and twirls his weapon in the air, causing the other end to fly toward one of the gangolin’s rear legs, which is thrashing about in the air.

  As the warriors continually strike the beast, Dendra completely ascends to the gangolin’s belly, darts across it and toward the enormous creature’s neck. Just as she reaches the neck, the gangolin reels sideways, away from the warriors and further toward the ruins. Feeling the movement, the former guardswoman quickly throws herself forward and digs her weapons into the creature’s scales; holding on to her hilts tightly as the gangolin reels.

  Letting out another shrieking shrill, the gangolin rolls over on its other side and onto all fours; with Dendra pulling herself up along the side of the creature’s neck.

  Just as this is happening, dozens of sharp icy shards race from the tree line and through the air, speeding over the heads of the warriors engaged with the gangolin. The icy magic rapidly penetrates the enormous creature, causing it to further stumble backward and into the western side of the ruined archway.

  The broken arch gives way as the gangolin falls against it, and the beast agonizingly gasps for air as the freezing magic penetrates beneath its scales.

  Each of the three warriors watch the magic as it impacts upon the gangolin, as well as Dendra holding tightly to the neck of the enormous creature.

  The gangolin groans in pain and falls limp, laying on its side against the remains of the arch, its arms spread wide and its head resting level to the ground.

  Once the gangolin ceases moving, the former guardswoman swiftly pulls herself to the thick maroon mane and to a spot along it between the two horns. She rapidly thrusts her weapons through the thick hairs and into the skull of the beast.

  In reaction to the penetrating metal and magic, the gangolin lets out a scream and Dendra continues to strike the enormous creature.

  At that same moment, freezing magic washes over the three on looking warriors and a large shard of
ice, nearly fifteen phineals long, flies over head and toward the wounded gangolin. With incredible speed it pierces the side of the gangolin’s chest.

  In response to the magical assault, the gangolin jolts and rolls over on its back, throwing Dendra off and out of view of the others. Immediately thereafter, the enormous creature lays limp with an agonizing expression across its scaled snout.

  “Come with me!” Cornar shouts to Menal and Ordreth.

  Each of the three warriors dash across the clearing and toward the gangolin’s lifeless body. As they approach, Dendra emerges from around the out stretched claws of the beast, staggering in her gait and limping.

  As the three warriors reach Dendra, loud cracking sounds resonate in the air to the west.

  Meanwhile, as Cornar and the others were engaging the gangolin that had charged on the ground at them, four large portals open up around Dith and the coerced gangolin. Three of the mystical doorways rise over thirty phineals in height while the other is more than twice the size of an average man.

  Large bluish-white fingers break the edge of each of the three large portals, follow by jagged muscles composed mostly out of ice. After a brief moment, the rest of the three large conjurations emerges; their forms are humanoid, and made up of ice and white stone, with jagged shards of ice protruding from their bodies.

  Each of the three icy conjurations gaze beyond the coerced gangolin and to the enormous creature hanging on the side of the ruins.

  In that same instant, the hanging gangolin leaps from the side of the towering ruinous structure; it crashes into a single wall of another ruined building, demolishing the thick stone wall. The enormous creature swiftly rises from the rumble and lumbers across the ruined foundations and toward the battle.

  Seeing this, the three icy elemental conjurations slowly step across the clearing, quickening their pace as they move.

  At this same moment, a similar icy creature emerges from the smaller portal and takes up a guarding position around Dith and the warriors launching their arrows at the gangolin fighting Cornar and the others.

  After a moment, the three large icy conjurations are darting forward at a light jog and intercept the last of the gangolins in a brutal melee.

  The enormous beast swipes its claw at the icy conjurations, barely scraping across their frozen surfaces while the chilling behemoths punch the gangolin with their icy fists.

  As the conjurations engage the gangolin, Kalder briefly looks to the warriors at his side, “Midar, Hemrin, follow me! The rest of you keep firing at that beast fighting Cor!”

  With their bows still in their hands, Kalder, Midar and Hemrin dart around the gangolin in Dith’s magical grasp and run toward the conjurations dueling with the other enormous creature.

  Once within a hundred phineals of the tumultuous battle, the warriors each stop in unison and draw their magically composed arrows, swiftly notching them and letting them loose.

  The icy arrows erupt against the furry scales of the gangolin, further allowing the conjurations to assault the beast.

  Kalder and the others with him continue to unleash their arrows and after a brief moment, the conjured creatures suppress the gangolin to the ground and repeatedly pound upon its back.

  One of the icy conjurations swiftly moves around to the front of the gangolin and grabs its horns, causing the beast to cry out in pain from the chilling grasp. Without hesitation, the icy elemental raises the beast by the horns and rapidly twists the gangolin’s head; loud cracking sounds echo in the air as the creature’s head is completely turned upside down.

  With the life of their foe extinguished, the three conjurations let go of the gangolin and its head falls to the ground.

  Just as the gangolins fighting the warriors conjurations lets out their last agonizing groans, the creature enthralled by Dith’s magic reaches the threshold of the portal. It struggles to break free of the young conjurer’s dominating effect; nevertheless, the gangolin cannot completely resist Dith’s influence and the enormous creature touches the edge of the portal.

  Within a moment, the gangolin is sucked through the mystical threshold, completely disappearing from sight within the portal.

  Letting out a loud sigh of relief, Dith relinquishes the magic and collapses to the ground and hangs his head low as Cornar, the two warriors and former guardswoman approach from the slain gangolin’s corpse, with Dendra hoisted between the younger warriors’ shoulders.

  “That was quite daring Dendra,” Cornar remarks and glances to the former guardswoman, “You’ve definitely proven your worth.”

  Chuckling, Dendra responds through winces of pain, “It was sure exhilarating. I’ve never done anything so exciting!”

  “You’ll get used to it,” Nordal smirks, “Now, I’d like to see one of those heads mounted in that retreat.”

  “It wouldn’t even fit in the lobby,” Menal amusingly retorts.

  Several of the other warriors laugh and each of the combatants come near the weakened conjurer while the two thieves unveil themselves from their cloaks.

  “Did it work?” Cornar asks and steps to Dith’s side, reaching his hand out toward him.

  “Yes,” the young conjurer gasps.

  At this same moment, Hagen, Hex, Amendal and Nilia emerge from the tree line; the senior mages briskly walk while Nilia jogs toward Cornar and the others.

  The leading warrior stares at the three elder mages and waits for them to come into earshot before addressing the entire expedition.

  “Now that that is over with, let’s find a suitable place to set up camp; Menal, you and Nemral go search the ruins.”

  “That building beyond the arch will do,” Nemral speaks up.

  “We’ll go check it out now,” Menal says and he quickly turns around, motioning for the thief to follow him.

  As the thief and warrior leave, Cornar continues to address the others, “I want to harvest the meat from one of the gangolins we killed. Amendal, can you conjure something to help us remove that creature’s scales?”

  “Yes!”

  “Alright, we’ll need to hurry. I doubt those were the only creatures in the area. Nordal and Midar will oversee that and start preparing the meat to be shipped back to the White Duchess.

  “Dith, when you’re ready, open a portal back to the ship and grab Remnillia.

  “And lastly,” Cornar looks to his nephew, “We need to start exploring the ruins. Ordreth, take Sharon, Hem and Demsal with you. See if you can find anything that has magical properties. Just gather what you can find then come back to the camp. If we’re not in that building, we’ll leave Nemral behind to guide you to us.”

  * * * * *

  Later that evening, at the pylon initially discovered by Nemral and Tilthan, twenty eight men and women emerge from invisibility; each are dressed in warm camouflaging clothing with camping gear upon their backs. At their head is Alnese, accompanied by Maurin.

  “They stopped here,” Alnese states as she kneels to examine the rising slope leading to the pylon.

  “Search the area!” Maurin calls out to the others behind her and Alnese; many of which were in Dorith’s home on the evening after Iltar’s trial.

  As the other twenty six men and women disperse from the area surrounding the pylon, Maurin kneels down next to Alnese, studying the faint tracks made by Cornar and his companions.

  “This is strange,” Alnese comments and takes in a deep breath, “Why would they be going to the ruins?”

  “Perhaps they believe something there can help them,” Maurin responds and rises up into a hunched position then follows the tracks toward the pylon.

  A moment of silence passes when one of the men calls out from the far side of the pylon, “I found several deep tracks! They’re moving almost completely eastward.”

  Jarred from the report, Alnese rises from the ground and quickly walks up the slope and past the pylon.

  “Ralic,” Alnese calls out, “You and Kedal keep following the tracks. The rest of you stay he
re.”

  With a strained expression upon her face, Alnese turns around and studies the nearest curving face of the pylon.

  “I doubt it is in working order,” Maurin states as she comes to Alnese’s side.

  “It only needs to be connected to the roadway and the Melar Spire,” Alnese narrows her eyes and touches the surface of the pylon then utters a phrase in elvish: “Rellous Shredalim Cidom.”

  Immediately thereafter, a small curving diamond shape becomes illuminated on the pylon’s surface; the stone within the shape dissolves and turns to dust, creating a hole almost as deep as an average man’s thumb.

  “See,” Maurin chuckles, “It doesn’t even open correctly.”

  “I just need it opened,” Alnese states then un-slings a small pack upon her back. She quickly rummages through it and pulls out a squared finger-sized magical device; it is a grayish-red with slanted square shapes along its side, which pulse with golden-orange magical light.

  Without a word, Alnese quickly inserts the device into the curving diamond shaped opening. A soft clicking sound resonates from the pylon and Alnese lets go of the device, whose magical light has changed to a rapidly pulsing lime green.

  Returning to her pack, Alnese pulls another device from it; this second object is palm sized and is a shallow beige dome. She quickly places it squarely against the first device and steps back.

  “I doubt this will work,” Maurin remarks, “This monolith is far too old. It’s been inactive since the dawn of the Great War.”

  “We will just have to see,” Alnese smiles to Maurin then grabs the second device and places it on the ground. She immediately touches its center and the magical object lets out a soft resonating hum.

  In that same instant, a plethora of magical light erupts from the domed device; it weaves through the air around the object then quickly forms into a magically re-created landscape of the immediate area of the Melar forest. It is filled with tiny leafy trees and small golden towers resembling the enormous pylon. Between the towers is a path which slightly winds and turns toward the north, stopping at a pointed arch within a clearing that houses miniature elegant structures resembling the ruins found by Cornar and the others. Within the upper levels of the structure directly behind the arch are twelve blue specks of light, with eight others paired in fours and scattered around the other magically re-created buildings.