Shadowbane: Age of Aelfborn

by Paul Francois

  Honoria added wood to the fire, intrigued by the tale. Megildur then changed the subject and became somber.

  “In my madness, while I was experiencing physical and mental anguish, I had a nightmare.” Megildur continued. “I was screaming at my Desert Flower, Zabrina. I am not even sure why, but it made me feel awful. I was dripping in sweat when I awoke. It was so real. Do you think she will forgive me?”

  Scyleia countered, “There is nothing to forgive. Love is unconditional.” Silence befell the group.

  Honoria pulled out the small harp Vanya gave her. She began to tell the tale of Beregund Bladeseeker. His first quest to recover Shadowbane from the Dwarf stronghold occurred over a thousand years ago during the Age of Days. Beregund slayed Giants, crushed a deadly serpent, and decapitated an acrimonious drake in order to recover Shadowbane. The tale gave Megildur courage that he could succeed. He felt that if Beregund could accomplish such a task by himself, the Aelfborn could also succeed with the help of his newfound companions. Of course, Honoria left out the part where Ithriana betrayed Beregund by poisoning him. She felt Megildur did not need any discouragement.

  “Thank you for that tale, Honoria,” Megildur said after the Bard finished her story of Beregund. “We should try to get some sleep. We need to try to recover some of our lost time tomorrow, if our crippled Thief can endure.” Gaal did not look pleased with Megildur’s jab at the Shade’s demise. “I will take first watch and I will wake Honoria after a few hours.” Honoria agreed and the three of them rolled out their beds to prepare for sleep. Megildur began his patrol. He made a wide circle around the camp during his patrol so he could give his friends a chance to get some rest without disturbing them. He also let the campfire diminish to a low flame, so it would not attract any undesirables.

  Megildur leaned against a rock, envisioning what his life would be like once this quest was over. He pictured Zabrina in a silk dress, sitting on the grass with him. Her golden hair was flowing in the breeze and he would rub his hands across her body.

  Before he froze to the rock he leaned against, he noticed a light off in the distance. This snapped the Aelfborn out of his daydream. The glow was faint but looked like a campfire. The others had been asleep for several hours and it was almost time for him to trade guard duty with Honoria, so he decided to wake her.

  Megildur whispered, placing his hand on Honoria’s shoulder. “Honoria, it’s your turn to keep watch on the camp.”

  Honoria grumbled, “What? Oh, okay, I am getting up.” Once she was awake and ready for her shift as guard, she joined Megildur just outside the camp perimeter. He stared at the light in the distance. “What are you looking at?”

  “I see light over there,” Megildur replied. “I think it might be another camp, but the question is, are they friendly or hostile?” Honoria looked concerned over the thought of the inhabitants being hostile. “I am going to sneak up on the camp and see what they are doing. You stay and watch the others.”

  “Are you sure you do not want me to wake the others?” Honoria asked Megildur. “Gaal can sneak up on the camp using his invisibility.”

  “No, he needs his rest,” Megildur retorted. “Besides, if I am to be High King one day I need to know what danger I am placing someone in when I give the command for them to do this very same act.” He raised his eyebrows at Honoria. “I’ll be right back.”

  They stood three times taller than the average man and their skin was pure white, like the snowy environment they lived in. Their hair and beards were a pale bluish-white color, giving them the appearance of frostbite. Many wielded gigantic clubs and hammers with their colossal muscles. Storm Giants! His father told him stories of these enormous inhabitants of Aerynth. He found a boulder to hide behind so he could maintain a safe distance and still observe the giants. Watching, he discovered there were several giants in the camp and they were cooking some beast, or at least that is what it looked like. They cooked an animal above the campfire, until the giants decided to devour it rare and still bloody. These colossal beings proceeded in tearing the limbs off their meal. They appeared to have veracious appetites, only exceeded by their immense strength. Megildur decided he had enough of both information, and disgust, from watching their eating habits. He crept back to his camp to find Honoria, nervously awaiting his return.

  Honoria inquired, “What did you find? Were they hostile, like everything else in Aerynth?”

  “I found a camp of Storm Giants,” Megildur replied. “And I did not stay around long enough to ask them if their intentions were hostile or not.” Honoria scowled at Megildur for his attempt at humor. “I believe we are safe, so long as they do not know we are here. Keep your eyes on the camp from here and be sure to patrol the perimeter occasionally. I am going to get some sleep, if I can.” Megildur joined the others, huddled around the dwindling campfire, still fast asleep. He thought if they made good time tomorrow, they could reach Korvambar, the Dwarf safehold, by nightfall. With all the trouble they encountered so far on this journey, he wondered about finding Shadowbane inside the Halls of Haganduur. He heard tales of Thieves infiltrating the Halls of Haganduur but no tales of the Thieves making it back out alive. Maybe they would be the first, maybe?

  CHAPTER 30: Korvambar

  Gaal cheered, “Good morning, Lord Megildur!” The Shade was standing over him.

  Megildur grumbled, “Good morning, Gaal.” He was still trying to wake up. “Besides being one of those annoying morning people, how are you feeling and where’s Honoria?”

  Gaal boasted, “I feel strong enough to steal from all of Aerynth. Honoria is still patrolling the camp.”

  Megildur examined his surroundings; he was still worried what would happen if those Storm Giants discovered his companions. With everyone being this alive and energetic, the group just might be able to reach the Dwarf safehold by sunset. Of course, they could just be active to stay warm, but that was even more reason to accelerate to their destination.

  Megildur rallied everyone to one location, he wanted to get going. “Now that our Thief friend is feeling better, we need to push forward and see if we can make it to Korvambar by sunset. It would be easier to sneak inside under the veil of darkness,” Megildur commented. All were in agreement. “So let’s grab our gear and head out.” In moments, everyone packed and continued on to Korvambar.

  Since Gaal’s ankle had fully healed, the group made good time. They all decided to continue instead of stopping at midday. Fortunately, they did not encounter any more beasts or giants, at least not today. Before they knew it, they had traveled all day without stopping. Megildur noticed Gaal’s stomach growling so loud, he worried it might attract unwanted attention.

  The sun started to fall behind the snowy range. Even though darkness filled the valley, the travelers could see an aura emanating ahead of them, growing in intensity. The group was unsure what could produce that much light, except a safehold. They all decided to climb atop a small hill and crouch down to survey the light ahead.

  Megildur reached the top of the hill and could see the safehold, he gasped, “Korvambar!” The brilliance and magnitude of the Dwarven safehold impressed the Aelfborn and his cohorts. The walls that secured the compound were stone but embellished with gold markings of the Dwarf guild. At the safehold’s back was a dormant volcano. So the story goes, Thurin chose this spot for his stout offspring due to its heat source. Even though the volcano is dormant, an abundant source of lava still flows within. The Dwarves tap this rich heat source to keep their forges operational. Night and day, they work deep within the planet’s crust. Megildur spotted an opening in the volcano. “That’s the entrance into the Halls of Haganduur. We need to get through the compound in order to access the doors leading into the Halls of Haganduur.”

  Gaal exclaimed, “I never knew a race so small could produce such a majestic safehold!” He was busy ogling the Dwarves golden adornments.

  “It may be majestic, but it’s well fortified,” Megildur replied. “We will remain here lon
g enough to determine the best time to sneak inside their safehold. Honoria and I will use our invisibility cloaks and Gaal of course can sneak in using his own invisibility powers. We will be unable to see one another and will stop when no Dwarves are around. We must make sure we are all still within range of one another. Look for a stronghold deep inside, since I doubt they would store Shadowbane in an unprotected armory.” Megildur turned to Scyleia. “I will need you to watch our backs. Stay here and guard this spot. Also if they should capture us, you may have to save us again.” He could see her disappointed expression about not accompanying them inside.

  The gate into the compound was easy enough. Dwarves coming and going made it effortless for the trio. Inside the gate, they found a small stable to gather. The sound of the animals muffled their voices. The stable gave the perfect view to the massive doors leading inside the volcano. This was their target, now it was all a waiting game.

  Gaal hissed, “Megildur, the doors to the Halls of Haganduur are opening! It looks like they are exchanging the guards. This is our chance to sneak inside.”

  “I agree,” Megildur whispered. “Now, once we are past the doors we all need to stop when it’s clear.” Honoria and Gaal nodded and vanished from sight. Megildur pulled his invisibility cloak over his head.

  All Scyleia could do now was watch and hope they made it inside before the giant doors closed. They remained open for a few minutes longer, until the exchange of guards finished. The massive doors collided shut with one another, causing a resounding bang.

  Megildur did manage to make it inside before the doors slammed shut, but he was unsure of the others. He waited until the last of the Dwarves were out of sight before pulling his cloak down and revealing his location. “Honoria, Gaal, did you both make it inside?”

  Gaal grumbled, popping out of his rogue stealth. “Yes I did. Now, can you move off my foot?”

  Megildur chuckled, “Oh, sorry. I did not see you there. Where’s Honoria?”

  Honoria murmured, “I made it in, but Gaal pinned me against the wall!” She pulled down her cloak. “Get off me, you oaf!”

  “Alright, we need to keep our heads here, or the Dwarves will take them!” Megildur interrupted before Gaal and Honoria had a chance to pursue their argument. “We also need more room to explore down here, if we are going to find where they are holding Shadowbane. Gaal, you follow that far wall and stop before going down any major halls. Honoria, take the wall we are next to. I will stay in the middle of this hall and watch for any Dwarves. If it is clear at the intersections, I will lift my cloak and make contact. If I do not, then assume someone is coming. Everyone ready?” Both Honoria and Gaal nodded and once again vanished from sight.

  Megildur pulled his cloak over and proceeded down the middle of the hall. The dimly lit halls made it easier for the trio to sneak past the Dwarves undetected. When he came to the first intersection he looked both ways down the shorter halls and found no guards. Megildur pulled back his cloak revealing just his head and whispered. “I doubt they would leave it in an unprotected area so close to the entrance. We are looking for a heavily guarded room deeper inside these halls.” He looked further down the main hall to spot another stopping point. “Let’s meet along that railing ahead and get a better view of the area.” Megildur heard both of his companions agree. The railing was a short distance down the main hall and appeared to lead into one massive room. The Aelfborn pulled his cloak back over his head and proceeded down the hall.

  Once they reached the railing, Megildur discovered staircases to the left and right of their location, leading down to the floor below. When he looked past the railing, he could see a massive room. The chamber was so large he could fit his small village inside here, several times over in fact. In the center of the room was a stone statue of a bearded man in front of an anvil. The statue wielded a blacksmith’s hammer in the right hand and the left hand was empty. However, the left hand was different from the right. The left hand was silver and metallic, which made it stand out from the stone.

  Honoria whispered from under her cloak, bumping into Megildur, “Thurin! He is the God of Forge and Craft, the same one who crafted Shadowbane for the Elves in the Age of Twilight. He is the Father of the Dwarves, shaping the race in his image during Aerynth’s creation.”

  Gaal chuckled, “He used a distorted image back then, cause he looks a lot taller than the Dwarves.” He was still invisible, somewhere around Megildur.

  Honoria lashed back at Gaal, “Hold your tongue, you blasphemous fool! That’s all we need right now is for a God to spite us down at one of his own shrines.”

  “Both of you need to hold your tongues!” Megildur interjected. “This is a mission requiring stealth, not a religious debate! Now, we need to get to that large hallway behind the statue.”

  Gaal gasped, “You mean the one that has nearly a dozen Dwarf guards?”

  “Where else do you think they would put something so valuable?” Megildur asked the terrified Shade. “Do you want to wait for us outside? Honoria and I will recover Shadowbane.”

  Gaal snapped, “Of course not!”

  “Good, cause I need you to draw the guards away,” Megildur replied.

  Gaal panicked at Megildur’s suggestion, “What? Are you insane? Dwarves may be short but they are strong! They would like nothing more than to rip apart a Thief found in their stronghold!”

  Megildur responded, “I am sure that would please them. However, we need to get past those guards and into that hallway. I am certain their armory is there, since most of their people guard it. What else would they guard so dearly?” Megildur took a deep breath and decided to change tactics from pleading with Gaal to flattering his ego. “Besides, you’re the one with stealth and sabotage skills.”

  Gaal boasted, “That much is true.” A few moments of silence later, and a deep breath, the Shade spoke. “Alright, I will do it. Stay here and you will know when I have their attention.”

  Megildur whispered into the air, “Thank you my friend.” He did not know if the Thief was still near him or if he had already departed. He watched the Dwarf guards for any sign of Gaal. Megildur noticed a pitcher float from its pedestal and follow a nearby guard patrolling the area. The container smashed into the guard’s head and Gaal revealed himself to the other Dwarves.

  “Could you point me to the nearest tavern, my short little friend?” Gaal taunted the guards.

  “Stop the abomination!” One of the Dwarf guards roared, charging the Shade. Gaal took this as his cue to turn and run down a newly discovered hallway opposite of the one Megildur needed to get into.

  “That’s the opportunity we need,” Megildur commented. “Let’s move down the stairs on the right.” The Aelfborn proceeded down the stairs hoping Honoria was still beside him. He cautiously reached the bottom of the winding staircase and examined the area for any Dwarf opposition. He crept forward toward the grand hallway and found Gaal had successfully cleared the section. Just before reaching the lone door in the hall, he ran into an unseen object. “Honoria, is that you?”

  Honoria whispered, “Yes, I was waiting for you before peeking inside. Are you ready?”

  “Ready as I will ever be,” Megildur answered. “Let’s get inside before more Dwarves arrive.” He watched as Honoria forced open the door revealing an even darker room. He waited a moment, for Honoria to have enough time to make it through the doorway, and then he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Megildur exclaimed, removing his invisibility cloak, “This is no armory!” For as far as he could see, this vast room contained barrels upon barrels. “It’s a storage hold.”

  Honoria pulled back her cloak. She opened the spout on a nearby barrel, emptying the liquid into her hands, and tasting the contents. “Ale, these barrels must be full of Dwarven brewed ale!” There must have been over a hundred barrels in just the first row where they stood. Determining the height of the ceiling and depth of the walls, there were thousands of more barrels that filled the room.


  “Well I heard the Dwarves enjoyed their ale,” Megildur declared. “But I thought they would value their forges and armory higher than their drink!” Megildur leaned back against a barrel near him, amazed and shocked, trying to contemplate his next move.

  “We do value our forges and armory more than the drink, which is why you will never see them, half-breed!” A shadowy figure bellowed from the now open doorway behind Honoria. The figure stepped forward along with other shadowy figures of the same height, one wielding a torch that revealed them all. The Dwarves had found them. “Does this abomination belong to you?” Another Dwarf dragged Gaal into the room by the back of his shirt, bruised and bloody. Megildur and Honoria went to Gaal’s side. “We were about to slit his throat when I realized a Thief would not so blatantly reveal himself, unless he was just a distraction for other Thieves. Now, instead of killing all of you and allowing you to just return to your own safeholds, I will force all three of you to work for me, mining minerals deep inside the world.” The Dwarf tilted his head back and began laughing at Megildur and his companions. This angered Megildur beyond control. He reached past one of the Dwarf guards and grabbed a loose board from a barrel.

  “Noooo!” Megildur screamed out, swinging the board with all his might. He knocked the chuckling Dwarf to the ground. The Aelfborn used the board to knockdown another unsuspecting Dwarf, before two other guards retaliated by beating down Megildur with large wooden clubs. Honoria took her Nephilim form and knocked several Dwarves against the barrels before more of them tackled her and held her arms behind her back. She returned to her Human form, slightly battered. Even more Dwarf guards entered from the hallway and began dragging Megildur and his companions out of the storage area.

  The lead Dwarf bellowed, “Wait! You can take the wench and the abomination to the mines. I will torture this half-breed with my own hands for his treachery!” The Dwarf securing Megildur dropped his semi-lifeless body to the stone floor, leaving the lead Dwarf to exact his revenge. Megildur, who now laid face down on the floor, was defenseless when the Dwarf stood over his back and unsheathed a golden dagger from his waist. The Dwarf grabbed Megildur by the back of his hair and dragged the blade down his back. “If you try that again half-breed, I will torture your friends, and make you watch!”