Ombra was different than other Black Dragons. He had not told anyone that he was a wizard when he joined the Black Dragons, so they had begun training him as an assassin. He had trained harder and had been much more skilled than most. After nearly a decade of training and assassinations, he had revealed to the guild his magical ability. He was then taken as an apprentice wizard to a Black Dragon wizard. He learned what he could from the wizard, but after only a few months he realized that his master was incompetent. He killed the wizard, taking the only thing of any real value the wizard owned, a shadow cloak. The cloak allowed him to blend into darkness and shadows nearly undetected. He had been one of the most capable assassins in the guild, but a wizard was more useful than an assassin, regardless of how capable. His training as a wizard only enhanced his ability as an assassin and he had needed both to survive.
After the initial encounter with the kobolds, he had begun to wander the tunnels in an attempt to discern where he was. It took a while, but eventually his eyes began to adjust to the low glow of light provided by some kind of moss that covered the walls of the tunnels. He didn’t run into any other kobolds that first day, but he woke sometime the next day to the sound of voices. The kobolds spoke a broken version of common. It was hard to understand, but he was able to interpret some of what was said. Most of it didn’t make any sense to him, but one of them began to talk about the kobolds who had been found dead the day before. This group was out on patrol as a result of that attack. They were blaming the orcs the kobolds had fought a couple of weeks prior.
Ombra began to come up with a plan. If he could get the kobolds to think it was the dwarves who were killing them, he might be able to get the kobolds to attack the dwarves. First, he would need to stack up enough bodies for the kobolds to be forced to action. Then he would use them to find his way back out to Shinestone, where he could exact his revenge on the dwarves. He waited in the darkness of the tunnel, wrapped in the shadow cloak as the kobolds came closer.
When they were about ten paces away, the cave lizard turned toward him. They may not have been able to see him well, but the lizard knew he was there. The kobolds turned in his direction, trying to see what the long lizard was hissing at. Ombra traveled behind them. The kobold holding rear security had turned around to see what the lizard was hissing at as well. He received a dagger in his back. The blade slid into his heart. Ombra leapt forward, ripping his dagger free and bringing it up over his head.
The nearest kobold turned just in time for Ombra's dagger to come down into his face. He threw the dagger at the third kobold, leaving the fourth, who rode on the back of the lizard. He reached out with both hands and released tendrils of black dark energy into the lizard and its rider. Both fell to the floor dead. Ombra dropped to a knee. He had exerted himself magically in the battle with the dwarves and trying to escape. The dark energy had been the last he could summon. He needed rest. He knew he should have used his magic more sparingly, but the lizards made him very nervous.
He moved further up the tunnel, away from where the kobolds had come and found a corner to tuck himself in. He slept fitfully. He wasn’t sure how long he had slept; he had no idea how to tell time down here.
Eventually, when he felt the magic restored, he moved back down the tunnel toward where he had fought the kobolds. The bodies were gone but the lizard had been left. It was covered in different types of bugs, most of which he had never seen before. His stomach began to growl. He was starving. He looked down at the lizard’s carcass. It smelled foul and was covered in bugs, but he had to eat something. He reached down and cut a chunk out of one of the rear legs where the bugs hadn’t mutilated the meat too badly. He skewered the chunk of meat with his dagger and then summoned a very small ball of fire. The fire charred the meat instantly. He figured that if the meat tasted anything like it smelled, burnt would taste better than cooked.
He held his breath and chewed the tough meat. It was very chewy and the sour bitter taste seeped into his mouth with every bite. He could only compare the taste to smells and it tasted like meat that had sat out to long. All in all it tasted spoiled, which it quite possibly could have been. He forced himself to keep eating and struggled to keep it down. He had a small water skin hanging from his waist. He took a few sips and tied it back to his belt. He gave the lizard one last disgusted look before heading down the tunnel in the direction the kobolds had come from.
Ombra passed numerous tunnels that branched off of the main one, but he continued moving straight until the main tunnel stopped and he had to choose left or right. The path to the left headed deeper into the ground, and the one to the right headed back up. He chose the path that led down, away from the dwarven-mountain and presumably toward the kobolds. He had a plan to use the kobolds to get back at the dwarves, but it would require him staying below the mountain even longer.
Ombra continued down the passage, going deeper and deeper into the ground. He walked for what seemed like hours before he finally stopped in a dark corner with none of the glowing moss around. His stomach grumbled when he sat down so he reached into his pouch for a mushroom. Over the last couple of weeks, he had managed to get his hands on some of the kobold’s mushrooms, which were one of the primary staples of their diet. Ombra found it was the only thing to eat down here that didn’t make him want to wretch. After stuffing a couple into his mouth he wrapped himself in his shadow cloak and tried to get some rest.
When he woke up, he continued down the passageway until he finally heard voices. He peeked around the corner and found six kobolds; two of them were riding the cave lizards. He decided not to fight them, but to follow them instead. After following them for a while, one of the cave lizards turned around and came back toward him. He had to use his magic to travel away without being detected. The kobold whipped the lizard with some kind of strap and the lizard turned back around. The kobolds headed down the tunnel and Ombra followed from a greater distance.
The kobolds finally walked into a huge opening. Ombra looked out over a chamber that was at least a mile wide. There were hundreds of small dwellings made of stacked stone and stalagmites so big that they had been carved out and used for homes. Some of them were so large they had two and three levels of windows. Ombra heard another group of kobolds coming down the passage and he ducked into the corner. The patrol passed him and continued into the underground city.
He moved up the tunnel, away from the city. He knew where the kobolds were. Now he could begin his plan. He waited until he heard another patrol coming back. He watched as four kobolds passed; only one of them was riding a cave lizard. The one riding the lizard was in the lead. Ombra waited until they all passed and then jumped out behind the final kobold. He drove his dagger into the back of the kobold’s skull. He was already to the next kobold when the body of the first hit the ground. His arm shot out to the side, cutting into the neck of the kobold as he passed. The next kobold was just turning around when Ombra leapt into the air, driving his dagger into his eye. The cave lizard’s tail came whipping across. He leapt as quickly as he could, but still got his left foot clipped. He hit the ground rolling. The cave lizard’s tail came whipping back at him. He leapt off the wall, spinning over the tail of the cave lizard and tackling the kobold off of its back. He drove one of his daggers into the kobold’s chest. He spun around, preparing for the attack of the cave lizard. With no one to control it, the lizard sprinted off down the passage.
For weeks, Ombra attacked kobold patrols and any kobolds who moved in small groups. He made sure never to attack groups with more than one cave lizard and never groups with more than six kobolds. After what he determined was about two weeks of attacks, the patrols were too big. The kobolds were coming out in groups of ten with two to three cave lizards in each group. The time had come for him to make his move. He worked his way through the city to where he had predicted the leader would be. There was a huge stalactite with five stories of windows. It had the glowing moss growing on all sides. There were two kobolds standing
guard at the only entrance.
Ombra used the magic he had been planning. He wouldn’t be able to hold it for long so he waited until the last second. He moved from shadow to shadow through the city until he was across from the glowing stalactite. He worked the illusion spell. It was a difficult spell and not many wizards took the time to learn it. It used a great amount of energy and you couldn’t do any other magic while you used it. Having trained as an assassin first, Ombra had found numerous uses for the spell. It made it much easier for him to get into places. He didn’t rely on his magic as much as other wizards, so he wasn’t helpless while using it. He used it now to finalize his plan.
He made himself look like a dwarf. When the illusion was complete, he charged across the street. The kobolds on guard were quick. The first leapt forward with a slash. Ombra rolled under the blade. The other kobold had anticipated the maneuver and thrust down with his sword. Ombra was barely fast enough to come out of his roll, leaping over the thrust, but still fast enough to bury his blade in the kobold’s neck. The other kobold swung his sword in a backward slash, but Ombra pulled the kobold around and used him as a shield. He threw his dagger over the dying kobold’s shoulder into the other kobold’s face. He turned and ran into the building. Inside, the stalactite rooms were built along the outside with a single hallway running around a circular staircase in the center. He ran to the staircase and ran to the top. At the top of the staircase was a single door with a kobold standing guard in front of it.
Ombra threw his dagger, trying to finish off the kobold quickly, but this kobold wasn’t like the others. He didn’t try to avoid the attack, but flicked his blade up, deflecting the dagger. Ombra had just thrown one dagger and his other dagger was still in the kobold in front of the building. He reached down, retrieving the dagger from his boot, and moved forward. The kobold began to call out an alarm that Ombra didn’t understand.
The kobold quickstepped forward and feinted a slash at Ombra’s body, but changed direction at the last second, sending his blade down at his knee. He leapt over the blade and swung out with his dagger at the kobold’s arm, but the kobold had a sword and long gangly arms. His dagger cut through air. He hit the ground, rolling away from the kobold. He spun as he came back to his feet. The kobold was closing on him. He knew he had to get in close. This kobold had already surprised him with his ability. He needed to finish him quickly. He didn’t have much longer with his illusion spell and these last couple of weeks would have all been for nothing if he messed this up. He lunged forward. The kobold was forced to slash. Ombra stopped hard the kobold’s blade, cutting through his clothing but not his skin. The kobold’s momentum drove him forward and even attempting to dive off to the side didn’t save him. Ombra grabbed him as he dove by and came down on the kobold’s back. He ran his blade along the gray-skinned humanoid neck. He retrieved his dagger before he entered the room.
Inside the room was a pale green-skinned kobold. He was dressed in some kind of clothing made out of the glowing moss. He wore a necklace around his neck that appeared to be gold-plated mushrooms.
The kobold in front of him stared in disbelief as Ombra stalked forward. The kobold put his hands out in front of him as Ombra got close. He slammed the kobold on the ground and buried his blade in his shoulder. “This is from Grizzle Stoneheart, King of the Dwarves. This will be your only warning. Shinestone belongs to the dwarves. If you or any other kobold comes anywhere near the surface, we will destroy you and your whole city.”
Ombra heard the sound of yelling and dozens of footsteps as more kobolds came rushing up the stairs to save their leader. He ran to the nearest window and leapt out. He hit the ground, letting his legs give out underneath him as he rolled forward. He reached down and pulled his dagger out of the dead kobold’s face as he ran by the entrance of the building.
His illusion spell ran out before he made it out of the kobold city, but he wrapped his shadow cloak around him. The cloak was enough to allow him to move through the dark underground city without attracting any attention. Once out of the city, he made his way into the tunnels that led up to Shinestone. Over the last couple of weeks, he had been searching those tunnels and had found the tunnels that led to the dwarf city. He had cut out arrows in the glowing moss to lead him. Now it was time that he took his own revenge on the dwarves before the kobolds arrived.
Chapter Six
Trouble in Patria
Anna’s eyes snapped open as she woke up to a hand pressing firmly over her mouth. She reached for the thin tube on the nightstand, but the man on top of her grabbed her arm and pinned it to the bed. The man wearing all black clothing climbed off of her and yanked her out of the bed. The other man bent down and picked up the thin tube.
“What did you think you were going to do with this?” he asked. He brushed the small button on the side before she could respond and a dart shot out of the end and buried in his skull. The man holding her was distracted by his partner’s death just long enough for her to get one hand free and sweep up the tube. The man still had one of her arms though, and when she pointed the tube at him, he laughed at her.
“That’s a clever little weapon, but it isn’t big enough to hold more than one dart.” Those were his last words. Anwar had magically enchanted the dart-shooting tube when he had come to Shinestone. As she pressed the button, the dart that had magically returned to the tube after it was fired the first time was released into the man’s throat.
She leapt over the man as he fell to the ground, his hands reaching up to his throat in an attempt to stop the blood from pouring out of the hole. The dart had gone in his throat and out the back of his neck, and there was no way he would be able to stop it. He would be dead in a minute, two at the most. Anna heard him choking as he sucked blood into his lungs in a desperate attempt to breathe.
She burst through the door into the hall at the same time her mind realized that the guard outside should have come to help her. She tripped over that guard and landed on the ground, staring at a pair of black shoes. She attempted to roll away but she didn’t even make it to her side before she felt a sharp pain on the back of her head, and everything went dark.
Master Brennin was the personal servant and advisor to the King of Patria. He lived in the last room of the royal hall. He woke to a commotion in the hall outside his room. When he opened the door, he saw the guard outside Queen Anna’s room lying on the ground in a pool of blood. At the end of the hall, three men carried Queen Anna’s limp form. He recognized the men as Black Dragons. There was no way he would be able to fight them. He wanted to go after them anyway, but his mind stopped him. Dying for her wouldn’t help her.
He made his way down the hallway, stopping a few steps from the end, listening to ensure that he wouldn’t walk into the men. He slowly turned the corner. The men were moving fast, already turning the next corner. That hallway would lead the men to a stairwell down into the kitchens and out the servant’s entrance. He wanted to sound the alarm, but the men would be gone by the time the guards got organized and he would have no idea where to tell them the queen had been taken.
His only option was to follow them and hope he could get help at the gate. There would be a guard at the gate and five or six more in the guardhouse a hundred paces from the gate. If the guard at the gate could slow them long enough for the other guards to come help, they would have a chance.
He made his way down the stairs, listening again. He heard the door close behind them and hurried through the kitchen. Two servants and a cook lay dead on the floor. He didn’t have time to check if they had just died, but he hadn’t heard anything before he entered the stairwell, so he believed the men had entered through here. If that was true, then his whole plan may have been unraveled before he even thought of it.
When he made his way out, he saw the three Black Dragons carrying Anna go unchallenged out of the gate and three others running to the gate from the direction of the guardhouse. He would get no help. He sprinted across the yard to the gate. He
had to try to keep up with them. He had to at least figure out where they went. He ran through the gate.
“Dad!”
It was just the beggar that hung outside the gate. All the man could say was dad. Brennin had never heard him yell like that though. He had been startled and stopped running, turning toward the noise. The beggar had saved him. The crossbow bolt that would have buried in his chest if he had kept running instead buried in his shoulder.
He tried to get back to his feet, but everything was spinning; he couldn’t get his eyes to focus. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was “Dad?”
He wasn’t sure if his mind was replaying it or if it was the beggar again. He tried to look and see what direction the Black Dragons had taken Anna, but he couldn’t open his eyes. The attempt took the last of his energy and he lost consciousness.
When Brennin woke up, he was inside the palace walls surrounded by guards.
The beggar was backed up against the wall with his hands up. The guards were yelling questions at him, and the man just kept saying, “Dad? Dad! Dad.”
This only infuriated the guards more until one of them pushed the man, knocking him up against the wall.
Brennin tried to stand but one of the men held him down. “Master Brennin, you shouldn’t move. You are badly wounded.”
Brennin nodded then looked back to the beggar. “Tell the guards to leave that man alone. He saved my life. Tell them to bring him to me.”
The Half Dwarf Prince Trilogy Page 43
