The Emperor's Shadow War (Tales of Alus Book 2)

by Donald Wigboldy

  "What do we do now?" the captain demanded as she took hold of the man's collar and forced him to look into her tearing eyes.

  "I'm sorry, my dear, but it is all up to Dante now. But do not worry overly much."

  "Don't worry?!"

  Patting her on the shoulder even as her strangle hold on his collar did just that, Gannon turned red faced from lack of air and he forced her grip to loosen enough to breath. "The ring works quite easily, captain. Think of a place or a person and you go to there. When one is as good at using it as the dragon, you could move through a void until you find a place in any world that looks interesting. That is why I say not to worry. Dante will only think of somewhere in our world or someone he knows. Since he loves you, I would gather that he will find you soon enough."

  Valenia gulped air as she tried to stop the sobs of fear that threatened to rise into her throat. "Do you believe so?"

  The seer wrapped both arms around the woman and allowed her to put her head on his shoulder for comfort. Patting her back lightly, Gannon answered, "Of course, I'm sure, my dear. Who else would Dante want to find to let her know that he was safe?"

  "His parents?" Valenia sobbed.

  "Then he will be safe there and find his way back to us once he realizes how he got there. Dante knows how to get here, if he needs to travel here again or he can get Drakus' help to get here otherwise, I’m sure. Do not fret, my dear. I am sure that where ever he is your loved one is safe."

  Dohman bemoaned his fate even as Dante held onto the dwarf's belt in a firm grip. He would have held one arm or the other, but the dwarf was massaging one with the other now. The pain of shattering the doorway on his hand was incredible, so the little man had said, and Dante could hardly doubt him after hearing his screams.

  So there the two of them sat, floating in a vast void of silver light. The lieutenant didn't know how he could tell that they were falling downward still, but it was a sinking feeling that was shared with the dwarf as well. There was nothing to seen in the void though, except the light.

  Not wanting to further torture Dohman, the man didn't say it aloud, but despite his worry, Dante was actually bored with this whole thing. There was nothing to harm them that he could notice anywhere in sight, and then was nothing to crash into as they fell. The fear of starvation may have a way of making itself known later, but it was too soon to worry over that.

  So there they were, in a void where the only things that he heard were his own breathing and the moaning of the dwarf.

  "How could this happen?" the dwarf finally addressed Dante. "The portal has always worked fine in the past, but suddenly you enter and my arm nearly gets torn off. What is it about you that could cause such a thing to happen and did you have to pull me in with you?"

  Dante looked at him crossly. "I could have left you stuck and torn between the two doors, Dohman. Think how much pain it would be to have to have them cut your arm off even as it was pulled infinitely downward into this dimension. That is if they could even save you from dying from such a thing."

  "Fine. I owe you my life, since you took it with you," the dwarf complained and became quiet again.

  Dante held the Ring of Portalis in front of the dwarf's face. It was still glowing even brighter than the glow of the light around them. "This is what happened unfortunately."

  "The ring?"

  He brought it back up towards his eyes and looked at it again himself. "Yes, that damnable seer didn't warn me that it would happen. I wonder if Gannon knew. He did tell me to go last, after all."

  "You think that he tricked you? Why would he do that, if his witches told you to get the ring in the first place?"

  "You knew of that?" Dante asked surprised.

  The dwarf shrugged which upset the natural balance of their position. After slowing their spiraling, he answered, "It came up during the talks. You nearly said as much to us.

  "So again, why would he send you through only to get us lost in here?"

  Dante sighed. Thinking about what he had been told of the ring so far, the soldier tried to think of how to escape this silver prison. He was no wizard unfortunately. Drakus had said it involved thought though, but how? He tried to remember what Gannon had told him along the way.

  After repeated attempts at reasoning it out, he came again and again to the conclusion that he was not supposed to be the one to use the ring. Dante was a soldier not a mage, not by any means.

  Time lost meaning as the two of them tried to think of how the ring could be used to get them free. Finally, it occurred to Dante. Thought was the key. In life, there were many things that needed steering and always one determined the direction with a thought of the goal.

  He pulled Dohman closer. "Hold on, I think that I have the gist of what they were saying now," the man informed the dwarf. "I need to think of the goal of where I need to go."

  "Think of Potomo, please," the dwarf said not truly believing that the human could possibly be right. The little man was really quite sullen and over all quite put out with Dante right at that moment.

  "I've got a better idea. I just need to think of Valenia. She should be in the caves in your old world or at worst in the city. You can walk back to Potomo easily enough from there and I can continue with my people to defeat the Dark Emperor."

  "Fine, then do so," the dwarf groaned.

  "You had better hold on to me tight," Dante cautioned, "we don't know how this works exactly. If just touching your belt isn't enough, I could wind up leaving you here."

  Dohman sighed and wrapped his legs and arms around Dante's waist and shoulders. "This is so humiliating to be held like I am some child. This had better work, human!" he warned.

  Dante ignored him and tried to think of the traits that could draw him to Valenia. What was the single most unusual thing about her? Her beauty and looks? It was said that everyone had at least one double though he had never seen his or heard of someone else finding his doppelganger, but the warning was there.

  Being a soldier would hardly qualify as unique despite her being a woman warrior. Her armor's insignia maybe? No, too many of her nation wore that.

  Finally, it dawned on him. She was an immortal human from his world. That was unique wasn't it? Yes, that would have to do. He concentrated on finding the only other immortal that he knew on his world and suddenly a wind seemed to kick at the two of them. Dante tried to ignore it as he concentrated on the one thing in his mind. He felt a direction change though there was no point to gauge such things of course, but still it was there.

  The movement seemed to quicken. He was glad in the back of his mind that Dohman was holding tight. The current was strong, perhaps strong enough to have pulled the dwarf from his hand while his mind was distracted. Suddenly he noticed a glow ahead, stronger than that of the void around him. They were rushing straight towards the glow. It wouldn't be long now. He still concentrated. As they were about to hit, he wondered if it was going to hurt when they struck the glow.

  Instead as his mind started to concern itself with that thought as well, they suddenly slowed and veered ever so slightly though they finally entered the glow. It didn't hurt until they flopped onto the ground.

  The first thought through Dante's mind was how soft the ground was and looked up at trees and a bright orange sun above them. He wondered if Valenia had made it through the tunnels already and into the woods so soon.

  "This isn't Gilwen," Dohman said nervously. "I believe it is our sun though."

  A sudden burst of sound from the brush around them heralded a terrifying sight. Monsters with great wings rushed at them. The creatures seemed to be stone come to life and they were several feet taller than Dante carrying swords, axes and great metal hammers.

  Dante reached for his sword and thought better of it. He was not a suicidal man and to try and fight more than a dozen of these creatures would be suicide indeed. He raised his hands above his head. Looking beside him, he found the dwarf cringing in fear behind him.

  "These are not
of my world after all," he whimpered. "What have you done to us, human?"

  "Human?" one of the creatures picked up on the words. One great beast strode closer and forced Dante's head to the side and pushed back his lengthening hair. "It is one of them, all right," his gravelly voice said turning to the others.

  The creature appeared ready to ask him a question when a deep voice cried out loudly, "What's going on over there, Gre'genar?" The owner of the voice strode into the small opening between the trees and Dante and the man spied each other.

  Both men stared openly at the other. The deep voice belonged to a human of gigantic proportions, but human none the less. Dante could not believe his eyes. A human roughly six and a half feet tall and nearly four wide at his great shoulders and bearing a silver white beard and lengthening silver hair done up in a pony tail came a little closer to look at Dante.

  "We heard a rustle, your lordship," the giant gargoyle explained. "When we arrived, we found this man and this dwarf."

  "Appeared out of nowhere, huh?"

  "Yes, Lord Grimnal."

  "Lord Grimnal?" Dante exclaimed knowing the name and his mistake at once. Valenia was indeed the only immortal from his world that he knew, but there was one that lived in legend and here before Dante stood that man. "Are we still on Alus, sir?"

  With a loud laugh, the Grimnal shook his head. "You are from Alus then? How did you come to this dark infested world, boy? Or should I say man, since your hair is nearly as white as mine?"

  "I am an immortal such as yourself, Lord Grimnal, though only newly so. Is there a place where we can discuss this more thoroughly, sir? My companion and I have had a long day or maybe it was days?"

  The giant cocked his head looking at Dante a moment before nodding assent. "Yes, bring your dwarf friend along. I have a feeling that you have an interesting story to tell me..."

  "Dante," he filled in for the great man known as the Grimnal, "and this is Dohman of Potomo."

  "Come, Dante, and you too, Dohman. I have a tent set up beyond these trees. You can tell me everything while we eat."

  Chapter 43- Darius

  "Would you two leave me alone?" Janus cried out in annoyance as a dwarf woman and Electra struggled with the holy knight to sit him still long enough to tend to his several wounds. Darius had realized when the dwarves had first come to him about the elf's resistance that it would take one of Janus' own to convince him to take the medicine he would need after such a fight.

  The knight turned to the wizard who sported a few bandages of his own after his own part in the heated battle. "Darius, tell them to leave me be. I know if I need tending or not. I have better things to do than to be doted over."

  "Doted over!" Electra exclaimed angrily. "Janus Orfrost, I would never have believed a holy knight would become such a big baby. Allow us to tend your wounds and it will be over with soon enough. Continue to fight us and we'll never be done. Now sit!"

  Chuckling at the spectacle as did several of the dwarven men sitting under similar attentions, Darius refused the request gently by saying, "I do not intend to face their wrath, Janus. I suggest you simply do as they say. You should know by now that women have a way of getting what they want out of men."

  With a chorus of affirmations and nods from the other men, Janus finally sighed and endured the ministrations. Electra did not let Darius' remark go unnoticed, however, and gave a stern look at the wizard, who simply smiled and shrugged.

  As they sat, Dorvin came into the inn where they were being tended. It was just one of many buildings given over to such duties on this day. The dwarf gave an appreciative nod to Janus before turning to Darius. "A new meeting has been called in light of the enemy's attack. I haven't been able to decipher if Thien and Graebin will give over the sword and shield just yet. Come with me, Darius. I may need you to help sway things fully in our favor."

  The wizard stood with a sigh, "How could those old fools not give you the weapons now? They've seen what comes and that it will come sooner than they think. What could they hope to accomplish by delaying?"

  The dwarf stood straight, "They also have much to fear. The people, left with only the humans to secure their safety, might suddenly see a need to hold onto more of our resources than ever. The attack holds as many reasons to not give you our help as it does to give it."

  Janus heaved himself away from the women quickly. "Allow me to come with you," he nearly pleaded.

  Taking in the sight of half wrapped bandages hanging off the elf in various stages of completion, the dwarf simply laughed. Darius had to lay a hand over his mouth to avoid doing so himself. He was trying hard to be supportive of Janus, whom he considered a good friend, but the sure his ludicrous appearance made it hard not to laugh.

  Finally recovering his composure enough to speak, Dorvin replied, "The women seem to have other plans for the hero of the battle. I am afraid that I shall have to decline your offer, sir knight."

  "But...," the elf stammered as the two turned and started to walk back out of the door. Suddenly thinking of something, he jumped towards them, "But I can tell them how we can get an army to my world. You do not have those answers since neither of you know how to traverse the dimensions." The elf smiled smugly to himself.

  Dorvin looked at Darius who shrugged. With a sigh, Dorvin nodded saying, "I am sorry, ladies, but he is correct. If it comes to that, we will need his presence and the meeting begins anon. Come, Janus, enjoy your brief escape. You won't have long since I am sure that they will be waiting for you outside Temorly Hall for when it is over."

  Darius half smiled at the dwarf's intentional slip of the intended destination. Janus rolled his eyes even as the women gathered their necessary supplies to carry along behind him. The knight would have to do better if he wished to truly escape their determined attentions. Somehow, Darius guessed that the man simply fought the attention just for the sake of resistance. He shrugged and followed Dorvin to the hall.

  Within the spacious building known as Temorly Hall, dozens of dwarves sat or stood waiting for their arrival. Thien had his place behind the council table and did not look pleased. Darius noted the dwarf elder, Graebin, as well, though this man revealed nothing of himself at all.

  In fact, most of the council sat with faces of stone. Either unwilling or unable to show what they were feeling in the aftermath of an unsuspected battle. They now faced a foe that had survived the greatest weapon that their ancestors had been able to produce and they knew that it was finer than any they could craft today. In the face of such unnerving news, Darius assumed that many were still coming to grips with it all.

  Dorvin had motioned for the two men to remain standing in front of the council table as he strode in the armor of his ancestor to his place at the head of the council. The dwarf did not sit as he had the last time, but continued to stand as he rapped his small gavel for quiet though there was hardly a whisper to disturb the air. The dwarves saw in Dorvin's stance that something momentous was about to be carried out within the chamber.

  "My fellow dwarves, I am glad that all of you could make it here following such a dangerous battle. We are facing a time of trials and have convened this gathering of the council to address the matter fully.

  "Before I continue do any members of the council have anything they wish to say?"

  Thien appeared ready to speak when another elder, a man known as Kork, stood first and spoke. "It is time to decide if your right of ascension should be approved, Dorvin. Is this one force that found their way here enough to institute the rules governing our council to return power to our rightful king as the foremost power in our kingdom? Gentlemen, I believe that Dorvin has the right to be found worthy to lead us as best he can. What sayest the rest of you?"

  Thien hopped up angrily, "Just a moment, Kork! As one of several members of the council, I would like to hear how he will lead us first. Then we will know if he is the wisest choice."

  Several members mumbled agreement as did many others in attendance. They all knew
Dorvin well enough in his place as head of the council and as a business man in the community, but that was an entirely different matter from this. Suddenly, many wondered if they knew him well enough to entrust a kingdom to him.

  Darius expected Dorvin to burst out angrily, that was what he did often enough. The dwarf, who was almost king, surprised him with complete poise and calm. "Gentlemen, I believe that all of you know my intentions are to gather a suitable force behind the power of the armor and our allies' magic and bring the fight to the Dark One before the old world falls completely."

  Many voices started to question his remarks, but the armored dwarf held a gleaming gauntlet up before his face to silence them all. "The reasons of this approach stem from one thing alone. The Emperor has great power already. He found us here and sent but one piece of his army to strike at us knowing that we were unprepared. If not for the power of our allies, we may not have won.

  "But we did win! Destroying such a powerful force still injures his ability to fight on. We cannot allow him to regain his ability to attack us unopposed. If we do not do something now, I am afraid that his power will soon overwhelm the last defenders in the old world, should that happen, he will most assuredly turn to us. The Dark One has much to avenge from the dwarves of Tolmona. It was our ancestors that once defeated him to the brink of death. He will not leave such a marker unclaimed.

  "Please, my people, it is time to rise again and fight the darkness as our ancestors of old once fought that cause. Give me back what was released to the people by Alig the Norn. The time of crisis is again at hand and I am ready to assume that which I was born to wield for our land and our people.

  "What is your decision, my good people?"

  The men of the crowd were overwhelmed by Dorvin's passion. They could see in him their rightful king now. Many began to chant `Norn, Norn'. Several of the members of the council even fell to their knees joining the chant. The front of the crowd started to kneel and as the men behind caught sight of Dorvin in his armored glory, eyes flashing the power that was his to wield, teeth gritted into a half smile that spoke danger to those that crossed his will, they too fell to their knees. In moments, the dwarves were all on their knees chanting `Norn King'.