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

by Donald Wigboldy

  Dante looked down at his blood and gore stained armor noting it for the first time. Gashes in the metal plates proved that not all the enemy had missed their chance. Shrugging, Dante replied, "I seem none the worse for wear. What brings you to the battlefield so soon, Darius? I thought that you were going to save yourself for the battle with the Dark One."

  The wizard waved off the question wearily. A yawn tore unbidden from his mouth. "There will be time enough to recover," he answered tiredly. "I thought it more important to save the vanguard first. The Emperor will still be there in a day or two."

  The elf, Janus, rode up just as Darius finished his say and added, "Yes, Darius, but I fear that our army may not last that long."

  Turning to the holy knight with worry in his eyes, Darius asked for them all, "Why do you say that, Janus?"

  The knight looked tired and older than Dante had ever remembered seeing him before. With a weary brush of his hair, the elf shook his head as if in disbelief. "Our scouts have come back from east of the Bairh Rell. Gargoyles have flown far and wide over the hills of Denrell beyond. All the reports say that there is a new army moving to join with the remains of the first. It is nearly as large as the original making it more than twice the size of our own forces."

  "We stopped them once," Dante stated interrupting the knight. "We can stop them again."

  The elf nodded, "We will have the army build more embankments, maybe we'll even have the time to gather stone and brick to build them into true defenses. My fears lie in the news that was brought to me by another scout. He was sent to the north days ago and witnessed another army assembling in Algoya and another was said to be guarding Dirgoya as well.

  "We have yet to see the enemy's sorcerers and I fear that they are working on magic that will send those armies through portals to take us unaware. If they do, I can't see how any amount of preparation can save us." He looked at Darius again, "Perhaps we should go to Dirgoya now, Darius."

  "You wish to end the battle so swiftly, my friend?" a deep booming voice called from behind the elf and wizard startling them all. Their eyes all looked to see Dorvin wearing the blood stained armor of Norn followed by two score of his dwarven axe men.

  The soldiers were also still tinted by the blood of their enemies, but Dante could see that all of them appeared anxious for more. He wondered if it was bloodlust reflected in their eyes or if the true reality of battle had not sunk in yet. Either reason could lead the dwarves to their premature deaths if they failed to harness their eagerness.

  Dorvin interrupted his thoughts as he continued, "I would've thought that a knight like you would not wish to steal away from a fight so quickly. We stand victorious and barely scratched from the enemy thanks to our esteemed wizard," he added a small bow in Darius' direction. "Is this new threat from the enemy so great that you would desert your allies already?"

  Janus' face turned dark and angry, "I am a knight, but I hardly relish killing so many, Dorvin."

  "King Dorvin, elf," a dwarf at Dorvin's shoulder responded angrily. The king looked sternly at the soldier cutting off any further remarks.

  "A king should have the same misgivings about sending his people to their deaths," Janus retorted calmly. "If you wish to be a good king, Dorvin, you may want to remember that. You need to remember that it is no longer just your life that you jeopardize. I've lived a long time and seen many rulers come and go, Dorvin, but the ones who rule well stand out just as well as those who ruled foolishly. I do not believe you a fool, so you surprise me with these accusations. I don't see myself deserting my people now after so many years of service do you?"

  Several of the dwarves made as if to draw their weapons in anger. Dorvin stopped them all with a raise of his hand. "I apologize for my words then, but I still question why you would leave this army when we need your strength and that of the wizards? If you succeed against the Dark One while the army destroys the rest of this world, how will that help anything? Another of his minions will just lead in the emperor's place, correct?"

  "He has a point, Janus," Dante added. "You and Darius represent a good bit of strength. Without you two and those that go with you, can this army survive the enemy? Do we dare risk everyone's life this way?"

  Darius came to the elf's defense, "The Emperor is the key, Dante. If we can destroy him, his strength leaves his armies. If we leave him alone, we may not win against the armies anyway. Then his power goes unchallenged and he will continue to build his forces." He looked at Janus, "But I wonder if it is the right time to try this even so."

  "When would be the best time, Darius?" Janus asked. "You've listed the problems associated with both. I leave it up to you. Do we go now or later?"

  The wizard sighed and felt all the stares upon him. The knight had made him the leader again. That was what he got for wanting the responsibility and, now that he had it back, the wizard realized that he wished that it would pass from him again. Taking a deep breath, he drew in his resolve and thought another moment. "How long before the enemy can come to us if they march rather than use a portal, Janus?"

  "A day or so perhaps at the best."

  Nodding, he replied, "Then we stay until then and help fortify our allies. By then everyone will have to be rested so that we can leave when the battle begins. You can perform the portal magic to bring us into Dirgoya, right?"

  The elf nodded slowly. "I can bring us close but there are spells preventing us from entering by magic. We'll have to find a way inside somehow."

  Darius turned his gaze on Gibble. "I may have an idea about that as well." Looking back to Dorvin and Janus in turn as he thought, the wizard changed the subject slightly, "With that decided, I suggest that you two leaders had better see to getting your men ready for battle. They'll need all your help now, if they are expected to stay without you. Meanwhile, I'll need time to rest along with the rest of our assault force. After which, I'll see what I can add to the defenses that the other wizards may not."

  Kicking his steed into motion, the wizard turned and left for his tent to sleep.

  Dante watched Dorvin stomp away with his dwarves. After giving a backhanded look to Dante and the others, Janus left as well. "What was that all about, lieutenant?"

  Sergeant Lane asked quietly.

  Dante turned to look at the faces of his friends and command. "The pressure is starting to bring out the worst in everyone, I'm afraid. Now let's try and ignore it all and rest. We're the ones going with Darius and Janus after all."

  No one seemed surprised to hear the news, though he and Valenia had never told the others as much. Knowing their fate, Dante led the command off in search of some rest.

  Chapter 52

  After a flash of light engulfed him, then the soldier spied the orange sunlight of the elf world above him once more. Dante looked around warily and noted a rise of jagged stones surrounding them almost completely. The small force would be hidden from the enemy well enough for the time being at least. Turning to see the portal shimmering behind him as the others followed, he was glad that the elf knight knew the lay of the land so well that his magic could place them so safely.

  As the others continued to arrive through the gate, Dante searched the ridges and found a spot that he could scale easily. The man was halfway up the stone rise before anyone even noticed his actions and by then it was too late to cry out for fear that other ears might hear as well.

  The stone was porous and dark under his hands. The dark, red rock scratched and threatened to cut him even through the thick cloth of his pants, but he was determined and feared little since he could heal much more quickly these days. It was only a few minutes before Dante found the top of the small hill and peeked carefully over its crest to spy a great mountain defiantly soaring above the horizon less than a quarter mile from him.

  Its shape seemed odd to Dante who had seen the great peaks of the Dragon's Spine. It was much too conical and isolated. Carefully surveying its entire structure, he noticed a faint trace of smoke here and there and
wondered if the enemy had set up cook fires so early in the afternoon. With a few a more moments taken to gaze, the lieutenant found the only true trace of the Dark One's army. A large gate stood at the base of the mountain. Dante guessed that it covered a former cave that had been hollowed out to house the Emperor like a natural fortress.

  Shaking his head disappointedly, the lieutenant guessed that such a place had to be nearly impossible to breech. The stone of the mountain alone would take ages to burrow through to find the rooms within the mountain and the gates appeared sturdy enough to withstand days of hard pounding with a ram. It was no wonder that so few guards stood in place to defend the doors of Dirgoya.

  The soldier took a few more moments to search around their position before returning down the slope to speak with the others. Janus was there and looking slightly angry as well. While Darius seemed worried as did many of the others.

  The elf spoke first, however, "What were you doing up there?"

  Dante shrugged, "Getting a look around, of course. I like to know what I'm facing before I face it if possible. Somebody needed to check around since even you couldn't know if the Emperor lay in wait for us, knight."

  The elf didn't seem any less annoyed, but turned to face the others who had gathered even closer since the quiet argument. "We need to get ourselves together now," demanded the holy knight emphatically. Turning to a trio of elven sorcerers, he added, "Begin gathering your strength for your spells, gentlemen. We'll need to be ready to walk up to the gates shortly."

  "Are you sure that this will work, Janus?" Dante questioned as he found Gibble at his side again. The goblin was one of the main keys to the mission's success, but Dante would worry over that later since he still wanted to know the elf's reasoning.

  Staring at him blandly, Janus simply replied, "It will have to work or we'll never have a chance to find the Dark One, lieutenant. You know that as well as I."

  Not willing to let a chastening fall unchallenged, he tried another tact, "May I ask one more question of you then?" Not waiting for permission, the lieutenant continued, "This mountain that he holds himself in seems strange to me and quite unlike any mountain that I've seen before. These ridges of stone are quite unique as well."

  The elf shrugged, "Dirgoya was once an active volcano and even now I would guess that the mountain simply rests awaiting a time to engulf the land around it with lava once more." Noticing the blank stares from most of the outworlders, he clarified once more, "A volcano spews fire and a fiery stone we call lava that is released from deep within the earth. We have few of them in our lands as I assume they must be nearly as rare in your world."

  Darius nodded, "There are a few islands in the sea and rumors of other continents that have a few as well, but Tolmona has none that have been found that I know. Some of my studies rumor that our world once was nearly covered with them, but has since cooled and settled."

  The elf knight nodded, "The same rumors are echoed here, but I think that this is hardly the time to discuss such trivial matters do you? The sorcerers seem prepared to cast the glamour if everyone is ready to assume their positions."

  The soldiers and wizards moved into lines with Gibble and Dante at the head of the columns. Getting the nod from the sorcerers to proceed, he urged Gibble to lead the way out into a small valley leading through several of the stone ridges to finally meet the great gates of Dirgoya.

  As they moved past the edges of stone, a glamour took root and several members of the mission seemed to disappear to be replaced by trolls and orcs. Those in the center appeared to droop and lean forward wearily. Armor was replaced by the worn rags of defeated men and women. The glamour was set and all who looked upon the thirty members would hardly think twice about a group of slaves being driven into the furnaces of the volcanic fortress. Elves and dwarves had been led into the place for decades to work the mines and smithies that fortified an already vicious foe.

  Dante kept his head low, but kept his eyes scanning the hills and slopes surrounding them. He kept waiting for the enemy to destroy the ruse and come for their heads. Such thoughts were hardly reassuring though he assumed that some of the others were probably thinking much the same.

  The man tried to see through the glamour around him. He knew the orcs at the rear were Dorvin and a half dozen of his best men. Janus played a troll to one side as did Lane and Riad. A trio of elves trailed him looking forlorn though he knew that each held a pair of long knives that would be ready for battle when it came time.

  A troll grinned as his eyes crossed its visage surprising him. He nearly smiled as well when he realized that Darius had found a way to put his own twist on the glamour surrounding him. Dante was always surprised when it came to witnessing the wizard's growing power. An immortal wizard could possibly become the most powerful of all wizards given time briefly before his dark thoughts returned as he thought upon the impossible work ahead of them. They had less than three dozen warriors and wizards to try and crack the enemy's main fortress.

  So caught up in those thoughts was he, that Dante nearly stumbled over Gibble as they arrived before a squad of stout looking orcs and trolls who stood barring the gates. The goblin began speaking as soon as one of the orcs grunted a few times at them. A strange cackling speech was returned by Gibble and the interchange went back and forth several times before the little creature finally pulled on a rope attached to Dante's wrist.

  They were being allowed to enter he thought thankfully. The true orcs and trolls parted way for the slave squad. Dante realized quickly that the creatures considered them beneath their notice and were moving back to their positions less than truly giving way to their lowly looking forms.

  But he quickly found himself stopping again. Gibble separated from the group and moved close to the doors which were cracked open only slightly. Dante heard voices from within and Gibble responded quickly. The voices within seemed unhappy with his response and quickly an orc in copper armor reached through and shoved the little goblin backwards.

  Gibble recovered quickly and stormed back to the doorway. He shouted several cackles defiantly at the gate keeper and the same orc guardsman strode through the opening and roared back again. Once again the larger creature shoved the goblin backwards.

  Gibble paused staring at the orc who remained an obstacle outside the doorway looking disdainfully on them all. Janus' voice seemed to whisper in his ear from just behind him though the elf stood several places down the line, "He will not allow us entry without proper clearance. Gibble doesn't have that. We're going have to fight our way in before they close the doors again."

  Dante was about to try and respond when Gibble suddenly drew both of his long knives. With a shriek, the little creature leapt at the orc tearing the larger soldier's neck open with one blade while cutting a wide gash across the abdomen through its thin leather jerkin. The orc howled in terror and fell aside. The pain was great and surprising. He had no time to respond or warn those within.

  Gibble charged the opening swiftly. Dante started to move forward though slower from the startling swiftness of it all. This had not been part of the plan, but he knew that the goblin's initiative would put him in great danger now. There would be more guards behind the doors and the goblin was so small, the man couldn’t help thinking of Gibble like a child against the larger creatures.

  Feeling like he was moving to slowly even more as time changed in his mind, Dante saw the first guardsman slide through the doorway with his sword drawn. Another sword peaked from within quickly followed by its owner and Dante noticed the door begin to slowly slide back into its closed position.

  Gibble saw as well and, if time hadn't slowed, Dante would have seen no more than a blur as the knives slashed the orcs and Gibble dove between both bleeding soldiers. The little goblin leaped into the opening and Dante heard the sickening crunch only split seconds later as the orcs within slammed the great wooden defenses together pinning the goblin between the doors.

  He screamed as Gibble screamed. Dar
k's Bane revealed itself brightly as the blade snuffed the pair of lives out before him. He could see hands reaching to push the injured goblin out of the opening. Gibble struggled though he coughed up blood from half crushed lungs. One of the hands pulled away from the goblin as he received a cut the length of its forearm.

  Dante was nearly there when another hand raised its curved sword high over the goblin's head. "No!" the man cried out as his feet struggled to bridge the last few feet to the creature he had befriended. Throwing the Spear of Aleile frantically, Dante watched as the spear flew through the doorway striking the attacker just as its blade split the thin neck of the goblin ending Gibble's life.

  Though pain of a different kind thrust into his heart, Dante vowed not to let the goblin's sacrifice go to waste. He owed it to Gibble to see those gates opened and those within destroyed. With a roar, the man struck the lower half of one door. The blade glowed brighter with his anger and wood splintered and cracked.

  Shrapnel flew in wooden daggers into another orc lying in wait within. Dante bowled over the bloody soldier as the orc clutched at the splinters where they had blinded it. Blood trickled from its fingers as it clawed at its eyes in pain.

  He cared nothing for the wasted lives at his feet. Only the need to kill all those within remained on his mind as his rage took him. Orcs and trolls moved to try and stop him while finishing the closing of the gates. Dark's Bane gleamed defiantly as Dante slashed and tore at those minions of the Dark One. With primal howls of anger and menace, Dante cut down all those who sought to stop the flow of blood.

  Feeling a presence behind him, Dante swung Dark's Bane in a wide arc. Two more orcs fell lifeless with the blow as he found Valenia and Lane pushing the doors open wide. A shift of the air behind him signaled even more of the enemy coming. Allowing no cause for celebration or grief, Dante turned and met those who barred him from the Dark One.