by Charley Case
Triumph Of The Dwarf King
The Adventures of Finnegan Dragonbender™ Book Four
Charley Case
Martha Carr
Michael Anderle
This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright © 2020 Charlie Case, Martha Carr and Michael Anderle
Cover Art by Jake @ J Caleb Design
http://jcalebdesign.com / [email protected]
A Michael Anderle Production
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, NV 89109
First US edition, February 2020
eBook ISBN: 978-1-64202-732-7
Print ISBN: 978-1-64202-736-5
The Terranavis Universe (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are Copyright (c) 2019-2020 by Martha Carr and LMBPN Publishing.
Dedications
From Charley
This book is dedicated to my wife and best friend, Kelly. Without her belief in my abilities, and patience to see the process through, this book wouldn't exist.
From Martha
To all those who love to read, and like a good puzzle inside a good story
To Michael Anderle for his generosity
to all his fellow authors
To Louie and Jackie
And in memory of my big sister,
Dr. Diana Deane Carr
who first taught me about magic, Star Trek,
DC Comics and flaming cherries jubilee
From Michael
To Family, Friends and
Those Who Love
To Read.
May We All Enjoy Grace
To Live The Life We Are
Called.
Chapter One
Mila sat cross-legged on the hardwood floor beside the dojo mats, her black tank top and leggings soaked with sweat from the intense hour of yoga she had finished. Pulling a hair tie from her wrist, she put her damp hair in a sloppy bun before picking her phone up off the floor. She swigged some water from her Hydro Flask as she hit the button to bring up the web browser.
She typed ‘Valkyrie’ into the search bar. Scrolling down, she saw the results were an even split between the mythological beings and a movie starring Tom Cruise. Neither was particularly helpful. She settled on a Wikipedia article in her browser history, but it hadn't changed since she read it the day before.
With a sigh, Mila tossed her phone into her lap and leaned back on extended arms. Penny surprised her by coming up from behind and crawling into her lap, picking up her phone, and switching it back on to see what she had been looking at.
The red stripe down the small blue dragon’s back glowed softly in the morning light that streamed through the window. She chuckled at the Wikipedia article.
“Well, it’s not like I can get much more information out of you or Finn,” Mila said with a wry smile.
Penny tilted her head until they were looking at one another. The dragon’s upside-down head smiled. “Shir shee.”
In the past few weeks, upon being told she was a Valkyrie, Mila had become more efficient at understanding Penny’s half magical language. She still missed a few things here and there, but they could converse with minimal misunderstandings on Mila's part.
Mila smiled back at her friend. “Yeah, I know Valkyries are a rare species, but I feel like if anyone knew anything about them, it would be you two.” She raised an eyebrow at Penny. “You two are the only ones on the planet who weren’t born here, after all.”
Penny looked chagrined. “Chi.”
Mila laughed and patted her between the wings. “Don't be sorry. I’m just giving you a hard time. Having someone tell you you’re a mythical creature, then in the same breath tell you that they don't know what that means, is a bit of a mixed blessing.”
Penny shot a ring of smoke from a nostril in agreement.
Mila settled back onto her arms to watch the action happening on the mats. Finn and Danica had been training in a hand-to-hand since before sunup. Presently, Finn was using a specialized tool to adjust the dwarven prosthetic attached to Danica's right arm below the elbow.
When Mila had learned that Danica had lost her arm in the battle with the Dark Star’s mercenaries, she was livid Finn hadn't told her right away. She calmed after being told Danica asked him not to tell her anything until the next day. A choice that led to a perfect night for them both.
She smiled, thinking on that first night they had spent together after the soak in the hot tub. They harbored feelings for one another that bordered on fanatic. She just had to break through his walls of self-doubt and the beliefs he had about his past, no small feat, but worth it. She patted herself on the back for that one.
Since then, they hadn't spent a night apart. They had been living an awkward, unfulfilled existence, and now it was as if being together was the norm.
Finn adjusted Danica's prosthetic near the elbow by tightening a dial and looking up at her. “How’s that?”
Danica flexed the fingers, bent the wrist, and gave the whole contraption a tug with her other hand. “It’s good. I think that dialed it in.”
“Good. Let’s go through it one more time.” He tossed the tool to Mila, who snatched it from the air. “Thanks, babe.”
Mila smiled. “No problem, Princeling.”
He and Danica both gave her a look like she had just farted from her mouth.
She laughed. “I’m still trying to figure out a good nickname. Don't look at me like that.”
“I vote no on princeling,” Danica said, then laughed. “It sounds like what you would call a little kid. That’s gross.”
Mila laughed. “I suppose it does. I’ll keep thinking.”
“Please do. I don't want to hurl whenever I’m around you two. I like you guys too much.” Danica said, settling into a fighting stance.
Mila, for the hundredth time since Hermin had delivered the prosthetic, admired the workmanship of the false limb.
The entire thing looked like a work of art made from twisting strands of a yellowish glass. Finn called it an impact diamond. When Penny did a little digging, she found it was called Lonsdaleite on Earth, and formed when dense graphite meteors impacted the ground. When the celestial body slammed into the Earth, carbon compressed within the meteorite into a compact and robust diamond formation. Finn’s people had figured out how to manufacture the stuff without the flaws that naturally formed from impact and used it in applications where strength was vital. Mila had laughed at the idea that Danica’s new arm was priceless, yet worthless in any practical application. It turned out that Lonsdaleite was so rare humanity didn't have a use for it beyond it being a marker of a meteor impact site.
The twisting strands of the prosthetic danced in an intricate weave over and under themselves, leaving diamond-shaped holes all along the appendage until it reached the intricate wrist that could move in an even better arc than a human wrist. The palm and back of the hand were formed with more of the intricate design and ended in fingers made of delicate cylinders formed into long digits that matched Danica’s other hand once Finn adjusted their siz
e and length.
The prosthetic’s connection to her arm was magical, and the only real downside. It had taken Danica a few days to get used to channeling magic into the device to get it to move naturally. She didn't need to control it with magic, that was done through some mental connection that mimicked the natural movement, but it was a constant if small drain on her magic.
However, the upside was that her hand was now stronger than any natural appendage had a right to be. On the second day, Danica accidentally crushed a pair of metal Baoding therapy balls she was using to hone her fine motor skills. She had the steel balls in her hand, rotating them with her fingers like she was supposed to be when Mila had dropped a glass, Danica started and reacted by crunching the balls into a single deformed mass. Since then, she took care not to accidentally crush herself or anyone else.
Finn and Danica lined up, settling into their preferred stances.
“Ready?” Finn asked.
In answer, Danica came at him, shuffling in low, her long legs bending at the knee and bare feet moving quickly. She sent a lightning jab with her left arm at his stomach, yet Finn sidestepped. She followed with an uppercut with her right, making Finn lean his head back. Danica's diamond-hard fist brushed his beard but missed his chin by three inches.
Finn reached out and grabbed the wrist of her left hand as she pulled it back, pulling her off balance. He continued the pull and spun her around to grab her from behind in a bear hug, but Danica saw the move coming and dropped to the ground, pulling him forward and forcing him to bend at the waist. She bunched up her long legs and kicked upward, hitting him in the chest and knocking him off his feet, and over top of her in a flip.
Finn, instead of letting go of her wrist, clamped down even harder and twisted as he went over the top, making Danica have to roll or have her wrist broken.
The elf ended up on her stomach, her arm twisted behind her, and pinned under Finn's knee.
He smiled. “Well done, Danica. Good use of your new abilities.”
Mila was confused. It looked like Finn had dominated the entire encounter, but he was congratulating her.
“What did she do? It looked like she lost to me.” Mila said, sitting up straighter to get a better look.
Finn released Danica's arm and stood. Danica rolled to the side, revealing that when Finn had landed, she had gripped her prosthetic hand around his ankle.
Finn grinned. “In a real fight, she could have crushed my ankle, and I would have been out of it.” He reached down and helped the tall elf to her feet. “Now you’re starting to think like you have an enhancement instead of a disability. Keep it up, and I’ll be afraid to spar you soon.”
She beamed. “Thanks. You were right. This thing is better than I dreamed. With a good concealment spell, I’ll be able to go back to work, and no one will know anything had happened.” She flexed the Lonsdalleite fingers. “It feels like a normal hand, as far as touch. I can't feel temperature through. It’s a little discomfiting, but I can live with it.”
Finn nodded. “Yeah, we never figured out temperature. I’m glad it’s working out for you, though.”
Mila tapped Penny on the shoulder. “I’m getting up.” Penny scurried up onto her shoulder, and Mila got to her feet, feeling the sore muscles from her yoga session. She let out a small grunt. Brushing off the seat of her pants, she asked, “You guys want some breakfast?”
“You don’t need to ask me twice,” Finn said.
“I’m famished,” Danica added.
“Shir!” Penny grinned and patted Mila on the top of her head. She laughed at the dragon and went to the kitchen to cook eggs and sausage.
It had been two weeks since the events at Grand Lake. They had stayed at Preston’s cabin for another week in the protective cover of the wards in case the Dark Star, Hellena, stuck around to exact revenge right away. They had spent the days as a vacation, for once not having to look over their shoulders for assassins and hitmen trying to cash in on the outrageous bounties Hellena had put on their heads. Hermin had returned with the prosthetic two days later and told them that there was no sign of the Dark Star or her men in the area, and the Huldu were keeping a close eye on the situation.
When they returned home, they found Remmy and her tribe had abided by the rules Finn and Mila had laid out, perhaps a little too precisely. They had come into the condo to find thirty naked and showered goblins. They were clean as thirty whistles, and the furniture and other items in the home were spotless, pots and pans washed and stored; however, it was a lot of little green butts to lay eyes on.
The tribe’s leader, an elderly goblin named Redik, who thanked them for the time they had at the condo, had said if they ever needed anything, to feel free and ask. His people would do their best to return the favor.
Grace had gotten a hold of them two days after Finn's initial request to buy the condo building and told him she could set up a purchase price of just over ten million dollars. That price included the signed documentation of all the tenants who agreed to sell at an inflated market rate. Finn concurred, and Mila transferred the money to an escrow account, pending all the paperwork, which they signed digitally while at the cabin. They expected the sale to finalize anytime.
Mila was excited to convert it into communal housing for those that needed it in the magical community. Even if he didn't know it, Finn was gathering a loyal following from those who were often overlooked.
Mila turned and smiled at the sight of Finn, showing Danica another set of moves, and her friend engaged in the exchange. She had worried that Danica would suffer side effects from the loss of her arm, and she had moments, but overall, Danica displayed an impressive amount of tenacity to make Mila proud of her friend.
Mila loaded the plates and poured cups of coffee, dropping a few Charleston Chews into Penny’s and Finn's. They sat down and tore into the food, their workouts demanding calories.
After eating, as Mila was loading the dishwasher, Finn broke the silence. “We need to find Hellena.” He leaned back in his chair, a frown on his face. “Preston says her followers are increasing activities, and he’s having trouble keeping them covered up with his G.A.E.L. forces.”
Mila put the last plate in the washer and leaned on the counter. She grabbed her coffee while saying, “You want to hunt her down? I thought we were laying low a few more days.”
Finn gave her a half-smile. “Things are moving too fast for us to take more time off. You hurt her badly at the lake, your celestial magic didn't interact well with her dark magic. Chances are she’s still nursing her wounds. At least in the short term. If we can find her now, then we choose the battlefield, and she won’t be at full strength.” He grimaced. “At least that’s the hope.”
“So, where do we start?” Danica asked.
Finn shook his head. “You start by getting back to a normal life. I don't want you getting hurt again.”
Danica gave him a sour look. “I don't think you get to decide that for me, big guy. I’ve made sacrifices for this fight, and I don't regret any of it.”
Mila smiled at her friend’s fire but understood what Finn was saying. “Danica, I know you’re a bad-ass and a great ally, but right now, we don't even know where Hellena is. You have patients waiting for you to come back. Plus, I overheard you talking to Phil on the phone.” Mila smiled. “I bet he’s busting to see you again.”
Danica frowned but nodded. “I suppose you’re right, but you tell me the minute you know where she is. Don't leave me out of this.” She held up her prosthetic so everyone could see it. “I owe her one.”
Finn took a sip of coffee. “You’ll know when we know. Promise.”
“So…where do we begin?” Mila asked.
Finn blew out a long breath. “No idea.”
Chapter Two
A popping sound made Finn jump to his feet, his coffee sloshing onto the table. He reached for Fragar and cursed when he realized he wasn't wearing his harness.
“Hello, all. Sorry to drop in unanno
unced.”
Finn relaxed when he saw that it was Garret and Hermin in their usual stained overalls. Garret gave them a wave.
“Hey, boys.” Danica waved, chuckling at Finn’s overreaction.
The two Huldu stopped short. Hermin gave Danica a once over. “I’ll have you know, young lady, we are well older than ‘boys.’”
Garret joined in. “We were there when Rome fell. Can you say that? Show some respect to your elders.”
Danica held her hands up. “Whoa. I didn't mean any disrespect. It’s a figure of speech. You both have such…youthful complexions.”
Finn raised an eyebrow at the two old gnomes. They were anything but youthful, but they ate her compliment up.
“Oh, well, then.” Garret beamed, standing straighter. “You should know Hermin is a hundred years older than me.”
This got a laugh from everyone, and Finn indicated they should sit at the table with them. “Would you two like a cup of coffee?”
“Oh, that would be marvelous,” Garret said, sitting down beside Danica.
“Could you put some of those little candies in it, the way you like it, Finn?” Hermin added.
Finn smiled, going over to fetch two mugs. “I knew you were my favorite, Hermin.”
Once everyone had their mugs and were settled, Finn asked, “What can we do for you two?”
The Huldu glanced at one another. “Well, it may be nothing,” Hermin said, “but we thought it might be of interest to you. Ever since Grand Lake, we have been making efforts to find the Dark Star through a tracking spell.”
Garret picked up where Hermin left off, the way only two people who have worked together for a thousand years could. “Normally, a tracking spell needs a name and some basic information about the object. Right now, we only know her first name and not much else. She is blocking our attempts, but that takes energy, and we figured she’ll slip up eventually.”
