Bakkian Chronicles, Book I - The Prophecy (53 page)

“
Because the egg hatched a female,” the dwarf explained. “Without a male, she cannot lay viable eggs. However, a female guur can create drones by segmenting a part of itself off. Fortunately, the female can only undergo this metamorphosis no more than twice a month.”

Steve whistled. “If this bug can produce, say, twenty-five drones a year, and it’s been alive for two hundred years, then we’re talking roughly five thousand bugs running around. How long do they live?”

“
We do not know what their natural lifespan is, but we continually come across dead specimens deep in the tunnels. Without a live specimen to study, we are unable to say how long they live, only that some have been dying off. Either that or something else has been killing them and leaving their remains where they could be found. Personally, I believe they are dying of natural causes.”

“
Great. You’re telling me that we have fewer than five thousand bugs.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Sure, not a problem.”

“
We have led numerous attacks on them, trying to keep their numbers down. We estimate we have destroyed at least a thousand of their numbers.”

“
Leaving, what, at least four thousand? So you expect us to eradicate thousands of these bugs for you? Am I the only one who thinks this deal is a wee bit lop-sided?”

The dwarf smiled. “I know there are not that many. However, ye only need to dispatch one.”

“
The female?”

Maelnar smiled. “Aye. The female. She is the one that we cannot find because we have been unable to venture too deep into the tunnels.”

“
What about the rest of them?” Sarah asked.

“
Without the female to keep the guur population up, the drones will eventually die off.”

“
These drones, they can’t reproduce?”

Maelnar shook his head. “Nay, they cannot.”

“
Doesn’t sound too bad,” Steve began. “We just have to find –”

Sarah held up a hand. “I have a question.”

“
Yes, lass. Go ahead.”

“
Why couldn’t you go deeper into the tunnels? Does something happen if you do?”

The dwarf sighed. “The guur have demonstrated signs of intelligence. They have led several of our scouting parties into traps designed to prevent them from retreating. If we go too deep, retreat no longer becomes an option. So we must be careful.”

“
So these things are smart, is that what you’re trying to say? And when were you gonna tell us this?” Steve demanded.

“
Fear not, lad, we will tell ye all we have learned about the guur.”

“
But they’re smart!” Steve repeated, frowning into his tankard. He took a drink and leaned back on his cushion.

Not having any problems whatsoever about exterminating bugs, no matter what size they were, Sarah took her husband’s hand.

“
Is this going to bother you?”

“
Here’s the way I see it. These insects were believed to be extinct, and up until now, or whenever they showed up again, they were. Is that right?” He looked at the dwarf, who nodded. “Then,” Steve rose from his sitting position and started to pace, “you’re asking us, well, me, to send them straight back into extinction. How can you ask us to do that? Don’t these things have a right to exist?”

Maelnar also rose to his feet, prompting the rest of the group to follow suit. “The guur,” he began, “lived for many thousands of years. For unknown reasons they died out. If our digger had not touched that egg, we would not be having this discussion. These creatures had their chance, and now their time is over. If the guur are allowed to remain unchecked, then they will continue to kill us whenever they have the opportunity. Their numbers and their territory continue to grow each year.”

“
They have killed some of you?”

“
Aye, lad, they have.”

“
How many?” Sarah wanted to know.

“
Nearly three hundred over a span of several centuries, with the most recent just a few days ago. A digger broke through to a small cavern being excavated by a single guur. Before he could retreat, the guur attacked.”

“
One bug killed him? Are you serious? How big are these things?”

“
Nearly three feet in length, from tip to tip.”

Steve whistled. “Great. Bugs of nightmarish proportions.”

Rhenyon approached, his men flanking him on either side. “How do we find these creatures?”

“
We can tell ye where their lair is rumored to be, but I advise against a direct frontal attack. Their numbers are too great.”

Pheron put a hand on his captain’s shoulder. “I have an idea, sir, which might help us out here.”

“
I am all ears, lieutenant.”

Pheron walked over to Steve, pointing to his harness. “How many of those power crystals do ye have, sir Steve?”

“
I counted a while back. There are twenty five of them.”

“
May I see one, please?”

“
Hot or cold?”

Remembering the encounter in the tunnel where Steve and his wife had experimented with the discs, he smiled. “Cold, please.”

Retrieving an uncharged mimet, he passed the crystal disc to the lieutenant, who took it, clenching it tightly with his right hand. Concentrating furiously, Pheron was silent for several minutes as the other soldiers looked at each other, trying to figure out what he was doing.

The lieutenant finally opened his fist and looked at the mimet. He could feel a faint trace of his power within the disc. He handed it back to Steve. “Try to draw some of my jhorun out.”

Suddenly understanding where Pheron was going with this, Rhenyon smiled, nodding his head in approval.

Looking down at the disc, Steve sent his
jhorun
to investigate. Sure enough, he could feel a faint sliver of power emanating from within the disc. Pulling the jhorun inward, he felt the unfamiliar power mix with his own.

“
Yeah, I can do it,” Steve confirmed.

“
Excellent idea, lieutenant,” Rhenyon said, clapping him on the back.

“
What idea?”

“
Steve,” Sarah took his hand, “they are going to help you out. Since you’re the best equipped to deal with these things, they are offering to charge up your mimets for you.”

“
Oh. Oh! Cool!” Steve took off his harness, opening pouches to withdraw all the mimets.

Dividing them up evenly into piles, Rhenyon handed three to each soldier, taking several for himself as well. “Start charging these things,” he ordered his men. “We are going to give sir Steve as much power as we can should he need it.”

Steve gave a worried look to his friends. “You’re still gonna come with me, right?”

“
Aye, sir Steve,” Rhenyon confirmed. “Ye will not suffer this fate alone.”

“
How long does it take to charge this up to full capacity?” Rhein asked, studying a crystal disc intently.

“
It takes me around four hours if I concentrate.”

“
And yer jhorun is much stronger than the rest of ours,” Rhenyon observed. “It will
probably
be several days before they are all charged.”

“
May I make a suggestion then, lads?”
Maelnar
approached the group of humans. “
Remain
here for a few days. Be our guests. Charge yer crystals and we will tell ye all we know about the guur.”

****

Rhenyon calculated it would take six days to charge all twenty five mimets, including an extra day for everyone to regenerate their own jhorun. In that time Sarah, Steve, and the others took the opportunity to explore the city of Borahgg, becoming acquainted with not only the huge variety of blacksmiths offering their wares but also with the people themselves. Every dwarf they encountered was very friendly and more than willing to demonstrate their specialties, whether it was silversmithing, the art of gold-plating chalices, crafting jeweled daggers, or any number of other variations.

Steve even learned the nuances of tempering steel used in the axes worn by practically all dwarves. The friendly proprietor had offered him the chance to put in a few blows. After whacking the red-hot piece of metal several times, and with his ears ringing, Steve handed the heavy hammer back to the smiling blacksmith. Picking up the unfinished shield, the shop owner studied the marks that Steve’s blows had left. Nodding appreciatively, he invited the human to help him for the day, as he was far behind in his work.

As the dwarf went to retrieve a second smock for his new apprentice, Steve eyed his companions.

“
What the hell? How the hell did this happen? Do I have a sign on me that says ‘please put me to work’? Breslin, what are you staring at?”

The son of the Strathos was staring at Steve in open-mouthed shock. “Ye were invited to stay!”

“
He must want some help. You’d think there’d be others he could ask. He’s gonna regret choosing me, that’s for sure.”

“
Ye do not understand, lad,” Breslin whispered to Steve. “Master Kharus here apprenticed directly under my father. Do ye have any idea how many people would pay a king’s fortune to study under him? Stay and ye might learn something.”

Sarah gave him a fleeting hug. “Catch up with us when you can, alright?”

“
Where will you be?”

“
We have been invited to share the midday meal with the Council at the central plaza,”
Rhenyon
answered. “Ye can meet up with us there.”

Steve’s new boss arrived just in time to catch the last bit of the conversation.

“
Tha’ be jus’ fine, lads. I will have him back to ye in time for yer meal.”

Grasping Steve by the arm, he steered the reluctant human into the heart of his workshop.

Still smiling at Steve’s misfortune, Rhenyon led the rest of the group back into the street to continue exploring the city.

****

“
So what can I do, Kharus? What would you like done?”

“
Ye have demonstrated a remarkable knack for shaping the metal. Here,” the dwarf plopped a long piece of unfinished steel on an anvil in front of him. “This will need to be heated, in the furnace there. Heat it as hot as ye can get it without melting it. Ye will need to fold the metal in half, much like ye would fold a piece of
parchment
.”

“
Okay, I can do that. You just need to fold this thing, that’s it?”

“
The more times ye do that, the stronger it becomes. I typically will fold the steel around a hundred times for a standard sword.”

“
A hundred times? Wow. Okay, I think I have it. Heat, fold, and then whack it flat. And then keep repeating.”

The dwarf nodded.

Steve hefted the hammer. “I can handle this. Saw this on the Discovery Channel once.”

“
Eh? What was that?”

“
Nothing.”

“
I will be over here if ye need anything.” The master blacksmith watched as the ungainly human picked up the piece of steel, eyed the roaring furnace, and then looked back at the length of metal. What was this? The metal was heating in his hand! It’s already glowing red! And he is not using any protection! Wizards be damned!

Seeing Kharus’ amazed expression, Steve grinned. “I thought this was part of the reason why you wanted my help. Fire and heat don’t really faze me too much.”