Clash of Heroes: Nath Dragon meets The Darkslayer (2 page)

CHAPTER 2

It was clear. The goblin trail led straight for the cliff face full of caves. Nath led the way, traversing the narrow trails, following the signs to the bottom of the ancient and abandoned mountain city. It had been here, decades ago, where they had crossed paths with a vile necromancer named Corzan. Nath’s memory was as clear as yesterday. He’d bound the mage up in
Elotween
, the elven twine, and left him to his own fate. Perhaps that had come back to haunt him. Perhaps he’d come back to haunt Corzan, assuming the man was still alive.

“Do you want to take the other way in?” Brenwar was facing a valley where the mountain waters crashed into a lake below. It was there they had slipped in undetected the last time.

“No doubt they’ll be expecting someone.” Nath hooked his clawed hands into one of the footholds in the rock. “And I didn’t even see any guards posted. It’s possible this was just a pass-through. Or hideout.” He started his climb. “Maybe they moved on.”

“Moved on or not, I don’t care. I’m taking them down. Just go.”

One foothold at a time, Nath made his way up the sheer cliff. There were staircases, narrow and busted, that could have been taken, but Nath liked to climb. He liked to outdistance Brenwar and get a clear look at things before the dwarf got there. He’d never say so, but it was for Brenwar’s safety. The battle-hardened dwarf had lost a fraction of a step over the years. Forty feet up Nath went until his head almost crested the top of the wall. Brenwar was huffing it twenty feet below him. “I’m gonna take a peek,” Nath said.

“Don’t you dare!”

With the ease of a lizard, Nath slipped over the wall and looked down. Bones of a dead goblin lay on the broad landing, but nothing else was present. Just a long, narrow roadway and several cave openings. There were two more levels above, and those stairs looked far easier to climb, though they were smooth and eroded. His nose twitched. The oily stench of goblin sweat and death lingered near. Reaching over his shoulder, he slid Fang from his sheath.

“I heard that!” Brenwar yelled from below.

Nath peered back over the wall. “Do you want them to know we're coming?”

“Yes.”

Nath reached down to help Brenwar up over the wall.

The dwarf pushed him away. “I don’t need your help.” He unslung his war hammer and took a big whiff through his nose, narrowed his eyes, and said with a fierce grin, “They’re in there, all right. I can smell the fear in them.”

“That’s not fear. It’s just stink.”

“No, it’s fear. They know Brenwar’s coming.”

Nath slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve made your point.” He gazed upward. “So, do you want to start bottom up or top down?”

Brenwar pointed his axe toward the nearest cave. “There.”

Nath shrugged. “Fair enough.” In stride and sword ready, he headed toward the nearest entrance. The last time they’d been here, there had been goblin guards posted everywhere, but now, both the mouths of the caves and the roads from one cave to the next were abandoned. Other than the rotten smell and the stiff wind, they had no company.

Eyes narrowed, Nath eased his way inside the shadowy mouth of the first cave. In moments, his eyes adjusted. “Doesn’t seem like they’ve done much decorating since the last time I was here.”

Brenwar grunted.

There was still enough light outside to show the outlines of the inner city within. Nath had been in dozens of places like this in his two hundred and some years of life. Grand cities carved out of the heart of a mountain. Rooms. Roadways. Throne rooms and cathedrals. Just like a castle, but only cut out from within. The dwarven city of Morgdon was much like this, but according to Brenwar, this here was a cruder work from long, long ago. Where they stood now was a wide-open expanse, probably an old courtyard or marketplace. Its makings were timeless and abandoned.

“Follow the stink, I guess,” said Nath.

Brenwar agreed, “Aye.”

Tracking goblins on stone wasn’t easy if they got too far of a lead. Eventually their scent, like that of most things, would fade. Following his nose, Nath ventured deeper into the mountain city, peeking through one opening and another, until they were standing in the pitch black and Brenwar bumped into him. His sight was strong in the blackness, and Brenwar’s dwarven senses weren't half bad either, but Nath didn’t want to overlook anything.

“How about a little light, Fang?” he asked.

The great blade glimmered with a very faint light.

“Thank you.”

They ventured deeper into the city. Little had changed in the decades since Nath had been there. Far from a marvel, the inner sanctum was one dreary room after the other. Alcoves abandoned. Wooden tables and chairs rotting. The strange thing was that it had been abandoned at all. It was livable. Cold, dreary, but livable. But that was common in Nalzambor. There were fallen cities and temples throughout the land, places that time and war forgot for whatever reason.

Spending little more than an hour, they finished checking the rooms.

Brenwar started into one of the passages that led deeper into the city. “I’m thinking there’s another side to this city. We never went that far last time.”

Something ate at Nath. He said to Brenwar, “Let’s go back. We didn’t even check the throne room.”

“We got a good enough look at it when we passed. I say we keep going.”

Nath was already moving, however, traversing the rough-hewn corridors. Fang’s soft light led him to the throne room. The giant urns where fire had burned were still on either side of the throne made from large blocks of stone. He scanned the balconies above, but there was only darkness. Not even the slightest scuffle caught his ear, only Brenwar’s breathing and the soft squeak of the leather that held the buckle on his breastplate armor.

“Still nothing,” Brenwar said.

Nath approached the metal cage that was big enough to hold a small dragon. A blue streak dragon had been imprisoned there, and last time, Nath had come to rescue it. Now, the empty cage sat there as a silent reminder of the evil in the world. Nath had thought he defeated it, but he knew in his heart there were still people that would poach dragons. Kill them. Sell them. Enslave them.

Brenwar eyed the cage and turned to Nath. “Nothing here. Let’s go.”

“I suppose.”

Suddenly, the nape hairs on Nath's neck stood up. Fang’s blade brightened. He whirled toward the throne just as all of the urns burst into a new fiery light.

A formidable figure appeared on the throne, tall and long, in dark-grey robes that hid his feet. Hairy fingers clutched the arms of the great chair. Long fingernails emanated arcane power. The man’s face was lean, strong chinned, and hairy.

“Corzan!”

CHAPTER 3

Corzan sat unfazed, with a look of delight in his large dark eyes. He bounced his fingertips together. “I assume you are looking for the Thunderstones, eh?”

“No, we’re tracking down a bunch of murderers!” Brenwar blurted out.

The necromancer rolled his eyes. “Oh my, I shouldn’t be surprised you brought that two-legged goat with you. Really, Nath Dragon, or should I say Dragon Prince? Shouldn’t you be keeping a better class of company by now?”

Brenwar started to storm forward.

Nath caught him by the arm and held his friend back.

Corzan was way too poised, a game master waiting to make his move. And there was an air about him that hadn't been there decades ago. Power radiated from him.

“Stand down, Brenwar.” Nath stuck Fang in the stone. “Let’s find out what this is all about.”

“I don’t want to stand down. I want to take it to him!”

“Me?” Corzan eased back into his chair. “Well, I didn’t say I had the Thunderstones, now did I? Perhaps I was going to lead you to them. Certainly things have changed over the years. Why, I’m a new man, thanks to you showing such mercy on me.”

“You hardly look new,” Nath joked.

Corzan stiffened in his chair, and his eyes narrowed.

“Aye, he’s still the ugliest goblin I’ve ever seen.”

Corzan leaned forward with a sneer. “I’m no goblin. Heh. But there are plenty close by that you can get acquainted with, you bearded tree stump.”

That’s when the rustling came. The scuffle of feet and shifting armor. Metal scraping out of scabbards.

Nath wrapped his fingers around his sword Fang’s hilt.

A goblin horde filed into the room. They emerged on the balconies above and hooted. Yellow eyes gleamed with murder.

“I’ll take the ones below. You take the ones above,” Brenwar suggested. “We’ll knock the stink off all of them.”

“There’s no need for violence, dwarf. My, aside from battle and engineering, your race is far from interesting. Perhaps, for your own safety, you’d be better off in a cage.” Corzan snapped his fingers. A bright mystic spark popped. Brenwar vanished and reappeared in the cage with a confounded look on his face. “That’s better.”

“You dirty wizard!” Brenwar drew back his war hammer.

“No, don’t!” Nath yelled.

It was too late. The war hammer slammed into the metal.

Krang! Zap!

The cage bars struck like lightning and knocked Brenwar clear off his feet and slammed him into the bars. He lay shuddering on the floor with his fuzzy beard smoking and then went still.

Nath ripped Fang out of the floor. “No more games, Corzan. I can easily cut you down before your men can save you. Now free him.”

“I’ll do no such thing. And as you recall, I’ve not been found guilty of anything. It was your hard-headed friend who was posing danger. My, I thought you would be wiser than you are by now. What have you been doing all these years, getting slower?”

“We tracked the goblins here, so I’m confident this raid has your fingers all over it. And you proved to be quite obsessed with the last Thunderstone.”

“I was a much younger sorcerer then.”

Nath scanned his surroundings.

The goblins, at least a hundred, hung back behind the flickering shadows of the fiery urns. The throne room was vast, however. Even with so many goblins, they’d be hard pressed to hem Nath in, not to mention containing the power he had with Fang.

“Older or younger, it’s not going to change your fate.” Nath gave Fang a twirl. “Just like the last time, you’re going to lose again today.”

Corzan rose up off of his throne. The gaunt sorcerer pushed up his sleeves, revealing his hairy arms. He was a man, but he had the scary looks of a fiendish goblin about him. His eyes were stones of black power. He took a couple of steps toward Nath and stopped. “You know, it’s hardly a coincidence that you are here. I’ve been planning this day for a very long time.”

“Ah, I see. I spared your life, and it’s vengeance you seek. Well, I’ve been around long enough to know that compassion and mercy don't work on everybody.” Nath laughed and tossed his long red hair. “So, please share. Um, let me guess. You want to sell my scales to the titans.”

“Oh no, that's tempting, but far too simple. I have much grander plans for the likes of you.” The sorcerer eased closer and stood within a sword swing of Nath. Suddenly, two stones now filled his very large hands. Thunderstones. Each was a different shade of colorful marble, with arcane symbols engraved in the middle. They pulsated with a life of their own. “I just want vengeance, well, and more power.”

Nath's scales shuddered.

Corzan’s presence was pure power. Awesome, building-shaking power.

Be wary, Nath.
But be quick!

Nath was fast. But he knew the sorcerer's thoughts, and therefore his spells, were even faster. He lowered his sword. “It seems clear that I was right all along. You have the stones. Your goblins are the killers. Or at least some of them. I’m sure the elves and dwarves have avenged the rest by now. So what is it going to be, Corzan? Are you going to try and kill me? I must warn you, it’s very, very hard to do.”

“Let me share something with you.”

“Please, talk,” Nath said.

Yes, let him tell me his plans. Evil loves to boast.

CHAPTER 4

As Nath’s mind raced, trying to get a handle on how to deal with the situation, Corzan prattled on.

“I’ve always been obsessed with the Thunderstones, ever since the first day I observed one's power in my enclave long ago. Of course, each was a prized treasure and heavily guarded, and as you well remember, you fetched the first one for me.” Corzan's eyes flashed. “Ah, to have it in my clutches, only to lose it. That day, Nath Dragon, you’d have been better off killing me. But you didn’t. And instead of cowering into the unknown with my proverbial tail between my legs, I focused more on my craft.” He paced around Nath as he spoke. “I devoted months, years, decades to particular disciplines. I sought deeper, darker ancient knowledge, and do you know what my efforts revealed?”

“Long, thinning grey hair?”

Corzan cackled. The two Thunderstones he carried floated out of his hands and around him like moons. He slipped another one out of his sleeve, and it joined the others. “No, I learned there were many more stones.” His brightly painted fingernails clasped the air. “And I could have them all if I could find them. And I did find many. And my, aren’t they quite powerful. And the more you add, the more powerful they become. Of course, you know that, having seen Quintuklen for yourself. Such power can destroy an entire city.”

As Nath watched the stones circle the man, a sliver of worry crawled down his spine.

This isn’t good. Not good at all. I had better act fast. How to act is the question.

“Oh Nath, please. There's nothing you can do at this point. Act fast? Huh! You aren’t fast enough.”

Nath swallowed.

He can read my thoughts!

“Yes, I can read your thoughts. You see, that is what the Stone of Thought does. Fantastic, isn’t it. Oh, how I marvel at these divine objects.” Corzan made his way back to his throne and sat down. The stones formed a floating arc over his head. From his robes, he filled his hands with two more. He radiated power, magnificent, perverted power.

Nath looked over at Brenwar, but his friend was still out cold.

“Oh, and I like that one thought you had, 'Evil likes to boast.' Truly, truly it does, especially when it can. Now, where was I before your pathetic little thoughts interrupted me? Ah yes, as you can see, I have five stones, and each has a special function in addition to lending me its power.”

Each Thunderstone twinkled as he named it.

“The Stone of Thought, so grand it is. The Stone of Command. Yes, that one I used to convince you to follow the goblins here. Yes, Nath, I was there, well, near enough to influence the direction of those prissy elves and dullard dwarves. Pah, so predictable. Then, I used the Stone of Transport to come back here in the twinkling of an eye. The Stone of Sight lets me see many things far and near, and the Stone of Power harnesses them all together. But to think, there are even more of them to be had, and I will have them all, especially once you are gone.”

Scratching the back of his neck, Nath yawned. “If it were me, I would have gotten all of the stones first. After all, I was—"

Corzan finished his sentence. “Very distracted. Oh yes, yes, I know. These musings between the dragons and the Clerics of Barnabus, Gorn Grattack, and the Great Dragon War have been highly beneficial to me. Everyone was so concerned with that, they overlooked the likes of me. Oh, how I delighted in it.” He licked his lips. “Why, I snatched one stone from those overly keen elves themselves. Now, that was something. I bet they didn’t share that loss with you, did they? No, no, of course not.”

Nath tried not to think. To blot out his thoughts. It wasn’t one bit easy at all. Instead, he let his instincts take over. He started to spring. But then his body lifted from the ground and he was suspended in the air! He could move, but he couldn’t go anywhere.

“Honestly, Nath Dragon.” Corzan shook his head. “You won’t be able to get within a hundred yards of me unless I will it. Why, I could tell you how many birds are in the trees for ten miles around, if I so wanted. As a matter of fact, I can sense how many dragons are in the area as well. Not that I need them now. I don’t need anything now.”

“Then why fool with me, Corzan?”

“Why indeed. Well, let’s just say you have a way of spoiling things. And also, I really, really don’t like you.”

Nath crossed his arms over his chest and raised his chin so that his long red hair swayed around him. “It’s because I’m so handsome, isn’t it? I get that a lot, and I can certainly understand that, coming from a man in your unfavorable condition.”

“Be silent!”

The entire room shook with the words. The goblins oohed and ahhed.

Nath fastened his tongue inside his mouth. The power that Corzan wielded was impressive. Extraordinary. And he had it mastered, too. Scary.

The adversaries locked eyes.

Nath could feel Corzan's vile mind picking around inside his head. A tiny hammer tapping. Probing. Attacking. Finally, Nath unleashed his tongue. “Whatever you do to me, release my friend from harm.”

Corzan rose from his throne and spat out his words. “Such nobility! No! No, I won’t. He’ll be as dead as the stone where he lies.”

“How wonderful it must be to be evil,” Nath said with a sneer. He’d had it now. Still floating in the air, he connected his thoughts to Fang and summoned the sword's power.

The blade ripped free of his grasp and clattered on the floor.

Corzan laughed. “Ha ha ha! Feeble. Very feeble. Do you not understand that I am omnipotent now?” The mystic stones began to swirl above both of them, forming a colorful vortex above Nath’s head.

“Is this where you kill me?” Nath asked.

“Kill you? No, no, I don’t want your blood on my hands. That will bring out too many unwanted enemies. And as you were merciful to me, so I will be merciful to you. Death, no. But banishment? Yes.” Corzan chanted some ancient words in a language Nath didn't know.

The Thunderstones turned into a bright ring of sparkling fire with a sparkling starlit hole in the middle of it.

“I don’t know where this goes, Nath Dragon, but I do know this portal goes to another world far, far away. You can be their problem now.”

Fear seized Nath. His hair was standing on end, stretching toward the portal.

Guzan! This is serious!

“Corzan, don’t do this!”

“What in Morgdon is going on?” Brenwar yelled. He was on his feet again, his brown eyes filled with worry. “Let my friend down!”

With a subtle wave, Corzan said, “Goodbye, Nath Dragon. May your journey be miserable and your death in the next world swift.”

“No, Corzan! No!”

The portal started sucking Nath in. His boots flipped over his head. Up, up he went, into the star-filled darkness. His golden eyes locked on the dragon hilt of his sword.

Fang, I need you. Come!

The great blade lifted off the ground and soared into his hand.

He heard Brenwar screaming, “NAAAAAATH!”

Suh-loop!

Nath’s body turned icy cold. Everything went black. Nalzambor was gone.