Knights: Book 03 - The Heart of Shadows (10 page)

Lothrin
shot the Wolf that was crouched atop his cousin, his arrow piercing the
creature's eye. The Wolf leapt off Vannas, staggered around with the arrow
protruding from its eye, and then went for Jerret--who promptly crushed its
skull with his broadsword. Nevertheless, the Wolf somehow tried to rise again,
until Jerret struck two more blows that completely beheaded the beast.

 
Lothrin swiped up the White Flamestone, then
ran to check on his fallen cousin. Vannas was stunned but still conscious, a
bloody gash in his forehead. The circle of defenders quickly closed around
Lothrin and the prince.

"Protect
Vannas!" Taris ordered, disgust in his voice at what had befallen the
prince. "And guard the Flamestone!"

Jace
flung himself at another charging Ogre, trying to strike the creature's head
with his fist. Even the giant, cloaked form of Jace looked small in comparison
to the Ogre, as the sorcerer leapt through the air. The Ogre caught Jace with
one hand, by the throat, and shook him viciously before flinging him into a
pillar. Jace dropped to the floor and lay stunned.

 
Using the Eye, Lannon seized the Ogre that
had dispatched Jace and froze it. But the beast was too strong to be contained,
and it soon broke free of Lannon's grasp and continued its charge toward the
Squires.

Taris'
dagger burned almost white hot, and he flung a massive fireball into the
advancing giant. It struck the Ogre's breastplate and exploded in a blinding
flash of light that threw large, buzzing sparks and hissing bits of burning
hide and flesh all over the chamber. The Ogre stumbled and went down, nearly
falling on Shennen (who swiftly sidestepped it), a gaping hole burned through
its chest. The Ogre shuddered twice and then went motionless in death.

Two
Wolves isolated Galvia. She swung at one with her smoldering hammer and missed,
scorching and shattering the stone floor. As Jerret and Aldreya moved to help
her, one of the Wolves bit into Galvia's stomach with its oversized teeth. She
cried out in agony and dropped her hammer, as the Wolf ripped at her flesh.

Aldreya
blasted one of the Wolves with a fireball, and the creature fled yelping into
the fray, smoke rising from its fur. With a cry of rage, Jerret drove his
burning broadsword into the Wolf that was biting Galvia. The Wolf released
Galvia and tried to escape Jerret's blade, but Jerret drove it to the floor and
pinned it. Lannon ran over and cut off the Wolf's head with one solid stroke.

Galvia
slumped to the floor, blood pouring from her stomach. Her face was pale, her
eyes rolled back in her head. Aldreya knelt by her and tried to comfort her,
while Jerret charged back into battle.

Lannon
froze another Ogre, and three Knights drove their burning blades into it before
it could break free. Still, the Ogre staggered around, howling in pain and
swinging its club. Lannon seized its heart with the Eye, seeking to end its
life. But the heart was protected by dark sorcery and resisted Lannon's
efforts. At last, the creature perished from its massive wounds and fell to the
floor.

A
wave of weariness washed over Lannon. Using the Eye to seize
objects--especially objects the size of Ogres--put a great strain on him and
quickly drained his energy. He raised his sword and let the Eye falter, opting
to fight as a Blue Squire and save what little strength he had left.

The
two remaining Ogres, and the remaining Wolves, were dispatched by the Knights,
as the Divine Shield simply held formation and waited. When the battle was
ended, two Knights were dead and three more injured to the point of being ineffective.
Taris ordered Galvia and the wounded and dead Knights taken back up to the
surface. Galvia was the most severely injured of the group, and after briefly
checking her wounds, Taris looked grim.

Taris
ordered some of the Knights to stand guard by the tunnels, while the company
regrouped and tended to the wounded. Many of the Knights were injured but still
able to proceed with the mission after a few bandages were applied along with a
bit of healing sorcery.

 
They held a moment of silence to honor the
fallen Knights. Then Taris spoke a few words of praise for them and their
heroic deeds. After that, it was back to business and any grieving was done
silently.

Prince
Vannas shook off his daze, wiping blood from his forehead so a bandage could be
applied. He demanded the White Flamestone be returned to him. "I'm a bit
sore and groggy," he said, "but I can continue on."

Lothrin
hesitated, his gaze fixed on the Flamestone that was cupped in his hands. His
eyes looked distant, as if he were deep in contemplation.

"Trust
me, cousin," said Vannas, "I am okay to proceed." He extended
his hand, and reluctantly Lothrin gave him the Flamestone.

Taris
glowered at the prince. "You may continue on, Squire, but next time you
had better stay in formation! I thought you had more sense and were better
trained than that. You could have easily gotten yourself killed and lost the
White Flamestone to our enemies."

Vannas
bowed. "My apologies, Master Taris. It was foolish of me. But I was simply
seeking a better vantage point from which to..." He let his words trail
off, as Taris turned away angrily and ignored him.

Jerret
kicked the body of a slain Wolf. "If Galvia dies, I'll kill every Goblin
in Silverland. Mark my words!"

Aldreya
put her arm around Jerret. "Galvia is a Grey Dwarf, and I think she'll be
fine once the healers tend to her. Her kind can handle such wounds. She won't
be happy to be out of the action, though."

Jerret
nodded, the usual sullen look gone from his face. He seemed back to his old
self, his concern over Galvia perhaps taking his mind off Thrake. "I don't
blame her. Not when there are Goblins to be hunted."

Jace
groaned and leaned heavily against a pillar, lighting his pipe. He rubbed his
shoulder. "Ogres are rather strong, and not as stupid as many believe.
These ones had an odd look to them, by the way."

Trenton,
who'd done nothing during the battle except hold formation, nodded in
agreement. "Yes, I've never seen anything like this. It is almost as if
they were a new breed of Goblin, very difficult to kill."

"We
were wise to investigate these tunnels," said Taris, "for it seems we
have encountered a new mystery and another significant threat to Silverland.
Aside from being very resilient, these Ogres and Wolves seemed more cunning in
battle. The Deep Shadow was much stronger in these foes."

"Definitely
more cunning," said Shennen, leaning down to examine a fallen Ogre.
"The Deep Shadow was indeed more potent in these creatures--perhaps
whispering to them and guiding their actions. These Goblins may have come from
the realm of Tharnin itself."

"How
can that be?" asked Daledus, wiping Ogre blood from his huge battle axe.
"There aren't any portals around here."

"None
that we know of," said Shennen, a strange expression on his face.
"But that doesn't mean anything. The portals could be new."

"I
highly doubt it," said Trenton. "Portals to Tharnin cannot be opened
easily. It requires a catastrophic blast of energy to create a portal that will
remain open for longer than an instant."

"Regardless,"
said Jace, "I don't believe these Goblins came directly from Tharnin. Only
a few creatures from the Shadow Realm can survive in our world, for the energy
of living things here is like poison to Tharnin dwellers."

"They
were probably modified somehow," said Taris, "just as the Goblin
Lords were. The Legion alchemists and sorcerers are always tinkering with
Goblins, trying to make them stronger and more cunning. They probably did it
here in this world--meaning a portal to Tharnin would not be necessary."

"I
suppose that makes sense," said Trenton.

"Not
to me," said Daledus. "I don't understand a bit of it."

"But
you're not a sorcerer," said Taris, "like Trenton and I."

"Trenton
is a sorcerer?" asked Daledus, raising his eyebrows in what could have
been mock surprise. "I never noticed."

"Indeed,"
Trenton said coldly. "What did you think I was, Dwarf? Do I look like an
armored Knight, or carry the bow of an archer?"

Daledus
shrugged. "I always thought of you as...well, the
Investigator
I
guess. I've just never seen you use sorcery in battle."

 
Taris smiled. "Trenton is actually the
most talented sorcerer I've ever known. At least, for the type of sorcery he
practices."

"I
just do what is required," said Trenton, his face reddening.

"Who
would have suspected?" said Daledus, grinning.

Trenton
scowled. "Yes, I don't brag about my abilities, and I can't throw
fireballs all over the place. Thus, most people don't think of me as a
sorcerer. Yet I assure you that is exactly what I am."

"So
what can you do?" asked Daledus. "I mean, aside from..."

"That
is the business of a Green Knight," said Trenton, "which means it is
none of
your
business. Ask me again when you're on the High Council,
Daledus, and I might be inclined to provide an answer. It seems you're too
young to understand your place--or the ways of sorcerers, for that
matter."

Daledus'
grin vanished. He bowed. "Meant no offense, Trenton. I just figured I
would ask, since we're all in this Divine Shield together."

Trenton
nodded. "You are strong and exceptionally talented, Daledus. I'll give you
that. But you have a lot to learn about the ways of Dremlock."

They
rested a bit longer, and then Taris ordered everyone back into formation.
Lannon probed the three tunnels and found that two of them contained traces of
the villagers having passed that way--including the tunnel the Ogres and Wolves
had come from. They opted to explore the Goblin tunnel, acting on the notion
that the villagers who'd gone that way might be in greater peril.

Stone
steps lead them sharply downward, and the air grew foul smelling. At the bottom
was a long tunnel. They started along it and came to a square pit with
rune-covered stone blocks lining the edges and iron ladder rungs leading down
into darkness. Lannon searched the pit and felt the presence of powerful
sorcery. He also glimpsed ancient traces of pain and death.

Taris
decided that they would leap over the pit and continue to search for the
villagers. "Whatever evil lurks below," he said, "is best
avoided for now. That pit reeks of an Olrog trap."

One
by one, they leapt across the pit. It was a dangerous leap, but the Knights and
Squires used their sorcery to remove any fear and guide their bodies across.
They referred to such techniques as
sorcery
, when in fact they were
based on the power of the mind--the ability to create extreme focus through
meditation and cause the body to do extraordinary feats. Yet all special
Knightly abilities depended upon the strength of one's Essence (or divine
energy) and thus were classified as mystical in nature. Lannon didn't have much
Essence, but he used the Eye of Divinity to help spring him across. Saranna the
Ranger lacked Essence or Eye, and in spite of being quite agile, she was
hesitant to make such a long jump. But Aldreya used her sorcery to help guide
Saranna, and the two of them made the leap together. Darius the wolf fearlessly
bounded over the pit after them.

 
Then they started along the tunnel again.
Taris examined the stone walls, frowning, and then ordered everyone to halt.
"I sense traps," he said, "and the presence of some type of
sorcery. "

Lannon
scanned the tunnel--but found that a shadow was clouding his sight. It was
ancient Dwarven sorcery, meant to confuse. The shadow extended the entire
length of the hallway. He reported his findings to Taris, who nodded--as if the
Birlote already knew what they were facing.

"Hold
back, Squires!" Taris warned. "We must proceed with extreme caution.
Olrog traps are nothing to fool with."

The
Squires and Saranna were at the rear, and they slowed their pace a bit. But it
wasn't enough to appease Taris. Jerret was still pressing forward eagerly and
prompting the others to try to keep pace with him.

 
"I said
hold back!
" Taris
commanded, in an angry tone.

Jace
turned around and placed his huge hand against Jerret's chest. "You heard
Taris, young fellow. Slow your--"

A
rumbling of stone arose, and a metal slab with a sharp edge dropped from the
ceiling between Jerret and Jace, cutting the Squires off from the rest of the
group. The slab had dropped so swiftly and unexpectedly that it had chopped off
Jace's arm, and the arm lay on the floor in the torchlight. Another slab had
fallen on the other side of the pit, leaving the pit as the only exit for the
Squires.

***

The
Squires gazed at Jace's severed arm in horror, and they could hear his cries of
pain from beyond the slab. Lannon probed the slab and found it was made of
Olrog Glaetherin--which meant it was nearly indestructible. He seized it with
the Eye and tried to lift it, but he couldn't budge it. The strain made him
drop to one knee, dizziness washing over him.