The Dwarf Kingdoms (Book 5) (13 page)

“Well done Gavros,” thought Elerian to himself as horns began to blow inside the fortress behind him, signaling the defenders above the gate to abandon their posts, for the last of the Dwarves from Ennodius had now entered Galenus. At the same moment, from his dark pavilion, Sarius regarded the closed gates of Galenus with a baleful look.

“The Dwarves have lost their courage now that they are faced with the might of my entire army, but they will not escape me for long,” he thought viciously to himself. “Once I have recaptured the castella and the two escaped slaves, I will come knocking on their gates with my new ram.” Calling for an atrior, Sarius rode out to his troops, giving orders for a second assault on the fortress.

Inside the castella, Elerian followed the retreating Dwarves to the stables, finding that the cavernous chamber was now filled with abandoned wagons. When he reached the entryway of the passageway that led into Galenus, he found Ascilius waiting there, an impatient look on his face.

“Hurry,” he said urgently. “We must seal the tunnel into the city before the Goblins break into the fortress.”

Silently, Elerian followed Ascilius and the last few Dwarves of Falco’s company into the passageway. Once they had all passed through the entranceway, the doors were closed and locked by a pair of Dwarves bearing weighty hammers who then followed them through the tunnel. When everyone had left the passageway, one of the Dwarves cast his hammer into the center of the tunnel, shattering the first of the columns that supported the ceiling. As he and his companion slammed the steel doors of the passageway closed, Elerian heard the rumble of tortured stone. Beneath his feet, the floor trembled.

 “It is done then,” he thought to himself when the noise finally died away, and the doors to the sealed passageway ceased to tremble. “Ascilius and his people are safe, and I am finally free to return to Anthea. The Goblins may have blocked off the front door, but Galenus, like every other Dwarf city that I have seen, will surely have a back door that I can slip out of.” With a light heart, Elerian turned away from the doorway to follow Ascilius who had settled himself on a nearby stone bench to await Gavros.

 While Ascilius and Elerian waited for Gavros in the stables of Galenus, Sarius watched impatiently as his Trolls dragged their battering ram toward the inner gate of the castella which remained strangely quiet before their advance. Not a single crossbow bolt came from the narrow slots above the ruined gate.

“The Dwarves have likely fled back into Galenus,” thought Sarius to himself as the Trolls tore the inner gate off its hinges with their ram. When the way was clear, he rode into the great outer hall, finding it empty as he had expected. He rode at once down the central ramp to the stables, reining in his fractious atrior before the exit to the ramp. Sarius comprehended at once the deception the Dwarves had played on him as soon as he saw the hundreds of abandoned wagons scattered about the stables.

“My trap has been sprung, but not in the way that I anticipated,” mused Sarius to himself with a frown on his pale brow. “These wagons can only have come from Ennodius. Either the Dwarf’s companion is truly a master of the gates as Agar claims, or somewhere on this level there is door rendered invisible by the craft of the little people.” Urging his mount through the abandoned wagons, Sarius reined in his atrior before the doorway that led into Galenus.

“The feint from the front gates allowed the Dwarves that rode in these wagons to enter the city unopposed and unobserved,” he thought to himself as he glared at the closed double doors. Riding up to the entranceway, Sarius rapped on the right hand door with the pommel of his sword. The seemingly light blow produced a loud, dull thud as if a great weight had suddenly struck the door, but the portal remained as fixed and unmoving as the stone around it.

“The passageway behind these doors has been collapsed and made impassable,” thought Sarius to himself. “Even now the little people are no doubt congratulating themselves on their cleverness at my expense. We will soon see if they have cause to celebrate or not,” he thought grimly to himself. “Before I deal with them, however, I must solve the mystery of how these wagons arrived from Ennodius.”

Leaving the castella through the front gate with a small group of sharp-eyed Wood Goblins, Sarius rode around the perimeter of the fortress, heading in a northerly direction. Deep in the forest, his wood crafty Goblins found the marks of wagon wheels on the ground before a sheer gray cliff. Further investigation revealed more wheel marks leading northeast into the forest.

“Agar’s talk of gates is nonsense,” thought Sarius scornfully to himself. “There is a door hidden in the cliff face, a door which the Dwarves from Ennodius reached by traveling through the forest undetected. It was no doubt accomplished with magic, but it will avail them nothing. I now have them in a net they will not soon escape as they have no doubt found out by now.”

The Mordi who accompanied Sarius gave each other puzzled looks as their commander began to laugh softly to himself. Filled with grim satisfaction, Sarius rode back to his dark pavilion, plotting his next move against the Dwarves of Galenus.

EONIS

Elerian and Ascilius did not have long to wait before Gavros returned for them. After he and Ascilius exchanged a great deal of heavy handed backslapping and loud congratulations, the Dwarf commander led the two companions down a street that ran through the center of the vast stables and granaries that occupied the first level of the city. Yellow mage lights hung from the ceiling of the huge chamber, illuminating every corner, and the air was warm, smelling of hay and beasts. Whinnies and excited nickering rang out constantly from the ponies that had come from Ennodius as they settled into their new stalls and availed themselves of the water and fresh hay that had been provided for them. Cheers filled the air as the throngs of Dwarves crowding the streets of the stables recognized Ascilius. Against all odds and with little loss of life, he had brought them safe into Galenus as he had promised, and for that everyone felt that he deserved praise. Elerian did not hear anyone call his name, but he saw many a speculative look directed his way by the older Dwarves.

“My disguise is wearing thin,” he thought to himself. He still wore the illusion of a Tarsi warrior, worn and marked by a difficult life, but he saw that many of the Dwarves now suspected that there was more to him than what their eyes showed them. His exploits were already being told and retold, and they far exceeded the abilities of a human mage and warrior. “I could reveal myself, but that would only cause confusion and rampant speculation,” thought Elerian to himself. “Some might even use the knowledge against me. I think that I am better off to remain as I am, for now at least.”

When they entered the central ramp, Elerian found it to be far different in appearance from the ramp that he had used in Ennodius. There was no darkness or even a shadow here, for ornate lamps containing gold and silver mage lights hung on chains attached to the curving ceiling of the passageway. The floors and walls, polished smooth as glass, gleamed softly with reflected light. Beneath the shining surface of the stone Elerian could see the veins of varicolored minerals that ran through it, presenting fantastical, ornate designs to the eye.

“Is this all hardened magically?” asked Elerian of Ascilius as he ran the palm of his right hand over the cool, smooth surface of the wall on his right.

“It is, but it was done over a period of many years, for it is a slow, tedious process,” replied Ascilius. “Much of the stone that makes up the walls and ceilings of the city has been similarly transformed, making it almost as hard and durable as adamant.”

“Why bother with pillars then?” asked Elerian, thinking of all the stone columns he had seen in the stables.

“Magic is a tremendous aid,” replied Ascilius patiently, “but you must remember, Elerian, that it has a drawback as I showed you before in the Broken Lands when I shattered your stone knife. Anything created by magic can also be undone by other magic. We Dwarves do not wish to share the fate of the Elves who depended entirely on the magical shield around their homeland to keep them safe. When it failed, they were left defenseless and destroyed by the Goblins. That is why we make our walls thick and support our halls with sturdy pillars. We Dwarves are a cautious lot when it comes to magic, for we know that it can fail.”

When they left the ramp at the fourth level and entered the circular hall that wrapped itself around the central pillar of stone through which the ramp rose, Elerian saw a Dwarf city in all its glory for the first time. The ceiling of the chamber was at least fifty feet high, supported by great stone pillars carved in the shapes of trees which rose out of the polished floor at regular intervals. Their stone branches and leaves covered the entire roof of the hall, each twig and leaf perfectly carved. Mage lamps of green, gold, and silver hung among the stone boughs, blending to produce the green tinted light of a forest grove on a bright, sunny afternoon. Their bright rays were reflected by the shining, jeweled eyes of carved stone birds that sang among the branches. Throngs of Dwarves dressed in brightly colored, hooded tunics filled the floor of the hall. Elerian saw adults of both sexes as well as tiny, noisy youngsters who scampered about underfoot, so different from their solemn elders.

“What a difference a crowd and some light makes,” thought Elerian to himself, remembering the dark, tomblike spaces of Ennodius.

“You see our groves properly illuminated here,” said Ascilius proudly. “They will match any wood above ground in beauty.”

“It is indeed a wondrous sight,” said Elerian, his head all awhirl from all the sights and sounds that washed over him. To himself, however, he thought, “I prefer living wood to cold stone no matter how brightly it is lit or how splendid it is to look at. Nothing can match the beauty of a well formed, ancient tree pulsing with life beneath its bark.”

Six great doorways were cut into the outside wall of the hall at regular intervals. Gavros led Elerian and Ascilius through the crowds toward the north doorway. When they left the hall, they entered a large passageway lit by golden mage lights hung overhead in great silver chandeliers. The street running down the center of the tunnel was empty, but the sidewalks on either side were crowded with Dwarves. Many more Dwarves dressed in bright tunics sat on the balconies outside the upper windows of the dwellings that lined the sidewalks. It appeared to Elerian that word of the new arrivals from Ennodius appeared to have brought every resident of Galenus out of his or her dwelling.

Passing through the curious crowds on the right-hand sidewalk, they walked for a long way until the passageway they were following intersected the wide boulevard which encircled the entire fourth level. In the blank wall on the far side of the intersection, beneath an intricately carved, raised stone doorframe, Elerian saw two ornate wooden doors guarded by a pair of long bearded Dwarves dressed in shining mail and round caps. Each of them held a long handled, double bladed axe in his right hand. They were evidently expecting Gavros, for they opened the doors behind them without being asked when he led Ascilius and Elerian across the intersection.

 After a short walk through a passageway about ten feet wide and twelve high, they came to a large hall. At regular intervals around the perimeter of the room, pillars in the shape of different trees rose up from the polished floor. Between a pair of stone trees on their right was a richly appointed throne resting on a low dais. The spaces between the other pillars were occupied by elaborately carved wooden doors.

Gavros led Ascilius and Elerian across the chamber and through a door on the far side. As they walked down a large, high ceilinged passageway, they passed more wooden doors, dark in color and gleaming from thick coats of varnish. Each door was skillfully carved with different, elaborate designs. Gavros eventually stopped before a door on his right and opened it, revealing a large bedroom that contained two comfortably appointed beds. Over the heads of the two Dwarves, Elerian saw an open door on the far side of the room which led to a washroom containing two steaming copper tubs filled with hot water.

“The king will call for you after you refresh yourselves,” said Gavros to Ascilius and Elerian.

Once Gavros left them, Elerian and Ascilius soaked luxuriously in the steaming water filling the tubs, washing away the stains of battle. An old Dwarf with a long white beard took away their clothes to be washed and their mail to be burnished, but he did not touch Ascilius’s hammer or Elerian’s sword and knives, for word has already spread around the city about the magical properties of their weapons. The old Dwarf returned with clean clothes: brown linen pants, soft white linen shirts, and bright blue hooded tunics. They were given soft leather slippers to wear on their feet and belts of silver links to clasp around their waists. As soon as they were properly dressed, Gavros appeared in their quarters again.

“Eonis wishes to talk to you and your companion,” he said a trifle wearily to Ascilius. He still wore his gore stained, battered battle gear and appeared not to have taken any rest at all since they had last seen him. “Leave your weapons,” he said as he saw the two companions stand undecided by their arms. “The king does not permit weapons in his presence.”

Leaving the room, Gavros turned to his right, leading Elerian and Ascilius deeper into the passageway before finally coming to a stop in front of a massive wooden door at the end of the tunnel. A pair of aged Dwarves with long white beards reaching to their waists stood before the doors. They were dressed in bright green, hooded tunics and brown pants, and the belts they wore around their waists were made of gold links that gleamed in the light of the mage lamps.

“I will leave you now, for I still have much to attend to,” said Gavros as the two ancient Dwarves opened the heavy door.

When he and Ascilius stepped through the entranceway, Elerian found himself in a round chamber about thirty feet in diameter. Yellow mage lights hung from the ceiling, their soft rays reflected by the walls and floor which were made of polished granite, veined with red and blue threads. At regular intervals, raised, ornate pillars were carved into the walls of the room. Some of the spaces between the pillars were occupied by doors while others were covered by stone panels depicting Dwarves in battle gear, Tarsi of the plains mounted on their horses, and a host of other figures and scenes. In between two pillars on the far side of the chamber was a large fireplace of white marble veined with blue gray threads with a bright fire burning in its hearth.

Seated on a carved wooden chair turned sideways to the fire so that his right profile was presented to Ascilius and Elerian was an ancient Dwarf whose hair and beard, worn loose, were white as snow. He wore a pale blue, hooded tunic trimmed with gold thread and a belt of heavy gold links around his waist. A gold crown of open work set with fiery diamonds crowned his snowy locks. In his veined, powerful left hand, he held a polished staff of ebony, richly appointed with gleaming silver work. To the right of the Dwarf, Elerian was surprised to see Herias, sitting in another chair and looking very pleased with himself.

“Nephew, I never thought to see you again in this life!” said the aged Dwarf in a reserved, deep voice to Ascilius. “Seat yourselves,” he continued, waving, with his right hand, to two empty chairs between him and Herias. “I will call for food and drink. Then, Ascilius, I must hear the whole tale of what has passed since you disappeared so many years ago.”

“Bring food and wine for us Quincius and a small table,” Eonis ordered one of the door wardens as Ascilius took the chair closest to his uncle, leaving Elerian to sit next to Herias.

 As Elerian sat in his chair, he cast a sidelong glance at Herias out of the right corners of his eyes and was startled to see a fleeting look of extreme malevolence in the Dwarf’s dark eyes that appeared to be directed at Ascilius. The venomous glance lasted only an instant, and a surreptitious look to his left demonstrated to Elerian that it had gone unnoticed by both Eonis and Ascilius.

“My instincts were right then,” thought Elerian to himself. “For whatever dark reason, Herias has no love for his uncle. Eonis, too, seems cool toward Ascilius. He might be greeting a stranger rather than a nephew that he has not seen for many years. ”

Just then, Quincius returned with a small table of polished black ebony inlaid with silver, setting it before the fire within easy reach of all four chairs. Three other Dwarves followed him bearing cheese, and fresh, crusty bread laid out on plates made of yellow gold, jeweled goblets, and crystal decanters filled with red and white wine. After setting everything on the table, they retired from the room. As the others ate and drank, Ascilius began to recount the story of his adventures since his disappearance twenty years before, a goblet of red wine cupped between his powerful knotted hands.

“Twenty years ago, uncle, on my return from my last trading trip to Tarsius, my company was ambushed by a strong party of Mordi and Ancharians on the plains north of Silanus,” he said quietly. “How they discovered us I do not understand to this day, for we were east of the Arvina in lands that are far from the usual haunts of the Goblins in Ancharia.”

“Falco raised the same question in Ennodius before he suddenly changed the subject,” thought Elerian to himself. “Was it a coincidence that the Goblins found Ascilius on the plains or was there some other more sinister reason?” His question remained unanswered but not forgotten as Ascilius resumed telling his story.

“A desperate battle ensued,” continued Ascilius. “The Goblins outnumbered us and wanted us alive, but my companions and I were equally determined not to be captured. During the struggle, I was struck from behind and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself chained to the others of my party who had survived. Only six of us remained out of a company of thirty, all of them good friends,” he said sadly, “known to me since my youth. After a long, weary journey wearing enchanted manacles on our wrists and ankles that bit deep into flesh if we struggled, we were brought to the Goblins' mines in Nefandus and led deep beneath the earth. I did not see the others again after that, for the mines are vast. Whether they are alive or dead, I do not know. They may be there yet, laboring under the earth,” he said somberly.

“After long years of toil and torment, they brought my friend Elerian into the mines and chained us together. Many human prisoners had preceded him over the years, dying one by one from the heavy toil and the lack of proper food, but although he grew thin, Elerian remained alive. We became friends, and when the opportunity presented itself, we escaped from the mines and made our way east. When we passed through Calenus, we rescued Dacien the son of Orianus. After reaching the plains, we stayed with his people for a time to help ward off the Goblin forces that had invaded their plains, but eventually, we traveled to Ennodius. After gathering the remnants of my people who had taken shelter in the outer fortress, I led them here by way of the hidden road that leads through the foothills north of the Catalus.”