Dragon Apocalypse (The Berserker and the Pedant Book 2) (19 page)

Antic, Gurken, Pellonia, and Maximina walked into a large chamber.
 
Two enormous ants stood just inside, guarding the entrance.
 
Behind them were countless ants of moderate size.
 
The guardian ants moved aside as Antic entered the room, bowing their heads and allowing him and his companions to pass.

As they walked down the room, ants parted, opening a path for them to follow.
 
Maximina crowded quite close to Gurken and Pellonia, swallowing reflexively.
 
Gurken and Pellonia strode confidently after Antic.
 
The ants closed ranks behind them as they went.

Finally, the sea of ants parted before an enormous queen.
 
Clem and Apocalypse waited next to her.
 
The queen was as tall as a two-story house and almost entirely abdomen.
 
She bent down and looked at Antic for a moment, then over at Maximina.

“Greetings otherworldly one,” scented the queen.
 
“I am the Mother of the World, She that Births, the Bearer of Souls, the Queen Mother. What bri— Just a minute.”
 
The queen groaned and shuddered and heaved and a white egg emerged.
 
An ant of moderate size picked up the egg and wandered off with it.

“What brings you to my chamber?” the queen finished scenting to Maximina.

“Greetings, Queen Mother,” Maximina scented back.
 
“We came here seeking to fight the Phage and drive them from this land.”

“They are a nast— hurr urrr urr.”
 
Another egg emerged, another ant carried it off.
 
“They are a nasty species.
 
We thought the quadraworms were bad enough, but you are a minor annoyance compared to the Phage.
 
We’ve been fighting them for — hurr urr urrk — for some time.”

“We’re happy to lend a hand where we can,” Maximina scented.

“A gracious offer,” scented the queen.
 
“And it comes at a most opportune time.
 
We’ve been unable to assault the Phage nest, but I believe that with your aid, and unique talents, we may be able to breach their lair and defeat them once and for all.
 
Hurr urrr-urrrrrk!
 
Ahhhhhhh, that one’s going to be a warrior.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Gurken asked.
 
He stood before an iron door. It was ten feet tall and covered in scratches and gouges.
 
The round knob was set into the door, with just enough clearance around it to fit a hand.
 
Pellonia, Maximina, Clem, and Apocalypse stood by his side.
 
A swarm of thousands of ants of various sizes lined up behind them, ready to advance.

Maximina shook her head.
 
“I’m afraid not.”

Gurken sighed, reached out, and turned the knob.
 
It turned easily and the door swung open, silent due to a generous amount of oil on the hinges and the excellent balance easily achieved by a dwarf performing his craft.
 
The opening revealing a dining area where dozens of Phage-controlled dwarves sat on wooden benches eating a meal.
 
The dwarves looked up, eyes wide, mouths gaping, tentacles writhing.
 
Ants streamed between Gurken and Maximina, pouring through the door and into the room.

Maximina yelled to Gurken over the sound of the ant stampede.
 
“The Phage controlled area is contained within rock too hard for the ants to dig through.
 
And ants can’t work a door knob with their pincers.
 
You can see where they’ve tried!
 
I really think we’ve turned the tide of the war.”
 
Gurken frowned and shook his head.

C
HAPTER
S
EVENTEEN

The Berserker and the Invasion

GURKEN, PELLONIA, MAXIMINA, Clem, and Apocalypse strode into the dining room after the last of the ants made their way inside.
 
It was a gruesome sight.
 
Giant ants were crawling on tables and benches, sundering limbs and carving out chunks of flesh.
 

The Phage-controlled dwarves were caught unprepared. Some pulled out weapons and some managed to brandish no more than a fork and butter knife.
 
Still, they fought with what would be considered valor in an ally, and insane ferocity in a foe.

By the time the Ice Capaders could draw a weapon, it was over.

“A door,” Gurken said.
 
“They only needed us to open a bloody door!”

Antic, having surveyed the scene and scented with a few of the ants, walked over to Maximina.
 
Maximina looked down at the ant and the smell of rosemary percolated in the air.

“Gurken,” Maximina said.
 
“The ants are in need of your aid once more.”
 
She pointed towards another door.

Gurken rolled his eyes.
 
“Bloody goblins! Reduced to a doorman.
 
Sure, sure. I’d be happy to hold the door for you, sir ant.”
 
Gurken strode to the door while talking and opened it.
 
It was unlocked and opened with ease.
 
Ants streamed through, and the battle once more ensued.
 
Gurken frowned.

C
HAPTER
E
IGHTEEN

The Pedant and the Portal

“THIS IS TAKING entirely too long,” Arthur said.
 
“The portal should be open by now.
 
Phage should be streaming through.
 
The world should be ours!
 
Why aren’t you finished?”

Arthur stood on top of the Phage ship, four orbs circling his head.
 
Solid rock surrounded him for hundreds of feet in any direction.
 
He could see across the entire valley from his vantage point.
 
In one direction was a great ice wall and the floating city of Arendal.
 
In another direction lay the cliff where Melody left the world and from which the goblins launched their assaults.

Ohm was close by, chained to the ship with heavy irons.
 
He strummed half-heartedly on his lute, a sad melody of loss and heartache.
 
His wrists, ankles, and neck were bloody and bruised, skin rubbed raw under the manacles.
 
Melody was picking at the Orb of Skzd using some sort of hand tools.
 
Red and white strands of copper stretched from the orb to an enchanted grimoire.
 
The images on the book flickered and changed as she pressed the tools onto the orb.
 
Melody grimaced.

“If you think it’s easy, you should come over here and do it yourself.”
 
She stuck the tool towards Arthur.
 
“After all, it only took Pellonia and I about a thousand years on board that cursed elven ship to design and engineer the portal system.
 
Why should it take me any time at all to extend its range across distant worlds?”

“Fine.
 
What’s the problem?” Arthur asked, taking the tool.

“You’re smart, I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Arthur bent over and examined the orb.
 
“Mmm.
 
Hmm.
 
Yes, I see.
 
Fine, then.
 
Take this back.
 
I haven’t the slightest idea.”

Melody smiled and took back the tool.
 
“The problem is there isn’t enough power.
 
It takes a great deal of energy to establish a portal.
 
The greater the distance, the greater the required energy.
 
Once a portal has been established, it requires significantly less energy to reopen.
 
The path has already been trod, so to speak.
 
It’s like cutting down brush and trees to make a path through a forest; the first trip takes a lot of effort.
 
After that, not so much.”

“Could you, perhaps — I don’t know — use the Sphere of Annihilation?” Arthur asked.

Melody scowled at him.
 
“Don’t you think if it were that eas—.”
 
She stopped talking and thought for a moment.
 
“Maybe.
 
Maybe, we can.
 
That’s brilliant.
 
It will take some time to set up, but… it should be possible.”

Melody and Arthur abruptly stood straight up, eyes distant.
 
After a moment, their eyes came back into focus.

“If that doesn’t beat all,” Arthur said.
 
“Keep working, I’ll take care of it.”

“The Phage queen is under attack.
 
We must answer her summons.”

“We will,” Arthur snapped.
 
“The portal is more important. If the portal is open, we don’t need the queen any longer.”

“Doofus!” he shouted.

A hatch popped open in the floor, a few feet from Arthur and Melody.
 
Rufus poked his head out and said, “Yes, sire?”

“Take the man in the silken cloak and attend to the Phage queen, she’s under attack by you-know-who,” Arthur said.

“You can’t possibly mean…”

Arthur sighed.
 
“Yes.
 
Somehow Gurken, Pellonia and Apocalypse survived.”
 
At that comment, Ohm stopped playing and perked up.
 
Hope spread on his face like dragon fire through a city.
 
Arthur continued.
 
“They’ve somehow managed to acquire an abomination as an ally and an army of those infuriating ants.
 
They’ve broken through the Phage lines and are assaulting the queen.
 
Get rid of them.
 
Or at least, distract them until we’re able to open the portal.
 
Take this with you.”
 

Arthur plucked two of the orbs circling his head and tossed them to Rufus.
 
Rufus caught the orbs and stuffed them into his robe.

“Yes, sire!” he said.
 
With that, Rufus popped back down into the ship and closed the latch behind him.

Arthur pinched his brow together.
 
“It’s so hard to get good help.”

“Why haven’t you directed a Phage to take him over?”

“Don’t think I haven’t tried.
 
On multiple occasions,” Arthur said.
 
“Him and the man in the silken robe.
 
They’re immune.
 
It’s mysterious.
 
He’s still loyal, even if he isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I keep him around.
 
Let’s concentrate on finishing the portal.”

Melody snorted.
 
“Yes, sire.”

C
HAPTER
N
INETEEN