The Wealth of Kings (13 page)

The spike sailed in, arcing for the front of the demon’s left knee. Neither the flames, nor the patella, could withstand Sylus’ blow. The spike drove in, breaking through the kneecap with a gruesome
snap!
The demon howled in pain and moved back, but Sylus held his weapon in place, letting the spike linger in the space inside the knee joint.

Another dwarf ran in and leapt up. He too wielded a hammer. As he sailed through the air, he wound up an overhead chop and came in with a savage yell. The hammer connected with Sylus’ hammer, driving the spike through the demon’s leg entirely, and nearly ripping the left leg in half.

The demon shrieked so loudly that all of the cavedogs winced and shied away. Even several of the dwarves had to cover their ears. Then, the demon let out a devastating attack. Fire spewed out from its mouth, bathing nearly a dozen dwarves in flames. The sword came down hard on the left. Sylus was swift enough to dodge it, though he had to leave his hammer stuck in the demon’s knee. Three other dwarves were not as lucky. They were all cut down in the blow. Four more took the brunt of the spiked mace and were squished in a sweeping attack that smashed them into the wall.

Then the demon lost the strength lent to it by its anger, and it fell as it tried to put weight upon the left leg. Sylus bent down and took a spear from a fallen dwarf. He and several others rushed in to finish the battle. The demon raised its sword, and with a flick of its wrist it stabbed two dwarves as they charged. Its right hand released the mace, the spikes still stuck in the wall, leaving the weapon to hang there with the dwarf bodies like a grotesque tapestry before it struck out with its flaming fist, crushing a few more dwarves. Cavedogs rushed in and, despite the flames, leapt up to bite at the demon’s chest. In return, it lunged down and bit one of the cavedogs in the neck.

However, in leaning down, the demon exposed its own neck.

Sylus sprinted the last few steps and put all of his weight behind the spear thrust aimed at the side of the demon’s neck. The weapon went in much easier than the hammer. Flame and bright, orange light seeped out around the shaft of the spear, but Sylus drove it in as far as he could, unflinching from the heat. The dwarf king then hung from the spear as the demon tried to rise again. The demon let out a gargled cry and bent in pain toward Sylus.

The mighty dwarf king held fast, pulling and jerking on the spear with all of the strength he could muster, widening the wound in the demon’s neck. The demon fell to the ground, and a trio of dwarf soldiers moved in to hack and stab at the neck as well. Within moments, the head rolled free of the neck, and the flames surrounding the demon faded.

The dwarves stood, stunned and heaving for breath as they stared at the demon’s corpse.

“What in Hammenfein’s name was that?” one of the soldiers asked.

Sylus turned and surveyed the area. There were only seven soldiers left. Three of the cavedogs remained, though Sylus took heart and smiled when his lizard approached him proudly and stood next to him. About half of the miners survived. Most of the others had been taken by the many fire attacks. Some had been mortally wounded by the shattering rock when the demon had first entered the chamber.

“This addorite better be worth it,” one of the miners said.

Sylus looked up and saw another miner slapping the one who had spoken, harshly criticizing him for questioning the king.

The dwarf king went to retrieve his hammer, and then he went to the miner who had murmured against him. The other dwarves stood rigid, but the miner who had spoken stood tall, as if preparing to let Sylus know what he thought of the attack and the dangers presented in the deep mines. However, instead of chastising or punishing the miner, Sylus stretched out a hand and put it on the miner’s shoulder.

“I share your concern,” he said. Sylus glanced around the chamber and then locked eyes with the miner. “I will go and speak with Tu’luh. Mark my words, if I ever, for one second, think that we are wasting our lives needlessly, I will close the mines.”

None of the dwarves spoke.

They stood silently, watching as Sylus went and mounted his cavedog. The dwarf king motioned to the chamber with a sweep of his hand. “Gather our fallen kin. When the reinforcements arrive, take them up and prepare for the funeral rites.” Sylus then looked to the gaping hole from whence the demon had come. There was no light coming from beyond the chamber anymore. It was dark and silent. “Blow this chamber. Seal it off.”

*****

Sylus yanked his dented armor off and threw it on his bed. He didn’t even bother cleaning himself before he went out to the tunnel that joined his room to a large balcony that served as a platform for Tu’luh to land upon. He stormed out, hammer in hand and fuming mad as he had ever been in his life.

He went to the large pedestal on the balcony and uncovered the crystal sphere sitting atop it. He spoke the ancient words passed down from the first king of the dwarves, and the crystal awoke. At first it was a tiny, yellow glow deep within the crystal, but it quickly grew into a thick shaft of light that streaked up into the night sky and pierced the heavens.

There was no way for Sylus to know how long it would take the Ancient to respond. Sometimes it was minutes, at other times it took several days. He knew only that he needed to know more about the addorite in the depths of the mountain. As far as he was concerned, his continued obedience to Tu’luh was staining his hands with the blood of his kin. It was one thing for soldiers on the battlefield, but it was another matter entirely to command miners and engineers to march into the depths knowing that it could spell their doom.

Fortunately, Tu’luh arrive within the hour. It was fast enough that Sylus could appreciate the Ancient’s answering the summons on short notice, but also long enough that he had managed to cool his temper just enough to remember his manners when speaking to the mighty dragon.

Large, strong wings of scarlet beat upon the air as the dragon slowly lowered its massive body to the large, flat platform of stone. Tu’luh’s massive head turned so that his eyes could watch Sylus carefully. It occurred to Sylus that perhaps the dragon had expected this particular conversation.

“You have found the addorite?” Tu’luh asked in a mighty voice that echoed off the mountainside.

Sylus nodded. “We found nearly a ton, but we found something else as well.”

“More lurkers?” Tu’luh asked. Sylus had mentioned the beasts the last time he had spoken with the dragon, but Tu’luh had offered almost no insight.

The dwarf king set his hammer’s head down on the ground and rested his hands atop the upside-down handle. “A demon that commanded fire,” Sylus said. “It killed a great many dwarves, and cavedogs besides. It broke through a solid wall of stone to ambush us.”

Tu’luh nodded slowly. The Ancient emitted a deep, throaty growl and then snorted, shooting wisps of smoke out its nostrils. “Yes, I thought there might be a chance you would meet the demon.”

“Why didn’t you warn me?” Sylus asked. “I could have prepared better. I could have ordered an army down into the mines. We could have prepared weapons for the demon.”

Tu’luh shook his mighty head. “I was not sure you would encounter it. I believed that the mine would have to be much deeper before it would penetrate into their realm.”

Sylus was taken aback. His throat caught for a moment, but it was soon replaced by hot anger. “Their realm?” he echoed in a sharp yell. “You mean there are more of them?”

Tu’luh grunted and nodded once. “The bowels of Terramyr are a dangerous place. However, the magical fields below Roegudok Hall should suppress the demons. I thought they would be much deeper in this area, for they do not thrive where the Mystinen operates.” Tu’luh let out a short growl. “It appears I have made an error in my calculations. For that, I am truly sorry.”

Sylus felt the heat of rage boil up within him. No longer could he sit behind the tradition of reverence when faced with such incompetence and apparent apathy. Before he had a chance to think about his next words, he let them tumble out of his mouth.

“How dare you tell me you are sorry!” Sylus shouted as he moved toward Tu’luh, his hands ripping the hammer up from the ground and holding it in front of him. “I have fought for you when you asked me to. I defend humans who are too weak to defend themselves from the orcs that invade from the south. I have sent men to die in the mines, when we have more than plenty lining our pockets. What is this greed that drives you to waste the sons of the mountain?”

Tu’luh moved lightning fast. His snout stopped inches in front of Sylus’ face and his hot, fetid breath washed over Sylus. The king stiffened, but he did not shrink away. The dragon snarled, curling his scaled lip up to reveal long, wickedly sharp fangs. Tu’luh growled and then pulled his head up, standing at his full height, towering over the dwarf. His right hand moved out and a black, curved talon rested its point on Sylus’ chest, pressing the skin in ever so slightly.

“You are no son of the mountain,” Tu’luh corrected. “You exist only because we, the Ancients, have formed you. You were created separately from all the other races of dwarves on Terramyr. Icadion gave us permission to create you, so we used the same method we utilized on Kendualdern. We formed you from the rock of Roegudok Hall.” The dragon snorted and flames shot out angrily from its nostrils. “Don’t you for one moment forget that you are sons of the Ancients. The mountain is your home, but we are your creators.”

The talon angled downward, sliding the dangerous point away from Sylus and leaving the back side of the claw pressed against him. Tu’luh then flicked his claw and Sylus was thrown to the ground. The dwarf king landed hard on his back. He heard the talons scrape the stone platform next to him as Tu’luh set his massive foreleg down nearby and scratched the stone.

“You would kill me?” Sylus asked, some of the fight gone from his voice now.

Tu’luh bent his head down and growled. “I would remind you of your place,” Tu’luh said diplomatically. “You are the people of the Ancients. You are chosen to protect the Middle Kingdom. That requires sacrifice on your part, but it is for a greater good.”

Sylus rose to his feet and set his hammer down once more. “Then tell me what greater good is served by mining addorite in the depths below Roegudok Hall. Tell me why my people must sacrifice themselves to demons and giant bugs that would eat us.”

Tu’luh’s tail twitched and thudded against the stone as the dragon considered the dwarf king’s request. Then, he bent down once more, bringing his face closer to Sylus. “The addorite is being used in Valtuu Temple by the Ancients. Hiasyntar’Kulai, the Father of the Ancients, needs the crystal to read the deeper wisdom found within an ancient tome called the Infinium. Without it, the book cannot be read entirely.”

“What is so important about this book?” Sylus asked.

Tu’luh shook his head. “It is not for me to disclose,” he said. “My father has forbidden it. If you want to know, you will have to ask him.”

“Then bring him to me,” Sylus said.

Tu’luh laughed and smoke came out in puffs. “A dwarf king can light the summoning beacon, but he cannot command the Father of the Ancients.”

Sylus sighed. “Then at least tell me how much addorite you need. Once we have enough, then I can close the mines and protect my people.”

Tu’luh came within a few inches of Sylus and turned his head so that his large, right eye peered deeply into Sylus’ eyes. “We need every ounce you can find.”

Sylus stepped back and shook his head. “Then, why not go with us?” Sylus asked. The dwarf king gestured out beyond the large balcony to the valley below. “You have fought beside us beyond the mountain before. I know your strength. You can help us. We can widen the tunnels and—”

“No,” Tu’luh said flatly. “You know I cannot do that. The Mystinen that flows deep below Roegudok Hall is toxic to dragons. I cannot go into the tunnels with you.

“But you can handle addorite?” Sylus asked.

Tu’luh nodded. “The crystal formed below the mountain is not toxic to us, though it would be to humans or elves. Your folk are immune to both the Mystinen and addorite. That is why you were created. There is no other place on Terramyr that has the conditions necessary for addorite to form. Roegudok Hall itself was pushed up from the ground by this unique field of Mystinen.”

“So there is nothing you can do to aid us?” Sylus asked. “You would have me throw all of my folk into the mines, knowing the dangers below?”

Tu’luh nodded. “I assure you, your sacrifice will aid us Ancients in avoiding a much larger danger that will threaten all of Terramyr, including your people.” The dragon’s voice softened. “I understand your anger. Therefore, I will forget your outbursts. However, if you return to your chamber and read from the first book of kings that your great grandfather wrote, you will see that even in his time we Ancients told him we could not tunnel into the bowels of the mountain. Your miners know this as well.”

Sylus relented with a nod. “Can you tell me anything of the demons?”

Tu’luh nodded. “Though the lurkers were something we did not know of, the demons that live within the bowels of Terramyr are something we have seen before. Use mithril arrows…”

“We have,” Sylus said. “My soldiers fired several mithril crossbow bolts into him. It did nothing.”