The Wealth of Kings (22 page)

Al watched the commander ride away and bark out orders to the patrols. The dwarf king couldn’t help but feel as though something was missing. There was an uneasy feeling in his stomach that the demons would come as soon as the dwarves mined the addorite.

*****

Hiasyntar’Kulai was sitting in the large, crystal-walled chamber deep within the ground beneath his castle nestled in the mountains when the three dragon spirits returned from their quest to find the missing addorite.

The three spirits settled upon the floor and bowed deeply.

“Have you found it?” the Father of the Ancients asked.

The middle dragon, a large, strong spirit with blue scales lifted its head and looked to Hiasyntar’Kulai with its black, penetrating eyes.

The golden dragon formed the telepathic connection with the blue dragon and relived the memory of discovering the addorite through her eyes.

The cave was found exactly where Tu’luh had said it would be. The three dragons entered the cave and swiftly floated through the winding passages. They heard strange noises echoing through the caves, but there was no sign of any life. They wound their way down long, dank corridors. The deeper they went into the cavern network, the more tunnels seemed to branch off in every direction.

The three dragons split up.

The blue dragon, whose memories Hiasyntar’Kulai was watching, chose a tunnel that led deeper into the mountain. She floated through quickly, not needing to worry about the physical constraints of the tunnel as her ethereal form easily passed through the solid stone walls and stalactites that would have prevented her from navigating the tunnel had she been alive and in her physical body.

That was why Tu’luh could never recover the addorite, Hiasyntar’Kulai thought to himself as he watched the memories. The tunnels were far too small for any dragon to infiltrate.

The tunnel came to a large chamber with an underground pool of water. Green, thick algae grew along the top of the pond and stretched over the stone banks. There were several piles of bones as well. The blue dragon moved closer to inspect the bones, and realized that they belonged to goblins.

She moved on. Something moved in the shadows in a tunnel off to the right, so she followed after it. Quiet footsteps padded along the cave a short ways in front of her. She increased her speed and discovered a hulking, hunch-backed figure with green skin dotted with cysts over the left shoulder. It turned and narrowed its gray eyes, seemingly looking right at the blue dragon. It snarled, revealing a set of crooked, jagged teeth. Then it turned and hobbled through the tunnel, shifting its weight from foot to foot.

The blue dragon followed the deformed creature until the tunnel opened into a large chamber filled with torches and fire pits that illuminated the entire area. The hulking creature moved in and went to a large, iron cage filled with goblins. They shrieked and jumped to the back of the cage as the deformed creature approached. It opened the cage and reached in, seizing one of the goblins by the wrist and yanking it out.

The goblin fought wildly, screaming and shouting, but the hulking creature held it firm with one hand and then used a massive club to bash in the goblin’s forehead. The goblin went still. The hunch-back dragged the lifeless body to a large, black cauldron and tossed the body inside, clothes and all. He then added wood to the fire and stepped around the cauldron to pick up a pile of white bones. It carried the bones up through the blue dragon’s spirit and back up the tunnel the dragon had just left, presumably to toss the bones on the other piles near the pool.

The blue dragon looked around the chamber, and soon saw several more hunch-backed creatures coming in and out of the large chamber. Some carried wood and placed it atop a large, central pile of logs, others carried stones. The rest were either removing bones or throwing goblins into pots to be cooked.

A gong rang out from a different tunnel and the blue dragon watched as a procession of strange, hulking creatures entered the chamber. They resembled goblins, except they were twice as tall, with oversized heads, lanky arms, and thick legs. Their beady eyes flicked to the cauldrons many times as they took up positions around the chamber and sat down upon the floor.

A gong rang out again, but this time only one figure emerged from a tunnel on the far side of the chamber. This one was like the others, but even taller and thinner. It was the only one that wore a full set of clothes; a long, brown robe that reached down to its ankles. The robes were open, showing the creature’s red shirt and black pants. Its long, green feet were bare, with yellow toenails that curved under the toes.

It spoke in goblin tongue, and all the others listened to it. When it ceased speaking, the hunch-backs returned and began pulling the boiled goblins out of the cauldrons and serving them to the other creatures.

The blue dragon moved toward the leader of the tribe, and noticed a small, pink crystal held in a wire setting that dangled from a leather strap around the leader’s neck. The blue dragon knew at once that it was addorite.

The dragon waited until the meal was finished and the leader disappeared through the tunnels again. She followed him, winding through several tunnels until they came to a small chamber that was filled with books and various sundry objects lined upon a stone shelf in the chamber.

The blue dragon saw a large crate and moved to it. Except for a small amount of pink dust, there was no addorite left.

Hiasyntar’Kulai broke the connection and thanked the blue dragon.

“They consumed it all,” he said with a sigh.

“And it changed them,” the blue dragon spoke. “Those hunch-backed creatures and the taller ones used to be goblins, I believe. I think that their use of addorite changed them, and warped them into a dark and disgusting race.”

The golden dragon nodded.

“Leave me please,” he said. The dragons obeyed and he was left alone to contemplate how to ask Al, the King of Roegudok Hall, to reopen the addorite mines deep under the mountain.

Fortunately, he did not have to contemplate the idea for long. A familiar spirit approached him with a large smile on his face.

“My king,” the dwarf spirit said. “I have good news from Roegudok Hall.”

“What is that?” Hiasyntar’Kulai asked.

The dwarf spirit stopped and bowed politely before speaking. “The king of the dwarves has reopened mine thirty-seven. They have already encountered demons and lurkers, but they are not deterred. They are set upon vanquishing the foe and mining not only the gold and other precious ores and gems, but they are determined to find and mine the addorite.”

Hiasyntar’Kulai grinned slyly. “Tell me, King Sylus, why would they do that?”

Sylus’ spirit smiled back. “I may have given him some encouragement.”

“And has he found your book?” Hiasyntar’Kulai asked.

Sylus nodded. “He does not know everything concerning the addorite, but he is figuring it out.”

The dragon rose to his feet and bowed his head to Sylus. “It is good to have you with us once again, King Sylus.”

Sylus bent low and then indicated with a nod of his chin to the private study chamber that held The Infinium. “Had I known more about that, I would like to think I would have made a better choice during my lifetime.”

The dragon smiled. “Go, lend strength to King Sit’marihu when you can. I will fly to Valtuu Temple and have them build a store house for the addorite. The new prelate there can use her magic to contact me when it is filled, and then I can bring the addorite here to continue my research.”

Sylus bowed and the two went their separate ways.

Year 3,711 Age of Demigods, Early Winter.

2
nd
year of the reign of Aldehenkaru’hktanah Sit’marihu, 13
th
King of Roegudok Hall.

Al strolled through the large chamber, now affectionately known as Demon Spring, for the twentieth time since he had finished lunch. Miners and soldiers were braking for dinner, forming lines that stretched out from the food carts and kitchen equipment that had been set up in the last half of autumn and first couple weeks of winter.

The others seemed to be reveling in their good fortune. The gold vein had led the miners to a vein of mithril, and from there they had discovered pockets of diamonds and silver deposits as well. The Greenband debt had been paid in full and the sanctions against Roegudok Hall had been lifted. The food shortage was over. The smell of pork-and-beans as well as roasting beef filled Demon Spring. Al had also received reports from the council that the main hall was flourishing again. In a few short weeks, the dwarves of Roegudok Hall had gone from rationed food and water to having a surplus of both.

Al folded his arms and stopped as he turned to look at the miners. Some of them were teasing each other, stealing biscuits from plates when heads were turned, only to throw the food back in their companions’ faces. The dwarf king marveled at how quickly food had gone from precious to little more than a toy to be tossed and wasted in the eyes of the people.

That wasn’t what really nagged at him though. No, it wasn’t the fact that they rejoiced in their fortunate turn for better, or even that they wasted food. It was the fact that none of them seemed to be concerned about the demons anymore. He heard a few of them talking just before starting this last round through the area.

“The demons are long gone now,” one miner had said.

“Aye, if any still remained, they would have shown themselves already,” another agreed. “It’s been weeks, and things have been quiet as a grave.”

When Al had heard those words, he needed to walk away from the group of miners, or else he might have lost control and smacked the careless oaf. The fact was, Demon Spring
was
a grave. It was where thousands of dwarves had lost their lives. More than that, Al knew that Sylus had enjoyed years of plentiful mining from this very spot before the final clash with the demons.

He had tried to tell as much to the miners and soldiers every chance he got, but with each passing day, they lost their sense of caution. None of them had outright called him mad, but he could see the sentiment in the blank stares or blushing glances they shared with each other when he now spoke.

Al huffed angrily. He felt a nuzzle at his leg. Al looked down to see his cavedog standing with him. “At least you understand,” Al said. Then he swept an arm out toward the many sleeping cavedogs, lazily sleeping upon the stone floor throughout Demon Spring. “Even the other cavedogs ignore my concerns,” he said.

The lizard looked up and flicked its tongue out into the air and blinked.

“Now I am talking to a lizard,” Al said with a shake of his head. “Why had all of the spirits shown up to encourage me if there was no danger? It makes no sense!” Al grabbed a rock from the ground and threw it away. It sailed through the air and landed several hundred feet away, bouncing across the stone floor toward a patch of addorite crystal that formed a small mound. The stone bounced up over the crystals, and then it vanished.

Al scrunched his brow together and cocked his head to the side. “Now, I’m seeing things,” he muttered to himself. He picked up another stone and launched it at the same patch of addorite. This time his aim came much closer to the mound, but the rock landed short, bouncing and skipping across the stone floor as had the first rock. It popped up, in nearly the same trajectory as the first, but then it fell and landed in the crystals, breaking a piece off and creating a small plume of pink dust.

“Hey!” a dwarf miner shouted as he jumped up from the other side of the crystal patch, rubbing the top of his head. “Who threw that rock?” The dwarf turned back and pointed angrily at a trio of dwarves who were passing a wine skin around. “Daggidy, I know it was you! Fess up, or I’m gonna break your nose!”

Al smirked. The thought crossed his mind to call out to the dwarf, but frankly he didn’t care enough to worry about a fist-fight between miners. He walked along the eastern wall toward the north where the large chamber ended in a smooth, unbroken wall of stone. His cavedog walked a few feet behind him, silently flicking its tongue out, tasting the air as it followed the dwarf king. Al walked the length of the eastern wall and didn’t turn toward the west until he was faced with the curved wall that marked the end of Demon Spring.

He placed his armored hand along the smooth surface of the stone. His eyes traced the wall up and inspected the ceiling above him. The miners had been quick to erect large mounds of stone that had allowed them to fasten lamps and torches near the top of the wall so that the ceiling was very well lit. In doing so, they had shattered Al’s theory that the demons had entered through tunnels in the ceiling. There were patches of addorite there, but nothing else.

Al skirted along the northern wall for several minutes before he came to a patch of addorite in the floor. Like the one he had hit with the rocks, this patch of crystal formed a mound that rose about waist high on a dwarf. Al glanced back to his cavedog and then looked at the addorite.

“I wonder…” Al reached over his shoulder and retrieved his hammer. He walked toward the addorite and stuck the hammer out over the addorite. Nothing happened. He inched closer and kicked the nearest addorite crystal. It shattered apart, but again nothing happened.

“Stonebubbles!” Al cursed. He angrily stomped up to the peak of the small mound, about to smack the crystals with his hammer when the light around him vanished. The hairs on the back of his neck rose to stand on end as a cool breeze swirled around him. He looked down and saw a faint pink glow in the darkness. The addorite was the only source of light he could see.

Something metallic scraped against stone, scratching along as it moved in the darkness.

A flash of light exploded in the distance as fire erupted from some sort of stone vent. Near the fire, Al saw moving bodies. They weren’t lurkers, for they had no scales, and they walked upon two legs. Al could only guess that they were demons, for they matched the descriptions in King Sylus’ book.

He crouched down low to the patch of crystals in case any demon was nearby. Another vent of fire erupted, this time off to the left. Al turned his head to look at it and saw a large, winged creature standing next to the vent, breathing in the yellow smoke issuing out with the fire. The thing was at least forty feet tall, with legs thicker than an oak tree. Next to it sat a large lurker, curled up near the vent and apparently sleeping.

Al heard a faint sound behind him, like shifting gavel. He turned and tried to focus his dwarven eyes on the darkness. A large flash of light erupted from somewhere in the strange cave and illuminated the form that was approaching him.

A seven foot tall, two legged demon with horns poking out in a ring around each shoulder stared back at him with icy, blue eyes. It cocked its round head to the side and narrowed its eyes as it curled its upper lip back in a silent snarl. From the stomach down, it was covered in white fur. It lifted its right arm, and a web of yellow lightning began to form between the fingers. Al knew he had to act quickly. He swung Murskain with all of his might at the demon, but he missed.

The hammer sailed back through the rift and Al followed after it, tumbling back down the mound of addorite crystals and crashing into his cavedog. All around him the area was bright again. He had found his way back to Demon Spring.

“My king!” Benbo shouted excitedly. Where did you come from?”

Al looked up from the ground and saw that he was surrounded by an entire patrol of dwarves. “Benbo, there is a portal, a rift! It leads into the demons’ plane. I don’t know how I passed through, but I did.”

The other dwarves glanced at each other with stares of disbelief.

“You must believe me, Benbo, it’s the truth!” Al got to his feet and pointed to the mound. “I walked up the mound and then I was there. I saw them, many of them.”

“I believe you sire, but, are you injured?” Benbo asked quickly.

Al shook his head. “No, I saw a demon sneaking up on me from behind, so I swung at it, but somehow I fell back through the rift.”

“Sire, how long were you in there?” Benbo asked.

“I don’t know, maybe a few minutes, why?” Al noticed the slack jaw on his commanding officer’s face as Benbo turned to look at the others. “Benbo, what’s wrong?”

Benbo shook his head and turned back to Al. “My king, your cavedog came and basically dragged me back here to find you.”

“Ah, well, that’s loyalty for you,” Al said with a smile.

Benbo dismounted and stepped in to grab the dwarf king’s arm. “No, you don’t understand. He dragged me back here to find you over a week ago.”

Al balked and pulled his arm free from Benbo. “What are you saying?”

Benbo pointed to the mound of crystals. “What was only a matter of minutes for you, has been a week for us. We have been searching the tunnels for you. You disappeared. I only stayed at this mound because your cavedog wouldn’t leave it.”

“Did you try walking up the mound?” Al asked with a derisive snort. “If you had, you would have bumped into me. Watch.” Al bent down and grabbed a stone. He tossed it over the mound. A frown pulled at the corners of his mouth when the rock sailed over the mound uneventfully.

“Sire,” Benbo began.

“No, I was
there.
I know I was,” Al said. He bent down and picked up a black stone. He tossed it over the mound. This time, the stone disappeared.

The dwarves began to whisper and Benbo froze with his eyes wide.

“There! See?” Al shouted satisfactorily. “Now come on, we have to figure out how these things work so we can close them off.”

Benbo held his hands up. “Sire, I think you just did.”

“What are you talking about now?” Al asked.

Benbo poked Al’s armor. “What is this made out of?” he asked.

“It’s a blend of steel, ferrokortanite, and ferrotantilite,” Al replied. “It was used to help give the armor its black color, and it is a bit lighter than some of the other iron blends we had available when I needed to make a suit of armor.”

Benbo bent down and picked through a few rocks until he came up with another black rock. “Sire, this is ferrokortanite.”

Al noted the black, metallic shine and nodded. “I know what it is, Benbo.”

Benbo patted the air and stepped around the dwarf king. He tossed the stone over the same spot and it too vanished. Benbo smiled, bent down, and picked up several more stones.

“This is just a hunk of granite,” Benbo said. He threw it as well, but instead of going through the portal, it sailed over the mound of crystals and landed on the ground. “Look, every bit of stone that has ferrokortanite seems to go through. Your armor has some ferrokortanite in it, and it also goes through.” Benbo turned to one of the dwarf patrolmen. “Go and fetch me a lurker’s scale, now!”

“So, everyone needs to wear armor made of ferrokortanite?” Al pressed.

Benbo shrugged. “I have been examining this mound since your disappearance. I knew your cavedog wouldn’t sit here, refusing to move, unless this was where you disappeared. My first thought was to break apart the crystal and see if there was some sort of tunnel underneath, but your cavedog stopped me. It dragged me over the mound several times. So, after a while, I thought perhaps there was some sort of portal here.”

“How did you figure that?” Al asked incredulously. “My lizard takes you over a mound of crystal and you assume there must be a portal to another world?”

Benbo smiled. “Before I joined the army, I too had another area of interest that called to me. I wanted to study magic. My father, of course, forbad it, but I never gave up the hobby. When I stood atop the crystals I could feel a difference in the air. I even thought I heard a humming noise during different times of day. It seemed as plausible as anything else. I mean, we don’t know much about the Mystinen that creates the addorite. We also could never find any tunnels that brought the demons here for the fight with King Sylus. So I figured there had to be a portal.”

Al nodded slowly. “Who else knows of this?”

Benbo shook his head. “I kept it to myself. I didn’t want to create hysteria without knowing I was right. Then, when you came tumbling out of thin air before my eyes, I knew I had been right.”

At that moment, the patrolman returned with the lurker’s scale. He handed it to Benbo.

Benbo held it up to Al’s armor and nodded. “Look, it has a similar sheen to it. If it has some of the same elements as ferrokortanite, then it could explain why their scales are so tough to pierce.” Benbo turned and tossed the scale up over the mound.

It vanished as well.

“I’ll be a toad’s lover,” Al said.

“What?” Benbo asked as he frowned at Al.

Al waved him off. “It’s an expression I picked up in Buktah,” he explained.