Chapter 18 – Discoveries

Chapter 18 – Discoveries
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Last time on BTL: Our heroes rested on their laurels as Whitehaven was attacked by Arzenal’s army of creatures as the bonds of evil strengthened. Now, on to “Discoveries”….

*********

Acadia – The Twins

This may have been the most uninterrupted sleep I had in years. Either someone took pity on me and didn’t wake me for my watch or forgot and fell asleep at the check post. I didn’t particularly care which it was. All I know is that I felt rested and relaxed for the first time since I cared to remember. A weird feeling to have being in the middle of a mountain surrounded by creatures who wanted our deaths.

We gathered all our things and in a surreal type of atmosphere where we were joking around with each other even though we were deep in enemy territory. We knew we were being watched somehow someway, but our mannerisms and talk did not give any hint of being nervous, angry, or anxious.

Only Butress kept quiet since he saw firsthand what magic can do to people when thrown into a certain situation. Butress was not a fighter nor a killer. But Chuck put him into a position to be one. It can be argued that Butress chose the spell and its effects, chose when and where he walked, breathed, and ate. Chuck, however, is our leader who is putting us into our positions. If he puts one of us in a position, we are not used to, how many more and how deep will sacrifices be for the ultimate goal?

Burnsy diffused the traps he handmade and Butress dispersed his rock wall spells and we were able to travel down deeper into the mountain based on the journals and crude maps grom had drawn up over the years.

In our usual order, HS and Jupe were at point; Chuck, myself, Butress, Burnsy, Lil Skold and Gunblaze watching our backs. It should be noted here that as I recall this, it was Burnsy who was the winner of this morning’s stinkiest fart contest. Kudos.

The passage wound its way downward at about a five-degree slope. We started to shed heavier clothing because the heat was starting to mount the deeper into The Twin we traveled. I heard Lil Skold mutter and mumble and rustle the maps he had.

“What’s up, Skold?” I asked.

“It appears….it appears that this hallway is my concern.”

Burnsy scrunched up his face. “Why would it concern you? We’ve been doing fine. No monsters, no rooms, easy access to where we’re going. Wherever that is.”

“Well, that’s my point. We’ve only been in this corridor, we’ve not seen any other doorways, nor heard or seen anybody else,” replied Skold.

Chuck must have overheard the conversation because he stopped dead in his tracks.
“Butress, give me a detect magic!”

“You sure you don’t want a lightning bolt through the party,” muttered Butress. He waved his hands in an arc right to left and then acted as if he were pushing buttons in the air.

“He calling up somebody?” asked Jupe.

I shushed him as Butress answered Chuck’s question before he asked it.

“Yep. Took a chapter out of my own book. They’ve got magic walls up in some passages and doorways that branch out from this hallway.”

“They know where we are?” I asked.

“Why would they do that?” asked Skold.

Chuck looked at us intently. “Because they are leading us right where they want us to go.”

**********

“Do you hear their screams, Wasser?” Arzenal asked without looking up. He was sitting on his large stone throne cross legged and filing his nails. He held them up toward the torchlight and blew the filings off. Wasser was on his hands and knees slumped forward. The only thing that kept him from falling on the floor were the chains that bound his hands, feet, and wings.

“Those are screams of worship. You know, a wise young powerful man once said, ‘The only thing you have to fear, is Fear itself.” Arzenal slapped his arms down and his hands grabbed the armrests of the throne. “But you know what? Fear is a mighty powerful emotion. Strong enough to make hard women cry and soft men kill.

“And you know the beautiful thing about the fear I have created?” The fallen angel stood up, inhaled deeply, and stretched his arms out. “Is that their own CHILDREN are causing the screams! I mean, how would you feel if your own child came into your house after having disappeared for months? You would feel euphoria, happiness beyond control. Then imagine the shock of finding out they are there to kill you! HA!”

Arzenal strutted around. “My god! I wish I was there! But then, all great Generals must do their fighting from afar, right? But just think how helpless those families are. Their own children are killing them, tearing them limb from limb…what are you going to do? Kill them? Kill your own children? How ironic! ha HA!”

Arzenal walked over to the lookout point so he could view the surrounding valleys. “Yes. Yes, they are winning. But then again, there was never any doubt.”

**********

“Fall back! Regroup and fall back!” PACK waved his troops back. “C’mon c’mon! Move it, soldiers!” His voice was beginning to be drowned out by hissing that came from all sides. Screams in the background meant that PACK could not go through the front lines and save the townspeople. His only chance to save the queen was to surround her with guards and hope they outlasted the creatures until help arrived.

As dozens of soldiers ran back towards the castle, they were getting picked off one by one. With no remorse of ethics or morals, the creatures attacked the soldiers from behind, digging in their sharp claws that ripped through metal armor. Others would shoot themselves forward as if shot from a human sized gun and ram their fists through the bodies of the men. When a human died, the killing creature would fling the body into the wall of blackness where the feeding would commence. The bloodlust was on.

PACK with other soldiers ran headlong into the castle, through the foyer and into the Grand Hall. Vampires started to pour into the open windows. Heavy and cumbersome swords were no match against the quickness and strength of the vampires. For every one creature decapitated or slain, ten soldiers would surrender their lives. Only sheer training and personal ability kept some alive. The creatures were still in human form and needed their bodies intact to move which meant cutting off an arm or leg didn’t kill them but it did hinder them enough.

PACK was rushed by two vampires and immediately his instincts, all that he had left, took over. Instead of waiting for the creatures to come to him, he charged them and when he came within five feet, he dropped to the ground as if he were sliding into second base in a baseball game. His foot outstretched and his sword pointing ahead like a lance, he nailed one in the knee to hyperextend the cartilage in one creature and stab the other in the thigh.

His momentum took him past the two aggressors, and he stood up to stop the sliding. The creatures still had some humanity in them as the shock of seeing themselves stabbed or hit slowed them. PACK realized that it would be moments until they realized that they felt no pain and would continue the attack. He raised his sword as they turned to face him. In a smooth 180-degree line, he brought his sword across and met each of the necks.

PACK looked for other creatures when he no longer felt any resistance in the swing. Looking down he met two pairs of young innocent eyes, no older than ten or eleven.

“Mother of all evil!!” he screamed as he raised his sword into the air and looked ferociously around for some answers. The answers continued to slay his men at an alarming rate.

“To the throne room! To the Queen!” PACK turned hoping that his men would be in time.

*********

Through the strands of his hair, Wasser eyed Arzenal. The captor stood there looking out over the lands soaking in all the sounds the night offered.

There is a weak link in the chains. Wasser thought to himself. It is a small minute weakness…but I have been stretching the chains, stretching the metal, the iron, the atoms that bind, stretching them beyond capacity to be cohesive.

Moving his torso ever-so-slightly forward he increased the tension in the chains.

I must break free. The weak link is near my wing. I must break or this world will also perish.

********

“So the question I pose to you all,” Chuck turned to face all of us as we huddled into a group, “is do we let them lead us into their trap or do we pass through a magical rock wall…”

“And then face them because they’ll know we’re bolting.” said Jupe.

“It’s either face them on their terms or face the unknown as we run headlong into other passages.” replied Chuck.

“How many of them are we talking about?” I asked.

Chuck looked at Jupe and HS. They both shifted their weight in uneasiness.

“I cannot tell.” answered HS. “Either they have a sound barrier up to where I cannot hear them or they are in position waiting for us.”

“There are no tracks either.” grumbled Jupe. “They are taking us through passages that haven’t been used in quite some time.”

“Skold, where do these halls lead?” said Gunblaze as he peered at the maps.

Lil Skold studied the maps. “We’re in uncharted areas. These halls may have been closed or hidden while grom was here scouting. I don’t know where they lead.”

Chuck sighed and crossed his arms on his chest. “So, I ask the question again. Their terms or the unknown?” He looked at me for the first answer.

I looked at him trying to see what he wanted me to say. Then I figured that really didn’t matter, this was a group decision and mine only one voice.

“Their terms. Let’s fight the enemy head on.”

Chuck looked at Jupe.

“Their terms.”

“Their’s.” said Burnsy.

“Their terms, and I speak for Skold.” said Gunblaze as he put his hand on Lil Skold’s shoulder.

HS nodded in agreement. “Theirs.”

Chuck looked at Butress. “Butress?”

Butress stared down the hallway with a blank expression. He still looked drained from the first battle. “I suppose there is no other way.” He craned his neck to look up at the twelve feet high ceiling. “Theirs.”

“Ok, troops,” barked Chuck, “Weapons, spells are to be ready at moment’s notice. Jupe and HS you have the point. The first sign of them, you get your ass back with us. We fight as a group! NO one gets separated! Am I clear?”

We nodded and started to walk down the hallway. I couldn’t help thinking that we were the mice in a scientific maze and at the end of the experiment, we were going to be tested in many other ways.

********

PACK rounded the corner and skidded into the throne room. His imagination running wild beforehand about what was happening to his beloved queen, he virtually forgot about the dozens of vampires chasing him and his men down the hallways of the castle.

The scene before him was one he did not figure into his imagination. Astrid was sitting on her throne in what appeared to be in slumber. Fearing the worst, PACK rushed up to her and gently shook her. He noticed sweat beads on her forehead.

“Your majesty! Queen Astrid!” he continued to shake her and gently tapped the side of her face.

The Queen lifted her hand up to PACK’s face. Her eyes flickered slightly and she had the look of failure on her face.

“What’s wrong, my queen?” exasperated PACK.

“I’m…I’m sorry. I cannot hold them any longer.” she slumped into her chair. As she did so, an explosion of creatures came through the windows of the throne room. PACK and his soldiers were now caught in the middle.

********

We did not speak nor make any crude comments. We did not fart, or belch, or comment about farting or belching. So, I knew we were serious about the situation. We had turned some corners and continued to go slightly downhill, deeper into Acadia herself. The temperature was getting noticeably warmer and we stopped once again to shed some more clothes that were making the trek cumbersome.

The going was slow. We were cautious about sounds and noises and possible clues as to our enemies’ position. Every now and then I could see Jupe and HS concur with what they saw or smelled. We had to stop and wait for them to figure it out before they believed it to be a false alarm. There were too many of these incidences that made me start to squirm and get nervous.

********

“Surround the Queen!” commanded PACK and his soldiers did the best they could. Some did not even make it to the circle as they were picked off by one of the many creatures inside the hall and throne room. The room was filled with hissing and jabbering.

“HHUuuuummaannnssss! DDDiiiiiieeeessss!” Smalls groups of creatures fazed into each other to create small pockets of darkness then would unfaze into separate forms.

The Queen started to stir and sat back up into her throne while PACK was in the midst of grappling with one. The creature had greater strength but PACK had the leverage as he threw the creature back into the wall. He immediately cut the head off a creature in mid-air that was lunging for the Queen. One by one the soldiers were being taken down, most being thrown back into the pack for a feeding; the circle continued to shrink.

“My Queen! We may not make it! If you so desire, I will kill the both of us when the time is right!”

The Queen struggled to stand, and she straightened out her robes. “Don’t be foolish, PACK. Tonight is not a good night to die!” Hardly able to stand up straight she started to move her hands. She began to speak in a foreign tongue, incantations, almost chanting as a glowing white light started to appear in between her flowing movements.

“What are you doing?!” yelled PACK looking at her.

“Something Butress taught me.”

********

*Give me two minutes more of gloating, Beast…then I will be free.*

********

More walking. More sweating. More nerves were being stretched.

Jupe and HS had stopped once again. They were taking an extra-long time and I had to pee. But instead of going on like they had countless times before, they started to run back to us. The party drew their weapons and prepared spells.

“Report.” said Chuck.

“Room up ahead.” answered Jupe. “One door in, one door out. More heat than usual.”

“Beyond that is a large arena, almost the size of a football field.” chimed HS.

“This deep into the mountain?” asked Chuck with a puzzled look on his face. “That must have taken years to tunnel out.”

Jupe looked at the rest of us. “There’s something strange in the smaller room. Can’t make it out.”

Chuck furrowed his brow. “The arena is probably where the ambush is.” He put his hands on his hips and blew air out his lips. It was the first time Chuck had shown outward indecision.

“Hey.” I spoke. “Let’s do it. I’m tired of waiting. And I must pee.”

Chuck looked at the rest of the party and they acknowledged their agreement.

“Let’s go. Two abreast.” he said.

Burnsy pointed at Chuck. “Did he say two breasts?” I slapped him in the stomach with the back of my hand.

We rounded the corner and, just ahead—twenty feet away—the doorway loomed, its edges shimmering in the hot air. The anticipation crackled among us, and sweat began to bead on our brows, even before we entered. When the room finally came into view, its vastness was striking: a thirty-foot-high ceiling soared overhead, amplifying every sound and shadow, while the chamber itself stretched out fifty feet in each direction, giving the impression that we’d stumbled into a hidden cathedral carved from the heart of the mountain.
But what truly demanded attention were the two massive furnaces dominating the far wall. Constructed from dark iron, their surfaces were mottled and scarred, bearing the marks of countless years of use. They stood like sentinels, twin giants with gaping mouths, feeding into two enormous flumes that rose from their tops and disappeared into the gloom above—vanishing into the ceiling as if venting secrets to the stone itself. A faint red glow pulsed from beneath their doors, and the air around them shimmered, distorting the outlines of everything nearby.
Along the opposite wall, about a dozen wooden tables were neatly lined up. Each one was fitted with large, sturdy wheels, suggesting they’d been moved frequently, perhaps hurriedly, with the urgency of unknown tasks. The tables bore deep gouges and blackened stains, hinting at the labor and rituals performed within this chamber. The wood was warped in places, as if it had been subjected to repeated heat or rough handling. As I crossed the threshold, a peculiar detail caught my eye: instead of the expected rock floor, a thick layer of grey sand blanketed the entire room. It felt gritty beneath my boots, shifting and crunching with each step. The sand didn’t stop at the doorway—it spilled out into the corridor, as if whatever purpose it served inside could not be contained. The sight was both unsettling and mysterious.

“Why would they need two heating furnaces inside a mountain?” asked Burnsy.

“Somebody must be naturally cold. Really cold.” remarked Gunblaze.

“These tables have straps on them.” inspected HS as he lifted a frayed piece of leather for us to see.

Chuck took a closer look at the furnaces. “Jupe, how long have these furnaces been dormant?”

Jupe walked over to the furnaces. He leaned to them to listen for any sound and then touched them.

“About two cycles.”

“The straps are dwarven sized.”

“The furnaces and the walls behind them are still warm.”

All was silent until Butress walked into the middle of the room and bent down to grab a handful of the sandy floor.

He held the handful up to us. “This is not sand.” He grinded the substance in his hand as it fell out. He held his blackened hand to us.

“This is soot.”

It took a second for it all to sink in.

“Oh. my. god.” I whispered.

“What?” asked Burnsy.

Chuck carefully walked over back to the group. “We’re standing in the ashes of dwarves.”

********

“Astrid!” PACK yelled. His voice could barely be heard above the hissing of the creatures, the dying screams of his men, and his queen’s spell casting, the circle tightening, ever closer to closing completely.

Her eyes were intent on the glowing structure that was forming between her arcing hand movements.

PACK could see her lips move, forming words he could not understand. The light and energy caused the air itself around the throne to crackle and move. Wind currents started to flash around him. The Queen’s long raven hair flowed with the wind. At last, she spread her arms out and said two words that he could understand…

“I Believe!! I BELIEVE!!”

The image was complete. A blindingly white eight foot tall cross. Emanating purity, pulsating with faith.

*******

Arzenal had his eyes closed, soaking in the night. Then the queen’s spell was cast from afar.

His eyes immediately burst open.

“What is THIS?!”

Through the strands of hair, Wasser now sensed what had been lost to him for what he thought was forever. His Master, his Lord, has given him a sign. Now was the time.
He lifted his head up and screamed to the sky.

“YEeeessssss!” He wings strained for one second and the chains that bound…were no more.

“Whu?” turned Arzenal.

Wasser lunged forward towards him and with one swipe of his wing slashed at the Arzenal’s chest.

“GRAH!” screamed Arzenal as he thumped to the floor grasping at his wound.

Wasser streaked towards the Light.

*********

Burnsy turned green. “We’re what?”

“This is the Holocaust revisited,” said HS.

Burnsy threw up and caused the ash to fly up to him.

“Gah!” he waved his hands around his face. “Get me out of here!”

The ground shook and rock slabs started to lower trying to seal off the doorways.

“No time like the present to move!” yelled Gunblaze as he ran towards the opposite door we came in. I ran over to the lowering slab to try and slow its descent.

“Come on people! Move your ass!” I yelled.

No hesitation followed as the party scooted out underneath the lowering rock. Muscles straining and veins popping out my neck I knew that I wasn’t going to win this battle.

“Let’s go, Burnsy!” Burnsy wiped his mouth and had to dive headfirst underneath the door and got a face full of ash. As he went under, I dropped and rolled underneath the slab. It thudded to the ground. I lifted myself and helped Burnsy get up. I noticed no one was saying anything, so I finally took in my surroundings.

HS was right about the size of the room. About one hundred yards long and thirty yards wide. He neglected to mention the kobolds that numbered roughly one hundred who were armed with swords and clubs and ready to attack.

“Oh, boy,” I muttered. “And I really had to pee.”

*******

Arzenal walked out onto the terrace smiling. His chest wound already was visibly healing. He stroked his goatee.

“Yes. Everything is going to plan.”

-Next, it’s a free for all against the mighty kobolds in…”Games”!