Knights: Book 01 - The Eye of Divinity (18 page)

Timlin's words jarred Lannon into action, and he raised his sword, struggling to remember his training. Yet there was little time for recollections. In an instant, Vorden's throat would be ripped open by those fragmented teeth.

The two Squires charged the Ogre. It glanced up at them with its round black eyes and snarled. Timlin reached it first and tried to stab the beast in the chest, but the Ogre caught the lad with a lazy blow to his side that knocked him halfway across the room. Lannon drove his dragon-bone sword at the creature's head, but it was a poor thrust and the weapon merely glanced away from the thick skull, leaving only a small gash.

The force of his thrust threw Lannon forward--nearly into the Ogre's lap. The beast caught his shoulder with one hand and shoved him away. Lannon tumbled across the stone floor, striking his head and almost blacking out.

Again the Ogre bent down to feed. Then a searing ball of green fire struck its chest, knocking the beast over. Calmly Aldreya walked into the room. She was holding forth her stone dagger, which was engulfed in flames. She drew it back again and flung another green fireball at the Ogre--this time striking its shoulder where the beast lay. The Ogre growled in pain and clawed at its blackened wounds, but then it leapt up from the floor, preparing to crush the foolish Birlote girl who had dared burn its flesh so painfully.

Then a clanking sound arose. Something or someone was moving down one of the tunnels. The Ogre paused, listening. Then it lifted Vorden's axe from the floor. The double-bladed battle axe looked like a small hatchet in its hand. Due to the length of its claws, it grasped the weapon in a clumsy manner, and it held the axe more like a club than an edged weapon.

Out into the torchlight emerged a stocky Olrog in dark plate armor. A horned helm protected his head, with only a small portion of his bearded face, including two fierce grey eyes, visible. In one hand he held a broadsword, and slung across his other arm was a dark shield engraved with runes. He carried a burning torch, which he cast down upon entering. Like a walking fortress, this Dark Knight strode into the chamber and charged the ogre.

With a roar, the monster met the Knight's charge with one of its own. It swung Vorden's axe at the Knight's head. But the Knight defected the blow with his shield, and his broadsword caught the Ogre's shoulder, staggering the beast and finally taking it down. The Ogre tried to get up again, but the Knight drove the rune-covered shield into its chest, knocking it backwards. Then his broadsword hurtled down against the Ogre's skull, splitting it open. The Ogre still sought to regain its footing, while one long and crooked arm snaked out. The Ogre seized the Knight's leg and gave a yank. The Knight fell backwards to the floor with a clatter of plate mail.

Lannon and Timlin sat up and watched the battle, throbbing with pain from their blows, and from where he lay on the floor, Vorden was also watching. As they saw the Knight go down, their hopes sank.

The Ogre leapt towards the fallen Knight, swinging the axe. But again the Knight defected the blow with his shield, lashing out with his broadsword at the same time and striking the monster's leg, ripping flesh from bone. The Ogre twisted sideways from the impact and then fell forward. The Knight just managed to roll out of the way as the monster slumped to the cavern floor. The Knight staggered up and drove his broadsword down against the Ogre's head again, and this time its skull was shattered. The beast stopped moving.

The Knight stood still for a moment, panting hard from exertion, watching the dead Ogre. At last he turned to the others and spoke in a gruff voice. "Well, look what trouble you've brought upon yourselves, young Squires."

The Knight bent over Vorden and studied him carefully. "You look somewhat pale. Take a good knock, did you? How's your breathing?"

"I'm okay," said Vorden. "My ribs hurt, and my back. I think I can walk, though. I just need to get back to my room."

The Knight turned to the others. "And what about you three?"

Timlin groaned and stood up shakily. "I don't care if we get in trouble. I just want to get out of here. Can you take us out of this place?"

The Knight nodded. "I can and I will."

Blood ran down Lannon's forehead from the gash where he'd struck the floor, and he wiped it away before it got in his eyes. He stared at the fallen Ogre, his mind swallowed in dark thoughts. His soul seemed frozen within him.

"Take us out of here," he said quietly.

"In moment, I will," said the Knight. "But I want to make sure you've learned your lessons. I'm not going to report you to the High Council, because I think you're brave Squires--though certainly foolish--and that you're a credit to my kingdom in some ways. But before I let you go, I'm going to show you a few things about the Mines--and then you'll understand why you should never venture down here. First, though, we’ve got to close that gate you opened." He gave them a hard stare.

"We've seen enough," said Lannon. "We'll never come back here."

"We just want to leave!" said Timlin.

"Please take us to the East Tower," said Aldreya, and her soft green eyes made the Knight hesitate for a moment.

Vorden kept quiet, holding his ribs and watching the Knight.

The Knight shook his head. "You're not getting off that easily, Squires. Now get up and follow me, if you know what's good for you!"

After going back and closing the gate, the three Squires followed the Knight into the tunnel from which he'd first come. The Dark Knight strode along at a swift pace, and the others had to struggle to keep up. Vorden especially had difficulty due to his damaged ribs. But the Knight showed him no mercy and marched on through the stone cavern without slowing.

"My name is Garndon Steelbreaker," he said. "I am a Guardian of the East Tower, put here to defend it against the creatures that would rise against Dremlock."

"What Color are you?" said Vorden.

"I belong to no color class," said Garndon. "Once I was Red, but now I bear no color. I am a Guardian, and I seldom leave these tunnels to see the light of day. That's the way it will be until I retire from Knighthood. What are your names, by the way? Yes--I can read. But I want to hear you speak them."

They gave them in full.

Garndon chuckled in amusement. "I like Flameblade, Sunshield, and Silverhawk, but Woodmaster is a little odd. Sounds more like someone who fells trees for a living instead of the last name of a Divine Squire!"

He stopped and turned to them, raising an eyebrow. "How were you able to get past the gate? No one should have been able to pass through, with that old wheel lock defending it. Even I can't open that gate."

"Lannon did it," Timlin said, pointing. "He used the Eye of Divinity to solve the lock. I just followed him."

Lannon glared at Timlin.

"The Eye of Divinity..." The Knight spoke the words slowly. "Then it is very fortunate indeed that I happened along and heard the sounds of battle. Few Knights in the long history of Dremlock have ever possessed that great gift. And yet you waste it on foolhardy pursuits!" He turned away and began walking again.

Lannon's face burned hot, so overcome with shame was he. He felt deep annoyance at Timlin for telling on him so quickly, and it led him to wonder if Timlin would tell Garrin about what they'd done.

Suddenly the tunnel widened and two more branched off--to the right and left, while up ahead stood a large iron door. The door had a small, barred window in it. Garndon produced a ring of keys and unlocked the door.

"We go now into the Dark Dungeon," he said grimly. "Prepare yourselves for the sights I will soon show you."

Timlin froze and would not move.

"Come on," Vorden said, pulling on Timlin's cloak.

"We need to follow him, Timlin," Lannon said. "It's for our own good."

"Just do as Garndon says," Aldreya whispered to him. "We'll be okay."

The Knight pointed at Timlin. "Show courage, little Squire. Follow me now, or face the loss of your future Knighthood." With that, he turned and passed through the doorway.

Lannon followed without looking back. All he cared about now was saving his career at Dremlock, of doing things the right way from now on and becoming a great Knight. Timlin would have to make his own choice.

But Timlin didn't get to choose, because Vorden--though he winced in pain from the effort--dragged Timlin through the doorway.

Garndon closed it behind them.

Dungeon cells lined a stone hall before them. Dark waves of despair washed over the Squires immediately, choking their minds. The presence of the Deep Shadow was strong here. Growls, hideous feasting sounds, and a quiet hiss like water sizzling on a hot stovetop could be head coming from the cells. Another Knight stood near a door at the far end, and like Garndon, he was a stout looking Grey Dwarf adorned in dark plate mail. He carried a battle axe and a round shield.

"Brought us a few sneaks, Garndon?" said the Knight at the hall's end. "I can't believe my eyes!"

Garndon nodded. "They solved the wheel lock. It’s the Eye of Divinity at work, believe it or not. Anyway, I'm going to show them a few things, Saferus. Teach them a lesson or two about why they need to stay out here."

"Smart lads to beat that old lock," said Saferus, shaking his head. "Even with the Eye of Divinity. I've never heard the like of it. But now we'll see what they're actually made of."

The Squires didn't like the sound of that, and they hesitated.

"One of the reasons you should never come here," said Garndon, "is because the Iracus Trees grow down here--Black Mothers in the mountain that spawn powerful Goblins like that Ogre. These mines are infested with them. But something else lurks down here as well--a thing that possesses the bodies of other creatures. It may have been what slew Kuran Darkender so long ago. Who can say? There are too many hidden caverns and deep places we cannot get to. There's an ongoing war down here. There has been ever since the Old Keep was built. And now I'm going to show you a few prisoners of that war, which we keep locked up to study their weaknesses."

With that, Garndon walked to the first of the cells on the right. "Come have a look, Squires, at my little friend that I named Graxnul."

Fearfully the Squires approached, with Vorden still dragging Timlin along. They stood well clear of the bars and peered through.

A huge Cave Troll--much bigger than the Ogre they had faced--sat within, gnawing a bone. It glanced up at them and growled, then went back to its feast. Like the Ogre, it had grey, bumpy skin and a massive round head, but its shoulders were much broader and its body far more heavily muscled. Unlike the more human-looking Ogre, the Troll had a nose like a pig snout and a mouth full of crooked fangs.

"Graxnul is a mighty Troll," said Garndon, with a touch of pride in his voice. "I keep him well fed. The more a Troll eats, the stronger he becomes, and the harder his flesh and bones grow, until they become almost impenetrable by ordinary weapons. You're lucky you ran into a half-starved Ogre. Graxnul here would've killed all four of you without blinking an eye--if Troll's had eyelids to blink!" He motioned to the Troll, calling him over.

Immediately the Troll stood up and walked forward, clutching the bone like a weapon. His arms and chest were massive, his skin deep grey in hue and almost scaly. He gazed at the Squires with his black eyes, and raised the bone menacingly. But Garndon stopped him with a motion of his hand.

"Not too close, Graxnul."

The Troll continued to stand there motionless. Then slowly he lifted the bone to his fang-filled mouth and started gnawing again.

"He's like your pet!" Timlin remarked. The skinny lad was still shaking, but he managed a smile.

"Old Graxnul isn't so bad," said Garndon. "He won't attack me, because I keep him fed and I'm good to him. I'd get him to fight for me if the Sacred Laws didn't forbid it. But come, now.
 
I have other sights to show you."

Garndon moved down to the third cell on the right.

"See, Timlin, that wasn't so bad," whispered Vorden. "Now come on."

The Squires followed him to the cell, and what they saw within made their hearts freeze. Timlin tried to flee, but this time Garndon grabbed him.

"None of that, boy," the Dark Knight said gruffly.

Inside the cell was vaguely humanoid shape. It had crooked arms twice as long as a man's legs that ended in clusters of barbed claws. Its flesh was brown and slimy, and wormy things seemed to crawl upon the surface of it. Its head was rodent-like in shape, with bat-like ears and two huge, curved yellow fangs that hung down from its mouth. Its nose was a wolf-like, wrinkled snout that dripped fluid. Hanging from its arms were folds of bony skin like half-developed bat wings.