Published: 18 Jan 2021

Battlelines

As the sun rose over the Hallmar Mountains, Cutter, Quyyn, and Sky flew out of their sleeping cave with Bly nestled on Quyyn’s shoulder. They were in deep trouble. When Bly woke up, she found her bronze box empty. All the rings they had collected were gone. They weren’t sure, but only one person could be responsible for the theft. Caius Pius had to be the culprit. Niro had warned them that he would betray them. They should not have let him join them, but they didn’t listen. Now they had to find him before he turned the rings over to Bram Thorne.

As Bly spotted the campsite, she sent a message to Quyyn to land. With his wings spread open, he sailed down and did a quick circle around the campsite, then dropped down to land. As he made his shift to his normal form, Sky and Bly jumped off running for the camp.

As they entered the camp, Niro and Hoddie were packing their things on their horses. Of course, Caius was nowhere to be seen. As they ran in, Ranjer jumped up from where he was having his morning cup of klah.

“What’s your hurry?” He asked. “We have plenty of time. Have a cup of klah and relax.”

“We have trouble,” Bly said.

“What?” Ranjer asked them. Before she could say anything, Niro spoke up.

“Where’s Caius?” He said with a stone look on his face. ”What did he do?”

The rings are gone,” Bly said. “He must have snuck in and stolen them during the night.”

“We should have listened to you Niro,” Rowyn said. “If we had, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“We don’t have time for what if’s,” Cutter said. “We have to go after him now.”

“I’m not sure that will help,” Sky said.

“Why not?” Hoddie asked him.

“We don’t know how much of a headstart Caius has,” Sky said as he poured a cup of klah. “We should hurry to Sorrowdown, but we should expect a warm welcome waiting for us.”

“Great,” Hoddie said. “Now we have Caius and Bram after us. Is there anybody else out there after us?”

“I hope not,” Sky smiled. He dumped his klah and went over to stand with Quyyn.

“Hoddie and I will ride for Sorrowdown.” Niro picked up his pack and put it behind Ankrua’s saddle. “You three fly ahead. Take Bly with you, we’ll take Rowyn. Keep out of sight, don’t do anything until we get there.”

“You better hurry,” Quyyn said. “They may have different plans for us.”

Riding hard for Sorrowdown, Niro thought about what had happened. Caius found the cave Quyyn and the others had been sleeping in. Somehow he got up to where Bly was sleeping and took the rings she was holding on to. They should have destroyed the damned things. At least they should have tried to destroy them. If they had, this might all be over. Bram couldn’t hurt anyone else.

Now, they would have to battle Bram, and he has five more rings. His power must be immense. Thank Rimnar he and Hoddie still have their rings. He would hate to think of how deadly he would be if he had the last two rings.

[This isn’t your fault, Niro.]

[I should have insisted we not allow him to join us.] Niro sent. [I knew this was going to happen.]

[We had to give him a chance.] Rowyn sent. [Otherwise, we would be just like the Emperor.]

[No,] Niro sent. [Trust has to be earned, not given to untrustworthy people. Look at Hoddie. He’s a Goblin, but he has earned our trust. I trust him with my life.]

[So do I,] Rowyn sent. [What’s done is done. There’s no use in beating yourself up over it. Let’s just deal with it.]

[We don’t have any choice,] Niro sent.

As Niro and Hoddie rode in, something in the ground watched them. It wasn’t a dwarf peeking out from tunnels. It was something else. Something they had fought before. Only then the dragons were there to help destroy it. Now it was just Niro, Hoddie, and Rowyn. Will their powers be enough?

The road trembled as Ankrua and Cyanno came thundering over the hill. Niro held on tight to Ankrua as he galloped through the forest. Overhead, Rowyn flew in and out of the thick tree foliage staying close to her two partners. Mud and sod were thrown up by the pounding of the horse’s hooves. Water splashed and mixed with the dirt throwing mud everywhere.

Suddenly a large mound of soil reached up and grabbed Cyanno throwing Hoddie into the mud. Ankrua reared up and jumped the soil barrier.

“Rowyn!” Niro yelled. “Grab Hoddie!”

Rowyn dived down and grabbed Hoddie and lifted him up away from the barrier. Sima roared and leaped at the barrier scratching her way through it.

Niro jumped down off of Ankrua and pulled his hammer from its place at his side. As the soil formed into a giant hand it made a fist and swung at Niro.

Niro held the hammer out in front of him. The fist hit the hammer and blew up sending clumps of dirt raining down everywhere. Rowyn came down and dropped Hoddie at Niro’s side.

“What in Rimnar’s name was that?”

“Another Elemental,” Niro spit out. “Watch yourself. It’s not dead yet. Sima, stay back.”

As Niro lifted his hammer, the clumps of dirt joined together in the shape of a huge man. It threw its arm out at Hoddie, missing him by a foot. Hoddie jumped into the shadow of a tree and disappeared. Rowyn flew down and pulled her wand. She sent a blast at the man-mountain. It swung a massive hand at her. Rowyn flew under its arm and came up blasting chunks out of its chest. Mud crept up the man-mountain’s legs, filling in the holes. As it turned, Hoddie dived out of a shadow and buried his knives in its chest, sliced it diagonally, cutting it in half. Before it could mend, Niro came at the sliced-down golem swinging his hammer over his head. With a mighty swing, he smashed the monster then reached out with the power of his ring and tore it into dust.

As the dirt fell to the ground, Hoddie stuck his head out of the shadows.

“Is it safe yet?”

“I’m not sure,” Rowyn said. She came down, out of the trees, to hover over the ground next to Niro and Sima.

“I don’t think we’re finished,” Niro said as he put his hammer on his shoulder. “Keep your eye on the mud.”

Vibrations shook the dust into the air. The mud moved like it was alive. It moved like snakes slithering and squirming until it formed back into a man-mountain and stuck out at them again. Hoddie cast a field of shadow out in front of him and he slipped in. The man-mountain groaned, then it lunged at Hoddie and fell into shadow.

“Oh no!” Rowyn said.

As Hoddie moved through shadow, the mud thing squawked and reached out blind in the darkness. Hoddie stepped to the side as the thing started to freeze. Icicles formed like stalactites as water dripped and froze. The mud thing moved slower and slower until it stopped and shattered sending muddy ice crystals flying. He opened a gateway out of shadow and dived out. As he came out of shadow he rolled across the grass and fell at Nirol’s feet.

“What happened?” Niro reached down and pulled Hoddie up on his feet.

“I think I killed it,” Hoddie wiped dirty ice crystals off of his pants and jacket. “Yeah, It’s stuck in shadow. It ain’t coming out.”

Rowyn went and got the reins of Cyanno and took her back to Hoddie. He took the reins and thanked her.

“We should get out of here,” Hoddie said as he climbed on Cyanno’s back. Niro climbed on Ankrua.

“Do you want to ride,” Niro asked Rowyn. He stuck his hand down and pulled her up into the saddle. “Let’s go, Sima,”

The flight had been long. They were coming in on Sorrowdown from the east, with the Shyr right below them. Sky rode in on Quyyn’s back, with Cutter flying beside him. Bly, in her fairy form, followed at Sky’s side. It was early in the evening and the sun was just beginning to slip down out of the sky. They had stopped for lunch on some island that still had a nice herd of dera grazing. Bly loved hunting. She would rather hunt than be served. That was just the way she was. She was a hunter, plain and simple.

After lunch, they were back in the sky heading for Sorrowdown. So far there had been no opposition. Nothing and no one had tried to stop them. But they hadn’t reached their destination yet.

As Cutter dropped down for a drink, Bly hopped off his back and went down for a drink too. The water was cold and sweet to the taste. Both Bly and Cutter drank their fill, until they couldn’t drink anymore. Bly looked down and admired her reflection. Her dark hair and skin smiled back up at her. Then her reflection blurred and started to change. At first, she saw her face reflecting back at her with her black skin and long black hair. Then it changed, Her dark skin turned pale and her hair became blue. Her smile turned into a scream and something reached up out of the water and grabbed her. For a second she couldn’t breathe. The air was being choked out of her lungs. In anger, Bly sent a charge from her stingers into the hands that held her. The hands let her go and she took a deep breath and flew up away from the surface of the water. But getting away wasn’t going to be that easy.

[Oh no you don’t,] Bubbled a voice from below. [My name is Aqua. My master wants you dead. I will grant his wish.]

Water splashed up from below and grabbed Bly and dragged her down. Sky looked down from Quyyn’s back and saw Bly in distress. He dived off his back and made the shift to his Snow Phoenix form. With his frigid blue wings spread, Sky dived down and caught Bly and pulled her free from the water’s hold. With a twitch of his tail, he sent a bolt of cold down into the water. The surface of the water froze. There was a sudden scream as the ice dipped down underwater.

[What’s going on?] Quyyn sent as he dropped down to the water’s surface.

[We’re under attack.] Cutter said. [Stay away from the water.]

[Too late.]

Quyyn dived down until he was right over the surface of the water. He gazed up looking for Sky. He found him higher up, screaming in his head about something in the water. As he looked down, a blue woman came up out of the water riding a water spout and grabbed onto Quyyn. As she held on, her body melted and flowed all around the dragon. Quyyn flapped his wings splashing water everywhere. As the water flowed over his head he started to choke. Sky dived down and grabbed his mate wrapping his wings around his neck. The water froze, cutting off its flow giving Quyyn air. Sky shifted back to his human form and hung onto Quyyn. Quyyn shook the ice off his body throwing it back into the ocean.

As Bly zipped around Cutter, she sent a message to him.

[Sky and Quyyn made it away from the water,] She dropped down to land on his head. [Is there anything you can do?]

Cutter thought about his fear abilities. There was a lot he could do, but water spirits were a bit above his powers, unless… The water spirit was diving in and out of the water trying to get high enough to grab Bly or one of the dragons. Cutter concentrated on the spirit sending wave after wave of fear down to Aqua.

[Aquaphobia,]

Sputtering and flopping around, Aqua fell choking back into the water. She forgot she could breathe in the water.

[What did you do to her?] Bly asked.

[I made her afraid of water,] He said. [It’s called Aquaphobia.]

[How long will it last?]

[It’ll last until we’re five miles away from her,] He said. [Or until she drowns. The bad part is Bram knows we’re coming. He’ll be ready for us.]

[Then maybe we should find some help.] Bly said. [Any ideas?]

[We have an idea,] Quyyn sent. [And he’s already on his way.]

[Then we better get going,] Bly sent.As Aqua floundered around over the water, Quyyn, Sky, Bly, and Cutter were off for Winterhaven. Bram screamed his outrage as Aqua flopped up on a small island dried up. All his Elementals had failed him, but he would make more powerful fighters to face the dragons. He would be ready when they arrived in Sorrowdown. Nothing would stop his revenge. Not the dragons, or the Gods.

The night was cold and quiet as Caius flowed down to the gates of Sorrowdown in his wind form. As his feet touched down, he made the shift to his human form. There was a dwarf standing at the broken gate waiting for him. Caius wondered who he was. He had to be one of Bram’s minions. There was only one way to find out.

“Aiya Stanger,” He said. “I am Caius Pius. Who are you?”

“I am called Mudd.”

“‘Another Elemental?” Caius said.

“Aye,”’ He smiled. “I am here to take you to the Master.”

“I can find him on my own.” Caius stuck his nose up at Mudd. “I don’t need your help.”

“The Master wants me to bring you,” He said, “We have to do what he wants.”

“Or what?” Caius said. “I don’t have a master. I’ll work with that crazy old bastard, but he is not my master. Get that straight.”

The dwarf’s face turned red with anger. Caius watched as mud ran up his legs and covered his body. Mudd grew five feet in height as he reached out and summoned the dirt all around him into huge mud balls. He cast his arm back to launch his mud at Caius. Caius snapped his fingers and exploded into flames. He summoned a firebolt aimed at Mudd’s heart.

[STOP!!] Bram sent a blazing wall of fire to separate the two antagonists. [I want you both back here at my palace in an hour, or I will finish this for the both of you.]

Caius dropped his flames and stepped back away from Mudd. His master had given him an order, so Mudd followed it. His mud fell away from his body and he was ready to lead Caius to the palace.

From the city’s gate, they went into Sorrowdown. As they made their way through the city, the people got out of the Master’s champions’ way. They walked down the main road through the marketplace and into the private citizen’s section of the city.

Most of the manors were torn down or burned, but a few were still standing and habitable.

As they moved through the private section, a noble came riding out of his manor’s gates and into Mudfd’s path. Angry, he pulled out a whip and snapped it back to strike out at Mudd.

“Get out of my way Dwarf!”

The whip struck out and snapped at Mudd’s face. The dwarf screamed in pain.

“I said move!!”

The citizen swung his whip back and was about to strike Mudd again. Mudd reached out with his powers and ordered the mud to thin out and pulled the man down. His horse neighed and reared up on its hind legs. The citizen fell into the mud as the horse ran off. He screamed out in peril as he sank down into the mud. He tried to get back on his feet, but he couldn’t find anywhere to get his footing. He didn’t understand what was going on. How could he be sinking in less than a few inches of mud? He tried to swim but the more he struggled, the faster he sank. Soon he was on it up to his neck. Mudd reached out and made the ground all around him solid.

“You think your blood makes you better than me because I am a dwarf,” Mudd yelled down to him. “You will learn this lesson now before you die. You are no better than the dirtiest beggar in Sorrowdown. If you get out of my mud, you will learn to treat people better. Aiya deadman.”

“You should kill him,” Caius said. “He’s your enemy. If he lives, one day he may come back for his revenge. You should kill him now.”

“No,” Mudd said as he pulled Caius away. “I won’t have his death on my hands. Time will deal with him.”

“It’s a mistake,” Caius said. As they walked away, Caius looked back at the man struggling to get out of his tomb in the hard mud. He snapped his fingers at his side and set the man to burn and bake in his hard mud tomb. As he screamed, Mudd turned to him.

“His life was not yours to take,” Mudd was angry. “You’re a murderer.”

“Ha ha ha ha!!” Caius laughed at him. “You call me a murderer and your master is Bram Thorne. What does that make you?”

Mudd started to give him an angry reply, then he stopped.; He was right. His master had killed a lot of people. That made him almost as bad as he was.

“The Master is waiting.” Mudd stormed off towards the Sorrowdown palace.

Shaking his head, Caius followed Mudd through the city. They passed the statue of the headless Emperor Pius that stood right outside of the torn down coliseum. From there it was an hour’s walk to the palace. Two warriors stood guard outside of the palace’s gate. Mudd gave them a salute as they entered. The palace was dark and drafty. Most of the furniture was broken and torn apart. From the entrance, they walked in and followed the dirty spotted golden rug that led them to the throne room.

As they stepped up to the door, it swung open and they went in. The room was dark and lit with candles. Bram Thorne sat quietly on the throne set in the back of the room staring into a shard of crystal suspended over a small table covered with arcane symbols.

“Will you shut up so I can find those damned dragons!”

Mudd looked at Caius. He had never heard the Master talk to himself.

“You get used to it,” Caius said. “We’re here Bram.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” he threw a lightning bolt at them. It missed by a foot. Mudd started to say something, but Caius stopped him.

“Don’t do it,” Caius said. “He won’t like it. Just wait until he’s finished.”

Bram stared deeply into the shard. He kept mumbling something that they couldn’t hear. Then he found them.

“I got em.”

Bram watched closely without speaking. Caius and Mudd had no idea what was going on. The dragons must be near to Sorrowdown. That meant Niro would be here. At last, he would have a chance to give that muscled snot just what he deserves. Caius wanted to turn on his fire and bake Niro’s buns. He thought Caius had given him a hard time in school, wait until he sees what he can do now.

With Caius thinking about Niro, Bram came out of his vision quest. He looked down at his two lackeys. Then he got up from his throne and walked down to stand below looking at them.

“It’s about time you got here,” Bram said. “I have work for you. First I want you to go out and find a few victims I can make into fighters like yourself.”

“What kind of victims?” Caius asked.

“People like you,” Bram said with an evil smile as he looked at Caius. “People that will do anything I tell them to.”

“And where would we find that kind of person?” Caius asked him.

“Look in the arena,” Bram said. “There are still a few gladiators fighting in there. They are hungry for power. Bring them here and I will give them what they want. Hurry, you leave tonight for Winterhaven.”

Caius grabbed Mudd by his arm and dragged him out of the throne room. Confused, Mudd pulled his arm away.

“What are you doing?” He said. “I can’t follow his orders. He’s a monster.”

“Isn’t that what I said when we met? Did you think I was lying to you? Well, now you have no choice. Bram will kill you and your family if you don’t do what he wants. If you don’t believe me, go back and argue with him. I think he’s in a good mood. Maybe he’ll do it quick and painlessly.”

“Maybe we can beat him once there are more of us,” Mudd said. “We should try it at least.”

“You do know he can read your thoughts.” Caius looked at Mudd with his eyebrows raised. “Bram Thorne is a very powerful warlock. He fights dragons and witches and warlocks. I plan to follow his orders until he’s distracted and I can get the hell out of here. You fight him if you want, Now let’s go.”

For the walk to the arena, Mudd was quiet. He had escape on his mind and Caius could hear his every thought. He didn’t care what Mudd did. There was nothing he could do if the Dwarf wanted to throw his life away. All Caius knew was that Mudd better stay put until after Caius was gone.

As they approached the arena, everyone looked up to see them coming. Someone screamed something like Bram’s men and everyone ran off. Caius laughed. He liked the fear he brought out in people. And it was better with the elemental powers Bram had given him. Now he was the horror everyone knew him to be.

The halls of the arena were dark and drafty. Caius raised his hand and lit his flame. There were broken pieces of chariots and wooden cages. Broken weapons and bones of both men and horses. Caius reached down and picked up a diamond ring that lay under the carcass of some dead animal. He recognized the ring. It used to belong to his uncle, the Emperor. Caius always wanted the ring. He hoped he could take it off his uncle’s dead body, but this was good too. He slipped it on his finger and continued on.

As they entered the arena’s fighting floor, they saw fights going on all over the floor. Caius didn’t feel like fighting his way in, so he shot a bolt of fire high over everyone’s head. When they turned to see what was happening. Cais stepped forward.

“Anyone looking for a new job?”

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