At Storm's Edge Read online

  Torval turned his face to Sawain and let out a sigh of relief as he smiled at his son, "You turned out to be a fine man. Go, save Hammerhold, my son."

  His ghostly form dissipated. Sawain staggered toward his mother, who turned and smiled at him. Just like in his dreams.

  "I too am proud of the hero you've become. You still have much growing ahead, but you will find your mark, I have no doubt. This fight is not yet over, my son. Go now with the blessing of your parents and of Turin. Destroy Malsivith and reclaim your birthright."

  "Mother..." Sawain whispered and stretched out his hand to touch her. His fingers felt the soft warmth of her face for a moment as she faded from existence.

  As Skalda disappeared, so did her spear. A spout of Magma sprayed from the puncture wound in the conduit as warning bells shrieked. Aerabis stood dumbfounded as he tried to decipher what he just saw.

  "Bleed me dry. You really are gods-touched, aren't ye?"

  Sawain picked Giltglim up from the ground and glared at Aerabis, "I am, and I intend on finishing what I started. Are you going to get in my way again?"

  The troll stared at the ground a moment, lost in thought. He glared back at his nemesis after making up his mind.

  "I hate you, you know that?"

  Sawain nodded, gripping his blade. Aerabis sighed.

  "But I hate being in debt to that blood sucker upstairs too. Can you kill him? I mean really kill him?"

  Sawain nodded, "I have to kill him. It's my destiny."

  Aerabis laughed dryly while he patted out a flame on his tunic, "Aye, well, be that as it may, I don't care how you do it as long as you do it. Swear to me on your honor as a warrior."

  Sawain nodded, "I swear it."

  Aerabis scratched his chin a moment, "Ahh, alright, get out of here, you filthy cur. If you don't keep yer word, I will kill you next time we meet."

  He ventured a hesitant smile, "You know, maybe we can be friends in the next lifetime. I might even try this forgiveness thing on you."

  The troll scowled, "Don't push me, Swerdbrekker. I’m not askin’ fer yer forgiveness. Now get going. I'll make sure that dragon doesn't finish rebuilding that toy of his."

  Sawain strode past Aerabis as he headed for the exit, "Thank you. I'll be sure to tell everyone of your heroism here today."

  "Don't you dare. Tell em I died a villain, trying to kill the mighty Swerdbrekker instead."

  Sawain laughed as he reached the door, ushering all his friends out first. Before he left and shut the door behind him, he called out to Aerabis.

  "You know, I really do think your eye patch makes you look dashing."

  "I'm blushing. Now get going!"

  As the door shut, leaving Aerabis alone in the room with the critical conduit, he took in a deep breath and pushed down his emotions. He went to work immediately, swinging his blade forcefully, sawing into one conduit after another, hacking and tearing, shattering runes and shearing metal with his brute strength and enchanted weapon. He roared as flames leapt up from his clothes, no longer able to keep back the combustion. He drove his saw forward and delivered one final blow to the damaged conduit.

  Magma spewed over him, searing his stony flesh. He smiled as he let one last thought venture through his mind before the blaze gave way to cold darkness.

  Who knows? Maybe we can be friends on the other side, if there's room for someone like me there.

  Chapter Twenty:

  Magina's forces pushed their way back down through the layers of Caer Teallagh, now at an advantage despite inferior numbers. The flash of their mythril weapons shattered the bonds Malsivith had placed upon the souls of the dead. Instead of reforming and continuing the assault, they gratefully departed for the world beyond this one. Magina's heart filled with joy at the thought of the ghosts not as enemies, but as thralls who she set free with each stroke of her spear.

  She surveyed the battlefield as she stabbed and cut her path through the enemies. Vaghn seemed to be back in his element as he blasted through clusters of vampyr, letting their dark magic roll off him like rain. She knew he was always happiest in the heat of battle, which, of course, is why his soul now resided within that walking statue. He caught Magina's look and flexed his shining muscles.

  "I haven't had this much fun in months! It's been far too long since a good battle! Soon we'll get to face Malsivith and I can test this new body out against him!"

  Magina snorted, "Yeah, well, don't get too hasty. We don't have another way to steal your soul back from that psychotic dragon again since our last effort against him destroyed our only shot."

  Vaghn shrugged as he sent a ghostly ogre sailing with a blast of fire, "Well, we won't need it this time! I'm going to send that no-good scale-tail running!"

  "Didn't you listen to Banthan, or were you too busy flexing? Malsivith has the shards of Drougetath! He's trying to reforge it! If he does, that thick outer shell of yours won't be able to protect you!"

  Vaghn did not answer at first. He ploughed through a massive vampyr, tearing it to pieces.

  "So what? You're telling me that no one can stop him?"

  "I didn't say that, rust bucket! I said he can become unstoppable."

  "Oh," Vaghn laughed as he blew through a freshly reformed ghost giant, "But right now he's completely stoppable."

  "Well, when you put it that way, yes, for now. But if we don't stop running our mouths, he'll complete the ritual and kill us all."

  Vaghn laughed, "I'd like to see him try! He can't kill all of us! Besides, Banthan and that sword breaking fellow from Anvilheim are going to help us once we rescue him, so stop acting like it's the end of the world!"

  Another sweep confirmed that Banthan and his new friends had vanished once more. Not much was known to her about the mysterious Chandlers, except that they were on the side of justice, which gave her enough reason to trust them. She assumed if they weren't on her side, they would have assassinated everyone by now. Perhaps Vaghn was right for once. Sawain did not seem like much at first glance, but she saw how he and his small team could fight with the power of an army. If anyone could stop Malsivith before it was too late, it would be him.

  The roar of victory echoed off the walls of the city as the newly equipped dwarven army spread out, delivering aid to the pockets of resistance unable to reach the Armory. Magina and Vaghn led a smaller unit toward the World Forge. Banthan's message haunted her. If Malsivith managed to reforge the Drougetath, he would possess a power that would make him a global threat.

  Urgency drove her spear harder, not allowing her mind to focus on much else except reaching Malsivith. A cold wind rushed around her. More ghosts. She lunged forward and her spear bounced off a shimmering pale blue shield the size of an adult dwarf. She gawked a moment as the apparition who wielded it stood upright. Before her, dressed in the same regalia he wore into his final battle against Malsivith, the previous Segrammir of Caer Teallagh gazed mournfully. She stammered as she addressed him, resisting the urge to kneel.

  "S-Segrammir Stonechewer? Is that really you?"

  The ghost raised a gauntlet covered hand, clenching it into a fist, "It really is. I am glad to see you well, Lady Magina, but now you must face my legion in combat. My new master compels me to slay the one responsible for this rebellion. I wish you all the luck in the world against what I must now do."

  More ghosts, wearing dwarven armor and gripping dwarven axes, rose from out of the ground. They filled the streets behind the Segrammir. Sadness filled Stonechewer's voice as he pointed his fist at Magina.

  "Gods forgive me, if that is still an option."

  The ghostly army charged past him, brandishing their blades. Magina braced herself as the wave of ghosts crashed down on her. She stabbed and thrashed wildly, aided by one explosion after the next as Vaghn worked tirelessly to thin the assault. There were so many of them. Warriors who fought and died for this realm now killed those who remained. The dwarves at Magina's back stood firm as all dwarf-kind should, but the fact remained that fe
w of them were soldiers. Dozens of them fell within moments of the fight's start.

  A volley of Mythril tipped arrows rained down from the roofs of the surrounding buildings. While some clinked harmlessly off armor and shields, several of the phantasmal attackers evaporated as the bolts pierced them through. Magina took the opportunity to close in on Stonechewer. She thrust her spear at him, but his mighty shield flashed before him, knocking the attack away. In the same instant, the Segrammir rushed forward. The blunt force of the shield bowled Magina over.

  Before she could recover, a squadron of ghostly warriors bore down on her. Vaghn managed to get between her and her attackers in time to catch the brunt of the rain of axes. A report from his glycerin cannon shook the air and ground. The bright flash stunned the ghosts it did not obliterate. He glanced over his shoulder.

  "Maggy! You alright? Can you stand?"

  She grumbled as she picked herself up, shaking the dust off her armor, "What do I look like, an old lady? It'll take more than a simple shield bash to put me out of the fight."

  Stonechewer smiled, "I should hope so, Lady Magina. Remember what I taught you. Our people are strong --"

  She sighed as she popped her neck, trying to recompose herself, "Yeah, yeah, Strong as the mountain and twice as stubborn. Believe me, I know."

  "That's... Twice as sturdy." He mumbled as he defended himself against another shock wave of fire.

  Magina ran another would-be assassin through the neck with her spear as he slipped past Vaghn. The spirits poured around him, some halted by another wave of arrows, some who crashed against Magina's flashing spear. She would never say it aloud, especially with her old armsmaster from her academy days floating within earshot, but she was thankful that she had been trained to handle pole arms almost as well as she could handle machines. Besting her old teacher in combat still remained unobtainable in her lifetime. He had not been selected as the Hold's last Hero-King through politics alone.

  Vaghn rushed Stonechewer, his heavy metal fists flying. The first punch slammed into the shield with a resounding crash that staggered both the attacker and the defender. Magina noticed the moment of opening and shouted at Vaghn.

  "Good shot, Tin Man! Give the king a sip of your patented Powderkeg Punch!"

  Vaghn pumped a fist in the air, letting off a high pitched whistle from his exhaust, "You're right! He does look mighty thirsty! What say you, milord?"

  Stonechewer planted his feet firm on the ground as his fist began to glow, "Try all you want, page. I am Lord Haufrik Stonechewer, mighty as a mountain and twice as sturdy!"

  Before the juggernaut could respond, scores of ghostly soldiers charged through the king, battering Vaghn backwards. Magina quickly became surrounded, despite her best efforts to defend herself. Axes crashed down on her armor, chipping and cracking it, though it was made of mythril. The unholy weapons these beings pummeled her with were comprised of dark magic that threatened to overwhelm her holy steel.

  A blast of electricity arced through the crowd of ghosts in front of her and a jet of arcane ice shredded those who flanked her. The horse sized lizards that the Swerdbrekker and his friends rode had finally entered the fray after finishing their pack animal duties to the refugees. Now they blasted through the enemy ranks with flashes of devastating magic. The black one with the purple mane slithered up to her, flicking its tongue inches from her face. She quickly pointed down at the ground.

  "The ones you are looking for are at the bottom of the city. In the World Forge. I don't know if you can understand me, but if you do, hurry! Sawain is in danger."

  When she mentioned Sawain, the drake perked up and flicked its head sideways. It bobbed its head as if it were nodding, then barreled off through the ghosts, scattering their forces. As the others chased after, they unleashed torrents of fire, acid and ice. The channels they cut through the ghosts gave Vaghn an opening to Stonechewer.

  He launched himself for another attack. His hammer of a fist smashed into the king's shield, but Stonechewer shifted his weight in order to redirect the majority of the titan's momentum forward. The Segrammir's gauntlet glowed a purple hue as it arced with arcane energy. A deft blow delivered to Vaghn's side tore through his metal carapace. Stonechewer ripped his fist out of the hole the punch created and struck again. Without missing a beat, the metal giant's other arm whipped around and grabbed the king's fist.

  "Drink up, milord!"

  Explosive liquids sprayed from his wrist and mixed with the mountain air. The resulting blast shattered Stonechewer's chestplate and incinerated his arm. He gasped as the force threw him sideways into Magina's ready spear. he let out a sigh as his incorporeal form slid across the spear as if he had flesh once more.

  "Well fought, Lady Magina. You fight with the strength of the mountain and think like the most critical strategist at the speed of an instant. You truly are a hero worthy of the title Segrammir."

  Magina smirked as she ripped the spear free from her old mentor, "I didn’t beat you alone, master. You lost to a page’s Powderkeg Punch. And I've told you before. Politics don't suit me. I'd rather be out there, using my inventions to make all of Hammerhold a better place."

  Stonechewer sighed as his form began to fade, "Every warrior wants to leave a mark on the world. But in time, even the sturdiest mountains will wear down. Perhaps some day that wanderlust of yours will dull with age and you will reconsider. I know you'd make a fine Segrammir. A much better choice than that stone-for-brains husband of yours."

  "HEY!" Vaghn shouted, "My brain is made up of the finest silicone and gold this side of the mountain! No masonry in this fine specimen!"

  Stonechewer looked imploringly at Magina as his form turned to mist, "Save our people, Magina."

  She stared at the emptiness the dead king once inhabited and choked out her promise, "I will. Somehow."

  “Hey Maggy,” Vaghn mumbled as he limped to her side, “Thanks for sticking up for me to the king. It really means a lot coming from you.”

  She grinned up at him, “Think nothing of it, Tin man. We may not see eye to eye most of the time, but I still love you no matter what Stonechewer thinks.”

  The entire mountain quaked as something exploded below her. She ran to the edge of the tier, cutting down the remnants of Stonechewer's army as she went. Vaghn trailed behind, still drawn to the glory of battle. She reached the edge in time to peer down the sloping cityscape and see the ancient dome of the World Forge erupt into arcs of lightning, then collapse beneath a pool of magma that gushed out of its doors. To her utter horror, Malsivith, in full draconic form, burst out of the top of the dome, his wings unfurling as he rose on the current of heat. He clenched a massive blade of pure lightning in one hand and in the other, a pale, glowing glaive made of three curved blades that radiated around a ring of mythril.

  His laughter ripped through the air as he launched his glaive at a tower that clung to the side of the tier Magina stood watch from. The blade sliced clean through it and sent it crashing to the ground below, killing those unfortunate enough to be beneath it. The blade of lightning flashed with deafening booms as he swung it in a wide arc. The bolts it threw off electrocuted friend and foe alike. As if to show the full extent of his destructive capabilities, he inhaled deep and unleashed a fiery torrent upon a platoon of mages who tried to raise an arcane shield. Their screams lasted only a moment as the magical glaive tore through it, killing everyone.

  As the glaive returned to Malsivith, he held it high above his head. Hundreds of pale wisps of light streaked from every level of the city, straight into the blades of the weapon. In response, he unleashed a barrage of magical arrows from the glaive that sheared through stone and steel alike. He cackled manically as he continued swiping at anything that moved.

  "I AM MALSIVITH! YOUR REBELLION IS OVER! YOU ARE MINE AND I AM YOUR GOD! SUBMIT TO ME AND DESPAIR!"

  Magina fell to her knees as the dragon unleashed another cataclysmic rain of fire and magic. A sob caught in her throat as Vaghn sat down be
side her, absolutely dumbfounded. She had never in her life seen destruction on such a wide scale as magma filled the first tier of the city, rising up from the bleeding wound at the heart of the World Forge. Malsivith's rampage needed no help as he destroyed entire city blocks in one sweep of the Drougetath and siphoned the souls of his victims into the weapon. Bolts of arcane rsistance bounced harmlessly off his lavender scales. Buildings crumbled and fire spread quickly throughout Caer Teallagh as Malsivith flapped his wings to rise higher. Each push generated a small hurricane that caused even more devastation.

  Wails of anguish and screams of terror now echoed in Magina's ears as her eyes let fall disbelieving tears. Vaghn's arm wrapped around her, pulling her into an embrace as they watched in horror. Magina shook her head.

  "This... can't be happening. That power... He will kill everything."

  Vaghn's once confident voice shook with a fear that reminded her of the scared boy she once knew, "Maggy... Is this... The end of the world?"

  She did not know how to answer him. Finally, as she watched the Drougetath soar right over her head and through the buildings behind her, she nodded.

  "Yes, Vaghn. I believe it is. I'm... sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't save it."

  He pulled her close as chunks of crumbling towers began to rain down on him, "Well, no matter what happens next, I'm glad I got to see you again at the end."

  Chapter Twenty One:

  Dirt rained down on Sawain's head, knocked loose by the tremors that shook the narrow shaft. He gripped the bars of the ladder he hung from as it creaked menacingly. Forgemaster Galvas led the way in front of him. The dwarf yelled down at his followers.

  "We're almost to the second level of the city! From there, we can get a view of the damage that troll has managed to wreak upon the World Forge."

  "It sounds... very damaged." Sawain muttered as another quake nearly shook him loose from the ladder.