the Story of a Bard named Mouse
-Foreword-
For those of you who have not been following the tale of Mouse the Bard, it is sufficient to say that he is Baron Gladriel von Samovar, ruler of those lands above Bobuktu and below the Great Plateau. This is an area larger than any Duchy, but is largely uninhabited, being rife with large predators and creatures often described as monsters. The Elven lands of Byredale and Brightwood are seperate holdings in the same area, as is the Dwarven enclave of Whitsno. The Archduke of Bobuktu, His grace Archibald of the South, being a relative of the Baron and having no heir, has named his lordship Gladriel as successor, so that when the Archduke passes, Baron Gladriel will hold almost all of the human lands on the western edge of the lands of the High King in Lackland. The Baron has three wives, Lady Maude who will be Duchess, the Priestess Lorelei, who is defender of the faith and will be Baroness, and Lady of the Forest Strider, who rules the Forests of Samovar. Mouse the Bard is a disguise, albeit a very successful one, used due to the mixed parentage of the Baron. His mother is the Elven Lady Jana, of the council at Byredale, and his Father was Baron Gideon Samovar, Baron under the High King until his Castle was razed by monsters. Since there are those who mistrust any who is not completely Human, the Baron has often been the subject of assassination attempts.The Baron is holder of the Knights Hero medal, a Knight of the Realm, and has alliances from the Lands of the Great Khan beyond the Backbone Mountains to Magic Isle in the east along the Shore. He is personal friends with King Acernon of Seacliff, who is king under the high King, Egbert, at Lackland. His army is currently the largest in all of Newhome, being composed of Warriors sent by the Great Khan, Elves from several regions, Dwarves from the Council of Dwarves, a cadre of Mages from Magic Isle, and his own mixture of Knights, adventurers, and Barbarians. It has proven to be a force to be reckoned with.
- Albert, Sage of Samovar -
I've been to the desert
Everything had just changed at Castle Samovar. The whole world was upset and nothing was as it had been. One moment, Baron Gideon was discussing the presence of monsters beyond the mountains, set to invade. The persons at the castle were gathered to learn of them, watching at the Magic Mirror as Gaelehn, the Forgemaster of Fire Mountain explained the situation. And then, suddenly, Kanthos Bane had come to life. The ancient warrior, who had battled that mythical evil known as Fifnir, was actually in the Castle. How he had come there was a mystery. The Castle had protections against intruders that were second to none, but they had proven useless. An unknown man was simply there. No one knew what would happen next.
" I'd heard a rumor that you were looking for me," the stranger began, " And though I haven't been called Kanthos Bane in a Tree's age, that's who I am."
For the first time in his adult life, Mouse was speechless. Strider was at a loss as well, and even Maude had no reply. Black Cat stood as if he were viewing an apparition. Black Cat was an assassin of legendary skill, and was never surprised, until now.
"Please tah meetcha," Gaelehn's voice came from the mirror, " I've heard about you all my life, and I'm right pleased that you're real."
"I'm honored as well," Mouse finally found his voice. "We'd almost given up the search."
"I've been keeping a low profile," Kanthos explained, "For the last couple of thousand years."
"How old are you?" Strider asked, "If you don't mind my asking."
"The years here on Thoss are longer than Earth years," he explained, "And so I have to make an estimate. I'd say over four thousand and short of five. That's a guess, because I'm not sure how many years passed during the war and migration."
"I need to know," Mouse began and then paused for a second, "Oh, so much." he finished.
"What's Earth?" Maude asked.
"And what Migration?" Lorelei put in.
"What can you tell us about the first war against Fifnir, and Fifnir himself, for that matter?" Black Cat was practical in his inquiry.
" This could take awhile," Kanthos laughed, " The history of the world, in a nutshell. And speaking of nuts, do you have any Samovar fine on hand?"
The next few minutes were spent getting nutbrew made, with Mouse glad that he had some of the finest, from the mountains near Bobuktu, on hand. The pause for something common and everyday was a welcome chance for the people in the room to digest the fact that a legend, or rather a myth, had entered the room. Never mind that he had circumvented the protections of one of the most secure Castles in the Realm. Not to mention that he had escaped the notice of some of the best guards anywhere. The most amazing thing was that he had arrived at the very moment when the news arrived of the army of monsters, massing beyond the mountains. What brought him to the Castle, at that precise moment, had everyone waiting in suspense, as the nutbrew was served.
"Please allow me to answer some of your questions," Kanthos said, "Before we talk of more serious things."
" I was born in a place called Dallas, on a planet we simply called Earth. It was the birthplace of humankind, but contained only humans. I'll explain about humankind as I go. I was what was called a physicist, before I became the Science Officer on the Starship Ethos. I had been denied tenure at the University where I taught, and, in a fit of anger, took passage on the Ethos. The ship was unusual, in that it was a new design and had never been tested. It was one of the epoch class vessels fitted with a new type of drive. It was supposed to create a seamless warp field, one that would allow faster transit and greater distances over time. It worked a bit differently than advertised. There was a wormhole in space, that's a place where two distant parts of the universe connect by co-existing as if space were folded. The ethos went through this wormhole almost instantly, and without warning. Suddenly our ship was at a planet which we could not even imagine. here the normal scientific rules, which we called laws, were subject to change without notice. This caused our vessel to be instantly disabled, and we spent several weeks getting it to function again. We had a very large complement, but most were not scientists. The entire complement and crew of the Ethos almost died, right then. Though the Ethos would never again travel through space, we were able to land it on this planet. The ship became our home, and eventually we called our settlement Ethos, after it. Over the millennia this changed to Thoss. Language has a way of changing over time. Once we began to live on Ethos , or Thoss as you now know it, we learned some valuable lessons, quickly.
" First, and most importantly, we discovered magic. Magic did not exist on Earth, and we had to begin at the beginning, to learn it. In making that adjustment, we learned that machines and processes we had used on Earth would not work here. It was the explosion of one of these machines, and the strange magical and scientific interplay that resulted, which caused some of us to become functionally immortal. There were three women and four men, originally, but some died during the war and one since. A woman remains and two men. You've met Moe, and the woman is called Hattie."
"Swamp Witch Hattie?" Black Cat interjected in surprise.
"The very one," Kanthos agreed, "But she's actually a young looking woman. She just disguises herself so that no one will connect her to the Great War. But back to my Story.
" When we had begun to master magic, we found that there were two primary forms. They could be called the healing force and the destructive force, or the force which does work. Some referred to them as the biological and chemical. However you described them one was everything except life force enhancement. The other could be used to affect growth of living organisms and actually create biological products, like food. Now I'm well aware that either force can heal or destroy, depending on how it's used, but the division was apparent. It led to dividing ourselves into two primary groups. We became Boons, who healed others, Hattie being one of those, and the Banes, like Moe and I, who used the force and chemical side of magic. My name, in those days, was Mortimer, but people usually called me Mort. Language began to change as we had no devices that could keep it standard, but finally we were able to translate what was stored into voice records, and began to standardize the language. My name changed, because I was Kan Thoss, which meant from Thoss, and reflected my origin as an Officer of the Ship Ethos. I was a Bane, and as the concept of Boon and Bane faded, I became Kanthos Bane.
"At first, living on this planet was like a dream. Those who had come here were looking for a fantasy, and they found one. Some moved to the forests, calling themselves Elves. Some moved to the passages into the planet, because there were many, and those people called themselves Dwarves. By the time they had lived in these environments for awhile, they realized that the magic of this place was changing them. The Dwarves became as solid as the Rocks they live among, and lovers of the underground. The elves became as long-lived as the trees they loved, and their abilities changed to suit their environment. Some people simply remained people, and lived in cities and towns. Some of those who were smaller people, moved into pastoral settings and became the small folk.
The inside of Thoss was originally hollow, at least in large measure. There were tunnels, vast caverns and even whole massive areas, beneath the surface. These areas were habitable, with machines that produced food, lighting and plenty of water. The Dwarves flourished, and there were even elves living there, who eventually became what we now call 'Dark Elves' or Drow. The 'Deep Gnomes' made their home there as well, and the Small Folk tended to cluster in areas where there were openings into the 'under earth'. Lives, and societies, changed and evolved, while the people living on Thoss learned to exist in a world of Magic.
"When we began to recover the knowledge we brought with us, it was applied. Small lizards, Draco Volans by name, were 'engineered' to be more intelligent and slightly larger. I had one I called Saphira, as a pet, and Moe had another. Moe's Lizard was caught in the explosion, as was mine, and at least one other. His became the person you know as Alhabra, after a thousand years. They became too intelligent to be pets, becoming companions, instead. We also had embryos for such things as horses and even Elephants, but the animals were modified for use. Since we couldn't really use machines, we wound up with Liftants and the like, for beasts of burden. We modified birds, making them large enough to carry a passenger. Everything was going wonderfully. Then Fifnir arrived.
" When the Entity we call Fifnir first crashed into the planet, it was almost an extinction event. We, that is Humankind, were able to survive only because this planet was a marvel of engineering, and we had magic. Had the planet been simply a celestial body in space, it would have shattered and pieces would have gone everywhere. As it was, much of the surface was moved, radically, and the Backbone Mountains were created, as the planet held itself together. With the massive damage and loss of life that ensued, we had no time to wonder if the object that struck our world had been a comet, meteorite, or something else. It was decades before the creature from within it emerged and began his activities. We had no idea that he was even there, until he began to affect those living near what is now Char. Even then, due to the chaos caused by the impact, we did not, at first, notice. Over time, we began to see the 'monsters'. Since Fifnir was just beginning to create them, we were able to use magic and science to return a few to normal, or near normal. Some were discolored and some disfigured. It was from these unfortunate victims that we learned of Fifnir. They knew almost nothing of his motivation, but I realized that he had come to this world deliberately. I made a study of his methods and the movements of his monsters.
" Sounds like my kind of party," Gaelehn remarked, still in the Mirror.
"Hmmm," Kanthos resumed, " With the army from Khan, the standing army of Samovar and Lackland, and the Barbarian contingent, we won't be outnumbered, at least. We need to find where they intend to cross, and make a stand there. Then our army will be more than adequate. They want to pass, not we, and that means they will have to advance against us. We can hold them like the Spartans at Thermopylae."
"The who, where?" Mouse interjected this time, and again Kanthos only paused a moment.
" Going on with my tale," Kanthos continued, " It was when Fifnir realized that there were creatures on the planet, that he began to take them. He began modifying them, to search for the item, since he could not move about the surface, himself. In his haste, or perhaps because he does not care, he transformed them into hideous creatures that we know as monsters. Some of them were originally people, and not all were successful. Those who could breed were encouraged to do so, with each other and any species that they could impregnate. Thus halfbreeds of the orckind were produced. Half-orcs were creatures of Earth legend, and the name stuck, as did the name Orc for the monsters themselves. Many other names for monsters came from old Earth, such as Goblins, Hobgoblins, Harpies, and even Trolls. The term Dragon is of Earth, as is Wyvern and Vampire.
" Those of humankind were, to say the least, not pleased with these actions. They began to exterminate the monsters and sought to discourage Fifnir from making more. As Fifnir has been trapped on this planet, he has slowly weakened, but originally we were almost helpless against him. Using powerful weapons that were left over from the Ethos, we were able to prevent him from leaving Char, and in the process learned that he was damaged by water. This is the reason there is no water in Char, Fifnir has excluded it and keeps it out. The corrosive properties of water, since it can act as both an acid and a base, would be lethal to Fifnir, if a way could be found to administer enough at once."
Kanthos paused at the sound of someone approaching from the area in which the Portal was located. Kur Lee entered the room and bowed, saying that he had heard most of what was going on while attempting to access the mirror for communication. He couldn't resist coming to actually see the great Kanthos Bane. The Khan had told stories of him for centuries. The people of Khan thought he was a God.
" I was wondering if you would put in an appearance," Kur Lee said easily, "It's been awhile."
" Sorry I couldn't tell you I was Kanthos Bane," Kanthos answered him, "The last time we met."
" Too many of the locals would have tried to worship you," Kur Lee agreed. " I figured it out this morning, and was just about to call."
"I'm lost here," said Mouse.
"Kur Lee and I met up some years ago when he was in Monk training," Kanthos explained, "But he knew me as a Superior Master in the Monastery. I was called Chuck Norris."
The conversation turned to a kind of question and answer session then, with discussion centering on what could or should be done about Fifnir. Kur Lee had an idea, which found a willing audience with Kanthos. He suggested creating a pitcher which would hold much more than normal, like Seana's magic bags. Everyone remembered that Mouse's cousin had a a hobby of collecting items that were bigger on the inside than the outside, and Kur Lee was convinced he could make a pitcher which would hold an enormous amount of water, if he examined Seana's collection. Kanthos was curious to learn what Kur Lee had discovered in the blending of the two different styles of Magic, the ones practiced in Newhome, where he now lived, and the style of the land of the Khan, where he had grown up.
There was no denying Kur Lee was an accomplished user of magic. Had he lived closer to the center of society, he would probably have earned the title of Archmage, but in the Forgotten City, deep in the jungles of southern Samovar, almost to the Ducal lands of Bobuktu, he was just the Mage of Samovar. That distinction allowed him the title of most powerful mage in all of Samovar, and no one disputed it. Seana was known not only for her fighting prowess, but for her use of magic as well, but she held Kur Lee almost in awe. He knew not only all of the common spells of Newhome, but the Spells of Khan as well. He also had a firm grasp on most of the 'higher' magics of each land. His research concerning the combination of the two styles had already produced a plethora of 'new' magics, which were, in their own way, more powerful than either of the parent styles. The talk was technical, between Kanthos and Kur Lee, but Kanthos managed to conduct four simultaneous conversations and not become confused. While it is true that the human brain cannot multi-task, Kanthos had overcome that limitation via magic and could do several things at once. He explained that his mind was compartmentalized, due to the implantation of a magical device that held his memories. Everything that occurred in his presence, or that he was aware of by any means, was recorded instantly in the implant, and he had to remember nothing. He could, again instantly, switch from any data stream to another, without having to change his concentration. Eventually everyone learned as much as he could absorb, and Seana arrived, having chosen to come to Samovar with a collection of Bags instead of missing the chance to meet Kanthos Bane, in the flesh. She had managed to find an old Elven story about him, and was genuinely surprised that he was real. Tagernoab, the Dwarven emissary and long time friend of the Barony, finally broached the most interesting Question.
" I've always wondered why the Dwarves were given credit for the great migration," He said, "In spite of it's having been the effort of the magi that is supposed to have made it possible. Can you explain that one?"
" That's a question that really answers itself," Kanthos began, "Once you know the truth of the migration.
"When Humankind realized that they could not defeat Fifnir, it quickly became apparent that flight was the only option. It was known, by then, that his influence did not extend beyond the huge range of mountains that his impact had created. Those mountains extended above the breathable region of the atmosphere, and encircled the globe. It was as if the planet had 'held itself together' when Fifnir collided with it. Since it was impossible to fly above the mountains, the only alternative was to go below them. Those regions beneath the surface of the planet had been so badly damaged by Fifnir's arrival, that most of the cities and villages of the Dwarfs had been destroyed. While spaces still existed, they were unconnected and often had no route to the surface. There was no longer a usable passage below the mountains, so that one had to be constructed. By moving the rock and earth, the Magi had the power to create such a passage, but not the skill. The Dwarves labored with those skilled in magic, and used magic of their own, to make a tunnel beneath the mountains. It was large enough to allow passage of all that remained of humankind. Once used, it was sealed shut, and a guardian placed to ensure that Fifnir's monsters could not pass it. This is why the Dwarven Lords are credited with having made the migration possible."
" And that's how humankind came to Newhome," Seana affirmed, " My great-grandmother was alive, having been born during the crossing below the mountains, and she told me of it."
"But the forests and ruins, where did they come from?" Strider spoke up, " Some of the ruins along the Backbone mountains are older than the first war."
" There were cities and towns on Thoss when Humankind first came," Kanthos answered her, " We assume they were made by those who created the planet. Make no mistake, Thoss is artificial, it was made by someone, long, long, ago. Also, the Backbone mountains didn't exist, prior to Fifnir's coming, and there were cities and towns, villages and even places for gatherings and healing. Those all became ruins when Fifnir struck the world."
" How many people were involved in the migration?" Lorelei asked.
" Of the Fifty million or so people on Thoss when Fifnir arrived, fewer than two million made the crossing," Kanthos said quietly, " And that includes every facet of humankind. Whether men, elves, dwarfs, halflings, or the others, there were few. Perhaps another million made it to what is now Khan."
Black Cat, who had remained silent thus far, chose this moment to speak.
"We dark elves know of the areas that are sealed away," he announced, "Because Drow live in some of them, unable to return to the surface, in a land of half shadow and half light. There are still Deep Gnomes, and others, not to mention a society of Dwarves, who call themselves the Gray Dwarves."
"Still, we can't expect to have them for assistance, as they're trapped in the world below." said Maude.
"Then we shall need every man in my army," Mouse realized, aloud," And perhaps that will be too few."
" Speaking of them," Kanthos replied, " I hope you don't mind, but I dropped off twenty five "Horns of Plenty" on my way here, to aid in the care and feeding of so large a group."
Twenty-five horns of plenty had a retail value about equal to the Castle Samovar, including it's contents. Each such magic item could produce enough food for a group of 120 to 130 people, a days rations, and do it three times a day. This meant that his troops would no longer have to rely solely on whatever supplies he could have shipped in and what the travel houses along the Ancient road could provide. It was twelve thousand soldiers rations, constant and unvarying, to augment what he could provide. It was beyond welcome. While many of the Khan's warriors were adept at hunting and foraging, it was a relief to know that they would not have to do so. It might even provide some relief to the Healers, who had been 'producing Food' by magical means, and it would ease the tasks of the wagon drivers who were growing tired of constant trips to and from any market with foodstuffs. Mouse had a huge treasury, to be sure. He could have funded food and supplies for the army for longer than any of them would have lived. It was a relief that he might not have to spend that quantity, since eventually it would have led to inflation, and currency devaluation. Profiteers are always ready to raise the price of a rare commodity.
It was a reminiscent of a madhouse in Castle Samovar for the next few weeks. Not only were the usual items before the Court, but Gaelehn was shipping weapons to the Castle, for the combatants which were both unique and magical. Mouse would have been more attentive to his pregnant wives, but for the shipments from Gaelehn.
The "Forgemaster of Fire Mountain" was taking his title seriously. He had an army of apprentices and journeymen forgers, who assisted him in shaping weapons in a totally new style. He was combining the forging techniques of Khan with those he knew, in order to blend Mithral and Adamant with the edges and strength of Khan. Folding the metals, adding substances which only the mountain could produce, made of magically united carbon and boron, all were contributing to armor and weapons of legendary quality. Gnomes had assisted him in fashioning devices that could fold metal on their own, and Dwarves were helping to man the forges. (there were dozens now) The items were being produced at a rate measured in minutes, instead of months. When complete, the manufactured items went to the Cadre of Mages, come from Magic Isle, and the students of Kur Lee, who enchanted them all. It didn't hurt that Kanthos Bane could enchant the ingredients, and create substances that were harder than diamond and stronger than steel, when complete. They could be forged more easily than bronze and would never tarnish or lose their edge. With armor almost impenetrable, and that could be adjusted, via magic, to fit any user from a female elf to a tall barbarian, only weapons remained. Magic swords and armor were made, enough to equip the entire army. There was, then, only the problem of training, and molding the various factions of the 'army' into a usable force.
The Academy at Targun sent instructors, as did Mouse's Alma mater, the Academy at Lackland. Beyond this, Knights, of every sect, came to Samovar, either to help train or to become officers in the force. It was swiftly becoming even more formidable. Training was conducted in those lands which had formerly been open countryside, unsuitable for farming they had been fallow for as long as anyone could remember, but made excellent training grounds. The impromptu "Academy of Samovar" was full of activity. Even while exercising their own forces, the Generals sent by the Khan were willing to share their expertise with the 'gajin' who were in the same army. They found them to be eager, if undisciplined, and willing to learn. The common soldiers were less suitable, but the Generals were not displeased with the Knights and Officers they trained.
Black Cat, who was now the "Lord High Executioner" of Samovar, was also training a force. He would go through the ranks, and watch, eventually picking out one, or maybe two, candidates. Some of them proved unsuitable, but most became part of his force. Their task was to be the silent, deadly, killers of the army. When stealth was required, or silent killing, Black Cat made sure that his force was up to the task. He was assisted by Ninja from the Lands of the Khan, and the Ninja found him scary. While they had many skills already, Black Cat had more. The end result was a group who could steal from themselves and not know who did it. They could also kill time, but didn't because time was essential to life. No one was displeased at their presence, but everyone had at least a small measure of fear because of what the group could do.
Strider had a force of rangers, who could hide from Black Cat and his assassins. This was because she was the world's finest tracker and made sure that they knew how to evade even her skills. Magics and skills together, the Rangers of Strider were able to move through the forest and leave no trace. She taught them to speak with any animal who had the intelligence to communicate, and to be able to deal with any creature that was not a monster. They learned to survive in any environment, and forage where even the local fauna were struggling. Her charges learned the forest, but more than that they learned all environments. It mattered not whether the desert, mountains or any other, the rangers could survive.
A college of Bards was established at Samovar, as well. While Mouse could not find the time to test and teach, he did what he could. There were magicians to test the applicants, and Sages to assist in training them. Several of the Students of Galanfie, Mouse's old Teacher, showed up and pitched in. After a few weeks, when the system seemed to be working, Galanfie showed up, students in tow and began to run the College as he said, "Properly". It would turn out Bards, but only about one in a thousand had the innate ability to learn the magics. Since Mouse had the entire Army, and the population of Samovar to pick from, he managed to find over a hundred. He hoped a hundred Bards would help.
While all of this was going on, Lorelei had assembled the largest group of healers she could. Then she set them the task of teaching as many as could learn, the simpler tasks of healing. The entire army was visited, and over fifteen thousand were trained in first aid and simple healing. Those who showed superior ability, and were not Bardic material, were made 'healers' and began a course of training that was, shall we say, aggressive. Any mage with a spare moment was used to impart information using the famous spell of Eglion, the archmage. Using that spell it was possible to teach an entire year's worth of knowledge in about two months. The only limit was the nightmares it caused, when overused. Black Cat, seeing the advantage in this, had his forces trained in healing, magic, and martial skills to the fullest extent of their abilities. "No point in avoiding useful skills when you can learn them," he said. Black Cat had occasion to use his spell to combat the resultant nightmares, many times.
As winter closed in on the Castle, those who needed to do so began the harvest. Mouse was stunned at the number of people who requested time off to assist, but Kanthos assured him that this was a good thing. Allowing the men of the Army time to do work which was unrelated to war would help them digest their training, and would avoid having soldiers who were not grounded in the real world. It would improve moral, Kanthos assured Mouse, and Mouse acceded to the older man's wisdom. Maude let the whole thing pass, as she decided that Kanthos hadn't lived as long as he had without acquiring at least some wisdom. As Fall passed, everyone took at least some time off, to enjoy the fall festivals if nothing else. The harvest festival, the festival of those passed, and the festival of stars and moons, were all times to leave training aside and take a moment to acquire perspective. Just what perspective was acquired varied, from person to person. The changing of the colors was as beautiful as it had ever been, and the cool nights allowed for magic campfires and much camaraderie. The Warriors of the Khan were beginning to interact with the local population, and they had taken time to help with the harvest. It was good for them to spend some time away from the constant strain of war, especially as they were so very far from home.
Lorelei was "showing", as was Strider, so they did not appear in public unless it was unavoidable. Maude was still able to conceal her 'condition' but within a month it would be apparent to all. The Castle was trimmed for the season, with garlands, leaf infused wreaths, and magical 'fairy lights' that were everywhere. The three wives of the soon-to-be Archduke made sure of this.
The momentary respite from training and drill did nothing to remove the edge from the army. In spite of the fears of the drill instructors, the army emerged as a cohesive unit, albeit one divided into clusters of divisions, battalions, companies, platoons, squads and units. Kanthos suggested that they further divide the force into four smaller armies, so that each could have a single commander and a separate goal in any campaign. Mouse took this to his generals, and as a group they saw the wisdom of it. It allowed a supreme commander of Knights, Samurai, Rangers, Infantry and Artillery. The Mages already had a supreme commander in Eglion himself, the old mage having decided that Fifnir was an inconvenience he needed to eradicate. When the main force had been broken up into Five Armies, it suddenly became apparent how huge it actually was. Each Army was large enough to represent a Barony of its own. Perhaps it was the sheer size of the force that prompted action from the Council of Lackland.
Lackland was a great distance from Samovar, even by straight line flight. Usually the Council tried to ignore the 'outlands' as a place where civilization was not as advanced as in the Eastern Cities. The Ascension of Baron Gladriel to the title of Archduke of the Southern Lands had been delayed almost a year. There had been no action on the upcoming War on Fifnir, because it was being launched from so far West. It just wasn't a problem. With the sudden emergence of Monsters in Chevalier, coming from the underworld, and with the increased passage of small groups of monsters over the mountains, the council commissioned a study to see what should be done. When the sages and scholars revealed the scope of the potential incursion, and explained the absolute necessity of securing Samovar as a 'buffer zone' against Fifnir's Horde, the council acted. King Egbert was already a staunch supporter of Baron Gladriel, and with him there were several persons of real power. Duke John, of Wayne, almost every Knight in the kingdom, A half dozen Earls, who's land was just east of Samovar and who were anxious to have protection of that quality, and Magic Isle. The Island of Magicians had gotten much from Samovar, in the way of Portal magic, new spells and a chance to prove their battle mages in combat. This made Baron Samovar a very popular person on the Island, and his purchases did nothing to dissuade the merchants there. The council decided to confirm him as Archduke of the South, although there were some who hoped the war with Fifnir would claim him, as it did his family.
Mouse used the new 'portal' system, that Kur Lee had set up, in order to travel to Lackland. It took the morning to get him and his guards there. The parade was impressive, if necessary. First there was Mouse, with His wives. Then came the Knights and Samurai, a score of them. The Rangers and Archers were a score following. Surrounding the group, spaced evenly, were the dark riders of Black Cat's force. One should not forget the two squads of Dwarven "cho cruaidh tanca" who flanked the center column. With the dark riders, they made a protective wall around the Baron. There was almost no chance of an assassin getting close, and with the dark riders and rangers present, even a ranged assault was doubtful. The entire entourage was impressive, and spectators were not uncommon as the group made their way from the Portal to the Castle. The Baron was forced to leave most of his guard outside, but Black Cat, Tagernoab, Seana, Jana, and Eglion accompanied him. The Baron, his wives and those of his Court who were allowed, including Gaelehn and Kur Lee, entered the main Hall. With them were Sir John and Sir Frank, two Knight Commanders, and four Dwarves of the "Freiceadan Dubh" who were with the Elven 'gaiscíoch' trio. Black Cat had brought one of his group, one the Elves called dúnmhartóir. His origin was mixed from at least three sources, Orc, Human and Elf, with others possible. He had been with Black Cat since encountering him in the Sewers of Chevalier. Mouse had come to trust the Shapeshifter almost as much as any of his entourage.
As he entered the Hall, a group of assassins from the Northeastern realm below Torvald came at him. Without slowing his pace Mouse sang a song of Barrier, which prevented their approach. When the Dwarves, Elves and Black Cat positioned themselves between the assassins and the Baron, the encounter was effectively over. The procession continued.
"Never seen the assassin's guild just back away like that," Tagernoab noted.
"They seek a higher vantage," Black Cat explained, "Where they can use crossbows."
"A fine waste of their time," one of the Dwarfs commented, "As if a crossbow bolt can get past me."
"Or any of us," another said, "Even the elves could stop that."
"They have to try," Black Cat said quietly, "Seems a sad way to die." Turning to his companion he said, "Go right, Killer, and I'll take the left. Don't leave any alive."
Suddenly Black Cat and Killer simply weren't there. A magic that Black Cat taught all of his students allowed them to simply 'blink' out of a spot and 'blink' in on another. The Baron was aware of what was transpiring, but also knew that no shred of evidence would lead anyone to him or his, after the fight was over. He never even considered the possibility that Black Cat would have any problems. Black Cat had fought and easily killed Snake Warriors, beyond the mountains. No assassin from anywhere in Newhome stood a ghost of a chance.
The Ceremony was protracted, probably because whichever of the nobles had paid for assassins was trying to give them time to work. The end result was that every possible objection was proposed and disposed, so that no chance remained for anyone to challenge the title of Archduke Gladriel Samovar, ruler, under the High King, of all the lands to the South and West, in the Domain of Egbert, High King and ruler of most of Newhome. Seana made the comment to Jana that it was a mistake on the part of Gladriel's enemies. Now he was Archduke, for the rest of his life, and nothing could challenge that. Jana agreed that she would have held some of the challenges for a later date, and both wondered if there was something they were missing. It was almost immediate in coming, but proved useless.
There was a call from the gallery as to protocol, and the Chairman heard the request. He then was forced to ask Gladriel who would stand as Duchess. Gladriel indicated Maude, who claimed the Title as his wife. Then the Title of Baroness was called and Lorelei took it. The next challenge was as to the Title of his third wife, since he was now an Archduke, she had to claim some title of distinction. Strider informed one and all that she was Lady of the Forests Samovar, and that all Forest lands from the Great plateau to the wilderness below Bobuktu were under her control. No Ranger before her had ever ruled so much, but neither had any Ranger had both a cadre of Ranger Lords, and a Bronze Dragon as mount. There was no one to challenge her claim, and it stood in council, although it would not have, had not all of the wives been with child. There would be four children, and one male among them, so the Nobles, who might have disputed a title without heir, were silenced. The Duchy of Samovar, therefore, came to exist, and was stronger than any other region in the lands of the High King. Egbert was glad that he and Gladriel were friends, as he would make a terrible enemy. He also reflected that some of the nobles should realize that and begin the task of mending fences.
When they left the Main Hall, it was with Gladriel using the Harp, which allowed him to make the entire group indistinct, and something no one would notice. He had brought two other Bards with him, who joined in with harmony and counterpoint, so that no one would pay close attention. It was with this magic, and some more, that Gladriel returned to Samovar, in short order.
Once there, he prepared to travel to the Place where Strider and her Rangers had discovered the point that the monsters would try to use for ingress to Samovar. With Him would go his usual suspects, Maude, Strider, and Lorelei being conspicuous by their absence. Gaelehn, Kur Lee, all of the Knights, and Black Cat, together with those he chose to bring. Tag insisted on going and brought some really scary Dwarves with him and Seana came along, with Elves from a group called 'dTiarnaí foraois chianaosta' which translated into something like Lords of the Ancient Forest. At least it sounded good. Traveling as Mouse, he took the group deep into the High Mountains, Kur Lee was already there, and had been working on a spell to allow them to see what lay beyond the mountains. It could not be cast at a distance, as the odd distortion of the Mountains would ruin it, but at close range, he had it working fairly well.
Gaelehn had some people meet him there as well, and they were such as to define Barbarian by their looks alone. They also proved excellent mountaineers, and soon had a perch that gave Kur Lee a perfect place to cast his spell. It created an oval, of some size through which came a view beyond the mountains, miles away. Kur Lee was able to control the pitch and yaw of the window, as well as move it in all directions. In a matter of moments he had located the vast collection of monsters. They were building a ramp, up the side of the mountain before them, and toward a gap that led to where Mouse and his cohorts were waiting. Why they were constructing a ramp was, at first, unclear. After Kur Lee maneuvered the spell window so that they could see more of the ramp, it became clear. There was an array of siege machines coming up the ramp. The siege towers were massive, but each had a team of what appeared to be a cross between a Liftant and hell itself. The beasts were twice the size of any normal beast of burden and had harnesses that were almost armor, due to the strength required. The towers moved by means of these brutes, with assistance from mountain Trolls, Ogres and some creatures that looked like they had been constructed to attack stone walls. Each tower had some form of ballistae, as well as petrary, one or more. This was obviously an army sent to destroy towns, fortresses and Castles. Fifnir intended to cross the mountains and live in what was now Newhome.
"We need to close this pass," Mouse decided.
"Fair enough," Gaelehn responded, and began to rummage through his equipment.
From his pack he brought forth a strange looking Bow, one so magic that it glowed constantly.
" A Heart Bow," Breathed Strider, " I didn't know they were real."
A Heart Bow is one that binds with its user. It increases his strength and gives him inhuman archery skills. Gaelehn took the bow and a javelin, one with a magic tip as well as a magic shaft. He commented that the bow was a double compound, reflex, recurve, and then pulled it back until the head of the javelin touched the bow. He fired it at a precise forty-five degree angle, for maximum distance and height, and the javelin sped into the sky, vanishing in the distance.
"That will stir them up a bit," Gaelehn remarked.
" After a few minutes the javelin had traveled the miles to the camp of the monsters. It struck the ramp and blasted a crater in it, one they would have to repair before the siege engines could use it. Had they not been far below the top of the pass, or had the javelin not been magic, it would never have reached them. As it was, the monsters scattered, seeking the origin of the blast. Not even Fifnir suspected that it had come across the mountains.
Having learned as much as they could, the group was ready to plot strategy. Alhabra simply walked up about this time. He was traveling with Kanthos Bane, and had come to see if he needed to command an army again. Mouse immediately made him supreme commander of the forces of Samovar, and requested that Kanthos Bane be his advisor. Much to his surprise, this arrangement was accepted immediately, and Kanthos walked to Gaelehn and asked him if he would mind leading the group who would close the pass. Gaelehn answered simply that he'd love to, and sent his mountaineers off to the barbarian lands to spread the word. Eventually the mountains would be crawling with barbarians looking for monsters to kill and ready to close the pass.
Mouse and the others returned to Samovar, where they prepared the army. They made plans to move the force up to the mountains, in order to deal with any monsters that might come through. Kur Lee went back to his laboratory, to check on the manufacture of his 'pitcher of containment'. Seana sent out a call for Elves, and went to the Portal to assist any who came. Maude, Lorelei, and Strider had given birth successfully, by this time, and were ready to began the actual movements of troops across the foothills. Monsters encountered there were killed without quarter, because haste was of the essence. Since the advent of quick first aid, the presence of at least one person with basic healing skills for each squad, and the training all had received, the number of injured decreased. There was not a single casualty in the trek to the mountains. Mouse had learned a song from his scroll of songs. It could prepare a banquet for a host, at a single singing. He knew that it would be very draining, but he had a solution for that, as well. Working with one of Kur Lee's journeymen, he converted the results of singing that song into a scroll. Over the course of two weeks he managed to construct eight of these, and then took a teleportation spell to the pass. When he arrived, Kanthos Bane cast a spell for him, that increased the power of his scrolls ten-fold. With that done, Mouse would be able to provide a feast for the attendant barbarians, when the pass was destroyed. He began teaching the song, to be played from the scrolls, to eight of his bards.
He also passed the time growing vines and creepers up the sides of the crevice that contained the pass. Sixty or so Bards accompanied him in this. The plants dislodged small rocks and made the sides unclimbable. Beyond this, the plants created a small amount of cover, for any defenders that might need it. That gave Mouse an idea. He first used a spell to create water, and from it began to grow trees. With his music, his harp, and Eighty assistants, the trees grew, even though it was too high in the mountains for trees.
It was cold in the mountains, even though the season for blizzards had passed. Above the pass you could still see snow, and the occasional rare creature. One such encounter was a Giant variety of Lynx, larger than a warhorse. Knowing that these creatures had language and were not, technically, monsters, Maude decided to speak with it. She had a spell that gave her expertise in languages, but for this occasion, she knew the idiom already. Seana had taught it to her. Maude addressed the Lynx, in its language.
"Excuse me," she said politely, " Could I speak with you for a moment?"
Instead of answering, the cat simply stopped and morphed into a young man wearing a fur loincloth.
"Who are you?" Maude inquired,
" My actual name is Daolgi Aaron, " the young man responded, "But everybody calls me Proteus, because I can shapeshift so well."
"So high in the mountains?" Maude remarked, "You must be very skilled at becoming a lynx."
"Oh," the young man said, " I can pretty much become anything, so long as it's somewhat close to my size."
"What brings you out to the mountains?" Maude asked.
"Looking for the Archduke of Samovar," came the answer, " I've heard he's fixed up the Castle and my family used to work there. I want a job as a servant."
"I'm the Duchess Maude," came Maude's answer, " And you're hired, but you have to wear clothes."
" Proteus, master of protocol, Chef extraordinaire, and proficient at service in any capacity." the young man said, " It is my honor to serve house Samovar, as did my family before me."
Maude and the others wasted no time in journeying to the rendezvous. They had Healing locations to establish before the battle, and did not want to be late. The children were at the Castle, in the new Nursery, but the mothers took turns being there via Portal transit. At least one of them was there. daily. They pushed themselves in reaching the established portal in the mountains, and made it in three more days.
By then, Seana and her Elven Mages had arrived, together with the elite warriors who had accompanied her to The Archduke's coronation. Between them they were able to provide water, air and in some cases, soil, so that the trees could become tall and present a wall from which the Elven Archers would be able to fire down the pass. This was not finished before Gaelehn and his barbarians began working on the walls themselves.
The Barbarians simply pushed rocks, as a contest. The winner would be the person who dislodged the largest stone into the path below. They ranged up and down the walls of the pass, beyond the point where Mouse had covered it with plants, and dropped rocks, eventually reaching a downhill section, where some of the boulders rolled downward after falling. Kanthos and Mouse had the same idea at the same time, but it took Kur Lee and Seana to put it into action. Kur Lee started, by making as many rocks as he could smoothly round. Seana then began making them roll, just a tiny bit, toward the monsters. Mouse conjured a wind, that was gale force, and it augmented the rocks movement, whistling through the pass. Kanthos simply made more rocks for the Barbarians to move, by magically splitting any which were too large. The rock that won the contest was of a size to make Kanthos reconsider which ones he broke, and made Mouse remind himself to stay out of the way. It was as big as four warhorses and had to weigh a couple of tons, at least. As they rolled down the rough terrain leading to the monsters, many of the rocks became wedged in the path, finally they formed a solid wall, but it was well below the point at which the pass began to descend. The monsters below were just in sight, still laboring to create a ramp into Newhome. Some of the boulders had found their way into the range of the creatures, and those who had the use of magic had begun destroying them. Their methods were not well chosen, and usually damaged both the boulder and the land around it.
Gaelehn chose a point on top of the highest object which had a clear view of the pass below. Realizing that he sought a vantage point, Kur Lee took time out to make a pinnacle in the center of the pathway. It provided a clear, unobstructed view of the train of monsters, even if they were leagues away and below. Gaelehn simply opened the bag he was carrying, and removed his heart bow. Then, again from the bag, he took a brace of javelins. There were a number of javelins in the holder, all magic and all with the special tips designed by Kur Lee. In the time it takes to tell it, all of the missiles were in flight, headed for the area at the front of the monsters. The second brace was fired as high in the air as was possible, and still have them approach the monsters. By the time they were arcing toward the ground, there was another brace of javelins in flight at a low angle. The second missiles overtook the first of this firing, and suddenly the monsters were bathed in rock chips. Watching this, Kur Lee had a bold idea.
Kur Lee went to his collection of items that he and his assistants had brought. Deep within one of the bags, he found the pouch he was seeking. Within the pouch was a wrapped item that he took to Kanthos Bane. Kanthos took one look at it and began to laugh. Then he took the object and reshaped it into a javelin head. He went to one of the rangers and got a javelin. Taking the javelin, he replaced the tip with the item he had shaped. He tested it for balance and made some minute adjustments. Then he and Kur Lee took the javelin to Gaelehn, and explained what it was. Gaelehn, grinning, went to his bag and withdrew a brace of javelins with white tips. Kur Lee began to laugh at this, and explained to Kanthos, who laughed as well. Then Gaelehn performed what was for him near magic. He launched the 'special' javelin into the air, sending it as high as he could, and yet just enough downrange that it would land in the area he had already ruined. Once it was airborne, Gaelehn took the white tipped javelins and launched them in a pattern that was scattered all over the area before the monsters. Each of the white tipped javelins beat the 'special' one to the target. As they hit, they burst into a huge cloud of smoke and dust, with elements of fog and cloud. They made a wall of white impenetrable smog that hid the impact of the 'special' missile completely. After only a moment the ground in the area began to swell and buckle, as if a small earthquake had come to that single place. So violent was the upwelling that it sent vibrations all the way to where Gaelehn was perched. He noticed it, but as it was small, he failed to react. Kanthos also ignored it, but Kur Lee was obviously nervous. Only after the vibrations ceased and the spell was obviously done, did Kur Lee admit that occasionally the spell would set off a real earthquake. Even though it had not caused a 'real' earthquake, the spell had damaged the area in front of the monsters to the point that they were going to have to abandon their effort. The slope before them was now almost vertical, and might rain debris on anyone who tried to excavate it. It was then that the defenders realized that Fifnir was not actively controlling the monsters. They could not change what they were doing and so began to worry at the impossible slope almost immediately. This put them in range of Gaelehn, who began firing every arrow he had, knowing that the targets would be there when the arrows arrived. He was correct in his assumption.
Kanthos and Kur Lee went up the slope to confer, and Kur Lee confirmed what Kanthos suspected. Going back to Kur Lee's supplies, he and Kanthos began to create arrows, with a fiery red point. Each was placed carefully on a leather throw, so that they would neither be bumped nor have their tips strike the ground. Even with both of them working, in the time it took Gaelehn to run out of arrows they had only created a dozen or so. These were brought to Gaelehn with a warning that they were very dangerous at close range. Each contained a full strength fireburst.
Kur Lee's fireburst was the size of a small cottage, and a dozen, scattered among the monsters, dealt death in no small measure. The bodies lay all down the slope, and nothing moved there. Even two of the siege towers were burning.
"That should force Fifnir to waste a bit of his energy, and in this case it could weaken him to the point that we might be able to make an inroad." Kanthos was obviously thinking aloud, but Mouse hung on his every word.
"Perhaps we should make ready to advance", Mouse said, " I've already figured out a method."
Kanthos was so curious that he gave the Duke his head. Telling Mouse to do what he had planned put him in high gear. He went to every mage he could find and checked to see if they had a spell to move earth. Having largely been trained by Kur Lee, all of them had that spell. He had them move the area in front of the wall of boulders, each alone or in groups as they chose. As the ground became smooth in front of a wall of round boulders, the rocks began to roll. Mouse managed to get acceleration for the rocks by the use of an ancient song. It sounded strange, but the chorus was such that everyone was eventually singing it, and the boulders were almost bounding ahead. By the end of the song, every person in earshot had joined in including a hundred Bards, who augmented the magic.
"...Big disgrace
Somebody betta put you back into your place
Singin we will we will rock you
Sing it We will We will Rock You "
Mouse continued to play the refrain and sing, until the boulders were out of sight. Everyone had a good time and only Kanthos knew how very much magic had just been done. The boulders were driven right through the siege towers, because of their velocity. They continued onward all the way down the ramp. At the bottom they encountered the main force, and each stone rolled over hundreds
When the stones had finished their concert, the monsters, incredibly began rebuilding the siege towers. Fifnir was obviously not yet in control, but when the monsters left the towers, massing for an assault up the ramp, Mouse knew that the evil force was again issuing commands. Unfortunately for Fifnir, Gaelehn and his barbarians came down the now open path. The boulders had leveled the entire way, making it possible for all of the Army to attack. An accurate description of the battle, with all of Alhabra's intricate strategies and maneuvers would take a volume of discourse, and so will be omitted. It suffices to say that the monsters were outnumbered at about eight to one, and that did not include Black Cat's cadre, Seana's Elves, and Gaelehn's barbarians. With the Dwarven warriors and Elven Archers, the infantry was more than effective. Since a small army of Battle Mages were constantly casting spells, and Maude and Lorelei had countless protection spells in effect, the monstrous spell users were crushed quickly. The magic of the elves made heroes out of every man in the battle, and the monsters would have lost to a force half as large. With the strategy of Alhabra and the advice and spells of Kanthos, the battle was more of a rout. Monsters learned the meaning of an ancient comment that Kanthos made. "Veni Vidi Vici" was all he said, and Mouse remembered an incredibly ancient song, which he sang to raise morale. Every bard, who was not engaged in another song, joined in.
I was fearless like a renegade
I had a feeling that I can't explain
I didn't listen to what people said
I came, I saw, I conquered...
It seemed effective.
The battle ended. Not everyone survived, and it fact Sir Frank was gone. He was ground zero for a spell that one of the Annis who were attacking managed to force through the various protections. His armor and shield protected those around him, but it cost him his life. His Battalion of Knights took exception to his heroic death, and carried the battle forward not only for the cause, but for vengeance as well. The Annis did not fair well.
While the battle raged, Gaelehn had stood vigil at the ramp, sending arrows through any who tried to ascend. The ramp was paved in bodies and none had made the passage. It was almost amazing, not that he had held the pass, but that he had possessed so many arrows. By the time the attackers were able to move in his direction, he was among the dead, retrieving those implements and placing them in a quiver that seemed never to be full. While he was doing this Kanthos was examining the Dead carefully.
"What do you seek?" Mouse asked him. "Perhaps we can be of assistance.
" I'm checking to see if the collapse of the Magic they live in has damaged them," he responded, "And it has."
" In what way?" Kur Lee inquired, and then he and Kanthos were lost in a world of Magic terminology which was almost gibberish to anyone not a Mage. Only Eglion found it fascinating and made interjections at intervals. Mouse, Seana and the other Battle Mages simply listened and followed as best they could. Magic of the 'Normal' kind seemed to dispel the field that Fifnir used to animate and control his creatures. By expanding the area of disruption, it seemed that the monsters would either have to retreat or slowly perish. This was news to Kanthos, and perhaps something different than had been true in the past.
"With his field in place and stable," Kanthos decided, " He seems to have gotten lazy. Or perhaps his health has degenerated over the centuries and now he tries to save energy where he can."
"That would explain why he seeks to cross the mountains," Eglion agreed, " Once he has a place in Newhome, he'll be able to search without extending his reach."
"Then we should seek to disrupt his magic wherever we can," Kur Lee said, " That will cost him energy and prevent his development of any plans to invade."
" An excellent idea," Kanthos agreed, "We could start by having all the clerics try to make it rain on Char. That he would have to respond to."
"We can use those with us and send for more," Eglion remarked, "Now that the monster army has been defeated, we should establish a Base on this side of the mountains anyway."
"I'll start on it as soon as I've rested", Mouse said, " When I get back to full strength, I've a song I've wanted to test. It's supposed to be able to send a storm forward to wherever it's directed. I can set up the other Bards to make an orchestra, and the 'Cloudburst' should be at least notable."
" We'll need to move North for the best advantage," Kanthos noted, " The mountains which surround Char are days away."
" In the meantime," Tag put in, "We dwarves and the engineers can begin to make a start on a fortification here, at the base of the mountains."
"We elves will make a planting," Seana added, "Because the beginning of a new growth is magical, and the magic grows with the plants."
" I'll help with plant growth," Maude said, "and I can get my people at the Castle to send a bunch of normal animals to populate the new woodlands."
" I'll bind the Dwarven magic to the fortress," Strider said, " That way the fortress will be a beacon of magic for decades. My Rangers can see to the implantation of the normal creatures into the newly forested region."
" I'll help with that, " Kanthos said, " All of that should give us a beacon for centuries. Not to mention making the work easier for the Dwarves and Engineers."
Lorelei was busy with the healers, but she didn't move the wounded, choosing instead to heal them, or have them healed, where they lay. In that way the magic was spread farther and soon blanketed the entire area. It was enough to make those few monsters who had escaped, stay away.
In the morning, Mouse went outside of his tent to a surprise. Kur Lee had a huge square of material floating in the air in the area in front of the tents. He proclaimed it to be his magic rug, and said it could carry them all to the north, for the purpose of casting spells. He got most of his assistants on board, with Mouse, Maude, Strider, Seana and Lorelei joining. Kanthos Bane even got aboard, because, he said, he'd never traveled by carpet before. There were also Bards and some of the 'Battle Mages'. More people would have come, but the conveyance had a limit to the weight it would carry. Some supplies were mandatory, since the group had to eat. The process of harassing Fifnir had begun. A cadre of the remaining Bards and any who possessed magic skills traveled on the ground, more slowly than the flying rug, but singing and casting spells all the way.
As the flight progressed to the North, each of the spell casters aboard took turns casting simple spells on the ground below. The Healers kept casting small rain spells, of limited range and duration. The purpose was to maximize the number of spells cast, and the amount of magic distributed, without exhausting the casters. The casters all took turns, and the rug moved with about the speed of a horse at the canter, so that by evening, there was a trail of magic all along a path below the mountains. As they landed, Kur Lee set up his tower, and Mouse went to the top of it. He, and his bard companions, sang until well after dark, and the clouds began to gather. In the morning, he arose early and, with the other bards, sang the same song again. Black clouds continually moved off to the North. Kur Lee worked with the Clerics and they performed a weather summoning for a storm from the south. They hoped the two storms would both threaten Char. They did not know that the ground forces were doing the same thing.
Maude was surprised that Proteus was in the tower, making food for everyone and keeping the drinks available. He seemed to have no trouble serving the forty eight people, but Maude had to ask him how he traveled. He simply informed her that he had become a supply crate and been among the items taken along. She was again amazed by his abilities, but had to admit that he was a valuable addition to the party.
By midmorning the party was again on the Carpet, traveling Northward toward the Mountains that bounded that unrelenting desert known as Char. By nightfall, they were a few miles away from the mountains and the clouds could be seen, driving themselves into every gap and low spot. The storm was small, but impressive nonetheless.
"I'll have to rest tonight," Mouse admitted, "But in the morning I'll try to sing it through the Mountains. The other Bards have gotten used to their parts, and it should be more effective."
"In the Morning all the healers and I will come help." We can make winds and cloudbursts to assist."
" That should help," Kanthos agreed, "and I can use a bit of magic to assist the strength of the weather."
Evening was a time of eating and resting, because of all the magic used in the past two days. No one had any extra energy, even though morale was good. Being able to make some definite progress toward the ruin of Fifnir was something that everyone enjoyed. Proteus proved himself every bit the Chef he had claimed.
Morning found everyone in good spirits and ready for the task at hand. When they moved to the top of the Tower, in a group of more than thirty, they were met with a strange sight. The summoned storm was to their south, and coming strong, and the storm sung up by Mouse was pressed against the mountains Northward. It appeared that they needed to move the weather, or be the subject of a great deal of wet. The various casters began to do whatever they could to push the northward storm on its way. It wasn't having much affect, until Mouse and Kanthos began to sing a duet. Then the winds became gale force and the clouds thickened and whipped across the sky. Any Bard who could improvise, joined in. Mouse was playing his harp and Kanthos was playing the Cittern. Proteus joined then to make it a trio, and showed himself the possessor of a beautiful high tenor voice. With so much instrumental music, and three voice harmony the storm became frighteningly powerful. Shortly, even the small cloudbursts, that the healers created, grew into thunderstorms, joining the parade to the north. As the casters watched, the clouds began passing through the mountains, like the water of which they were made. The tops of the clouds reached fantastic heights and were full of ice. The base of the clouds were lost among the mountains. Soon the entire storm was inside the barrier. By the time the singing was done, everyone was anxious as to the outcome. The remainder of the party arrived, with supplies, and the Tower was set up. Its magic shown like a beacon of light in the dark, dispelling the last vestiges of Fifnir's dark field.
After a period of 'catching his breath' Kur Lee took an item out of his pack. There, right on the top of the tower, he opened a viewing portal, like the one he had used to spy on the monsters before the battle. He sent the other end of it as far as it would go, to see what was passing in Char. While he wasn't able to get completely beyond the mountains, he was able to find a vantage point that showed the desert and sky to good advantage. The sight was inspiring and amazing at the same time. Where the magic of Fifnir was holding, the storm was not progressing, but the field was developing gaps and at each gap, clouds poured through. As the storm passed into the gaps, they widened, as if the force of the storm was like a wedge in wood, splitting Fifnir's protection into clumps. The rain was falling across miles of desert, and the ground was soaking up water, but it would only be a short while before flooding would occur. Even as the rain fell, the storm continued to build and exhibit signs of strengthening.
Kanthos said that it was probably a reaction to having had rain withheld for so long. As if the storm was feeding on weather that would have come had not magic been preventing it. Soon there was hail, and finally tornado's, as the power of the storm continued to grow. At last the party had to go into the tower, because the storm from the south was arriving. It was actually larger than the one already through the mountains, filling the sky for dozens of miles in both directions. Only the mountains forced prevented the storm from filling the whole sky. Kanthos found himself wondering if he had failed to notice something.
The evening and the first part of the night found the Tower caught in a fairly big rainstorm, although not anything to compare to the rain in Char. The party ate and slept, anxious to see what the morning would bring. And what a sight met them at the dawning. The storm they had endured had swept through the mountains on the heels of the previous one, following its path and driven by strong winds. The sky was clear, up to the mountains. There the winds were spawning clouds, as they traveled up and through. The ground forces were arriving, and they were anxious to attack Char.
The party decided to get closer. They packed and rode the carpet, as far as they dared, but didn't go all the way to any of the mountain gaps, for fear of the wind. The wind howled through the gaps, beyond gale force. Camp was among the largest rocks they could find. Not using the tower was a good idea, due to it's height and the likelihood that the wind would knock it over. Even small boulders were being carried through the mountain gaps, and the sight was something to behold. Now even Mouse was wondering at the fury of the Storm. Only when the ground forces arrived, and Mouse and the others learned of their augmentation of the storm, did it begin to make sense. Finally, when camp was as secure as they could make it, Kur Lee set up his portal again.
What the portal revealed this time was something from fantasy. The winds were driving the stormclouds hard against the magic barrier, which was being shattered, but now was miles from the mountains. The desert was flooded, and the waters were flowing toward the center of the desert, which was a low point. Again the magic sought to keep the water at bay, but to little avail. Kur Lee went to his collection of 'stuff' and rummaged, while everyone else was staring at the portal. Finally he found what he wanted and began taking small items, covering them in a 'bubble' of magic and releasing them into the wind, which hurled them into char almost instantly. It took time for him to send the multitude of small items, and he was laughing by the time he finished. Then he rushed back to the portal to view the results of his mischief. As the audience watched, they saw a couple of the 'bubbles' swept by, but most were too small to spot in the debris. When the items had gone far enough for their spell to activate, they burst into fireworks, lighting up the sky. The amount of magic thus released was enough to shatter some more of Fifnir's protection and the storm took advantage almost like a living thing. The storm continued to grow, fed by long trapped, unstable air, and the rain was torrential. The desert was beginning to develop streams and would probably grow a river before long. Tens of miles away, the water was becoming a vast wall, growing taller and deeper as the storm added volume.
Kur Lee had yet another idea. He spoke to Kanthos, who laughed aloud at the prospect. They recruited both Eglion and Seana and began their work. It had long been known how to create a magic 'aura' around an object, just to make it 'seem' to be magic. The practice was usually used by unscrupulous dealers, wanting to charge more for an object. The technique, however, was a simple one, for small objects. What Kur Lee proposed was a bit more. He was going to create a Fog, and the others were going to 'magic' it, so that it would carry magic into char. Eglion suggested making a 'magic loop' so that the fog could pass through it, and Seana would work with Kanthos Bane to make the magic last for so long as the fog continued. The wind would carry the fog, and disperse it. The idea was to give Fifnir fits as he tried to locate every last particle of 'magic fog' that would be scattered across the vastness of Char. Proteus assisted in locating the equipment needed, very quickly. When everything was ready, they began. The Loop was fairly simple, maintaining it, not so much. Mouse and some eighty Bards sang a song of magic to help. The Fog, that Kur Lee created, seemed to continue for days, even though it was only a few minutes. It grew into a vast cloud, because of the dense moist air into which it was introduced, and spread across the entire line of the storm. Finally it merged with the clouds there. Very quickly then, rain became magic. The lightening and even the rivulets, which spread across the desert, were arcane. As the casters relaxed, something to the South caught their attention.
The vast field, which Fifnir normally kept over the region, was fracturing. The ancient monster had not been aware of the erosion, set in motion by the travelers to the mountains of Char. He had tried to take energy from the southern field to bolster the one in Char, and as a result both fields were being destroyed. He would have to choose one or the other. Ultimately, he would have to choose Char. He would be forced to keep out the water. This meant the the lands of Old Home would soon be free of his influence. This was a major defeat for him and probably would cause a rush of settlers across the Mountains. The treasure of Old Home would attract anyone with an implement to defend himself. Adventuring would again be the most popular vocation in the ranks of Humankind. The resulting influx of magic would kill most of Fifnir's monsters before the adventurers reached them. The adventurers would kill the rest.
Caravans would have to be sent to the lands of the Great Khan, with enough magicians and healers to cast spells all along the way. This so that the field across that area would recede. Over a thousand miles could be reclaimed. Fifnir, because of his recent power use, and need to use even more, would not be able to stop it. If the spell use continued, the entire field would collapse. It would be centuries before Fifnir was able to restore it. Since Fifnir was not going to live for centuries, the field was a part of history.
The party at Char's mountains was moving south. They wanted to reach the pass with all due haste, to take advantage of the weakness that had just appeared in the defensed of Fifnir. Kur Lee had something planned as well, but did not discuss it among the others. The journey proceeded with more speed than it should have, because Kanthos gave the 'rug' a boost. Eglion put a force bubble around it and the thing was moving like an arrow from Gaelehn's bow. It had become larger, and carried the ground force as well. In less than a day, they arrived and shared their news.
The army began preparations to move the bulk of the forces back to the other side of the mountains. Some made ready to occupy the, soon to be complete, fortress. The caravans would be forming, with mages and healers, as soon as word could be sent. The Warriors of Khan would go with them in groups, and perhaps bring caravans back, with merchants from Khan, in addition to the returning caravansary. The Barbarians had decided to scout the mountains, so that no monsters could use any paths that might be farther north.
Marching, as to war,
Time seemed to be an enemy of Mankind, because it took so long to do all that needed to be done.
After he spent some time with his new family, getting to know his 'brand new', baby, children, and having the chance to accept that he was a father, Mouse realized he had to make a northward journey. As the Archduke, he took a contingent to the great plateau, using a portal, but had to go overland to a pass into Char. The pass only led into the mountains of Char. No one ever actually crossed into the evil desert, except some nomadic tribes that actually lived beyond the mountains. They called the desert home, and somehow managed to survive there, carrying water from Newhome to their settlements on a regular basis. It was Mouse's hope that he could encounter some of these nomads, and use them to find a way into the Desert, not only for himself, but for an eventual army. Maude was gathering healers together, and trying to assemble anyone who could cast spells making groups to accompany the various caravans.
Black Cat and Kanthos went to visit 'Swamp Witch Hattie'. There was no path to Hattie's house. She lived in the Swamps outside of Port Narl, and was almost never seen, by anyone. Many simply said that she had passed, but some said she was older than the Swamp and would never pass. Only Kanthos and Black Cat knew who they sought. The trip in was nothing short of a nightmare. They passed through the lower swamp, and avoided the creatures there with difficulty. When they came to that part of the wetlands which were considered the 'Deep Bayou', they could find no trace of a path and no clear way to enter, even in a flat bottomed boat. They stopped at a ramshackle building on stilts, which was the only one for miles, as far as they could tell. Perhaps the people who lived here knew a way into the black water.
"Mortimer, you old reprobate!" a voice greeted them at the door, "What in blue blazes are you doing in my Swamp?"
" Hattie?" Kanthos answered, " I am so glad to have found you, I've got great news."
" You'll have to talk as I pack," Hattie answered him, " I've just found out that Fifnir's gone weak, and I'm on my way to bust a cap in his ass."
"We're with the force that weakened him and we're here to ask you to join us." Kanthos shot back.
" That worthless piece of ..." Hattie obviously bit off a word. " How did you do it, and how can I be of service?"
" We found out that he was making monsters, and we waited till he'd made a bunch," Kanthos began, "Then we attacked his force field of magic and broke it."
" We need all the magic we can get," Black Cat put in, " And since you are the most powerful source of Magic I know, I brought Kanthos Bane here to ask you. I figured you'd probably be more likely to listen to him than a Black Cat."
" I know who you really are, Mr Black Cat", Hattie said, "And I would be honored to go with you to kill Fifnir. As far as Mortimer here is concerned, he still owes me for my Dragon that I lost at the tunnel."
" Your Dragon is safe and secure," Kanthos answered her, " Alhabra tells me that she is still guardian and quite well."
" What about Sapheara?" Hattie asked, " Did she make it?"
" She and Alhabra are Mated," Kanthos answered, "And have a home together where they plan to start a family."
" Let me finish packing, " Hattie turned quickly away. One might almost have suspected tears, had it been anyone else. Hattie went into another room and began loudly rummaging around. Finally she came back into the room looking put out.
" Forget this nonsense," she announced, " I'm taking the house."
Without another word, she began closing windows and barring the door. When the house was closed up, she motioned her visitors up into the attic with her. Once there she took them up a narrow stair to a belfry that was just large enough for the three of them. She pulled a lever there and the house collapsed into a hut. they were still in the belfry, but now it was as large as the rest of the dwelling. She moved another control, a simple wheel, and the thing sprouted wings and began to fly, faster than any eagle, and higher.
"Where to boys?" she asked. Black Cat noticed she was now about 25 years old, and one of the most attractive woman he had ever seen.
" Castle Samovar, which is west of Wayne,,," Kanthos began.
" I know the place," Hattie cut him off, " Maude's Castle. She and I go way back."
" You know Maude," Black Cat was surprised.
" Yeah, we met when she was learning swordsmanship as a girl." Hattie explained, " She thinks I was another acolyte."
" She'll be glad to see you, for sure." Black Cat commented, " She's been trying to set up Caravans to the Lands of the Great Khan, all by herself. With that, and the brand new baby, her hands are too full."
" Do not tell me that Moe has taken to calling himself The Khan," Hattie answered, "And to think I used to change his diapers. Good thing too, since I hear the Castle is full of babies."
" Moe was awhile ago," Kanthos observed.
" Not if you're a main sequence star," Hattie said.
Conversation continued then, with Hattie asking a few questions that Kanthos and Black Cat sometimes struggled to answer. She learned the names of the children, and which one was senior. The woman was obviously wiser than everyone, and had a broader knowledge base than several encyclopedias. Her questions about the healing arts in Khan left both Kanthos and Black Cat mute. Neither of them had enough knowledge to be able to shed more than a small amount of light on the subject. The fact that no healers had come from Khan to Samovar was something that Hattie found unacceptable. Moe would find himself having to explain why this had happened. And the fact that Kur Lee had been forced to make the trip by himself, and then Mouse and the others had gone back and not been welcomed at the wall? Well, Hattie would be talking to Moe for a minute about this. She seemed to feel that she was in charge of Thoss and all those in it. In less than an hour, the house had made the six hundred mile trip to Castle Samovar. Hattie remarked that it would have been faster, except for something called the sound barrier.
When they landed, near the main gate of the Castle, Hattie expanded the house again, but this time into a cottage with windows and a garden. Black Cat decided not to even speculate on the Level of Mastery that the woman had where magic was concerned. It was enough to know that she could do things no one else could even explain.
Hattie finally admitted, when she was talking to 'the wives', that she had been the chief engineer on the starship Ethos, and that she had also been the only person aboard with four Doctorate Degrees. While the women were not sure what a Doctorate Degree was, they understood it to mean an achievement in scholastic endeavor of the highest order, and were suitably impressed. While most of the conversation concerned babies and the ones now at the castle, with introductions and 'baby holding' and lots of affectionate interaction, finally Hattie became more serious.
" I've done research on the field that everyone calls 'magic'", She said, " But it would require equipment that doesn't even exist, to be able to explain it."
" I've determined that it is attuned to consciousness," Kanthos put in, " It appears sensitive to the quantum vibrations present in any intelligent organism."
" And even in some creatures without any real intelligence," Hattie amended, " The quantum interface appears to depend on some structure in the brain, or nervous system of the creature using the field. I suspect it was specifically designed for the beings who created this world."
" What we need," Black Cat observed, "Is somebody from that race to explain just what's going on."
" I would imagine that they left this area long ago," Hattie said, " The planet is self repairing and has many features that care for themselves, from dwellings to the landforms and weather."
" The climate isn't even natural," Kanthos observed, " There should be zones of climate, from the poles to the equator, but most of what we have is temperate, with no deserts, small polar caps and almost no tropical jungle."
"Tell that to the people of Bobuktu," Mouse remarked.
" Yes, there are rainforests," Hattie agreed, "But on a planet this size they should be much more prevalent."
About this time, Moe arrived, via portal from Khan. He didn't warn anyone, he just made the journey. That way no one would know he was gone from his homeland.
" Hey Captain," Hattie Greeted him, " How goes it?"
" Not bad Sis," He answered, " Good to see you again."
" My step-brother, guys," Hattie told everyone, " Khan you believe it? The Captain of the good ship Ethos and the reason I signed on, lord forgive me."
" We were just discussing the people who made Thoss," Kanthos broke in, sensing a sibling war brewing, " You got any ideas about them?"
" I found a ceramic artifact that had writing on it, but it was like nothing I've ever even read about," Moe answered.
" Most of what I find is just objects, nothing of any real interest," Hattie said. " Never encountered any writing."
" I think this may have been just an inscription commemorating some event or person," Moe responded, " It has that form."
" I found this, " Kanthos took an object from a pocket in his robe, " It does not now, nor has it ever, worked."
" Lemme see it," Hattie said, " I'm the only one with 'the knack' among us."
" Had I known you were alive, " Kanthos told Hattie, " I'd have brought this to you a couple of centuries ago."
" Had I known you were alive," Hattie replied, " Fifnir wouldn't be."
" Chopped Liver here," remarked Moe, " I thought you both dead, and the dragons as well."
" Did I hear my name taken in vain?" a voice came from the other room.
" Alhabra?" Moe and Hattie spoke at once.
" That's what they call me," the person who entered the room was accompanied by two others.
" Sapheara,,, and ,,, is that..?" Hattie couldn't seem to finish the sentence.
" Hi Mom, the third person spoke," the barbarians are guarding the entrance to the tunnel, and so I thought I'd take time for a visit."
Tears and much private emotion was the rule for the next few minutes, but then guests arrived.
***
Hattie was much occupied with the 'new' dragon, who's name, it seemed was Delphinium. She was normally a Cobalt Blue color, but had settled for Blue Eyes in her human form. After much discussion, and many tearful stories, Hattie pronounced that she was going 'back to work' on the artifact. Hattie began discussing the item, even as she worked on it. With every failure of startup, she cursed it again, finally releasing an entire string of pejorative discourse."What an inventive expression of opprobrious invective" Jana noted.
" It lowers stress and relieves pain when you curse", Hattie responded, "As well as lengthening the lifespan of the discussed object or person."
Finally, she began taking advice from the Dragons, and even Moe. Kanthos and the others watched in silence for a few moments, until finally a servant broke in on the conversation.
"Your pardon gentle ladies and sirs" he began, "but if you energize the secondary field prior to initializing the primary, you could get feedback from the ancillary stabilizer and that would be at least slightly disastrous."
"Proteus", Maude turned to him, "Do you know anything about these devices, that is, beyond how to turn them on?"
"Well, Your Grace", he answered, " I may have used such things, back when I was an enforcer."
"Enforcer where?" Hattie put in, " I don't remember anyone with that title, not in my experience, anyway."
" It's kind of a long story,,," he answered.
"It's a day for long Stories," Moe put in, "And I've heard mention of Enforcers, in the most ancient of my folks tales."
"Hmm, that would make sense, considering I went South originally," Proteus said, " Along with all the others escaping from the criminal."
"What?", Hattie said, "Now Fifnir's a criminal?"
"Just let me start from a beginning that will make some sense," Proteus said, " And maybe then you'll get the idea."
" I was once a technician, in a race known as the Qed. (he said it almost as Ked, but with a glottal stop) While I was training to become a Captain and explorer, someone stole my ship."
"Fifnir?" Delphinium put in,
" As a matter of fact yes, but no one knew that at the time", Proteus resumed, " Qed ships have to be attuned to their pilot, and it was believed that no one could steal one, because it will only take orders from it's Captain. The fact was, that someone had entered the manufacturing area and imposed his own imprint while the ship was under construction. It took a great deal of investigation to determine this, and it was decided that someone would have to pursue the thief, because he was not Qed, and having a Qed ship in the hands of one who was of another species could be very dangerous.
" I began to train as an enforcer during this time," Proteus continued, "Because I had time on my hands while I waited for a new ship to be built. Also, I reasoned that only a Captain who was a trained enforcer would be allowed the next ship, since it would have to be a part of the force that was to locate my stolen one. There was also the fact that much of the ship was familiar to me and so I could assist in tracking it. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
"When my ship was ready, and I was imprinted, " Proteus went on, " I was brought up to speed on the information that had been garnered. It seemed that a creature of a race that lived exclusively in space, had somehow found a method of stealing the ship that was to have been mine. These creatures were able to project their life force into others, and that was suspected of having been the method he used. When the engineers and scientists who were ship constructors were closely examined, there was a device found. It was what the space creature had used to accomplish his work. Manufactured by an enemy of the Qed, it was designed to enable a brief takeover of mental processes. With his projection ability and the device, this thief was able to use those constructing the ship as tools to enable him to steal it.
" Using sophisticated tracking methods," Proteus caught his breath, " It was possible to trace the path of the ship as it moved out of Qed Space. That path was then run through every knowledge base that we, as Qedmi, possessed. It was hoped that by following his path we could determine his destination.
" The path was found to mimic that of an ancient legend. One that told of a planet where the occupants could manipulate space and time by mental effort, and the world would provide any creature comfort they desired. These ancient people used the planet as a place of meditation, and eventually transmogrified and left this frame of reality. Or so it was supposed. The entire story had long been considered a myth, but for some reason, this space creature believed it. He was in the process of trying to find the planet, to unearth the secret of mental control of space/time.
" I armed my ship with everything I would need to capture him, " Proteus continued, " And proceeded apace toward what was believed to be his destination. Sadly, I was exactly right in my estimate, and arrived about a quarter light-year from what you guys call Thoss."
"How did you cope with the interface?" Hattie asked.
" Quite badly, at first," Proteus answered, " I never expected it and it almost destroyed my ship. I was able to use a pulse engine to retreat beyond the effect, then I made modifications to a lander so that I could proceed to scout the planet. I wanted to see if I could spot the Qed ship or my quarry.
" When I got close to the world, I immediately spotted the crater that the Qed Ship had made, complete with debris. In the center of the crater I found a life sign that told me I had found my thief. I then set about to reverse course and make preparations for arresting him. I didn't know he was in the midst of a war on your people, and one of the coincidental discharges struck my scout ship.
" The scout ship wasn't modified to the extent that it could survive such an impact," Proteus finished, "And I came to rest in the middle of what is now called the great war. I wasn't badly injured, but I only had a rudimentary idea of how the interface functioned. It's taken me all this time to be able to use it efficiently. Fortunately, the race that designed it had a similar neural structure to Qed, and the device is very compatible with my mind."
The story was fuel for a thousand questions, and there was no time for the needed discourse. Tagernoab had news that could not wait.
"I'm in from the debates in the High Council, and Egbert is not pleased." He began.
" What is it?" Mouse asked, " Is there opposition to sending a force to war?"
" And no question," Tagernoab said, tiredly, " There's a huge argy-bargy in the Council about sending an army beyond the mountains. They still believe Fifnir is undefeatable, in spite of all we've managed to do."
" I've noticed that about people," Proteus remarked, " They tend to be timid in groups and brave when alone."
" It's not timid that they are," Strider said, "The word you're seeking is cowardly."
" Ouch," Maude said, " That's harsh."
" But it needed to be said," Hattie put in. The rest of her sentence was swearing that came straight from the amygdala, without any filter.
" Now that's what I call harsh," Black Cat noted.
" I doubt that any of the Council members have ever even seen such an animal," Kanthos observed.
" This puts a serious crimp in our plans, " Maude observed.
There was a general lack of consensus for a moment, and it seemed that it would require some time before any new proposals could be drafted, if in fact there was anything to be done.
"I know Dragons live forever", Alhabra said, "but we really need to festinate, if that's possible."
" I concur," Delphinium put in, " Any delay at this point would be worse than disastrous."
" I would agree," Mouse said, " If we had any viable route to pursue at this point."
" What viable plan do we need?" Sapheara put in, " Moe can tell his people that they have a chance to free the ancient lands from evil, and we can put every dwarf with a forge to the task of making armor and weapons."
" And then we tell Saul Baric that if he wants a trade route to Khan, he'll have to find a way to transport the goods," Seana said.
" And with the troops we have to invade the desert,,,," Maude finished the thought.
" All we'll need is a staging area in Char, but how to defend it?" Strider said, thinking aloud.
" We can put it beside the brand new lake that the storm made," Mouse said, " The humidity and clear magic space will give us an advantage. Too bad we don't have a sea monster to put in the lake."
" Would a Dragon Turtle do?" Lorelei asked.
"No such beast exists," three or four voices said at once.
" It's a myth, dear," said Hattie.
" Well," Lorelei answered them, " Please don't tell him, or you'll hurt his feelings."
" And just where would we find such a creature", Maude asked.
Lorelei began to explain about having encountered the creature while she was visiting her homeland, Jan, on the Southern Shores. She went on to explain that the creature expressed a desire to help and she had given it the task of guarding those shores while the war progressed. She felt sure, she said, that the creature would be willing to assist in guarding the new lake, if a method could be found to transport it there.
" I think we need to meet the creature," Proteus remarked, " And see if it is amenable. If it prove to be, then we can make plans accordingly."
"Road trip to Jan," Moe said cheerfully, "Kur Lee, unroll your carpet!"
It was but a short time later that everyone concerned mounted the 'rug'. Provisions seemed to just appear on the Castle grounds, and were loaded into one of Seana's bags, with care least Proteus be hidden among them. Fortunately, he chose to ride with everyone in the form of a person, for this trip. When all was aboard, Kur Lee raised the rug to the skies. In short order, Kanthos and Proteus were speeding the transport at a phenomenal rate, Hattie was attending to the trim of the thing, The three dragons were shielding the passengers and crew, Kur Lee was steering and everyone else was rolled into a ball with their eyes tight shut.
" See Hattie," Proteus remarked, "If you're in the stratosphere you can pass the sound barrier easily."
" Easy for you to say," Hattie rejoined, " You don't have to worry about wings at altitude."
In far less time than should have been possible, the 'rug' was approaching the beach at Jan. As they descended, on 'final approach', Lorelei summoned the courage to move up among those who were crewing the craft.
" I can sense him," she remarked, " He's farther to the south, and engaged in combat."
" Heroes to the rescue," remarked Moe, as they turned and hurtled along the beach.
When they had traveled some miles to the south, they saw what could only be an evil Dragon, in flight above the sea. While they watched, a huge creature broke the surface and blew it's breath on the Dragon. It took only an instant for those on the 'rug' to realize that the creature was breathing superheated steam. The steam was in a cone shaped blast, with the base about the size of a small hut and the end toward the Dragon, about the size of a small village. Just how hot the steam was no one could say, but in a matter of seconds the evil Dragon was cooked and on his way to the sea. Once there, he would be food for the fishes.
"Jesus, Joseph and Mary," Hattie said, " That thing's the size of a Landing Ship."
"Bigger than mine was," Proteus put in.
" Slightly larger than any of us expected," Kanthos agreed.
" Except me," Lorelei put in, "He's a friend of mine."
"As are we all, your Grace," Black Cat said, without sarcasm.
" I've never been happier to be your sister-wife," said Maude.
" Me neither," added Strider.
"My dearest first wife," Mouse said quietly.
When they had landed on the beach, Lorelei lost no time in waving to her friend. It moved toward the shore and brought its head near her. Its eye was larger by half, than Lorelei. It's beak, looking very turtle-like, was large enough to have accommodated the carpet and all its contents.
" I know you," Alhabra remarked, "You used to be a sea-turtle, once upon a time."
" Alhabra?" the creature said happily, " And Sappheara, and Delphinium!"
"Who else is here?" the creature demanded.
After introductions, the tale was told of a creature brought from earth, and altered so that it could live in the waters of this world. It was long-lived, but much smaller, at first. It was learned that the creature was exposed to dark magics when Fifnir tried to alter sea creatures some three thousand years ago, but the magic could not overcome the forces at play in the makeup of the Dragon Turtle. All that happened was a functional immortality, huge size, and a deep and lasting hatred for Fifnir.
"Species Dermochelys coriacea," Hattie noted, " Leatherback turtle."
" I prefer Lute Turtle," the creature responded, " If no one minds."
" Whatever you think is fair," Maude assured her.
When she learned of the 'new lake' and it's proximity to Fifnir, the turtle was more than anxious to go there. She was fairly certain that she could create an inland sea, with Fifnir's habitat shrinking proportionately. Insofar as guarding the staging area, she actually volunteered before they could ask her. The only problem was how to get her there.
"Oh, that's no problem," she assured them, " I'll just swim up under Char and make a hole to the surface where the lake is. There's an aquifer that I've visited several times which should give me easy access."
"Isn't there a magic barrier?" Seana asked.
"It should be gone," Lute responded,"Now that you people have introduced water into the desert."
Fortunately for all concerned, it had been dissipated, along with the surface magic.
***
When the Giant Turtle surfaced in the lake, everyone expected the water level to drop, when the lake began to flow into the aquifer. They underestimated their chosen guardian, however. She made certain that the aquifer was of sufficient height and pressure to maintain the lake at its depth, before creating a passage. The area beneath Char was rife with water, because of its having been held in abeyance for so many centuries. It was actually true that the water level of the lake rose, a few feet, when the opening was made. It was also interesting to learn that Lute actually enjoyed eating the smaller monsters which failed to avoid her. With Lute's water magic, which was extensive, and the opening to the aquifer, it was expected that Fifnir was, probably, incensed.Hattie spent much time on the Lake, saying it reminded her of her Swamp, but the truth was that Hattie was teaching Lute magic. An incidental benefit was that Hattie learned what water magic Lute knew, that Hattie had not already known. The 'staging area' looked more like a small city, by the time everything was in place. The desert nomads had discovered it, and had shown up in droves. They were celebrating as a race, the return of water to Char. There legends were ancient enough to speak of the world before Fifnir. The desert people proved to be warriors of legendary skill, and had a different type of magic, which they called desert magic. Desert magic turned out to be unique. It was undetectable to any who did not use it, and did not interface with Fifnir's 'evil magic'. While undetectable, it has much power. Sandstorms, sand creatures, upwelling of rocks, and sand movement are all within it's scope. The power of the caster determines the force of the magic effect. In addition, the magic enables those proficient in its use to ride giant antlions.
When Fifnir took over Char, millennia ago, he needed a method of removing all traces of water from the desert. He found a tiny insect, called an ant lion, which he could modify to remove water. He grew them to giant size, and then made them 'water removers'. Since the Larvae do not excrete, they could be used to capture any water, or water-bearing prey, and then convert it into the cocoon which was woven prior to metamorphosis. The casting thus produced turned out to be a source of magical substances, due to the massive magics used to produce the beast initially. The adults are short-lived and poor fliers. For all their massive size, they do not eat, existing only to mate, lay eggs, and die. Over thousands of years, the Larval stage became extraordinarily long-lived, because a certain amount of water is needed for metamorphosis, and water was only available from prey or as osmosis from the aquifer. Some small leakage was constant, due to the water pressure. Even Dragons avoid the clumsy adults, as they can cause injury by impact. While not predatory, they are dangerous, due to the collision factor. A potion, made from the pupal casting, can extend life and make one a superior warrior. It is called Lion water, and is very expensive. Falling into the excavation of an giant ant-lion larva is considered fatal without exception, due to the poison of the creatures and their ability to cast sand.
The magic of the Desert Nomads, who simply call themselves Free People, has much to do with their life. They can create water, in small amounts, and can make food of the desert sand. The language they speak is from old earth, much like the Elven and Dwarven idioms. They call it the language of the desert and do not teach it to anyone who is not born into their society. When speaking with those who are not of the desert, they speak common language, like the rest of Mankind. The magic with which the nomads ride giant antlions is one that simultaneously combines a control and telepathy. The antlions have a sort of intelligence, albeit a predatory one, which allows some interaction beyond simple directions. It is well known, among the Free People, that Antlions will only join in an action if the prospect of food exist. Because of this, any group action will often include a saying such as "food enough for the Antlions", or "not enough prospect to feed an Antlion," . For this reason, tribes of Free People almost never war against one another. Nobody wants to be fed to the Antlions.
The Free People decided that an attack on the main fortress of Fifnir was something they would enjoy, since there was enough monster flesh present to feed any number of Antlions, and they could entice the oldest and largest. This would mean that, after the battle, many of the Antlions would be ready to metamorph, and the castings would be plentiful. While the process metamorphosis required two years to complete, the number of castings thus produced would represent a huge fortune in magical residue. Alhabra, Sapheara, and the other dragons were both excited and appalled at this, because Antlions were known to be vicious predators, and when aroused could not be defeated. Black Cat simply reminded the Dragons that the Antlions had yet to meet him.
Time was still moving too quickly, for all that the magic users could do. Somehow Time was immune to most magic, with only the most powerful of spells able to affect it. Because of this, it became a period of Chaos, there in the desert beside the lake, as warriors arrived from all points. Everything was being done at once, and Saul Baric didn't make it any easier. He had found a path across the base of Char, which cut almost a month from his travel time from the Northeast of Newhome to the lands of the Khan. That meant that Caravans were passing through, warriors arriving, adventures appearing, and the preparations for a major assault occurring, all at once. It was, to say the least, daunting for Maude and Mouse. It was hard finding time to raise children, even with the portal access to Castle Samovar.
"It looks like dandelions in a windstorm," Lorelei remarked, " People who don't know where they're going and are at a full gallop to get there."
"Worse for the army, because some are training, some are building and some are studying," Maude remarked, " They learn healing, learn fighting and put together the gear for the journey, while trying to find out where they'll be stationed."
"The Generals and I", Mouse put in, " Are faced with three kinds of warriors, and an entire force that knows almost nothing of war, while we try to plan for travel across the desert. That's something that no one living has ever done."
"Let's not forget Logistics," put in Kanthos, " We've got to provide food, lodging, medical care, transport and even water, for tens of thousands of people. It makes it no easier that the Free People use water as money."
" I've got to find a way to feed and house over a hundred Dragons", Alhabra put in, " Would you like to trade? Anyone?"
" I'll trade," Hattie remarked, " I'm trying to provide spell scrolls, potions, powders, magic materials, and magic training, for hundreds of magic users. This while trying to provide assistance to the engineers and Officers who need to move items across the desert and don't have a clue how they'll do it."
"Anyone want my job?" Mouse asked. The silence was deafening. Mouse was both the Bard, who marshaled the musical magical forces, and the Archduke, who bore all responsibility for the outcome of this campaign. His was the task of providing money and guidance for all the others. He also had to be available for His Generals, and the Leaders of the Healers, Mages, and Strider's army. While he did those things, he had to oversee the influx of potential inductees into the army. Not to mention, he was responsible for the procurement of supplies. In his spare time, he trained and learned new songs. All of this was while he wasn't performing, to keep the 'Mouse the Bard' disguise intact. It almost compared to the effort of being a new father to four babies.
Had it not been for Proteus, A.K.A. Daolgi Aarron, the war might never have happened. He slept with parts of his mind, while the rest was awake. He was able to marshall groups of people to assist with every task of every person, and he was always available to assist in any project that needed him. He also made sure the food was good for the Camp Leaders, and that included all the senior members of Staff. He had a score of assistants who were everywhere, and he kept track of them while doing whatever needed his expertise. He found time to Teach Eglion and Kur Lee, with Seana and Maude in attendance as often as they could be. He and Hattie spent much time discussing quantum vibrations, and interactions of the smallest of primary particles, as they interfaced with the quantum vibrations of consciousness, while affected by the device which created 'magic'. He also took time out to visit Lute and keep up with the incidence of monsters in or about the lake.
***
Summer in the desert. A time of avoiding the sun and finding shady places as often as you might. The generals were ready, the Army was finally forged into five parts that enmeshed smoothly, and supplies were almost complete. Only the oppressive heat and ever present sand were problems. No one could function well in the heat, and the sand got into everything. Gritty food, sand in your eyes every morning, and constant irritation from the particles in your clothes, lungs and every body crevice. Heat added the irritation of constant sweat, body odor, and dehydration. Water was available in the lake, and everyone made use of it to swim at every opportunity. Even Maude swam, although she was not an aficionado of the practice. Getting in the water was the only real escape from the heat, except for magic, and magic to cool was not well known among those from Newhome. The Free People knew cooling spells, but they were only usable for places which were cave-like, not for tents or constructions such as the Newhome people used. Suffering was almost universal, among those unused to the desert.
It was hard to fathom that over a year had been spent in this war, and still no encroachment of Fifnir's actual realm had occurred. With the water having been brought to Char, and the constant travel to and from the lands of the Khan, there were more people in the staging area than if it had been a city. It seemed that everyone either saw a chance to profit, or felt a need to 'help' the war effort. The long and the short of it was that there were too many people and too much heat for quiet interaction. Mouse knew that the last thing he needed was civil disturbance. Hattie came up with a solution, one that worked magnificently. She just created a few illusions of monsters on the Lakeshore, and then organized the locals into a rag tag militia, to patrol for them.
Those who were there legitimately were willing, if not anxious to serve, the rest went home. It was, perhaps a bit cruel, but it was preferable to the fights and arguments that had become so frequent. The militia also discouraged those who might be seeking to act in a less than legal and orderly fashion. It was a blessing all around. With the civil disorder under control, Mouse once again became the Archduke Gladriel and began the newest chapter in the war. The Lute dragon sent word that the lake level was going to rise, and that the beach would almost reach the settlement. Her excuse was that the excessive water pressure was causing some moisture to percolate into the high desert. If she could stop that, she was sure that the 'doodlebugs' would have to come to the lake for what little water they needed. They had become a part of her diet, and that was scary, even to the Free People. The ant lions had no predators, except her.
The Archduke Samovar had acquired a nanny. She was Shalandria, and came with references. The wives had also acquired nannies, including a Fairy, a Gnome, and an Elf. The Gnome was one Gnelda, who was both a guard and a nanny, because of concerns about the babies safety. There was also a guard/nanny with blue skin, a relative of a boyhood friend of the Archduke, so that, in effect each of the four children had four nannies. It was hoped that this would insure sufficient protection, especially as Black Cat was in charge of the security. The cadre was essential, since all four parents were going to war against Fifnir, and it was not certain that any would return. The parents, and indeed almost every parent in Newhome, believed that Fifnir needed to be defeated in order to safeguard the children. Even those who had no children of their own believed this. The likelihood that Fifnir would decimate the populous if he came to Newhome was not something that any disputed. For once, the Council of the High King was united, and even Barbarians and the Raiders of Torvaald had joined the fray.
Seacliff, that land among the coastal mountains to the East, was sending an army. They had fought a small war against Fifnir's legions, and with His Majesty Acernon on the throne, they were ready to see the Monster defeated, for once and for all. Magic Isle was sending an army of Battle Mages, to be under the direction of the High Mage Eglion, and those people who lived to the southeast corner of Newhome, mostly forgotten, were sending Valley Elves, Horse soldiers, and Rangers by the hundreds. It seemed that everyone in Newhome who could, was going to war.
The pass above Fire Mountain had become a thoroughfare of those going to war, since it was easier to enter Char from beyond the backbone mountains than from the Eastern passage. Gaelehn had, at first, built a trading post where travelers could purchase armor, weapons and supplies, but it had grown. The place was as large as a palace, and was crowded with every type of merchant. Gaelehn received a stipend from those not directly affiliated with him, and had become wealthy. The forgeworks at Fire Mountain consumed literally tons of metal and exotic substances on a monthly basis. Those who could afford it had the best equipment money could buy, but more than that, everyone who bought anything, got real value for his coin. Gaelehn had a reputation for quality that was important to him, and made weapons that were the finest ever made on Thoss. His motto was "If you can't do it right, then just don't do it." He hired the finest leatherworkers from among all the races, and his artisans were, in some cases, famous across the land. The detail and workmanship of the items in Gaelehn's trading post, were unmatched anywhere, and Gaelehn made certain it stayed that way. It was said he once gave a suit of armor to a young man who had nothing more than a desire to fight Fifnir, just because he saw something of himself in the boy. When Mouse asked him about the story, Gaelehn responded that the boy's father had left him a noteworthy sword. A sword like that, he noted, requires a fine suit of armor to complement it.
In the Desert, which was now an oasis, of Char, a massive army had grown. The influx had been so large, that the army Mouse had taken to the place, was now just a core, and was being used to consolidate the new arrivals into each of the sections that existed. Training was done, and Divisions sprang up, with Battalions, Companies, Platoons and Squads. The typical Squad had grown to a dozen combatants, two healers, and three Battle Mages. There were now three Platoons to a company, ten Companies to a Battalion and twenty Battalions to a Division. The number of Divisions in a Brigade or Regiment had grown to over thirty. There were now Ranger Corps, Archer Corps, Special Forces, and Several field Armies that were contained within the Five Army Command of Samovar. A total number was constantly changing, as new arrivals were inculcated, but to say 'a million unit army' would not have been an exaggeration. The travel to Fifnir's Stronghold was now a nightmare of Logistics, but with the presence of so many fairly skilled magic users, and supplies to spare from all over Newhome, it could be done. It became a march of legend, with Dragons in the Air, fantastic Creatures within the groups, and a sense of dedication and resolve that was palpable in the air. The constant casting of 'creation of Water', and 'Sand to Food', not to mention the various spells for cool breezes and mist, made the field that Fifnir was trying so hard to maintain, crackle with magical interference.
Because of the magical interaction, and because Fifnir could not believe the size of the Army en route, the first encounter was with about 10,000 Monsters of the Ogre Class. They met the Corps of Knights, which were 25,000 in a mixed group of Knights and Paladins, with skilled magic casters, and unparalleled combat skills. It was a massacre, and the Army never even paused. The main body overtook the Knights and the Monsters were looted as the soldiers passed. Some of the weapons were worth having and there was magic to be had, as well. The Dragons and Senior Mages made sure that nothing cursed found it's way into the hands of the warriors.
Fifnir did not become old by being a slow learner. He sent the Bulk of his forces to confront the army, using both terrain advantage and attempting surprise. The Dragons removed any chance of Surprise, and there was much Aerial Combat among the Good Dragons and Fifnir's legion of Evil. When the Evil creatures felt that they had the measure of the Dragons, they were treated to the arrival of over a thousand mounted troops, which they had not expected, and which included many extremely skilled Mages, some as warrior Mages and some as passengers with skilled aerial combat fliers. Then they discovered the Archer Corps, who put arrows into the evil forces whenever they came close to the ground. Since the Samovar air force could take the advantage of low level flight, to get under the opponents, and the archers took that option from Fifnir's forces, The battle shifted to the favor of Samovar. The Evil Dragons could not retreat, driven as they were by Fifnir, so they just began to die, and fall to the desert. Whenever they fell upon concealed forces, those creatures were forced to reveal themselves to survive. This turned out to be academic, inasmuch as the Samovar Forces were not predisposed to allow survival at this time. As the hidden foe was discovered, they were fallen upon by thousands of the Samovar warriors. The spearmen and Javelineers proved themselves on this occasion, and they drove the monsters before them. Even Fifnir's evil will could not keep the Monsters in place.
They finally joined with the Samovar forces, and the battle became, as all battles eventually are, ugly. Slashing, cutting, stabbing, claws and fangs were in full play. Spells were rife on both sides and Death came to watch, because of the slaughter. The swordsmen and Knights of Samovar were a crescent of doom, and the infantry was like a sea of acid, dissolving the monsters as they came. Then the Rangers attacked, on fantastic mounts, wielding every manner of weapon and striking with magic as well. Only the Paladins did more damage. A Giant Centipede reared up and a Paladin cut it in half, on his way past. Trolls , both Grey and Green, died apace, because magics for fire were in every squad. The Rangers, Elven warriors, Barbarians and Dwarven 'Tanks' came into the fray as a wedge, driving the monsters into two groups, which gave the infantry a larger front to attack. Then the Cavalry was able to sweep across the Monsters line, felling instantly any who were separated. The battle was gory, and many heroes were made that day. Mouse was in the Fray, because the Monster Flying forces dropped attackers at random and He made it his mission to slay them with song, in the air if possible. A hundred Bards joined in the conflict, making Mouse yet more legendary as a Bard. Maude took more than a few heads, for the same reason, and Lorelei cast some spells that actually damaged any monster who came into the area she affected. Strider rode out with her Rangers, and killed at least two score of the enemy.
Tagernoab joined the Dwarven forces and they marched over the foe like water over stones. With Seana and the Elves, and what appeared to be ten thousand faeries casting deadly spells while in flight, the Monsters lost cohesion. Without the ability to act in concert, the Monsters became thousands of individuals that were basically alone against a million. Black Cat, and his forces, who had grown to over a thousand, used their ability to 'pop' in and out to injure the strongest of the foe before they could even join the battle. This meant that the Monsters had no real power forces, very quickly. the archers aided in this, but the most powerful force was the bardic corps. They sang up Fire and Lightening, and sent sounds into the monsters that disoriented them. It could be said that the Bards gave Humankind an edge that was unstoppable. Still, the losses were not inconsiderable. Probably twenty-five thousand died, and ten thousand couldn't be revived. The injured outnumbered the uninjured, but there were healers enough, and so, by a single space of three days, the army marched on.
***
Two weeks of trudging across the desert was almost as telling as the battle. The army finally made camp at a rise where the Fortress of Fifnir could be seen. No one was fooled into thinking the worst was over, every member of the Armies knew that this was the crux. It was here that the fate of Mankind would be decided. There would only be tomorrow if the army could win the day. Black Cat sent out his group, and Kur Lee arrived, on his rug, with Hattie riding. Daolgi Aaron was also in evidence, and the rest of the rug was covered with magical equipment. Kanthos Bane was fascinated and the weapons that Hattie and Daolgi had made were items of much Comment. Only Kanthos, Moe, Hattie, Daolgi and the Dragons were allowed to equip the weapons, due to the sheer power of them. Mouse and his corps were given a special task, and began preparing. Galanfie had arrived, and was preparing to be conductor for the upcoming 'concert'. Kur Lee had an item that he had brought from the ocean, and had a use for it in mind. Everyone was informed of the plan, and it was made ready. The air corps maintained outriders and they arrived with information that was a puzzle. From all Points in the desert, there were lines of sand, small hills, moving toward the Fortress. At first the attackers were dismayed, wondering what new threat this might be, but then the Free People put in their appearance.It seemed that the Giant Ant Lions, which were ridden by the Free People, left a trace in the sand as they passed. This track was only slightly larger for the largest ant lions, but the riding surface was larger, by proportion to the size of the monster. When the first of the creatures appeared, it was carrying a few riders, but as time passed the number of riders increased to over a hundred. The riders lined up their mounts before the fortress and the assault began. The delay, it was explained, came from the ant lions having 'cleaned up' the last battle area.
Kur Lee began what he called 'the festivities' by mounting his rug and taking Hattie with him, into the sky. The rug went up until it was too small to see and then, after a few more anxious minutes, Kur Lee's portal announced, "Going Down". When the 'rug' came into view, it was moving faster than sound. The booming noise surely alerted everyone in the Fortress, monster and master, but it was already too late. Hattie used a spell to stop the rug, instantly, and a stream of water began to pour forth from it. Kur Lee had completed his pitcher, and a lake was pouring out toward the Fortress of Fifnir. A huge flight of evil Dragons began ascent, to stop the flow, but it had reached the point at which Kur Lee could release the pitcher. As soon as the Pitcher was released, Kur Lee began a rapid flight toward Mouse and the combined Armies. The Dragons followed, too many to count. The Bards began to sing and play, with Galanfie conducting. As soon as the song was well begun, a clear barrier came into existence, behind Kur Lee. It was two miles long and half a mile high, starting only a short distance above the ground. It was also almost impermeable. The evil Dragons could not see it, since it was clear and the sun was behind them. They began colliding with it and crashing to the ground in large numbers, and those on the ground learned that the Ant Lions were hungry. Creatures the size of a small village began to devour every dragon that even approached the ground, The Larger Ant Lions, those town sized, made a run at Fifnir's fortress, and struck the walls. There were hundreds of them and the walls shook. So firm were the walls that the ground itself gave way, and those same walls became instruments of destruction, as they crashed into the inner area of the Fortress. The battle was well begun.
As the Ant Lions pushed the wall out of their way, and began to feed, Fifnir unleashed a spell that froze the entire falling lake into a column of ice. The monsters inside the Fortress, and those lining the remaining three walls, began to attack the Giant Ant Lions. There was a subtle change in the Music of the Bards. Sensing a change in the Barrier, the Evil Dragon flight began to reform into a line to attack it. They were not familiar with Classical Music, or they might have guessed that the second Movement was coming. Entitled, "Fire in the sky" it began with the wall turning into flame, and continued with a sweep across the sky. The Evil Dragons were scattered and the wall impacted the spire of ice, turning much of it into Steam. A much larger portion became water, and Kur Lee was heard to remark, " Anyone for a shot of Fifnir, on the rocks?"
The main Army began to move then, with Dragons and all. As they approached the fortress, Carefully avoiding the Ant Lions feeding, the Music began it's third, and final Movement. This was titled "Cloudburst" and began as a tiny cloud, raining on the Fortress. As the magic grew, and Fifnir's field began to split apart, the rain became larger and larger. The main force began casting magics at the Fortress, as much to damage Fifnir's field as to assist the ant lions inside. The combined effort was enough to make it rain into Fifnir's Fortress. This made the Fortress something Fifnir needed to leave, and his presence vanished. The Samovar Command came into the Fortress like a river of Death. After they began to kill monsters in such large numbers that the corpses were creating obstructions, the attackers began tossing the dead monsters into the paths of the feeding ant lions. The ant lions began moving away, their vast appetites sated, and the warriors from Newhome began to fight in earnest. It took two days to clear the Fortress, even with the magic Field destroyed and Fifnir fled to parts unknown. Daolgi announced that the equipment in the Fortress had been used to keep Fifnir alive, and that without it he would die.
"No chance that he has more somewhere?" Kanthos queried.
" The equipment was fashioned from the ruins of his ship, and several of the pieces are unique," Daolgi assured him, "While he could have another 'lair' somewhere, it wouldn't be somewhere he could remain for long and not weaken. Not that his flight wouldn't have weakened him already."
" I guess we track him then," Strider decided, " My rangers already know which direction he was going when he fled. And they've figured out which of the underground tunnels he took."
"How,,," Daolgi began, " He's not physical, and leaves no trace."
" No prints or marks," Seana agreed," But the sand moves when he passes, and leaves a pattern we can track."
" Magic, trackers and what else?" Hattie said.
" We can follow the leakage of his life force, " Black Cat remarked, " That's a skill I teach. It comes in handy in the swamp or any other place where tracks can be scarce."
" He might as well have left a marked path, " Kur Lee put in, " For all the good it did him to run."
" When the Archduke Samovar is after you, running just means you'll die tired." Lorelei finished for everyone.
***
Days passed, while the last of the monsters were chased and killed, the Rangers searched the tunnels beneath Fifnir's Fortress, killing whatever guards they encountered, and much Healing was done. Almost a hundred thousand of the original force had been slain, permanently, and those whose injuries would linger throughout their lives were too numerous to mention. In the interim, a force had come from Khan, with stories of having slain the rest of Fifnir's evil horde. The truth was that the monsters had scattered across the land, and would probably be an issue for generations to come. The good news was that there were very few of them, and they would not be a problem any time soon. It was only a matter of time before the Rangers and Black Cat's group found the trail of Fifnir. It went deep beneath Char, through a passage that was as old as Thoss itself, toward an unknown Destination.It turned out that there were more volunteers than space. Those who had earned the right to pursue Fifnir constituted a larger group than the passage would accommodate. It became necessary to create two groups, so that travel could be accomplished with some speed. Mouse, the Bards, his wives with each her corps, Seana, Jana, Eglion, Tagernoab, and Black Cat came with their individual teams, while Daolgi Aaron, Kanthos Bane, Hattie, and Moe accompanied them. The Dragons and a lethal force from Khan were also in the first group. The second group was composed of those who had distinguished themselves as Heroes in the battle thus far, and those who were already Heroes before the war began. Gaelehn led this Group, and they were more than ready to take the fight to Fifnir.
Since the Bards could play up the occasional feast, and there were more than a few masters of magic in the first group, the second group got horns of plenty instead. With food and drink in no shortage, the pursuit continued at a pace which would have slain most travellers, outright. Magic augmentation and sleep spells that shortened the actual time required, made stops far less frequent and of little duration. Fifnir had not been so fortunate, since the battle had greatly weakened him, and he had to rest frequently. This, coupled with the fact that he moved slowly, made the pursuit gain swiftly. In two weeks, they were at the point of caution. Spies moved ahead, both Black Cat and Ranger, seeking to learn of the evil monster's location without being detected.
It was Kur Lee's Spy spell that made first discovery, although he was careful to keep it at long range. He found that Fifnir had arrived at a vast cavern, far below the surface, which possessed what might well be the first machinery, of the builders of the planet, ever discovered. Daolgi Aaron took the lead in examining what they could see, and admitted that the equipment was advanced, even for his people. It seemed to be related to vibrational alignment, but not of any sort familiar to him. Hattie speculated that it might relate to subatomic vibrations, but the power source was of a type that indicated more energy than that. Kanthos made the connection between the various units and the main power, declaring that it had to be direct conversion of matter into energy. Daolgi agreed, but with the proviso that the unit seemed to deal in units too large for such a device.
Fifnir sat within the chamber, too exhausted to move. His flight from destruction had taught him that he could not have that which he had so long sought, and now all he could do was escape, perhaps to return in ten thousand years or so, and take what he wanted. For the moment, however, he would rest. He needed to understand how this equipment functioned, before creating a wormhole to another region of the universe. He only barely understood the concept of negative mass, and would have to learn how to manipulate it, before he could move toward escape.
About this time, Daolgi Aaron realized that the chamber was that instrument which had been used to create the stable wormhole that connected this world to other parts of the universe. It meant that there might be other wormholes, to other places. It also meant that Fifnir was planning to use it to escape. Daolgi wasted no time in sharing what he had divined, and the entire group began to edge forward, unwilling to give the creature before them even an opportunity to escape. Maude, then Lorelei and Seana put a halt to the unplanned invasion. They pointed out that protective spells needed to be cast and it might be a good idea to send a stream of water into the chamber before they entered. Maude and Mouse took care of the Water stream, and it was noticeable, with the protection spells being a combination of Healers, Bards and Magic User's barriers. In his weakened state, it was believed that Fifnir wouldn't be able to destroy that much magic and still be able to resist their attack. It was a good plan, and had plenty of support in the form of powerful magic users and technical experts.
When these preparations were in place, and various spells prepared to use on Fifnir, the war party moved down the tunnel to the cavern. Water was running into the space, but still well away from Fifnir, and the party got their first actual sight of him. Even Daolgi Aaron had never seen the actual entity, and his size was daunting. Larger than a Dragon and composed of what looked like a clear slime, the creature was dry and seemed to be mostly incorporeal. No evidence existed of a head or sensory organs, it just appeared to be a homogeneous mass of , for want of a better term, ectoplasm.
"Well, I guess we can start the show," Kur Lee said quietly, " All the players are here."
" Let's see how the audience responds," Strider agreed, nocking an arrow.
Kur Lee began a spell, which caused tendrils to rise from the water, in all directions, and then coalesce above the motionless Fifnir. Strider fired her arrow, which had a 'create water' spell attached, into the center of the mass which was Fifnir. Spell casters cast spells and weapons were drawn, until the arrow reached its mark. The entire mass of the monster rose into a snakelike form, or perhaps a giant slug form, but it began to collapse as the water above collided with it. A sound, like a shrill vibration began, and Mouse played it into silence, so that the spell could not even attempt to harm the attackers. A blast of energy came forth, but was stopped by the magic barriers. Fire and lightening played across the creature, but did no damage. Finally Gaelehn and his group arrived.
Gaelehn was never one to stand on ceremony. He cleared the front party in a series of leaps, and began to pass an odd looking sword through the substance of Fifnir. The sword was huge, of the claymore variety, and made of something white. It left a visible path as it passed through the creature, and Fifnir actually moved to avoid contact with it. Weapons were instantly brought to bear, and some of them proved effective. Tagernoab's Ax, Mouse's Scimitar, Black Cat's executioners Sword, and other's of the same strength, all damaged the creature, with the constant influx of water making the damage much worse. Kur Lee conjured a box full of water balloons and everyone who didn't have an ultra powerful weapon grabbed at least one. Those who had the weapons forged by Hattie and Daolgi began to use them, and Delphinium used a breath of steam, which she had learned from Lute. It proved as good as anything else. Finally Fifnir had reached his limit. He fled to the back of the Chamber and leapt between the two upright columns there. His essence flowed across a control panel, and the columns came to life. Within seconds he had vanished, clearly passing into a spatial disturbance. The portal, whatever it was, closed almost immediately.
"What the Hell was that?" Lorelei asked, shocking everyone.
"Your guess is probably as good as any," Black Cat answered. "He didn't have time to figure out how to use the equipment."
" He may have already known how to activate it." Hattie said, "Come on Daolgi, let's see if we can figure out what happened."
" Count me in," Moe said.
"Don't forget me," Kur Lee added.
" May as well make it a party," Kanthos finished.
The various Dragons were already examining the equipment, and soon everyone was checking anything they understood. Dwarves, Gnomes, Elves, and Humans, examining anything that might hold a key to the answer. When each had shared what they found with Daolgi, Kanthos, and Hattie, a consensus was reached.
" He just turned it on and went," Hattie announced, " Even he didn't know where he was going."
"He got the planck's constant wrong," Kanthos remarked, " That can't have been good."
"Reminds me of something I once read," Mouse put in, " Anyone here familiar with the 'multiverse theory'?"
" I'm fairly certain he left our Universe altogether," Daolgi answered, " The portal he created was an open-ended wormhole, that found it's opposite end based on the bias of its own creation. He could have ended up in any universe except this one."
" Can he return?" Maude asked.
" Not unless someone on this end figures out the exact details of his departure and duplicates them." Daolgi told her, " And since the portal collapsed, without any record being made, there are only about 2.756 times 10 to the fifty-sixth power number of combination that you'd have to try."
"Assuming he was waiting at the other end," Hattie said, "With some sort of a signal you could detect."
"And that there was someone who liked him enough to look for it." Lorelei said.
" I guess that counts as dead, then?" Strider said.
" Oh no," Kur Lee put in, " He's not dead. He's just in interstellar space, with no energy, no energy source, and in a universe where everything is probably incompatible with his life force. He won't starve for probably several thousand years."
"But he'll suffer, right?" Black Cat wanted to know.
"Every Day," Moe assured him.
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