—— ? ——

  “Move it, people!” Dravlen’s voice cut through the crowd. “You can all see the timer. If it’s too heavy, drop it. If it's too bulky. DROP IT. You can always replace things. Now move your asses!”

  People streamed out of Varnholts' north gate, everyone’s anxious eyes taking in the now glowing portal on the mountainside.

  “Kurda!” Dravlen appeared next to the big man.

  “Yer’?”

  “Need your muscles to help move the morons that got hurt in the tunnels.” Dravlen pointed towards a group of limping miners. “Got that?”

  “Yers’ sir!” Kurda gave a jaunty attempt at a salute. His pounding footsteps made the snow bounce as he bounded toward the unlucky group.

  Several screams and protests later, Kurda went flying past Dravlen, his squirming bundles held aloft. The miners whimpered, stacked on each other like cord wood. Kurda on the other hand, had a big dumb grin on his face as he raced toward the tunnel.

  “Kurda express comin throughhhhhhhh!” the man bellowed as he charged forward.

  Dravlen shook his head with a smile as he turned and inspected the crowd. They didn’t have time for any more delays. His eyes caught movement coming from the tunnel path.

  Maelis?

  “Counciler Maelis,” Dravlen said as he snuck next to the Smith. The angry asshole snarled at him.

  “Can I help you, Dravlen?”

  “Where were you? We could have used your help getting people moving.” Dravlen squinted at the man, studying his scarred, shiny face.

  Had he gotten new scars? It looked like his upper forehead… was warped?

  “I was reinforcing the damn outer wall.” The man snarled at him, “Don’t you have something better to do than question a council member?”

  Dravlen nodded slowly. He stepped backwards and engaged his skill.

  The smith blinked and searched for him. After a moment, his fellow Yoreboon grumbled and cursed.

  Then, to Dravlen’s surprise, the man started helping the slower members of Varnholt to move towards the tunnel.

  Dravlen shook his head.

  He didn’t have time for this.

  Still…

  He would be keeping an eye on the smith.

  Just like he had with every council member.

  That kid Simon was many things, but Dravlen didn’t believe he was a liar.

  The Yoreboon faded into the shadows and moved swiftly.

  There were more morons who were carrying things that were far too heavy.

  It was time for the return of snowballs.

  —— ? ——

  Time until event: 0h 17m 36s…

  “Faster, everyone! Move faster!” Brian yelled, checklist in hand. His eyes traced the crowd as he counted every person who made their way into the tunnel.

  This was going to be close.

  Almost a third of the town had made it into the tunnel. The stream of living people stretched out before him.

  They could do that.

  “Brian, a word.” Jorik jogged up to him. “The other councilors want to speak with you.”

  “What about the count?” Brian exclaimed. “We need to make su–”

  “Come on, there’s no time for that.”

  Brian shut his mouth and followed the Guard. They moved into the work yard, moving to the side of the stream of people.

  Most of the council had gathered, their faces grim.

  “Thanks, Jorik.” Dravlen nodded to him. The head guard saluted, then moved back towards the crowd.

  “What is this about?” Brian asked, his eyes moved pass the gathered councilors, towards the brutal metal box that was now attached to the gate house.

  The structure was new. Another one of Maelis’s ‘bright ideas’. The smith had been missing since the vote, apparently busy creating what he called ‘reinforcements for our defense’.

  Brian had seen the first bit of his handiwork as they fled Varnholt. The crazy Yoreboon had coated the only entrance out of the second wall with metal. He had been stopped by Kurda, who asked what the hell he was doing.

  The Yoreboon had replied that he was putting in a gate in case they needed to retreat.

  What a stupid waste of time. Also, why did you need to coat all of the stone to install a gate? Kurda had asked him, and the Yoreboon had been enraged. Cursed at them and told them to stop questioning his craft.

  Maybe it wasn’t a waste of time. Brian could see that having the metal to anchor the gate to would be useful.

  The brutal box, however?

  A prison.

  To seal in one banished member of their town.

  Simon.

  What a stupid waste of time and resources.

  There had been no sign of him since the aborted funeral.

  That brought back a sour memory for Brian.

  The damned smith had argued they needed to leave behind everything that wasn’t useful to them.

  That list included the body of Kaelalin.

  Luckily, Brian hadn’t needed to argue. Kranofis had merely stomped up the Yoreboon and placed his hand on the shorter man's shoulder.

  “We will carry her. We will leave everything else. Do not speak ill of the dead again. The next time you do, I will cut out your tongue.”

  Brian had mentally cheered the Frost-kin King on.

  Take that asshole!

  “This is going to be close.” Serel was speaking. “We need to prepare for a fighting retreat.”

  Councilors eyed each other, their faces grim.

  Serel turned to Brian. “How many have made it inside?”

  Brian glanced down at his clipboard. “Almost a third from my count.”

  “That’s good. But it isn’t good enough.” Serel nodded stiffly. “We have fifteen minutes. Dravlen, can you get ready for a defense?”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  The Yoreboon nodded, then stepped away.

  “Anyone else have suggestions?”

  Quiet.

  Then the asshole spoke up.

  “I do.”

  “Councilor Maelis, if you suggest we go back to Var–”

  “Let me speak, you have let all the others.” Maelis snapped. The two stared death into each other's eyes.

  “What I was going to say is I may have something that can help our retreat.” The smith gestured down the hill. “I have a large stash of metal buried down there…”

  Everyone gave him long stares.

  “Look.” He sighed. “I disagree with our course of action. But I want to make sure everyone lives more than you know.” From his pocket, he withdrew a nugget of metal and tossed it to Kurda. “Look at this, stone brain. Tell them what it is.”

  Kurda’s oversized hand snagged the metal from the air. He peered at it, then his eyes went wide.

  “Where did yer’ get this?” He asked accusingly. “This is some high-grade, refined well, too.”

  “I…” Maelis hesitated. “I have been collecting it.”

  Kurda clenched his teeth.

  “So… Der’ reason yer’ wern’t finding any metal on yer’ little detours.” Rage built in the Thurgens' voice. “Is because yer’ were squirrelin' it away?!”

  “Exactly.”

  Kurda took two large steps and stared the shorter man down.

  “Yer’ theivin’ back stabbin’ no good.”

  “Enough!” Serel moved between them. “Kurda, we don’t have time for this!”

  She glanced between the two. “Will this help us?”

  Kurda took a step back. “Depends on how much he’s got.”

  “Almost a cartful of it,” Maelis said quietly.

  Kurda’s skin changed color, and his knuckles cracked as his eyes ripped into the Yoreboon.

  “I understand your anger,” Maelis said, his voice cold. “You can beat me black and blue later, but as Serel said. We don’t have time for this. I can use the metal once you collapse the tunnel. It will be almost impossible to get through before we reach the other side of the mountain.”

  Maelis started moving away. “So come help me get it, or don’t. I’m going to grab a large sack for myself either way.”

  The Yoreboon stomped off.

  “A whole damn cart full.” Kurda’s whispered rage cut through the air. “Damned fukr’”

  He turned to the rest of the councilors. “I’m going to grab mer’ crew an den’ go take every last ounce of that der’ metal.”

  With that, he was off. His voice bellowed across the yard as miners and architects moved to him.

  “Alright then, we have a way to secure our escape.” She turned to everyone remaining. “We have to be ready. Help anyone you can. We have fourteen minutes.”

  The council dispersed, everyone hurrying to help the retreat from the valley.

  —— ? ——

  Time until event: 0h 6m 41s…

  “Push yer’ lazy stone addled morans’” Kurda’s voice boomed out as the tunnel crew grunted against the cart.

  They had just crested into the stone yard, and Kurda saw Brian sprinting across the yard, that strange flying metal ball man hovering above him.

  “Brian! How many are inside!”

  “Close to half!” Brian yelled back. “But its going faster now! We had the slower and weaker residents get in first.”

  Near the entrances of the stone yard, facing the portal, a hasty defence had been erected.

  Stone slabs had been moved into place, blocking easy access from charging enemies. Jorik, Dravlen, and a bunch of the guards were hastily shoving in anything that could act as spikes into the wall.

  “Wait, Brian!”

  Brian screeched to a stop, a confused look on his face.

  Did Maelis just ask him to wait?

  He was near the slab of stone where the council had met a few minutes before.

  “What Maelis? This had better be important!”

  The smith had jogged up and then slowed. He stood still, his eyes… glowing?

  “Maelis?” Brian took a step back.

  “How many did you say were inside?”

  “Almost half…” Brian responded automatically, the question having been asked of him so many times today.

  Maelis gave him a wicked smile.

  “Thank you.”

  Energy exploded off the smith, dark and green.

  “That should be good enough.”

  The energy that was gathered pulsed out from Maelis, rocketing towards the tunnel.

  Brian had no time to think before a crash rocked the world. For the next few seconds, all he could hear was twisting metal, crashing stone, and screams.

  Brian stumbled forward, taking a knee. Wind whipped from behind him, nearly blowing him over. Brian’s head snapped back to see a massive dust cloud that billowed out from the tunnel.

  Someone tsked in front of him.

  The inventor turned his head back to Maelis.

  “Damn. What a waste.” The smith's face was twisted in displeasure. “Twelve… no Thirteen good bodies lost.”

  He sighed. “But, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.”

  A hammer that was lying against the wall flew towards Maelis. The Councilor’s stocky, muscled hand snapped up and yanked it from the air.

  “Sadly, I have to make it fourteen. It’s a shame, really. Your mind could have been useful.”

  The last thing Brian saw was a blur of motion as Maelis charged forward, his hammer already swinging.

  Brian barely got his arms in front of him when the hammer stuck.

  —— ? ——

  Dravlen was moving the second the crash sounded. Through the dust, he raced, trying to find the perpetrator.

  Then he saw two figures on the other side of the yard.

  Maelis and Brian.

  The Head of Varnholt security acted. He pushed himself to his limit as Maelis charged.

  That massive hammer swung in an upper cut that was going to cave the inventor's chest in.

  Faster.

  Move faster.

  He had no idea what was going on.

  But he knew killing intent when he saw it.

  Each step moved him through the shadows the dust cloud made. He just needed closer shadows.

  Come on, fortune. Come on, luck.

  Give me shadows large enough to step through.

  But he wasn’t there in time.

  There was a clash, and the hammer hit home.

  Brian’s body flew backwards across the stone. Sparking arcs of light pulsing from his chest.

  Wait.

  Where was the light?

  Dravlen wasn’t fast enough.

  But someone had been.

  A strange metal construct that held the soul of a person had blocked the blow.

  Zerathis had saved him.

  Dravlen slid to a stop between the smith and Brian’s wheezing.

  Arcs of energy pulsed off the metal construct, and Dravlen swore he heard twisted screaming.

  There was no time to focus on that now.

  The true enemy was right here in front of him.

  “Ahhhh, Dravlen.” Maelis’s smooth voice seeped into the square. “I think it's about time you stopped humoring these wastes of time and joined me. I always wanted to bring you into my little plan, but I never knew if I could trust you.”

  The man’s eyes burned as he tilted his head. “Can I trust you, Dravlen?”

  “What have you done?” Dravlen hissed, his eyes glancing back at Brian. The Inventor was grunting in pain. Between grunts, he muttered out curses and a name.

  “Zerathis! Zerathis!”

  Energy pulsed down Brian’s hands, forming a cage. He held it around the shuttering construct.

  “Why do you waste your time on these inferior beings? Just look at him,” Maelis scoffed, taking another step forward. “A simple blow almost kills him. He needs some cursed abomination to even stomach one of my blows.”

  The hammer swung around Maelis’s hand lazily.

  “So, will you help me?”

  “Go rot in the pit you crawled out of.” Dravlen snapped, then took a step.

  Maelis sighed.

  *Clang!*

  Their weapons rang as dagger met hammer.

  *Clang! Clang! Clang!*

  Their blows echoed out with increasing speed as they traded blow after blow.

  “Oh, you are good!” Maelis cackled, his hammer whirling faster. “Come on, reconsider! We could do so well together."

  Dravlen lunged, then dodged as the hammer moved unnaturally fast, nearly colliding with his shoulder.

  “Naughty naughty! It’s rude to interrupt someone,” Maelis spun, his hammer whirling around his body. Dravlen pulled both daggers to his front, barely moving them in place to catch the heavy head of his foe's weapon.

  “Come on, are you even trying?” Maelis taunted.

  A snowball slapped into his face.

  The man’s face went red. “How fucking dare you.”

  “Oh, did that make you mad?” Dravlen moved to the side, waggling his fingers in a ‘come here’ gesture.

  Maelis roared and charged forward.

  *CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*

  Their weapons blurred as Dravlen desperately defended. This damned place was far too open. His skills needed the shadows.

  He stepped further back, getting closer to the metal box.

  Maelis took a breath, his eyes dimming slightly. “I’m not that stupid, Dravlen. I know how your abilities work.”

  “You do?” Dravlen smirked, tilting his head. “Then I guess you have me beat.” Dravlen gave a mock look of fear. “I guess the only thing I can do is uselessly slam my weapons together in front of your prowess.”

  *CLANG CLANG CLANG* Dravlen struck his blades together, creating a racket of noise.

  “Cute.” Maelis sneered. “You look ridiculous.”

  Dravlen took a step towards him, continuing to slam his weapons together.

  *CLANG* *CLANG* *CLANG*

  “Would you stop that!” Maelis snarled, whirling his hammer as he watched Dravlen’s careful steps forward.

  *Clang* “Sure.” *Clang* “But I have a question.” *Clang* “You know how my skills work” *Clang*

  Maelis kicked a palm-sized stone forward. It whistled through the air, and Dravlen barely deflected it.

  “Yes, you moron!” Maelis screamed at him.

  “Wasn’t my question.” *Clang.*

  Dravlen gave him an evil grin. *Clang!*

  “My question was–” he stopped slamming his daggers together. “--do you know how Kurda’s work?"

  Dawning realization hit the smith.

  So did Kurda.

  —— ? ——

  — AUTHOR NOTICE —

  My Discord

  My Patreon