S2E8 - The Deep King

Vix heard the gentle crunch of the autumn leaves beneath his feet, drifting across the smooth white marble of the stairs to the large pillared gazebo. The trees bent of their own accord towards the center almost in their own reverence to the man sitting on the throne. He rises his yellow robes cascading to the floor gently revealing delicate golden embroidery that shrouds him in gentle sunlight.
There is no roof to this structure only the cool autumn sky far above those tall tree tops.
“You are an abomination to our people.” he states through clenched teeth. “You practice the magical arts but at your heart are only footsteps from the dark path. For all intents i should have you exiled.” He smiles as he remembers his manners. Politely pouring 2 goblets of sweet white wine he smiles passing one to vix. “But..” Regaining his composure he continues.
“Vix, there is a war coming and I believe despite all your faults you can still be a great asset to your people. I charge you to seek out a way to control their dragons. Do this and report back to me. Only then will I allow you to undergo your… Telling at the Ivory Library. I have heard of a competition taking place in a small barony to the north of here in a few days. Possibly this will put you and your cunning on the right path.” His gaze and tone gets eerily serious. “Those librarians are their own people, but I have kept my place among their council. They will not allow you through their gates unless I allow it.” Vix’s eyes narrowed and in a shaky tone stated “Yes, Lord Hyro” Hyro turned away looking out into the red and gold forest. “Do not fail me or be discovered for I cannot help you.” He stands up and motions for the guards to lead him away.
“Vix.” “Uh.. Yes?” Vix looked around. The dream from last night was still haunting him. “Wewere…” “your friends were just saying space case that you may be familiar with this... symbol.” The kings marshall held up a scrap of parchment burned at one end with a dark red S shaped symbol was painted. He scanned the room, embarrassed at his drifting off. They stood in a granite chamber with a large map of the city on a dark wooden table. Torches lit the walls and the smell of a sweet oil was burning in the large ironwork brazier hanging by thick chains above thier heads. Light shone through the iron framework in panes of thick glass that held the clear oil itself. He looked back at the symbol “It seems as it is just a stylized S shape but what concerns me is the 5 parrallel lines cut downward ending in arrowheads.” He pointed them out on the paper. “Thats a glyph of summoning.” they all looked at each other uneasily. “Where did you get this?” “It was found in the Kings throne room. The paper style seems to predate my time as Marshall.” Cordelia stepped forward with a hand outstretched “May I?” The marshall handed her the parchment. Cordelia passed a hand gently over it the edges of the parchment glowed with a blue light. “This is blood. But from about a quarter century ago.” “Has it been that long?” “What is that Marshall?” “Many years ago the King took a bride. She’s different than most of us as she’s a wizard. Keeps to herself. But i bet she knows what this means.” She spun on her heel snapping her fingers. “Thats it. Go to the keep. Find out from her what she knows.” They all nodded. “The guards are told to attack anyone crossing the bridge. They will move for you if you carry this emblem.” She handed Zane a small 18” square of dark gray fabric with pair of silver hammers embroidered with hair thin steel thread. She turned on her heel to leave them. She paused at the door, looking over her armored shoulder. “Please... Bring us back our king.”
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The smoke billowed up from the molten iron pouring 200 feet below the 60 foot long 10 foot wide stone bridge they stood on. Skotmir knew without looking it was being funnelled partially into the huge furnaces in the city behind them. Similar methods were used in the garnet mountains he called home but nothing this grandiose. Their mines were geared more towards the rich gemstone deposits and riddled with gold and the occasional platinum viens. His people relied on trade for most of their raw iron.
“Seems we have a welcome committee.” Benedict gestured cautiously towards the 5 rows of Dwarf Infantry standing at attention on the other side of the bridge. An intimidating sight, the helms only allowed the white beards and red eyes to show across all 50 soldiers. Short fighting spears with broad bladed heads were held in one hand and tall square shields were secured to the other.
“Here goes nothing.” Zane mumbled taking out the cloth almost wincing behind it as it was displayed with 2 hands in front of him.
The officer in the front rank stepped hard to the right standing 90 degrees from their path. “Make way for the Marshall’s envoy!”
Zane looked back at cordelia with a chuckle now a cocky swagger in his step. As they crossed the stony courtyard the soldiers parted allowing the group to enter. Jade looked behind her and saw the ranks close behind them as they walked. They were in perfect form like the flow of a slow moving rockslide.
Upon reaching the 20ft tall twin doors two guards worked a hand wheel on either side which swug them open allowing the group entry into the receiving hall of the keep.
The hall was lit with large iron braziers similar to the ones in the marshalls office hanging from the sides of the 50’ tall pillars holding up the domed stone ceiling. The main floor was wide easily spanning the same space as it was tall the burgandy and gold floor runner led up to a raised platform on which was 2 stone thrones side by side. Next to them was a podium draped in a red velvet cloth, something round hidden beneath it.
Eralin saw the guards scattered in the hall look at each other with a look of concern. Thier nervous shuffling in the thick plate revererated in the hall dully. One of them pointed at the Zane, more importantly the small banner he carried. The smell of charcoal in the braziers reminded Skotmir of his home far away. A similiar hall he noted, just not as dark. The pillars of his home were encrusted with red gemstones and gilded with gold embellishments.
The figures on the throne became more visible. The dark midnight blue hues of the kings robes cloaked his frail body. His cheeks sunken and the white whiskers of his chin sparse and wiry. The other figure sat in a black and red cloak her hand on a bronze staff cresting in a At the foot of the stairs the 4 kings guards, identifiable by a helmet adorned with 3 deep iron ridges sweeping back came together as a single wall, thier spears together in unison.
“Who approaches his royal majesty?” the woman stood up and hissed.
Sophie looked at the guards, ”You know you don’t want to be here for this.” “Zane held up the banner. They lowered thier spears and looked at each other. They turned to the king and bowed before marching away in unison.
“Cowards! Come back!” She looked at the imposters.
“You! You worms have no idea who you are playing with!” An unfamiliar pit churned in Benedict’s stomach as he noticed the king was trembling in his throne staring at the woman wide eyed.
Her hair was spun platinum, gracing her beautiful ash grey face. Her red eyes began to glow and they noticed her canines began to lengthen as she held her hands outstretched.
“Please Shar. Let us reason with them. Please don’t do this…” “Stay down your highness, this is my fight now. They...” Black leathery wings sprouted from her back “GYAHH!...hahahaha! They cannot have you.”
“Wield me.”
The voice came to zorin’s mind directly but he knew it was the gleaming sword at his side. He took a deep breath and drew the blade from the scabbard. “Yesss. She is deeply evil and not of this world my love, but I can protect you. Keep me close.”
Zorin dropped into a defensive stance. The group noticing followed suit drawing their weapons or readying their spells.
“GYAHHH!” she shrieked and lightning forked from her hands at Sophie, Benedict, Zorin and Skotmir. The smell of ozone ran into zorin’s nose as he stood bracing for the impact of the blast. Which never came. He looked and saw skotmir drop to a knee as benedict and sophie were blown backward.”GYAHH!” “NOO!” sliding on the stone floor.
Vix and cordelia both fired off 6 blue firey bolts that slammed into Shar’s body “GYAHHHH!” Followed by a volley of well placed arrows from Jade and Eralin’s bowstrings “You Dare to oppose me mortals!?”
“FESS-TAH-GOH!” Clapping her hands together a thunderwave rocked out knocking everyone to the ground their ears ringing. Zorin saw Zane braced against the podium’s wall below Shar, and out of sight in the shadows. He nodded at Zorin his 2 daggers drawn. Zorin knelt there for a moment. “Get up. Go to her my love.”
Zorin began to stand only to be greeted by a blast of blue fire “HEEHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Shar shrieked as the torrent hit Zorin only to be split around his body by the sword in his hands.
“What?! It can’t be!” The king was at the shrouded podium clutching the velvet drape “We must call Beryl!” “Yes! Do it!”
Throwing off the cover revealed a black stone the size of a large melon. It seemed to rotate with a greenish blue glow from deep within.
Zorin froze. The king placed both hands on the stone throwing his head back as the blast of energy filled his being. “BERYL! COME TO OUR AID!”
Eralin felt his heart clutch freezing him in place. He couldn’t take his eyes off the glowing stone.
A deep thunderous reverb of giant wings thundered in the hall deafening. A roar rolled through the hall as they all froze in place. A huge serpentine form burst through the doors behind them. Its deep green scales in contrast to the mustard yellow underbelly and webbing of its wings. “No. The green dragons are gone.” “Yes, driven from the forests they once ruled by thier Silver brothers and sisters.” Shar leaned over the railing at Cordelia. “But they are with us the sunless now. HAHAHAHA” The great dragon Crawled towards the podium. “You called me to your side King of the Iron City?” the King trembled as he raised a single finger at the adventurers “Beryl… Kill them. Kill them all!” “YES GLADLY!” He slammed a claw into the stone leaving a 5 foot indentation where benedict once was rolling out of its path. “GYAHHHHH!!” Beryl hissed swinging its tail in a sweep “DOWN!” Vix yelling throwing both himself and cordelia down feeling the air move as it sailed barely overhead.
Arrows flew from Jade as she deftly dodged another slm of a claw. Sophie struck out at its underbelly driving the sword deep into its flesh. “GYAAH!” the dragon swung to a side wrenching the blade free sending both it and its owner sliding on the floor.
“You cannot leave! You will die here together! HaHAHA!” Shar raised her hands summoning a galeforce wind from her slamming into the party who held onto the ground for all the strength they could muster. Behind the Dragon a rift opened up showing a night sky swirling as it was framed in fire. “My love. Look at the King.” Zorin saw a shape appear behind the king with two gleaming daggers out of the shadows. “GYAHH!” Zane struck the king down in a single blow pushing him to the side. “YOU DECIEVER!”
Zane drove the orcish blades into the stone. “GYAHHH!” Sparks flew from the impact sending zane reeling back. The stone was completely unharmed. Zorin was shocked. “My love send me to your friend.” “YOU! CANNOT STOP US!” Shar shrieked as she stopped the gale. “BERYL NOW!”
Beryl Drew in a deep breath. “Now! Let me free you of this world.” Zorin winced slightly before casting the blade in a gleaming arc to his best friend. “ZANE! USE THIS!” Zane gasped the hilt of the sword out of the air and brought it down on the stone. “NOOOOO!!” “Live well… My love…” “GYAHHHH!”
A explosion of green light erupted in the room. Sophie felt herself tumbling end over end in the growing darkness as everything went black.