Beyond the Crags - 17. Chapter 17

Adga moved up to the cracked open door. It was stuck on the stone floor. Beyond combat, cries of someone injured could be heard. There was no sign of blowing sand. She grabbed the door and yanked. It pulled over the high spot with a screech of protest before fully opening.

In front of her, with its back to her, was a bizarre Dragonling. With wings on the sides, much larger bird-like legs and feet, and talons instead of dragonling claws. The appearance caused a momentary pause, because far more troubling than the being’s overall form, it appeared to have blue scales with copper splotches. The idea of a Blue and Copper mating was simply unfathomable.

However, her attention quickly changed as a near duplicate of Cusan pulled a badly bloodied girl back.

Adga stepped forward and blocked a swing from the Bone Walker with pieces of ragged flesh still on some of the facial bones.

Adga had to hunch slightly to get under the doorframe, but she shoved the bizarre Dragonling to the side with her shield and moved past the startled creature. Her gauntleted right fist shot out and smashed into the jaw of the fleshy bone walker. It was devastating to the formerly living creature. The jaw lost attachment on both sides and hung off strips of muscles and other internal tissue, still connected to the side of the jawbone and face.

The bone walker stumbled back while one hand went up to its dangling jaw.

Adge hunched down lower and slammed into the vile thing with her shoulder while using upper momentum to launch it into two other fleshy bone walkers, creating an opening in the hall. She muttered a couple of curses as the action caused the top of her head to hit the stone ceiling. However, this was not something she was unaccustomed to. She advanced into the tangle of thrashing bones. She shield-bashed a much more fleshy, yet still skeletal dead walker and proceeded two more steps before shattering some ribs on an older bone walker with a fist. Her actions created even more space for others to move in behind her.

Even as Tur darted in behind her and repeatedly smashed the hammer side of his Axehammer down into the tangle of bone walkers behind her, and the Falconling moved up on her right side and sliced a cutlass into the fleshy, Cusan’s voice came from further back. “Dassen! Jekka! Grab the injured and fall back! Let us take the lead.”

The near duplicate of Cusan darted between the legs of Adga secured a bloody wailing urchin by a leg and dragged him back. Adga had to backhand a bony former Dwarf as it tried to grab the kid’s arm.

The former Dwarf attempted to stab Adga with a curved blade, but the knife edge stopped centimeters from her hip. A quick glance over to her left told her why. The weird Dragonling had clamped down on the arm with its talon and then bit down hard. Bones crushed under the assault. The bony hand with the blade still clutched in it fell free. The devastating attack was finalized with a hammer side of a pick hammer to the side of the bone walker’s skull, the blow crushed its facial bones. It fell into a heap.

The beast used its large taloned right foot to grab a small kid and pull him back from the wave of dead walkers beyond. At the same time, it coughed and spoke in a deep, yet feminine voice. “Oh, Horrid! I jussst bit the arm of a deadhead… And it had the basic flavor I expected… only ssssssooo much worssse!”

Adga snorted at the sound of gagging behind her but continued to advance. She stepped down on what was left of the skull just to make sure it was done while using her shield and sheer strength to knock two more dead walkers back. Both fell back into an open door where other dead walkers were attempting to come out of. Screams and pleas from within the room told her at least two more living beings were in the room.

Their horrified and pain-filled screeches sent a shot of rage through her blood. Her edged shield came down on one of the dead walkers which had been knocked back by her shove. The shield let out a tremendous clang as it came down with enough force to cut it in half and leave a gouge in the stone below.

Behind her, Tur shouted with excitement in his voice, “Kukri! I think it’s Drow Steel! May I use it, commander?”

“All yours!” Adga barked out without looking back. She continued her advance. Her foot purposefully came down hard into the upper half of the dead walker she had just cut in two. The ribcage collapsed under her foot. This left her an easy opening. She punted the skull as it raised up with fiery red eyes to look at what was left of its chest. The skull detached and struck a Gnome Steel reinforced chain armored, brown-scaled hide walker Dragonling in the face with enough force to cause it to stagger back a few steps into a passage leading down. Its eyes flared with licks of heat-producing flame as it pulled an Axehammer with odd black and shiny swirls.

“Oh, crap! Heavily armed and armored badass Dragonling hide walker!” Adga shouted. “It’s guarding an open gate to a passage leading further down! We need to close it! Ven, try to open me a path!”

Ven’s voice came from behind her as she asked for Zerris to send aid. A brilliant warm prismatic light sprayed into the room. At least half a dozen hide and bone walkers were pushed back. Four others fell to the floor. Yet at least five other small ones with strips of ragged flesh fell into a heap as the spray of colored light slashed into their glowing eyes and totally ended their radiance. A trio down the sloping passage even caught some of the light spray. One fell into a pile of ragged oozing flesh and bone while two other smallish sparkly scaled Dragonlings dropped a pair of kukris and wobbled back and forth blocking the passage. It effectively delayed other dead walkers trying to move up into the room Adga found herself in.

The aftereffects on those struck by the light spray were much stronger than Vendra had done in the past. Instead of dropping a held item and shaking heads as if to clear them, the glow in their eyes had faded, they dropped everything held, and they quavered back and forth as if totally stunned.

“Damn Ven, best ever!” Adga shouted as she fully moved into the room. She grabbed one of the stunned bone walkers by the base of the skull. She expected it to instantly come out of its stupor, but it was listless in her hand. She smirked as she smashed it into the doorframe. As the head shattered the rest fell into pieces. She quickly added an, “Oh, and thank you Zerris!” as she cleared the doorway.

“Adga!” Vendra gasped out, “That was an overpower! I was just aided by a being far more powerful than I can handle… Something is… is… very important to Zerris. I am gonna…” This was followed by a violent puking sound.

This was followed up by Taglon’s voice, “I am pulling her back, but something crazy is going on! Those sleeping were just… Ah… Holy Crap! What was that!”

Adga shouted, “What? What?!” but didn’t have any time to dwell on what was going on behind her. Other figures were trying to push the Dragonlings out of the way. She had to deal with what was in front of her and close the passage.

The room filled quickly as Tur and the Falconling both moved in behind her. They were rapidly followed by Torga and Cuson. The Falconling angled over to a large fleshy hulk of what used to be a Halforc. Tur turned hard to the left to face a trio of dead walkers on the opposite side not affected by the spirit sent by Zerris. Even as she noted this, she spoke loudly. “Cuson, Torga, finish the stunned ones! I don’t know how long they will be spirit touched, so make fast work of them!”

The former brown-scaled Dragonling stepped up to meet Adga even as she advanced on it. It struck with a dual attack, claws of the right hand raked down her shield while she blocked the swing of the ax side of the Axehammer with the light mace. She gritted her teeth at the impact. The heavier weapon was too much for the small mace, yet the height of the ceiling and tight surroundings with friends so close made pulling the bastard sword unfeasible.

She did another double block with a hiss of pain before smacking it in the side with the mace. If the blow did anything, there was no indication. “Crap! I need something short but heavier!”

Tur appeared at her side, blocked the swing of the Axehammer with his own, and dropped a weapon into a loop on her weapon belt. He ducked under a claw attack and came up fast with a Dark Steel Kukri. He swung it in a hacking motion as the claws sailed over his head. The results were fantastic. The tips of three fingers, along with the claws coming out of them scattered across the floor.

The hide walker’s eyes flared and sent out bursts of flame at Tur. Adga was barely able to block them with her shield.

At the same time, the hide walker twisted to Adga’s side and swung on Tur. The blow was stopped by a backhand swing from Gordech. The Falconling’s cutlass bit into the back of the hand holding the Axehammer. The weapon flew out of the hidewalker’s grasp and landed next to Gordech. The former Dragonling backed off a step to give it room. It pulled a double-bladed Battleaxe from behind its back with the hand missing fingertips and claws while claws merged from the hand formerly wielding the Axehammer.

Its eyes blazed a fiery crimson with a dark void in the center as it hissed at Adga, Gordech, and Tur.

To Adga’s right, Tur ducked under a swung khopesh. He used the back of the Kukri. He drove it into the bone walker’s leg. It snapped and toppled. He followed this up with a backhand swing of his Axehammer only to have it bounce off the skull with no effect. He blinked in surprise.

Gordech shouted something and kicked the Axehammer dropped by the hide walker Dragonling.

Cuson’s voice came from somewhere behind Adga. “He said it needs magic to hit. Use whatever he kicked over to you!”

Adga shield bashed the hide walker back a couple of steps so she could block another khopesh swung at Tur with the small mace.

This gave Tur all the time he needed. He used the back of the Kukri on the exposed elbow of the bone walker. The joint shattered and the khopesh clattered to the stone floor followed by the lower arm, he rolled, grabbed the Axehammer Gordech had kicked over to him, and smashed it into the ribs of the bone walker. Bones shattered. The hammer side continued into the backbone which snapped with a loud crack, a puff of old bone being powdered, and the putrid smell of death. The bone walker fell into a heap.

Adga didn’t have a chance to see more since the Dragonling was back up on her. She blocked the ax swing with her shield and managed to twist out of the way of the swung claws on the other hand. Even as she kept focus on the foe in front of her, she barked out, “Tur, destroy the head!”

“Consider it done, commander!” Tur responded from her right side.

She took a step back, dropped the small enchanted mace into an empty belt loop toward her back, and grabbed for whatever Tur had slid into one of her other loops. Her hand found the head of a large, spiked Drow Dark Steel spiked club. It was indeed much heavier. Her eyes narrowed in determination and a grim smirk crossed her lips as she found a good handhold.

The next swing from the hide walker was much easier to block with the spiked club. She was even able to slide it up the shaft of the Battleaxe and twist which momentarily locked the deadly implements together thanks to the spikes on the club. It then became a test of strength between her and it. It was strong, to be sure. But Adga refused to be bested. Her hand slid up the shaft of the spiked club until she could grab the shaft of the interlocked ax. She gripped the shaft of the Battleaxe tight and yanked with everything she had. She then smacked the Dragonling in the face with her shield while pulling the ax out of its grasp while the spiked club clattered to the ground. The task was certainly made easier since it was missing parts of its fingers. She made a mental note to thank Tur later.

The hide walker stumbled forward rather than releasing the weapon. With it off balance she brought up the shield and sliced the sharpened edge across its throat. The stench of death, ancient and evil, along with copious amounts of dust poured out of the wound. The hand's missing claws reached up to the horrid gash even as the clawed hand slashed across her cheek and drew four lines of blood.

“Oh, no you didn’t!” Adga snarled. She angled her shield, so the clawed hand smacked into it. She then used the newly procured ax and swung with everything she had. The blade of the ax cut through the lower arm and let out a reverberating clang as it smashed into her shield. The lower arm, just below the elbow, fell to the ground. Since it was a double-bladed weapon, she did a backhand slash around the already open wound across the neck. Inky choking blackness poured out of both wounds.

The blade stuck into the neck bone as the head lost some support and slumped over onto its left shoulder. However, it was still not done. Even as Adga coughed at the vileness pouring out of the wounds, the Dragonling spun and smacked its tail into the back of Adga’s lower legs. She lost hold of the ax and fell on her butt hard.

Suddenly a hard gust of wind pushed the putrid mist back from Adga. A glance back allowed her to see the female Qling had a hand outstretched and currents of wind, visible because of all the dust in the air, were still streaming out of it, but diminishing rapidly.

Adga wanted to shout out thanks but instead had to roll as the vile creature extended claws from its toes and tried to stomp on her.

“Bootless, huh?’ Adga snarled as she grabbed the discarded spiked club and rolled clear of another tail swipe, stomp combo.

As the brown-scaled foot slammed into the stone floor with a poof of dust yet again, Adga smashed the metal club down on the foot just below the ankle. The heavy weapon combined with her strength, crushed the scales and bones underneath. The former Dragonling toppled.

Adga jumped up and let out a string of curses as her head once again hit the ceiling. While one hand rubbed the top of her head, she stomped down on the hide walker’s upper back, just below the neck. This drove the blade of the Battleaxe deeper which finally severed the spine. As the Dragonling spasmed, she brought the spiked club down with both hands half a dozen times until the head fell free of the body and was crushed beyond all recognition.

Adga looked around. Weapons, bones, old and rotted equipment, and close to a score of dead walkers were down. Gordech, Cusan, Torga, and the Dragon-thing all had bloody wounds but were up. Each fought a one-on-one battle with the remaining undead. All had the upper hand. The female Cuson look-alike was down on a knee with a nasty gash on her side.

Tur was in the far-left corner fighting two bone walkers, one of which had quite a bit of tissue left, while the other had none and its eyes blazed with a crimson flame hot enough to cause the areas around the eye sockets to look blackened and burned. Both dead walkers seemed to be fighting defensively so as to not let Tur get to a bloody sobbing urchin behind them. At the same time, both appeared to want to kill the child, but Tur was having none of it, so even as he attacked he also blocked shots directed at the tyke. The problem was the area was tight, thus any attempt to help would hinder Tur and his defense of the kid.

Adga moved up to the gate crank to cut off other dead walkers from entering from whatever was below but had to smash the skull of a dead walker that had still oozing flesh over much of it but bones in the arms were stripped of skin. Whoever it had been either had little skill in combat while living or brought none with it as it came back as a dead walker. The only attempt to her hasty uppercut with the spiked club was to try to smack at it with an open hand. It didn’t even slow the momentum behind the swing. The club hit the underside of the chin, ripped the head free, and drove it into the top of the gate frame. Skull spit into several pieces and grey matter splattered Adga and all those close to her.

Before she could do more than wipe some of the gore off her face, Adga found herself in a battle with the stunned brown-scaled Dragonling touched by Vendra’s spirit aid in the passage leading down. While still partially stupefied, it slashed at her hand as she reached for a Gnome Steel crank with a chain wrapped around it. By all appearances, she guessed and hoped would lower the gate and block the passage.

Because of its drunk-like state, the clawed attack was easy to block but forced her to back up a step so she could swing the spiked club outside of the restrictions of the passage leading down. The club sent brown scales flying and caused the bone under the shoulder to powder. The right arm lost all support as it stumbled hard into Adga and pushed her back another step.

A string of curses emerged from Adga as a thin but tall shambling mound of long-dead flesh and scales came out of the passage and blocked all access to the gate crank. This fueled another brutal swing of the club. The blow split the skull of the already damaged dead walker. The former Dragonling fell in a heap.

She started to move up to the crank yet again but stopped as she noticed the big, headless, Dragonling convulse.

The black mist continued to swirl out of the Dragonling. Suddenly Tur shouted, “By the gods, The rise of the Dragon Warriors described this perfectly! It must be true!”

“What?” Adga, Cusan, the strange blue and copper Dragon-thing, and Taglon all shouted nearly at the same time.

“Commander!” Tur shouted as he stood upright and threw both the Battleaxe and Kukri down. We need bright light behind me now or we are all dead!”

Almost before he could get the last words out, Taglon yanked his Dagger of Light and twisted it to as bright as it would go, and jumped into the room. “What is going on?”

Tur spun to put himself directly in front of Taglon “Hold the light steady! Everyone stay out of my shadow!”

As Adga took in some deep breaths and wiped at the bloody lines on her cheek. But she could see the swirls of inky blackness coalescing into a shape. Her eyes went wide even as she stepped to the left to give Tur as much room as possible. “Tur, you sure you can handle this?”

“If not you will have to re-kill me, commander, but yes I believe I can! But everyone must stay out of my shadow and… Commander, please order the guard to hold the light steady!”

“I am at your command gladiator!” Taglon shouted. “Everyone fall back behind me or hold in place and do not move!”

Adga moved behind Taglon. As she did so, Tur seemed to do some quick showdown boxing, only… it was extremely odd… the shadowy punches he threw connected with the inky blackness.

The black form seemed to recoil but continued to coalesce into the form of something with a female body with ragged wings, talons on fingers and feet, and a feathery tail. It reminded Adga of a Harpy, only this thing had a bear-like head.

“Come on!” Tur growled, “just once…” He continued to punch at it, only he used his shadow to make contact with the figure.

As if on cue, the dark form took a fist to the face. A disembodied, hideously angry, and time-worn voice came out of it, “Boy, you will be my first meal in millennia!”

“You cannot bite me bitch,” Tur responded with disgust. “You are… you are shade!”

Tur hit it again with his shadow. Two shots to its face caused a hiss that seemed to reverberate off all the walls.

Its head shot out and the head bit into the shadow of Tur’s forward leg.

Tur let out a howl of pain, however, he seemed to be ready for what happened for even as bloody ooze came tricked down his leg and onto the stone floor, the Shade form took a more solid form, he twisted his hands so the blades of his gauntlets were clearly identifiable in his shadow. He then struck with both. His right-bladed fist hit the cheek that was biting on his leg while the left slammed into the side of the bear-like harpy.

The creature screamed. Waves of sound became momentarily visible as they pushed dust away from the creature. It backed off trailing wisps of what appeared to be shadowy smoke. At the same time, the eyes flared red and a taloned hand went to its side. “No! This is impossible!” The voice reverberated through the walls and halls, and while no one knew the language spoken, it was somehow understood by all.

Tur spoke through gritted teeth and spoke with clear pain. “Rule one of the Shadow Slayers: once bitten even the shadows of a mundane or its items hold the power of the Shadow Realms!” His left foot lashed out. He used his shadow to extend his reach. The shadow of his foot hit the bird-like knee. There was a bizarre echo-like sound as the leg bent back and the creature fell clutching its leg. Half a dozen more punctures opened with shadowy smoke as Tur slid forward and used the shadows of his bladed gauntlets to deliver a flurry of blows.

The nearly solid totally black creature screeched and howled even as it pulled itself into an area of shadow.

Gordech spoke loudly as he pulled a dagger of light off his own belt and twisted it. The area of shadow vanished.

Once again the bull-headed harpy screamed. “Do you now know who I am!”

Tur responded with a shadow roundhouse which violently snapped the creature’s head back, and shouted, “I do not care.” The Falconling shook his head and looked over to Cuson. He spoke again.

Cuson did his best to translate. “He said to back off and look at the new shades… um, shadows… I… I think it said you need to relearn the light?”

Tur nodded in understanding. He rubbed his leg. But quickly stood up straight and did a quick round of shadow boxing.

As this happened the creature leaking shadowy mist from multiple locations pulled itself toward the passage.

Tur snarled, “Oh, no, you give me back what you took before you go anywhere!” He spun back toward Gordech so his shadow stretched longer under the Falconling’s Dagger of Light and hissed as he threw a right-hand haymaker.

The creature pulled up an arm to block. The shadows of the blades on Tur’s gauntlet opened up very deep gashes on the held-up arm, which was pulled back as the vile thing screamed in clear agony.

Tur’s left gauntleted shadow followed up with an uppercut. The blades sank into the gut and came out just below the chin. Shadowy essence flowed out of both wounds.

The shadowy figure quivered under the assault. It gasped out in a weak hollow voice, “My children, come to my aid or waste away in the shadows!”

A series of ghostly screeches came from down the passage. Suddenly half a dozen shadowy figures shot up the passage.

Tur was exceptionally fast. He caught the first one with a shadow gauntlet to the face. The voice of the scream was of a young girl, but it didn’t last long. It exploded into a spray of inky waves of blackness. A shower of belongings fell from out of the center as the bull-headed shadow bellowed, “No! Banfarie, No! You all will die for the murder of my firstborn! Great Grandmother… I call upon you for aid: Electoroma! I need you!”

A roar of rage came out of Gordech as this was said. While he said many words, the final one clearly came out to all “… Rovnar!” At the same time, the Falconling extended its wings fully. On the inside of both were a red blade and black handle of a dagger, an emblem of Rovnar, God of Trickery, and Thievery. Only these were not worn items. Instead, they were placed as red and black feathers intermixed with his normal blue and yellow.

Both wings flared: rays of red sprayed out of both insignias. Four of the remaining five shadows blew apart under the assault and at least a dozen dead walkers further down the passage crumpled into bones. Several others turned to powder. In the corner, the shadowy figure jerked and convulsed while its hands went to its neck as if it was trying to break out of something strangling it.

A new voice came out of Gordech, one understood by all, “Ah, so this is where the last of the line of Electoroma fled to. Interesting! And Gordech, great timing to finally do your duty to me… Oh, and how wonderful to see you again!”

A panicked and horrified voice came from behind Adga. She spun to see Vendra talking but there was no question it was not Vendra’s voice. “Rovnar! You cannot do this! If found out, you will break the blood treaty between my master, you, and all the other gods, and the demon lords!”

The left hand of Gordech gave a dismissive flip of a wrist, “Keweenaw, for a Sun Phoenix Spirit you are too skittish! Relax and tell Zerris this is very much within the boundaries of the contract! For written within point 7,013, page 4,213, Part Zion subsection 13.13 is a clause that now comes into play.” The voice deepened “Any God or Demon Lord can directly come to the aid of his or her first three and only the first three original channelers, once every hundred years, for half the span of a bell chime, divided by the order of the Channeler to enter service, with non-uses to be held back for use in perpetuity!” The voice went back to a higher pitch. “I should know, I am the one who added said line moments before the blood signing! It is not my fault none of the others used said stipulation before this.”

“Your typical deceptions, Rovnar! There is no such line…”

The voice coming out of Gordech laughed hard, “Oh, ye of too much faith in what you have been told… It most certainly is. However, of all the spirits available, why did Zerris send you? You are far too powerful for the young good-looking lass you took over.”

“She is too young for you to drool over… And I think you have far too many kin as it is, Rovnar!” the voice out of Vendra responded with a hint of indignation. “As for why I am here; I was drawn by the feeling of one, or more, of my immortal-mortal kin in danger!”

“Oh, I have time for the young lass to grow before I court her… But let Zerris know I will seek her permission since the young lass is in her service. The voice out of Gordech spoke in aggravation. “Nonetheless, now, since you mention it, I do feel what drew you here. Let me deal with it. Now exit the girl before you burn her up from the inside out. She cannot contain you much longer. But her will is strong, so I shall see what I can do for her and your kin. But we will need eggs.”

“I will get them, and may even owe you should you pull this off Rovnar, however, if it is not within the contract, you will be seriously punished.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… Yadda, yadda, yadda. Nothing I have not heard…” Gordech’s taloned hands wiggled amazingly fast, “1,346,980 times before, with another just added. Nothing has ever stuck because I play within the rules set in the blood contract. Sometimes highly twisted in meanings, but not this time.”

Gordech gave a dismissive flip of his left arm, “Now be off or… Better yet, help and slow the last shadow without destroying it. At the same time, the somewhat inspiring lad ends the granddaughter of Electoroma, so I can finish my grandiose diatribe for the betterment of all of us!”

A burst of light shot out of Vendra and formed into a blazing bird. Vendra instantly fell face-first into her puke on the floor. The final shadow figure was surrounded by bands of fiery light which stripped away its shadow form and left a young teen boy, with all the features of the Harpy-like shadow on the floor. The lad screamed as the burning bands wrapped around its hands, feet, and wings, and a last fiery cord slipped between the leg, wings, and hand restraints and pulled the wailing figure into a full hogtie. “You best be right about this, Rovnar,” the bird stated before it disappeared into the passage leading down. Its flames licked out to destroy a score more undead, then burst into a brilliant fire that knocked six sparkly Dragonling figures, four other humanoids, and a pair of Tigerlings to their knees. Final words come out, “The essences of my kin are within those I did not destroy! I will do nothing more to them. However, they are Electroroma-touched abominations outside their true forms. I leave them for you to deal with. And yes, more coming, I would hurry!”

The voice coming out of Gordech, snickered, “The spirits have become too concerned with their own places in the outer realms. My own would have done ever so much better! At least it would have cleared the lower sewer to buy you extra time.” This was followed by a sigh and chuckle, “But I give it credit where credit is due, for I didn’t see it gift wrapping the last of the line of Electoroma for you. I will have to congratulate it when I have a moment!”

As the voice within Gordech took a deep breath a nest with several very warm, reddish-orange eggs appeared next to Vendra.

“Wow, I didn’t know any of Zerris’ spirits could act so fast. Yet another reason to gift Keweenaw with something. However, be careful, for my guess is the eggs if done correctly, will hatch quickly. Nonetheless, a quick reaction by an animal adept could score a pet of the ages.”

There was a pause as Gordech seemed to look at the bull-headed harpy boy. “Speaking of the fine looking one within your group; my supposition is only your channeler of Zerris will be able to untie him. But moving on, for time is short and I am sure there are at least a dozen of my compatriots digging through the blood-bound contract and will certainly have questions… However, once again, it was their fault, for none would sign until I did, so I was able to quickly flip through and add the needed passage and sign without notice. With my name being the first, the others signed quickly because the realms of Cataclysm were rolling in. There was little time left for us to combine powers to stabilize the pocket around this realm.

“Now, companions of my faithful feather friend, you need to slice the pouches on Mother before you finish her. For to open them when they become solid will place you in extra danger.”

Off to the side, Tur blinked and shook his head as if coming out of a stupor. His eyes narrowed and he stepped back. The shadows of his bladed gauntlets once again shot out. They swiped at a pair of bulges on the shadowy form. Items, including several gems, scores of coin, a trio of rings, and a bracelet scattered across the floor.

“Nooooo! Those are for my afterlife and a return to mortality!” it hissed as a shade hand tried to grab some of the items.

The shadow of a blade on Tur’s left gauntlet caught the hand in the wrist as it reached out. It was vicious enough to nearly take the handoff. It hung down on a flap of shadow while more inky blackness poured out.

“No, no, no… NO! it shouted as it fully lunged at Tur. From behind everyone, an arrow hit the figure with a crackling heat. It then turned to ash, but the shadow of the arrow remained in the chest of the bear-headed figure. It screamed, “Frozen Flame!’ as it was knocked back from Tur.

Adga’s head jerked just in time to see Nuk roll past Tez, his machete in hand. He went low and came up with the blade between the shadowy bear-headed harpy’s legs. It also glowed with a deep fiery red. It cut upward all the way into the creature’s stomach.

The shadowy figure stumbled back into the wall and slid down, but stopped as another arrow, fired by Tez, shot through the doorway, and caught it in the neck. The arrow did the same thing as the first, but the shadow of the arrow stuck into the wall behind the shady form holding it helplessly up.

Tur leaped back into the fray as he stepped his shadow back from the shadow form, pulled both gauntlets back behind his head, and plunged shadows of blades into both eye sockets.

The figure burst into fragments of shadowy strands. Like from the other shadows, items exploded outward as it ceased its existence. However, one of the shadow strands went up the nose of Tur and caused him to fall to his knees and gasp.

As all turned to look with weapons up, the voice within Gordech spoke. “Knock it off, all of you half-grown pups… Ummm, hope one of you is close to ending her growth, but your aura says otherwise… Regardless, the spirited lad is just getting back what he allowed the Shade to take! He will be fine! And let it be known, his actions just sent the granddaughter of Electoroma to the final afterlife with nothing. Not even enough of her is left to attempt to become mortal again! She will be a fun toy for the others to play with for many centuries!”

The voice continued to come out of Gordech, “Oh, and while I still have a moment, I must implore: use the proper stones, finish the Sand Dragonlings, still life-looking others, or the two Tigerlings below, but do so with compassion, then stand well back. What you find in their place requires you to quickly be put into the needed challenges before they can realign. For while hostile, it is not their fault, and they will, if who they were, are able to reclaim what was taken, be useful going forward… but you must first use what is scattered across the floor.

“Now for the benefit of your living essence, know this: do not touch the glowing stones on the floor. Allow those hostile to you to fight a battle between those they had helped take over and what is held within. Gordech, you should be able to figure out what they are. Just think back to your time of the Shield Fall and the creatures who used like items to delay, and in a few cases, best the elite guards at the gate wall.

“Oh, and Gordech, you owe me several epochs of assistance. It’s about time you came back into my service!”

Gordech dropped to his knees as a halfling-sized figure in red-scaled armor, with a black vest of thirteen throwing knives covering his chest stepped out of him. A pair of clearly frozen-flame anelaces, since the handles glowed with the same crests as Nuk and Tez’s weapons, stuck up over his back. The figure seemed to brush himself off and sighed. “You need a bath. I can still smell the sulfurous smell of Pyrothermal’s obsidian storm and the deaths of hundreds on you!”

The Halfling glanced over at Tur, “Your reading of my channelers’ tomes has served you well, but there is so much more you need to learn.”

Tur blinked and managed to gasp out, “My master has only found me thirteen of the volumes of the Rise of the Dragon Warriors series…”

“Thirteen of a hundred and thirteen? My, my, you have studied them and done quite well to get as much as you have out of only thirteen, but it is my number and can be ever so lucky to those who use it properly... Look for the other tomes; they will provide more lessons to become a Shadow Slayer fully.”

The Halfling pushed the Axehammer originally held by the Undead Dragonling back over to Tur with his red-scaled right boot. “However, considering your dedication and belief in the arts talked about in the tomes written by my channelers, I feel a gift of loyalty is in order. Take hold of the dark silver Axehammer. I feel you deserve it.

Tur glanced over to Adga, ”Commander?”

“Tur!” Adga shouted in exasperation, “Do you really think I would go directly against a GOD!”

“Most no,” Tur stated as he reached out to grab the axehammer. “However, you… possibly.”

Tez snickered as he razed his bow and aimed at one of the Tigerlings. “After the way you talked to Count Sabon Kandahar, you just might!”

“Same thought I had!” Nuk snorted as he moved up on one of the wobbling Dragonlings down in the passage.

“OK, maybe,” Adga was forced to agree. “But, damnit Tur, this ain’t one of them times. Grab the hammer! Just grab it!”

The hand of the red-scale armored Halfling touched the handle and Tur’s fingers while laughing, “Ah, I love you four. You should be in my order! Find the key to the Sand Dragon Vault and I will be able to provide you with a gifting allowing you to become one!”

As Tur shook his head and gasped for air, the shaft of the strangely swirled axehammer flared a bright red then faded into Tur’s hand before it became solid again. The Halfling kissed Tur on the cheek and took a step back. “Know, I am often worshiped by slaves and ex-slaves; for freedom is a side calling of mine. And as one, you have nothing but my respect and passion.”

He glanced over to Tez, “And you, young one of one of my favored houses, need to learn how to shoot a bow without exposing yourself. Unless, perchance, you enjoy arrows in your arm…”

He glanced over to Adga, gave her a wink, and spun to look at Nuk, “And you,” he drew a blade over his back with such incredible speed, that it was a blur, and pointed it at Nuk. “The big one finds you cute. Something I cannot argue, for I feel the eyes of Vindayin looking on you with a smidge of longing… And she has good taste, for her eyes have a similar look when eyeing a certain red-headed whelp who is ever so annoying… Nevertheless, you could do worse, for your current commander is certainly going in the right direction!”

As Nuk gulped and went pale, the red-armored figure resheathed his blade in a flash and glanced back at Adga with a smirk and another wink, “But I probably am pushing the limits of the contract, so I shall be going. Hope to talk to you all again soon. Besides, more are coming, and you have a fight in front of you! One I look forward to observing!”

The Halfling scribbled something in the air which caused red and black writing to appear. A door opened and he stepped through. Adga, along with several others could see into a room with a spinning portal around it. There were faces of several beings, male and female, all looking at a massive tome and staring with wide eyes as the Halfling jumped through. The last exchange of words was fading but clear, “See, just as I told Keweenaw: It is clearly written: Point 7,013, page 4,213, Part Zion subsection 13.13.”

A female let out an exasperated huff, “Rovnar, this was not in our agreement with the Demon Lords!”

“Oh, but it was Syria. It was inserted, just as you see with your own eyes. Vindayin would be reading the same if her eyes were not turned toward a Highman lad who I believe is already spoken for.

“Speaking of which, as the goddess of healing, I think you would want them in better shape for the coming fight…

“As for the passage in the contract, it was incorporated in about a trickle of two or three grains of sand before my signature. It is not my fault none checked after I flipped through the contract before signing.”

There were several shouts of “Rovnar!” moments before the door snapped shut.

As it did so, an Elvin woman extended her one hand and pointed, sending out a cascade of warm healing light while her other cuffed a clearly laughing Rovnar on the back of his head.