Fall of the Last Dragon Rider - 077 - Wood Elves and Dwarves (Patreon)

“Help that rider!” Sedel shouted as she pointed to the army of barbarians charging toward Frederick.

The dozen archers next to her drew back and unleashed arrows so quickly the dwarves who stood near them, ready to replace the baskets were in shock.  

Like rain, death fell from above, arching over the battle ground and into the mass of unprotected torsos.  Screams of pain and agony ripped through the barbarian horde.

“What are those fools doing?” Dagan asked as he stood near Sedel.  “Surely they would be wise to not rush ahead like that.”

“Apparently they believe their shields will protect them,” Sedel replied.  She motioned to an elf beside her and the woman raised an orange banner.  Two elves ran toward the fighting, each holding a wand in their hand.

“Make sure they don’t hit my army!” Dagan shouted as he began making hand signals to his dwarves nearby.   

The ones he had been signaling started blowing on horns and banners popped up along the edge of their battlefield, halting the advance on the northern front.

When the two wood elves got close to the dwarven wall of soldiers, the line of troops split so quickly, someone might have wondered if it was done by magic.  Upon reaching the front of the shield wall, each elf channeled the magic for their wand and brilliant motes of molten light erupted from the ends of them racing toward the army of barbarians slowly advancing while hiding behind their shields.

The molten orange strands grew in size and shape, soon turning into fireballs the size of a wagon and slammed into the front line of the barbarians.  Flames splattered out and stuck like pitch to anything or anyone unlucky enough to be in its path of destruction. The men and women caught in the flames were set ablaze, the lucky ones in the front dying immediately while others had to wait to succumb to the magical fire.

As if waiting for an attack like that, two shamans came from the barbarian army and strode forward, their own wands in hand.  Darkness grew at the tip of theirs and like a stream, black liquid seemed to pour out from the tips, rushing as a wave that rolled across the frozen dirt like water over a fall.

“Sedel!”

She ignored Dagan’s shout, already doing what she could.  Her hand was plunged into the ground and magic was swirling around her though no one could see it.

Short, thick trees began to sprout up before the dwarven line, growing quickly and forming a hedge before them.  Sedel was sweating and she was pale, pouring her life into this moment, ready to defend and give everything she had.  

In seconds a four foot barrier that was almost solid stretched three hundred yards across the battlefield.  The black sludge ran into it and like a water against a damn, some crest over and continued its surge. Most had been stopped by the barrier she had created, a putrid smell coming from the two magics fighting against each other.

Where the black liquid spilled over, it rushed forward, almost as if hungry for flesh, until it found a row of dwarves and one of the wood elves holding a wand.  Their bodies began to decay immediately upon contact, bones and flesh turning into a black goo on the frozen soil.

Horns roared and the dwarves still standing, having been saved from the spell by the barrier began to spread out, rushing toward the sides where it was currently safe.

“Loose,” Sedel said, her voice weak as she struggled to stand.

Dagan was next to her in a moment, offering his hand and lifting her up.

“Thank you for saving our people,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of the hundreds of men who were gone in an instant. “I’m sorry for your loss of yours.”

A tear fell from the new leader of the wood elves as she turned and saw that Dagan’s statement matched his face.  His bottom lip was drawn in and his eyes were soft.

Reaching out with her hand, Sedel stroked his face with a thumb and smiled.  

“I am sorry I could not save more of yours,” she replied. “May the spirits watch over all those we lose today and not forget why we bleed together.”

Nodding his head once, the steady gaze and strong expression returned.

The sounding of more horns made the two of them turn and study the field which was in chaos.  

“My King!”

Dagan glanced at a dwarf who had just arrived.  Giving the man a bob of his head, the runner spoke quickly.

“The rider! He will be engaging their chief!  The dragons have taken out their siege weapons!”

Looking across the field, Dagan saw that Frederick was close to the massive figure who stood above every other shirtless and paint covered fool on the opposite side.  The barbarian chief was their weakest link even though they considered him their greatest asset.  

“That boy is a fool!” Dagan shouted “Sound every horn! All lines rush forward!”

Two dwarves behind King Dagan began to wave banners and horns all along the dwarf and elf battlefield started to belt out the call for nothing to be held back.  Across the battlefield the sound of horns and soldiers shouting echoed, create goosebumps all over Dagan’s arms.  

“He’s not a fool, Frederick is trying to save lives,” Sedel stated as she stared at the dragon rider and the band of dwarves with him. “This was his plan from the beginning, and you know it.”

“Yes, but he was supposed to wait until more of them had fallen!” Dagan replied, his tone harsher than he had intended.

“And doing so would have cost how many more dwarven lives?   You should be grateful he is willing to risk his own so that more of your people can survive.”

Grimacing, Dagan felt the truth of Sedel’s words pierce his heart.  She was right.  That boy, not even old enough to have fuzz on his chin, was braver than most dwarves with a foot long beard.  

“Forgive me… I was foolish in my speech.”

Laughing, Sedel shook her head, color starting to return to her face.  “Trust me, I have spent more time with his mentor, and I can say that whatever Kaen believes has been taught to that boy.  He reminds me of a young man I lost badly to in an archery contest many years ago.”

Chuckling, Dagan found himself smirking and studying Sedel.  He could see she wasn’t joking about losing.

“Now that is a story I look forward to hearing after this is over.  Come, let’s join our people and finish this!”

Nodding, Sedel motioned to her archers, and they picked up their basket in one hand, and began to race ahead, moving to a position where they could safely attack the enemy without having to worry about hitting any dwarves.

“After you, King Dagan,” Sedel said with a grin.

Groaning, Dagan hefted his hammer and took the shield his attendant had been holding.

“Play the drums! The King joins the battle!”

An ear-splitting noise came and the roar of the dwarves shouting in excitement almost drowned out the pounding of the massive war drums that announced something not heard in a generation.  

The King of the Dwarves had come to fight.

Dagan glided across the battlefield, in armor that had been passed down for over a thousand years.  Its metal had not been seen in a millennia and those who did their best to care for it had no idea how it was once produced.  Like gold it shimmered in the light, yet it weighed almost nothing but provided just as much protection as the dragon armor Frederick wore.  Each link was so small that unless one was standing next to Dagan, they would believe it was one piece of metal.

The shield was crafted with a magical power long since forgotten and inside the middle of it rested a golden dragon scale.  Powerful magic would block almost any spell it defended against and Bosgreth had taught Dagan how to activate the Reflect ability it carried, usable once a week, but able to send back the spell that struck it at the caster.

The hammer, Lightbringer, was a legend in the history of dwarves.  Over two thousand years ago, a crafter had created it, gifting it to the King of the Dwarves.  It struck with the power of something ten times its weight and yet when swung, felt like a thin branch in the hands of a dwarf.  An enchantment bound the hammer to the King.  No one but he could carry it or use it.  

Seeing Dagan with it today as he rushed with his elite group of warriors confirmed in every dwarf’s heart that he was their King.