Chapter 15: The Goblin Puzzle
With Furlus leading the way, they readied their weapons and descended the steps that led below the altar. Saranna stayed at the rear to guard the Squires' backs, her saber in hand and her wolf at her side. The Squires all carried lanterns, leaving the adults free to more easily wield their weapons. On the way down, Vorden whispered something to Jerret and Aldreya that no one else could catch a word of.
As they stood before the wheel lock, Vorden and Timlin got on either side of Lannon, while Jerret, looking uncomfortable, took a position behind him and placed his hand on Lannon's back. For a moment, Aldreya stood next to Taris, looking uncertain. Then she stepped forward and also placed her hand on Lannon's back.
Lannon could feel the Tower Masters gazing at him, and he wasn't immediately able to summon the Eye due to his nervousness. Also, the two hands pressed into his back were distracting, though Lannon realized Jerret and Aldreya were simply pretending to be helping with the process.
After several failed attempts, the Knights began to grow restless. "Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Furlus.
"Are we distracting you?" asked Taris.
Lannon shook his head. "Sometimes it takes awhile."
"What are these Squires up to?" said Caldrek, to Taris.
Taris did not reply, and they all waited in silence.
At last the Eye emerged, and a moment later Lannon had solved the wheel lock. As the wheel stopped spinning and the click arose, Caldrek whispered in awe, "The Eye of Divinity," to Shennen.
Shennen nodded. "Only the Eye could do this."
Furlus clapped Lannon on the back. "Good work, boy!"
All of Lannon's attention had been focused on the lock, but now, acting on a whim, Lannon turned and directed the Eye upon Taris Warhawk. And he saw nothing. The Eye of Divinity reached forth, probing the Birlote sorcerer from head to toe, but the only thing that came to Lannon's mind was an image of darkness. Then he realized that Taris was smiling at him from beneath his hood.
"You wish to learn my secrets?" Taris mused. "Yet you have not mastered your powers well enough for that task. I do not wield the power of Tharnin, if that is what you're wondering. My mind and body are shielded from you for another reason. You should beware of what you gaze upon, young Lannon, until you're able to deal with the things you are shown. You still have much to learn."
Embarrassed, Lannon turned away. As he did so, Darius, who was sniffing around by the door, suddenly let out a warning growl. Before the others could react, the door of Glaetherin burst open, knocking Darius aside, and something dark leapt through, long talons swiping at Lannon. Lannon caught a glimpse of half-developed bat wings, a rodent-shaped head that had no eyes and tapered into a wolf-snout, and long, crooked arms that ended in clusters of deadly claws. A sickening stench--both physical and of evil itself--flooded the passageway. The will of the Deep Shadow gripped their souls.
It was a Bloodfang, like the one the Squires had glimpsed in the dungeons below Old Keep. Only this one was not caged.
Screeching insanely, the Bloodfang hurtled at Lannon with a blur of wings, teeth, and claws. But Furlus grabbed Lannon with one meaty hand before the beast could maul him and tossed him out of harm's way. The Blood Fang's claws ripped into Furlus' plate armor, and the Grey Dwarf was born backwards to the floor, locked in a death struggle. The claws tore at his chest, while the teeth sought to pierce his throat. Furlus fought furiously, protecting himself with his hands and knees. His great beard helped to defend his throat, for the creature's claws became momentarily tangled in it.
The others recovered from their surprise. Caldrek leapt at the beast, and Taris raised his burning stone dagger. But Shennen got there first. His shimmering short swords moved with blinding speed, cleaving deep wounds in the Bloodfang, yet he failed to dislodge it from Furlus.
Caldrek plunged his own gleaming blade into the monster's back an instant later, which caused a shudder to run through the Bloodfang but again could not drive it off of Furlus. Cursing, the Red Knight twisted the blade around inside the beast--but to no avail. The Goblin still refused to give up on the Grey Dwarf.
Saranna reacted slower than the other two, but made the most effective move, slicing her saber deep into the Bloodfang's neck in an effort to behead it. But as good a stroke as it was, the razor-sharp blade still could not cleave all the way through the knotty flesh and bone. The Bloodfang screeched and loosened its grip some, swiping at Saranna with one claw that shredded her chain mail and drew blood. Meanwhile, Darius lunged at the monster and bit into one of its legs.
The Squires stared on helplessly, their faces gone pale. In Lannon's shock, the Eye of Divinity retreated partially back into him, and he could only lie on the floor where Furlus had thrown him and watch as the frantic struggle took place.
Then Taris hurled a blinding fireball from his dagger and it exploded into a shower of sparks against the Bloodfang's skull. The Goblin collapsed on top of Furlus and went limp, green smoke rising from its head and dark blood pouring from its jaws.
Furlus lay coughing and sputtering for a moment, and then he shoved the creature off of him. He wiped the foul Goblin blood from his beard. Then he clambered up from the floor. "One less filthy Goblin," he remarked.
They studied the fallen monster. A steel chain was fastened to its leg, leading beyond the door to an iron ring embedded in the tunnel floor.
"Placed here to guard the passageway," said Caldrek. "Not a bad choice, I must say. I've never seen a Goblin quite like it."
"There are worse ones down here," Furlus said grimly.
Shennen knelt by the creature, his cold eyes glittering in the lantern light. "Who could have captured one of these in such a manner? A simple chain on its leg? Surely the beast would have torn its captor apart."
The others had no answer.
They gathered by the doorway. As they watched in tense silence, a figure stepped from the shadows and began walking towards them down the tunnel. It was a Goblin Lord--a Foul Brother dressed in a black robe and carrying a dark, twisted scepter that seemed to radiate a purple glow. Black runes were painted on its bald head and face, making its cunning, evil eyes stand out. It grinned at them, showing yellow, lumpy teeth. "Greetings, Knights of the Divine Order," it hissed.
Taris pulled Lannon near to him, and called forth the fire into his dagger.
The others readied their weapons.
None among the party had imagined such an event would occur. A Goblin Lord in the mines beneath Dremlock was strange enough. Yet for it to walk casually towards them, its staff held loosely in its hand, was a sight no one was prepared for. For several moments no one said a word. The Goblin stopped just a few yards away from them, its grin broadening into sheer malicious glee.
Then Taris Warhawk spoke. "What game have you come to play, showing yourself so boldly?"
The Goblin Lord gave a choked-sounding laugh. "I want the same thing you want. I've come to give you what you seek."
The others stood silent, confused.
"The Eye of Divinity," said the Goblin Lord, its black eyes growing wide. "You wish to use it on me? Well, isn't that correct? You want to find my weakness. The boy..." It pointed a bony finger at Lannon. "Go on, lad, use your power upon me. I will not resist."
Trembling, Lannon glanced towards Taris.
"Do nothing, Lannon," said Taris, "until I tell you to."
"Why hesitate?" said the Goblin Lord. "Now is your chance, while I give it freely."
"This is a trap of some sort," said Furlus. "Obviously."
"No trap," said the Goblin Lord. "Just an offer."
"We don't want your filthy offer," said Furlus.
Caldrek stroked his mustache, shaking his head. His blue eyes were narrowed into slits. "How dare you show your face like this? So many friends of mine perished trying to rid Silverland of your evil..."
"And more will perish, feeble Knight," said the Goblin Lord. "That is--if Dremlock does not surrender.
You know what is taking place. You know that I serve a master who seeks your downfall. And you know that Goblins are no longer mindless animals hunted down by the Knights of Dremlock for their amusement. We have a voice now and a purpose. You speak of your companions who were killed? What of my brothers, who have been hunted mercilessly by the so-called Divine Knights for centuries?"
"That's different!" growled Caldrek. "Everyone knows Goblins are the filthy spawn of the Deep Shadow. None of you are fit to live."
"And I say the same of your race," said the Goblin Lord.
"Your race was hunted by us Knights," said Taris, "because of your aggressions against Birlotes, Noracks, and Olrogs. Had you lived peacefully, Dremlock would have had no need to make war on you. But time and again, you have risen against us. Time and again, you have killed unjustly. That is why we seek to banish you from Silverland."
The Goblin's grin twisted into a sneer. "I have not come to beg mercy for Goblins, Tower Master. We neither need it nor desire it. It is the Divine Knights who will beg for mercy from us, soon enough. Now, will you accept my offer?"
Shennen stepped towards the Goblin Lord. "You have a weakness. Now it is my turn to search for it. And I do not fail so easily!"
"Wait a moment, Shennen," said Taris. "Maybe we do want his offer. Let the Goblin first tell us exactly what it entails. If the offer proves unworthy, you may then put your skills to the test. All of us will--and I very much doubt even a Goblin Lord could survive an attack by all of us combined."
The Goblin Lord went into a laughing fit, snorting and drooling. "No need for that, I assure you. My offer is simple. I will allow the Eye of Divinity to be used on me because I have no weakness. I will prove to you beyond a doubt that Goblin Lords are invincible, that Dremlock's fate is sealed. And then you will have no choice but to surrender."
"Surrender?" rumbled Furlus. "We shall see about that. I've heard enough of this nonsense. Let's see if you can put yourself back together again when Furlus Goblincrusher gets done with you!"
Taris stepped towards the Goblin Lord. "You think we are fools? Taris Warhawk is no fool. I have seen through your plan. Somehow, you know Lannon isn't ready to see the things you would show him, that he might find your weakness but not be able to speak of it because he would be driven mad."
The Goblin Lord glanced about with uncertainty and backed up a step. It held its gnarled staff before it in a defensive posture. Whether invincible or not, fear was clearly reflected in its dark eyes as its gaze passed over the party. It backed up another step, its muscled tensed as if in preparation to flee.
"But nevertheless," Taris said, "we will accept your offer."
Its eyes widening in surprise, the Goblin Lord hissed, "You will use the Eye on me?"
Taris nodded. "Lannon, release the Eye of Divinity upon the Goblin."
"What are you doing?" said Furlus. "If this is a trap, why are we going along with it? I say let's settle this the way an Olrog would! As you said, the boy could lose his sanity. We should not risk this, Taris."
"Leave this to me," said Taris, placing his hand on Lannon's shoulder. "I have prepared myself well for this situation."
Lannon stared at the Goblin Lord, hesitating. The Eye was still unlocked, waiting to either be sent forth or be sealed away. But what was this talk of him being driven mad? What would he see when he probed the Goblin?
"Do not be afraid," said Taris. "You can do this, Lannon."
Taris' words eased Lannon's mind somewhat, and he slowly reached out with the Eye, probing the outer surface of the Goblin Lord. He intended to proceed with caution, but the Eye was suddenly sucked into the Goblin Lord, revealing its secrets in a rush of feelings and images. Lannon saw and felt something abhorrent to nature, a mutating of life that had come to resemble a sort of living death. A dark power bound this creature together--one that radiated from its heart, which was protected by a thick shell of bone and existed in the lower back. As long as this heart was intact, it could bind the creature back together again under most any circumstances. To kill the Goblin Lord, the heart would have to be utterly destroyed--burned completely into ashes by magical fire.
But the Eye of Divinity probed deeper, revealing that the Goblin Lord did not actually possess the power that it appeared to possess. It was only a powerful illusion placed in the minds of those who confronted it. Goblin Lords did not regenerate after being cut into pieces, because it only appeared that they were cut into pieces. The blades actually hacked through empty air. The Knights would have to see through that illusion and destroy the Goblin Lord's heart that was the source of all its power. It would not be an easy task, but it could be done.
Lannon had seen enough, and he tried to draw the Eye back inside him. But this Goblin was a puppet controlled by the Deep Shadow, and Lannon could not stop himself from delving into it. The Eye groped about, finding the threads that bound the Goblin to its master, and then it followed them to the source.
Lannon found himself drawn into a realm from which he could not escape. He felt a sense of coldness and loss beyond reason. It was as if his flesh had been stripped away, and all that remained of him was a ghostlike entity trapped in the Shadow Realm. Ages seemed to pass in the black silence, and Lannon's life of before became vague and shadowy, dreamlike. Lannon suspected that once he had dwelt in another world outside the Shadow Realm, but that it had been so long ago that the gateway to that world no longer existed. Regardless, he certainly could not find it in this endless void. Lannon felt that he would dwell in the Shadow Realm for infinity.
But then came Taris' whisper, faint and distant, telling him to abandon that place and come back to the world of the living. The whisper inspired hope, making Lannon wonder if indeed there was something beyond the great darkness, and he willed himself towards the sound of it. The whisper sought to lure him on, but Lannon lost his grasp on it. He thought he would never regain it.
Yet the whisper suddenly called to him again, much fainter than before. Lannon followed it, and this time it grew louder, until it became a command to wake him. Green eyes gleamed in the darkness, and burning fingers reached into his soul.
"Wake up!" Taris commanded.
Lannon's eyes sprang open and he sat up, his body trembling. The others stood over him looking relieved. The Eye of Divinity had drawn all the way inside him, and the Goblin Lord was gone from the passageway.
"We need to burn their hearts," said Lannon.