Chapter 4 - The Great Hall

Their feet sent echoes whispering around the Great Hall. Massive sandstone columns and soaring arches supported a vaulted roof that stretched away into the distance. Stone statues stood in silent disapproval in alcoves, a silent march down each wall, and the wind howled through the broken windows, remnants of coloured glass clinging like broken teeth to the battered gums of the once magnificent building.

"There aren't even any birds in here," whispered Mirn. He had rejoined them as they had reached the massive doors to the hall having found no sign of the human girl, although he had reported hearing faint laughter as he'd tripped over a broken cobblestone. "Dak, there really is something odd going on in this City."

"I agree." The monk stood with his palms facing upwards, a globe of energy dancing on each one. As they watched, the two globes lifted and shot off along the length of the hall, one racing down each side. "Seeker globes," explained Dak. "If there's any magic here they'll find it."

The group watched as the globes sped around the hall until both halted alongside an alcove. After a few seconds, one hovered above it, and the other moved back to the monk's hand and melted into his palm. "Hmm, this could be interesting. Follow me. Mirn keep watch please."

"Yes, your tonsuredness," he said, and skittered away grinning as the dwarf growled at him.

"Bloody smart-mouthed, pointy eared..." the rest of the dwarf's comments trailed off as he stomped away from them muttering his way toward the orb, Dulain casting a grin at Mirn as he turned back to the main doors of the hall.

"Edoran, check the other doors to see if we have a way out should we need it, I'll go with Dak."

"Okay brother," replied the elf jogging away to the far side of the hall.

Dulain joined Dak at the alcove as the remaining orb resorbed into his skin. "Anything interesting?"

The dwarf closed his eyes and held a palm out to the statue offering up a brief prayer. "There's some form of relict magic here, but I have no idea what it is or the form of the spell that's in play here. There are some forms of magic, particularly the human ones, which are lost to us now. The statue appears to be of Queen Sorenna."

"She who perished at the fall of the City of Ai."

"Aye," replied Dak and sighed as the elf grinned at him. "You make a joke of that Dulain, and I'll rip off your arm and beat you with it."

"Ai wouldn't dare," said the elf still grinning.

"Children... I'm surrounded by children." The dwarf sighed and looked over at Edoran who had reached the door in the opposite wall of the hall, and was cautiously peeking into the dark beyond. "I suppose he's looking for the toy cupboard, is he? Actually, don't answer that. Make sure I'm not disturbed. I need a minute."

"Yes your grumpiness," said Dulain grinning.

"Make that both arms," muttered Dak turning back to the statue. Dulain looked at the statue while Dak concentrated his manna to probe the spells. The statue was human-sized in white marble and showed a stunning woman in her prime; no longer youthful, but still with the echo of youth in her features. Her bearing was regal, yet the carver had captured a strength in the set of her jaw and stance. A simple dress adorned her body, a golden crown rested on her brow, and in her hands, she carried a quill and a dagger, both wrought from finely carved stone.

As Dak muttered a prayer spell, golden warmth suffused the marble of the statue. The dwarf opened his eyes to watch the progress and frowned as the glow faded. "What the hell is going on here?"

Dulain opened his mouth to offer a response, but as he did, both Edoran and Mirn shouted warnings, Mirn struggling to close the vast door at the end of the Hall as he did so.

"Kobolds!" shouted Edoran again and made to shut the door, but as he did, the slender form of the human girl dashed through to join them. Ignoring them, she ran towards the large doors at the end but halted as Mirn closed them with a final-sounding thud, dropping a massive beam into the holding brackets to keep them closed.

She spun and raced toward Dak and Dulain as Mirn sprinted towards the group.

"Edoran, get the door shut!" bellowed Dak, all pretense at stealth forgotten as thuds and bangs began on the main doors to the hall.

"I can't, the damn thing is wedged open, one of the hinges has gone."

He sprinted back toward them, unlimbering his bow and reaching for an arrow. The girl ran at Dulain who stood by the statue of the human Queen, her eyes wide with terror. Opening her arms she threw herself at him, clinging to him with desperate strength. Caught off guard by the contact, Dulain staggered, twisted, and, as he managed to catch himself, there was a gasp of pain from the girl. Her arms dropped from his waist, her head whipped back and a howl broke from her lips. Blood stained her clothing and dripped from the end of the stone dagger protruding from the hand of the statue.

A kobold ran through the half-open side door, instantly punched from its feet by an arrow. Edoran reached for another and shouted for help. Mirn still sprinting along the vast length of the hall grabbed his long knife from its scabbard.

"I've got her, go," ordered Dak as he grabbed the girl. Dulain moved to join his brother, the twin blades reflecting multicoloured light from the remains of the windows around the Hall as he drew them.

A Kobold darted from the half-open door, quickly followed by another. An arrow from Edoran caught one in the throat, tumbling it to the floor in a croaking, twitching mass, the other dodged and sprinted towards Dulain who raised his swords ready.

"I'm coming," shouted Mirn, "hang on!"

Dulain parried an incoming blow and slashed his second sword through the throat of the Kobold. Another couple of creatures darted through the door, one heading for him, one for Mirn. As two more appeared, they both dropped to a crouch as they levelled their weapons.

"Edoran, Dak, crossbows!"

Dulain glanced over his shoulder, startled to see the girl floating a few inches from the floor, her head still arched back, golden light streaming from her eyes and mouth, beams of light playing across the vaulted ceiling.

Dak made a gesture with a casual hand, and a glowing shield sprang into existence around him and the girl. A second later two crossbow bolts slapped into it and fell harmlessly to the flagstones. There was a soft twang and one of the crossbowmen tumbled to the floor, the other frantically reloading as Edoran reached for another arrow.

As Dulain and Mirn engaged combatants, Mirn armed with a long-knife and a dagger, two more kobold skittered into the hall, and the remaining kobold with a crossbow placed a bolt in his weapon only to grab at the arrow protruding from his chest a second later.

Dulain dispatched his opponent and slashed his spare blade through the neck of the kobold attacking Mirn, who'd edged closer to him during combat.

"Thanks," said Mirn, his dagger lost and blood oozing from a gash in his forearm. Dulain nodded and threw himself towards the two kobold who were sprinting across the hall towards Dak and the girl.

"Dak!"

The dwarf turned to face them. Dulain wasn't going to make it in time, Edoran was still covering the doorway and Mirn was injured. More and more kobold were darting into the Great Hall. Dak concentrated and balls of energy danced on his palms, the girl still hanging suspended in golden light behind him.

"Gods dammit," Dak muttered, and dropped the shield, striding towards the kobold. Bolts of energy buzzed angrily through the air, sending kobold screaming in panic through the hall. The smell of burning hair and flesh made his eyes tear, and he lifted the mace of his holy order from his belt, whispering a battle prayer as he did so.

Mirn dropped to the stones, his eyes bulging as the jagged sword ripped through his guts, the breathless choking scream ending as another sword sliced across his jugular. The elven brothers fought back to back, Dulain's glittering blades weaving a web of death, the runes glowing blue on the blade. Edoran held his bow in one hand, a long blade in the other, and was using the two to block and slice, his ranger's blade hacking through dark skin and glowing eyes.

Dak lifted the mace and slammed it into the ground. The blessed weapon sent shock waves through the ground, buckling flagstones and shattering the remaining glass in the windows. With elven reflex, the two brothers recovered almost instantly and redoubled their efforts. "To me!" roared Dak, and the two elves finished off their opponents and dashed back to stand alongside the dwarf.

As they moved back towards the girl, a growing semi-circle of chittering evil surrounded them, scores of kobold pouring into the Great Hall. There was a whisper of movement, and the dark crowd separated to allow a shaman to step to the fore.

"You are doomed," it hissed at them, sibilance lacing its words. "All your people are doomed. Without the Eyes, you are less than nothing. The Lord of Shadow and Night returns, and this time the peoples will be removed from the face of the Realm. Bow before us, for we are the dark future. We will kill those who oppose us and enslave those who succumb. We will..." The speech ended in a gurgle as the kobold grabbed at its windpipe. There was a sharp crack and the creature dropped to the floor. Dead.

"You talk too much, underling." Pale hands rested on the shoulders of Dak and Dulain, and the human girl pushed between them. "It is you who will die." Blood still staining her clothing, the girl raised her hands above her head and brought them down with a swift scything motion. Blood spattered the walls as the entire kobold force facing them was eviscerated. Screams rent the still air of the hall and the hot, iron-rich smell of fresh blood assaulted their senses.

Another gesture and there was silence.

Dak bowed his head and muttered a soft prayer, looking the girl in the eyes as she turned to face them. "Queen Sorenna, I presume?"

"You are perceptive, monk."

"And what of the girl?"

"She still lives in here with me: the statue was enchanted and facilitated the soul transfer. I will return her to you once we have freed the City of Ai. She is the last of her kind in this city and has suffered greatly, but she is a fighter."

"But we only have one of the Eyes," said Dulain.

"Not for long gentle elf." Sorenna moved to her statue and rested a hand on the arm holding the stone blade. The golden glow Dak had prompted earlier grew, soon becoming too bright to bear. Once the glow had dissipated, a shining silver dagger rested in the palm of the statue, a glowing orange Eye in its pommel.

"The last Eye is in the bridge leading to the city. It is there which we must go next. Are you ready dwarf?"

"The name is Dak, my Lady."

"Then are you ready Dak?"

"For what?"

"Use your dagger, and your elven friend must use the other. Scribe an arc in the air and we must step through. Even now the forces of darkness gather, we have little time."

Dulain took the dagger from the human and sliced it through the air. As he did, a glittering arc appeared. Dak retrieved the dwarven blade from his pack and did the same, a dark portal opening up as the two arcs intersected.

Behind them there was a BOOM, and the main doors to the Great Hall finally surrendered to the constant assault of the rest of the kobold horde. As the chittering mass of weapon-toting madness ran at them, Sorenna strode through the portal and disappeared. Edoran shrugged and followed, Dak doing the same. Dulain nodded at the fallen Mirn, flipped a rude sign at the lead kobold warrior, and stepped through, the portal closing behind him, screams of frustrated kobold shutting off abruptly as he stepped into the void.