Champion of the Gods
Copyright© 2025 by QM
Chapter 34
Fortunately for Darras, his armour took the brunt of the explosion, and other than cuts and scrapes to his hands and face, Darras, though shocked and bruised, was uninjured.
“Not very polite,” Darras muttered as he picked himself up and strode through the now obliterated doorway.
‘Drop!’ Erren commanded, causing Darras to drop to his knees as a fireball went over his head to hit the residence opposite.
Darras then launched himself forward in a burst of speed to tackle the magic user who was using a staffwand to create another lethal spell. Darras also deliberately scuffed the magic circle that the magic user was standing in, causing the woman to scream in agony as the spell construction built around it collapsed and the feedback rebounded onto her.
Darras’s collision with the magic user knocked her back into the far wall, scattering the books on a bookshelf and causing several of them to burst into flame and crumble away. He then grabbed the woman by the collar and dragged her out of the house to allow him to deal with its contents, taking time to break the staffwand. With Erren’s help, Darras threw several tomes into the fire before going back outside to deal with the magic user.
A crowd had now gathered, some of them putting out the fire on the opposite dwelling’s woodwork, though others looked hostile towards Darras. This ceased when Erren stepped out from Darras and placed a ghostly hand on the magic user’s head, before nodding and returning to Darras.
“Who are you, stranger?” One of the bystanders asked.
“The agent of Erren,” Darras replied. “You should find the missing people inside ... some of them may still be alive.”
“Gransas was responsible?” the man asked, pointing at the magic user.
“She was using forbidden knowledge passed to her by Gorgath, the god of murder,” Darras shrugged, noticing the town guard arriving.
Explanations were then given to the guard captain as his men searched the residence, finding several people in a cellar as well as a lot more bodies preserved by magic. The magic user was then placed in chains to be sent off for trial, justice being very swift in Norbard. Darras also explained that Erren had removed Gransas’s ability to use magic, so extra caution was not needed in dealing with her.
After giving a statement at the guardhouse, Darras was then released and made his way to the gateway and home.
“Welcome back, my love,” Erren greeted Darras as he became cleanshaven, his bruises, cuts and scrapes vanishing as well.
“Good to be home, Darras smiled. “Not a pleasant task you set me.”
“It wasn’t me, it came from Serulon,” Erren replied.
“Ah,” Darras nodded as they reached the pools.
“The use of forbidden knowledge permits us, gods, to act outside of the normal rules,” Erren explained. “Hence my removing the magical ability of this Gransas, something I’d not normally be permitted to do outside of a temple.”
“I’ve seen you occasionally use magic away from a temple,” a puzzled Darras queried. “Sallason for one.”
“He was a priest of mine,” Erren replied. “Again, special rules apply, including various curses and penalties I can apply to my people.”
“Ah, like you had to get me and others to deal with Fordel?”
“Yes, Gransas was not a follower of mine and, although irredeemable, your killing of her would likely have caused you issues in Norbard.”
“So many rules,” Darras chuckled.
“All to prevent the gods from warring on the planet,” Erren smiled.
“And what of Gorgath?”
“Up to Serulon, though I expect his sentence will be extended, then again, this was a serious breach of the rules, so Dad might get involved.”
“Wonder why he tried it?” Darras mused. “He’d have to know the consequences of being caught doing it.”
“Boredom and his nature, probably,” Erren sighed. “As brothers go, he’s very unpleasant and obsessed with increasing his power.”
“A bit like the Dark One then?”
“My dark brother is at least competent, if misguided. Gorgath seems to believe that anything goes to gain power and hence gets caught every time.”
“Yes, your dark brother at least openly keeps to the rules, though I suspect he breaks them if he sees an opportunity,” Darras nodded.
“Yes, like with Remelle and the reinvention of dynamite, using sophistry to justify the hints he got his shadows to give him.”
“How’s Remelle doing?” Darras asked.
“According to Pelegard, he’s doing well and has caused uproar amongst certain magic users in Comarre by working at a much-reduced rate for land clearance,” Erren smiled.
“Good, I’m glad.”
“You’ll be off to Gresh next. Shadows have attacked several of the Elven scouts, and I need you to deal with them to force a withdrawal.”
“Only attacked?”
“Yes, the Elves wear an amulet to prevent possession, though they cannot kill a shadow and hence are forced to retreat,” Erren explained. “They can usually outrun a shadow, though there have been injuries.”
“And I can kill them,” Darras nodded. “Will I have help?”
“Yes, Demala will accompany you to use her farstriding ability to get you to where you need to be,” Erren replied.
“Makes things easier,” Darras smiled.
“Just be careful, she won’t be able to deal with a shadow, unlike you,” Erren warned.
I will,” Darras promised. “At least I’ll know they are around.”
“You will,” Erren agreed.
Darras stepped through the gateway in Asulnarath and politely greeted the Woodnymph guardian. A minute later, Demala stepped through and greeted both Darras and the nymph.
“So, a shadow hunt?” Demala asked.
“Yes,” Darras replied. “Only I can deal with them.”
“I know,” Demala nodded. “They are causing issues for my people.”
“Hopefully, I can force a withdrawal once they realise they are now the hunted,” Darras chuckled.
“Yes, though soon enough we’ll invade anyway, and I assume you’ll be with us?”
“I will, at least until we reach the necropolis.”
“Klea?”
“Will be needed if we find the dragon, it would be too dangerous for her otherwise.”
“Understandable, shall we go?”
The pair made their way to the valley that allowed access into Gresh, going to one of the Dwarven forts just below the ridgeline of the summit that now had a watchtower that could view the valley down into Gresh. Though controlled by Dwarfs, there were several Elven archers stationed there, including the watchtower where the sharper Elven eyes, coupled with large spyglasses, observed the fungal forest of Gresh.
“No issues between your people? Darras asked the Dwarven officer who permitted them access.
“No major ones, we’re all veterans of the Wendigo fight at Voxilla woods,” the Dwarf replied. “That and we know the enemy could attack us at any time.”
“The Elves have spotted observers?”
“They have, though, are under orders not to provoke, not yet.”
“How do we get down there?” Darras asked, knowing there had to be a way.
“Underground, we dug through the mountain.”
“Clever,” Darras nodded.
“An easy task for our earth magic users.”
“Let’s go then,” Darras replied, following the Dwarf down to a cellar and a doorway formed through the bedrock of the mountain.
The tunnel was well lit by the crystalline quartz veins that the Dwarves could grow, and Darras and Demala quickly traversed the tunnel to emerge into the dense undergrowth of Gresh. From there, Demala led the way to a spot where the Elven scouts had been attacked.
“Anything?” Demala asked.
“Nothing yet, though Erren is picking up a trace that leads to the east,” Darras replied.
“Do we follow?”
“Yes, dangerous as it could be.”
Demala led the way following Darras’s directions from Erren. Soon enough, Darras could detect the faint sensations of proximity to a shadow and signalled Demala to slow. Darras then cautiously led the way, slipping silently through the fungal growths until he paused.
“Problem?” Demala asked quietly.
“More than one of them,” Darras replied. “Stay here,”
“Right,” Demala confirmed.
Slipping alone through the growths, Darras circled the area he could sense the shadows’ presence in, getting a feel for their location. Once sure, he cautiously moved towards them until he reached the edge of a small clearing and observed.
‘Two of them, ’ Erren confirmed.
“Not close enough together to get them both,” Darras murmured in reply.
‘They appear to be examining an Elven trail from the scouts, possibly hoping for a future ambush.’
“Means they are distracted.”
‘True, ah, they are closer.’
Taking his opportunity, Darras sprang into the clearing and grabbed both shadows by what passed for their throat, slamming them into the ground and holding them there until they crumbled and dissipated. He then blew through an Elven whistle to let Demala know it was safe to approach.
“How many?” Demala asked as she entered the clearing.
“Two,” Darras replied. “Low-level ones, I doubt they are the only ones either.”
“How will you find them?”
“That’s why you’re here,” Darras chuckled.
“I cannot even sense them,” a confused Demala confessed.
“Erren can, through you,” Darras replied. “She says to cast out your mind in a searching circle.”
“Oh, right,” Demala frowned, and then closed her eyes, stroking her thumb down one of the many scripts on her staffwand.
‘Got one, ’ Erren informed Darras. ‘Follow my directions for twenty miles.’
Darras passed the information along to Demala, and the pair set off in the direction Erren was indicating in Darras’s mind. This did not take long, thanks to Demala’s farstriding ability, and they came to a halt when Darras raised an arm.
“Only the one,” Darras murmured. “Doesn’t appear disturbed.”
“I’ll wait here,” Demala replied just as softly.
Darras ghosted through the undergrowth, feeling the sensation the shadow evoked in him growing stronger at every step until he reached a trail where the shadow lurked, hiding up in a tree waiting to drop on any unsuspecting passerby. Though high up, Darras caught the shadow by the simple expedient of walking into its trap, the hood on his armour concealing his features until the shadow dropped onto him, only to find Darras ready for it.
There was a brief struggle as Darras took down the surprised shadow, finding it to be stronger than the previous two, but not as strong as a medium-scale, nor covered in curse magics. Darras then paused as he detected something approaching, though it wasn’t a shadow. Moving quickly behind cover, Darras pulled his cloak over himself and blew three short blasts on the Elven whistle to indicate that Demala should approach with caution, as there were possible enemies around.
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