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I WAS SUMMONED to the queen’s office in the middle of the night. Based on the grim look on her personal secretary’s face, I would not be finding Gallia Longbraid in high spirits.
Once in the office, I was taken out onto the terrace where I saw the queen of the gnomes deep in thought. She was standing at the balustrade with her hands perched on the wide stone railing. Her eyes were fixed on the sleeping city below.
She didn’t react to my entrance in any way. But after her secretary had left, the ruler of all gnomes started softly:
“We’re alone now.”
“I assume the emperor’s messengers reached you?”
Gallia gave a nasty smirk.
“I still cannot understand why they call him an emperor. After all, he’s nothing but a puppet in the hands of Shitang and his magister buddies.”
I just shrugged and said nothing. What was there to say? She was right. Even the most ignorant peasant from the most distant backwater knows that the true ruler of the Empire is the Order of Mages.
“What is his official position?” I inquired.
“Now that was funny,” the queen snorted. “He says there is no war between the Empire and the gnomes. He called our conflict with Fradia a personal matter.”
“In other words, he doesn’t support the Steel King either?”
“Not officially, no,” Gallia shook her head.
“And unofficially?”
“Unofficially ― anyone who wishes to join the minor local conflict with the gnomes is free to take part as a mercenary.”
“A-ha,” I said, rubbing my chin. “Just a different angle on the same picture. Have all the players come forward?”
“Almost,” the queen nodded. “The northerners are sending five thousand troops, a hundred mages and forty ice giants.”
I frowned.
Darta... To be frank, I wasn’t expecting them to stand by the Steel King. After all, they were the most devastated region in the Age of the Dead Wars.
“All the history books have been rewritten. The truth has been forgotten. The real story is buried beneath a thick layer of lies and fabrications.”
I rubbed the back of my head.
“What about the southerners?”
“The princes of Atria are sending three thousand riders. They will also be joined by around five thousand lizardfolk.”
“Iveria?”
“Two thousand swordsmen. The Western Isles won’t be sitting the conflict out, either.”
“So, the Dead Ocean is under enemy control,” I observed.
Gallia chuckled.
“I’m sure those pirates jumped at the chance to join. They’d do nothing but pillage if they could. They by the way will be the ones transporting the enemy troops to our lands.”
“Any news from Taria?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Your king has not yet said a thing,” the queen responded and hit me with a pensive gaze. She must have noticed my anxiety slipping through. “We did warn Stephane the Second about the fledgling conspiracy, but he didn’t react. Honestly though, it was implied that they had to their own problems to sort out.”
I breathed a heavy sigh.
That didn’t seem likely... The ruler of my native Taria is known as, “the Soft,” for a reason. If the Order of Mages is on the case, we will very soon be hearing about his deposal.
“As a matter of fact,” Gallia said, tilting her head to the side. “I see no reason to help your king, either. Even if we can prevent Stephane the Second’s overthrow, he still won’t support us. And that’s despite his indignation after the shameful breaking of his son’s engagement.”
“What makes you so sure?” I was sincerely surprised.
“We are gnomes,” the queen shrugged her shoulders significantly. “Nonhumans. Stephane the Second won’t go against his fellow humans for our sake.”
I was already preparing counterarguments, but Gallia’s words cooled my ardor. She was a thousand times correct. The Tarians would never go to war against the Dartans on the side of nonhumans. Especially gnomes who, to put it lightly, are not particularly beloved in either Taria or Darta.
“By the way, now that it’s come up...” Gallia started and stared intently into my eyes. “You may have to do battle against your own countrymen...”
She just trailed off and stood there, sizing me up with her gaze.
“You know,” I said thoughtfully. “You are not the first to ask me this question. Here is my response. It is not a simple situation, but I’ve already made my choice. If my countrymen choose the side of Darkness, I will always fight against them with no remorse or hesitation. But whether their choice will be conscious or not is a different question.”
“Agreed,” the queen nodded and the look in her eyes warmed. “They may not exactly be aware who they are fighting for. And that little nuance gives us room to maneuver.”
For some time, we both sat in quiet contemplation. Gallia was first to break the silence.
“All told, we will be up against around twenty-five thousand soldiers just in mercenaries,” she said mutedly. “Add to that Fradia’s Steel Legions and the Order of Mages. And that will not be all... Your intel has partially checked out. Hordes of necromorphs have flooded onto the steppe. Do you believe the Steel King was working in concert with the Order of Mages from the start?”
“No way,” I quickly refuted that possibility. “I once had the chance to witness a conversation between the king and his captain. Beyond that, I journeyed in the Wastes for some time with two Fradian spies. They were tracking Order messengers and orcish shamans. The Horde incursion was Magister Shitang’s handiwork. It must have been a way for him to try and put pressure on Egbert.”
“Well, that clears things up,” Gallia waved a hand and cringed in disgust. “In the end, the two rats struck up a friendship and formed an alliance, reinforcing it by getting their kids hitched. And the orcish shamans were left empty-handed. In fact, their warriors were used as food.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Just what I said,” the queen responded. “The necromancers, nourished by the dark energy from the portal, have begun using the bodies of dead steppe dwellers to create their abominations.”
I felt a tingle run down my spine. I remembered that there were thousands of slaves there other than the orcs. By now, they had all probably been doomed to an afterlife as soulless monsters, subjugated to the will of vile warlocks. I clenched my teeth and fists. Gallia must have sensed my mood. Her hand set down on my shoulder.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said softly. “And most likely I will not be able to stop you. I want to tell you merely that you are not alone any longer. Before you go rushing into battle ― think everything through carefully and prepare yourself.”
Just a few months earlier, that would have been just what I needed to hear. But now she was talking to a different man. Thanks to my Will, I was in excellent control of my emotions. Even though my heart was overflowing with rage, I wasn’t going to rush headlong into a fight. And that was exactly why I had yet to go to the Stone Forest. I needed to prepare before setting off to close the cursed portal.
Most likely to distract me from the dismal thoughts, Gallia asked:
“How do things stand on the Dark Continent?”
“I believe the necromancers have reached there as well. There must be another dark portal somewhere in the mountains. How else could they get all the energy necessary to create those flying brutes?”
“Agreed,” she nodded. “Are you prepared to repulse the attack?”
“The Heart of the Forest grows not by the day, but by the hour,” I responded. “And Foreston grows along with it. If the necromancers think they can attack us so easily, they have lots of surprises in store.”
“Not ‘if,’ but ‘when,’“ Gallia corrected me. “They’re sure to attack... It’s just a matter of time.”
After saying that, the queen fell silent. A shadow fell on her face.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Ugh,” she sighed heavily. “I wish we had just a bit longer... I sense we’re in for a rough time... And that means, if not for you, I’d have been up against all these armies by myself. We had hope for the elves. After all, you did bring a heart of the forest... But they have chosen to sit this one out like they always do.”
“Not all of them,” I corrected her.
She just waved it off.
“A few thousand outcasts... Refugees, most of them women and children. They don’t count.”
“But it is something...”
“Yes, I understand,” she answered gloomily. “But not enough. Our clans can field around fourteen thousand troops. You’ll be bringing a thousand at most... You do understand after all that, in that case, we’ll have to bear the brunt of the onslaught? We have nowhere to turn for help. Fifteen thousand troops and two hundred mages are all we have.”
“Not exactly,” I shook my head.
“If you’re referring to our personal abilities, then...”
“No, not that either.”
Gallia frowned.
“Then explain.”
“Why haven’t you mentioned the Bronze Legion?” I asked.
Gallia’s face unwrinkled and smile came on her lips.
“I see you wasted no time in Stenborg,” she said with notes of derision. “You’ve filled your head with ancient gnomish fairy tales...”
I responded with a smile.
“Perhaps I have. But are they just fairy tales?”
The gnome spent some time staring searchingly into my eyes. And then, clearly having made up her mind, she said with a deep sigh:
“No ― they are not just fairy tales.”
Then she fell silent.
“Could you tell me more?” I asked, adding a bit of pressure.
“Do you really want to know about that heap of useless scrap?” she asked in frustration.
“Yes,” I replied firmly.
“Why do you want to know?”
“It’s just that I’ve seen what the golems your craftsmen made can do. So why then is the Bronze Legion useless?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I don’t have anywhere to be,” I shrugged. “I won’t be getting any sleep tonight anyway. Since you’ve summoned me, tell me the story.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” she waved it off. “To sum it up, over the centuries, the golems’ inner workings have been eviscerated. All the crystals have disappeared. Only the shells and mechanisms remain.”
“A-hem,” I snorted. “And how many are there?”
“Three thousand lancers, two thousand swordfighters and a thousand archers.”
“Woah!” I exclaimed. “Six thousand golems! I’m scared to even imagine the kinds of things an army like that could do!”
“Like I said,” Gallia muttered out crossly. “That pile of scrap metal can’t do a thing anymore. It’s all thanks to my short-sighted relatives who sold off all the crystals like the two-bit hucksters they were...”
“What kinds of crystals do you need?” I asked.
“Three kinds: mana, life and energy. And to get ahead of your question, yes. It will take a lot of crystals.”
I spent some time in thought, which earned me a suspicious look from the gnome.
“Then here’s my question,” I finally made up my mind. “Let’s suppose we could find enough crystals to bring all your golems to life. What would be our next move?”
Gallia squinted and looked at me.
“What are you scheming about now?”
“First, answer my question.”
“Alright,” she relented. “Our next move would be to fill the golems’ hearts with power.”
“I assume we’d need Gramner’s help for that?”
“Indeed,” the gnome nodded slowly. “The city’s supply will not do. We need power on a whole other order of magnitude.”
“Let me guess,” I smiled. “The Forge of the True Flame?”
“Yes,” she responded and repeated her question: “So, what are you scheming about, Eric?”
I smiled.
“Well, by complete coincidence, I just so happen to have information on the location of the body of a guardian of the Lord of the Deep.”
Gallia latched into my shoulder with her right hand and whispered hopefully:
“You’re not joking, are you?!”
“Does it sound like it?” I winced. It felt like my shoulder was in a vice grip.
“Sorry, Rick,” she said, quickly pulling her hand back. “But how?! Actually, just a second... The matriarch?!”
“Exactly,” I nodded and smiled.
“So, you know where to find the body of the Stone Snake,” Gallia whispered, looking thoughtfully at a fixed point.
After that, sharply raising her head, she shot out:
“When do we leave?!”
I shook my head.
“We are not ready for the quest. And you are not coming with us.”
“But why not?!” she asked in surprise, but quickly guessed: “The matriarch does not wish to share her secret with me!”
I nodded.
“You are right.”
I mentally rubbed my hands together. It isn’t only the matriarch. Sure, we’re allies, but I don’t want her coming with, either. I am not planning to give away all my loot to the gnomes. Plus, this way, Gallia will have to repay me for all the crystals I bring in.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
“I’ll need lots of esses and tablets. I’m willing to buy them at any price. I’m particularly interested in skill and spell tablets. And lots of esses.”
“I see,” the queen said thoughtfully.
The mention of money seemed to sober her. I meanwhile let her know I was not begging for help empty-handed. I was willing to pay.
“Good,” she said firmly “You’ll have your tablets, and you’ll have your esses. I think I can get together everything you need within one week.”
I smiled.
“Then in one week, I will go to the border of the Abyss.”