Return of the Dragon (The Dragon's Champion Book 6) Read Online Free
Author: Sam Ferguson
be completely out of their element
inside a cave.
Over the next two days Faengoril oversaw the
preparations personally, picking up a pickaxe himself on several occasions. He
kept his engineers close, making sure that each trigger point was being adequately
prepared, and ensuring that each escape tunnel would be sufficient to enable
the brave volunteer to escape without being crushed in the cave-in. The
commander alternated between each of the trigger points and then moved on to
inspect each trap. He was more than pleased by the depth and span of each hole
and jagged trench cut in the stone. Water from the overflowing stream pooled
into each crevice, hiding the true depth and creating the perfect obstacle for
blundering horsemen who would almost certainly be relying on torches for light.
“I have to admit, this might work,” Captain Benbo said
as they surveyed the last of the pits.
Faengoril nodded as he watched the dozen dwarves who
had dammed off a portion of the stream in order to finish digging their pit
without getting caught in the water themselves. It was pitiless work, but the
commander was certain it would be worth it in the end. “Of course it will
work,” Faengoril said. “Come, I want to inspect the entrance now.”
The commander smiled wide as they made the long trek
through the winding, gently sloping cave. Faengoril led the other officers
around the northern bank of the half-mile long lake in the cavern. A great hole
in the east let in daylight from above. It was a beautiful sight, albeit extremely
dangerous. Even after days in the cave and working around it, there was no way
for any of the engineers to estimate the lake’s depth. The banks dropped off
sharply into what appeared to be a liquid abyss. “It must have taken some
time,” Faengoril said as he pointed to the lake. The officers with him surveyed
the dark water as Faengoril swept his hand out toward the west. “The water
comes in from the east. Our scouts say that there is a stream out there, most
likely from runoff. It bored its way through the soft limestone on that side of
the mountain and then began flowing into this chasm. No way of knowing how many
years it took to fill this pool. I would guess at least centuries, though.”
Faengoril stopped and held both arms out wide to the side. “Don’t even ask me
how long the overflow has been flowing downhill toward the west. That process
must have also taken many, many years. In the end, the water destroyed the
mountain and created this tunnel. It meant the end for the trading post nearby,
and provided an alternate route for the Tarthuns in the east.”
“Why would horsemen come through here?” one of the
officer asked. “I mean, they can’t bring their horses down that entrance slope,
the animals would never make it.”
“They have a large army heading north. There have
already been skirmishes with Grand Master Penthal and the knights of the
Lievonian Order. The Tarthuns would use this underground passage to sneak
around and catch the Lievonian Order on both sides. Once they have a foothold
in the Middle Kingdom, they would be able to launch an assault on Drakei Glazei
directly. With our forces split across the kingdom, we can’t afford to let the
Tarthuns accomplish that.”
Faengoril motioned for the officers to follow him the
rest of the way around the lake. They came to the entrance and a few of them
starting laughing and pointing at the new waterfall.
The commander smiled and bowed proudly. “After the
other fortifications had been ordered, I led a group of twenty dwarves to this
slope under the entrance. We tunneled behind the water that entered the cave
from above in the east, creating a waterfall in place of the slope. The drop is
twelve feet tall, and the slop above it is steep enough that a simple slip
could spell death for the unwary coming through. This will slow them down of
course, but better than that, it will make it nearly impossible for them to
retreat even if
inside a cave.
Over the next two days Faengoril oversaw the
preparations personally, picking up a pickaxe himself on several occasions. He
kept his engineers close, making sure that each trigger point was being adequately
prepared, and ensuring that each escape tunnel would be sufficient to enable
the brave volunteer to escape without being crushed in the cave-in. The
commander alternated between each of the trigger points and then moved on to
inspect each trap. He was more than pleased by the depth and span of each hole
and jagged trench cut in the stone. Water from the overflowing stream pooled
into each crevice, hiding the true depth and creating the perfect obstacle for
blundering horsemen who would almost certainly be relying on torches for light.
“I have to admit, this might work,” Captain Benbo said
as they surveyed the last of the pits.
Faengoril nodded as he watched the dozen dwarves who
had dammed off a portion of the stream in order to finish digging their pit
without getting caught in the water themselves. It was pitiless work, but the
commander was certain it would be worth it in the end. “Of course it will
work,” Faengoril said. “Come, I want to inspect the entrance now.”
The commander smiled wide as they made the long trek
through the winding, gently sloping cave. Faengoril led the other officers
around the northern bank of the half-mile long lake in the cavern. A great hole
in the east let in daylight from above. It was a beautiful sight, albeit extremely
dangerous. Even after days in the cave and working around it, there was no way
for any of the engineers to estimate the lake’s depth. The banks dropped off
sharply into what appeared to be a liquid abyss. “It must have taken some
time,” Faengoril said as he pointed to the lake. The officers with him surveyed
the dark water as Faengoril swept his hand out toward the west. “The water
comes in from the east. Our scouts say that there is a stream out there, most
likely from runoff. It bored its way through the soft limestone on that side of
the mountain and then began flowing into this chasm. No way of knowing how many
years it took to fill this pool. I would guess at least centuries, though.”
Faengoril stopped and held both arms out wide to the side. “Don’t even ask me
how long the overflow has been flowing downhill toward the west. That process
must have also taken many, many years. In the end, the water destroyed the
mountain and created this tunnel. It meant the end for the trading post nearby,
and provided an alternate route for the Tarthuns in the east.”
“Why would horsemen come through here?” one of the
officer asked. “I mean, they can’t bring their horses down that entrance slope,
the animals would never make it.”
“They have a large army heading north. There have
already been skirmishes with Grand Master Penthal and the knights of the
Lievonian Order. The Tarthuns would use this underground passage to sneak
around and catch the Lievonian Order on both sides. Once they have a foothold
in the Middle Kingdom, they would be able to launch an assault on Drakei Glazei
directly. With our forces split across the kingdom, we can’t afford to let the
Tarthuns accomplish that.”
Faengoril motioned for the officers to follow him the
rest of the way around the lake. They came to the entrance and a few of them
starting laughing and pointing at the new waterfall.
The commander smiled and bowed proudly. “After the
other fortifications had been ordered, I led a group of twenty dwarves to this
slope under the entrance. We tunneled behind the water that entered the cave
from above in the east, creating a waterfall in place of the slope. The drop is
twelve feet tall, and the slop above it is steep enough that a simple slip
could spell death for the unwary coming through. This will slow them down of
course, but better than that, it will make it nearly impossible for them to
retreat even if