The Dragonriders

Chapter 30

A Dwarven Discovery

Tara'li

Back in camp I report on the battle to the leader. Occasionally I hear some archers run towards the fortress or some Orks yell as they kill a couple of Demons who managed to slip out but it is mostly calm. Surprising so as I almost got stamped through the floor on the upper levels by the Demons. Apparently Sha'iva's plan with stake outs and people sniping works.

Then on Sha'iva's pushing I take a break. I sit down on my bunk and think about it. How do I keep on pushing? Can I kill a Demon Lord? Not when I'm this tired. I lay down on the bed and as I'm about to go to sleep I hear a sonorous boom. I get up and run to the source, seeing some scattered fires and Noruk with a blackened face some distance from the camp walls. He is happy for some reason. As I walk up to him he runs to me. 'I discovered something!'

As I walk over to the blackened area with Noruk pulling me towards it he starts talking rapidly. I don't even understand half of it. 'So that yellow sandy stuff when mixed with charcoal can cause these booms! Just think what we could do with it!'

I shake my head. 'What have you been drinking to try this out? And what could this be used for?'

He laughs loudly. 'I don't even know all of it myself yet! Flashes? Scare tactics? Traps?'

I study his blackened face for a moment. 'I think you should talk with king Derkley. He should know what to do with it. And try not to blacken his skin as well...'

Noruk runs into the camp and soon returns with the king and two of the kings guards. Noruk starts rambling about his discovery while they walk over here. Finally when he is standing next to me he whispers to me. 'Is he always like this? If so I pity ye...'

I sigh. 'I've never seen him like this before... well whatever. Let him show this thing so I can go catch some rest. I've been going for a full day now...'

Noruk then seems to return from the burned down ships with a bunch of charcoal and grabs some of the sand and throws it into a bowl. Using his hands he starts breaking up the charcoal and mixing it with the yellow sand. Then he pours the mixture he just made on the ground and puts a string from the pile down towards us. 'I suggest you both stay back.'

Then he starts scraping his flint and steel next to the string. Both the king and I start taking steps back, thinking Noruk has gone mad when the string is lit up and Noruk runs away from it. When the small flame reaches the pile of yellowish powder another deafening boom can be heard and I lose my breath for a moment. The flash is so blinding I see stars five minutes later and the ground shakes beneath my feet. Then Noruk turns to us. 'Pretty nice, heh?'

I look at the blackened crater the pile made. 'I don't know what that can be used for but... that took my breath away quite litterly.'

King Derkley is quite a bit more enthusiastically. 'I'll have some of me Dwarves research this stuff ye made. I like it ye know...'

One of the archers stationed at the castle comes over. 'I don't know what it is but those booms are scaring the Demons so much they aren't coming out...'

A plan forms in my head. 'King Derkley... you wouldn't happen to have some empty barrels laying around? Instead of scaring them to staying in... why not drop this stuff on their heads?'

King Derkley laughs. 'Scare 'em out of that tower? Why not?'

I turn to Noruk. 'Make as much of that stuff as you can. I want at least several barrels of it ready to go. Lets scare those Demons into their deaths. Also, please, don't light any of it up any more. I want to sleep. Otherwise Sha'iva is going to kill me.'