Forging of a Knight: Rise of the Slavekeepers

Chapter 14

Bartholomew and Jesepha crouched on a gated walkway as orcnes worked busily, casting and forging the Dark One’s instruments of death. The sides of the walls were honeycombed with passages that overlooked the metalsmithing being done below. An orcne in command whipped and struck out at his fellows, demanding faster work. Even the lead goblins poked and pummeled their Kind. Both groups competed against each other, rushing to complete their projects first. Jesepha gasped, pulling Bartholomew’s attention to an area within the vast workshop. A great train of squat iron tubes balanced on spiked wheels was being carted away, dragged by teams of struggling orcnes.

“What are those devices?” Jesepha asked. Carts of metal balls larger than a man followed them.

“They are more weapons of evil. They are used to fire those spheres at enemy forces with lethal results. Only the minds of Those That Stand in Shadow could conceive of them, honorless weapons that can kill many from afar. No skill or courage is required to use such a machine. They were outlawed and destroyed by the Alliance; even its rivals and enemies would dare not to use them, for the stamp of demon knowledge was upon them. They are called cannons.”

The two knights continued their movement, passing through the crowds of busy laborers, until Bartholomew took notice of a group of robed men, inspecting the weapons, questioning the lead orcne and goblins, and reviewing table-length scrolls that detailed how the siege engines were to be put together.

“The lower masters of this place. We must follow them!” Bartholomew said. Before Jesepha could respond, a goblin drew close, sniffing curiously at her. It dared to pull at her cloak. In response, she gave it a rousing kick that sent the goblin off squealing. A gang of orcnes, seeing the exchange, laughed and gestured at her with approval.

“Let us move quickly then! It is only a matter of time before we are discovered!” she said.

They followed from a safe distance. There were ten of the robed men, dressed in cloaks and hoods of black. They spoke little, spreading out amongst the various workstations, mostly gesturing and writing instructions on paper. At one particular doorway, two large orcnes stood guard, holding huge axes in opposing hands. One of the robed men, his arms carrying a bundle of scrolls, produced a gold badge. At its appearance, the orcnes allowed him to pass.

“That’s our way!” Bartholomew said. Jesepha took notice and smiled in agreement.

In the bustling corridors and rooms, it wasn’t difficult for the two knights to identify one particular robed man. He was led by a goblin companion, kneeling and looking about spiky rollers that lay beneath a large, tower-like structure. Steam shot out from a menagerie of gears and wheels that made up a framework to which the rollers were connected. The robed man looked down at folds of paper, pinpointing areas of concern that the goblin would respond to. The robed man called out various items, check-marking their completion as the goblin scurried about to confirm. The robed man did not see the two knights carefully climb onto the siege engine’s chassis, nor, in the clacking and cracking of the workshops, hear them surprise the goblin and quickly remove him. When the goblin failed to respond, the robed man called out angrily. Grumbling, he turned to follow where the goblin had last appeared, only to find an orcne there who quickly leveled a sword at his chest. The robed man hissed. He yelled out in the orcish tongue, but the intruder merely moved closer with his sword. The robed man withdrew a black blade from his robes, but it was immediately swatted away by another orcne who had laid in wait behind him.

Bartholomew removed his helmet, and the robed man growled in rage at the sight of the human. He extended his hands and claws began to stretch out from each finger, becoming long and sharp.