Chronicles of Ilandri - Volume 1

Black Dawn (Pt.4)

Outside the senate building there must have been at least a thousand people crowded. None of them knew for what purpose they were heading there but they followed the lead of the scholars regardless. It was difficult to pass them but people tried to move aside to let Nathaniel through. After all he was a man of the city guard and to them he was conducting his duties in protecting the city. His horse waded through the sea of concerned faces toward the front of the crowd. People were packed along the street and right up to the steps of the senate, even down into the arena. Ogwyn stood at the foot of the chancellor's podium, a part of the senate oddly out of character with the rest of the building. If this tunnel had been built by elves, then during the senate construction perhaps they had been unable to knock down this part of the old palace.

Nathaniel made his way carefully through the masses to where Ogwyn stood and then dismounted. "This is the door?" he asked, holding up the key. Ogwyn nodded in affirmation. "How do we open it, where is the keyhole?" he asked, following on from his first question. "I am not sure," confessed Ogwyn, dropping his head in disappointment. Nathaniel felt carefully over the surface of the wall and suddenly felt the key begin to vibrate a little. He held it toward the wall and it then began to subtly glow. As he began to hover it near the wall moving it up and down the vibrations and glow changed, as if the key was seeking the keyhole. They must have held some magic and he tracked down the keyhole which glowed bright as the key came directly in front of it. He pushed the key into the hole until it stopped. The key then turned by itself and the stone wall groaned and then gave way, opening out into a wide, dark chasm.

Two scholars had gathered some torches and were busy lighting them as Nathaniel retrieved the key. Nathaniel and each of the scholars were given a torch to begin guiding the people through the tunnels and safely out of the tunnel. "I shall open the exit for you, but then I must return to defend the walls," he informed Ogwyn, "Get the people out of the city and then make for Othwyn. Seal the doors behind you." He commanded, taking his horse by the reins before entering the tunnel. Ogwyn grabbed his arm as he turned to leave, "Escape the city if you can, my boy, the people will need protection on the road." Nathaniel nodded and then mounted to charge off into the darkness.

The light of his torch illuminated the gloomy tunnel around him, lighting up the smooth cut stone of the rock it was hewn into. The tunnel descended into the ground in a wide sweeping arc with a shallow gradient. His horses' hooves clattered off the stone floor, echoing loudly around him. He charged down onwards, delving deeper as the tunnel path curved ever round on its spiral descent. Finally the path emerged out into a large domed chamber with eight other tunnels branching out from the circumference. On the floor was a compass rose at the centre and the symbol in front of each tunnel mouth, depicting no doubt what lay at the end of the tunnel. He turned first to the tunnel with the ship at its mouth, supposing this would be the exit at the river.

The tunnel left the domed chamber heading straight as an arrow, descending at a much shallower gradient. The tunnel narrowed very slightly as it approached the concealed doorway at the end. Soon the end of the tunnel loomed ahead out of the darkness. He reined up his horse short of the end and jumped down, striding over to the wall. Again he held the key up to the flat surface, waving it around to find the keyhole. Once he had found the lock the key turned itself again and the door gave way, flooding the tunnel with light. As he stepped out he could see that the tunnel exited right on the dock front, where a large stone facade was cut into the river bank, next to the quayside. The docks were deserted as the ministers had long since departed with all of the ships.

With the exit open for the escaping citizens, he turned and remounted his horse to head back to the domed chamber and take the passage to the north east tower. As he reached the chamber, torch lights were flickering off the passage back up to the senate. Clearly the first of the crowd were near the bottom of the tunnel and would soon be able to make their escape. Nathaniel had faith that Ogwyn would get them to safety but it would be up to him and the rest of the city guard to protect their escape and hold back the goblin army for as long as possible. Once the goblins had got past the walls, they would have to abandon their city.

From the dome he turned his horse, charging toward the tower to return to the walls and defend the gate where he had left Martyn. Once again the tunnel descended slightly on a straight bearing toward the tower. Ahead he could see the tunnel begin to turn and then climb again. He must have been nearing the end of the tunnel as it was rising back to the surface. At the end of the tunnel the exit was concealed, just as the others had been but this time the path seemed to go up to the roof of the tunnel. He found the keyhole and the stone ceiling opened up to the great hall at the centre of the tower. The hall was deserted as every man would be guarding the walls and tower. He charged on out of the hall and into the streets, turning toward the gate.

When he reached the gate, a number of guards stood by the closed portcullis, poised with fear evident on their faces. Suddenly there was an enormous boom, the gates shook and dust clouds fell from the gate surround. In the next moment there was another boom, as loud and thunderous as the first. The ram had reached the gate and was exacting its damage to the outer gate. The gates were strong, made of thick studded oak, with large blocks at the top and bottom which interlocked with the surround. It was barred by a huge oak beam across the two doors and right behind it was the outer portcullis. This was no ordinary ram though. The huge spikes would eventually drive their way through the wood, splintering it open. Again there was another boom as the ram head collided but this time it was followed by the sound of cracking wood as the outer layer began to give way.

Men started to come down off the walls to prepare defence of the soon to breach gates. There were still two monumental portcullises, made of thick wrought iron to get past, but this would be light work for a pack of trolls to tear down, with chains and grapples. This army was equipped for the complete destruction of the city and all those who lived within it. Nathaniel could only hope that Ogwyn and the scholars moved quickly and could evacuate everyone and clear the river before the gates fell. "Nathaniel!" called Martyn, elated to see his friend had returned. "I feared you had abandoned me," he exclaimed with utter relief. He had led a group of men down from the walls to reinforce those guarding the gates. "I promised I would return, but I needed to see to the evacuation of the citizens." Nathaniel explained. Martyn looked confused as all the gates would be sealed shut for the siege. He did not however question his friend.

The thunder of the ram worsened as the door was slowly pounded to matchwood. Suddenly there was a buckling sound and a horrendous cracking. As Nathaniel looked through the grids of the portcullises he could see one of the spikes had punctured through the door. It slid back out of its hole as the ram was heaved back and thrust once more at the gate. The ground shook as it collided again tearing a larger hole into the great gate before him. Once more the ram struck the gate, finally smashing fully through and sending huge splinters flying out in all directions. The outer gate was breached and at any moment the army would be entering the city.