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THE FATE OF THE MOUNTAIN DWARVES
Wounded from the battle and bound with magical iron chains, Caliban and the other prisoners were brought before Botan.
Botan wanted to use the dwarves' abilities to increase his own status. Botan wanted the dwarves to build a fortress of terror with many gruesome rooms and tools.
But the dwarves were stubborn. They refused. They were creatures of light, and their minds and hearts belonged to the good.
But Botan was merciless. He seized the iron chain, and as Caliban hung from one end by his neck, the evil witch king stomped over to a large stone hatch in the floor.
Two goblins had to open the hatch, and underneath it was an underground chamber, and at the bottom of it crawled two semi-grown dragon-like creatures.
Like a helpless doll, Caliban was lifted over the edge, and as Botan slowly but surely lowered Caliban into the underground chamber, he said:
«Do as I say and your king will not become dragon fodder, but answer quickly or...»
Down in the underground chamber, one of the dragon creatures spotted the dwarf being lowered down. It waited a bit, and when Caliban was within reach, the creature made a violent leap. With its powerful long jaws, it opened its mouth wide.
Caliban let out a cry of pain as the razor-sharp teeth of the dragon creature bore into his legs.
The other dwarves groaned, sickened by horror at their king's wild screams.
One of them, Gwal, the king's own brother, could not stay calm any longer.
Gwal trembled with anger, and with a furious roar, he summoned the last shreds of strength within him and tore apart the chains.
Before anyone could stop him, Gwal seized a huge axe from a bewildered goblin, who shortly after lay dead on the floor, killed by Gwal.
Gwal acted swiftly. Without hesitation, he fought his way to the other dwarves, and with the axe, he chopped through the iron chains holding them captive.
Botan stared angrily at Gwal. «You fool!» he hissed. «By this action, you have condemned both yourself and your kin to death!»
Gwal stood proudly and tall before the prince of evil, and when he saw the power the witch king possessed, he raised the axe over his head, and with a resounding voice, he shouted the dwarves' battle cry.
The other dwarves gasped in shock and excitement. Gwal was their foremost warrior and hero, and when they saw how he dared to challenge Botan, they too began to muster courage.
When Gwal shouted the battle cry for the second time, the other dwarves proudly and triumphantly responded.
Botan stared angrily at the dwarves. «By the darkness!» he hissed. «How dare you defy me?»
But none of the prisoners listened to him. The fear they had just felt was gone. Instead, Gwal's actions had filled their hearts with courage, courage to prefer an honorable death in battle over a wretched life as enslaved slaves.
Like raging ants, the dwarves fought against the overwhelming odds, and one by one, they fell. In the end, only Gwal and Calibur were left.
Even though the battle raged around him, Botan did not release his grip on the dwarf king. Caliban hung like a bloody rag in the chain, gasping for air.
Gwal was pressed against the wall by the goblins, and with eyes burning with anger, Botan positioned himself in front of him, like a giant shadow of doom.
