The Story of Dalmar: Volume One, Part Two

As the sun peered from behind its own slumberous cover and spread its wings into the window of the inn, Dalmar winced, yawned, and rose sleepily to greet the day. The barley filled mattress of his bed poked him through his clothes as he stretched and rose. The Lamb's Head tavern of the town of Yalbreth soon proved to be worth its stories as Dalmar stepped into the lower parts of the inn for breakfast. The innkeeper, a portly man of common stock, stood behind a dirty bar wiping it down with an equally dirty rag, and nodded to him as he stepped onto the last step of the staircase. Dalmar's stomach growled angrily with two days worth of sleep dissipating in its recesses, mimicking the creaks of the floorboards as he walked across the floor. "A man that sleeps half as deeply as you do, sir, is bound to be looking for a meal", said the innkeeper as he tossed his rag aside. Dalmar agreed with the middle-aged man, and tossed a small silver trinket upon the bar as the innkeeper produced a plate of chicken and potatoes. Biting the twist of argent bauble, the innkeeper smiled and added a pewter mug of ale to the course. "Compliments of the house, fine sir", the fat man said as he leaned back balancing his weight upright over his frame. Dalmar grabbed the ale by its handle and raised it to the honor of the innkeeper as he turned and sat down at the nearest bench. Dalmar then ate with ravenous meter, swallowing the chicken and potatoes, bones and all.

As the small hamlet of Yalbreth began to bustle with the early morning business of its inhabitants, Dalmar reached the stable where his horse was kept. Retrieving his mare, he set out for more travel along the well traveled road to the south. As he trotted lazily along his path, the sweet smell of apple blossoms wafted across his nose, and the greenery seemed to sing as the warm summer breeze blew through the branches. In the distance along the horizon, Dalmar spied a group of darker clouds and he knew that soon it would be raining. The region's land had begun to produce more elevation as the day grew, and soon the small buds of mountainous terrain began to appear high above the shallow valley. By the time the sun had begun its descent towards the horizon, the aroma of rain began to overtake the fragrance of Morguon's flora, and Dalmar looked for a dry place where he could make camp. After about an hour's time, Dalmar found a stony overhang with dry dirt that receded into a small cave. Approaching the opening to the cave, Dalmar caught the sight of a large hare jumping through the tall undergrowth. Dalmar snatched his bow, notched an arrow, and aimed carefully. His aim true, Dalmar shot and felled the rabbit a single shot securing the night's meal.

Dalmar spent several hours in the cave after a pleasant meal waiting for the rain to subside. Having slept for two days, he found difficulty in sleeping. The rain upon the ground outside the cave seemed to taunt him as he layed beside the fire on his blanket. Again, Dalmar wondered what the path would produce for him the day ahead, but he had no answer. His mind turned to Ar-Simba-El, and the stories that she told. Who were the Zyn-Lar? How would he know when he's met one? These questions hammered into his brow until his face was twisted with confusion. Dalmar growled with discontent as he fingers ran over the shiny daggers glittering in the firelight of the campfire. Restless, Dalmar put the daggers in their pouch. As he did so, he turned his attention to the cave itself. The firelight danced on the piles of stones in the back end, and as the shadows moved back and forth he noticed the cave was much deeper as previously believed. Dalmar became overtaken with excitement and curiosity in his stagnant moment of confusion and boredom. Dalmar rose, and crept into the darkness of the cave. He braced his footing with a hand on a large, dusty boulder as he peered into the darkness. Whistling softly, he listened for some sense of the expanse that laid beyond his sight. The whistle echoed from stone to stone, mingled with the dripping of water that lay hidden further into the hollows. The last bit of fire's jewel crept into the cave beyond him, casting his own shadow upon the gloomy walls as a tiny glitter of golden flickering appeared in the dust ahead of him. Dalmar opened his eyes wide, and blinked. "Why, it looks like gold!", he thought. Dalmar's fingers shook with the thoughts of hidden cache of thieves' gold or perhaps the uncovering of an old grave filled with jewels. Dalmar stepped into the darkness towards the bit of finery. Stooping down slightly, Dalmar grasped it,. It felt cold as metal in his hand, and he drew it near. At that moment, a loud clicking noise rang throughout the cavern followed by the sounds of stone moving against stone. Dalmar froze, fearful and anticipating the unknown. With a loud crash, the floor of the cavern broke free from its bonds, and fell at a slope with a loud clatter. Dalmar was hurled with the sloping floor as the years of dust and stone fell in on top of him. The ground turned into a steep slope, and along with it Dalmar's body slid. He tried to grab small roots to stop his momentum, but each tiny twig tore from his place and followed him down into the depths. As the darkness enveloped him, Dalmar felt a sharp pain as the rubble toppled in upon him, and his energy left him quickly. His eyes sagged and didn't seem to care that he was falling. Unable to keep his eyes from closing, Dalmar fell unconscious.

An indeterminable time later, Dalmar awoke at the bottom of the cavern. His head throbbed from the bombardment of gravel and dirt. His eyes fluttered as his lashes desperately tried to free themselves of the grains of filth that clung to them. Dalmar sat up. The area where he had finally came to rest was a large round cavern, and the smell of stagnant water came in from the small archway that had stood in the west wall. Dalmar, thirstily licking at his lips, rose with a wobbly stance and started towards the archway. A faint light seemed to emanate from within, and Dalmar began to feel uneasy. Surveying his surroundings, he felt confident that the only way he was going to rid himself of this place was to venture forward through the passageway. The pathway twisted and turned for what seemed to be several hundred yards. The sounds of dripping water began to become more prevalent, and the taste of the water began to saturate the air. Finally, with a sharp turn of the passage to the north, Dalmar found the source of these occurrences. Before him stretched a large, dark lake of water. As his eyes scanned the surface of the water, the air became chill as frost. Articles of wood and rusted metal implements lay scattered upon the shore of the lake. Resting heavily on the soft earth and partially buried beneath the silt, the prow of a boat set. Dalmar stepped deeper into the cavern with the high ceiling, careful not to agitate anyone or anything that may lay out of sight. Within brief moments, Dalmar could not contain his thirst any longer and he rushed to the edge of the water, knelt down, and drank.

Sated by the cold water, Dalmar sat on the lake's edge and studied the white and blue crystalline formations hanging from the ceiling. This area had obviously been used for something in the past, and several bits of rotted fabric lay amongst the bits of frayed rope and rusted arms scattered along the beach. The walls of the cavern were hewn with apparent purpose at one time, and seemed to have been smooth with the remnants of a mason's work. Large statues of beast-headed giants stood against each wall peering into the water with ominous snarls and dark stares. Dalmar picked up a fist-sized stone and tossed it into the water with a large splash. The sound seemed to echo around every inch of the cavern, ringing unmercifully for what seemed to be an entire minute or two. In the center of the lake, a bubbling began to appear startling Dalmar as he rose. Transfixed upon the frothy centrepiece, Dalmar backed away from the water's edge as a large, flat precipice made from what appeared to be shining white marble rose out of the water. The turbulent water then stopped as the bases of four white columns cleared the water's edge. The formation came to a halt with a loud creak. At that moment, another sound struck the darkness and echoed through the vacuous chamber not unlike the clang of chains. Dalmar's head twitched back and forth as he nervously looked for the source, but the darkness seemed to resist him. Suddenly, from behind one of the furthermost monuments, the source of the noise bore itself. A large hand gripped the side of a statue from the opposite edge of the lake's border, and pulled its body into view. Dalmar gasped, and a gigantic man, chained to the floor, slid his body to look at him from behind the gargantuan statue. It's eyes were yellow with madness, and its white hair was frayed and matted without form. With outstretched hands, the blue-skinned giant seemed to be wracked with pain and desperation as it motioned towards Dalmar. The creature seemed to speak softly at first, but then as sounds escaped from its lips, its voice became full. The giant coughed, and then in booming voice said, "The gods be praised! Do not leave me! Traveler, help me!"

Now, Dalmar, throughout this entire scene, had been frozen with fear. All he could do was watch as the giant came into view, but now his senses had returned. He turned towards the opening from where he came into this cavern and ran into its mouth with the giant's fragile voice calling after him. Finally finding his wits, Dalmar stopped. He couldn't return, there was no visible way out of these caverns from this direction, and to journey to the cavern of the lake would mean that he had to, in some form or fashion, deal with the giant. He'd never seen a giant until today, and knew not what horrors could be revealed by this one. Dalmar's dilemma was made only more urgent by the callings of the creature beyond the lake. "I have fought all sorts of men and I have even stood in the presence of a goddess! Damnit, Dalmar! Surely, this is not how you meet your fate - not today!", he thought to himself. Dalmar turned around, and stood upright. He then walked confidently back into the cavern with the lake as the giant gasped. "Why are you chained here, giant?", bellowed Dalmar. "What terrible things have for which you have been punished like this have you performed?", he continued.

"Please, help me! I am held captive by the master of the lake, but not for deeds that I have done, but by the deeds of others like me!" the giant said.

"How do I know I can trust you?" Dalmar responded. Dalmar felt a bit more confident now, and his voice did not tremble as he spoke. Dalmar approached the boat sitting in the sandy beach.

"If you help me, I will show you the way out of this cursed place!" the giant said.

Dalmar thought for a moment. There did not seem to be any other viable way out of this ancient cavern, and it didn't seem as if this master of the lake was going to be of any help any time soon. "I will help you, giant. What is your name?" he said.

"My name is Crassius, and you?", the giant replied.

"Dalmar.", Dalmar said.

"Then to you, most honorable Dalmar, let us be as comrades as we rid ourselves of our horrors!", the giant pledged.

"Yes, let us combine our strengths, and find our way home!", Dalmar responded as he put his weight against the half-buried boat and sent it into the water. As the boat drifted toward the giant, the illusion of space began to dwindle and the giant's massive size became apparent. The air became charged with a potent sort of electricity as Dalmar neared the giant. The giant's eyes turned from yellow to white, and his stare became softer and less desperate. Then the boat suddenly came to a halt as it bumped the edge of the stonework, and Dalmar disembarked in front of the giant. Able to view the giant plainly now, Dalmar noticed that the chains that bound the giant kept him continually in a state of crouching, unable to rise to his full height. As his weight shifted, the giant's chains jingled with their own immense weight, and seemed almost too wide from Dalmar to grip. "Even with my own strength, I could not break these chains", the giant reported. Dalmar knowing of his secret kept from the giant placed his hands upon a link of the chain, and together they tugged at the seam on the chain's link. At first the chain creaked, and the giant's breathing became quick in anticipation. Dalmar stopped and breathed heavily, and then tried again with the giant. As the two massive strengths bore down upon the tensile of the chain's link, it began to stretch at the seam until finally it snapped releasing the giant from its roots to the floor of the cavern with a loud clang. It was then the giant stood to his full height with a roar that shook the cavern. All about them, pieces of the cavern dropped to the floor in the form of little pieces of stones and dust. "Now, the shackle about my neck.", said the giant.

As the giant knelt down to meet Dalmar's grip, the cavern once again began to rumble. But this time the shaking of the waters and rooftop did not come from the giant, but rather from the lake. As the waters turned turbulent, Dalmar turned to the waves and he felt furiously for the daggers given to him by the goddess. Like the precipice that rose in the center of the subterranean lake, the waters once again turned to foam. At that moment, the froth split apart with a spray that drenched both Dalmar and Crassius. Erupting from the depths of the lake was a blue and green body of frosty scale with a thunderous roar. The master of the lake vaulted itself to the height of the cavern knocking stalactites into the watery depths with its horrible white claws and wings. As its serpentine body fell free to the water, its long whiskers twisted with its body, streaming about its cylindrical body. Crashing into the water, the lake rose against Dalmar and Crassius, sending them washed into the side of the stonework. Crassius rose as the air became charged once again, but this time the air was not soft but filled with tiny strands of electricity. Dalmar, watching in amazement, stood beside Crassius as the mighty giant formed a sickle of power in his right hand like a javelin sent from the gods. There it pulsed as Dalmar brought forth his own daggers into each of his hands. The dragon erupted with gale force once again from the waters of the lake, and Crassius, ever patient, awaited until the beasts soft underbelly was in view. With a forceful vaulting of the javelin of energy, Crassius threw the lightning bolt. The weapon of his fathers struck the beast in its belly and a bright white light rang out, blinding Dalmar. The beast roared in pain as its belly split open, and the smell of charred flesh and terrible serpentine bile filled the air.With a monstrous collapse, the beast once again fell to the water with tidal wave of booming red froth, and sank into the depths. "Now, you are master of me no more, wretched beast.", Crassius said as he smiled at Dalmar. "Now, let us leave this place.", the mighty giant said to Dalmar, "The way to freedom is under the water."

"Under the water?" Dalmar said catching his breath, "I've only just got my breath back! I'm not sure that I can hold it for as long as I think I might need!"

Chuckling, Crassius said, "You are in the company of Crassius. My strides and breaths are fifty of each of your own! Fear not, you only need but a moment when you are with me!" Crassius laughed a loud laugh, and then grasped Dalmar in his mighty hand and stepped into the lake. The giant sank into the depth up to his shoulders holding Dalmar above his head and said, "Ok, most honorable Dalmar, one, two, three!". So with the final word, Crassius and Dalmar both took in deep breaths, and sank below the waters of the cavern. The powerful glide of the giant sliced through the underground cavern of water with the speed of five hundred diving falcons. Dalmar clenched his eyes tight at the rushing currents for fear that his eyes may leave his head until he felt water no more. Crassius broke through the tide of a great body of water into the evening's night sky holding Dalmar high as he did so. Together they both laughed for joy at their freedom, and dried themselves under the stars on the edge of the sea. In time, they removed the wide shackle about Crassius' neck. Soon thereafter, Crassius and Dalmar promised to be friends, and to help each other if ever there be a need. They formed a bond for both Crassius and Dalmar knew that they were destined to be friends, and that each, with their own abilities, were unlike anything each had ever seen.

As the moon reached its zenith, Crassius thanked Dalmar once again, and left traveling to the northwest through the valleys towards the higher mountains. Dalmar stayed at the edge of the sea for some time longer before he made his way around the base of the mountains in search of his campsite. The journey took him two days, and as he met his faithful horse at the mouth of the cave, he embraced its neck. Dalmar was glad to be with familiar company, and was grateful to be back on his journey in his own thoughts with his own things, and yet, without any knowing of the path ahead.