The dwarf's initial rush up the stone path slowed quickly as the orcs became aware of them smashing into their ranks. Tad was in the back of the formation with four dwarves. Beothorn had the rest upfront going up the path two abreast. Shields above and to the outer side as the front two dwarves would hammer and fight moving forward as the orcs tried to surge down. Many of the orcs jumped onto the shields and were flung down the cliff. Tad was in the back, healing any dwarf that fell back wounded under cover of more shields. Twenty dwarfs total were with this team. The others had stayed at the wagon to protect the injured.

Tad spent much of his time crouched or on his knees to stay undercover. Spears would be thrown from higher parts of the ramp before the orcs engaged with jagged swords. It was brutal work that most never heard about in the stories of war.

Several times, teams of orcs would try to push up from the dig site below. Tad had seen a dozen orcs around the metal artifact, trying to push it onto a sled chained to the top of the pit. They were to try and extract it. A giant of a creature that was either an ogre or an orc that ate one recently, was hammering on the side of the artifact. Tad knew even at this distance that was a void changeling.

Tad projected, "Kettle, are you still ok? "

"Yes, Keep it up, Tad. This is scrolling like crazy. Do you want me to read it to you? " asked Kettle.

"No, I don't' think I would understand anything you are going to tell me. After, if we win this, tell me then, " said Tad hoping his little friend hadn't gone crazy hooked to that artifact. Strange magic was always dangerous. He didn't need more friends about to lose their minds.

Kettle sounded a bit rejected, "Sure, Tad, after."

The dwarves near moved forward. Tad, crouching, moved forward with them.

Tad looked up ahead, trying to see his friends in the mass of dwarven warriors, "Lamruil can you see the battle on the sand? "

"No, I lost sight when we came around to this side," said Lamruil from somewhere up front.

The war party made it to the path where Tad remembered fighting the previous orcs days ago. They spread out, forming a half square formation two shields high.

One of the dwarven soldiers said, "Drink up, lads!" And as if on Queue, the dwarves all pulled out their water flasks made from the stem of medium-sized mushrooms and took a deep drink. Tad followed suit. He saw Beothorn looking at the edge of the cliff. The orcs had stopped rushing down at the group, and the dwarves could not see around the protrusion of rock.

Kettle projected, "You should kill more orcs, Tad. I've not seen that in your data recently!"

Had his little friend gotten a little bloodthirsty, what kind of artifact was that?

Tad projected back, "Kettle, I do not enjoy doing this. "

"I know, but you will understand once we talk," replied Kettle.

Beothorn spoke to Tad quietly, "What do you sense around the corner and up top?"

Tad reached out and sensed ahead, "Around the corner, I feel magic blocking me. I think it's a spell, not soulmancy. The rest of the carnival up top feels exhausted and frightened. They have not seen us down here yet. They are all over near the ramp down. " Tad had felt something else up there. The Queen Bee had sensed him and had tried to communicate with him. Tad hadn't understood and had blocked her.

"Ok, so it's a trap then. I thought so. That is why the orcs stopped attacking us," said Beothorn.

"Perhaps they are low on numbers? " asked Tad.

"We saw a few run back around the stone there when we took this ledge, " said Beothorn.

"So I'm to take out the casters again? " asked Tad.

"Yes, if I can get close enough, I'll deal with what I can. I'll go first with three others, followed by you. Lamruil and Nico will bring up the rear. " said Beothorn.

Both of Tad's friends could hear the dwarf, "Lamruil, how many arrows do you have? "

"Five arrows are usable, " said the elf. Lamruil had retrieved several from the fight below, but most were broken.

"Nico can you port again? " asked Tad looking at Nico.

Nico looked at the sun that was now beating down on them as it swung fully over the horizon. "Once yet, but not again till the moon rises."

The dwarves still had two long iron spears from the wagon. They were too heavy to throw far, if at all. Tad hadn't realized till now that very few of the dwarf's items had any wood in them. That makes sense, but how can I take advantage of what we have now?

The spears were seventy pounds of heft. Well, that was too much. He couldn't throw it either or propel it with his magic.

"Nico, come here. I have an idea," said Tad.

***

Tad crouched behind Beothorn and three other dwarves. They had decided to go around the corner with a double shield wall with Tad behind it crouched. The rest of the dwarves would watch for a rear attack and engage if there was an opening. Lamruil would follow the five after counting to twenty. Tad was sure there was something ahead around the corner. Something was blocking his magic.

The group came around the protrusion of stone as it turned hard right with only a few feet of space. In front of them were three orcs with swords. Behind them was another shaman. This one had the same greenish-grey appearance but was very old. Light thinning grey hair pulled back into a loose ponytail that ran down his back. He had the same appearance as most other orcs: a squat nose, oversized teeth that looked like fangs, a jutting chin, and high cheekbones. His age was evident in the tight and wrinkled skin against his skull, giving him a gaunt appearance. He wore robes of grey and held a gnarled staff that pulsed with power.

Tad used magic sight on the Shaman, and he could see the waves of power. The shield was emanating from the staff.

Yea, this was a fight Tad was willing to avoid if he could. "Beothorn, hold here. There is a magic shield ahead. Don't touch it," said Tad.

Tad didn't like the look of the energia circling through it. It had flakes of void mixed in with the green of undead. He didn't know if the dwarves could see it. But touching it would not be wise.

The orc shaman gave a smile that chilled Tad to the bone, "Ah, the young human I was told about. Orakh will be happy when I bring you before him. " Then the Orc looked at Tad and turned his head to the left as if seeing something. "But your not fully human, are you, young one? No matter, come and bow before me, and I will spare you. You will serve my chieftain well."

Tad blinked and looked at the orc. What is he talking about? Tad spoke up, "I don't believe that is going to be the way this works. But if you lay down your staff and your fellows there, throw down their arms. I'm sure we can work out some deal where you leave here alive. "

Beothorn moved uncomfortably behind his shield in front of Tad. He didn't look back, but Tad got the message.

"No, young one. What will happen is I'll extend this shield pushing all your friends off this cliff to their death, then I'll break the ward guarding the camp above, and those that live through that will become slaves to my chieftain. " said the old Orc Shaman.

Tad thought at his staff, " Galadinidú, do we have enough power to stop that? "

"I do not know. Shielding you for those hours drained much," responded the staff.

"Any ideas?" projected Tad.

"Destroy his shield," said Galadinidú.

The Orc Shaman was looking at Tad's staff, "Oh, it speaks. That will make a fine addition to my collection. " Then it started casting, and Tad could see power flow into the Orc's shield as it grew.

Tad cast flame nozzle at the same time using the end of Galadinidú to direct it over the shields of the dwarves, "Now!" he shouted.

High above, Nico's head poked over the edge of the plateau. Then large rocks started to rain down on the orcs. The shield deflected them in various directions and against the cliff. They were head-sized boulders.

The Orc Shaman looked up.

"More!" shouted Tad.

Galadinidú flared as a new color entered the flames, turning them white and red. Tad didn't know how long he could make that flame last. It was drawing upon the foci of Order that Galadinidú had added to itself back in the desolate planes several months ago. The wave of Tad's flames now rippled across the orc's shield in front of the dwarves. The shield expanded, approaching the Dwarves in front of Tad.

The old Orc smiled as it started another casting. This one looked like some necro spell to Tad. He didn't want to see what that would be.

Tad shouted again, "Any time now, NICO!"

Tad summoned a soulmancy shield in front of the dwarf's metal shields, which was about as far as he could summon one and still have it work. It pushed against the orc's magic, adding to the flame nozzles effect. The Orc's spell started to bend where Tad stood. It didn't stop though just spread around him like a rock in a river.

"NICO!" shouted Tad as the Orc was finishing his spell.

From above the Orc a wagon appeared, then it fell off the side. Tad looked up. Then the Orc Shaman finished his spell, and a green pulse of energy flew into the shield at the same time as one of the Carnival's Wagons crashed into his shield with the sparks of magical reinforced wood, and several tons of weight crashed down.

A magic burst of power rocked the side of the cliff. The pulse rolled against the dwarven shields. The wagon hit the ledge in front, where the Shaman and his orc-guards had once stood. Then it took the side of the cliff off the wall, and the orc bodies, wagon, and ledge tumbled down the cliff.

Two feet in front of the dwarves where Tad had held the line against the Shaman's magic, the cliff path was sheared clean off.

Beothorn was looking around. The wall and path still shook, "We should backup. Now!"

Tad was already stepping backward. The team moved back around the protrusion of rock.

Kettle chimed in, "What was that? The data is going crazy! "

"A magical confrontation and I think my wagon," said Tad. Damned to hells, he still had his stuff in there.

"Well, keep up the good work!" said a happy-sounding Kettle.

***

Tad was standing with the other dwarves as a rope was thrown over the edge of the plateau, and Nico slid down a hundred feet to stand before Tad and Beothorn.

"Nico, why did you push my wagon down the cliff? I said the spare wagon," said Tad loudly. Beothorn wasn't looking very happy either.

"There are no spare wagons, Tad. The ladies have moved into the other wagon. The tents do not work on solid rock. It was yours or theirs. The others are all taken, and I am not going to tell Jack I wrecked his wagon. Don't worry, we threw everything we could out before we did it. " said Nico.

Tad raised his voice even more, "What? You know my mother is going to kill you? You think Jack is your problem? "

Tad looked at Beothorn as the dwarf spoke, "We will get another one if we need it. I do not think your mother will mind as long as they didn't break any of her dishes or things in the cabinet. " After saying it, he eyed Nico. Nico looked surprised and shrugged.

"No, it's not going to be fine. Where am I going to sta-" Tad never finished the sentence.

"Tad, the void thing is getting in. The door trick isn't working, I'll ---" projected Kettle, then he was cut off.

Tad stood a second stunned, "We have to go, Kettle.." and he took off down the path, running past the dwarves as Lamruil and Nico ran to catch up.

As the three of them made another turn, the dig site started to come into view below. They kept running, trying not to slide on the gravel and debris of battle on the pathway.

"I think that giant thing is trying to hump the artifact, " said Nico loudly.

Lamruil looked, "No, it is reaching inside. Tad, that isn't an Orc. "

Tad had already had his senses searching ahead of him. He knew that creature down there was of the void.

"Tad, I think it killed all the orcs. Why would it do that?" asked Lamruil.

"I don't know. He must have drawn some power from them to attack the artifact. He might have felt that Shaman die, " said Tad huffing as he ran.

The trio was not far from the bottom of the cliff. They just needed to turn and go down the switchbacks leading down into the dig site pit. Tad looked up. The dwarves were coming down the ramp, but they would be several minutes yet.

The three continued to speed to the bottom of the pit. It was fifty feet down, but the switchbacks to the bottom took another minute to navigate.

The creature was easily seen now. It was a huge orc in appearance. Around it lay a dozen shriveled orc corpses. The creature's back was to Tad. Its arms were above where the door came out, and the creature was swaying back and forth. Tad looked at Nico, his friend gave that I told you saw shrug.

Lamruil had stopped on the path behind the two.

Tad cast a fast flame nozzle as he pointed his staff at the creature's back, spraying across it with the flames. Nico had circled to the side.

The creature gave a roar as the skin and simple loincloth burned. The skin across its back sluffed off. Below the skin was just blackness, undulating blackness. It turned, and the front of its body was a mass of black tentacles that it ripped out of the artifact entrance. Five tentacles were growing out of its chest. It looked down at Tad. The thing was ten feet tall.

A tentacle from its chest shot towards Tad stretching and crossing the distance. Tad raised a soulmancy shield to stop it. It smashed through his shield as Tad's counter with the end of Galadinidú hit the tentacle. That collision and force from his shield collapsing sent Tad backward, where he hit the sandy rock floor of the pit. The creature moved forward to strike again, then stopped as an arrow sprouted from its head. It looked around and saw Lamruil up top, then it reached up with its hand, pulled the arrow out, and dropped it.

It had stopped moving, and as it looked at Lamruil, the remaining skin and flesh on its body dissolved, leaving a giant made of swirling darkness who stood in the sun as if light didn't exist. A tentacle reached down and grabbed a boulder, and launched it at Lamruil as the creature started forward again towards Tad.

Tad was making his way back to his feet.

Galadinidú projected, "It's a void creature. Only magic can kill it. "

"Well, what kind of magic? We can't smite it, can we?" asked Tad. He had hoped the sun would work some damage on it, but the creature ignored it. He guessed that only worked on the undead.

Another tentacle shot towards Tad, and he summoned another shield. This time the shield had multiple types of energia from each of the domains Tad could cast flowing through it, causing it to shine gold with specks of color in it. The shield stopped the attack, but the heavy hit pushed Tad's will, giving him a headache. The creature drew back its tentacle and shot it forward again.

Nico appeared behind it in cat form and raked his claws down the creature's neck and its back. The creature grunted, and another tentacle slapped back at Nico, sending Tad's friend across the lower pit area to crash into the stone wall. Nico looked stunned.

Tad cast a small ball of fire at the creature. It did some damage drawing the creature's attention back to Tad.

" Galadinidú, it didn't like the chromatic shield. I have an idea. You can extend my spells, right? " asked Tad.

Galadinidú responded, "Yes, I can not cast them, though. "

"Right, ok, I'm going to cast a shield on the end. You extend it. Make it stay on the end. Just keep it there. " projected Tad as the creature turned back, sending another tentacle his way as another arrow sprouted from its neck.

"I will try," projected Galadinidú.

The tentacle hit another of Tad's shields. This time Tad deflected it and moved to the right a step.

Tad summoned another shield, this one looked like a half crescent on the end of Galadinidú. He infused it with every energia type he had, and Galadinidú used the last of his foci order energia, adding it to Tad's spell.

Then Tad started spinning the staff. Faster horizontally as another tentacle streaked toward him. This time instead of blocking it, he moved and ran the shield sideways through it. The tentacle missed Tad and continued on behind him. He had severed it from the giant creature's body.

Tad glanced backward to see the piece start to smoke in the sunlight.

The creature gave a roar and charged at Tad. Another arrow sprouted in its face. It continued. Nico came from behind the giant reaching for one of the black swirling legs with large lynx claws. Tad switched from a horizontal spin bringing the end of the staff around vertically. He severed through two more tentacles as he jumped right again with the staff extended in one hand.

The creature stumbled. The remaining tentacles shot forward to the ground to steady it. It was too late, though. Tad was back, twirling the staff. The shield on the end blazed in energia as he fed more power into it. The staff circled, and a deep slice would appear wherever that crescent shield touched the creature.

Where Tad expected resistance, he had none. It was as if he was shearing air. No bones or cartilage slowed the strikes. He took off the arm that swung at him. Then the tentacles. Nico had backed out of range again, staying behind the creature, causing it to look at him. Then the staff would hit, then another arrow showed in the lump that should have been a head. A few minutes of this and the creature was burning in the sun in every gash or hole left by the power-infused staff's blade. Parts of the creature lay nearby, turning to mist or sizzling in the sun.

Galadinidú projected, "I am out of mana. You can smite again in 13 days. "

Tad barely heard him. He was watching the creature burn now. It looked like it was trying to escape back into the artifact out of the sun, but Tad went after every part that might propel it forward. The blade was not shearing very well without Order energia, but it was getting the job done in a few strikes.

Lamruil had stopped firing out of arrows, and Nico was sitting on top of the shiny metal artifact watching Tad.

There was a pulse from the creature then it turned to mist. The mist didn't dissipate like the tentacles. It rose into the air and kept going straight up away from the trio. Tad looked up then over to the line of dwarves with Beothorn in front of them. They were all looking down into the pit at him and his friends. In moments the black mist was out of sight.

Lamruil said, "I think it is gone. I can not see it. "

Tad took a deep breath and raised his hand, waved to his father, then turned and entered the open artifact looking for his friend.

Tad heard Beothorn giving orders for the dwarves to line up. They were going to go help the others in the desert. But Tad didn't care, looking down at his friend Kettle.

The small metallic creature's body was pulled apart. The cabinet was closed. There were no lights. Kettle was not responding to Tad's calls through their bond. Tears came to Tad's eyes as he fell to his knees and picked up the little creature's eyeless head.

***