Chapter 17

Chapter

Seventeen

Hali's heart pounded in her ears as she, Sooty, and Pippa crept along the shadowy recesses of the ritual chamber within the Forge of Vulkan. It was a space of grandeur and menace, the very heart of the Emberforged order, and the power thrumming through the obsidian walls, etched with fiery runes, made her skin prickle with awe. The massive anvil at the chamber's center glowed faintly, calling to the blacksmiths as they prepared for the momentous ritual.

As the others took their places, Hali steeled herself. The time had come to put their daring plan into motion.

Hali raised her hand, signaling to Sooty and Pippa, who crouched low behind the towering stacks of ritual implements and tomes. With a nod from Sooty, Hali turned to Osric, who stood alongside the anvil, surrounded by his fellow Forge members. He caught her eye, and in that glance, she saw the storm of emotions raging inside him. Doubt. Guilt. But also, to her relief, determination.

As the other members of the Forge of Vulkan turned their attention to the upcoming ritual, Hali and her companions melted into the shadows, moving with practiced silence towards the chamber where the Obsidian Circle hostages were being held. The fate of the realm hung in the balance, and Hali's heart threatened to beat out of her chest with the impending fear for their mission.

The Obsidian Circle members were dangerous individuals, even in captivity. As they drew closer to the hostages, Hali noticed the way their eyes never stopped moving, assessing, calculating. These were not meek prisoners awaiting their fate; they were fanatics, true believers in their cause. The kind who would stop at nothing to see their dark designs through to the end.

Hali hesitated. She and her companions had come this far, but now that the hostages were within reach, a wave of uncertainty crashed over her. Could they really trust the Obsidian Circle members to go along with their plan? What if it was all a ruse, a ploy to buy time for their compatriots to complete the Rite of the First Forging?

Sooty must have sensed her hesitation. He leaned in close, his breath hot and sticky in her ear. "Don't go gettin' sentimental on me now, boss. These are the bad guys, remember? The ones who tried to kill us and all that."

It was true, and Hali knew it. The Obsidian Circle had already taken so much from her—her sense of safety, her peace of mind, and, in a way, even Osric. She owed them nothing, not even the slightest shred of compassion.

With a final, steely nod, Hali steeled herself, her resolve hardening. She might not like it, but she knew what she had to do.

Hali's fingers worked deftly at the manacles binding the Obsidian Circle members, her smaller hands a better fit for the intricate locks and mechanisms. With a series of clicks and groans, the first set of bindings sprang open, and the prisoner's eyes widened in surprise. Hali clamped a hand over their mouth before they could make a sound, and quickly repeated the process for the other captives.

As the last set of manacles fell away, the prisoner's mouth moved in a silent ‘thank you', and then they scrambled to their feet, their movements stiff from being bound for so long. Hali caught their arm before they could stumble out into the open, and quickly ushered them towards a concealed alcove in the chamber's far wall.

"Quiet," Hali hissed, her voice barely more than a breath. "You need to stay hidden. There's about to be a lot of chaos, and we need to get you out of here."

The prisoner's eyes darted towards the chamber's entrance, where the Forge of Vulkan members were beginning the preparations for the Rite of the First Forging. They looked torn, but with a final nod from Hali, they allowed her to guide them towards the alcove, where Sooty and Pippa waited, ready to assist.

As Hali guided the last of the prisoners into hiding, Osric and the other Forge members began the incantations for the Rite of the First Forging. The air in the chamber shifted, becoming charged with power, and Hali's heart raced with a heady mix of fear and determination. They were running out of time. If their plan was going to work, they needed to act now.

She motioned for Sooty and Pippa to stay low as they crept back towards the ritual chamber, the stone floors cool and smooth beneath their feet. The chamber was a blur of activity as the Forge members channeled their magic into the ritual, the air around them crackling with raw power. But at the center of it all, Osric stood resolute, his face grim and stony.

Fleetingly, Hali saw him as the others must have, his Emberforged power on full display as he prepared to claim the Hammer of Earthblood. He looked every inch the hero, the champion, the leader that they needed, with his golden eyes smoldering and his tattoos flickering with an inner flame. But there was a rawness to him, too, a vulnerability that he only allowed Hali to see, and it made her heart ache with affection for him.

He was a man caught between two worlds, two loyalties that tugged at his heart from opposite ends. But in this moment, he had made his choice, and Hali could only watch in awe as he stepped forward to claim his destiny.

At least, Hali hoped so.

The chamber grew brighter as the ritual reached its peak, the anvil at the center glowing with an otherworldly light. The chamber's stone walls trembled as the air filled with the stench of burning ozone. The Obsidian Circle prisoners tensed in the alcove, their eyes wide at the power on display.

And then, with a deafening crack, the ritual's power was unleashed, a shockwave of raw magic that rippled through the chamber, shattering the anvil and scattering the Forge members like leaves in a storm. As the smoke cleared, Hali saw Osric at the center of the chamber, the Hammer of Earthblood clutched in his outstretched hand.

And then she saw the look on his face.

It happened in the span of a heartbeat, but for Hali, it was an eternity. A flicker of doubt. Regret. Determination. But was it enough? Had their love, their connection, been enough to sway him from his lifelong loyalty to the Forge?

The chamber was silent, save for the heavy thud of the anvil shards as they crumbled to the ground. The other members of the Forge of Vulkan stared up at Osric, their expressions a mix of awe and fear. For a moment, no one moved, the only sound the harsh rasp of Hali's breath in her ears.

And then Osric's hand clenched around the hammer's handle.

The chamber went silent as Osric slowly straightened, the hammer held high. His muscles bulged, his tattoos igniting with a fierce glow. His eyes locked onto Hali's. Her heart ached, torn between the love she felt and the loyalty she knew drove him.

With a fiery roar, Osric brought the hammer down, its fiery head igniting with the force of a falling star. The ground trembled beneath their feet as he swung it towards the anvil, the air itself shattering with the impact.

And then the anvil exploded in a shower of sparks, the shockwave of power rippling through the chamber and tearing at Hali's hair and clothes. As the smoke cleared, the anvil was split in two, the jagged edges glowing white-hot.

"The Hammer of Earthblood," Osric said, his voice reverberating through the chamber. "It is mine to command."

His eyes blazed with an otherworldly light as he turned to face his stunned fellow Forge members.

"Who will challenge me?"

As the other members of the Forge of Vulkan stared in stunned silence, one of their number, a burly dwarf with a braided beard, stepped forward, a scowl marring his face. "What treachery is this, Osric?" he bellowed. "Have you lost your mind?"

Osric's gaze never wavered from Hali's as he raised the hammer, flames dancing along its edges. "I've never been more certain," he said, his voice a powerful crackle that echoed through the chamber.

He swung the hammer towards his fellow blacksmith. The dwarf stumbled back with a cry, but the blast of power that emanated from the hammer's strike caught Hali and the others off guard, knocking them off their feet.

As the chamber filled with smoke and the acrid scent of burning stone, Hali's vision swam. She caught a glimpse of Sooty and Pippa rushing towards her, their forms blurry and indistinct. But then her eyes focused on the anvil at the chamber's center, and her heart turned to ice.

Osric was bringing the hammer down again and again, each strike sending waves of primordial energy pulsing the chamber. But it was what he was doing with those strikes that made Hali's blood run cold. With each blow, he was reshaping the metal of the anvil, fashioning it into an intricate cage, a complex network of bars and locks that glowed with an otherworldly heat.

A cage for the Hammer of Earthblood.

Osric's movements were swift and sure. He was a man possessed as he channeled his Emberforged power into the reshaping of the anvil. The cage grew more complex with each passing second, making it impossible for anyone to ever again wield the hammer.

And then, with a final, resounding blow, Osric's work was done. The cage glowed white-hot for a brief moment, and then the metal cooled, hardening into an unbreakable prison for the Hammer of Earthblood.

"It is done," Osric said, his voice heavy with a mix of sorrow and relief.

Chaos erupted in the chamber. The other Forge members rushed towards Osric, their faces contorted with rage and disbelief. Hali's heart leapt to her throat as she saw the danger Osric was in. Without thinking, she rushed from her hiding spot, Sooty and Pippa close behind, determined to reach Osric's side.

"Osric, look out!" Hali screamed, but it was too late.

One of the Forge members lunged at Osric, a wickedly sharp chisel glinting in their hand. With a cry, Hali dove forward, tackling the blacksmith to the ground. The chisel clattered away, and the two of them grappled in a tangle of limbs and sweat-slicked skin.

More shouts and cries filled the chamber as the other Forge members closed in around them. Hali's head throbbed with the rush of blood in her ears as she fought to gain the upper hand. Nearby, Sooty and Pippa were busy holding their own against the would-be assassins.

"Hali, look out!"

A heavy fist slammed into her side, knocking the wind from her. She lashed out blindly, her hands closing around a thick forearm. With a twist and a yank, she managed to unbalance her attacker, sending them crashing to the ground.

"Hali, behind you!"

She dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding a flurry of chisel strikes. Her heart was pounding, her muscles burning with exertion. She needed to reach Osric, to make sure he was safe.

Finally, she spoted him through the melee. He was holding his own, his movements a blur of fiery strikes and calculated parries. But he was outnumbered, the other Forge members pressing in around him.

"Get back, Hali!" Osric's voice cut through the chaos, but she ignored him.

She fought her way towards him, every step a herculean effort. She ducked and weaved, a lifetime of bookshop acrobatics serving her well. With a final push, she broke free of the circle of combatants and lunged towards Osric.

A heavy blow caught her across the jaw, sending her sprawling. The world spun, and for a moment, she was disoriented. But then Osric's eyes locked on hers, and with a surge of adrenaline, she forced herself to her feet.

She would not let him face this alone.

A bolt of panic shot through Hali as she scanned the chamber for any sign of their friends. Smoke and flames filled the air, the acrid stench of burning stone making her eyes water. Black-clad figures moved like phantoms through the chaos, their blades glinting in the firelight.

"Over here!" Sooty shouted, and Hali's heart leaped with relief. He and Pippa were holding their own, fending off a pair of assassins with quick, precise strikes. Hali nodded to them, then turned to search for Osric.

He was a force of nature in the center of the chamber, his hammer a fiery blur as he lashed out at his would-be attackers. Hali's heart swelled with pride at the sight of him, his movements powerful and precise. He was a man reborn, his sense of purpose renewed, and it filled Hali with a fierce, all-encompassing love for him.

Their eyes met across the chamber, and in that instant, Hali knew. She saw the same look in his eyes that she was sure he saw in hers—the look of someone who had been changed by love. By connection. By the kind of bond that could reshape the world, if only they were brave enough to let it.

She saw his determination, his resolve to stand by her, no matter the cost. And in that moment, it was enough.

The chamber was a frenzy of violence and chaos. Assassins in black robes swarmed around them, their blades flashing in the firelight. Hali's heart was pounding in her ears as she fended off blow after blow, her instincts taking over. She moved with a dancer's grace, her body flowing seamlessly from one attack to the next. Her hands closed around the hilt of her dagger, and she lashed out, driving the blade into the soft flesh of her attacker's side. With a cry, he stumbled back, and she lunged forward, burying the dagger to the hilt in his chest.

"Hells, Hali, save some for me!" Sooty's voice rang out, and Hali grinned despite the danger. She was in her element, and her friends were at her side. Together, they were an unstoppable force.

"Never, my dear Sooty! But do be a darling and watch my back, won't you?"

He rolled his eyes, but there was a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Always do, don't I?"

She winked at him, then turned to face the next wave of attackers. They moved as one, a well-oiled machine honed by years of training and discipline. But they were no match for Hali, Sooty, Pippa, and Osric. Not when they fought with the power of their love and friendship at their backs.

"Left!" Hali shouted, and Sooty ducked, a chisel whistling over his head. With a feral growl, he launched himself at his attacker, his blades a blur of motion. Pippa was a force of nature, her fists and feet a blur as she rained down blows on anyone who came near her. And Osric, with the Hammer of Earthblood in his hand, was a one-man army, the very ground trembling with each of his mighty blows.

"Center!" Hali called, and they became a deadly dance of steel and shadow. She caught sight of Osric out of the corner of her eye, and her breath caught in her throat. He was a vision, his muscles rippling with each swing of the hammer, his face a mask of determination. He was fighting not just for them, but for the new path he had chosen.

"Right!" she shouted, and they shifted again, the tide of the battle turning in their favor. The other Forge members were falling back, their ranks thinning with each passing second. But Hali knew they couldn't hold out forever. They needed to find a way out, and fast.

"The alcove!" Hali called to Osric, and he nodded, his eyes never leaving the fight. With quick, precise strikes, they cleared a path to the alcove where the Obsidian Circle prisoners were being held. Hali's heart ached for them, caught in the crossfire of a war that was not their own. But there was no time to free them now. They would have to trust that Hali and her friends could handle this.

"Go!" Hali called, and she and her friends dove into the alcove, the prisoners huddling in the corner to make room for them. With their backs to the stone walls, they fought off the last of the assassins, until finally, the chamber fell silent.

As the battle raged on, Hali caught sight of movement in the shadows of the alcove. The Obsidian Circle hostages, sensing the chaos and confusion, were seizing their opportunity. Some bolted for the exit, while others grabbed discarded weapons and joined the fray, their faces twisted with fear and desperation.

Hali's heart sank as she watched the scene unfold. The weight of her earlier decision pressed down on her, and she saw how it had contributed to the chaos that now surrounded them. She had been so focused on saving her friends and stopping the Forge that she hadn't considered the consequences for the hostages.

"Damn it!" she muttered under her breath, ducking as a stray dagger whizzed past her head. She knew they needed to get out of here, but with the hostages now involved, their escape just got a whole lot more complicated.

"Sooty, Pippa, we've got a problem!" Hali shouted over the din of battle. "The hostages are getting involved!"

Sooty glanced over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he took in the scene. "Hells! We need to get them out of here!"

Pippa nodded grimly, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Agreed. But how?"

Hali scanned the room, her mind racing as she searched for a solution. The battle was still raging around them, and they were running out of time. "We'll have to create a distraction," she said finally. "Something big enough to draw everyone's attention away from us."

"And then what?" Sooty asked, parrying a blow from an assassin who had been distracted by one of the hostages. "We can't just leave them here!"

"No," Hali agreed. "But we can't stay here either. Not with the Forge still gunning for us." She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she knew had to be done. "We'll create the distraction, draw everyone's attention, and then make a break for it. We'll find a way to come back for them later."

Sooty and Pippa exchanged glances, but they both knew there was no other choice. They had to get out of here while they still could.

"Alright," Sooty said, his voice grim. "Let's do this."

As they fought back-to-back, Hali felt a thrill course through her at their proximity and synchronicity. They moved in perfect harmony, anticipating each other's moves and covering each other's blind spots. Osric, his voice tight with exertion, apologized for ever doubting their connection.

"I was a fool, Hali," he gasped, deflecting another strike. "Thank you for showing me a different path."

Hali felt her heart swell with pride. "You did this, Osric," she said, her voice fierce. "You found the courage to defy the Forge, to choose your own destiny. I'm proud of you."

Osric's eyes met hers, and she saw the depth of his gratitude and determination. Together, they fought on, their bond stronger than ever before.

Sweat dripping down her spine, Hali felt a shift in the air. The Forge members, once so confident and unyielding, now seemed to falter. Their attacks grew less coordinated, their movements more frantic. It was as if the very foundation of their power had been shaken.

Sooty, who was engaged in a fierce duel with a particularly skilled assassin, noticed the change as well. He managed a quick grin at Hali before delivering a decisive blow that sent his opponent reeling.

"The Forge is falling apart!" he shouted. "Their power is waning!"

Hali felt a surge of hope. If the Forge's power was indeed fading, it might be enough to turn the battle and give them the advantage they so desperately needed.

As she fought, Hali kept a close eye on the Forge members. Sure enough, she saw some of them beginning to flee, their faces etched with terror. Others dropped their weapons and surrendered, the fight draining out of them as they realized the futility of their efforts.

The remaining assassins, sensing the change in momentum, grew more aggressive in their attacks. But Hali and her friends were ready for them. With renewed vigor, they fought back, driving the assassins further into retreat.

Finally, the last of the Forge members either fled or surrendered, leaving Hali, Sooty, Pippa, and Osric standing amidst the chaos they had wrought. The chamber was a scene of devastation, with debris and unconscious bodies littering the floor. But they had won. The Forge's power had been broken, and their ritual ruined.

Hali let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her chest. They had done it. They had stopped the Forge and saved the hostages. But even as she allowed herself a moment of triumph, she knew that their work was far from over. The Obsidian Circle still loomed in the shadows, and there would be other battles to fight.

For now, though, they had won. And that was enough.

Hali approached the caged Hammer of Earthblood, her eyes drawn to the intricate metalwork that Osric had created. The complex patterns seemed to mirror their own relationship—beautiful, unbreakable, and forged in the heat of adversity. She couldn't help but marvel at the skill and craftsmanship that had gone into its creation.

Osric joined Hali by the caged Hammer of Earthblood, his eyes still alight with the thrill of their victory. He took her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers.

"I couldn't bring myself to destroy it," Osric said, his tone tinged with a hint of sorrow. "It's a part of who my people are. Our history. Everything that's shaped us, tempered us into who we are today."

Hali nodded, gaze flickering toward the twin scars glowing molten on Osric's sweat-sheened chest. "It's important to remember what's shaped you always."

"But at least this way, none can ever wield it. The only power in the world capable of breaking the cage is the power inside of it now. It is . . . safe now."

Hali threw her arms around his neck. "You're a genius, do you know that?"

"Hardly. I'm just the brutish hero." He grinned down at her, and scooped one arm beneath her thighs to help lift her into the air, bringing them closer together. "Thankfully I've got a brilliant, clever heroine to steer me right."

As they kissed, Osric tasted of smoke and embers and something more—a fierce determination that matched her own. Hali felt a surge of pride and affection for this man who had fought so fiercely by her side.

When they finally broke apart, Hali rested her forehead against Osric's, their breath mingling in the cooling air. "We did it," she whispered, her voice hoarse from the smoke and exertion.

Osric nodded, his eyes shining with a mixture of exhaustion and triumph. "We did."