"Okay, think this carefully. These people initially thought that money would be enough to guarantee the movement of the Morgul ore but the merchant refused. There's no way they could get all this through border security…unless someone on the inside really is helping. But that much material, how do you bring it in without anyone else being suspicious? Even our idiot of a King should notice such things."
Royal Knight wandered through the city as he continued to ponder how these demon lord worshipers would be able to move this amount of material.
"Can't have it moving across the land, would draw too much attention and the quantity is insane. The cursed rings and jewels might be brought in more secretly but not the ore." Royal Knight stopped momentarily in the middle of the crowded street before looking up toward the sky. "Could it be from the sky? No, don't be stupid, nothing short of a dragon could bring in that much material. It could be through magic, maybe a gate spell but if not magic then how else?"
As he continued to think he could hear the sounds of water lapping against the docks, now close to the port the sudden thought hit him like a ton of bricks.
"The sea, what if they're bringing them by sea? Could be during the night when others are not watching, but that would still make too much noise to transport from the docks to the castle. Unless…there's another passage close to the castle."
Royal Knight rushed off toward the docks, determined to speak with those who might know more about the layout of the surrounding kingdom. Down by the marketplace near the docks he happily greeted those he would speak often with; the Amazon's of the Tiger Tribe who brought in fish from the cape, selkies who produced fine glassware for eating and drinking, and even fishmen who produced spectacular tridents and harpoons for deep water fishing.
"Everything is looking fine today. I was always curious about how easy it was to use a trident." Royal Knight took hold of the golden trident, admiring the weight behind it.
"It does take quite a bit of practice to use." The fishman's large eyes focused on the knight, a smile present across his lips. "But I doubt the quality of my weapons was the only thing you came to talk about."
"Ever the shrewd businessman, I'm curious about certain items that might be moving around illegally."
"You don't suspect me do you? I'm offended!"
"No, I've known you all far too long to suspect any of the local merchants. I'm more interested if you or the others have seen people trying to sneak in items."
"What kind of items?"
Royal Knight cautiously looked around, making sure to check if anyone had been eavesdropping on their conversation, once positive he turned back toward his friend.
"There may be cursed items such as rings and jewels moving around and large quantities of ore…Morgul Ore."
The Fishman was quite shocked by the sudden mention of cursed items and ore, something he needed to talk with the others about. He looked toward the selkie, Amazon and other merchants before waving for them to come over. The leaders of the stalls could see the urgency in his expression and moved to meet with him and Royal Knight.
"Our knight here is curious about foreign items being brought in…cursed items."
"That's some serious business indeed. I personally haven't seen or heard of anyone trying to bring in those types of items but we have seen strange things come nighttime." The Amazon frowned as she crossed her arms while looking toward the sea.
"Oh, what do you all see at night?"
"Not every night, but the night's thick fog rolls in we've seen a light within the mist far beyond the docks." The selkie merchant paused as she drew out her pipe to indulge in her pipe weed.
"Lights?"
"Fire. Fire from at least one ship moving out there beyond the shores, but this hidden vessel does not come anywhere near the docks, so its motives are completely unknown." The selkie merchant let out a stream of smoke as she looked back toward Royal Knight. "Talk with the mermaids, they are the ones who venture in and out of the area."
"I will. Thank you all. The next time I'm around, I shall purchase from all the shops." Royal Knight smiled as he ran towards the lower ends of the docks with a wave. "Damn the expense!"
Royal Knight descended the stairwell toward the lower part of the docks where small ships had been docked and was a frequent spot where the merfolk could be seen trading and gathering supplies for their people. He waited patiently as he scanned the water, but at first glance, there didn't seem to be any merfolk about. Then he caught sight of movement beneath the water only to see three mermaids suddenly explode out of the water, flipping in the air before they dived back in.
"Quite the entrance." Royal Knight smiled as he took a step back to avoid the spray of water.
Soon enough the merfolk rushed toward the surface, the upper part of their bodies sticking out as they moved toward the dock and the knight.
"Why the sudden acrobatics?"
"We are preparing for the Festival of Lights. We merfolk must be at our best for the celebration." A female mermaid with bluish skin smiled as she looked up at the knight.
"Oh right, the evening performance by the merfolk has always been a highlight of the festival."
"Will you be coming?" Another mermaid, her skin a white color, had a frown as she backed away a bit. "Some of your fellow knights comment about catching us for food."
"I can assure you I am not like those damn fools. I am sworn to protect the people of this kingdom, be they human or not."
The three mermaids eyed him cautiously but could not sense any form of betrayal from him; they themselves had seen him frequently talking to others near the docks with a smile on his face, someone who happily enjoyed conversing with others.
"Ok. Then we'll be looking to see you at our performance." One of the mermaids with white skin and golden hair smiled.
"Of course. Before then though, I was curious if you could give me some information."
"What kind of information?" The mermaid with bluish skin moved closer to the dock.
"What do you all know about the lights in the fog?"
The three mermaids all had a look of fear on their faces and purposely moved backward making Royal Knight worried he had offended them.
"We…we do our best to avoid the fog at night." The third mermaid with greenish skin and red hair finally replied though she clutched her hands tightly. "The light means…they are out looking for us."
"Who's out there?"
"The ship that hunts us. They come to look for any aquatic beings but seem to focus on taking mermaids above all others." The blue-skinned mermaid added, a frown also present on her face.
"How can they catch you? Are the others unable to swim deep enough to avoid the ship's nets?"
"No. He comes into the water to find us."
"Who?"
"The Shark that walks on land."
"What? You mean it's another merfolk?"
"No. He has hands and legs but the head of a large shark." The mermaid with white skin was seen shaking as she could recall the image of the monster she had seen. "This one jumps off the boat and swims deep down, tearing apart those who would stand against him and capturing mermaids."
Royal Knight was shocked to hear this, potential pirates using the fog to hunt mermaids for some nefarious purpose but were these the same ones bringing in the demonic weapons and armor?
"This ship? These pirates? Do they also bring in weapons and armor?"
The three mermaids looked at him curiously, a look that told him they had no idea what he was referring to.
"I take it you all don't know what I'm referring to…damn." Royal Knight looked down toward the water with an angry sigh before a new thought entered his mind. "Then can you tell me, if there are hidden caves along the cliffside?"
"Caves?"
"Yes. I'm seeking another group of potential pirates who are bringing in demonic weapons."
"Y, yes my lord. There is one large cave beyond the cities but before the castle."
"I knew it." Royal Knight smirked as he slammed the bottom of his right fist into his open left palm. "Now, I need a large favor from you all, could you take me to this cave in a small boat?"
The mermaids nervously looked toward the knight with worried expressions, Royal Knight could see this and offered a gentle smile before placing his right hand upon the left side of his chest.
"I swear, I will not put you three in any danger. I would want to travel now during the day to avoid any potential meeting with that shark you mentioned. I've got 12 silver coins for you all."
The three mermaids were still a bit hesitant as they looked at one another but eventually nodded their heads and motioned for Royal Knight to move toward the nearby boat. Mermaids would normally use their services to help guide fishermen to ideal spots or help transport hunters to the nearby small islands where game could be found. With the recent fog and potential pirate ship moving around the waters, the mermaids limited their movements to only the daytime before retreating to the farthest depths to avoid the shark.
"Thank you all, and I swear upon my honor as a knight, the moment I'm finished with this investigation, I will personally look into this pirate and put an end to their plundering."
The confident smile did reassure the three mermaids who took up the ropes at the front of the boat and with their powerful tailfins moved it away from the docks. Within this dock were the smaller merchant vessels and local fishing boats while the larger ships could be found at the dock located in the City of Light.
Royal Knight continued to focus his gaze on the waterline, thankfully not seeing any potential ships moving around so they would not need to worry about a potential attack. With his shield attached to his back, sword on his waist and armor covering most of his body, he felt confident in being able to handle a few attackers, but even he would not be able to fight against an entire ship of pirates.
"As we draw closer, I'm suddenly realizing this is one of my stupidest ideas. What the hell am I going to do if I run into a large group of these demons or pirates?" Royal Knight frowned as he crossed his arms and repeatedly tapped the fingers on his right hand along his left arm. "Need to be smart about this; investigate and when I have proof get out and inform the others."
After some time, Royal Knight gasped as he saw the large cave entrance along the seaside cliffs, an entrance big enough for a large warship to hide within. The mermaids began to slow their movements as the small boat drew closer to the mouth of the cave. Royal Knight set his hand out on the side of the nearby rocks to keep the boat still as he checked within the cave, thankful that there appeared to be no immediate signs of trouble.
"Alright." Royal Knight carefully got off the boat taking a rope within to attach to a large rock near the mouth of the entrance. "Okay, so now…"
"Um, pardon our intrusion sir knight, but how long should we wait here for you?"
Royal Knight looked back toward the trio of mermaids, their uncertain expressions not filling him with much confidence; he'd prefer to know that there was someone waiting for him or could go and ask for help but these women no longer needed to stay any longer than needed.
"You all can go, the boat has a paddle so I'll find a way back once I'm finished."
"Are you sure?"
"Thanks for your concern but remember, you all need to get back before dusk and any potential fog rolls in." Royal Knight took out the small bag of coins from his side and handed them toward the closest mermaid. "Thank you again for bringing me this far and don't worry, I'll make sure to come back, wouldn't want to miss out on that show of yours."
The mermaids gave a quick wave of their hands before disappearing beneath the surface of the water. With a final sigh, Royal Knight ventured into the cave to continue his investigation, his footsteps echoing with every step he took. To his left, he could see a wide channel where the ocean water could run through as he continued down the earthen path.
"Such a large structure, I wonder how long this took to create, though this path does seem to be more re…what in the world!"
He hadn't seen it due to the darkness of the cave but now that he was much closer he could see the large wooden ship anchored in the water.
"No mast or sails must have people inside to row. This barge, is this how they've been smuggling in the morgul ore?" Royal Knight cautiously approached the ship and a large spot that appeared to serve as a ramp. "Let's see what or who is inside."
Peering in between the wooden slats, thankfully he did not see anyone inside but that could possibly mean a trap was waiting ahead of him. He suddenly heard the sounds of several footsteps as well as metal scrapping along the stone floor. He was unaware if it was a friend or foe, but for the time being, he could not afford to be spotted down here; he quickly looked around the area and spotted a small crevice he could try to squeeze himself through. He quickly slipped off his shield and pushed it in first before inching his way in as far as possible.
"Damn it; if I'm caught here there's no way for me to defend myself. Just hold my breath and keep my ears open!"
The sound of the footsteps grew louder, he looked carefully toward his left to see who might be moving down below, hopefully it was other knights making their patrols beneath the castle. An unfamiliar human passed by the opening followed by another, their clothing was dark in color and there were several weapons attached to their belts.
"Those might be the pirates the mermaids spoke of. I still hear more footsteps, what else is…"
His eyes were wide as the next figure suddenly moved passed the opening, a massive figure well over six feet tall with greyish skin and a large triangular head that looked forward, on the creature's face was a hideous smile filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. Behind him followed several figures in shackles, some human and elves, others appeared to be beast men; behind the last slave came two more of the pirates laughing as they poked the last of the slaves with their swords.
"The Shark that walks on land! That's what the mermaids were talking about, he really does exist."
"Get this slave trash on the barge, I want to be out on the water as soon as possible. I'm in the mood for mermaid flesh tonight." The Shark Pirate laughed as the ramp to the barge lowered and the slaves filed in one after another.
"How'd we do money wise boss?"
"Got plenty of coin off the demon to bring him his precious metal, something about armor and weapons for the orcs." The Shark Pirate patted the large bag attached to his waste. "What a lucrative business we have. The stupid king pays us to keep his waters clear of any threats and in return we can steal all the fish folk we want without worry. Meanwhile the demon lord…general…whatever the hell he calls himself pays us to help overthrow the kingdom."
"Not bad boss, getting money from both sides, and we profit all the way."
"Damn right boys! Now, once we're back on the island, I want you to bring in as much booze as we can carry, after we catch our newest batch of slaves, we'll need to celebrate."
"Where we selling these new ones?"
"Don't matter. The "Tall Man" will buy any Beastmen so long as he has entertainment for the Cage. Then again, I'm told the fishmen taste rather good cooked, so he might buy a few as appetizers. Me though…" Shark Pirate moved in close toward his men where they could see his jagged, yellow teeth in his smile. "…I prefer my food raw! Now get on the lot of ya! We make for the island!"
Royal Knight waited for the barrage to move out of sight before he maneuvered himself out of the opening to see the barge continue to move with the aid of oars pulling in unison. He didn't feel right about leaving the slaves in the hands of those pirates but what he heard the pirates confirmed his suspicion but now filled him with new worries.
"No! The King is actually funding these monsters to kidnap his people. Damn him!" Royal Knight turned his head toward the direction the pirates had come. "So this is where they brought in the ore. They mentioned a demon lord, but would he truly be resurrected in this kingdom of all places? And what are these orcs they mentioned? I've come this far, I need to truly discover the evils of this kingdom and warn my comrades."
Royal Knight readied his shield and sword and continued further into the cave to discover just what secrets lay beneath the castle. Further into the cave, he noticed torches connected to the walls that provided light. The waterway had since stopped and now the stone walkway began to travel upward. He felt as though he had been traveling for nearly an hour when his ears began to hear something new other than the echoing of his footsteps.
"Is that…grunting? Growling?"
Royal Knight continued his trek as the sounds grew louder and he could a faint glow off in the distance. He drew out his sword as he drew closer, hearing a strange growling, almost like several people were chanting in a low voice. He could see the doorway leading to another part of the cave and an orange glow from within. The moment he entered, he felt as if he might have wandered directly into the depths of hell.
In a lower level, he could several man-sized creatures working around a large furnace as they poured molten metal into stone frames to create brand-new weapons and armor. Else where more of these monsters acted as blacksmiths and beat the metal in the shape and sharpened the curved black sword to a fine sharpness. As tall as these man-sized creatures were he could see large creatures being covered in armor before growling or roaring to the sky above.
"Gods above what the hell is this? Are these orcs? Wait…these are the same creatures that ambushed us in the woods! Gods…there must be dozens of them, no hundreds." Royal Knight carefully peered over the deg of the walkway to see these monsters busy at work. "All of this beneath our very feet, I wonder how long have they been here? This, this is an army built for only one purpose, the destruction of the kingdom."
Royal Knight wanted to turn around and make his way back after uncovering the truth of what he had suspected, but if this was really connected to the castle he needed all the information he could gather to ensure the monster's defeat. He carefully moved onward, taking care to keep his movements to a minimum so as to not reflect any light from the fire down below.
He soon found himself now in the lowest levels of the dungeons, the number of orcs was far less than in the catacombs but he found them in several of the cells engage in deplorable acts. Inside these cells, he could see captive women of different races being used as playthings for the orcs to pleasure themselves. To the other cells on his right side were other women who were thankfully not being used by the orcs, but their bodies showed heavy signs of bruising.
"What the hell is this? All female slaves…don't tell me these are breeders! Have to get them away from the awful…"
There were sudden sounds of footsteps and Royal Knight knew he would be spotted if he did not find a place to conceal himself. He quickly moved toward one of the nearby open cells and carefully moved into the shadows, he spared a quick glance at the captives with him. There was a vacant stare in their eyes, it was difficult to tell if they were alive or dead. He looked back toward the opening for the cells and could see new figures slowly illuminated by what little light there was in the dungeon. He could just make them out, five figures looking at the cages off to the left side, two walking in front of the group of three bringing up the rear. The first figure closest to the cells was a goblin the size of a man with light armor and a black cape, the other one in the middle was a demon with long white hair and black armor that had a brilliant shine, but upon the center was a strange figure in bright red.
"That figure…he's a high-ranking demon in the Demon Lord's army. The goblin must be one of his subordinates." Royal Knight could feel the cold sweat running down the side of his head as he scanned his gaze toward the others following. "The two in the dark robes, can't be sure but if I had to guess they're demons who can use magic. And the other one is…what! The Grand Chancellor!"
The Demon Lord General had a disgusted look on his face as he could see the orcs assaulting the various women in the dungeon cells amidst their weak cries and moans. In other cells, women had given birth to the crying abominations that would eventually mature into Uruk Hai, they would then be taken to what the orcs referred to as nutrient pits where they would mature within the week, now being fully ready to fight.
"My orcs grow restless. How much longer is this blasted waiting plan going to take?" Goblin Commander growled as he watched several of the orcs carry off the new born babies.
"What have your orcs to complain about? All they do is eat, fornicate and shit."
"The Uruk Hai are maturing far too quickly and have increased the rate of food consumption." Goblin Commander too was growing impatient with just standing around in the dungeon of this castle. "We need blood! Turn us loose!"
"You will do no such thing that will interfere with our plans!" Demon Lord General took hold of the Goblin Commander's armor and pulled him close before throwing him against the cell doors. "We have put far too much time and effort to allow you to simply act on impulse!"
"I'm done taking orders from…"
Before the Goblin Champion could draw his sword, the Demon Lord General already had the tip of his own blade at the creature's throat.
"You're job is to keep these orcs and Uruk Hai in line. If they are not busy reproducing, they should focus on weapons construction or training these monsters for battle!" Demon Lord General withdrew his blade and sheathed his sword.
"And what should I do about food? We can't even leave here to go and find some game to feed these hundreds of soldiers! We can't survive on damn maggoty bread!"
"Once the women have served their purpose, butcher the bodies for meat."
"We have another problem! The beast women, they do not produce offspring we desire! Every little bastard they produce is another beastman!"
"Then what are you complaining about meat for? Use the beast women to produce a near endless supply of meat to eat." Demon Lord General had a wicked smirk on his face as formulated a solution to the meat shortage.
Royal Knight shook with rage as he tightened his grip on his sword, but now was the time to be reckless as he looked to the Grand Chancellor following these two.
"And what of you?" Demon Lord General turned his attention to the older Grand Chancellor with a scowl. "And would you get rid of that disgusting disguise!"
"My aren't we short-tempered as normal." The Grand Chancellor gave a wave of his hand and the elder human was and in his place was a younger demon. "I keep this form on the off chance I'm forced to deal with that damn foolish King, as you have asked."
"You claim to be doing a hard job, yet I also know you've indulged yourself with a harem of women in your private chambers."
"That is my consolation fee for aiding in your plans for conquering this kingdom. Dealing with his childish outbursts is quite taxing, so I of course need some form of release and my lovely ladies serve that purpose well. You know…it would be much easier if you had asked me to impersonate the King."
"No, not until my army of orcs and uruk hai number in the thousands, then I can roll over this kingdom with little resistance. What of the cursed jewelry I have asked you to prepare, if your "pleasures" are interfering with that then I shall demand their addition to the breeding cells."
"You, don't you lay a hand on my treasure! I and my subordinates have not been shirking our duties, but it takes time to properly enchant the jewelry you asked. To increase strength and ferocity while making them mindless drones to your will is difficult. We currently have 100 of them and shall be testing them out on the masses."
"Excellent." Demon Lord General had a small smile cross his smiled as he chuckled before hearing the sounds of the orcs and uruk hai further ahead. "Hmm…perhaps my commander does have a point. The number is growing quite large and it may be time to slowly expand to different areas. Warlock, you and your subordinates may need to cast Gate so we can engage in a bit of terror."
"You want to unleash the horde upon the lands?"
"In a smaller capacity, we can attack the nearby towns under the cover of darkness. This way we spread terror among the people and doubt in the ability of the King."
"I think we can arrange for that, but remember, we are the only ones who can aid in that spell. Ever since the other demon mage was killed, we need to be more cautious should we ever need to escape."
"No, there will be no need to escape. These lands shall become the next stronghold for the Demon Lord. Everyone human, elf, dwarf and demi human shall be wiped out if they dare defy us, and those that don't shall serve as slaves!"
"And what of the demons?"
"No. Those creatures are not "demons", or rather not true demons. They have lost their will to fight and now wish to live a life of peace, even forming relationships with humans. They shall be the first to die. Death to the traitors!"
"Is that why you've had your demonic assassins targeting those humans? The merchants who wish to set up trade in the City of Light?"
"Those blasted humans would try to bridge the gaps between the different races, even the demons. The only thing I can appreciate of this stupid King is his disgust of those who are inferior to him, for me it is all the races. Until this land becomes a true hell on earth, I will slay those who would try to broker peace. My Lord's future empire does not need peace, but hatred. Hatred shall be the fuel for war."
Royal Knight was shocked upon hearing of all of this; even his wildest suspicions could compete with the truth he had discovered. His Kingdom and all those within were in danger of being slaughtered or enslaved by this person. He needed to leave here as quickly possible and alert his friends, then they could properly come up with a plan of attack to destroy these orcs and the pirate ring.
"The moment they pass by, I need to leave. Can't go back the way I came, but I should be able to get out through the entrance to the dungeon."
The female elf struggled to open her eyes, for days on end she had endured horrific actions by these foul monsters, barely and food or drink to sustain her. There were times she wishes she had died like others, then her suffering would have ended, yet she somehow endured. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness within the cell, she could barely make out a figure in armor; at first she worried it was another of these orcs who would guard over them, but the armor on this figure was different. Her eyes were wide when she realized this one was a human, and a knight from the Kingdom. Her opened her mouth, tried to call out to him, but her voice was weak; it took nearly all of her strength but she would not miss this opportunity for rescue.
"HELP ME! GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Royal Knight nearly jumped as this woman had screamed out for him to notice her, but he was not the only one to hear her pleas. The Demon Lord General and those around him also turned, at first thinking one of the captive women had merely been crying out of hopelessness but they soon saw the figure hidden away in the cell.
"An intruder! Kill him!"
Author's Note: Wow, sorry everyone for such a long delay between posting (I think it's been almost five months). After nearly four years of working on the same content and I was suffering a bit of burnout. Thank you all for being patient with me and for those who have favorited me or follow my work, thank you for all the support. I have not abandoned this story, I just really want to plan out the work and hopefully I can get back into a more reasonable posting schedule. And a big thanks to Grimmbear for his aid in helping to storyboard future ideas.
