Keith Baker - The Gates of Night

“Then let’s-”

Daine never finished the sentence. He’d been blinded by the spectacle of the forge, and he’d allowed their easy entry to make him overconfident. Black metal covered the warforged, and he was all but invisible against the chamber wall-until he moved. All Daine saw was a blur of motion, followed by a sickening crunch and a cry of pain as the construct smashed into Lei and sent her tumbling down the stairs.

The construct had a hunched, apelike posture. His arms were long and powerful, and he ran on all four limbs. His head and face were similar to Pierce’s, except for the mouth; he had a massive hinged jaw with blades fused along the rim, and this was gaping wide as the construct lunged at Daine.

Daine yearned to follow Lei, but if she was injured there was nothing he could do for her. He needed to clear a path so Jode could reach her. Was this when Krazhal died? he wondered. It was clear this creature wouldn’t fall easily, but right now Daine just wanted him to move. He lashed out with his blade, catching a ringing blow on the creature’s head; as he expected, it barely left a mark, but it drew the metal monster’s attention.

“Come on!” Daine cried, darting back a few steps.

His plan worked all too well. The warforged charged. It was the very move Daine wanted the construct to make, but he’d underestimated his opponent’s speed. The metal beast crashed into him, throwing him back to the floor. Light filled the room- Pierce’s flail -but the warforged monster was already towering over Daine, iron fists descending to crush flesh and bone.

No .

Once, Daine might have been too slow to evade the construct’s blows. In another time, another place, this might have been the end. Not here. He could feel the dragonfire in his blood, feel his anger and his concern for Lei, and it gave him strength and speed he’d never imagined possible. The warforged struck bare stone, scarring the finish. Daine was already standing, moving behind the creature, lashing out with sword and dagger. Pierce was at his side, and the enemy construct staggered beneath the blows of the glowing flail. But the fight was far from over.

For all his newfound strength, Daine’s sword was not the most effective weapon against the armored bulk of the iron beast. The construct turned his back on Daine, smashing Pierce with both fists. Pierce was stunned by the impact, and the enemy warforged grabbed him by both arms and lifted him off the ground. The construct’s intention was clear. He was going to tear Pierce limb from limb.

“No!” Dropping his sword, Daine gripped the hilt of his dagger with both hands and drove it into the construct’s back. No mundane metal could withstand the adamantine blade, and the dagger sunk deep. Calling on every ounce of his dream-inspired strength, Daine pulled down on the blade, carving a deep gouge where a human would keep his spine. For a moment there seemed to be no effect, and Daine could hear the tendrils snapping in Pierce’s joints. Then a shudder ran through the frame of the iron beast. He fell forward, collapsing on top of Pierce.

“Pierce? Pierce!” Daine struggled to push the beast off his companion. The dead construct shifted, and then fell to the side.

“I … am functional,” Pierce said. He rose slowly, one arm hanging at an awkward angle. “I thank you for your aid, Captain.”

“Everyone in one piece?” Jode’s voice rose from below. “We’ve got a little problem down here.”

Daine cursed. Quiet and careful. Could I have made myself any clearer?

He pulled his dagger from the ruined construct. “If you can use your bow, get it out,” he said to Pierce. He headed for the forge, taking the stairs two and three at a time.

Lei stood by the central trunk, studying the stone pillar, while Jode followed the path of one of the roots.

“What are you doing? ” Daine grabbed Lei by the arm and whirled her around. She seemed unharmed by her fall-thanks, most likely, to Jode-and Daine’s anger warred with his relief.

“Examining the forge,” Lei replied.

Daine expected more from her. Lei had led a sheltered life, and when they’d first met she was certainly naive and arrogant, all too careless with her own safety. The war had changed her, and he’d come to rely on her courage and intelligence. But to indulge her love of research in the midst of an enemy stronghold, while Pierce was injured …

“Pierce needs help, now!”

Lei pulled away from him and turned back to the trunk. “You don’t understand. The forge-”

“-will wait,” Daine said, taking her arm again. “I need Pierce repaired now . The enemy could return at any time, and-”

The lights went out, and the room fell into utter darkness.

“Too late,” Lei said.

Crimson light filled the room. The central pool and every line on the wall that had been glowing before now burned with a blinding radiance. Daine threw up his hand to shield his eyes. A vast roar filled the hall, the sound buffeting Daine and driving out all other thought.

Daine barely realized when the sound and lights faded. His head was pounding, his vision scarred by the terrible light. He could see movement around him, shadowy shapes. He raised his sword, but his reflexes were still scattered. He felt a chill in his back, a burst of cold that spread out through his muscles, freezing him in place.

Then his vision returned. He was surrounded by warforged, at least a half-dozen of them, every one different. Some were unarmed, while others had spikes, claws, or other weapons merged into their limbs. The pods ringing the forge … Daine saw that they were hinged like coffins, and that they were open.

“Well, this is a surprise.”

The voice came from behind him. Daine tried to turn his head, but the magic holding him in place had paralyzed every muscle. He couldn’t even speak.

A man walked in front of him, a tall, lean man in a robe of shifting colors. His wavy red hair was streaked with gray, and his green eyes were hard as stone. He reached out and took hold of Daine’s chin, turning his head to study him.

“Daine of House Deneith, isn’t it? Now captain in the Cyran army?” The stranger’s voice was cold, and there was something terribly familiar about it. “Tell me, Daine, what have you done with my daughter?”

His creation forge was strange, like no design Lei had ever seen. She’d never been trained to operate a creation forge. The position of forgemaster was one that needed to be earned. But while she had no hands-on experience with these artifacts, she’d spent her childhood learning all she could about them. Living in a warforged foundry, it was hardly surprising that she’d be fascinated by the forges. One touch was all she’d needed to see that the forge was in the final stages of a production cycle. She’d tried to interface with the pillar, hoping she could find some way to disrupt the energies within. Even if Daine had left her alone, it was a hopeless task. She’d never seen anything so complex.

Knowing what to expect from the forge, Lei was able to cover her eyes in time to preserve her vision. But she could do nothing about the overwhelming noise. Struggling to stay on her feet, she reached down and pulled the darkwood staff from her satchel. Keeping her eyes tightly closed, she leaned on the staff, drawing comfort from its presence.

At last the thunder faded. Lei opened her eyes, but just as she feared, the containment pods were open and warforged soldiers were emerging from each one. In a traditional Cannith facility, these newborn soldiers would be confused, requiring direction and instruction. Not so the warforged of Keldan Ridge, who seemed to have a clear purpose in mind: apprehend the intruders.