Freya Redbeard was kneeling at the altar to the All-Father.

 

 

When the raiders arrived, nobody was prepared. Nobody was sure how, but they managed to get inside the village itself before anyone knew it. They picked the perfect time to attack, as most of the children were at an annual event in the church of the All-father. It was a coming of age ceremony for only a few of the children, but it was typical that most of the children would attend. Because of this, they had all the kids in one spot.

 

People suspected someone betrayed them, but there was no time to figure it out. While the raiders secured the church, the rest of the attackers rushed into each house and tossed everyone into the street. With the children rounded up first, the adults very quickly fell in line. They would have been willing to fight for their village, but as soon as it became apparent the children would be the ones to pay the price, they were quick to surrender.

 

The leaders gave them assurances that they only wanted to rob everyone blind. If nobody did anything, they would survive. Considering how much the kingdom needs your iron work, the king himself will come help you, no doubt, but we need to feed our families.

 

They didn't.

 

It was a carefully crafted story to make sure the dwarves didn't have time to think about it or plan any sort of counterattack. There was an abandoned mine just outside of town and the adults were all moved into it, except for the leaders of the village. They were bound and gagged and kept out in the open in front of the mine. The children were kept in the church, so the adults knew the kids would be safe. After all, who would murder dwarven children in a church dedicated to the dwarves' god?

 

The church was some distance from the mine where the adults were being kept. The children were all kept together by the altar and a large cask of dragons blood was put in the middle of them. To said cask a long cord was attached along with the detonator. The church itself was half built into the side of a cliff. It was symbolic of the dwarves transition from being a race that lived exclusively underground in a mountain to the dwarves who lived among the hills of the surface.

 

Half in one world, half in another.

 

The King who originally welcomed them here helped pay for the church and was the one who paid for the craftsmen who built the massive circular stained glass window that was above the main, and only entrance into and out of the church. The light from the setting sun was shining through it, casting everything in a orange-yellowish glow. Most of the children were huddled up, Freya was praying.

 

She did not stop praying for even a second.

 

There were four men watching, one of which was a fire mage. He demonstrated this with a few gouts of flame so that they knew he was capable fo setting on the dragons blood manually, if needed. The other three men had crossbows and swords and made sure to keep the kids in line. It had been several hours and this was dragging on. The men were getting antsy.

 

Outside, Olof Anvilbreaker, the one dwarf that had avoided capture was watching. His brother was in there and he knew if the other dwarves were going to try anything, the children would have to be saved first. He had managed to get a hammer from his father's forge and snuck up to the the corner of the building. He was hiding and waiting, hoping for some change to give him an advantage. He knew there were two inside and two outside and they frequently checked on each other, keeping the door open. He could take one, maybe two, but four at once would be impossible.

 

While he was waiting, the fire mage appeared to be getting bored and started shooting off bolts from his crossbow to shatter nearby windows. He did this to a window of a building someone was looting and it started an argument. An argument they almost resolved by stepping into the very alleyway he was hiding in, but fortunately cooler heads arrived and broke up the fight.

 

Now the looting was almost over. The village was empty. The fire mage was running out of windows. He spied the window above the entrance to the church. Olof narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his hammer as he watched the man walk out several steps to take aim.

 

Just before he shot, another man came running up. They talked for a second, then the two of them walked up to the front of the church, pass the main platform out front where a massive statue of the all-father sat in a giant throne. Walking around it, they called the others to the entrance and started talking. Olof moved as close as he could and could nearly make out what they were talking about. It was difficult, but he got the gist of it.

 

It was time to kill the children.

 

They all turned and walked inside, closing the doors behind them. Olof knew it was now or never. He couldn't wait for a better time. This was his time. This was his hour. He stalked up to the front doors, pumping himself up. Even if he died doing this, he would bring honor to his family. He would save his brother. He'd kick open the doors, aim for the fire mage first, then take as many as he could with him and hopefully the children would get a chance to run. He stared at the door, taking several deep breaths to get ready.

 

He was so focused on what he had to do next he didn't see the figure clad all in black that had come in flying low through the city streets. The figure had received his orders and knew his first objective. Rescue the children in the church. His experiments with causing water to vibrate and create sound paid off now as his approach, while leaving a vaporous trail behind him, was completely inaudible.

 

As Olof kicked in the doors to attack, at the exact same time the black clad figure hit the stained glass window. If the fire mage had not just spent the past few hours breaking windows, someone might have come to investigate. As it stood, nobody was coming.

 

Olof's war cry was cut off by a rain of tinkling glass that caused everyone to look up, then to cover their eyes from the raining shards. This gave the black clad figure a momentary distraction.

 

All that figure needed was a moment.

 

On a gout of pressurized steam shooting out of his backpack with eerie silence, he dropped down into the middle of the five men who were preparing to gloat before setting off the detonator. The only one who would be brave enough to watch what was going on in its entirety would be Freya.

 

She watched from the altar as that avenging angel of death descended from above, bursting forth from the image of her god to unload rigorous fury upon the infidels. In both hands he held twin black wands with pistol grips. Wands especially made for rapid fire with a heavy punch, at the cost of being rather short range. From the end of both appeared magic spheres that spun with glowing, arcane symbols before discharging bolts of icy death.

 

Five extra-heavy slivers of Ice-7 flew from the barrels.

 

Five torsos detonated.

 

Limbs and body parts went cartwheeling off in every direction at the far end of the cavernous cathedral. Olof stood there, holding up his hammer in front of his face to shield himself from the explosion of blood and gore. The figure continued past, floating along at about fifteen feet off the ground. The gouts of steam caused all the children to huddle together and cover their faces as he came to a landing on the altar. He dropped down on it, wands in each hand, his whole torso twisting one way then the other. Apparently his jetpack was limiting his range of movement.

 

With no other immediate enemies visible, he holstered his wands, reached up and undid three circular buckles, causing the jetpack to come off. He swung it around and tossed it to Freya, "Hold this." Freya caught the black T-shaped device as he redrew a wand and jumped off the altar. He proceeded to run into the back where the priest's quarters would be. He kicked open the door and rushed in, keeping low as he swept his weapon from side to side. Just as fast as he had arrived, he was out of sight.

 

Nobody did anything for several moments.

 

Olof was the first to recover his senses. The sight of five exploded humans before him made him want to vomit, but he contained his reaction and rushed forward to check on his brother. Some of the children looked like they were about to overcome their shock and start crying. Olof held a finger up to his lips and make shushing sounds. He spoke in a harsh whisper, "Everyone Keep Quiet!" The older children slapped their hands over the mouths of the younger ones who were about to cry out.

 

One child stood up, "Olof?"

 

Olof looked over to see his brother was hiding under a bench seat. He rushed over to hug his brother. While he did. He heard more sounds coming from the back. The sounds of cracking doorframes could be heard echoing out from the priest's quarters. Olof looked up and frowned. He was the oldest dwarf here. He was in charge. He had to be brave. He gave his brother one last hug then pushed him down. Olof stood up and readied his hammer. He started stalking over to the door to the back chambers when the black clad figure returned.

 

He was short and thin. This was no dwarf. In many ways he had the frame of a human child, but it was clear it wasn't. Now that Olof was getting a up close view of the figure, it was obvious what he was, even if Olof was having a hard time accepting what he was seeing.

 

It made no sense.

 

"Building Secure." The figure muttered as he looked Olof up and down, "You the one in charge?"

 

Olof blinked as he tried to understand what his eyes were seeing, "Yes. What are-No. WHO are you?"

 

The figure holstered his wand, then reached up to unlock a lever on either side of his helmet. With a flourish he pulled off his helmet then shook his head causing his silvery hair to bob about in the dying half light shining though the broken window. The face of a halfling greeted Olof.

 

"Saint Baron Reed Demonslayer, black knight to king Uther of Lyonnesse and chosen of the All-father." Ryan gave Olof a wink then walked past him to jump up on the altar. He looked around at all the scared children huddled together, "God sent me here to kick butt and chew bubble gum."

 

The children just stared up at him in stunned silence.

 

"And just so you know..." Ryan gave everyone a grin.

 

 

 

 

"I'm all out of bubble gum."