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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2008 All Rights Reserved
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212
 As you move forward you find the eastern passage extending for some distance before you. The corridor is wide and open, the floor covered in a thin layer of dust and grime that muffles your footfalls as you advance. On both sides the remains of exits and other hallways tumble into the passage; all collapsed and blocked by the Hordim.
For a moment you stop and consider one of the exits. It is a high arch, some ten metres in width at its widest point, but now a tangle of broken stone and smashed earth. At some time in the past the Hordim had pulled out the keystones above from their settings, bringing the facing stones of the corridor beyond crashing down behind them. There seems little purpose to the vandalism, you can only guess at what might lay beyond the rubble, but the Hordim have effectively turned the corridor into one long hall without exit or turn. In this place there is only one way forward.
Carefully you move on, following the passage eastwards. About you old rotting tapestries hang ragged upon the walls but there is little to hinder your way into the east. Apart from the tumble of stone that spreads from each broken exit the floor is clear of debris, and the same dim yellowish light radiates from its unknown source illuminating your way ahead. There is a noticeable change here however, and it becomes more obvious as you venture further east. In this quiet place a strong smell hangs in the air. At first you thought it might have been the heavy, musty smell of damp rotting fabric, but the further you go the more identifiable the odour becomes. It is the smell of ash and charcoal and it permeates everything.
Soon you begin to see a distinct mist in the air, a fine miasma of something that hangs upon the damp atmosphere, slowly circulating from somewhere ahead. Focusing your thoughts on what you know about Dragonlore you search for a connection between the winged serpents and this heavy odorous smell. While deep in thought it occurs to you that a large serpent trapped deep underground would need more than just gold to sustain itself. Those Dragons that dwell far from the realms of daylight require burnt wood to survive. At once you see why there are so many of the Hordim infesting the remains of this old fortress. For a purpose known only to themselves they are feeding the Dragon, keeping it alive, giving it the one thing it needs to sustain itself in the darkness. No wonder there is very little wooden furniture left in the fortress. It has all been converted into charcoal as food for the Dragon.
Whether this is the case however, is something yet to be uncovered and it is a mystery that can bode no good. Dragonlore is a subject best left to those who understand it, and the motivations of the Hordim can be as unfathomable as Dragons themselves. Whatever the purposes of the Hordim here you have an uncomfortable feeling that you will find out soon enough, and it will not be to your advantage.
For some time you move forward, the floor sloping in a shallow decline as the passage reaches ever deeper into the mountain. It is at the end of this corridor that you are forced to a halt, your thoughts interrupted by an abrupt southerly turn in the passageway ahead.
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This book, and its associated books and other documents in the Chronicles of Arborell series are the intellectual property of the author, Wayne F Densley, and all rights are reserved by him. Windhammer is best viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution. Any questions regarding the Chronicles of Arborell can be answered by emailing the author at densleyw@shoal.net.au
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Windhammer, Copyright Wayne Densley 2008 All Rights Reserved
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