As the last of the dwarves scurried back to the safety of their fellows, Tosig’s breath caught in his throat. From all sides ragged lines of shambling, twitching undead warriors were converging on the little band of dwarves.
Against human foes it might have worked. But dwarves are tougher than mortals and bonny fighters beside.
“Steady the shield wall,” Tosig bellowed “Here they come.”
As if by instinct, the dwarves crowded into a tight circle two-deep in the middle of the cavern. Those in front dropped to one knee with their round shields before them. The rear rank shrugged their shields off their arms and stood behind the protection of their comrades’ shield wall with both hands on their axe shafts.
Heedless of their opponent’s new formation, the undead charged. There was no sound save the scuffling of feet on the cavern floor and the breathing of the dwarves. Soundlessly the zombies lurched forward and soundlessly they struck.
Then the cavern erupted in the clamor of steel on steel and dwarven battle cries as the undead warriors hit the 128-dwarf Cuisinart.
The zombies might be already dead and hence unkillable, but there are certain practical problems in attacking when one’s arms have been lopped off at the shoulder or one’s head is rolling across the floor. Further, zombies’ muscle control is notoriously poor and this handicaps them in hand-to-hand combat.
The first rank of dwarves was safe, crouched beneath their shields. The second could swing their axes with full force, protected yet unencumbered. About the only weapons that could reach over the shield wall to strike the axe bearers were spears and halberds. But as soon as a polearm extended over the shield wall, the shield dwarves would reach up with their axes and hook it, immobilizing weapon and wielder and leaving both open to a counter-stroke by the axe dwarves.
Not that it stopped the zombies. Whole or hacked up they continued to come on in deathly silence, pulling themselves forward to the attack with whatever limbs they had left Again and again they pressed forward and again and again they were cut into ever-smaller pieces.
Finally, when the last zombie had been chopped into pieces too small to be dangerous, the attack stopped.
Tosig Longbeard peered into the darkness, seeking other foes. He was breathing heavily and the gold crown upon his helm was battered and scarred. Already those warriors with healing skills were tending to their comrades’ wounds.
“Casualties?” He did not turn to look at his men.
“Six wounded,” Durgrim told him. “Four will be able to walk once the healers finish with them. Two we must carry.”
“Well enough then. Anything else about?”
“Nothing I can sense.”
The dwarf long hawked and spat upon the still-quivering flesh of their late foes. “Pfagh! Animated corpses. These humans become ever more troublesome.”
His second-in-command gestured at the pile of bodies strewn about them. “Human these were. Yet I am unconvinced a human animated them. The magic was wrong.”
Tosig rubbed his chin. This is a matter to be thought upon. Meanwhile,” his voice rose so all his troop could hear, “stand up and prepare to march! But carefully now. We know not what else we may find in this place.”
The magic detector tuned to Wiz led Jerry, Taj and his group down a side passage, through a series of natural caverns and finally to an iron-bound oak door that led off the side of a tunnel.
Jerry pressed his ear to the door and listened.
The wizard behind him, a young man named Elias, checked the magic detector around his neck. “There is nothing in there.”
“Yeah! Jerry hissed. “Well, that ‘nothing’ is breathing awfully heavy.” Elias frowned and tapped his detector on his palm.
Keeping his back to the wall, Jerry reached out and pushed on the door. It creaked, but it swung open smoothly, showing only darkness beyond. Now they could all hear the hoarse, heavy breathing.
“What do you think it is?” Taj whispered.
“I dunno,” Jerry whispered back, but it’s cloaked, shielded and probably nasty.”
Taj regarded the door. “So, do we go in or not?”
“It would be better if we sent something in ahead of us.” He brightened. “And I’ve got just the thing.”