by Kyle West
At last, some of the Radaskim crawlers were wising up, and two broke off from the line of pikes to attack me on the turned crawler. The pikemen, suddenly free of having to defend themselves, cried out and charged bravely forward as the turned crawler held off the attackers. It held off long enough for the pikemen to reach the crawlers, whose backs were now turned to them. They drove the points of their weapons home between the crawlers’ plating and into their underbellies, stabbing again and again while my own crawler gored them from the front.
But the fight had taken its toll. I could feel my crawler weakening, its movements slowing. I dismounted and ordered it to attack another crawler that was about to gore a prone soldier. As the two crawlers fought one another, I released the tether. The two crawlers fought, giving time for the soldier to escape.
In the lull of the battle, I scanned for where I could best help. I saw Fiona fighting a crawler with a group of soldiers trying to hold the line. I ran forward to give my assistance. While the crawler was busy fighting the group, I engaged from behind and stabbed it deeply between its plating. It gave a hoarse screech as it was set upon on all sides.
From above, the Elekai dragons attacked relentlessly, diving and swooping and crashing against the crawlers, sowing chaos in their formations. But in other areas, the battle was not going as well. Men were speared by the crawlers’ pointed legs, screaming as they fell, while entire limbs were dislodged from the lightning strikes of their tails.
Two crawlers charged past the crumbling line of soldiers, right toward a ring of carts behind which the women and children were sheltering. I ran forward, Fiona and the soldiers around me joining. We reached the crawlers just as they began battering at the crude fortifications.
“Form a line!” I shouted. “Pikes out!”
The soldiers extended their pikes, stabbing at the crawlers and pushing them back from the noncombatants.
But more were sneaking through the lines all the time. Dragons were slaughtering them from above, but not fast enough. What fighters were left were now gathering around the cart, in the middle of which were hundreds of refugees, all crying, screaming, and praying in equal amounts.
It was now a question of holding them off long enough for the dragons to kill the rest.
Fiona and I fought side by side, our movements synchronized perfectly from sharing a bond to the Xenofold. Her actions were my own, and my actions were hers. At some point, Isaru joined us, and then Shara and Isa, their enhanced connections to the Xenofold I had given them at the Sea of Creation being put to the test of the first time. We became a machine of death, all of us obeying the directives of the infinitely more intelligent Xenofold. We were the five fingers of its hand, and we moved as one unit, swarming and destroying any crawlers that dared challenge us.
At some point, the crawlers shifted their focus from trying to kill us in a last-ditch attempt to maul anyone caught outside the formation of pikes. But relieved of the pressure, we could press the attack, slicing into the crawlers from the rear as they pushed futilely against the carts and the pikemen protecting them.
The monsters began to break. The twang of crossbows and ballistae further decimated the ones fleeing into the forest, most of which were attacked from above by furious Elekai dragons.
And then, what few crawlers were still fighting, as if given a single order at the same time, turned and fled in a streaming mass. A few more were felled as they were pierced by ballistae and crossbow bolts, but the majority made it past the dragons and scuttled into the safety of the woods.
I let go of Silence and slumped against a box that had formed part of the interior barricade. I closed my eyes, the utter exhaustion of the battle hitting me all at once.
Chapter 9
I was out for a few minutes before Shara revived me. Despite my weakness, despite my thirst and hunger, there was work to do and dozens of dead to bury while the dragons above kept watch. Too many of those dead were women and children, mostly from those who couldn’t make it inside the barricade in time. I watched as the bodies were lowered into the ground by grim-faced men, many of them weeping inconsolably. How many widows and widowers were made tonight, how many orphans? Any number more than zero was too many. Though this was a victory, it certainly didn’t feel like it. Odium had the numbers to spare, and each of his minions was nothing more than an automaton in his swarm.
After the burials, we had to push on. Camping when we were so close to Harrow’s troops had been a huge mistake. I had pitied the people’s exhaustion, had taken their safety for granted and had been lulled into a false sense of security. How many had died because of my stupidity?
I wallowed on such thoughts as we marched north, as the night gave way to a grim, gray dawn. People hobbled forward, many wounded, more just exhausted. It was hard to look at their thin, drawn faces, to see the toll the lack of food had taken. It was harder still to imagine any more dying, though more surely would, from wounds sustained in the skirmish.
Progress was slow, but the morning at least brightened. We were within hours of connecting to Lord Harrow’s army. I ran up and down the column, shouting encouragement of how close we were, and the promise of a warm meal and safe beds. The people began moving faster. About an hour later, we ran into the first of Lord Harrow’s outriders, about twenty armored knights, the sight of which inspired the people to walk even more quickly, faster even than our first day of travel. The outriders escorted us the rest of the way until we reached the camp.
The forest came to an end, and in the distance was the sight of Harrow’s camp, hundreds of tents laid out on top of a wide hill with stakes embedded into the xen, pointing south. It irked me a bit that they had set up camp rather than hurry south to join us and ensure our safety. We were about a hundred miles from Haven here, so we had made almost as good time as they had, laden with women, children, and wagons.
My friends and I walked at the head of the column, where Lord Harrow’s personal guard awaited us, along with the man himself. He watched impassively as we approached. He dismounted and handed his reins to a waiting soldier. He gave three small bows; one to me, then one to Fiona, and the final one to Isaru.
“Well-met,” Lord Harrow said. “I sent a contingent of cavalry to harry the crawlers as soon as I received word of the attack. Alas, they arrived too late, but have orders to pursue the crawlers until the southern end of the Xenoplain. I hope this is to your satisfaction.”
“Your men seem comfortable,” I said, looking at the faces of his honor guard. “Well-rested. Well-fed.”
Harrow’s thin lips tightened into a tense smile. “I assure you, my men are anything but rested. You gave me a tall order. It hasn’t been easy securing and convincing the locals to abandon their homes. After all, the war hasn’t reached this far yet. All said, however, as many as fifty thousand refugees now march north toward Haven, and the men I’ve left behind are ensuring that we catch the stragglers, creating a wide net to make sure we don’t miss a man, woman, or child north of this spot.” He nodded back toward the camp. “I’ve entrenched myself here, as this town, Adnora, is a meeting place of many roads, and will serve as a decent central command to oversee the evacuation of thousands of people.”
After hearing all this, I thought that perhaps I had misjudged him. “That’s good news. How many fighting men have been armed?”
“About two thousand, all of which have been levied into my forces. Most have stayed on behind to help with the evacuation. We have food and water; I’m certain you and your people must be hungry.”
“They are,” I said. “They need to be fed and given a warm fire as soon as possible. Many of them are hungry and cold, not to mention frightened.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” Lord Harrow said. “Already, my captains are taking care of it.”
I could see that this was the case. With striking efficiency, the people and carts were being ushered toward the shelter of the tents behind the stakes. many were shedding tears of relief and gratitude.
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br /> “Perhaps we should go to my command tent,” Lord Harrow said. “It’s warm, and I’ve been waiting for your arrival to sup. Over meat and bread, we can catch up.”
My stomach growled at the prospect of food. And it looked as if things were being taken from my hands, at least for the moment. “That sounds good.”
We followed Harrow and his bodyguards up the road. A ten-minute walk brought us to a large white tent. Harrow himself held open the flap while we walked in.
As promised, the interior of the tent was warm and dry, and a most welcome sight was the presence of food, already set, on a large wooden table. There was roasted chicken, fresh-baked bread, potatoes, and greens, along with pitchers of watered wine, foaming beer, and plain water.
It seemed wrong to eat so richly while others would be getting meaner fare, but the others didn’t seem to be thinking of that. Shara rushed forward with Isa right on her heels, each taking a piece of bread before I could say anything.
“Guys . . .”
Fiona and I just watched as Isaru walked forward, making no qualms about breaking off a drumstick. He looked at me, shrugged, and tore into it.
“Nothing like food after a battle,” Lord Harrow said, smiling approvingly and showing teeth for the first time I could remember. “Help yourselves. You’ve won a victory today and should celebrate.”
“We buried dozens of our people today,” I said. “Women and children among them. If that was victory, then I never want to taste defeat.”
Harrow looked at me seriously. “Yes, dozens died. But how many were saved? Hundreds, perhaps even thousands in the days to come. It is easy to dwell on our defeats, and difficult to remember victories.” He paused as he considered. “I’ve heard reports of you shoring up the breaking line at just the right moment. As foolish as it was brave. But the men will like that sort of thing. The story will give them courage. A man who is willing to fight for his troops, or a woman I should say, will be just as willing to do the same for you.”
“I just did what had to be done,” I said.
“Ah,” Harrow said. “That you did. I’m too old for such things today. My place is to sit in this tent, and yes, to watch. My arms can’t swing a blade as hard as they did in the old days, when King Taris was still a boy and I had just entered into my inheritance at Fallwood.” Noticing that I was eyeing the food, Lord Harrow gestured toward it. “Eat. You are surely famished.”
He was right in that. The next half hour was spent eating while Lord Harrow gave an account of everything that had happened on his way south. As he had mentioned before, thousands had been saved after being forced to evacuate to Haven, and more would be arriving there by the day. He had also sent orders to every town on the Xenoplain to evacuate to Haven posthaste, and to send all levies at once to Haven, if they had not already done so.
But he saved the most important bit of news for last. “I carry a message from the Elders. Shortly after you left, an envoy arrived from Colonia.”
“An envoy?” I asked. “Concerning what?”
“The Grand Pontifex has invited you to Colonia to honor you,” Harrow said, with an ironic smile. “At least, that’s their words. They wish to form an alliance and to hold a feast in your honor, should you accept.”
“A feast?” I asked. I couldn’t help but laugh. “You know, they tried to kill me once?”
“I’d heard,” Harrow said. “I would be very careful, were I you.”
“I smell a trap,” Shara said.
The others around the table were nodding.
“I doubt they wish to honor me,” I said. “They hate all that is Elekai.” I paused, considering. “At the same time, we didn’t leave them off in a good place. They agreed to work with us out of fear of our dragons. I want to make sure they understand the importance of this fight, and I want them to understand that there’s good faith on our end.”
“And theirs,” Shara pointed out.
“Yes,” I said. “And theirs. Though they’re our enemies, Odium is the greater enemy, to the point where perhaps even they can see that. Their Dragonguard nearly numbers the Dragonriders of the Annajen. If all of us work together, we would have close to five hundred dragon riders, in addition to the two hundred free dragons we have right now. If the Elder Dragons were ever to join us on the field, we’d have almost a thousand. Perhaps enough to compete with Odium.”
Harrow nodded, conceding that point. “That’s more dragons than any army has ever had.”
“Something tells me the Radaskim have that much, if not more,” I said.
“So, you’re going to go?” Shara asked.
I didn’t have to think long about it. “Yes. I won’t be going alone, of course. I’ll take the dragons, and I’ll take all of you.”
“Still not enough,” Lord Harrow said. “Take half of my guard. I’ll give you twenty-five of my best men.”
“Will those men be comfortable flying on dragons?” I asked.
Harrow had a chuckle at that. “These are the bravest men from Woodfall. They would be honored to accompany Annara Reborn and will die in your protection.”
He was treating me as if he truly believed I was Anna. It was hard to tell if he was doing so of his own accord, or simply because Fiona had ordered him to, who was standing right in front of him.
I wasn’t hesitant at all about returning to Colonia. In some strange way, it still felt like home. However, I was a bit unsure about bringing along twenty-five soldiers I didn’t know, even if I was surer of Lord Harrow’s loyalties now than ever before.
“Take the men,” Fiona said, vouching for him. “Surrounded by the Colonian forces, you will be glad to have them.”
“I’ll have the dragons,” I said.
“But dragons won’t help you if there’s going to be a feast,” Shara said. “Banquets are always held within the Red Bastion. Dragons will not be able to reach you there.”
“They wouldn’t think to try anything,” I said. “If anything were to happen to me, the dragons would attack the city.”
“Could you really order the dragons to attack the city of your birth?” Shara asked. “I know I couldn’t. And the Colonians might be willing to bet you wouldn’t do the same. They would remain safe in their fortress while the people outside were slaughtered. The walls of the Bastion alone hold almost a hundred ballistae, and Colonian crossbowmen are famed for their discipline and accuracy.”
All were good points, but they wouldn’t stop me from going. It wouldn’t get me the dragons I needed, and I knew having more dragons than Odium would be pivotal in winning the war.
Fiona seemed to read my thoughts. “We will stand by you, whatever decision you make. But perhaps more time is needed, or more assurances made . . .”
“Is there time for that, though?” I asked. “Odium’s army is already rampaging the southern Xenoplain. We know that his crawlers have reached this far north. My guess is that within days, even this part of the plain will be abandoned. We don’t have the men to defend at every point, and the only way we can get more men is by going to Colonia and hearing what they have to offer.”
“At least have the condition that the banquet be held outside,” Fiona said. “Where dragons can be of help.”
“The Colonian Dragonguard could also be of help in that situation,” Shara said. “We would outnumber them, if not by much.”
“It’s a risk,” I said. “And I don’t want to insult them by assuming they’ve invited me in bad faith. I want to project strength, not weakness.”
“Remember that discretion is the better part of valor,” Harrow said. “You would be right to doubt them.”
All of them looked at me. The only ones who hadn’t given their opinions were Isaru and Isa.
“Isaru?”
“I stand by whatever you decide,” he said. “I don’t think they’re trying to trick you, but I think you need to be careful in case they are. Which I trust you will be.”
“Isa?”
She shook her head, her
eyes worried. “I think it’s a trap.”
So, of everyone, Isaru was the only one to think it wasn’t a trap, and even he had urged caution. Of course, I would be careful. The Colonians would have to be stupid to try anything when I had my dragons, when they were already so weak.
In the end, though, I decided to go with my gut, even if it went against the grain. “I agree that we need to be careful. But we need to do something to put them off balance. I can’t meet them on their terms.”
“What do you have in mind?” Shara asked.
“No sending a message back,” I said. “That would take too long. If we’re to get their help, we must have their help now.” I looked at everyone around the table. “Tomorrow morning, we take half the dragons and fly straight to Colonia and leave the rest here. No announcement. No feast. None of that stuff. We have a candid discussion with the Grand Pontifex about the logistics of them joining us in this war.”
“And if he doesn’t like that you’ve showed up unannounced with a hundred dragons?” Lord Harrow asked.
He probably wouldn’t like that, but the last thing I wanted was to be predictable.
“Think of it as a bargaining tool,” I said. “Leverage.”
“I see,” Lord Harrow said. “Well, it’s as good a plan as any. Tomorrow, I’ll ensure an orderly withdrawal to the Grand Canyon begins. Odium’s movements worry me greatly, and the speed of his crawlers might find us surrounded in this open country if we don’t get a move on soon.”
“Then withdraw as quickly as you can,” I said, standing. “We have a lot of preparation for tomorrow.”
“Both of us do, my lady,” Lord Harrow said. “I only urge that you be very careful. Something about this doesn’t sit right with me, but that’s just an old man’s opinion.”