As I began my meditative watch for the evening, I was surprised by my lack of anxiety. Although I had lifetimes to practice, it was still commonplace for my stomach to churn in the night before a large battle, even with the rationalization that the feeling was only pre-fight nerves. The absence of any queasiness in my gut or trembling in my fingers was a welcome relief, but I began to order my thoughts in an effort to find the cause. It didn’t take long to find the source of the inner peace: for the first time in decades, I was fighting for my future and the future of my family.
Our mission to Attetsia had been on the orders of a man I didn’t trust, for the benefit of a country that wasn’t mine, and leading towards what I thought was the end of my life with Lia. Every step forward had been difficult, and my mental state suffered more and more as the mission came closer to ending. In contrast, the fight at the Mountain Gate was the only thing standing between me and the normal life I so desperately wanted. The paradigm shift after my encounter with Savitz had been life changing; I was beyond ready to show Kaldan the true extent of my power and the consequences of crossing me or the ones I loved.
The night watch was blissfully uneventful, and the time soon came for us to begin our final day of travel. Adrenaline was already pumping through me in anticipation of what lay ahead, and I felt a tingle of electric energy throughout my body as our wagon departed. My Detection covered a wide swath in all directions, but ran out farther ahead down our path to where the dirt road eventually connected with the main road to Atsal and the gate. As planned, I took my horse out on a scouting mission when the wagon was an hour from the road, leaving Lia behind out of an abundance of caution. Abandoning the path, I spurred the courser out across the snow-covered fields in a direct line towards the gate.
The barren fields gave me a full view of the Mountain Gate as I approached, and I was awestruck by its sheer size and construction as I saw it in the daylight for the first time. What had looked like a continuation of the mountain range the night before was actually a massive stone wall that stood hundreds of feet high, spanning a gap between two mountain bases. From a distance, I could tell that its face was dotted with crenelated platforms that overlooked the main passage from all angles, although the scope and scale of the built-in defenses were still too far out to accurately gauge.
Satisfied with my positioning, I dismounted my horse and settled into a meditative stance in the snow. After a few deep breaths, I sent my mana out in a straight line back towards the wagon; Lia was relieved to feel my energy and confirm that I was safe, and it gave me peace of mind knowing that their trip was as yet uninterrupted. With my check-in out of the way, I sent another beam of energy in the direction of the wall and watched the path race away in my mind like a bolt of lightning. Although my target was still miles away, my mana was focused in a narrow channel, which required significantly less mental effort to maintain and extend than the full radius of Detection I generally used.
After a long pause, the energy finally reached something of interest, and the scene at the Mountain Gate slowly came into focus. My initial aim had been slightly off, and my mana had landed on a wagon waiting in line for its turn to exit the country. As the energy expanded, I found that there was a sprawling line of traffic leading back towards Atsal, all stalled in place as a patrol of five guards searched a trader’s wagon at the head of the line excruciatingly slowly. When they had finished tearing open every closed container in the back of the wagon, the trader was waved ahead to a secondary checkpoint constructed of raw lumber that blocked the road with a heavy draw gate, where he was accosted yet again by a separate group of guards.
Beyond the checkpoint, the road ran across a few hundred yards of open field before it reached the Mountain Gate proper. A massive portcullis was suspended above the ground just high enough for caravans to pass through, its massive iron spikes resembling teeth in the gaping maw of a monstrous beast. As my mana spread farther along the wall, I found that it was full of winding passageways that led to the various defensive platforms or guard rooms inside. I could tell by the weathering of the stone that it was an ancient structure, similar in construction to the seamless stone buildings of Atsal.
In stark contrast to the wall, the defenses that had been erected in front of it were a scattered, slipshod mess. Spiked wooden barricades randomly dotted the field around the wall, partially protecting waist-deep trenches hastily dug into the ground. An enormous scaffold had been erected against the face of the wall, constructed from the same fresh lumber as the gatehouse. It towered at least three stories above the ground at its peak and had multiple levels with barricades that could be used for cover by archers. On the north side of the road, rows of tents stretched off out of view, numbering in the hundreds.
Every new structure and encampment I found with my scan further proved true the intel I had gained from Joss’s interrogation. The soldiers were clearly heavily fortified and waiting for our arrival, but the main object of interest sat at the top of the scaffolding where the two structures connected above the main gate: a ballista, mounted on rolling tracks and manned by a group of four guards. All of this, just for us. I can’t help but feel a bit flattered. I took in the final details of the encampment, then set to work on my preparations.
The hastily constructed defenses played perfectly into my plans. It was easy to identify the weakest fittings and joints within the scaffolding that, if broken, would bring the entire structure to the ground. By suffusing a small cross-section of each support with energy and shattering it to splinters, the scaffold would collapse under its own weight, and I would hardly notice the expenditure of mana. As I scanned, I doubled and tripled my suffusions on any particularly hearty supports in an overabundance of caution.
Even though I was miles away, I could feel the gentle ebb and flow of my energy as if it were within my own body. The sensation reminded me of my first experiments with projecting mana in the dungeons of Yoria, and I smiled as I considered how far I had come in such a short period of time. Whereas it had once been a hit-or-miss process that took minutes of intense mental focus, I was now able to suffuse multiple objects from miles away without a second thought. The memory was an exciting indication of skills yet to come, and I had to take a moment to refocus my thoughts to keep my mind from wandering.
When I had determined every weakness I intended to destroy in my attack, I withdrew all of the extended energy into a small pool in the ground just past the secondary checkpoint, and then extended it out to the same points again. The first few repetitions were an exercise in tedium, but I quickly felt the benefits manifest as I was able to complete the cycles faster and faster. Soon, the mana seemed to know where to go without my conscious direction, branching out like a spider’s web along the ground to snake its way directly through the scaffold to the dozens of suffusion points I had mapped. It’s going to work. It has to.
I pulled back all of the mana from the Mountain Gate with a contented sigh and turned my attention to the Corells’ wagon. Marin had successfully reached the main road and was a few hours from reaching the traffic jam caused by the aggressive defensive measures at the gate. Lia sat with her eyes closed, nodding now and again as Marten gesticulated excitedly in the midst of another story. I pressed my mana gently against the edges of her consciousness and saw her smile in acknowledgement of my attention. With my message received, I climbed back into the saddle and started my trip back.
Marin waved me down as she saw me approaching. “How did it look?” she asked, somewhere between excited and terrified.
“It’s about what I expected,” I answered with a reassuring smile, matching pace alongside the wagon. “There’s a long line of carts waiting to go through. Apparently, the guards are checking every wagon from top to bottom to make sure we don’t try to sneak across the border unnoticed. That works out well for us, though; the more people there are, the easier it’ll be for you to blend in.”
Her face relaxed with palpable relief. “And I just drive right th
rough when you give the signal, right?” She froze in place as her eyebrows contracted in suspicion. “You never told me what the signal is.”
I laughed. “A loud series of explosions, plumes of smoke, and lots of confused screaming.” I pointed down the road towards the gate looming in the distance. “The ground is nice and flat until you get to the checkpoint, so do what you need to do to get around the traffic. Make sure you follow the road after that, though. They dug some trenches that you won’t be able to drive over.”
“Got it,” she nodded. A forced smile spread across her face. “I’m ready.”
“I know that it’s scary, Marin, especially after what you went through with Savitz and his men,” I said softly. “I hate to have to ask you to do this for us, and you’re being incredibly brave to accept. I promise that, no matter what happens, I’ll make sure you get through this safe and unharmed.” Her eyes widened, and she turned her face away and mumbled something inaudibly under her breath. “Sorry, I didn’t catch that.”
“I said don’t mention it!” she shouted suddenly. “Marten’s going to pay me back for all of this work, with interest!” From within the wagon, I heard a loud bark of laughter. “Don’t you laugh, Marten! I’m serious!” I chuckled quietly and removed myself from the conversation, slowing my horse until I came to the back of the wagon. I grabbed the loose length of rope attached to the hitch and looped it through the reins, then gave the horse an appreciative pat on the neck before hopping down and entering the wagon.
“I was beginning to think you ran off and left us!” Marten joked, waggling his eyebrows at me.
“No, you didn’t,” Lia shot back, rolling her eyes.
“Well, no, I didn’t,” he said, chuckling to himself. “You’re still sure about all of this, then? Still confident that you can do...whatever it is you do?” His humorous expression faded to a more serious one. “There’s no shame in turning away from a fight, especially one where you’re clearly outnumbered.”
“We can do this, Marten,” I reassured him, nodding to Lia. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we can do this.” I paused for a moment, rubbing my chin. “I’m not sure if it would ease your mind or bother you more, but I can tell you what exactly we’re up against now that I’ve seen it and what I plan to do.”
He looked to Hana, who gave him a small nod. “Alright,” he sighed, “tell us. If we’re really doing this, I’d rather know what we’re headed into.”
I recounted what I had seen on my scouting mission in full detail, from the expected amount of guards to the types and positioning of their defenses. As I went on, Marten’s face grew paler and paler until I was worried he might faint. Hana’s expression had grown solemn by the time I finished, and she held her husband’s hand tightly.
“Lux, I...I want to believe you,” Marten said eventually, his voice scratchy and low, “but what you’ve described is an army. An army in a castle that knows we’re coming. I’m not sure the Trinity Guard and their company could get through this. With just the two of you...it’s just not possible.”
“It is possible,” I insisted. “Lia and I will ride out ahead of the wagon and catch them unaware. She’ll take out the guards there while I destroy the gatehouse. From there, I’ll collapse the extra fortifications, which will remove their artillery support. With that—”
“You’ll collapse the fortifications? From the ground? How?” He shook his head in disbelief.
“With magic,” I answered. Scanning around the wagon, my eyes settled on a plank of wood about the size of a loaf of bread lying in the corner. “Watch,” I said, holding it out in front of me in both hands. Focusing my mana down the board, I suffused three thin cross-sections of the wood and activated the Shatter rune in my ring. Three small puffs of sawdust burst from the bottom of the plank, and the wood fell to the floor in four even pieces. “Just imagine that, but on a much larger scale.”
Hana gasped and hopped backwards in her seat, but Marten watched with a blank expression. After a long moment of silence, he slowly nodded his head. “Continue.”
“The collapsed scaffolding will definitely take out some of the ground forces as well, but Lia and I will make sure that your road forward is clear. Once you make it through the Gate, Lia stays with you to make sure nobody tries to ambush you, while I fall behind and take out anyone who might try to follow.” I waited for a moment to make eye contact with Marten and Hana. “After that, we just...go. Far enough into Lybesa that we never have to think about Kaldan again.”
Marten’s eyes hardened as he looked me over. “I trust you, Lux. I don’t understand you, but I trust you.” He placed his hand on Hana’s knee and held it tightly. “We’re in your hands now.”
“Thank you. I won’t let you down,” I said, bowing my head deeply. “If things go as planned, you should never be in any danger, but there’s no reason we can’t take extra precautions. We’ll line the outside of the wagon with crates to give you protection from any stray arrows.” As I explained my plans, I pulled a handful of orbs from my bandolier and began to fill them with glowing orange liquid.
“If things go wrong and somebody gets hurt, use one of these. They’ll close up any wounds until I can get back.” I saw the question coming in Marten’s face, so I sliced a small cut in my thumb with the mana needle to give a demonstration. Hana reached out momentarily, shocked at the sudden appearance of blood, but she quickly sat back in awe as the healing salve closed the wound. “Understand?” I asked, offering out a trio of the silver orbs.
They both nodded quietly as Hana took the globes and set them carefully in her lap. I handed the remaining two orbs to Lia, which she stowed in a bag on her hip. Leaning back on my hands, I sighed. “Now comes the hard part.”
Lia cocked her head to the side. “We’re still a few hours from the wall, Lux.”
“I know. Now, we wait.” Silence fell over our group as my statement sank in. We rearranged the crates into a two-high wall, leaving a small space in the middle where the four of us could comfortably sit on the floor. There were no pleasant stories of Lia’s childhood from Hana, and Marten was uncharacteristically stoic and quiet as our ride continued.
Lia and I sat together in deep meditation, keeping a close eye on any movement within a few miles of our position. A few wagons had fallen in behind us as our journey continued, but a quick scan revealed they were simply trading caravans on their way back to Lybesa. While my unprecedented level of confidence had yet to falter, I could feel Lia’s anxiety through her extended mana. I pressed my consciousness against hers, and her barriers fell away a moment later, flooding me with her feelings of pre-battle fear and uncertainty.
Calm. Strength. Confidence. I pushed back with my own feelings as the lines defining our separate minds began to blur. After all of the times her warm, loving aura had steadied my panicked mind on our trip to Attetsia, I knew the thoughts would help in some small way.
I felt her fingers rest gently on top of mine, and her voice suddenly echoed in my head, more clearly than if she had spoken the words directly into my ear. I love you. A warmth spread out from my stomach to the tips of my extremities, tingling all along the way.
I love you. While I couldn’t put the process into words, it felt natural and effortless to impart the message back to her. I would have normally been intrigued by the new discovery, but I simply logged the thoughts away for later investigation as I basked in our shared love. Whatever worries she had felt burned away, and we sat with our minds blissfully connected as the wall came ever closer.
When the time came, I begrudgingly separated myself from her, feeling a deep sense of loneliness as I became the sole resident inside my head. “It’s time,” I intoned, climbing to my feet. “Marten, Hana, stay safe. This will all be behind us soon enough.” I opened the crate I had been leaning against and retrieved the gauntlets of the King’s Strength, sliding them down over my arms with an almost religious reverence.
They stood in unison with me and gave Lia a tight, lingerin
g hug. Hana stepped forward and embraced me as well when they had finished, holding me firmly around the waist. “Primes watch over you,” she whispered in my ear in an unsteady voice. When she moved away, Marten offered out his hand.
“Keep our family safe,” he said, giving my hand a firm shake even through the plated gauntlets, “and make sure you both come back alive.”
“We will,” I promised. Lia moved to my side, and we both turned and stepped down from the wagon.
The world around us glowed a fiery orange as the sun began to set behind the distant walls of Atsal, setting the Mountain Gate aflame ahead of us. Our wagon was stopped behind two dozen others, all patiently waiting for their turn to pass through the multiple inspection points. I unhitched our horse’s reins from the wagon and handed them to Lia. “Are you ready?”
She jumped lithely up into the saddle, then turned to me with a smile. “Ready.” I climbed up behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, then drew my hood as far over my head as I could. When I was settled, she put her heels into the horse’s sides, and we moved forward to the head of the wagon.
“Be safe, Marin,” I called out to her with a nod. “Drive straight and fast no matter what happens, and we’ll see you on the other side.”
“I will!” she shouted, giving me a confident pump of her fist as we passed by.
An icy flood of adrenaline surged through me as our horse began to pick up speed, and my enhancements all flared to life with a powerful rush of mana. As my senses sharpened and my mind quickened, I scanned ahead and confirmed that the scene was still what I expected. A wagon had just passed inspection and was moving through the wooden gatehouse while the guards waved the next cart ahead.
Restart Again: Volume 3 Page 9
