Army of the Dead fl-8

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Goral slowed his choka and turned it around. He shook his head as the Motangans continued to run towards him when they should be charging away from him. He grinned broadly when he realized that many of them had heard HawkShadow’s call to retreat. The Motangans did not charge at the maul-wielding giant, but rather pushed the soldiers alongside them in an attempt to get out of his way. He urged Bertha onward and caught up to HawkShadow. Together they fought their way through the enemy soldiers towards the area where StormSong fell from her choka.

  Chapter 17

  Sudamar

  “They certainly do not appear to be fearing an attack,” observed Galantor “The sentries are not alert, and there are far too few of them to be effective.”

  “At least the ones that we can see,” replied Princess Alastasia. “I will not underestimate their defenses. According to the information we got from the Torak, Sudamar has three thousand soldiers defending it. I wish we knew how long the sentries have been here. I do not want to take them out only to discover that it is time for a shift change.”

  “They have not eaten yet,” smiled Galantor. “Look closely. Each sentry has a food sack with him, and the sacks are not empty.”

  “Good observation,” nodded Princess Alastasia. “That makes the decision easy. Send our teams out. I want all of the sentries eliminated around the same time.”

  Galantor slid into the darkness and passed the princess’s commands to the advance teams. He returned quickly and informed the princess that the teams were on their way. They watched the sentries in silence for a few moments as the elven assassin teams got into position.

  “What is your plan of attack?” asked Galantor.

  “The first step is to get some of our archers high over the city,” answered the princess, “particularly near the city center where the barracks are. I want archers on every rooftop that can be accessed without awakening the city.”

  “And then we surround the barracks compound?” asked Galantor.

  “Exactly,” nodded Alastasia. “I assume that there will be soldiers not in the barracks as well, so once we surround the barracks, I want teams at every major intersection. I want Sudamar taken with a minimum of bloodshed.”

  “You plan to take the Motangan soldiers hostage?” frowned Galantor. “That is rather risky. It would be safer to kill them all. Why take such a risk?”

  “I do not mean for our archers to hold their fire,” explained Princess Alastasia, “but there is no need to annihilate the Motangans either. If we get into a prolonged battle here in Sudamar, word will spread that the elven invasion is underway. That will increase our losses elsewhere on the island. Our goal is to conquer the Island of Darkness quickly, and that requires stealth. Besides, I think that many of the Motangans might be glad to no longer be controlled by a dictator who thinks only of himself.”

  “You think there is hope of rehabilitating the Motangan soldiers?” questioned Galantor.

  “I do,” nodded Princess Alastasia. “History tells us of at least one other time that the Motangans rebelled against Vand. That last rebellion resulted in the invasion of the mainland. Truthfully, I do not know the disposition of the average Motangan soldier, but we are about to find out. As soon as the sentries are neutralized, I want our forces to enter the city quietly. We will try to attain the high ground by controlling the rooftops and then we will surround the barracks and control the major intersections. Those are the instructions that I want given to the troops.”

  “Then that is what I shall pass along,” replied Galantor as he turned to leave.

  “There is more,” Princess Alastasia said before the elven officer could leave. “I want a dozen mages to come with me. I also want a dozen of the best warriors to accompany me.”

  “To protect you,” nodded Galantor.

  “No,” Alastasia shook her head. “I want to neutralize the Motangan mages before they can get word out of the attack.”

  “Do you know where they are?” frowned the officer.

  “No,” the princess admitted, “but I have a good idea of where I will find them. The Motangan mages are the elite of Vand’s society. They will be housed in the finest building in Sudamar.”

  “The temple?” questioned Galantor.

  “The temple,” nodded the princess. “I will enter it as soon as you have the barracks surrounded. Make sure that no alert is given before that time.”

  Galantor nodded and faded into the darkness. Princess Alastasia stared at the closest sentries to see if she would be able to detect the elven assassination teams. She grinned broadly when both of the closest sentries suddenly slumped and fell noiselessly to the ground. She turned and headed towards her army to gather her mages and warriors.

  When Princess Alastasia reached the departure point, she was pleased to see that most of the elven warriors had already been dispatched. She saw a small group of mages and warriors standing around Galantor. She strode purposefully towards the group.

  “Why am I not surprised to see you among this group, Galantor?” asked the princess.

  “I am only following your commands,” grinned the elven warrior. “You asked for the best.”

  “That I did,” smiled Alastasia. “Let’s go.”

  The small group of elves moved swiftly towards the city of Sudamar. Princess Alastasia started when she saw the Motangan sentries still on duty, but she quickly recognized them as elven imposters and grinned.

  “Nice touch,” she said softly to Galantor.

  “I thought you would approve,” he replied.

  The group passed the sentries and entered the Motangan city. Dark shadows flitted far in the distance as the elves secured the sleeping city. The princess’s eyes rose as they moved towards the city center. She scanned the rooftops and saw no one.

  “They are there,” Galantor softly assured the princess when he saw her eyes searching the rooftops. “You are not supposed to see them.”

  The princess did not respond, but her eyes returned to street level as the temple came into view. She moved past Galantor and took the lead, turning at the next intersection to avoid approaching the front of the temple directly. She knew there would be more sentries at the entrances to the temple.

  The small group passed through a cordon of elven archers that were surrounding the barracks and eventually halted on a street that approached the side of the temple. Princess Alastasia held up her hand in a silent order to forestall anyone following her. She moved cautiously along the street until she came to the last intersection before the temple. She hugged the building on the corner as she peered out at the small replica of the temple in Vandamar. While Vand’s temple in Vandamar rose over a dozen stories, the smaller temple in Sudamar was only four stories high. Like the temple in Vandamar, this one had only two entrances, one in the front, and one in the rear.

  Princess Alastasia could just see the profile of one of the front guards from her concealed position. The rear guards were not visible at all. The princess dashed across the open area separating the blocks of city buildings from the temple. She hugged the wall of the temple and waited silently to see if an alarm would be sounded. The city remained silent.

  The elven princess studied the ground at her feet and found a small scraggly vine trying desperately to climb the side of the temple. She concentrated on it and cast her magical spell. The vine shot upward as its tiny feet lashed out and attached to the wall of the temple. The princess continued to concentrate even after the vine had reached the roof of the temple. The vine responded by growing thicker and sturdier. When she was satisfied that the vine would hold the weight of the elves, she wove an air tunnel to the rest of her small group.

  “Come across the open area one at a time,” instructed the princess. “Check the guard at the front of the temple before exposing yourself. I will wait for you on the roof.”

  Princess Alastasia dropped the air tunnel and climbed the vine to the roof of the temple. From her new vantage point, Alastasia was able to gaze over the rooft
ops of the city. Still the elven archers were hard to spot. She dismissed them from her mind as she turned and dashed to the rooftop entrance to the temple. She stood to one side of the doorway and listened intently. She heard nothing. A few minutes later her small group reassembled on the roof.

  “We will take one floor at a time,” explained the princess. “Move swiftly, but silently. I would like to eliminate the mages before the battle begins.”

  Everyone in the group nodded their understanding, and Princess Alastasia led the group into the temple. Inside the temple, the group split up into thirteen groups with one warrior accompanying each mage. Galantor grouped with the princess.

  There were less than thirteen rooms on the top floor, so Galantor and the princess waited near the top of the stairs for the others to finish their task. Alastasia listened intently for any sound that might alarm the rest of the inhabitants of the temple, but none came. When everyone was reassembled, the princess led the way down the stairs.

  Alastasia and Galantor entered the first room near the stairs. They moved silently into the darkness. Two figures rested upon the beds in the room. Princess Alastasia cast freeze balls on each of them. Galantor used his sword to decapitate the frozen mages, and the elven duo left the room. Before they could find another occupied room, the rest of the elven group reassembled. The princess led them down the stairs to the second level.

  Again the elves split up in pairs and raided each of the rooms without causing alarm. Although the assassinations were quick, Alastasia knew that time was running out. If she wished to avoid a bloodbath in the Motangan city, she had to move quickly. As she led the group down the stairs to the first level, a soldier happened by. Movement from the stairs caught his attention and he turned to look. His mouth opened to shout an alarm, but Alastasia’s Sakovan star impacted his forehead before he could speak. Galantor pushed past the princess and rushed to the fallen soldier to finish him off, but the Motangan was already dead. He pulled the star from the dead man’s forehead and stared questioningly at it.

  “It is a Sakovan star,” the princess said as she moved passed Galantor.

  Galantor wiped the blade of the star on the Motangan’s uniform and stuck it in his pouch. He hurried after the princess and the others. Alastasia halted the group in the large atrium.

  “Split up and check for anyone on this level,” instructed the princess. “Two of you handle the guards at the rear door. Galantor and I will take the guards out front.”

  The elves silently moved on to eliminate the enemy inside the temple. Princess Alastasia led Galantor towards the front door. She halted just inside it.

  “Do not kill these two unless it cannot be avoided,” the princess said softly. “I want one of them as a messenger.”

  Galantor nodded as Alastasia waved him into a dark corner. She moved cautiously to the door and opened it just a crack. Then she backed into the darkness alongside the elven warrior. One of the guards on the other side of the door stuck his head in and looked around.

  “I don’t see anything,” he said softly to his partner before withdrawing to the outside and closing the door.

  “Try again,” urged Galantor as he understood what the princess was trying to do.

  Alastasia nodded and moved out of the dark corner. Once again she opened the door a crack and quickly hid. This time the door opened abruptly, and a Motangan soldier entered the temple. His eyes scanned the darkness, but he saw nothing. As soon as the soldier moved away from the doorway, Alastasia hit him with a freeze ball. The frozen soldier stood staring, his mouth partially opened in confusion. The soft voice of the other guard could be heard from outside the door. The princess waited patiently. A few moments later, the second guard entered the temple in search of his partner. The princess cast a freeze ball and froze the second guard.

  “Peek outside and make sure that these two have not been missed,” Alastasia commanded Galantor as she walked towards the two frozen Motangans.

  When Galantor returned, the princess chose one of the guards and placed her hands near the man’s ears. She cast a warming spell and allowed the heat to penetrate the ice so that the man could hear well.

  “You have a chance to live,” Princess Alastasia said softly as she moved her hands over the man’s eyes and caused the ice to melt. “To earn your life, you must deliver a message for me. If you do not obey me, Galantor will ensure your slow and painful death. If you understand me, blink your eyes twice.”

  The Motangan blinked his eyes, and the princess continued.

  “I want you to carry a message to the soldiers in the barracks,” stated the princess. “Will you cooperate without foolishly trying to raise an alarm?”

  The man blinked again. Alastasia warmed the man’s head so that he was free to speak. She stood poised to strike out at him if he shouted, but the man merely breathed deeply.

  “You are wise,” commented the princess. “The elves have taken over this city. Right now we have the barracks completely surrounded and are quite capable of killing every soldier in the city. I would prefer not to deal with such bloodshed. I want you to enter the barracks and seek out the highest-ranking officer. Explain the situation to him. Tell him that we will accept the peaceful surrender of Sudamar. Will you do that?”

  “Will you slaughter them when they come out of the barracks?” asked the soldier.

  ”I will not,” assured the princess. “If that was my goal, I would merely ignite the barracks with the men still inside. I am trying not to kill your people, if that is possible. Will you carry the message?”

  “I will carry it,” the man said after a slight hesitation. “I cannot guarantee what the reply will be.”

  “Understood,” nodded the princess as she cast a spell that removed the effects of the freeze ball.

  Galantor immediately reached out and grabbed the Motangan’s sword from its sheath. The guard held his hands up submissively as the rest of the elven party started to gather around. The guard stared at the elves in disbelief.

  “How did everyone get into this temple?’ he asked.

  “Go now,” ordered Princess Alastasia as she ignored his question. “Do your best to save your fellow soldiers.”

  The man nodded and moved hesitantly towards the door. Galantor moved with him, and the Motangan realized that he would be escorted to the barracks. The guard looked around warily as he emerged from the temple, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary in the city. He was beginning to doubt the princess’s words as he approached the barracks compound until an elven soldier stepped out of the darkness and stood in his path.

  “What is this, Galantor?” asked the soldier. “You were supposed to send a signal to start the attack, not bring a captive to us.”

  “Princess Alastasia is offering to accept the humans’ surrender,” replied Galantor. “This man is the messenger to deliver the offer. He will be allowed to enter the barracks. Your men will also allow the humans to exit the barracks if they come out without weapons.”

  The Motangan heard murmurs of disapproval from all around him. He turned his head to look for the elven soldiers, but he could not see them.

  “And if they come out of the barracks with weapons?’ asked the elven soldier.

  “Then kill them,” shrugged Galantor. “Let this man pass.”

  The elven soldier stepped aside, his eyes glaring at the Motangan. The temple guard moved slowly past the soldier, expecting to be struck down at any moment, but no blow came his way. He threaded his way through the maze of barracks until he came to the one that he knew the officer inhabited. He opened the door without knocking and stepped into the darkness. He walked halfway along the corridor between the bunks before someone grabbed him from behind.

  “What are you doing sneaking into this building?” snarled the soldier who had captured the guard.

  Two torches immediately blazed to life as soldiers jumped from their bunks and crowded around the intruder.

  “A thief most likely,” accused one of the so
ldiers. “We should decorate the rafters with him.”

  “He should have chosen a different barracks,” scowled another soldier. “Only a fool would enter this one and expect to get away with it.”

  The guard stood speechless, shaking his head vigorously. Before he could explain that he was just a messenger, the officer approached and pushed his way through the crowd. He stood tall before the captured man and glared at him.

  “What is the meaning of this intrusion?” asked the officer.

  “I carry a message,” the guard said haltingly. “I think you should hear it in private.”

  “A message?” puzzled the officer. “From whom?”

  “Can we speak in private?” asked the guard nervously.

  “Answer me,” snapped the officer. “Who is the message from?”

  “From the elves,” the guard swallowed hard. “The barracks are surrounded by elves. They sent me in to ask for your surrender.”

  Some of the soldiers started laughing, while others shouted that the intruder was a liar. Some of the soldiers started towards the door, swords in their hands.

  “Stop!” barked the officer. “Everyone be quiet.”

  When the room fell into silence, the officer stepped close to the guard and spoke softly, but harshly.

  “You will explain yourself,” ordered the officer.

  “I was on guard duty tonight at the front door of the temple,” the guard nodded vigorously. “My partner and I were tricked into entering the temple by a constantly opening door. When we did enter, an elven mage froze us. She told me that I could live if I delivered a message to the officer in charge in the barracks. I agreed. If I had not agreed, they would have killed me.”

  “Continue,” the officer said loudly to halt the chatter that his men had started up after hearing about the attack on the temple.

  “She said that she did not want to kill all of the soldiers in the barracks if she didn’t have to,” continued the guard. “She is offering to accept your surrender and let your men live if they will leave the barracks without their weapons.”