“Yes.”
She pulled the cup from her pack and handed it to Gwyn. “Get this to Nara,” she said, then pointed in the direction of the pass near the Twins. “She should be in those hills. Coming through the pass this morning, if she hasn’t already.”
“What does it do?”
“It’s her most important lesson. The one she missed when she ran off to save the world, the silly girl.”
Gwyn cleared her throat and adjusted her sling. “Um, there’s something else. Kayna has a cursed.”
“Does she? That won’t go well. Doesn’t surprise me, though.” She looked at Yury again. “Looks like you have one, too.”
“Kayna’s cursed is an angry one. And huge. I hope Mykel can take him,” Gwyn said. “Even without a weapon, he was too much for us.”
“Just get Nara the cup. She’ll figure out what it means. And be careful with that shoulder.”
Gwyn leaned in to give Anne a gentle embrace. “Sure you’re not coming?”
“I’ll head that direction when I’ve taken a rest. Now go.” Anne turned to Yury. “Take care of this one, big boy. She’s important.”
Gwyn and Yury set out at a furious pace, heading for the pass. It had been several days since freeing the children at the compound, and in her injured state, she had not been able to make sure the children found safety. When they went looking, she and Yury found tracks leading to nearby villages, so she hoped they were safe from Fairmont for now.
The pain from Gwyn’s injuries had persisted, and her back and shoulder protested each step. Something was torn, perhaps even broken. Another few days of rest and she might draw a bowstring, but she would not wield a sword for a while.
As the sun climbed the horizon, they skirted the woods at the base of the Twins, far from the assembling army near Fairmont. Their path carried them high through the hills and into the peaks, where they saw a second light, growing in intensity as they came closer. It was multicolored, and almost as bright as the sun but coming from the wrong direction.
Nara.
Once they got close enough, they could see that the army that accompanied Nara was small, nothing like the numbers Fairmont now assembled on the slopes nearby, and far too few wore armor. There were perhaps three dozen horses, so there would be minimal cavalry, and even fewer carried bows. Most of the army appeared to be civilians with wooden spears, if they could be called that, not even bearing steel spearheads. Pointed sticks. It wouldn’t be enough. Not against Kayna. Not against her army. And not against her cursed monster.
Gwyn climbed the peaks toward Nara, guided by the blinding light that was her friend. Soon, she was by her side, her arm in front of her face to shield her eyes from the intensity.
“I’ve never seen someone disguise themselves as a sun before,” Gwyn said. “Might want to let the real thing take over from here.”
Nara turned, extinguishing her light, eyes widening. “Gwyn!”
They embraced.
“Easy on the shoulder,” Gwyn said. “Still smarts.”
“What happened?”
“Lost a fight with a giant. I’m lucky to be breathing.”
“This him?” Nara asked, pointing to Gwyn’s large companion.
“No. Different giant. Much bigger. This is Yury.”
Yury stepped forward, offering a hand, and Nara shook it, his hand engulfing hers.
“Boy, you are big,” Nara said. “Welcome to our little rebellion—we can use all the help we can get.” She turned back to Gwyn. “Where’s Anne?”
“Coming. I think. Slowly. I have something for you.” Gwyn reached into belt pack and pulled out the cup, then handed it to Nara.
“What’s this?”
“A message from Anne. She said you’d figure it out.”
“I’ll look at it later,” Nara said, stuffing it into her own pack. “I have so much to tell you, but first, let me tend to that shoulder.”
Kayna sat on a simple throne atop a stage near the back of her assembling forces. General Almit was still giving a briefing on the pending conflict, armored in full plate with the royal tabard on his chest.
“Why didn’t you rush them this morning?” Kayna asked.
“Last report was they were two days out,” he said. “They came fast and started early through the pass today. Surprised us. Not sure how they moved so well in the dark—something is motivating these troops. We could have attacked with some forces, but the full army was slow to assemble. So many were still on details to villages. Your orders, Majesty.”
“How many do they have?”
“Less than a thousand. Most are irregulars. Civilians with makeshift weapons. Spears. Axes. Less than three hundred actual soldiers. Maybe seventy archers, but they will have a lot of range at first. Their backs are to the Twins, and the forest covers their flank. Great position for them, until they break and run. There will be no escape except for the pass. I already have a hundred archers that will move on the pass to pick them apart when they try to escape.
“Gifted?”
“Our watchers pick out four gifted, maybe five. Aside from the cursed.”
“And her.”
“Yes, aside from her. We have the cursed, six bears, three racers, and a handful of flamers. Some steelskins here and there, but some may be new. I’m not expecting much from those.”
“That’s all?”
“Many are absent without leave, Majesty. Unhappy with the state of things, I guess. Traitorous of them to abandon us like this. We’ve made efforts to track them down, but gifted are bolder and harder to control than normal soldiers.”
That was unfortunate. Not that it would make the difference. Still, she held the advantage and would get her chance to put this nonsense to rest. Despite the elevation advantage, Kayna had almost four thousand troops, more than half of the Great Land’s entire army in one place. It was a shame she couldn’t have assembled more, but the barbarian raids in the north and the village raids kept them too busy. Nevertheless, Almit would charge with heavy cavalry, hundreds of archers, more than a dozen gifted and two cursed. She might not need to fight at all.
“Tell Ennis to get Beast ready. Armor, hammer, and shield. He’s eager to please and has been fabulous this past week. Hold him back for the initial clash, though. I don’t want to risk him when they are strong. After that, send him in. Break their spirits.”
“Yes, Majesty.” He did an about-face, then took a step to leave.
“And, Jordan?”
He turned back, taking a position at attention. “If things go badly, I’ll step in. Just make sure I have what I need.”
“We’ve stayed many executions, Majesty. You’ll have plenty.”
Kayna smiled. “Excellent work, General. Thank you.”
34
Advance
Nara stood next to Jahmai at the front of the assembled army, high on the slope, surveying the enemy below. Kayna’s numbers had grown since the scouts saw them last night, and they had plenty of archers. The front line was, at least, eight ranks of infantry, perhaps fifty men wide. They bore spears and shields that would best withstand a charge by putting the butts of the spear shafts in the ground as Nara’s cavalry tried to break their lines.
“We shouldn’t attack first,” Jahmai said. “Wait and let the enemy move uphill, with our archers picking them apart on the initial contact.”
It was a safe tactic that didn’t account for Nara’s abilities. Nor did it start the conflict off with passion.
“Smart, but playing it safe won’t get us a victory today,” Nara said. “No, we need a spark to light a fire in the hearts of our Troops. Get some courage flowing. We will not sit back and be victims; we will attack first.”
Nara turned and looked at her army. As she surveyed the soldiers, citizens, young men and women, she wondered which would die today. Tired, but bearing smiles on their faces, they stood at attention. Proud to be here.
Derik was near the front line, his leg now strong, shield held tight. Lieute
nant Martel sat mounted at the front of the cavalry off to Nara’s right, his back straight, arm held in a salute. Mykel stood next to Gwyn and Yury at the far left. Gwyn held her bow, and her shoulder was now strong. Yury had a small sword and leather cuirass, light and good for fast movement. He would be useful today. Mykel had no armor, as always, bare feet eager to move as his toes squeezed the turf. He held the staff tight, base planted in the ground, his eyes forward, and his presence comforted Nara.
Hardy people, these warriors of hers. Outnumbered and enduring many days of marching, they now faced superior numbers, better weaponry, and many gifted. Gwyn said that Kayna had a cursed, but, hopefully, it would be no match for Mykel. As Nara surveyed her waiting troops, she wondered what to say before the battle began. How would she share her pride without also sharing her fear for what the day might hold? She wanted to talk of Dei, how He blesses them, and how He would keep them safe, but she knew it wasn’t true. Dei didn’t seem to concern himself with the individual sufferings of His people. If He did, the land would be a very different place indeed. No, He seemed to care only about the big picture, and she would not mislead them with false hopes.
“At ease,” she said, and the entire army moved to a wider stance, placing their hands at the small of their backs in a relaxed position.
She flared the sound rune to amplify her voice. Her words rumbled with an unnaturally deep tone. “There will be no parley today. I will not meet with the enemy general or the monster who calls herself Queen. I will strike no deals. No land exchanged for peace. This is neither a dispute between lords nor a show for political gain. This is bigger than that, and I intend to kill her.”
It was odd to hear those words come out of her mouth. She had failed to kill Kayna when she had the chance and hoped she would have the resolve to follow through this time. Her army did not sense her hesitation, however, instead cheering at her words. After a moment, she held up a hand to quiet them.
“Never have I heard of an army marching on Fairmont. The histories say nothing of rebellion against dark lords or ladies. We do something new today. We stand up for what is good and what is right.”
She walked parallel to the front line of her troops, squads of mixed infantry, soldiers, and citizens who had trained together for far too little time. “I’m proud of you. You are not here for money. Probably not for glory either. You’re here because people have suffered, and you’re willing to stand with me against a villain and put an end to the injustice.”
Nara paused, then stopped in front of a young man holding a spear. “This is Theron,” she said, trying to make her voice as loud as she could. “He lives in a village near Kinnick and joined us on the march north. A detail killed his father and kidnapped his brother while he was fishing for their dinner.” She walked along the line. “Theron loves horses. Wants to work in a stable someday. He has spent much of the march helping our cavalry care for their mounts, brushing their coats, checking their shoes. But today he holds a spear. Today he fights.”
She stopped in front of a young woman holding an axe. She was tall, broad-shouldered, and athletic. “This is Penny. She is nineteen, the daughter of a weaver, and lives near Ankar. Penny has a beautiful voice and loves to sing. A detail took her friend Paola.” Nara pointed to an older man in his fifties with a silver beard, holding a small sword and wearing a leather cap that covered his ears. “Over here is Kitt. He used to cook for the northern outpost of Ankar. He won’t feed soldiers today; he’ll fight by their side.”
Nara flared earth and rose slowly on a pillar of rocks and soil. “You are more than a citizen army. You are the spirit of this nation. Each of you represents what is good about the Great Land. You are the people who work hard every day, feeding your families and friends, and you expect a just monarch to protect you and nurture you. You deserve peace, but you’ve received persecution. I am neither a goddess, as some of you have called me, nor an angel; I’m just someone with an important job, to lead you forward into a void that must be filled. Someone must stand up for our children. For our elderly. For our mothers and fathers. That someone is Penny. It is Derik. It is Kitt. It is you. And it is me. We have a date with destiny today, and I don’t know how it will be written in the end, but know this.” She flared light and shone on them for a brief moment, then let it fade. “The power of heaven lies deep in our hearts and only fear holds us back from letting it loose to do great things. Follow me with courage and love, fight for your fellow man, with your fellow man, shoulder to shoulder in this righteous effort. Fear has no place on these slopes today. Banish it from your thoughts, move boldly forward, take heart, and we will win the day. There is nothing that can stand against us.”
The army cheered, clapping and banging swords on shields, the hoots and calls lasting until Nara waved her arms for them to stop. She hoped those words were enough. They would know soon. She looked at Jahmai, who nodded, then she turned back to her army. “Attention!”
Hundreds of bodies snapped to attention, cavalry raising their spears in salute.
“Cavalry with me,” Nara said loudly, then turned to face the army below, willing the earth to lower her back to the ground. She stepped forward, then looked at Martel at the front of the group. In time with him, she began to run forward, flaring speed to match the pace of the galloping horses. She looked to the right and saw Mykel advancing as well, the infantry forming up behind him in a spear-point formation and breaking into a run.
It took only moments for Nara’s initial thrust to cross several hundred yards of sloping terrain, and the first volley of arrows from Nara’s archers rose high overhead, coming down on the rear ranks of Kayna’s troops. Several shafts found their way through shields and struck home, men falling in response. A heartbeat later, while still in a full sprint, Nara flared earth, and the ground erupted along Kayna’s front line, the first two ranks of soldiers losing their footing. Many fell, and those that remained upright soon scattered, unable to meet the cavalry charge with their spears. Nara’s cavalry plowed through Kayna’s front lines, devastating the first few ranks of the enemy.
A few moments later, Mykel and Yury hit the other side of the infantry almost as hard as the cavalry’s heavy horses, scattering men on the unstable ground.
The battle had begun.
Nara flared speed and strength, darting among the enemy, smashing wrists and breaking ribs, thinking of Sammy as she did so. And Nilly. Of the little girl she had found near Took. Anger drove her forward. When she was deep in the belly of the infantry line, she dropped to a knee and flared motion, sending the enemy flying in every direction away from her.
Moments later, Kayna’s second line of infantry stepped forward to join the fray. Nara ran, leaping over enemies to reach her own lines once again, hoping that the initial thrust would both motivate her troops and demoralize Kayna’s.
A black banner rose off to her right, and she scanned for Mykel. He didn’t see it, fighting well forward of the rest of her troops, his back to the banner. Nara sprinted for the area and saw three enemy gifted in black tabards plowing through the lines. Gwyn was near, launching arrows at the gifted, but the shafts bounced harmlessly off the leader. The two that flanked him carried giant mauls that they wielded in sweeping arcs, crushing Nara’s troops and sending them flying.
A steelskin and two bears.
Nara flared earth. A stone pit appeared under their feet, and all three were swallowed up in an instant. The sudden impact with the rock floor of the pit wouldn’t have hurt the steelskin but might have injured the bears. Just then, one of the bears leaped out of the pit, but he no longer held his maul. Two arrows from Gwyn took him in the chest, and he slumped, dead. Nara’s troops cheered and pushed on.
From behind her, she heard “racer!” Turning, she saw a red banner in the center of the fray. She flared earth again, trying to keep her wits about her and quell the passion. The ground around the banner shook, becoming pitted and uneven. There were screams and shouts, then the banner came down. Racer de
ad, and because of Nara. How many more deaths would she cause today?
The rush of fear and energy from the start of the battle subsided as Nara looked about to gather her bearings, and she began to notice the screams of the wounded. Several medics were dragging victims back behind the lines for care, but there was no time for her to assist; she had to fight.
She rose on a short pillar of earth to better view the battlefield. To the right, Yury battled another racer, a tall woman who was giving him quite the contest. Mykel was still at the front, crushing skulls and launching the enemy in every direction. She sensed him through the earth, confident and powerful. He’d received a few blows but suffered no great injuries. The battle was going well.
A wave of fatigue swept over Nara, to no surprise. So much activity in a short time. Her hand reached to her belt, fingers finding one of the cool bone cepps that dangled there. She closed her eyes and absorbed the energy, replenishing her strength. She leaped down from her pillar and darted to the right toward cries of alarm from her infantry, only to see two flamers, side by side, cutting a swath through her troops, burning them alive. Each held a cepp in their hand, magic that fueled their attack.
She called the magic of their cepps and it came, filling her reserves even more and robbing them of their power. Moments later, spears cut the two flamers down.
A great roar from the rear of Kayna’s army caught her attention. She looked toward the middle of the enemy throng and spotted a giant soldier in white armor, shield, and helm charging directly up the middle of the formation. Nara used her vision and was nearly blinded by the light from his armor. Imbued bone armor! He held a giant war hammer, and when he hit the front line, he swept the weapon back and forth, decimating Nara’s infantry, knocking soldiers back dozens of feet with each blow. Ten fell in a heartbeat. Another ten. Many broke ranks and fled toward the flanks. He was huge!
Then he turned and looked at Nara, his eyes burning like hot coals. He bellowed and sprinted straight for her, even knocking some of his own troops out of the way as he ran.
The Godseeker Duet Page 51
