I pulled Wylan along and we squeezed through the crowd until we came to stand next to the king. He saw us take our places, then put the trumpet to his lips again and spoke. “You will all stand back and allow your king to cross the bridge unmolested or I will have the mages burn you up and bury your bones!” I did not think it was possible for more color to drain from the face of my friend, but I watched panic seize him at the king’s suggestion. I could feel my own vision darkening around the edges. I knew some of the people at the front of this crowd. I had exchanged pleasantries with them and done business with them. I could not imagine my king commanding me to set them ablaze. It was madness. Surely this was not what a war was supposed to be.
A voice rang out from the crowd. “The enemy is on the march and you are our king. Surely it is your duty to protect us in the hour of our distress. The city gates have been flung wide by traitors in our midst and we have moments before the Zuunlander army is upon us.” I knew the speaker. It was the Mirabi honey cake salesman. He held a short, half rusted sword in his hand and he gestured at the crowd. “I have come armed and ready to defy my god and defend my adopted home and all I ask is that you be prepared to stand with me as I am with you.” He pointed the sword at the king for emphasis, but archers on the guard tower by the gate saw only a man in foreign dress, brandishing a weapon at the king. The arrow only grazed his arm and he had a few heart beats to gaze into the eyes of the monarch in shocked indignance. I recognized the runes on the arrow shaft a beat too late as smoke began to rise from the wound in his arm and then from the chest of the screaming man. He collapsed to the ground writhing, moments before he burst into flames.
The people did turn then, screaming and fleeing in panic. “The mages will kill us all!”
The king turned to us, “Follow me and this time stay close. Their fear of you keeps me safe. Defend your king, that is what matters most.”
Chapter Nineteen
The guard opened the heavy doors and let us onto the bridge. The king sprinted across, surprisingly spry for a man his age, but I stayed with Wylan as he stumbled across as quickly as his legs would carry him. The king shouted for us to keep up, but I would not leave my friend. The moment we passed the halfway point of the bridge, men in the guard towers began to raise their half. It fit flush with the gateway, providing a secondary defense barrier and it could only be lowered from the inside. They began to raise the second half of the bridge and shut the castle gates the moment the king was safely inside, heedless of the fact that we had not stepped off the wooden slats. Our last few feet across were a rapid downhill descent. Wylan stumbled and I helped him to his feet. We squeezed through the castle gate moments before it was closed and bolted.
The king’s personal advisor met him at the gate and the king turned to bark at the man. “How did they get through the city walls? Those gates should have held off a barrage of cannon fire. How did they get in here?”
The man looked terrified and with good reason. “Word from the tower is that the men did not even have to force their way in, Sire. Traitors on the city guard were so numerous, they easily overpowered the loyalists and flung the gates wide to let the enemy enter. They are marching through the city now, but their progress is impeded by citizens. You can watch their approach from the guard tower.”
The king shook off the suggestion. “How many men in their fighting force?”
“It is not a large army, but it is larger than ours and they have already killed some of our best men at the city gates. We are dangerously outnumbered, Your Majesty.”
King Naser cursed fluently. “Reinforcements are days if not weeks away.” He paced back and forth. “Damn it! We were prepared for a siege, and I knew even that was unlikely. We did not prepare for outright combat. Our only hope is to hold them at the castle gate. Has the queen been secured in the keep?”
“Yes she has, Your Majesty, though I daresay she is not pleased about it.”
“At the moment, I am more concerned about her safety, than I am about her pleasure,” said the king distractedly. He surveyed the yard, taking in all the assets at his disposal. “Call all available men to the yard. We may yet turn back this attack if we are very careful and the fates are on our side. Let us hope the traitors are not at the castle gates as well.”
There were fewer than two hundred men in the center of the courtyard. Some of them were castle laborers and not trained soldiers or guardsmen, but the king had had the foresight to combat train any man who desired to learn, so even the lowliest stable boys arrived armed and ready to fight. The king paced back and forth in front of the assembled men who stood straight and did not look him directly in the eye. Even Wylan still stared off at some fixed point in the distance. I watched the king, nobody told me I should not. I was going to be asked to kill for him, so I wanted to look at the man. “Today we face an unexpected challenge. Men from Zuunland have infiltrated our fair city. I have not had word, but I can only guess the men we set to defend the eastern region have fallen, allowing the soldiers this far inland to attack our beloved capital. I know that those men fought bravely. The attacking force was small but mighty and our brave men dragged most of them into hell. Here the battle will end. We will destroy the barbarians at the gate and crush their campaign in its tracks. Even though our numbers are small, each of you is worth ten of them.” A raucous cheer rose from the crowd. The king stood with his back straight and his chin held high and waited for the uproar to die down. “Guardsmen, I want you back at your posts. I need the archers posted on the castle walls and I want the wizards locked in the castle tower.” He turned to address us personally. “Just move earth and rain down hell fire on the heads of our enemies until the fighting stops. That is your job.”
Wylan finally turned his eyes to our king. “I think our powers will be more useful on the ground, Your Majesty. It will allow us to strike with more precision.”
King Naser gave Wylan a withering look. “The time for taking advice is over. This is a time of war and you are a subject of this kingdom. You will do as I ask without question. I will protect you because you are valuable assets, but I expect you to do your part to help us win this battle if it comes to that. Get into that tower. If you see a man in the enemy uniform, you bury that man at once.” Then he turned to me. “And you, I do not have time for childish tears. You were born with the power of destruction. It is in your nature no matter what you have been taught. You look down on that field and if you see an enemy, you destroy him as you were made to do. Have I been clear?”
A guardsmen grabbed us both by the arm in order to escort us to the castle tower but Wylan pulled his arm out of the man’s grasp. He turned and walked towards the castle doors and the man let go of my arm as I moved to follow. There were already archers in the room at the top of the tower, all with eyes trained out of the narrow windows, watching the bridge and gate. I squeezed my way in between the larger men in order to get a look myself. There was an air of quiet anticipation and readiness in the yard.
It seemed like an age and yet an instant before I heard the sound of the horn which announced the arrival of the enemy at the gate. Almost immediately, the bridge halves started to descend. It was not supposed to happen, but I was not the least bit surprised. Apparently, traitors roamed the castle guard too. I knew my mind should be on the coming, impossible battle, but I could not help but stop to wonder how invaders from across the sea had managed to infiltrate our city all the way to the highest levels of government. It did not seem likely or even possible.
The line of soldiers streaming across the bridge seemed impossibly large, though there were not as many as there were when they had marched up to the gate. Their losses had already begun. A battering ram was passed to the front of the soldiers and they began to smash it against the front gates. The archers on the walls aimed the fire cannons and the burning men jumped into the waters of the moat. Men came forward to replace them and more fire rained down on them. Eventually though, the gates failed. It was inevitable an
d the army that stormed the castle grounds was still much larger than the fighting force inside.
We watched them spread out and we watched our own fighting men engage them before Wylan and I took up positions at the small windows on the east and west flanks of the tower. For a time, I had the king in my sights. He was surrounded by elite guardsmen who had enchanted armor. I saw the first enemy soldier reach the king. He wore the Zuunland armor, but he was not a Zuunlander. His thickly muscled arms bore the raised tattoos of the men from southern Fadulis. I saw him raise his sword. I saw the anger in his face. I knew that, if he got the opportunity, he would kill the men surrounding the king and the king himself. I did not think. I acted, reaching out my hand, I released a white hot stream of fire. I knew my aim was true. He dropped on the spot, engulfed in flames. Other soldiers came, jumping over the burning man to attack the king. Men from both sides surrounded the king and I was afraid to use my flame lest I burn him or his defenders. I looked over the raging battle. Several of the men were engaged with three or more of the enemy, but what became immediately clear was that the enemy army was not made up of invaders from Zuunland. I recognized the twisted hair of west countrymen, and the shaved pates of east country men, all citizens of my own country, dressed like foreign invaders. I aimed my fire where I saw opportunity. It takes an extraordinary amount of energy to incinerate a human being. It is not as quick and effortless as lighting a log in the fireplace. I got the sense that I had snuffed out twenty or so men. The thick smell of searing flesh told me that the enchanted arrows had taken out many more. I do not know how long I fought before the wave of fatigue washed over me. I sank to my knees and then to the floor to sit with my back pressed against the cool stone of the wall. Wylan was also on his knees. I saw him dispatch two or three more men before he too collapsed.
Moments later the courtyard went silent. The archers in the tower with us looked as puzzled as we did. I dragged myself to my knees to peer out of the bolt hole. There were heavy casualties on both sides, but many of our men still stood and most of theirs could no longer fight. A whoop of victory sounded over the still yard, but the celebration came too soon. No sooner had smiles crossed the faces of the few remaining fighting men, than another wave of shouts sounded from outside the compound and a fresh wave of soldiers ran into the courtyard.
Images swam before my eyes, I could not count how many more men came, but our exhausted swordsmen were no match and we could not help. The archers sharing our tower had no more arrows and we had no strength left. I watched as best I could, trying to stay out of sight. I heard the men below the tower shout in perfect Fadulan tongue, “The mages are in this tower. Get up there and seize them. I want them taken alive if at all possible.”
That was it. They were coming to take us prisoner. Uma had said “Do not fight it.” We did not listen and this was the price of our recalcitrance. I do not know how long the four of us, two archers and two mages, sat in silence, waiting. As soon as we heard the footfalls on the stairs, the archers took up positions on either side of the door, brandishing their bows like clubs. I crawled closer to Wylan who was not moving.
The hammering against the wood of the door stabbed into my aching head like a sharp, hot sword. I had not made it all the way across the tower floor before I heard the wood of the door splinter as it was slammed open. The bowmen tried to fight, but the flimsy wood bows were no match for the blades. The men were killed quickly. I tried to open my mind to the power, but all I got was screaming agony. I had to stop trying. Wylan and I were hauled to our feet and dragged from the tower.
Chapter Twenty
We were dragged into the keep and tossed roughly onto the floor. I had never been inside the keep. The thick cloud of choking dust that was kicked up when I landed told me that no one had been inside in quite some time. The room was dark, lit only by candles and thin light from bolt hole windows. The king sat tied to a chair in the middle of the room. “Has the queen been secured in her chambers upstairs?” asked a voice from a dark corner of the room.
“She has, sir. We have guards on the door.”
“Excellent,” the mysterious speaker walked into the small circle of golden light at the center of the room, “I will deal with her at my leisure.” I did not recognize the face at first. My head was pounding and I had not seen him in months. It was the king’s governor from the eastern region, Wenlok.[1] The flickering candlelight shone off his bald head and the bright color of his robes seemed garish in the gray, dark space.
Wylan lay on the floor next to me on his side and Wenlok walked over to him and kicked him in his chest. Wylan was knocked to his back. “So glad you could join us, mages. You are the very reason for this little party.”
I had no idea how my friend found the strength to speak, but he did. “I am sure I would have remembered if I had committed some offense against you, Governor. I am quite certain I have not.” The governor bent over and hauled back a fist to strike Wylan again. Wylan reached up and caught his hand easily. When Wylan spoke again, his voice had gone deadly calm. “We can talk to each other like men, but you have landed your last blow upon me. Hold your temper.”
The minister stared down at Wylan. “You do not scare me, mage.” The tremble in his voice and in his hands seemed to indicate otherwise. “You may have magic on your side, but my men outnumber you. Even between the two of you, you cannot defeat us all.”
Wylan stood up and I, with a great deal of effort, followed suit. My mentor towered over Wenlok. The governor had to look up to see Wylan’s face as he spoke. “Perhaps your men could take us on and perhaps they could not, but I can guarantee that either way, you would be dead and, of all the deaths I have caused this day, yours would weigh the least upon my conscience.”
The governor stepped away from us. He was trying to appear calm and in control, but I could see the fear on his face. I doubted Wylan was any more capable of doing magic than I was at the moment, but I admired his calm and quick thinking. I did not know if I could have managed to remain so cool headed.
Wenlok stalked over to the king and pulled his lolling head upright by the roots of his hair. “Do you see what you have wrought, giving so much power to these horrible monsters? Your people run panicked in the streets and you are defeated despite all the enchantments and spells they could bring to bear. You see how weak you have made this kingdom by your insistence on relying upon petty parlor tricks instead of true leadership? We marched in and took your city from you and I will tell you a secret.” He leaned in close to the king’s face. “It was so easy because half of your men agree with me. They see that you are foolish and obsolete. They allowed us in, they helped us win. They want these magical abominations gone. Your whole country is sick of living in fear of these,” he spluttered over his words, “things, lording their power over us and threatening our lives the moment we step out of line.”
I was genuinely puzzled. I had only ever seen Wylan use his powers on people once. I knew I had only used mine sparingly too. I did not understand where all his hatred came from. The king spoke through bloodied lips. “Why bring Zuunland in on it?”
Governor Wenlok sneered, “You are a bigger fool than I thought if you still think Zuunland was part of this plot. I did make the uniforms from their excellent fabric, but that is the only part they played. All I had to do was spread a few rumors and fake a few skirmishes in order to dangle that tasty morsel in front of you and I knew you would take the bait, clear out your own barracks and send your men on a stupid, short sighted fool’s errand. You left your kingdom wide open for conquest and your people are relieved. They no longer have to fear the wrath of magic, no family will have to suffer as mine has suffered.” Wenlok’s voice broke as he spoke.
The king responded, “The witch who killed your father was put to death by your hand, Wenlok, as was the witch who could only save one of your sons. You have enough magic blood on your hands. These mages have done you no harm and they have done nothing but strengthen this kingdom.”
Wenlok barked a short laugh. “Strengthened?” He hauled back a hand and punched the king in the face. He pointed at Wylan, “Will you tell that to the people that man has buried alive in your streets this very day? Will you tell it to the innocent men who got caught in the crossfire of those horrific fire cannons? What about the men crumbling to ashes after being touched by fire arrows or the men turned to stone by the touch of your stone skin swords? Are they stronger as well? No, we are not stronger.” He turned to stare at us as he spoke. “We are a nation held hostage by Alawansi and we are weary of trembling at their mercy.”
The king spoke again, blood streaming from his nose. “So what will you do? Drag people from their beds and murder them because of the mere accident of their birth? Will you slaughter every babe born with pale eyes on the off chance that they might frighten you when they grow up? You are a great fool, Wenlok. When the history of this time is written, people will remember you as the true monster in this story, not these mages.”
“Silence!” screamed Wenlok and he stalked over to a table in the dark part of the room. He returned with a crossbow and leveled it at the king’s chest. The bolt bounced harmlessly off the monarch’s enchanted armor. Wenlok was ready with a second bolt and this time he took aim and put the arrow straight through the king’s left eye. A stunned expression crossed King Naser’s face as blood poured from the eye socket, within seconds, the light went out of his good right eye and the king was no more.
Governor Wenlok turned to us and smiled. “I see you did not move to stop me. That was wise as it would just have meant your deaths. Of course, you have just prolonged the inevitable, but I have a much different death planned for you two.” He turned to the guards in the room and shouted, “Bind their hands together! That is the seat of their magic.” I did not know if his words were true. I had never tried to channel flames from anywhere but my hands, but something told me there were other ways.
Through The Fire: The Alawansi Book One Page 17
