Alutar: The Great Demon
Page 43
Theos looked at the Knight of Alcea with surprise. “How are you planning to sneak in?”
“I plan to scale the wall of the tower after dark,” answered Karl. “Perhaps you can supply some type of diversion for me.”
“I would consider it an honor,” stated Theos.
* * * *
It was near high sun when General Marashef and General Forshire arrived outside the Old Keep in Ur.
“Have your men make camp here temporarily,” suggested General Marashef. “Accommodations are tight in Ur, but I am sure that we can open up some space for a more permanent camp by tomorrow.”
“Good enough,” replied Clint. “I suppose I should pay my respects to King Mectin. Will you join me?”
“I should,” answered General Marashef. “I suggest that you mention your reason for being here as strictly for supporting my efforts to protect the kingdom. We do not want Mectin getting nervous about you being here.”
“I agree,” Clint responded. “Hopefully that is all it will turn out to be. I really want to get back to Despair.”
As the two generals headed into the keep, a rider raced towards them. They turned to see what the urgent message might be.
“We are under attack,” the rider reported. “An unidentified army has attacked our men watching the Sebastian Pass. They are now heading north into Tyronia.”
“An unidentified army?” frowned General Marashef. “Explain.”
“They wear uniforms,” replied the messenger, “but one that no one is familiar with. They are all in black.”
“Rebels?” frowned General Marashef.
“I think not,” replied General Forshire. “There were reports of Alcean Rangers being involved in the overthrow of Karamin and Vinafor. They wore uniforms of all black. If it is the Alcean Rangers, I would suggest responding in force, General. The Rangers are not an army to be underestimated.”
“How many of them are there?” General Marashef asked the messenger.
“At least one thousand,” answered the messenger. “I cannot be sure because I might have only been seeing the vanguard.”
“Only one thousand?” frowned General Marashef. “I can’t imagine such a small army advancing on Ur. There must be more behind it.”
General Marashef signaled for Colonel Timbo to join him. The colonel hurried over.
“We have an army marching up from Sebastian Pass,” General Marashef said to the colonel. “I want pigeons sent to Despair and Camp Destiny. Inform Despair of the situation. Notify them that we suspect the army is led by Alcean Rangers and that the size of the army has not been determined. Also let them know that I am requesting the 1st Corps to start heading in this direction in case the size of the army is large. Then send the same message to General Tauman and request that he start the 1st Corps on the road to Ur. If the army is small, I will crush it and send word to him so that he can return to his camp. If it is large, we will trap the enemy between our two forces.”
“The 1st Corps will not arrive in time to make a difference,” stated General Forshire. “They are too far away. They would only be effective if your army has already been defeated, and King Mectin is barricaded in the Old Keep.” Clint glanced up at the walls of the Old Keep and sighed. “Perhaps the emperor is wiser than all of us to foresee this possibility. It is a good thing the A Corps is here. We can hold the city of Ur while you engage the enemy.”
General Marashef scratched his chin and eventually nodded. “That will allow me to send the full force of the 32nd Corps against the enemy,” he pondered aloud, “but I am wary of leaving just the A Corps to protect the city. No offense, Forshire, but your men are not the caliber required to defend Ur by themselves.”
“My men are handy with their bows, General,” Clint replied. “If the A Corps were to man the walls of the Old Keep, no uprising could dislodge them. While that would not defend the entire city, that hardly matters. We would defend the Old Keep until your army returns to take control of the city again.” General Marashef was not convinced, and Clint continued, “Or you could send half of your men to battle an army of indeterminate size, but you would risk losing the battle if the enemy army is larger than you think.”
“That is not acceptable,” scowled General Marashef. “Perhaps I should wait until the Alceans get closer to the city before I attack them.”
“Then you risk them getting around you,” warned Clint. “I know the terrain of Tyronia well, Marashef. The further south you attack them, the better your chances of victory. If they get close to the city, there are multiple paths for their army to take to get to Ur. That means that you have to spread your army out more, increasing the risk of a breakthrough.”
“Good point,” agreed General Marashef. “Very well, Forshire. We will do this your way. Timbo, send only the pigeon to Despair and just tell them that we are under attack by Alcean Rangers. We will update them as the situation changes. Once the bird is dispatched, order the men to make ready for deployment. I will be with King Mectin if you need me.”
General Marashef turned to enter the Old Keep and General Forshire joined him. Together they entered the fortress and made their way to King Mectin’s office. The king was not in his office and a runner was dispatched to find him. The two generals waited impatiently.
“Forshire?” King Mectin asked with surprise when he entered the room. “What are you doing back here in Ur?”
General Forshire bowed to the king and smiled as he rose. “Emperor Jaar thought you could use some help defending the Old Keep,” he said.
The king raised an eyebrow at the words, but General Marashef was impatient to state the news.
“Tyronia is under attack,” General Marashef stated. “We just got word that Alcean Rangers have attacked our forces at Sebastian Pass. They are currently marching northward towards the city. I am taking the 32nd Corps southward to defeat them. General Forshire’s A Corps will be moving into the keep to man the walls until I return.”
“Into the keep?” the king asked warily. “I do not think so. You know my prohibition about foreign troops in the Old Keep. It is forbidden.”
“I am not foreign to Tyronia,” frowned Clint.
“Not you, Forshire,” replied the king. “You are welcome here, but your men are foreigners. They may camp outside the walls.”
“I don’t have time for this, Mectin,” scowled General Marashef. “I am taking the entire 32nd Corps out to battle the enemy. That leaves only the A Corps to protect you. You should be thankful that the emperor sent them.”
“I have my own men,” interrupted the king. “I can hold this castle against an army with just them. Let the A Corps police the city.”
“With five hundred men?” scoffed General Marashef. “You are deluded. The A Corps may be a bunch of misfits, but there are two thousand of them, and they can handle their bows well enough. Let them join your men on the walls, and I will feel confident that you will still be alive when I return.”
“This castle is mine, Marashef,” the king replied defiantly. “You may exercise your authority outside these walls, but my word is law inside them.”
“I see no problem,” interjected General Forshire. “The Old Keep is rather defendable, and King Mectin feels safe with his men. I will have my men man the city walls until you return.”
“There are rebels within the city,” complained General Marashef. “Manning the walls will not aid in the defense of this castle.”
“If things begin to heat up,” shrugged General Forshire, “I will speak to King Mectin again about this matter, but I see no need to meddle in the king’s affairs until that time.”
General Marashef sighed in disagreement, but he let the matter drop. “I need to see to my army. I want to get started southward while we still have daylight.”
General Marashef excused himself, leaving General Forshire and King Mectin alone.
“I am surprised, Forshire,” said the king. “I thought you would have fought harder to get your men inside the castle.”
“To take over Tyronia,” retorted King Mectin. “Isn’t that really why you are here?”
“Hardly,” chuckled Clint. “I guess you haven’t heard about my promotion. I am now the Imperial General of the Federation, the first ever to hold the position. I report directly to Emperor Jaar. Why in the world would I want to lower myself to become the King of Tyronia?”
The king looked as if he had been slapped, and Clint wondered he had been a little too demeaning. He reached into his pouch and handed the proclamation to the king. King Mectin read the document, and he smiled broadly.
“I suppose I should congratulate you,” said the king. “How did you manage such a feat?”
Clint smiled at the king. “The emperor has taken a liking to me,” he said. “It helps that I caught Grand General Kyrga in an act of defiance against the emperor. Emperor Jaar may not care what his kings do, but he demands absolute loyalty from his generals. Kyrga forgot that. He is lucky to still hold his position.”
“You always did know how to play the game,” chuckled the king. “So if you are not here to seize control, why are you here?”
“General Marashef just told you,” answered Clint. “Karamin and Vinafor have fallen to the Alceans. It was thought that they would attack Tyronia next. The A Corps was the closest army to Tyronia, so we were sent to buttress the forces here. Unfortunately, I only have two thousand men with me. We couldn’t even hold the city walls for an hour if a determined enemy sought entry. That is why Marashef wanted my men inside. With twenty-five-hundred men, this keep would be practically invincible.”
“Even if they were misfits?” the king asked with a wry smile.
Clint grinned. “I recruited them out of the prisons,” he said, “but they are trained well enough with bows to man the walls. The good thing about them is that no one will care if they die while they are defending you. I can easily replace them. The prisons are full of men.”
King Mectin laughed. “I truly wish they had let me keep you as the Commanding General of Tyronia, Forshire. You understand me better than most. Marashef, on the other hand, is rather prudish. Perhaps you and I will share some entertainment after dinner tonight.”
“I think I would enjoy that,” smiled General Forshire. “Do you have quarters for me? I feel the need to get the road dust off my body.”
King Mectin pulled a cord and a moment later the door opened. A colonel entered the office and waited for the king to speak.
“You remember General Forshire, Craz?” asked the king. The colonel nodded. “He will be staying with us for a while. He is to be afforded every hospitality of the castle as my personal guest. Show him to his quarters and arrange a bath for him.” The king turned to Clint with a smile. “You might want to rest after your bath, Forshire. It might prove to be a long night. Dinner will be served one hour after sunset. I will see you then.”
Colonel Craz led Clint out of the room and through a maze of corridors.
“You are the commander of the A Corps now?” asked the colonel.
“I am,” answered Clint. “I am also the Imperial General of the Federation. Has the king told you that Tyronia is under attack?”
“Not yet,” answered the colonel, “but I did hear it from some of Marashef’s men. Will the A Corps be going out to meet the enemy?”
“No,” answered Clint. “We are to stay in Ur and protect the king. Marashef’s entire army will be going out to battle the enemy. I am afraid that my men are more useful behind a wall than they would be in the open field. Their only skills are those of archers.”
“Will they be defending the keep?” asked the colonel.
“That will be up to King Mectin,” answered Clint. “I personally think that is the best use of my men, but it is his castle, and his wishes will be respected.”
The colonel nodded. “If the threat is real,” the colonel said, “the king will bring your men in. I am not sure how strong the rebels were when you left Ur, but I fear that they are very strong now. Your men would not last long on the streets of the city if the rebels decided to strike while the 32nd Corps is out of town.”
“There weren’t any rebels when I left Ur,” replied Clint. “I left shortly after the arrival of General Marashef.”
“Here we are,” the colonel said as he opened a door to the suite Clint would be staying in. “If you need anything, there is a cord in the room. Just pull on it and someone will attend to you. I will arrange for your bath.”
“Thank you, Colonel,” replied Clint. “How close is the nearest tower? I would like to look out over the city before it gets dark.”
“There is a staircase at the end of the hall,” Colonel Craz pointed. “Take that up to the top level and then turn left. The tower will not be hard to find.”
The colonel followed Clint into the room and picked up the door key from the table. He handed it to the general and then nodded before leaving. Clint immediately left the suite and headed for the tower. When he reached the top of the tower, a guard stared at him questioningly.
“General Forshire?” asked the guard. “I hadn’t heard that you had returned.”
“Just arrived a while ago,” Clint said with a smile. “I thought I would take a look at the city before my bath. Is everything quiet?”
“It is always quiet,” answered the guard. “I do not know what the rebels are planning, but they have not been very active of late. I think many of them may have drifted off to other lands. It is kind of silly for them to think they can breech these walls. Maybe some of them finally realized that.”
“Indeed,” nodded Clint.
The Ranger had wanted to go to the tower in hopes that Peanut was searching for him. He feared that the fairy would not find him deep inside the Old Keep, and it was dangerous for him to try. While the black-cloaks would be leaving with the 32nd Corps, the demonkin would not, and Clint didn’t want Peanut to run into K’san.
“Maybe I will come up later to catch the view by night,” he said to the guard as he left.
Chapter 35
The Old Keep
Dinner with King Mectin was a quiet affair. General Forshire was the only guest to share the meal with the king. King Mectin spoke softly throughout the meal. He seemed to have a keen interest in Despair and the Imperial Palace there. Clint answered the questions openly until the questions about Alcea began. At that point, he began to form his answers carefully.
“We received messages from Karamin and Vinafor recently,” stated the king. “They talked about huge losses in the war against Alcea. Do you know the truth of the matter?”
“I know more than most,” General Forshire replied hesitantly, “but it is a subject that the Federation is not eager to divulge much about.”
“That means that there is truth to the messages,” stated the king. “Did we have any victories over there at all?”
General Forshire sighed and placed his napkin on the table. He hesitated for a moment, and the king waited patiently.
“We had no victories,” General Forshire eventually said. “Grand General Kyrga appears to have underestimated the Alceans, but I will deny saying that.”
“And now the Alceans are attacking here in Zara?” questioned the king.
Clint nodded. “We have confirmed the presence of the Alcean Rangers in Karamin and Vinafor. They are Alcea’s elite corps, and they should not be taken lightly. The Red Swords are usually not far behind the Rangers. That is why General Marashef decided to take the entire 32nd Corps southward.”
King Mectin nodded. “Why would they attack Tyronia?” he asked.
“They seek the total destruction of the Federation,” replied the general. “It makes sense to conquer the western provinces first and then march through the passes. Tauman’s 1st Corps might be able to hold one of the passes, but he is ill equipped to hold both.”
“And Candanar’s puny forces will add li
ttle to the Federation’s benefit,” nodded the king. “Why then is the A Corps here in Ur? Why aren’t you guarding the other pass?”
“With the A Corps?” scoffed the general. “They are not a real army, King Mectin. I only have two thousand men and they are not sword fighters. As I mentioned earlier, put them behind a wall, and they will be effective, but they could not hold a pass against Alcean Rangers. No, the Rangers must be stopped here in Tyronia.”
“So you really do want your men inside the keep,” King Mectin said with a hint of accusation in his voice.
“That was the plan,” admitted Clint, “but I understand your desire to express your independence here. I have little doubt that General Marashef has taken over most of the responsibilities of running Tyronia. That is typical of the Federation. This castle is the one place where your word is truly law. I can understand your hesitancy to invite outsiders inside these walls.”
“Yet you disagree with my decision,” retorted the king. “I can see it in your face.”
“It is a setback to the plan to defend Ur,” stated the general, “and it creates greater risk than we had anticipated, but I recognize your right to do as you wish.”
“Risk to your men or mine?” asked the king.
“Both,” Clint replied without hesitation. “Without a wall to shield my men, they will die quickly. Once they are dead, your men will follow. Five-hundred men will not be enough to stave off the Rangers.”
“The Rangers?” echoed the king. “I thought we were talking about a revolt. Marashef will handle the Rangers.”
“While I hope that is true,” Clint replied with a frown, “General Salaman in Karamin and General Nazzaro in Vinafor did not fare well against them. Both of those armies suffered severe casualties before surrendering the remainder of their men. Perhaps Marashef will be more fortunate, but I do not like to leave things to chance.”
King Mectin nodded as he rose and tossed his napkin on the table. “We will discuss this more later,” he said. “If you can convince me, I will order Colonel Craz to admit your men, but they will be under my control, not yours.”