Knights: Book 03 - The Heart of Shadows

by Robert E. Keller

  "Why are they hesitating?" asked Trenton, his face tense and his sword in hand. "Shouldn't they be charging at us, or hurling boulders? Or both?"

  "I don't know," said Taris. "Perhaps they're waiting for us to make a move so they can adjust their strategy. If so, they will be waiting a long time."

  "Maybe we should attack first," said Vannas, fire in his eyes. "I've got a clear shot at that big siege engine."

  Taris shook his head. "Be patient, young prince."

  The tension grew almost unbearable as they stood and waited for something to happen. This was not how Aldreya had envisioned the prelude to the battle. She'd assumed Dremlock was planning some type of surprise assault--instead of simply standing on a hilltop and in a valley in the open, waiting for boulders and arrows to start raining down on them. It made no sense, and she could tell by the confused expressions around her that she wasn't alone in her thoughts. Only Taris and Furlus seemed confident, an expectant look in their eyes.

  "I wish we would just get on with this," said Jerret, his knuckles white as he grasped his broadsword.

  Galvia nodded. She stood by Jerret's side, leaning on her war hammer. "This waiting is taking a toll on my nerves."

  "I agree," said Daledus, his enormous axe slung over his shoulder. "Standing around like this is maddening."

  Jace lit his pipe and leaned against the platform. "Might as well have a smoke before the bloodshed begins. I think Bellis is tuning up its oversized toy there, getting ready to smash us into pudding. Speaking of pudding, I wish I had some--just in case it would be my last meal. I'd hate to die on an empty stomach."

  Aldreya gazed at the twenty Thallite giants, shocked by their size. They towered over the Knights on their hilltop. These men were slightly larger than Ogres--and vastly more intelligent. They looked like a race of armored gods standing amongst mortals, engulfed by an aura of invincibility. She couldn't imagine the carnage they would inflict on Dremlock's Knights once the battle began.

  "Quite a sight, aren't they?" said Jace, motioning with his pipe toward the giants. "The Thallites were once a widespread race that dwelt in several sprawling cities. Like the Dwarves, they are great weaponsmiths. They were the friends of Birlotes and Noracks and a staunch enemy of Tharnin. Now they are nearly extinct and hopelessly loyal to Bellis. What a shame."

  "Too bad they aren't totally extinct," muttered Trenton, "considering how much damage they're likely to do to us."

  "I'm not concerned with the giants," said Taris. "I'm concerned with those three siege engines--in particular the one on the hill."

  "Yes," said Jace, "they are amazing devices--crafted by the aforementioned Thallites, who also forge the armor and weapons for Bellis' Knights. The siege engines have allowed Bellis to swiftly conquer any kingdom it chooses. There is simply nothing that can stand against them. Dremlock's own siege engines are rather pathetic in comparison."

  Furlus frowned. "Ours are much smaller, yes. But nothing to sneer at. And don't forget, Jace, that the Grey Dwarves forge Glaetherin for Dremlock. The Thallites lack the ability to mold that metal."

  "Yet Jace is correct," said Taris. "We cannot match the skills of the Thallites when it comes to crafting siege engines. And if we can't manage to destroy these ones, we will likely lose this battle."

  "The siege engines will fall," said Prince Vannas. "Hopefully." Even the prince seemed taken aback by the size of The Colossus on the hill.

  A Knight on horseback, flanked by two Guardians in golden armor that carried banners bearing the Crest of Bellis, rode down the hill and started toward Dremlock's army. It was Staldor Darvus--the Lord Knight of Bellis.

  "Let the Lord Knight come to me," Taris called out, and the crowd of Divine Knights parted to allow the riders through.

  Staldor and his Golden Knights rode up the hill until they confronted Taris, Furlus, and Trenton. The Lord Knight bowed.

  Dremlock's Knights did not bow in return.

  "You know why we have come," said Staldor. He was a stocky, bald man with a neatly trimmed reddish beard. He wore green-and-gold armor with the white Crest of Bellis painted onto the breastplate. "But you should also know that our great King Verlamer is merciful and will accept your unconditional surrender."

  "Of course," said Taris, looking amused. "Bellis loves to intimidate its foes into surrender. The best victory is a bloodless one."

  Staldor sighed. "I don't have time for nonsense, Taris. Will you surrender or not? If not, we'll proceed to kill all of you--down to the last Orange Squire. You're a logical Birlote, and it's an easy choice to make."

  "We won't surrender," said Taris.

  "Never!" Furlus bellowed, looking like he might try to smash Staldor right off his horse. But honor held the furious Dwarf in check.

  "You may change your mind," said the Lord Knight, "after half of your warriors have been hammered into pulp."

  "Don't count on it," said Taris, looking calm. "The Divine Knights are prepared to die if necessary, but we will not be enslaved."

  Staldor glanced at Vannas, who glared down at the Lord Knight from his wooden platform. "Consider the prince to be dead already," said Staldor. "You can't protect him. Surely you realize that, Taris. All these men and women--such loyal Knights. Is it worth sacrificing them when surrender would be so easy?"

  "Yes," said Taris. "They are Divine Knights and Squires--and they will gladly make the sacrifice to stand against this tyranny."

  Staldor seemed genuinely confused. "I don't understand this. I'm not an evil man, Taris. I've always worked hard to provide for my family and do what is right. King Verlamer only seeks to unite all of the kingdoms of Gallamerth under one peaceful banner. Imagine that, if you can! That is what I'm fighting for. I don't want to soak these hills in the blood of Dremlock's servants."

  "I have heard of your exploits, Staldor," said Taris. "I believe you're an honorable man at heart--but terribly misguided. You've somehow convinced yourself that you serve a noble kingdom, which is pure folly. And you clearly don't understand what Dremlock is all about. We are bound by our Sacred Laws and cannot violate them, even to save ourselves from death."

  Staldor motioned to his army of giants and more than a thousand Knights. "This is a small force that Bellis has sent against you from Brothlor Kingdom. Many more Knights, Thallites, and siege engines are on the way to Silverland even as I speak. We've absorbed the resources of several kingdoms. You just don't understand the size and might of the army you're opposing."

  "On the contrary," said Jace, "I think Dremlock knows quite well what it's dealing with. Certainly, the Divine Essence knows."

  "A pagan god," said Staldor, scowling. "A bizarre creature that has tricked you into serving its will." He pointed at the sun. "Those who fail to serve Ebros are surely doomed."

  "Ebros, the Sun Spirit," mused Jace. "When is the last time he has appeared to you? Hasn't it been more than a century?"

  "No," said Staldor. "It was Ebros who ordered King Verlamer to unite all of Gallamerth--in front of many witnesses."

  Jace's eyes widened. "Ebros...or someone pretending to be your god? Does this seem like something the peaceful Sun Spirit would command?"

  "As I said," Staldor replied, "this is done for ultimate peace, so why shouldn't we believe it was Ebros who commanded it?"

  "Because it wasn't!" said Jace. "Of that, I'm thoroughly convinced. I believe Ebros is unaware of what you fools are doing in his name. In fact, I knew Ebros when he was still alive--before Bellis adopted his spirit as a deity--and he wasn't the sort of man to behave this way."

  "You speak nonsense," said Staldor. "Ebros died over one-hundred and fifty years ago. You could not have known him."

  "Wrong," said Jace. "I was alive then, too. What you're doing would be viewed an abomination to your god."

  "Enough of this nonsense," said Furlus, his eyes blazing. "Spirits of sorcerers are not gods, and Bellis is the real pagan kingdom. It doesn't matter if Ebros ordered this or not. You wasted your time speaking to us, b
ecause Dremlock does not submit to tyrants. So ride back to your warriors and tell them to prepare to die!"

  Staldor's eyes widened. "Fools!" With that, he turned his horse around and galloped back to his army. He signaled to the giants as he rode.

  The Thallites fed logs into the siege engine's furnace, and moments later the monstrosity shuddered as steam burst out from iron pipes. Suddenly, the great arm of the catapult started to move downward as the giants pulled on thick ropes. Several smaller arms moved down on their own, also preparing to fire.

  Trenton's mouth dropped open. "What sort of catapult is that, with steam emerging? I fear it is going to obliterate us!" Trenton sheathed his sword, a sour expression on his face. For a moment, he was engulfed in shifting shadows--and then he was gone, replaced by the hulking, wolf-like beast. The coarse grey fur bristled on his body, and his muzzle wrinkled in a snarl.

  "And so it begins," said Jace, his face grim.

  "Prepare yourselves!" Taris commanded.

  One of the Thallites--the leader--blew a great golden horn, a noise that thundered through the hills. And then the catapult arms shot forward--filling the sky with boulders and smaller, gleaming objects that looked like spiked balls. The sky above the Knights on the hilltop was suddenly raining death.

  ***

  The spiked balls dropped from the sky and exploded in golden flashes, killing, injuring, and temporarily blinding some of Dremlock's warriors. Two Knights were crushed by falling boulders. The Brown Knights were able to deflect many of the spiked balls with their shields, though some of them still suffered damage from the resulting explosions. The protective sorcery cast above Prince Vannas held, and three spiked balls exploded harmlessly in the air above him. But the initial assault by The Colossus was devastating--with four Knights slain and eight more injured to the point of being rendered useless in the battle.

  Immediately following that first assault, the two smaller siege engines hurled boulders at the Knights in the valley below, and several of the warriors went down, battered by the heavy rocks. Some of them did not rise again. Bellis was content to hold back and pummel Dremlock's forces--as long as the Divine Knights chose to hold position. The fighters below looked to Taris for the signal to charge, but Taris did not give it, even as another wave of boulders crashed down.

  Prince Vannas struck back from atop his platform, blasting white fire at The Colossus. But his eyes widened in shock when the fire did little damage to the monstrous catapult. "The range is too great!" the prince cried. "The fire is weak when it arrives, and I must move closer!"

  "Increase your focus," Taris replied.

  The prince looked doubtful for an instant, but then his eyes smoldered with determination. The white fire seemed to brighten some, but the great wooden beams of the catapult still did not ignite.

  As the smaller catapults prepared to launch boulders again, a group of Red Knights suddenly charged from the ranks and through the valley in a surprise attack. They held lances that blazed with a sorcerous fire called Silverbane--a fire seldom used by Dremlock's warriors because it caused severe burns to those who cast it. In spite of wearing thick gloves, the Red Knights groaned and cried out in pain as their hands and faces were scorched. They hurled the lances at the two smaller siege engines, burying them deep into the wooden beams. Bellis' Knights threw water from buckets on the flames, but the silver fire burned too hot to be contained. Soon both siege engines had become blazing fireballs (along with some unfortunate warriors who got too close to the flames).

  The Red Knights bellowed in triumph, then retreated. Some of them had been burned so severely by the Silverbane that they were barely able to guide their horses and would be unable to participate further in the battle. Aldreya gazed down upon them, impressed by their courage. They had sacrificed their bodies (and possibly their lives, if the burns were not effectively treated) to destroy those siege engines. She felt fiercely proud to be a servant of Dremlock Kingdom.

  In light of the surprise attack by the Silverbane, Bellis changed its strategy and charged at Dremlock's forces. The two armies clashed in the valley below. Bellis' Knights fired exploding arrows from crossbows that did tremendous damage, but Dremlock responded with the flames of sorcery. Soon the valley was filled with flashes of light, smoke, and buzzing sparks. Some of the Thallite giants had entered the fray, and their huge hammers were devastating to the Divine Knights. They towered above everyone else, their mighty hammers rising and falling.

  Meanwhile, The Colossus launched more boulders and exploding, spiked balls at Prince Vannas and his hilltop defenders. Vannas seemed almost insane with focus, his body trembling at he launched fire at the catapult. Bellis' Knights threw water on the catapult's beams, however, and managed to smother any flames that arose. There were so many warriors throwing water that it seemed Vannas would never be able to ignite The Colossus, but the prince did not give up.

  Then four Thallite giants started down the hillside. Unlike the other giants, these four were armored from head to toe--including crimson, horned helms shaped like the heads of bulls. They seemed impervious to attack--as flaming weapons glanced off their armor without even scratching it. They smashed anyone aside who dared block their path. They had one goal in mind--to crush Prince Vannas.

  The four giants fought their way up Dremlock's hill, leaving dead and injured Knights in their wake. Soon only some Blue Knights, sorcerers, and the Divine Shield stood in their way. With Vannas focused entirely on The Colossus, he wasn't even aware that the four Thallites were closing in on him.

  Trenton--or the wolf beast he'd become--charged at one of the Thallites and flung himself onto the giant. He seized the giant's helm with his clawed hands and pulled on it furiously, tearing it away. Trenton flung the helm aside and then buried his teeth into the giant's throat. The giant struggled to dislodge the wolf beast, and the two of them went down. The Blue Knights helped Trenton finish off the Thallite.

  Jerret charged another giant and struck a vicious blow to the man's armored leg. The giant staggered but did not go down, as the armor held. The giant shoved Jerret away and the Squire tumbled head over heels, losing his grip on his sword. Jerret lay stunned for a moment, but wasn't seriously injured.

  Galvia cried out in fury and swung her glowing hammer into the Thallite's ribs. The blow--backed by the power of Olrog Fire--drove the giant backwards. But it didn't stop the Thallite, who shook off the blow and resumed his charge.

  Jace leapt through the air and struck a blow with his fist to the giant's helm, causing the Thallite to stumble a bit as if in confusion. With the giant temporarily stunned from his sorcery, Jace clung to the Thallite's shoulders and removed its helm. Jace then leapt away from the giant as Taris charged forward and slew the Thallite with a huge fireball to the face.

  The Blue Knights brought down another giant with ropes, pulling him to the ground with a monumental effort and removing his helm. Then, before he could fight his way free, they finished him off.

  The remaining Thallite swung at Taris with his hammer and missed, as Taris leapt aside. Then the giant charged toward Prince Vannas' platform. Only two defenders remained between the giant and the prince--Aldreya Silverhawk and Furlus Goblincrusher. Aldreya hurled a fireball into the Thallite's chest, but it did no damage to the crimson armor. Aldreya had done all she could, and now only Furlus remained to stop the charge. As the twelve-foot-tall warrior hurtled toward the Dwarf, it seemed Furlus would be crushed into the ground.

  For an instant, Thallite Giant and Grey Dwarf stared each other down--members of races that had been ancient enemies. Then Furlus charged forward, swinging his great, burning battle axe that was made of pure Glaetherin that only the Grey Dwarves could mold. Furlus' eyes blazed with uncontrollable Dwarven fury, and the strongest Knight at Dremlock leapt into the air and drove his axe into the giant's armored chest. The axe split the crimson armor and lodged deep into bone underneath.

  The Thallite staggered, as Furlus wrenched his axe free. The giant took a
step toward Furlus and then collapsed. "So much for Thallite armor!" Furlus bellowed, standing over the dead giant.

  Immediately after the four giants were dispatched, another Thallite--the leader--began firing arrows at Vannas from a huge bow. The arrows were as long as spears and had tips made of a rare substance called Runestone, allowing them to more easily penetrate shields generated by sorcery. The sorcerers had gathered near Vannas again to defend him. Aldreya watched in awe as the oversized arrows shot toward them with immense speed. Two of the arrows broke against their energy barrier, but a third one made it through and struck the prince's shoulder. However, Vannas was protected by some of Dremlock's finest armor beneath his cloak, and it did not give way. Instead, the prince was flung from the platform, though he maintained his grip on the White Flamestone.

  Aldreya rushed over to him and helped him up. Vannas was in great pain from the arrow's impact, but his eyes still burned with determination. He started to climb onto the platform, but Taris ordered him to wait.

  "Trenton," said Taris, to the hideous wolf beast, "we need to take out that archer. Can you do it?"

  Trenton growled in response, and then bounded off down the hill and through the valley, scattering warriors in his path. His claws lashing out left and right, he fought his way up the enemy's hill--with arrows and swords sticking out of his furry flesh. In spite of being impaled multiple times, Trenton did not slow. However, he suddenly vanished beneath a crowd of attackers.

  Aldreya watched in despair, for all she could see were weapons rising and falling where Trenton had gone down. It appeared that he was finished.

  But suddenly the wolf beast broke from the crowd, leaving a number of slain and injured warriors in his wake. As Trenton ran, he yanked blades and arrows from his flesh. With a booming howl, he leapt onto the giant archer and tore into his throat, taking the Thallite leader to the ground.

  Taris signaled for Vannas to proceed, and with Aldreya's help, the prince climbed back onto the platform and resumed attacking The Colossus. Vannas' pain seemed to make him even more focused and determined, and he sent out a furious blast of white fire that ignited one of the catapult's beams, even as the monstrosity's arms were lowering again in preparation to launch an attack. Bellis' warriors immediately seized buckets of water and tried to kill the flames.