The High King: A Tale of Alus

by Wigboldy, Donald

  A strange grating noise could be heard coming from the gargoyles. As a whole, they were laughing.

  “I doubt you could fulfill either just by boasting,” Kar’esh replied with that gravel voice. He had not laughed though Gerid thought it amused him as well. “You know the name, passe’rote, but do you know the meaning?”

  “Like a rite of passage in my language, but it means more than that. Two leaders can come together as we do now to save our followers lives. I do not doubt that many would die in my army should you choose to disregard the passe’rote option, but if we are both agreed, this can be settled here and now between us and these witnesses.”

  The gargoyle looked thoughtful. “A passe’rote usually has a clear set path to a decision. What shall we play for?”

  Gerid nearly shook his head at the word play. The passe’rote was very serious in mar’goyn’lya culture from what he understood. To merely call it play, meant that Kar’esh believed him incapable of standing up to the gargoyle’s might. He was the leader. The alpha male of his kind. Taking measure of the ones behind him, Kar’esh appeared to be the largest of his kind as well. “The decisions are these. I lose and my armies go home. Merrick can finish his conquest and eventually some of your army will be free to find the rest of your people. The second decision, if I defeat you, your Mar’goyn’lya and the che’ther who are bound by your agreement leave Merrick to go find your people and stay away from these lands unless invited by me or someone I designate.

  “Do you accept?”

  The gargoyle stared at Gerid intently. “You know that I cannot do less than my best in this. To cheat and lose is the same as dishonoring myself in front of my people.”

  Nodding in agreement, Gerid added, “I know. We will fight until one of us can no longer go on. If death is the reason so be it, but it can be unconscious or wounded as well.”

  “Agreed.”

  “This hill top is our ground. I won’t restrict you from flying but this is where the fight must end.”

  “Agreed,” the gargoyle showed some surprise for the lenient rules. His stare showed curiosity. The human had great belief in his strength to allow so much. Kar’esh had yet to see any man that could touch his weakest warriors in strength. He had heard of the one man that had found a kink in their armor and turned the tables in the strike on the golem mages, but this man did not appear to be that kind of fighter. “Weapons?”

  “Melee,” he replied gesturing to his axe and then those unveiled by the arms men behind him. Swords, axes, even steel clubs lay atop a red blanket letting their shine stand out even more. “Beyond that it matters little.”

  The gargoyle nodded agreement and pulled a large sword from his belt. A shield was passed from one of men. “Then let us decide this if there is no more to be said.”

  Pulling a reinforced shield created in Hala for him just for this battle as well as his familiar battle axe, Gerid prepared for the onslaught that was about to come.

  “Let us meet as brothers,” Kar’esh intoned the ritual greeting in the man’s language.

  “As brothers then,” the giant nodded and began to stalk forward.

  Giving up more than two feet in height and reach, Gerid approached the battle cautiously. More

  surprisingly, Kar’esh did not rush forward expecting a swift defeat. The man had shown an assuredness in his prowess to ask for a battle one on one with the leader of his kind. A soldier from nearly birth, his strength, skill and wisdom had earned his position as general to his people. Their world had ravaged their numbers but those who remained were rugged and made of the toughest granite. This human had to be more than even his extra size implied.

  The sword slashed challenging Gerid’s shield. Angling it slightly, he spared the wood and iron a direct blow and yet it still quivered and sent a shock into his arm. The beast hit hard. The giant had never felt a blow of it’s like before. He had known everyone to respect this Kar’esh and now he knew why.

  The axe hammered the huge shield on the gargoyle sending chips of wood and iron fleeing and threatening a break with one blow. Kar’esh’s eyes widened slightly. It was a blow that would be respected among his kind. This giant was no joke.

  Opening forays over, the dance began in earnest.

  Despite their size, both giants moved with a fluidity and grace that many a smaller man would be glad to achieve, but within that grace thunderous attacks crashed into the juggernauts unceasingly. Blow for blow, feint for feint, a blow aimed for the head was countered for a slash at the legs. Kar’esh had the height on his side, but that only meant Gerid could take his legs. One such attack caused the gargoyle to leap for the air. Great wings reacted without conscious thought to lift him higher and back from the axe. Gerid countered by throwing the weapon centered on his chest. A calculated risk that he would lose his weapon, Gerid caught a thrown great sword from his men.

  Glancing off the huge shield of the gargoyle, Kar’esh landed only to rush forward. Sword on sword, the two clashed over and over. Chips flew as blades collided with the inhuman blows of the two combatants.

  Kar’esh’s shield showed more wear. The axe had bit into its hide multiple times and one corner had even been shorn from its bulk. Finally the defense gave under a blow from the great sword. Leaping back to toss it aside, the gargoyle drew a large mace instead of replacing it. The heavy weapon threatened Gerid’s heavily reinforced shield and blade both. Tossing his shield back to Finneas, Bakur grunted as he tossed a hammer of nearly the size of Kar’esh’s mace. The giant caught it easily.

  Round two, Gerid thought. Both breathed through their mouths taking in the air they needed to fuel their bodies’ stamina. He had not tired despite the fierceness of his opponent, though the same could be said for Kar’esh. Titans or strength and stamina, the fight was rejoined. The heavier, thicker weapons lashed out fiercely. The swords had more range, but catching a blade with the metal blocks caused more damage to the weapons.

  Gerid lunged beneath Kar’esh’s defense jamming the hammer into his gut driving the creature back with a grunt. The mace clipped his shoulder with a slap. The giant shrugged the pain off even as he winced.

  The swords were beginning to get inside as well. Gashes on legs and arms and chest armor could be found. Gerid’s wounds began healing even as he fought. The blood covered that fact and even as he began to look worse, his body maintained itself. His god given healing would let him win this he felt. The gargoyle was still strong but Gerid doubted he could heal so well.

  Blades began to break and new weapons were thrown in to the warriors. The sun had moved visibly since the start of the battle. The gargoyles behind Kar’esh, though mesmerized by the battle, were also growing concerned. Their leader was unable to tame this giant. Their strengths were similar. Their skills rivaled one another and their stamina continued to draw out this battle, but there had to be limits and eventually something had to give. A mistake could finish the battle with a single mighty stroke.

  The men tried to back their commander quietly, but as the fight raged on they couldn’t help but shout words of encouragement or praise for a magnificent blow. Gerid heard none of it. His attention remained focused on Kar’esh and never wavered. Like a knife his attacks remained keen.

  Gesturing a feint, the giant thrust his current sword forward. Kar’esh dodged enough to avoid taking his guts, but a wing drooped and lagged behind. Screaming in pain, Kar’esh tried to retaliate even as a small stream of rust colored blood arced through the air.

  Gerid rolled beneath the swinging blade, and slammed his hammer into the meat of the gargoyle’s left thigh, the same side as the struck wing. The other’s mace came up in response catching him in the chest and sending him into the air as his lungs gasped in pain.

  Kar’esh took a moment figuring to move in for a killing blow if need be. No human however strong could stand after such a blow, he thought, but the gargoyle was wrong. Trying to catch his breath, the giant stood revealing a breastplate severely dented. A loud gasp
came as his lungs refilled in a rush. Gerid smiled and stalked forward.

  “Impossible,” the gargoyle gritted through his teeth as he frowned. This was definitely no normal human. Most mar’goyn’lya would not be getting up any time soon from such a strike.

  Gerid noted a slight limp as Kar’esh moved forward once more to meet his attacks. Light swirled slightly before his eyes even as his body tried to recover. A rib had broken, maybe two. They took longer to knit than his skin, but it would heal and the pain was dimmer every time he was injured it seemed.

  His next blow was a bit weaker. The ribs would slow him down a bit he feared, but his opponent had slowed as well. Not so much that the gargoyle couldn’t score a stab that pierced his armor and gouged his side. A blow that would stop a normal man, Gerid retaliated by stabbing Kar’esh in his side as well. Both combatants reeled back. The giant merely to remove the blade. The gargoyle, however, now showed both surprise and great pain. It was nearly a debilitating blow.

  The four fingered hand reached to the wound to cover the flow of liquids in stunned pain. This man would not fall. He was tiring from the wounds now. The giant had slowed, but looked unwilling to fall despite his many wounds.

  With a last ditch effort, Kar’esh dropped the mace that had survived so many blows and used his sword, the third of its kind for him. Holding the wound with his left, he tried the right and lunged for the giant. The man’s eyes never left him even as he revealed a grim smile. He held both of his weapons still. The wound in his side reveled blood on his armor and down his leg, but there seemed to be no pain.

  Parrying the thrust easily as the gargoyle weakened, the giant merely pushed him away with the hammer with a blow to his chest. It seemed half hearted and Kar’esh feared that the man was beginning to toy with him. How could he be standing with so many wounds?

  Resisting any pain with his will, the gargoyle thrust and slashed with the sword only to be beaten back over and over. Always the only retaliation was the stinging hammer. The blade was used to defend but never to kill. Finally, the giant dodged a thrust and hammered down onto Kar’esh’s right forearm. The blow was strong and a crack could be heard as a bone broke within the skin. The sword dropped limply as Gerid followed with a blow to the chest powerful enough to knock the gargoyle from his feet.

  Pain from the broken bone waged a war with the wound in his side, even though he had many other pains. Looking up at the sky, he noted the giant standing over him pointing the tip of his blade at the leader’s neck.

  “It’s over. The decision has been made,” Gerid stated looking a bit pale but otherwise strong. “You will take your people and head to the mountains to find the others. I wish you good health.” He looked at the stunned gargoyles behind their leader and ordered, “Get him some healing for his wounds, but then leave Merrick’s camp. Your people no longer fight this war.”

  Chapter 48-Fortress of Tents

  Surprise and relief showed plainly on Terris’ face as he stood in General Falack’s tent. The message scroll he held was unbelievable. The gargoyles and dragons had deserted Merrick. One day they had been there and then in the middle of the night they had all left. The previous day word had come that their leader had been injured. He had been flown into camp by several others and been tended by the healers. The very next night they were all gone.

  None of Sileoth or Maris knew what had befallen Kar’esh, but whatever had happened, things had just changed drastically.

  Terris had received reports of a new army coming from the east. Word from his daughter’s carnal gulls had revealed that it was on the way long before the birds arrived in Maris and scouts of the Black Guard began telling of their movements. The knight’s general had helped the remaining defenders keep Merrick off balance with every tactic in his arsenal and had positioned them closer and closer to the help coming from the east. Could they have done something to make the gargoyles retreat?

  “The gods may have changed who they favor and finally it is us,” General Falack replied elated with the news. He too was surprised, but the news, as long as it wasn’t some ploy, was the best they had heard since the coming allied army.

  “I think it centers on what happened to their leader. He was seen flying towards the east rather abruptly the other day only to return wounded. The remainder of his men had not a scratch on them.” His mind raced, “Could there have been a duel that he lost?”

  “Even so, what would make all of his forces retreat?” General Falack questioned once more. “My daughter had once said they had an idea to remove the threat of the dragons and gargoyles. Perhaps their plan came to fruition. We know the eastern army isn’t far off now. Have we made any contact with them yet?”

  Shaking his head, Falack stated, “We’ve waited until they were closer.”

  “I think it’s time now, general. We need to know their plans. Do we have any idea of their numbers yet?”

  “Only from what your daughter said. The scouts know that there are many thousands. Your daughter stated well over ten thousand when we first knew of them. We can assume there is no less.”

  Tapping his chin in thought, the former king and general began to formulate a plan. “I need the maps brought back out for around the hills just east of us.”

  “You have a plan?”

  “The beginnings of one,” he allowed. “If our new allies are willing anyway.”

  Shouts and screams of rage came from the large tent in the center of Merrick’s army. No new battles had begun. No movement was pressed. They were on guard against the ambushes of the enemy, but pursuit was not an issue for the moment. As the rage of their high king rang out from the epicenter of the army, worry rippled through their number.

  Everyone knew of the sudden disappearance of the gargoyles and dragons, but no one knew where they had gone or why. Some thought perhaps it was some great scheme designed to draw out the enemy or perhaps even the creatures had been sent to destroy some camp that had been found.

  The cries of fury from the king’s tent caused many to fear that this was not a ploy of the Merrick’s design after all.

  “Where have they gone?!” raged the high king. “This stupid letter makes no sense!” he screamed at his generals. No one said a word. Most didn’t even raise their eyes. Confrontation at this point could easily mean death. The High King was not known for his patience or kindness at the best of times and things were anything but good with the loss of the gargoyles and dragons.

  Gripping the paper in both hands, Merrick tried to understand it’s meaning as anything other than what it was. `New more powerful ties force us to break our remaining contract’, the paper stated. It had no name written on it, though the messenger had stated that it came from Krulir. “We had a contract!” he screamed again. “What ties can break a contract? I don’t understand. Does anyone know where these creatures have gone?”

  This question had to be answered, but which general would risk his life.

  “Well, Komus, speak up.”

  The general of the first army winced as Merrick made the decision for them. He had to answer now that the king demanded it. “We only know that they went north, sire. Scouts have been sent to follow the dragons’ paths. Perhaps they will lead us to Kar’esh and we can drag him back.” The idea of that working was ludicrous if the creatures did not want to return. Nothing they had could bring them back against their wills.

  Snarling incoherently for a moment, Merrick ranted, “So close! I was so close. We only had to finish off Maris and the remains of Sileoth.”

  “We still outnumber them, sire. We can finish them even without the creatures,” Komus volunteered now that his head was already on the block. “We finish this rabble now and then we can hunt those beasts down to make them pay. They’re strong but we’ve seen the enemy slay them and we have numbers.”

  “Bah! Numbers, numbers. I know we have the numbers, Komus. Caldor is gone, but we have their soldiers. Cadmene is conquered and we have all but those few knights that escaped.
They will pay for their rebellion. I will see to that. Sileoth is all but conquered. A few soldiers still harass our march to Oapril with the dogs of Maris who they ran to for help is all they are. Even Maris has been half taken, but I want it all. Let’s finish off these annoyances. We’ll consolidate Marshalla’s power. Caldor’s nobles are all but gone and that will be the way of the rest of these kings and royal nuisances. Once the people have only me to serve, then all will be at peace. Perhaps Kardor will wish to challenge us. Staron lent us their arms. Word of their dead king has not reached the troops, however. The little country that was little more than a city and a pair of mountains will disappear into my kingdom and that will be the end of it.”

  The generals all eagerly agreed and assured the king that the goals were in sight and all but

  accomplished whether any believed their own words. Merrick’s words of conquest had led his mind away from his anger, so they simply wished to encourage that thinking.

  “Get me a plan to finish this army that plagues me so that we might take Oapril, generals. Have it for me by tomorrow. This cat and mouse game of theirs needs to end. This kingdom will rule all the country south of the mountains before the weather turns or I will be looking for new generals.”

  They knew the High King and conqueror would not be keeping any of them, even in a lesser position, if they did not finish what they had started. Their necks were stretched for the hang man if they failed. With renewed fervor, the men worked on a trap for the smaller armies of Sileoth and Maris. Merrick was correct that they needed this over now. The rest of the empire needed close attention or it could break apart in the distraction and failure. This war must end.

  Riding into the camp of Maris and Sileoth’s combined armies was like entering a castle. Though the two armies broke camp nearly every day to stay ahead of Merrick’s forces, when they set up it was in a manner that Gerid had never seen before. The outer tents were set very close to one another. Like a great wall of canvas, the perimeter was a closely knit square. The slim gaps between the structures held guards and a small fence of stakes facing outward. The fence would mean little if the enemy sought to cut through the canvas, but perhaps that was half the idea. If the enemy could be spotted and the soldiers alerted rose to the challenge within the tents. The enemy would be cutting blindly at the canvas. Troops could retreat or form on the other side for a defense.