"Then what—?" At the last moment, the king recalled that only he could hear the other. Then what do you suggest? Why don't you just go in and deal with them?
Oh, I'm not that powerful, great king, no indeed! Besides, if you wish to achieve your other desire, I must keep my presence as secret as can be. . . and where would the fun be without an epic battle? Did you know that there is a fault in the earth beneath the structure? A slight but significant fault?
I don't want to bring down the entire place! I want it fairly intact, you foolish imp!
A giggle briefly echoed through his head. It will only cause a little damage. . just enough to give you the time and entrance you need if your warriors are swift enough after the sorcerers do their work.
The voice faded away, but Lanith needed no further explanation. "Ponteroy!"
A tall, overdressed man, narrow of face with a long mustache and thin, oily hair, rode up beside the king. He looked uncomfortable, probably because his clothing, while very elaborate, was more suitable to the cooler kingdom of Gordag-Ai than down here in the warmer southwest. Ponteroy performed a partial bow, then fixed beady eyes on his monarch. "Yes, my liege?"
"Prepare the Order. I've work for them. This is what they'll do." He signaled Ponteroy to lean closer, then whispered his orders. The officers tried to listen while pretending not to, but Lanith spoke too quietly. When he was finished, he waved the newcomer away. "You have your orders. Leave us . . . and do not fail, Ponteroy. I don't like failure."
"Yes, great one. As you command, great one." The newcomer nervously removed what at first appeared to be a small riding crop from his belt. The upper tip of the short staff was a crystal carved into the head of a horse, a head that glowed slightly the moment Ponteroy touched it. The mage saluted Lanith with the staff, then with some awkwardness turned his mount and rode off.
"Why isn't Saress here?" growled one of the younger officers, a female. "I don't like that slippery little serpent!"
Lanith silenced her with a glance. "Saress has other matters to attend to. Ponteroy has been paid his gold; that's all that matters to him and that's all that should matter to you. He knows what'll happen if he fails me." The king looked over his officers. "I trust all of you know as well."
More than one warrior paled. Lanith ignored them, staring at the stronghold of his foe. So far, his legions had barely suffered a scratch; he had conquered a pair of villages and a good-sized town, but nothing significant. The baron here was, in fact, the first true resistance that he had encountered. He could have simply allowed his officers to conduct a siege of the place, eventually overwhelming the defenders at the loss of many lives, but Lanith was impatient to complete this final testing of his might. This place was merely in his path. It was a bump in the road to conquest that he had to smooth before he could prepare for the real campaign against the true enemy. Gordag-Ai.
Gordag-Ai. Their lands were rich; they would easily feed his armies. Once he had his hold there solidified, he could turn on Talak. From there, he could ride into the Tyber Mountains and seize the still inexperienced emperor of the drake race.
One of his former officers had insisted that such a plan of attack could only lead to destruction and chaos, and that Talak would not stand for Gordag-Ai being assaulted because Talak's queen was the daughter of the rulers of Gordag-Ai. Talak, in turn, had treaties with Penacles.
But I have allies, too. In return for his aid, the drake confederation's leader, Sssaleese, would lead his forces in concert with the hordes of Zuu. Already Sssaleese had strengthened his hold on the lands west and north of Esedi, where Gordag-Ai lay. Talak could not stand against both and while the emperor nervously debated sending drakes against drakes, Lanith and his ally would crush the mountain kingdom ruled by half-faced Melicard.
Suddenly the thought of what he plotted began to overwhelm even the horse king. Gordag-Ai. Talak. Penacles. The drake emperor. So many powers and all of them against him. What could he possibly be thinking?
Victory is nearly yours, whispered his impish ally, scattering his anxious thoughts to the wind. The first true step toward conquering the Dragonrealm takes place now. This is the test that shall reveal to your warriors their destiny! The giggle that followed was loud enough to make Lanith wince in pain. Your great sorcerers are ready to begin! All they need is your word!
The last faded away just as Belfour informed him, "Your Majesty, there's a signal from Ponteroy. I think he's awaiting your command."
Lanith's fears vanished. There would be epic battles, tales to be told for generations to come, but his descendants, the future emperors of the Dragonrealm, would tell them. He would build an empire vaster than any the human race had dreamed of. There was no reason why the continent even had to be called by the worthless title of Dragonrealm once he conquered it. He could even name it after himself—
"Your Majesty—"
Stirring, the monarch of Zuu, future master of all that existed, nodded. It was the only acknowledgment Belfour needed to signal to the waiting spellcasters.
Lovely, oh, lovely, I cannot wait! came the voice in his head again.
At first, all that Lanith noticed was the restiveness of his many legions. His officers had primed them for war for months; now they wanted battle. Well, he would give them battle, glorious, victorious battle . . . but only a small taste of it today. As his invisible ally had more than once pointed out, it helped morale to know that you went into battle with victory a certainty. Once this day was over, they would be snapping at the bit to begin the actual move toward Gordag-Ai.
The horses suddenly shifted, growing uneasy. Several snorted and tried to back up. Some of the officers and soldiers had trouble keeping their mounts under control.
Lanith felt the earth below him tremble slightly.
Several heads appeared on the battlements of the castle. Someone raised a bow and shot at the surrounding force, but the single shaft fell short.
The tremor grew stronger. There were distant shouts of consternation from the stone fortress.
"Earthquake!" a young officer gasped. Others also looked shocked.
"Belfour, if anyone panics, I want them executed on the spot. Is that understood?"
"Y-yes, Your Majes-Majesty!" The senior officer's stuttering was not due to fear on his part, but rather the ever-increasing strength of the tremor.
"Ready our warriors."
"As y-you command."
A block fell from the battlements. Another followed. From within the castle came a cry, then another. Lanith smiled. Inside, panic had to be spreading like wildfire.
A crack opened in the ground just before the front gate of the castle, then another opened up toward the eastern side.
Moments later, a fault developed in the gateway. The high wooden gate, raised early on to prevent access to the attackers, came loose on one side, swinging open with a clatter that even the quake could not mask. Part of the gateway came crashing down.
"'That'll be enough," Lanith remarked.
Belfour raised a hand. Almost instantly, the quake began to die down.
"Signal the advance."
Horns blared. Officers shouted commands. Inside the castle, people were still crying out. Only one or two figures still remained on the battlements and they appeared dazed.
They dared defy you, great king! They mocked you and cursed you! They should be punished! They should be . . . examples . . .
King Lanith of Zuu nodded. The imp was correct. The imp was always correct. This country aristocrat and his little army deserved to pay for their insult to him. "Belfour!"
"Yes, my liege?"
"Tell the officers that all inhabitants of the castle are to be executed."
The senior officer's expression tightened. "Are you—?"
You must not grow soft now! They must be made examples to those who would defy you in the future. A little fear goes a long way, doesn't it, 0 great one? More lives may be saved by the loss of these insignificant few.
"Y
es, I can see that," the monarch of Zuu whispered. To his second, he roared, "You've been given an order by your king, Belfour. Are you questioning it?"
The warrior swallowed, then looked down. "No, my liege."
"Then go!"
The landscape between the king's position and the baron's stronghold had already become a living wave of roaring, eager riders, a mounted army that was awe-inspiring even to him. He thought about riding with them, but this battle was hardly worth his while. Let his men see that he had faith in them. He had already ridden untouched into the last town, killing more than half a dozen of the laughable defenders the elders had mustered from the inhabitants. Any weapon that had sought to mark him had been turned at the last moment. The imp had kept his promise then, just as he always did.
A pair of archers fired from the battlements, but they were the only visible defenders now. The first of Lanith's warriors reached the broken gate and rode their beasts inside, their swords raised high. Even though the first ones would probably die, there was no way that the defenders would be able to plug the gaps now. It was only a matter of time.
As he watched his forces swarm around and over the battered castle, his one true ally's voice worked to relieve him of any uncertainties concerning his chilling commands to his second. So much death, but it will all be worth it, 0 great one! You will unify the land, bring it to a glory that others have only dreamed of! Generations will sing the praise of Lanith the Conqueror, Lanith the Horse King!
Horses. That reminded him again of the one promise that so far his unseen companion had failed to keep. Where was the mount he desired that would befit his glorious status? Where was Darkhorse?
Patience, Emperor Lanith! The shadowy presence giggled. Already that is under way! Soon, very soon, you will have your wondrous, monstrous steed . . . and I will have my vengeance . . .
Chapter Four
Jenna was already waiting for him. Aurim fought hard to control his eagerness, the dazzling smile that spread across her face as he entered not at all aiding his struggle. After checking with his sister Valea to make certain that all was well at the Manor, his parents had decided to stay longer as guests of the Gryphon. He had been given the choice of returning or staying, which, in the young spellcaster's eyes, had been no choice whatsoever. So long as Jenna was in Penacles, he wanted to be there, too.
He felt a bit guilty. His parents had stayed because of urgent news from the western reaches: the possibility of a war of some sort. Aurim had had trouble paying attention, more interested in when he would finally be able to see the merchant's daughter. She was the first woman that the mage felt he understood. There were few women his age at the Manor and most of those treated him with the same respect they did his parents. It made it difficult to truly know them. When he visited the royal families of Talak and Penacles, the situation was even worse. True, there were more choices, but they were generally the pampered, overly delicate daughters of men like Baron Vergoth. The baron's daughters had actually been some of the more tolerable females he had met.
Jenna was different. She spoke her mind, but respected his as well. She admitted to her shortcomings, but seemed to be able to turn those shortcomings into something useful. Everything she said or did seemed to reflect his own desires, his own dreams. Around her, he felt more confident, more independent from his famous parents. Independence was important to him.
"Aurim!" The beautiful young woman rose as he neared what had become their favored table. She was clad in a forest- green riding outfit with gold trim, a fairly conservative outfit for someone from Gordag-Ai. Her hair was done up behind her and on her head she wore a peaked hat with feathers on one side of it.
He sat down. "I'm sorry I'm late, Jenna. My parents—"
"Should give you more freedom, Aurim." She frowned. "You are a great mage in your own right. You're more than old enough to be on your own. They should have to understand that."
"It's not that simple. They often leave me in charge of the Manor and its grounds. That's a big responsibility. I have to watch over what amounts to a village."
The frown vanished. "Your home sounds fascinating. I'd like to see it someday. I can't imagine drakes and humans living together in such cooperation. I know they live together in Irillian By the Sea, but humans have always taken a secondary standing there. Where you live, they work as friends!"
"It started when my parents were asked to raise Kyl, the Dragon Emperor, and it just grew into so much more. Many of the drakes decided to stay after Kyl departed."
Her hand slid forward, just barely touching his. "Do you think that we could go there? Just for a few minutes, I mean. You can do that, can't you? Transport us there? I know you could."
When she spoke to him in the tone she was presently using, Aurim was nearly willing to believe that he could do anything. He almost agreed to bring her to the Manor there and then, but just as the words reached his tongue, Aurim recalled that no one was allowed entrance into the magical domain of the Bedlams unless his parents knew first. They had good reason for setting such a rule. More than once, foes had sought entrance using false identities. Spies for a few of the Dragon Kings still sought to gain the secrets of the Manor for their respective masters.
"I'm sorry, Jenna. I've promised. Maybe if I introduce you to my parents and they got to know you—"
The hand quickly withdrew. "No, that's all right. Another time, perhaps. I understand if it's too much to ask."
Aurim knew that his face had turned scarlet. He had let her down. "I'm sorry."
"Please don't be." Her eyes appeared to sparkle. "I've an even better idea. Maybe you can help me. Would you teach me how to better control my abilities?"
Her request both flattered and worried him. Aurim wanted to help her, but then she might find out just how uncertain his own control was. Still, if he only had to make suggestions and didn't have to risk doing anything significant himself, then . . . "I guess that I could—"
"Oh, thank you!" Jenna leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Let's go to my room! We'll be able to work better there."
"Your room?" Aurim, raised to observe proprieties, shook his head. "That wouldn't be right, Jenna. I don't want you to get in trouble—"
"Oh, don't be silly, Aurim. I trust you . . . and you trust me, don't you?" She gave him a smile that would brook no dissension. "Besides, Gullivan speaks very highly of your family. I'm sure that he would see nothing improper about the two of us going to my room to talk, do you?"
Whatever misgivings he might have had, they were no defense against her beauty. Aurim finally nodded.
"Let's go now." Jenna practically had to lead him from the table. It was not until they reached the stairs that Aurim recovered enough to pretend that he was no longer concerned about what anyone might say. He did glance at Gullivan, but the innkeeper was busy with a customer.
Gullivan had a dozen rooms above the inn, most of them small but serviceable. There were two larger rooms, though, and one of these was where Jenna stayed. The furnishings were clean and well kept and the place in general was above the standards of all but the best inns. All in all, Gullivan provided something of a bargain, which was perhaps another reason why his business did so well.
Although there was some illumination from without, Jenna lit two oil lamps. Aurim now saw that other than one chair by a small table, there was nowhere to sit but the floor or the bed.
"We'll probably have more room if we just use the floor. Is that all right with you, Aurim?"
"Of course." Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good." The merchant's daughter sat down on a wide animal skin that served as the only rug in the room. Aurim sat across from her, folding his legs as he generally did before beginning concentration exercises.
"I said I could only do this." She stared at her hand. It briefly glowed, then returned to normal. "But I can also do this." Staring at her hand again, she started to draw in the air with her index finger. A streak of light formed
wherever her finger had been. In seconds, she had drawn the crude outline of what was possibly a horse.
Aurim blinked. The horse lifted its head, put one leg forward . . . then faded away.
"I can draw things like that and make them move a little, but that's all."
That's all? That she was able to do as much as this indicated that Jenna had more power than he had assumed. She was, in fact, what his father would have called a prime candidate for the school of sorcery.
Now there was a notion that appealed to him. Aurim wondered if he could somehow convince the merchant's daughter to leave her father's business for a time and study at the school. Not only would it enable her to better learn about the limitations of her skills, but it would put her nearby whenever he was able to get to Penacles. Although it was possible that he could transport himself to Gordag-Ai, his lack of knowledge of the kingdom coupled with his distrust of his ability to correctly perform such a long-range spell made it doubtful that he would ever see her again if she returned home.
It was too soon to approach such a subject. After they practiced a bit, perhaps.
"You're better than you think, Jenna. You could become an excellent sorcerer if you put your mind to it."
"You're just saying that." She smiled wistfully. "It would be interesting. The things you must be able to do. Can you show me something now? I know you don't like to show off, but it would really mean a lot to me."
What could he say? He wanted so much to impress her, but since the incident in the palace, what little confidence he had once had in himself was virtually nonexistent now. If he failed, Jenna might laugh at him and ask him to leave.
"My concentration's been a little off today, Jenna. Couldn't I try to help you learn a little more about your power? Maybe we can get your images to last longer."
"Please, Aurim? It would encourage me if I saw some of what you were capable of performing." She looked down. "Not that I could ever be as good as you, but I want to experience what it must be like to have such power under your control."
Legends of the Dragonrealm: Volume 04 Page 39
