“Yes, sir.”
The mayor and Fabarian left as the druids got ready to make the door.
Scorpio came jogging up with one of the townsmen. “Are we ready yet?”
Zodiac nodded. “Scorpio, go through first and get things started to make shelters for all these people. Tell Kimmy to get messengers ready to ride and open the emergency storerooms. Have Valeri get every bed and cot made ready, even the ones in the dungeon.”
Scorpio’s first thought was Why are you sending me away? He knew, though, that someone had to get things ready, and he had no idea where Odif had gotten to. Swallowing his pride, he said, “All right. Don’t try to be the last one out, okay?”
Zodiac gave him a slap on the back. “See you there.”
By the time Trelem had disappeared into the tree, there was a large group of people standing nearby looking at him curiously. Barkum made some hand gestures on the tree, and the center of the trunk melted to show a courtyard with Trelem standing on the other side.
“Follow me, one at a time,” Scorpio told them then led the way through.
On the other side, a pair of guardsmen watched as people began coming out of the tree. Scorpio sent one after Valeri and Kimmy and had the other start directing people to the main hall. He knew the whole town wasn’t going to fit in the castle, but he had to start somewhere.
It wasn’t long before two greenish-skinned women arrived to see where all the people were coming from. The taller one, Kimmy, had a fuller figure than Valeri, who wore her hair in long braids. Both had hair so black it looked bluish in the sunlight. Whether they were in everyday blouses and pants, as they were now, or dressed in flowing gowns with sparkling jewels, the color was always light gray. Scorpio knew they had been slaves at one time, and it never failed to amaze him that gray was the only color they would wear. He thought that after a life of slavery they would never want to wear anything gray again.
They strode up to him with a wave and a smile. Kimmy said, “Welcome back. Please explain all these people.”
That was Kimmy, always to the point.
“We are evacuating a town to the north. Zodiac wants you to get the messengers ready to ride, probably to Elrad, and open the emergency storerooms. Valeri, he wants you to get every bed and cot ready; we’ll be bringing in a few thousand. I have no idea where you’re going to put them all.”
“If Lord Zodiac wishes it, we shall do it,” Kimmy said, stressing “lord.” Turning to the man behind her she sent him briskly after the messengers. Valeri strode away to the kitchens to inform the cooks.
“It is being done,” Kimmy announced. “I want you to stay here and direct people as they come out. If anyone can cook or knows how to build, get them started on fire pits and shelters. Let me know when everyone is through.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Scorpio snorted.
Frowning, Kimmy raised a finger at him. “When Lord Zodiac is not here, he counts on me to make sure everything is done. You do your job; I will do mine.”
If there was any woman who was a perfect match for Zodiac, it was Kimmy, Scorpio thought. At times she was a gold-plated bitch.
The flow of people into the courtyard started with a trickle of five then ten, and quickly increased to a long, endless stream. Scorpio had his hands full grouping families back together and sending guards and servants to find places for everyone. In two short hours, every room in the castle was filled, and the stream didn’t slow. The guard barracks were filled, and a large group was sent to the nearby village to be taken in by families there. The courtyard became a tent city as even more arrived. Besides the cooks Kimmy wanted, he picked out anyone who could do carpentry to start on huts outside the walls. He was faced with problems he had never thought of, like where to dig latrines for so many and how to get everyone fed. Not only was the kitchen too small to serve such massive amounts of food but the garbage was going to be piled high unless they could work something out. Men started to come through, and he began directing them to various tasks of digging or building.
***
In Newburg, Fabarian strode to the east side, where a prisoner had been taken as he came towards town holding a white flag on a pole. Six elven soldiers and four townsmen surrounded the man in gray armor as he stood holding his flag.
Fabarian walked up to the stone-faced human. “You are surrendering?”
“I have come with a message,” the man replied, not looking at him. “Sir Lash wishes to inform everyone in this town that we mean no harm to humans. Any human may leave in safety, but they must do so with haste. After we begin our attack, any human who does not fight us will be free to join us or go his own way. Sir Lash also wishes to speak with Lord Zodiac before we begin.”
“You intend to kill every elf then, correct?” Fabarian sneered.
The man glanced briefly at him then snapped his eyes straight ahead. “Those who surrender will be taken unharmed. Those who resist will be dealt with harshly. May I give Lord Zodiac his message?””
“If he comes to your cell,” Fabarian grated. “Take the prisoner to the jail.”
One of the elves wearing sergeant's stripes said, “Captain, he carries a white flag.”
Fabarian glared at him. “They are going to attack us, and he has seen our defenses. Take him to jail!”
“I should know better than expect honor from an elf,” the man said flatly.
“Take him away!” Fabarian barked.
Reluctantly, his soldiers followed his order. The townsmen didn’t protest, though they went back to their posts with downcast eyes.
Fabarian watched them go then thought about the request. Was this Lash going to try and coax Zodiac into surrendering? Fabarian had heard much about Zodiac, but he didn’t trust him not to hand over the whole town.
Watching down a side street, he saw another group of women and children heading for the druid’s gateway. Finding enemy forces were, indeed, massing all around the town, Commander Eldarin had coaxed Zodiac into taking the elven civilians with him as well. They would have to put up with humans, but at least they’d be alive.
He needed to stall for time to get them through safely. If this Lash thought he was talking to Zodiac then that would make him hold off. He needed a human he could trust to pose as Zodiac. The only one he could think of was the mayor. He didn’t look much like Zodiac, but he doubted Lash would know the difference. Quickly, he set out to find the mayor.
The mayor wasn’t thrilled with Fabarian’s plan but saw the need to keep the enemy from attacking for as long as possible. He thought about bringing it up to Zodiac himself but decided that now was not the time to have an argument between the two. Dragging out his old mail and breastplate, he borrowed a sword and went to the bridge as Fabarian asked. He took two men with him, the one on the right holding the white flag.
Rehearsing the conversation he had planned, the mayor went to the middle of the bridge and stopped. It wasn’t long before a man appeared from the side of the road and walked up to the bridge.
“Who are you?”
“I am Lord Zodiac, I wish to speak with your leader, Sir Lash.” he called back.
The man waved. “I’ll get him, wait there.”
As he watched the man jog back up the road, the mayor again ran through his head how he was going to tell Sir Lash he needed time to get all the humans out. After all, there were wagons to fill, supplies to gather--surely he could hold off for a day while his fellow humans’ safety was seen to. Lash had the town surrounded, what was one day?
The far-off snap of strings got his attention. From the edge of the fields by the woods, four long shafts rose high in the air. He watched them climb, wondering why they would be shooting into the field. The longer he watched, the more he realized they were going to clear the field--and they were headed for the bridge. Spreading his arms to push the men beside him he shouted, “Back, go back!”
They ran as the spears descended on them. The first one landed just outside the rail ahead of them, blasting a qu
arter of the bridge away and sending rock flying in a high-speed spray. The second landed where they had been standing, shattering the bridge to send the center third crumbling into the river. The third landed next to the guardhouse, blasting it and the barn beside it into burning splinters. The fourth landed in the river, sending up a dome of white water. The mayor was no longer alive to see the destruction, nor the other spears that were heading for the river edge of town.
Zodiac heard the blasts from where he was giving instructions to the large band of residents. They were the only ones left in this part of town. As he watched the fireballs rise, he saw other shafts coming down. They had no time to run.
“Get down, faces on the ground!” he yelled.
A few buildings down, the blacksmith’s shop was torn apart by an explosion. Farther up the street a spear landed in front of the church, shredding the entranceway and setting fire to the building. Two more explosions sounded then there was the quiet crackling of burning.
Zodiac checked the sky for more spears. Not seeing any, he told the men, “Go back to Pine Street and set your defenses there.”
On their way to the street he hoped was safe from the spear attack, he heard the rumble of explosions from other parts of the town. Fearing for the gateway, he ran to find it was still intact. The mass of people waiting to go through were screaming and crying. From what he could see, their escape route was safe for now.
Spears fell until shattered and burning buildings ringed the town. On the north side a long line of attackers edged towards the ruined structures, setting themselves to shoot their bows as others behind them bore the burden of carrying the large ballistas.
Fabarian tried to counterattack. Leading the largest force he could get together, five hundred townsmen interspersed with soldiers, he rushed the thin wall of bowmen, hoping to break through and destroy those damn spear-throwing machines. The open space was only eighty yards wide.
As soon as they were seen, the bowmen let loose with a volley that dropped the ones in front. Yelling as they ran, some returned fire, stopping just long enough to shoot before running on. The attackers held fast, firing into the oncoming hoard. The gap had closed to fifty yards when a few attackers stood to throw what looked like purplish glass globes into the massed townsmen.
The globes hit, blasting holes in the cluster of men. Bodies and pieces of bodies rained down amid the survivors. The screams of battle became screams of pain. Fabarian was ripped apart from behind. Those lucky enough to escape being blown up met another hail of arrows. Few made it to the line of bowmen. Those who did met bow on bow in close combat.
More attackers raced towards the battle with swords. The townsmen, who had managed to make a small hole in the line of attackers, held their ground in a desperate hope that their comrades would soon be beside them. They never made it.
The few men in the back who had escaped death saw what was happening and fled. Wounded lay everywhere, crying for help. The small group that had broken through were cut down then each man crying for help was slaughtered. Three more spears were launched into the ruins where the remaining men had taken cover. The attackers then firmed up their own lines and got the ballistas ready for the word to begin the attack.
Zodiac got news of what had happened from one of the terrified survivors. He had expected Fabarian to be smarter than to rush out against those weapons. From what the blubbering man told him, Fabarian had used the entire northern defense to make his suicide attack. Any hope of actively keeping the enemy out was gone--as soon as they figured out there was no one left they would pour in from the north.
Zodiac decided to collapse the remaining defenses. He sent runners to every part of town with a simple message: get to the gateway as fast as you can.
To his surprise, he found JoJo on this side of the gateway. The wizard was watching the line of men move through, occasionally glancing up at the sky.
Walking up beside him, Zodiac asked, “What are you doing here? I thought you went through with Duncan.”
JoJo shook his head. “Duncan and Entaurus are laying surprises for our guests. The druids have all left, except for Barkum here. Someone has to protect the gateway.”
“Well, don’t stay too long. I’m going to need you on the plains.”
“I’ll be fine. Why don’t you go ahead and make sure no one is in my lab? I’ll be real upset if my spell doesn’t work,” JoJo said firmly.
Zodiac glanced at the line at the gate. Men were now moving through, and another group was running up the street to take their turn. He estimated there were over a thousand men still waiting.
Somewhere in the town, Commander Eldarin was rallying what was left of his troops.
The sound of cawing got his attention. He looked up as JoJo sent a shaft of pale blue magic at the crow. Feathers flew as the magic hit and the bird fell.
“They know what we’re up to,” JoJo warned him.
“Damn!” he spat. “Keep the gate open as long as you can. When things turn bad, get out of here.”
JoJo jerked his thumb at the gateway. “You go now. The Company needs a leader, and we’ve no time to haggle over a new one.”
Zodiac shook his head. “In a few minutes.” Turning to the line of men, he called out, “I need a few volunteers!”
JoJo’s voice was stern. “Zodiac, you’ve done all you can--leave!”
“Just one minute!” he snapped back. Two townsmen, a human and a half-elf, came forward. Quickly he told them, “Pass the word--whoever can’t get to the gate should try to slip out of town any way you can. The best bet is the river or through a drainage ditch.”
“Zodiac, now!” JoJo yelled.
Holding a finger up behind him, Zodiac told them, “If you can’t get away, surrender. Don’t get killed for no reason.”
An explosion sounded above them. Ducking, they looked up to see the fireball rising, and other spears dropping down all over the town. JoJo shot his magic at another one close by, detonating it before it hit. Quickly turning his head to Zodiac, he barked, “Go before I make you go!”
Multiple explosions rocked the town. The ground rumbled as deafening blasts shook the air. The line for the gate became a mob, all trying to get through at once. Barkum’s cries for them to get back went unheard. JoJo got two more spears before they could descend on them. A third struck down the street into the tail end of the line. The blast engulfed the line, pitching bodies about.
The mass of men trying to force their way through the gate stressed the magic holding it open. They screamed as it shrank, fusing parts of their bodies into solid wood. The spears had stopped falling, but in the distance Zodiac saw another wave rise into the air. The gate was failing; no more were going through.
Anger written on his face, JoJo strode up to Zodiac and grabbed him by the top edge of his armor. Holding a glass cube, he spoke a few strong words and the two of them disappeared. The ones who saw this cried for them to return. The gate now being useless, Barkum ran for another nearby tree to make his own escape. It was then a pair of spears came down, one just in front of him and the other directly on the tree.
***
Lash sat on his horse on a hill overlooking the destruction of Newburg. From his vantage point, he could see the smoke trails that led up to the growing black cloud overhead. The third set of spears hit, shattering more buildings. Over half the town was in flames now--whoever was left would not be putting up much resistance.
One of his lieutenants rode up beside him. “Sir Lash, Lantharum reports that the gate they were using to escape has been destroyed.”
Lash nodded. “Very good. Does he know how many are left?”
“He calculates less than a few hundred who are capable of fighting.”
“Stop the spear attack then send in the scouts. Any who resist become hoarc food.”
“Yes, sir.” The man kicked his horse and rode off.
Lash watched the town burn. He had killed Zodiac as Hans wanted, and the dead would make plentiful hoarc fo
od. He just wished they had destroyed that damn gate sooner--all of the women had escaped. Some days, things just didn’t go as planned.
Chapter 5
Dressed in her black silk robe, Lura materialized in the underground temple of her Master. The walls, floor and ceiling of the pentagram-shaped temple were made from a dull black rock that seemed to absorb the weak torchlight. Had any human eyes been present, all they would have seen of her were her face and hands as she walked towards the center, where the altar stood between two inside points of the star-shaped room.
The Master stood there, facing her. Her shape was that of a voluptuous human woman, but with large, bat-like wings and sharply pointed, hand-length horns on her forehead. Like Lura, she was clad in black
Lura took the bag fromunder her robe and pulled out two bloody hearts. Placing them side-by-side on the altar, she bowed and said, "Hail to thee, Master. I bring you the hearts of two of your enemies, the dragon handler Devernon and Commander Edarin of Elsanor. I learned what I could before I tore these from their chests."
The demon Aliana regarded her servant. The elfmaid was one of her favorites, talented in magic and very loyal. "What did you learn?"
Lura smiled. "Newburg is destroyed, andLash reported that Zodiac is dead. According to what I learned from Commander Eldarin before I tore his heart out, the elves know nothing of our plans.” Her smile dimmed. “Many druids did evade our trap, however; and Tayan has escaped from his prison cell.”
Aliana nodded slowly. "Do not be too concerned. Without Zodiac, the druids will not venture from their woods--we will destroy them in time. I want you to make sure Hans takes Elsanor quickly. Once he has it, move ahead of him, eliminate any survivors and keep resistance from being organized.” Leaning over, she crooked a finger to beckon the elf closer. Their lips met. Aliana kissed her deeply, first drawing out some life then breathing it back into her. Lura moaned with delight, her hand on her Master's face.
When the kiss was broken, Lura gazed lovingly at Aliana. "My life is yours, my Master."
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