Mindbender

by David A. Wells

  “I have—and it’s remarkable,” Alexander said. “I can hear the thoughts and understand the intentions of my enemies. I know what they’re going to do the moment they decide to act. I didn’t believe any sword could rival the power of the Thinblade, but now I’m not so sure.”

  “Mindbender is capable of much more than that,” Constantine said. “Not only does the sword allow you to hear the thoughts of your opponents but it also gives you the power to create illusions of great power. You can literally make others see and hear nearly anything you wish or even not see what is right before them.”

  Alexander was stunned. He’d only used the sword a few times and had found that it didn’t work unless he was actually in a fight. The idea of creating illusions was more than he ever considered. The scope of the sword’s power was breathtaking.

  “How?” Alexander asked. “So far, I can only make it work in a fight. I tried to listen to the thoughts of those around me in other circumstances but I couldn’t.”

  Constantine nodded. “Mindbender only works during battle—however that condition is met within the mind of the wielder. If you believe that you’re in a fight, the sword will too. As for the illusion capability, I’m not entirely sure how to make it function. The sword was bound to my brother, so it wouldn’t function for anyone else. I would suggest you visualize the outcome you wish your enemy to see and then release it into the sword in much the same way a wizard releases the vision of their intended outcome into the firmament.”

  Alexander nodded thoughtfully. “We also found four books in the crypt but they’re written in an ancient language that I can’t read.”

  “I suspect it’s ancient Ithilian,” Constantine said. “Benesh had an affinity for that particular language and often used it to obscure his research. Translating them may be a challenge although there may be a few works in the private library within the Reishi Keep that would be of great help.”

  Alexander frowned, shaking his head. “All of the books we found in the Reishi Keep had long ago rotted to dust.”

  “The private library should still be intact,” Balthazar said. “It exists within a place out of time, much like a Wizard’s Den, although it cannot be opened from any location other than the doorway. You can find the library within the Keep using the Stone. The door will recognize you and allow you entrance.”

  “That’s encouraging, except there’s a demon loose in the Reishi Keep,” Alexander said. “I’m not sure how to defeat it.”

  Malachi chuckled. “The tentacle demon is still there, after all these years?” He tipped his head back and laughed. “I’m sure it’s in a very foul mood by now.”

  All of the men at the table turned to glower at the despotic culmination of their family legacy.

  Demetrius Reishi shook his head sadly. “You are a disappointment, my son.”

  Before Malachi could respond, Alexander silenced him with a hand. “Malachi, you will not speak unless asked a direct question.”

  Malachi crossed his arms and scowled.

  “Any thoughts what the books we found might contain?” Alexander asked.

  “I suspect there will be at least some of my brother’s research on his very rare calling,” Constantine said. “He was always fascinated about his way of interacting with the firmament and did a great deal of work to discover how to use his magic as well as to better understand why he was different from most other wizards. Besides that, it’s hard to say. Benesh was a very curious man and a careful observer of those things that caught his interests. You may find a treasure within those books or you may find a collection of very esoteric research that ultimately proves unimportant.”

  “What’s the state of the war with Phane?” Balthazar asked.

  “He has an army on Ruatha that’s taken Northport, but he doesn’t have enough forces to do much else. My father is leading the Ruathan Army and he outnumbers the enemy forces by a couple of legions, which is not enough to ensure victory in an outright battle without sustaining severe losses. Phane also has a small force in Grafton Province on Ithilian. I’m currently with the Ithilian Army headed to destroy his forces there and secure the Isle of Ithilian to ensure that he isn’t able to disrupt food production this summer. Since Ruatha’s harvest will be limited, I need to make sure that Ithilian has food to spare for this winter.”

  “A wise precaution,” Balthazar said, nodding.

  “I’m concerned about the Andalian Lancers,” Alexander said. “There are about two thousand with Phane’s forces in Grafton. Is there anything you can tell me about them?”

  Darius Reishi sat forward. “The Andalian King created the Lancers during my reign. He had a small faction of nobles who tried to establish their own kingdom within his territory. They abandoned the Old Law, so I sanctioned Andalian military action against them.

  “The Lancers were created to tip the balance of power decisively in his favor. The rhone steeds they ride are indigenous to Andalia. But the Lancers’ real power comes from their force lances, which are created with a magical forge located deep under the central city of Andalia and are tied to the crown itself. I meant it as a failsafe, but I can see now that it didn’t work.

  “I reasoned that by requiring the Lancers to serve the one who wore the crown and by linking the crown to the Andalian bloodline, I could maintain control over such a potent army through my power over the Thinblade. Since Malachi destroyed the Andalian Thinblade, that leverage no longer exists.”

  “So the lances themselves are tied to the crown worn by the Andalian King?” Alexander asked to confirm his understanding.

  “Yes, if the crown is taken or destroyed, the lances will cease to function,” Darius said. “Or at least that’s how they operated during my time as the Reishi Sovereign.”

  “Is there any defense against them, aside from that?” Alexander asked.

  “None that I’m aware of,” Darius answered. “Some wizards were able to erect shields that protected against them for a short time, and solid fortifications are effective as well, but the Lancers proved to be devastating against troops or cavalry in the open. I would strongly advise that you not engage them in a head-on battle, particularly if they have the opportunity to mount a charge.”

  “I was afraid of that,” Alexander said. “I guess I’ll have to come up with another way. Thank you, gentlemen.” With that, Alexander left the Reishi Council Chamber and opened his eyes to find Chloe still sitting on his knee watching over him.

  He briefed his friends during dinner on everything he’d learned from his clairvoyance and his visit with the Reishi Council. Then he asked Anatoly and Jataan to think about a strategy to deal with the Lancers. He had a few ideas but they were risky and he wanted as much input as possible before he decided on a course of action.

  ***

  Three days later they reached the outskirts of town. Alexander checked to find that the Lancers were still encamped a league to the east in a small valley. During the slow march, Alexander had made his decision and shared his plan with Abel and his generals. They didn’t like it but had to admit that it was better than the alternatives.

  They made camp and created the impression that they were digging in for a siege. Not a terribly effective strategy given Grafton’s port and the substantial fleet of merchant ships at their disposal, but, given the size of the Ithilian Army relative to the number of Regency soldiers, certainly a worrisome development for those within the city.

  That night, under the cover of darkness, Alexander and his friends took a force of four thousand cavalry and headed first north and then east. They rode for the better part of the night until they reached a small canyon that offered good cover. They made a cold and quiet camp for the day and moved on again at dusk.

  Alexander had instructed Abel to make overtures of peace and offer the town every chance to surrender, knowing full well that Phane’s forces would never accept the offer but would gladly take the time it bought them. The delay was what he was after. He needed to get his f
orces into position to strike.

  The night was cold and dark and they moved slowly. It wasn’t long before a scout returned to the head of the column and warned that they were approaching the outer edge of the enemy’s encampment. Alexander called a halt and spoke briefly to the four unit commanders before each regiment of a thousand cavalry moved off into the night to encircle the enemy position.

  Carefully and quietly, they formed a half circle around the western edge of the camp and waited through the early morning hours for the first light of dawn. Alexander nodded to the commander in the growing light. He gave the order and a whistler arrow shattered the quiet of the morning.

  The Lancers were just stirring but many were still in their tents and bedrolls. Only a few moments passed after the whistler went up before the alarm bells began to toll. Alexander’s cavalry charged to within striking range and loosed its first volley of arrows into the camp. From four positions arrayed around the periphery of the enemy encampment, thousands of arrows sailed into the sky and came down into the Lancers. Panic erupted within the camp as the Lancers struggled to strap on their armor and grab their weapons.

  The second volley went up. Torches had been lit and soldiers were riding the length of each row of archers, igniting the tips of arrows tightly wrapped with oil-soaked burlap. Fire and death rained down on the Lancers. The gentle orange glow of flame began to color the air over the camp and smoke rose into the quickly lightening sky.

  Another volley followed and then another.

  Many of the rhone panicked and broke free of their pickets to run into the early morning gloom, trying to escape the fire and chaos. Some Lancers managed to reach their mounts, but they were few and didn’t pose a real threat in the face of a sustained barrage of arrows. Alexander’s men followed their instructions and loosed a total of twenty volleys into the enemy camp before they charged into the soldiers who remained. The battle was brief and very one-sided. A few of Alexander’s men fell from the magical blasts of a Lancer’s weapon here or there, but the Lancers were so disorganized and unprepared that they couldn’t manage to mount an effective attack. They fell quickly as they were swarmed by the superior numbers surrounding them.

  A force of two or three hundred managed to rally and turned to charge the regiment that Alexander was riding with. He smiled at the opportunity it provided to test the power of his new sword. Sitting atop his big mare, he gripped the hilt of Mindbender and focused his mind. He thought of the black shadow dragon that had feigned an attack from the walls of the ruined keep. He saw the terrifying creature in every detail and deliberately sent the image into the connection he had with his sword. The air overhead in the dim morning light swirled and coalesced into a giant black dragon that swooped down toward the rapidly advancing enemy.

  Amid shrieks and cries, the Lancers broke and scattered in every direction to avoid the descent of the supernatural monster. Alexander was dumbstruck with the power he had just wielded. It had no substance, couldn’t actually attack, but it could create a belief within the mind of the enemy. He smiled at the power of one of his father’s favorite principles of battle taking shape before him. The enemy believed they were about to be attacked by a dragon, so they ran for their lives. That the dragon wasn’t real made no difference. Their belief was as real as it needed to be to cause them to act.

  With their spirit broken, the remaining Andalians escaped the scene of the battle and headed east toward the city of Grafton. Alexander had made preparations in case they chose to flee in that direction. Two thousand archers were deployed in units a thousand strong and carefully concealed in the tall grass on either side of the road.

  Alexander’s cavalry chased the Lancers into the kill zone, where they were met by arrows falling in their midst like a deadly rain. After the third volley, the entire enemy force littered the battlefield.

  Alexander doubled back with the bulk of his soldiers to collect the force lances that had fallen and to round up the rhone steeds that were still alive.

  By evening, Alexander had destroyed the entire force of Andalian Lancers to a man, confiscated their supplies, and collected nearly all of their lances. He knew they would be of no use to his soldiers since they were tied to the oath of loyalty that each Lancer gave to the Andalian crown, but he wanted to see if Mage Gamaliel could find a use for them.

  They managed to round up nearly five hundred uninjured rhone as well, which were far more useful. The oversized horse-like creatures were fearless and trained to charge into an enemy. Alexander had plans to put them to use against the Regency Army on Ruatha.

  By dusk of the following day they reached the Ithilian camp and found the city of Grafton locked down and surrounded. When Alexander entered the command tent, he was met by Abel, along with his general staff and Mage Lenox.

  Abel smiled warmly at Alexander and offered him his hand in congratulations. “I hear the Lancers are no longer a threat.”

  “We managed to destroy them completely,” Alexander said as he approached the map table. “Thankfully, we were able to catch them by surprise.”

  “Your gift of sight has proven to be much more powerful than I would have ever imagined,” Abel said. “As for the soldiers within the city, they have refused to surrender, as predicted.”

  “Good, let’s end this tonight,” Alexander said, pointing at the main gate. “I’ll open the gate and send up a signal arrow. When you see it, send in the cavalry, followed by the infantry. Flood into the city and kill anyone wearing the crest of the Reishi Army Regency. Show them no mercy and give them no quarter.”

  “What of the soldiers and people of Grafton?” Abel asked with a tinge of worry to his voice.

  “Capture the soldiers and treat the people with courtesy and respect,” Alexander said. “They had no say in the treachery of their leaders or the occupation of their home.”

  Abel nodded his approval of the plan.

  “How do you plan to open the gate? The enemy has several hundred soldiers with bows atop the gatehouse walls. They’ll pick you apart before you can get close,” General Kishor said.

  Alexander shook his head. “They won’t even see me coming. We attack in one hour. By morning we’ll own the city and we can be on our way north to the Gate.”

  Alexander returned to his friends and briefed them on his plan of attack.

  “I don’t much like the idea of you approaching that gatehouse all by yourself,” Anatoly said.

  “I will accompany Lord Reishi,” Jataan said.

  “You’re both missing my point,” Anatoly said. “You made some spectacular magic with that new sword of yours this morning,” he said to Alexander, “but how can you be sure it can conceal you from all of the soldiers on that wall?”

  “I’ll know before we make our approach,” Alexander said. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll fall back and come up with another plan.”

  “So if it does work, then I’m coming with you,” Anatoly said. “If you can make two people invisible, three shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Actually, I wasn’t planning on making us invisible,” Alexander said. “I was thinking about creating a thick fog to cover our approach.”

  “Even better. Everyone can come along,” Anatoly said. “But if that’s your plan, then we should probably all be carrying a heavy shield. If I was on that guard tower, I know what I’d do if the approach to the gate was suddenly shrouded in fog.”

  “Good point,” Alexander said.

  It was late and he was tired, but what he’d seen in Fellenden and Northport was wearing on him. He felt a gnawing urge to speed up his plans and get back to Ruatha as quickly as possible. The time to strike was now, even if he was too tired to think as clearly as he’d like.

  Alexander led his friends to the edge of bow range and appraised the walls of Grafton. The interior of the city was enclosed but there was still a shantytown built up around the walls, although the people had evacuated into the city itself.

  Alexander grasped the hilt of Mindbe
nder and focused on the fight. Even though he wasn’t under attack, he knew he soon would be. His concentration narrowed down to the present moment the way it always did when he was in a fight. He envisioned the result he wanted and released it into the sword. Slowly at first, the air around the gate began to thicken in the dark of night. Within a few moments, a thick shroud of illusionary fog blanketed the area in front of the main gate. Alexander led the way with a shield held over his head. His friends followed in single file. They could hear the alarm bell begin to toll and saw the fiery streaks of flaming arrows cut through the obscuring mist and catch some nearby shacks on fire. Alexander pressed on.

  As they got closer to the walls, arrows began to rain down around them. The heavy shields they carried deflected the projectiles but the experience was still harrowing. Alexander picked up the pace and soon reached the large double doors of the main gate. They stood twelve feet tall and were barred and locked with stout pins top and bottom. Alexander drew the Thinblade and sliced through the door in a number of places, cutting the bar, the lower locking pins and the hinges, then slicing crisscross through the door. Chunks began to fall away, eliciting cries of alarm from within the gatehouse itself. Soldiers rushed to defend. Alexander stepped through the newly formed hole in the door and assessed his environment. He stood in the gatehouse with a broken door behind him and a portcullis before him. A dozen soldiers armed with crossbows were preparing to fire.

  “Hold,” Alexander shouted to Anatoly as he crouched down behind his shield. The soldiers fired a volley of crossbow bolts. Most hit the broken door behind him. A few drove into his shield and a few inches further, but one found its mark, penetrating his shield and stabbing through his forearm and out the other side. Alexander cried out in pain. It was such a sudden shock that it took his breath away and left him momentarily nauseated.

  At the sound of his cry, several more sections of the door broke away and fell into the gatehouse under an assault by Anatoly and Boaberous. Jataan slipped in behind Alexander and quickly assessed the situation. Seeing the soldiers protected behind the portcullis, he snapped an order.