Mindbender

by David A. Wells

  Alexander scanned for other threats and saw a unit of archers forming up well out of bow range, but it was clear that they planned to move closer and begin an archery assault. Once they got close enough, it would be too late to stop them and they would be able to overpower the limited number of archers Alexander had deployed on the wall. Worse, he saw no immediate means of countering the threat.

  He weighed the idea of diverting part of the cavalry from their course but decided against it. More than anything he needed a channel through the enemy encampment so he could move his entire army through the Gate. As things stood, there just wasn’t enough space for all of his soldiers and they were still completely surrounded.

  He watched the progress of the heavy-cavalry charge. The last of the horses thundered through the Gate onto the battlefield. The shield-wall closed after them, presenting a solid front to the enemy scrambling to regroup after being cut down by the horse charge. Infantry followed after the last of the horses.

  “Push out,” Alexander called down to the captain commanding the soldiers. “Fill in the gap left by the horses.”

  Soldiers started to push forward again, creating a narrow wedge pointing into the trail of broken bodies left by the cavalry charge and creating room for yet more soldiers to move through the Gate.

  The Rangers saw the Ithilian cavalry coming toward them and shifted tactics to break through the enemy line. Since they were riding lighter horses that weren’t suited to crashing into the enemy, they moved at a measured pace and attacked with spears in the front line of their advance while those behind used short bows to thin the ranks of the enemy soldiers.

  As the two cavalry forces neared one another, a unit of enemy archers off to the side loosed a volley of arrows. Alexander watched the arrows rise into the air and held his breath as they rained down on his forces. Men toppled off their horses and were trampled. The momentum of the heavy-cavalry charge faltered, but the commanders quickly focused their men on the task before them and they resumed crashing through the field of infantry.

  Then Alexander saw something he didn’t expect. From within the ranks of the Rangers, a whirlwind formed. It started small but grew quickly, holding its position until it became a tornado. Then it abruptly hopped over the Rangers, floated over the enemy infantry and touched down in the ranks of the archers, scattering them haphazardly about the battlefield. The tornado scoured the ground, sucking men into its vortex and tossing them away with terrible force until the threat posed by the archers was eliminated. It lifted off the ground again and headed straight for Alexander. He watched with a mixture of tension and wonder.

  “Hold,” he said to those around him who were preparing to meet an attack.

  The tornado calmed into a whirlwind, then touched down on top of the wall, sending archers scrambling to avoid the spot where it lighted. It whipped around for a moment more, then the swirl of air and dust transformed into Wizard Sark.

  “It’s good to see you well, Lord Alexander . . . or should I say Lord Reishi?”

  “Wizard Sark, your timing is excellent,” Alexander said, pointing to the archers that were advancing into range. “Can you do something to stop them?”

  “I can indeed,” Wizard Sark said. He faced the enemy unit still many hundreds of feet away and began casting a spell. It took some time, but Alexander could see that it was working from the bright flare of Sark’s colors. “That should do it,” he said.

  “I don’t see anything,” Anatoly growled as the first volley of arrows rose into the sky.

  “Perhaps not, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there,” Wizard Sark said.

  The arrows reached the apex of their flight and began to fall toward Alexander’s foothold. At about fifty feet from the ground, they suddenly encountered a strong circular wind. The entire volley of arrows was caught up in the spell and sent whipping out away from the Gate to fall into the surrounding enemy.

  “Huh,” Anatoly said. “Not bad.”

  The archers didn’t stop, but their efforts were useless against the shield of wind stirred up by Wizard Sark. With that threat neutralized, Alexander turned his attention to his rapidly growing army around the Gate. As the infantry poured through, the wedge of soldiers following the path of the cavalry extended farther toward the perimeter of the enemy encampment. In the distance, Alexander watched the Ranger regiment part and allow the column of heavy cavalry to pass between their ranks. The Rangers pressed forward until they met the wedge of infantry in the middle, creating a swath through the enemy encampment.

  Several powerful explosions in the distance caught Alexander’s attention. He scanned the battle raging between the Regency forces and the main body of the Ruathan Army and saw plumes of smoke rising in a line running through densely packed enemy units. He didn’t know what had caused the detonations but he could see, even at this distance, that the attack had caused massive casualties. Alexander felt the tide turn. As if on cue, a horn sounded and the enemy began to retreat to the southwest, away from the Gate and the advancing Ruathan Army.

  Alexander’s forces pressed the attack into the fleeing army, doing significant damage until their orderly retreat turned into a rout. When he saw them break formation and flee, he ordered his infantry to consolidate and begin cleaning up any remaining soldiers still within their area of control.

  Shortly after the fighting around the Gate ended, Erik rode up with a platoon of Rangers. He dismounted with a broad smile and strode up to Alexander.

  “It’s good to see you, Alexander,” he said. “Your parents will be so relieved to have you home.” He swallowed and looked around at the scene of battle for a moment as if searching for the right words.

  “I looked in on her just the other day,” Alexander said. “Isabel is alive and well. And just as soon as I secure Ruatha, I’m going to go get her and my sister and bring them home.”

  Erik nodded his thanks without a word.

  “For now, I have a job for you,” Alexander said.

  “Of course.” Erik was once again all business.

  “Take your Rangers and harass that army all the way to Northport,” Alexander said. “Don’t engage them, just pick at them. Bleed them a little at a time.”

  Erik nodded. “They’ve caused a lot of suffering and hardship for a lot of people. It’s about time they felt the consequences of their crimes.”

  Alexander clapped him on the shoulder. “Very soon, they will all pay dearly for what they’ve done to our people.”

  By dark the Gate was closed and four legions of Ithilian soldiers were encamped a mile south of the gruesome battlefield. Alexander ordered the fallen cleared and buried, and the weapons, armor, and supplies of the dead collected and put to use where needed. He consolidated the Ithilian legions with two of the Ruathan legions into one force and placed Conner in command.

  He lay down long after dark and thought of Isabel as he drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 35

  Isabel wheeled high above the practice target. Wind rushed past, drowning out everything but her pounding heartbeat. Anger coursed through her as she balanced the demands of riding Asteroth with the act of supreme will required to cast a spell.

  She released her vision into the firmament and argent-white light ignited around her outstretched hand and streaked to the target below, burning a hole clear through the wood-and-straw mannequin and several inches into the ground beneath it. Her spell released, she shifted her focus to guiding Asteroth into a steep dive. She leaned into her steed’s strong neck and coaxed him on toward the target. At the last moment Asteroth extended his wings and pulled up hard, crushing Isabel into her saddle. She felt the jolt reverberate through his body when he snapped his tail like a whip and shattered the practice target into splinters. Isabel looked back with satisfaction at the mock carnage left behind by her practice run.

  The witches and Sky Knights of the fortress island had taken on an entirely different view of her after she killed Gabriella. Her success in the challenge again
st the third triumvir guaranteed her acceptance within the secluded community. The fact that she had commanded Gabriella’s steed to strike the final blow stunned the onlookers and conferred near reverence upon her in the eyes of the Sky Knights.

  Since that day, Isabel had been training to ride Asteroth. She found that her horse-riding skills transferred somewhat to the practice of riding a wyvern and her unique ability to telepathically communicate and even command animals gave her a distinct advantage over other Sky Knights. She learned quickly and worked diligently at the new skills she was attempting to master. Her single-minded focus was driven by a very real need. She knew with certainty that she would soon be riding Asteroth into battle and she wanted to be as prepared as possible when that day came.

  She had set aside the study of any new spells in favor of her aerial combat training, reasoning that Asteroth would give her a greater advantage more quickly than any of the spells she might learn in the time she had. Even as she guided her steed in a wide arc heading for the landing bay, she felt another pang of anxiousness. Alexander was out there and he needed her.

  She needed him.

  Darkness fell as she crossed the threshold into the enclosed landing bay. Abigail was behind and to her right riding Kallistos. Both wyverns flared their wings in unison and slowed to light gently on the smooth stone floor. Isabel yanked on the release cord, pulling a dozen locking bolts free, unbinding her riding armor from her saddle. It took much longer to make ready for flight than it did to dismount. She slid off her steed and ran a hand down his long neck, giving him an affectionate pat on the jaw on her way to the meat cart. With a grunt, she hefted the haunch of a steer from the cart and tossed it on the ground in front of Asteroth. He hesitated until she nodded, then snatched up the snack with gusto. A squad of handlers went to work removing his saddle and checking for any injury as was standard practice for returning wyverns.

  She smiled at Abigail as she approached, slinging her bow.

  “That was a good ride,” Isabel said. “I think we’re finally starting to get the hang of this.”

  “I never imagined how much more difficult or how much more effective it would be to maintain formation in a fight. Takes a lot of thought to anticipate where you’re going to go next but I’m starting to understand your approach.” Abigail smiled brightly. All of the discoloration from her injury was gone and her skin was as clear and perfect as ever. “Alexander is going to be impressed.”

  “Still looking to one-up your brother?” Isabel asked teasingly.

  “Always,” Abigail said with a grin.

  A Sky Knight was waiting for them and approached as soon as they finished with their steeds.

  “Lady Reishi, Mistress Magda has news from the patrols,” he said respectfully.

  “Thank you, Knight,” Isabel said, then turned to Abigail. “Finally. They’ve been out all day.”

  They didn’t bother stopping by their chambers to change out of their riding armor but went straight to the triumvirate’s private council chamber. Magda and Cassandra were waiting for them, or more precisely, they were waiting for Isabel.

  Since she had killed Gabriella, she’d taken on the title and duties of third triumvir which entailed casting her vote on any decision of importance concerning the function and operation of the fortress island, the Reishi Coven, or the Sky Knights.

  “Lady Reishi, Abigail, please come in,” Magda said when the guard opened the door. “We have word of war on Ruatha. Our scouts have just returned from their survey of the west coast and the news is most grave.”

  Isabel steeled herself for the report. She gave a glance to Abigail, whose face was set, anger dancing in her pale blue eyes.

  They took their seats around the table. It was customary that only the three triumvirs met in the council chamber, but Isabel had insisted that Abigail be allowed to attend important meetings that concerned Ruatha. Magda and Cassandra had finally relented but steadfastly refused to give her any more than an advisory role.

  “The northern scouts report that Northport has been occupied by a sizable army of Regency soldiers,” Magda began. “It appears that there was little resistance and that the majority of the civilian population was evacuated prior to the assault. The city is remarkably intact with the exception of the ports which have been completely destroyed by fire. It appears that the occupying soldiers are cannibalizing materials from the nearby buildings in an effort to repair the docks.

  “The central scouting party reports that Southport has deployed a sizable fleet for reconnaissance, with the bulk of their warships anchored not far offshore. They appear to be preparing for a naval battle, which brings me to the report from the southern scouting party.

  “There is an armada of warships and troop transports moving north along the coast of Ruatha. They’re flying the Andalian flag and I anticipate they will arrive at the Southport blockade sometime late tomorrow afternoon.”

  Isabel and Abigail shared a look.

  “At least Kevin is taking the initiative,” Abigail said.

  “My brother never did like to wait around to be told what to do next,” Isabel said.

  Cassandra frowned in confusion. “Who are you referring to?”

  “My brother Kevin is the Regent of Southport,” Isabel said. “Alexander killed the previous Regent after he tried to assassinate him and wound up poisoning me instead. He put Kevin in charge because he wanted someone there that he trusted.”

  “I see,” Cassandra said.

  Isabel found that she was often at odds with the second triumvir, but she had come to respect the woman for her deliberate thought process and careful attention to detail. Cassandra liked facts and was often reluctant to make a decision when she felt there was still information to be gathered.

  “What are the strength estimates of the two fleets?” Isabel asked.

  “The armada from Andalia is more than twice the size of the Southport fleet,” Magda said. “Over half of their ships are troop transports that are slow and clumsy. The rest are oversized longboats equipped with banks of oars, two masts, and a ram. The attack boats look big enough to carry fifty men including crew.

  “The Southport fleet contains a handful of large warships equipped with multiple ballistae and a few catapults, but the majority of the fleet is made up of fast-attack boats armed with a single ballista on the foredeck. There is also a hodgepodge of merchant ships fitted with weapons.”

  Isabel held each of the other triumvir’s eyes for a moment before she nodded to herself. “How many Sky Knights can we put in the air tomorrow?”

  “What are you suggesting?” Cassandra asked with a hint of alarm.

  “I’m suggesting we fly out and sink that Andalian fleet before it can reach Northport,” Isabel said. “Kevin will do his best, but from the sounds of it, the warships will engage his fleet while the troop transports slip past. If they reach Northport and offload the Lancers they’re carrying, then Ruatha is in real trouble.”

  “I’m not sure that would be wise,” Cassandra said. “Perhaps we should conserve our strength and look for an opportunity to strike at Phane directly.”

  “Look, the Seven Isles are at war,” Isabel said hotly. This wasn’t the first time they’d had this argument. “You can either sit by and watch Phane grind the world to dust or you can get in the fight. Now is the time to strike. Those Lancers are vulnerable while they’re on the water but they’re deadly beyond measure once they make landfall. The people of Ruatha, and the rest of the Seven Isles for that matter, can’t wait. They’re dying now. We can help them.”

  “Perhaps it’s time we change our thinking,” Magda said. “For so long now we’ve maintained a defensive position here and protected the Reishi Isle. It may be that we’ve become blinded to other options because we’re doing what we’ve always known.”

  “What about our patrol rotation?” Cassandra asked. “If we deploy a sizable force, we’ll be spread too thin to defend the Reishi Isle.”

  Isabel huffed
in exasperation. The other two triumvirs were much older. They both carried themselves with scrupulous attention to decorum. Isabel didn’t care about any of that.

  “Scrap the patrols,” she said emphatically. “Who cares if someone wants to land on the Reishi Isle? The Sovereign Stone isn’t there anymore. It’s out there,” she pointed to the wall for effect, “around my husband’s neck. And he needs our help. If you want to fulfill your mission and live up to your duty to the Seven Isles, there’s only one way to do that now. Get into this fight with everything you have.”

  “She does have a point,” Magda said. “If nothing else, our assistance might spare the people of Ruatha great hardship.”

  Isabel waited. She’d made her case. Cassandra was always very thorough in her thought process but her reasoning was usually sound. Isabel respected that, so she waited for the triumvir to reach a decision.

  “Perhaps a measured response that doesn’t jeopardize our position here,” Cassandra said.

  Isabel bit her tongue. She wanted to scream but knew it wouldn’t do any good.

  “What did you have in mind?” Magda asked.

  “Two flights,” Cassandra said. “More than that and the fortress island is vulnerable.”

  Isabel wanted more but she knew some was better than none. She could probably persuade Magda to go along with a larger force but she knew it was better to find consensus. Contention within the triumvirate over one decision could easily spill over into future decisions. Isabel only hoped it would be enough.

  “I’ll take it,” she said.

  “Very well then,” Magda said. “We will send two flights to Southport tomorrow to assist in the battle against the Andalian fleet. Who should we choose to lead the force?”

  Isabel frowned in surprise and blurted out, “Me!”

  “A triumvir shouldn’t lead our forces in battle,” Cassandra said. “You must learn that your place is here, making the important decisions for our people.”