by Ben Hale
Surprised, Liri said, "Of the house of Runya, that is correct."
Kythira smiled and lowered the weapon towards her. “This is a wind bow, and I created it for you. It is very powerful and very rare, but I was told it will serve you well.”
“I . . . I, cannot accept this,” Liri stuttered, but Kythira held up a hand.
“The last Oracle visited us long ago, accompanied by a human. She told me I was to make this for the princess of Azertorn . . . who would be accompanied by a warrior ‘equal to a rock troll.' I must admit I doubted her words until today, but she said it in a way that I couldn’t refuse, so I enchanted the weapon as instructed.”
Taryn barely heard the rest of what she said, his eyes snapping to his sister’s shocked expression. Open mouthed, Siarra somehow managed to speak first, “Did the man have red hair?”
Kythira paused, thinking hard before replying, “You know, I think he did. I must say he looked like a dwarf. . .”
A thousand questions exploded in Taryn’s mind, but one managed to fight its way to the surface. His mother and father knew that he would come here?
Chapter 23: Armored
Gaze dismounted his trembling horse, stumbling when his feet hit the ground. Moving gingerly, he tried to stretch the soreness from cramped muscles as he tethered his mount and moved to the small fire that someone had started moments before. The open plains could not be lit by the pinprick of light, and the stars were blocked by the vast plumes of smoke from the forest they had lit that morning.
A sudden gust sent a cloud of the noxious fumes swirling, causing him to cover his mouth and cough hoarsely. Looking east he could still see the glowing remains of the once beautiful tract of trees that they had destroyed to slow the massive army, something that had proved to be almost impossible.
For ten days they had fled westward, burning forests and villages or destroying bridges. Time and again they had struggled to get trees burning just as the evil army reached them, each time trading lives for time, but they were running out of lives to give. Of the five hundred hardened men they had set out with, less than thirty remained.
Grunting into a seat on the hard ground, Gaze returned the tired nod from Anders a few feet away. Dirty and smoke stained, the once handsome prince looked haggard, with his clothes torn and spattered in dried blood. When Anders blinked at his weariness, Gaze saw that his eyes were red from smoke and lack of sleep.
Gaze wondered if he looked just as filthy, and involuntarily reached up to rub his face. Pulling his hand away he looked down at his dark fingers, and then realized he couldn’t tell if the dirt had come from his face or had already been there. Sighing, he tried in vain to wipe them clean on his tunic.
“It’s not going to help my friend,” Anders said, his voice rough. “You have no clean spots left.”
“Speak for yourself,” Gaze retorted, flashing him a thin smile as he darkened the last bright section of cloth.
“Fine, now you have nothing clean,” the prince said, a trace of his old humor lighting his eyes.
Gaze snorted and grinned half-heartedly. “I need a bath.”
Anders threw his head back and started to laugh, but a cough broke through, stealing the humor. “You and me both. Maybe if we make it to Herosian with an extra hour I can dunk you in a tub.”
“I don't think you would need to force me, but I doubt we’ll get the chance,” Gaze said. “We are still a couple of days out from the city, and we both know we will be hard pressed to get there before this fire line is breached.” He jerked his thumb at the blaze behind him.
Anders sighed, “I wish we were further than this. It doesn’t feel right being this close.”
The king strode into view, dirty as the rest of them, but somehow it didn't rob him of his strength. “We must rest for a few hours. Then we push to reach Herosian. The capitol should already be evacuated and we can burn it before heading west.”
“Do we have to destroy it?" Anders asked. "After this is over we might be able to return to it.”
Fatigue leaked onto the king's face as he sank onto a stone close to his son. “No son, they would destroy it anyway, and we must delay them as much as possible.”
A sudden idea sparked into Gaze’s head. “Perhaps we don’t have to burn it. Maybe leaving it will delay them more.”
“What do you mean?” the prince asked, leaning forward.
Gaze furrowed his brow and rubbed the back of his neck. “It would take time for them to stop and tear down the city, and if we burn it then they will just go around it.”
The king scratched his chin, his brow crinkled in thought. “Perhaps you are right. It’s a big city, and even with the size of their army it will take time for them to raze it.” His decision made, he stood. “It’s settled then. We will stop long enough to resupply before moving on.”
Anders threw Gaze a grateful look and watched his father disappear into the dark. Hungry, Gaze reached into his pack for a piece of dried meat. Chewing, he savored the salty flavor before washing it down with warm ale from his flask.
“I didn’t want to destroy my home," Anders murmured into the night, "but I couldn’t convince him.”
Gaze swallowed his food and shrugged. “I don’t think it will matter anyway.”
Anders expression clouded in anger. “You had better not be losing faith!” he hissed. “You may not know it but these men are counting on you, and if you lose hope then they will.” He grunted. “The only reason any of us is alive is because of your magic.”
Surprised by the intensity in the prince’s words, Gaze held up a hand to placate him. “I wasn’t doubting. I’m just worried, is all.”
“Me too, my friend,” Anders sighed, “and sorry for that. I’m just grateful you are here.”
“I’m glad I’m here too,” Gaze said, and then flashed him a sly grin. “At least to hear you admit you can’t do this without me.”
Just as Anders opened his mouth to protest, a crash echoed from the burning forest a mile away, sending a flurry of sparks skyward. The sound caused them both to jump to their feet and scan the distance.
“A tree falling down?” Gaze asked, and Anders shook his head as a gigantic shadow moved in the fire.
“We aren’t that lucky,” the prince said.
The king’s voice cut across their camp. “Mount up, let’s get out of here before anything makes it through.”
Gaze exchanged a worried glance with the prince and turned towards his horse. Snagging his pack on the way, he hurried to mount, wincing at the protest from his aching body. Urging his horse forward, he moved to the other side of the camp to wait for the rest of the men . . .
—Fiend howls shattered the night, close and from the west? Confused, Gaze spun and brought down a bolt of lightning. His heart stopped cold as the blast of energy revealed a flood of black hounds streaking towards them, barring their path. How did they get past us? he thought, his mind in shock.
“They flanked us!” the king bellowed. “Gaze, give us more light and try to clear a path. The rest of you line up behind me, we have to break through their line!”
His rising fear caused his skin to prick and tingle, but Gaze gathered every shred of energy he could find, desperately trying to get the sky ready to make a path in time. The men massed around him, their horses nickering and prancing in terror, their movements mirrored by their riders. Drawing a steadying breath, Gaze brought down powerful bolts in two parallel lines through the blockade.
Howls of pain along the thin corridor were drowned out by snarls of anger and the black flood pressed to close the gap. Again Gaze arced lightning to the ground, clearing the way. “We must go now!” he cried. “There isn’t enough energy to sustain this for long!”
The king raised an arm—but a hulking form rose up behind him. Lit by the flickering firelight that reflected off his bone armor, the twelve foot behemoth charged like a demon. Before anyone could react, the creature slashed a massive black sword through both the king and his hors
e. To a man, the remaining soldiers roared in anger and attacked, but the fiend waded through the assault as if they were summer wheat, knocking their strikes aside and cutting them down.
Gaze fought to collect more energy and attack, but if he pulled any more the path would close, and they would be wiped out in seconds. “Anders!” he shouted, his voice full of desperation, “I can’t strike him or I won’t be able to keep the way clear!”
His words reached the furious prince as he launched his spear. Flying true, the sharp tip buried deep between two pieces of chest armor and held fast. Bellowing in pain the goliath tore the spear from his flesh and flung it back at Anders.
Straight to its target, it pierced the prince’s horse and nicked Anders side as he threw his body clear. Dazed, the prince sprawled to the ground and tried to get to his feet—but the hulking fiend wasn’t finished. From fifty feet away the creature began to charge. Picking up speed, he whipped his enormous sword high and roared as he plowed through the desperate attempts to stop him.
Gaze saw what was coming and didn’t hesitate. Reaching skyward he channeled everything into a single, blinding strike. Bone snapped and flesh burned as the super concentrated energy coursed through the fiend's body. Still alive, it tripped and went down, but its momentum caused his huge form to tumble towards the prince.
Without thinking Gaze leapt from his horse and raced to his friend. With all his strength he barreled into him just before the large form came to a stop—with its six foot sword embedded into the ground where Anders had been kneeling. Still moving, Gaze began a stream of small lightning bolts to surround their small camp. Just as the shield closed, countless demon dogs smashed into it. Reaching both hands outward he looped the electric energy back onto itself, creating a charged ring of crisscrossing bolts. Although he’d only practiced the technique once, with disastrous results, it somehow managed to hold—but he knew it wouldn’t last long. It drained the source too fast and they only had minutes before it would be gone, leaving Gaze without magic for several hours in this location. Maintaining the field he stooped and helped the prince to his feet, but Anders stopped him.
“No,” the prince growled, blinking as he fought to focus, “there is something I need to do.”
Gaze shook his head, “We have no time!”
Without responding the prince stumbled towards the hulk that had killed his father. Smoke rose from its charred form and broken pieces of the bone armor protruded in odd angles, but it was still attempting to rise. Stepping close, Anders drew his sword and put a foot onto the snarling head, forcing it to the ground.
“We will defeat you,” he said, his voice shaking with determination. Then he plunged his sword into a space in the armor. Quivering one last time, the huge fiend relaxed and lay still. With a yank Anders tore his sword free and sheathed it, calling out to the six surviving riders. “Gather any of the horses that are left.”
The men raced to collect the few that hadn’t been killed. In moments Anders stood in front of the five mounts next to the six soldiers. He closed his eyes, and then looked at the body of his father. Shaking his head, he said, “Two of you need to stay with me. The rest of you will ride with Gaze and get to Herosian.”
Each of the surviving men of the fifty-second cavalry exchanged looks, and then one of them shook his head. “No, Prince Anders. Three of us will remain here so you may escape.”
Gaze fought to keep the field of energy in place, but couldn’t help the tears that sprang to his eyes.
Ignoring the prince’s protest, the man that had spoken reached down and grabbed a bow from the back of a dead steed. “I will do what I can to keep them off you as you leave.”
All five men nodded in agreement and reached for their weapons but the prince shook his head in resignation. “Fine,” he said through the knot in his throat. “Which three will ride with me?”
The remaining five exchanged looks, but two of them, who looked remarkably alike, responded first. “We will stay,” they said at the same time, and then one added, “We are both good with a bow.”
The prince clasped each of their arms. “Keep the way clear,” he exclaimed, “and know that every son of Talinor will sing songs to your name.”
Gaze mounted, still concentrating to maintain the thin fence of energy that kept the snarling animals at bay. The others climbed onto the remaining mounts.
“I can only hold for another few seconds,” Gaze said as he felt the energy begin to wane.
The prince nodded and leapt into his saddle. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice dead and toneless, kicking his horse towards the electric fence. Gaze followed, but waited until the last moment before sending the entire force of the fence blasting outward. In an explosion of thunder the trapped lightning detonated, tossing the fiends like leaves.
In moments the shield evaporated, plunging the plains into darkness. Blinded by the night, the sounds of snarling and pounding paws cascaded towards them. Using the last of the energy in the sky, Gaze struck a few bolts to help clear the way, and then put his head against his horse’s neck . . . and prayed.
Driving forward, the five riders raced to escape the path as it got smaller and smaller. Within feet of freedom, Gaze watched as one of the faster dogs managed to distance the pack and leap for his throat, its gaping maw reaching towards him. Exhausted beyond measure, without ability to bring his magic to bear, he waited for the end—but it didn’t come.
Out of nowhere, an arrow grew out of the Sipers neck, and the animal tumbled to the ground, lifeless. Two more arrows flew past him and brought down another pair before they could kill the prince. Gaze looked back at the fire in the center of the descending army and saw the smile and nod from one of the three soldiers. Then the darkness swept across the camp and the fire went out. Without another target, the entire pack turned towards them, howling as they gave chase.
For five miles the dogs pursued them, their howls rending the night. Three times they drew close, and each time one of the soldiers gave his life to slow them down. After what seemed an eternity Gaze heard the sounds begin to fade. In a haze of fatigue, he looked back and saw the huge pack had halted to wait for the rest of the army.
Temporarily safe, Gaze and Anders slowed their horses to a fast trot that would eat up the miles. Immersed in his thoughts and emotions, Gaze couldn't find the words to break the silence.
Chapter 24: Amazons and Barbarians
Braon wolfed down his breakfast of bread and fruit so he could return to his mounting list of duties. So much had happened since the Azüre people had arrived, some of it good, some of it bad. Humans from the southern kingdom had been flooding in, each group needing to be assigned a location. Tall dark-skinned islanders from the Blue Lake had been filling the ranks and the long-bearded dwarves had finished gathering their people at Azertorn.
Gnomes and orcs from the northern plains had begun arriving just days ago, and their king, Talfar, was now the general over The Gray, the furthest western division. Although not strategic or experienced in war, Braon had given him the command due to his obvious leadership skills. Any person that could keep order between two volatile races would be looked to in battle, but Braon would have to pay particular attention to that division through Talfar’s Link, Jason.
Despite the growth in their ranks (Newhawk estimated their numbers at over seven hundred thousand now) Braon still needed two generals for The Deep battalion and the Lake Road. Aside from Azertorn’s gates, The Deep, with its low point on the cliff, and The Lake Road, with its seven-mile rise to the shelf, were still the two weakest points in their defenses. Without an extraordinary commander in both locations, they were going to be in trouble. He’d even considered moving the dwarf general Onix to the Lake Road, but his instincts told him the he should wait to make that decision.
Downing the last bite, Braon stood and hurried from the room with Thacker plodding silently in his wake. The telepath had been invaluable in helping direct the organization of their defenses. Although he ha
rdly spoke, the fisherman had become adept at passing on messages. Fading into the background, few paid him any attention now, just as Braon had hoped.
As they reached Braon’s office, now piled high with pieces of parchment demanding his attention, Thacker cleared his throat. “Jair reports that barbarians and amazons have arrived. He requests your presence due to the conflict they are causing on the Lake Road.”
Braon nodded and switched directions. “Have Newhawk meet me on the roof, and have Jair explain further."
As he climbed the stairs to the roof of the House of Runya, Braon considered the development. He’d placed Jair, a human of massive strength that Graden had suggested could be a temporary leader, to direct the Lake Road defenses. Over six and a half feet tall, Jair towered over everyone around him, and although he wielded a massive spiked maul, his heart held only gentleness.
With Seath as his temporary Link, Jair had skillfully supervised the construction of the special walls that Braon had commissioned. Braon had even considered placing him into a permanent role as the commander of the Lake Road, but in his gut he knew that the huge man didn’t have the ability to assume that command during battle. He needed someone special for that post, someone warlike and charismatic.
Arriving at the roof he was surprised to see the great phoenix without Newhawk. Before he could ask Thacker where the druid was, a voice spoke into his mind, Newhawk said there is something he needed to attend to and asked me to deliver you.
Grateful again for the mental link, Braon responded in kind, Thank you again for your willingness to serve, great phoenix. Without hesitation, he mounted and after a moment, Thacker joined him. In a small explosion of sparks, Reiquen unfurled his wings and swept them into a powerful down stroke, launching them upward. In seconds they were gliding eastward towards the Lake Road.
