Goral had been chosen for the point position because of the long reach of his maul. When the Sakovans reached the wall of skeletons, Goral started swinging his maul continuously back and forth. He kept the devastating weapon at a level consistent with the heads of the skeletons, and disconnected skulls started flying through the air. StormSong and HawkShadow rode side-by-side just behind Goral, and they extended the swath of destruction on each side of the procession. StarWind rode directly in front of Lyra. It was her task to kill anything that got past her comrades. The rest of the Sakovans formed the outside lines of a giant wedge that sliced its way through the crowd of creatures.
Behind the Star of Sakova, and in between the two lines of Sakovans, five hundred elven archers rode on cheetahs and fired blunt arrows at the necks of skeletons. Their task was to limit the number of creatures that would succeed in approaching the column, as the Sakovans could only kill so many. At first the elven archers were only mildly successful, as they were not used to the lope of a cheetah, but they adapted quickly.
Lyra felt helpless as the column raced towards the lake. The flow of skeletons appeared to be endless, and all she could see was a sea of endless white heads. In frustration, the Star of Sakova gazed skyward and gasped. She had forgotten about the battle going on in the sky. When she looked up there was only one demon fighting Myka, but the dragon was dripping blood at a rapid rate. Streams of dragon blood appeared to be flowing freely towards the ground, and Myka’s flying appeared very erratic and slow. The remaining demon still appeared agile, and Lyra could see no injuries. As Lyra watched, the demon made its move. It soared past the dragon and abruptly turned. Sinking its talons into Myka’s back, the demon sunk its teeth into the dragon’s neck.
Lyra could hear the dragon’s scream above the thunder of smashing skeletons going on around her. Myka’s tail suddenly whipped forward and wrapped around the demon’s body. As the demon turned to slash the tail in half, Myka’s head swiveled quickly. Her jaws wrapped around the demon’s neck and her teeth dug in deeply. The demon howled, and the unnatural cry roared across the plain. Both demon and dragon stopped flapping their wings and tumbled to the ground. The Star of Sakova thought she felt the ground shake as the two behemoths impacted the ground, and tears started flowing down Lyra’s cheeks. She closed her eyes and prayed that Kaltara would accept his valiant warrior and give her a special place by his side.
Unexpectedly, Lyra’s choka slashed out at something and leaped into the air. Lyra opened her eyes to see what was happening.
“Keep alert,” yelled StarWind. “We do not want to lose you.”
“What was that?” Lyra asked.
“A skeleton tried to rise in front of you,” replied the Sakovan spymaster.
“Goral missed one?” frowned Lyra.
“He has missed quite a few actually,” StarWind answered. “We have been running over skeletons since the fighting began. It is impossible to get them all, but I think they are starting to get wise. I think that one intentionally laid down so it could rise in our midst.”
“I will stay alert,” promised Lyra. “I was distracted watching Myka die. It won’t happen again.”
StarWind frowned as her eyes shot skyward for an instant. She shook her head sadly and returned her attention to the fight ahead of her.
“Sakovans,” shouted Goral, “prepare to form a perimeter. The lake is at hand.”
The order was quickly spread back through the column, and the Sakovans began to push outward as Goral slowed the pace. The column bunched up and resembled a horseshoe with the flat end against the lakeshore. The creatures continued attacking as Lyra leaped off her choka and ran to the water’s edge.
“He sees us,” pointed HawkShadow. “He is swimming towards us.”
“Our Torak was wise to remain far out in the lake until someone came to assist him,” smiled StarWind.
“I wish I had thought to tell him we were coming,” Lyra berated herself as her eyes turned and looked at the fighting going on behind her. “My people are dying back there.”
“I don’t think we will get back to the forest so easily,” frowned StormSong. “Look at them massing between us and the woods. We will have to fight through at least four times as many skeletons.”
As Lyra turned and watched the fighting, her heart sank and tears came to her eyes. The elven archers were firing as fast as they could and still great hordes of creatures were approaching the Sakovan warriors. The chokas were constantly slashing out with their fore claws, but their efforts were in vain. They could easily kill by slashing an opponent’s skin and puncturing organs, but there was nothing to pierce on the skeletons. The Sakovan warriors were constantly swinging at the creatures’ necks, but Lyra knew that they could only keep it up for so long. Unlike the skeletons, humans tired after a while. Lyra started crying loudly.
“Marak would have lived if I had not brought everyone out here,” bawled Lyra, “but now everyone will die.”
StarWind stepped in front of the Star of Sakova and placed her hands on Lyra’s shoulders. She shook Lyra harshly and spoke softly, but firmly.
“Calm yourself,” ordered StarWind. “You are supposed to bring your people hope, not despair. Do not let your people hear you talking like that.”
“But it is true,” Lyra whimpered. “I have failed you all.”
“Nothing is true until it is over,” retorted the Sakovan spymaster. “You will continue to have hope until you stop breathing. You will bring hope to your people. They need your optimism right now to live. Don’t take their will away from them even if it is hopeless. Do you understand?”
Lyra nodded as she tried to dry her tears. StarWind stood directly in front of the Star of Sakova so that no one could see her face. She waited for Lyra to calm down.
* * *
Rejji sat in the middle of the Jiadin tribe. The red-scarfed horsemen stretched away to both sides of him as they sat in a long line staring across the plain at the mass of skeletons. Far off to the Astor’s right, the free tribes were also lined up. The line of horsemen stretched for leagues, but everyone’s attention was on the battle in the sky. High over the plain, the dragon and her rider battled the demon.
“Who is riding the dragon?” asked Harmagan. “I thought only the king could ride one?”
“That is Emperor Marak of Khadora,” answered Rejji. “He is also known as the Torak.”
“And you let him ride your dragon?” asked Jaker. “How can he do it? You are supposed to be the only one.”
“Marak is a special man,” smiled Rejji. “Besides, it is not my place to allow anyone to ride a dragon. It is the dragon that allows it. The Torak is probably the most capable fighter in the world.”
“Is he the one who defeated the Jiadin in Khadora?” asked Niger.
“He is,” nodded Rejji.
“Then curse him,” spat Niger. “I hope he falls off.”
Rejji’s hands moved faster than he had ever felt them move before. His staff flew outward and pressed tightly against Niger’s throat, and the Astor’s eyes turned to ice as he glared at the Jiadin.
“I would sooner die myself than to see Marak fail,” spat Rejji. “You will apologize for your words.”
“I am sorry,” Niger uttered softly as his eyes filled with fear. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Don’t be harsh with Niger,” pleaded Harmagan. “He doesn’t understand, but I can explain it to him.”
Rejji withdrew his staff and, after a final glare at Niger, returned his attention to the battle in the sky.
“The fact that this Marak defeated the Jiadin in Khadora is a testament to his skills,” Harmagan said to Niger. “The Jiadin have always admired the skills of great warriors, and this Marak appears to be the greatest of all. I know men who were at the battle of Balomar. It was a tiny estate and should have been easy pickings, but Marak turned back twenty thousand of our men with a vastly inferior force. Do not wish him harm. If anything, I would love to meet him, and not o
n the battlefield, if you know what I mean.”
“I am sorry,” Niger repeated. “It was a dumb thing to say. I truly am sorry.”
“The dragon won!” shouted Jaker. “Hah, those demons don’t look so tough now.”
“It looked like a tough fight to me,” remarked Bakhai. “Myka’s wing is damaged. I would say that they were pretty evenly matched.”
“Then trouble is on the way,” pointed Harmagan. “Two more of the creatures are coming out to play.”
“Two?” gasped Rejji. “This is not good. How many of them are there, Scarab?”
“Six altogether,” answered the Khadoran spy. “I heard the other three are looking for Angragar, but they might even be back by now. I do not know for sure.”
“Marak has fallen!” shouted Wyant.
Everyone focused on the Emperor of Khadora as his body tumbled down and fell into the lake.
“Did he survive?” asked Rejji.
“I can’t tell from here,” answered Wyant, “but if he did, he has a long swim to shore. He went down somewhere near the middle of the lake.”
“What will he do?” Bakhai asked his brother.
“I am not sure,” answered Rejji. “I know he swims well. We spent some time swimming in the surf when he came to Ghala.”
“But the lake is surrounded by those creatures,” Harmagan pointed out. “He can’t go to shore, and he can’t swim forever.”
“Try reaching him with an air tunnel, Bakhai,” ordered the Astor.
The shaman spent several minutes probing the surface of the lake with an air tunnel, but he received no response.
“Look towards the woods south of the lake,” Jaker said urgently. “Something is going on down there.”
“Chokas,” remarked Bakhai. “Remember the warbirds we saw in Fardale? Those are Sakovan chokas. Nothing else looks like them.”
“They are making a run for the lake,” commented Harmagan. “They have guts, but they will never make it.”
“Why not?” asked Niger.
“Look at their column,” answered Harmagan. “There can’t be more than a thousand of them, fifteen hundred tops. There has to be thirty to fifty thousand skeletons between them and the lake, and what are they going to do when they get there? They are going to have to turn around and run away from the creatures. That is what they are going to have to do. They don’t stand a chance.”
“They are obviously trying to rescue Emperor Marak,” stated Wyant. “They must know that he is still alive. We must do something to help them.”
“Us?” balked Niger. “You can’t be serious? How do you kill something that is already dead? We’ll be cut to pieces.”
“You separate their heads from their bodies,” answered Bakhai. “At least that is what we have been told.”
“Easier said than done,” scowled Niger.
“Well,” Rejji smiled fatalistically, “I guess the Sakovans are tougher fighters than Fakarans, or at least some Fakarans.”
The three Jiadin frowned, but Rejji continued speaking.
“Wyant,” ordered the Astor, “I want you to join up with Yltar and the free tribes. They are to hold in position until ordered to move.”
“As you wish,” nodded Wyant. “Will you be here if we need direction?”
“No,” the Astor shook his head. “I will be at the south end of the lake providing cover for the Sakovans so they can retreat with Emperor Marak.”
“You can’t be serious?” balked Niger. “You will surely die.”
“We might,” shrugged Bakhai as he rode forward and halted alongside his brother, “but we will have died in glorious battle, not sitting in the sun baking to death like old women.”
Harmagan laughed so hard that he doubled over in his saddle. Jaker and Niger looked at their leader with puzzlement.
“What is so funny?” asked Jaker.
“I think Rejji already knew that the Jiadin would ride with him into battle,” chuckled Harmagan, “but his little brother’s words left no chance of our refusal. You are a wily one, Bakhai.”
Bakhai blushed slightly and Rejji grinned broadly.
“Jiadin,” shouted Harmagan, “prepare for battle.”
Tens of thousands of red-scarfed warriors shouted battle cries and raised their swords high. The outcast horsemen formed ranks and prepared to charge into the midst of the mass of skeleton creatures.
“Scarab,” Harmagan said softly to the Khadoran spy, “you keep close to Rejji and his brother. Let nothing harm them. I am counting on you.”
“Thank you,” smiled Harmagan’s supposed little brother.
Harmagan nodded and smiled as he raised his sword high.
“Jiadin,” he bellowed, “Charge!”
The plains of Vandegar rumbled as over a hundred thousand hooves slammed into the dust. Harmagan took the point and led his people towards the lake. Great billows of dust rose skyward as the Jiadin swept towards the skeletons. If the skeleton creatures had been capable of knowing fear, they would have fled immediately. Instead they turned to meet the stampeding horde of Jiadin.
Harmagan kept part of his attention on the progress that the Sakovans were making. When he saw that they had reached the south shore of the lake, he altered course so that the Jiadin would bisect the mass of skeletons between the lake and the forest. The move threw the skeletons off stride. Those that were preparing to meet the Jiadin charge suddenly had no opponents to fight, and those who were bearing down on the Sakovans had to turn and fight a new threat. The tactic could not have worked better.
* * *
The Torak reached up and grasped Goral’s hand. The giant easily lifted the Emperor clear of the lake and set him down on the ground.
“StarWind,” ordered Lyra, “find Marak a choka.”
StarWind dashed away, and Lyra approached Marak and wrapped her arms around him.
“I thought you had died,” Lyra said softly.
“Impossible,” grinned Marak, “I have not had a chance to fight yet. How are we getting out of here?”
“We thought we weren’t,” replied King Avalar, “but you have more friends than anyone I know. Fakaran horsemen are charging into the skeletons between here and the forest to the south. I have archers trying to open a corridor from the forest northward. We will have to fight our way out, but at least we have a fighting chance now.”
“Then let us fight,” the Torak said loudly as he broke Lyra’s embrace and accepted a choka from StarWind.
Marak felt ten pounds heavier with his wet clothes, but the choka did not seem to mind. He urged the warbird through the center of the elven-bearing cheetahs and prepared to take the point of the return trip to the forest. Goral, HawkShadow, and StormSong edged in front of him.
“This is not a Khadoran mission,” grinned Goral. “We will ride point this trip. You get the leftovers.”
The Torak nodded good-naturedly, and Goral started the push forward. The Sakovans had no momentum as they had had on the dash to the lake, and getting started was rough. The column inched forward and casualties began to mount as Sakovan warriors fell to the ground and their chokas tried to continue fighting.
“Archers concentrate forward,” shouted King Avalar. “We need to pick up the pace.”
The elven archers instantly obeyed and hundreds of arrows streaked past Goral. By the third volley, Goral was able to get some speed out of his choka, and the column began moving at a decent pace. The elven archers continued to concentrate on the masses before the column at the expense of the flanks. This allowed the column to gain speed, but the flanks were being destroyed. Emperor Marak saw a hole in the flank and quickly moved to fill it. He drew the Sword of Torak and began slashing into the skeletons as quickly as he could.
Once the column was moving swiftly, the elven archers returned their attention to the flanks, and the Sakovan losses ended. Before they were a third of the way to the forest, Jiadin riders surrounded the entire column. Half way to the forest, two long lines of elven archers cre
ated a safe corridor for the column to pass through. The Jiadin enveloped the lines of elven archers allowing them to join the column and return to the forest. By the time they were three-fourths of the way to the forest, the skeletons gave up the chase. Everyone moved into the shade of the forest and began to take stock of their losses.
Lyra rushed over to Marak as soon as they were safely beneath the trees. She hugged him tightly and kissed him.
“You had me worried,” she said softly. “Don’t ever do that again.”
“I won’t,” promised Marak. “I doubt that Myka will ever let me ride her again. I was a hindrance to her fighting. Where is she?” he asked as he tried to peer through the canopy.
“She died,” Lyra said cautiously. “She went down with the third demon.”
Lyra could feel Marak’s body grow suddenly rigid. His expression turned cold with hatred, and he broke the embrace. Without a word, the Torak turned and marched out of the forest. Lyra ran after him, afraid that he was going to do something foolish, but she halted at the edge of the trees when she saw that he was not storming off. The Torak was on his knees with his head bowed to the soil. His fists were clenched in tight balls, and the Star of Sakova knew that what was dripping onto the parched soil was not water from the Torak’s clothes, but tears for his lost winged warrior.
Chapter 44
The Burial
The mood in the forest south of Lake Jabul was somber. Mages tended to the wounded, while unit leaders counted the number of fighters missing. The losses were great, especially among the Jiadin who had carved a wide path through the skeleton creatures. Warriors gathered in small clumps to discuss the fighting and tell of their narrow escapes from death, or to console those who had lost someone close. Lyra sat silently by the fire thinking of Marak, while StarWind, King Avalar, Princess Alastasia and Ukaro stood nearby discussing tactics. Harmagan, Jaker, and Niger approached the group to talk.
“You Jiadin did an excellent job out there,” complimented King Avalar. “I doubt we would have made it back to the forest without your help.”
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