by Owen Black
“Yes…yes,” the oracle groaned. “The mountains will be impassable then.”
Fatalis nodded. “Interesting. So how then might Mordigal have come back? Did they fly?”
“I…I don’t know,” the old man grumbled.
“I’m sure you do. You misled me all along knowing they needed time to prepare. They know we are coming don’t they?”
The pathetic prisoner said nothing, only tucked his head and shivered with fright, using whatever wasted energy remained within his weakened body.
“As I thought!” Fatalis roared. “Well then, we will just move up our plans and march at once. I would devour you for your treachery but your flesh might sicken my stomach.”
Fatalis turned and left the cell. On his way out he said, “We won’t waste any more food keeping you alive. Enjoy your final days rotting in darkness.”
The cell door slammed shut, sending forth a loud bang that echoed through the cave. They had delayed long enough. It was time.
Chapter 34
Daylight poured in through the open windows of the planning room atop the Great Hall. The chamber was packed with the greatest warriors and strategists in Avryndale and although it was unknown when the attack might come, they all knew that time was running out.
With space limited, the only furniture that remained in the room was the large table upon which sat the focus of their discussion, the latest map of the perimeter of Avryndale. Every detail was critical. Their lives dangled from a thread.
“The tunnels are ready and the exits are hidden,” Semu said aloud as he leaned in and pointed to a sketch of the rear village wall. “We added the second tunnel as you asked.”
“Good,” Avryn replied from his position at the head of the table. “They may need an alternate escape if one is blocked. Make sure the children and those who won’t be fighting know to stay hidden until we come for them…or they have finished with us and gone.”
Avryn was exhausted. Sleep had eluded him with the lives of so many at stake. His time had been divided between planning their defense and training Thane in swordplay but that left him very little opportunity to rest. He considered turning his son back over to Urso but he feared his influence might turn the boy against him. He had to do it himself. He just needed more time.
He stroked his beard then turned to Guderian who was standing to his right. “The birds Trussil brought back, do they know what to do?”
“I believe so,” Guderian replied. “They asked for some rope to bind spear tips. Joli took care of that this morning. I will review our plan with Airulli in a bit just to be sure.”
“Perhaps he should attend our daily meetings from here on,” Avryn said.
“Are you sure we can trust him?” Guderian asked.
“We have no choice,” Avryn replied. “If we cannot trust our allies we are doomed before this war even begins.”
Guderian concurred with a nod.
“Cerato? The charging lines?” Avryn then asked, turning his attention to a huge rotund man that stood near the back of the room.
“Almost there my liege,” Cerato replied in a deep voice that filled whatever space was left in the room. “Just getting our order set. The elephants are a bit jumpy as usual but we’ll be ready. String us across the front and we’ll clear ‘em out for ya.”
Avryn looked at the map for a moment and reviewed quickly in his mind what they had covered. He then stood up straight and looked around the room.
“Well, I think we have done all we can,” he said. “Talk to your families one last time and spread the word to the rest of the village. If anyone wants to leave they should do so now. We will provide whatever rations we can and welcome them back when this ends.” He paused and looked around the room then continued, “Well then, until tomorrow.”
“I still think what you are doing with Thane is wrong Avryn,” Urso said boldly.
In an instant a deafening stillness engulfed the room. Even the slight breeze that had been meandering through the open windows seemed to die at once as if the elements themselves had been stunned by the impudent statement.
Avryn pinched his eyes closed in disbelief. The room could sense the fury building.
“Get out!” Avryn roared to Urso as he pointed to the door. “He’s my son and I will decide what he does, not you!”
The trainer shook his head, “But—”
“OUT!” Avryn yelled.
All eyes fell upon Urso, shocked by his defiance and for having managed to provoke their normally restrained leader. Shaking his head, Urso turned to the door but before he could reach the handle, it swung open forcefully, sending him stumbling backward.
Trussil hastily entered. She was out of breath and her hair was disheveled but her face was aglow with excitement. She bent over and lowered her hands to her knees while she caught her breath.
“Lady Trussil, an unexpected honor,” Avryn said, surprised.
After a brief pause she stood up and looked around the room. “Sorry…I’m really sorry to burst in here but Mordigal is back.”
The reason for her smile was now obvious.
“He brought back a large herd of horses,” Trussil managed. “I would guess a hundred or more.” She then took a few deep breaths to collect herself and continued, “They are moving fast and have already cleared the mountains. They should be here tonight.”
The room filled with chatter. Her news was welcome and obviously lifted the spirits of those present. They needed reinforcements desperately and horses were some of the finest warriors alive.
“Excellent news Trussil,” Avryn said. “Any sign of the others?”
Her smile faded and she shook her head. “No sign of them. I guess the brothers…” She lowered her eyes and her words trailed off. Remembering a lost thought she added, “The only others I saw were the patrol heading this way from the East.”
“What?” Guderian quickly asked. Something struck him and he rushed to one of the windows.
“I figured it was a scouting party or some soldiers training,” Trussil replied.
Guderian spun toward Avryn, “The Aquans!”
The room quickly emptied as the group rushed to greet their mysterious visitors from the ocean.
***
It was another typical morning in the training grounds. Once shielded from public view by the walls that enclosed it, the arena was now packed with men, women and a handful of older children as they hastily prepared to fight for their lives.
Alia and Thane sat on one of the benches that lined the perimeter of the area. Both were visibly exhausted, having already been hard at work honing their skills. Although they trained apart, at each break they managed to find one another, savoring the occasional precious moments that provided a brief relief from the stress of impending war.
They were unified in their affection toward one another yet they differed in many ways. Alia, like most in Avryndale, feared violence. She had seen enough in her young life already, having witnessed the grim slaughter of her family. Alia lacked any real fighting skills, she was not strong, adept with a bow or tall enough to stand atop the walls and fend off any who might attempt to climb them.
It had therefore been no shock to her that she had been asked to be one of those who took shelter when the army approached, a request she quickly turned down. In reality she wanted to stay by Thane’s side, but of course she wouldn’t tell him such. That would be too forward.
Eager to help in some way, she had been allowed to join a group referred to as ‘Metal Runners’. A dangerous and generally unwanted assignment, the Metal Runners were formed for the sole purpose of scouring the battlefield to aid their animal warriors in the removal of metal that would allow them to shift forms as needed.
If a person was locked in their human or animal forms during combat their options were significantly reduced, thus the value of metal-tipped arrows, darts and other small weaponry. Because Alia was a rabbit, her small yet quick morph lent perfectly to this task although Thane had
begged her to take shelter when the war began.
Thane, on the other hand, was eager for battle. Rigorous training had shaped his body, transformed his mind and empowered him with confidence. His abilities had grown more powerful from practice. He could move through the air as fast as he could think and his speed was a blur. An unnatural force had been awakened.
Somehow connected, Thane spent every waking moment with the swords given by the Aquans. They had become a part of him and wherever he went he kept them strapped to his back as if they were an extension of his soul. When he slept, he dreamed of his training, reviewed in his mind what he had learned, always clutching the swords that called to him, begged for his grasp and yearned for blood. He assumed that these were the natural thoughts of warriors. He knew no better.
Thane wiped the sweat from his brow and stared at Alia until she noticed.
“I wish you would just go to the tunnel,” he said above the roar of voices and clashing metal created by those training around them.
“Alright, alright,” she replied with a smile. “You talked me into it. You come with me and I will hide with the others.”
“Very funny.”
“You think? I am being perfectly serious. I promise I will go if you keep me company down there. I’m afraid of the dark.”
Thane filled with frustration. “Alia you know I have to fight. They need me.”
“Need you? When we met you had never even lifted a sword, now you carry them on your back like your married for goodness sake.” Her eyes shifted away and she added, “Sometimes I wonder if they are all you care about.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
“Is it?”
“You know it is. If I didn’t…care…I wouldn’t be so worried about you. How am I going to fight if I am thinking about you out there running around?”
Alia rolled her eyes. “You know your father doesn’t even want you fighting.”
“He will be too busy to worry about me. Besides, how can he stop me?”
Alia looked at him in disbelief then just shook her head. She then asked, “I haven’t seen Javan around lately, did you two have a falling out?”
“His parents won’t let him fight so he is going to the tunnel. I don’t have time for friends, other than you of course.”
She opened her mouth to respond but a yell from somewhere nearby froze her thoughts. It sounded like a young girl, clearly excited.
“Aquans!” the girl yelled. “The water people are here!”
The training grounds immediately filled with chaos as people raced to the exit, anxious to see for themselves. Thane and Alia stood up and looked at one another, their thoughts stuck on the same idea.
“Take me,” Alia said as she grabbed one of his hands.
Then, without another word, they were gone.
Now familiar with the brief effects of his ability, Thane paid no attention to the clenching of his stomach and the shift in balance as gravity once again took control of his body. He opened his eyes and found that, as expected, they had appeared where he had intended, atop one of the wall platforms that encircled Avryndale. Although the wooden walkways had been in place for some time, always intended to serve as a vantage point for the guards, the stone walls were now topped with long wooden stakes that would hopefully slow or prevent invasion. From their elevated position they could look out across the countryside and, because of Avryndale’s placement on a hill, see as far as the horizon stretched.
The particular spot Thane had selected was next to the gate at the front of the village and he was quite surprised to see how the landscape had changed. Excitement coursed through his veins as he realized war actually drew near.
Where once only grassy hillside stood, Avryndale was now encircled by a wide, deep trench that was lined with sharpened spears to ward off advance. The only opening in the channel was a single clear area about fifty feet wide that permitted access to the gate. Thane was no expert at strategy but he realized that this gap was intended to serve as a choke point to narrow the attack as the carnivores descended upon them.
Thane peered at Alia and grinned when he saw that her eyes were still pinched shut.
“We’re there,” he whispered.
Alia then let go of his hand, opened her eyes and scanned their surroundings. She was a good foot or so shorter than he was but standing on her toes she could look out and watch the approaching group. When Thane saw her jaw drop he quickly turned his attention to the approaching group. What he saw defied imagination. He blinked and they remained. He shook his head but they continued, nearly fifty figures that marched in a silent but orderly fashion towards the village gate.
Upon his initial glance Thane noted four distinct groups among them although all shared in that they were quite tall, likely six feet or more, and some were larger than any person he had ever seen. Even from a distance he could tell that their skin was unusually reflective, oily perhaps, and colored with striking hues - some a deep blue, others grey and still one group as black as night. Their clothing was minimal, formed from an unusual green plantlike substance and the faces of some were blank, as if lacking normal features. Adding to their macabre appearance was that all were completely bald and there appeared to be no obvious distinction between men and women, though it was possible that all were men.
About half of the strange visitors from the sea were thick and grey, with broad somewhat pointed heads and tiny eyes. Their torsos were lighter in color and their bodies were coated in bulging muscles. They would make fearsome allies indeed.
A smaller group was similar in appearance but bluish in color and a bit shorter, though still quite tall by normal standards. They were thinner and more lean with elongated heads and broad, lipless mouths.
The third group was a collection of about ten. Their skin was formed by a shiny black substance and their heads were almost complete flat. Most peculiar was that they lacked visible sensory organs where they might be expected, with the exception of a pair of eerie yellow eyes that appeared almost luminous in nature.
The remaining five, who loomed near the back of the formation, were massive specimens, both in height and weight. Due to their girth, it was somewhat remarkable that they were able to move at all. They appeared to have no neck and their skin was a deep blue-grey color with random splotches of white as if the handiwork of a child who had been turned loose with a paintbrush.
Thane struggled to imagine just what creatures the Aquans could become. There was a time when they might have frightened him, surely they would startle most, but for some reason they seemed vaguely familiar. The feeling confused him but his eyes remained bewildered. They were incredible and he was anxious to see them in battle.
The platform on which he stood shook when scores of villagers raced up the ladders to share their vantage point. Others made their way to the gate area below, anxious to see the strangers from a part of the world that was foreign to all.
Thane then heard familiar voices nearby and turned to see his father, Guderian, Urso and a handful of other men as they rushed through the crowd to greet the Aquans. As he made his way to the front, Avryn spotted Thane. He hated his father’s uncanny ability to find him.
He then turned his attention back to the new arrivals and watched as the Aquans marched across the clearing. They stopped abruptly when the one in front, perhaps their leader, raised a large, webbed hand. The chattering crowd fell silent when Avryn and Guderian walked forward.
“Arodon!” Guderian yelled. “I didn’t realize you would be personally joining us in our battle. We are honored.”
“Nonsense land dweller,” replied the Aquan leader. “What Realmlord would send his people to fight without joining them? It is I who am honored to fight alongside my brother.”
Thane and Alia exchanged curious glances.
Guderian smiled then said, “Realmlord Arodon, may I present our King, Avryn Pendergast. Avryn, this is Arodon, Realmlord of the Aquans.”
While the crowd looked on, Avry
n bowed slightly and extended his hand. “Welcome to our village. We are truly grateful for your help.”
The Aquan stared at the gesture, unsure of what to do.
“It’s a customary greeting for our people, we shake hands upon meeting,” Guderian explained.
Arodon then awkwardly shook the hand of the king, an action that triggered a wave of chatter from the onlookers.
“I’m glad we’re not too late,” Arodon said.
Avryn nodded and then motioned into the village. “Please, come in. We will show you to an area where you can stay.”
Arodon hesitated. “Thank you for the offer but we are limited in the time we can spend away from the water. Is there a lake or river nearby perhaps?”
“Well yes,” Avryn replied. “I suppose there is but—”
“We can stay there if it’s close,” Arodon said. “The water will sustain us.”
Avryn then looked at Guderian and the men nodded in agreement.
“I can show you to the river,” Guderian said. “It’s not far at all.”
While waiting for a response from the Aquan, an awkward stillness descended upon the gathering as if the scene had been frozen in time. Without searching the crowd around him, without even the faintest of effort, the Realmlord then turned his head and looked directly up at Thane. Arodon’s lipless mouth opened yet his voice was silent as if he had been struck by an incredible vision.
A shiver trickled down Thane’s spine as the stranger stared at him with dark, colorless eyes. Thane then realized that the Aquan was focused above him, on the swords sheathed upon his back.
“The boy,” the Realmlord whispered. “He has the swords.”
Avryn hesitated then said, “My son, yes he does.”
“Is he adept with them?” Arodon asked while his eyes remained locked on Thane.
Stepping from the crowd, the head trainer Urso approached. “He is actually. It’s quite remarkable. He is a natural. They are incredible weapons I might add.”
Avryn glared at Urso but held his tongue.
