"We believe that to be the case," nodded Zack Nolan. "The farmers are in effect guarding the Doors. Each of the farms has changed hands within the last three years."
"Why are the Doors in such small cities?" asked Fredrik. "The Federation cannot hope to conquer Alcea by attacking the likes of Pontek. It might be weeks before anyone even noticed."
"That is what makes them such ideal locations," General Gregor pointed out. "It takes time to get a large army through a single Door."
"But the Doors are so spread out," interjected Niki. "They can't possibly be planning on attacking everywhere at once."
Rut-ki leaned over the map and tapped her fingers on the three pieces of wood in Targa.
"What are you thinking?" asked Bin-lu.
"Triangulation," answered Rut-ki. "It reminds me of the classic stance in martial arts. There are Doors in Danver Shores, Mya, and Miriam, but none in Tagaret. What if you wanted to assemble a large army to attack a major city? Would you not bring them in from various angles for a simultaneous attack?"
"Of course!" General Gregor replied enthusiastically. "One would want to attack from four sides, but each of our capital cities are seaports. The positioning of the blocks is beginning to make sense from a military viewpoint. Take Kantor for example. There are Doors in Carid and Paso. I would almost bet that there is also a Door in Darcia. That would triangulate Kantor."
"Then we should also find one in Gortha in Sordoa," remarked Fredrik. "That would take care of Trekum."
"And one in Chi for attacking Ongchi," nodded Bin-lu. "That would complete the triangle started by Barouk and Elmor. If the theory is valid, we have just narrowed down the areas we need to search."
"And we have a decent idea of the type of structures the Zarans prefer to use," stated Zack Nolan. "We could start our search in each of those cities by finding out if any farms have changed hands in the last three years."
"Followed up by anyone renting rooms for a year in advance," added Rut-ki. "This might work."
"If we are successful in locating Doors in all three of those cities," frowned Prince Oscar, "that will still only account for half the Doors shipped to Alcea so far. Where are the other twelve?"
"One step at a time," replied King Arik. "Bin-lu, you and Rut-ki will go to Chi. Wylan and Sheri will handle Gortha, and Tanya and I will go to Darcia. Fredrik and Niki will handle the fairies and any further Doors that are shipped to Alcea."
* * *
Fakir Aziz led the two mages and the riderless unicorn through the woods of Tyronia where the Yio River joined with the Kanton River. Not far downstream from the junction, the historian turned off the road on a seldom used trail. Less than half a league later he stopped outside a small cabin and dismounted. Zynor and Kalmar also dismounted and stretched.
"What are we doing here?" asked Kalmar.
Fakir Aziz did not answer the question. He walked up to the door of the cabin and entered it.
"You should learn not to ask him questions," Zynor said to Kalmar. "He shares only what he wants to."
"Why is he so secretive?" frowned the Koroccan mage.
"I do not know that he is secretive," shrugged the Zaroccan mage. "Sometimes I think his mind is elsewhere, but then who am I to talk. I have forgotten half of what I know."
"It comes back to you quick enough," smiled Kalmar. "I have to admit that when we started this journey together, I thought you had little talent. I certainly did not expect to be learning from you."
"Fakir has some kind of effect on me," commented Zynor. "He causes me to remember things that are only distant memories."
"And he makes me look at life through the eyes of others," nodded Kalmar. "He is someone special, isn't he?"
"He is," Zynor nodded thoughtfully. "I feel as if I have always known him, yet he is a mystery to me even now. It is as if I should remember him, but I doubt that we have ever met before."
"I feel as if he can look right into my soul," Kalmar said softly. "It scares me, yet it also comforts me. Does that make any sense?"
Zynor looked at Kalmar for a moment and then nodded slowly.
"There is no one home," Fakir declared as he returned to the two men. "We will have to look for him in Ur."
"Who are we looking for?" asked Kalmar.
"Theos," Fakir said as he mounted his gray unicorn. "Let's ride."
The three men retraced their path to the Kanton Road and turned towards Ur. Within an hour they were entering the city.
"Those are Federation uniforms," Kalmar said softly. "Tyronia must have fallen to the Federation."
"So it would seem," replied Fakir Aziz. "You would be wise to keep your feelings about them to yourself. Nothing can be gained by antagonizing them."
"But there are thousands of them," Kalmar said anxiously. "Perhaps it would be wiser not to enter the city."
"I must find Theos," declared Fakir. "You and Zynor are free to wait out here for me if you wish."
"I don't care much for cities," stated Zynor. "Perhaps we will wait for you back up the road a bit."
Fakir merely nodded and continued onward. He entered the city alone, still leading the riderless unicorn. Inside the city, the soldiers were numerous. They lounged at every corner, and patrols marched the city streets. For two hours he rode up and down every major street in the city with no success. Finally, he halted and dismounted. Closing his eyes, Fakir concentrated on Theos. It took only a moment to sense the Tyronian mage, but when Fakir opened his eyes, his brow furrowed with concern.
Leading the two unicorns, Fakir Aziz turned and headed towards the Old Keep. There were hundreds of Federation soldiers surrounding the old fortress, but it was the eight black-cloaks that Fakir focused on. He stared at them for several moments and then turned to gaze at Theos, who was hiding in an alcove across the street from the Old Keep. Fakir crossed the street and halted the unicorns so they blocked the middle-aged mage from leaving the alcove.
"Move along, old man," Theos said softly.
"Do you see the tall black priest standing near the gates to the Old Keep?" asked Fakir.
"What?" Theos asked with annoyance.
"That priest is more than just a mage," declared the historian. "He is demonkin. Should he focus his attention upon you, your intent will be all too clear to him."
"And what would you know about my intent?" scowled the Tyronian mage.
"You are a Tyronian patriot," stated Fakir, "but your method of stating your grievance will get you killed. Despite your considerable talents, there are six Federation mages and hundreds of Federation soldiers out there. While your attack might kill many of them, you will surely die."
"What is it to you if I die?" scowled the mage. "It is my life."
"Is it?" retorted Fakir. "Life is a gift from God. Those who seek to take their own life, for whatever reason, are throwing that gift back into the face of God. He would not be pleased."
Theos stared at the old man in wonder. "Just who are you?" he demanded.
"You may call me Fakir Aziz," smiled the tutor. "I have come to take you away from this city."
"Why should I go with you?" asked Theos.
"Why should you stay in a city where your worthless body would be destined to litter the street? Your talent is important to the world. Do not let your unbridled rage make you blind to the truth."
Theos frowned. He glanced at the mages in the street and then at K'san. His eyes eventually landed on Fakir Aziz. The tension that had wracked his body was gone, and he felt serenely calm.
"You didn't answer my question. Why should I go with you?"
"Your destiny is not in Ur," declared Fakir. "Follow me, and I will guide you to it."
* * *
The Federation soldiers escorting General Forshire were young and inexperienced. At night when two of them were supposed to be on sentry duty, they often sat together talking softly instead of maintaining a vigil over the campsite. On the trail they talked casually as if no one would dare to attack a squad of Federatio
n soldiers. General Forshire did not reprimand the men, nor did he teach them the errors of their ways. He let them babble incessantly so that he might learn more about them. In fact, after everyone but the sentries had fallen asleep, Clint often released Peanut to spy on the sentries. The fairy delighted in his spy missions and reported even the most mundane topics of conversation. By the time the small column had made its way through Ramaldi Pass, Clint had a pretty fair idea of who each of the twenty men were and what they believed in.
Upon exiting the pass, the column had turned south on Blood Highway to shorten the journey to Despair. Blood Highway was a new road that led directly from Ramaldi Pass to Valdo, the capital of Spino. The first part of the journey hugged the base of the Barrier, and the latter part paralleled the Blood River. The new road cut in half the distance from the pass to Spino and the Empire of Barouk, yet it was not heavily traveled.
Clint marveled at the condition of the broad, hard-packed road, and wondered why such a construction project would be undertaken for so little traffic. They had already ridden along Blood Highway for three days, and they had not passed a single village. What little population did exist consisted of hunters and trappers, and they avoided the soldiers whenever they appeared. It was near the end of the third day when Clint spied another wide avenue branching off to the west. That new road showed signs of heavy traffic as did the portion of Blood Highway stretched out before the column. Rut marks in the hard-packed dirt showed that heavy wagons had passed over the side road in large numbers, and Clint grew curious.
"Where does this road lead?" General Forshire asked the captain in charge of the column.
"I don't know," replied the junior officer. "It can't go far. Blood Highway hasn't turned away from the Barrier yet. There is nowhere for it to go."
Clint nodded in thought for a moment. Something in the back of his mind kept causing him to turn and stare at the mysterious road. He soon called for a halt. The captain ordered the column to stop and then looked quizzically at the general.
"We have a good two hours yet before it gets dark."
"I weary of this journey," replied General Forshire. "Have the men make camp off in the trees. I don't want to be camped near the road."
The captain shrugged and called out the appropriate orders. While the men set up the camp, Clint roused Peanut and instructed him to examine the mysterious road. The fairy returned less than hour later, and Clint stepped into the woods to get away from his men.
"There is a camp of Federation soldiers there," reported the fairy. "It appears to be a permanent encampment."
"Permanent?" questioned the Ranger.
"They have built cabins and spread gravel over the ground to halt the growth of the forest," explained the fairy. "Even part of the road leaving the camp is graveled."
Clint frowned in concentration as he tried to find a reason for such a hidden garrison. Positioning troops three days away from Ramaldi Pass could be useful to halt an unexpected invasion from west of the Barrier, but the countries west of the Barrier now belonged to the Federation.
"How many soldiers are there?" asked Clint.
"At least a hundred," answered Peanut.
"A hundred?" frowned Clint. "That is not enough men to halt any invasion. I was thinking in terms of thousands."
"There were also two black-cloaks," stated Peanut. "Maybe they don't need so many men with magicians around."
Clint became increasingly curious. While Federation soldiers were sometimes used to escort the clerics of Balmak, the magicians were not usually assigned to an army unit as far as he knew. He instructed Peanut to remain free as he turned and walked back to the camp. He enjoyed a meal with the soldiers and then went to sleep. Several hours later, Clint awoke. He gazed around the camp for several minutes to see if anyone was awake. Other than the sentries, everyone was sleeping. He silently rose and slipped into the trees. The Ranger made his way away from the camp and across Blood Highway. Peanut glided down out of the dark sky and landed on his shoulder.
"Are we on a mission?" chirped the fairy.
"I want to see this camp for myself," replied Clint.
The fairy nodded, and Clint continued through the trees towards the base of the Barrier. Eventually the camp came into a view, and Clint crouched in the dark forest and peered out. The camp was mostly asleep, but two guards stood watch at the end of the mysterious road. Two black-cloaks also stood against the vertical face of the mountain. What struck Clint as odd was the fact that the magicians did not stand next to one another. They stood apart as if guarding a gate or a doorway, but there was nothing between them except a shear wall of rock. Clint's brow furrowed with confusion.
For over an hour, Clint remained hidden in the trees as he watched the encampment. No one moved during that time, but the whole purpose of the camp baffled the Ranger. A hundred soldiers were not enough to deter an army, and the black-cloaks had made no move towards going to sleep. He was just about to turn and leave when two more black-cloaks entered the camp. What almost caused Clint to gasp was the fact that the magicians walked straight out of the mountain. He stared in disbelief while the two pairs of magicians traded places. For a brief moment the rock wall disappeared to reveal a dark tunnel. The two black-cloaks, who were just relieved of duty, turned and walked through the shear wall of rock as if it didn't exist.
"It is an illusion," remarked the fairy. "They are hiding a tunnel."
"But a tunnel to where?" nodded Clint. "A hundred men now makes sense. Such a small force could hold off a much larger force for a long time, probably long enough for reinforcements to arrive."
Clint turned and stole away from the encampment. Peanut took off as the Ranger returned to his own camp. When he arrived back at his camp, everyone was awake. Clint knew that his absence had been discovered, so he decided to make the best of it. He strode angrily into the camp.
"I see that you have discovered the laxity of your security," General Forshire scowled at the caption. "I believe it is time that you and I had a discussion about this squad's performance, Captain Magee. You and I will take the last shift of sentry duty."
"Sir?" frowned the captain. "We feared that harm had come to you. You should not have to take a turn at sentry. I will double the guard."
"No, Captain," stated the general. "You will follow my instructions. See that I am wakened for the final shift."
Chapter 35
Hunt for Dwarves
Captain Magee woke Clint, and General Forshire rose to his feet. Together the officers walked to the perimeter and relieved the sentries. The relieved soldiers were meant to catch some sleep, but the general noticed that they were hanging around, hoping to hear what the general was going to say.
"Your men will need sleep," General Forshire said softly.
Captain Magee turned and saw his men lurking about. He glared at them and waved them away.
"I will take the other side of the camp," the captain volunteered to Clint after the sentries bedded down for the rest of the night.
"That is how it should be," replied the general, "but this night will be an exception. We need to talk. Sit."
The captain nodded and dutifully sat on the log next to General Forshire.
"What are your orders?" asked Clint.
"We have been assigned as your personal guard," answered the captain.
"And after we reach Despair?" asked the general.
"Our assignment is not just for the journey," answered the captain. "While I suppose our orders could be changed in the future, I was given to understand that we are permanently assigned to you. I hope this does not displease you. I now understand that I have been lax with the men, but I thought you approved because you said nothing earlier. I apologize. I will hold them to tighter standards in the future."
"I know that you are from Candanar," Clint commented. "Where do your loyalties lie?"
The captain frowned at the question. For a superior officer to suggest that you were not loyal to the Federation was u
sually a prelude to a harsh punishment.
"I serve the Federation," the captain answered convincingly.
"So you feel no allegiance to Candanar?" pressed Clint.
"Candanar is the country of my birth," answered the captain. "I am pleased that it is now part of the Federation."
"Candanar is like a weak sister to the four original countries of the Federation," retorted General Forshire. "It is viewed in Despair as little better than the countries to the west of the Barrier. Doesn't that bother you a bit?"
The captain was shocked by the general's words, but he was more nervous about what his response should be. He hesitated.
"Let's get something straight right now, Captain Magee," General Forshire said sternly. "I value two things in the men who serve under me. I value loyalty and honesty. Answer the question."
"I do wish that Candanar was thought more highly of," admitted the captain, "but I do not mean that as a sign of disrespect."
"Don't you?" countered the general. "Do you not think that Candanar has been abused by the Federation?"
Captain Magee started sweating. His eyes glanced around to see if anyone was listening. He remembered making just that comment the day before, but he did not think the general had been in a position to overhear him. He started tapping his foot nervously. The general stared at him waiting for an answer.
"I have said those words," the captain finally admitted, "but I beg you to be lenient with me. I wasn't thinking when I spoke."
"That will change starting right now," the general said sternly. "Let me clarify my earlier statement. When I said that I value honesty, I meant that I want you to be totally honest with me. When I said I value loyalty, I meant loyalty to me, and only me. I do not care about your feelings for Candanar or the Federation, but I will not have men under my command who are not loyal directly to me. I expect every one of my men to watch out for my best interests. In return I will watch out for theirs. Do you understand?"
The captain blinked in confusion. The words that he was hearing were not what he had expected to hear.
"In truth," the captain said hesitantly, "I am not sure that I do understand. You are a general in the Federation army. How can I be loyal to you and not the Federation?"
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