Kingdom Come (Price of Power Book 1)

by Blake Bisciotti

  The horn sounded again and was followed by a progressive thunder that shook the ground. The human cavalry had been given their order to aid their comrades to the west. One hundred men on horses advanced with speed. The remaining force of defenders to the west totaled nearly four hundred orcs, three dozen goblins, two ogres and the two giants. The mixed group did well in quickly setting up a formation, but the cavalry charge would prove to be devastating. The men on horseback exploded through the first level of orcs that approached, killing many in their destructive path. The mounted men hacked and slashed with abandon. They fought ferociously and bravely. Some were stabbed off their horses, others pulled down along with their steeds. They courageously wanted to reach the giants, but would.

  The arrival of the cavalry caused enough chaos to allow the men who had come from the siege tower to go back on the offensive. The defenders were now surrounded but still held strong formation. Once again, the giants quickly made an impact. They swatted and hacked horseback riders with great fury. No warrior, orc, goblin or human had ever seen such destruction, domination and death. While many focused on the savage giants, few saw the group of heavily armored men moving in behind the last of the cavalry units. They advanced at a cautious pace.

  These men wore thick plate armor with enormous shields and steel helmets that all but covered their whole head and face. They continued their slow wary progression. The giants were clearing a path right at them through the middle of the men. Each man had a short broad sword in the hand that did not hold the weighty shield. The fine crafted armor and shield would not withstand the fury of the oncoming giants; however these men had no intention of encountering the beasts. The armored men halted and tightened their formation, easily holding off any oncoming orcs; however the wrath of the infuriated giants was nearing them. Although seasoned warriors, some men held their breaths below their helmets offering silent prayers that the eighteen foot tall killers would not reach them. The rest of the battle raged in front of them. Men continued to attack as they descended from the wall. The cavalry, although decimated, fought on. And the giants were getting closer and closer, their progression not being slowed.

  But those armored men were there for a reason. For within their protective cluster were two of the three mages that the humans brought to the battle. A bit of room was created around the magic users in the center of the armored group. Both had dark colored robes on and wore no armor. One, an elderly man had a shaved head and his younger companion had a pointed wizard’s hat. The giants looked directly down on them from twenty yards away and knew they had to get there quickly. They began to swing and swat with all their might crushing enemies and allies alike out of their way...but it was too late.

  One mage recited the arcane words of a spell and a small ball of fire formed in his hands and quickly grew into a large sphere. He hurled the enormous fireball forward while, simultaneously, the other mage shot a powerful lightning bolt towards their colossal enemies. Both spells were right on target. The fireball hit and engulfed the giant with the hammer and the lightning bolt crashed into the chest of the other. The lightning bolt nearly instantly killed the giant, who fell backwards with a sizable hole in his chest, his ribs blown open and his inner organs exposed. What the bolt did not finish, human warriors nearby did quickly with axe, sword and mace. The other giant was part of a more chaotic scene. He screamed loudly as he was engulfed in flames. His hair and flesh were searing. He thrashed wildly crashing into orcs, goblins and humans alike. Instinctively he dropped to the ground to roll in an attempt to put the fire out.

  The eighteen-foot mammoth behemoth rolled around while on fire in the middle of the battle. Warriors from both sides had to dodge the flaming mass of flesh. Some were not quick enough and were injured or even killed. Men hacked and slashed at him eventually ending his misery. The remaining defending forces were demoralized by the loss of their strongest allies. They were also surrounded. The attackers fell on them with some fiery support from the mages and soon the west was won. But the holy song had been stopped for some time now, and the main enemy force, more than twelve hundred Faletonian warriors, was defending the city entrance by the gate…along with Bix Olan Fod, the fierce cloud giant.

  Chapter 15

  Neemno sat atop his horse on the top of a small hill. His shredded muscular body was covered by light plate mail armor. He looked intently towards the riders that approached. Beside him was Bazik, one of his highest-ranking officers. At their flank were another orc on horseback and an ogre on foot. Both held poles with the Faletonian standard attached. The flags whipped about in the wind as the four waited in their armor. Behind them, in the valley at the base of the hill, was an army ready to march and equipped for battle. There were over two thousand orcs, nearly three hundred goblins, five ogres and six giants, an enormously powerful force.

  Turning his head slowly to his left, Neemno’s green eyes gazed to Bazik. The commander’s battle worn face stared ahead. He then looked back towards the riders who were fifty yards away and quickly approaching the foot of the hill. His eyes moved past the riders where he saw another army slowly making its way towards their position.

  The incoming riders were three orcs and they reached the top of the hill pulling their horses up to Neemno and his men. One of them extended his hand, which had long sharp fingernails on each finger. Neemno grabbed it firmly. “Greetings Ayliki,” he said.

  “Neemno.” Ayliki nodded and then turned to the officer beside his fellow councilman. “Bazik.” He nodded again to greet Neemno’s commander. He didn’t acknowledge the other orc.

  “Are your numbers what was written in your letter?” Neemno asked. He looked again to the army that followed Ayliki.

  “Yes. Two thousand of our kin, four ogres, and four giants,” Ayliki replied and shot his own glance towards the army behind Neemno.

  Tusks were in both corners of a smile on Neemno’s face as he thought of the power that their armies would have when combined. He had not yet heard the result of the battle of Southland; however he had his doubts about whether the Faletonian defenders could hold. Then again, they were fortified within the walls of Southland and may very well be able to repel the overly ambitious humans. Also, the dangerous cloud giant Bix Olan Fod was there. At the very least, they could weaken the human army and the remaining force would be a pathetic match for the army that he and Ayliki had assembled.

  Ayliki’s army from Midland arrived and stopped about ten yards from the conversing the two members of the Council of Leaders. Soon, they would all eagerly begin their march to Southland.

  ***

  Victus did not understand why he heard chanting, but the powerful and inspirational hymn rang on. His body tingled and he felt fluid and strong. It was clear his men were driven by its divine power as well. The orcs and goblins were giving his soldiers a good fight inside the busted gate, but the humans gained the advantage. Victus couldn’t tell what was happening with the attacks to the eastern and western part of the city and he did not have time to pay it much mind. He was a rather unconventional leader; he led his army from the vanguard. He would fight with his men and, if necessary, he would die with them. As he scanned the scene around him, Victus noted a faint yellow hue in the eyes of some fellow men and figured it had something to do with the chant. He quickly paused as he saw a column of light extending from the heavens down to somewhere near the battle to the east. He did not have time to consider what it was. Battle raged around him heatedly.

  From his white horse Victus slashed back and forth with abandon. While half of the cavalry rode to aide the men in the west, The Captain had waited with the remaining mounted warriors. They then charged into the battle beyond the gate, dealing a vicious blow to defenders. The Faletonians could not handle the charge of the powerful horses. He neared the crowded middle of the battle, which took away much of the advantage of being on horseback. Another orc fell as his sword cut right down from its neck into the top of the creature’s lungs. He yanked the blade free
from its body. Then another met a similar fate…and another and another.

  The Captain grew less concerned with the orcs. His gaze continued to return to the hulking mass that made its way toward him. A large giant with pale blue skin approached the rear of the defending army. He yielded a massive double-sided axe in one of his large hands. A weapon so big it didn’t seem real. Victus eyed the intimidating giant and the gargantuan figure seemed to fix his gaze right back on The Captain. Suddenly, the giant took big strides with his massive legs and began to shift around the back of his fellow defenders towards the side of the battle at the main gate. The forces to the east and west remained engaged in their own battles, a significant distance away. The behemoth continued quickly and moved with astounding agility for his size. Any attacker that came close to him met his end by the beast’s vile axe. Within seconds, he was near the flank of the attacking humans. The orcs saw this and began to shift as well in a way that funneled the humans towards the blue behemoth, where they met death.

  The melodic chanting rang in Victus’s head, which calmed him a bit and enabled him to think clearly. By now the twenty foot high beast was nearly against the city wall and began to engage his much smaller enemies. His fury on the men who were funneled to face him was devastating. Men were cut in half two at a time by his axe. No humans even got close enough to swing at the monster. Victus did not remove his eyes from the beast. He moved his horse in that direction and then spurred the white steed forward. He was not even aware that he was parrying blows with his sword; he did not consciously know his weapon was still stabbing through enemies. His concentration was dedicated to the one who was bringing death and demoralization to his men. His focus was fixed on abominable Bix Olan Fod.

  On The Captain went guided by the mysterious and inspiring tune. On too went the slaughter of humans by the giant. He was single handedly changing the battle. Men began to flee from him, but the defenders had successfully shifted into a way that channeled more and more humans towards the ferocious beast. The back of his light blue muscle bound frame was practically against the city walls and to his left side an army fought on, preventing any chance of a flanking effort by the humans. Three or five at a time he killed. Bodies or parts of bodies flew from his devastating blows like wood chips off a chopped log. The cloud giants paused for a moment and looked at Victus. Without removing his stare, he grabbed an unfortunate human warrior that got too close, and crushed him into the ground like an insect.

  Victus was getting closer to his target. He felt himself blink for the first time as a sudden large flash occurred. Confusion took hold of The Captain and all in the nearby area. The one mage who was left with the main force had sent a powerful bolt of lightning blasting at the massive brute. The bolt struck home and hit the giant square in the chest. The flash had orcs and humans alike covering their stunned eyes and staggering blindly. The giant’s leather armor sizzled and all those near heard the beast’s low groan. Bix Olan Fod fell back against the wall, which cracked and almost fell under his weight.

  Victus wiped his eyes and tried to focus through the bright dots that lined his vision. What he saw could not be true so he closed his eyes tightly and opened them again but the sight remained the same. The giant still leaned against the wall but was not dead. He began to steady himself. His leather armor was burned and blood and charred skin could be seen on his chest, but the wound was not severe. How could this be? How could he withstand the direct blast of a lightning bolt to the chest? Bix Olan Fan straightened his posture and took a deep breath then let out another low, angry groan. Victus understood how this creature survived the blast. The Captain knew from the color of the giant’s skin that he was no normal giant, he was a rare species from a place far away…a species who could resist the ways of arcane magic. This giant would have to be brought down by steel.

  The beast’s low groan turned into a booming roar. He returned to battle and recommenced the slaughter of more men, even hitting some orcs in his fury. Victus was now within twenty yards from his greatest foe. He looked around, but could find no advantage. Behind the giant was the city wall, beside the giant was a cart filled with hay and next to that were barrels stacked fifteen feet high near the wall. These served him no purpose and even if they did, he was too far away. He had no advantageous options in this perilous situation.

  It was then that the song coincidentally stopped in his head and Victus wondered whether this was to be symbolic of his own end. His army was now in shambles. All the men that had entered through the gate saw the devastation of the giant. They became unorganized and scrambled to avoid murderous Bix Olan Fod. Victus did not need a song. He knew he had to lead his men. In place of the song, thoughts of his wife and son entered his mind. He fought for them; he fought for his fellow men. Thoughts of the cities he represented gave him strength. He led this army to battle. He led this army to preserve the safety of his wife and son, and the rest of the humans who inhabited the three cities of the South Sea.

  The Captain reared his horse to a halt and hopped down from his saddle. His white cape waved behind him. Time seemed to slow as he and Bix Olan Fod kept their eyes locked. The giant must have identified Victus as the leader of the attacking men. Like many great generals, commanders or kings, his armor and attire stood out majestically. At that moment, his steel chainmail seemed to shine even brighter than ever and his white cape appeared to give off a radiance of its own. This only made the beast’s desire to slaughter him grow.

  Victus heard the sounds of war and death around him. The Captain began to charge towards the giant with his sword raised. He shed the shield that was on his other arm and gripped his sword handle with both hands. There was no way he could be victorious against the giant, and he knew it. He would die hoping his men saw his courage. Perhaps he could defeat him, perhaps Victus Antonel could slay the terrible giant and give his soldiers an advantage? The thought wanted to flee his mind on the back of reason, but his heart would not allow it. He had to keep positive thoughts…in these last courageous moments of his life.

  An orc jumped in the path of his charge, but he dropped his shoulder into its chest and the ugly beast went flying away. Nothing would prevent this showdown. He watched as two more men were severed in half by the giant’s axe, their blood dripping off the weapon. He ran faster. The Captain’s eyes never left the giant who seemed to smirk as the small human approached. Victus tightened the grip on his sword. Bix Olan Fod raised his axe as he saw the human leader picking up speed and closing in.

  As he got within the beast’s range, Bix Olan Fod swung his great axe down at Victus as if he were swatting a large pestering bug. Victus tumbled into a role and evaded the blow. The axe’s blade dug two feet into the ground; however the cloud giant’s strength allowed him to easily remove it. The Captain was back on his feet. This time the axe came in a sweeping horizontal motion. Victus jumped with all his might and cleared the weapon. As he landed the free hand of Bix Olan Fod came swinging through. With great dexterity, Victus fell to his back and held his sword parallel to his body. The enormous blue hand barely missed him, but caught his blade’s fine edge. A thin cut, similar to those made by paper, appeared on the giant’s hand. Bix Olan Fod looked at it and smiled as Victus got back to his feet.

  Just to the Captain’s right, two orcs appeared. He dodged a thrust from one and pierced his heart with his blade, hardly taking his eyes from the dangerous giant. Victus could only see the other approaching orc from the corner of his eye. His focus was on the behemoth in front of him, who swung his axe again. This time it was not at Victus. The blade came across horizontally again and severed the unsuspecting orc clean in half. Bix Olan Fod let out another roar and squared back off with Victus. His white hair matted to his light blue forehead by sweat. The leader of the human army would be his to kill and his only.

  Immediately, the giant swung a diagonal chop at Victus. Again the agile captain rolled away; however this time as he got back to his feet he could not avoid the giant’s other h
and. It swatted The Captain hard and he flew fifteen feet and crashed into the city wall, just feet away from the cart and barrels.

  Victus was stunned and had the wind knocked out of him. He had hit the wall hard and couldn’t get himself back to his feet. He knew his enemy was approaching and would arrive to kill him with only one or two long strides. For whatever reason, Bix Olan Fod hesitated. Perhaps he wanted his adversary to be on his feet when he ended his life. When Victus finally rose, the shadow of the giant was just rolling over him. Victus held his sword with one hand and set himself.

  “For my wife, for my son, for my brethren…unto my honor,” he thought as he looked up at the massive creature’s face. He was about to charge when, out of the corner of his eye he saw two men on horses ride by at full speed. He barely had time to recognize them as two of his young commanders. With a scream of “For our Captain!” they charged the right side of the giant. Bix Olan Fod was caught by surprise but managed to swing his vile axe. The blow chopped into one of the soldiers then right through into the horse’s body. The steed remained impaled on the axe blade as the dead man fell away. The other soldier managed to evade the blow and reached the giant. He swung his broad sword as hard as he could, slicing below the knee of the beast. The blade remained stuck in the giant’s thick skin and pulled the soldier from his saddle. He fell to the feet of the behemoth.

  The giant seemed to feel this blow more than the lightning bolt and let out a grunt as he dipped towards his wounded leg. He then swung his axe down, with the horse still impaled on its blade. This ended the life of the brave soldier who had fallen at his feet. But Bix Olan Fod was distracted, and this was the only chance Victus might get. The Captain quickly looked to his left and saw the cart of hay. He had to think quickly. An orc seemed to appear from nowhere to his right. The brute's sword clipped The Captain’s shoulder, cutting through the armor, but he ignored the pain. He was mad with hope, drunk on the spirit of opportunity. Victus ran and hopped onto the cart by the city wall and then onto the hay that was its cargo. With uncanny speed Victus then leaped onto the first stack of barrels beside the cart and then to the next stack, which was one barrel taller. He was now to the flank of Bix Olan Fod who was recovering from slaying Victus’s men. The giant grasped at the top of his wounded shin.