by Toni Cox
Quickly they covered the last few miles and as they flew over the battle below, some of the Battle Dragons bugled their welcome. Immediately Commander Hollowdale rose into the air and then signalled for Maia to follow him. They set down their dragons about a mile from the battle.
“Lady Maia, we did not expect to see you here.”
“We have come to help Evandeor. Rothea will stay with you and fight on the ground. I will help you from the air. There is another group of about five hundred on their way here now. They are about five miles behind us. Can you hold this group a while longer while I see to the reinforcements, or do you want help here first?”
“There are only about three hundred of us still fighting and they are at their strength’s end. They could do with some encouragement.”
“Then I will help you here first. We have about half an hour before the others get here.”
Commander Hollowdale nodded and together they rose back into the air. On the front line, Maia dropped Rothea off to fight alongside the men on the ground. They all cheered as Maia flew over them and she saw them attack with renewed strength.
She tried not to look too closely at the carnage below her, but even so she was aware of the stench of death all around. Her stomach roiled, but Midnight sent her images of revenge for Riker’s death and she was suddenly ready. Drawing her bow, Midnight swooped low over the fighting crowd. She shot five Vampyres on their first swoop. She was sorry Midnight could not use his fire here, now that they had learned how to use it properly without incinerating Maia, as there were simply too many Elves mixed in with the Vampyres. It was a mess below and Maia had to aim very carefully not to hit her own people. All around her dragons flew with their own archers on their backs and the dragons clacked and bugled, adding to the deafening sounds of battle.
Soon she was out of arrows and she wished she had taken a second quiver. Out of other options, they went back to using the techniques they had learned for the first war. Midnight swooped low, grabbed a Vampyre or Werewolf or two, crushed them with his talons and then dropped them from a height. They were decimating their numbers, but painfully slowly while their own people were still dying.
Thinking quickly, she waved to Evandeor, who came to fly beside her.
“Ask your men to retreat,” she shouted across to him. “Ask them to run as fast as they can. I cannot get Midnight to burn the Vampyres with your warriors in the way.”
Evandeor nodded and left to give his orders. It took a little while to get the orders passed to everyone but, once it was done, Maia was glad to see that Evandeor had understood her correctly. All at once his warriors suddenly retreated, leaving the Vampyres and Werewolves baffled for a moment. It was a brief window of opportunity and Maia didn’t waste a second. Immediately she asked Midnight to fly over them as low as he could and spray them with fire. They had learned that they were hardy creatures and did not burn easily. The flames had to be hot enough to make the Vampyres and Werewolves burst up in flame, but now they knew how.
As soon as Midnight was ready, Maia channelled the air around her and covered herself in a fireproof cocoon. She could still see the dragon fire wash over her, but she did not feel it. Unfortunately, the cocoon of air did not protect her from sound and she was only too aware of the screeching and howling of the creatures below her. She did not want to look and asked Midnight for another turn before the Vampyres could catch up with the fleeing Elves. Again, Midnight sprayed his fire, using his full force, like he had on Shard. Maia knew Midnight’s fire could melt metal if it was in contact with it long enough. So, by the time they rose back into the air after the second pass she was not surprised to see two strips of seared earth, dotted with burning and smouldering remains of what once were Vampyres and Werewolves.
With the Vampyre horde now drastically reduced, the Elves turned to fight again. Evandeor signalled to Maia that they could handle this now and she turned to take care of the other five hundred who were approaching fast. Maia felt Midnight’s glee as he realised that he did not need to worry about Elves this time and he relished the opportunity to unleash his worst upon their enemy. Clinging to Midnight’s back in her bubble of air she tried to shut out the screams from below. Midnight did not need her now; he knew what he was doing and he was good at it. She did not count how many passes it had taken Midnight to eradicate them all, but soon they were flying back towards the city, with only charred earth behind them.
The fighting was still going on, but it was sporadic; pockets of defiance from the Vampyres, who were now defending themselves and not attacking any more. Midnight landed just behind the fighting and, drawing her Twin Blades, Maia joined the melee. She took no pleasure in the fighting and her stomach heaved with every one she killed, but the thought of the Elves who had already lost their lives fuelled her on. She had trained for this and she had become better, stronger, and faster. Vaguely she was aware of Midnight snatching up Werewolves as they ran past him; he never ate them, but only chewed them up, then spat them out.
It was the middle of the afternoon when the fighting stopped. Everyone was bloody, dirty, and sweaty, but in good spirits. Rothea came to find Maia and together they went to speak to the people to see who was injured. Maia spent another hour or so healing those that needed attention and then they went to see Lord Hazelwatch.
“My Lady, we cannot thank you enough for your assistance.”
“I did promise your people that I would do everything in my power to keep them safe. Will you be able to deal with whatever stragglers there might still be out there?”
“Yes, I believe so. We lost fewer people than we would have if you had not come to our aid. I believe there were some skirmishes on the other side of the city, but we believe that they were meant to mislead us and that there is no other large force of Vampyres around.”
“I will fly over the city and its surroundings before we leave just to make sure. Would you mind if we cleaned up before we left?”
“Thank you, My Lady. And, of course. I will get Thala House to prepare a bath for you immediately. And I insist that you dine with us before you leave. You must surely be as exhausted as we are. Is there anything we might do for your dragon?”
“Thank you Lord Hazelwatch, but I believe Commander Hollowdale has already taken care of him. He has gone to the roost with the other dragons.”
Lord Hazelwatch bowed to her and then led her personally to Thala House before seeing to his own needs. Exhausted Maia sank into her bath, with Rothea climbing into the tub next to hers. A Server came and took their garments away to be cleaned. When they had washed, they donned the clothes the Server had left for them and went down the stairs to the dining hall. Being there reminded Maia of the evening she had spent there with Riker, but she pushed the thought down. They were served some wine and fruit juice while they waited for Lord Hazelwatch. When he came, he was accompanied by Commander Arkenbay and Commander Hollowdale and together they sat down for their meal.
“It was fortunate you arrived when you did,” Elandor Arkenbay said. “We were about to be overrun, with no further backup close to the city.”
“I am just glad we could help,” Maia replied. “We noticed that all your fields were empty. Did you manage to save your livestock?”
“We saved some. They are within the stockades in the city. But a lot of them were lost to the Vampyres. They have been feeding on them.”
“I am sorry to hear it.”
“We have enough to see us through the next winter. Most of our breeding stock is kept close to the city all year round, so those were all saved. By spring we will have a whole new generation of animals on our fields,” Lord Hazelwatch cut in.
Maia smiled. “Let me know if I can help when the time comes. I would love to assist bringing new life into this world.”
“Your help, as always, is more than welcome, My Lady. I think the people would love to have you with us during calving season.”
Their food arrived then and they ate in silence for a while. M
aia was anxious to return home, but she did not want to spurn their hospitality.
“Princess Maia,” Commander Arkenbay finally asked, “how are things at Greystone? Has there been any movement?”
“Nothing yet, for which we are grateful. Tarron Heights seems to be able to hold their own at the moment, but we have had no news from Dragonfort or any of the other cities.”
“We will clean things up here and, if all remains calm, I will consider sending some of my Regiment back to you. Lord Hazelwatch has agreed that, if they do come through the Gate, you will need all the men you can get.”
“Thank you, I will inform my father of your decision.”
It was another hour before they finished their meal and they were able to excuse themselves. It was dark outside, but it would make no difference to Midnight; he could see as well at night, as during the day. Maia let him know they were ready and they met him just outside the city. Some people came out and waved them off, but then they were out of sight and Thala Yll was just a sprinkling of lights below.
Maia was dreading facing her father after what she had done, but she felt good about what she had done for the people of Thala Yll. It also gave her hope for the future. If they could claim a victory such as this in such a short time, nothing seemed impossible. Midnight’s fire had proven to be a more powerful weapon than they had hoped and in the right circumstances could wipe out an entire squadron in mere minutes. They now had a chance. They now had hope.
“I am sorry, Sir, Braérn is overrun by Vampyres. We have sent the clippers over with as many warriors as we could spare. Unless you would like to row, there is no other way to get to the main land.”
“I understand,” Blaid said. “Thank you for your help.”
He paced along the empty dock staring across the water. The sea was only forty miles across here and the escarpment of the Grildor-Bron Mountains cast a spectacular background to the vast expanse of water before him. He would probably get wet twice before he reached land if he shadow travelled across. But, if Braérn was indeed overrun by Vampyres, then he needed to get there as fast as he could.
Quickly he walked back towards the town. He had traded the sword he had acquired at Stoneloft for passage to Arrow. He had planned to trade Kanarel’s hunting knife for passage to Braérn, but in light of the fight to come he decided to keep it. He was also keeping Kanarel’s sword.
At the nearest food stall in the market he rummaged through Kanarel’s possessions that he had taken and traded a water flask and a flint for some bread and mutton stew. It was not his favourite, but it would provide him with the sustenance required to shadow travel and then go straight into a fight.
He ate quickly and then repacked his bag. He put his shoes into it and then secured the weapons to it tightly, so that the drop into the water would not dislodge anything. It was fairly heavy, but he thought he would be able to stay afloat with it long enough to make the next jump.
With the water lapping at his naked feet he concentrated and soon felt himself dissolve. It was not a pleasant feeling, but he had always been good at it; this part of manipulating Air was easy for him, unlike invisibility.
Within minutes he splashed into cold water of the channel that divided Crook Harbour from Braérn. He was surprised by the strong current and he floundered for a short while, drifting north, before he managed to summon enough energy for the next jump.
When he sunk beneath the waters the next time, it was within sight of the shore. The current was not as strong here, but he let it carry him north for just a short while so that he would land just outside of Braérn.
He landed in some shrub about half a mile from the city. Quickly he put on his shoes, tied on his weapons, and then dumped the bag beneath a bush. There was nothing he could do about his wet clothes, but they would eventually dry by themselves. He took off running and he covered the distance in just a few minutes.
Carefully he approached the outer wall of the city. He could hear noises coming from the main gate that connected to the Trade Route, but it seemed to be quiet within the city itself. Keeping close to the wall, he circled around until he was able to see the road. Braérn was besieged, not overrun. A horde of Vampyres had made camp outside the main gate and, although Blaid could not see it, he knew by the smell of charred wood that they had been trying to breach the gate. There seemed to be a cease fire at the moment and, besides the noises coming from the Vampyre camp, everything was still.
He walked back the way he had come, looking for a way into the city, but the usual stalls, fishermen’s huts and trading posts had all been cleared along the wall. He walked further and finally reached the shore. Braérn’s walls did not extend into the water; they were built as a feature around the city, not as protection; but the people of Braérn had barricaded this open section with anything they could find that does not burn. Archers were posted here; protecting the rear.
An arrow whistled past Blaid’s ear and a man shouted a challenge. Blaid stepped away from the wall with his arms held wide open.
“I am here to help.” He shouted up at the men on top.
“Who are you?”
“I am Blaid Elderbow. I have come from Stoneloft. They have also been attacked, but they have managed to defeat their attackers. Let me in and I will see what I can do to help you.”
The men were quiet for a moment, conferring.
“How do we know you are not a spy? We have already caught two traitors. Be on your way and we will fight our own battles.”
Blaid considered for a moment explaining to them who he was, but then thought better of it. There was probably not much he could do from within the city and he did not want another incident like what happened at Stoneloft. These people here would probably be served best if he attacked the Vampyres from the outside, diminished their numbers enough to give Braérn a chance to defend itself.
“As you wish,” he finally said. “May the Mother be with you.”
He retraced his steps along the wall but, before he had made it half way, he realised that he had been followed. He could smell them approaching even before they came into sight. Quietly he hid behind a shrub and waited for them to get closer. As soon as they had walked past the spot where he was hiding he jumped out and cut their throats in quick succession. They were dead before they could make a sound.
Blaid checked the sun; it was early afternoon, another four hours till sunset. He could not attack the Vampyres by himself during daylight; there were too many of them. Circling around, he travelled around the back of their camp. It was sprawled a mile in either direction from Braérn’s gate and Blaid estimated there to be at least eight hundred Vampyres. He noticed few Werewolves but, because of their exceptional sense of smell, he would need to deal with them as soon as possible so that they would not alert the Vampyres to his presence.
He found himself a vantage point on a slight wooded rise. It had some tall trees, but most of them were shrub-like and made for good cover. He had a good view from here and was able to observe the entire camp. It was too far away to hear much of what they were saying, but he did not understand their language anyway. The longer he watched the camp, the more he learned. He knew the Vampyres preferred to be less active during the day and did most of their work and hunting during the dark hours of the night. He believed their eyes to be sensitive to light, which made them poor shots during the day, but no less dangerous. They were probably waiting for nightfall to renew their attack, so Blaid had to come up with a plan fast. Most of them were honing their weapons, repacking arrows into sheaths and reloading the slingshots, while yet others were simply resting or eating. He noticed that all the Werewolves were kept together on the far southern side of the camp; they were not tethered, but there were two Vampyres keeping watch over them.
Suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood erect and he shrunk deeper into the bush he was using for cover. Two Vampyre Scouts emerged out of the trees, conversing softly in their strange tongue. They were completely oblivious
to his presence and he dealt with them swiftly and silently. They would probably eventually be missed; same as those two he had killed by the wall; but he hoped it would all be over by then.
He dragged the two Scouts under some brush and covered them with leaves. The Werewolves would still be able to sniff them out if they were to come this way, but they were well enough hidden from the passing eye.
Blaid waited as another hour went by. He noticed some activity on the wall above Braérn’s gate; probably a shift change; and then everything went quiet again. He considered his options; eight hundred Vampyres, which was even too much for him to fight alone; but if he could disable some of their siege weapons and take out as many archers as he could, then maybe the people of Braérn would be able to do the rest. He wondered how many men were behind that wall; most cities had sent their armies to Greystone, so there could not be many. He despised the Vampyres for their cowardly behaviour; attacking the cities while the warriors were away. The ones that were left were the elderly and the children and anyone else that was not able to fight. What chance did these people have; even with the few divisions of the Regiment Crook Harbour had managed to send them?
Maia, he thought, I could really use your help.
As the sun began to set behind the mountain and the land was steeped in twilight, Blaid began his assault. It only took him a few minutes to steal a bow and a few quivers with arrows; the Vampyres did not expect an enemy in their own camp and everything was ripe for the picking. Quickly he made his way to the far southern side of the camp and, with as little noise as possible, took care of the Werewolves and their two Keepers. Four others came to investigate the commotion, but those were dealt with just as effectively before they could alert the rest of the camp.
