Web of Lands 2

by Brent Tyman

  A moment later, an arrow sailed through the air and just barely made it over the walls. It was quite a distance from me and as soon as the archer loosed his arrow; the pair retreated towards the enemy army. I didn’t believe the arrow hit anyone as far as I could tell.

  “Have the arrow brought over to me Raina,” I ordered, and she nodded before relaying my wishes to the men on the ground behind us.

  A few moments later, a soldier rushed over with a broken arrow in hand, which had a distinct letter wrapped around it.

  Raina took the arrow and rolled the letter off it before she handed it to me. As I watched the soldier return to his post, I wondered why I agreed to go along with this farce.

  “I bet they want us to lay down our arms, or something to that effect,” Lunara offered as I unrolled the letter. My eyes scanned over the page.

  The Vulenchians seemed to have a different dialect to the Fulgremians, but it was similar enough for me to read the letter with little difficulty.

  To the commander of the fort,

  I, the illustrious Julian Hydo Tekara, general of the 1st Vulenchian Shock corps, bid that you entreat with me under God’s light so we may discuss our differences and chat as equals. Naturally, the area between our two armies would be the perfect place for this gathering. If this is acceptable to you, by all means, open your gates as the signal for your acceptance. If you wish to do battle instead, I shall wait for an hour before beginning my siege.

  I look forward to your answer. May the light of the God’s have mercy.

  “Huh,” I said to no one in particular. I read the letter out for everyone else’s benefit before handing it to Eliandra, who studied it carefully.

  “What is this God’s light? Is it a weapon?” I asked curiously.

  “I believe this general is referring to his beliefs,” Eliandra said. “A selection of high priests rule Vulenchia, where they try to convert all their people to a religion called Lunarity. They believe that the sun itself is a gift from the heavens and must be worshiped to pray tribute for the crops that grow in its wake.”

  There was a silence for a moment as the others digested this. Raina then scoffed, with a look of disgust on her pretty face.

  “Uh, what blasphemy. They insult the other Gods with their existence alone, especially the black God. There is no such thing as a God that wishes for you to worship the sun,” Raina said. I could see some silent nods from the archers close enough to overhear us.

  “Are you sure? I remember my royal tutors mentioned such a God to me, or some variance of it,” Lunara said with a finger to her chin in thought. “They mentioned something about it being an old God, so not much is known about it.”

  The women continued to discuss this supposed God amongst themselves for a moment while my mind wandered elsewhere.

  The mention of this Lunarity tickled the back of my mind. There was some familiarity to the name, but I had no recollection of where it came from. Perhaps it related to Frost, the entity in my head. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

  The women were still deep in their talks about this old God, and I waved a hand for them to cease.

  “Enough ladies, now is not the time,” I said. All three of them looked embarrassed at going off on a tangent.

  “Now,” I said as I pointed to the letter in Eliandra’s hand. “What do you suggest we do about this invitation to chat?”

  “I think you should agree and meet this general in the open. Then stick a knife through his head,” Lunara offered.

  “I agree, if we can kill him straight off the bat, the enemy army will be less effective,” Raina said. Eliandra shook her head at this.

  “No,” Eliandra said. “If we break a parley, then it will ruin our reputation as a nation. All of our neighbors will be wary of us in the aftermath.”

  We all stared at Eliandra, and I shrugged at this. That didn’t really seem like a problem as far as I could see.

  “So what? Its either them of us. If we kill the whole army, no one will be around to say we broke this parley of yours,” I said.

  Eliandra sighed as she rolled the letter in her hand.

  “The odds of killing the whole army is slim, someone will escape. Our relationships with the other nations are tenuous at best. If we ignore all our neighbors, our relation with Vulenchia will sour hugely,” Eliandra said. I started back at the huge twenty thousand strong army right outside these walls, then looked back at Eliandra.

  “Eh, Eliandra, there’s a huge army outside. I don’t think our relationship with these humans can get any worse,” I said, and Eliandra sighed as she shook her head.

  “I am sorry, I was taught to always honor parlays, but you are right. They have invaded us unprovoked, with no formal declaration at war. Etiquette has already taken a backseat,” Eliandra said as she looked over the army.

  “Right, so I will see if I can kill this general during this chat, but if not, he will start the siege shortly after. Let’s send the riders on their way now,” I said. The women agreed with this, and I heard Raina call out the order to the men below.

  The reason we haven’t sent the riders already was that if the army didn’t engage us before they reached their back line, they would be alone in their fight. We would have to rush our men out of the fort to help the riders, and that would spell disaster for our defense.

  “Once the riders have all left, open the gates. We have to make sure they don’t see or hear the portal beforehand,” I said.

  I watched as Jaseeva, the truth sayer in charge of the portal, cast her prime magic. She was on the ground, where the inside of our fort was nothing but tents. The five hundred riders were lined up and ready to go as an orange orb appeared in Jaseeva’s hand. A portal flickered to life a moment later, and each rider disappeared one by one as they entered it. The portal itself made a small humming sound, but it was faint and indistinguishable against the ambient noise around us.

  Once the riders had left, the portal winked out. Suddenly, we were now on the clock. I had to make sure the enemy besieged us before the riders crashed into their back lines.

  I heard Raina’s voice as she called for the gates to open, and I decided to not waste any time. Just as I left to head down, Eliandra and Lunara blocked my way.

  “Let us go with you, Ordan,” Lunara said, but I shook my head.

  “If I kill him, I will need to run back behind the walls as soon as I can. It's better and much safer if I go alone with my guards,” I said.

  My women didn’t look happy at this news, but with the serious look on my face, I was glad they didn’t protest any further.

  I had once suggested to use portals against this army in a more direct way, but according to Eliandra, that was impossible. We couldn’t use portals in the capital’s siege because of the inhibitor towers, and another thing I learned was that mages can block portals directly. It was common practice for mages in armies to be on the lookout for portals and use their prime to close them. It was imperative that none of the enemy mages learned of the portal we had just used. Thankfully, they needed to see a portal with their own eyes to block it.

  My guards followed me as I reached the entrance of the fort. I saw that in response to the gates being opened, the large carriage that presumably carried this general, rolled forward towards us. A line of infantry broke off from the army to escort the carriage. I waited as the carriage stopped halfway between the enemy army and our fort, as the letter specified.

  With the amount of troops he brought with him, I was unsure if I could kill this general so easily.

  I raised a hand and waved it forward, to signal my guards to follow me as I walked to this carriage. I heard murmurs that came from the infantry behind me, but I paid it no mind.

  The green uniforms of my enemies were more clear to me now, and it was of an interesting design.

  The enemy soldiers seemed to have dyed their plate armor a solid green color. It was smooth and interlocked as it ran over the entirety of their bodies. It definitely
seemed more sturdy and impressive compared to the soldiers of Fulgrem. Luckily for me, many of the regular soldiers I saw in the enemy army wore chain mail instead, which should make it easier for our bows to do damage.

  As I neared the carriage, I saw the glares of the enemy soldiers, even through their helmets. I could see a thin line across the top of the helmet that was wide enough for both eyes and the top of the nose to be visible. A flawed design, as it made it much easier for an arrow to end them.

  The doors of the carriage opened, and a flurry of either servants or slaves piled out. They carried an assortment of what looked like refined wood pieces. I quirked my eyebrow at this display before they assembled the parts together. I realized they were making a table with two chairs in quick succession.

  None of these beings wore collars, so I assumed they were servants. Their faces looked tired and haggard as they worked together in unison. Once they finished, they quickly stepped back behind the row of guards that had formed near the carriage.

  A thin man stepped out the carriage next, with a beard as long as Flavious’s. It was pearly white and flawlessly smooth at it reached his waist. The man wore several jeweled rings on each hand and thick white robes that looked more like it was made to protect against winter more than anything else.

  The man’s demeanor instantly made me dislike him, as his gait and swagger towards me was filled with an air of haughtiness that I just hated. I longed to grab that seemingly long neck of his and watch his blue eyes have the life stolen from them.

  Strangely, despite Eliandra mentioning that senior religious figures run this, the man’s face was young. A youthful face with a white beard…

  “May God’s light grace your footsteps,” the man said. “I am Julian Hydo Tekara, general of this fine army. Please, sit with me,” Julian said as he gestured to the recently made seat. The enemy guards spread themselves out in a line behind the man. I had my own men do the same for me.

  My seat creaked as I lowered my armored body onto it, and I enjoyed the fact that my men were bigger, meaner and more menacing than the green-colored soldiers my enemy had. I didn’t bring as many men as he did, but I knew that we could hold our own if they attacked us here.

  Julian looked at me expectantly, as if waiting for me to speak. Perhaps he wanted me to introduce myself.

  “I am Ordan Strix, king of… Fulgrem,” I said. I had almost said Frostburn, but decided it was best to not highlight that we had come from another world entirely.

  “I see, I knew the old king of Fulgrem, a… fuller man by the name of Fanaday Doltra the third. I hear he reached an untimely death when this new government of yours established itself. I congratulate you on your conquest,” Julian said. I reflexively curled my hands into fists. The metal made a tiny shriek as I strained against the gauntlet. He was mocking me, I could see it in his eyes.

  “Thank you,” I said, as I tried to keep my anger in check. “What brings you into my kingdom, you have no business here.” I figured this would reveal a clue about why they had invaded, even if I already knew the answer.

  Julian laughed as he snapped his fingers, and I could hear my men shift at his sudden movement. I saw that the servants behind him shuffled back into the carriage and brought out large dinner plates filled with various foods. They began setting the table with forks, spoons and also opened wine bottles, complete with cups.

  “Please, before we get to that, why not join me for a bite to eat? The journey has been long and arduous on my person, and it would be an honor to dine with a king,” Julian said as he pointed to an assortment of dishes. Each time he did, a servant would place that food onto his plate.

  Julian had almost every type of food put onto his plate. Various meats, fish and vegetable smells wafted into my nose.

  Would he try to poison me right here and now? I wasn’t entirely sure. To make sure I didn’t fall into some ploy, I would play it safe for now. Whether or not I pissed him off mattered little to me.

  “I already ate before this meeting of yours, but by all means, enjoy yourself,” I said as smoothly as I could. I wish I had my helmet on so I didn’t have to force a smile at the man.

  “If you insist, who I am to argue with a king,” Julian said as he took his time to savor each dish. His men still glared at me from behind him, but all I could hear was his mouth as he loudly crunched on his food.

  I was going to enjoy killing him.

  “Now,” Julian said in between his crunches. “As it appears, you must know of our victory over Fulgrem’s second royal army, loyal to the old king?”

  I nodded at this, and he continued.

  “I personally led my soldiers to destroy those invaders. The Fulgremians have always lacked faith, in all things, that only Lunarity can restore. That is why they resist, and why we must show them the light if humanity as a whole can progress forward.”

  Julian continued to munch on his food, careful not to get any onto his beard while I mulled over his words.

  “So you are invading Fulgrem for the Fulgremians?” I asked, and he laughed as he waved a hand in confirmation.

  “Indeed, you see things clearly. Only through faith, can we break our physical shackles and ascend as God did,” Julian said.

  I had honestly never heard such drivel in all my years of raiding. Granted, during times where I would besiege a town, I didn’t ask the inhabitants what Gods they believed in. But listening to this garbage fueled my already untapped anger.

  “You dare come into my kingdom, preach your gibberish and expect me to believe that you are here for our benefit?” I said with a growl. I slammed both hands onto the table and ground my teeth together.

  As the table shook, both mine and Julian’s guards drew their weapons. The sound of unsheathed swords filled the air. I saw the servants panic as they all quickly rushed away to go back inside the carriage.

  Julian was midway from placing a fork into his mouth, and his eyes glared at me.

  “I see that the rumors are true, you are nothing more than barbarians, masquerading as the privileged,” Julian intoned as he dropped the fork back onto his plate with a chime.

  “I planned to offer a chance to surrender, and accept God’s light, but I can see it in your eyes,” Julian said. “You cannot comprehend the strength of our resolve, and more importantly, the strength of our forces. You have what? Five thousand men in that make shift fort of yours, six perhaps? I have an army of twenty thousand strong with God’s light. We fight with faith and cleanse the nation of the heathens. You and all that follow you will burn in Lunarity’s fire.”

  Julian snapped his fingers again, and the servants tentatively came back out of the carriage. My men still stood with their weapons out and ready, as did his. The servants quickly gathered up the plates of food on the table, with the wine and cutlery.

  “We will see then, won’t we?” I said with a snarl as I abruptly got up from my seat and walked away. I gave a hand motion for the guards to go on ahead, which made them look at me dubiously before I nodded at them.

  “Oh,” I said once I was just far enough away to try my impromptu plan. Julian still sat at the table with a glare directed at me. Some of his men had already sheathed their weapons, but none had moved from their spots.

  Perfect.

  “I forget to give you this back,” I said as I held up a fork I had quietly snatched from the table. This man didn’t deserve to die with a proper weapon.

  Pouring as much prime into my arm as I could in such a short space of time, I pulled the fork back over my shoulder and threw it with all my might. With the combined power of both my raw strength and that of my prime, the fork was but a thin silver smear as it sliced through the air.

  Julian’s face slackened as the fork struck him right between the eyes. I saw a massive explosion of blood burst from behind his head as a boom resounded.

  It was time to get out of here. I charged more prime into my legs this time and sprinted away towards the gates. I heard the voices of the enemy
soldiers as they shouted over themselves, but I paid no mind to what they said.

  My guards had already reached the gates by the time I was halfway there, and I spotted a cluster of arrows strike the ground in front of me. I really wished I had put my helmet back on before I preformed my plan, but there was nothing I could do about it now.

  My hand throbbed with pain, as well did my legs. I had used far too much power too quickly. It would have been much easier to have charged my prime earlier, but I hadn’t thought out all the details.

  I reached the gates just in time as another wave of arrows hit the surrounding ground, with one that clanged off my back.

  “Close the gates, now!” I shouted as I made it inside and fell to the floor in a heap. My legs refused to move any longer.

  As the gates closed, an arrow sailed through the gap and landed only a few inches from my head. I stared at it for a moment before I burst out in laughter.

  I had done it. I had killed that prick, and it was a shame that I couldn’t enjoy his wide eyed vacant look any longer. Perhaps, once won the battle, I would see if his body was still around.

  So I can piss on it. Good riddance.

  It was time to defend our home now and show these Vulenchians what it meant to be a warrior.

  Chapter 7

  By the time I got back to the top of the walls, the shouts of the enemy army emanated like an ocean wave as word of their general’s death spread like wildfire. My archers hadn’t loosed their arrows back at the enemy, so I imagined that the carriage and its escort had retreated.

  “Ordan, are you okay?” Eliandra said as she grabbed hold of my arm and inspected me in laborious detail.

  “Yes, yes, just..” I shivered as pain flared in the hand that threw the fork. “Fuck,” I said as my legs also felt like they were jelly all over again. My body was definitely punishing me.