Aberration

by Kyle West

  Dailyn was still listening to me, without a flippant remark in sight.

  “You have two choices, as I see it,” I went on. “You can run. If you choose to do that, your dragons won’t be going with you, because they know the importance of fighting and defending Haven.” I paused. “Your second choice is to fight with me. You’d join an army of tens of thousands already. You could bring your years of expertise fighting on dragonback, supported by our soldiers on the ground. Soldiers from Colonia will soon be joining us, along with the Shen army and air fleet, if all goes well.”

  Dailyn thought about all this for a moment. Several of his men, I noticed, were talking amongst themselves.

  “All right,” Dailyn said. “I think you’ve made your point.” He looked back toward his men. “I can’t make this decision alone. I want to talk to my men first.”

  Behind Dailyn, a thickset, bald man who reminded me of a paler version of Samal spoke immediately. “I’ll tell you one thing, Captain. I’m not running.”

  Several of the other men nodded their agreement.

  Dailyn gave a cocky, half-smile while turning to face his men. “Do we need to discuss this alone? Or do we have an answer for Annara already?”

  The bald man took another bite of his breakfast, and without even looking up. “If that’s not Annara, then I’m not a Dragonguard of Colonia, Dailyn. You’d have to be blind to not see that.”

  Some of the other men chuckled at that, and even Dailyn’s smile widened.

  “What say you, men?” he called out. “Are we following Annara Reborn? Is there a dissenting voice out there? Come on, don’t be afraid to speak out.”

  “I don’t believe her,” said a tall, scrawny man, who looked so thin it was a wonder he could even hold a lance on dragonback. “But does it matter? It doesn’t change things, as I see it. We’ve learned a few things since coming here. It’s better to stick together than to fight separately.”

  Many of the other men nodded in agreement.

  “So, we fight with her,” Dailyn said, “but we fight in our own way. Does that sound fair?”

  This time, there were several cheers and shouts of assent, until it looked as if most everyone agreed. Captain Dailyn turned back to face me.

  “Well, there you have it. I have to admit I don’t believe you, either, but I believe you more than I did before.”

  “How does that work?” Shara asked. “You either believe her or you don’t.”

  “I believe her seventy percent,” Dailyn said. “Maybe.”

  It was better than nothing. And if seventy percent meant they’d fight with us, I’d take it.

  “We’re with you,” Dailyn said. “As long as with you means the same thing to you as it does to us. We’ll fight in the battle, but I command these men. We’ll fight where we’re needed, but you won’t have to worry about us hanging back while you take all the shots.”

  I nodded. “I’m glad that’s squared away. But we had better be on our way. There’s another commander I need to talk to before the day is over.”

  I could see from Dailyn’s eyes that he was interested in learning more, but I was already walking away and mounting Flame, the others following to mount their own dragons.

  “Good luck with that, Lady Annara,” Captain Dailyn shouted as we took off. I gave him a nod of acknowledgement before we were up in the air and over the trees, heading northeast toward the Novan camp.

  Chapter 22

  When we reached the Novan camp, it was to the sight of them packing up. Almost half of the tents had already been taken down, while the wooden perimeters were only being partly disassembled to allow an outflow of marching men. Already, there were men marching out in columns, with their oxen pulling carts and horses pulling cannons.

  I swooped down on Flame to get a closer look. There were no longer any cannons guarding the towers. At least for the moment, none of the men seemed to stop what they were doing or to react in a hostile way. Several raised their shields while bugles trilled an alarm, but I kept well away from the contingents of crossbows that could pose a danger.

  I angled Flame toward the central clearing in the middle of the emptying fort. The clarion call of bugles and drums announced my arrival. General Tertullian would likely not be long in coming.

  While we waited, a group of pikemen approached, their commander shouting orders in Novan, some of the words of which I recognized. They lowered their pikes as a single unit, moving to surround us. Despite their discipline, I could see the fear in their eyes.

  Could you break out of this if it came down to it, Flame?

  I felt something like disbelief from Flame that I would even ask that. They wouldn’t stand a chance, Elekim.

  I rested in that knowledge and waited. It wasn’t long before Tertullian arrived with a retinue of his officers on horseback. He abruptly dismounted, handing his reins to a waiting legate, at whom he didn’t even cast a glance. As he approached, the pikes instantly split to allow him passage. His face was red, his expression fuming.

  “Was it something I did?” I asked as he approached.

  Tertullian gave no sign at having heard me. “I’ve already told you. My army will not be at your command. We’re leaving this place to those monsters.”

  I looked around. “I see that. I don’t know how you expect to leave the Red Wild unscathed, or how you plan to pass through the Red Mountains since you’re certainly not going south. But I suppose that’s none of my business.”

  Tertullian’s face went an even darker shade of red, something that seemed impossible on the surface. “We’ll find a way or make one. Word from Emperor Titus has reached us, and we are under orders to withdraw at once.” He stared at me balefully. “You can either help us or stand aside.”

  I dismounted Flame and walked forward, until I was perhaps ten feet from him. His officers reached for their short swords. I knew I had to look ridiculous trying to stare him down – a girl of seventeen against a seasoned general and campaigner who had served the Novan emperor for more than two decades.

  “I want to help you,” I said. “But let’s be honest. You’re not getting out of here, and if you do manage to make it, the army at your back is going to be much smaller than it is now. If you go south, you’re consigning all of your men to death.”

  “We’re not going south,” Tertullian said. “We are negotiating passage through Highgrove. We expect to reach an agreement with them before we arrive.”

  “And if you don’t?” I asked.

  Tertullian gave a frustrated sigh. It seemed he didn’t like having to answer me. “We will negotiate it.”

  I got the feeling the word negotiate had a hidden meaning that would not be good for the people of Highgrove.

  “Those cities have been defending themselves from the Barbarous Lands for generations,” I said. “If anyone knows how to last under siege, it’s them. Mongar is the same way.”

  “I don’t intend to siege them. But if they insist on barring our entry, we’ll give them a taste of our cannons.” Tertullian smiled grimly. “Do any of the people in the Central Plain have cannons, Elekim?”

  Tertullian did have a point there. “So, you break through Highgrove. Then what? A long, cold march in the dead of winter to the coast. Once there, how do you transport your men back to Nova? You’re drawing close to the Radaskim army by then.”

  “I’m aware of the difficulties,” Tertullian said. “More aware than you, a girl who has never commanded an army in her life.”

  “Then if I, a clueless girl, knows that a march back to Nova is suicide, then so should you.”

  Tertullian grit his teeth and waved his men back. They looked at each other for a moment before stepping back a few feet, leading their horses with them.

  “I know it’s death,” Tertullian said quietly. “But I have no choice. I have never disobeyed an order from the Emperor. And I never will, Elekim. Even if it means death, for me and my men.”

  “But it’s so . . . pointless. You would tra
de the lives of forty thousand men, and yourself, for an order that makes no sense?”

  Tertullian’s eyes became distant. I recognized that I was dealing with a man who had reached his breaking point, who saw no other way out of his predicament.

  “Things were going well for us . . . until these Radaskim showed up. Until your king switched sides. Things happened that I could have never foreseen.”

  “But you can still give your men a chance,” I said. “Why not join us? With you, our army would be over one hundred thousand strong. We have dragons, and when the Shen army reaches Haven, we’ll also have over a hundred airships outfitted with cannons to challenge the Radaskim dragons. With you fighting with us, it could make all the difference.”

  I watched the general to see if he was listening. To my surprise, he was, though he still wasn’t meeting my eyes.

  “I won’t promise anything, Tertullian,” I went on. “You’re right. Odds are, all of us are as good as dead. But if that’s true, why does the order of a man thousands of miles away, who knows nothing of your current situation, matter in the first place?” I watched him for a reaction. When I didn’t get one, I continued. “It doesn’t matter. You must work with what you have. You must change based on the situation. There are thousands of people here who need your help, Tertullian. They might die without it. Together, we can be strong, but separate, we will all certainly fall. If only your Emperor knew the full situation, would he not order you to help me?”

  Tertullian shook his head. “My men have seen the Radaskim, Elekim. What scouts I’ve sent, only a few have returned. My commanders refuse to send any more men to their deaths.” He looked at me for the first time. “They refuse me! And do you want to know what they’ve found? Legions, Elekim. Legions upon legions upon legions, scouring the land, devouring all, and the air so thick with dragons you can barely see the sun! The land lays in perpetual darkness, the air poisoned by the smoke from the fires. The land is empty of everything that isn’t them.”

  I watched him, and saw that hope had truly left him. I saw that nothing I could say would give him a change of heart.

  “If all is hopeless,” Tertullian said. “What’s the point? If even a few of us make it home again to see a Novan sun, to warmer lands. If I could see my wife’s face one more time, my children’s smiles, to offer one last bit of comfort before the end . . . why should you keep me from doing that? Would it not be better to die in our homes than in this gods-forsaken land?”

  “You won’t make it there,” Shara said, in her usual, blunt manner. “You won’t even make it halfway there.”

  Tertullian looked at her hatefully. “Leave. Leave, before I order my men on you and your dragons!”

  It was time to go. Within a few seconds, I was back on Flame. Tertullian never gave his men the order to lower their pikes, but from his hateful expression, it was a toss of the dice whether he ordered our deaths in the next few seconds.

  I wasn’t going to wait for him to make his decision. Make a path, Flame!

  Instantly, Flame and the other dragons charged ahead, all unleashing roars simultaneously. The Novans had no warning. I had to grip Flame’s back with all my strength to keep from being thrown off. The ground ran by quickly while the Novan soldiers ducked for cover, their formation disintegrating as if it had never been.

  And just like that, we were through. A glance back showed General Tertullian barking orders, pointing at cannons which were now swiveling in our direction.

  But it was too late for them to do anything. We were high in the air and swerving back around. Flame let out another mighty roar, as if in vindication, as several cannon shots fired. We were much too far for them to hit us.

  Nice moves, Flame.

  Thank you, Elekim. As I said, they didn’t stand a chance. After a moment’s silence, he continued. Where to now?

  Haven.

  I looked over at Shara, who was flying next to me on Redtail. “Sorry about that!” she called out. “Seems I set him off.”

  She didn’t seem too sorry, from her grin.

  “You just couldn’t resist, could you? You could have gotten us killed.”

  “You know me,” she said. “He was annoying. Something had to shock him from his idiocy.”

  “Shock” might have been putting it lightly. I shook my head, but I couldn’t help but smile, too. But that smile evaporated as soon as I realized that forty thousand men would not be joining us in Haven’s defense.

  It was all up to us, now. And the thought was terrifying.

  Chapter 23

  We landed in Haven around noon. We let the dragons fly off to rest and feed while we approached the doors of the palace. Before we could even get there, the doors were thrown open, revealing all the members of the Elder Council walking toward us, Elder Arminius at the fore. His walk was brisk and his face serious. The other Elders, Draeus, Lian, and Elder Alan, the new Elder Sage, had similar grave expressions.

  There was trouble brewing somewhere.

  “Elekim,” Arminius said, placing a fist over his heart. “Bad news from the east. The cities of Mongar and Highgrove have both fallen under assault.”

  I felt a coldness clutch my heart. It had been one of my greatest fears, Odium attacking us here while he sent another force around the mountains to gun down Ragnarok Crater.

  “We received a messenger by dragon this morning,” he continued. “It seems the Plains People have banded together and mean to break through our eastern flank.”

  I almost did a double take. “The Plains People? I thought you were talking about Odium.”

  Arminius shook his head. “No. Both cities lay under siege and will be unable to supply any reinforcements to us, if they had planned on it to begin with.”

  “Let’s get inside to discuss this.”

  “And eat,” Shara said. “If this news hasn’t spoiled anyone’s appetite.”

  Nothing could spoil Shara’s appetite. Like her nerves, her stomach was made of steel.

  We followed the Elders inside until we reached the central grove, crossing the small bridge that spanned the interior circular stream. Already, there were enough seats set up. All of us sat while servants brought the day’s lunch.

  Arminius apprised us of the situation while we ate.

  “The only cause for the attack that we can think of is that Odium’s forces are spreading across the Red Mountains. Enough incentive, perhaps, for the Plains Peoples to set aside their squabbles and band together for mutual defense.”

  “But why would they attack the mountain cities?” I asked. “If they’re fighting the Radaskim, then we should be allies, not enemies.”

  “Old feuds are not easily set aside,” Judge Lian said in his low baritone. “Long have the Plains People and the mountain cities been at each other’s throats. Neither Mongar nor Highgrove wish to let them through. The Radaskim will spread like a plague through the Central Plain.”

  That would put them on a path to strike at the Eastern Kingdoms as well, as well as the Kingdoms’ army marching toward the Red Wild. “They must cease fighting at once. This is the last thing we need, to weaken ourselves on each other right before Odium attacks!”

  “We were ready to send out that command,” Arminius said. “But it was pending your approval.”

  “Send it out at once,” I said. “These people want safety, just like us. How large are these armies?”

  “The Plains Peoples live and die by the horse, and taken altogether, it’s impossible to say just how many there are. They have their women and children with them, too. The estimates range anywhere from fifty to one hundred thousand people.”

  It was hard to imagine that many. “It would take days for that many to pass through the mountains.”

  “I can understand the Mountain Cities’ hesitation at allowing so many in,” Fiona said. “It would be chaos, and with such numbers, they would pillage all the available food. Nothing could stop it.”

  “But if they aren’t let in, then they will sur
ely crumble before the Radaskim,” Isaru said, quietly. “I doubt there’s enough time for them to help us defend Haven, and their tactics require wide spaces to maneuver their horses.”

  “They are caught between the sword and the wall,” I said. “People become dangerous when backed into a corner. If they aren’t let through, they’ll throw themselves at the walls, and break through or die trying.”

  Everyone was quiet as they considered the problem. To me, there was only one solution.

  “They must be let through,” I said.

  Heads nodded all around. I was glad everyone seemed to agree with me.

  “Knowing they must be let through is one thing,” Fiona said. “Convincing the Mountain Cities of that is another.”

  “Then how do we do that?” I asked.

  Fiona was quiet as she thought for a moment. “Short of going there with the entirety of the Elder Council and meeting with their Syndic, I doubt they’ll do anything of the sort. And maybe not even then.”

  I certainly didn’t have time for another side trip. We could be attacked here at any moment.

  “We need to concentrate on finishing our defenses here,” I said. “We just tried to speak with General Tertullian, but he’s stubbornly set on breaking his men out of the Red Wild.”

  “How does he expect to circumvent the swarm?” Elder Arminius asked.

  “He hopes to negotiate passage through Highgrove,” I said. “I told him that wouldn’t work, but he wouldn’t listen. Nothing I said convinced him to help us. So, all we must count on is what we have here, as well as whatever the Shen will provide.”

  “The bulk of their force is marching west of Colonia now,” Arminius said. “Some of our men are waiting at the border to help them pass through the Selvan.”

  “How much longer?” I asked.

  “They are saying no more than a week for the bulk of their infantry and mechs,” Arminius said. “But that journey is difficult. The secret paths through the Selvan are not easy to navigate, and the passes into the canyon are narrow and treacherous.”