Unbeknownst to Bella or Albatros, Laelliandir was close by. When Laelliandir left Garroth, he and his troops gathered loyalists who had been hiding throughout the northern region of Divox from within a few small villages and larger cities along the way. Over the course of their two-week journey, they made five additional stops before rendezvousing with an army of two thousand at their last stop. They remained in wait just a few hours north of Dalwick. At sunrise the plan was to charge past Dalwick and onward to assault Magwhen.
By the time Laelliandir and his troops had arrived at their designated spot, the bulk of the Novanian army was well on their way south. Unknowingly the White Turban Rebellion in the south was also marching, only a day from Magwhen, into a trap. The Novanian army had turned around to pursue them.
As planned, Lonewolf faked an illness that had prevented him from joining Neighraellium’s ranks, and although Neighraellium had left with the original Novanian march, he too had left his captains in charge and abandoned the pursuit to return to Magwhen in time for the inevitable chaos.
Laelliandir's spies within Magwhen waited to let Laelliandir's forces through the front gate the following day, while the White Turban Rebellion’s eight-thousand rebels were expected to come down the mountain into the city from behind. Their arrival would throw Nova into chaos and undo them with a pincer attack. Laelliandir couldn’t know Lonewolf had already betrayed him, and the mightiest of his forces were about to be overtaken by Nova's massive army.
As the sun rose the next morning, it began. A carrier bird from a Magwhen spy reported to Laelliandir that everything was in order, and his host began their charge toward Nova. Southward bound they galloped across the land, through the same dusty trail that cut through the small village of Dalwick. It was a shocking sight for the villagers there, but a very pleasant surprise for Bella. In awe she watched the army dash through the community as she threw on her clothes and scurried out of the house. Lars still in his night gown, stood on his front porch in surprise watching the passing host of troops. She handed him the money she had earned and raced to the side of his home.
“Thank you for everything. You can keep the money,” she shouted as she left. The troops’ unexplained arrival confused him, and he had no response for Bella before she disappeared in a flash. She bolted through the grass to where Lars kept his horse tied up and quickly undid his binds before mounting. “Let's follow them. I hope you're fast,” Bella told the horse as she grabbed his reins and signaled him to take flight. Within moments Bella came galloping from the side of house following Laelliandir's riders, passing right before Lars. “I'm sorry. I'll bring the horse back as soon as I can,” she hollered as she galloped past. The nice old man was no longer thrilled and shouted for her to stop. He tried chasing the horse thief, but Bella was well on her way before he made it off his own property.
Albatros witnessed all of this, and he too hopped upon his four-legged friend and took right off after them. To the stronghold of Nova, and all Divox they charged. It was to be a day that nobody would forget.
Chapter Twenty Six
Storming the Capital
"Y ou four! Head to sector six. You're being relieved of your posts," shouted a female guardian of the city of Magwhen. As she approached the front gates, her long black cape fell from her shoulders, flapping in the wind. The traditional helmet with black horsehair spouting from the top sat upon her head. As Captain of the city guard, she was in charge of the guardians of the citadel. The guards of the city sported golden armor, with black gauntlets, boots, and spaulders. Two lesser guards secured the gate on one side while two others defended the entrance outside the city. The four paid heed to their Captain as she approached them with twelve other guards following close behind.
"Whatever for? We always watch over the gate. Why must we go to sector six?" asked one of the whiny, annoying guards on the other side of the gate. These four soldiers were the same men who had met with Bella and Albatros days before and had stolen Bella's horse. The Captain stopped before the barred gate and pointed at the pesky man.
"Ask me any more questions, and I'll have you jailed. Let these two sarding shites in the city," yelled the Captain.
"Yes, Captain Seira." The two guards inside the gate followed her instructions as the Captain looked up the massive wall at the two watchtowers on each side of the gate. Four soldiers occupied each tower on the lookout both outside the city and within. She turned to the twelve men accompanying her.
"You four relieve the guards in the East tower and have them go to sector six," she ordered as she selected four guards that had arrived with her. Quickly they ascended a nearby stone stairway that led to the high wall and watchtower. "You four do the same at the West Tower," Captain Seira commanded four others within her company. Then she waited for the gate to be opened so the previous guards could be replaced.
"Why are you rotating us now? We've been stationed here forever," asked the same questioning guard.
"You're needed in sector six. We've received word of a band of fugitives hiding out in that part of town. Once you get there, we will lock the gates of sector six to assure they do not escape. Captain Benton will give you the details once you arrive. Now get!" On her order, they exited the city entrance to obey her. While the change of guard took place at the West and East towers, Seira ordered the last four guards that came with her to station themselves as the new gate guards. "At first sight, I want these gates opened. I better not have to come down here and open them myself," Captain Seira whispered to the final four guards. They nodded in understanding, then the caped woman took to the stairs, passing by the evacuating guards.
Up the stairs, she climbed, and once she arrived at the top of the wall, Seira threaded through until reaching the West tower. Every watchtower on the high Magwhen walls was shaped like thick black rods with cone-shaped tips that stood about twenty-five feet tall. With haste, she entered the wooden door of the tower and climbed a spiral set of stairs in the narrow foundation. The Captain ascended until she reached the top where her four guardians waited for her. She looked at them all, and across the way to the eastern guard tower. Everything seemed in order.
"You sure he's coming?" asked one guard. Seira nodded before gazing at the high hill above and outside the city. Far beyond it, black smoke rose in the distance.
"Laelliandir has given his sign. He'll be charging down that hill in less than half an hour," Seira turned away from the hillside to look down at the inner city of Magwhen. From high atop the large walls protecting the city, she enjoyed a perfect view below, but only one location interested her. Sector six.
The great city under the mountains was divided into eight primary zones. Magwhen's unique design formed a pattern different from other places. The central portion of the city, known as sector seven, housed the business district. All local businesses took residence in this sector only. The other six districts were residential and surrounded sector seven like a clock. The wealthiest people in Magwhen lived in sectors one and six. These two sectors were closest to the magnificent castle situated upon the vast green hill of rolling streams. The castle sat where the "12" hand upon a clock would be, and sector one began the pattern. The sector numbers also coincided with the wealth of the residents living within their borders. For example, the residents in sector two were not as well off financially as those in Sectors one and six, but far from being poor, while the most impoverished people lived in divisions three and four. Sector five reversed back to the financially balanced, and the residents of area six, the final sector, had great wealth. The centerpiece of Magwhen and the eighth primary location featured the massive great halls and fortress of the Novanian royals.
Smaller walls with gates divided each sector from the other within the city. These gates typically remained open for people to pass through freely, but had been sealed in the past for reasons including public health fears, public safety concerns, or security matters. Today the dividing walls were essential, and Seira, Captain of the City guard
ians, played a pivotal role. While Laelliandir's many pawns scattered themselves throughout Nova, Seira was a leader amongst them. Since she had avoided detection as one of Laelliandir's loyalists to this point, she would use her position and power to control every single guard in the city. This day the Captain had used her authority to significant effect.
Within twenty minutes of her arrival at the gates, she witnessed a white flag rise from the watchtower over sector six signaling success. By her command, every guardian in the city not loyal to Laelliandir had been herded into sector six. Once all entered the sector, a previously chosen loyalist guard shut and locked the gate imprisoning them. Seira looked to the southern mountains above the high castle next. Watchtowers filled with loyalists would raise another white flag from the south when the White Turban Rebellion completed the climb up and prepared to charge Magwhen from behind.
"Where are they?" Seira said, nervous that no flag stood on the mountain yet.
"It's him!" One of her guards announced, and Seira spun around to the hill above the valley. Sure enough, a great host of riders approached. Laelliandir led the charge down the hill accompanied by a river of white shrouded soldiers. Not all of them wore the same armor, but around their bodies, they each wore white cloaks and turbans.
"Raise the flag!" Seira ordered the guard. She then looked westward across the way to see another white flag being raised. Far below, she heard the main gates being opened to grant them passage. "It begins."
With white flags raised at the head of the city, another sequence of events signaled. Within each sector of Magwhen guards stood by with torches prepared to light dozens of large homes and buildings aflame. The residences or official hangouts of Novanian noble captains who stayed in the city had been targeted. The bulk of the forces were long gone, but a few thousand off-duty soldiers remained. Within moments of the flags being raised, large flames surrounded different areas throughout the city. Since the blazes were intended to instill confusion and utter chaos, Seira saw that part of the mission accomplished. As expected, the remaining soldiers, along with everyone else believed the fires to be random, caused by an unruly drunk or a terrible accident. Only people from the high walls, mountain watchtowers and castle, could tell just how bad things were. Dozens of patches of flames throughout the city engulfed the streets. When the horns sounded, it was not a battle warning, but a fire alarm instead. Off-duty soldiers shuffled in disarray trying to put out the flames and save the civilians from fire, not enemies.
"Come on!" Captain Seira ordered her four soldiers as she turned to leave the tower and join Laelliandir's nearing host of soldiers. By the time her guards made it back down to the gate, Laelliandir and hundreds of riders stampeded into Magwhen like a powerful hurricane. Laelliandir and a few hundred riders branched right to flood through sector three, while others separated into sector four, and some toward the center of the town. Although Laelliandir battled his own guilt, he ordered his followers to kill any, and every confused soldier they rode upon. No matter his regret, he understood Magwhen's numbers were much too great to face dead on. Their success depended on the element of surprise, and they would not allow their enemy time to organize and prepare themselves. The siege of Magwhen would claim the lives of thousands.
Bella had caught up to the tail end of the dragoon army some time ago. When she spotted Albatros pursuing her, she fled into the mix of soldiers and tried to blend in, but it was clear to the other riders she did not belong. She wore no white clothing and no armor, but they didn't stop the charge just to remove a random dragoon from their ranks. Albatros eventually caught up to the group too, but he did not have good results trying to enter the array of horses. Many of the horses displayed nerves and behaved erratically as his rhinoceros drew near, and Albatros feared his beast might sabotage the entire attack. Displeased with Bella's stunt, he found himself stuck riding behind the soldiers where he remained until he entered the city of Magwhen.
By now the chaotic scene had riders scattering everywhere and finding Bella amongst the horde of dragoons would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Even though his original plans were ruined, now that he was here, he saw his duty to fight under Laelliandir's banner. He still recognized finding Bella Luna as his primary concern, but while he searched for her, if an opportunity arose, he would give Laelliandir's host a helping hand. To accomplish both his goals, he found and took the stairs leading to the high wall where he gained a better vantage point.
Bella rode in like a warrior. She maneuvered her way close enough to the head of the riders to see what direction Laelliandir headed and rode straight into sector six. Her main objective had been to follow Laelliandir. Bella did not understand why they attacked Magwhen, but she trusted there was a good reason. She took up her sword and followed the lead of her fellow riders when they charged into confused Magwhen soldiers, and she was ready to fight too. Bella didn't have to know why because she had utter faith in Laelliandir. If he saw reason to attack Magwhen, she would do the same. Or so she thought. What she found out was her imaginings about what battle might be like were far different from the reality.
During the initial charge, Laelliandir's soldiers swarmed the streets swinging their weapons at unsuspecting soldiers of Magwhen. While some enemies realized what was happening and fought back, most were stampeded. Bella quickly learned battle was nothing like sword practicing. Every time she raised her sword with intent to strike, she did not follow through. She had believed herself capable of taking a life, but it was not so simple. It was traumatizing. Fellow riders slashed and hacked as they galloped through, and they appeared to do it without thought, while Bella froze, fearful and foolish. So much blood squirting from downed soldiers and screams of agony is all Bella could see and hear as the horror of conflict presented its vicious nature. "What am I doing?" she panicked, unable to move and feeling terrified. Nothing in her life prepared her for the things Bella saw in the first minutes of that siege. She was not ready and now grasped why Laelliandir had tried to protect her. She was amid a nightmare. This was not swordplay, but a gruesome onslaught of men and women being ripped apart mercilessly.
Laelliandir and a substantial three hundred troops charged right through sector three and into division two, continuing to dominate the non-suspecting enemy when the great horns from the castle sounded off a different tune. A sizeable booming bellow filled the entire valley announcing the ongoing attack. With the horn's battle cry, the soldiers knew the fires had not been accidental, but a diversion followed by a full-fledged attack. Within sector two, the soldiers were more prepared, but still lost in the shuffle while Sector one and the castle sent out more troops. Even the regiment of castle guards was dispatched to greet Laelliandir's opposing force. Laelliandir's loyalists had achieved the element of surprise with the mighty cavalry, but the tide was changing with Magwhen's realization of what had happened.
"Where are they?" Laelliandir shouted to his fellow riders as he looked to the southern slopes above the castle. No White Turban Rebellion rode to join them. The more immense and most significant power in Laelliandir's forces was nowhere in sight. Yet, all around them, soldiers loyal to the Maelor Overlords poured into sector two ready to battle Laelliandir's riders. "Charge them on!" Laelliandir ordered as he slashed a soldier that tried to attack his horse. Still leading the charge, he pressed on through the main road of sector two where he saw dead ahead into an array of golden armored troops. His riders were mighty and relentless, but from all around them and down smaller roads and alleys Magwhen's troops came. Downed horses fell here and there, and random riders were plucked from their steeds by stray arrows or an unseen soldier's blade. Their advantage would be short-lived.
However, many of the loyalists had been trained by Orion, Neighraellium, Laella, Laelliandir and other Javalla sword masters, and their individual skills outmatched many average troops. This knowledge alone kept the ordinary rider confident. Laelliandir, Seira and several of Laelliandir's host displayed phenomenal talent, taking on s
everal of Magwhen's soldiers at once, and ripping them down as if they were only exercise dummies. It boosted confidence in the minds of their army, and morale stayed strong for quite some time. An icon to many soldiers who trembled at the thought of attacking him, Laelliandir placed fear in the hearts of the enemy who well knew who he was and what he was capable of. Laelliandir used his status and reputation to his advantage, but it would not be enough to overcome the sheer number of Magwhen forces. In the second sector, his riders stalled, fighting endless enemies that seemed to just keep coming. In time the horses had nowhere to go.
Laelliandir's horse was hit near the end of the first hour of battle. He took a tumble and joined the fray upon his feet. Onward he and his troops continued to fight with passion and determination. Laelliandir slashed, hacked, spun, and twirled through the enemy like a menace, eventually finding himself surrounded by several enemies just waiting to get the chance to tear him down. Laelliandir's grooming prepared him to keep this up for hours though, and he worked his way past as many as he could to get to his own people, never allowing himself to become trapped in the sea of gold. Many of his loyalists kept near him as they forced their way through, but in time they began to fall. Laelliandir knew his plan would not work without the rest. "Sector one. Push them back. We have to take sector one," he kept commanding, and they surely tried. The host worked all the way through sector two. The gate was in sight, but beyond the gate was horrific. Only more soldiers awaited there, many fighting and shoving their way into sector two. Laelliandir kept a calm countenance. He had been trained to stay this way in battle, especially. It was here that it mattered most, but this day he feared he might go berserk.
"I think we've been betrayed," Laelliandir muttered to himself, his heart heavy as he fought on. "That rat. Where are they?" They were alone. Some two thousand troops against thrice that amount, and soon to be castle guards, and several random brave civilians who came out of their houses with swords, knives or pitchforks of their own. Laelliandir dared not think how most his people must have been trapped with no choice but to surrender or die. Surrendering was not an option. He slung his sword upon the soldier before him, and stabbed another, reversing his blade back to kill yet another behind him. His fury and despair grew. "Sector one!" he ordered, still maintaining the lead and putting a massive dent into the oncoming foes.
Medley of Treason Page 26