A Kingdom Under Siege

by Jeffrey L. Kohanek

  Percy heard the creaking of approaching catapults as they were pushed into place. Soon he spotted the nearly imperceptible silhouettes of the Imperial army filling the canyon.

  Another jackaroo call echoed from the east end of the canyon, and the sky grew brighter as sunrise approached. The plan was to strike at first light. However, Mollis was not a patient person.

  Shouts echoed from the Imperial Army’s position, followed by the unmistakable thuds of catapults launching. Percy stood for a better view since stealth was no longer necessary.

  A dozen thumping explosions of green fire lit the night as sections of the wall blasted apart and shook the ground. Some bombs landed beyond the wall, one hitting a building inside the compound. The fires turned orange, the bloom making it easier to see.

  One section of the wall remained, the guard posted on top of it now leaning to one side but not moving. Percy frowned as he stared at it. Moments later, more flashbombs detonated, destroying the last of the wall in a flash of green.

  That was a dummy, Percy realized. Why post dummies on the wall? The moment he thought it, he burst into a run down the trail, toward the canyon floor. As he ran, soldiers pushed catapults forward, reloaded them, and fired again. This time, every bomb landed inside the compound, destroying buildings and whatever else might remain within.

  As Percy reached the bottom, the sun edged over the horizon, lighting the surrounding ridgeline but was still too low to shine upon the canyon floor. He ran toward the road where Mollis and Brillens waited on horseback, the commanders calling out orders as the men on foot prepared to attack.

  Waving his arms to get their attention, Percy shouted, “Stop! Stop! Don’t fire! Don’t attack!”

  Finally, Brillens noticed Percy running toward them. He said something to Mollis and both turned toward Percy as he slowed, panting for air.

  “Don’t waste any more bombs,” Percy said as he came to a stop. “Hold the attack.”

  Mollis scowled. “We have them right where we want them. Why stop?”

  Percy shook his head. “No, you don’t. They aren’t here.”

  Mollis was about to retort but was interrupted by Brillens. “Explain yourself, soldier.”

  “I see no movement inside. I hear no screams or shouts of panic.” He pointed east. “On top of the wall, they had dummies posted to make us think the wall was guarded. I caught a clear view of one guard just before the last explosion. It was nothing but straw on a stick, wearing armor.”

  With a contemplative expression, Brillens stared at the prison, its walls now only burning rubble. The other man glowered, as if Percy had been the one who tricked him.

  “Have Riva and the rangers scout the place,” Brillens said. “Make sure it is empty and free from traps.”

  Percy was prepared to retort, but thought better of it. Instead, he ran back to the trail and waved the rangers down. Led by Riva, they hurried to the canyon floor and surrounded him. When the last man was there, Percy turned to Riva.

  “I suspect the prison is abandoned but Brillens and Mollis ordered us to scout the complex for enemies and for traps. Let’s split into two groups. Half go with Riva, the other half with me.”

  He waited for Riva to reply. The woman was a decade older and outranked him. Dressed in green leathers, with short-cropped hair and eyes like a bird of prey, she looked every bit a ranger. The bow in her hand and knives at her hips didn’t hurt.

  “My group will take the north side; Percy will take the south,” she said. “Everyone remain wary with an arrow nocked.”

  Riva called the names of four rangers and took off toward the north end of the wall. With a wave, Percy spun and jogged toward the south end of the wall with his squad close behind.

  The sections of the wall that had been intact before the assault were now piles of burning rubble. Thankfully, the portion of the wall that had been destroyed years ago had not been targeted and lacked the flames that burned elsewhere. Percy climbed the old, dusty debris while watching the compound interior.

  Smoke swirled and fires still burned from the closest buildings, or what remained of them. There was no movement inside. The scouts advanced carefully, running to each new building before peeking around the corner and advancing to the next. It wasn’t until they were deep into the compound, beyond the last building, when Percy spotted someone moving about. He lowered his bow and approached her.

  “Did you see anyone?” Percy asked Riva.

  “No. We searched the bunkhouses. They are empty. This entire place appears abandoned.”

  He peered toward the dark tunnel openings cut in the cliff wall. “We should check the tunnels, but I doubt we will find anything.” The air rang as his short sword slipped free from its scabbard. “We will need some light. I’m sure it will be dark in there.”

  Mollis paced before his horse with his fists clenched. Between the man and the ruined wall were hundreds of footprints, all leading from the prison to the canyon mouth. In the dark of night, it had been impossible to see the tracks left by the Kantarian Army. With the sun now shining on the canyon floor, the same footprints were impossible to miss.

  “You checked the mining tunnels?” Brillens asked while Mollis paced.

  “Yes, Commander,” Riva said. “They are a bit of a maze, some becoming loops, others dead ends, and a few collapsed, but we found nobody inside.”

  “They must have run east, to Wayport.” Mollis said in a heated voice. “We hold the city, so they will find no shelter there. If we continue, we will catch them and grind them to dust outside the city walls.”

  Brillens narrowed his eyes in thought. “While I agree with your assessment, advancing to Wayport is outside of our current orders. We were to wait for word from Captain Sculdin or General Kardan.” He gestured west, toward the waiting Imperial Army. “These troops are our responsibility. What if Kardan has other plans? Taking them down to Wayport could ruin everything.”

  Mollis thrust his chest out and drew close to Brillens. “What other plans? Where else would we go? Fallbrandt? With winter still holding the valley hostage?”

  The distinctive sound of a galloping horse arose and drew everyone’s attention. Turning to look west, Percy spied a rider coming toward them at a fast clip. The rider slowed to a trot upon reaching the soldiers, their gazes following as the man passed by.

  Just short of where Mollis and Brillens stood, the man stopped his horse and wiped his brow. “I’m seeking Commanders Mollis and Brillens.”

  “I am Brillens.”

  “Commander Mollis, here,” the man puffed up as he spoke.

  The rider nodded. “I thought so. When I reached Hipoint and discovered you broke camp, I was worried. Thankfully, an army with war machines leaves a trail difficult to miss.”

  “Yes, yes. Now, what is this about?” Mollis demanded.

  “I come from Sol Polis with new orders.” The man drew a folded parchment from his saddlebag and handed it to Mollis.

  The commander examined the wax seal, opened it, and read to himself. His grimace deepened as he squinted in concern. A grin then replaced his frown, and he handed the message to Brillens. “It turns out our decision has been made. We are to march to Wayport immediately. When we arrive, we attack at Sculdin’s signal.”

  “Attack?” Percy exclaimed. “But Chadwick is on our side.”

  “Yes, he was. However, dead men have no allegiance.”

  “Oh, no,” Brillens groaned as he read the missive. “King Brock lives. He has executed Chadwick and reclaimed the city. We are to attack four days from now and take it back.”

  Mollis climbed onto his horse. “We have sixty miles to travel and little time to do so. We had best march. Now.”

  18

  Hiding

  Jonah and Thiron squatted in silence in the same location Thiron and Chuli had occupied in previous mornings. They would typically return to camp and report seeing nothing of interest. Today was different. Today, the Imperial Army occupied the canyon.

&
nbsp; After a rain of flashbombs, the prison wall had become rubble. The officer’s quarters and two of the bunkhouses still burned, evidenced by the black smoke rising from the destroyed buildings. When the bombs stopped falling, enemy scouts had stormed the complex to find it abandoned.

  All had gone as planned until the scouts entered the mines. Twenty minutes later, those scouts emerged and returned to meet with the Imperial commanders who huddled between a line of catapults and the waiting army.

  “I wonder what they are discussing,” Jonah said aloud.

  Thiron’s remained focused on watching the distant conversation “I suspect they are guessing at where Marcella’s troops have gone. Unless they believe we have fled north to join the Tantarri, they will assume we are heading toward Wayport.”

  In the distance, a trail of dust emerged, stirred by a rider moving at a gallop. The rider slowed and stopped when reaching the officers. Two minutes later, one of the officers rode down the middle of the army, waving and shouting orders. Crews began spinning the catapults about while others formed ranks. The army was leaving. In an orderly fashion, the march resumed and they headed west. Minutes passed and Jonah grew anxious.

  “How long do we have to wait?”

  Thiron snorted. “Do not allow your impatience to rule prudence.”

  Jonah gave Thiron a look. “Since when have I ever been prudent?”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “Reinforcing the point I was making.” Thiron smiled, a rarity.

  “You still didn’t answer the question.”

  The man sighed. “When they are out of sight and cannot see us, we will descend.”

  “I was afraid you would say that.”

  The army slowly faded into the distance. At the far end of the canyon, miles away, the army turned south and disappeared.

  Thiron stood and began picking his way along the boulders on the ridgetop. When he reached the cleft, he lowered himself down and gathered the coil of rope he had pulled up the evening prior. He tossed the rope down, gripped it with gloved hands, and began his descent.

  While Jonah was anxious to reach the tunnels, he was nervous about rappelling down the cliff side. As he lowered himself down toward the waiting spike and rope, he recalled his discussion about the process with Chuli. She had explained the method to him and assured him he was capable, but his doubt remained – not that he would ever allow Thiron to know.

  Fear brought cold sweat to his armpits and left him gasping as he gripped the rope and began to back down the sheer cliff wall. While Thiron had made the descent in less than a minute, it took Jonah far longer. Ten minutes later, he stepped onto the canyon floor and silently thanked Issal.

  Jonah gave Thiron a weak grin. “No problem.”

  Other than raising one brow, Thiron said nothing. Instead, he drew a glowstone from his pack and entered the nearest tunnel with Jonah following. The man took a right branch and then a left before the tunnel opened to a cavern where the only other exit was now collapsed.

  Thiron cupped his hand to his mouth and shouted. “They are gone! We are going to free you, now.”

  The man removed one glove and held out his hand. “All right, magic boy. Do it.”

  “Magic boy?” Jonah asked as he began drawing a Power rune on Thiron’s hand. “I guess it’s better than some of other names you have called me.”

  Powered by the augmentation, moving the wall of boulders would be short work, as it had been the day before when the man had built it. While Thiron worked, Jonah imagined what Marcella might have done if something had happened to him. If not for Jonah’s magic, how long would it take her army to remove the boulders? How long would they survive, trapped? The idea gave him a shiver.

  With the camp now destroyed, they would leave and follow in the wake of the enemy army, sure to remain distant enough to avoid discovery.

  Jonah’s thoughts shifted to Chuli, who had departed alone the day prior. He prayed her mission would be a success.

  19

  Stealth

  The sound of a hammer and the scent of burnt metal greeted Cassie as she stepped into the Forge. The room was occupied by gadgeteers crafting components and a few of the older arcanists, busily infusing Chaos into those pieces. The sight was common during waking hours, particularly late morning as it was now.

  Thankfully, she didn’t see Master Firellus, nor did she expect to see him in the Forge. He rarely ventured there, which was good. She had thus far evaded him since stepping into his nightmare. The memory gave her a chill.

  When she spotted Everson, she crossed the room, circling benches and piles of scrap metal before stopping near a hot forge. With a pair of tongs in one hand, he pressed a thin sheet of hot metal against an anvil, shaping it into half a cylinder. Standing this close, the ring of the hammer made Cassie’s head ring along with it.

  Ivy sat nearby, working on something far more delicate. A pair of magnifying goggles covered half her face. Seeing anyone wearing those goggles made Cassie think of a bug. I would hate to meet a bug that size, she thought with another shiver.

  Everson set the hammer aside and wiped his brow. “Hi, Cassie,” he said in a loud voice as a drip of sweat ran down his temple. “What brings you here?”

  “You don’t have to shout,” she grinned at him. “I can hear you just fine.”

  He lowered his voice. “Sorry. My ears are still ringing from the hammer.” He frowned. “I really should plug them before I do this, but I usually forget.”

  Ivy lifted her goggles. “Hello, Cassie.” She pulled a glob of blue wax from each ear. “That’s better,” she said as she set the earplugs on the workbench.

  “Perhaps you should have Ivy remind you, Ev,” Cassie suggested. “She seems to remember to wear them.”

  He nodded. “She is more organized than I am. It’s one reason I love having her around.”

  Ivy narrowed her eyes. “I certainly hope there are other, better reasons.”

  Everson blinked. “Um. Yes. Of course.”

  Standing, Ivy smiled and reached for Everson’s hand. “Don’t worry. I was only joking.”

  He grinned sheepishly and glanced at Cassie. “Yes. I should have known.”

  Cassie chuckled, “Don’t ever change, Everson. I find it refreshing to have someone honest and innocent around.”

  “Yes. I do like you just the way you are.” Ivy slipped her arm around him and then pulled away. “Well, perhaps when you are less sweaty.”

  He winced. “Sorry about that. Pounding steel is hard work.”

  Ivy grabbed his upper arm. “I’ve noticed how good you look when your shirt is off.” She flashed a devious smile as her hand moved to his chest, where his tunic was damp with sweat. “All this hard work is paying off.”

  “Well, that’s not why I do it. However…”

  “I came to ask for help,” Cassie blurted, deciding it was time to change the subject. When they looked at her, she said, “I may have discovered a new use for Chaos.”

  Everson’s eyes lit up. “What is it? How does it work?”

  “I’m not exactly sure. That’s why I came to you.”

  His brow furrowed in thought before he nodded to himself. “To be sure we don’t destroy anything if the rune proves false, we should test it outside.”

  Cassie nodded. “I expected as much. Go grab some warmer clothing, and I’ll meet you two near the stables.”

  The sun was out, the weather surprisingly mild. Water dripped from long icicles hanging off the stable roof, each drop disappearing into narrow holes that had formed in the snow beside the building.

  Cassie wore her gray wool cloak, but kept the hood down since there was little wind. The bright reflection of sunlight off the snow-covered ground forced her to squint while Everson and Ivy crossed the gravel stable yard.

  “Sorry it took so long,” Everson said as they drew near. He turned to Ivy as he spoke. “Someone made me wash up and change shirts.”

  “Some of
us are sensitive to bad smells,” Ivy noted. “Something for which you certainly qualified.”

  “Thank you for not offending our sense of smell, Everson,” Cassie said with a smile.

  He sighed. “Enough of that. What can you tell me about the new rune?”

  Cassie looked around to ensure they were alone. “Two nights back, I couldn’t sleep so I went to the kitchen to scrounge up some food.”

  “Ooo. Don’t let Irma catch you in there.”

  “I know. That’s why I was trying to do it quietly. While I was in there, the door opened, casting light into the room. I hid, thinking it might be Irma. Instead, it was Delvin. Without making a sound, he crossed the room, went into the supply closet, and slipped away. As I studied him, I was amazed by his silent, fluid manner – the epitome of stealth. That’s when the rune appeared.”

  “You were holding tight to Order during this event?” Everson asked.

  “Yes. I…It has become a bit of a habit. Besides, I had woken from a nightmare.” Cassie shivered as she recalled Elias’ dream. “Meditation helps when I am upset.”

  Everson said, “With the last rune you discovered, you had been focused on Brandt’s speed and quickness and that’s when the Speed rune came to you?”

  “Yes.”

  “And this time, you were focused on Delvin’s sneaking skills – his stealth. That is the augmentation you suspect?”

  Cassie nodded.

  “That makes sense to me,” Ivy said.

  Everson rubbed his chin. “Inanimate objects acquiring stealth would only make them hard to notice. We need to test this with something that moves to measure the effect of the augmentation.”