by Pedro Urvi
“I tried everything,” Liriana said. “I harangued them, I explained passionately, I tried to show them the path to freedom, leading by example. But they were too terrified.”.
“Don’t blame yourself, Liriana. I’d already guessed we wouldn’t get many in the first two counties. That’s why I sent you to the First. If anybody could have managed it, you were the one. You’re a born leader.”
“Why didn’t you expect to get so many?”
Ikai sighed. “Because they’re the richest counties. It’s not just that they’re afraid, they don’t suffer as badly as the rest.”
“How many did you recruit in the Fifth County, Costan?”
“More than fifteen thousand men and women.”
“And you’re right,” Maruk said. “They didn’t take much convincing. I didn’t even have to show them I can get them to cross the Boundary.”
“It’s the same people and the same terror,” Ikai said to Liriana, “but not the same suffering. In the richer counties they know they can survive after all, but not in the poorer ones. That’s the difference.”
Liriana nodded. “Now I see it. I’ve always lived in the capital. For me these differences aren’t so obvious, because I’ve never experienced them.”
“How many did you manage to bring?”
“Five thousand…”
“Same as us,” said Pasmal of the Second County.
“Rutus?”
“Ten thousand in the Third County.”
“Another ten thousand in the Fourth,” Mitas said.
Ikai was thoughtful. “That makes a total of forty-five thousand men and women.”
“And Kyra and Camptos are still to come.”
Ikai nodded, still deep in thought.
Karm came out of the trees. His forehead was sweaty, and he was out of breath.
“What’s up?” Ikai asked.
“Hun… ters…”.
“How many?”
“Three… complete parties. One for each bridge.”
“And probably two more bringing up the rearguard.”
“They’ve found us,” Albana said. “They’ll have orders to spy on our forces and report to the Regent.”
“And capture us if they see the possibility.”
Liriana’s face was somber. “What are we going to do, Ikai?”
“We have no choice now. We have to go on.”
“And Kyra and her group?”
“We can’t afford to wait. By dawn Sesmok will know our position and strength. We can’t afford to give him time to react.”
Their eyes turned to him.
“We’ll march on the capital with the first light. Get yourselves ready.”
No matter how he tried, Ikai could not rest that night. His mind would not stop tormenting him about what might happen come dawn. With the first light and the twittering of the woodland birds he got up. A morning mist covered the plain. The wet grass spattered his leather boots with droplets, and the morning freshness together with the invigorating smell of wet earth filled him with new strength.
“Sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Albana whispered beside him.
Ikai turned, gazed at the exotic brunette’s wild face and shook his head. “No, I need you here.” He held her face in his hands, looked at her tenderly and kissed her with passion.
“It’s very risky,” she warned him. There was deep concern in her eyes.
“So, it is. But I know him, he won’t take risks. Trust me.”
“There’s nobody I trust more,” she said, and kissed him with all her being.
Ikai left her with a faint smile and headed for the group of riders who were waiting for him. He greeted the five county leaders respectfully. Behind them were a hundred mounted archers. Karm was holding a horse ready for him. He mounted the beautiful animal and looked out across the plain. The mist was fading before the sunbeams, revealing moist fields. He made out the river, and beyond it in the distance the walls of Osaen, the capital. He considered it for a moment: there it was, within reach of his hand, yet as distant as a star in the sky.
It’ll work. We’ll take the capital and put an end to Sesmok.
This had been his plan from the beginning: to get hold of enough men to take the capital. Forget about the counties and their secondary capitals. The one crucial thing which might lead them to victory was to attack Sesmok in his fortress, all or nothing: take the city or die. Sesmok would not anticipate such folly, for folly it was. The most logical thing would have been to take the county capitals and secure them, gathering more men as the days went by and growing stronger. But Sesmok would have thought of this, and that was why Ikai had decided to do the opposite. Luck smiles upon the daring, he told himself, trying to calm his nerves and the doubts he felt.
“Let’s go,” he said to his men, and they went down towards the river.
At a trot, they approached the city. The Hunters would already have reported their presence to Sesmok. But Ikai was counting on that. They crossed the river and reached the great city. Six hundred paces from the walls, he raised his hand to stop. They looked up at the battlements.
Not a soul.
They kept silent, with the tension so strong in the group it seemed it would snap like the branch of a tree. The city gates were closed. There was nobody in sight. A gloomy silence enveloped them. The city looked dead, or at least waiting for death. All of a sudden they heard a great creak followed by two shriller squeals, and both enormous reinforced steel gates began to open. Nervousness spread through the group, but Ikai turned in the saddle to quiet them.
“This is what I was expecting. Everybody stay calm. Get your bows ready, but nobody let loose unless I give the order. Understood?”
The riders nodded.
Rutus asked: “Any particular target?”
“You’ll all aim at one target alone. The one I bow my head to.”
“Right.”
“But remember, don’t attack unless I give the order.”
“Understood.”
There were about a thousand riders in the group coming out of the city. A dozen or so rode at the head, with the rest forming a compact group behind them. Ten paces away, they stopped. Sesmok, riding a velvety black stallion, led the group: straight and haughty, as though the whole Boundary belonged to him. Accompanying him were Lord Hunter Osvan and Svariz, the Commander in Chief of the Guard. Behind them were the ten regiments and a thousand riders of the Guard. All wore shining blue and white dress armor, and helmets with white plumes. They were impressive: well trained, gleaming soldiers.
Ikai swept his gaze over them and noticed one unusual detail. Behind Sesmok, Osvan and Svariz was an Eye-of-the-Gods: one for each of them, as though covering their backs. But there were no more Enforcers in the entire group.
“Ikai, the Hunter,” Sesmok said, with a sarcastic smile.
“Sesmok.” Ikai bowed deeply, which indicated to his group who they should aim for, even though they had guessed as soon as they saw him.
“A lot has happened since we last met.”
“Indeed it has.”
“You won’t be holding a grudge against me, will you?”
“For torturing me and trying to kill me? Of course not,” Ikai said, with a sarcasm more to be expected from his sister, which surprised him.
Sesmok laughed and waved his hands. “Good answer. What happened to your sister… what was her name? The one you wanted to rescue?”
“You know very well. I went to Alantres, the Eternal City, and rescued her from the Gods.”
There was a silence. Sesmok was not at all pleased with that reply in front of his men. His eyes were fixed on Ikai like two arrows of pure hatred.
“So says the rumor, even if it’s untrue.”
“It is true. And you know it.”
“Tell me who you have with you, if you’d be so kind.”
“These are the leaders of the Counties.”
“Leaders? Oh, you mean of your insignificant revolt…”
“Not so insignificant, otherwise you wouldn’t be here chatting with me.”
Sesmok made light of it with a twitch of his mouth. “I felt like talking to you, that’s all. And what about the famous Heroes?”
“I prefer to keep them out of this meeting.”
“You’re an intelligent young man. I noticed that the first time we met. You don’t want me to see their faces, am I right?”
“I’d rather leave them aside.”
“Very smart. Although sooner or later, you’ll all hang. You can’t hide them forever.”
“Maybe, or maybe you’ll be the one who hangs, along with all those with you.”
Osvan and Svariz reached for their swords amid cries of outrage. Ikai’s group tensed their bows. All aiming at Sesmok.
“Wait! Everybody wait!” Sesmok ordered.
Ikai gestured to his men not to attack.
“This is a civilized meeting, among civilized leaders. I want no bloodshed.”
Ikai had to choke back a retort.
“I’ve known about your insignificant rebellion for some time.”
“I’d guessed as much.”
“Really? Or did you believe you could fool me?” The Regent shook his head dramatically. “I’ve always been one step ahead of you.”
“That’s what you think,” Ikai said in a hard voice, although doubt was beginning to stir inside him.
“Hand yourself over, and I won’t punish the people. I want the Heroes. The rest can go back to their duties and I’ll forget what’s happened. Today I’m feeling particularly benevolent.”
“Leave the Boundary peacefully. You, your people, and the Enforcers. Then there’ll be no need for bloodshed.”
Sesmok laughed, a deep, disdainful and wounding guffaw. “If you think you and your rabble can defeat me, my army and the Enforcers, you must have lost your reason beyond any hope of understanding.”
“Nobody’s going to deny us our freedom. Neither you, nor the Enforcers. Go now and keep your lives.”
Sesmok’s face darkened. His eyes shone with hatred.
“You’re fools who have no idea what they’re doing. Do you really believe a bunch of farmers in ragged tunics, armed with sickles and rakes, can defeat the Guard and the Enforcers? You’re dragging them all to their deaths. Their mutilated bodies will drench this plain with blood. Their entrails will serve as food for the scavengers tonight. You’ll all die, and I’ll enjoy watching the sight.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. You underestimate the value of Freedom that burns in their hearts. They’re not simple farmers, they’re men and women who are fighting for freedom, and every one of them will gladly give their life for it. They’ll fight with the strength of conviction and hope. They’ll fight like lions.”
“And they’ll die like animals.”
“Do you accept my offer?”
Sesmok laughed disdainfully. “Of course not.”
“Nor do I accept yours.”
Sesmok shook his head with a haughty smile.
“Before I leave, let me show you how mistaken you are, how stupid this attempt at rebellion is. How futile insurgency is.”
Ikai nodded.
Sesmok pointed at Rutus. “That big ugly one there. Let him loose an arrow at me.”
Surprised, Ikai glanced at Sesmok, then turned to Rutus and nodded at him to loose his arrow.
The leader of the Third County let fly. The arrow crossed the distance with a deadly whistle, straight toward Sesmok’s face. But two hand-spans before reaching him it struck a translucent barrier it was unable to penetrate. With the impact, the barrier became visible. It covered Sesmok’s entire group. Ikai understood now why the Eyes were there. He narrowed his eyes and in the hand of one of them saw a disc. It gave out a golden radiance.
“Do you still want to try?” Sesmok asked triumphantly. “You haven’t the slightest chance.”
Ikai was concealing the growing concern in his stomach. “We’ll see.”
Sesmok gave the order, and the group began to retreat. He stopped and looked at Ikai.
“How did you know I’d come to talk to you instead of sending the Hunters to capture you?”
“Because this revolution will make you look very bad before the Gods. And they don’t forgive inefficiency. I knew you’d try to avoid confrontation to save face before them.”
Sesmok smiled, spurred his horse and left.
Ikai turned to his men. “To the river, fast!”
The gates to Osaen stayed open. Ikai was watching them from one of the bridges over the river. A rhythmical noise began in the city, and the birds left the plain to take refuge in the forest. The breeze itself seemed to hide as if it could sense the arrival of eternal night. Through the gates Sesmok’s army was coming out onto the plain. The soldiers moved with regular steps, to the rhythm of each regiment’s drums. Thousands of soldiers in perfect formation, their armor spotless, with spears and shields of steel, showing off their martial training, were on their way to stand in front of the walls.
“Do we move forward?” Liriana asked.
“Not yet. I need to know how many men he has before we advance. I won’t show my cards until I see his.”
“Right. The leaders have come back with their men. They’re waiting for your signal.”
“Why’s he coming out of the city?” Albana asked suspiciously. “Why doesn’t he shelter behind the walls and wait? That would be the most sensible thing. He’d have the advantage.”
“Because he’s an oaf,” Liriana said. “He thinks that if he shows us his army we’ll run away in terror. He has no idea how wrong he is.”
“There’s something in that,” Ikai said. “But there’s something more. He can’t risk a long siege. The Gods would turn against him. Right now the counties aren’t producing, the Gods aren’t receiving their goods. They’ll be asking for Sesmok’s head soon.”
“So why don’t we wait?” Liriana asked.
“Because we don’t want the Gods to step in,” Albana said.
“Correct. We need to take control before the Gods react. I don’t even want to think what they’d do if they found us besieging the city. Time’s against us, it’s the enemy, just as much for Sesmok as for us. That’s why he’s coming out into the open. He wants a quick battle, a clean easy victory he can report to the Gods.”
“I see,” Liriana said, her eyes on him. “How right Gedrel was. He chose you for those wits and that cool head of yours, and he wasn’t mistaken.”
Ikai could feel all the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. “I hope not,” he said.
Albana stroked his cheek. “Go on thinking. Go on leading us. Never doubt your head.”
He gave her a grateful smile.
“They’ve formed two big rectangles,” Liriana said. “One on each side of the great gate.”
“How many men?”
“I can count… about… Fifteen thousand”
“It’s what I’d calculated there’d be in the city. We’ve caught him before he could summon the rest of his men from the county capitals and the areas around.”
“The plan’s working,” Albana said.
“Yes. For the moment.”
Liriana pointed to the gates. “Look, the Enforcers.”
“They’re coming out to fight too. I wasn’t sure whether they would.”
“They’re forming a triangle between the two squares of soldiers. The Executors make up the three sides, with the Eyes in the middle.”
“That’s an odd formation,” said Ikai.
“I can count about fifteen hundred Enforcers. Five hundred per side…”
“Plus the Eyes,” Albana said. “There are more than two hundred of them.”
The three groups formed and held their positions. The regiments waited in readiness for battle. The drums beat, and a sense of evil foreboding hung over the plain. Suddenly the drums fell silent. With a roar from thousands of throats the three formations presented arms. The soldiers raised t
heir shields and prepared their spears. The Enforcers each moved a leg forward and brandished their spears.
“They’re trying to frighten us,” Albana said. She could feel the dark pressure of the threat.
“Well, they’re succeeding,” said Liriana.
“We’ll pay them in the same coin,” Ikai said. He let out his breath deeply. “I won’t let them scare us. The hour has come.”
“Shall I give the order?” said Liriana.
“Go ahead.”
Liriana took the horn she carried at her waist and sounded it. Three times.
From among the trees on the hills which filled the horizon to the north, the Senoca began to come down. First the leaders of each County, then their men. Thousands of men and women, their faces painted blue in honor of Oxatsi, Mother Sea, hands painted red to remind them of the deaths and oppression suffered for a thousand years. Armed with rustic axes, forks, sickles, spears and bows of their own make, dressed in their working tunics, also painted blue, without any armor. But ready for anything, for the sake of freedom. Forty-five thousand slave souls came down as if they were Mother Sea herself, covering the entire plain with blue as far as the river. And they stopped. The whole stretch of land from the river to the forest, as far as the eye could see, was covered by slaves in search of freedom.
Ikai looked at the enemy army for one last time, then at the host of brave Senoca who were waiting for him, and made his decision. They would attack. He mounted his horse and rode along the riverside, greeting his warriors.
He drew his sword and addressed them as he trotted along the great line.
“There they are!” he shouted to the blue tide. “The Regent’s army! The Enforcers of the Gods! They’re waiting to subdue us! To shed Senoca blood, as they’ve been doing for a thousand years! They’re the ones who stand between you and freedom! Take a good look at them! This is no dream. There they are, and beyond them is our longed-for freedom! Will you let them deny it to you? Will you let them subdue you again, force you back into misery and slavery? Or will you fight here today, face them, claim what’s yours by right? Tell me! The decision is yours, yours is the word. What do the Senoca say?”