by Pedro Urvi
“Forward!” Ikai cried to his people. There was hope. The lines were breaking.
Suddenly Costan shouted:
“Ikai! Ikai! To me!”
Ikai thrust his sword deep into the soldier’s thigh, slicing through flesh and tendon. The man lost his balance and Ikai kicked him hard, throwing him backwards and taking the man behind with him. He turned toward the leader of the Fifth County, who was gesturing to him from a little way back.
“What’s up?”
“Come here! Quick!”
“Hell!” He turned to several of the rebels beside him, “Keep widening the breach. We’ve got to get to the officers. Don’t stop until you reach them, then kill them all.”
Three men took his place immediately and started laying about them with spear and axe.
Ikai ran to Costan, who pointed to the east. When Ikai looked that way, expecting to see the plains with the forest behind them, he was confronted with a sight which started a knot forming in his stomach. An army of soldiers of the Guard was coming from the east, in a long line that reached the river.
“By Girlai!” he cried.
“It’s worse than that,” said Costan. He pointed to the west, where another line of soldiers filled the whole plain as far as the river.
And then Ikai understood.
“It was a trap. We’ve fallen into a trap.”
We’ve been betrayed, and now there’s no way out.
“We can still retreat,” Costan said.
Ikai shook his head. “We can’t cross the river. They’d hunt us down as we tried. We’d be trapped, and they’d slaughter us like cattle.”
“But where are those two armies coming from?”
Ikai sighed.
“Sesmok has fooled us. They’re the armies of the six county capitals. They shouldn’t be here, they ought to be at their posts waiting for us to attack there and not here. Somebody warned Sesmok of our plans.”
“They’ll be on us soon. Shall I call the retreat?”
Ikai considered the situation coolly for a long moment, then he made his decision.
“No. We’ll do the opposite of what they expect. Give the call to charge. We have to take the two formations before they reach us on both flanks.”
“Are you… sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything. If we retreat we’ll be massacred. Give the call to charge.”
“Right away, Ikai.”
Liriana heard the horns give the call to charge as she watched the new enemy army approaching from the west.
“Ikai’s sounding the call to charge,” Romen said, looking worried.
“It’s the only action likely to work. Advance or die. We have to open that gap in their lines, or we’re done for.”
Rutus turned to her, his face and body covered in blood. He stared at the enemy army in the West, then turned to his men. “People of the Third County! With me! To the end!”
Mitas called to his own men: “All to me! We have to breach the line!”
The men and women of the third and fourth counties threw themselves against the square of shields, striking with all their heart, yelling like madmen.
Liriana glimpsed Svariz in the center of the formation. He was smiling, a wide self-satisfied smile. He knew they were on the brink of winning, of finishing them off. Something inside her began to burn with such intensity she could not hold it back.
“Romen, with me,” she said, and launched herself like a lioness on the line. She would manage to reach Svariz and wipe that dirty smile off his face even if it was the last thing she did. Romen followed her at once.
The brave fighters of the third and fourth counties, following their leaders, gave all they had. But their courage was no match for the expertise of the enemy soldiers. For every one they managed to bring down, countless rebels fell amid deafening cries and roars.
Despite this, Rutus, Mitas and Liriana managed to make a breach, wielding blows right and left, as though driven by a bloodthirsty madness. They formed a trident which made its way on into the enemy lines until it reached the last one.
“Stop them!” Svariz shouted to his officers.
The men threw themselves upon the three. Mitas hit the first one with his pick and slashed off his helmet with his head still inside it. But the move left him unprotected, and a well-aimed blow from another officer beside him pierced his heart. The miner swerved to look into the eyes of the officer who had killed him, raised his pick and buried it in the soldier’s head. The officer stumbled and fell dead. Behind Mitas, his men were entering the square, breaking the last enemy line.
“Mitas!” Rutus yelled. Overcome by rage and pain, he cleared a way for himself until he reached the two officers who were covering Svariz. They attacked him simultaneously, and the giant woodsman could only manage to avoid the first one. The other, with an expert feint, buried his sword in his side. Rutus swung his axe over his head and with a brutal circular sweep decapitated both. But the wound forced him to sink to one knee.
Svariz rushed up to him and aimed a stroke at his neck. Lirana’s sword blocked the blow at the last instant.
“Don’t even think about it, you snake,” she said.
“Captain Liriana. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He gave her a patronizing smile as he circled her with his sword raised.
“I’ve heard about you too. Today you’ll pay for all the suffering you’ve caused the Senoca.”
Svariz laughed disdainfully. “It’s too late, rebel. They’re already here.” He gestured at the army which was arriving from the west. “I’ll put you all to the sword.”
“Maybe, but you won’t live to tell anyone about it,” said Liriana, and lunged at him. They exchanged sword blows, feints, and blocks, each measuring the other’s strength. Svariz was an exceptional swordsman, and soon he showed evidence of the fact with a feint and stroke that reached her arm. His eyes glittered with hatred.
Liriana, unflinching, kept up her attack. But Svariz’ skill soon cut her again, this time in the leg.
“You’ll all die. Sesmok has ordered us to wipe you out. I’m not prepared to let a single rebel out of here alive.”
Liriana attacked with a flashing stroke to the heart, but the Commander blocked it and with a sharp punch knocked her down. He raised his sword while Liriana, stunned, struggled to her knees. He was getting ready to deliver the coup de grâce when there came a dull thud. She thought he had run her through, but felt no pain. When she looked up at Svariz she saw a grimace of pain and surprise on his face. Blood was trickling out of the side of his mouth. He fell to his knees and tried to say something, but blood filled his mouth. Gurgling, he fell to the ground dead. In his back she saw Rutus’ axe buried. Liriana realized the woodsman had dragged himself to them while they were fighting.
“You saved me,” she said.
Rutus, on his knees, put his hand to his side and could not articulate a word. He collapsed to one side.
Liriana looked around. The fighting was so thick she felt in the midst of a sadistic nightmare. But they had managed to breach the formation and were inside the square. Now the rebels were attacking inside as well as out, and the square was falling.
Romen hurried beside her, his face covered with blood. He waved towards the eastern army.
“They’re almost on top of us,” he said.
“I know. And we’ve lost Mitas, Rutus, and two-thirds of our forces. This looks pretty bad.”
“Perhaps Ikai …” Romen said. There was hope in his voice.
“Maybe, but I doubt whether he’s doing any better than we are. Let’s get ready. They’re here. It’s time to die for our country.”
In the center, Albana’s archers had caused many losses among the Enforcers. But just as she had expected, they were only gaining time for themselves. Suddenly they started to move all at once, with absolute precision.
They were waiting for the reinforcements. Now they’re on their way, they’ll start to attack.
The whole tri
angle moved forward. As they did so the Executors attacked with their spears, catching the rebels unawares. The archers kept releasing their arrows until the triangle was upon them.
“Move away!”
But it was practically impossible to do so in the midst of the host of Senoca who surrounded the enemy formation. All of a sudden, at an order from the Eyes, the triangle moved east. It took the archers on that side by surprise. Before they could find safety they were run through mercilessly.
“Don’t let them get you with their spears!” Albana shouted. “Everybody move back!”
There came another order. The triangle moved first north, then west. The spears sought the bodies of the rebels who had not been able to get out of their reach, and a multitude of them were run through.
“They’re going to wipe us out …”
Suddenly the triangle turned on itself and veered diagonally towards the north-east, the area where the rebels were densest. The Executors buried their spears in the bodies of the rebels with deft, powerful blows. Ganat did not manage to get away fast enough and was run through.
“Retreat! Get out of their way!” Albana cried desperately.
In the left-hand square Ikai was fighting like one possessed by evil. He killed with the coolness of a lunatic and the urgency of one who knows his remaining moments of life are numbered. Beside him Karm and Honus dealt death as if they were envoys sent by the Lady of Eternal Night. With a tremendous kick Honus sent the last of the defenders ahead of him into the square.
“I opened up a breach!” he roared, like a god of war.
Ikai and Karm hastened to secure the gap which their enemies were already trying to close.
“To me!” Ikai called, and Costan came at once with the men of the fifth county. They fought bravely and managed to secure the open way through the enemy lines. Costan ran into the square, followed by his men, and faced the officers. The fight was brief and brutal. Before Ikai could reach them Costan died, run through by the officer in command. But the rebels hurled themselves on him and finished him.
“They’re ours now,” said Karm.
“Yes, but at what a price,” Ikai said, seeing the number of brave dead Senoca.
Honus gestured at the army marching from the east.
“There are too many of them, the bastards. They’re here now. And we’re screwed.”
Ikai nodded in agreement. At the center of the fray, the triangle of Enforcers was wreaking havoc among the rebel forces. Further to the north a thick, cold mist was coming down from the forest to cover the entire plain. The bridges and the river had already vanished under that damp white cloak. Now they were denied even the option of a desperate escape. In that fog it would be impossible to cross the river.
A cruel fate’s in store for us.
“Not even a miracle would save us now,” he said wearily.
Karm turned to face the approaching army. “Well, I’m not going to give up,” he said. “I joined the cause for this, to fight for freedom. Today’s a great day for the Senoca, whether we live or die.”
Honus came to stand beside him. “Bah! If I have to die, let it be with you,” he growled. “I wouldn’t know what the hell to do by myself.”
Ikai came to stand beside the two miners. “If you’ll allow me, it’ll be an honor to die fighting at your side.”
“For freedom!” said Karm.
“For freedom!” cried Ikai and Honus, and faced the enemy who were almost upon them.
Ikai dealt death with sword and knife, together with Honus, Karm and the men of the fifth county. But the enemy forces were far superior in number. A cut above his eyebrow made him step back. There was blood in his eyes and he could not see. He wiped it away with his sleeve and saw six enemy soldiers hurl themselves on Honus. They felled him as they would an oak.
“Sons of bitches!” Honus yelled. But he was finished. An enemy soldier was preparing to run him through while the rest held him down on the ground. Ikai tried to reach him, but he was three paces too far behind. The soldier raised his spear above his head with both hands, aiming at Honus’ chest. The spear started to come down, and Ikai cried out helplessly.
“Noooo!”
The soldier arched his back, gave a moan and dropped his spear. Karm appeared behind him, his sword deeply embedded in the soldier’s back. Karm pulled the sword from the soldier’s body, and suddenly it was he who arched his back. Ikai buried his sword in one of the soldiers who were holding Honus, then in another. But he noticed the look of pain on Karm’s face, and when he turned to him he saw the two spears coming out his back.
“Karm!” he cried. Two enemy soldiers had skewered him from behind. Ikai ran to him, but the two soldiers freed their spears and buried them in Karm’s back once again. Overcome with fury, his sight blurred, Ikai put an end to the two men who had killed his friend. Karm fell forward. Honus managed to free himself. Like a force of nature unleashed, he stood up, hurling off enemy soldiers as he did so. He reached his friend and crouched by his side.
“Karm, no!” he said, and held his friend’s head between his massive hands.
“I… can die… happy…” Karm gasped. “Fighting… for freedom…” Blood appeared under his body and formed a puddle. “I’m… going to join her… she’s waiting…” and he died.
Honus let out such a rending howl it seemed the sky itself was splitting apart.
“You bastards! I’m going to kill you all!”
Ikai looked at Karm’s lifeless face and knew they were doomed. He breathed in deeply and prepared himself for the end. He would die happy, fighting for what he believed in, for what he thought was just. He felt the breath of the wind on his face and hair, and suddenly the fog advancing on them vanished completely, as if carried away by the breath of the seas.
And under it was Kyra.
And with her, twenty thousand Senoca.
Ikai saw her arrive as though she were a goddess of salvation.
“Kyra…” he stammered incredulously.
They had moved forward under cover of the fog, coming down from the forest and across the river. And now they were here.
Kyra raised her sword to the sky and shouted:
“For freedom!”
The twenty thousand Senoca fell upon the enemy troops like enraged wild lions. The ensuing fight was as brutal as it was brief. The Senoca cut down the enemy troops, who were taken by surprise, unable to position themselves in a defensive formation, and were decimated by the rebels.
Seeing themselves lost, the enemy survivors fled. But not so the triangle of Enforcers, who retreated to the gates of the city. The rebels surrounded the Enforcers, forming a semi-circle around them, leaving some fifteen paces in between to protect themselves from attack. The Enforcers did not move. They seemed to be waiting for orders.
Albana was watching the formation when Ikai arrived. She winked at him, and he smiled with joy at seeing she was all right.
The lines of the Senoca parted to let the savior through.
“I’ve never been so happy to see you, little sis,” Ikai said to Kyra, and folded her into his arms.
She smiled and hugged him back. “It looks as though I got here just in time,”
“You can say that again,” Liriana said, appearing among her men. “You’ve saved us. You have no idea how close we were to perishing.”
“You’ll have to explain that trick with the fog,” said Albana with a wink and a sly grin, “but now we have to finish them off before they cause any more damage.” She gestured toward the triangle.
Ikai considered the situation. “Sesmok won’t open the gates for them, he won’t run that risk. They can’t go back. He’s abandoned them to their fate.”
“Any ideas?” Liriana asked. “If we attack now we’ll be able to defeat them, but we’ll lose a lot of men in the process.”
“I have one,” said Ikai. He whispered something to several of his men, who ran away at once.
Night was beginning to fall over the plain, where
thousands of dead bodies had tinted it red. The red which was the price they had paid for reaching freedom.
Ikai’s men came back carrying great barrels.
“Wine? This is no time for celebrations,” Albana commented, amused. She was beginning to see what he was up to.
“Not wine, oil,” he said with a smile. “Honus, do the honors.”
The giant seized an axe. With two sharp blows he broke both lids of the barrel. Then he lifted it above his head and went over to the triangle.
“This is for Karm, you bastards!” he said, and launched the barrel with all his strength against the front line. It broke on impact and soaked them in oil. Without pausing, he picked up the other barrel and did the same. “This is for those who’ve fallen!” he cried, and threw it against the other side of the triangle. Twenty slaves followed him and launched the remaining barrels at the enemy, seeking to reach the greatest number of Enforcers.
Abruptly the Eyes-of-the-Gods gave the order to move forward.
“They’ve guessed what we want to do” said Kyra. “They’re trying to escape.”
“Let them through,” Ikai ordered. “Don’t attack!”
The rebels moved back to create a wide corridor, and the triangle began to advance along it.
“Now!” Ikai rapped out.
On either side of the corridor, two hundred archers came forward to stand in line. In their bows were burning arrows.
“Release!”
The fiery arrows fell on the Enforcers, and on contact with the oil the flames leapt up. In eerie silence, without breaking their formation, without a single cry, the Enforcers burned. The lethal triangle was soon a funeral pyre. They burned to death amid the cheers of the rebels.
Kyra patted his shoulder in approval. “Great plan, brother. It does credit to that head of yours.”