The torch was a simple looking contrivance ignited by a wick. The volatile “pitch-oil” was put under pressure by means of a pump. A small tap just behind the torch head could be adjusted to allow air to be drawn in and this in turn would increase the heat of the flame. All in all it was an ingenious device, and one that the glass spinners were extremely proud to have invented.
Just to be safe, Arriana gave me a demonstration of how to use the torch and when she was satisfied that I could do so without fear of blowing my hand off or setting myself a-flame she retreated to another part of the work area so as not to intrude upon my work.
The extraction pumps I had design worked perfectly and when both the grenade and vial were filled and sealed, I set off to find Orrin. There was one more piece I needed—his explosive powder.
The kayet was exactly where I thought he would be, reclining in a seat at the tavern tent in near the entrance to my enclosure. I gave him a brief nod and he rose and followed me to my quarters.
Orrin turned the grenade around in watching as the mix of juice and sap swirled and changed from red and blue to purple and then back as the fluids separated when the sphere was still. “An invention any kayet would be proud of, t’pahq,” he said taking the arrow and subjecting it to similar scrutiny. He tossed the projectile from hand to hand for a few moments. “It is end-heavy, t’pahq but a marksman Kalthar would easily compensate for that—I would think any archer of reasonable skill could adjust his aim to ensure it reaches its target. But this is not a precision piece is it, t’pahq.”
I confirmed that it was not. Orrin lifted the second arrow and examined the vial carefully. I had the Glass Master create the second vial slightly large and longer than the other and divided into two compartments one with a sealing tube and the other with several holes and a drilled wax bung that would take the arrow shaft.
“And this would be for . . . ?” Orrin prompted.
“Something special I have planned for our black-clad friends,” I replied.
Orrin grinned at me. “You are not going to tell me are you?”
“No, but not because I do not trust you, Orrin. Are you prepared to let me have enough of your explosive to charge the arrow heads?”
The assassin gave me a warm smile and held up a large leather pouch. “As if I could deny my beloved commander anything,” he said, adding, “What you do not use, I would ask you return to me.”
I nodded my agreement and then set off to collect the test batch of arrows from Jamil.
True to his word the Weapons Master had completed the test batch of arrows. All that remained for me to do was fill and test them.
Jaen’t regarded me stoically and then frowned. “I must ask, my lord, has the good Consort Dthor lost his ability to please you that you should need to borrow my Consort?”
Dthor chuckled. “The very question that I was about to ask.”
I gave the pair a disparaging look and took Tariq by the hand. “The Prince Consort here has skills I have need off and which are bested only by those of Kylos.”
“Then I confess I am pleased you have sent him elsewhere on another task,” Aenar said offering me a tray of smoked meat and cheese. I shook my head. The Provost set the tray aside and grinned at me. “I do not think I would approve of you running off into the woodland with Kylos while you are shrouded in such mystery.”
Tariq growled in mock impatience. “Come, T’pahq, let us away from these evil-minded men and do what we must,” he said “—in the woods,” he added pointedly giving Jaen’t a mischievous grin.”
“Enjoy yourselves!” The Prince called as we made our way to the nearby copse.
†
CHAPTER 40
SIEGE
KYLOS AND his group returned to the encampment on the night of the fourth day with the cargo I had requested. In total they had harvested eight of the yellow hives from the flower field and successfully divided the towers into quarters and sealed them in canvas and the jalhirakavar syrup had been successfully separated and sealed in the cured hive casings. I guided the men to the storage ten I had erected during their absence and waited as they unloaded the sacks and suspended them in the tent.
Kylos gave me a crooked little smile, full of mischief. “I think the khorvar will be very angry about this.”
I returned the archer’s smile. “I am counting on it, Kylos. May I prevail upon you for a while longer I have something I wish to show you and your special knowledge of the pollen flies is paramount.
“I am ever at your disposal, t’pahq. Lead on.”
The young archer stared at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. “Meriq, I have never seen the like and neither has anyone, kayet or kalthar conceived of such a weapon.”
“Can it work? Will the insects survive long enough?”
“If they have access to their syrup—which you have seen to—then, yes.” Kylos turned the arrow around in his hand. “It would most decidedly take a wizard to conceive of and create such a thing,” he said at length and as we left the storage tent and I took his arm he paused looking down into my eyes as I looked up into his. “I can see why it is that Dthor says you terrify him at times!”
I shrugged. Sometimes I found myself frightened by my own mind, but at these times I would remind myself that, as a species, man had an incomparable genius for devising ways of ridding himself of his enemies.
On our return to the Kyr-Garrin’s enclosure Kylos was immediately set upon by Daryth who, having heard of his return, had steadfastly refused to go to bed despite Aenar’s best efforts to get him to settle. Eventually the boy managed to squeeze into the gap between a storage chest and the makeshift palisade where Aenar could not reach him, emerging only when he heard Kylos’ voice. He leapt on the archer scaling him like a tree rat and threw his arms around the young man’s neck.
“NOW, will you go to bed, you wilful little devil?” Aenar growled impatiently.
Daryth slid out of Kylos’ arms. “Of course, father. It would have been wrong not to be here to welcome my other father home and wish him a good night.” And so saying the boy bade us all a good night and ambled off towards Aenar and Kylos’ tent.
“I swear I will end up beheaded because of that little demon!” Aenar growled as Kylos settled beside him.
“That or your heart will burst from the love of him,” Kylos answered cutely.
Janir and the War Council sat silently, staring at the arrows and grenades I had designed. All had now been tested and all were doing exactly as I hoped.
We were now only a couple of days away from Medravia, The spires of the Keep could be seen from the top of the hill on the outskirts of the encampment. The kings had ordered that the camp remain were it was and the army would slow march the remaining cords. The scouts I had sent out reported that the Legionnaires were massing outside the walls of the city preparing for our onslaught. It seemed that they were determined to lay the rules of engagement by conduction the battle on the rolling meadowland that surrounded the capital; a fact that suited the kings and the Council both for none would have the advantage of high ground, though the Legion’s archers would have some advantage firing from the walls if we drew too close.
The War Council, on the other hand, was determined to draw the Legion into charging us to bring them in range of our archers.
“If I may, majesties, I would suggest that we march our forces only to within arrow and catapult range of the enemy. That way we can take full advantage of the new weaponry without fear that the Legion will bring our winged friends with them in a charge.”
Balten leaned forward and picked up one of the grenades, turning it carefully over in his hands. “These are remarkable inventions, Ez’n. But what will stop the pollen flies from turning on us once we are close enough.”
“We wait, Prince Balten. I picked up one of the arrows. The insects inside it buzzed angrily at the disturbance. “Kylos knows more about these creatures than anyone I have met. Apparently his uncle keeps the others an
d collects the syrup for sale.”
Balten looked bewildered. According to Kylos, the khorvar did sting repeatedly, but were only likely to attack those perceived as a threat to the hive—namely those who might be covered with their syrup. Not only did they sting repeatedly they would also do so until they became so depleted that they died from their exertions. “So, again, Prince Balten, I say we wait.”
The Crown Prince turned to the Council, “Majesties, father, Gentlemen,” he said, “I believe that we should take the Ez’n’s counsel on this matter. After all, he knows best how these weapons have been designed to function.”
When Aldrigan, Korlaq and Markos agreed, the matter was set and the Council agreed to follow my plan and engage the Legion only if they charged us.
We marched at dawn of the following day, the mounted archers leading the vanguard followed by the foot archers and cohorts of hoplites, lancers and javelineers. The siege machines creaked along behind them and having given the vanguard a secta’s lead, the rest of the army began its march towards Mederlana’s capital and what we hoped would be the final confrontation.
When we reached the top of the second hillock Medravia came into full view, and what should have been rich meadows and allotments was a seething mass of bodies. The whole of the farmland from the city walls for almost a cord was covered with legionnaires. The meadow was like a sea of pitch. The archers and heavy siege catapults took up position and made ready to fire.
Tyrel and the titans moved into lead position and drew back on their bows, letting loose a volley of burning arrows. The missiles fell short of the leading ranks raising jeers from the ranked legion. The six moved forward a couple of cubits and launched a second volley. These hit the soldiers in the first rank.
The range thus set and the rest of the archers moved into position three cubits beyond the titans. The catapults moved up as the crews cocked the slings and loaded the grenades.
When the first volley of bane briar grenades hit the legionnaires the air filled briefly with alarmed cries and then gaps appeared in the ranks. The archers followed the salvo with the Khorvar arrows, volley after volley. The sudden shouts and dissolution of the neat ranks into a maelstrom of panic as men being stung strove to escape their attackers.
The archers and catapults moved forward and launched another salvo, giving the legionnaires almost no time to regroup. The grenades and arrows stuck the rearmost ranks spreading more chaos as the soldiers, restricted by the curtain wall of the city had no choice but to push into the ranks ahead of them to escape the khorvar and the Bane Briar gas and acid.
After the fifth bombardment the first stock of arrows and grenades was exhausted and the legion’s commanders, driven by the increasing disarray in their ranks gave the order to charge us.
The coalition commanders ordered the cavaliers forward and the riders took up position between the archers and the approaching enemy. The legionnaires were halfway across battlefield with the signal went up for the javelineers to engage. The sky darkened under the barrage of spears and javelins while the infantry formed up in a solid wall behind shield and lance. At the second bugle the cavaliers kicked their mounts and charged down on the advancing forces. The battle was on.
The horsemen cut a swath into the leading ranks trampling the enemy and slashing at those who remained standing. As their horses began to lose momentum in the press of bodies, the cavaliers turned their mounts aside to allow the hoplites and infantry to complete their charge. The two forces were scarcely ten cubits apart when the solid wall of Zetan and Morlan shields swung open and a tidal wave of battle dogs burst through the gaps and flooded across the space into the legionnaires.
The dogs leapt at the enemy, jaws clamping on any area of exposed flesh they could find. Row on row of legionnaires fell as the kal-tzarrak savaged their way through the ranks. Those legionnaires trying to escape the dogs were easy prey for the advancing infantry who felled the men even as they tried to flee or defend themselves.
The rear ranks of the alliance split and began to charge around the main body of the army gradually forming into two arms sweeping in and around the legion enclosing the black army in a deadly embrace—like the claws of a scorpion. And as the sun climbed towards the centre of the sky it became clear that, despite the enchanted armour and swords and the sudden ferocity the soldiers mustered to mount a defence and counter-attack, the Legion was doomed. That was until we came within range of the wall archers and a volley of crystal-tipped arrows struck down a number of dogs and about thirty of the Kendirith who had elected to fight in their traditional garb.
Seeing the men burst into flame, Janir and Markos sounded the retreat to pull the men back from the reach of the deadly missiles. The legionnaires’, perhaps relieved by the eleventh hour rescue, or perhaps reluctant to move beyond the protection provided by their city forces raised signal banners. Horns sounded from somewhere deep in the ranks and the Legionnaires themselves disengaged from the fray and did not push after us.
With a break in the hostilities the Legion began to tend their injured and clear the battlefield of their dead. The Zetans and Morlans did likewise.
“Meriq could not have known that the Legion had crystal arrowheads, Korlaq,” Markos almost shouted at the man across the makeshift Council table, “They have never used them before.”
“The poisonous little half-man seems to know everything else,” the man replied equally savagely.
Dthor went to push past me as I paused in the curtained door of the Council tent. I put my hand on his forearm to restrain him. I was eager to see how the exchange would end.
“Casualties are inevitable in battle as well you know, Korlaq,” Markos responded. “Are you so naive as to think we would take this city without losses?”
“And that is no way to speak of my Vice Roi, General,” Janir growled.
“I think it wholly appropriate, King Janir. He has subverted more than enough Morlans to his side—not to mention the Kendirith. He now has a cohort that is almost an army in its own right.”
“All volunteers, Korlaq,” Aldrigan barked.
I gave Dthor a grin, pulled the curtain aside and walked in. “My, my! Such a commotion over a few arrows.”
Korlaq rounded on me like a fighting dog. “We lost fifty good men to those arrows, wizard.”
“We lost over two thousand good men in the day’s battle and five hundred more lie injured. Some will die from their wounds before sunrise.” I stalked up to the man and poked him in the chest with my ceremonial wand. “For you to erupt over fifty men is valdesch immikari.”
Aldrigan sniggered; several of the Moral generals stifled their amusement, disguising the mirth with coughs. Seeing Janir’s and the Zetans’ bewilderment Markos cleared his throat “A child bleating without cause,” he said.
Nodding my thanks to Markos, I turned my attention back to Korlaq. “We have taken three times that number from the Black Legion and forced them into the city.”
“Where they will wait us out.” Korlaq growled.
“Then we shall lay siege and blockade the city,” I replied, “Our forces can surround the city and still have a sizeable fighting force to spare. Make no mistake General, we will take Medravia—but we must be cautious.”
Balten rose. “I agree with the Ez’n,” he said evenly, “He has not led us astray thus far and the recent demonstration of his—inventiveness—is proof enough for me that he will find a way for us to breach the city and rid the land of this menace.”
“Now let this be an end to it,” Janir’s voice was heavy with frustration. “Gentlemen, we have instructions to issue, let us be about our business and be prepared to lay siege if it becomes necessary.”
When the Council Tent was empty Janir called me to him. “Are we walking the path to a siege. Meriq?”
“Not if I can help it, Sire.”
The king gave me a dark look, one heavily laced with amusement. “I swear that sometimes you stir the cauldron just to watch it bubble. What
are you plotting, little dragon? I know you have a plan.”
Indeed I did, but I did not think for one moment that the king would like it. My plan was to use Golgoth’s stave to summon a storm and use lightning to breach the walls. Several good strikes at the four main gates and the southern walls should be enough to allow a sizeable portion of the army to gain access to the city. The strikes would kill all of the wall archers and good proportion of the legionnaires who would doubtless take shelter under the ramparts and buttresses. The part of the plan that Janir would not like was the part where he had to be absent from the battlefield. Using the staff would mean I had to pull in all of my energy and that included the life-link I had created. The king gave me an exasperated smile.
“And you could not have disclosed this to the War Council?” Janir asked evenly.
Of course I could have laid open my plan to everyone present, but the Council tent was not cloaked and Shiraj had been absent from the conference. I did not trust the Seer even when I could see him and I trusted him less when I could not see him. I had much the same attitude towards Korlaq and I did not believe that Balten could say “Good morning” without lying twice.
“Forgive my frankness, Majesty, but we are too far along our path to have anything go wrong now.”
The king grimaced and shrugged. “I suppose I am about to get food poisoning again am I?” Janir laughed despite his frustration.
“Would you prefer another flux?” I asked laughing, “I could engineer a fall from your horse or an accident that would break your leg. But do not fret, Sire,” I said as Janir’s face clouded with alarm, “I can get Daryth to repair it on the following day.”
A Rising Darkness Page 62