A final blast of light went up inside the other two as Juxta cast the spell.
Dawn came, as was the habit of the sun. The next day was uneventful.
In the morning, King William approached Juxta and Mom. "Scry them."
Juxta did as was asked of him. "We can be there before noon. There are two hundred men, maybe a few more. At least three witch doctors or priests or Magi or whatever you call their magic wielders."
"What are you not telling us? I've known you for a long time."
"Their Magi have pet spiders."
William laughed.
Juxta looked into the ashes of the fire. "These spiders are nearly five feet tall. Their legs somehow have metal melded to their carapaces. Simply cutting off a joint or piercing it through with a sword will be next to impossible."
William stopped laughing. "What about our blades?"
"The armor is clearly arcane. I don't know what's going to happen."
"You'll handle these magic users and their spiders."
Somehow Luther knew the king was going to say that.
King William reached over and grabbed Juxta's shoulder. "Can we sneak up on them?"
"That's an excellent question."
"Once we get within a few miles, you're going to constantly scry them and watch. In a perfect world, a simple charge of Rangers will cut down our enemies, and free my people."
"Our people," Juxta said.
"They're my people first. Will it tax you too severely to watch as we approach them?"
Juxta shrugged. "The closer we're getting the easier the scrying becomes. I don't think it'll tap my reserves."
Chapter Twenty-One
Mom drove the wagon. Juxta kept the orb in his right hand. They traveled through the dunes and sands. Luther sat in the middle between Juxta and Mom.
The sun inched up the horizon into the sky. William stopped the caravan to water the horses and men. Watering the horses took time. The men would pool a little water at a time in their palms then let the horses lick up the moisture.
The group advanced again. Juxta kept his eye on the enemy encampment. Two hours or so passed. Juxta shouted, "They've seen us. They're moving."
"Form a line," William yelled. "Simon and me at the center. Cadets stay with the wagons."
Some of the cadets went boooo. That was kind of the cadets' job, it seemed, to boo.
Prince William and Jason pushed forward to stand next to their fathers. King William looked at his son and smiled. Simon reached over and squeezed his Jason's shoulder.
William raised his voice until every man heard it. "This is life. Avenging our countrymen. Fighting side by side with our sons."
Men cheered and howled.
Specks of black rose in the far distance: a line of men on foot, with three tall stick silhouettes in the rear. Each of the figures on spiders waved their hands forward. A splattering of silvery metallic energy danced in shards across the desert sand. They hit the line of Rangers. One by one, the men fell off their horses and heaved up their guts.
"Shields, Mathew!" Juxta said.
"They aren't helping!"
The figures waved their hands again. More silver energy danced across the sand. More Rangers fell. Jason clutched at his stomach and knew nothing but sickness. Soon he was on the ground, heaving up what little breakfast was left in his insides.
Juxta pushed himself up. "Stand."
Luther and Mom stood. Juxta put his right hand on Luther's shoulder. "Take out those spell casters."
Power sparked in Juxta's amethyst staff, and a swirling, twisting storm-like charge of strength flowed into Luther. He almost collapsed. It instantly became a raging mass of lava and fire in his heart. He drew a triangle in lines of blazing gold on one of the spider riders. "Shoc!"
A bolt of lightning easily a foot wide obliterated the other caster.
"Again and again," Juxta said, with a hint of thunder in his voice.
Luther plastered the other two mounted casters. The men in the other army charged forward.
Mom put her hand on Luther's right shoulder. "Let's see what you can really do."
A wave of energy like a massive crashing tsunami smashed into Luther's chest from her.
Two storms of power raged in Luther. The enemy troops were charging. The Rangers' line was faltering and broken with dozens of men on the ground puking up dry heaves. Rangers pulled those men out of harm's way and reformed their line.
Luther drew a line of identical triangles in gold across the desert sand in between the two lines of men. The forces within begged him to kill and destroy. He didn't say shoc--he willed shoc. Lightning crashed in a great wall, but it didn't stop with a single blast. Instead, it was like a waterfall. He pushed the line into the charging men, ripping them into charred pieces.
The men turned into nothing but scarred flesh. The sand melted into liquid glass. Juxta and Mom withdrew their power fountains. Luther fell into a great abyss of darkness.
He woke, hours later, at the Southlander encampment. Jason was in the back of a wagon next to him. The young Ranger still clutched at his stomach. "We're going to bring you along every time we fight. I'll never even have to shed blood."
"It was my parents, not me," Luther said.
"But you'll be like them someday."
A bit of fear sparked in Luther's heart. A kind of nagging question mark that served no purpose, but plagued him nonetheless.
Luther looked up. Both Williams, Simon, Juxta, Mathew, and Mom were talking to a crowd of people, all of whom were in chains.
Luther raced to join them.
"You would think they'd have a keyhole or some mechanism to remove the Bractar," King William said.
Juxta shook his head. "They're designed to never come off."
Simon drew his blade. The crowd cowered back. Simon said, "My sword may cut the cuffs off."
A thirteen-year-old boy stepped forward and held the Bractar out. Simon cut the arcane bracelet off. The men with the Cuts-metal blades diced bracelets to pieces.
"We stay here tonight. There's water, and we can refill our barrels," King William said.
Simon said, "We're almost out of wine and ale."
"Oh, boohoo."
"It's a serious matter. I was thinking, finish the barrels off tonight, we refill with water in the morning."
William laughed. "I always knew you were brilliant."
They drank what was left of the wine and ale. The king saved one full barrel of whiskey in secret. Juxta shared his distilled cider with everyone. Mathew, Juxta, and Luther set up their perimeter wards around the whole camp.
King William sat down with the Magi and Simon.
"We need to either split up and take the civilians home or push forward. With all these people, we're going to run out of water," William said.
All eyes turned on Luther. He spoke quietly, "The technique relies on underground water sources, streams, and lakes that are below the surface. I really don't know if it's going to work in this desert."
"The Southlanders built a well, and tapped it for water, surely with the same technique."
"It's risky to rely on this magic," Juxta said. "We should test it. Make sure it's going to work before heading farther into this waste."
"Agreed. At dawn."
Chapter Twenty-Two
It got cold and windy in the night, and a chilly drizzle of rain fell, causing them to wish for a second blanket. The rain was short-lived at best. The sun rose in brilliant shades of red through a mess of broad clouds.
Men kicked sand over what was left of their nighttime fires, but only as a matter of habit. No logic to it since there was nothing for the fires to burn outside of themselves. These would be their last fires, too, unless they broke down a wagon. King William approached Juxta, Mom, and Luther.
"Demonstrate this magic," William said.
So easy for him so say, but a truly different matter to do it. Luther held up two fingers on his right hand. "I have two issues with that order."
William raised one eyebrow high.
Mom said, "Make it happen."
"One, one does not test prayers to the One True God," Luther said. "We call upon her for aid in a time of true need or not at all."
"You better have a better reason than that, boy," Juxta said. "We need to know if it's going to work, or we'll all die."
"I don't think it's a valid test. I think I will just tap into the same source that these wells and irrigation tap into, and we'll still die of thirst, because it won't work in open desert."
"Juxta, how many days is it to the second group of our people?" William asked.
"The horses are tired. The men are tired," Juxta said. "Three days at the longest."
"The horses and men are not tired, for they crave blood. But we do have women and children to worry about."
Simon had been standing there at William's right the whole time. William turned in that direction. "How many days' water do we have?"
"If we aren't careful, four days. If we're smart, six. Maybe five." Simon frowned.
William nodded over and over.
"Food may be a bigger problem," Simon said.
William stopped nodding. "The men can go at least a week without food. But no way can they fight a battle and do that."
"The women and children cannot last a week."
An older man from the refugees approached them. He kneeled before the king. He was maybe fifty. All gray hair and wrinkles but clearly strength in his arms. "I served your father, my liege. I need a blade."
"I know you. Jeremiah," William said, "I'm surprised they captured you."
"My weapon was far away, and they had my wife. I figured it'd be better to stand by her side."
"Very brave of you." William paused for a few moments. "Rise, we're all men of Lynken here. We did not bring a spare blade."
The old man pushed himself to his feet, and a tear escaped his eye.
"But we can take a blade from one of the cadets and arm you," William said.
Jeremiah's eyes lit up like silver fires.
They disarmed the youngest cadet, a kid named Micah. He didn't seem impressed with this plan either. Luther held out a Cuts-metal blade to Micah, and the younger boy grinned wide.
"Ride with Juxta," William said. "Stand beside Luther, and you'll have no need for a blade. Use your bow."
Micah shook his head, but he tied his horse to Juxta's wagon and climbed in the back.
The caravan set off. The younger children rode in wagons. The refugees took turns walking and riding. The day was cooler, and clouds often hid the sun.
Mathew rode up to Juxta's wagon. "I have been scrying."
"Good," Juxta said.
"We're being hunted. They close on us."
"What?"
"Spiders. Big ones."
Juxta's scrying orb was in his hand in an instant. His face turned dark even in the sun. "We're surrounded."
"No Magi among them," Mathew said. "They're wild."
"Yes, but they're all around us."
Juxta shouted loud. "Call a halt. We must form a circle!"
The Rangers moved with precision, pushing the refugees and cadets into the center.
"Luther, you're going to have to guard a front," Juxta said. "I'll lend you my power."
Mathew said, "I'll face north!"
Lisa said, "South is mine!"
"Save some for us!" Jeremiah shouted.
The Rangers around him cheered.
"Face east, Luther," Juxta said. "West is mine."
"What do I do?" Luther asked.
"Fell them with lightning. My understanding is they run very fast for short distances."
Luther turned to the east. He stared off into the distance. The men simply breathed with either blade or bow ready. Rangers began to spread their circle of steel outwards.
The sun moved behind a cloud, and a bit of almost twilight engulfed the waste. Men with blades spread the circle out even wider. Did they know such a need for blood and killing that they'd spread themselves too thin?
The first of the spiders raced between hillsides to reach them. The Magi rained lightning on the closest ones. They quickly learned they had to plant the lightning a good distance in front of the arachnids. Some of the spiders were upwards of eight feet tall, with five-foot legs, and giant two-foot pincers that would clearly rip a man in half. Arrows flew, but nothing short of a brain shot would stop the creatures.
The Rangers began to howl mighty war cries.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Juxta's power raged in Luther's heart. He drew a triangle right on the lead spider and watched it splat. His mind raced as he killed beasts. The first arachnid reached their line, and a Ranger did not hesitate. Micah gripped the arcane blade and began to advance. Rangers lopped off limbs here and there. A set of pincers got hold of a Ranger and cut the man in half.
The Rangers quickly learned that the eyes were the most vulnerable parts of the beasts. A quick stab to the brain would silence them as well. Luther summoned lightning faster and faster. Every so often a Ranger would scream. Black tendrils of soupy darkness etched into Luther's fingertips. The spiders seemed focused on reaching the spell casters. Men stepped into their paths. Micah was the only man in front of Luther, and Micah's blade was already covered with spider guts.
He cut into the brain cavity of an arachnid just before Luther fried it. Some kind of death throe made the spider chomp down with its pincers, lopping off Micah's right leg. There were too many spiders for Luther to get there in time. He shouted, "Mom!"
Micah was pumping blood on the desert sands. Luther killed spider after spider. Mom shouted, "Watch my side!"
She ran to get closer to Micah, to heal him. It was too late. He stopped thrashing about. Luther killed more eight-legged beasts in a haze of fury and blood. The streaks of blackness stretching up his fingers reached his palms.
Simon plunged his sword into the last spider's brain. The men simply breathed for a long time.
"Get their ichor off your blades and skin!" King William shouted. "It's acid!"
Men plunged their blades into the sands, but it wasn't enough. They used rags dipped in water until the rags started to smoke. They stripped their leather armor and cut out places with stains. Luther cleaned his sword.
William pulled his keg of whiskey out. "Finish with this! It's a better solvent."
They made a pile of used rags. Buzzards started to circle.
Simon nudged the king. "Have you ever eaten buzzard?"
"Likely tough as Hell."
"It's that or spider."
"We eat buzzard!" William shouted.
They shot the birds with arrows and disassembled a wagon to make a fire. Mage fire would burn flesh to a char. Wood was better.
Luther tried to calm his thoughts and push the black magic out of his hands. It really didn't help. Juxta saw. He spoke very quietly, "You must learn to call upon the trees. I have the chant memorized, but it's better to learn it from a book."
Luther shook his hands at his sides. "It's okay. It'll go away."
"Come on, let's eat," Juxta said.
Luther took a bite of the bird and smiled. Wasn't that bad.
They killed more birds and filled up two wagons' worth. Hunting for rocks, they put them on top of the fallen. The wagons rolled on. Buzzards followed them. The birds were not smart, and they'd land on the wagons carrying dead birds. They ate buzzards for two days.
King William approached Juxta, Mom, and Luther. "Cleaning up the ichor used almost all our water supplies."
Juxta said, "There's water in the village ahead."
"I was just thinking, refilling out barrels might be wise. We could fail to take the town, and Luther could fall. That'll be the end of all of us."
Luther nodded. "You make a valid point."
He hopped off the wagon onto the desert sand. The sun was setting amidst thin, long clouds painted with red and orange. Luther looked at his hands. The tendrils of poison were gone. He began to pray
to the One True God. He sensed a stream nearby under the sands, but under rock too.
He moved towards it, in a kind of trance from the ongoing prayer. Rock and sand in the way. He reached his talent out. He walked above the path of the stream, hoping for a break in the rock below. Men in his troop followed him. He came to a depression in the ground. Underneath there was only sand. He pulled on the water. It began to puddle at his feet. He pulled even harder. Soon it was up to his knees. He stepped out of the depression. Men cheered for him. He didn't know why. Soon he was on his knees, praying a simple thank you to the One True God.
The barrels were full. Luther slept like the dead. In the morning, they used leftover wood from the previous wagon to cook some bird. Jason leaned over to Luther. "You know we still have jerky."
"Do we really?" Luther asked.
"Wagons full."
"And we're eating buzzard?"
"I think it's very good." Jason smiled. "It would be better with some spice."
"My mother usually brings spice, too. Perhaps she's hoarding it."
"Possible."
King William approached. "Same drill, Juxta. Scry them as we approach."
Mathew cleared his throat. "I just scryed them. A white flag is raised over the center of town, and all around the outskirts."
"I want blood, not parlay!"
"Law of all lands, if we slaughter them..."
William turned away. "We must be ready for a trap."
Chapter Twenty-Four
The troop set a slow pace. Refugees did their best, but they were tired. People switched between walking and riding in wagons frequently. William called a halt every hour to hydrate both men and beasts.
They approached the enemy encampment. A lone rider carrying a white flag emerged. He was not riding a horse, but one of the giant spiders. William turned around to face Juxta. "Be ready to strike him down."
A faint bit of purple fire burned in Juxta's amethyst gem. It was more like a smoldering ember than a true fire. William asked, "How long can you stay at the ready?"
"It's taxing, my liege, but I can keep the fire going for hours."
The man on the spider shouted. "Hail! I am Gerkan."
Luther, Magi: Blood of Lynken II Page 7