“I’m not going to sit here watching them sleep for heaven only knows how long. Al Elan should be safe enough with Dreamer. Let’s get out of here and check on Jen.”
He’d made the trip enough times that it took only minutes to fly out of the caverns and into the clear blue sky. How long had they been down there? It felt like forever but couldn’t have been more than a day. After Damien made sure his sister was okay, a nap was definitely in order.
Damien flew south, crossing the Great Green, and approached the badlands. Jen was moving northeast at a pretty good clip. What did his master have her up to now?
He angled a little more west and put on a burst of speed. Two minutes later Damien stopped dead in the sky. Below him an army quick marched up the main trade road. He didn’t bother to count them and from what he sensed there were hundreds of potent soul forces down there, including one that overshadowed Connor Blackman. That had to be the southern invaders Jen mentioned.
Kingdom soldiers flanked the enemy on either side as well as to the rear. Jen was on the western flank along with what he assumed was her squad. The ogres were going to have their hands full with a force this size. Hopefully they all killed each other without causing any more trouble for the kingdom.
He sensed his master’s approach a moment before she reached his side. “How are things underground?”
“Beats me. Al Elan and Dreamer are off doing disembodied spirit stuff. Neither saw fit to give me an explanation and Lizzy says they might be a long time finishing their task. I figured you could use my help more than them.”
“Another sorcerer is always welcome and heaven knows we could use you. Fortunately, both armies have been behaving themselves. I’ve allowed myself the hope that this madness will go off with nothing more than a loss of crops and some torn-up ground.”
The powerful soul force came rocketing up toward them. Damien sidled over beside his master to face a woman in black armor that fairly crackled with divine soul force. This had to be the enemy commander and if it wasn’t he didn’t want to meet whoever she answered to.
“This must be one of the more powerful priests you alluded to during our first meeting,” the woman said.
“Priest?” Damien asked.
“Our guests to the south refer to sorcerers as dragon priests. Damien, this is the Voice of the Fire King, the leader of the southern army. Damien is my apprentice.”
The Voice smiled. “When your master said there were a few priests stronger than her, she didn’t mention how much stronger. Can I convince you to join my army? The Fire King is most generous to those who serve him loyally. A priest of your power could easily end up ruling a province.”
Damien grinned. “That’s very generous, but I’m eighteen and I doubt I could run a fruit stand much less rule a province. I’m content where I am.”
The Voice shook her head and sighed. “I must meet your king and see what it is about him that keeps priests of such power loyal. Perhaps after the battle, when you’ve seen the skill of our army, you will change your mind.”
“Maybe,” Damien said. If she’d been able to read minds like Dahlmis she’d have realized just how big a lie that was, but the Voice seemed content to nod and glide back to her army. When she’d gone his grin vanished. “That is one scary woman.”
“Tell me about it. I can’t even image the damage she might do if we were on opposite sides of the fight. Could you defeat her, one on one?”
“I don’t know. Maybe, if I didn’t care about surviving the fight.”
I wouldn’t count on it. She’s like a human with the soul of a dragon.
“Yeah. You’d think containing that much divine soul force would kill her all by itself.”
“As long as she whittles down the ogres I don’t much care what happens to her,” the archmage said.
Damien seconded that. If the two champions killed each other it would suit him just fine.
Chapter Eighty-Three
Mid-morning had just arrived on the day before the equinox. The crisp air held a hint of the coming fall. It also held the stink of a thirty-thousand-strong army that hadn’t bathed in heaven only knew how long. Damien sat astride his conjured mount a thousand feet above the mass of humanity. If he got much closer, the Voice would attempt to convince him once more to join her side. So far, he’d managed to fend her off without giving offense, but how much longer he could keep it up he didn’t know. Lucky for him tomorrow was the big day.
Damien had been traveling with the southern army for nearly two weeks, freeing his master to spend most of her time to the north. Her last message indicated the ogres had been on their best behavior and that it looked like they’d reach the plains without incident. How forty thousand ogres and trolls could do anything without incident boggled his mind, not that he was complaining.
The really weird thing was that there’d been no sign of Al Elan. Whatever he and the dragon were doing, Damien hadn’t expected it to take two weeks.
He spotted Jen standing and waving at the edge of the road. She didn’t look worked up so it was probably nothing important. At his mental command the soul force construct descended and stopped beside her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Jen crossed her arms. “I was just wondering if you’d heard anything about our next move. Once we arrive and the two armies get a look at each other, maybe they’ll decide to make an early start. Are we supposed to keep them apart?”
“Hell no. If they want to go at it just stay out of the way. If there’s any question about that amongst the soldiers spread the word. No one raises a sword against the southerners unless it’s in self-defense.”
Jen blew out a sigh. “That’s what I figured, but we hadn’t gotten any actual orders and General Taos seemed anxious at the staff meeting last night.”
“Glad I missed it. I’m happy to avoid adding anxious generals to my list of worries, especially when I have so many real ones. Speaking of worries, how’s Marie-Bell? Any news from her angel?”
“No and if she tells me about it once more I’m going to scream.”
Damien grinned. “It’s not like we can find him and demand an answer. He—”
He turned and scanned the sky.
“What is it?” Jen shaded her eyes beside him.
“A message, but it’s coming in faster than usual. I don’t know what’s happened, but something’s got her upset.”
“I see it.” Jen pointed and he spotted the golden dot a moment later.
Damien charged his hand with soul force and held it out. The orb slammed into his palm, forcing him back a step, before vanishing and leaving a scroll behind. He unrolled it, read the brief message, then read it again to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood.
“He’s lost his mind,” Damien said.
“Who has?” Jen asked.
“Uncle Andy. He’s still at the plains. The archmage wants me to fly ahead and convince him to return to the capital.”
“I thought he was only staying for a day or two to see how the harvest was going.”
“So did everyone else.” Damien crumpled the scroll and reduced it to ash. “I guess he changed his mind.”
“Well, he is the king. If he wants to stay who’s going to tell him he has to leave?”
“Apparently me.”
Jen laughed. “Hang on, I’ll go with you. Just let me tell Edward he’s in charge until I get back.”
She vanished, leaving him to consider how best to convince the king to do something he didn’t want to.
“Do you have any ideas?”
Put him in a soul force bubble and don’t let him out until you’re at the castle.
“Ha! That would go over good. I can imagine his reaction. No, Uncle Andy, I kidnapped you for your own good. Yes, I’d love to spend the rest of my life patrolling the western ocean.”
Jen reappeared beside. “Did you say something?”
“I was talking to Lizzy. Are you ready?”
“Yes. Edward
wasn’t thrilled about assuming command again, but I think he can manage to march down the road without me looking over his shoulder.”
Damien conjured a chariot around them and shot into the air. As they flew he asked, “Any ideas about how we convince him to leave the field?”
“No, and I don’t think we should try.”
“Say what?”
“If Uncle Andy wants to witness the battle I say we just do our best to protect him. The poor guy’s been cooped up in the castle for months. He’s probably eager to get close to the action again. Remember, he’s a warlord as well as a king.”
“Yeah, but if anything happens…”
“If anything happens we’ll deal with it. Don’t go looking for trouble that might never show up.”
“Dad always said it was better to deal with a potential problem before it bit you.”
Jen rapped him on the shoulder. “I didn’t think you paid much attention to what Dad said.”
“Good point. Okay, we’ll do whatever Uncle Andy wants and you can explain to the archmage why we didn’t try and convince him to leave.”
Jen’s smile vanished. “Maybe we can at least mention the danger. Will that be enough to satisfy her?”
“Only if it works.”
She groaned as the plains came into view. The farmers along with the eastern army’s warlords and sorcerers had done an amazing job getting the harvest in. Nothing remained for the opposing armies to damage beyond stubs and a stray stalk of corn that someone missed. If he hadn’t seen it himself, Damien wouldn’t have believed such a feat was possible. Just went to show what a difference the right motivation could make.
“Do you see him?” Damien asked.
“Yeah, he’s at the edge of the farthest field with a bunch of Crimson Legion sorcerers and I think General Gauge.”
Damien homed in on the sorcerers’ soul force and descended. He landed a safe distance away so as not to startle Uncle Andy’s guards. Most of the legion knew Damien well enough to recognize his soul force so he wasn’t too worried about mistaken identity, but out in the field the guards got jumpy.
“For the last time, I’m not going back to the capital until this matter is settled,” Uncle Andy was saying in his sternest king voice. “Is that clear?”
General Gauge and the sorcerers all bowed. “Understood, Majesty.”
Uncle Andy smiled at Damien and Jen as they approached. “I swear, you’d think I was a feeble old man in need of constant babying to hear them talk. What brings you two here early?”
“The archmage wanted us to convince you to return to the capital,” Damien said. “I’m guessing you’re not interested.”
“You guess right. I’ve already received three letters from Lidia, four from my wife, and one from Karrie. If that didn’t convince me, you two aren’t going to.”
“You’ll tell her we tried though, right?” Jen asked.
Uncle Andy laughed. “You did everything but twist my arm. So how far out are they?”
“The southerners will be here in a couple hours,” Jen said.
“From my master’s last report I’d say the ogres aren’t far behind, maybe three hours.”
“We didn’t finish any too soon. The last load of barley rolled out twenty minutes ago along with the final noncombatants. The eastern army set up camp just beyond the fields. The bulk of the paladins arrived a week or so ago. I hate having all our forces so clustered in one place. If anything happens anywhere else in the kingdom our response will be slow if we can respond at all.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Damien said. “Anyone likely to cause trouble for us is already on their way here.”
Chapter Eighty-Four
Damien finished his tea and sighed. Even in the field, eating with the king was a treat. He hadn’t brought the palace cook, but whoever fixed their snack knew what they were doing. After their brief discussion Uncle Andy had led everyone back to camp to wait for the armies.
A large tent with a carved table, chairs, and complete tea set had been set up for their use. Damien strongly suspected it had been General Gauge’s command tent in a previous life, but if the general got the biggest tent in the army, the king got the biggest of all. Damien would have loved to have seen the look on the guard’s face when he learned the king was moving in.
Uncle Andy set his cup down and scratched three days’ worth of stubble. The queen never would have let him get away with a scruffy beard back home. It was probably one of the reasons he wasn’t in a hurry to return.
“What was your impression of the southerners?” Uncle Andy asked.
Damien glanced at Jen who said, “They’re disciplined, tough, and crazy strong. Plenty of their warlords could give me a run for my money and a few might even beat me. The archmage is terrified of their leader. She kept a cool expression, but her heart raced anytime the woman came close.”
“She’s wise to be afraid,” Damien said. “The Voice of the Fire King has dragon soul force running through her. One on one me and Lizzy might be able to take her, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. If it came to a fight I’d like the entire Crimson Legion on my side and maybe a demon or two. On the plus side, she seems totally focused on defeating the Ice Queen’s army. She even offered me a province to rule if I joined her side.”
“Generous,” Uncle Andy said. “I wonder what her master will think about her offer.”
“I doubt she can do anything the dragon doesn’t approve of,” Damien said. “I told her I wasn’t interested, several times, though I’m not certain she’s convinced. Anyway, I’m sure they won’t do anything that might hurt their chances tomorrow, so we’re safe for now.”
“Lidia tells me Sig and his ogre army is equally determined. Should be quite a show.”
No doubt. Especially if you liked blood and death. Damien didn’t especially like either, which was a shame given how much of it he’d seen.
The tent flap shifted and Nathanial poked his head in. “The southern vanguard is within sight of the plains, Majesty.”
“Right!” Uncle Andy stood and brushed a few crumbs off his shirt. “I’d best go say hello and welcome them to the country. You two coming?”
Jen sprang to her feet and Damien was right behind her. No way would they trust his safety to just the Crimson Legion. Not that Nathanial and his team weren’t skilled, but they lacked the raw power Damien brought to the field. Having a warlord along wouldn’t hurt either.
They left the tent and made the short walk to the plains. Damien stayed to the king’s right and Jen to his left. Nathanial’s legionnaires made a semicircle behind them. Their combined power was enough to smash a small army. Too bad they were going to meet a big one.
They reached the edge of the central field only minutes ahead of the southerners. The Voice marched at the head of the procession. When she spotted their group, she shouted something over her shoulder and continued on alone.
She stopped ten feet from Uncle Andy and nodded. “You are the king of this land. Your people have great loyalty. I am the Voice of the Fire King and I offer greetings in my master’s name. We are most grateful you allowed us safe passage through your country.”
“I am Andrew Lightbringer, as you guessed I rule this kingdom. While I would have preferred to avoid a war in my country, what must be, must be. I welcome you and wish you the best of luck in the coming battle. Your army is welcome to make camp…”
His speech trailed off as the ogre army appeared on the northern edge of the plains. A figure separated itself from the horde and flew toward them. The soul force felt familiar, but different. Damien couldn’t quite put his finger on why.
The answer arrived a moment later when Sig landed a few feet away. He was as big as ever, maybe bigger. His skin had taken on a blue tint and his hair was bleached almost white. Like the Voice, draconic soul force swirled through him.
“Sigurd,” Uncle Andy said. “Take yourself from my sight. I have nothing to say to a traitor.”
Sig
ignored Uncle Andy’s order. In fact, it looked like he hadn’t heard a word the king said. His ice-blue eyes were focused on Damien to the exclusion of all else, even his would-be opponent.
“I’m going to kill you,” Sig said.
Divine power surged from Sig’s core and the temperature dropped twenty degrees.
Damien reached for Lizzy’s hilt, but before she could clear the scabbard, the power flow halted.
Sig grimaced in pain and ground his palms into his eyes. “I know, but he’s right here. Please!”
He howled and arched his back, thrashing like a gut-hooked fish. Finally, he went still and turned his gaze on the Voice. “Tomorrow you die.”
He turned to Damien. “The day after that you die.”
Without another word he took to the air and flew back to his army.
The Voice arched a slender eyebrow. “I don’t think he likes you. If you join my army I can offer you protection.”
“I appreciate that,” Damien said. “But I figure you’re going to kill him anyway, so I should be safe enough.”
The Voice laughed. “I will find a way to convince you to join us if it’s the last thing I do. Until later.”
She left to rejoin her forces and Damien finally relaxed.
“I see you remain popular with the ladies,” Uncle Andy said. “Let us retire. I’m sure Lidia is waiting to give me a lecture about my careless disregard for my safety.”
Damien glanced back at the still-gathering armies and shuddered. Tomorrow was going to be a slaughter.
Chapter Eighty-Five
In the dim afternoon light Marie-Bell and Imogen walked side by side down the road toward the kingdom camp. Beside them, the fields looked barren and depressing, a fitting setting for the battle tomorrow. With the southerners’ army settling in for the night, they both decided the time had come to check in with their respective superiors. Imogen seemed eager for a new assignment.
For her part, Marie-Bell wasn’t looking forward to reporting in. She’d never really fit in with the other paladins and did her best to avoid gatherings. There was no help for it this time. Her angel remained silent about the threat and she had to know if any of the others had heard anything. Surely some of the higher-ranking officers must know what was going on.
Dreaming in the Dark: Chains of the Fallen Volume 1 (Soul Force Saga Book 4) Page 29