by Tom Rogal
On the battlefield, the remaining Ettui forces slowed their advance. Not many more were coming out of the mountain now. Eraddor noticed the enemy defense was weakening and ordered his troops to push forward. The separated right flank of the front line was obliterated, allowing his troops to attack from the sides as well. The Ettui, seeing their formation falling apart, opted for a new strategy. A few men fell dead to Ettui spears that were lobbed at the Cordcan and elven forces. Eraddor knew that the way his offense was lined up left many of his men open to this attack. He quickly ordered the fresh troops near the back of the line to come ahead.
Eraddor yelled, “Cover the defenses up front! We’ll cover you!”
The men from the back rushed in front of the other troops. These men were the only ones left on the line with shields as most had to be ditched during the breakdown of the enemy line. Shields made it harder to pursue retreating lines because of their bulk and weight. They arrived just as the next wave of spears reached the troops. All but one spear missed their mark. Eraddor thrust his sword at the Ettui before him.
Levus, with Divi’s help, held his own very well. The Ettui forces were confused at how the stones attacked them. One of the enemy archers who lingered around spotted Divi near the ship’s exit and fired an arrow toward her. It hit the ship a few centimeters from her head. At the near miss, she lost her concentration for a few seconds, dropping her staff in the process. Levus had spotted the archer’s action and quickly disposed of him. He turned back toward the mountain to see another group approaching him. These guys just don’t quit! He adjusted his grip on the Moonsaber, keeping it tight. The sword gave its distinct glow as he prepared his attack.
“Circle of Fate!”
He once again performed the mysterious Technique killing every Ettui that remained in its path. As it ended, Levus reviewed the situation. The concentration of Ettui soldiers was greatly lessened. Many had already retreated. The human and elven forces on the battlefield chased them, but the Ettui were simply too fast. The mages had stopped firing magic and even some of the half-elves came out of the ship to attend to the wounded. Yet to his right, Levus spotted three Ettui approaching. About three Ettui were nearing his path. He readied his weapon and waited until they got closer.
Suddenly, the changed direction and past him toward the mountains. Levus was confused. He’d been outnumbered, yet they let him go without a fight. Were they scared?
“Come to me.”
The army that this alliance faced was not very big. The Ettui . . . they seemed like they were holding back. They didn’t even use any of their reserves. He thought Thamalos said they would be more aggressive. The ones on Dyyros made these seem like tame kittens.
Levus yelled, “Stay here and fight, you cowards!”
“Come to me in the mountains.”
Again Levus looked back toward the mountains. For some reason, his eyes were drawn up to a cliff as a group of Ettui moved past him without fighting. On a stone balcony, he was able to make out a familiar figure. He’d know that long, flowing white hair anywhere. It was Kile! What was he doing here? Had Ulcinar and the Ettui formed an alliance? That would be disturbing news indeed.
Divi, scanning the area, happened to look over at Levus. She felt the confusion inside his mind. She even thought she felt another presence in there as well. Who else would be trying to speak to him through his thoughts? This intruder felt different from the other one who had invaded his mind before. It wasn’t Ulcinar this time, as she knew what his voice sounded like. She wished the ones responsible would stop doing this to her Levus.
Levus continued to stare at Kile, who slyly smiled toward his archrival before returning back inside the mountain. The boy’s eyes remained fixed on the location Kile had stood.
“Come back to me, boy.”
“Levus!”
He shook his head when the female voice entered his head saying his name. Finally, a familiar and welcoming voice! He turned around to see the men celebrating. Levus gave the mountain one more glance before walking over to the rest of the army.
Divi watched her returning hero with great concern. If only she could know what he was experiencing so she could help him. Her thoughts were halted, though, when Thamalos and Tasi both came out of the body of the ship. The elf prince didn’t give her much attention, but Tasi stormed over to her. She had never seen him this mad before.
“What were you thinking? You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” he scolded.
Divi really didn’t want to answer him. Tasi was a good person, but she knew he wore his emotions instead of hiding them. Saying the wrong thing might set him off. There were times she appreciated how he wanted to protect her. This was not one of them.
Tasi looked down at her and commented, “I can see how your father had some difficulty with you.”
He hit a very sour point with Divi and he knew it. A small fire grew in her eyes as she slammed her staff on the ground.
She yelled, “You didn’t know him like I did! You don’t know the pain he made me feel! No one should have the power to control anyone’s life except their own!”
Tasi realized his mistake, but right now would be too late to apologize. She had already stormed off onto the battlefield to meet with Levus in the middle of the churched-up mud, staggering around dead Ettui, telepathically recovering her staff. Tasi gave a deep sigh as he rejoined Thamalos.
Levus walked over to the main forces of the army, who were now treating the wounded and recovering their fallen comrades. As they passed, he saw here standing there: Divi. The went into each other’s arms and gave an emotional hug.
Eraddor felt for the pulse of one of the men and looked down in disappointment. Dakarius, one of the commanders who had remained on the ship came out to greet him.
Dakarius reported, “Our troops in the ship are ready to continue if necessary, though I would be against going, at least until first light. We had to use more to reinforce the front lines than expected, so we have only about wo hundred strong and rested.”
Eraddor said, “I don’t think we need to. The Ettui forces have retreated into the mountains. It will need some planning before continuing forward.”
Levus returned with Divi a few feet behind him, and at the same time Thamalos reached Eraddor with Tasi right behind him.
Eraddor said, “Thank you for your cover fire. It helped us greatly on the ground.”
“We must go to the mountains now.”
Dakarius and Eraddor looked at each other in confusion.
Dakarius asked, “Why now?”
Thamalos insisted, “As long as they have the mountain, they still have the advantage. The Palace of Thorii was always an important place strategically.”
Eraddor placed his hand on his elf friend’s shoulder.
“The ground troops are tired. They need some rest before continuing. Even if we send reinforcements in the ships it would not be enough,” commented Eraddor.
He replied, “We do not need a large group. At least seven, but few more. They will not be expecting it. They are not even blowing their horns for quick reinforcements. This proves they feel they have more than enough time to prepare to attack again. Besides, I have a feeling.”
Tasi stepped up next to Thamalos. “I know it sounds like suicide, but I agree with the elf. The troops will be sitting ducks if the Ettui resupply on archers. Taking the mountain before dawn will give us the high ground and thus the advantage.”
Eraddor looked over the rest of the people who had convened. A lengthy silence formed between the leaders of the different races.
Levus finally walked next to Thamalos.
“This would be smart. We should keep these . . . Ettui on the move and not let them resupply with troops or weapons. I’m in.”
Thetalis, who was on the outskirts of the group, quickly walked to the center after he heard the boy’s acceptance to Thamalos’ proposal.
“I’ll go too,” he said. “You’ll need as many projectile weapons as you c
an.”
Eraddor looked at the four in silence.
Dakarius leaned over to talk in Eraddor’s ear. “This is crazy talk. We must think . . .”
“I know, Dakarius,” interrupted Eraddor. “But they have a point. You don’t have to go, but I must.”
Eraddor flashed a smile at Thamalos, and he returned it. Dakarius threw his hands up in disbelief. This was not a smart move. Who knew how many Ettui were still in the mountains? Yet here were just a handful of people going in to do the job an army should be doing. He realized, though, that no matter what he countered with, it was a choice that would not be overturned. Thamalos, after all, was technically the general of this expedition and Eraddor his second-in-command. If they both agreed on something, the decision was most likely final.
“I’m going too.”
Everyone turned around to see Divi running up. She stopped just in front of the group. Tasi wanted to disagree to her declaration, but knew that it would be pointless. He was already on her bad side at the moment.
Levus went to her and their eyes locked. He spoke to her softly, but sternly.
“Divi, you don’t have to do this. It’s going to be dangerous in there. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
She countered, “Like it was out here, yet I’m still standing. You of all people should know how much help I can be!”
Tasi walked to Levus and leaned over to say in his ear, “I wouldn’t argue with her. Trust me. I know.”
Levus gave a long sigh before facing the mages, primarily Divi, “All right. Let’s go.”
The group of six all nodded as Eraddor joined to Dakarius.
Eraddor ordered, “Stay with the troops. We will have Tasi give a sign when the mountain is clear. Then we’ll move the troops in. It will provide better shelter than our tents. If those clouds are any indication, we might be getting rain in the next hour or two.”
Dakarius looked around before answering Eraddor. “Just don’t get yourself killed. The troops, for some reason, look up to you.”
Eraddor turned back to his friends.
“Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 16
Innards of the Beast
The ruins of the elven palace ruins, located inside the large mountain they fought in front of, were dark and murky. They had entered the area almost an hour ago, moving cautiously. Thamalos led with Eraddor behind him. Divi stay to the back with Tasi and Levus.
Divi almost couldn’t breathe as they walked down a corridor leading to a large plaza area. The room had a bluish tint because of moon’s light that seeped through the cracks, giving it an eerie feeling. Maybe it was the setting, which reminded her of some of the ghost stories she’d heard as a child. She never really liked the stories because it always seemed that the poor person who encountered the ghost died in a similar way to the haunting specter, regardless of innocence. There had to be many spirits here if Thamalos’ telling of the massacre that happened here was true−ones she hoped would stay rested while they were here.
Levus was amazed at the silence. Even their footsteps seemed muffled inside the walls of the ancient palace. Despite the presence of a slight wind, not even the dust moved. It was like a picture frozen in time.
Thamalos examined the area before moving forward. The only sound their footsteps. The group separated a little to examine the atrium. Before they entered the palace, Levus made sure to return the amulet to his neck. He was sure the Great Tree had no sway here, but he didn’t want that evil voice talking to him. Not now.
It was a very large room with many niches within the walls, presumably for merchants. Rugs and carpets still rested on the ground, untouched for many generations. The large fountain in the center was dry and silenced. It had not seen water, the giver of life, for years. It was fully intact, though, except for some scratch marks. At its center stood a sculpture of many female and male elves naked and holding each other. Thamalos briefly explained that it represented fertility, but would not expand on that thought. He wasn’t too much in the mood to explain what happened here. It must have been quite a beauty to see when the elves lived here.
The ceiling was very high, with places on a second level for more shops to be positioned. Sadly, they would not be used again as the stone ramps to them had been obliterated some time ago. They would have to be completely rebuilt. Holes in the ceiling allowed for light to enter, seemingly in key spots so that they illuminated the room without the aid of added torches or lanterns. Arches and other features of elven architecture still survived the test of time as well as the Ettui.
Levus was the first to notice a cluster of arrows that were stuck in the wall beside a door, “What happened here?”
Thamalos was on the other end of the room, but still heard him.
“This is where the last battle began. The brave people here defended the royal chambers so we could escape.”
“This used to be your home?” asked Levus.
“Thousands of years ago, yes. This plaza was where the trading was done . . . I want to warn everyone that no elf has been here since our escape all those years ago. I don’t know what we’re going to see, but it might not be pleasant.”
Divi commented, “I hope that this smell has nothing to do with it.”
Levus rejoined the group. Something didn’t feel right. Thamalos had said that a great battle took place here, yet where were the bones of the fallen? He did suppose that the Ettui could’ve taken them away, but from his few experiences with them, he knew they were not creatures obsessed with cleanliness.
Thamalos led the group up a large stone staircase to a doorway. The doors had been torn away at the sides. They proceeded carefully up.
Divi could understand how important silence was at this point. There were still many Ettui who had survived the battle on the plains. The more she thought about it, the more brilliant Thamalos’ plan to take a small group for clean-up was. This whole time, the elf prince kept an arrow on his bow ready to fire. Since he was using the magic arrow from the sacred quiver, the tip provided a small amount of extra light.
When they reached the top of the staircase, Thamalos led them through the doorway cautiously. This hallway was so dark that the light from the arrow did little good. Tasi stepped up and summoned a turquoise ball to his hand, providing more than enough light. Pictures were still on the walls and wooden and stone furniture lay in ruins. The group moved slowly down the corridor. Levus began to wonder where they were in the mountain. The most important question in his head, though, was where Kile had disappeared to.
As Thamalos neared one of the wooden tables, a pair of skeletons with arrows gouged in between the ribs and where their chest would have been, sat silently against a wall. He quickly turned the other way. Levus assumed that those bodies were some of his brethren. They passed a few more doorways that had been ripped open, but he could see nothing. Neither Thamalos nor Tasi were willing to point the light in either direction.
At the end of the hall was a large room with a group of bridges above and below their group. It reminded Levus a lot of the seaside caves that Divi and he had traveled through back on Dyyros. In order to see better, Tasi enlarged the magic ball on his hand. When they stepped on the bridge, a pack of bat-like creatures flew up with webbed wings, their scales glittering. Startled, everyone stood still until the sounds of the creatures died away. It was tough to determine where they’d gone because of the echo. After a few minutes, they continued forward. It seemed to take forever for Levus. He still questioned why they had to move so slowly. They had not seen a single Ettui warrior since entering the mountain, which was odd.
“Come to me.”
Levus clenched the sword tighter. The group entered a narrow hallway with so many windows that it looked more like a balcony. They must have been facing the inner depths of the mountain, as they could only see other parts of the palace from their view.
Thamalos remembered how the mountain used to be littered with life. Green trees, plants, and flowers used to cover
the inner sanctuary of the palace. Now all that remained were dead trees and skeletons of the bushes. It made him sick to his stomach to see what had become of his beautiful home.
Eraddor suddenly pulled aside the elf prince and asked, “You said that you had a feeling that was part of the reason for coming in so urgently. What was that feeling?”
“I didn’t want to tell this in front of the others. This Ettui defense . . . normally they are tenacious in battle, fighting with all their might at least until the leader is killed. We didn’t kill the leader. Once the organized part of the line was broken, they retreated. Why? They still had over four thousand behind them. They were ordered to put a minimal fight and then fall back. I want to know who ordered them. He must be near. If we had waited until morning, he may be long gone. We may not even have to go to the capital if we can capture him and get our answers.”
That would be something indeed. If what he said was true, they could end this assault in hours and finally get to the meat of whoever was behind this. Was this the Ettui acting alone? Or worse, was there someone pulling their strings? As he said, no Ettui leader would order his troops to break off an assault having such great odds. And if Darca wasn’t the one calling the shots, then who was?
Levus certainly knew, overhearing their conversation. He had seen Kile, taunting him silently from a distance. He could have informed them, but what good would it had done? If this was a set-up, Kile was already long gone. He wouldn’t risk staying around, even though his instincts convinced him that the swordsman from Dyyros was still lurking in the vicinity. Maybe he should tell them.
The jewel on the Moonsaber began to flicker ever so slightly. On second thought . . . no, he’d keep this one close to the chest. They are on a need to know basis and quite frankly, they didn’t need to know a damn thing.
The moonlight shone brightly enough as they moved forward on the balcony that Tasi was able to negate the magic spell. Levus still gripped his sword with both hands. The amulet around his neck flickered, but nothing more. The jewel on the sword began to get brighter.