Evil Within

by Richard S. Tuttle

"I will tell them," Paki replied firmly. "I will be staying with them, and I think you will be surprised by their reactions to my decision. Odessians are not a selfish people. We are very much like the beauties that we are famous for. We are the herd, and the herd knows how to sacrifice properly. Carry out my orders."

  The soldiers filed out of the room, and Paki returned to stare out the window. A tear formed in the corner of his eye as he thought of families being separated from one another, but he held no regret concerning his orders.

  Within two hours the exodus began. Every wagon in the city had been confiscated and children were loaded aboard. After a while, Paki left the palace and walked to the marketplace where the elderly had gathered to help with the loading of the children. Someone saw him approaching and the crowd grew silent. Paki walked to the center of the marketplace and climbed up onto a stall. When he spoke his voice boomed over the silent crowd.

  "By now you have heard my orders," Paki shouted. "My young officers think that my actions are cruel to abandon the elderly and the infirm, but they do not know the heart of an old Odessian. They do not realize that what we love most about this country is the hope of its future, that our children and their children will have better lives than we have had. They think because we are old that we are preoccupied with the fear of death, but the opposite is closer to the truth. We will stay and greet the Borundans so that our loved ones will not have to. At least that is how this old Odessian feels. Am I wrong? Should we take our places in the wagons and leave the younger ones to fight?"

  The crowd shouted negatively, and a wide grin spread across the Odessian's face. Many of the old men and women started shouting taunts aimed at the Borundans, but it was one old crippled woman that caught Paki's eye. He had been introduced to her when she was brought back to Oran from visiting with King Rihad. Her name was Naveena and she was the former regent of Borunda.

  Naveena had climbed onto a stall near the edge of the marketplace and had fastened a large white cloth to the wall of an inn. She dipped her finger into a bottle of ink and wrote on the sheet in large letters. Paki's grin spread ear to ear as he read the message she had inscribed with her finger. He raised his arm and pointed to the sign with a nod of appreciation.

  "Welcome Borundans," Paki read out loud, "conquerors of the infirm and feeble."

  Chapter 65 - Fall of Oran

  Fall of Oran

  General Bassner reined his horse to the right and left the column of soldiers marching up the Koar-Oran Road. A dozen bodyguards with crossbows and six officers followed the general as he rode to the top of a small hill. He halted at the summit of the hill and gazed at the city of Oran, the jewel of Odessian trade. At once he noticed the lack of wall guards, and a broad smile spread over his face. He had succeeded in reaching the city undetected.

  He glanced to the left and watched his army march on the city. His men were professional in their approach. Cavalry units preceded the infantry column in an attempt to kill any defenders found outside the walls, and the foremost ranks of the infantry were those units trained to secure the gates if they managed to reach them before they were closed. The general looked back at the city and saw that the gates were already closed. The smile began to fade.

  "Something is not right," the general murmured. "Why are the gates closed?"

  "The city appears to be undefended," offered one of the officers. "I do not see a single Odessian anywhere."

  The general turned and glared at the officer before kicking his horse into motion. General Bassner raced down off the hill and alongside the road to the forwardmost positions of his army. His bodyguards and officers hurried to keep up with him. When he reached the area near the gates, his cavalry sat mystified staring at the closed gates.

  "Open those gates," shouted General Bassner. "Get the rams up here."

  Several of the infantrymen ran forward and pulled on the gates. They swung open. The soldiers shook their heads in wonder and peered into the city.

  "There is no one here," one of the soldiers announced.

  The general looked at the cavalry officer and scowled, "Move through the gates. Find out where the Odessians are hiding and report back to me."

  The cavalry officer shouted orders to his men. They drew their swords and charged through the gates. Filled with impatience and feeling cheated out of his victory, the general ordered the infantry to march into the city. The huge column of soldiers started marching through the gates of Oran. It was over half an hour later before the cavalry officer returned, shouting for the continuous column of infantry to give way so he could exit the city. He finally succeeded in passing through the gates and rode to where General Bassner sat waiting.

  "The only people in the city are the old and feeble," the officer reported. "They are all gathered in the marketplace."

  "Inconceivable," snorted the general. "Did you search the palace?"

  "We did," nodded the officer. "Not even the palace staff was present. There is no one there."

  The general's eyes narrowed and he kicked his horse. His entourage quickly followed as the general rode straight into the line of infantry still flowing through the gates. Infantrymen shouted and leaped aside as the general rode through their line. Oran's defensive walls were a series of concentric rings around the city center, and General Bassner looked around the city as he passed through each set of gates. When he arrived at the marketplace, his soldiers had the entire area surrounded. Hundreds of old people sat on the ground staring blankly at the soldiers around them. The general dismounted, barely able to control his rage.

  As the general gazed around the marketplace, he saw a large white cloth with a message written in ink. His temples pounded and his veins bulged so much that he looked as if they would pop through his skin at any moment. The general's eyes searched the crowd for the person with the stained finger. When he found the woman dressed in black, his eyes grew large at the sight of her. The general recognized Naveena, and he immediately extended his arm and pointed directly at her.

  "Kill her!" he shouted. "Kill her now!"

  A dozen crossbows released simultaneously. Naveena's body was torn apart as multiple quarrels ripped into her body. The general was visibly shaking with fear, and the Odessians focused their attention on him. The old men and women realized that the general was out of his mind and fear grew within them, but their faces remained blank, refusing to show any emotion. At that moment, Paki stood up in the middle of the marketplace.

  "She was a visitor from your country, I believe," Paki said calmly hoping to calm the general down. "I am Paki, and I am in charge of this city. We left the gates unlocked so that you would not have to destroy them."

  "She was a witch," snarled the general.

  "The Talent was burned out of her," Paki replied. "She was only harmful to herself. Like the rest of us, she did not have long to live regardless of the events of today."

  General Bassner's veins started to subside, but the rage still flowed within him. "Where are the people?" he asked.

  "They left days ago," answered Paki. "Some boys saw your army advancing, and the decision was made to abandon Oran. There were not enough wagons or horses for all of us. We are all that is left of Oran."

  "Where were the others taken?" snapped the general.

  "They were sent eastward," replied Paki. "They will be taken to Natura."

  Paki felt no need to mention the winter winds and the danger they posed to travel along the Oran-Natura Road. While all Odessians knew of the dangerous winds, not many foreigners had heard more than a passing mention of them. One could not appreciate such danger if he had not witnessed it himself.

  The general was at a loss of what to do. He had envisioned a glorious battle and a victory celebration, but there was nothing to celebrate. He had been cheated out of an historic moment by a bunch of old men and women. While he was deciding what to do, an officer stepped up behind him.

  "The king is entering the city," whispered the officer.

  The general
turned and walked away from the captives. He passed through the ring of soldiers and waited by the innermost gates. He did not have long to wait before King Zinan and his small escort arrived.

  "It is over already?" frowned King Zinan as he reached the general. "I expected the battle to rage for days."

  "They abandoned the city," reported General Bassner. "They left only the aged and infirm behind."

  "They fled?" the king asked with a puzzled expression. "Why?"

  "Their spokesman said that they saw us coming," shrugged the general, "but I do not believe him. We moved through the forest of Capri for over half the trip. We only moved onto the road when the river forced us to."

  "I am not surprised that they saw you coming," frowned King Zinan, "but where is the Odessian army? Take me to this spokesman."

  The king dismounted and followed the general. They halted at the edge of the marketplace and the general pointed to Paki. King Zinan's eyes scanned the hundreds of old people and his eyes fell on Naveena's shattered body. He could not believe his eyes. He stormed through the crowd of Odessians and stood over the wisper's body. He noticed her dyed finger and glanced up at the sign.

  "How long has this woman been in Oran?" he demanded to know.

  "She arrived months ago," answered Paki. "She no longer possessed the Talent so we let her stay."

  "What words did she bring with her?" asked King Zinan.

  "I cannot say," shrugged Paki. "She told me nothing."

  King Zinan marched through the crowd of seated Odessians until he reached Paki. He placed his hands on the Odessian's head. Paki's eyes bulged and eventually rolled up in his head as he collapsed to the ground. King Zinan seethed with anger and marched back to General Bassner.

  "You will hold this city," the king instructed the general. "Rest your men for a few days and then head eastward. You are to conquer Natura."

  "As my king wishes," frowned the general. "Is that where the Odessian army is camped?"

  "The Odessian army will not bother you," replied King Zinan. "Naveena told the Odessians of our plans to attack Caroom. The Odessians will be massed on the eastern frontier. Fortunately, I anticipated that the Odessians might stick their noses into my business. They will find no way to gain access to Vineland. They will be forced to ride north around Lom and they will arrive too late to do any good. Seize Natura while they are gone."

  "I shall take another Odessian city for the glory of Borunda," smiled the general.

  "Hopefully the next one will require some skill of your soldiers," scoffed the king. "You are to drive the old people before you on the trek to the east. Any Odessians scattered in the sands will refuse to attack your column for fear of hurting the old people, and there is another reason. The spokesman's mind revealed a certain danger in the winter winds. It may be hard to see the Oran-Natura Road at times, but these old people will know where it is. Make them guide you to Natura."

  The king started to walk away when he suddenly halted and turned back to face the general.

  "Send a dozen riders to Caxon," instructed King Zinan. "Inform General Vanatay that the Odessians will be heading north around Lom and will be approaching Caxon from the west. Make sure they are fast riders or they will not arrive before the Odessians. They are to ride day and night. Send word to me in Capri when Natura is in your hands."

  * * *

  The warriors stood staring at the destroyed bridge. Splintered timbers and collapsed stone columns littered both banks of the river. Prince Derri's eyes scanned the forests on the far bank of the river and shook his head.

  "There is no sign of the Salacian army over there," he announced.

  "There would be no reason for them to be there after the destruction of the bridge," replied Prince Antion. "Whatever your father had planned, he will have to make new plans now. It will take months to replace that bridge, and the flow of the river during spring melt makes it impossible to cross any other way."

  "Could King Zinan really have done this?" asked Sandar. "I cannot imagine the power that must have been used."

  "He could do it," Jared declared solemnly. "The Talent is the most powerful force of all."

  "But for what purpose?" asked Monte. "If the Salacians had planned on coming to Caroom's aid, they would have already been across this bridge. We know that King Zinan had not yet reached this spot until well after we left Caxon, so what were the Salacians doing here?"

  "They were obviously poised on the border to take action," posed Prince Derri. "Salacia felt no threat from Odessia or Caroom. Even if General Vanatay succeeded in capturing Caxon, it would take him a month to move his army to this bridge. My father would never move his army that prematurely and show his hand in doing so. The soldiers were poised to attack, but attack where?"

  "Well," mused Sandar, "there is nothing up here for them to attack, so whatever they were after, they could use the bridge at Anatar to cross the river and still get to where they were going."

  "That is assuming that they have an additional month to reach their destination," scowled Prince Derri. "That is how long it would take the army to reach Koar through Anatar. It would have been easier to let King Caedmon handle the problem."

  "Unless my father already has a problem of his own," Prince Antion said with concern. "Didn't King Justin mention that Zinan had taken a wife?"

  "Princess Tamil of Capri," nodded Winona.

  "Which gives King Zinan an opening to move his armies right up to the Arin border," Prince Antion nodded knowingly. "The Salacians were poised to attack the Borundans from the rear when Zinan attacks Anatar."

  "That makes sense," agreed Prince Derri. "That is something our fathers would work together on. King Caedmon could hold the Borundans at the Anatar bridge while the Salacians got into position to attack from the rear. It is a sound strategy."

  "And one that will fail," Prince Umal pointed out. "The Arinites will not even know that the Salacians will be unable to come to their aid. Because of that, they will hold off destroying their own bridge."

  "And the Borundans will be able to move into Anatar over the bridge," nodded Prince Antion.

  "What if the Arinites destroyed the bridge?" asked Winona.

  "That would only hold the Borundans at bay for two weeks," answered Prince Antion. "As soon as the rush of the spring melt fades, there are numerous fords across the Arin River. The Borundans will be able to flow into Arin in a dozen places. My father would never be able to guard them all with sufficient troops to turn back the attack."

  "And the Salacians will still be marching back from this bridge," added Prince Derri. "They will not be in a position to help."

  "King Zinan overlooked one thing," smiled Prince Umal. "The Odessians would surely come to the aid of Arin."

  "Only if they know what is going on," Monte pointed out. "Your people are busy in the east with Vineland."

  "A perfect plan," frowned Talot. "King Zinan may be evil, but he is no fool. He has managed to tie up all of the armies of the Land of the Nine Kingdoms at the same time. It does not even matter that we saved Caxon from the Vinelanders or freed Vineland from his tyranny. That was just a feint to keep the eastern countries away from the real battle. He will sweep through Arin and then Salacia one at a time instead of facing them together."

  "Where is Zinan now?" Prince Antion asked Jared.

  "He is far to the south of us," answered Jared. "We should not waste any more time here talking about things that we cannot affect. We have an appointment that must be kept."

  The warriors mounted their Odessian beauties and headed south towards Oran. They had not been on the road more than an hour when Prince Derri shouted an alarm.

  "A dozen riders approaching," warned the Salacian prince. "Be alert. They appear to be in a great hurry."

  The area of southwestern Caroom that they were riding in was a vast plain of rolling grasslands. As the road rose up over the next hill, the twelve galloping riders were plainly visible to all.

  "Borundans!" shouted Pr
ince Derri.

  "Ready your bow, Monte," ordered Prince Antion as he drew his sword, "and stay next to Jared." To the others in the group, the Arin prince commanded, "I want one of them kept alive. I want to know what is going on from a Borundan perspective."

  Monte and Jared halted at the top of the rise. The archer drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. The other warriors drew their weapons and waited for the order to attack.

  The charging Borundans saw the small group at the top of the next rise, but they did not slow their advance. They drew their swords and charged up the hill.

  "Whenever you are ready, Monte," Prince Antion said softly.

  A few moments of silence preceded the snap of Monte's bowstring. The arrow flew true and slammed into the chest of the lead Borundan rider. The six warriors shouted loudly and charged down the hill. A second Borundan rider toppled from his horse with an arrow in his chest before the two groups met in a clash of steel.

  Prince Umal charged through the center of the Borundans with his twin scimitars slashing left and right. Prince Antion and Winona veered to the right, while Prince Derri and Sandar angled to the left. Both flanking moves were meant to squeeze the Borundans together where Talot waited with his double-bladed axe. The long two-handed swords gave a decided advantage to the warriors and the battle was over quickly. Several Borundans were wounded and Prince Antion dismounted and knelt by the side of one of them. He tried asking questions, but the Borundan refused to answer. In frustration, the Arin prince moved to the other wounded men, but he found none of the Borundans to be cooperative. In desperation he turned to Winona.

  "You have the skills of a wisper," he pleaded. "Reach into their minds and tell me what is going on."

  "I will not," Winona shook her head vigorously. "Such a use of the Talent is evil. You do not understand what you are asking of me. I refuse."

  "These two have died," announced Prince Derri as he stared down at the wounded Borundans. "There is only one left."

  "I had a wisper reach into my mind in Anatar," frowned Prince Antion. "It did not hurt her any, although she also refused at first."