Tarrin Kael Firestaff Collection Book 3 - Honor and Blood by Fel ©

by James Galloway (aka Fel)

  "After ye appeared, the rest of the plan went into motion," he began, drawing lines in the sand. "The agents of the ki'zadun gathered up the Dal armies and invaded Sulasia with Goblinoid reinforcements. Afterwards, they commited enough border atrocities in Ungardt to incite those warrior people, and managed to frame the Tykarthians. Then they sent their Fae-da'kii to the Stormhaven Isles, to whip up such a row that the Folk there closed off their islands, yes. The next phase, it is happening now, yes. The Draconians have mached into the Bone Fields, and intend to destroy their ancient enemies, the Tykarthians. What they don't know is that the ki'zadun have commited more atrocities in Ungardt and laid the blame on them. This will rally all the Ungardt clans, and a very ugly war will ensue to the north, a war that will leave none but the Ungardt standing."

  "But what's all this for?" Tarrin asked curiously.

  "Ye not be schooled in the art of warfare," Jegojah noted. "All this, it was done to completely isolate Sulasia. With all its neighbors either engaged in wars or in disarray, Sulasia, she can get no support, no."

  "But why would they get involved in a war between Sulasia and Daltochan to begin with?" Tarrin asked.

  "Because of the Goblinoids, for one, and later other unnatural things," Jegojah replied. "Tykarthia and Ungardt and Shacè, they would not interpose in a war between Sulasia and Daltochan, but should forces of Ogres and undead skeletons and Demons and other vile things appear, that would rally forth the the humans of the West to face this unnatural foe. The Dals and the ki'zadun have done well, yes, very well to hide the true numbers of the Goblinoids that aid the army. A few battalions of Waern and Dargu and Trolls are enough to catch the eye, yes, but not enough to raise a general cry. Long was it known that some Goblinoids cooperated with the Dals in limited means. Certain treaties and rules existed, yes, to keep Goblinoid and Dal from eternal warfare in the mountain terrain they share. No stretch, it would be, to see some limited numbers of Goblinoids allied with the Dals to fight a common enemy. But the numbers of these forces the ki'zadun will use, they will raise alarm all through the West, all the way to Yar Arak, Godan-Nyr, and even Arathorn and Valkar."

  Now Tarrin understood. Jegojah was right. So far, the rumors of Goblinoids hadn't raised much of a fuss in other kingdoms. But when word got out that there were huge numbers of very unnatural creatures attacking Sulasia, that would unite the humans together in common cause to fight off these unnatural foes.

  "I see now, but why such a force?" Tarrin asked. "It wouldn't take something like this to capture a city."

  "Suld, she is not an ordinary city, Were-cat," Jegojah replied. "It is a very well defended city, and add to that, yes, that it is the home of the Tower of Six Spires, and the katzh-dashi. It would take an overwhelming army to take Suld, because the ki'zadun knows that if they were to attack Suld, the Goddess of the Sorcerers would rise up and personally intervene."

  "If they know that, then why are they bothering to try?"

  "Because they have a god of their own," Jegojah replied. "Did ye not know that the ki'zadun seek the Firestaff not for themselves, but to free Val?"

  Tarrin was stunned. He did not know that. They were going to use the Firestaff to free Val, the rogue god that the ancient sorceress Spyder imprisoned?

  Jegojah chuckled. "Jegojah, he sees that ye did not know," he said. "That is what all of this is about. The ki'zadun, it has long been the dark organization of Val, and its objective is to free their god from his prison. Entrapped, Val is, but he still can wield some power in the world, and that power would be used, yes, to allow the ki'zadun to attack and take Suld. They seek to raze the Tower, for it is the central power of the Goddess and the katzh-dashi. Without the Tower and the Goddess, Val would have no serious opposition to finding the Firestaff."

  "The power of the Sorcerers isn't based in the Tower," Tarrin objected.

  "It is, yes," Jegojah countered. "All gods, even Val, are represented in the mortal plane by an icon, an object, that represents them here. Destroy that icon, and the god loses contact with the world until he can create another. And that can take centuries. Spyder entrapped Val's godly spirit into his icon, forcing him into the mortal world, which drastically reduced his power. Even an Elder god like the Goddess of the kazth-dashi is restricted in this manner. But in the case of the Goddess, if her icon was to be destroyed, the Weave itself would change, and it would no longer be close enough for Sorcerers to touch. All other magic would still work, but all the katzh-dashi would lose their powers."

  Tarrin gave Jegojah a shocked look. Mother, is that true? he had to ask.

  It is very true, my kitten, she said seriously. If they destroy my icon, my power will be lost to my Children. That means that all the Sorcerers would be stripped of their powers, and I doubt very many would survive it. The Weavequake it would cause would be catastrophic, akin to another Breaking. Only the weakest of my Children, those least connected to the Weave, would survive the disaster.

  "The ki'zadun, they think they know where the icon of the Goddess is, yes. In the Tower of Six Spires."

  Tarrin knew exactly where and what it was. It was that statue in the center of the hedge maze. That statue never seemed to be a statue, it had always seemed alive. Well, in a way, it was alive. It was the physical representation of the Goddess, and from it, from her, all magic into the world flowed. The Heart was not in the middle of the center Tower, as many believed. The true Heart was in the middle of that maze. It was merely overshadowed by the Conduit that came up through the center Tower, using it as a diversion, a shield, to conceal the icon's presence.

  "So, the strife in the West, it is but a plan to get a large enough army, filled with all manner of powerful and dark creatures, close enough to Suld to destroy it before the rest of the human world rises up to intercede." Jegojah looked at Tarrin. "All of this is, it is being done to banish your Goddess from the mortal world. Yes."

  Tarrin was awed, and he was horrified. It was a clever plan, clever and thorough. They could get rid of the Sorcerers, remove Tarrin, and get to the Firestaff unopposed, all in one fell swoop. All they had to do was take Suld. It was a very well-formed plan, he had to admit, looking at it, and had been successful up to that point. The conditions were indeed perfect for what they were doing. Shacè was as good as in a state of civil war. Daltochan was well into Sulasia, and Tykarthia and Ungardt were fighting. Sulasia had no allies, no help to beat back an invasion from undead legions, hordes of Goblinoids, members of the Fae-da'kii, or even some Demons. If they could get that force to Suld, then there was a very good chance that they could take the city before the other kingdoms came to their senses and moved to aid Sulasia.

  The enormity of it was nearly overwhelming. Had he been standing, Tarrin would have sat down. Hard. "What do we do to stop it?" Tarrin managed to ask.

  "Well, a plan uncovered is a plan easily thwarted," Jegojah said. "Unfortunately, Were-cat, we an only warn the Tower, yes. They can take steps, if possible. But honestly, there is little we can do, yes. Little more than warn."

  "More than that," Tarrin said, his mind turning. "It seems that the best way to stop them would be to let them continue with their plan, let them get to Suld, and find out that there's a force at hand capable of defeating theirs."

  "Risky, but workable," Jegojah said. "If Jegojah commanded, he would ambush their forces some distance from Suld, so that the city itself is not at risk, no. Fighting that kind of battle, it is risky, especially considering the price of defeat. Yes."

  Tarrin remembered the terrain around Suld. "It wouldn't work," Tarrin said. "There's a large empty plain between the city and the forest suitable for a battle like that, but the high ground is on the east, and it abuts the forest. That would put the enemy on high ground if we lined up on the plains, or would allow the enemy to hide its forces in the forest if we occupied the ground beside it. Neither are workable."

  "Those both, they are very bad moves," Jegojah grunted. "Right, you are, Were-cat, yes."

  "And si
nce you can't fight a battle on that scale in the forest, you'd have to pick a defensible area. Unfortunately, the only defensible area would be the city walls."

  "Right again," Jegojah nodded. "Surprising, ye are, Were-cat. Intelligence, it is not something they attribute to you, no."

  "Then let's surprise them," Tarrin grinned at him. "So, what we need to do is assemble an army capable of dealing with theirs. They'll have Wizards and undead and Demons and Fae-da'kii. Well, we'll have Sorcerers, Priests, alot of war veterans in Suld, maybe some Were-kin if I can lure them out to fight, whatever mercenaries we can get our hands on--" his eyes brightened--"and gunpowder."

  "Gunpowder? Jegojah, he does not know of this."

  "The Wikuni make it. It's an explosive mixture of ingredients. They use it to propel big steel balls at high speeds. They call them cannons, and they're fifty times more destructive than a catapult."

  "Ah. Jegojah sees the use of it, then," the undead warrior agreed. "But your assets, they will not be enough, no. The force marching against you is vast, Were-cat, yes. Almost uncountable. Kravon, he has taken years to assemble this army, and hidden them in Daltochan and the moutains surrounding the Petal Lakes. Every unscrupulous mercenary from Suld to Saranam is enrolled in his force, and that is just the humans in it, yes."

  That term must have been old, if even Jegojah knew of it. From Suld to Saranam was a phrase meaning all over or everywhere.

  "Then we just need to match his numbers," Tarrin said grimly.

  "Where will we find such troops?"

  "I know of a few places," Tarrin said, standing up. "We'll start with Kerri."

  "Kerri? Who is this?"

  "Keritanima-chan Eram. The Queen of Wikuna."

  Jegojah looked at him, then cackled brightly. "The Wikuni with you? She is the Queen?" Tarrin nodded. "Vai avignon! Happy news!"

  "If I asked, Kerri would ferry over her entire army," he explained. "I don't think the ki'zadun would be expecting to face the Wikuni, and their Vendari allies."

  "True, but the Wikuni, they are far away. And their ships, they can only carry so many. Kravon will be attacking Suld about a month after the passes melt their snow, yes. We may not have time to move all the troops we need, no."

  "I know, so we'll have to find some other troops somewhere." He reached into the little belt pouch at his waist, and pulled out the black medallion device. Shiika had given it to him, through Anayi, and told him that if he ever needed her, he could use it to talk to her. He certainly needed her now. Even Shiika would understand the chaos that would ensue if the ki'zadun managed to banish the Goddess. Maybe she would help. He stared at it a moment, pondering what twists of fate had brought him to this juncture.

  "What is that?"

  "Salvation," Tarrin said, gripping it in his paw. "And maybe damnation."

  There was no help for it. "Shiika," he called in a strong voice.

  The answer was immediate. "It's been a long time, Tarrin," she said with an amused tone. "What do you need?"

  The sound of her voice conjured up the nasty spat they had had, but that had been a long time ago. "I need you," Tarrin said. "I need you and your Legions, and I need them now."

  "My Legions? What on earth for?"

  "Right now, a massive force is marching on Suld, and if they take it, the damage they could cause would be catastrophic. The Sorcerers would cease to be, and the people chasing me will get the Firestaff, because I'll be ceasing along with the rest of the Sorcerers. We can't let that happen."

  "Hmm. My spies have been reporting some very unusual activity in Sulasia, and in the entire West for that matter. Is it really that serious?"

  "I've heard it from someone who heard it all, Shiika," he answered, glossing over what Jegojah told him. The undead warrior waited patiently for Tarrin to talk, correcting him on a few minor points.

  "Well, hellfire," Shiika said curtly. "It makes sense. If they can knock out the Sorcerers, the path to the Firestaff will be much less cluttered. And I'm not about to let that happen," she said hotly. "I was granted leave to stay here so long as I helped protect the Firestaff. Well, I'm not about to back out of my side of the bargain. You contact that Wikuni hothead of a sister of yours, Tarrin, and you arrange her to bring as many ships as she can to Dala Yar Arak. I'll load them from keel to pennant with Arakite troops and send them to Suld. My Legions are crack soldiers, Tarrin, and I'll send by best generals to lead them. And expect a few other contributions. I'll send the Cambisi ahead of the Legions, and they'll set up to face whatever hellspawn the other side is employing."

  He was shocked she agreed so quickly. "Why are you doing this?" he asked quickly.

  "Because this is more of a home to me than the Abyss ever was," she replied. "I don't want my comfortable life upset, and this will definitely upset my life. Besides, there's a certain agreement between me and the Gods. They tolerate my presence here so long as I helped them with certain things from time to time. Well, this sounds like one of those things they'd have me help with."

  "You were right, Were-cat, yes," Jegojah chuckled. "She is not a normal Demon, is she?"

  "Who is that?"

  "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Tarrin grunted. "Shiika, I need you to go find a Sorcerer's Amulet, a real one. You can get one?"

  "I already have a few hundred of them. Any specific one I need?"

  "No, just carry one with you," he replied. He wasn't sure he wanted to know where or how Shiika came across so many amulets. "I can use the amulet to speak to you."

  "Ah, so you've crossed over, have you?" she said brightly. "That was an old Weavespinner trick."

  "Yes and no," he answered. "Just be careful, talking through the amulets isn't completley secure, so we have to be careful. You know Sha'Kar?"

  "I'm a Demon, Tarrin. I understand all languages."

  "I didn't know that. How does it work?"

  "It's too hard to explain, so leave it until later. The spell is about to end, Tarrin. Talk to that Wikuni of yours and get those ships here. I'll send some troops out on our own ships, but the Wikuni will probably pass them on the way. I'll send my daughters to Suld, and if you want, I'll have Anayi stop and pick you up."

  You can't do that, Tarrin, the Goddess warned.

  "I'll be moving on foot, Shiika. I can probably go just as fast on foot as it would take Anayi to get here and fly me there."

  "Fair enough. Just warn the people in Suld that my daughters are coming. It wouldn't be very nice for them to be attacked when they arrive."

  "I'll see to it."

  "Good. I'll be coming personally with my troops, so I'll see you when we arrive."

  He wasn't sure if he wanted that or not, but it wasn't like he had much choice. "Alright. See you then."

  "Good luck, Tarrin," she said, and then the little black amulet in his paw crumbled to dust.

  Jegojah cackled. "Ye know many strange people, Were-cat," he said with a smile.

  "It's about to get worse," Tarrin said, taking hold of his amulet. "Ariana."

  Now he understood why the Goddess wanted her to have an amulet.

  "Tarrin? Where are you? I can hear you, but I can't see you."

  "It's hard to explain, but I don't have time. You once said that you couldn't repay me enough for what I did for you. I'm about to test that."

  "It sounds serious."

  "It is. Can you talk to your king and arrange for him to meet me? I'm at the city ruins some distance northwest of the Cloud Spire."

  "I know where that is," she said. "I told him you were the one that saved him, so I'm pretty sure that he'll agree. It'll take us a couple of days to fly out there, though."

  "I'll wait for you. It's important, Ariana. Very important."

  "Alright. I'll go talk to him right now. Are you well, Tarrin? Did everything go as you hoped?"

  "More or less," he replied. "Just go. I'm going to contact you again in about an hour."

  "Alright. I'll talk to you in an hour, then."

  "Good
luck."

  "I don't need luck," she said in a coquettish voice, then he broke the connection.

  "Who was that?" Jegojah asked.

  "An Aeradalla, with ties to the throne," he replied.

  "Many strange friends ye have, Were-cat, yes," Jegojah smiled.

  "I wouldn't trade them for an army of normal friends," he said adamantly.

  "Well said," the undead warrior said with a nod.

  Tarrin settled himself, then cast out a distance. "Keritanima," he called.

  The answer was almost before he finished speaking her name. "Tarrin!" she said happily. "How are you? Are you alright?"

  "Hold on," he said in Sha'Kar. "I'm going to tell you to do something strange, and please don't argue with me. This is very, very important."

  "Well, if I have to," she said in a lilting, amused tone. "I'm not much used to taking orders from base commoners, you know."

  "Just say that again when we're face to face, Kerri."

  "I'm not that stupid, brother," she laughed. "What's so serious that you'd order me around?"

  "Kerri, I need you to guide me," he said. "Touch the Weave and hold as much of it as you can. I know you and I know your touch, so I should be able to find you. Just keep at it for ten minutes. If something doesn't happen in ten minutes, let go of the Weave and contact me."