To Be Chosen

by John Buttrick

  The Foothills were in sight. “Carlin, we need to establish a perimeter around this hill.” Sergeant Keenan commanded.

  “It will be as you say,” Corporal Carlin replied and took off around the hill with two thirds of the men.

  The harmonic ripples abruptly ceased. Simon reached into his pocket, removed the amulet, and placed the communication device against his forehead. “Samuel, what is going on in there?”

  A flood of mixed emotions came through the link ahead of the words. “Simon, we are in the Foothills and Daniel can summon potential and has executed Serin Gell. Sherree has been Condemned and I don’t know if our mountain friend can help her or Jerremy. Where are you?”

  Simon hated to hear about Sherree’s fate, morning her Condemnation would have to come later, he continued his sprint toward the southwestern entrance along with Keenan and his men. The Dukane’s, Benhannon’s, and Teki were climbing the hill. “I am right outside Gell’s lair with Ronn and Miriam Benhannon, the Dukane’s, the Teki, and Daniel’s detachment of Royal Guardsmen and, wait; some of the scouts are speaking to Sergeant Keenan. The entire Pentrosan camp south of us is coming north. You and Daniel need to grab Sherree and Jerremy and get out here.”

  A sense of frustration came ahead of, “Daniel will not leave before healing Sherree and all of the Condemneds. He wants me to help you defend the caves. Concentrate your forces to defend the southeast entrance. Shields have been placed on the other two. I’m on my way.”

  “Understood,” Simon sent back in reply and placed the amulet in his pocket. “Sergeant Keenan, there are three entrances, shields have been placed on two, and we need to defend the one on the southeast side of the hill. Daniel has executed Serin Gell and is attempting to heal those who have been Condemned. He needs us to give him the time.”

  Keenan hand-signaled his men and they followed he and Simon to the east where they found the cave Samuel had spoken of. “Hawk,” the Sergeant called, and was soon joined by a slim young man. “Run to Corporal Carlin and tell him to bring all of our men here to the south east side of the hill.”

  “It will be as you say,” the young man replied and dashed off to carry out his orders.

  Simon reached into his seed bag and pulled out a handful of Horse nettle seeds, cast Sowing The Seeds, and sent them all around the perimeter of the hill. Raising the baton straight up, he focused Grow: Plants, and soon nettles grew until they were three cubits high with thick thorny trunks. He then did the same using honeylocust seeds and surrounded the perimeter with the seventy cubit high trees, each twig with three-branched thorns. The Pentrosans would now have to travel through thick nettles and hundreds of thorny trees in order to breach the perimeter. Simon was grateful for the level four crescendo, growing trees on this scale was beyond his ability as a One-bolt Accomplished, but not when using a baton that gave him an additional six bolts of potential. He drank a full canteen of water to quench his thirst from spell casting.

  A harmonic wave blasted from inside the hill, powerful enough to cause everyone to stumble and more than a few to fall to the ground. What in the world was Daniel doing? The spell had been tightly focused, yet the wave probably could be felt by every living thing within a hundred spans, southwest to Valeen, and all the way north beyond Los Collins and possibly northwest to Los Callen.

  “What just happened?” Corporal Carlin asked as he and his men rejoined the rest of the detachment.

  Sergeant Keenan turned to Simon. “Was that a result of your work?”

  Simon was about to answer when Samuel exited the cave. “That was Daniel. He told me not to worry if I felt a High Power spell,” the Eagle Guild Fledgling informed.

  “Hawk, get in that cave, find Sir Daniel, and find out what more he needs from us,” Sergeant Keenan ordered.

  “It will be as you say,” the young guardsman replied and then ran into the cave.

  “I felt some heavy spell casting out here, what were you doing?” Samuel asked.

  Simon made a circular motion with his right arm, taking in the area in its entirety. “I surrounded us with nettles and honeylocusts. The Pentrosans will not have an easy time hacking their way to us.”

  “Avery, Kaypen, get south to those trees the Accomplished spoke of, and send word when the Pentrosans arrive,” Keenan ordered.

  “It will be as you say,” both men replied and dashed off.

  Simon glanced at his colleague. “My spell casting will slow them down, especially when I start manipulating the tree branches, but I’m hoping you have some Melodies in your repertoire to deal with the Pentrosans who get by me. I cannot see in the dark and can only manipulate what is in my direct line of sight.”

  Sergeant Keenan’s eyes shifted to the top of the hill. “I suggest you start climbing. The peak is your best vantage point.”

  “And so it is. I’ll go up in a moment,” Simon replied.

  “When the scouts report the arrival of the Pentrosans, I will summon light spheres so you can see,” Samuel stated. “I have some spells to deal with any soldiers who get through and I’m confident the good Sergeant and his men can deal with any who get by me.”

  “Be assured we will deal with the Pentrosans. These are the ones who have been raiding across the border and I am looking forward to chastising them,” Sergeant Keenan replied, earning a hardy shout from his men.

  A loud roar to the south drew everyone’s attention and another roar from a different lion followed the first. Coyotes howled and Samuel smiled while shaking his head as if amused by it all. “That would be Daniel’s scouts. I don’t know what they can do, but some wild animals are coming to help defend the cave. Our orders from the Chosen Vessel are not to harm the creatures.”

  “Nature fights for the Champion,” Corporal Carlin stated as if the fact was well documented.

  Guardsman Kaypen came running. “Serge, one hundred eighty-seven cavalry with a hundred men on foot have just started into the nettles. The prickers are slowing them down but not stopping them.”

  Simon gave up thinking about the animals coming to provide a defense, and started up the hill while Sergeant Keenan began organizing his men. They were outnumbered by a fair margin but Melody wielding should more than make up for the difference. He reached the top of the hill and was greeted by Ronn and Miriam, who each had an arrow notched and ready. Tim and Gina were about thirty strides away facing north while Silvia stared west and David peered to the east.

  “What news?” Ronn asked.

  “Two hundred eighty-seven Pentrosans are coming at us from the south. Samuel is going to give me some light and then I’ll see if I can discourage them from paying us a call,” Simon replied.

  “We’re ready for any who come into range,” Miriam stated.

  Tim and Gina along with both Teki came over to Simon. “Daniel’s swirl is gathering around him,” Silvia informed him.

  Gina scrutinized the pair of Teki, looking them up and down. “We can shoot from here and can see well once the sun is up. I don’t know the range of those bolts or how far you can throw a knife.”

  “My wife,” Tim said with an emphasis on, wife, “is suggesting that you are better suited for guarding the cave entrance, where your weapons will be far more effective.”

  “He has a point,” David told his wife.

  Silvia nodded her head. “We will be deadly at that range,” she replied, and both of them started down the hill.

  Orange balls of light appeared all around the perimeter, lighting up the honeylocust trees surrounding the hill, with the greatest concentration of illumination to the south. Simon could see the Pentrosans moving cautiously through the nettles and waited for the first group to reach the trees. He cast Manipulate: Tree, and focused potential through the baton, at the closest honeylocust to the enemy line. He moved his fingers and thumbs, causing the branches of the tree to move in accord with his gestures, and then swept four cavalry men right out of their saddles.

  Men screamed and panic irrupted as they scrambled to av
oid being hit by a thorny branch. Solidified blades of air began mowing a broad path through the nettles, and soon the rest of the Pentrosan forces were advancing unhindered. The moving trees did give them pause, but then the blades of air began slicing through the branches. Simon focused his spell on the next tree over and swept several more cavalrymen from their saddles, yet sword wielding infantrymen ran under the branches at double time, and he could not stop them. The Pentrosans came to an abrupt halt and a rider in black silks came forward.

  It seems the Pentrosans have a Melody wielder on their side, which suggested a partnership of some sort between the kingdom’s military and the Serpent Guild, a troubling development to be sure, yet good to know about sooner rather than later. The enemy Accomplished was not wasting time attacking all of the trees, only those directly blocking the way to the Foothills. Simon was hoping his trees and plants would prove more effective, but they proved inadequate.

  “Sam, an Accomplished of the Serpent Guild is cutting through my trees, get ready for some company,” Simon called to his friend below.

  “I’m ready,” Samuel shouted and glowed orange with potential.

  “As are we,” Ronn said while taking aim.

  All of the mountaineers were facing south with arrows drawn and ready. The enemy Aakacarn sliced apart the last tree blocking the way and the first wave of twenty infantrymen ran forward. The mountaineers let fly and four men fell dead, one with an arrow in the neck and three each with an arrow in the center of his chest. Sixteen men continued forward with another twenty coming right behind them. Forty Royal Guardsmen charged out with broadswords swinging. Four more Pentrosans died in the night from arrows sent by the Ducaunan mountaineers, but it was not enough. The Royal Guardsmen were better skilled with their broadswords than were the infantrymen and managed to kill quite a few of the enemy. Two men made it to the cave, one died with a knife in his throat and the other with a crossbow bolt between the eyes.

  Orange beams of light emanated from Samuel’s fingers and thumbs, striking ten men at a time, and each one began running around aimlessly as if totally confused. A panther pounced on one soldier, bit out his throat and then disappeared among the trees. Coyotes howled among the honeylocusts and panthers roared from all directions, causing the horses to panic and rear up, fouling the shots of the mounted bowmen.

  An Accomplished ran out of the southeast cave and pointed his baton at the oncoming Pentrosans. Violet potential flowed out, struck the ground, and a stone wall burst up out of the ground, spreading right and left, while growing to a height of about thirty cubits and spreading from the south around east and west, and meeting on the north side of the hill. Harmonic waves flowing from the focus points proved this had been no minor toil. It also stopped the Pentrosans, for the time being. The Pentrosans on the inside of the wall were cut off from their cohorts. Riders fell to arrows from above and Royal Guardsmen battled the rest. Simon recognized the hue and was pleased to know Daniel had cured the impossible, Jerremy DeSuan was no longer Condemned, and that meant neither was Sherree!

  Guardsman Hawk ran out of the cave with a mound of clothing in his arms. He spoke to Sergeant Keenan and then what appeared to be pants and coats were passed out to the rest of the detachment, even those who just finished off the remaining Pentrosans on the wrong side of the wall. In short order every Royal Guardsmen was wearing light blue coats and pants over their uniforms.

  Gina stood beside Simon, “Why the change in uniform?” she asked.

  “Look, the young man is climbing the hill,” Miriam pointed out.

  Hawk reached the top and nodded to Simon but addressed the mountaineers. “Sir Daniel is asking for you four to come into the hill and dress the Condemneds after he heals them, it will save him having to do so, and allow him to finish helping the rest.”

  “We are the only archers this unit has,” Ronn pointed out.

  “Hawk, tell Sergeant Keenan I need four of his best bowmen up here if he wants archers to cover him,” Simon told the guardsman.

  “It will be as you say,” Hawk replied and scampered down the hill faster than he climbed it.

  “Let’s go help Daniel with this chore,” Miriam said and started down the hill at a more dignified speed then did the young guardsman.

  Samuel was alone on the hilltop with bows and quivers of arrows. Tim handed a hunting knife to Samuel before entering the cave with the other mountaineers, but such did not concern Simon. He could see the Pentrosans on the other side of the wall and had no doubt their Accomplished would soon come up with a way around it. Sure enough, a large hole opened on the inside of the wall and infantrymen crawled out of it. A violet beam of light struck the hole and continued back to the wall, causing the ground to buckle in, and burying anyone still in the tunnel. Orange beams of light struck the eight that had managed to climb out before it collapsed, causing each man to suddenly stiffen and fall over. Simon was glad Jerremy and Sam were ready for the move.

  A Two-bolt Accomplished exited the cave. He seemed to be assessing the situation and walked over to Jerremy, who gave a nod of respect, and then spoke to Sergeant Keenan. Simon was beginning to feel left out, but four guardsmen, dressed in blue, walked away from the group and began climbing the hill, no doubt these were the bowmen he had requested.

  Corporal Carlin reached the top and picked up each bow and quiver and handed them to the other three men. “Accomplished, we are the replacement archers,” he stated and turned to his men. “Rainbird, Falcon, Ridgecat, when you see a target, loose at will.”

  “It will be as you say,” each man replied.

  “Did the Accomplished bring any more orders from Daniel?” Simon wanted to know.

  Carlin scratched his low brow and Simon hoped the man was smarter than he looked. “No orders, just information. Ten thousand horsemen, along with five thousand infantrymen are moving from their base south of Los Collins, and should be here shortly after dawn.”

  Simon was almost sorry he asked. “How much longer will it take for him to finish restoring the Condemneds?”

  “He still has another hundred and seventy-six to go, most of those will have to rest after being healed. The ones not so badly disfigured will be up and about shortly. That’s all I know. I reckon the healings will take longer than sun up or he wouldn’t have bothered mentioning the Legion about to descend upon us,” the Corporal replied.

  Simon realized the man was intelligent and glad to know it. All that aside, he had some powerful misgivings over holding off such a tremendous force. “Is there a reason for the blue uniforms?”

  Carlin smiled for the first time in Simon’s presence. “According to Sir Daniel, the Pentrosans cannot prove we are Royal Guardsmen if all of us are in blue and you Accomplisheds are in your silks. This will look like Aakadon striking at a Serpent Nest.”

  Simon admitted the plan had some merit, “That should work, providing we are not overrun, and your true identities are no longer a mystery,” he replied.

  “There is that,” the Corporal admitted.

  Simon swallowed the doubts, reached into his pocket, and pulled out some specially enhanced poppy seeds. He cast, Sowing The Seeds, showering the hills all around with the seeds. Raising the baton straight up, he focused, Grow: Plants, and flowers grew in the night, giving off their hallucinogenic aroma. He summoned a light breeze and sent it swirling gently out beyond the wall, keeping the fragrance away from the Ducaunans while giving the Pentrosans a constant dose.

  A Three-bolt Accomplished exited the cave and walked over to Jerremy, Samuel, and the Two-bolt Accomplished. Fire balls came hurtling in from the north, the opposite side of the next hill over, striking inside the wall, and spreading flames wherever they landed. These hit randomly rather than being aimed, most likely because the Accomplisheds throwing them did not have direct line of sight. The Three-bolt moved twenty paces from the rest of the people, bent down, touched the ground, and began glowing midnight blue. The ground began to shake and Simon could hear deep rumbling. A
jet of water burst up out of the ground and aimed at first one fire and then another, and another, extinguishing them. The jet was then aimed at the incoming fireballs, snuffing them out easily. Simon knew he was watching an Aqua Guild Oceanic at work and was truly impressed. The jet of water reduced down to a continuous bubbling until another fire ball appeared and then pressure increased and the jet suddenly shot into the air and extinguished the fire before it hit the ground.

  Fireballs began flying every which way, some beyond the walls and into the Pentrosans, and some to the east and west, well beyond the walls. Simon smiled. The poppies were doing their work. The Accomplisheds in the north were out of their minds and he could see men on the other side of the wall walking into trees and bumping into each other.

  Within half a mark, six more Accomplisheds came out of the cave, and Simon was beginning to feel a little better about the odds of holding off the Pentrosan legion.

  “Those were the easiest to heal, according to Sir Daniel. We will have to make do with what we have for now,” Carlin informed without being asked.

  Simon was pleased the man chose to be forthcoming with the information. “We will give him the time he needs.”

  Carlin nodded his agreement and peered out into the night.

  Panthers roared, coyotes howled, and men screamed along with their horses. The Pentrosan force was in chaos as the wild animals began attacking the soldiers, who were still functioning under the influence of Simon’s poppies, and random fire balls kept dropping among them. He was glad he could not see clearly, knowing the creatures were not being gentle. Men were dying.

  Samuel levitated to the top of the wall, no doubt to learn whatever he could. A hole opened up beneath and several strides to the left of him. A man in black silks with one lightning bolt on the hood of his cloak crawled out of the tunnel while aiming his baton at the unsuspecting Eagle Guild Fledgling.