The portal exit on Reid Island was the easy part, placed on the large expanse of carved and fitted stone near the town square. It would allow the large columns of Exemplar warriors to first assemble, and then pass through the gateway to Riften.
The exit portal on Riften was another matter entirely. It couldn’t be anywhere others would see it or it would destroy the element of surprise. Surprisingly, the perfect placement was found to be the secret tunnel and chambers underneath the Bastion of the Golden Hand. They were expansive enough to handle a fair number of troops and tall enough for the Exemplars to walk upright, even with their tall, crested helmets and equipment.
When Aiden finally awoke a little over a day later, the air was a surprising mix of Reid Island and Riften tunnel, with what sounded like many voices discussing a variety of things in hushed tones stretching off into the distance. He could hear what sounded like Valeran, Stelios and Gaven talking to others about various strategies, which all sounded like screaming to his pounding head.
“Shhh, Aiden,” came Chari’s voice as her hand gently slid behind his head. “Here’s some water with some herbal mix. Professor Reivus said you’d need some when you awoke.”
A cool, ceramic mug was pressed to his lips and he drank greedily, still keeping his eyes closed. There was something other than water in the drink, but he didn’t mind. It tasted good and after a few moments, it seemed to be having a subtle impact on his pain. After a few more moments, he cracked one of his eyes open and peeked. Ashrak was sitting next to Chari, both of them looking at him anxiously. Ashrak was holding a second mug, and when Aiden finished the first, he handed it to Chari so she could continue letting him drink.
Behind them and towards the middle of the room sat the gateway. When he’d created it, he’d not really thought about how it would look in the real world, but towards the end, he’d received a gentle nudge from Glowby and thought of a graceful, plain stone arch for the stabilizing glimmer steel to form into. It had ended up being about five meters tall and ten wide as it gracefully flowed from the centerpiece down to the floor. Easily wide enough to accommodate two Exemplars side by side or quite a few more normal troops, if needed.
The center was simple, transitioning from one floor to the next at exactly the halfway point. There was no door at all, and depending on the angle, you simply looked out onto an entirely different place than you were expecting to see. Even as he watched, he could see people moving back and forth through the gateway in a surreal, casual manner.
“Well,” Aiden croaked, dismayed at the terrible sound his voice was making, “at least it worked. Honestly, I was afraid my brain would leak out all over the floor.” He leaned back resting his head and recognizing the walls around him as being those under the Bastion. “Why am I here? Why didn’t they leave me in Reid?”
Chari frowned, but Ashrak answered. “Just in case something happens to the gate.” He glanced back at it, shaking his head in amazement. “You’ve got to admit it's impressive. The most fun is watching people walk by you and stare. I think you’ve scared them.”
“They are not scared of you, Aiden. Don’t listen to Ashrak.” Chari said, giving Ashrak a dark look. “They are just impressed.”
“As well they should be!” Ashrak said. “Do you realize you’ve made a doorway people can just casually stroll through and travel a thousand kilometers in an instant? It's not even traveling!”
“It is pretty neat,” Chari said, smirking finally. “Does it fade away? Or disappear?”
Aiden thought about it, taking another sip from the mug before finally shaking his head. “No. No, I don’t think so. At least, I didn’t make it so it would? I could probably turn it off if I needed to, but otherwise I’m not sure how long it will last.”
“And that is exactly why you are here, young Aiden,” Professor Reivus said, coming up behind Chari and Ashrak. “If things turn dire, we’ll need you to do that so they don’t get access to Reid. If things happen as I suspect they might, it shouldn’t be a problem but it’s best to be safe.”
The old man reached down, placing his hand on Aiden’s forehead and paused for a long moment. Aiden was sure Chari and Ashrak thought the Professor was feeling his temperature, but Aiden felt a gentle probing. He had done it himself many times now, but to have it done to him made his skin crawl and he shivered.
The Professor finally pulled his hand away and looked at Aiden seriously, shaking his head. “It’s truly amazing, Aiden. You are recovering. It was far more difficult to create that gate than you can imagine and it pushed you considerably, but you are actually recovering. You don’t even know what you’ve really done.”
“What do you mean, Professor?” Ashrak asked.
The Professor didn’t answer for a long moment and just stared at Aiden as he continued to sip his drink, but finally, he harrumphed and pulled his glasses off to clean them. “I mean, to create a gate; the energies involved are…staggering. Most colonies received one simply due to necessity, and those gates only ever lead between planets. To create one took the combined efforts of numerous Glimmer Men and the guidance of at least one of the shield stones for an extensive amount of time.” He placed his glasses back on his face. “Yet you did one by yourself within eight hours, which is also not using any sort of energy I can detect. To say that is amazing is beyond an understatement. I suppose it will have to do, though. Can you stand, Aiden?”
Aiden thought about it for a moment. His headache was still very much there, but it was manageable and he did feel better. “I think so, Professor.”
“Good, because they’ll want you over at the gaming table.” The Professor said, pointing towards where several people were conversing over a strangely decorated table. “Carol has been concerned about you but also has her own island to consider. She’s been somewhat worried about the wide open gate.”
Aiden slowly got up, helped by Ashrak and was only a bit wobbly. Getting up did make his headache worse, but with his arm over Ashrak’s shoulder he made it over to where everyone else was talking in low, hushed tones. When he got up to the table, he was surprised to see it was a very life-like map of the city of Riften and the surrounding countryside.
Oya Dihya’s large finger came down, pointing out several places that corresponded to the large bastion towers ringing the huge cove, as well as the city gates. “My guess is they will land at the bastion towers to cut off the ocean and leave some or all of the city gates unimpeded. It will allow people to escape into the countryside.”
“But why?” One of the Riften generals said, confused. “Don’t they want to capture the various Dukes and Duchesses? If they let them escape, they’ll have to pursue them.”
“Which will be much easier for them with skimmers, especially armed skimmers. Otherwise, they risk someone going to ground within the city. That would be much more difficult to dig them out. Or to even find them. Eventually, they could, if they attain dominion, but it would still take them time. Why bother when you can have your prey run for several miles, then descend on them from the skies?”
“So, you’re going to use those measles on them before they land, or when they’re on the ground?” Duke Valeran asked, frowning down at the map.
“Missiles, Your Grace.” Oya Dihya said, unfazed at the improper name. “And there are two options. One involves intercepting them from a distance as they come in. It will prove effective, but it will allow many of them to divert and escape if they choose not to continue with the attack. If we let them land, we will have a good chance at taking all of them. However, it will require a greater sacrifice from the local militia, so they will think they have taken the city by surprise.”
The Riften generals did not look pleased with that, but Romald and Duchess Emraldi both nodded. The Duchess looked to the generals and they both nodded without her having to speak. Once again, Aiden was struck at how cold the woman was, willing to sacrifice the lives of her men for the necessity of luring the invaders into the trap.
“We’v
e prepared the men as best we can,” one of the generals said, gravely. “Our cover story is that due to the disruption at the Welcome Ceremony, many of the visiting dignitaries have either retreated to their private compounds or ships. This has allowed us to place them on high alert and as ready as they can possibly be for what is to come. Unfortunately, it’s also allowed any Duke who wished to, to travel to their ships.”
“Four of them have already done so, moving out to the mouth of the cove and easily able to escape as needed,” Romald interjected, his nose twitching as he pointed to several areas out towards the mouth of the cove. “Only one has chosen not to leave, which does have me concerned. In fact, he’s left his compound and at last report, he is moving through the city toward the dock area.”
“Which one is that?” Duke Valeran asked, concern crawling across his face.
“Duke Brun, of course,” Romald said, shrugging. “Which one would be not sane enough to follow a Mourning Lord’s orders? The only thing that gives me joy about it, is the other Dukes on their side are probably throwing a fit about him more than we are.”
Suddenly, one of Romald’s men came running up, a wild look on his face and began whispering urgently into the spymaster's ear. They all watched as Romald raised an eyebrow and looked at the man incredulously, then turned to the rest of them.
“Well… perhaps I have spoken too soon. We know right where he is.” Romald said, turning towards a set of stairs leading up into the Bastion itself. “He seems to be right upstairs, attacking your ship, Your Grace.”
Valeran blinked and his gaze darkened considerably. “My ship? What in the Sunken Hells? What does that insane piece of trash think he’s doing?”
Ashrak went pale and gasped as he turned toward Gavin. “He’s after your brother, Kel! That bastard! It's exactly what he’d do.”
They all turned to follow Romald, with Valeran bellowing for Stelios to get his men moving. Romald was busy summoning the few guardsmen he had there as well, but by necessity they only consisted of men he could trust so there were not a lot of them. They knew none of the Naiadens could come because it would destroy all of their carefully-laid plans.
That only left them about forty-five men, and they knew Duke Brun had at least five hundred. When they got up to the main hall in the Bastion, it was chaos. Many merchants and commoners were crowding within the interior, trying to avoid whatever was going on outside so it was like swimming against a heavy river. Fortunately, Stelios and his men were, on average, larger than most in Riften so they, advancing in a wedge, were able to make headway and finally get to the main gate.
When they got outside, they watched in horror as the three Brunish cruisers had boxed in the Gerevat while at the same time, a large contingent of attackers were trying to force their way up onto the great ship from the docks. The small knot of Terek sailors and soldiers were battling mightily to repel the boarders, and there was already huge splashes of blood as their extraordinary swords and armor kept them alive, but they knew it wouldn’t last. There were just too many attackers.
At the back of the force attacking from the docks was the large form of Duke Brun himself, laughing and exhorting his troops onwards. He was surrounded by a personal guard who had sighted the small group of Terek and Riften soldiers coming out from the bastion, but for the moment they were just watching and didn’t understand the danger approaching.
“Romald,” Duke Valeran said, his eyes the hardest crystal Aiden had ever seen as they stared like daggers at Duke Brune’s cavorting back. “Have your men cover our flanks and don’t get ahead of us. Stelios and his men will go in first, but we’ve got special swords and armor, whereas your men do not.” He paused, looking over at Ashrak and giving him a terrifying grin. One which the tall, white-haired noble returned. “Are you ready to become Duke, boy?”
Ashrak nodded, taking a deep breath and stepping up beside Valeran. “Yes. Yes, I think today is a good day to become a Duke.”
Chapter 27
The line of Duke Valeran’s men moved forward with Stelios and his guard in a tight V-formation. Duke Valeran, Ashrak, Gavin, Chari, and Aiden were all in the middle, making up a loose core, and Romald’s men fleshed out the sides. Markam was right next to Gavin, and remembering the conversation about being thrown to the docks, Aiden made sure not to be the one closest to the young protector. Duke Brun’s personal guards, dressed in highly ornate red armor, with screaming metal masks for faces, waited for them.
To the uninitiated, it looked like a very bad move since just the personal guard outnumbered them, but Aiden knew better. With the impenetrable armor and unstoppable swords he’d created, Stelios and his guard would cut through anyone in their way in a terrifyingly efficient manner. Duke Brun’s guards were already dead, they just didn’t know it.
However, it was just when the two lines met and the first terrified screams began that Aiden realized he was standing almost on the front lines of a battle and he hadn’t bothered to ever make himself a weapon. Again. He grimaced and looked around for at least a stick, but there was nothing within easy reach. He was certainly not about to run back to the Bastion and look for something. He thought about picking up a weapon from one of the dead men they were walking over, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to sift through the bloody messes his swords were making.
In desperation, he finally grabbed a shield which wasn’t near any body before looking back up at the carnage. By this time, Brun’s men realized their danger and were trying to push bodily through their own troops and away from the swirling death before them. Even the Riften troops were doing well in their skirmishing since Stelios and his men had so thoroughly disrupted discipline amongst the enemy.
Brun himself was screaming and literally frothing at the mouth, striking at his own men who were so desperate to get away from certain death. He hadn’t even realized he had been pushed to the front of his own lines until he turned and saw Ashrak and Duke Valeran standing just meters away. A quiet descended over the battle as Valeran held his arms out and stopped Stelios from pressing further.
“Hold!” Valeran commanded in his loud, booming voice. “It's time to end this, Zefkran, you stinking pile of filth. I think this world has had enough of your particular brand of crazy.”
The man laughed. He literally laughed, standing amid the torn and shredded bodies of his men before spitting into the dirt. “Ah! Valeran, I would have settled for killing one of your brats, but it will be even better to kill you and that ungrateful welp of mine.” The man stepped forward, as if he was going to be permitted to casually lop off Valeran’s head.
At that moment, Aiden knew Duke Brun was indeed insane. The Duke didn’t even notice when Ashrak stepped forward, driving his sword through the large man’s armor and chest. For a moment he paused, looking down in utter surprise and shock. His eyes fell on his son’s face with a puzzled frown and he raised his off hand, caressing Ashrak’s cheek for a moment as if seeing him for the first time. “Ashrak, what are you doing here?” he said, then he died.
Ashrak, for his part, just stood there in frozen contemplation. His father's body, huge and imposing, now lay at his feet with his blood joining that of his men who had died around him. The rest of the Brunish soldiers were frozen as well, looking around in the sudden silence with Stelios’ and Romald’s men ready. Then they began to drop their weapons.
With a sigh of relief, Aiden moved forward with Chari, Gavin, and Markam to Ashrak’s side in support of their friend. They almost didn’t see the flash of movement off to the side. A Brunish soldier, dressed better than the rest, pulled his dagger and threw. The evil thing flickered in the still, quiet air as it headed directly for Ashrak’s unprotected eye.
Aiden, who had picked up an almost useless shield earlier in the battle, was looking in just the right place and had seen the movement. He threw himself forward with a strangled cry, wrenching his body painfully as he stretched his arms out as far as he could. He didn’t hear a clang, so when he landed on the s
and, he turned with a horrified look expecting to see his friend. That insufferable, irritating friend, falling down onto the sand next to him.
Instead, he had sand kicked in his face as Chari stormed by.
“You!” she screamed, her silver eyes flashing with an unrivaled anger as she stormed towards the man who had thrown the dagger, “will NOT kill MY Ashrak!” The man threw his helmet off and tried to backpedal, but his own troops were behind him and he couldn’t go far. Chari had no problem catching him, and while Belor Brun begged for his life, she ran him through with surprising ruthlessness. Standing back up and glaring around at all of the Brunish soldiers now surrounding her, she dared them with her eyes to try anything at all.
To a man, they all stepped back, wide-eyed, and held their hands up.
Gavin reached down, helping Aiden up as both of them watched Ashrak stride across the sands and take Chari in his arms, kissing her soundly.
The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4 Page 61