“I am glad that you have come,” Jenneva said softly. “Arik is not handling the deaths well.”
“Tanya will handle the king,” replied Alex.
“No.” Jenneva shook her head. “She cannot. I cannot. Prince Oscar and Lord Clava cannot.”
Alex frowned deeply. “And you think I can?”
“I know that you can,” Jenneva answered as she took Alex’s hand and led him away from the Door. “You have a way with illogical kings.”
Alex snorted and shook his head. “My manners with kings has never been appreciated before. What makes you think he will listen to me?”
“Your manners may not have been appreciated, but you always got your point across, and the kings always ended up seeing things your way. You have a manner of analyzing a problem and presenting only one solution, the appropriate solution. Besides, Arik still thinks of you as his mentor. He will listen to you.”
Alex sighed and nodded. “I will try, but there are no guarantees. We have returned from Zara to shed the enemy’s blood, not to be the king’s caretaker. He has two mothers for that.”
Jenneva smiled and squeezed Alex’s hand. “I imagine that he will need them when you are through with him.”
Jenneva led Alex to the king’s study, but the guards refused to knock on the king’s door.
“He was very adamant,” stated one of the Red Swords. “He wants no visitors. None.”
“Just knock on the door,” growled Alex. “I do not have time to play games.”
The guards refused to budge. Alex shook his head and sighed. He reached out and took Jenneva’s hand, guiding her away from the door. After he had taken a dozen steps, he let go of her hand and stealthily reached into a pouch at his waist and extracted three Lanoirian stars. He spun around and threw the three stars at the king’s door, one after the other. The guards’ jaws dropped, and they immediately pulled their swords and stepped in front of the door, blocking the entrance with their bodies. Alex slowly walked towards them, and the Red Swords prepared to kill a legend or die in the process. One of the guards shouted for reinforcements, and distant footsteps echoed off the walls.
“I will see the king,” Alex declared, keeping his empty hands away from his body. “If you would prefer to kill me, do so and get it over with.”
The king’s door suddenly opened and Queen Tanya stared out of the room. Her eyes took in the stars imbedded in the door and Alex approaching the drawn swords. The sound of running guards grew louder by the second.
“Sheath your swords,” commanded the queen. “My parents will be admitted.”
“But the king…”
“Do it!” snapped Tanya. “I am the queen, and I will be obeyed.”
The Red Swords hesitated only a moment before sheathing their swords and retreating to the sides of the door. The queen stepped aside as Alex entered the study, retrieving his stars as he passed by. Jenneva followed him, and the queen closed the door.
“You were recalled to shed the enemy’s blood,” Queen Tanya quipped, “not the Red Swords.”
“Where is Arik?” Alex asked brusquely.
The queen’s eyebrows rose at her father’s tone, but she pointed to the couch that delineated the sitting area of the King’s Study. Alex strode across the room and around the couch. The king was stretched out on the couch, and while his eyes were open, he did not acknowledge the Knight of Alcea. Alex reached down and swept the king’s legs off the couch, forcing the king to sit up and acknowledge him. Tanya gasped, and the king’s face filled with anger. He opened his mouth to berate Alex, but the Knight of Alcea did not give him a chance to speak.
“I know that I could die for manhandling you,” scowled Alex, “so spare me the lecture. I do not plan to live long anyway.”
The anger drained out of Arik’s face and confusion took its place.
“We are in the midst of a war, Arik,” Alex continued. “We do not have time for you to wallow in self-pity. Do you think you are the only person who loved Wylan and Sheri? Do you think that the rest of us do not carry a heavy heart over their loss?”
“It is not the same,” protested the king. “They died for me.”
“Nonsense,” Alex retorted loudly. “They died trying to protect Alcea, just like thousands more will die in the next few weeks. Some of them you may have never met, but others will have been near and dear to your heart. Those are the fortunes of war. Learn to live with it.”
“I can’t,” the king replied haltingly. “I sent them down there to die.”
Alex’s voice softened. “You sent soldiers on a mission, Arik, just as I have done for my entire life. Look around this room. We have not chosen the lives we lead. We have all consigned people to death through our orders, but we have also saved many people as well. I have probably lost more friends than you will ever have. None of those deaths were easy to take, but their lives were not wasted. They were soldiers, and they fought for something that they believed in, something that they valued more than life itself. Honor their courage and service by doing what you can to achieve the goals they sought, not by trying to measure the worth of the missions they died on. Wylan and Sheri were exceptional people. That is what made them Knights of Alcea, but they were not immortal.”
“Like we are,” scowled the king.
“We are not immortal, my friend,” Alex replied in a voice almost as soft as a whisper. “While the Mage has endowed us with a longer lifespan than most, we can die just as easily as Wylan and Sheri. In fact, the odds of our deaths are increased without a lucid king to lead us. Wylan and Sheri deserve our grief, but not right now. Right now they deserve to see the Federation destroyed, and we can do that, but you must lead us properly if we are to succeed. Be all that you can be, Arik. Be a king that will keep Alcea safe for future generations. That is what the Knights of Alcea are willing to trade their lives for. We die not for you, but for the future of Alcea.”
King Arik nodded as he absorbed Alex’s words. He still felt a great void in his heart at the loss of Wylan and Sheri, but their deaths now held more meaning for the king. He tried to shut out his feelings, but he kept seeing their faces.
“Now,” Alex said in a conversational tone as if the previous discussion had not taken place, “I would like a briefing on where we are at. It is obvious that we will have to make some adjustments to the plan, but I think we are flexible enough to get that done. Give me a summary of what is happening in each province, and we can work together on the plans.”
Queen Tanya opened her mouth to reply, but Jenneva nudged her daughter to stop her from speaking. She knew that Alex was purposely taking the king’s mind off Wylan and Sheri. King Arik nodded and rose to his feet.
“I guess we should start with Lanoir,” stated the king. “Bin-lu and Rut-ki appear to be on schedule…”
Chapter 15
Stranded
Colonel Nyack stretched his arm upward to halt the 5th Corps of the Empire of Barouk. Behind them on the snow-covered Cordonian road, the 14th Corps of Ertak also came to a halt. General Ross and General Haggerty had been riding together in the middle of the two armies, and they glanced at each other questioningly.
“It is too early for the vanguard to be making camp,” frowned General Ross. “I am going forward to see what the problem is. Join me.”
The two generals rode past the halted columns of soldiers until they reached the vanguard. Colonel Nyack sat astride his horse waiting patiently.
“We are an hour short of camp,” stated General Ross. “Why have you halted the column?”
The colonel waved his hand towards the distant hill. “Something is not right here, General. There should be a farm here, but it is gone.”
The two generals turned and stared at the level area before the distant hill. Snow covered the landscape, but it was certainly not deep enough to hide a farm. General Ross turned and gazed at the path before the column of soldiers. That land was also snow-covered and unblemished.
“Are you sure that we ar
e on the road to Kantor?” asked General Ross. “It was fall when you were here last. Things will look different when everything is coated in white.”
“I am sure,” declared the colonel. “I know the features of this land. There should be a farm right here.”
“Bah,” scowled General Haggerty. “The very fact that the farm is not here disproves your words about knowing this land. Have you gotten us lost?”
General Ross turned to General Haggerty with a stern, disapproving expression on his face. General Haggerty immediately lost his scowl and looked away from General Ross, seemingly losing interest in the conversation. General Ross calmly returned his attention to the colonel.
“How do you explain the lack of a farm?” General Ross asked Colonel Nyack.
“I cannot,” frowned the colonel, “but the barn was quite large. Even if it collapsed under the weight of winter snows, the debris would still be visible. Something in not right here.”
“Were there other structures?” asked General Ross.
“A three-story farmhouse with a stone chimney.”
“Take a squad and investigate the farm,” ordered General Ross. “Return when you are satisfied.”
The colonel nodded and called for a squad to form around him. The soldiers rode off into the snow, and General Haggerty returned his attention to General Ross.
“I do not understand why you indulge him so,” complained General Haggerty. “We are wasting valuable time standing here.”
“Colonel Nyack is an extremely talented officer,” General Ross responded softly. “He is well aware of the need to maintain our schedule. He would not halt this column for a trivial matter.”
“But farms do not just disappear,” retorted General Haggerty. “The colonel is merely mistaken in his recollection of this land.”
“I will be the judge of that,” countered General Ross, exerting his authority as the leader of Force Cordonia.
“I would expect no less,” frowned General Haggerty, “but the lack of a farm is hardly a significant factor in our conquering of Cordonia. The more likely problem is that we are not on the Darcia-Kantor Road at all. This whole blasted land is covered by snow. We can’t tell a road from a gully, and if we are lost, we will need as much daylight as possible to find the hidden cache of supplies. We cannot afford to dally here while your favored colonel tromps around in the snow.”
“You also had a colonel visit this land last fall,” replied General Ross. “Send him on ahead to verify the hidden cache.”
General Haggerty watched as Colonel Nyack and his men started returning towards the column. He shook his head. “That would only waste more time. It would seem that Colonel Nyack is already coming back.”
The two generals sat silently waiting for the colonel and his squad to return. The colonel ordered the squad to halt when they neared the column. He continued onward and approached the generals.
“There is no sign of a farm,” Colonel Nyack said softly. “I cannot explain it, General, but something is dangerously wrong about this whole situation. I thought it odd that the inn was deserted when we came through the portal this morning, but that could be explained away by a number of possible reasons. There have been a few other irregularities along our route, but they were not significant. The lack of a farm here is most disturbing. I do not think we are where we are supposed to be.”
“You mean we are lost?” quipped General Haggerty.
“No,” the colonel replied adamantly. “I know exactly where we are, but this land is not the land that I visited in the fall.”
General Haggerty opened his mouth to offer another quip, but General Ross’s glare forestalled his words.
“Colonel, take your squad forward to the campsite. Verify the cache and return. I will lead the column behind you, so leave a well-marked trail.” General Ross waved dismissively at the colonel and turned his attention to General Haggerty. “General, send a couple of plainly-dressed men back to Darcia. I want a report on both portals, and I want to know what the people of Darcia are doing. Specifically, I want to know if our presence here has been reported to anyone.”
* * * *
The squad leader led his men stealthily northward, away from the Barouk-Ongchi Road and the safety of the encampment of the 9th Corps and the 25th Corps. He was tired of only catching small game, and one of the men had seen a small herd of deer in the distance. As he approached the small glade where the deer had been spotted, he gave the signal to halt. The twenty Baroukan soldiers stopped and listened. The forest was deathly still, and no deer were in sight. Still, the thought of fresh venison whetted the appetite of the squad leader. He signaled his men to fan out and surround the glade. If there were deer in the fringe surrounding the glade, his squad would get them. Of that he was sure.
The squad leader waited patiently for his men to get into position. He could not see any of his men, so signals were out of the question. He based his movements on time alone, and when he felt enough time had passed for all of his men to be in position, he stealthily moved forward, arrow nocked and ready to strike a killing blow. He proceeded slowly through the trees, pausing frequently to listen for any sounds of movement. Occasionally, he thought he heard sounds of his immediate flankers moving towards the glade, but he could not be sure. The sounds had been faint as he would have expected from his men. They were, after all, professional hunters.
Eventually, the squad leader reached the glade. It was empty. He sighed with disappointment at not finding any deer, although there was evidence of their recent passage. As he waited for his men to join him, the squad leader wondered if he should try tracking the deer, or return closer to camp and settle for rabbit and squirrel. He debated the pros and cons for a moment before his brow furrowed. Suddenly aware that he was alone, he wondered what was keeping his men. They should have arrived around the same time as he did. With a shiver of nervousness, the squad leader softly called out to his men. No one answered. He called louder. Still no response.
Shaking with fear, the squad leader stepped into the trees. He moved slowly, swiveling his head constantly in an effort to detect any movement in the forest. He detected nothing, but he soon came across the body of one of his men. The soldier was dead, his throat slashed from ear to ear. The soldier’s sword was missing. The squad leader stowed his bow and arrow and drew his own sword. Turning parallel to the glade, he moved cautiously through the trees. A little while later, he came upon another body. He, too, had been taken by surprise and his sword was missing. Fear overcame the squad leader, and he bolted away from the body.
Running as fast as his legs could carry him, the squad leader raced towards the Federation encampment. As he came over the crest of a low hill, the sun reflected off something. The squad leader instinctively threw himself to the ground. For a moment, he lie panting, waiting for an arrow to slam into his body, but the killing blow never arrived. When he regained his breath and a small bit of composure, he sheathed his sword and raised his head to peer down into the valley. In a small clearing at the bottom of the hill, dozens of dancing lights beamed towards him. The squad leader frowned in confusion. He realized that the sun was reflecting off of something metallic, but he could not see past the dazzle to identify the object.
Fearing enemy soldiers, the squad leader eased back over the hill and then set a course perpendicular to the one he had been traveling. When he had traveled far enough to alter his angle to the sun, he crept back up to the ridge and peered down into the clearing. His jaw dropped as he stared into the clearing. The metallic objects were swords stabbed into the ground, but that was not what caused the squad leader’s heart to throb like a galloping horse. The swords were arranged to form an arrow pointing directly at the Federation encampment. The squad leader counted the swords, and the message became clear. His entire squad was dead, and their swords were used to show the squad leader the way back to his camp. The enemy wanted him to survive. They were taunting him. The knowledge that his life had been spared did not ease
the man’s fear. The squad leader rose and ran towards the camp, hysterically screaming of an attack.
* * * *
General Kolling and General Gertz sat in the large command tent, a squad leader standing before them.
“The portals are gone,” reported the squad leader. “Both of them were cut out of the walls and taken away. The men left to guard them are dead. There were also soldiers watching both places. I think they were meant to trap anyone coming back to the portals, but we detected them and avoided them.”
“There is an enemy army behind us?” General Gertz asked in alarm.
“No.” The squad leader shook his head. “They appeared more like a city guard than an army, and there were not many of them. I think my squad could have defeated them, but my mission called for information not bloodshed.”
“You have done well,” stated General Kolling. “I have no further orders for you at this time.”
The squad leader saluted and turned to leave the tent. When he opened the flap, the distant shouting was clearly heard by all.
“Find Colonel Ednor,” ordered General Kolling before the squad leader could leave the tent. “Have him discover the reason for the shouting and report to me immediately.”
The squad leader acknowledged the order and left the tent.
“So we are stranded here in Alcea?” asked General Gertz.
“I think you are drawing too wide an inference from isolated incidences,” replied General Kolling, “but there is a possibility that you are correct. We know that the portals in Barouk have been seized, but I also noticed that they were not simply destroyed. I have to wonder what use the Alceans would have for such portals.”
“To send their armies into Zara?” General Gertz asked in alarm.
“I do not care for Tauman personally,” frowned General Kolling, “but I would not want to lead an uninvited army through those portals into his domain. The 1st Corps would decimate the Alceans as they tried to get through the portals, plus they would be abandoning their homeland for the armies of the Federation to pillage and plunder unopposed. That strategy makes no sense to me. They have something else in mind.”
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