“Not true,” countered Prince Harold. “The Alceans are not destroyers. Have you never read anything about them?”
“I have,” interjected Bonnay, “and I agree with you, Harold. The Federation has not done anything good for the people of Zara.”
“There is truth to that,” agreed Prince Samuel. “My own mother has helped destroy Spino, and she has done it with the backing of the Federation. I only worry about the loss of lives during the coming war. I hope it is not too great.”
Prince Bultar rose and started to leave the room.
“Where are you going, Bultar?” asked Rynda.
“We were told that we were free to leave if we wished,” stated the Candanaran prince. “I need to return immediately to Zinbar and alert my father to the coming war.”
“There is no way to leave the horse countries,” declared Sheri.
“There is a boat that travels to Ur,” Prince Bultar said. “I plan to be on the next one.”
“The boat no longer runs,” Sheri said. “I heard them saying that they captured three Federation spies on the last boat and that they were no longer going to allow boats in or out.”
Prince Bultar halted and turned around. “We are as good as prisoners then. What will happen to Candanar?”
“Doesn’t Candanar usually wait to see who will win the war before choosing sides?” quipped Samana.
Prince Bultar turned and glared at the Baroukan woman. “Perhaps it might not be so bad to watch the Federation crumble,” he snapped. “Candanar had no trouble taking care of its people before the Federation, and it will have no trouble after.”
“Let’s not fight amongst ourselves,” pleaded Rynda. “None of us will have anything to do with the coming war. Let’s just be friends”
Sheri smiled inwardly. While she had not managed to learn the views of the heirs very well, she had found a way to turn the conversations towards the destruction of the Federation. The next few days should give her enough time to meet with each of the heirs individually to ferret out their true feelings.
Chapter 8
Night Movements
A dozen Rangers flew their unicorns over the tall peaks of the Barrier. Guided by a fairy, the unicorns set down on a snowy peak and the Rangers swiftly dismounted.
“You have a climb down of about one thousand paces,” reported the fairy. “I will guide you.”
“Are we directly over the Black Citadel?” asked the Ranger sergeant.
“We are,” the fairy nodded. “The face of the mountain is steep here. It will be a dangerous climb. Do you wish me to levitate your men down one by one?”
“No,” replied the Ranger. “We can not afford to have a lone man down there. We will all travel together. Check our path to see if there are any black-cloaks observing the area.”
The fairy saluted and disappeared down the side of the mountain. The Ranger sergeant turned and watched his men assembling their gear for the climb. He nodded with satisfaction at their proficiency. When they were all prepared, he addressed them.
“Our mission,” the sergeant said to his men, “is to prevent the escape of any black-cloaks from the Black Citadel until our replacements arrive. They can only leave the Black Citadel in two ways. There is a narrow path leading down the mountain, and they can transform into birds and fly away. Our descent will take us to a ledge directly over the opening of the Black Citadel. They should not be able to attack us directly with their spells unless one of them gets outside the cave. I cannot stress this enough. Not a single black-cloak can be allowed to exit the cave, either as a bird or in human form. If that happens, we will all die.”
The sergeant hesitated to let his words sink in before continuing, “Our primary weapon will be the bow, but use what you must to ensure completion of our mission. I also feel a need to stress the method of our descent. This climb must be undetected. That means not a single pebble cascading down the face of the mountain. It also means total silence at all times. I know that these things have been stressed many times before, but I must stress them again. We are facing hundreds of mages in the cave below us. One slipup and we will all die.”
“Why are we doing this?” asked one of the Rangers. “I mean, shouldn’t our mages be taking care of their mages? We have no protection against magical spells.”
The sergeant smiled. An officer in a different army might take those words as a plea to be excused from the mission, but the sergeant knew the questioner and recognized the question as one of logic. It was a valid question.
“Our mages will be coming,” the sergeant replied, “but there is no way that they can get into position without being detected and placed in harm’s way. Our goal is to provide a safe environment for them to get positioned. Once our mages are in place, we will turn around and climb back to the summit. Our unicorns will then take us to the valley floor to make sure that no one tries to come up behind our mages. Are there any other questions?”
There were no other questions, and the sergeant used hand signals to direct his men to start the climb down the mountain. His use of hand signals to start the mission denoted that the period of silence had already begun. The Rangers smoothly separated into two groups and began the descent.
* * * *
Prince Harold was tired of tossing and turning. He rose out of his bed and poured a mug of water. For a few minutes, he sat on his bed and sipped the water, his mind immediately returning to the discussion the occupants of the Lair had had earlier that day with Rita. The young woman had a knack for turning every conversation towards a talk about politics and how everyone felt about every little issue. It always seemed so innocent, but the prince was bothered by it. He knew that others were as well, particularly Samana. Still, the conversations always caused Prince Harold to examine his inner self and his fitness to rule. And that was what was keeping him awake at night. The Ertakan prince worried that he did not have the skills necessary to rule a country. The thought of assuming the throne of Ertak worried him.
The prince walked into the sitting room and lit a lantern. He had read an interesting book about the Alcean king and his struggle to assume the throne at a young age, and he thought rereading it might help him sleep. He walked towards the table near the door to the corridor where his books were kept, but he stopped short as he heard sounds outside in the corridor. The sounds were not loud, but they were continuous. Filled with curiosity, the prince quietly moved towards the door and cracked it open. He gasped when he saw a steady stream of foreign soldiers marching through the corridor. Unable to contain his wonder, the prince opened the door all the way and stared at the passing men.
Some of the passing soldiers smiled and nodded at the prince, but others kept their eyes straight ahead. The prince tried asking the soldiers who they were, but not a single man spoke as they passed his door. Prince Harold frowned as he tried to think of the country that matched the colors of the uniforms. He could not think of one. The uniforms were a simple gray, but each soldier sported a red bar on his lapel. Suddenly, the answer struck the prince, but he shook his head in disbelief, refusing to accept the presence of Alcean Red Swords in Herinak Castle as being real. He wondered if he was dreaming. As the prince stood trancelike watching the soldiers march by, an aberration caught his attention. A man and a woman appeared in the column, but they were not dressed in gray. Both were dressed in white battle armor with golden trim, and both of them walked the walk of a warrior. When Prince Harold focused on the face of the man, he found a pair steely eyes looking back. The couple deftly stepped out of the column of soldiers and stood before the Ertak prince.
“You are Prince Harold?” the man asked. “May we come in?”
The prince was totally taken by surprise. He nodded and backed away from the door.
“I am King Arik of Alcea,” the man said as he entered Harold’s sitting room, “and this is Queen Tanya. We have heard much about you.”
“I have read about you,” Prince Harold said hesitantly. “Am I dreaming?”
>
King Arik smiled warmly and shook his head. “No, Prince Harold, you are not dreaming. The soldiers you see marching through the hall are Red Swords from Alcea. We will be joining with the Occan lancers to march on Giza in the morning.”
“I heard a rumor that war was coming to Zara soon,” admitted the prince, “but I never imagined it would be so soon. What will happen to Ertak?”
“Ertak lost 20,000 men in the war in Alcea,” answered King Arik. “For that you and your countrymen have my condolences, but we did not choose this war. There are another 30,000 Ertakans held prisoner in Alcea. They will be repatriated after the Federation is destroyed. As to what will happen to Ertak, much of the answer to that question resides on your shoulders.”
“My shoulders?” balked the prince. “I do not think so.”
King Arik frowned. “Prince Harold, much has happened since you came to live in the Lair. Your brother, General Montero, died in Alcea. Your step brothers, Prince Lyker and Prince Lindmyr were assassinated in the Royal Palace in Farmin. We have intelligence that your father, King Harowin may be assassinated soon by another country of the Federation. You are the last hope for leadership in the Ertakan royal line.”
Prince Harold’s eyes grew larger with each reported death. King Arik’s words were a shock to him, and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came forth.
“You were brought here to protect you,” interjected Queen Tanya, “and to shield you from the horrors of war, but it is now time for you to stand up to what is going on. When our armies have liberated Aerta, we will continue southward to Farmin.”
“To be blunt, Prince Harold,” King Arik said, “we fully expect King Harowin to be dead by the time we arrive in Farmin. That will leave you in charge of the country. We need to know if you will stand with us to defeat the Federation, or will you be among those blocking the road to peace?”
“But I am here in Herinak,” protested the prince. “I have nothing to do with Ertak.”
“You will be returned to Ertak upon the death of your father,” declared King Arik. “I will personally have my men see to your safety en route to the Royal Palace in Farmin. If you chose to align with us, my men will be willing to stand by you as a personal bodyguard. If you choose to go your own way, my men will merely leave you in the Royal Palace with an Ertakan guard of your choosing. In any event, your escorts will not harm you.”
The prince walked to the couch and sat down. He stared at the royal couple as if he were still having a dream.
“I have no love for the Federation,” declared the prince, “and from what I have read, I have great admiration for you and the Alcean people, but you must know that I am not a king. You are asking me to commit the lives of my countrymen based upon what I have heard here in Herinak Castle. I have not set foot in Farmin in many years. I do not know the true situation there.”
King Arik smiled broadly and sat in a chair facing the couch. “I know exactly how you feel,” King Arik said sympathetically. “You may not realize it, but you have just told me that you will make a fine king.”
“What do you mean?” asked the prince.
“Your first thought was for the people of Ertak,” answered King Arik. “Your second thought was not to take anything for granted. Inadvertently, you have revealed both your heart and your wisdom. The Ertakan people could not ask for more than that. I have an idea that may allow you to see the truth. I will have you taken to Farmin in disguise. Your escort will protect you, but you will be free to go anywhere you want except the Royal Palace. I put that limitation on you only to protect those escorting you. If you truly need to enter the palace, my people will let you, but they will not accompany you. This will allow you to meet the people that you will lead, while hiding your true identity. I know from experience how beneficial such an excursion can be.”
“I was going to ask you how you adapted to being a king at a young age,” commented Prince Harold. “What is your trick?”
“There is no trick,” King Arik said seriously. “I fought the idea of leading people, but I soon realized that I could not walk away from people who were depending upon me. You will learn the same in Farmin. You will meet shopkeepers who complain about the taxes. You will meet beggars lecturing about the unfairness of life, and you will meet women mourning the loss of their husbands to a war no one wanted. You will be disgusted and saddened, but most of all, you will get angry that no one is taking care of any of the problems. It will be at that point that you realize that you have it within your grasp to step up and take charge for the good of everyone.”
“Remember, Harold,” added Queen Tanya. “If you shirk your duty to the people, there will always be someone eager to take your place, but the odds are that your replacement will not be doing it to help the people. He will be doing it to help himself.”
“How will you get me to Ertak?” asked Prince Harold. “Your Red Swords cannot escort me.”
“When it is time, you will be magically transported to Ertak,” answered the king. “Once you are there, you will be met by a merchant. He will guide you to Farmin and protect you during your stay. Do you want to go?”
“Yes,” Prince Harold said eagerly. “I am ready to go now.”
“It will not be now, but remain ready. It will be soon. Which suite holds Prince Samuel? I have to tell him about the death of his mother.”
“Queen Samir died?” asked Prince Harold. “How?”
“She was assassinated,” answered the Alcean king. “Some believe that the order came from King Harowin, but it is often hard to determine the truth of such things.”
“You should be aware that the Federation is already pulling itself apart, Prince Harold,” interjected Queen Tanya. “It is the nature of greedy men and women. Do not let the troubles between the current regimes in Ertak and Spino drive a wedge between you and Samuel. The two of you represent a new beginning for your countries. Let nothing of the old fester in your hearts and minds.”
“Samuel wants that fresh start as much as I do,” the prince nodded. “We will not turn on one another. Samuel’s suite is right across the hall from mine.”
“We will see ourselves out,” the king said as he rose. “You should get back to bed.”
King Arik and Queen Tanya crossed the room and exited the suite. They crossed the column and knocked on Prince Samuel’s door.
“Are we wise in letting Harold go to Farmin before his father dies?” asked the queen. “He could make things more difficult for us.”
“It was the right thing to do,” smiled King Arik. “There is much to like in the Ertakan prince. He will become a strong ally of Alcea.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I have been in his shoes,” answered the king. “I can almost recite what is going through his head. He is a good man, Tanya. Trust me.”
The door opened and a sleepy Prince Samuel stared out.
“I am King Arik of Alcea,” smiled the king, “and this is Queen Tanya. May we come in?”
* * * *
Colonel Taerin tossed and turned in his bed in the Imperial Palace in Despair. Eventually, he woke and sat up in bed, a distant sound rumbling through his head. With a puzzled expression, the colonel rose and walked to his window. He threw open the shutters and saw a line of soldiers marching into the large tent that had been set up on the palace lawn. Shaking his head in confusion, he gazed up at the stars.
“What are they doing in the middle of the night?” he mumbled to himself.
He watched for a few minutes and then returned to his bed, promising himself to investigate in the morning. For almost an hour he tried to get back to sleep, but the constant rumbling never stopped. He rose again and moved to the window. The soldiers were still marching into the tent.
“I must be dreaming,” he muttered. “No tent can hold that many men. You could march an entire army into the tent in an hour.”
Intrigued, the colonel got dressed and left his room. He made his way down the stairs and towards
one of the rear exits to the palace. When he reached the door, he found two guards standing in front of it. It was an unusual deployment except in times of emergency, but the colonel paid it no mind. He tried to pass between the guards, but they swiftly moved to halt his progress.
“No one leaves the palace this night, Colonel,” one of the guards said.
“I am an officer of the palace guard,” scowled Colonel Taerin. “Step aside.”
“It doesn’t matter who you are,” the guard replied. “If you have a problem with that, I suggest you awaken Grand General Kyrga. We have our orders and you are not authorized to pass this point.”
“Who is authorized?” asked the colonel.
“Only officers of the 37th Corps and the 38th Corps,” answered the guard. “All others are forbidden unless they have authorization directly from Grand General Kyrga.”
“Then I shall have to awaken the Grand General,” scowled the colonel.
Colonel Taerin turned and started towards Kyrga’s suite, but he stopped before he had gone too far. One of Kyrga’s closest aides moved across the room in front of him and hurried up the stairs to the second level. That indicated that Kyrga was in his office. Colonel Taerin swiftly followed, but he slowed to a silent walk when he got near Kyrga’s office. He could hear voices from around the bend in the corridor, but he could not make out the words. The colonel turned the bend in hopes of getting closer, but he was spotted immediately as Kyrga and the aid walked out of the office and turned towards him.
“What are you doing out of bed, Taerin,” scowled the Grand General. “Have you no idea of the hour?”
“Actually, I do,” Colonel Taerin responded. “I could not sleep so I decided to walk down to the shore. You have men posted at the rear doors that refused to allow me to pass.”
“No one leaves the palace tonight, Taerin,” Grand General Kyrga said as he stopped in front of the colonel. “Go back to bed.”
“I am assigned to palace security,” the colonel reminded his superior. “If there is an emergency in progress, I should have been informed immediately.”
Alutar: The Great Demon Page 10