Alutar: The Great Demon

by Tuttle, Richard S.

  “What is Grand General Kyrga going to say when he finds out about this breech in orders?” asked the other guard.

  “I am not sure,” mused Colonel Taerin, “but I suspect his reaction might be quite similar to General Forshire’s. He will be livid that you ignored his orders. I suspect that your punishment will be quite severe.”

  “But you vouched for him,” scowled one of the guards. “Surely, you will speak on our behalf?”

  “I did not urge you to ignore your orders,” retorted Colonel Taerin. “I merely said that General Forshire was indeed the Imperial General. I surely did not want you to make such a decision without knowing who you were facing. As for speaking in your behalf, what would you have me say? Should I confirm that you allowed General Forshire into the tent?”

  The two guards looked at each other, and they both began sweating profusely. Colonel Taerin felt cruel toying with the men, but he could not afford to have it noted that he had once again interfered with the tent guards and their duty to keep people out of the tent.

  “What are we to do, Colonel?” asked one of the guards. “We do not want to become involved in a squabble between Kyrga and Forshire.”

  Colonel Taerin made a point of gazing around the area before turning his attention to the guards. “I suppose it would be better for everyone if this incident never happened. As for me, I am off duty and am merely strolling the grounds. I have no part in this affair. I certainly feel no need to make a report of it.”

  “But won’t Kyrga find out about it from Forshire?” asked one of the guards.

  “I do not think the two of them speak to each other very much,” shrugged Colonel Taerin. “Do you really expect General Forshire to march into Grand General Kyrga’s office and brag about forcing his way into this tent?”

  The guards looked at one another with hope in their eyes. Colonel Taerin nodded farewell to the two guards and left the area as if continuing his casual stroll around the grounds. Several minutes later, General Forshire emerged from the tent. He let the flap slide back into place and then turned to look at the two guards. He stared silently at them for a moment as if making some decision regarding their fate.

  “We are sorry for not recognizing you earlier,” one of the guards offered in a trembling voice. “General, we are not anxious to get caught in a row between you and Kyrga. What are we to report about this incident?”

  “Incident?” echoed General Forshire. “I know of no incident that requires reporting. Do you?”

  Both guards shook their heads vigorously. “Thank you, General,” one of the guards said with relief in his voice.

  General Forshire smiled and nodded to the men before turning and heading towards the bench near the waterfront. Before he reached the bench, Peanut shot down out of the night sky and landed on Clint’s shoulder.

  “Tell the Bringer that the portal goes to Alcea,” General Forshire said softly. “It was too bright to see any stars, but the foliage and terrain reminds me of southern Targa, or perhaps northern Sordoa. That is the best I can tell from my short visit. The portal is located in a tiny hunter’s cabin. The floor of the cabin has been destroyed by the heavy traffic passing through it. Also, the troops headed south after arriving. That would place the cabin north of some road. Carry the message with haste, my little friend. Do not bother coming back here. We will meet on the road in Vinafor.”

  Peanut shot straight up into the predawn sky and banked to the north. He soared high over the Sea of Tears and looped past the Pyres before heading out over the Sands of Eternity. He gazed down at the evenly spaced lakes spread across the vast desert and saw a great host gathering around one of them. It was not until he was gliding towards the Bringer that he realized that the sun was already on its way to the western horizon. As he landed on the Bringer’s shoulder, King Arik was talking to Baron Stikman.

  “This is incredible,” commented the baron. “And you say that there are six more of these lakes?”

  “We will stay at one of them at the end of each day’s journey,” nodded King Arik. “Each of them is already provisioned with more than enough food to sustain our men and mounts. Excuse me while I see what brings Peanut to the desert.”

  King Arik turned his head towards the fairy on his shoulder. “Has the turnover to the dwarves gone badly?” he asked with concern as Baron Stikman and Colonel David Jaynes looked on.

  “No,” Peanut reported. “That went well, but there is a problem that requires your attention. There is a portal in a tent on the lawn of the Imperial Palace in Despair. Clint reports that it goes to southern Targa or northern Sordoa. He cannot be more precise than that, but it comes out in a hunter’s cabin north of a road.”

  “Clint is sure of this?” asked the king.

  “He has gone through it,” nodded the little green man, “but he could not stay long. There is more. The 37th Corps and the 38th Corps of the Federation have already gone through the portal along with battle mages. Bringer, there is another attack force in Alcea!”

  “And we have left little in the way of defensive forces,” frowned Colonel Jaynes. “We could be back in Herinak in a week. When did the Federation armies depart?”

  “Days ago,” frowned the fairy. “I do not know the exact date, but I think it may have been a week ago. That is how long Colonel Donil has been missing, and he followed the enemy through the portal. Should I return to Despair and ask?”

  “No,” King Arik shook his head. “Where is Clint now?”

  “He is heading for Vinafor,” answered Peanut. “I am supposed to meet him there.”

  “Then rest before you go,” ordered the Bringer. “Your mission is accomplished.”

  “Your homeland is under attack again?” questioned Baron Stikman.

  “It would seem so,” answered King Arik as if he knew what the baron was thinking, “but that does not change our plans. I gave my word to your father that I would lead this army to the gates of Giza, and I will not break my vow.”

  “But Tagaret will fall,” protested David Jaynes. “If Herinak was under attack, would you even think of stopping the baron from turning his forces around? I know that you would not. In fact, you and the Red Swords would be turning around with him to help save his city.”

  “That is enough, Colonel,” King Arik stated brusquely. “The Red Swords can no more save Tagaret than the Lanoirian army can. You are riding Occan mounts, not unicorns. There is not enough time for you to get to Tagaret.”

  “But there is time for you to go,” Baron Stikman said.

  “I promised your father,” King Arik declared.

  “That you would lead this army to the gates of Giza,” smiled the baron. “I know. I was there. Still, Colonel Jaynes is absolutely correct. If Herinak was under attack, we would be turning around, and you would not object. How then can I object to your returning home to rally your defenses? As for your promise to my father, Colonel Jaynes and I will lead this army through the desert and beyond Olansk. There we will wait for you on the Zinbar Trail. Go, my friend, and return victoriously.”

  Chapter 14

  Alcean Regulars

  It took over six hours for King Arik to get to Herinak on his unicorn. It had already been a very long day for the king, and he would liked to have spent some time sleeping, but dawn was fast approaching when he arrived in Tagaret. The Red Swords guarding the portal were surprised to see the king, but they scurried to obey his commands. Chaco was taken to the stables to get some rest, but others in the Royal Palace were awoken early from their sleep. The king took only a few moments to freshen up, but by the time he reached the library, most of his advisors were already present. The king wasted no time waiting for the others to arrive.

  “We have a serious situation here in Alcea,” the king declared as he entered the library. “There is another Federation attack force somewhere in Alcea. The best estimate I have is twenty-thousand men and eight battle mages. I want fairies sent out in every direction to locate this army, but I want them to conc
entrate on lower Targa and upper Sordoa first. Clint McFarren thinks that might be where they came out, and the Ranger knows his land features fairly well. He is the man Alex requested to map Zara.”

  “We don’t have a lot of fairies left in Alcea,” stated Prince Oscar. “We have been sending most of them to Zara to help coordinate the war effort over there.”

  “Are our actions in Zara at a standstill?” asked Lord Clava.

  “No,” the king shook his head. “The war in Zara has already begun. We can not stop it now. Everything is already scheduled, and the people are in place. We have to deal with this problem ourselves.”

  “Do you mean that the Red Swords did not return with you?” asked Lord Markel.

  “No one returned with me,” answered the king. “The Red Swords are in the middle of a desert the size of Targa, and they do not have unicorns. They will not be coming to our rescue.”

  “The Rangers?” asked Lord Clava.

  “Already committed to action,” the king shook his head. “They will be attacking Calusa in the morning, and they have other battles that must be fought immediately after that one. No one is coming from Zara. As I said, we have to deal with this ourselves.”

  “Then the fairies that we send out should also be alerting our forces,” stated General Gregor. “Perhaps some of them will be in a position to get here before the Federation.”

  “That is worth a try,” conceded the king, “but I think the enemy has been in Alcea for over a week already. I fear that we do not have much time. I want the entire army assembled this morning in the courtyard, and I mean the entire army. Every gate guard. Every patrol.”

  “You fear that the enemy is close enough to strike the palace today?” Lord Markel asked with concern.

  “No, Lord Markel,” the king sighed with weariness. “I am going to be asking our young men to fight a vastly superior army. I want to personally tell them what is coming towards this city and what is expected of them.”

  “You should get some sleep first,” suggested Lord Clava as he noted the weariness in Arik’s face.

  “Afterwards,” promised the king. “The only time we can afford to have the walls unmanned is right now, so I will address them this morning. I will keep it short and then get some sleep while the fairies hunt for the enemy.”

  “I will issue the orders now,” stated General Gregor as he moved towards the door. “I will have them all assembled by dawn.”

  “Make it for two hours after dawn,” Prince Oscar said. “The king might not think that he needs sleep, but I am sure that he does not wish the men to see him as if he were so worried that he cannot sleep himself. It could be counterproductive.”

  General Gregor looked to the king, and Arik sighed and nodded in agreement.

  “Once the enemy is found,” King Arik continued, “I want the portal they came through found and disabled like the others. There is a Federation colonel somewhere in Alcea that knows where it is, if he is still alive. His name is Colonel Donil, and he is not to be harmed. He is one of Clint’s A Corps men. He followed the enemy army through the portal, and I am guessing that Clint chose him to watch the Imperial Palace because he knows what is important and what is not. I feel confident that he would know the location of the portal.”

  “Many of the fairies that are still in Alcea are supposed to be used to signal the people at the submerged Doors,” said Prince Oscar. “Should we be using them to hunt for the enemy?”

  King Arik stared blankly at his father for a moment and then shook his head as if to clear it. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a piece of paper and studied it for several moments.

  “We can’t afford to use them all,” the king eventually said. “There won’t be enough time for them to get back into position, and that mission is ongoing. We can use the first flyers only, and only for today. The rest stay in position.”

  “Noted,” Prince Oscar said with a nod. “If there is nothing else for you to share at this time, I suggest you get some sleep and let us get things moving.”

  The king nodded with weariness and left the library. Prince Oscar immediately took command of the meeting and began issuing orders. Within minutes, all of the advisors were gone from the library and off doing their tasks. Prince Oscar turned to leave the room and spotted Prince Midge on one of the shelves. He had not noticed him before.

  “You are unusually quiet,” Prince Oscar said to his fairy friend. “Why?”

  “I am worried for the Bringer,” Prince Midge confessed. “He has already had a long day riding through the desert and then racing back here.”

  “A couple of hours sleep will do wonders for him,” Prince Oscar smiled. “You worry too much.” When the fairy prince’s disposition did not change, Oscar knew the problem was something entirely different. “You think harm will come to him in Tagaret?”

  “It does not look good,” frowned the little green man. “Everyone is in Zara fighting the enemy, and no one is left here. Even my own people are spread too thin to help protect the Bringer, and that is a responsibility that falls on me. I feel as if I am failing the Bringer, but he will not allow me to recall my people in Zara. I am sure some of them could be spared from their tasks over there.”

  “Have you forgotten who you serve?” asked Prince Oscar. “You may call him the Bringer, but we call him the Warrior King. No small Federation army is going to sack Tagaret while he lives.”

  “Small?” balked the fairy prince. “They outnumber the Alcean army by better than three to one, plus they have eight battle mages. The Alcean army does not stand a chance. If your soldiers ever find out what is coming towards this city, half of them will probably flee before the battle starts.”

  “There you are wrong, my little friend,” Prince Oscar smiled. “Our lads might be inexperienced, but they will die defending King Arik and Tagaret. There will be no desertions. I think you are just as weary as your Bringer. Get some sleep.”

  “I am not tired,” answered Prince Midge. “I slept all day crossing the desert. That is a boring place for a fairy to be.”

  “Then perhaps it is time for you and me to retire to my office,” grinned Prince Oscar. “We do some of our best scheming there. We will discover some way to increase our chances.”

  Prince Midge brightened at the thought of scheming. He fluttered off the shelf and onto Prince Oscar’s shoulder. The two princes left the library and headed for Prince Oscar’s office. Three hours later, they returned to the library to find King Arik and most of his advisors standing around waiting for word from General Gregor that the troops had been fully assembled. The general arrived just moments after the two princes, and Lord Markel threw open the doors to the balcony. King Arik moved towards the balcony doors, but Lord Clava suddenly stepped in front of him.

  “You have no mage for protection,” Lord Clava declared. “Where is the queen?”

  “They are all on missions,” answered the king as he moved around the man who had raised him. “I will have to do this alone.”

  “Get out there and look for enemy mages,” Prince Oscar whispered to Prince Midge.

  The fairy prince needed no further prompting. He darted across the room and sped out through the open doors before King Arik could reach them. The king did not seem to notice as he stepped out on the balcony and gazed over the crowd below. Thousands of Alcean soldiers stood waiting to hear his words. Hundreds of citizens also crowded around the gates to the palace, hoping to hear the king’s words. Arik inhaled deeply as he stared down at the faces of the people he was going to send into battle. After a short pause, he stepped forward and leaned on the railing.

  “Soldiers of the Alcean Army,” the king began loudly, “thank you for gathering at such an early hour. As you know, we have sent many soldiers to Zara to battle the Federation on their own soil. The Red Swords, the Rangers, and thousands of our elven and dwarven friends are over there to bring the Federation to its knees. Those battles have already begun, but the war in Alcea is not yet over.
Somewhere in Alcea, there is another Federation army, and I believe that it is marching on Tagaret at this very moment. The estimate that I have received indicates a force of twenty-thousand soldiers and eight battle mages.”

  King Arik paused to scan the upturned faces. There were many frowns among the soldiers, but that was to be expected. He did not detect any clear signs of fear, and that surprised him a bit.

  “Some of my advisors might think that I am crazy for telling you the size of the force coming towards us,” King Arik continued, “but I think that any man asked to put his life on the line for his country deserves the truth, and that is all you will get from me. We will be badly outnumbered, but we are Alceans.”

  Several soldiers raised their fists in the air and cheered at the king’s words, but Arik did not pause.

  “The Federation has underestimated us before,” the king continued, ”and they are doing so again. I have watched you men being trained, and I am proud to be here to lead you in this coming battle. We are not going to march out to engage the enemy as they approach the city this time. We are going to let them come to our walls. And when they come to our walls, they are going to die.”

  Hundreds of soldiers raised their fists and cheered, and the king smiled down at them and nodded.

  “That is the Alcean spirit,” shouted King Arik. “Sharpen your swords men, and stockpile your arrows. There is a lot of Federation blood to be spilled beyond these walls, and I don’t wish to trade much Alcean blood for it. I want each of you to take part in preparing the city walls for battle. I want each of you to continue your training. There is time yet to learn a few more things from your mates. Practice your archery and get your range improved. If your armor needs repairing, get it done now. As soon as I get an estimate on when the enemy will arrive, you will be informed, but we will keep a close watch every minute of every day until the enemy does arrive. We will not be caught unawares, because we are Alceans.”

  Another round of cheers reverberated off the walls of the palace and the nearby buildings. King Arik looked down and saw the spirit of his men rising. He whispered a silent thanks to Thun, the God of War. That simple act reminded the king of how often he forgot to be thankful for the gods’ blessings bestowed upon him.