* * * *
Captain Imatin ran the Resurgence onto the beach where the city of Cyranak used to exist. He braced himself at the helm for a grinding halt, but it never came. To his amazement, he watched as the ship rose up on the sand and continued westward. Seiko, the leader of the black-cloaks, stood in the bow, and the captain could hear him shouting orders. All one hundred of the mages were on deck and not a single one of them stood idle. The captain shook his head in awe as the Resurgence sailed over the desert. He was so struck by watching the impossible, that he paid no attention to the wheel. The ship started to drift towards the north, and Seiko’s head snapped around to glare at the captain. As the mage’s eyes bored straight through the captain, Seiko raised one arm and pointed at Captain Imatin. A ball of fire leaped from Seiko’s hand and screamed towards the captain. Imatin threw himself to the deck and the fiery projectile sailed over his head. Before Captain Imatin could get to his feet, Seiko was standing over him.
“The next one won’t miss,” snarled Seiko. “You will tend to steering this ship as I demand or your worthless body will be thrown overboard. I will not give you another warning.”
Captain Imatin rose and moved swiftly to the helm. He grabbed the wheel with both hands and adjusted the course to follow the mage’s instructions. Seiko stood glaring at the captain for several moments before finally turning away. As Seiko walked back towards the bow, Jong appeared at his side.
“You let his foolish actions bother you too much,” warned Jong.
“Too much?” snapped Seiko. “I already have my hands full without catering to an old fool who cannot follow simple instructions. I swear the next time he messes up, I will kill him and get one of his men to steer the ship.”
“Perhaps you should do so now,” suggested Jong. “Setting an example might be worth the small inconvenience of breaking in a new captain.”
Seiko stopped walking and looked into Jong’s eyes. He felt his anger passing and he chuckled. “It would lighten the ship a small bit,” he laughed, “but I prefer to focus on more critical things.” Turning more serious, he continued, “We cannot complete this trip with all of our mages working all of the time. We have to stabilize the Resurgence and get it to the point where half of the men are not needed to keep it going. That way we can rotate them.”
“I think the answer lies in the correct mixture of those filling the sails and those raising the bow,” suggested Jong. “If the bow is too low, we will come to a stop, but if it is too high, it will require too much effort to fill the sails. We need to find the optimum angle for the bow.”
“I agree,” nodded Seiko. “I am willing to sacrifice some speed to accomplish my goal. A couple days either way makes no difference in the grand scheme of things. The important thing to remember is our goal. We must get the demonstone to the Forest of Death. Alutar needs to be made whole.”
* * * *
Prince Midge glided down out of the sky and landed on King Arik’s shoulder. “The enemy has been sighted,” he announced.
King Arik immediately raised his hand to halt the huge army behind him. As the Red Swords and Occan lancers came to a stop, several riders gathered around the Alcean King to hear the report. King Arik nodded to the fairy prince to begin speaking.
“Two Federation armies have joined forces,” reported Prince Midge. “The 34th Corps out of Farmin has joined with the 33rd Corps out of Giza. The combined armies are heading this way.”
“Where are the black-cloaks?” asked Queen Tanya.
“There are eight of them,” answered the fairy prince. “They are grouped together between the two armies. The soldiers seem to give them a wide berth.”
“How long before we meet them?” asked King Arik.
“If both sides keep moving at their current pace,” frowned Prince Midge, “it should only take half a day.”
Colonel David Jaynes, leader of the Red Swords gazed skyward. “It would be nighttime before we met them,” he said.
“It won’t be until tomorrow,” retorted Baron Stikman. “Both armies would camp for the night.”
“Not if they are force marching towards Giza,” countered David Jaynes. “The Federation general will try to stretch the day by marching through dusk and dawn.”
“We are not ready for battle,” stated King Arik. “While the Federation armies might stretch their day, we will not. This army goes no farther until we select the field of battle. Tanya, send Bantam to find out where the Rangers are. They should have been here by now. Prince Midge, I want you to scout the road ahead. Do not go any farther than a couple of hours’ ride. I want you to find a section of the Coastal Highway where the ground is fairly wide. The site should also be unobstructed to the west. Look for land where the soil is not wet and the fields are not furrowed. When you find it, remain there and wait for our people to arrive. We will need to make some preparations for the battle tomorrow.”
Both fairies immediately departed, and the queen turned to her husband with a questioning look.
“What do you have planned?” she asked.
“The Occan cavalry works best with a broad front,” explained the king. “Otherwise we will spend days pitting our vanguard against their vanguard. That is not the type of battle I want to fight.”
“I heartily agree,” declared Baron Stikman. “The wider the front, the better for us. I have to ask, though, what will you do with the Red Swords? As strong a force as they may be, they would only get in the way of our charge.”
“The Red Swords will not be in your way,” smiled King Arik. “They will be attacking the center of the column.”
“The center?” gasped Baron Stikman. “Surely, you jest?”
“That is where the battle mages will be,” nodded Queen Tanya. “It is also where I will be.”
“And the Rangers will attack the column’s rear,” added King Arik. “If they ever get here.”
“They are already here,” announced Queen Tanya as Bantam slid into her pocket. “They are behind us.” While everyone turned to look towards the rear of the column, Queen Tanya leaned closer to the king and whispered, “They did not want to expose their mounts to the Occans. Mitar was not sure if they were aware of the unicorns and their abilities.”
The king waited patiently and eventually three riders galloped forward. Colonel Mitar Vidson, leader of the Rangers, and the two red-headed mages halted near the king. King Arik gave Mitar his orders for the Rangers and then assigned Balomar to the Red Swords. He then looked at Theos.
“You have a choice to make, Theos,” smiled the king. “Where do you think your talents could best be used?”
“I will not be needed with the Red Swords,” declared Theos. “If the Occans will accept me, I would like to ride with them.”
Baron Stikman stared at the red-haired man. He noticed the lack of weapons and shrugged. “You are a mage?” he asked. Theos nodded. “We can always use a healer,” the baron continued. “You will ride with us, but do not get in the way of my lancers.”
Theos merely nodded, but Queen Tanya chuckled under her breath.
“David,” King Arik said as he regained control of the meeting, “I want your men to get into position tonight. Prince Midge will have already selected the battlefield. You will find him on the road ahead within a couple of hour’s ride. I want your men to dismantle any fences along the Coastal Highway that would restrict our movements. Do so in a manner that will not alert the Federation of our intentions.”
“Perhaps you can undermine them so that a strong wind will knock them over,” suggested the queen.
“I will remove the fences where appropriate,” David replied, “and undermine them where their absence would raise suspicions.”
“I think we now have a plan,” stated King Arik. “Baron Stikman, you should have your men make camp here for the night. Use Pinch to keep in contact with the rest of us. She will know where to find us. David, Mitar, prepare your men to move out. The earlier we start, the better our preparations wil
l be. May we all meet again tomorrow night to celebrate our victory.”
* * * *
The sun was already climbing over the Sea of Tears when the Federation column came into view. Three thousand Red Swords sat on their Occan mounts watching the Federation column pass by. They were spread out in a long line staring down over a gently sloping hillside, but the Federation soldiers could not see them. Balomar sat alongside King Arik holding a shield over the king as well as an illusion that hid the Alcean army. Queen Tanya sat astride Frea on the other side of the king, her eyes searching the Federation column for the black-cloaks. Time slowly passed by as the sun rose higher in the sky, and the soldiers began to perspire. Eventually, Queen Tanya saw the battle mages far to the south. She stirred Bantam to life.
“Is it time?” chirped the tiny blue woman.
“It is time,” replied the queen. “Hurry to Baron Stikman and tell him to attack. Then fly directly to Mitar Vidson and alert the Rangers that the attack has begun. Be sure to alert Mitar quickly. We don’t want any of the Federation cavalry back there deciding to outflank us.”
“I shall speak to Mitar before the first Occan lance spears into the Federation soldiers,” vowed Bantam.
In a blue blur, Bantam disappeared into the sky. Queen Tanya turned to the king.
“Try to hold back until the black-cloaks are committed to destroying me,” warned the queen. “Any sight of the Alcean king might be enough to draw their attention away from me, and that will endanger the Red Swords.”
“Are you sure that you can handle eight of them by yourself?” worried the king.
“I am not alone,” smiled Tanya. “Balomar will not need to hold such a large illusion once the Red Swords charge. He can reinforce my shields if need be.”
The red-headed mage from Pog nodded, but the queen did not notice. Her attention was already focused on the black-cloaks in the column. Just as the black-cloaks drew abreast of the queen’s position, horns blew in the distance. The column immediately faltered as everyone focused their attention towards the vanguard. Queen Tanya slowly rode forward so that she emerged from Balamor’s illusion. Both of her hands came up immediately, and fire flew from her fingertips. Several of the black-cloaks were set on fire, and the attention of the nearby Federation soldiers turned towards the woman on the hillside. Several of the black-cloaks retaliated immediately with fireballs of their own, but the magical projectiles dissipated as they struck the queen’s shield. Tanya’s own spells began to encounter the shields of the black-cloaks, and she changed tactics. She sent a spell of wind roaring down the hillside, knocking down the fences along the road.
As the Red Swords charged out of the illusion, Queen Tanya started pounding the shields of the black-cloaks with powerful bolts of energy. The bolts slammed into the enemy’s shields with tremendous force and some of the black-cloaks staggered in reaction. As she had hoped, the realization of a powerful enemy forced the black-cloaks to look to their own survival rather than use their spells against the charging Red Swords. The battle mages joined their shields to provide greater protection as they continued to hammer away at the queen’s shields. Tanya aimed her projectiles carefully, seeking the weakest member of the opposition. When she found him, she concentrated her powers on his section of the shield. Within minutes, she managed to punch through the shield. Her next bolt slammed into the weak opponent, exploding his body and splattering the other mages with his blood. The queen immediately sought out the next weakest black-cloak.
While Queen Tanya was battling the black-cloaks, King Arik and the Red Swords were tearing into the Federation column on both sides of the battle mages. Within minutes, the column was in shambles, and the Federation soldiers sought to disengage. Some tried to surge towards the vanguard while others ran in the opposite direction. A few tried to form a shield wall, but too few chose to participate, and the wall was easily demolished.
To the north, the Federation Vanguard faced an attack by the Occan lancers. With a well-honed efficiency, the Occan warriors charged into the cavalry leading the Federation column, turning aside once contact had been made. Wave after wave of Occan lancers pummeled the Federation cavalry until it no longer existed, but the battle had given the Federation infantry time to build a proper shield wall. When the Occans charged the shield wall, thousands of Federation arrows filled the sky. The front line of the shield wall managed to deflect a fair number of the lances, and large numbers of Occan warriors began falling from their mounts. Baron Stikman called for a retreat, and the Occans gathered just outside bow range.
“We need a different strategy,” Baron Stikman said to the commanders around him. “We are wasting Occan lives against the shield wall.”
“Perhaps we can flank them,” suggested Baron Ohmson.
Baron Stikman shook his head. “They will see the maneuver well before we could institute it. They would just build another shield wall along the flank.”
“Focus your attack on the center of the shield wall,” instructed Theos. “I will get you through it. What tactics you use after that are up to you.”
“Can you truly do that?” asked Baron Ohmson. “Can you break a hole in the shield wall?”
Theos nodded.
“That would be perfect,” Baron Ohmson said excitedly. “If we can get through the center, we can turn and attack the wall from behind. If successful, they will abandon the use of shield walls in the future.”
“There are many ifs in your statement,” frowned Baron Stikman, “but I am at a loss for a better plan. Do your magic, mage.”
Theos took no offense at the baron’s lack of appreciation for magic. He rode forward to the very edge of the Federation bow range and looked back to see if the Occans were ready. When he was sure that Baron Stikman’s men were ready, he waved for them to charge. He immediately turned to face the enemy, streams of fire shooting from his fingertips. The flames engulfed the center of the Federation shield wall, and men cried out in agony. Heated swords and shields were quickly abandoned, and soldiers swiftly moved away from the pyres of their fellow soldiers. With a large hole in the shield wall, Baron Stikman led the Occan lancers into the enemy column. As the lancers turned to attack the remnants of the shield wall, the will of the Federation column broke. Some soldiers shoved their swords into the ground and knelt while others broke from the column and ran. Before high sun, the battle was over, and the task turned to corralling the prisoners and discussing what was to be done with them.
Chapter 44
The Missing Door
Grand General Kyrga walked into the emperor’s office and closed the door. He bowed respectfully and approached the desk. The emperor looked up with annoyance.
“What is it, Kyrga?” Emperor Jaar asked.
“There has been a flurry of messages today,” Kyrga reported. “None of them are good.”
“Perhaps a new Grand General would change that,” scowled the emperor. “Speak.”
“We received a message from King Alden of Aerta,” Kyrga began.
“King Alden?” interrupted the emperor. “What are you talking about? Alden never returned from Alcea.”
“According to the message,” frowned Grand General Kyrga, “he has returned. Worse, he has sent notice that Aerta has withdrawn from the Federation.”
“What?” shouted the emperor. “I do not care who Alden thinks he is, but he is not drawing Aerta out of the Federation. This is someone’s idea of a joke, and I want that person found and hanged.”
“It is no joke,” stated Kyrga. “I also received a message from a spy in Giza. He confirms that Alden has been coronated. He also states that the Alceans and Occans were welcomed into the city. In fact, King Arik was among those visiting the city. There was no battle for Giza.”
Emperor Jaar frowned deeply and stared at the Grand General. “What of the thirty thousand men sent to crush the Occans?” he asked.
“There are three messages concerning them,” answered Kyrga. “Two of the messages were from General Lar
us. The first indicated that a battle had begun on the Coastal Highway of Aerta. The second message indicated a total loss of our armies.”
“How is this possible?” asked the emperor. “The Occans were outnumbered.”
“Not exactly,” replied Kyrga. “The third message was from King Harold of Ertak.”
“So Harowin died?” questioned the emperor.
“He did,” nodded Kyrga, “just as you predicted. The message stated that King Harold is withdrawing Ertak from the Federation. As such, he chose not to send the 11th Corps north to fight at Giza. He also strongly stated that Federation troops are no longer welcome within the boundaries of Ertak.”
“That insolent pup,” shouted the emperor. “If he thinks that he can dictate terms to me, he is sadly mistaken. I want you to send the armies from Valdo to restore the Federation in Ertak. They are to hang King Harold and anyone who supports him.”
The door to the emperor’s office flew open and Colonel Taerin bowed quickly before ushering in a young officer. The emperor glared at the colonel as a captain stepped into the room and bowed respectfully.
“What is the meaning of this intrusion, Colonel?” Grand General Kyrga demanded.
“The situation is urgent, Grand General,” Colonel Taerin replied. “I would not interrupt otherwise. I will let Captain Sevard explain.”
“The city is surrounded by elves,” the captain declared. “And they are hostile.”
Emperor Jaar and Grand General Kyrga glanced at one another with puzzled expressions.
“Explain yourself, Captain,” demanded Grand General Kyrga, “and leave nothing out.”
“About an hour ago,” the captain began, “a lone elf walked out of the woods and stood staring up at the western gates. One of the men recognized him as King Elengal, the old elven king who came into the city periodically. A sergeant sent out four men to arrest the elf and bring him before you. When the four soldiers approached King Elengal, arrows streaked out of the forest. All four men died. The sergeant was incensed. He ordered his entire squad out through the gates to take revenge on the elves. Hundreds of arrows flew out of the forest. Not one of the men made it more then ten paces away from our wall. I observed this slaughter, and I was not about to let the matter sit. I formed up my entire company, but I was not about to be foolish enough to do what the elves thought I would do. I rode the men through the city and exited through the northern gates to attack the elves from behind. As soon as the last of my one hundred men had cleared the gates, the arrows began flying. Thousands of arrows flew into my men. In an instant, the entire company was murdered.”
Alutar: The Great Demon Page 54