Lomecht snorted.
‘You may mock, young man,’ Hodang said, ‘but she saved us. She’s a better fighter than many in our own regiments. I daresay she might even be a match for you.’
‘I did what I had to,’ Chane said. She turned the sword in her hands and offered the hilt to Echtang.
‘You should have seen her, uncle,’ his nephew said, chuckling as he took the sword.
‘This is no surprise to me,’ Mandalecht said. ‘I watched her train my sword masters.’
Agang slapped her on the back. ‘Well done. Thank you for saving my nephew and chief minister.’
‘She’s a slave and a woman,’ Lomecht said. ‘She has broken the law. Do none of you care?’
Mandalecht shrugged and shook his head.
‘Maybe the law needs an exception,’ Hodang said. ‘I’d certainly not object to Chane being armed next time I’m waylaid by a mob.’
‘It goes against nature,’ Lomecht said. ‘Every one of us knows how devious women can be, what liars they are, cloaking their true intent behind silky words. And she is a slave, and everyone here knows the punishment for slaves who take up arms.’
Agang saw nods of approval from many in the crowd.
‘There are always exceptions,’ Agang said. ‘The law may be sound, but Chane is an extreme case. I therefore declare the following.’
He put his hand on Chane’s shoulder, and pushed her down. She knelt before him.
‘She fights like a man, and knows battle tactics and strategy as well as any warrior. Today she proved she also has the courage to match.’
‘Chane,’ he said, looking down at her, ‘I free you. You are a slave no longer.’
Her eyes widened.
‘Hodang,’ he said. ‘Draw up the papers of manumission. Assign her to my personal guard.’
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Lomecht, what do you say?’
‘You’re the chief,’ he said, bowing. He straightened, but kept his eyes averted, and walked away from the crowd round the wagons.
Chane walked up to Agang and they watched Lomecht leave. A few others broke off from the group and followed him.
‘Thanks,’ Chane whispered, ‘but I don’t want to be in your personal guard.’
He frowned. ‘You should have thought of that before you picked up a fucking sword.’
Chapter 26
Archways Gatehouse
Rahain Capital, Rahain Republic – 4th Day, Second Third Winter 505
‘This is worse than being on a fucking boat,’ Keira said, hanging onto a leather strap as the carriage hurtled through the air.
‘We’re coming in fast,’ Benel cried, his eyes wild.
She stared out of the narrow porthole. The side of a mountain was approaching, their pilots guiding the winged gaien in a sharp descent straight for a pair of large openings, one of the entrances to the great capital city of the Rahain Republic. Benel had been given a whole flotilla of flying beasts, but as soon as the Leftovers were in the air he had torn up his orders. Fuck landing behind the army lines, he had said to her, he had a far bigger prize in mind.
They were flying in pairs, but the carriage next to them had no warriors in it, just a pilot on top, harnessed to the lead gaien. The carriage had been packed with jars of highly flammable oil. Benel was hoping it would explode on impact, but if not, he had told Keira what he expected of her.
‘There it goes,’ Kylon called out, as the pilot released the catches connecting the oil-filled carriage to its gaien. Keira gasped, her eyes wide, as she watched its trajectory. Their own carriage dived to follow, and her stomach rose.
The loose carriage flew through the air and crashed into the right hand entrance to the city, smashing its contents over the area, but no fire arose.
‘You’re up,’ Benel frowned at her. ‘Hang on everyone.’
At a lower height than the first, their carriage was released and it dropped hard, skidding onto the rocky surface in front of the entrance to the city. Keira heard the squads behind her cry out in terror as the carriage slammed across the ground, scraping and juddering. As soon as it stopped, a side flap opened, and the squads fell out, sprinting towards the gates, Benel in the lead with a lit torch in his hand, Keira at his side.
Rahain civilians had gathered around the archway where the first carriage had hit, mixing with soldiers. They turned as they saw Keira and the squads approach, many crying out in alarm. The civilians started to run, while the soldiers reached for their crossbows.
Benel threw the torch. He was too far away for it to reach where the jars spilled from the wrecked carriage, but Keira raised her hand, and as the torch soared through the air she sent a slim flame out from it, so slender as to be almost unnoticeable. She flung herself to the ground.
The thin thread of flame hit the carriage, and there was an almighty roar as the oil ignited. The explosion ripped through the crowd at the gate, and brought down most of the masonry from the arch above in a deafening crash of rubble.
Keira stood, and charged.
Kylon ran by her side, and they sprinted up to the heap of rubble that was half-blocking the right hand entrance. No Rahain were on their feet, and several had been crushed or hit by flying shards of stone. Keira and Kylon scrambled up the pile of rock, and looked over the top.
For a second she paused, trying to take in the vast hall before her. It was rectangular, with the twin entrances at one end. Down each side ran a colonnade of tall pillars, with graceful arches joining them. Between the columns were shops and markets, and hundreds of Rahain civilians were on the broad plaza, many staring wide-eyed at where the explosion had taken place.
Rahain soldiers were pouring out from the columns to the left, over by the other gate, the Leftover’s next target. Without waiting to see if any of her squad were arriving behind her, she leapt down the mound of rubble, her shield swung round to her front. She drew her sword.
The first Rahain soldiers approached, still bewildered, and she cut one down. Fang appeared at her left, wielding his short double-headed axe, and Kylon overtook her on the right, plunging into the ranks of the enemy.
Keira cried out in delight, and laid into the Rahain before her. She slashed out with her Holdings longsword, and the lines of Rahain broke. Leftovers were now flooding into the hall through the ruined entrance, and in moments Keira had reached the other gate.
Benel was standing there, smiling, four dead Rahain at his feet.
Behind him, more winged gaien were delivering their carriages packed with warriors to the area before the twin entrances. Above, great bolts, like spears, were being fired from the city defences further up the mountain. Several gaien were struck, but most were able to release their carriages before turning, and flying away north.
One carriage lost two of its gaien, and spun out of control. Its carriage smashed into a ridge high to their left, and warriors fell out like rain from the wreckage.
‘Never mind them,’ Benel said. ‘Every entrance to the city will have a garrison. We need to find it.’
‘It’s that way,’ she pointed. ‘Where the soldiers are coming from.’
‘Take your squad in,’ he said, ‘and the others from the first company. I’ll deal with the hall.’
‘Aye,’ she said.
‘Good job before,’ he muttered. ‘No one else was close enough to realise it wasn’t my torch that set it off.’
‘Aye, and I’m sure you’ll be really upset at getting the credit for it.’
‘A burden I’m prepared to bear,’ he smiled.
She turned, and met with the officers gathered by the entrance.
‘First company,’ she yelled. ‘We’re taking the garrison. Come on, you lazy bastards.’
The Rahain had formed lines leading through the columns to the left of the gate, and were trying to break out through the alliance forces, who were now in the hall in their hundreds. Keira led the first company in a tight charge, right at the main Rahain lines.
Sh
e felt exhilarated, alive. She left all sense of restraint behind and fought, heedless of her safety, fearless and terrifying.
The warriors of the first company followed her. The more reckless she was, the more they surged forward to match her, and they smashed through the Rahain lines, Holdings, Sanang and Kellach Brigdomin together.
The remaining Rahain turned and fled at the frenzied onslaught, and she set off to pursue them into the tunnels and chambers dug into the side of the hall.
‘Clear it out!’ she cried when she reached a crossroads. ‘Every tunnel, every chamber, kill them all!’
She stood aside, and the company surged past her and into the Rahain barracks.
Kylon walked up to her and shook his head.
‘That was fucking mental,’ she said.
‘You’re out of your mind.’
‘I’m a crazy bitch,’ she said. ‘That’s why you love me.’
‘What now, Sergeant?’ said Niall.
She glanced at him. He had never commented on how she had been promoted above him after the opening of the tunnel. Maybe he was a natural second-in-command. The other survivors of the tunnel raid gathered around, ordered by Benel to stay close to Keira at all times. He had told them she had saved his life in the tunnel, and that he owed her. Only half of the original squad had made it back after she had used her powers to blow out the blockage. The Holdings troopers had suffered the most, of the allies, only Brecht and Bronald had been killed.
‘Anybody got a smoke?’ she said.
‘Only cigarettes, sarge,’ said Flora.
‘Fine.’
The young trooper handed her one and lit it for her.
She took a few draws and stubbed it under her heel.
‘Back to the hall,’ she said. ‘The first company can have the garrison all to themselves.’
The great gatehouse hall was in chaos when they returned. Shop fronts were smashed, their glass scattered over the ground. Civilians and Rahain soldiers lay dead or dying. Groups of alliance warriors were milling around, while others were looting.
‘Who’s in fucking charge here?’ Keira cried. ‘Where’s the major?’
‘His carriage was shot down,’ a Holdings trooper said. ‘His entire staff was aboard.’
She pushed her way through the soldiers, looking for an officer.
‘Fuck this,’ she said. ‘Squad, follow me.’
She turned, and started moving towards the far end of the hall, away from the pair of gates where they had entered. The soldiers thinned out, and she saw Benel ahead, fighting with a company beside him, carving their way through the civilians trying to flee to the high arched exits in the far wall.
A crossbow bolt skittered off the marble floor by her feet and she looked up. Rahain soldiers were moving into position on a long balcony ringing the hall above them.
‘Take cover,’ she yelled at her squad, and they ran under the stone canopy of a row of shops nestled between two great pillars.
‘This is a fucking mess,’ Leah shouted, as dozens of bolts rained down on the central plaza of the hall, hitting warriors and troopers. ‘While Benel’s off glory-hunting, the battalion’s taking a pasting.’
‘We’ll have to go up there ourselves,’ Keira said. ‘Did anyone pass any stairs?’
‘I saw some ahead of us,’ a trooper yelled.
‘Show me.’
The trooper ran, hugging the shop fronts, and the squad followed. Halfway down the hall, a wide marble stairway rose. At the top, a row of Rahain soldiers were standing, their heavy shields blocking the way to the balconies.
A mass of alliance soldiers were huddled nearby, holding their own shields high in the air, trying to shelter from the crossbow bolts. Many had been hit, and the floor was littered with bodies.
‘Charge the stairs!’ Keira screamed at them. ‘Move yer fat arses!’
A Sanang warrior glanced at her, then at the stairs.
He roared, and charged, setting off a reaction in those around him, and within seconds, the soldiers were running at the steps, their shields peppered with bolts. Keira joined them, and ran up the stairs two at a time. A bolt ripped a chunk out of her shield, sending splinters into her face, and she nearly fell, but Kylon grabbed her arm and kept her moving. All around, alliance soldiers were being hit, while more were running to help, and piling up the stairs. The steps were slippery with blood, but still Keira ran. Fang was the first to reach the Rahain shieldwall. He thrust his axe in sideways through a crossbow slot, twisted it, and pulled, ripping the shield out of formation. Keira sprang through the gap, her sword swinging, Kylon a second behind.
Keira cut down a shield-bearer, kicked him down the stairs, and the wall broke. The Rahain dropped their shields and tried to flee, but the rage and speed of the alliance soldiers overcame them, hacking them down as they ran.
She saw an officer, a young Holdings captain, reach the top of the stairs.
‘Clear the balconies,’ he shouted, and squads moved up past him, half turning left, the other right.
‘You,’ he called to Keira.
‘Me?’
‘Yes, Sergeant, you,’ he said, sweating and panting. ‘I saw what you did. Thank you. Have you seen the major?’
‘The major’s flying carriage was destroyed. You’re probably the most senior officer left, apart from Benel.’
‘Shit,’ he grunted. ‘Where is our intrepid mage?’
‘Last I saw, the crazy bastard was leading a charge towards the far gates.’
He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a badge.
‘Here,’ he said. ‘Pin it on your jacket. I’m making you a temporary lieutenant. What’s your name?’
‘Keilyn.’
‘I’m Captain Tully.’ He pointed down the stairs. ‘Get down there, gather everyone who hasn’t been shot, and reinforce Benel’s position. Tell him I’m taking the upper levels and the outside gates.’
‘Aye, sir,’ she smiled.
‘Come on, squad,’ she said, and led them down the stairs.
‘Fucksake,’ she heard Niall grumble. ‘We’ll never hear the end of this.’
‘I fucking heard that,’ she winked. ‘Guess what? You’re acting-sergeant again.’
He groaned.
They reached the bottom of the stairs. Bolts were still coming down from the far ends of the balcony above, but they were lessening, as Tully’s forces swept through them.
The damage already done was considerable. Dozens of alliance soldiers lay dead or wounded across the great marble plaza in the centre of the hall.
Keira paused to fasten the officer badge to her chest.
‘Form up!’ she bellowed, her voice thundering through the hall. ‘Sergeants, line up your squads.’
The mob of soldiers stared at her for a moment.
She slapped one across the face. ‘Wake up you fucking pricks! Come on!’
Her squad ran through the crowd, shoving and cajoling the soldiers into action.
‘Check your weapons,’ Kylon shouted at them as they arranged themselves before Keira. ‘Shields out front. Get into lines.’
Keira pointed her sword at the far gates, where she could see Benel’s small force nearing the high archways.
‘To the mage!’ she yelled, and charged.
She heard the pounding of hundreds of boots behind her as she raced towards the far end of the hall, leaping over bodies. Ahead, Benel was visible, leading his company through the back of the fleeing crowd of civilians.
There was the sharp blast of a trumpet, and the last of the civilians fled out of the hall and into the city streets. Taking their place was a vast sea of Rahain soldiers, marching up the highway towards the gatehouse. The front rows had the familiar large shields, like doors, and the soldiers behind began firing their crossbows at Benel’s company.
Exposed in front of the great high archways, the alliance company was cut down in seconds. Benel dived to his right, behind an overturned cart, as bolts flew by like a hailstorm.
The Rahain shieldwall rolled forward, and the soldiers following Keira came into crossbow range.
‘Shields!’ she cried, as bolts slammed into their lines. She crouched, but was knocked off her feet by the masses surging behind her. All around, alliance soldiers were falling, Holdings, Sanang and Kellach Brigdomin, the air thick with death. She saw Benel, lying behind the cart just twenty yards away, his eyes wide and crazy.
‘Keilyn!’ he cried. ‘Do it! Do it or we all die here.’
She screamed and got to her feet. Her shield was riddled with bolts, and chunks were missing, but she swung it round to her front, and ran.
She kept low, bolts thudding into her shield. One glanced off her helmet, sending white sparks before her eyes. The alliance soldiers who had followed her were scythed down in the withering hail of bolts. She threw herself behind the cart where Benel was crouching.
He punched her.
She grabbed him by the throat.
‘Do it!’ he gasped. ‘Burn them!’
‘You fucking bastard,’ she said. ‘You brought us here, but you had no fucking clue what we were walking into.’ She dropped him to the ground, and looked up and around.
‘Here,’ he said, throwing her a box of matches.
She frowned, and sat with her back to the cart. The charge of alliance soldiers had faltered, and the survivors were retreating back out of range. Across the floor the life blood of dozens of warriors and troopers flowed, the groans and cries of the wounded drowned out by the heavy marching steps of the Rahain force nearing the archways.
‘If Kylon and Leah are dead,’ she said. ‘I’ll kill you.’
‘We can hold this gatehouse. Just push them back, and we’ll put up barricades, and wait for the alliance army to arrive.’
She picked up the card packaging from a Rahain box, and lit a match.
‘You’re fucking delusional,’ she said. ‘Got any keenweed?’
He pulled out a smokestick from his pocket, and lit it off the match.
She pushed the tiny flame into the card, setting it aflame. He held the smokestick to her lips and she inhaled.
The Magelands Box Set Page 80