Coryn heard her words and spun to an officer. “Send word to the harbor. They are to close the harbor gate immediately. I want as many guards as possible sent to the docks until we’re sure none got through.” She returned her gaze to the field below as the officer saluted and descended the stairs.
“My queen,” Captain Galbrath, the head of the Shadow Watch Guard detachment protecting her, began, “we should retreat to the palace. If the creatures manage to get over the walls…”
“If the creatures manage to get over the walls,” Coryn said, cutting him off, “the city will fall, captain. I will not hide in the palace while the Krai'kesh slaughter my people. I will see these creatures driven off or die trying.”
Captain Galbrath hesitated before nodding his understanding. “As you say, my queen.”
“I should return to the Tower, Coryn,” Alivia said. “I will lead a detachment to the harbor to lend what aid they can. Perhaps this magical field of theirs will not extend as far as the harbor.”
Coryn sighed and nodded. “You’re right, I suppose. I will lead our defenders to the harbor.”
Chapter 2
Coryn watched Alivia go from the eastern wall of Tar Ebon, then spoke to Captain Galbrath. “Captain, send every available guard save the archers to the harbor. Until we get those gates shut that is our greatest vulnerability.”
Captain Galbrath nodded. “I will order all available soldiers to the harbor. But my queen, I urge you to return to the palace. Standing atop a wall your enemy cannot scale is one matter, but going to the harbor to face more of them is quite another. You are the queen - your life is more important than ever. We need our leader to be safe.”
Coryn sighed. She knew that Captain Galbrath only wanted what was best for her, but he had always been so stiff. Could he not see what the people needed right then was not a ruler who sat in the palace all day, eating grapes and issuing commands? They needed a true leader, one who would inspire the people to fight, to have hope and not give in.
“Captain Galbrath, as the queen, it is my duty to lead our people. I will not lead our people from the palace, I will stand with them on the front lines if I have to. My father understood this. It's why he rode out to engage the Krai’kesh instead of sending his generals alone. If the life of a ruler holds more value than the lives of her subjects, her life loses value in the eyes of her subjects. Our people need a leader that leads, that is out among them showing them that we as a people are stronger than ever. Now let us go.”
Coryn did not wait for a response from Captain Galbrath. She strode down the steps to where the horses of she and her guards awaited. She mounted, tarried long enough for her guards to mount, then sped off toward the harbor.
Coryn contemplated her frustration as she rode. Before her father’s death, Coryn had been a soldier of his guard. The other guards had respected her, even been friendly with her. The death of her father and mother had changed everything. The guards now saw not a fellow guardsman, but their commander-in-chief; a female commander-in-chief. They thought her a fragile doll made of glass, seeming to forget the strength she showed when she was among them. They were respectful, to be sure, that was their duty. But Coryn could not help but feel that they coddled her as they did not out of respect, but out of perceived weakness.
Many of the nobles had operated under no such pretense of respect. Nobles had fled the city in droves within days of Dawyn and the others departing. They cleared out their manor houses and departed with their household staff. A few nobles remained after the exodus. Many family members of her house, distant cousins, aunts and uncles and other relations, remained. The heads of House Navare and House Pelagrin also remained. Three out of the seven great houses of Tar Ebon abandoning the city to its fate; oh how a true threat brought out the cowardice in people great and small.
With the departure of the nobles had come the departure of people from all walks of life. Anyone with the money and means to leave the city, merchants, wealthy tradesmen, farmers bringing their goods from the country, had fled like the tide receding from the shore. People walked the streets in a subdued manner. The street vendors’ cries of their wares seemed forced and unenthusiastic. As Coryn sped through the streets, those she passed watched her, fear in their eyes. Did they think she was fleeing from an enemy?
Focusing her eyes on the path before her, her mind drifted to the letter she had written to the leaders of the remaining six nations on the continent. Though many of the nations were friendly toward Tar Ebon, or at least neutral, not every nation got along. The nation of Allyria fought a near-constant border war against the Gallians. The Valnarians and the Selucians had fought in centuries past for land. The Rovarkians had long ago raided the northern steppes of Tar Ebon, being driven back with great sacrifice. Because of this complicated web of relationships, Coryn had asked not for the nations to unite together, but to instead come to the aid of Tar Ebon. They did not need to know that all the nations were being asked to come together just yet.
Passing through the plaza in front of the palace, Coryn’s eyes fell upon the statue of her father atop his warhorse. She felt a sharp pang of loss at him and her mother, emotion welling up from where she had buried it. The suddenness of both their deaths and her taking command had not allowed her to mourn for long. She regretted not being able to say goodbye to her mother. She thought her father must have suspected something, for he had said a heartfelt goodbye to her, though a soldier was always prepared for the possibility that they would not come home when they marched to war.
* * *
The harbor of Tar Ebon was a bustle of activity as Coryn arrived on the docks. Guards, militia and rangers were streaming from the streets and forming up ragged ranks by squad. Meanwhile, crew members of various ships bustled about, loading cargo onto ships with haste. Several cargo ships were on the water, heading toward the Tar river. The harbor gates remained opened, the mouth of the harbor clogged with ships.
“Get those gates closed,” Coryn shouted to no one in particular. Motioning to a messenger in Tar Ebon livery, Coryn ordered them to go to the men manning the gates and have them begin closing the gates. The messenger raced off.
Hoof beats behind Coryn announced the arrival of her guards. Captain Galbrath reigned up and offered a sharp salute. “My queen, it was not wise for you to race off as you did. You could have been hurt.”
Anger flooded Coryn, but she bit back a sharp retort. “I am not a porcelain doll, captain. The last time I checked, I did not need to have your permission to ride through my city.” That came out sharper than she intended, but it got her point across. Queens did not apologize.
The captain’s face began to redden. He turned his horse and rode back to the guardsmen without a word.
A short time later the massive harbor gates made of black iron began to groan. Loud screeches from ancient gears being used for perhaps the first time in a thousand years could be heard over the din of the crowd. Coryn prayed to the Founders that the gates would move, for if they did not and the Krai’kesh knew how to swim, the city would fall as sure as the sun set each day.
At first, nothing happened, but then water began to move away from the gates as they shuddered and began to move. The pace was a crawl. Even as the gates moved toward one another, ships continued to flee the harbor. A cry of distress arose from the sailors gathered on the docks as they watched their chance at escape closing off. Coryn sighed in relief. The gates would close and the city would be secure.
A disturbance near the mouth of the harbor made Coryn narrow her eyes. Smoke was rising from one of the ships, and it had stopped moving. Suspicious, Coryn rode to the nearest ship, a schooner named “River Maiden”, and demanded that they lend their spyglass to her. Extending the glass, she focused on the smoking ship.
Dark figures scuttled across the vessel, human bodies lay scattered across the deck. The source of the fire, likely an overturned lantern, was unknown, but in the light of the flames she saw corpses floating in the water. As sh
e watched, a group of the Krai’kesh leapt into the water and began paddling like tiny ships toward the next vessel. Another detachment began moving straight toward the docks. Well, that answered the question of whether they could swim.
Snapping the spyglass closed and tucking it away into her saddlebags, she turned and rode back to where her guards waited. “Captain Galbrath,” she began, “the Krai’kesh are advancing as we speak on the docks. Spread your men out and have these squads move to the water’s edge. We cannot allow any of these creatures to pass into the city proper, understood?”
Captain Galbrath saluted. “I understand, my queen.” The tension had drained from his voice, for the moment. He knew his duty and would serve to protect the city, regardless of his anger at his sovereign. He issued swift orders to his guardsmen and various squads spread out along the docks, ordering them to the water’s edge. A small detachment of guards remained behind with Coryn.
Turning her attention back to the waters of the harbor, Coryn scanned for the creatures. There, several small clusters were moving toward the shore, like clusters of fast-moving rowboats. They were halfway to the shore. Along the water’s edge, the men assembled shuffled their feet. No one in the city of Tar Ebon save Alivia had fought these creatures before, but the news that an army of these creatures had defeated the king and the army of Tar Ebon had been a demoralizing blow to her soldiers.
“Hold steady,” shouted Captain Galbrath. Sergeants and lieutenants along the waterfront echoed the command. The first of the creatures shot from the water like an arrow, arcing into the air and slamming down into the waiting cluster of men. Men tumbled away from the impact site, blood splattering in all directions, preceded by screams of agony. The first enemy soldier swept around itself with razor sharp claws, slicing through nearby soldiers. Armor absorbed some impact of the strikes, but for those wearing leather jerkins alone the claws were a dangerous sight.
Soldiers near the creature moved in to strike, attacking at once from every direction. Shouts to strike the legs rang out above the din. Several strikes later the creature had lost its balance and tumbled to the ground, where several dozen soldiers fell upon it. A cry of victory went up, though it was short lived as not one but a dozen of the monsters leapt from the water at once. They landed, scattering soldiers along the waterfront. Blood bathed the wood of the docks, seeping into the harbor, as a pitched battle sprang up at every landing area.
Coryn considered charging forward to engage one of the enemy combatants slaughtering her soldiers, but after eying her guards she decided against it. As much as she resented the extraneous caution Captain Galbrath showed, she knew she needed to stay alive. Not because she was more important than anyone else, but because her skills lay in a different area. She was the moral support for her people - a symbol of the power and will of Tar Ebon. So she sat atop her steed, forcing herself to watch as all around her brave men died for their nation.
Withdrawing the spyglass again and placing it to her eye, Coryn studied the mouth of the harbor. They had to close those harbor gates or the trickle of enemies would become a deluge. Ships floated, lifeless, at the mouth of the harbor - right in the path of the gates. Coryn cursed. How were they going to move the ships? Movement in the water caught her eye. Focusing, Coryn identified the carapaces of the Krai’kesh as more of the creatures streamed through the opening. Dozens of the creatures swam through the water. Lowering the spyglass, Coryn assessed the battle. Her men fought bravely, with many of the creatures slain, but the cost of human lives was high. Bodies lay littered everywhere along the dock. Dozens more suffered from amputated limbs, piercing blows and other life-threatening wounds. How would they stand against the next onslaught of monsters?
Coryn turned to issue the order for more soldiers to be called to the docks, though she knew a retreat could also be ordered, but movement on the boulevard her stayed her tongue. Racing down the main street were a dozen mages wearing the robes of Tar Ebon. Alivia and the remaining master mages had arrived. Riding to Coryn, Alivia brought her horse to a halt. “We’re here to do what we can, Coryn. The magical barrier does not seem to extend so far as the docks. Where do you need us most?”
“Thank the Founders you are here, Alivia. Our top priority is to clear the mouth of the harbor. Can some of your mages summon a wave or something to force the ship debris out into the river?”
Alivia nodded. “Yes. James, Lilian, go to the north tower and push the debris from the mouth of the harbor.” The two she commanded rode off.
“Have the others help with the remaining Krai’kesh along the docks.” Coryn pointed to the figures streaming through the water. “There are several more enemies approaching through the water. Mages may help even the odds.”
Alivia followed her finger and nodded. “I think I can help with that once the gates close. The rest of you, start attacking the Krai’kesh on the docks.” The nine remaining mages spread out, moving toward the various clusters of conflict. As they went, fire streaked through the air and the wind began to blow harder.
Minutes later, as the Krai’kesh in the water neared the docks, a strong wind whipped through the town, coming from the east. The water of the harbor began to ripple, then move. The wind accelerated, becoming a torrent, and soon a tidal wave moved away from the shore toward the wreckages near the mouth of the harbor. Using her looking glass, Coryn spotted several of the swimming creatures swept up in the wave, carried toward the mouth of the harbor. Those expelled from the harbor would be slowed. The large tidal wave crashed into the debris and swept it out into the strong current of the Tar River. Wreckage floated away. Other wreckage floated to the top - ancient debris from past shipwrecks, agitated by the mages. The pathway was clear for the gates.
The two halves of the harbor gate began their inexorable march toward one another. The slam of metal on metal announced their union minutes later. A cheer went up from those men not engaged in battle. Coryn heaved a sigh of relief. Thank the Founders who had foresight to put in such a contraption.
The battle was not yet over, however. A handful of Krai’kesh remained on the dock, though they were well and good surrounded - their deaths would be imminent. But as Coryn studied the waters of the harbor, she saw that although many of the Krai’kesh had been swept out, many more had survived the wall of water or slipped back into the harbor before the gates closed. “Alivia?” she inquired, arching an eyebrow toward the redhead.
“Leave it to me,” Alivia said. Her eyes glazed over and began to glow as she channeled her magic. High above the harbor, clouds gathered unnaturally fast. No sooner had the clouds gathered then lightning began to strike in the waters of the Harbor. Again and again, the flashes came, followed by loud booms and the smell of burning air.
After the deluge of lightning subsided, Coryn took up her looking glass and studied the scene before her. The creatures floated in the water, motionless. She waited several moments to see if any moved, but they seemed to dead. Alivia’s lightning had done its job.
As the rest of the Krai’kesh forces on the docks died, a ragged cheer rose up from the survivors of the attack. Moans of the wounded and shouts for physicians, mages and surgeons soon replaced the cheering. As the docks became a triage center, the smell of blood, urine and feces hung heavy in the air.
Civilians from the city proper began to stream out onto the docks. Women carried bandages and medical supplies. Horses and men pulled carts. Men carried makeshift stretchers. Physicians rushed to the scene. The dockside taverns became makeshift surgical rooms. Field medics tended to those non-critical patients that could survive on the docks. The master mages accompanying Alivia did what they could to cauterize wounds and analyze patients.
“A victory, but at a high cost,” Coryn said. “Are we certain they cannot scale the harbor gates?”
Beside her, Alivia slumped in the saddle, munching on a hard cracker. She watched the chaos unfolding around them. “According to the ancient records, the same magic that created the walls was imbued i
n the harbor gates. It stands to reason that if the creatures cannot pierce the walls then they cannot pierce the harbor gates.”
“Good. Now all we can do is hope that we can continue to hold out until the others return. The cost for defeat is too terrible to comprehend.”
Chapter 3
A warm summer breeze rolled across the land as Ashley surveyed the city of Stoneridge from her position at the edge of the Harren Woods. The late afternoon light illuminated dull gray walls, the tops of stone buildings peaking over the top. The White Mountains stood like silent sentinels at the back of the city. “It’s ugly,” she said.
Seated on his stallion beside her, Captain Williams snorted. “It is ugly on the outside, my lady, I agree. But inside…inside you will find great beauty, trust me. You will find few cities in the world that rival Tar Ebon in beauty, but this fine city comes close.”
“Have you been here before, Alastaire?” she asked, referring to the handsome olive-skinned Captain Williams by his first name.
“Aye. I grew up in Stoneridge. If you want to do some sightseeing, I’m your man.”
Ashley didn’t know why she would want to do any sightseeing in Stoneridge, but she nodded anyway. “Thank you, I will keep that in mind.” The olive skin should have given it away - the man reminded her of an Italian or Greek from back on Earth.
“Come on, let’s get moving. I’d like to be settled in by nightfall.” She snapped the reigns and her horse moved forward at a quick trot. Behind her stretched a small retinue of Tar Ebon rangers, numbering a dozen in all. Her small force represented both the size of the threat she posed and the limited forces Tar Ebon possessed. She hoped the king of Valnaria would take her token force as an honor guard and not a threat.
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