“What are your feelings about the coming battle?” He asked as he took a bite of chicken from his plate.
Becca shrugged. “It’ll be a hard fight. The Draknoir will give no quarter and neither will we. Kraegyn’s presence will make our job more difficult and so will Memnon’s gauntlet,” she said.
Silas nodded. “It will not be easy. But we’ll at least have some aid from the dwarves. I only hope they’re as tenacious as Ulric when they fight the dragons.”
“Where is Ulric, your Majesty?” Blaise asked curiously.
“I assigned him to lead the Drachengarde in Aldron. He wasn’t keen on staying behind and missing the opportunity to cleave Memnon’s head with his ax. But then I reminded him there’d be plenty of dragons to keep him busy in Aldron,” Silas said with a faint smile.
“Do we know where the dwarves will join us on the battlefield?” Becca asked, bringing the discussion back on point.
Silas shook his head. “I’d guess they’ll be coming from the west where the Burning Woods lie. Violet said the druid, Alistair, helped them clear the Eastern Passage of banshees. If that’s true, they’ll be able to march unchallenged to Arkadeus—”
His sentence was cut off by the sound of someone shouting in the camp. Becca looked up and saw a soldier running through the scores of men to reach the royal party. Everyone stood up as the soldier, out of breath, reached them and gave a salute to the king.
“Your Majesty, scouts on the perimeter have spotted six dragons approaching our direction,” the soldier said frantically.
Silas’ eyes widened. “Everyone put out the fires and lie low!” He ordered.
Soldiers throughout the forest scrambled to grab buckets of water and dirt to extinguish the fires. Clouds of smoke rose throughout the entire forest as men snuffed out the flames. Becca worried that the smoke would be a visible sign to the dragons of their location. Then she remembered that it was now dusk and the billowing smoke would be difficult to see in the darkness. At least, she hoped so.
Once the fires were out, men huddled around their superiors and drew their swords as they crouched beneath the trees. A deathly quiet descended upon the forest interior. Becca couldn’t hear the sounds of birds or crickets anywhere in the dark wood. It was as though the animals knew something terrible approached and either lay still or fled the area completely. The momentary quiet was broken by the distant cry of a dragon. Murmurs stirred among the anxious soldiers and Silas shushed them immediately. Wing beats followed. Through the faint traces of light between the foliage overhead, Becca glimpsed something. A large silhouette passed over the camp and her heart nearly stopped. The dragon flew over the forest in a split second. Another trio of silhouettes immediately followed, and she noticed they were each carrying something with their forelegs. When the rest of the dragons passed over, Silas held a hand up to those around them. It was a signal for everyone to remain quiet and motionless. After several minutes, he let his hand drop and everyone in the camp eased out of their crouching positions.
“Did you see that? They were each carrying something,” Becca said, turning to Silas and the others.
“Yes, something huge. I couldn’t make it out in the darkness,” Silas said, his brow deeply furrowed. “Any idea what it might be?”
Becca wracked her mind for anything Memnon might have said to her in their last meeting. But she recalled nothing significant. “No. I don’t,” she said finally.
“Whatever it is. Let’s pray Violet and Weifar can withstand it. To say nothing of the dragons themselves.”
She was about to respond when a snapping twig nearby alerted all of them. There were hundreds of men moving around them so the sound would not have caused concern except that it came from a cluster of bushes several yards from their camp. Silas immediately drew his sword and everyone followed the action. They watched the thick bushes intently, scrutinizing the surrounding area to get a glimpse of what might be approaching. Another snap followed by the crunch of leaves underfoot startled her. Silas motioned for Blaise, Rainer, and Becca to follow him closer to the bushes. When they did so, he gestured for his knights to take a position on the other side of the bushes. It was an impromptu ambush maneuver for whatever exited the underbrush. Becca reasoned their unseen enemy was likely a Draknoir scouting party. A dragon would have made far more noise on account of its bulk. There was the possibility it was a deer or some other large animal, but the forest was quiet prior to the dragons passing over.
More footsteps forced her attention back to the bushes. She gripped the hilt of her sword tighter as they waited. Suddenly two figures emerged from the thick foliage and Silas was the first to swing. One intruder quickly drew a sword and blocked the attack while the other recoiled in surprise. Becca and the others hurried to follow Silas into the fray when an explosion of white light blinded them.
“Stop!” A commanding voice boomed in the darkness. “We are not your enemy!”
Becca rubbed her eyes and as they cleared, the bright light dissipated and she saw only a glowing orb amid the darkness. The globe of light floated at the top of a long staff held by an old man who looked at them with a steady gaze. Beside him, she immediately recognized the elf, Siegfried, and his brother, Lucius. Both sides looked at each other in amazement until the old man spoke again.
“Well, it appears we’ve found the Aldronian army. Now let’s get on with the business of winning this war.”
Chapter 22
The attack on Aldron came sooner than Violet had expected. It was just a few minutes after she had put out the candle on her nightstand that Violet heard the clambering footsteps of a guard outside her door. Rapid knocking startled her, and she quickly put on a robe over her modest shift before answering the door. It was Weifar, still dressed in his military garb, and looking pale as a sheet.
“My lady, the dragons are here. One of their number just landed inside the city gate. The guards on the wall have engaged it, but they won’t last long without support,” he said. The words tumbled out of his mouth like a river breaking through a dam.
Violet swallowed hard. “All right. Have you deployed the garrison already?”
He shook his head. “I’m on way to do just that, as well as alert Princess Avani and Sir Ulric,” he said.
“Sir Ulric?” Violet frowned.
Weifar shrugged. “Silas thought it’d be good to give him a title. Makes him feel more important and compliant to our wishes,” he replied.
“Right,” she said. “I’ll get dressed and make my way to the throne room.”
“No, my lady. That space is too vulnerable with all the large windows. A dragon could easily target you there. I’ve arranged for the Royal Guard to accompany you to the war room on the lower level. You’ll be safe there.”
“Safe, but ineffectual, Weifar. Am I to cower below ground while my city is attacked?” She countered. Although her skills in combat were woefully lacking, Violet didn’t want to be whisked away from the fighting like a defenseless child. As queen, she could contribute in some manner that could aid the defense of the city. The thought of sitting in the war room twiddling her thumbs would drive her insane.
“No, of course not, my lady. You are the queen after all. King Silas put you in command,” he conceded. “But I’m not sure where you would be best suited in this fight.”
Violet nodded several times. “I’ll avoid the throne room for now. But I’ll stay in the gallery outside so I can be apprised of the defense. Please meet me there before you leave the palace, Weifar.”
“Yes, your Majesty. I’ll meet you as soon as the garrison is deployed,” he said, then bowed his head slightly.
She watched him run off down the hall toward Avani’s quarters then she closed the door and dressed herself. In a matter of minutes, she was racing down the hall and descending the stairwell to the next level down. On the steps, a litany of soldiers, servants, and nobles raced ahead of her. It seemed word was spreading fast of the dragon invasion and everyone was rushing to th
eir assigned posts. Occasionally, a soldier or servant would see her and quickly bow in respect. She waved their formalities aside, glad to dismiss the royal etiquette in lieu of the situation.
When she reached the gallery, several Royal Guardsmen awaited her arrival. She was glad to see that Morton was among them.
“My lady! We’ve just received word of the attack. Duke Weifar created quite a stir in the barracks. We have men on the way to engage the threat,” he said.
“Excellent,” she said breathlessly. “What about the bolt towers? Are they manned?”
Morton nodded. “Aye, my lady. King Silas ordered they be manned at all times. The men assigned to them changed their shift just before the dragon arrived, so they should be rested for this fight.”
“Let’s hope so,” she replied. Then a thought struck her. “What about the townspeople? Peasants, merchants, and those outside the palace? Do they have any means of defending themselves?”
Her mind immediately thought of Darlene and her four children and the countless others she had helped in recent weeks. Many of these people weren’t fighters and lived in homes highly vulnerable to dragon’s fire. The memory of her and Avani entering the chaos wrought by the last dragon attack was still fresh in her mind. Homes in the peasant quarter were still being rebuilt and she could only imagine what damage this new terror might inflict on the peasantry.
“A week ago an evacuation order was given to the residents of those districts. Most didn’t abide it though. They have nowhere to go and have little resources to travel outside the city. King Silas toyed with the idea of opening the chapel and this gallery to whoever wished to seek refuge. But he never sent out the edict on account of the campaign north and your wedding,” he said.
Violet gave him a bemused smile. Her wedding seemed like forever ago and yet it had only been two days. Still, she liked Silas’ idea about opening specific rooms in the palace for refugees. They might lose homes and what little possessions they had amid the chaos, but they needn’t lose their lives too. She came to a decision.
“Morton, send pages and squires to the peasant district and have them relay the message that Gilead Palace is a haven for them,” Violet said.
“My lady?” Morton’s eyes widened. “Begging your pardon, but we’re in the middle of an attack and those pages and squires might lose their lives.”
“So will every man, woman, and child who lives in that district! Please send them Morton. And have preparations made for the use of any room in the castle that is not currently occupied,” she ordered.
Morton straightened and bowed his head to her. “By your command, my lady,” he said.
The young lieutenant rushed out of the gallery with half of the Royal Guard while the rest stayed behind to keep Violet safe. Though she didn’t feel nearly as imperiled as those who were outside the palace walls. For a minute, she paced back and forth, wondering how long the attack might last into the night. She heard a muffled roar followed by a boom that shook the palace. The Royal Guard and servants hurrying about the halls all stopped like statues, afraid to move. Nothing stirred for a minute and she assumed the noise was from the fighting occurring outside.
As she sat down on one of the benches along the wall, Weifar appeared at the far entrance of the gallery. He raced toward her and she noticed Avani was following him.
“Queen Violet, another three dragons have landed just outside the palace gates!” Weifar yelled.
“Has the garrison engaged the enemy?” She asked with concern evident in her voice.
Weifar nodded, stopping to catch his breath.
“Ulric is also leading the Drachengarde in an assault,” Avani said. Then her expression became sullen. “But there’s a problem we didn’t anticipate.”
“Good heavens, what?” Violet said.
“They’ve transported six legions of Draknoir here. Inside some primitive vessels. It’s far more ground troops than we expected. We’re outnumbered,” Avani said.
Violet ran a hand over her face. “Do we have any reserve forces in the palace or anywhere else in the city?”
Weifar shook his head. “No, your Highness. We do not,” he said bitterly.
“All we can do now is pray and hope that our forces can gain an advantage somehow,” Avani said resignedly.
“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.” Violet frowned.
“I know. But hope is the best recourse we have at the moment,” Avani said with a faint smile. Another boom caused the room to rumble. “I better get out there.”
The elf princess ran off toward the stairwells without looking back. A dark thought suddenly hit Violet. What if this was the last time she’d see her friend alive? The odds certainly didn’t look good that their defense would hold. She closed her eyes and waved the thought aside. Now wasn’t the time to despair.
“My lady, Avani and the Numan forces are taking a position on the battlements to provide long range assistance to Ulric and the others,” Weifar explained. “With the dragons so close to the castle, I’d strongly advise you to reconsider moving to the war room—”
Violet shot him a stern look. “Weifar, I appreciate your concern, but I’m not leaving this gallery. Memnon himself will have to move me.”
She quickly regretted mentioning the Draknoir leader’s name when a shrill scream startled them all. A scullery maid ran down the hallway, her face white as a banshee. Behind her, a group of savage Draknoir warriors cut down anyone who stood in their path. Violet froze as she saw those malicious yellow eyes gaze in her direction. One of the bigger warriors, presumably the leader, struck his scimitar against his helmet and shouted a fierce war cry. The brutes charged toward the gallery.
“Get the Queen to safety!” Weifar yelled at a Royal Guard closest to him. Then he drew his sword and ran to meet the threat.
Violet felt hands clutch her arms, pulling her away from the imminent danger. “Wait! Weifar!” Her screams became drowned out as the battle broke out in front of her. Royal Guards ran to assist Weifar who killed two of the Draknoir invaders.
“My lady, please we must get ye out of here!” A guardsman shouted.
He pulled her toward the throne room, pulling back the double doors and ushering her inside the large space. Another guard, Victor, used a halberd to bar the entrance. She whirled around, looking for anything substantial to block access to the room.
“Victor, the bench!” Violet said. She pointed to the long stone bench where visitors seeking an audience with the king would sit.
Victor and his companion hurried to carry the bench toward the entrance where they wedged it against the doors. She sighed heavily then became apprehensive once more when the sound of swords clashing became audible outside. Her mind raced, wondering whether Weifar and the others could hold back the Draknoir. How did the monsters even manage to infiltrate the castle?
She clasped her hands then paced nervously. Faint light caught her eye from the large windows facing the courtyard. Walking over to it, she witnessed a sight that nearly stopped her heart. Many buildings in the city were ablaze. She saw the long, dark shape of a dragon in flight, spewing its flames onto homes and businesses on Noble Street. In the courtyard below, scores of Aldronian soldiers were fighting hard against an overwhelming force of Draknoir. Then a volley of arrows pierced the beasts of Nasgothar and many of them fell.
Violet looked up and saw Avani together with her elven troops along the castle wall. Her friend spotted her in the window and gave an acknowledging nod. Before Violet could return the gesture, she heard the double doors of the throne room pound violently. Victor and the other guard took defensive positions in front of the entrance. The doors shook from forceful blows. Violet swallowed hard and prayed.
Avani watched contentedly as the last volley her soldiers released against the Draknoir caused their line of attack to break. Their assault gave the Aldronians an advantage and soon the enemy’s advance was soundly thwarted. Outside the castle walls, she could see parts of the city were in
flames. With her gift of long-distance sight, she witnessed multitudes of people running in panic through the streets as both dragons and Draknoir ravaged their homes. Turning to the adjoining corner of the castle wall, she watched as the bolt towers released a large steel projectile every half-minute. The weapons had yet to land a hit against a single dragon. This was not the fault of the operators, for they had been trained for long hours to use the weapon effectively. The problem lay with the speed of the dragons. They were fast-moving targets in the sky and coordinating a team of three bolt tower operators to load, aim, and shoot such a target was an arduous task. She wondered if there wasn’t a better way.
“Ormond!” Avani shouted to her lieutenant. “Choose two of your best archers and follow me to that bolt tower.”
Ormond nodded several times then picked two elves from the battlements and they hurried behind her to the large weapon. When they reached the tower, Avani could see the frustration in the faces of the operators. The Aldronians loaded another bolt and were preparing to fire, but their target, a sleek purple dragon, swiftly flew a hundred yards away before they could swivel the tower to follow it.
“Blast it!” The lead operator yelled. He suddenly caught sight of the elves and let out a curse. “Where the blazes did you lot come from?”
“Mind if we give you a hand, soldier?” Avani asked.
The operator’s face darkened for a moment, but he nodded. “Of course, your Highness.”
He stepped aside and ordered his subordinates to do the same.
“Ormond, take hold of the tiller,” she said, indicating the large wooden stock of the crossbow. “Inya, you will release the lever on my mark.”
The elf maiden wearing plate armor nodded then stood close to the metal lever.
Keep of Dragons (The Azuleah Trilogy Book 3) Page 28