by Peter Last
“That kind of talk is bad for morale,” Alyss said and shoved Richard playfully. “You’ll make the rest of us scared if you keep it up.”
“Oh, I think being scared is a good thing, actually,” Timothy said. “At least we know he isn’t a cocky kid who thinks he’s invincible. I’d rather trust someone who I know won’t take unnecessary risks.”
“But what if we do die tomorrow?” Rita spoke up. “That’s a thought I’m literally terrified of.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Senndra said. “If we die, we will go to be with Elohim in heaven. There is nothing to be afraid of, only something to look forward to.”
“Maybe for you, but not for me,” Rita said. “I turned my back on Elohim, and now He will never take me back. Death may hold nothing but good things for you, but for me there is nothing.”
“You can never go so far from Elohim that He will not take you back,” Senndra argued. “He is always willing to forgive you, if you will turn to Him.”
“I would agree with you for the most part,” Rita said sadly, “but you don’t know what I’ve done. He could never take me back; I’ve sinned too greatly.”
“That’s simply not true,” Senndra protested. “Nothing can separate us from the love of Elohim.”
“You don’t know what I’ve done,” Rita said simply.
“Maybe not, but I know my own past and there are parts of it I'm ashamed of,” Timothy said. “Some of my sins are more recent and larger than others, but I guess it’s all the same to Elohim. At least I have to believe it, or I would have given up a long time ago as I'm sure you feel like doing now.”
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Rita said and rose to her feet.
“Listen, Rita,” Senndra said, directing the comment to Timothy as much as to the girl. “You may feel like that, but remember this: Elohim loves you and will always take you back. All you have to do is ask.”
The cadets watched as Rita walked off into the darkness alone. Senndra looked about ready to get up and go after her, but Timothy laid a hand on her arm. When she looked at him, he shook his head.
“This is something she’ll have to work out on her own. As much as you might want to, there’s nothing you can do to force the right decision on her. Leave her to herself for a while.”
Senndra nodded and sat back. There was silence around the fire as the people there considered the conversation that had just taken place. Yawns sprang to life on many faces, and several cadets got up and went to bed. Those that remained simply stared into the dying fire.
“What could you have possibly done in the past that would cause you to be ashamed?” William finally said, breaking the silence.
“It’s not a story I share with everyone,” Timothy said. “I try to forget it, as I know Elohim has, but it’s impossible for me.”
“If you’d prefer not to tell it, then don’t,” William said. “I was just asking.”
“Oh, I don’t mind telling it,” Timothy said. “Perhaps if I do, someone else won’t make the same mistake I did. This was five years ago now, back when I was fifteen. I was not attending the academy yet, nor did I have any training in magic, though I had discovered my gift only a few months earlier. As you can imagine, a fifteen-year-old boy with no training will use magic in the most irresponsible ways. I used magic to get what I wanted. If I wanted something from a market vendor, I used magic to help me steal it. If I wanted to eavesdrop on someone, I used magic to help me do it.
“Now it appears that the devils had their eyes on me from the beginning since they recognized me to be a particularly powerful magician. Because of this they put me on the fast track, so to speak, for demon possession. Quickly they nudged me toward wanting more and more power until possession was the only option left open for me. I didn’t give it much thought at all and let the demon in.
“That arrangement worked out for a week. I had more power than ever before and was thrilled with it; the demon, however, had other plans for me. Normally demons kill people before they take control of their bodies, but this time he was in too much of a hurry to bother with specifics. The last thing I remember was going to bed one night; apparently the demon took control of my body at that point and had me go up to the city of Sengal where the prophet Gilad was preaching. I’m told I went straight up to him and killed him with a single stroke of a knife I was carrying, but I don’t remember any of it.
“As luck would have it, there were several magicians there, and they quickly incapacitated me. Their attacks actually killed the demon, and only a very wise and very strong magician realized what had happened; the others were ready to kill me. Anyway, that magician took me and restored me to my previous health. He tutored me in the use of magic and taught me about Elohim. Two years later he enrolled me at the academy and has been periodically checking on me ever since.
“You see, I didn’t do anything really bad by worldly standards. Sure, I killed a man, but that was under the influence of a demon. I also stole and committed many sins, but who is there is this world who hasn’t done things like that? No, the truly horrible sin I committed was literally turning my back on Elohim. I allowed a demon into my body and in doing so aligned myself with His enemies. I spat in His face, and yet He says in His word that He is faithful to restore me when I turn to Him. I choose to believe He has forgiven me, and though I sometimes fall back into my old ways and commit sins, He promises to forgive me, and by His grace I am able to live in a way that pleases Him.”
“But what you did doesn’t seem too bad,” Richard commented.
“Perhaps not if you look at it in a worldly light,” Timothy said. “However, if you consider all that Elohim has done for us, how He has allowed us to have fellowship with Him even though we grieve Him so much, then you will see that turning your back on Him is the greatest insult you can ever offer Him. Of course, Elohim doesn’t rank sins according to their relative severity. To Him, every sin is just as bad as every other sin.”
“Well, I would be really thrilled to stay up all night and continue this conversation with you, but I think we should be getting to bed,” Richard commented with a glance at the moon.
“Not yet,” William said slowly, a pensive look on his face. “I've got more questions, Timothy.”
“Not tonight,” Timothy said. “You need rest, if you don’t want to fall asleep in the middle of the battle. That’s about the fastest way to get a ticket straight to heaven.”
The cadets yawned, stretched, and dispersed to go to their sleeping rolls. Senndra, however, remained behind and waited for them to leave. She had a question for Timothy.
“Who was the magician who rescued you?” she asked.
“No one you know,” Timothy answered in an offhand manner.
“No, really, who was it?” Senndra asked.
“Gillian,” Timothy answered.
“Who the heck is he?” Senndra asked in puzzlement.
“Exactly,” Timothy muttered. He shook his head in exasperation and headed for his bed roll.
Twelve
“We must consider plans for a battle out here on the plain,” Josiah said to Nathan. The two Generals were astride horses at the head of the combined armies; General Levvy was running along beside them. The amazing size of the ogres prevented them from riding horses; however, they were more than able to match pace with the animals.
“He’s right,” Levvy growled. “You heard what the scouts said; somehow the enemy army has picked up their pace. If we delay any longer, we will not have any time for our armies to prepare before they attack.”
“Sulmon is less than ten miles ahead of us,” Nathan countered. “We’ll be butchered if we engage the enemy out here, but from the city we have a chance. We should be able to reach the city before the enemy catches us.”
“You heard what the scouts said,” Josiah argued. “They’ll have overtaken us before we even cover five miles. And even if we did make it to the city, there’s no way they would open up their gates and let us in wi
th the enemy army so close on our tail.”
“You know we don’t have a chance out here in the open,” Nathan said.
“But there is also no chance we can reach the city in time,” Levvy countered. “We will simply be attacked in the rear and brought down without a fight if we do not prepare ourselves. At least if we ready our men, we will be able to inflict some damage on that cursed army.”
“I will not allow my men to be attacked from behind when I can prevent it,” Josiah said. “If you must, continue your march to Sulmon, but my army and I will get ready to face the enemy. Perhaps we will create enough time for you to reach the city.”
“This is madness,” Nathan said weakly. Though he did not like what was being proposed by the other two Generals, he saw the wisdom of it.
“No, what is madness is to ignore the certain doom behind us until it overtakes us,” Levvy growled. “Even if you take your men to the city, my army will stay with Josiah’s. It is here that we must take a stand and fight, for if we do not, we will most definitely fall.”
“Very well,” Nathan conceded. To one of his messengers he said, “Give the order for the soldiers to arm themselves and form battle lines.” Josiah and Levvy sent men to their commanders with the same message.
“If we must, we will engage them here, though I do not like the looks of the battlefield,” Nathan said. “The flat terrain is not in our favor; it will allow the enemy army a chance to surround us.”
“We can’t let that happen, no matter the cost,” Levvy rumbled. “If they succeed in this, we’ll be done for.”
“Which means we’ll need an incredibly long line,” Josiah said. “But the length we need will spread our soldiers out too thin. We’ll never hold the line with such a strategy.”
“Which is exactly why I originally wanted to march straight for the city,” Nathan countered. “We may inflict damage by making a stand out here, but there’s no way we can survive a head-on attack.”
“And there’s no way we can reach the city alive,” Levvy retorted.
“We’ve been considering using one strategy or the other, but what if we combine them?” Josiah suggested. “If we have our men begin an orderly retreat as soon as they have assembled into ranks, we may be able to hold off the enemy long enough to reach the city. In addition, the backward motion of our troops should prevent the enemy from surrounding us.”
“And what of the city gates?” Levvy asked. “We will still be trapped out on this plain facing the whole of Molkekk’s army.”
“Even if they don’t open the gates for us, we’ll still have a solid wall at our backs,” Josiah countered. “That’s better than being surrounded by enemies on all sides.”
“It’s a long shot, but it just might work if it is executed properly,” Nathan conceded. The conversation was interrupted by a soldier galloping up to the three Generals. He gave a hasty salute before speaking.
“Sir, the soldiers are preparing for battle as you have ordered,” he reported to Josiah. “They’re forming ranks as we speak and should be prepared to fight soon.”
“Thank you,” Josiah said. “What condition is the rest of the army in?”
“The elves are also forming ranks as we speak, though I do not know about the ogre soldiers.”
“Do not worry about the ogres, General Pondran,” Levvy said. “They’ll be ready with plenty of time to spare.”
“Even fully prepared, our soldiers won’t stand a chance against Molkekk’s horde,” Nathan said. “Don’t think I’m trying to back out of this, gentlemen; I am with you to the end. I just want to confirm one last time that we are all in this to the death, for with the numbers they will throw against us, that will likely be the outcome.”
“It’s actually worse than you think,” Josiah commented. “My scouts reported that their numbers have actually grown since we last engaged them. They don’t have a definite number, but their estimate is close to a million, all told.
“No, there’s no way we can stand against them in our own strength, but the good thing is, we never have to. Elohim will fight with us, and if He sees fit for us to be victorious, we will win. If, however, He ordains that we shall die on this battlefield, so be it. There is no place I would rather die than in the center of His will, and I am certain that this is it.”
“As I said last time we encountered this foe: Today is a good day to die,” Levvy growled. “Let them come and try their hardest to overcome us. You do not need to be concerned about my men, for they will not be overcome except by death.”
“Well, if we are to die here, let us give a good showing of ourselves,” Nathan agreed. “They might take this field, but they will pay a high price for it, of that we can be sure.”
“The ranks are forming,” Josiah noted. “Perhaps we should go and address our men before this battle.”
The three Generals turned and galloped to the front of the army, their entourage of guards behind them. Levvy’s amazing stride pounded the ground with the horses of the other two Generals. Nathan and Josiah pulled their horses to a halt in front of the army, and Levvy thundered to a stop just in front of them.
“Would you care to do the honors?” Josiah asked Nathan. “Legend says that elves have the golden tongue and know what to say for all occasions. I myself am not a very good speaker.”
“Well, the legends are wrong,” Nathan said flatly. “I’m no speaker at all, especially not in this capacity. I never know what to say before a battle.”
Josiah turned and looked at Levvy.
“I’m afraid I will not be of any help to you,” the ogre said apologetically. “We ogres usually just bellow before a battle.”
“Then the task falls to me. Help me, Elohim,” Josiah said. He glanced at the enemy army which was fast approaching. “I don’t think we’ll have time to retreat before they hit us,” he commented. “We need to fight them to a halt before we start to fall back.”
Without another word to his friends, he spurred his horse forward and cantered to the front line. As he looked at the line of swordsmen which seemed to stretch on forever and saw the wall of shields and swords, his throat tightened up, and he could think of nothing to say. As he looked closer, however, he caught glimpses of the soldiers’ eyes. Fear was in many of those eyes despite the previous battles they had seen. Immediately Josiah knew what to say. He might not know how to speak to an army, but he knew how to address frightened men.
“Soldiers of Magessa, hear me!” he yelled, so that all could hear him. “As I look at you I see a fear in your eyes, a fear that steals the hearts of even the bravest men. And that fear is well founded. Indeed, the largest army ever assembled is marching against us, and in a few moments we will meet them in battle. They outnumber us heavily, but numbers are not what win battles. No, it is the spirit of the army that counts.
“Yes, they outnumber us, and yes, many of us will die today. I do not seek to conceal this from you. However, I ask only this question: What accounting will you give of yourself? Will we give them this field? Will we give them Sulmon? Will we give them Magessa? No! We will not stand idly by and watch them ravage our country before our very eyes, killing our families. We will make them fight for every inch that they gain from us. Their blood will be the price of their victory, should they gain it.
“Yes, we may die today, but we will give them such a fight as has never been recorded. Their numbers may be great, but that just means they will have more slain when the day is out. For we can gain the victory this day; yes, if Elohim is willing, we can rout this army before us. Yet, even if we do not, fight the good fight and make this a battle they will not soon forget!”
A bellow rang out behind Josiah, and the whole army answered with a resounding shout of its own. The higher voices of men and elves mingled with the low roars of the ogres, and the ground shook with the sound. Josiah drew his sword and gave his own long shout. He turned to find Nathan, Levvy, and the guards at his side.
“Nathan, take the right side of the ar
my; Levvy, take the left. I’ll lead the middle, and by Elohim’s grace, perhaps we can come out of this together. Do the dragon riders know about our decision?”
“Yes, they do,” Nathan answered. “Right now, they’re coordinating an attack of their own. They’re going to try and time it so that as we hit the front of the army, they will hit the rear.”
“Very well,” Josiah said. “Now let us get to our positions and lead this attack.”
Levvy loped off at a quick pace, followed by his guard of ogres. Nathan and his guards wheeled their horses and trotted off to their position. Josiah pivoted his horse in a circle and scanned the battlefield. The enemy army was approaching quickly but were perhaps two or three minutes out. Many of the soldiers in ranks behind him continued to show signs of fear, but there was also grim determination in their eyes now. Their impatience to attack was evident as they seemed to strain against an invisible wall holding them back. Levvy and Nathan were still trotting to their positions as Josiah slid off of his horse. He pointed the animal toward the army and slapped it on the rump. The lines opened up to allow the animal through and closed behind it. Moments later, there was a commotion behind the front line, and a group of six men stepped out and jogged forward to where Josiah was standing. Cirro was leading the group which also included Brandon, Petra, Devon, Stephen, and Heath.
“What are you doing?” Josiah asked when the men were close enough to hear him.
“The elfin commander has a personal bodyguard; so does the ogre commander,” Cirro answered. “You, however, seem to have forgotten about yourself again.”
“You needed an entourage to go before King Einor,” Petra added. “We figured that you needed one to go into battle, seeing as though you are of an even higher rank than when we went to Dublack.”
“Actually, we really just wanted a chance to get at some enemies before anyone else does,” Brandon commented with a grin.