Mindbender

by David A. Wells

  Isabel shook her head. “Cassandra, things are changing. I’m going to lead our forces into battle tomorrow and then I’m going to find my husband. Once we’ve had a chance to talk things over, then I may or may not return here, but I won’t be staying for long. The way things were is at an end. The enemy is on the march and we won’t win this war from here. We have to get out there and attack when and where we can.”

  Cassandra sighed. “This is all happening so quickly. For centuries we’ve chosen our course with deliberate care and careful consideration of all the foreseeable consequences of our actions. Now you would have us rush to judgment before all of the facts are known.”

  “Yes,” Isabel said intently. “We’re at war. We no longer have the luxury of time. The enemy is moving against those who hold the same values as we do, our natural allies. Once they fall, Phane will turn his attention here. There is only one path to salvation: Victory. We win or we die and we won’t win through cautious deliberation. Only bold action will carry the day.”

  “I will think on what you’ve said,” Cassandra said. “You speak with the passion and conviction of youth but I fear you lack the wisdom that comes with long years. For the time being, I will accept your choice to lead our forces even though I believe it is rash and ill-advised.”

  Isabel smiled gently and bowed her head slightly to Cassandra. “Thank you. I know I’m headstrong and willful. I know it’s been difficult to accept the change I represent but I also know that, in time, you will come to see the enemy as I do and your fear for the future will lead you to make the kind of desperate choices that will be necessary to survive the storm that’s coming.”

  ***

  As soon as Isabel left the triumvirate council chamber she dispatched two Sky Knights with a letter for Kevin in Southport. She didn’t want his sailors turning their weapons on the wyverns out of fear and surprise. They stood a far better chance of success if they worked together against the Andalian armada.

  By morning the entire fortress island was abuzz with activity as everyone pitched in to help with preparations for the coming battle. Isabel had briefed the commanders the night before and they had all spoken with their Sky Knights to ensure that everyone knew their target and the purpose of their mission. Communicating while airborne was difficult at best. The Sky Knights used a set of hand signals but those depended on alert riders and strict adherence to unit formation. Careful coordination beforehand made the process much easier by giving each rider a clear idea of their objectives prior to launch so they could anticipate the orders of their Wing Commanders.

  Most of the Sky Knights were excited by the opportunity to fight, but some, mainly the older and more experienced, were more reserved. They circulated through the staging areas and flight decks now packed with Sky Knights checking their saddles and double checking their weapons, offering pointers and words of encouragement to the younger Knights.

  Isabel stood with Abigail on an observation deck and struggled to impose some order on her feelings. She had arrived here as a prisoner and was leaving in command of half their forces. She knew the battle could well decide the fate of Ruatha. If the Lancers made landfall, they would be a deadly threat to the Ruathan Army, especially out in the open plains of northern Ruatha. The best chance they had was to destroy the Lancers at sea.

  More than the anxiousness of impending battle, she knew that today would bring her one day closer to reuniting with Alexander. She missed him terribly. It felt like they’d been apart for ages even if it had only been a few months.

  Flight Commanders Bianca and Constance ascended the stairs to the observation deck and nodded respectfully.

  “All wings report ready,” Bianca said.

  “Very well,” Isabel said. “Launch your Sky Knights.”

  Both saluted and turned crisply to relay the order to their Wing Commanders. Within minutes the launch deck bell sounded and the first four wyverns spread their wings and slipped over the edge into the sky. What followed was an exercise in ordered chaos. Handlers scrambled to get each wyvern into position to launch after each wave of Sky Knights took to the air while still other handlers rushed the wyverns deeper within the fortress island out to the launch bays. Within an hour, the entire force was airborne and flying in formation toward Southport.

  Isabel floated high over the ocean with Abigail to her right. Two experienced Sky Knights who were also members of the coven were assigned as her personal guard at the insistence of both Magda and Cassandra. They flanked Isabel and Abigail and maintained careful watch of the glistening waters far below.

  It was several hours before they could see the coastline of Ruatha on the horizon. Isabel felt a thrill of anticipation when she caught the first glimpse of land. She had never been away from Ruatha until she had gone with Alexander to the Reishi Isle and now she was finally going home.

  As they got closer she started to see smoke rising from the ocean not far off the coastline . . . the battle was already in progress. She tipped her head back and looked through Slyder’s eyes.

  The warships from Southport were fighting a fierce battle with the escort ships of the Andalian armada, while the troop transports were skirting the battle and making best speed for Northport. A few of Kevin’s fast-attack boats had broken the Andalian line and were sprinting across the water in pursuit of the troop transports, but they would be too little too late.

  Isabel took the image of the enemy she saw thorough Slyder’s eyes and fixed it in her mind. With an act of will she made contact with all of the wyverns flying toward the battle and sent them the image of the target. As one, the entire airborne strike force shifted north and began their descent.

  The Wing Commanders understood the implicit command and signaled for their Knights to break into squads and begin their attack runs.

  They caught the enemy by surprise with their initial attack as each squad formed up into single file and dove toward their target ship. The strategy was as simple as it was effective. Wyverns hurtled out of the sky only to break their dive and whip-strike at the masts and sails of the enemy vessels with their bone-bladed tails. One after another the dragon-like beasts pounded their targets in an effort to disable the sails and render the boats helpless to move under any power other than oars.

  Each squad of eight targeted a single troop transport with the full force of their attack. Within minutes, twenty-four enemy ships were slowing. Two were taking on water and the rest were struggling to put their oars in the water and gain control of their direction.

  The two fast-attack boats that had broken through the Andalian line raced up to the stalled troop transports and launched clay pots into the air. The fire pots sailed in a graceful arc and came crashing down onto the decks of two of the disabled ships, shattering on impact and splashing flaming oil into the torn sails and broken rigging. Each of the two ships erupted into flames.

  Isabel assessed the situation and knew in an instant that she needed to change her strategy. The Sky Knights could cause damage to the troop transports, disable their sails and even sink a few ships, but they couldn’t use fire with nearly the same effect because of the rushing wind. They needed to rely on the power of their wyverns and the accuracy of their javelins.

  She had remained high overhead to observe the initial strike. She scanned the sky and picked out Bianca and her escort rider. With a hand signal, she indicated that she was breaking off to engage the warships that were fighting to contain the Southport fleet. Bianca signaled back and wheeled toward one of her Wing Commanders.

  Isabel glanced over her shoulder and saw the squads gaining altitude and wheeling around for another pass against a new set of targets. By now, the troop transports were aware of the threat from above and they’d put oars into the water to increase their speed while calling soldiers to the decks to repel the attackers. Bianca was moving toward the nearest Wing Commander, signaling for him to form up on her. Satisfied that reinforcements were on the way, Isabel turned her attention to the line of warship
s engaging the Southport fleet.

  The Andalian warships were armed primarily with battering rams and soldiers. Their strategy was to ram the larger ships and then board with soldiers or to engage the smaller attack boats with archers. So far their strategy was proving effective in keeping the Southport fleet engaged. Isabel knew she needed to break a hole in the Andalian line to allow some of the fast-attack boats through so they could sink the troop transports.

  She picked the ship she wanted to sink and signaled Abigail for a high pass. Her escorts formed up on her and they floated slowly toward the battle raging on the ocean below. Isabel started casting a light-lance spell, allowing the rage of battle to build within her as she approached her target.

  The man at the wheel on the deck of the ship stiffened when Abigail’s arrow drove into his neck at the shoulder and down into his torso. He fell dead amidst shouts of alarm from the soldiers aboard the ship. Abigail had scored the first kill.

  Isabel smiled fiercely and released her spell. Light shot forth from her hand and burned through the sails and into the deck of the ship, opening a hole in the hull to let in the sea. Two flashes of light lanced out of the sky from each of Isabel’s escort riders and burned two more holes into the deck of the ship.

  As they floated over the raging battle, Abigail killed three more sailors. They coaxed their wyverns into an ascent to gain altitude then wheeled and lined up for the next pass.

  Isabel watched Bianca and her escort rider float over the next ship in the line. Her escort rider cast a light-lance spell that burned a hole through the hull, while Bianca brought a small bubble of liquid fire into existence and cast it down onto the ship. It splashed magical fire across the deck, igniting the sails with a whoosh. Trailing behind her were three squads of Sky Knights lined up to attack the next three ships.

  A group of fast-attack boats flying Southport’s flag used the opening to guide their vessels toward the weak spot in the enemy line. Isabel surveyed the battle. Several of the larger Southport warships were taking on water and listing badly. Two had been rammed and become entangled with attacking vessels. Fierce battles were unfolding on their decks. The Angellica caught her eye. It was holding back and directing fire from its heavy ballistae and catapults toward a cluster of enemy ships that were engaging a number of fast-attack boats. An enemy warship was building speed for a battering-ram attack against her.

  Isabel pointed it out and began her attack run. Abigail fell in on her lead, sending arrows out ahead of them. Isabel was focused on casting her light-lance spell when she saw a bubble of liquid fire streak up toward her from the deck of the warship. She abandoned her spell and rolled left, diving sharply out of the path of the enemy wizard’s spell. It passed within ten feet of Asteroth’s wingtip. She pulled hard on the reins and brought her wyvern into a steep rolling dive, corkscrewing around to bring her in line for an attack.

  Arrows lifted off the deck of the ship toward her but she was moving so fast that they passed just behind her. She pulled up at the last moment and Asteroth brought his claws into strike position. As they crashed into the side railing, the sudden weight of the wyvern crushed a huge section of the ship. The ship listed and sailors lost their footing, many flying overboard. Asteroth pushed off and launched himself into the air with a mighty downward thrust of his wings. The ship capsized under the sudden assault. Isabel watched over her shoulder as it slipped beneath the waves. Abigail and her escort formed up above her and covered her ascent as she gained altitude for another attack run.

  The three squads of Sky Knights made attack runs against three ships on the flank of the Andalian line. One after another they dove toward the ships, pulling up at the last moment and whipping their wyvern’s bone-bladed tails into the enemy vessels. Isabel watched two wyverns take a volley of arrows from the deck of the ships they were attacking, falter after their attack runs, and then splash into the ocean. The Sky Knights that came next were clear to strike, one after the other. When the last of the squad had passed, the three ships were taking on water.

  Two Sky Knights broke formation to provide overwatch for the two Sky Knights that had splashed into the ocean while two fast-attack boats moved toward their position to rescue the riders.

  The Angellica adjusted her sails, put her oars into the water, and turned toward the fleeing troop transports. She shifted her ballistae and catapults to guard her escape while providing cover fire for a small force of fast-attack boats that were taking advantage of the opening to head for the transports.

  Several of the Andalian warships fell back and regrouped to give chase after the Southport attack boats.

  Isabel shifted her focus to covering the contingent of the Southport fleet heading for the transports. She turned and began her attack run. Bianca followed her lead, picking the ship off the port flank of the lead ship to target with magical fire. Her spell streaked past from high overhead and the ship went up in a whoosh as Isabel released her spell and caught the lead ship afire. The archers on deck released a volley, but she was too high to be in danger.

  Three squads of Sky Knights followed, each taking aim at another ship in the group. Two more fell into the water from a barrage of arrows. But most of the warships racing to catch up with the Southport fast-attack boats were damaged badly and taking on water.

  Isabel signaled to provide overwatch for the ten ships racing toward the battle raging between the transports and the bulk of the Sky Knights. Bianca and her wing circled over the small fleet of attack boats, gaining altitude with each pass.

  As Isabel neared the scene of the other battle she saw that several of the wyverns were in the water and struggling to get enough distance from the transports to avoid further attack. The rest of the Sky Knights had changed strategies to attack from much higher. When she got closer, she saw dozens of Lancers on the deck of each ship pointing their magical lances at the sky. She understood immediately why so many of the wyverns were in the water.

  Those still airborne were making higher passes with javelins and concentrating their fire on one ship at a time to thin the ranks on the deck before the final squad in the formation made a tail-strike run at the ship. Nearly two-thirds of the Andalian troop transports had been disabled and were moving under oar power as they struggled to flee the battle.

  Southport’s fast-attack boats gained on them quickly and when they were in range, they didn’t waste a moment. The first volley of fire pots rose into the air in a long arc reaching out to the limits of the ballistae range and crashed into the decks of ten ships. Flame flashed with each strike and grew quickly. The Southport ships abandoned caution and raced forward, trusting the wyverns overhead to cover their flank.

  The refined strategy of the Sky Knights was slower at disabling the enemy ships but it was also much less risky. After fifty or more javelins peppered the deck of a ship, sending the Lancers scattering, a squad of Sky Knights would strike with their wyverns’ tails and break the masts, then escape out of range.

  The battle lasted for over an hour. Isabel was exhausted by the time she landed Asteroth on the field north of Southport but she was also exhilarated. They had sunk the entire troop transport fleet to a ship. All of the Lancers bound for Northport were drowned and gone.

  Her two flights were landing all around and tending to their wyverns’ wounds when Bianca and Constance found her.

  “Well done,” Isabel said through the fog of fatigue. “Report.”

  “Twenty-three wyverns dead, seventeen injured,” Bianca said somberly. “Nine Sky Knights dead, and twenty-eight injured, though none seriously. All of the witches are accounted for. Scout riders report that the troop transports have all been sunk and what remains of the fleet of warships has withdrawn south. Southport’s fleet took heavy losses with several of their larger ships sunk but most of the smaller attack boats still seaworthy.”

  They heard the sound of horses approaching and turned to see a platoon of Rangers coming fast. Some of the Sky Knights looked on with concern as they cal
med their steeds. Isabel waved to the Rangers, smiling broadly. When she saw Kevin, she broke into a run and met her brother with a fierce hug as he dismounted.

  “It’s good to see you, Little Sister,” Kevin said as he held her tight. “We’ve been so worried about you ever since we got word you’d been taken.”

  “I’m all right, Kevin. Better, even.”

  Abigail walked up with Bianca and Constance flanking her. “Hi Kevin, it’s good to see you,” she said with a smile.

  “You too. Your abduction took its toll on our parents, so I sent word last night of your plan to attack the Andalian armada,” Kevin said.

  “Kevin, I’d like to introduce Flight Commanders Bianca and Constance,” Isabel said. “They led the Sky Knights in the battle against the troop transports.”

  Kevin bowed formally to the two formidable women. “Thank you for your timely assistance. Without you we wouldn’t have been able to stop those Lancer transports. What do you need for your people and your steeds?”

  Bianca smiled slightly. “To the point, I like that. Our steeds need food. A small herd would do nicely, say fifty head.”

  “I’ll see to it right away,” Kevin said, then turned to his Second and nodded. The man saluted and spurred his horse into a gallop. “I can offer barracks for your people tonight and better accommodations tomorrow.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Constance said. “We will remain with our wyverns tonight and be on our way tomorrow.”

  Kevin frowned, “Where are you going?”

  “Back to the fortress island,” Constance said. “We have accomplished our mission and so we will return home.”

  “Then you don’t know?” Kevin asked, turning to Isabel.

  “Know what?” Isabel asked.

  “Alexander is back on Ruatha. He led four Legions from Ithilian through the Gate five days ago,” Kevin said. “He’s gathering his forces for an assault on Northport tomorrow. Two legions from Blackstone Keep are moving south with the four Ithilian legions while the remaining ten legions in northern Ruatha are moving west from New Ruatha. They’re planning a coordinated assault against Northport at dawn tomorrow morning.”