Soul Under the Mountain (Legend of Reason Series)

by Guyton, David J.

  Chapter 9

  Alana drummed her fingers on the cold granite wall. There were torches out beyond the iron bars, and they gave off enough warmth to keep her from freezing to death, but she still shivered in her cell. There was no way to know what time it was, but she assumed she had been there for at least half a day, if not longer. Once she was captured, no one talked to her except to order her around. No one came to her cell to interrogate her or torture her. She just sat there, alone and cold. The only person to visit her at all was a silent Mage who brought her food and water. She tried to flirt with him to make an attempt to trick him into trusting her, but he didn't even stay long enough for her to blurt out a complete sentence.

  She was sore all over from falling in the street, and her lungs hurt when she took deep breaths. She was speckled with little round bruises where the Mages' knuckles had punched her. She had a terrible headache that throbbed in her head with every heartbeat. And on top of all of her ailments, she was bored out of her mind.

  She didn't realize that she was falling asleep until the clang of a heavy door in the distance startled her. Another metallic clink, followed by the tinkling of keys meant that the door was locked behind the person who approached. Soft footsteps crept closer, and soon the shadowy figure of a Mage stopped before her cell.

  Alana stood up. "I know that walk. I know it's you, Uritus."

  Uritus pushed his hood back, revealing his face. "So I really do have the Alana captured again. I was thinking it was too good to be true. Are you being treated well?"

  "Do you Medorans find it funny to ask people that every time you capture someone? And what's with the keys? Last time you had me locked up I saw you unlock the door with magic."

  Uritus yawned. "It takes more energy than I care to expend at the moment. Besides, I must present a certain image to my people, and for that I cannot use magic."

  "Yeah, I have gathered as much. You put a great deal of energy into hiding the person you really are."

  "Indeed," Uritus said with a hint of a sly smile. "Now, tell me about the book"

  Alana laughed. "Kill me here. I'm not telling you anything."

  His smile widened. "No my dear, there's no need to do that. I want you to tell me everything you know about that book, and in return, I will let you out of here."

  His words caught her by surprise and she had a hard time coming up with what to say next. "I—I don't know where it is, and if I did I wouldn't tell you."

  "I don't need you to tell me where it is. My men found it not long after they brought you in. Did you think it would be difficult for them to backtrack and look for it? I believe you think you are more clever than you really are, Vindyri."

  His words stunned her, and she feared that it showed on her face. She made an effort to relax her expression and give him a cooler look to try to throw him off. He had to be lying to her, as there was no need to ask her about the book if he already had it in his possession. He was simply trying to trick her into giving away information on its location. She hoped that her expression didn't already give too much away.

  Alana raised her chin. "With any luck that book is halfway to Burnhamheade by now. You'll never get your hands on it now."

  "You stupid girl. I already told you that we found it. It was on the doorstep with the mural. Don't lie to me again or I will start hurting you in ways only nightmares could come close to. Now, tell me what you know about the book. Has Rommus used it to regain his power?"

  Her hopes were sunk. It was clear that he did indeed have the book back in his possession, and there was no need to lie about its location. She lowered her head and slumped her shoulders in an effort to convey resignation. She hoped that whatever she said from that point on would be taken as truth. As long as most of what she said was true, it would be difficult to catch her lying.

  She looked at the floor as she spoke. "It's an old book. It apparently has the power to remain constantly accurate no matter what changes are made throughout history. Even using the star of Tachion to alter history has no effect on its words. This is why it's called The Book of Eternal Wisdom. It's a complete timeline for many centuries, although it's out of order. The person writing it wrote it from his perspective and since he was using the star of Tachion to travel through time, it jumps back and forth to different eras.

  "It also has information on where all of the artifacts of the gods are, but since you have found several of them, I assume you already know that. It also told us about the stone of Etheotis, but by the time we learned how to stop you from using it to rob Rommus of his power, it was too late."

  Uritus rubbed his chin. "I see. So Rommus has not been able to restore his power, or to find any of the other artifacts?"

  Alana's took her eyes from the floor and met his gaze. "We have been busy trying to save the entire world from the Bhoors, the Vindyri, and you. We didn't have a lot of time to go on treasure hunts."

  "Ah. But you had time enough to study it and discover what I was doing with the stone of Etheotis. What else were you able to discover? You see, my men and I can't read it so well. It's written in an older dialect and it can be confusing."

  "Vohl can read it. He says that you have to be extremely careful interpreting the words. A tiny variation in the translation can mean vastly different things."

  "Yes, I have already discovered that. But such can be said about any book; the reader either grasps the true meanings, or misinterprets the work entirely. What else?"

  "The guy who wrote it was an old Emperor. He was one of the Medoran founders, and the book was apparently buried with him. But since you were the one to find it, I guess you knew that."

  "I did know that. But how did you know that?"

  "It's written in the book. The guy's name is Erratus Ridoria. He's one of the first Emperors of Medora."

  Uritus stood and stared a while. "You do realize how preposterous that is, don't you? How could you expect me to believe that a book mentioning itself ends up buried in the spot mentioned in the book? It makes no sense."

  "I don't know. Why don't you write your own book and have it buried with you. Would that make sense?"

  Uritus sighed. "I guess I have some studying to do. There's something strange about your story. Something doesn't make sense to me."

  "I didn't say I understood it. I am just telling you what I know. Can I go now?"

  "Of course. That is why I came down here. But before you go, I have something to ask of you."

  Chapter 10

  "This is a mistake," Zeke said.

  Tannis eyed the man suspiciously as he bounced up and down on the horse beside him. "Why is this a mistake?"

  "There's a greater army out there on the plains out of sight. If you attack this fortification you'll have men fighting you from the front and the rear. You are placing your men between a hammer and an anvil."

  "I am well aware for your army out there on the plains. I understand the risk of this mission. What I do not understand is why you would alert me to those concerns. Wouldn't you prefer to have my Legion crushed here at the east gate?"

  "It is not my army that waits out there, General Tirinius. I would prefer that those invaders and infiltrators go back to their own lands and leave the Vindyri and Medorans alone. I do as my superiors command, so I am forced to work with them, but I do not support any of this. And now that I have been captured, you are my superior."

  "You would have me believe that you wish to help the Medorans in this cause then? Surely you must think very little of my intelligence."

  Zeke fussed with the ropes binding his wrists securing him to his saddle. "I do not mean to insult you, General Tirinius. I am simply stating my feelings on the matter. We have some things in common. We both want the Bhoors and the Vindyri to go home. I would prefer it to be bloodless, but these invaders in your land are deserving of whatever end they meet. Even I am not guiltless. I am here in your land as well. I have brought blades to the fight. All I can do now is try to make it right."

&n
bsp; "You did inform my men on where your officers slept. I can't say I am proud of you for delivering your own men to your enemy, but I am grateful that you have done so. I am hoping that the blood of those men can save the blood of many others. If we push the army back, then no one needs to die."

  Zeke turned to face his captor. "But when you drive them back, it will only be across the plains and into the cities of Vindyrion. They will still be a threat to my people, even if Medora is safe."

  Tannis flashed the man a look of anger. "Listen to me, Vindyri. The Medorans already marched out to Burnhamheade upon your request for aid. While we came to rescue you, your army marched around us and destroyed Brinn and Taburdum. You have forfeited your alliance with Medora, and you will deal with the Bhoors on your own. We will kill any who remain here-Bhoor or Vindyri—but once our enemies are driven out of this land, you'll have to kill your enemies yourself."

  "I am not asking for your help, General. I am simply stating my concerns. You wonder why I offer my assistance to you, and this is why. I see no hope for my people. If we do not fall to Medoran swords, we will fall to the Bhoors. There's no reason to fight anymore."

  Tannis sighed. "There is always a reason to fight, but there is not always the will to fight."

  ——————

  The battle inside Taburdum could be heard from outside the heavy walls on the eastern side of the city. It had gone on for more than an hour, and Tannis was hopeful that it would soon come to an end, and the 40,000 Medoran soldiers waiting at the eastern gate could crush the resistance inside. They would surely open the gate soon; if not to retreat from the 1,000 Medorans inside, then at least to send for reinforcements. Once those gates were cracked open, Tannis and his men would pour in, snuffing out the flame of the invading force.

  In contrast to the battle within the gates, the forest surrounding Taburdum was quiet. The grip of winter kept the noisy animals in hiding, and the biting cold kept sensible humans indoors as well. The only people mad enough to be standing around outside in the cold were the men who chose to make war.

  The clouds overhead were thin wisps, barely a threat to the beams of sunlight scorching through them. The pinks and blues of dawn had given way to a more ordinary palette as the sun rose slowly in the sky. Tannis wanted the gates to open while the sun was still low, forcing the enemy inside to look directly into the sun as they faced the Medoran army. But the battle inside raged on for longer than expected, and soon the sun would be high enough in the sky to not be a hindrance at all to the enemy inside.

  Tannis gripped an unfamiliar hilt at his hip as he waited for the gates to open. Somewhere inside, his black blade that had served him for decades was in the hands of another man. There was no doubt who the man was who now held it. Desmond Afornn would hang that sword on his wall as a trophy; even if he didn't take it from Tannis himself. That man had always been a thorn in Tannis's side. No matter how many times they met in battle, neither man could kill the other. There was a certain respect for such an adversary, but there was a kind of hatred as well. Tannis understood that hating your enemy was pointless, but this man's existence just rubbed him the wrong way. While there was a mutual respect between the warriors, there was also a more powerful mutual desire to see the other dead. Tannis wanted nothing more than to put a sword-any sword—through the man's gut.

  Ever since Rommus had told him about Desmond being in Taburdum, Tannis had wondered why. Taburdum was certainly an important element in the Vindyri/Bhoor strategy, but Desmond, like Tannis, was not a man content to sit and wait inside a fortification. They were men of action who desired to be out on the battlefield where wars were won; not sitting on their hands inside thick walls waiting for orders from above. Any number of other Vindyri officers could have been chosen to oversee matters at Taburdum, so the fact that Desmond was sent was of concern to Tannis. It would be the same as Tannis himself being sent to watch over a captured Vindyri city.

  But Tannis was becoming even more concerned with the length of the battle going on inside the city. The clanking of swords and shields was not dying down. He knew that the Medorans inside were not responsible for most of the racket, since they were fighting in phalanx formation. Their strategy was to orient themselves in a position where it was difficult for the enemy to attack their flanks, and attack only as men came in to attack them. Unless it was absolutely necessary to move, the phalanx would remain stationary and let the enemy attack their shields. The Medorans would not attack with their swords, and instead stab over their large round metal shields. Swords were a last resort, only really used if the phalanxes had been broken and there was no more order in the lines. Tannis could hear the thumps of sword on shield, and not the ring of sword on sword, and this told him that the lines still held.

  But suddenly the song of war inside Taburdum changed its tune. The thwacks of sword on shield had diminished just as an exuberant battle cry had gone up. It was clear that it was not the Medorans who cried out as they fought, but the Vindyri and the Bhoors. Soon the yells died down and the piercing ring of sword fighting began.

  Tannis was not expecting this to happen. He found himself unprepared for the turn of events, and searched his mind for what to do. It crossed his mind to try to set fire to the gigantic wooden gates, but they had already been treated for resistance to flame. They were also so large that even if they could be set afire, they would burn for such a long time that the Medorans could never get through the fiery passage in time to save their fellow soldiers inside.

  Tearing down the wall wasn't an option either. All of the stones making up the wall in this area were stolen stones from marble buildings inside. They all fit together tightly, and there was no way to pull them apart short of climbing the wall and starting from the top down. Going over the wall wouldn't work, as even with several ladders only a few men could make it to the top at a time. Even then, they would be stranded at the top of the wall with no way to get down the other side.

  "Trees! Battering rams!" Tannis yelled.

  He knew it was probably futile, as the gates were far too large to be affected by simple rams. But when the enemy inside heard them pounding at the gates, at least they would realize there were more Medorans to contend with than just the disintegrating phalanxes inside. With any luck they would rush to the gates and see the massive Medoran force waiting for them. They would be forced to either surrender or fight. If they chose to fight, it would have to be with arrows from the walls, but that would only last for so long. Eventually they would have to open the gates and fight man-to-man.

  The soldiers had three large trees on the ground in a matter of minutes. Teams of men hacked away at the limbs and fashioned handles. Others tore apart wagons for wheels and axels. More than 100 men hacked and sawed and fastened parts together in order to complete the heavy rams as quickly as possible. While their hacking and hammering of wood and steel went on, the hacking and hammering of flesh and armor inside the city droned on.

  Finally the rams fell upon the gates. Great booms shook the ground as the mighty oak beams slammed into the doors. Dust from hewn marble blocks and dirt was kicked up into a choking mist. Splinters from ram and door flew through the air.

  The armies inside had heard the clamor and the battle seemed to fade. Eventually all sound from inside the walls turned to silence, and Tannis called for his archers to come to the front line. Soon there would be Vindyri or Bhoor archers lining the tops of the walls, and a new battle would begin.

  But after a long wait, only a single Vindyri soldier came to the top of the wall. He scanned the enemy before him, and then removed his helmet. The man locked eyes with Tannis for a moment, and then brought a horn up to his mouth and blew. A loud blast echoed through the morning air.

  Tingles of fear shot up Tannis's spine. A deafening battle cry roared behind him. As he turned to face it, he couldn't believe what he saw.

  Chapter 11

  Any screams of warning had gone unheard or unheeded, and the massive contingent of th
e enemy army crashed into the Medoran rear. All had been taken by surprise, as the army made up of Bhoors and Vindyri had positioned themselves behind a set of hills and crept closer as the Medorans readied to strike the foe occupying Taburdum. The majority of this contingent was Bhoors, but about twenty percent of the force was Vindyri. Although Tannis could not see the entire enemy force, what he could see appeared to be more than double the men he had at hand. It was a dark cloud of Bhoors numbering 100,000 or more.

  Zeke had been right. He had warned him that the army that sat out on the plains might come in and attack. He had dismissed the idea because there was almost no chance that any Bhoor or Vindyri could know what he had planned. Suddenly he realized what had happened. There were four Medoran soldiers who had gone into Taburdum ahead of Rommus and his band of assassins, and those men remained unaccounted for. At least one of them had been taken prisoner and interrogated. At least of them had revealed the Medoran plan, and now Tannis stood inside the jaws of his enemy.

  The gates behind him groaned as they slowly opened. Arrows whizzed passed in a blur as soon as the opening was wide enough. Before it was wide enough for men to pour out, Tannis ordered the battering rams into the small gap. Without being commanded, the Medorans chocked the wheels and set fire to the rams, bringing in dry grass and tinder to help set the freshly-cut wood alight. It took a long time, but eventually the rams caught fire and the gates were rendered impassable. Tannis hoped that enough heat could be generated to set the mighty doors on fire.

  The Bhoors inside wasted no time and took to the walls. 50 or more archers lined up above the Medorans, but they were not willing to line up too close to the gate. None of them wanted to be close enough to be scorched by the fire if the doors could be lit. Arrows flashed by, but most of the Medorans were too far away to be struck by them. Medoran Captains ordered their own archers into position near the walls, and arrows began to fly in both directions.