Tales Of Nevaeh: The Trilogy and Backstory of the Epic Sci-Fi Fantasy Series Tales Of Nevaeh: (The 4 Book Bundled Box Set)

by David Wind

  Sirod had stared at Eli, judging his words and understanding their logic. She’d looked at Racso and sensed his answer before he nodded. Turning to Eli, she had reached out and cupped his cheek. “You are correct, Eli. Select those who would stay.”

  Turning, Eli had looked at the faces of The People. He had grown up with them; they were his friends and relatives and after gazing at them, he’d said, “Who would stay with me? Who would stand against the Dark?”

  When every man and woman of the people raised their hands, Eli had turned to Sirod in question.

  “It is for you to select.” She’d stepped close to Eli, embraced him and kissed his forehead. “We will not forget this day.”

  Eight hours after everyone but the forty had left for Tolemac; the Dark army had arrived and after surrounding the keep, set up camp. Just past midnight, with the light of a three quarter moon, they’d attacked. The People had been ready, and what followed in the darkness had been just short of a slaughter.

  The ghazi, in a coordinated attack, had rammed both gates simultaneously. The gates did not shatter; rather, they’d flown open on their hinges and twenty ghazi had staggered and fallen forward. Half died before they reached the ground, as the men on the parapet launched their slings, the stones struck the heads, throats, arms, and legs of the ghazi with a force they had never before felt.

  Behind them, a roaring of more ghazi raced inside, jumping over the fallen and were, in turn, hit by unending volleys from slingshots. Within the first fifteen minutes, the gates had been blocked by bodies, while the mindless ghazi climbed atop their dead and injured, pushed forward by the two Masters overseeing the army.

  The charge had stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Silence reigned, and the hairs on the back of the necks of The People stood out when strange creatures appeared atop the outer wall. The creatures, some man-like, held knives, spears, and bows. They were of varying sizes. Some looked human, but with distorted bodies, others appeared more animal-like with long arms and short legs, strange tails and hands and feet with opposable thumbs.

  One of The People had risen to swing his sling. “No! Down!” commanded Eli, the instant before the man released it, but the man had stayed upright, and an arrow pierced his neck.

  Looking through the slits on the balustrade, Eli had gauged what was happening. “We must be watchful. They will send their warriors over the walls soon. The creatures will try to kill us when we stand to shoot. Aim not for the ghazi. The creatures must go first. Prepare your slings; check your targets through the slots. Wait for my signal. The first man is the one on the left. Second on the right. Follow the sequence but only on the command of one man on each row. Now! Left!”

  The People used their slings, one at a time, each with deadly accuracy. Before the ghazi had been able to put ladders up to help their crossover, the creatures had been killed and the ghazi had retreated down their ladders. Only seven of The People had died. But, for Eli, it had been seven too many.

  With the wall cleared, Eli had stood. “This is but a moment of quiet. Prepare yourselves. They will attack again soon.” He pointed to two men, “take five others, and bring up the last of the stones.”

  That had been four hours ago, and for whatever reason, the ghazi had not returned during the night. With morning light, the ghazi gathered again outside the two gates.

  Eli put his empty plate down and stood. He looked outward at the gathering forces. “Make ready. We have waited three thousand years for this day. We were born for this moment, and will die knowing what we do today will help free all people.”

  He drew his narrow leather sling from his belt. Two more slings hung there. He picked up a stone and placed it in the sling. “When this day is finished, we meet again in the life yet to come.”

  Thirty-three throats let go a shout that shook the stones at their feet.

  A man standing on the west parapet smiled when he picked up a small stone. “Like fools, they race to their deaths.”

  Laughter filled the air, not the laughter of false bravado; rather, it was the modest sound of brave men echoing the truth, that regret had no part of today.

  Minutes after the laughter faded, the ghazi attacked.

  <><><>

  At sunrise, Zil left her tent. She stood outside and looked everywhere, making certain no one was watching. Satisfied, she walked slowly but steadily to the far wall, closed her eyes, and called to the crave that awaited the sorceress on a branch.

  The bird dropped to her upheld arm. Working quickly, she tied the note she’d written earlier to its leg and sent the crave to its mistress. As the bird disappeared over the outer wall, Queen Enna motioned to the two guards behind her.

  The guards raced to the woman and caught her as Enna walked toward her, creating a powerful block with each step. “Thank you for your help, Zil.”

  The woman, her lip curled with hatred, shook her head. “What help?”

  “Your message to Lessig. It was important for her to receive it. So again, we thank you.”

  <><><>

  The fighting in Caymir went on for three more hours; The People killing hundreds of Dark warriors until the ghazi suddenly stopped. Then there was a strange explosion at the west gate, and in the aftermath, the bodies of the dead ghazi were gone while two Masters rode their kraals through the gate.

  Eli stood and looked down at The Masters. He placed a three-inch stone in his sling, raised his arm and whirled the sling above his head. He took his time, and when the leather was moving at the exact speed he needed, he released it at the head of a Dark Master.

  The stone flew true and when it was a yard from its target, the Dark Master flicked his hand, and the stone veered off striking the wall next to him. He raised his arm, and with the first two fingers of his hand, made a forward motion. An instant later, more of Lessig’s strange creatures burst through the gate and before The People could react, reached the keep and began climbing the walls, using fingers and toes to move them as if they were crawling on the ground.

  Eli called out, telling his men what to do, but even as they tried, the creatures swarmed over the balustrade and overwhelmed The People. Two minutes later, all were dead except Eli, who, his arms held behind him, was forced to his knees.

  The smaller Master walked up to him. He waved to the creatures holding Eli, and they released his arms and stepped back. Towering above Eli, the Master stared down, his distorted features twisting as he studied the small, pale-skinned man with the white hair and light amber shaded eyes.

  “What are you?”

  Eli smiled. “I am of The People.”

  “Why are you here? Where are the rest?”

  Eli smiled. “I know not your meaning.”

  The Master’s hand lashed across his face, the sound echoing in the air as his nails scraped into Eli’s skin. “Where are the people of Freemorn?”

  Eli, blood dripping from his cheek, shrugged. “Gone.”

  The Master’s eyes changed: turned darker, deeper. He put a gray-fingered hand on Eli’s head, the black nails digging into Eli’s scalp, breaking through the very bone itself.

  Eli grimaced in pain, but no sound passed his lips.

  “You will answer me.”

  Eli stared at the Master, looking deep into the amber-red eyes that glowed back at him. He drew in a deep breath, and smiled as he said, “As I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I shall fear no evil.” So transfixed by the words he had not heard in millennia, was the Master, that he did not see Eli draw a knife from under his tunic and slice it across his carotid.

  <><><>

  Standing outside the East Gate of Tolemac, Roth took in the site before him; Six thousand mounted Nevaen troops waited patiently. To their right, was the rest of the Nevaen army: ten thousand foot soldiers and four thousand mounted—gathered in their own ranks. Enaid stood at his right. Nevaeh’s kings and queens gathered behind him. Sirod, next to Enaid was starting to speak to the high queen when she turned pale and grabbed Enaid’
s arm to stop from falling.

  “What is it?”

  Sirod’s pale eyes locked on Enaid, and then moved to Nosaj, who stood only a few feet behind. “Freemorn has fallen.”

  With her words, both Roth and Nosaj stepped closer. She took several breaths while she worked aside the darkness filling her thoughts. “They are within Caymir. My… The People who stayed behind are… gone. They held them through the night and until just now. The Dark Ones lost many. Confused are they for they did not expect what they found.”

  A few moments later, Sirod’s color returned to normal. “You must leave, now! They will be here tomorrow, late in the afternoon.”

  “We leave shortly,” Roth assured her.

  “I must stay here with those of my people who remain to defend Tolemac and make certain their forces will not enter the keep.”

  Roth’s forehead creased. “I built the keep for just this purpose. They will not gain entry without someone opening the gates. The inner keep is un-scalable. The gates, when sealed are the same thickness as the walls. Metal rods hold each gate in place and lock within the center of the stone. Nothing outside of the keep’s walls will survive. Make certain everyone is inside.”

  “Even now, your orders are being followed, My Lord. The People will line the keep walls and towers. They will make any attempt at entry a price paid for in blood. Those of The People who go with you, will stand with Nevaeh, fight, and die if necessary, but they will never give up. But, here, in Tolemac, what if they use ladders?”

  “They can do so to the outer wall, but the curve of the inner wall surrounding the keep prevents that: for a ladder to reach the top, it would have to be half again as tall as the wall. This would make the ladder at least fifty feet long. A ladder that length would not support more weight than say, you, without breaking in the middle. No, they will not gain entry that way.”

  Roth looked down at the small woman and took her hands in his. “Your people on the parapet of the keep’s inner walls will be the last line of resistance. Those and the ones in the tower. Do not let The People on the outer wall stay too long. The purpose of the outer wall is to give time for all to enter the inner keep. Have them give these ghazi and their Masters a taste of what is to come and then get them to safety within the inner wall.”

  Nodding, Sirod vowed, “And like our ancestors who held the mountain in the desert by the land locked sea, they will hold Tolemac against the horde of Darkness. Their slings will be unmerciful,” Sirod promised.

  Roth smiled. “And like an army of Goliaths, the ghazi shall fall.”

  Sirod turned to Enaid, who drew the smaller woman into a tight embrace. They said goodbye silently, both hoping they would see each other again, but not speaking of it aloud or by silent thought.

  Roth called to Noslen. “Pick a half dozen of Tolemac’s guardsmen. Send them with Sirod. They are to follow all her orders.”

  Then Roth turned to the kings and queens who waited. “It is a three day forced march to our destination. Lessig knows we leave today and will expect us to go through the pass on the morning of the fourth day. We do not follow her plans. What we do, is take our mounted warriors and ride out today, staying off the main route and rest for half the night. We ride all day tomorrow and then half the night again. When we arrive late that night, we camp far enough away to not be seen. Enaid and the other Women of Power will continue to block us.”

  He looked from face to face. “The remaining mounted warriors will lead the foot soldiers at their normal pace and unblocked. If all works right, Lessig will see those riders and think them the forces we send. On the second night, at midnight, the foot soldiers will leave the road and go to an area between Dees and the mountain—all but two thousand mounted warriors. The two thousand will continue on the original route at their normal pace. If Lessig is aware, she will think them leading the rest. There will be a Woman of Power with the riders, blocking them, but not fully, just enough to make Lessig think all are still coming, while another blocking protects the main force.”

  “On the morning of the third day, the day before Lessig believes we arrive, we will ride into the pass. Because we arrive a day early, they will not be as prepared and will be rushing to plug the gaps. When Lessig’s ghazi attack, we will be ready. We will defeat them because we have no choice.” Again, he scanned their faces.

  “Make no mistake. This will be a short victory for following this battle will come the rest of their forces to attack us from the south and the east. Our other troops will have detoured to the foot of the mountains in preparation for the third force of ghazi. Understand this well: if the Dark Masters reach the mountain, Nevaeh will be lost, forever.”

  Roth knew they would face overwhelming numbers of ghazi; however, he also knew their best hope for victory was because The Masters controlled the ghazi and, as always, their control hampered the ghazis’ natural reactions and fighting abilities.

  Roth looked at each ruler in turn. “We have done this before, and we have not only survived, but grown stronger. Forget not what we accomplished twenty years ago. Remember it well, and let that memory guide your swords and abilities.”

  Roth mounted his kraal and, once Sirod and the others who were staying behind stepped inside the outer wall, the gates rolled into the opening. When the metal bars within the gates clicked into place, Roth turned and, with the other kings and queens of Nevaeh, led their armies toward Aldimor.

  <><><>

  The afternoon sun lent its warmth where the three sat high above the pass. Next to Areenna, Mikaal split several succulents, handing halves to Areenna and Neleh. As he took a bite of the one in his hand, he shook his head. “Sitting around, doing nothing is frustrating. I need to be doing.”

  Areenna studied his face as he ate: new lines creased his forehead; the grooves radiating from the corners of his eyes, when he smiled, seemed deeper. The past year had changed him, matured him, and made him even more handsome. “Doing exactly what?”

  Mikaal shrugged. “Anything is better than sitting and waiting. It makes me feel less helpless.”

  “Helpless is anything but what you are, My Prince.”

  “I would train with Neleh, but there would be noise.”

  “And you would no longer be training but fighting an entire army of ghazi. No, I think it best to be pa…”

  Her body arched as if caught in a seizure. The fruit fell from numbed fingers; her eyes rolled back. Mikaal and Neleh reached her at the same time, caught her, and laid her down. Mikaal tried to join with her, but found Areenna’s mind completely blocked from him.

  “I cannot reach her,” Mikaal told Neleh.

  “Nor I,” the woman-child replied. “She is taken by… a vision, I think.”

  “Can you create a block around her? We cannot take any chances.”

  Neleh nodded while Mikaal placed his hands on her temples and once again tried to join with her.

  Areenna heard everything, felt everything, but it was as if they tended someone else. Then, there was a shift and she saw three Dark Masters sitting astride kraals, a thousand yards from the outer wall of Dees. Their ghazi forces encircled Dees.

  She stared down as if she, like Gaalrie, rode the heavens. It took her but a moment to realize this was the part of the army from the fleet that had landed in the wastelands next to Aldimor; the part of the army not at the mountain pass. The force was massive. At least fifteen thousand ghazi surrounded Dees: battering rams and hundreds of ladders were everywhere. Yet, they were camped, and there were no preparations for attack.

  As she stared at the sight, there was another shift, a wrenching and twisting within her body as her mind went dark. When the light returned, she was floating high above the earth, but this time uncertain of where, until she saw the wide river below. Aldimor, at the Northcrom border. The very river Timon had taken them on. Below was an impossible bridge of felled trees stretching across the river, hovering over the water and held there by the dark magic of The Masters.

  Reali
zing what was happening, she changed her perspective and saw in the distance, the quarter-mile-wide snuck of an army that stretched for five miles, the two Masters in the lead, using their powers to flatten anything in their path. Time jumped, and she saw the army stop closer to the mountains they were on than to Dees.

  Knowledge flooded her every sense.

  Areenna’s body arched again, and the vision was gone. She opened her eyes and found Mikaal’s and Neleh’s concerned faces above her and, taking deep gulping breaths, forced herself to calmness.

  “They know,” she whispered and sat up.

  “Know what?”

  She looked into his eyes for several seconds. “They know the entrance to the tunnel is here. The third army comes here, not to Dees.”

  “You are sure?” Mikaal’s grip on her shoulder tightened.

  “There can be no other explanation. Why would they come here and not Dees?”

  Neleh was on her knees, staring at Areenna. Will you show us your vision?

  You saw it not? She looked from Neleh to Mikaal, surprise etched on her features.

  No, I could not join with you, Mikaal replied.

  Nor I, came Neleh’s response.

  Come. When they settled within Areenna’s mind, she showed them the vision, from Dees to the third army, and to the mountains. When she finished, they remained silent for several minutes.

  In the silence, Mikaal thought about his father’s lessons on strategy. “I think you are wrong. What I saw tells me they know not of the entrance. No,” he repeated, “this is not about the entrance. It is part of their plan to destroy our resistance. This is Master Fasil’s army. You have bested Lessig twice now. He brings them to make certain Lessig does not fail.”

  Mikaal silently worked out what he’d instinctively sensed. “If Tolemac can hold long enough against the first fleet’s ghazi army, than Fasil will think the majority of our forces are still there.”