"What are you looking at?" asked Tanya as she noticed Alex with his scope.
"The emperor," Alex answered.
"Forget it," scowled Tanya. "Going after the siege engines was one thing, but you would never survive getting to the emperor, much less defeating his Black Devils and living to tell about it."
"If King Arik does not wish Dalgar to know about our mages," Alex retorted stubbornly, "there is only one way that we can use magic. Emperor Hanchi must die so that the defenders of Melbin can survive this battle."
"Then I will be going with you," declared Jenneva as she stepped into the small group.
Alex spun around and stared at Jenneva. "There is no need for that," he declared.
"And I am gong as well," proclaimed Tanya. "I have other skills than magic."
"We had a deal, Alexander Tork," Jenneva said sternly. "I would not try to stop you from doing something that you felt needed to be done. In return, you would not stop me under the same circumstances. If you go, I am going with you."
"That is not fair," scowled Alex. "There is nothing a mage can do out there tonight without using magic. You are just sacrificing your life to spite me."
"All of the Torks might as well go out together," Tanya interjected adamantly.
"You are, in effect, violating our agreement," Alex argued with Jenneva. "You are offering to go, just to stop me from going. That is not the spirit of our agreement."
"I am going, too," Tanya repeated loudly as Alex and Jenneva continued to argue.
"You are not," Alex and Jenneva said in unison as they turned to stare at their daughter.
Suddenly, Alex and Jenneva started laughing. Tanya looked from one to the other in confusion and shook her head.
"Are you both mad?" she asked softly.
"It is the curse of the Torks," giggled Jenneva. "A more stubborn lot has never walked the land. Have you ever wondered where you got it from?"
"Let's discuss this rationally," suggested Alex. "I am not anxious to throw my life away. I am just trying to come up with a solution to our problem. I am willing to listen to any plan that saves the people of Melbin."
"You assassinating Emperor Hanchi in the middle of the Lanoirian army is not a good plan," countered Jenneva. "Perhaps we need to know why Arik is so adamant about not using magic. Does he know something that we do not?"
"You can ask him yourself," offered Prince Midge. "He will be here in the morning."
"In the morning?" echoed Alex. "Why would he not arrive at night?"
"I think he has a plan to stop the fighting," shrugged Prince Midge. "He is arriving during the daytime because he wants to be seen arriving."
"But Dalgar will kill him," protested Tanya.
"No he won't," interjected Jenneva. "Dalgar needs Arik alive. His plans for world domination depend upon it."
"So Emperor Hanchi will halt the battle for fear of accidentally killing Arik," surmised Alex. "That is brilliant for buying our men some time to rest, but how does that end the battle?"
"The Bringer did not reveal that information to me," shrugged Prince Midge. "He only said that it was important that Dalgar did not know that we had mages."
"So we only need to survive until morning," declared Jenneva. "Can we do that without magic?"
"I don't know," admitted Alex. "At the rate of their siege engines, I feel confident that they will be through the walls by morning."
"If they continue all night," added Tanya. "What if we could find a way to make them pause?"
"I'm listening," Alex said.
"I don't have a plan," clarified Tanya. "That was a question."
"Well, it is a good question," sighed Alex. "Perhaps a counterattack would give them pause."
A load of stones catapulted into the wall near the Knights of Alcea. Alex quickly wrapped his arms around his wife and daughter and herded them away from the wall to continue their discussion. Duke Alfred, Captain Azule, Captain Orteka, and General Mobami were already there.
"A counterattack?" questioned General Mobami. "That sounds rather desperate."
"It is desperate," nodded Alex. "Our escape by ship is no longer feasible. This night attack shows that the Lanoirians are prepared to continue the attack night and day. How long can your men last without sleep, General?"
The general frowned and gazed out across the battlefield as catapult loads soared overhead. "Not long enough," he sighed in resignation. "What is your plan?"
"Their catapults will continue to rain destruction on the city all night," Alex began, "but soon they will also advance the siege towers. That will be our most critical moment. I think we should send out cavalry to destroy the towers before they can reach the walls."
"That will be risky," interjected Captain Azule. "If I were the Lanoirians, I would send the towers in the midst of an attacking horde. Our riders may not even get close to them."
"I agree," added Captain Orteka. "Sending riders into the Lanoirian charge doesn't sound like a good way to survive this attack. It would be suicide."
"I didn't say that," countered Captain Azule. "I said it would be risky. If we can find a way to make this work, I will gladly lead one of the charges. I am merely pointing out one of the problems that I see with the plan."
"Duke Alfred," interrupted Jenneva, "how much food do we have in Melbin?"
"Enough to last two months," the duke answered. "I made sure that we had as much as we could store. Why?"
"Because the lady understands the Lanoirian people," Za-hong said from the shadows.
Everyone turned to stare at the leader of the Lanoirian cavalry who had defected to Alcea.
"Za-hong," smiled Alex, "join us. Your counsel will prove to be very valuable in this meeting."
"Thank you, Alex," nodded the Lanoirian. "I did not intend to eavesdrop, but talk of a cavalry charge always catches my attention."
"As well it should," replied Alex. "We are seeking a way to destroy the siege towers before they reach the wall. Have you any advice?"
"A charge is what it will take," nodded Za-hong. "I think what the lady was hinting at, is that the Lanoirians are still starving. Oh, they have had some food in their bellies recently, but not enough. That is why Emperor Hanchi is pressing with night attacks. He has a desperate need to feed his men or he will end up with none."
"Where does our food supply come in?" asked Duke Alfred.
"If we sent out wagons of food just before the charge," explained Jenneva, "I thought the Lanoirians might be tempted to stray from the attack."
"They most certainly would," agreed Za-hong. "The problem would be for the riders driving the wagons. They would surely be killed. I also wonder how far the wagons would get before the Lanoirians seized them."
"Can't we send the wagons out without drivers?" asked Captain Orteka. "Then all we would be risking is food."
"Za-hong is correct," sighed Captain Azule. "The wagons must draw the Lanoirians away from the towers before we can be effective. Without drivers, that will not happen."
Alex's lips turned up in the beginning of a smile and Tanya stared at him questioningly. "I know that look," she said. "What is the answer to this dilemma?"
Everyone turned to look at Alex and he smiled thinly. "It will be a long shot," he finally said, "but I think it might work."
"Well?" prompted Tanya. "Don't make me beat it out of you."
Alex chuckled and asked, "Duke Alfred, we may need the services of your fairy. Is that permissible?"
"I will volunteer," offered Bantam.
"As will I," nodded Prince Midge.
"You may have whatever you want," answered Duke Alfred. "If it will help in any way to soften the blow on this city, I will even drive one of the wagons."
"That won't be necessary, Duke Alfred," assured Alex. "And for you small mighty warriors, this plan requires three fairies, so I will accept your offers."
"The fairies are going to drive the wagons?" asked Captain Orteka?
"No," smiled Alex. "The fairies ar
e going to toss food out the back of the wagons. We will need three wagons loaded with food, one for each gate. A two-horse team will power each wagon, but one of the horses for each wagon will be a unicorn. Tanya, Captain Azule, and myself will drive the wagons. When we have lured the Lanoirian infantry far enough away for our cavalry to attack, the drivers will mount the unicorns and return to the city."
"That just might work," smiled Captain Azule. "What about our cavalry?"
"Za-hong and Captain Orteka will be two of the leaders," suggested Alex. "We will need a third commander."
"I have a man in mind," interjected Za-hong.
"Good," nodded Alex. "General, the cavalry will need hook lines and shields. The best way to bring the towers down is to hook one of the leading wheels. Unfortunately, that will bring our riders close to the men in the towers. I do not doubt that their archers will attempt to slaughter our cavalry."
"I will arrange for it," promised General Mobami. "How many riders are going out?"
"I think a hundred per gate?" Alex asked questioningly of Za-hong.
"That should do the job," nodded the Lanoirian cavalryman. "The timing of when we open the gates will be critical."
"The fairies will coordinate us," declared Alex. "Judging from the catapult attacks this evening, I think the towers will be timed to close in together. Each wagon must draw the infantry to the right of his gate. That way we will not end up with two wagons together."
"Are the unicorns hard to fly?" Captain Azule asked apprehensively.
"Much easier than a horse," replied Tanya. "I will introduce you to Yorra after we are through here."
A large stone struck a merlon near the group, sending slivers of stone flying through the air. The group ducked and scattered, but eventually reformed farther away from the wall.
"The siege towers are not our only problem this night," frowned General Mobami. "I wonder how long the city can withstand the bombardment alone?"
"We only need to last the night," informed Alex. "King Arik will be arriving in the morning. He will be flying in from the east on a unicorn. When anyone sees him, I want horns to sound announcing his arrival."
"Won't that alert Emperor Hanchi?" asked Captain Azule.
"King Arik wants the emperor to notice," nodded Alex. "I am not sure why, but let us make enough noise so that the Lanoirians can not miss his approach."
"How do you know he will come from the east?" questioned Tanya. "With the new shields, it is not necessary to fly over the water now."
"I doubt that any of Sarac's people know about the new shields yet," Alex pointed out. "I would not want to inform the Black Devils, and I doubt that King Arik would want to. He will come in from the east."
"Well," sighed General Mobami, "let's get started then. We all have plenty to do before morning."
* * *
"We are only days away from destroying Tagaret," reported Lattimer as he stood before the Dark One in the library of the castle high atop Mount Kalas. "Soon, victory will be yours."
"Perhaps," nodded Sarac, "but I will take nothing for granted. Have you managed to infiltrate Emperor Hanchi's army yet?"
"No," frowned Lattimer. "Several more good men have disappeared. Emperor Hanchi must be employing a powerful mage to discover our men each time. I have no doubt that our men have been eliminated."
"Is it so hard to replace a single man, Lattimer?" scowled the Dark One.
"It is when we are being betrayed," Lattimer answered hesitantly.
"Explain yourself," demanded Sarac.
"We have lost every Black Devil in Tagaret," announced Lattimer. "I fail to see how that is possible unless someone has infiltrated our own organization and betrayed us. Perhaps this same traitor is exposing our people to Emperor Hanchi?"
"All of them?" questioned the Dark One. "How is that possible? Was Dalgar among our losses?"
"Dalgar has not been heard from in a long time," Lattimer shook his head. "It is as if he has disappeared. Perhaps the traitor has exposed him as well."
"Preposterous," Sarac shook his head. "Dalgar is too well known to need betraying. He could not even hide unless he changed his appearance."
"Then I suppose he has," shrugged Lattimer. "He would have been the one I would have chosen to send after Emperor Hanchi if I had been able to contact him, but he has been gone for a long time."
A dark frown fell over Sarac's face as he stared into the fire. "I would not trust Dalgar with such a mission," Sarac said softly. "He has always been a loner since Aurora died, much too little enthusiasm for anything other than tracking down Jenneva Tork. Why would you have chosen him?"
"Because he always showed an interest in the Empire of Lanoir," answered Lattimer. "I think you are wrong about his interests. Aurora's death did hit him rather hard, and he certainly wants revenge on Jenneva, but I would not describe him as a loner. He had quite a few Black Devils that looked up to him."
"Yes, he did," snarled the Dark One. "Tell me, Lattimer, have any of his close group been among those who were betrayed?"
Lattimer thought for a moment before answering. "Only Tashlan," he replied, "and he was just murdered in Tagaret recently. What are you thinking?"
"I am thinking that I know who is betraying my people," growled the Dark One. "Specifically, what interested Dalgar in Lanoir?"
"Anything and everything," shrugged Lattimer. "He read every book in our library that dealt with Lanoir. I suspected that he thought Jenneva might be found down there."
"You should have suspected that Dalgar would think more like you and I," berated the Dark One. "You cannot replace Emperor Hanchi with a Black Devil because it has already happened."
"You think Dalgar is Emperor Hanchi?" questioned Lattimer.
"Quite possibly," nodded Sarac. "I want you to answer that question. In the meantime, do not hold up my army in its march to Tagaret. Although I would have liked to attack with both my army and the Lanoirians, I refuse to wait any longer. King Arik must not be allowed to get that final gem."
"It is only a matter of days," assured Lattimer. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes," replied the Dark One. "I want Sarac's Ravens to enter Tagaret immediately. That is where they will find Fredrik, Arik, and Jenneva. I want this Ancient Prophecy finished now."
Chapter 3
Flag of Truce
Alexander Tork sat in the seat of the wagon facing the southern gate. He waited impatiently for Prince Midge to return with news that the siege towers had begun to move forward. His eyes rested on Kaz who stood before him in a minimal harness alongside the horse that would help pull the wagon. The sounds of catapults and war thundered on all sides of the city as the Lanoirians continued to shower the walls with stones and the buildings with burning wood. Out of a lifetime of habit, Alex's hand kept time as his finger tapped a cadence against his leg.
"What is that you do with the tapping?" asked Za-hong. "I have seen you do that before."
Alex turned and looked at the Lanoirian cavalry defector. "It is an old habit," answered Alex. "At times I use it to keep track of how long things take. It can be important when something has to be accomplished in a set amount of time."
"Interesting," nodded Za-hong. "If others could duplicate your precision, it could be used to coordinate events."
"It has been used in such a fashion," Alex confirmed. "It takes practice to regulate the timing, but it can be very valuable when used with others."
"I should like to learn it when we are done with this charge," smiled Za-hong. "Would you teach me?"
"Certainly," nodded Alex as he stared into the Lanoirian's eyes. "Does it bother you to be charging against your own people?"
"I suppose it should," frowned Za-hong, "but it often does not. We are all soldiers whose job is warfare. As such, it is their lives or mine. While I would give my life for fellow Lanoirians, I would never yield it to one who is trying to take it from me."
"A reasonable approach," Alex responded thoughtfully.
"W
ould you think differently?" asked the Lanoirian.
"I never desired to be a soldier," admitted Alex. "My father was a lumberman, and that is what I thought I would be. I quickly found out that fate sometimes drives you where you do not wish to go."
"But that does not answer the question," pushed Za-hong.
"No it doesn't," frowned Alex. "I guess my answer is that I do not take pleasure in killing anyone, but when the task needs to be done for the good of all, I do what I must. Most soldiers prefer peace to war. I think that is because they have seen the horrors of war, while others have not."
"Most," nodded Za-hong, "but not all. There are always ways to justify things within one's own mind. Take tonight's charge, for example. My men will topple many siege towers. The men inside those towers will all be wounded. Some will die, but if those towers are allowed to reach the walls of Melbin, it will be our task to kill them all. Therefore, our attack will save lives."
"That is an optimistic way of thinking," Alex smiled. "I hope you can save a lot of them. I have no grudge against the Lanoirian people."
"It is time to go," shouted Prince Midge as he soared down off the wall and landed on Alex's shoulder. "I waited a little while to make sure that the other two sides of the city also had approaching siege towers."
"What does it look like out there?" asked Za-hong.
"The towers are surrounded by infantry," reported Prince Midge. "You should allow some time for our wagon to lure them off before leaving the city. At least the moon is full so they will be able to see the food from a distance."
"Open the gate," Alex called to the gate guards.
Prince Midge flew into the back of the wagon and prepared to levitate food packages out of the wagon once it was outside the city. Some of the food packages had been tied to the wagon with long strings so that they would trail behind the wagon. Other packages were not tied, and Prince Midge would allow them to fall to the ground once the wagon was far away from the city wall.
The gate opened and Kaz swiftly led the wagon through before the gate closed again. Shouts immediately rippled through the Lanoirians coming directly towards the gate. Prince Midge levitated a large round loaf of bread out of the wagon. It bounced on the ground, and the string went taught, causing the loaf of bread to be dragged behind the wagon. The Lanoirians attention was riveted on the wagon, but they did not sense it as an offensive weapon. They looked on curiously.
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