Amethyst of the Gods

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "Our backup plan is to flee," interjected Alex. "We serve no purpose by dying up there. If we cannot overcome Sarac's defenses, we will regroup and try again."

  "And what if Sarac flees in the meantime?" objected Jenneva. "It may occur to him that the spell of binding no longer holds him to Mount Kalas."

  "Then we will track him down and kill him," shrugged Alex. "This episode of our life is not over until Sarac is dead."

  "Or we are," nodded Jenneva. "There can be no other solution."

  "We will have fairies to keep us in touch with the army," Tanya pointed out. "We could play a delaying action until they can reach us."

  "We have hundreds of fairies with us," stated Mitar Vidson. "We shall have no lack of communications."

  "We go with the plans we have," Alex decided as he turned to address the army commanders. "Jenneva has made up batches of fire glue. Take what you need and distribute it to your men. May we all look back on this as a fond memory when the deed is done."

  "Enough of this battle talk," smiled Jenneva. "You have time for a morning meal with the fine people of Lavinda before you need to get back to your troops. Let me show you around."

  Jenneva, Jo, King Arik, and Laman led the group from Tagaret on a tour of the village. Tanya stood and stared at the model of Mount Kalas. Alex came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

  "You are tense this morning," he said softly. "I can sense it. What is the matter?"

  "Just the dream," sighed Tanya. "I had it again last night."

  "The one where you die?" asked Alex with concern etched on his face.

  "There is no other dream worth mentioning," nodded Tanya. "I know that you and mother will be retiring to Atar's Cove when this is finished. When else would I have the chance to die in Jenneva's presence?"

  "So you think that you will die tomorrow?" questioned Alex.

  "Only if I believe in dreams," sighed Tanya.

  "Then do not believe in dreams," replied Alex. "You have a wonderful life ahead of you. Do not let dreams dictate your future."

  "And what control do I have over such things?" asked Tanya.

  "All the control in the world," smiled Alex. "You did not let the gods run your life, and now you know that they are not what you thought them to be. Defy your dreams as well. For all you know, your dreams might be inspired by the Dark One to unnerve you."

  "That could be," Tanya shook her head, "but that supposes that Sarac even knows that I exist, and that he knew of me when I first started having these dreams. That is not logical."

  "What is not logical is to have your attitude dictated by a dream," responded Alex. "You are going into battle tomorrow, Tanya. A warrior must go into battle with a positive attitude. Put this dream behind you, and prepare to conquer your enemy."

  Tanya turned and hugged her father. "You always have encouraging words for every occasion," she smiled. "I swear you will debate your own death when the time comes."

  "Perhaps," grinned Alex. "I certainly will not give up life while I can forestall death, and neither should you. Keep your attitude positive, and the world will adjust accordingly."

  "And I know better than to disregard your advice," smiled Tanya. "Very well, Father, I shall try to dismiss my dream."

  Chapter 32

  Attack on Mount Kalas

  A thick cloud drifted lazily toward the lunar crescent shining over the Boulder Mountains. Prince Tergota rested uneasily as he watched the goblin sentries on the lower portion of the trail leading to Sarac's castle. He waited impatiently as the cloud edged ever closer to obscuring the thin sliver of the moon. When the cloud effectively blocked the moonlight, the prince gave the signal to his dwarves to continue their advance up the mountain. He dallied for a short while to make sure that the goblins did not detect his men moving among the rocks. By the time the cloud had passed away from the moon, the dwarves were well above the goblin sentries. Prince Tergota scrambled silently upward in search of the next set of goblin sentries.

  The dwarf prince paused and frowned when he found the next pair of sentries. One of the goblins was sleeping on a rock ledge, while the other was idly tossing pebbles down the trail. Fearful that the rolling pebbles might alert the lower sentries, the dwarf prince moved silently towards the goblins. Prince Tergota found a crevice near the goblins and extracted two myric quills from his small quiver.

  Suddenly, a goblin below shouted in alarm as one of the pebbles set off a small slide. The idle goblin leaped to his feet and dropped the pebbles from his hand. He shouted an apology to the sentry below, which woke up his companion. It was the waking companion that spotted the dwarf prince. The goblin's eyes grew wide as he stared in disbelief at the dwarf a few paces away. Prince Tergota did not hesitate. He blew the myric quill through a small reed and into the chest of the waking goblin. The goblin immediately fell to the ledge he had been sleeping on. As the idle goblin turned in surprise to the sound of his partner falling, Prince Tergota sent another myric quill through the reed. The idle goblin fell face down on the trail, his body beginning to slide downward.

  The dwarf prince moved swiftly to grasp the leg of the sliding goblin while another dwarf stepped out of hiding and lifted the body of the first goblin. Together the dwarves carried the goblin bodies away from the trail and hid them in crevices.

  "Will they be missed?" whispered the second dwarf.

  "Hard to say," responded Prince Tergota. "There is little that we can do about it now except to conceal the bodies. Let's continue our climb. We do not have much time left before the Rangers light their fires."

  * * *

  "Get me the Dark One," ordered Lattimer from the roof of the castle high atop Mount Kalas. "Bring him here at once."

  The Black Devil nodded silently and departed from the rooftop. Lattimer stood at the southern edge of the roof gazing down the mountain at the forest below. Lattimer sent another Black Devil to scout the area surrounding Mount Kalas. The Black Devil transformed into a raven and flew off. He returned well before the Dark One arrived, and Lattimer dismissed him after hearing his report. After a while, Sarac joined him on the roof.

  "Do you know that it is the middle of the night," snarled Sarac. "What is so important that you disturb my sleep?"

  "Look," Lattimer pointed. "The boy king has arrived."

  The Dark One walked to the edge of the roof and gazed down upon hundreds of campfires dotting the forest below.

  "The fools," he spat. "Did they think that we would not notice the fires from up here? All they succeeded in doing is giving us warning of their attack."

  "Perhaps they are not afraid of your forces?" mused Lattimer. "Their victory at Tagaret may have emboldened them."

  "More likely it is a diversion," snarled Sarac.

  "No," assured Lattimer. "I had a man check out all the other approaches to the mountain. What we are looking at is the only army in the entire area. There are a large number of elves with the Rangers. I believe that they are confident of victory."

  "Then they are fools," Sarac shook his head. "It is a long way up that mountain path. They will be tired when they reach here, and my army will crush them."

  "Why wait for them to climb the mountain?" questioned Lattimer. "You should not take the chance of letting Fredrik get too close. Send our army down to meet them. Make them pay for each step with Alcean blood."

  "And leave myself defenseless here?" balked Sarac. "I think not."

  "We have close to three hundred Black Devils here," Lattimer pointed out. "That is hardly defenseless. In fact, that should be enough to defeat the Alceans without the other creatures."

  "You mean to send the goblins and ogres down without magicians?" frowned Sarac. "Surely, they would be massacred. Jenneva and Fredrik would tear them apart."

  "Perhaps," shrugged Lattimer, "but do you really care? The goal is your survival, not the survival of your creatures. Besides, we can send a small token of Black Devils down to keep their mages busy. Perhaps a dozen or two. That will not
diminish your ranks appreciatively. You only need a little over a hundred magicians to be invincible. The rest are just surplus."

  "True," nodded the Dark One as he grinned evilly, "and maybe the archers will get lucky and destroy Fredrik. That would end this Ancient Prophecy once and for all."

  "And even if we don't get lucky," reasoned Lattimer, "the amount of time it will take the Alceans to cut through all of your creatures will be tremendous, even if they are able to."

  "Agreed," nodded Sarac. "Start the goblins and ogres on their way down the mountain, but I forbid them to leave the mountain. I will not have my creatures lured into the forest where the Alceans would have the upper hand. Make sure they are clear on this, Lattimer."

  "It shall be as you direct, Master," bowed Lattimer. "It will take the rest of the night for us to get our forces into position, and the Alceans are not likely to attack before daylight. I will notify you when the attack begins."

  "Well done, Lattimer," declared Sarac. "You have proved your worthiness once again. Issue the orders and then get some sleep. I want my Black Devils well rested when, and if, the boy king and his people get here."

  * * *

  "It's working," Prince Tergota smiled as a steady stream of ogres and goblins tramped down the winding trail. "I am glad that we chose to climb higher than suggested. There are more of Sarac's creatures than I imagined. They will barely fit on the trail below us."

  "Perhaps we should try to move higher just in case," suggested a nearby dwarf.

  "No," the dwarf prince shook his head. "To move now would be to give away our position. I will not chance that. Pass the word along to our best archers. They are to target any magicians they see once the battle begins. That means ravens flying overhead as well as on the trail. I do not want word of our tactics to arrive back at Sarac's castle. I will not have reinforcements sent down to trap us."

  "I will spread the word," nodded the nearby dwarf.

  * * *

  "There are thousands of them coming down the trail," reported David Jaynes, "but they do not appear anxious to enter the forest and engage us."

  "They have no need to engage us," responded Prince Elgorn. "Their purpose is to prevent us from reaching Sarac's castle. I would say that they are doing an effective job of it."

  "Except for the dwarves above them," interjected Prince Rigal. "Prince Tergota's dwarves could outrun the goblins in such mountainous terrain. They could make it to Sarac's castle."

  "Prince Tergota has no orders to run to the summit," Mitar Vidson shook his head. "Our battle is down here. We will leave the summit to the Knights of Alcea. Our task is to keep Sarac's creatures entertained without losing all of our forces."

  "Not an easy task," frowned David Jaynes. "Oh, we can keep them entertained for sure, but there will be heavy losses. With the exception of our dwarves, they have the high ground and an easily defendable trail. The dwarves can harass them, but little more. Let's not make light of our situation here."

  "Nor should we exaggerate our doom," retorted Galdan as he stepped into the clearing. "The fact that the creatures do not venture off the mountain is significant. It tells me that they have strict orders not to be lured into a forest battle. Whoever gave those orders is wise, because we would destroy them if they tried to fight on our terms. Still, those orders can be used to our advantage."

  "How?" asked David Jaynes.

  "Elven archers are far superior to goblins," smiled the elven magician, "both in range and accuracy."

  "Exactly," grinned Prince Elgorn. "We can stand off at the extent of our range and shower the enemy with arrows. They will have no recourse against us. They are forbidden to venture out to attack us, and their own archers do not have the capability to harm us."

  "But we are also tasked to make sure the creatures do not return to defend Sarac," countered Prince Rigal. "I doubt the goblins will stand at the foot of the mountain and await our arrows to slay them. They will turn and flee up the mountain."

  "Which is when Prince Tergota will strike," nodded Galdan. "At that point we must move forward and engage the enemy. We must keep them engaged, but not cause a rout. It will be a delicate balancing position."

  "Well we had better prepare for battle," declared Mitar Vidson as the eastern sky began to lighten. "The time to engage the enemy is upon us."

  * * *

  The Dark One strode across the roof of the castle until he was standing beside Lattimer at the southern edge.

  "So it has begun," Sarac said philosophically as he gazed down at the forest at the foot of the mountain. "This is the day that we have worked so long to avoid. I wonder if we should have worried about it at all. There is no way for the boy king to reach me up here."

  "You are in a confident mood this morning," puzzled Lattimer. "You think your creatures are assured of success?"

  "Not at all," smirked Sarac. "They may defeat the boy king's army, or they may not, but consider this, Lattimer. If they do manage to defeat my army, they still must climb that mountain path to reach me. That will be hard to do if I obliterate the whole side of the mountain when they get fairly high up the slope."

  "The avalanche would be sure to destroy them," Lattimer reacted with surprise.

  "And if anyone manages to survive that," Sarac continued, "then they will have to face my circles of protection. Three hundred Black Devils devoted to nothing but ensuring that I live a long and prosperous life. Nothing will ruin this day for me."

  "Shall I assemble the Black Devils now to create your rings of protection?" asked Lattimer.

  "No," Sarac waved dismissively, "let them rest. I want them to be fresh should they need to protect me. I think I shall stay here and watch the battle this morning. Have some refreshments sent up here."

  "As you command, Master," bowed Lattimer as he snapped his fingers at a nearby Black Devil.

  * * *

  "The battle has begun," reported Prince Midge as he landed on King Arik's shoulder. "The Rangers and elves are engaged in an archery battle with the goblins at the foot of the trail. The dwarves remain hidden and have not been noticed yet."

  "And the Black Devils?" asked the king.

  "A few have gone down the trail to help with the battle," answered the fairy prince, "but most remain at the castle. Sarac stands on the roof watching what he can of the battle. He does not appear to be overly concerned. I ordered Newt to remain there and spy on him. Perhaps we can learn what his plans are."

  "That is dangerous," interjected Tanya. "If the Black Devils sense Newt, it could make them suspicious."

  "He will be careful," grinned Prince Midge, "Nobody detects a fairy when we don't want them to."

  "What about the physical layout of the castle, Shrimp?" asked Alex. "Has anything changed in regards to the stationing of the Black Devils?"

  "No," replied Shrimp. "The vast majority of them are still in their quarters below ground. Those of greater importance are still in their rooms in the tower. Sarac appears not to have called them to defend him yet."

  "We need to strike before he does call for them," urged King Arik. "Is the staircase guarded?"

  "There are no signs of a defense yet," the fairy shook his head.

  "So if we can isolate the spiraling staircase leading to the roof," mused Prince Garong, "we effectively cut Sarac off from his Black Devils."

  "That is the idea," Alex nodded. "We must be swift in our execution. Podil, Bin-lu, it is time for you to go."

  The elven mage nodded and mounted her unicorn. Bin-lu leaned back and stared up the vertical cliff above him before mounting his unicorn.

  "Do not be far behind us," warned Bin-lu. "I do not look forward to being stranded with the Dark One."

  "Most of us will fly up there shortly," promised King Arik. "Only Fredrik, Niki, Jenneva, and Tanya will remain here until we have a foothold on Mount Kalas. Good luck to both of you."

  The unicorns carrying Podil and Bin-lu took to the air at the base of the northern side of Mount Kalas. The north face o
f the mountain was a sheer vertical rise, virtually unassailable without the aid of the unicorns.

  "I will stay with the last four," declared Balamor as the two unicorns flew out of sight. "Perhaps I can be of use in camouflaging them."

  "Very well," nodded King Arik. "They rest of us should mount up now. We want to be just moments behind Bin-lu. "Archers prepare your bows."

  Wylan and Sheri kissed before mounting their unicorns, as did Tedi and Natia in case there was not time to say goodbye during the battle. Prince Garong smiled and winked at the dwarf prince as he mounted.

  "Don't forget to count the heads you sever," quipped Prince Darok to the elf prince. "The loser has to pay for the ale when this is all over."

  "I hope you can afford it," retorted Prince Garong with an uncharacteristic grin.

  "Let's keep the chatter down," Alex said softly. "It is time for us to do what we have been born to do."

  "The rest of you follow us by a few moments," ordered King Arik as he smiled tautly at Tanya. "May we all meet merrily when this is over."

  Eight unicorns leaped into the air at King Arik's command. They flew upward at a dizzying pace, the wall of the mountain only a few paces away. The five remaining members of the assault team watched them disappear.

  "I feel like I should be going with them," fretted Jenneva. "A mage has a better chance of fighting Black Devils than they do."

  "Fighting the Black Devils is not the goal here," reminded Balamor. "We must protect Fredrik and get him to Sarac unmolested. That is the real goal of this mission."

  Fredrik drew the Sword of Heavens from its sheath and hefted it for a moment before returning it. "I hope that I can do this," he said softly.

  "You have been preparing for it longer than we even knew who you were," smiled Tanya. "I am sure that you will do fine. Try not to think about it."

  "Easy for you to say," frowned Niki, "but Fredrik is being asked to kill his own father. How can he not think about it?"

  "Rest assured," Jenneva declared bitterly, "that Sarac will not think of you as his son, Fredrik. His greatest desire is to see you dead. There is no family for Sarac but the Black Devils that he enslaves to his will. Do not let doubt cloud your mind on this issue. The Dark One must die today."