“Can we run now, please?” Tair suggested fearfully.
Myst watched a line of the elementals moving relentlessly forward, touching buildings and people. She watched as one of the figures reached out and grasped a panicked foot soldier that burst into screaming flame. She tried to spot Havaas through the searing heat waves caused by the attack, but the smoke and intensity of the fire made it impossible. How was she to let the lion Zyn Beast know she had the diamond if he couldn’t see her?
“We must move before they flank us!” Kreena warned.
An elemental to their right suddenly froze with a white light, crystallizing and crumbling at the same time into pieces of glass. Another one followed as the Diamond Magi came running through the smoke, his diamond-laced bracers gleaming white with each burst of arcane power. Following him was the Fire Magi with an eager look on his face. Cassius, Ayce, and the Amethyst Magi came next. Ayce and Cassius looked in horrified awe at the fire elementals, but the dark-haired Magi made eye contact with Tair and ran toward her.
Cassius and Ayce followed suit, all of them gathering around the three women. Sajiix held out his hand; the look on his face intimidating Tair enough that she handed the Purestone over without a single word of protest.
“We are in agreement, then?” he shouted to his companions.
Cassius nodded and Ayce grinned. “Just like old times!”
“What agreement?” Myst said, stepping forward.
Sajiix ignored her, watching Jordyn and Erak holding off the elementals. Ayce regarded Myst for a moment and then explained. “We’re going to use the Purestone to lead the Zynnashans out of the city.”
Cassius recognized the garrison captain’s aide and motioned to her. “Your name is Kreena, right?” She nodded, watching two more elementals disintegrate in diamond magic. “Kreena, I need you to run ahead to the main gate. Get everyone you can away from the main road and I need you to have five horses ready for us.”
“Six,” Myst objected.
Cassius glanced in Myst’s direction and gave her a brief smile. “Six horses will need to be saddled. We’ll be coming in fast.”
“I’ll do what I can, sir!” Kreena, knowing Cassius was once a knight, saluted and sprinted off, running north as fast as she could.
Sajiix shouted to Erak, “Can you give us some time to get away?”
The Fire Magi nodded and gave a sinister grin.
Sajiix pulled Jordyn close, “You are the key to all of this,” he told him. “You are the only one that can awaken the diamond if we decide to take that path. When I give you the signal, I want you to touch the Purestone. That should empower it enough to get their attention!
“You two,” Sajiix gestured to Myst and Tair, “Since you are so eager to assist us in this, run ahead and make sure that knight lackey preps the horses we will need to escape this town alive.”
Tair stepped forward to tell the Magi what he could do with the horses, but Myst moved first. “We’ll have them ready – you just bring that Zynnashan bastard with you.”
With that, Myst and Tair fled north
The destruction of fire elementals caught the attention of the Zynnashan Fire Magi, who began creating more and directing them to attack the small group of humans standing stoically beneath them.
“They know we’re here,” Ayce said, gripping his sword tighter.
“Erak,” Sajiix yelled. “Go!”
The Fire Magi had torn the top of his robes off, his tattooed chest and back gleaming from the heat-induced sweat on his body. Reaching deep within, Erak opened his arms wide and then brought them together hard, clapping his hands fiercely. The rubies he wore sparked crimson, creating a wave of superheated air that blew out the elementals in twirling gouts of wind and smoke.
In the silence that followed, Sajiix shouted to the Diamond Magi: “Do it, Jordyn, now!”
The young Magi hesitated for a second and then lightly touched the jagged diamond that Sajiix held outstretched before him. The soft touch from the Diamond Magi was enough to ignite the Purestone with a piercing white light that cut through the smoke, dust, and flame like a beacon. The resounding roar from above acted as a signal, warning all of those below that the Zynnashans had seen the object they had traveled so far to reclaim.
The ground shook with four reverberating thuds as four more elementals appeared – twice the size of their predecessors. Instead of attacking, they merged to form two towering figures of fire.
“Well, that’s just not fair,” Ayce said, craning his neck as he watched the two elementals join to become one giant fire creature, taller than any building in Fhaalvak; large enough to destroy anything in its path with one swipe of its hand. The creature roared – the sound of a thousand trees bursting into flame.
“Run!!” Sajiix shouted, his purple robes flapping behind him as he ran north. The light of the diamond winked out as the Magi placed it safely within one of his pockets. Jordyn, Ayce, and Cassius followed close behind, but Erak remained, staring up in awe and admiration at the creature that was preparing to step on him like a bug.
The massive bulk of Havaas landed nearby after having leapt from the bow of the ship. He ignored Erak, his glowing eyes of amber staring only at the path the holders of the diamond had taken. With a throaty growl, the lion Zyn Beast gave chase, leaving his Fire Magi to burn Fhaalvak.
Erak watched as the giant elemental raised its fiery foot and slammed it down toward him. With power born of desperation, the Magi created a shield of red energy around himself. The elemental’s foot slammed down hard, burying Erak and his shield halfway into the wood and stone surface of the marketplace. The creature looked down to survey its work and roared when it saw the puny Magi alive and scrambling out of the crater it had caused.
The tiger men directed their creation to swat the annoying human away, but their giant elemental was a lumbering monstrosity; slow and burdensome. Erak was much faster and used that time to delve deeply into his power. The head of the Ruby Order nurtured his talent and brought forth a column of twisting fire that grew as tall as the elemental attempting to murder him. Erak closed his eyes, using his emotions to overpower the four Zynnashans that used only the cold logic they were accustomed to. The fiery twister grew larger; the wind generated fueled the tempest even higher until it was taller than the giant standing before it.
The Zynnashans faltered for a moment. Erak nudged the twister into the elemental.
The energy surge and heat that accompanied it sent Erak to his knees. The orange-red tornado ingested the elemental, making it part of itself. The twister expanded, leveling a number of buildings and slammed into the Zynnashan vessel. The four tiger men vanished, incinerated by the sudden conflagration. Erak shook with the effort of reducing the energy, knowing that he was losing control.
Hot embers and charred debris pelted Erak. He could feel the fibers of his muscles ripping, straining alongside the sparking energy of his mind to guide the tempest. With one last, frantic push, Erak screamed and directed the twister backward through the wreckage of the gate and into the waters of the lake. The Fire Magi’s last conscious thought was of the explosion of steam that blossomed toward him.
***
Kreena arrived at the main gate and felt a slamming pall of dread strike her in the gut when she spied only one armored knight pacing nervously back and forth along the barred entryway. She asked what had happened in painful gasps as she tried to catch her breath. The knight gladly informed her that the rest of the men had been called to the garrison wall that separated the tower from the city and that the main gate had fallen to the Zynnashan wolves. He had been ordered to guard the city gate while the rest of the squad charged toward the tower to repel the invaders.
Kreena looked on toward the north, toward the tower where Captain Longvaale was fighting for his city, for his men, and for his life. She wanted to be there; she knew she should be there, but something inside her insisted that she prepare the horses to help these Guildsmen. Her instincts were screa
ming that these people were the ones that would save Fhaalvak – if it could be saved.
She ran toward the town gate stables, a wedge shaped building just north of the gate. Inside, she found some of the horses that were to be used to defend the main part of the city. Four of them were ready to ride. Thanking the gods, Kreena began saddling two more, her hands shaking as she buckled harness and tack. She hardly noticed when Myst and Tair burst through the wide double doors.
Tair snorted at the smell of stale hay, dung, and nervous horse sweat. Myst moved immediately to assist Kreena, but Tair could only watch them, having no experience with the brutish animals. The dark-haired woman turned to face the road in which they had come – waiting to see what would be following them.
Myst handed Tair the reins of two eager horses, their hooves pawing at the dusty ground in anticipation of battle. She took them reluctantly, tugging on the leather straps and expecting them to balk at her commands. The mounts followed her obediently as she led them to the gate. She then stood, waiting, ignoring the staring knight as Myst soon brought two more of the horses with her.
“What do you think you’re doing with those mounts?” the knight asked with forced bravado.
Kreena came out of the stables, running with the two skittish horses she had found. They were not like the other four; they were thinner, less inclined for battle and wore no barding for protection. “They’re using them to save this city,” she told the knight. “I suggest you help me unbar this gate so they can do so.”
“I have no orders to open this gate!” the knight shouted incredulously. “What if the enemy chooses to attack here?”
Kreena turned and punched the knight on his armored chest, creating a loud clang. “You idiot, the enemy is already in the city!” She dragged the protesting soldier to the center of the street and pointed north. “From there, the Zynnashan wolves will be forming ranks.” She turned him south. “From there will a wall of fire will spread and Zynnashan tigers will follow,” Kreena jerked him around to face Myst and Tair. “They and their companions have what they want. If they leave the city, the enemy follows. Do you get it?” As if to add substance to Kreena’s explanation, an unknown roar sounded from the south, jolting the knight into action.
Kreena shook her head and gave Tair and Myst a weak smile. “Boys,” she clucked.
With Kreena’s help, the gate was soon unlocked, but kept closed as a precaution.
“When will we know when it’s time?” Tair wondered.
A series of skin-pounding booms echoed over them, causing everyone to jump in startled alarm.
“I think that might be a clue,” Myst uttered as she mounted her horse. She reached down and helped Tair on behind her. The horse protested with a whinny, unaccustomed to two riders. Myst deftly guided the horse back to its original position and calmed the mighty animal with a pat on its neck.
“Stupid beast,” Tair growled.
“You call it stupid only because you do not know how to handle it. You had every chance to learn back home,” Myst admonished. She meant it as a mild reprimand, but the memory of home darkened her already nervous state. Both women remained quiet until they saw the Amethyst Magi sprinting toward them. Close behind was the Diamond Magi, Ayce, and Cassius.
“Go!” the Magi shouted. “Open the gate! Ride for the Eastmoor Ferry beyond the tree line!!”
A deafening explosion from the river dock to the south spurred them into action. Kreena and the knight pulled the gate open.
“Watch for the pit traps,” Kreena warned them. “They are marked with the hay bales.”
“Come with us,” Myst urged her.
Kreena shook her head. “My place is with Captain Longvaale. May the gods grant you success.”
“To you, as well,” Myst returned.
Sajiix hopped on one of the unarmored horses as did Jordyn. Both men spurred their mounts onward, deftly avoiding the pit traps and wooden spikes. Cassius and Ayce leapt upon their waiting animals, moving close to Kreena and the others.
“We’re short one person,” Ayce commented.
Cassius searched the road to the south, waiting for a flash of red to emerge from the smoke and ash that were slowly spreading through the city. Instead, he saw only the loping figure of Havaas quickly approaching.
“Ride!” he shouted. “Kreena, get out of here!”
Ayce, Cassius, Tair and Myst fled through the gate. Kreena jumped upon the remaining horse and offered her hand to the lone knight.
“For the glory of Kaalmoore!!”
Kreena watched as the knight charged at the Zynnashan. She gave a salute to the man’s bravery, but she knew he ran to his death. She spurred her horse northward, hoping she could do something to aid her captain.
Havaas watched the group that possessed the Purestone ride beyond the gate. He gave a mental command to his troops attacking in the north and charged his way past the unmanned eastern gateway of Fhaalvak. The Zynnashan commander did not even pause when he tore the head off of the human knight that attacked him.
***
Kreena jumped from her horse long before it stopped and stumbled as she landed. She adjusted her gait and ran up the narrow stairs leading to the portcullis battlements. All around her were knights either screaming from injuries or silent in death. Many foot soldiers and swordsmen were standing in confusion, watching as the bulk of the Zynnashan wolves ran back through the northern gate as though fleeing for their lives. A number of the creatures even leapt from the eastern wall, heedless of the height or of what lay below.
She recognized the figure of Lieutenant Gartis kneeling against a parapet, his armor dented, and his face bloody from a claw gash. “Are they retreating? Have we won the day?” she asked him excitedly.
Gartis stared ahead, unwilling or unable to face her. “I don’t know,” he gasped. “We were fighting for our very lives. We were losing. Suddenly they turned, leaving their wounded, not caring if we even struck them from behind.”
“Where is Captain Longvaale?”
The silence that followed told her that he was dead. Kreena felt as though she had fallen from the wall and landed on her back. She grew dizzy and couldn’t breathe. She toppled against Gartis, oblivious to his grunt of pain.
“They tore his throat out,” he whispered. “He stood upon the battlements, striking at three of them. He was gone with one swipe…Thank Diathanos, they have retreated.”
She looked to the east, toward the tree line where Eastmoor Ferry was located. Kreena knew they were not retreating. She knew where they were going and who they pursued.
With unchecked tears, Kreena wished the Guildsmen luck and prayed that they succeeded.
33
Cassius, Sajiix, Ayce, Jordyn, and Myst dug their heels hard into the flanks of their horses, urging them on at full speed once they were beyond the man-made traps set for the Zynnashans. The road before them lay on an open flood plain, allowing them to ride five abreast and at a breakneck pace. Cassius took point as he was more familiar with the nearby landscape. He led the group along the road, keeping his head forward, watching for any sign of an ambush. The former knight knew this was the right course of action, but he feared they may have dallied too long and that the number of dead would be too high for his conscience to deal with.
The road ahead curved sharply south, avoiding a wide, yet shallow creek that ran parallel to the Tebis’non. Cassius remembered a bridge further south, but they had no time for such pleasantries. He slowed his speed with a gentle tug on the reins and steered the snorting animal toward the water.
The afternoon sun glinted beautifully off the creek’s surface and a warm breeze rippled the water and the nearby blossoms of marsh weed. The azure sky above made for a picture-perfect day – a mockery of what lay behind them. Cassius pulled harder on the reins to bring his horse to an almost complete stop and turned back to gauge the distance they had made.
Fhaalvak sat upon the edge of the flood plain, its north and south sides billowing plum
es of black and gray smoke. Directly behind them came a dark, writhing line of Zynnashans – the remnants of the wolf pack. Their plan worked. They had pulled the Zynnashans away from Fhaalvak and they were now coming for the Purestone.
Sajiix pulled up close to him, his eyes taking in the force pursuing them. “Are we far enough yet?” Cassius asked him breathlessly.
Sajiix arched an eyebrow. “Far enough for what?”
“To use the diamond,” the Guildsman said. “Surely you don’t think I was foolish enough to believe that we could outrun them?”
“No,” Sajiix offered a rare smile. “I had only hoped it would not come to this.”
The others arrived, pausing at the creek bed, their horses pawing the ground nervously. Cassius pointed across the water to a dark line of tall pine and oak trees in the distance. “Beyond those trees stands the Eastmoor Ferry. If we can reach it first, we can dismantle the boat and press on safely.” Cassius did not tell them what they would do once they reached the eastern side of the river.
The others rode on, their mounts splashing across the creek. Sajiix paused for a moment, his eyes scanning over the approaching beasts to the town he had left behind – to the woman he had left behind. He could only hope that Kaelyn was still alive and that she would understand why he could not come back for her.
“I am no traitor,” said Cassius suddenly.
Sajiix jerked his head back to the former knight, listening intently.
“The King was concerned that Tevic’s reach was growing faster than it should and that he had an eye for Kaalé.
Commander Greeve and I came up with a plan to make the King favorable to Tevic; to make him believe the King was susceptible to his word. The King played along and allowed the Chancellor’s whims to become law.
Rage of the Diamond's Eye (The Guildsmen Series Book 1) Page 38