The First Paladin (The New Earth Chronicles Book 1)

by J. J. Thompson

  “It's like a nightmare that won't end, isn't it?” Sylvie said quietly. “Just when you think it's all over, it comes back to disturb your sleep all over again.”

  “I wish that was all that it was,” Liliana told her. “But this is real. Now, the gods do not know when this trio will strike. All they could do was say that it will be soon, which is why I wanted to pass along the information as quickly as I could. Now it is up to us to ready our defenses and wait for the onslaught.”

  She nodded again and walked back to the table and took the seat that she had used the previous night.

  Malcolm and Aiden sat down again and began muttering to each other, their hands moving as they discussed various strategies.

  Tamara looked at her brother and then at Veronique and Sylvie and finally over at Chao, who was sitting with his fingers tented in front of him. He appeared to be deep in thought.

  “My friends,” she said to her fellow magic-users. “We will be the first line of defense. We have got to hit the dragons at a distance, before they get a chance to use their breath weapons on our people. Liliana, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that black dragons have a special lightning attack, is that right?”

  The paladin leaned forward and nodded in agreement.

  “Yes. And the brown dragons belch a rather horrible cloud of pestilence that rots anything organic that it touches. Red dragons can only use fire, but their flames are even deadlier than those of the other draconic races, which can also breathe fire along with their special attacks. The good news, such as it is, is that the red and brown dragon attacks are limited to close range; several dozen yards at most. The black dragon's lightning attack is the one that you have to worry about the most, because it can be used from a much greater range. So if any of you have long range offensive spells, the black should be your first target.”

  “Understood. Malcolm?”

  The big man looked up the table.

  “Yes?”

  “I just realized something,” Tamara said excitedly. “The smith should be able to enchant missiles for the dwarven ballistae again, now that the magic has returned. The machines have been kept in good repair since we got them from the dwarves and those enchanted bolts pack a mighty punch, even against dragons.”

  Malcolm's eyes lit up and he slapped the table in delight.

  “Damn, I hadn't even thought of that. And he can enchant arrows as well, if the beasts get close enough for our archers to use them. Excellent thought, Tamara! I'll go and speak with him at once. Aiden,” he said to his partner. “Stay here, would you? Your expertise might be needed.”

  “No problem. Go and give Daniel the good news. I think he's missed being able to use his special brand of magic these past few years.”

  The big man laughed and waved at the others as he rushed out of the hall.

  “He always gets excited before a fight,” Aiden told the group. “Sorry about that.”

  Tamara chuckled and Sebastian smiled widely.

  “I prefer enthusiasm over fear,” he responded. “There will be enough of that to go around during the battle.”

  “Too true,” his sister said more seriously. “Katherine, warn your fellow clerics about what may be coming. Sebastian and I will begin wandering through the general population right after this meeting and start informing them as well. We'll do what we can to reassure the people, but with parents worried about their children and all of that, it's going to be a very nervous place for a while.”

  “I'll tell them,” the cleric assured her as she stood up. “And we'll all do our best to keep folks calm as well.”

  She nodded to all of them and strode out of the door.

  “Chao?”

  The small man looked up at Tamara with a start.

  “Yes? Sorry, I was thinking. What is it?”

  “I won't even pretend to understand your type of magic or what you can do with it,” she told him frankly. “But you are the only summoner we have, so if you can call upon any allies when the dragons begin their attack, we'd all be grateful for their help.”

  He bowed in his seat.

  “Yes, that is what I have been trying to decide; who to summon to aid us in this. Not all magical creatures get along, you see, so if I summoned two species who do not like each other; well, things could get very bad. Do not worry though; I promise you that I will do what I can once the battle is joined.”

  “Good. That's all that we ask. Sylvie, Veronique, you don't need me telling you what to do. But if either of you is feeling a little rusty, practicing your spells would be a very good idea. That applies to myself and Bastian too. And please make sure that your Shield spells are as strong and reliable as they can be. A good shield could mean the difference between life and death.”

  The sisters both nodded in unison.

  “We actually began our old practice routines yesterday, after our meeting with Liliana,” Sylvie told her with a quick smile at the paladin. “We will be ready, I promise you.”

  “Excellent. Bastian and I did the same. Now, I know that it sounds rather obvious, but we all need to remember that dragons are resistant to certain types of spells, depending on their species. Red dragons are naturally resistant to fire spells. And black dragons will shrug off lightning spells. The brown dragons...” she paused and looked over at Liliana. “Any ideas on what kinds of magic they are resistant to?”

  Liliana smiled grimly.

  “None. They are the least resistant of all of the draconic races. I am not an expert on magic; I leave that up to all of you. But I do not believe that any mage uses spells that inflict disease or rot on others. The necromancers did, but we wiped them out. So there is no type of magic that you need to avoid using when facing the brown dragon.”

  “Ah, that's good to know. Thank you.”

  Tamara stood up, rested her hands on the tabletop, and looked at each magic-user in turn.

  ”Well then, everyone,” she said evenly. “Here we are. None of us expected to have to begin using our newly-recovered powers so soon, especially in such life and death circumstances. But our people are depending on us to keep them safe and we will not fail them. We will prove to them, and to ourselves, that their faith in us for all these years when we were powerless was not in vain. Are you with me?”

  There was a resounding cheer from around the table. Even the normally placid Chao joined in.

  And Liliana added her voice as well. This was what she had wanted to see; this spirit and resolve that she knew the magic-users still carried within themselves. They would need all of the defiance and boldness that they could muster when the dragons arrived.

  “That's it then,” Tamara told them. “Good luck. The next time we gather together will probably be when the attack begins. If any of you wants to talk or has any questions about anything, you know that my door is always open.”

  She turned to her brother and nodded.

  “Let's go, Bastian. We have a lot of people to see today and we might as well get started immediately.”

  “I'm ready.”

  The siblings hurried off and everyone else followed at a slower pace.

  Aiden hung back and waited for Liliana to join him. They both left the meeting hall and began speaking as they walked through the castle.

  “What are our chances?” he asked her candidly.

  The paladin looked at him in surprise. She had forgotten just how direct Aiden could be. He didn't beat around the bush when seeking answers like others might.

  “Honestly, just between us?”

  The warrior nodded silently.

  “Fifty-fifty,” Liliana told him bluntly. “If we were facing one of the primals, even though they are still very young, I would say that our chances of survival were practically zero. But these three dragons are not that powerful. And they are ignorant of humans and what we can do. I'd rate our odds higher, but the mages are still rusty. They've only begun using their powers again and, no matter how much practice they can squeeze in between now and w
henever the dragons arrive, it won't be enough to get them back to the skill levels they had five years ago. It's just not enough time. I know that they will do their best, but will it be enough? I do not know. The ballistae may improve those odds though. We'll see.”

  Aiden nodded grimly.

  “I hate to say it, but I agree with your assessment. Thanks for your candor, my friend.”

  They reached the door to the courtyard and, when they got outside, Aiden offered Liliana his hand.

  She removed a gauntlet and shook it firmly.

  “I'm off to talk to the guardsmen,” he told her with a smile. “Get them ready, maybe fire them up a bit. Wish me luck.”

  “You'll do fine,” she told him with assurance. “Just be yourself. I'll speak with you later.”

  They parted and Liliana walked across the yard to where Valiant was waiting. The stallion glowed with health in the morning light and he whickered at her when she appeared.

  “Good morning,” she said brightly. “How are you today? Have a good night?”

  He snorted and bounced lightly from hoof to hoof.

  “Good. I want to head out and patrol the castle perimeter. Are you up for it?”

  Valiant looked at her with what could only be described as disgust.

  Liliana laughed.

  “I assume that's a yes. All right, I'll get your gear and see if I can't get you saddled for the first time. This should be fun.”

  Chapter 21

  Fortunately for Liliana, the blacksmith, Daniel, gave her a hand with saddling Valiant. He talked her through the entire procedure and by the end, she realized just how straightforward it really was.

  “Now remember,” the smith told her after they were finished. “Make sure that the rear cinch isn't too tight. It's close to his kidneys and horses don't like that part of their bodies being irritated by a tight strap. Got it?”

  “Got it,” Liliana replied gratefully. “But I also have to make sure that the front cinch is as tight as possible, correct?”

  “Correct,” Daniel agreed with a crooked smile. “I don't think that your friend here would do it, but regular horses sometimes take a deep breath when they are being saddled and, once they let it out again, the front cinch is loose. So experienced riders give them a tap with their knee to make them expel their breath and tighten the cinch again.”

  He shook a finger at Valiant, who was standing still and watching them with interest.

  “You wouldn't do that, lad, now would you?”

  The stallion shook his head, making his bridle jingle, and the smith laughed loudly.

  “I didn't think so. So there you are, lady. He's all set. Have a good patrol. And if you see any dragons creeping through the underbrush, let us know.”

  He gave her a sly wink and Liliana smiled. She had told him about the imminent attack and Daniel had taken the news stoically.

  “Thanks, I'll do that.”

  She adjusted her shield across her back, stuck her booted foot into a stirrup and flung herself up on to the saddle.

  “Ah, you mounted up like a veteran rider,” the smith said approvingly. “You are a natural, lady.”

  “Thanks again, for the compliment and for your help.”

  “Any time. I'll have fresh water and hay laid out for the big lad by the time you return. Have fun.”

  He waved and returned to the smithy.

  “Let's go, my friend,” she said to Valiant. “It will be good to get out of the castle for a while. Give us a chance to clear our heads.”

  They trotted toward the front gates. The guards there saw her coming and hurriedly manned the crank next to the gate. They opened it just wide enough for horse and rider to slip through.

  “Thanks,” Liliana called out to them.

  The two guards, both of whom she didn't recognize, waved back and grinned. In their chain mail armor, with swords at their hips, they looked very capable. She wondered whether they had been alerted to the coming attack yet. Considering their good humor, she rather doubted it.

  Her patrol of the castle's perimeter took about an hour, as she rode out about a mile from the walls and circled Nottinghill in a clock-wise direction, alert to anything out of the ordinary.

  Just making sure that no dragons are sneaking up on us, Liliana thought with amusement, remembering Daniel's humorous remark.

  There was nothing dangerous in the area, just the usual wildlife and a couple of foxes and a high-flying hawk that really weren't much of a threat. Liliana was able to relax somewhat and enjoy her ride.

  The stallion was in high spirits and bucked and sidled occasionally, just to keep her on her toes.

  “You're a smart one, aren't you?” she asked at one point when Valiant reared up and pretended to be surprised as a rabbit raced past them in the forest.

  He nickered softly, apparently pleased with himself, and Liliana laughed out loud.

  “Just remember, I'm still a new rider,” she warned him, trying to sound stern. “And if I fall on my butt, I will not be happy.”

  When they arrived back at the front gates, the same pair of guards allowed them back in. This time there were no smiles. In fact, the man and woman looked rather grim.

  Well, they've definitely been told about the coming danger, Liliana thought as she rode by them.

  The guards barely gave her a glance and were quick to close and secure the gates once she was back inside.

  The courtyard was abuzz with activity. Guardsmen and civilians alike criss-crossed the area, carrying weapons, boxes and other loads up the stairs to the top of the walls. When the paladin got back to the small paddock set aside for Valiant, she saw people carrying bundles of arrows out of the smithy and a couple of guardsmen struggling with a load of iron bolts that she recognized as ballista ammunition. The smith was suddenly very busy.

  She removed the stallion's gear and set it against the wall of the smithy. She didn't want to go in and disrupt things by storing the saddle inside. Liliana was pleased to see that Daniel had been as good as his word; there was a bucket of fresh water and a mound of hay waiting for Valiant.

  “You're all set, my friend,” she told him as the stallion began to drink noisily. “Thanks for the ride. I'll see you later.”

  Liliana stroked his copper coat and then headed back indoors. During her patrol, she had realized that she'd left her helmet behind and felt like an idiot. Such a mistake could have been fatal, if she had been attacked. She decided to grab it and keep it with her from on, tied to her belt so that she wouldn't forget it again.

  Get your head in the game, paladin, or you risk losing it, she told herself sternly.

  Inside, the castle was as busy as the courtyard. People were rushing here and there and Liliana moved aside several times to make room for others who were carrying loads of various kinds. She watched carefully for signs of panic, but everyone seemed, if not calm, at least under control. The few children who were moving through the corridors, mostly with their parents, looked excited.

  Typical kids, Liliana thought fondly. I doubt that most of them have ever seen a dragon, let alone been attacked by one. So it's all fairy tales and adventures. Well, let them have their dreams. The reality may be closer to a nightmare.

  As the day passed, the castle settled down into a routine. Sentries remained on alert and everyone was tense, but things remained calm.

  Liliana recognized it for what it was; the calm before the storm. But the storm did not strike that day.

  Nor did it fall on them the next, nor the one after that. People began complaining that maybe it was a false alarm and that they were worrying for nothing. But they were in the minority and were mostly ignored.

  The magic-users were actually pleased that the assault was delayed. It gave them more time to practice and hone their skills again, and that could only help in the battle to come.

  Early on the morning of the fourth day after Liliana had brought her warning, she was awoken by someone banging on the door of her rooms.


  She sat up and looked around, slightly dazed. Early morning light was seeping in through the bedroom's one narrow window and she heard the pitter-patter of raindrops against the glass.

  “Coming!” she called out as she threw back the covers and stood up.

  She slipped a long tunic over her head and walked out into the sitting room. She had been assigned a small suite and was grateful for it. It suited her minimal needs.

  She opened the door and found a young woman standing there. She was dressed in a pale yellow robe and was breathing heavily.

  “Hello there,” Liliana greet her. “May I help you?”

  The woman nodded rapidly, her long red hair fluttering around her face.

  “Yes, lady paladin. Tamara sent me to fetch you. The sentries on the wall report sighting flying creatures on the horizon. They could be dragons.”

  “I see. Thank you, um...”

  “Jackie, lady. I'm one of Katherine's apprentice clerics. I was with the senior mage when the message was delivered, so I volunteered to bring it to you.”

  “Many thanks. I'll get dressed and be right out. I assume Tamara and the others will be up on the wall?”

  “Yes, lady, they will be. I will tell them that you are on your way.”

  Liliana smiled at her and the young woman rushed off.

  Ah, the enthusiasm of youth, she thought as she began to don her armor. Well, better enthusiasm than blind panic, I suppose.

  When she was finished dressing, she slipped her shield across her back and made sure to fasten her helmet to her belt before leaving her rooms. She wouldn't forget it twice.

  When she had climbed the steps to the top of the wide wall, being careful of her footing in the light rain, the paladin looked around, trying to spot Tamara.

  “Liliana! Over here!”

  Malcolm's towering form was easily spotted even through the mist of the rainfall. He was standing on the southern section of the wall and she walked over to join him.

  The wall was ten feet thick and thirty feet high, with a waist-high parapet all along the outer edge. On each corner a ballista was set up and manned by three guardsmen. Additionally, archers were stationed all along the wall. She counted at least thirty of them, all carrying bows that were wrapped in leather at the moment to protect them from the rain.