The Shrine of Kallen (The Tales of Zanoth Book 3)

by Aaron J. Ethridge

  “Someone seems to be showing a little interest in us,” Gregory replied, lowering his eyes and turning them to the general and his companions. “There were three falauk circling the fortress just minutes ago. Although, they seem to have gone for the moment.”

  “We may be in for a siege,” Alena speculated. “I can't imagine that Grathis is just going to let us hold this place uncontested.”

  “You're certainly right about that,” the general agreed. “It's been nearly two weeks since we've seen any of his forces.”

  “That would be time enough to put a stop to the infighting we started between Lord Renald and Lord Darril,” Darek speculated. “As well as, martial his forces for an effective assault.”

  “More than enough,” Alena nodded.

  “What do we do?” Paul asked.

  “It's a shame we can't move the fortress yet,” Joey observed, before turning his gaze to Myra. “Can we?”

  “I doubt it,” Myra replied, shaking her head. “I haven't actually checked since we moved it, but my guess is that – if we can ever move it again – it's going to be a few days before we can.”

  “Even if we could,” Alena said, “there's no reason for us to run away before we're even facing an enemy.”

  “You're absolutely right,” Nyssa nodded. “Joey, I'm surprised at you. Normally, you're not a coward.... Well... not this much of a coward.”

  “It has nothing to do with cowardice,” he replied defensively. “It's just a matter of being prepared. My point is that: if we end up overwhelmed, it would be nice to have a means of retreat.”

  “I have to admit,” she said, flying up near his face, “that's a good point. You are clearly getting smarter. I think I can even see it in your eyes.”

  “Maybe he is,” Paul chuckled. “Whether or not we can move it, the fortress is a place we can fall back to.”

  “It is,” the general nodded. “However, we need to do our best to keep the undead from ever getting that far. If at all possible, I'd rather they didn't know what lie beyond those doors.”

  “That's a fact,” Darek agreed. “At the moment, Grathis knows we have the vault – even if he doesn't know exactly what it is, or how it works. In my opinion, that's already too much.”

  “I should have hidden the door,” Nyssa asserted before gently biting her lower lip. “I just didn't think about it in all the excitement.”

  “It's a good idea to hide it now, in any case,” Myra replied. “The falauk may have seen it, but I doubt they could tell the difference between it and the entrance to the vault.”

  “You're right,” the fairy replied with a smile. “I'll hide it now!”

  Immediately, she flew toward the portal, putting her words into instant action.

  “What are your orders, General?” Gregory asked.

  “We're moving, Captain,” the old man replied. “I want every scrap of food, every piece of equipment, and every stick of furniture hauled into the fortress. This castle is the gateway that stands between our enemies and our new haven. If Grathis manages to drive us out of it, all I want him to get for his effort is an empty shell.”

  “That makes sense,” Alena nodded.

  “I'm glad you agree, my dear,” the general replied with a smile. “Now, let's get to it.”

  While everyone else was grabbing up swords, shields, and bits of armor, or hauling sacks of grain, dried meat, and vegetables – including not-exactly-potatoes, Joey enlisted Paul's help in collecting every book, scroll, and scrap of paper that Kal Tammon contained. These precious items were to be stored carefully away in the fortress's library. After all – as Joey pointed out – knowledge is power. And, they needed all the power they could get.

  Having gathered up as much as they could carry in a single trip, the pair made their way to the courtyard; only to find it packed with hundreds of nearly stationary Warriors. Each of these individuals were doing their very best to make their way into the fortress. This simple task was made infinitely more complicated, however, by the fact the portal was – at that moment – completely invisible. Nyssa had so successfully hidden the door that no one could see what they were stepping into or who was – or was not – in front of them. The result was very nearly pandemonium.

  Gregory was barking orders; trying to get the men organized, while a number of Warriors were attempting to lead horses across the drawbridge into the already filled-to-capacity courtyard. Paul pushed his way slowly through the crowd until he reached General Halfar. The young man suggested that they might want to ask Nyssa to make the door visible again until after they had finished their move. In reply, the general merely pointed at a pair of falauk gliding on the breeze and watching their every move.

  Under the circumstances, Paul could see the sense of keeping the portal hidden. As it was, the undead birds would see people appearing and vanishing, but they would have no idea why or how that was happening. Which was good. After all, it was imperative that they keep Grathis as in the dark as possible. On the other hand, if something didn't change soon, they would likely end up in the dark themselves before they got Kal Tammon emptied.

  Fortunately, just moments after this thought hit him, Sarrac shoved his way through the crowd – Alena at his side. The ogre placed himself in the very center of the invisible door and began directing traffic. Gregory got the men into formation; having them march across the courtyard and into the fortress in a much more organized fashion. While this was going on, Alena took charge of the horses. Those hauling wagons were placed just outside the keep; to be loaded, moved into the Fortress of Donmar, and then unloaded, before returning for more. The rest she commanded like a force of cavalry; sending ten at a time in amongst the constantly marching infantry.

  Due to these altered arrangements, Paul and Joey found themselves in the library just minutes later. They deposited their literary treasures and made their way quickly – and efficiently – back out of the fortress. In less than an hour, they had scooped up and safely stowed away every single page they could find. This done, they turned their attention to helping their companions. The two friends set out together; Paul hoping to come across Myra, and Joey determined to track down Nyssa. The fairy was the first of the two maidens that the pair encountered.

  As most of the more important equipment was already being attended to, Nyssa had decided to lay claim to the former bed of Commander Galfas – whom they had captured Kal Tammon from just weeks before – and get it moved into its new home. All things considered, she had actually done rather well. She had managed to drag it across the floor (having taken the mattress and bedclothes off in order to reduce its weight), push it through the door, and get it jammed into the stairwell in such a way as to make it almost impossible to move. When Paul and Joey stumbled upon her, she was trying to explain to the bed that it could fit up the stairs if it really put its mind to it.

  Joey made the mistake of interrupting this conversation by asking the beautiful fairy what she was doing. After letting out a frustrated sigh and rolling her tiny eyes, she explained that it should be obvious – even to a simpleton – that she was rescuing her new bed from the probable up-and-coming battle. He then compounded his error by pointing out that the bed was much too big for her. She told him to mind his own business and said that, if it didn't bother the bed, it shouldn't bother him. He then explained that he had meant it was too big for her to move by herself, but this only seemed to annoy her.

  However, being the rather clever fellow that he actually was, he worked his way back into her good graces by casting the shrink spell he had memorized on the piece of furniture – reducing it to roughly half its normal size. At first, she was even more annoyed by this because he had made it too small for her to sleep in but, after he reminded her that it was only temporary – and pointed out that he and Paul could now easily carry it to the fortress while she told them exactly how to do it – she forgave him. In fact, she declared him her best friend for the day.

  After the bed was exactly where she w
anted it – which was in the middle of one of the wooded glades inside the Fortress of Donmar for some reason – they returned for the mattress, blankets, and pillows. After this was attended to, Paul decided to find Myra. He had seen her several times in passing, but had no idea how she had been occupying her time.

  As it turned out, the former lich had been examining every piece of magical equipment they had gotten from the vault and captured from Daelfaun and Kal Tammon. The Warriors of Dawn were finally in a situation where they had more weapons than they had men to wield them. The general had asked her to make sure that his soldiers were as well equipped as they could be before the enemy arrived. Paul attempted to help her do this – although he had no idea how to. After a few minutes, she explained that he wasn't actually helping and was, instead, distracting her. With a feigned sigh of annoyance, he left her to her work.

  The young man then made his way to the walls, where he found Darek staring pensively into the distance.

  “How goes the siege?” Paul asked with a smile, following his companion's gaze.

  “They'll be here before dark,” Darek replied, pointing at a cloud of dust rising near the horizon. “If that's any indication, you can be sure Grathis has sent what he believes will be a large enough force to recapture this castle.”

  “Whatever he's sent,” the paladin replied, “he's wrong.”

  “I hope you're right,” Darek chuckled. “Even if you're not, I like your confidence. No good comes from getting nervous before you get yourself killed.”

  “I suppose that's true,” Paul smiled. “Is there anything else we can do to prepare?”

  “Not that I can think of,” Darek replied, shaking his head. “The general and Myra have been making sure everyone is equipped with the most effective weapons we have, the garrison's been organized for weeks now, and you sanctified this entire place before we ever went searching for the Fortress of Donmar. As far as I can tell, that makes us far more prepared than Grathis is likely to expect us to be. On the other hand, I do wish we had more in the way of ranged weapons. We have enough bows to go around but, skeletons and zombies don't pay a lot of respect to arrows. A catapult or mangonel could really come in handy in a situation like this.”

  “Maybe we can build one eventually.”

  “Maybe,” Darek shrugged, “But, we're not likely to do that before nightfall.”

  “No, we're not,” Paul agreed. “What if I made some holy water?”

  “I suppose we could bless a few things.”

  “We probably could,” Paul laughed. “Of course, we could also throw bottles of it from the walls. If nothing else, it would surprise them.”

  “It might. Won't that drain you, though? The last thing we need is for you to be exhausted before the battle.”

  “I doubt they'll attack before nightfall.”

  “I agree,” Darek nodded.

  “Which means, I'll have some time to rest after I'm done.”

  “I suppose it does.”

  “Let me go see if I can find some bottles.”

  “Good luck.”

  Paul quickly found, filled, and blessed twenty bottles. Fortunately, many of the men enjoyed a glass of wine nearly as much as Darek did. As a result, they had a cache of empty containers stored carefully away in a trash pile just outside of their stronghold. Having turned what refuse he could into weapons of war, he informed the general of these additional armaments, before going to lay down for a while. He had channeled so much divine power that he was not only truly weary, but nauseated, as well.

  Roughly an hour before nightfall, he made his way back from the barracks of the fortress to the walls of Kal Tammon – where he found the rest of his companions. While he had been resting, the undead had approached and surrounded the fortress. Large black pavilions had been erected for their commanders and battalions of skeletons and zombies stood in silent formations awaiting the upcoming conflict.

  As Paul gazed over the sea of undead beneath them, he couldn't help but feel that Grathis was serious about retaking this stronghold. It was extremely obvious that they had gotten his attention. Which was hardly surprising, considering how much damage they had already done to him. If they could keep it up, their actions might attract the attention of other undead lords in the surrounding lands. If they played their cards right, they might just be able to get them fighting amongst themselves. That was a prize worth reaching for.

  If possible, they had to defeat Grathis here. They had to do so much damage to this army that he would have no choice but to call them back in disgrace. That would be a sign of weakness that others might well take notice of. On the other hand, they couldn't afford to get themselves slaughtered. If they threw their lives away trying to hold this castle, their rebellion might well die with them.

  Not that they had any obvious road of retreat at the moment. Until the fortress could be moved again – if it ever could be – they weren't going anywhere. Still, the young man felt confident that they could hold the gates of their new stronghold for months with the force they had; much less for the three or four days it would probably take for the runes to recharge.

  Kal Tammon itself also offered a great deal in way of defense. The walls – which were over fifteen feet high – were built atop a plateau that rose fifty feet into the air. Its single entrance was only accessible by crossing a thirty-foot drawbridge made of steel. Paul had sanctified every inch of the stronghold, making it impossible for incorporeal undead to reach them, and putting even those who had physical form at a disadvantage. Even if – by some terrible twist of fate – Grathis managed to take this castle, it would likely cost him far more dearly than he realized.

  “We should build a fire in the courtyard,” Alena asserted. “It will make sure we have plenty of light when they attack.”

  “It's also good for morale,” Sarrac added.

  This observation made, the companions headed down into the courtyard where they proceeded to build a massive bonfire. Fortunately, the general had ordered his men to collect a large supply of fuel over the last few weeks. Fire was a source of light and warmth – which provides comfort to the living and is anathema to the undead. It was something that no wise Warrior would be short of when wrapped within the shades of night.

  Mere minutes after the blaze was lit, the last lingering rays of sun fell silently below the horizon. As they did so, the sounds of trumpets, horns, and drums filled the air; calling the dead to war. The party once again mounted the walls. In the dim light of the lingering dusk, they could see hundreds of skeletons marching up the narrow road that led to the castle.

  Paul had no idea how the enemy commanders planned to get their unhallowed warriors inside the stronghold. He was, however, quite certain that they did have a plan. Grathis wouldn't have sent his forces here unless he felt he had a real chance of success. That meant he knew some way of getting around all of their defenses. At least, those he was aware of.

  As the young man's mind turned on such thoughts, something in the distance directly below the walls attracted his attention. He could just make out several points of red light that appeared to be slowly ascending the sheer face of the plateau.

  “What are they?” he asked, pointing at the nearest one.

  “What are what?” Darek asked in reply, gazing into the darkness below.

  “Don't you see them?” the paladin asked.

  Myra softly chanted an incantation, before turning her glowing green eyes to the patch of night Paul was currently pointing at.

  “Scralee,” she nodded. “Which makes sense.”

  “Scralee?” Joey replied.

  “Undead horrors...” Alena began.

  “No!” Joey interjected sarcastically.

  “That can climb walls,” the ogress continued, ignoring the red-robed wizard. “They have long talons on their hands and feet.”

  “And, they're covered in muscle and mummified skin,” Sarrac added. “You'll get to see for yourself soon enough.”

  “Not i
f we hurry!” Paul pointed out.

  The paladin then stepped over to one of the rock filled boxes that were placed incrementally along the walls and snatched up a massive stone. He lifted it above his head, aimed as carefully as he could, and threw it with all his strength down at one of the points of light. Luck or fate seemed to guide the stone. Although it clearly missed the one he was aiming at, it struck another that was a few feet from his original target. The young man couldn't see the exact result, but he sincerely hoped that it had hit the monstrosity right in the face.

  As the young man grabbed up another rock, Myra cast her spell once again – this time on Sarrac. Immediately, the ogre took up a position at Paul's side and began throwing one stone after another into the depths below. While this was happening, the battalion of skeletons drew ever nearer and the sound of a thousand screaming voices began to fill the air.

  Suddenly, the sky above Kal Tammon seemed to be teeming with shades, specters, and wraiths. Their shadows blocked out the light of the stars as they flew above. All at once, these abominations dove toward the courtyard and the living souls they hoped to feed on. Before this horde reached its would-be victims, however, waves of golden light burst from the sanctified ground, driving them back with howls of agony.

  As the defenders cheered this victory, thousands of arrows began flying over the walls. Both Paul and Sarrac were the target of several of these, but they were more fortunate than some of the men who filled the courtyard, as all of the shafts that struck them rattled harmlessly off their armor. They had no choice but to take cover as a storm of deadly barbs rained down on them in apparently endless waves.

  “They can't keep this up forever,” Darek asserted with a smile as he knelt, huddled up against the wall.

  “How long do you think they can?” Paul asked.

  “Probably not more than ten or twelve hours,” Alena speculated.

  “Well, that's some comfort,” Joey replied, shaking his head.

  After several minutes of this, the tempest of projectiles slackened to a certain degree. Paul took the opportunity to take a glimpse at the enemy. The undead had managed to run two ropes across the empty void that reached from the road to the base of the raised drawbridge.