by Adam Blade
“It’s an army!” said Gwen.
Tanner’s stomach lurched with fear. He tugged on Firepos’s feathers to guide her higher, and the Beast responded by striking upward with powerful beats of her wings. They rose over the troops, but as he looked down, Tanner realized these couldn’t be Derthsin’s men. They marched without order and wore no armor, and they had none of the vicious varkules among their cavalry. Instead he saw men and women of all ages, some on horses, most on foot. Many of them carried makeshift weapons — pieces of plows, woodcutters’ axes, shepherd’s crooks, and threshers from the fields. Some carried bows and arrows. Real weapons glinted in the hands of a few, but they looked clean and unused. A handful had shields, but most walked without protection in simple tunics, or at most breastplates made of toughened leather.
They must be from all the ransacked villages, Tanner thought. But are they friends or enemies? Derthsin had wrung the goodness from Geffen’s soul — he could have done the same to these people.
As they glided overhead, faces turned upward one by one, and the mass of peasant folk ground to a halt. Tanner heard shouts of fear.
“Land ahead of them,” he called across to Gwen. “Not too close, just in case.”
He steered Firepos in a wide loop and approached the front of the marchers. The flame bird tipped her wings to slow her descent, and alighted on the grassy plains. A moment later Gulkien bounded beside them, folding his leathered wings into his fur.
“Stay back here,” Tanner said, slipping off Firepos’s back.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” asked Gwen.
“I don’t want to scare them,” said Tanner. “If they’re the enemy, then we’ll know soon enough.”
Keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword, Tanner walked confidently toward the leaders, a line of rugged-looking men. Gwen, he noticed, had hooked her hands into her belt, near her throwing axes. But if there’s trouble, we won’t stand a chance. There’s too many of them.
Low muttering passed through the armed band, and Tanner felt hundreds of eyes fixing him with hatred. He was about to lift his hand in greeting when he heard the twang of a bowstring. An arrow thudded into the ground at his feet.
“Take another step, and it will be your last,” said a woman’s voice. Tanner spied the archer stringing another shaft.
“Fire that arrow, and you’ll lose your arm,” shouted Gwen, running to Tanner’s side. She had a throwing ax lifted above her shoulder.
Tanner swallowed.
“Kill them!” someone shouted. “They’re Derthsin’s servants!”
Relief flooded through Tanner. They were on the same side.
The woman’s arms twitched as she pulled the bowstring tighter.
“We’re not your enemy!” Tanner shouted.
“He’s lying,” someone yelled back from among the ranks. “Why else do they have Beasts?”
“Put down your ax,” Tanner said to Gwen, loud enough that the front rows of the army could hear.
“Are you crazy?” she hissed.
“Do it,” he said. “We need to show we’re not a threat.”
Tanner dropped his hand to his belt. Slowly, he unclipped his sheath and let his sword fall to the ground. Beside him, Gwen cast her ax behind her.
“See!” he shouted. “We mean you no harm.”
A stout man stood at the center of the party, wearing a scarlet cloak. He had steel-gray hair, knotted hands, and the weather-beaten skin of a farmer. “My name is Affren. Do you swear that you and your … your friends come in peace?”
“We ride our Beasts against the forces of Derthsin,” said Tanner, holding out his hand.
There was a disturbance in the crowd, and then a girl burst out. She ran toward Rufus, laughing joyously.
“Isadora!” Rufus cried. He jumped off Falkor’s back and embraced his sister. “You’re safe! What happened to you?”
“I bought a horse and rode to Colweir, like you said I should,” she said. “I told the people there what you were doing, and how you saved me. We talked of the evil invaders, and we decided to gather our weapons and march out to fight!”
Rufus looked at his sister with love and admiration. “You started this army?” he asked.
“I did, and we are all willing to fight with you against Derthsin!”
Tanner remembered the terrified little girl they had rescued from the followers of Derthsin a few days earlier. She had changed a lot in that time.
A murmur passed through the crowd as they saw this happy reunion. “Lower your bow, Breda,” Affren said.
The archer did as she was ordered, and Affren stepped forward, taking Tanner’s hand. “You are so young, yet you set yourself against Derthsin? His armies have ravaged our kingdom.”
Tanner nodded. “We know. We’ve already fought some of Derthsin’s armies. And we have four — I mean — three Beasts to help us.” He didn’t dare glance at Gwen; he knew how crestfallen she’d look.
Though Affren carried only a staff sharpened to a point and blackened in the fire, the man beside him had a finely turned shield, covered in tough leather and embossed with iron points.
“Some of your weapons are well-crafted,” said Tanner. “Do you have trained soldiers, too?”
“What weapons we have are from the caves in the northern mountains,” said Affren.
“Derthsin’s armory!” said Gwen.
“You know of the place?” asked Affren, as his comrades muttered.
“We destroyed it,” said Tanner. “With the help of our friends.”
A young man stepped to Affren’s side, carrying a large, double-edged blade with a wide hilt. “I knew it was true,” he said. “Many of the men have talked of four heroes, told stories about the ‘Justice of the Mighty.’ I just didn’t realize the heroes would be so young.”
“We’ve seen our share of death and battle,” Tanner retorted. The words the young man had used reminded him of the prophecy Firepos had shared. Where had he heard those stories?
“Forgive Raurk,” said Affren, nodding at the younger man. “We live in uncertain times.” He looked past Tanner, to where Firepos and Gulkien waited. “Where is your fourth comrade?”
Tanner glanced at Gwen. It would do Affren and his army no good to know the desperate truth. “He’s lost,” he said.
“Whether you be four, or three, or fifty,” said Affren, “I fear the kingdom is lost already.”
He gazed sadly at Tanner, his watery eyes filled with a grief that couldn’t be put into words.
Tanner’s head swam as he remembered Esme and the mission she’d sent him on. He felt suddenly light and his knees weak to the point of buckling. After all he’d been through, carried by anger and sheer luck, the final task seemed just too daunting. Each time they’d faced Gor, he’d survived, but they’d lost something. Esme, Geffen, and now Castor was gone, too. And still Derthsin awaited.
Affren’s eyes hadn’t left him.
This man must have lived four times as long as me, Tanner thought. What can I tell him?
That it isn’t numbers or weapons that will save this kingdom, came Firepos’s voice, but courage and the will to survive. You can be what they need — a leader.
The Beast’s words lit a spark in Tanner’s chest. Derthsin’s army moved quickly across the land, crushing villages beneath its iron fist before the people had the chance to gather and defend themselves. This ragtag army of survivors had lost everything — their homes, livelihoods, and relatives. He didn’t know if they could fight, or how their makeshift weapons would stand up to the cold steel of Derthsin’s forces. He couldn’t tell if they would hold firm in front of a varkule’s drooling jaws and blaring war horns. But in their eyes burned sorrow and anger. If he could harness those feelings, and find a way to direct them, perhaps …
“We can fight together,” he said aloud.
Raurk laughed bitterly, and swept his arm in a wide gesture toward the massed villagers. “We don’t march to fight,” he said. “We stick together
for safety, to forage for food.”
“Join us,” said Tanner. The flame of hope seemed to grow in his chest. If people were gathering like this, daring to show themselves openly with weapons, it meant he and his companions weren’t the only people fighting Derthsin. Others in Avantia were rebelling, too! “Together we might be strong enough to take on our common enemy.”
“And if not?” said Raurk. “Should we die for nothing? At least if we don’t oppose Derthsin, he might let us live.”
“He may let you keep your lives,” Gwen cut in. “But at the cost of your freedom.”
“And how long will it be before Derthsin’s mercy snaps?” said Tanner. “We’ve seen the ruins of this kingdom. We know how little Derthsin cares for the people of Avantia.”
Affren and Raurk shared a glance. “You say you have seen combat already,” said Affren. “You’ve faced the varkules?”
Tanner nodded. “We have faced them and killed them,” he said.
“One of those creatures tore my brother apart,” said Raurk.
“Their Horse Beast trampled my wife,” Affren added, his voice cracked with anger and grief.
“Derthsin’s soldiers are wicked and cruel, but they are only people like you,” said Gwen. “They can be beaten.”
Tanner thought he saw the older man give a small nod, but Raurk still looked unsure. If he couldn’t win them over with persuasion, perhaps he needed to try something else. “See this red cloth?” he said, raising his wrist. “It belonged to someone dear to me. My grandmother. Derthsin’s army killed her without a thought. I fight for her. Fight for your wife, your brother — all those you have lost.”
Raurk’s expression hardened. “You’re right,” he said. “We can’t live our lives in fear.”
A few of those standing nearby mumbled their agreement, and pride flickered in Tanner’s chest. He addressed Affren. “So you’ll march with us against Derthsin? We’re heading toward the volcano near my village. I can guarantee his men will be waiting for us there.” With the location of the mask marked on their map, Tanner knew that their enemies would be headed toward it, too. Geffen had seen the map and would have shared all its secrets with General Gor.
The old man nodded firmly. “What do we have to lose?”
Tanner grinned. As he strapped his sword back around his waist, Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder. “With so many, we might just be able to get the final piece of the mask.”
Tanner looked at his friend grimly. “For all our sakes, I hope so.”
The evening sun seemed to bring no warmth, and it bathed the plains in a red glow the color of washed-out bloodstains. Tanner flew over the troops, pointing to direct the foot soldiers into position. After his battles with General Gor, he had a better idea of how to arrange his new recruits. Only weeks ago I was a baker’s assistant, loading loaves into the oven. Now I’m directing men, possibly to their deaths. But this was what he felt born to do. All those training sessions with Firepos as a young boy — they made sense now.
Affren sat behind him, clutching his waist, his scarlet cape billowing. “Do you ever get used to this?” he shouted over the breeze.
“Eventually!” replied Tanner cheerfully, trying to disguise the fear in the pit of his stomach. He wanted the rebel leader to see things from the air, though it had taken a little coaxing to get him to climb Firepos’s feathers. So far they’d placed the baggage and weapons carts in the center of the force, protected by two columns of infantry, four deep, at either side. The cavalry, a hundred horsemen or so, were lined up at the front.
“They’re your shock troops,” said Tanner. “They can attack and wheel back quickly. Or, if they’re successful, they can push forward through the enemy lines and attack them from the rear.”
He pointed to the two ranks of archers stationed at the rear.
“The bowmen will be safe back there,” said Tanner, “so they can focus on sending a steady barrage of arrows over the infantry.” The words of war spilled easily from him.
“How do you know all this?” asked Affren.
“I’ve watched Derthsin’s forces in action,” said Tanner.
He’d seen plenty of battles since Derthsin’s soldiers began their deadly march across the kingdom. In each one — at Forton, at Colton, and by the Southern Caves — he remembered how the enemy had attacked. But there was a big difference between planning tactics from the air and fighting in the heat of battle. Would this army of amateurs really hold their shape when they faced the marauding enemy and fear froze their limbs?
A message floated up from Firepos: Time will tell.
Progress across the plains was slower with the hundreds of men below. Normally, Tanner and Firepos could have swooped over the terrain, but they couldn’t afford to leave the army behind, so they zigzagged back and forth, trying to keep it in formation.
Rufus on Falkor scouted ahead while Gwen flew alongside Tanner.
“They look good,” she said. “Castor would be in his element here.”
Her words left Tanner feeling hollow. Occasionally he saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye and expected to see Nera leaping across the plain, but the magnificent Beast and her rider never appeared.
“I’m so pleased that Rufus and Isadora are together again,” Gwen said. “Something good has happened at last.”
Tanner nodded, deep in thought. “We should rest when we find water,” he said.
As the smell of roasting meat and fish spread across the camp, Firepos hovered above Tanner. She cawed to him softly. “What is it?” he asked.
Look, came her voice.
Tanner searched out the Looking Crystal and held it to his eye. The milky stone swirled and cleared, so that distant objects leaped forward. At first Tanner saw nothing but the glinting pricks of stars in the dark blue of the night sky, but then a flash of red came into view. He twisted the Crystal into focus and made out the black silhouette of the volcano. An explosion of molten rock seemed to spout in slow motion, cascading down the black slopes.
“Why’s it erupting now?” Tanner muttered.
“What can you see?” asked Rufus. Tanner lowered the Crystal and saw the wizard and Gwen beside him. Rufus held a bowl of steaming stew, while Gwen passed Tanner a leg of rabbit.
“Look for yourself,” said Tanner, handing over the Crystal. Rufus took it and turned toward the distant horizon. Even without the Looking Crystal, Tanner could see the faint orange glow.
“I’ve had a bad feeling since we stopped,” said Rufus. “Evil lurks there. Magic stronger than anything I’ve felt before.”
One of the logs in the campfire shifted, releasing a spiral of smoke. Tanner’s breath caught in his throat as it wound into the shape of a figure, looming from the flames. Its pale face was unmistakable — those thin lips and the heavy brow.
“Derthsin!” said Tanner.
“What is it?” asked Gwen sharply. “What’s the matter, Tanner?”
He turned to his friend. Her eyes were wide with concern.
“Can’t you see that?” he said, pointing to the fire.
“See what?” she asked. “Tanner, you’re scaring me.”
Derthsin’s voice sounded like whispering ashes. “You have tasted power, young Beast Rider.”
Tanner stared into the flames, where the image lurked like a shadow. “What do you want?” he asked.
“We want the same thing,” hissed the specter. “We want the mask.”
“No,” said Tanner. “I want to destroy it.”
“What’s the matter with him?” he heard Rufus say. “Who’s he talking to?”
“I’m waiting for you,” said Derthsin. Then he sent out a laugh like a death rattle.
The image collapsed back into the campfire. Tanner shivered, despite the fireside heat.
“I saw him,” he muttered to his friends.
“Derthsin?” asked Rufus. “Here?”
“What did he say?” asked Gwen.
“He said he wants the mask,” Tanner repli
ed.
“Well, we know that!” Rufus scoffed. “Some message!”
Something had stopped Tanner from relaying the full message, the part about how he wanted the mask, too. He glanced across at Rufus’s cloak. I don’t want it, he told himself. I just want to keep it out of Derthsin’s hands.
Gwen placed a hand on his knee. “Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re here for you.”
Tanner looked into the fire again, wondering if he might just have imagined it. Firepos landed beside him. She closed her huge wings, sending a draft through the flames.
I saw it, too, she said. You should sleep. Tomorrow brings us closer to our destiny.
Tanner leaned back into her warm feathers and tried to empty his mind.
At last, my Chosen Rider finds rest, and I open my eyes wide. I will watch over him, as I have every day since he was born.
All our lives will be threatened before the sun falls tomorrow. Mine is no more special than another’s. Tanner grows into a leader of men, but he knows that his strength was bought at the cost of my weakness, and he hates himself for it. Poor boy. Does he not know that I would give every drop of my being for his sake? My only regret is that wearing that piece of the mask has made Tanner’s fight even more difficult. But he will get through, he will survive.
As for me, none can save me. This much I know. It is as it should be, foretold by Anoret and glimpsed by Tanner. I embrace my fate and Tanner must, too.
The makeshift army struck camp as the glimmer of dawn pushed back the dark cowl of night. Tanner gazed out across the horizon, wondering what the day ahead would hold. By nightfall, there’ll have been more death, he thought, shuddering. He felt sure that when he’d worn the mask, he’d seen the death of a Beast, heard a heartbeat slowing. Would it be Firepos? Or one of the others? But he had no choice — he had to see this out to the end. “There are too many hopes pinned on this,” he muttered. “I can’t turn back now.”
As he climbed onto Firepos’s back, Affren rushed up to his side. In his hands was his scarlet cape, folded up.
“What’s this?” asked Tanner.