Ganasis was also with him as were General Kanyan and General Lagain; they were busy going over the maps again.
“Ah Talon come join us.” Ganasis said while noticing that Talon was wearing the ancient Zachanian war suit of his ancestors, the wizard greeted him with a warm smile.
“Today seems a good day!” snapped General Kanyan looking full of eager anticipation.
“Good morning Lord Talon, we have not yet been introduced, I am General Lagain, I have heard many good things about you.”
“Then you have me at a disadvantage General.” replied Talon looking deeply into the man’s eyes where Talon opened his mind and sensed a deep respect that the General had for him.
The King then began to speak only for Talon to politely interrupt him,
“Sire I want to lead the attack!” he said with conviction which made the King look up quickly as if to say no. Talon sensed the King’s feelings and tried to use his powers to alter the King’s mind; he thought of his Grandfather’s teachings and silently thought of the King agreeing with his request and tried to push the thoughts into the King’s head.
“Yes of course Lord Talon.” the King suddenly replied before wincing and wondering why he had said yes to Talons demand.
Talon smiled knowing he had successfully put the thoughts into the King’s head and before the King could argue Ganasis interrupted.
“Excellent idea Talon, you will inspire the men.”
General Lagain then turned to Talon.
“It would be an honour to ride by your side Lord Talon.”
Ganasis then grabbed Talon and Lagain around the shoulders.
“It is time to show the Empire that Zachanian’s are still strong and hungry for battle!” he said proudly.
King Arun double checked with his Generals and looked out of the hut at the soldiers outside.
“Are we ready?” he asked Kanyan.
“Yes Sire!” replied the General placing his sword into his belt.
The King walked over to Talon and stood in front of him.
“Be ruthless and strong Talon; don’t leave me alone in this place.”
“For Zachania sire.” replied Talon through gritted teeth.
The two men embraced before the King embraced everyone else in the room.
“Let’s go!” Ganasis shouted stirring the men.
Talon then left the room followed by the King and the two Generals. As they stepped outside the sight that awaited them almost brought them to tears. The Kings army of over four hundred thousand men stretching as far as the eye could see where all standing to attention and waiting for their leaders.
“LONG LIVE THE KING!” shouted a soldier then repeated by the whole army in a show of respect for their King.
Talon then walked over and mounted his horse, which made the soldiers cheer as they saw Talon followed by Generals Kanyan and Lagain readying themselves.
Talon savoured the moment before raising his arm and outstretching his sword which made the soldiers fall into silence, Talon then turned to the King
“For my King, my people, my family, myself and Zachania, VICTORY!” he shouted before lowering his arm and kicking his horse to ride on. Talon rode to the front of the soldiers and the march into Kratos began.
The army soon entered the Zachanian side of Death Valley where Talon and Ganasis along with the two Generals Kanyan and Lagain rode at the front, Ganasis looked across at Talon and saw his face glowing with pride.
“Talon! You are the first Zachanian to lead an army into Kratos for centuries, how do you feel?”
Talon looked back at his wizard friend.
“It feels like I have taken a step towards my destiny.”
The army marched for another two hours until they reached the end of the valley and Kratos beyond.
“General, the Empires outposts are just beyond the turn in the rocks.” Ganasis said
Lagain nodded to Ganasis before breaking away to join behind where fifty thousand warriors on horseback were gathered. Ganasis and Talon moved aside and waited for the warriors on horseback to advance. General Lagain joined Talon once more now leading the horsemen.
“Give the order Talon.” Ganasis suddenly said.
Talon raised his arm and then dropped it as General Lagain acknowledged him by drawing his sword and kicking his heels into his horse.
Talon and Ganasis felt an overwhelming sense of pride as fifty thousand warriors charged before them, the ground seemed to shake under the pounding hoofs of the horses, and Talon shielded his mouth and eyes from all the dust that was also being kicked up.
Once the horses had passed them, Talon and Ganasis joined behind, Talon kicked his horse hard, eager to see what was happening at the front where he could hear that the battle had begun. Ganasis rode by his side and soon they could hear the screams of men dying.
The Empires outpost had in total five thousand men, so totally outnumbered they were butchered by the Zachanian’s very quickly. Talon drew his sword and joined the fight and after a short while the area was secured. Talon dismounted his horse to the cheers of the Zachanian’s rejoicing their very quick and easy victory, and then Talon walked over to General Lagain who was standing outside one of the Empires huts shouting orders to the men.
“Lord Talon! They were no match for us, most of them laid down their arms and fled but we caught them and killed them.” Lagain said proudly looking dusty and still very much psyched up.
Talon then looked around at the scene of battle where men lay dying and screaming, he saw soldiers from the King’s army carrying dead Imperial soldiers out from the huts and throwing them by the roadside, he also saw soldiers rummaging through the dead bodies taking souvenirs from the slain Imperial soldiers.
“How many men have we lost?” Talon asked turning back to Lagain.
“Not many Lord Talon, the exact number is being counted and I will give it to you as soon as I have it.”
As Lagain turned back to the soldier’s Talon looked up towards the hills.
“General, send a scouting party to the top of those hills, I want to know what lays behind them” asked Talon with his voice full of concern as something was telling him that more Imperial soldiers were there.
“General! Do it now, I have a feeling.” he added.
General Lagain quickly did as Talon asked and sent some men who immediately got on their horses and rode for the hill.
“What’s wrong Talon?” asked Ganasis joining him and noticing him keenly staring at some men riding for the hills.
“I feel the Empire Ganasis, beyond them hills.”
Ganasis screwed up his face and looked in the direction of the hills and after a short silence he replied.
“They are there!” Ganasis murmured before frantically calling over General Kanyan.
“General I want you to bring the foot soldiers to the front and position them facing them hills, and General do it quickly.”
General Kanyan acted in haste at Ganasis’s demands and started screaming and shouting at the captains who in turn began ordering the soldiers into their positions.
Ganasis and Talon were still looking at the horsemen who had nearly reached the top of the hill, when Ganasis turned and looked at where the battle had just been fought and all the dead Imperial soldiers.
“This should not have been this easy my friend.” he said warily.
“I get the feeling we are exactly where the Empire wants us.” replied Talon still looking at the hills.
When the scouting party reached the top of the hill Talon saw them turn immediately and start whipping their horses to return, Talon saw the men wildly kicking their horses trying to make them gallop as quickly as they could.
“Something is wrong.” Talon snapped turning to Ganasis who straightaway called for General Kanyan.
“General get the men into position NOW!” he shouted before he and Talon joined Kanyan in ordering the soldiers quickly to the front, Talon was shouting and hurriedly waving the men to the fr
ont when he noticed the riders return to General Lagain.
“Ganasis” Talon shouted pointing and showing Ganasis the men had returned.
They walked quickly over to Lagain and noticed immediately that something was wrong by the look on the Generals face talking to the scouting party.
“Lagain!” Talon shouted getting the General’s attention that abruptly stopped his conversation with the men and turned to Talon.
“You was right Lord Talon, the Empire are beyond them hills, thousands of them.”
Talon looked at the hill and then back at the General.
“How much time do we have General.”
“Not long sir, they are within a mile of that hill and advancing.”
Talon quickly turned to Ganasis.
“Can you get us some time Ganasis.”
Ganasis nodded and then swiftly walked off in the direction of the hills.
“General you say there thousands, we need numbers, how many thousands.”
Lagain then called one of the scouting parties over
“Tell me the strength of the Empire, how many did you see?”
“Thousands sir.”
Talon looked at him impatiently.
“What’s your best guess man, how many thousands?”
The soldier thought for a moment and then replied.
“They stretched for as far as the eye could see my Lord” he said trying to hide the fear he felt.
“General place lookouts on those hills there and there, we must have early warning if they attempt to flank us.” snapped Talon.
“Yes sir.”
“And get a third of our army up that hill before the Empire reaches it.”
“Yes sir.”
“And General send a request back to Zachania for Lord Zagar’s men to advance into the valley.”
Talon then grabbed Lagain’s arm forcefully and spoke to him very determined.
“Lagain we must win this battle! We must hold a strong base on this side of the valley, if we are forced from this position then we will be cut off from Zachania and be at the mercy of the Empire!”
“I understand Lord Talon.” Lagain replied strongly.
Talon then left Lagain and walked over to Ganasis who was standing on a small hill searching his bag.
“Ganasis have you thought of anything that will give us time.”
“Ganasis!” added Talon.
“Talon we underestimated Grarlin, he has become wiser as time has gone by” answered Ganasis completely calm which startled Talon.
“Explain.” Talon replied.
“Grarlin set a trap and we walked into it.”
“How Ganasis?”
Ganasis then glimpsed back at Death Valley.
“The ants!, he must have sensed my presence so he summoned the ants to make us think he needed time, he suspected that I would be able to kill the ants, then think that he needed time so we attacked an unguarded post, it was very clever, very clever and now he has us just where he wants us.”
Talon winced at Ganasis’s calmness and his fear at them falling into a trap.
“So the Empire was ready and waiting but they wanted us to think they weren’t.”
“Exactly Talon.” added Ganasis still looking unfazed.
“But why didn’t they just wait for us at Death Valley Ganasis?”
“They would have no advantage there Talon, but here we are right in the open and they have chosen the best and high ground but worst of all is the fact we failed to see this web they weaved.”
“What can we do, should we retreat into the valley?”
Ganasis looked up and then turned back to Talon.
“No time for that, I say we let them have their best ground, let them think they have succeeded in there trap.”
“If we move quickly we can manoeuvre our self on that hill then we would have the high ground.”
Ganasis smiled.
“What” asked Talon?
“Can you feel the wind Talon?” Ganasis added.
Talon turned and felt the light breeze blowing on his face then turned and smiled at the wizard.
“It’s gently blowing in our direction, spinal powder, they are going to use it.” Talon added half guessing what the wizard had in mind.
“Yes Talon a wind that light and blowing from that hill, Grarlin had a surprise for us and now I will have one for him, I will make his plan backfire in his face.”
“He doesn’t think we know about the spinal powder.” Talon replied now getting excited.
“Exactly Talon, when he uses it I will use my magic to blow a gust sending it right back onto them, when they are blinded and coughing we will attack them with all our might.”
Talon then smiled out of admiration for the wizard and realised how important Ganasis was to him and Zachania.
“I will order the army to attack on your orders Ganasis.”
Talon then gathered a team of men and told them what to look for.
“As soon as the powder is thrown into the air I want to be informed immediately” Talon said before sending them to their positions.
“Be sure they are vigilant and reliable men Talon, I will not have much time to conjure a spell.”
“Don’t worry Ganasis; you will know the moment they do it”
Replied Talon confidently before walking away and calling out to General Lagain.
“General! Position your men at the foot of those hills!”
“What” Lagain shouted back looking confused.
“Talon we still have time, I say we should get the high ground.” added Lagain.
“No General, do not advance up the hills, Ganasis has a plan, whatever you do, do not place men on the hills.”
Lagain stiffened still confused at Talon’s bizarre request.
“My Lord if the Empire come over that hill and we are sitting on the low ground then it will be a massacre.”
“General! Do as I say!” replied Talon this time sounding more assertive
Lagain nodded before ordering his captains.
“Pass the order the men are to hold their positions, tell them to hold, no matter what comes over those hills.”
“Yes sir.”
Talon then returned next to Ganasis who was now standing alone about fifty feet away.
“I have passed the orders.”
Ganasis reached out and patted Talon on the arm as if trying to relax him.
“Good, then now we wait!”
Talon brushed himself down and reached for some water.
“It’s strange how calm the sky looks” added Talon now sitting down.
“The battle ground before battle always seems peaceful my friend”
Added Ganasis before turning his head
“How do you feel Talon?”
Talon took another swig of water.
“Impatient Ganasis.”
“Are you fearful?”
Talon scowled slightly as he looked up at the wizard feeling slightly insulted by the question.
“No Ganasis, I feel prepared, whatever comes over that hill, I will fulfil my duty.”
Ganasis smiled at Talon’s reply.
Talon’s attention was then distracted.
“Look!” he pointed as he pulled himself to his feet.
“There!” he added as the Imperial flags came into view, both men stood silent as thousands of Imperial soldiers soon appeared behind the tall flags, Talon took a deep breath as now he did find himself feeling fearful, it was not a fear that would make him run away but a fear of admiration, more a feeling of awe of how organised the Imperial soldiers marching before him appeared.
“Remember this sight Talon, burn it into your memory how prepared and formidable that army appears.”
Talon nodded back to Ganasis.
“I know from my own experiences in the Empire just how strict and disciplined they are but looking at them now, upon the battlefield, they look magnificent.”
Talon and Ganasis looked on with awe as the
Empire marched over the hill and started organising themselves into attacking positions, once they were in position the cries of their leaders drew them to a halt where they then turned their shields to face the Zachanian’s with precise military timing.
There was a strange atmosphere, an eerie silence only broken by the occasional orders being yelled by the armies commanders as both armies stood watching and waiting for each other.
Ganasis turned to Talon ‘now is the time where they will be preparing the spinal powder’ he snapped with urgency.
Behind the front lines of the Imperial army there were soldiers busy unfolding great sheets of canvas, once the sheets were unfolded more soldiers wearing protective scarfs began pouring buckets of powder upon the sheets. The powder was raked to cover the sheets and then the order was given for the soldiers in the front line to raise their scarfs, moments later the huge canvas sheets were lifted into the air and shaken so that the powder caught the breeze and began floating towards the Zachanian front line.
As soon as Talon and Ganasis were signalled by their lookouts, Talon turned to his wizard friend.
“NOW, GANASIS, NOW!’ Talon shouted.
With haste Ganasis punched the air with both fists and began to shout in wizard’s language.
“The cloud is almost upon us!” Talon shouted as he saw the strain on his wizard friends face, moments later Ganasis seemed to stiffen before he turned and away and then turned back towards the Empire where he clapped his hands and shouted out in his wizards tongue, then slowly Talon began to feel a breeze coming from behind him going towards the direction of the Empire.
“IT’S WORKING!” Talon shouted as the breeze soon turned into a gust and whistled past him, Talon then raised his arm to signal his own men to cover their mouths.
“NOW Talon! ORDER THE ATTACK!” Ganasis shouted.
Talon then passed the order to attack to his General’s Lagain and Kanyan, who in turn commanded the men. Moments later two hundred thousand Zachanian warriors charged towards the Empire who was now clearly suffering from the effects of their own intended weapon ‘spinal powder’.
Talon drew his own sword as the cries of attack from his own Zachanian’s rang in his ears; he was just about to join the charge when Ganasis seeing this grabbed his arm,
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