by H. A. Harvey
As the archers drew and loosed their bowstrings, Malor leapt forward and slammed a small, runed stone from his satchel onto the street. A whirlwind much like the one Nian had seen Riona create at Broadstone erupted around them and flung arrows out in all directions. The deflected projectiles lacked the inertia to do real harm to the armored attackers, but convinced all but a few to duck as their shower of steel rained back onto their heads. Axios roared and charged toward the barricade, but staggered back as the barrier erupted into flame. Nian had another flashback of his brushes with magic as the earth rumbled and a fissure shot from one of the nearby alleys toward their whirlwind.
Leap!
Nian’s brain was still trying to get his legs to respond to the sword’s instructions when the fissure reached them. Kaesa leapt against Nian and tackled him to the side as the stones beneath them exploded into razor-sharp shrapnel. Kaesa’s forge work proved masterful enough to resist the granite projectiles, though one bit slipped through her limbs and bit Nian in his side. The drake scales of his coat kept the shard from piercing his body, but the raw force nearly knocked the wind from him.
Xain also seemed to remember the earthquake that had wound its way down the path after them and he turned in time for his over-filled pack to absorb most of the debris. Malor seemed to have some sort of personal protection that kept him from being shredded, but the wizard was lifted and flung into the plaza’s fountain by the force of the blast. Corina was not so fortunate, and collapsed riddled with holes and lacerations. Rowan yelped and doubled over as a shard of stone tore through his abdomen.
A bit further from the center of the attack, David and Gatefyre each suffered a few superficial piercings, but seemed largely unharmed, though David was at least stunned from the explosion. Gatefyre wasn’t stunned, he was angry. The horse charged back along the fissure, seeming intent on exacting vengeance on whatever just threw rocks at him.
“Stop! Earth magic can come from anywhere! He might-“
Malor’s warning was cut short as Nian watched the water of the fountain form a tentacle that encircled the wizard’s throat and drug him beneath the surface. The whirlwind dissipated and, as the archers seemed to realize their opportunity, so did Axios, who seized a burning wagon by its axle and drug it over to the group just in time to shelter them from the next hail of arrows. In the next moment, the fountain was violently flung apart by a rapidly expanding purple bubble that sent water and shattered bits of stone sculpture flying into the rooftops as Malor stumbled over to the group’s makeshift shelter sputtering for breath.
“Dat air shield was short-lived.” Kaesa complained, sounding like she was in better spirits than the situation warranted.
“It has to be kept in contact with the actor to keep going.” Malor explained, as he drew a stone from his satchel and, placing it over Rowan’s wound, swept a finger over the stone’s rune. The stone glowed white and Rowan’s breathing eased as his stomach knit itself back together. “I’m afraid I dropped it for some silly reason. I have another, but with an elementalist about, I can’t maintain defenses and hunt him at the same time.”
“Can I activate it?” Kaesa asked.
“That could work, tap it against the ground to start it. It will sap your energy to keep itself going though. Drop the stone before you get too tired to move.”
Malor drew another stone from his satchel and passed it to Kaesa. Nian groaned inwardly as he felt the ground beneath his feet start to vibrate.
“Another quake?” Nian prepared to leap away.
“Dat’z cavalry.” Axios rumbled, then nodded to Malor. “If’n youz ken ferret out dat spell slinger, I ken hold thingz here.” The ogre pointed a neck-thick finger at Nian. “Youz get down da alley to da keep.”
“That won’t work.” Nian shook his head. “Corina was the only one that would know the alleys well enough for us to get to the keep that way.”
Malor grabbed Nian’s chin and pointed it at the sky. “There’s only one place that has towers, farm boy. Keep going for that and you’ll get through. Kaesa, give Axios the rock, he’ll need it in this open square.”
Kaesa slapped the stone into Axios’ massive palm. The ogre gingerly held the pebble between thumb and index finger as he tapped it on the stone ground and proceeded to swallow the stone. The rumbling of the approaching cavalry grew to a thunderous roar as Nian tried to object that Axios couldn’t drop the stone that way. The erupting whirlwind carried off the last of his protest as the Ogre stood with the flaming wagon braced over his back.
“Run!” Axios bellowed as he spun and launched the wagon into the first ranks of the oncoming armored cavalry. Nian helped Rowan to his feet as Kaesa and Xain led the way to the alley Gatefyre had charged down with David. The Dwarf pivoted at the mouth of the alley and snapped a shot off into the throat of one of the rooftop archers. Once they were safely inside the shadowed alley, Nian ventured a glance back. He watched in awe as the massive ogre met the two riders that managed to evade the wagon and reached him ahead of their compatriots. He deflected one lance with his broad blade, while he gripped the second halfway up its shaft and rammed it back into its owner’s shoulder hard enough to break the backboard of the destrier’s heavy saddle and deposit the heap of plate armor roughly onto the cobbled square.
Malor had vanished from the square, and a collection of stones gathered themselves together into a makeshift mannequin behind Axios and the figure came close to matching the ogre in size. The stone creature landed a staggering double-fisted blow on Axios’ back, sending him stumbling forward. The stone golem lurched after the ogre to capitalize on its initiative, but suddenly jerked to a halt, trembled and collapsed. As Rowan caught Nian by the arm and drug him further down the alley, Nian saw Axios leap over the flaming wagon and bring his blade down in a sweeping arc that removed close to half of each rider from the next four horses.
Nian found navigating the darkened alleys of Kadis disorienting in more ways than one. The deep shadows and dark stone buildings gave him the sense that it was dusk or they were indoors with little enough light that his blade had obligingly begun to glow, and Nian had to convince it to douse its light and keep them concealed. Yet, they had entered the city only minutes ago in early morning and far overhead, the Vault of Heaven shone the brilliant blue of mid-morning while the crisp, cool mountain air about them made it feel like dusk while also giving lie to the idea of being indoors. Kadis citizens apparently didn’t believe in having yards or lawns, and the buildings all huddled tightly together, creating a claustrophobic maze for them to wind through and more often than not obscured any view of the keep’s towers.
The guards seemed to use a series of catwalks along the rooftops of the predominantly two-storied buildings to maneuver freely about the city. Thankfully, the Kadis guards seemed to be primarily Human, and seemed to have a harder time keeping track of them moving through the shadows than Nian did moving through them. They also had the advantage of the fact that the twilit alleyways didn’t hinder the others in the slightest. The few guards that happened to find themselves overlooking the company’s path with a light handy were quietly dispatched by Xain’s crossbow long before any alarm could be raised.
As they ran along through the alleyways, the ground sloped slowly upward, though the buildings seemed to climb with the level of the ground. A light shining off to the left caught Nian’s attention as he passed a branch in the alleys and he paused. Down the alley, a dim, steady light shone off to one side, casting shadows of two armored men against the corner of the alley. Nian crept to the shadowed corner and listened. There were two men for certain, and they weren’t darting about like the rest of their companions, which meant they were guarding a post. Nian took a deep breath and rushed around the corner. Two guards in heavy mail stood at the base of a set of straight stairs leading up to the top of the wall. They turned toward him in surprise, but Nian was committed at this point.
Nian
rushed forward and slammed his bodyweight behind his shield into the quicker looking of the two men, bowling him backward onto the stairs. He used the momentum of recoiling from the collision to spin and bring his blade down on the second man’s shoulder. The relic blade sheared through the guard’s armored collar and bit deep into the man’s chest. As the second guard collapsed, coughing blood in lieu of a scream, Nian drove the point of his sword into the other man’s helmet.
Breathe.
Nian blinked and realized he’d been holding his breath. As he took the sword’s advice and resumed normal breathing, it also occurred to him that he’d managed the entire assault without the blade giving him any pointers. The more he thought about it, the more certain Nian felt that the blade wasn’t simply choreographing his motions, but imparting memories of battles long past. The sword still warned him about things and lent magical aid where it was needed, but it hardly gave him direction any longer. In fact, he was fairly certain that it only ever showed him any particular maneuver once. After that, it was like he knew what to do when a similar situation presented itself. Nian’s reflection was interrupted when the others rounded the corner, having obviously missed his presence and come at the sound of commotion. Nian grinned and nodded toward the stairs.
“Corina said the road went around the market to the keep.” He stated in explanation. “If that road is blocked, maybe we can cut straight through the market.”
“I would not mind having high ground.” Xain nodded, patting his new and improved crossbow.
Rowan nodded and started up the stairs while Kaesa still seemed to be pondering the change in course. When she seemed to be outvoted anyway, the Njord shrugged and hurried up after the others. Just short of the top of the wall, the stair turned into the wall at a small landing and brought them into the midst of a maze of carts, booths, tents, and shops. The marketplace seemed to have been shut down hastily at the sounding of the alarm. A few city folk peered fearfully out from shuttered windows, but none stood to bar their way to the keep that now stood only a few hundred yards before them.
They dashed through the deserted market and emerged on the open swath before the gates of Kadis Keep. Nian drew up short and glared darkly at the host of defenders that stood between him and the solid iron gates of the keep. A collection of close to fifty men, whose varied livery matched those outside the city, stood encircling the gate and archers lined the parapets. Above the gate stood a collection of wealthy looking men that had to be the Barons of Baeden. At their center was an older, but still powerfully built man wearing a golden crown. His snowy white hair and beard were immaculately groomed, though a long scar ran from beneath his right eye down through the man’s beard.
“So this is the force Tyre sends to assassinate the High King of Baeden!” The man laughed and leaned forward with his palms upon the parapet before him. “Tell us, little assassins, what names we should send back to your king along with your heads to mark your failure?”
“We serve no king, nor does your blood have to spill today, King Urdan.” Nian stepped forward from his companions, not really certain what his next move was, but figured a bit of bravado might purchase enough time to think of something. “I am Nian, Champion of Kadia and Emissary to Creation. A cancer grows within your house, which I have been sent to cut out. Stand aside and live, or stand against me, and Creation with me, and fall.”
King Urdan laughed. “Kill them.”
Silence followed. The soldiers still stood at the ready, but Nian could see in their faces that they balked at being the first to step forward or loose an arrow. Amalthea’s rumors had spread through more than slaves and common folk, and it seemed even one or two of the barons shied and almost unconsciously put a little distance between themselves and the king. Nian decided to press on their fear and took several steps forward. The soldiers before the gate wilted backward, but some of the archers atop the wall seemed to steel their nerve and draw a bead on him. Nian didn’t dare pause and ruin his bluff, so he fixed his eyes on the king as he slowly, but steadily advanced.
Nian found his gaze distracted to the mantle stone in the gatehouse, just over the king’s head. A dim, green light traced lines into the stone. The emerald lines took shape into a rune that Nian felt looked reminiscent of a dragon’s head. The first archer loosed his arrow just as the rune completed itself. The arrow flew true enough, striking Nian in the center of his left breast, but the small steel head glanced harmlessly off the scales of his coat.
At that instant, the rune flashed briefly and vanished as a low, bestial moan drifted mournfully through the air and echoed across the city. The few archers who had moved to follow suit of the first attacker were so unnerved by the sound that their shots flew hopelessly wide and skipped harmlessly off the cobblestones. Then it was not just the defenders who were unnerved as dozens of answering cries drifted down from the mountains above the keep and a scent like blood and sulfur filled the air.
Suddenly, a collection of mortal voices joined the racket from Nian’s left and a streak of white from the corner of his vision flashed towards the ranks of Kadis soldiers. A tide of unwashed, mish-mashed rabble erupted from the shadows of the nearby alleys, lead by David astride Gatefyre. The ember stallion carried his rider up to and over the first rank of soldiers before they could react and David’s blade left one a head shorter as it passed. Horse and rider landed in the midst of the soldiers, the tip of David’s sword driving into the chest of one man that did not stumble backward as fast as his companions.
An armored mage in the midst of the formation began to summon coils of shadowy mist around his arms, but was cut short as both of Gatefyre’s rear hooves drove into his chest and sent him and two men behind him into the wall of the keep. The soldiers were dazed, but it was quite clear that the mage would neither cast spells, nor rise again. Kaesa and Rowan darted past Nian as a bolt from Xain’s crossbow sailed over his head and only failed to fell the king because an unfortunate noble stumbled back at the wrong instant and traded fates with the man.
Meanwhile, Nian’s eyes were fixed on the parapets or, more appropriately, upon the cliffs attached to them. Decending from each mountainside, a dozen or more grey-scaled drakes agilely scuttled down the sheer stone cliffs and lighted upon the parapets, where they fell on the soldiers unfortunate enough to be closest to the ends of the wall. Before he’d faced the drake whose hide now formed his coat, Nian would have thought these beasts massive. Each was at least the same shoulder height as Gatefyre, but with six limbs, body mass akin to a husky destrier but tight-packed on their bones like a mountain lion, and most were at least a dozen feet from head to tail.
Panic spread like wildfire through the defenders of the keep. Many of the archers flung themselves off the wall to avoid the maddened drakes, while below, the hardened troops folded before the onslaught of liberated slaves and Nian’s companions. The king and his court beat a hasty retreat into the gatehouse while Nian wandered forward through the carnage. He could tell his march was perceived as the triumphant advance of a divine avatar from the way the enemy soldiers reeled and often fell to injury at the hands of others in an attempt to clear his path. In truth, he wasn’t altogether sure what had just happened, and was more wandering in a daze than anything else. He focused on keeping his legs under him and reaching the gate. His friends were quick to see his destination and cut a path for him, though it hardly seemed necessary to Nian; All but a handful of the defenders seemed to have been convinced the wrath of the Incarnates themselves was upon them.
“Gatefyre and I ended up outside the slave market.” David beamed as he rode up and slid from the stallion’s back. “So, we figured we’d take a page from your book and raise a quick army of desperate souls. Most of the garrison is out scouring the city for us, so we were able to overpower the guards there and arm ourselves.”
Nian nodded, “Well, it worked. Rowan, it looks like we need your vines again.”
“
Not here.” Rowan shook his head. “There has to be fertile soil to root in, there’s nothing but worked stone here.”
Kaesa sheathed her axe and shoved her shield at Rowan. “Let me.”
The Njord slammed her shoulder against the iron gate and, though it resounded like a steel drum, it didn’t budge. Kaesa remained motionless, straining against the gate.
“We’ll have to find another way in.” Nian sighed, “I don’t think an Ogre could put a dent in that gate.”
“Give her time.” Xain said calmly. “Now you will see why Ironbenders protect their bloodline so, and how their name is earned.”
Nian started to form a question, but was interrupted by a loud groan from the gate. Xain chuckled.
“Ogres are stronger than even Ironbender Dwarves, and Dracis are the strongest of all mortals,” He explained. Kaesa grunted as dents started to form in the gate around her hands and the stones of the archway began to grumble and crack. “But Myrkin of old were given a gift, sinew stolen from Titans themselves. All Dwarves have muscles that do not tire, but in Ironbenders where the blood of the old Myrkin runs strongest, this gift is terrible weapon. If they ply their strength against one task, the longer they work at it, the more their strength gradually overcomes almost anything, bending iron, crushing stone.”
Nian flinched as the stone archway gave a loud crack. David just managed to snatch Rowan out of the path of a falling chunk of stone. The stones beneath Kaesa’s feet cracked and shattered as the lower portion of the gate slowly bent inward and the Njord slid one foot forward to keep tightly pressed against it. Then, amidst the sudden screeching of rending steel and sharp crack of shattering stone, the gate sprang inward, sending Kaesa stumbling forward as the archway crumbled and collapsed about her.