She looked into his eyes, and became lost in the warmth and devotion she saw there. He gave her a kiss on her cheek.
She felt better already. “Should we see what Aglina has pulled together for lunch?” She asked him, patting her belly with a gleam in her eyes. He nodded his head and they adjourned to the kitchen to help.
With their stomachs filled and the dishes cleaned up, they all settled back down to the table to hear more of Raythum’s past.
Eldrin stared out across the rolling hills of sand, as a cool morning breeze rippled across his face. He put the spyglass to his eye and peered out over the horizon, his breath steaming from his mouth. The sun had just made an appearance in the west when the desert woke from its morning freeze. Eldrin eyed the thick battlements lining the top of the walls surrounding the city of Shakiel. He could see soldiers busy making preparations for the impending attack Lutheras would unleash. He had an uneasy feeling about the upcoming battle, stemming from the number of wizards residing inside the walls.
He removed the spyglass from his eye and turned in his saddle to watch the ranks fill with the soldiers Lutheras had gathered. He took a deep breath and drew in the cold, crisp morning air. He was relieved that the undead army had completed its transformation. The overwhelming scent of death and decay disappeared, and Eldrin was pleased he could now breathe the natural, clean air. Injuries had healed themselves and the normal pinkish human skin was replaced by thicker, tougher, gray skin resembling a lizard. The outward appearance of the soldiers didn’t seem changed however their personalities ceased to exist and were replaced with a pure blood-lust. Fighting between the undead soldiers seemed common—something Lutheras hadn’t accounted for—but one thing remained constant. No matter what transpired, they instantly and attentively followed Lutheras’ orders.
Aside from the fights, they fit the mold of perfect soldiers. Gazing upon the army as they filled the ranks, these thoughts put Eldrin a little more at ease. He spotted his master atop a hill two-hundred paces to the west.
Eldrin caught his master’s eye and thrust his heels into his horse, crossing in front of the assembling army. He drew stares and nods as he made his way through the soldiers—all who remained quiet. He proceeded up a small sand dune where Lutheras sat perched on his horse.
Lutheras noticed the approach of his trusted minion and offered him a wry grin when he rode up. “Eldrin, my friend, tell me what preparations this city has arranged to try and stop the might we have laid out before them.”
Eldrin stopped his horse at his master’s side. “Yes. I haven’t observed anything out of the ordinary from the soldiers, but it is the conclave of wizards who reside in Shakiel who have me worried. Our brother’s numbers have dwindled, and the soldiers you have created won’t stand a chance once the wizards start unleashing their spells.” He paused long enough to read his master’s face. He intended to continue his assessment, but Lutheras never gave him the opportunity.
Lutheras jumped down from his saddle and walked around to the front of his horse. He patted and caressed its muzzle before he drew a carrot from the satchel on his hip. He offered it to the horse and turned to face the Elf. “I thought I could expect more from you. It should be apparent by now I never run into anything blindly.” He pointed to the rear, drawing Eldrin’s eyes. Behind the soldiers stood the rows of catapults, ballista and trebuchets. He brought Eldrin’s focus to the orbs he held in his hands. “The key to winning this fight lies with the orbs. Nothing can stop us with these.”
Eldrin shook his head. “You have put a lot of faith in the orbs.”
Lutheras didn’t seem pleased by Eldrin’s comments—his eyes cast a glare over the bridge of his nose. “Do you have any idea what I can do with these?” He hissed and waited for Eldrin to answer his question, which consisted of a shake of his head. “I didn’t think so.” Eldrin’s eyes drifted toward the ground. He should know better than to question his master. They both turned and watched as the rest of the soldiers completed their preparations.
The sun had put distance on the horizon, and already they felt the heat. Lutheras’ army was growing impatient, when they heard a horn over the city’s walls. The sound caught Lutheras’ attention and his eyes drifted toward the walls protecting the city. There were no moats because of the scarcity of water in this part of Askabar. Instead, the walls were surrounded by a ditch filled with thousands of pikes the size of ancient trees, which acted as an intimidating line of defense against a rushing onslaught.
A metal on metal clamoring arose from the gatehouse as the portcullis creaked up. The two pristine, large, oak doors opened, and three armored riders rode out on their decorated warhorses. Lutheras nodded to the human commander sitting in front of the troops. He made a signal and the commander dug his heels into his horse, accompanied by two Minotaurs who stood and awaited orders.
All of the riders proceeded out to middle ground to conduct their pre-war palaver and issue last minute demands. The two wooden doors slammed shut behind them. The infernal metal on metal grinding started again as the iron portcullis lowered back into place. Lutheras issued a call sounding like a hawk, which drew Eldrin’s attention. He noticed the grin on his master’s face and wondered what mischievous deed he had in store. The answer to his question soon became obvious.
The three capital riders reached the middle ground and slowed their horses to await Lutheras’ commander. One of the horses pawed at the ground as it waited. Lutheras’ commander slowed his horse, but the two Minotaurs continued their advance at full speed. It didn’t take long for the Shakielian soldiers to figure it out. They watched both creatures draw their long battleaxes and brandish them above their heads. The soldiers tried to react, but were too late. Both Minotaurs swung the full weight of their axes through the air, encountering little resistance as they sliced through the soldier’s necks like a hot knife through butter.
The remaining human grabbed on the reins of his horse, turning it in the opposite direction to head back to the city, but the knowledge that he already welcomed his death filled his face. One of the Minotaurs used the momentum of his swing and jumped. The thrust carried him through a spin in the air. He hit the ground as a throwing ax materialized in his hand from somewhere. Before he took more than two steps, he threw the ax, which spun end-over-end, before colliding with the neck of the horse. It made a crunch as it entered the horseflesh with blood splattering in all directions.
Bugling bellowed through the air as archers on the crenelated battlements took up their positions to let loose their arrows. The horse lowered its head from the wound in its neck. Its force carried it forward where it tumbled, throwing its rider to the ground where his bones crunched as they broke in multiple places. The horse continued to tumble, leaving the wounded soldier vulnerable and lying on the ground. The Minotaur reached him and swung his battleax downward, leaving the body separated from its head. He raised his hands over his body, once again brandishing his battleax, howling in exuberance, as a wall of arrows filled the sky.
Lutheras’ human commander had already left the field and now returned to the ranks with the rest of the soldiers, well out of the range of the arrows. The two Minotaurs weren’t as lucky as any exposed flesh filled with arrows, resembling the quills on a porcupine.
From his vantage point on the hill—a distance from the battle—Lutheras turned to Eldrin with a sly grin on his face. “There will be no compromising today.” He issued another shrewd whistle and his soldiers reacted by charging toward the walls of Shakiel.
Only the soldiers moved in an all-out dash as Minotaur and undead alike rushed toward the looming city walls in a mass chaos of thousands. Arrows filled the sky, blacking out even the new light of the morning sun. Some of the soldiers were lucky enough to get their shields up in time to block and absorb the arrows that fell like drops of water from the sky during a storm. Others didn’t even care and continued forward in a bloodthirsty rage, intent upon reaching the walls of the city.
Those who i
ncurred wounds fell to the ground, but a worse death found them as their bodies were crushed beneath the mass of soldiers rushing forward. Skulls and bones snapped and cracked filling the air with the sounds of a person snapping twigs and branches as they walked through a forest. The running soldiers left behind a sandy field littered with dead and dismembered bodies, blood running and pooling in every indentation of the land.
They reached the outer wall of the city where barrage after barrage of arrows rained down upon them. Some of them were too impatient to wait for the raising of the ladders and began climbing the stone walls, finding footing in the worn and weathered gaps in the stonework. Hot tar showered down from the battlements, scalding the soldiers traversing the wall, and accumulating at the base as well.
The wizards stayed back, well away from the fighting. Several of them tried to conjure spells, but Lutheras waved them off. “Now isn’t the time. Wait for my orders!”
The catapults, ballista and trebuchets rolled into place. Eldrin was surprised when his master sent in his troops before he started breaking down the walls of the city. He wanted to question his motives, but realized it would be a moot point, and kept his mouth shut.
The ladders were all at the base of the wall, and hundreds of soldiers battered the doors as Lutheras issued another command. So far so good, he grinned. They raised the ladders upon the walls and soldiers began climbing. Lutheras grabbed an orb in one of his hands. He turned to Eldrin and the other brothers. “I don’t know how long we will need to keep this up, so each of you take turns placing a shield over our position.”
Eldrin nodded and did as told, placing a shield encompassing the entire area of ground the brothers occupied. He didn’t know what Lutheras had planned. He struggled from the outset to maintain the shield once the brothers stretched across the field. He motioned for them to come closer.
Lutheras uttered, “Mis to pas, flit mo ka, purseg!”
This caught Eldrin off guard. The incantation matched the spell he maintained around the brothers. Why do we need two shields? he thought to himself as confusion whipped through him.
The orb held in Lutheras’ hands pulsed. The arrows fired from the battlements no longer found their targets, but instead bounced and veered as if from an invisible force. Hot tar flowed like a river down a hidden umbrella, missing the soldiers it meant to injure.
He has erected a shield over the soldiers at the wall! Eldrin thought, why?
Fireballs erupted from the tall towers sitting within the city, aimed at the soldiers climbing the ladders. As Eldrin realized, so too must the wizards; a shield covered the soldiers, and they had waited too long. The fireballs ignited the tar sitting upon the invisible shield, creating burning flames floating in the middle of the air, away from the attacking soldiers protected below.
Lutheras, who looked blissful holding so much power in his hands, yelled “Fire!” The machines now in place took aim at each of the towers where a fireball, or other spell, emanated from.
Rock and stone crumbled, filling the air with flying shards hitting several of the opposing soldiers standing on the battlements. The ranged barrage continued as the towers collapsed, and the wizards sought refuge. They fled to other points atop the wall, thus taking away the height advantage the towers offered the wizards.
Lutheras' soldiers now reached the top of the ladders and flooded over the wall, engaging in combat with any who stepped into their path. The thick battering rams splintered the door before breaking through. Soldiers from both sides deluged through the doors to meet in battle.
Lutheras, satisfied with himself—if not a little exhausted—released his shield. It would serve no purpose other than to protect enemy soldiers now. He turned to the brothers. “Keep the shield up, but fire at will.”
Eldrin had already passed off the responsibility of maintaining the shield to another brother, and began conjuring small spells to take out individuals, or other small groups. The shield drained him, and he didn't have much power to do anything else.
Lutheras was pleased with how everything had transpired to this point. The wizards targeted any source of energy at will; and nothing, not even stone walls, would protect anyone no matter where they tried to hide. He took the time to survey the battle and regain some of his lost energy. He looked toward the brothers, glowing within at how unstoppable he felt.
Behind them, several large pieces of the ground moved up, as if on hinges, and hundreds of soldiers flooded out from the hidden tunnels beneath. Lutheras had never heard of these tunnels and they caught him unaware. He directed the brothers to adjust their attention and focus on the new threat. They now had two battles to be worried about, and Lutheras was not amused, but he would prevail.
Arnria, the Elven brother with the current responsibility of maintaining the shield, turned to face the new threat. Startled by what he witnessed—and the fact four soldiers bore down on him—lost his concentration and the shield diminished.
Lutheras, who didn't have energy remaining, at least not enough for a shield, reached down for an orb and erected a shield using the additional energy the vessel provided. Eldrin found himself fortunate enough to be within range. Fireballs and lightning crashed down from the sky, as did burning jets of flame and ice crystals. The spells wreaked havoc on the no longer shielded brothers. They became victims of both the spells and the soldiers targeting them in hand-to-hand combat.
Lutheras felt powerless as he used all of his energy—and that which the orb provided—in an effort to keep the shield up. Eldrin used every spell he could conjure to protect him and his master. A group of over twenty soldiers locked in on their position, and charged forward with weapons held out in front. Eldrin used another spell to conjure vines, which snared the soldiers where they stood. He then sent a wall of fire toward them, releasing the snare. Several of the burning soldiers ran to extinguish the flames, only to fan them in the process. They collided with their own comrades, setting off even more combustions.
The second battle created chaos among the brothers, and no one paid any attention to the actual battle in the city, where Shakiel now gained the advantage because Lutheras’ attention was split between the two fronts.
An old graying man, with no hair upon the top of his head, but a forest below his nose, stepped out of one of the tunnels with an orb in his hands. It glowed an ugly brown color. He grasped the orb with both of his hands and aimed it at one of the brothers. The light of the orb pulsated, slowly at first but grew in speed as the moments passed by. A blue light shot out and struck one of the wizards, who screamed before he froze. A ripple started from the ground, and spread throughout the wizard’s body. Everywhere the ripple passed, flesh turned to stone until it consumed and replaced it all, leaving nothing standing but a statue.
Lutheras did everything he could to maintain the shield, when he spotted the old graying wizard. He has the orb, he thought to himself. I don't even need to get into the city to get it. It is right here in front of my eyes. But what could he do? He maintained the shield, and Eldrin used everything he had available to protect them both. He tried to get Eldrin's attention when he heard a rumble emanate from the city. Lutheras moved his head to view where it came from in time to see the entire southern edge of the city wall crumble. He had been distracted by the melee ensuing at his current position, and had forgotten all about the siege of the town.
The city’s fortifications looked decimated, and a large vortex, similar to a tornado descended from the sky, appeared above Shakiel. He turned his attention back to the wizard with the orb. Four more of his wizards transformed into stone, thus rendering them useless.
He struggled to bring words to his lips. “Eldrin! The orb! We must get the orb!”
An Heir, a Keeper and a Dragon Rider:
Journey of Self Discovery
The weeks after the test flew by for Raythum. He felt as if the information from his experiences in the portal encumbered him most of the time. The ceremony naming him as heir went off without a
hitch, and with the exception of a few snide remarks from his brother, they had steered clear of one another, encountering no major issues.
Still, it seemed like too much to handle at times and he decided he needed a break. More than anything, he needed to get away so he could absorb as much information concerning his new duties as a Keeper, and the environment of Havenbrook didn’t lend itself to his studies. It seemed someone always needed him for a meeting, or something came up that he needed to be included on. It grated on his nerves.
After several conversations with his father and Norlun, he decided to leave town and travel the countryside. He thought it as much a journey of self-discovery, as a chance to get away for some peace and quiet to embrace and learn the true history of the Keepers.
He embarked one fall morning when the weather felt crisp and a slight breeze blew in from the south. He left the city without fanfare—just a man on his horse. He had no agenda and headed out on the east path out of the city. He looked forward to the peace and tranquility he hoped to find on his new adventure.
He set a casual pace through most of the morning. Once outside of the city, and the many farms surrounding it, he left the road and followed the river he had loved so much since childhood. He reminisced on all the good times he had enjoyed; even the bad times brought back good memories. He loved the constant movement of the river, and the rhythmic sounds of the water rippling and cascading over the boulders. It brought a sense of calming to his mind and put his whole body at ease.
He relaxed in his saddle and followed the meandering course. He drifted off—lost in thought. He steered his horse to a grove of trees and decided to eat his lunch.
He pulled a bag from his horse, before he led it to the river to drink of the cool, fast-flowing water. He selected a large tree with ample shade allowing him to get out of the direct rays of the sun, and sat down. He dug through his bag to find his supply of dried meat. He grabbed a piece and tore off a chunk with his mouth.
The Rising Past: Book 2 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series Page 14