Bladeborn

by Clayton Schonberger

  “It affected us in the field, also. But I guess I hadn’t realized how bad it was…”

  “Some even thought there was a ‘new curse’ sent by the Rhinolon Shaman. But this year’s good harvest decries that notion.”

  They shared lunch and talked. Later Jonax took a break from his tasks to join them.

  As soon as Jonax finished eating, he sprang to his feet. Clapping his hands once, he said, “No time! Brother Kregert, it is always good to see you! General Bladeborn, the first two-thousand arrows will be delivered very soon! I have to go, so if there is nothing else…?”

  Bladeborn smiled at Jonax and gave him the nod to go.

  After he had gone, Kregert said, “Your squire is a good man, Bladeborn.”

  “I know, Sometimes I can’t keep up with him. He almost always comes through with our needs.”

  At the end of their meeting, Brother Kregert asked Bladeborn if he would visit the sick within the First Realm to use his natural healing ability to ease suffering. Bladeborn agreed to begin on the following day.

  Bladeborn went to see the Queen later that night. He didn’t know what to expect. If she refused him, he knew that Nightslayer was correct about her. If she would see him, his love for her would be complete.

  Bladeborn was excited to be allowed into the palace. A squire escorted him to her spacious study, where she stood in the center of the room, and the door was closed behind them. The study was lit by one desk lamp. Bladeborn realized the entire palace wing was darker than he had remembered it.

  For a moment, Bladeborn thought they had privacy, and he was ready to rush to her and embrace her.

  Then, Nightslayer said, ~~You two are not the only ones in here, Bladeborn. There is another presence~~

  In a breathy voice, the Queen said, “Bladeborn… How I have missed you…”

  Bladeborn saw that the Queen still wore the Heartring on her hand. “Before I embrace you, my Queen, if I may ask,” He said, waiting at the door to her room. “Why have you never responded to my letters? Why no word for two long years?”

  “I have all your letters in the top drawer of my desk—yet I have read only the first of them,” She answered, casting her eyes away from him and pacing the room a bit. “As your campaign wore on, I could not bear to know the words they brought. From rumor, I followed the progress of the Army of the Sun and Moon as closely as possible. But what you don’t understand is the way to command men. Time and again, I heard you stood at the front, leading the charge…Risking everything.”

  “Of course, Deocarla,” Bladeborn said. “I am not coward!”

  “But your behavior is breaking my heart!” she said with deep feeling. Bladeborn wondered: could risking his life by leading the men in battle be so wrong? How did the Queen think he would lead?

  Nightslayer spoke then, ~~Ask her about last winter~~

  Bladeborn questioned, “Last winter was a hard year for everyone. I was unaware of the conditions here in the First Realm. But if you care for me, why did you let us nearly starve to death in the field? Had you forgotten about us? About me? Do you also remember that you said I would rule by your side if I lifted the curse on the Valleys? That you and I would be married?”

  “It was said in a moment of weakness on my part! I am not required to honor those words, even if it is my wish to do so. The laws of the land come first, Bladeborn. It is not your place to make such demands upon me!”

  Bladeborn felt heart-stricken. He held up the ring he wore as a promise to Deocarla. “Does this not remind you of what we shared together, my Queen?”

  Their speech had become heated and their tempers had flared. Deocarla saw the ring and grew much calmer, swallowing uncomfortably at what seemed to be a painful memory.

  She said, “I remember it all, Bladeborn. But there are those in the Kingdom who make demands on even a Queen’s attention.”

  “What do you mean by that?’ Bladeborn asked. “Is love and honor not enough to unite us? Who would dare to challenge our relationship?”

  “There are many,” The Queen said. “There are Six Realms in the Spiral Mountains, Bladeborn. My brother controls the Fifth and Sixth Valleys, but the Second and Fourth are ruled by men who often do not support us.”

  Bladeborn said “Yet, I have Knights from those two Realms in the Army of the Sun… What does this have to do with us?”

  “The key issue, Bladeborn, is that you have yet to lift the curse on our Realms,” Deocarla said emphatically. “There are those who question the value of using our resources to fight what may be a frivolous war. Some have even gone so far to say that lives and money are being wasted in this war. Our army has done incredible things thus far. But do not over-extend them chasing after the misguided idea that you can bring resolution of the curse.”

  Bladeborn responded, “Many have risked their lives for you and the Realms, Deocarla… But as you say, there is more to be done. Can I count on your support? In the war as well as in love?”

  To Bladeborn’s surprise, Lord Esket, the Queen’s bodyguard, arose from a high-backed chair. Bladeborn had not seen that Esket was in the room till then. “You may command the army, General, but you don’t command our Queen’s heart! Speak no more of love to her!”

  Bladeborn assumed that Lord Esket was now Deocarla’s favorite, and rather hastily he said, “I think I see what I have been missing now, my Queen, I will leave you to yourself, as once you did to me. However, if it is within my power, I will keep my vow to lift the curse of infertility from the Six Valleys.”

  “Don’t be so quick to judge, Bladeborn,” Queen Deocarla said, sounding disappointed in his statement. “There is more to this than you know.”

  Then, Lord Esket asserted, “Get used to the knowledge that the Six Realms are in the final days, General Bladeborn! I will only finance reasonable actions for the Army of the Sun… Deocarla’s coffers, as well as those of the First Realm, are empty, and…”

  “Lord Esket!” Deocarla interrupted angrily. “Be silent!”

  Bladeborn looked at Queen Deocarla. How she could allow Lord Esket to be present during what he thought would be a private reunion puzzled him.

  Bladeborn said, “Queen Deocarla, when I come back victorious, I hope your heart will return to me.”

  “As you have noticed, I have not taken off the Heartring, General Bladeborn.” Deocarla said. “More than ever I hope for your success.”

  “My Queen, I implore you to remove that shameful token today,” Lord Esket said.

  Apparently pained by Esket’s demand, Deocarla closed her eyes. Yet she did not remove the Heartring which bound her to Bladeborn. The Queen said nothing other than, “General Bladeborn, you are dismissed.”

  More confused about Deocarla’s feelings than before, Bladeborn left the Queen’s apartment. As the door closed he heard Esket and Deocarla yelling at each other, and after the door was shut, he could hear them shouting all the way down the hall.

  Bladeborn was bitter. He wasn’t sure why the Queen would allow so foul a man as Esket to be so close to her. He wished to see her again, but the knowledge that Lord Esket would be by her side kept him away the entire winter.

  Bladeborn’s feelings for the Queen and his misjudgment of her intentions were hard to get over. Brother Kregert suggested that by doing good in the Kingdom, Bladeborn could ease his mind, and Bladeborn agreed. So, during that winter, the two of them took time to visit the sick of the First Realm, helping speed their recoveries.

  Bladeborn worked with Yury, the master armor smith, to improve armor being crafted for the rank-and-file soldiers of the Army of the Sun. By the time that winter had ended, many soldiers, including Bladeborn’s original forty men, had either new armor, or cleaned and refurbished pieces.

  Bladeborn also spent several hours each day training with the troops in the cramped rooms beneath the Spiral Mountains. There was an understanding between Bladeborn and the Knights of the First Realm now… General Bladeborn was undeniably their leader. Each of them would
have done nearly anything for him.

  The Knights discussed how to further cripple the Northern legion of the Rhinolon, and spoke of ways to save the Kingdom from the curse.

  “After receiving all the accolades, you would think that we could come up with a way to save the Six Realms,” Bladeborn said to his Knights in frustration. “Is there no one here who can find an answer?”

  The question remained open until near the end of that winter, when Nightslayer spoke to Bladeborn in a lucid dream. Nightslayer was offering a way to solve the problems of the Six Realms.

  ~~Ten millennia ago, the Rhinolon swore their devotion to a Lord of Hell known as the Red Hand. This took place at the Zelgron location, and it is holy to them. The time frame must have significance. If you burn the crops and trees at the Zelgron it will do more than simply starve the Rhinolon…It may tip the scales our way~~

  “How do you know this, Nightslayer?” Bladeborn asked. "Do the gods favor us? How can you be sure?”

  ~~The gods favor YOU, Bladeborn~~ the Sword of the Ancients claimed emphatically. ~~When I selected you in Fortress City, it was not mere chance~~

  Bladeborn could scarcely believe Nightslayer’s claims. “What about the Rhinolon Wizards and Shaman dwelling at the tower, Nightslayer?” Bladeborn asked. “Won’t they be a danger?”

  ~~There is always a risk, and this one is unspecified. As you know, there is little hope for the Realms, unless this chance is taken~~

  “Do we grasp at straws, Nightslayer?” Bladeborn asked the Sword. “Can I afford to risk the lives of our men on such a fanciful possibility?”

  ~~This I know: the connection between the Red Hand of the Hells and the warriors comprising the Rhinolon legion under Durg is stressed to the limit. There is little communication between the Ancient High Shaman known as Argutal and the Rhinolon soldiers in Onager~~

  “So, we separate them even more?” Bladeborn asked.

  ~~Separate the legion from the Shaman leaving the Zelgron defenseless. Then, break the link between the Shaman and the Hells. To break the curse, the power of the Red Hand must be withdrawn from the Rhinolon Wizards. We must split off each type of power the Rhinolon possess~~

  Bladeborn asked. “What do you mean?”

  ~~Trust me on this, Swordsman…My consciousness has lasted eons, and these things I know of~~

  Despite his reservations, Bladeborn saw a glimmer of hope in the plan. Nightslayer claimed that weakening the connection between the Lords of Hell and the Rhinolon would lift the curse. He understood the logic of it, if not the specifics.

  Nightslayer said, ~~Tomorrow, tell your commanders~~

  “I’ll tell them what I understand of it,” Bladeborn said.

  He explained as much of the plan as he could without revealing its origin, for even his most trusted men knew nothing of Nightslayer’s ability to communicate and perceive the cosmos. After Bladeborn described what their task was, he summed up by saying, “If the gods of the Rhinolon forsake them, the magic of the Zelgron Shaman may fail. I saw this in a dream. I know it isn’t much to hope for, but I believe it will work.”

  “Let me get this clear, Bladeborn,” Sir Drak Lomazi said, sounding unconvinced. “After a year of letting their Shaman live, you want us to destroy their home? Won’t that bring the wrath of their gods down on us?”

  “We will not strike the Zelgron directly, Drak,” Bladeborn said. “We shall burn the sacred fields around it—their orchards and crops. It will take Sir Rodon Thell to do this, for the bowmen of the Moon can set all the fields aflame with oil-tipped arrows.”

  Rodon said, “If you believe this is the right course of action, Bladeborn, I heartily support you. Your war-senses have saved us many times. You have yet to be wrong.”

  “Thank you, Sir Rodon,” Bladeborn said to his friend. As the discussion progressed they arrived at a battle plan all found agreeable.

  Brother Kregert and Jonax sat with Bladeborn the day before they marched from the First Realm at the outset of the campaign’s third year.

  Jonax said, “Three hundred new warriors, and eight Knights joined this winter. Many men have been refitted into new armor, thanks to you, Bladeborn. All the supplies we requisitioned were received… Even the extra pack-beasts and the sacks of salt.”

  Brother Kregert declared, “The Rhinolon, particularly Durg the Despicable, will think it is the height of pride to salt Rhinolon wheat fields right under their noses. You will need a lot of extra time at each city to do so.”

  “We want them to think we are over-confident,” Bladeborn responded. “If we take the time to salt some of their fields, it should fool them. If they think we underestimate their strength, it will put us at an advantage. But all our commanders know that at this point our numbers and the muscle of our warriors would be no match against the brute power of the Rhinolon legion. So, the plan is to let them think our strategy is no longer hit-and-run.”

  “Winning a war against a magical foe often takes such strategic ploys,” Brother Kregert said taking a long pull on his smoking-pipe.

  Bladeborn confided, “When the campaign is half-finished, Sir Rodon shall lead the Army of the Moon to burn the fields around the Zelgron.”

  Brother Kregert coughed a bit, then declared, “There is a fine line between showing them to be negligent in the defense of their religious structures and committing blasphemy against them, which would likely draw direct retribution from the deities of the Hells.”

  “I am aware of that, Brother Kregert,” Bladeborn responded “I can only hope we don’t cross that line.”

  “Remember, Bladeborn,” Brother Kregert added, gesturing with his pipe, “If you meet Durg the Despicable in battle be cautious! He is said to have the favor of the Rhinolon Emperor, bearing magic weapons comparable to those you have! His ferocity and battle skills make him a legendary figure. They say that he single-handedly defeated a hydra to gain his position. Do not be overzealous and face him alone.”

  “I will take your advice to heart, Brother,” Bladeborn agreed.

  Jonax, rather wide-eyed, said, “Durg defeated a hydra? Aren’t they like dragons with many heads?”

  “That’s what they say,” Brother Kregert told Jonax, tamping his pipe. “A three-headed, fire-breathing, beast of the abyss.”

  Jonax paused to consider this, then said, “But still, I know that you could defeat Durg, Bladeborn! No man alive has more magical and strength and physical might!”

  Kregert cleared his throat, “Come, let us celebrate victory this year!” Brother Kregert asked of them. Bladeborn and Jonax took a sip of wine and Kregert downed his cup… It was the last good meal Bladeborn was to have for some time before his months in the field.

  The next day was the first day of spring, and most of the Army of the Sun and Dawn marched east to begin their half of the plan. General Bladeborn and the Knights were to lead the body of the army to attack small cities in the east. They planned to destroy granaries and sow the Rhinolon fields with salt, if time allowed.

  The other half of the plan was to be carried out by the archers in the Army of the Moon, led by Sir Rodon Thell. They marched west from the First Realm toward the Zelgron.

  Sir Rodon Thell’s mission was to burn the Rhinolon’s sacred orchards at the Zelgron, with strict instructions to kill no Shaman.

  If all the crops North of the Infernal Swamp could be destroyed, Bladeborn imagined that there would be food shortages among the Rhinolon at the tower as well as surrounding areas. Bladeborn hoped Nightslayer was correct and the curse of infertility would be lifted. It sounded like a fool’s errand to many of the troops. But because of their trust in Bladeborn’s reliable leadership, the Knights ordered their soldiers to comply.

  Since the distances between the two forces were so great, Bladeborn and the Army of the Sun wouldn’t know if Sir Rodon and the Army of the Moon met with success for more than a month.

  With the Army of the Sun, Bladeborn began his attacks on the smaller Rhinolon cities. The Drommu in the
Army of the Dawn were no less ferocious than they had ever been. It was as though their hatred for the Rhinolon was undying.

  The cities were more fortified than the outposts and small fortresses they had destroyed the previous year. Each battle was much more hard-fought, meaning casualties were higher.

  After each fight at the first four cities, pack-beasts laden with the tons of salt harvested from salt flats North of the Spiral Mountains came forth, and the Drommu took the Rhinolon ploughs to mix the salt into the soil. It was painstaking and time consuming. The task took longer than any had predicted. But by the time they were salting the fields near the fourth conquered city, the Drommu had become more efficient at the task.

  However, this part of the plan proved to be cumbersome, because it delayed the Army of the Sun and Dawn’s movement. Each salting took extra time, and tension among the soldiers was high.

  While healing a soldier in the aftermath of the battle at the forth city, Jonax appeared in the Healer’s tent. Bladeborn was nudged out of the healing trance by a cleric of Saint Morth. Bladeborn saw Jonax, and told him, “I’m very busy now, Jonax, can this wait?”

  “You’ll want to hear this, sire. News from the First Realm—about Brother Kregert…”

  Bladeborn wiped the blood from his hands and a clean towel, and washed up, wonder what was so important. “I hope this is some good news, Jonax…The casualties have been especially high this spring and I—“

  “Sire—Bladeborn—Brother Kregert died in his sleep two weeks ago.”

  “What? Kregert is dead?” Bladeborn was shocked.

  “Yes, sire,” Jonax said, looking sadly at the ground. “I rode here fast, so that I could tell you. You and I—especially you… We knew him well. I am so sorry.”