Omnixius
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DKP 6-14 A crime of mercy
🕑 Added 2021-01-24 02:52:11 +0000 UTCGersius stood on Lilly's back with Thayle at his side, looking over the landscape as his advance force shifted right while the enemy forces retreated. Thayle wanted to call up the second company eager to put the speed of the light cavalry to use. However, Gersius didn't think that was wise. They were fresh out of a long, arduous chain of battles to link up and didn't want to press them immediately into another.
He ordered two divisions of the regular infantry to the front, lining them up to march in. When the enemy saw the reinforcements taking the field, they fell back in good order, maintaining cohesion as they withdrew.
“They are very disciplined,” Sarah said from beside Lilly, standing in her battle dress with arms crossed.
Gersius agreed even as he glanced down to see the frown on Sarah’s face. She was irritated over the attacks, and even more that she was in her human form. Sarah was proud of carrying him and leading the march into the old empire. However, Lengwin asked that they ride Lilly instead as Sarah's claws were leaving deep gouges in the road. This was causing trouble with horses and wagons, and one wheel had already broken. Sarah was politely given the choice of traveling in her human form or following in the rear.
“Would you please join us,” he asked as Sarah’s anger simmered.
“I can see perfectly well from here,” Sarah remarked, her voice stern.
Gersius sighed as Lilly lowered her head to look Sarah in the eyes.
“Do you not want to ride on me?” Lilly asked in an innocent voice as Thayle struggled not to snicker.
Sarah looked up into those blue eyes and mouthed wordlessly for a moment before letting out a growl. “Child, using those blue eyes on me isn’t fair. I have a right to be angry about the situation.”
“Please,” Lilly said softly. “We’re a family now, and I love carrying you.”
Sarah closed her eyes as Gersius felt the change over the bind. Before she opened them, he was already reaching down to take her hand. She accepted the offer and climbed up, joining them on Lilly's back as the battle ended.
“Why did you not pursue them?” Sarah asked, watching as the enemy army moved away.
“This is a harassing force looking for our army,” Gersius replied. “I want them to fall back and report that we are advancing on them.”
“Report to who?” Thayle asked. “None of the scouts have reported a large force anywhere ahead.”
“It's their,” he replied and pointed to the northwest. “There is a collection of towns and villages that way.” He then pointed due west pausing a moment to consider his words. “The capital city of this kingdom is directly ahead. Our enemy is undoubtedly fortified inside, sending these groups to delay us and buy more time.”
“Then we should push our advantage now and press them hard,” Sarah urged, her anger still simmering.
“I am hoping to avoid having to slaughter this region,” he replied. “The ruler is a friend of my family and has been since my father was but a recruit.”
“And what if this friend of yours stand against you?” Sarah questioned as she stood beside him.
Gersius's heart hurt to consider what would happen if he did. He saw Lord Duncan Pelivier as an uncle and had always known him as a good and honorable man of Astikar. Gersius had spent many days on his estate when his family visited. He always remembered those days with fondness, especially when she was around.
“She who?” Lilly asked, her head coming around to look in his eyes.
“Nobody, I was simply recalling a memory,” he replied as they all read his thoughts.
“But you were thinking about a woman,” Lilly insisted.
Gersius cleared his throat and silently cursed the binding link that made his thoughts so open to his wives. “She is a woman I knew from my youth,” he answered.
“Oh,” Thayle said as a smile crawled over her face. “This is the girl with red hair we keep seeing in your dreams.”
“What girl with red hair?” Sarah asked, her annoyance mounting as she turned to look at him.
Gersius cleared his throat again as he stared into those eye that now burned with a red light. “I once knew a girl who had red hair like yours. She is the daughter of Lord Duncan, and we were rather fond of one another for a brief period.”
“Is this why you are so infatuated with my hair?” Sarah asked. “Do I remind you of this past woman?”
“Sarah,” Thayle interrupted. “This was well in his past. Just because you have red hair doesn’t mean he thinks of her when he looks at you.”
“I have never seen him think of her anywhere but in his dreams,” Lilly said.
“And what does he do with this woman in his dreams?” Sarah asked.
“Usually, they are kissing,” Lilly replied as Thayle struggled not to laugh.
Sarah glared at him as he turned away, unwilling to endure her anger over a relationship that ended years before they met. As he thought about it, his heart became burdened, and he wished he could be alone for a bit.
“Why?” Lilly asked in alarm. “Oh, did we upset you?”
“We most certainly did,” Thayle added. “Your aura is flaring with remorse.”
“Why would this old relationship be upsetting him?” Sarah asked, looking to Thayle for answers.
“I am not upset,” he replied, but Thayle wouldn't allow him to avoid the truth.
“Sarah, sometimes a partner ends a relationship when the other is still very much in love with them. When this happens, it often leaves the other partner in confusion and regret.” She stepped closer to Gersius, putting a hand to his armored shoulder as he looked away in silence.
“You once told me that a woman gave you a lover mark, and her heart changed because you were away so often. It was her, wasn't it?” Gersius nodded, and Thayle leaned in, wrapping her arms around him as best she could. “I hope what I am about to say doesn’t sound too selfish, but I am glad she changed her mind,” Thayle said, her grip on him tightening. “I doubt you would have been open to the relationship you have now if you had a wife waiting at home.”
“I doubt any of this would have happened if he did,” Sarah added. “The Father Abbot would have used her as a weapon to ensure your cooperation. She would have been a stumbling block to your steps, preventing you from accepting your destiny.”
“You are both right,” Gersius said, his eyes never leaving the horizon. “But there will always be a part of me that wonders what I lost.”
“Nothing,” Thayle said. “Instead of one wife, you have three, and two of them are beautiful dragons with amazing hearts. She is the one who should regret what she lost, not you.”
“Maybe she will change her mind, and we can have a fourth wife?” Lilly asked, drawing three glares as she moved her head away. “I was only trying to be helpful.”
“No more wives unless they are women of exceptional character,” Sarah said.
“And this woman has already proven she is unworthy,” Thayle added.
“But I want him to be happy,” Lilly insisted, lowering her head to look in his eyes. “I would love her to make you happy.”
He smiled and reached up, running a hand along her scaled jaw. Lilly was amazingly loving, with a heart willing and able to drown all around her in that love. She would accept any woman as a lover if he wanted it, welcoming them into her heart to make him happy.
“I love you,” he whispered as she lowered her head to nuzzle him. “But her time has come and gone. Thayle is right. She is not worthy of the tremendous gift that is your love.”
“What about your love?” Lilly asked.
He leaned closer as her two blazing blue eyes focused on his face.
“You are my love,” he said. “You are the source of love that fills our bind and overflows to our hearts. I would never do anything to dishonor that blessing or diminish its splendor.”
“Wow,” Thayle said with a wide smile as Lilly’s aura flared with excitement and joy. “Somebody has learned how to talk sweetly.”
“When do I get some of this sweet talk?” Sarah asked.
“You have to be a love dragon-like Lilly is,” Thayle teased as Lilly nuzzled Gersius firmly.
While rubbing her head, he looked to the distant battlefield, grateful the priests of Vellis were already moving among the injured. There would be casualties to report and planning for the battles ahead to prevent the losses from mounting. His sincere hope was that Lord Duncan would intervene and stop these attacks, but if not, Gersius would sweep him aside like all the others.
“Our touching moment is over,” Thayle sighed.
“The war will not wait for us to have our moments,” he replied. “I wish I had nothing to do but love you all and bask in the joy that is our family. But I have a responsibility to lead, and I cannot close my eyes, even for a moment or good men will die.”
Thayle released him, stepping around to stand beside Lilly’s head. “Those days are coming, and when they do, your wives will make sure you forget all about this.”
He nodded as she stepped aside, and the planning began. He broke his army into three units. Two focused around the first and third companies of Ulustrah's army. These would move north and sweep into the towns and villages. They would be supported by the second company and five hundred men of the militia. They would capture the towns and enact his tithe, collecting more of the wealth he needed.
The heavier formation made up of the bulk of the priests of Astikar would go straight west, putting pressure on the city of Ostmil, the capital of the region. This would hopefully put him face to face with Lord Duncan and allow him to parley. With any luck, they could avoid a full-scale battle for the kingdom, but something made him doubt it.
As the armies split up, moving to sweep the region before them, Gedris arrived with a report. There were significant numbers of men moving to the west, all converging on the city. There was also a large number of women in yellow and white dug in behind spiked berms outside the city walls.
“Women?” Lilly asked.
“They are called the dove shields,” Gersius said. “Lord Duncan is a good man who sees value in all people. Unlike other lands, he is willing to recruit women into a military formation and put their strengths to use.”
“I am almost impressed,” Sarah remarked as Gersius explained how they were primarily an archery unit and not used for direct fighting. They would have light bows and crossbows to thin the enemy's ranks from the safety of their fortifications. The earthworks prevented cavalry charges from breaking their formation and gave them a chance to retreat if an enemy was persistent enough to keep advancing.
“How many of these dove shields does he have?” Thayle asked, alarmed that women might soon be fighting women.
“When I was last here, he had nearly a thousand. It is only logical to assume that he has expanded their ranks given the current situation in the empire.”
“Probably significantly,” Sarah added. “What about the women of Ulustrah that served this region?”
“We are not sure where they are,” Gersius replied. “I have given our scouts orders to report on any camps they find.”
“So this Duncan has put his precious dove shields outside the walls of his city?” Sarah laughed. “He means to sacrifice them to buy time. So much for their value.”
Gersius understood her biting words but saw the situation differently. Most women found drawing a longbow difficult because of the size, and the strong war bows required great strength. Many men found them difficult to pull, and few could hold them taught for more than a few seconds. This left the women with short bows whose range was limited and required they be close to the battle. Once the enemy was nearly on them, they switched to crossbows already cranked back and ready to fire. They would lose a few last volleys before retreating to the safety of the walls to begin firing arrows from the top. No doubt the earthworks they hid behind were extensive, and men in heavier armor would be deployed to defend them. Any direct assault would endure a dozen clouds of arrows and bolts long before they could hit back.
“Then how do you plan to take the city?” Sarah asked as she read his thoughts.
“I hope I will not have to take the city,” Gersius replied but still had doubts Lord Duncan would be open to conversation.
“They would not be harassing you if they were open to talking,” Sarah pointed out as Lilly began to march, leading the central army toward the city. “A better question to ponder is, why were these forces not deployed to the river? Surely this would have doubled their strength.”
Gersius wondered that himself and hoped it was a sign that Duncan wanted to avoid a fight. Perhaps he had withheld his forces out of respect to Gersius's father and their long friendship. That could also mean that these attacks were efforts to steer his army around and avoid a direct confrontation. Duncan might be hoping to stay out of the conflict altogether and keep his people safe.
“We could go around if you wanted,” Thayle said, echoing his thoughts.
“No,” he replied, tightening his grip on her waist. “We can not afford to show weakness or allow ourselves to be driven away. We must tackle every challenge head-on and show the rest that we cannot be denied.”
“To show weakness now would embolden the others,” Sarah agreed. “We must press on, but you still haven’t answered my question. How do you plan to take the city?”
“It is a walled city, but they are not very high,” Gersius said with a smile as he envisioned his strategy.
Thayle read his thoughts as a smile crossed her face. “You do try to use everything to your advantage.”
“I would be a bad leader if I did not,” he replied as they began to see outlying farmlands.
“Are we going to take things from these people?” Lilly asked as the houses came into view.
“We are not going to take more than the people can bear, and we will bless their fields and livestock to compensate,” Gersius replied. “Trust me, this is very important, and I would not do it if I could think of any other way.”
Lilly sighed as teams were sent to the farms to begin the collection while the main army pressed on, pushing down the road. As the largest outlying village came into view, Gersius called a halt for the night. They made a war camp across several farms, as Numidel and Shadros circled overhead, watching the land for surprise attacks. While camped reports began to arrive about the two armies sent north, both had met resistance, forcing them to call in the second company. Alayse took the town after a bloody battle and estimated seven hundred enemy soldiers dead.
“Only more proof this friend of yours isn’t going to stand down,” Sarah said as she paced their meeting tent.
“Maybe he is afraid to meet us,” Lilly offered. “We have no idea what the Father Abbot has been saying about us. He could have them convinced we are here to kill them all. He might be just as eager to talk somehow but not know how to reach us.”
“We know he was telling people we would feed prisoners to the dragons,” Thayle remarked.
Gersius nodded as he leaned over a map of the surrounding countryside, looking for the best way to approach the city. His choices were limited, but he had a plan to use the woman of Ulustrah. He was taking a risk and putting lives on the line for a belief that an old friend was worth the risk. If he was wrong, the women of Ulustrah would pay the most and would ruin morale for future battles. Duncan was a good man, and Gersius found it hard to believe that a man who accepted women into his ranks would turn on the order of Ulustrah. Surely his people had been incredibly blessed by the gentle order and would see such a proclamation as a crime.
“You're still trying to decide if talking is an option,” Sarah said. “You just heard the report, they had to take one of the towns by force, and hundreds are now dead.”
“I am aware,” Gersius replied. “But you must understand that this is a man whose family line has been dedicated to Astikar for generations. He would be one of the first to welcome you as a champion of Astikar and hold you up as a light to others. His heart was always just and merciful. I must hold out some hope it still is.”
“Then what do you plan to do about it?” Sarah asked.
It was Lilly who responded, her open heart thinking of an idea they hadn’t.
“Why don’t you ask Astikar what to do?” she said. “If this man is a devoted follower, maybe Astikar will have something to show you.”
“I suppose I could pray,” Sarah said. “But I don’t know this man at all.”
“No, but Gersius does, and he could ask,” Lilly offered.
“He isn’t a priest of Astikar any longer,” Sarah corrected. “And Astikar has removed his blessing from his heart.”
Lilly looked to Thayle with pleading eyes as if asking for help. “Didn’t he pray through you to Ulustrah?”
Thayle smiled and nodded. “He did, and she answered him.” Her gaze fell on Sarah as the tall red-haired woman looked perplexed. “He used the bind to join my connection to the goddess. He should be able to do the same thing with you and speak to Astikar once more.”
“Is such a thing wise?” Sarah asked, the doubt clear on her face.
“There is only one way to find out,” Gersius replied as he stood up. “All we can do is try. He is under no obligation to answer me.”
“I will do anything you ask,” Sarah said with apprehension in her voice. “But how your relationship with the god ended makes me question the logic.”
He agreed, and Sarah moved to the side of the tent, kneeling as she cleared her focus. Gersius knelt beside her and took a hand, allowing the direct contact to give him full access to her thoughts. Slowly Sarah began to chant, her voice strong with power as she called for the god to answer her.
Gersius listened to the chant marveling how a woman's voice added a certain beauty to the tones. Unlike Lilly, who had a voice of silver, Sarah's voice was one of power, echoing with a force that made his soul move. He saw her focus flowing like a river to a distant red light with a golden halo. Then it washed over him like a wave, the unmistakable sensation of Astikar’s power. He gasped to feel the familiar embrace that was his god as Sarah made the connection. She began a gentle chant as her thoughts focused on communicating with the god. He began to wonder if the link to the divine was the same as the binding, allowing silent communication to the distant power. Sarah opened her thoughts, telling Astikar that she came before him for Gersius and that he was present through her to ask a question. With a deep breath, she went silent, allowing him to take over.
Gersius began his question by first offering up a thank you that Sarah was now his wife. She smiled as he then presented his desire to meet and talk to Lord Duncan and presented the plan of boldly going before the city's walls to call the man out. Immediately he felt a sensation of apprehension and saw a brief vision of a hail of arrows falling from the sky.
“You have your answer,” Sarah whispered.
“Wait, let me try another way,” he replied and collected his thoughts, this time offering to send a messenger under a white flag. The apprehension returned this time accompanied with an image of a headless man strapped to a horse sent out of the city. He strained to think of another way, perhaps surrounding the city to give Duncan no choice but to meet with him. The apprehension returned this time with a vision of the sun rising and falling over the city as Duncan refused to yield.
“You are being stubborn,” Sarah said. “How many answers do you need?”
Gersius then imagined going around the city, avoiding the conflict altogether. The apprehension was strong as a vision of his army being trapped at the walls of Calathen as Duncan’s armies marched on him from behind.
Sarah took over in aggravation, presenting a bold plan to take the city by force. A feeling of calm descended on them, followed by a vision of Gersius and Duncan standing on a street full of dead men.
“Are you satisfied?” Sarah asked, her voice somewhat annoyed.
“No,” he replied and severed the link as he rose to his feet. “Another good man will die for a lie, and the world will be worse for it.”
“What happened?” Thayle asked as she and Lilly waited nearby.
“Astikar told him that there was no choice but to attack,” Sarah said. “He cannot avoid this fight no matter how he might try.”
“I’m sorry,” Lilly said as she walked to him and took his hand. “I can feel how upset this makes you. I feel the same way when a dragon is killed, even when they are trying to kill us.”
Gersius wasn't sure it was a fair comparison, Duncan was like family after all, but then he considered how Sarah and Lilly interacted. Even before Sarah was a wife, Lilly treated her like family, deferring to her because of her age. Sarah explained how dragons functioned like one large family, with titles and ranks like mother and grandmother, further defining the family-like nature. Lilly had an open heart for dragons, earnestly wishing to save them from terrible fates they didn't even know they had. Through her faith in Balisha, Lilly had become a symbol of salvation for dragons and a beacon of light for humans.
“Thank you,” he replied as he rubbed a thumb over her hand. “It would appear I will have to take the city by force of arms.”
“Then I will go with you, as I promised to do,” Lilly replied, her eyes never leaving his.
Gersius nodded and took a deep breath before speaking his next words. “Recall the armies from the north, because tomorrow we take the city.”
The morning air was gently blowing as the sun reddened the sky to the east. Before them stood ranks of soldiers lined up to sweep across the land in great waves. The mixed formation of Astikar and Ulustrah held the center while Chiune's first company marched on the right behind a wall of regular infantry.
The pikemen were folded into a formation of archers made up of southern warriors and several hundred others to create a well-defended archery battery of his own. He intended to use these to harass the dove shields with the superior range of his longbows.
Five hundred heavy knights of Astikar and two thousand light women of Ulustrah stood ready to charge on horseback when the signal was given. Alayse and Jessivel leading the two forces side by side.
The left was spread out in two waves led by Mingfe's third company and reinforced by a thousand irregular infantry and one contingent of five hundred priests of Astikar. The warriors of Vellis were in the center, ready to fight as their more numerous pacifist brothers were spread out in healing units through all the ranks. Gersius stood at the front with the warriors of Balisha as white hair blew in the breeze. They looked resplendent in their silver armor with blue tunics, eyes glowing faintly with the dragon's blessing. Sarah joined him, wearing her battle dress, falcons head emblazoned on her shoulder. Behind her came thirty-one women of Astikar to aid his two hundred and fifty knights of Balisha.
“Are you sure you do not wish to fight as a dragon?” Gersius asked.
“I am going to lead my sisters into battle directly,” Sarah replied. “Numidel, Lilly, and Shadros will be more than enough to handle this city.”
Gersius nodded and looked to the ranks of soldiers behind him. It was an odd sight to see the white armor of the knights of Astikar standing side by side with the greenish-blue of Ulustrah. For every man, there were two women, standing with resolute glares at what was about to happen. Behind this formation was ten lines of women in simple green robes, nearly two thousand strong. They were the freshly arrived prisoners of camps with no armor or weapons. They would still play a pivotal role in this battle, one he hoped would limit their casualties. Gams rode on a horse with several messengers at his side and his personal bodyguard led by Channi. Their number was slowly growing as they accepted and trained any regular infantry members who wanted to join and showed an aptitude for battle.
“It's time. Let's not put this off any longer,” Gams insisted as Lilly looked down. Gersius nodded and climbed into the saddle, sitting like a commander as Lilly stood tall, raising him above all others.
Gersius took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the countryside and the land he once knew as a second home. This was the final moment of calm before it all began, and he struggled to hold on to every second. With a fluid motion, he drew the dragon knight's sword, glowing red with the power of Astikar, and pointed it forward. Horns rang out, and orders were barked as the formations began to move, sweeping across the landscape to inevitable bloodshed.
Lilly skulked ahead, leading the charge as bells answered from the distant city, alerting the occupants that the time had come. Gersius admired the defenses before the walls, noting the obvious purpose. A series of earthen ditches with mounded earth on the brim circled the area of the gates. It was cleverly designed so the women hiding inside could retreat several times, always falling back to further defenses. The final lines had ramps that led right up to the gates, where a wooden palisade wall acted as the last barrier of protection so they could get inside safely. If used properly, they would fire dozens of volleys as they advanced, retreating slowly until finally inside the city. As he predicted, soldiers filled out of the gates, forming ranks before the earthen fortifications to protect the women inside. They dropped heavy tower shields, overlapping the thick plates and becoming a wall of iron.
“They are well trained,” Sarah remarked as their lines continued to advance.
“They were likely trained by priests of Astikar,” Gams replied. “Every man and woman of the army is an accomplished soldier.”
“Lord Duncan believed in training and discipline for a strong defense,” Gersius added. “They will not yield easily.”
“A pity they will be wasted here,” Sarah snapped as she drew the sword of the falcons, its silver blade polished to a mirror sheen. “For honor and mercy,” Sarah called and was answered from behind with, “And the god who brings it!”
The smile on Sarah's face was in stark contrast to the frown on Gersius's. As the distance began to grow short, he turned to Gams and, with a sorrowful voice, gave permission to begin.
Gams's voice echoed with a strength that belied his age as he began giving orders.
“Archers! Suppression fire!”
The formation of pikemen fell into three lines pikes facing out like a wall of thorns, and the hundreds of longbows behind lined up and took aim. A moment later, the order was given, and the unmistakable shrill whistle of arrows filled the air. The dark cloud sailed across the sky and fell all about the men and the earthworks behind. He could hear cries of pain and shouts of alarm even as his formation advanced. The dove shields were excellent archers, but his bows had longer range, and he would wither them well before they had a chance to fire back.
With the practiced precision of a hundred battles, Gams ordered formations forward, pressing the center with Gersius at the lead. It was part of his plan, and one Gams argued against, but Gersius was insistent they needed to keep the enemies focus on the center.
As the fourth volley of arrows fell on the enemy, the front of his lines finally came into range, and the dove shields answered. A cloud of arrows rose to meet him as all eyes looked skyward at the whistling doom. A chorus of voices rose, singing in sweet harmony to Ulustrah as green discs of light spread over the formation. The women in dresses that followed the army were to be their shield from such attacks, working to keep a consistent barrier over the army as the center advanced. It worked for the most part, with arrows harmlessly bouncing off, but the idea was new and the women unpracticed. There were gaps in the protection that arrows found their way through. Most bounced off armor or struck the ground harmlessly, but a few found an unlucky soldier. Cries of pain rang out, and the priests of Vellis rushed to aid any who were injured.
To his right, Gersius saw the first company advancing on a wall with her support close behind. This was part of his strategy to use the strengths of Ulustrah to his advantage. The city walls were thick, but they were low, barely ten feet tall, and as green light began to form a ramp to the lip, he knew this battle was already over.
“We are nearly in range,” Sarah said as their lines marched fearlessly toward the soldiers, stubbornly holding their ground.
Gersius nodded and turned to the forces of Balisha, giving them the go-ahead with a single word. “Begin.”
They fanned out to the front, spreading down the lines as crossbow bolts began to fire. Green shields went up to meet these as well as the white-haired women turned and began to sings.
“Hammers at the ready!” Sarah ordered as the priests and priestesses of Astikar raised free hands chanting as orange lights began to form.
Silvery dragon's claws formed in the air, reaching out and snatching the edges of shields. They pulled, tipping the metal wall over and, in some cases, the men with it, exposing the soldiers behind.
“Loose!” Sarah ordered as a wave of orange light raced across the battlefield. Stunned men tried to drop shields and scramble out of the way as the hammers flew in, exploding in hails of orange light.
“Fast step!” Gersius shouted, pushing the army to a quick pace and closing the ground. Crossbow bolts continued to fire, and one of them found its way into Lilly's shoulder. A priestess of her order quickly plucked it out and began a song of healing even as they closed the ground. It was time for the second part of the plan as Thayle, Ayawa, Tavis, and Gedris stepped forward.
“I don’t like this,” Ayawa hissed as Thayle led them to the front. “We are putting him at risk.”
“Sarah will manage it,” Thayle said as she nodded to Gersius and raised glitterroot. Warriors of Ulustrah, tangle them!” she shouted, and a new song rose up as did a thick carpet of plants, turning over men and choking the hidden ditches preventing the women inside from continuing to fire. It also prevented them from retreating, becoming a tangle of brambles that sealed the gates. The men on the walls saw the situation, and orders to seal the gates were issued, trapping those outside to their dooms.
“Now, it's our turn,” Sarah said, turning to Tavis. “Do it exactly as I instructed.”
Tavis tipped his hat back and began a weave that glowed with fire even as his fingers traced the pattern.
“He has no way to manage it if he loses control,” Ayawa growled as Gedris held her arm in fear.
“I will control it,” Sarah replied, her eyes burning with a red light.
Tavis raised his voice as the flames grew, becoming a red spinning disc that continued to grow.
“Why does she need him when she can breathe fire of her own?” Ayawa asked, her voice dripping with dread.
“She explained it already; he will create the effect so she can magnify it and clear the way,” Thayle said. “The two of them together will produce a stronger weave.”
Sarah closed her eyes and reached out a hand, and the fire suddenly came to her, becoming almost a halo around her as she stepped forward and reached out a hand. It grew into a blaze, roaring across the ground in a searing blast, burning away plants and trapped men, as it raced to the walls where it collided and rose up in a terrible conflagration. The effect was terrible as the densely grown plants began to burn, and the soldiers tangled inside gave up any pretense of continuing to fight, instead desperately trying to escape. The gates burned as black smoke spewed into the air, the signal for the next step of the plan.
Out of the sky dived Numidel with Shadros close behind, the men on the walls were thrown back by the flames and taken entirely by surprise when ice fell on them from above. Even so, massive arrows fired from ballista someplace inside the walls flew up to drive them off. Shadros being smaller and more agile, swept over the city, flying low and breathing every so often. His job was to find the siege engines and neutralize them. Numidel, on the other hand, used the surprise to land inside the walls, and a moment later, the burning gates were thrown open.
The path to the gates was now burned clear by Sarah's fire, and Gersius gave the order to charge, as Lilly led the way storming into the city. She had to duck under the walls to avoid sweeping him off, but a moment later, they were in a plaza as his forces raced in behind them. Soldiers in yellow and white tunics formed ranks down every street, some fifty men deep as they prepared to resist to the bitter end.
Numidel took to the skies to clear room for Gersius and his army but turned a nearby street into an icy grave, sending a hundred men to their gods.
Gersius and Lilly led the forces of Balisha directly into the largest concentration of soldiers. Sarah took her women and a portion of the army with her down a second street as Thayle led a large formation of the mixed soldiers to the right to link up with Chiune. What followed was a bloody mess of blessings and curses as the two armies battered one another in a dance of blood and carnage. Fires began to burn all over the city, and buildings toppled when dragons attacked from above to dislodge stubborn dove shields firing from rooftops.
Gersius discovered some streets already blocked with careful barricades proving Lord Duncan knew he would get inside. It was an effort to funnel his forces to the higher inner wall where the keep was located. Gersius knew this was a pointless strategy, the walls were breached in three places, and two of those were on the other side of the barricades. Gams would even now be securing the city behind them and pushing the left flank to sweep the area clean of resistance. Numidel also dropped on barricades to use his great strength to sweep them aside before taking to the sky again quickly. Hammers of Astikar rose from scattered locations as the cities loyal defenders tried to repel the dragon, but it was hopeless.
In an hour, the fighting began to falter, and men and the very few women who remained retreated to the inner walls, giving up the burning city to the invaders. It was here that the battle took a dark turn as he converged on the inner gates from one direction while Sarah arrived from another. A black flag flew from the gate towers, a red raven's head boldly flapping in the breeze. Standing before the walls as if daring them to a fight was a massed rank of five hundred soldiers in heavy plate, all wearing the mark of the raven.
The rage that pressed over the bind was oppressive as Sarah charged across the plaza, screaming death and curses on the raven guard. Behind her came the men and women in the white armor of Astikar, and for the first time in history, the raven guard faced off against the Falcons. Gersius urged Lilly forward, bringing the warriors of Balisha into the fight as arrows and blessing began to rain from the walls. The women of Ulustrah did all they could to blunt the hail of destruction from above. Lilly took a dozen hammers before she even reached them, her wings pelted with arrows as she loosed a breath of ice into the lines and lunged into it. Gersius leaped from her back, the red blade of Astikar blazing in his hand as it met his enemies' metal. The raven guard's sword shattered in the first blow, and his chest armor seemed to melt away as Gersius cut him open. Ice and frost filled the air as Lilly loosed again, but the raven guard used the magic shields to protect themselves. It became a battle of faith as the dark and light halves of one god fought to prove who was superior.
The walls above exploded in white mist as Numidel passed over, dousing the defenders in cold death. Shadros was quick to follow, landing on the wall itself and going out of sight just before a man was hurled screaming over the wall to fall the ten meters to the ground.
The raven guard fought with fierce tenacity, hurling blessings and screaming death to the traitors. Gersius worked to press their lines but stole a glance to Sarah, who was a sight to behold. He saw her raise her sword and call to a nearby fire, the flames streaking in a narrow line to the blade. Her sword was then wreathed in fire as the blade began to glow red, and she swung it with tremendous strength, sending men reeling from the force of her blows. Where ever she went, the fire on her blade left trails of smoke, and sometimes she caused it to lash out in ribbons of red, burning nearby men who were not fast enough to raise shields.
Gersius used blessings of a different kind, calling on silvery claws to push or pull men or even catch swinging arms, leaving a man vulnerable. His greatest strength was the sword itself, channeling his anger and blessings to cut through the armor of his foes. Still, the ravens pressed on with fanatic zeal, refusing to give ground and taking the lives of many of his forces.
“Gersius!” a voice cried as a large man with a black crest on his helm came through the ranks of the ravens. Gersius turned to meet the man who used a diamond-shaped shield and bore a sword with a hooked blade. “Your death will be my honor, traitor!” the man cried as his weapon raced in.
Gersius met the blade with his own, expecting to shatter it, but the man's sword pulsed with a red light of its own, and the two ended up in a test of strength, dragon might pressing on divine might.
“When will you accept the truth?” the men bellowed through the slits of his helm.
Gersius locked his gaze, seeing the hatred in the eyes behind the slits. “I cannot,” he replied as he tried to use a dragon's claw to rake the man. “I have seen the lies of the Father Abbot and will not accept your so-called truth.”
“You will burn as will all those who support you!” the man cried as he leaped into the air, his sword glowing with a dull light. Gersius raised his blade to meet the attack as a blue claw wrapped around the man's waist. In a moment, he was hurled across the yard to slam into the stone wall so hard it cracked. He fell to the ground a crumpled mess, his weapon falling from his lifeless hand.
Gersius looked up to see Lilly's angry eyes burning with blue fire as she stole a glance at him.
“You no longer fight alone,” she said before chasing after a group of three men.
Gersius smiled and rejoined the battle, breathing ice and putting raking claws to use, as the ravens began to thin. The battle took on a brutal desperation as priestesses of Ulustrah arrived on their right, and green chains began to tangle men, turning them into easy targets. Still, any man who called on divine strength quickly enough broke free, and there was a tense moment when Sarah faced off against a man who wielded two swords. The dance the two put on was awe-inspiring, especially when Sarah used fire to engulf him, only to have the man leap out of the flames and continue the fight. Her dragon strength was met with his divine, and for but a moment, the battle looked even. All tricks aside, the contest would now be decided by who was the better sword fighter, and Sarah proved that in moments. The falcon blade struck home once, crippling an arm as the man fought on with the remaining one. This one she battered wide and cut back in, knocking the helm from his head. Dazed, he still managed to catch the next blow, but a quick twist disarmed him, and he screamed in rage as she plunged her sword into his chest through the exposed neck. She kicked the body off her blade as if disgusted to have soiled it on such a worthless being.
The battle pressed on, and so too did the death toll. The raven guard proved to be more dangerous than all the previous defenses inflicting terrible casualties but thankfully few deaths. Because of the tactic of using dragon claws to drag wounded to safety and the quick healing of the priests of Vellis, few injuries were fatal. The raven guard worked hard to heal as well, dragging brothers to the back to restore them and return to the fight. This assumed they could reach their fallen as the lines were pressed back, pushing them against the walls of the keep. When half their number were slain, a call to retreat inside was given, but the doors to the inner yard remained closed. This sent the ravens into a momentary panic, but they quickly recovered and fought with savage tenacity as they realized there was no escape. There was a distant rumble that shook the ground, and Gersius looked right to see a tall white tower wrapped in thick vines breaking under their grasp. It shattered and came down in a tremendous crash as fifty or so people toppled from its summit. That could only be Thayle using the power of Ulustrah's sword to bring the obstacle down. She was but a few blocks away, and that could only mean the city was nearly taken.
It was only a matter of minutes now as the raven guard buckled their divine power and bodies exhausted. They began to fall rapidly, crying out that Gersius was a traitor and that their god would punish them all.
Even as the last few fell, the gates began to open as Shadros pushed on them from the other side. He looked injured with several spears sticking out of his hide and a dozen arrows in his wings. Lilly ran to his side and quickly began to pluck the weapons out of his hide while ignoring the far greater injuries of her own.
“Ow!” he roared as she yanked a spear out of his thigh.
“Hold still!” Lilly scolded. “They have to come out before you can be healed.”
“If we hadn't come here, I wouldn't need healing!” he bellowed back.
She ignored his complaints as women of her own rushed to her aid and began to pluck arrows from blue wings. With a gentle song, she placed hands to his side and began to heal. Gersius was proud to see Lilly, the dragon who once mocked the divines and bragged she would never serve them, healing another dragon. As the golden light faded from him, she glared at him and suggested he pick a divine to follow so he could heal himself.
“Never!” Shadros said as Lilly's followers began to sing around her, healing their high priestess's injuries.
Gersius arrived at the gates to see carnage inside. At least fifty men and women lay dead, torn, trampled, or frozen in place. He looked to Shadros in surprise as the dragon huffed and folded his wings.
“What?” he bellowed. “You wanted inside, didn't you?”
“I do,” Gersius replied. “But I did not expect you to defeat the gate guards by yourself.”
“They would not let me open the gates,” he growled. “So I had to kill them.”
Gersius nodded and called his forced to order, rallying the forces of Balisha to follow him in. He could head fighting from someplace inside and realized either Gams or Thayle had breached the wall elsewhere. Lilly and Sarah joined his side to sweep into the inner city and eventually the keep. Along the way, they encountered only a few small pockets of resistance, mostly dazed soldiers from earlier fighting who had retreated inside. Thankfully many surrendered but some did not, fighting to the last in their desperate battle.
They were surprised to find the keep empty, the halls undefended, and the king's chamber wide open. Only the servants remained, and quick questions revealed that Lord Duncan had chosen to stand with his army in the south of the city. Gersius left a garrison to control the inner yard as he led the way to the south, wondering if Gams had already cornered or even killed Duncan. Sarah ran at his side as they found street after street of bodies with teams of healers picking through them to find survivors. Eventually, they found the tail end of the army and made their way to the front, where the line was motionless. Gams was on hand, organizing the soldiers to barricade all the streets. When Gersius approached, he explained that Duncan and his army had just made a last stand and that all that remained of his men were now trapped in the city's final block. Gams had wisely retreated to avoid any more casualties as Lord Duncan was a powerful priest and his closest guards were all superior fighters, and initial battles had been costly.
“He's all yours,” Gams said with a solemn voice. “I hope you find the answers you're looking for.”
Gersius took command, as he and Sarah led their forces into the embattled streets. It took only a minute to find the sight of the last battle and spot the three men who remained standing. It was just as the vision predicted as Gersius stood on a street littered with the dead. Sarah came to his side, the falcon blade in hand as her warriors of Astikar joined his of Balisha. Duncan stood a hundred paces away with two of his most trusted men, their weapons painted with the blood of the men and women they had killed.
“It's over, Duncan,” Gersius called out. “Why in the name of Astikar did you make me do this?”
To everyone's surprise, Duncan dropped his sword and took a step forward. His hands came to the ornate helmet that concealed his face and slowly lifted it away. Even from here, Gersius could see the man had been crying as the helmet was tossed away. He continued to approach, stumbling on a body, as one of his men quickly came to support him.
“What is he doing?” Sarah asked as the two soldiers sheathed their swords, and together they three approached.
“I believe we are finally going to get our chance to talk,” Gersius said with a bitter note in his voice. Only now, when thousands were dead, would words be spoken.
As he approached, they could all see the aged faced bearded with gray and steaks of black. His eyes were bagged, and he looked like a man burdened by pain and worry. He stopped ten paced before the assembled army and fell to his knees lowering his head as a tear fell to the ground.
“I had no choice, Gersius. There was nothing I could do.”
“What do you mean you had no choice?” he demanded, throwing his arms up to indicate the destruction around them. As buildings burned and the streets ran red with blood, Gersius shook his head, unable to accept so simple an answer.
Lord Duncan heaved with a sob as his face never ceased looking to his hands.
“These hands are soiled beyond redemption,” he said as they shook before his eyes. “But what was I supposed to do? They took them all and vowed they would kill every last one of them.”
“What?” Sarah asked, looking to Gersius for support.
Gersius felt a terrible sense of dread as those words washed over him. He sheathed his sword and stepped forward as one of Duncan’s guards spoke up.
“They took all the women of Ulustrah,” he said. “And any woman who was once even remotely associated with their order.”
“They even took the women’s daughters down to little babes,” the other man said.
Gersius looked between the two men fearing to hear what would come next.
“Lord Duncan vowed to take them back,” the guard said. “Refusing such a vile order but,” the man paused as Duncan began to sob. He looked aghast to see his lord brought so low but turned back to Gersius, his eyes full of anger. “They took Lord Duncan's daughter and promised to sell her into slavery to the Doan if he didn't comply. Even then, he stood against them, but the ravens came and brought the heads of some of the women, saying this was what waited the rest if he didn't yield.”
“The monsters!” Sarah roared from behind as Gersius felt deep pity.
The guard looked to Sarah with a nod. “They murdered all the captains who resisted and killed the high commander of the priests of Astikar in our garrison. We were left with no choice, we had to resist you with all we had, or Lord Duncan’s daughter and the women of Ulustrah would pay the price.”
“They left spies behind in the city to ensure our compliance,” the other guard said. “We men of the guard hatched a plot to secretly resist and sent riders to find you and deliver a warning.” He looked grim as if the pain of his own actions now haunted him. “But a day later, a hundred severed heads fell from the skies. Every one of them was a woman known to the city, a reminder that we could do nothing but obey.”
“I sent those armies to harass you and drive you away. It was the only way we can save the rest,” Lord Duncan sobbed. “I am ashamed of what I am.” He looked up with a broken look in his eyes as he pleaded with Gersius. “You must kill me. If I survive this day, they will say I failed to uphold their demands and harm the women.”
“My lord?” one of the guards began, but Duncan waved him off and crawled to Gersius.
“It has to be this way,” Duncan said. “I can not live with the shame of how I failed Astikar. I cannot bear the knowledge of all the pain my actions have caused.”
“You didn’t cause this,” Gersius replied with sorrow in his voice. “You were twisted into a weapon against your will and used for atrocity.”
“Will that truth wash the blood from my hands?” Lord Duncan asked as he held them up. “Will anyone ever be able to say I did what was right?”
Gersius knew it would not, and for the rest of his life, this man would be broken. A shell of what he once was forever lamenting the pain he caused here. His city was burned, its people scattered, and the men and women of his armies dead on every street. Gersius had suffered as well, as he noted dozens of his own forces laying motionless around him. Undoubtedly it was like this on every street, and the death toll would be high.
“Astikar, why did you tell me to attack here?” Gersius whispered. “Why did you encourage this destruction?”
“Because these armies would have attacked from behind,” Sarah said. “You saw the vision. We would have been pressed on both sides at Calathen.”
Gersius lowered his head in silent recognition. One way or another, this battle was coming, forced by the vile hand of the Father Abbot. No matter how he prayed, Astikar showed him the truth, and this was the only way to ensure victory. It was nothing more than an answer, and he was sure Astikar was just as unhappy with the outcome.
“Please, I beg you, end my suffering,” Lord Duncan called as Gersius shook his head.
“Duncan,” Gersius said, his voice showing compassion. “I cannot kill a broken man.”
Before anyone could react, one of the guards drew his blade and swung, severing Duncan's head from his shoulders. They watched in stunned silence as the lifeless body collapsed to the ground, his pain finally over.
“Why?” Gersius asked, unable to believe what happened.
The guard tossed the sword away as if it was a vile thing and stood tall, tears brimming in his own eyes. “Because it was my Lord’s final wish, and I am sworn to uphold his desires. I also cannot bear to see the man I have so deeply respected brought to this terrible low. I will always remember him as a noble man who loved his people and honor his name.”
Gersius looked down at the body, his shock preventing him from reacting. The crime was at an end, and good men and women had died all around. The only one who was victorious here was the Father Abbot, and the hidden enemy behind him.
“What will you do now?” he asked, unable to think of anything else to say.
The two guards looked to one another and nodded before the slayer answered. “We are sworn to avenge his death by holy crusade. We will hunt the raven guard and slaughter them wherever we can find them.”
“You should come with us then,” Sarah said her voice barely controlled rage. “Two men alone won’t get very far against the masses of the enemy.”
The guards both shook their heads and turned away. “We too are shamed by our actions and must walk this path alone. May Astikar protect your path and find redemption in ours.”
They watched in stunned silence as the two walked down the street full of death, eager to be counted among them.
“That is the order I remember,” Sarah said as Gersius stood up. “Men and women who understand honor and duty, and gracefully accept their failings.”
“And it is these men the Father Abbot has twisted into his most terrible weapons,” Gersius said. “He has turned honor, duty, and mercy into a tool to force them to obey, or the very people they are sworn to protect pay the price.”
“We already knew he was a monster,” Sarah said, her eyes blazing with fire. “This is but one more log on the fire.”
Gersius closed his eyes and looked skyward as a raindrop hit his face. Thunder rolled someplace in the distance as the skies opened up, and the heavens themselves cried over what transpired beneath them. It was a solemn moment as humans, dragons, and divines shared in a moment of tragedy and were bound by the resolve that it had to end.
“I want those men escorted out of the city unharmed and any wounded of the city defenders healed. I also want every word Duncan said written down and repeated to the entire army,” Gersius said as the rain washed the blood from his armor. “Let them all know that the hearts of the priests of Astikar are being chained and forced to stand against us, and the women of Ulustrah are the price they will pay for failure.”
“Such a dark path we walk,” Sarah grumbled. “I never believed in true evil before, but I wonder if perhaps such a thing does exist in light of what I have seen here.”
Gersius couldn’t disagree as the rain fell and blood flowed in the streets. Thousands were dead, a city ruined, and a good friend broken into a dead husk. This was the Father Abbots legacy, his future for the empire, all to serve some unknown goals. The others would need to be told what was learned and the grim truth made known. This was to be a barbaric war of atrocity, and the Father Abbot would make the people of the land suffer for every step they took closer to Calathen.
He wondered if, in the end, would his victory have any meaning? He came here to save the empire, but to do so, he would have to slaughter its good men and burn its cities to the ground. For the first time, he looked at Lilly and wondered if maybe abandoning the war and going to live in her valley wasn't the best option after all.
