Omnixius
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DKP 6-16 Chosen
🕑 Added 2021-02-06 04:31:21 +0000 UTC“You’re sure the girl had blue hair?” Thayle asked as Lilly paced the room they now occupied in Duncan’s keep.
“It was dark, and I don’t think Gersius was looking in the dragon sight. Her hair looked black to him, but it was blue,” Lilly replied with a crackle in her voice. “Every image showed her with Gersius, but I wasn’t in any of them.”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Thayle said as Lilly worried there was another message in the vision. “This was the perfect opportunity to tell him about your secret. Why did you say it was my child? Why didn’t you point out the girl had blue hair and tell him you have Balisha’s blessing?”
“I don't know!” Lilly cried, throwing up her hands in frustration. “I was so overcome by seeing her. I wanted to sweep her up in my arms, but I wasn't there.”
“Lilly, calm down,” Thayle urged as she came to her side. “None of us were there. The vision might have been meant for Gersius and his heart's desire. It doesn't mean you won't be there for your daughter.”
Lilly sniffed and tried to see it her way, but something else bothered her. She often peaked at Gersius's dreams, and occasionally he dreamed about looking at a bright star low on the horizon. Try as she might to find it, there was no such star. She didn't understand what it meant or why he would dream of it, but somehow felt the vision, and the dream were related. She felt warm arms wrap around her as Thayle pulled her into an embrace to soothe her worries.
“Lilly, this secret is starting to haunt you. You need to tell him,” Thayle urged with sincerity. “Look at how his mood changed to know he was going to have a daughter. After all the terrible pain of the battle, that one thing filled his heart with joy. Think of what knowing that daughter is yours will do for him. Not to mention the choice you made out of love to honor him. He will fall apart to know you thought of him over your wings.”
“I will tell him,” Lilly said with a sniff. “When we are done with Calathen, I will tell him everything, I promise.” They paused in their conversation as Sarah’s presence grew in the bind. The door came open suddenly as red eyes glared into the room. Sarah strode in with a jaw set in a firm scowl as she came to stand before the two women still locked in their embrace.
“I can feel your emotions from halfway across the camp. Why are my daughters so upset when our husband is happier than I have seen him in weeks?” she demanded. “What has happened now?”
Thayle sighed and turned Lilly loose before explaining the vision and Lilly’s concern that she wasn’t in them.
“It was probably meant for him,” Sarah remarked. “His heart is heavy with the burden of this madness, and Balisha was trying to lighten his pain.”
“I told her that,” Thayle replied. “But she is certain it means something more.”
Sarah tsked and shook her head. “I doubt it means anything more than what it was. A reminder of the reward that waits for him.”
“I think she should tell him she has Balisha’s blessing to have children,” Thayle urged. “This secret is causing her harm.”
Lilly started to sob again, so Sarah swept her up and carried her to the bed, sitting down with Lilly in her lap as she cradled the sobbing woman's head.
“Hush, my child,” Sarah whispered. “I know why you keep the secret, and I was in agreement with you. His knowing now will distract him from his course, and he needs to stay focused, but his not knowing is altering your course. Maybe Thayle is right; you should tell him. I have come to understand that where matters of the heart are concerned, Thayle is often right.”
“Thank you,” Thayle said with a slight smile. “And she has promised to tell him already, but she won't do it until after Calathen.”
Sarah looked down to Lilly, whose face was buried in her shoulder. She cradled that silver-blue head and kissed the top gently before whispering to Lilly.
“Calm down, my daughter. Let your defense melt away, and I will protect you.”
Thayle sat beside her as Lilly quieted down and met Sarah’s gaze with a smile.
“You have changed,” Thayle said.
“How could I not?” Sarah asked as he began to rock gently. “I can’t always be the harsh and angry dragon. I have two beautiful daughters to care for.”
“Sarah,” Thayle began and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Do you see us as actual daughters?”
Sarah closed her eyes and shook her head. “This is a dragon concept. Your being so young makes you daughters to me, but I do derive some joy in calling you so.” Sarah looked at her with a smile of her own. “I like to acknowledge that you’re mine, and I like it when you acknowledge me.”
“You dragons and your funny ways,” Thayle said as she reached over to stroke Lilly. “Does it really mean that much to you?”
Sarah nodded with a gentle touch to Lilly's cheek. “You have to remember I lived when every dragon practiced these traditions, and in many ways, this was our family. We don't form the kinds of communities you humans do, so to us, our hierarchy was everything. Then I saw it all burn and our way of life forever tainted by the curse. I used my time in that temple to search the dream desperate to find other dragons and restore the order.”
“Surely you found some of them,” Thayle asked.
“I did,” Sarah replied. “But it is no small task to open a dialog with another dragon in the dream. I needed them to come to the places where we would meet, and they never did.” Sarah’s voice took on a pained tone as she continued to stroke Lilly’s cheek, wiping away the tears with a soft hand.
“I’m sorry,” Thayle replied and noted the tender caress. “At least you found one dragon to call you mother, and I will do so as well if it pleases you.”
Sarah smiled and turned to Thayle. “As much as I am relishing this moment, we need to discuss why I am back.”
“Our moments never last, do they?” Thayle asked.
“The time will come when they do,” Sarah said with a firm voice. “Now on to what needs discussing. We flew all night, but Numidel and I found no sign of the women further west. We may need to stall for another day and consider looking south.”
“Jessivel and his men are searching the south and southwest,” Thayle replied.
“When did they go out?” Sarah asked, a sense of confusion in her voice.
“Right after you left,” Thayle replied. “Our husband trusted you to find the camps from the air but felt men on the ground could ask more questions. Somebody must know where they went, or at least took note of their passage.”
“Hmm, our husband is wise. Let us hope they have more luck,” she replied.
“There is something more you should know,” Thayle said and explained the encounter in the temple, what Gersius was told, and how the man’s aura showed it as truth.”
Sarah was quiet a moment, her hand continuing to trace Lilly’s cheek as she pondered the information.
“Didn’t you say a person who believed they were being honest would show as true?”
“They do,” Thayle said. “And that’s what Gersius believes happened.”
“So the ravens do not serve Astikar,” Sarah said in a slow voice. “Has High Priest Lengwin been told about this?”
Thayle nodded and described the scene as Gersius told him and his leadership what the man said. Lengwin was relieved to know the truth but even more concerned to know they served an unknown god.
“Our enemy is powerful, yet holding back his hand,” Sarah mused. “Why allow us to threaten his plans when he doesn’t have to?”
“You and Gersius sound exactly alike,” Thayle groaned. “He keeps going over and over this. Sometimes I have to push him out of my head so that I can think.”
“He carries the burden of the war on his shoulders,” Sarah reminded. “But maybe I can help him with some of it.” They all looked up as they felt his presence in the bind. He was approaching, and his mind was filled with a desire to act.
“Something has happened,” Thayle said.
“Indeed,” Sarah agreed and sat up, standing Lilly on her feet. “Are you better now?”
“I'm fine. I was just upset that I wasn't in the vision. It means as much to me to give him a child as it does to him to have one.”
“Clearly, it does, or you would not have asked for the blessing before your wings,” Sarah pointed out as Lilly wiped her eyes one last time. Eventually, the door opened, and Gersius came in with a stern look in his eyes. He stopped just inside the room and looked across them as a slight smile spread on his face.
“We found them,” he said.
“You found the women?” Thayle asked.
“We found three massive camps in the southwest. Jessivel bribed local guards to tell him what direction women were marched in, and his scouts eventually located them. Numidel is already on his way to circle the area and see if there are more, and Ayawa and her group are moving ahead to begin scouting them properly.”
“Thank Ulustrah,” Thayle sighed. “If only we could find them all.”
“I believe we have,” Gersius said as all eyes looked at him, confused.
“These are not small camp with three or four hundred. Jessivel estimates the first camp at two thousand, and the others somewhere close.”
“Two thousand?” Thayle repeated. “But there couldn't have been more than a couple of hundred women from this city connected to Ulustrah. That must mean these are women from all over the empire.”
Gersius nodded and stepped forward, taking her hands. “And we are going to liberate them all.” Thayle looked shocked as the thought of so many being freed at once took her by surprise.
“We don’t have the equipment to arm so many,” she said. “It would take a year or more to get them ready.”
“I don't need to arm them,” Gersius said. “I simply want to take them out of harm's way so they can't be used as a weapon to turn good men against us.”
“Then we should move immediately,” Sarah insisted. “The sooner we free these women, the better.”
“I agree, but why would they all be in one place?” Thayle asked. “It would be smarter to scatter them in the west.”
Gersius released her hands as his smile spread. “I believe they do not have the strength to man so many camps, and they can’t keep them in the west close to the borders. The Father Abbot is finding his forces stretched to the limit and probably hoped to hide them in the south so we wouldn’t find them.”
“I suppose locating them in the south makes sense, but surely he can’t be overstretched for guards. They were forcing city watch and local militia to do their dirty work,” Thayle countered.
“And much of that has been called up to fight us,” Gersius replied. “Jessivel said he saw minimal numbers of guards and inadequate fortifications. This may be the tipping point where our enemy has nothing left to throw at us.”
“All the more reason to act quickly,” Sarah urged as Gersius smiled.
“I had Gams work to prepare a march as quickly as possible. He assured me they would be ready by noon.”
“Impressive,” Sarah replied and stepped to him. “You and this Gams person are quite capable commanders.”
“I learned everything I know from him,” Gersius replied. “With any luck, we can reach the women in three days, but I want to create a distraction.”
“What kind of distraction?” Sarah asked.
“We split the army; half of it goes on directly to Calathen, the other half goes for the camps,” Gersius replied.
“That doesn't sound wise,” she argued with a tilted head. “Surely, you are better off concentrating your strength.”
“The enemy will notice if we veer south and may take measures to prevent us from reaching the women. I want him to be focused on the army marching ever closer to his stronghold, while a task force liberates the camps.”
Sarah nodded, seeing his point, but was alarmed when he put a hand on her shoulder and firmly looked into her eyes.
“I want you to lead the attack on the camps.”
“Me?” She replied with a hint of doubt in her voice. “Thayle is the more suited to command.”
“You are my queen and the champion of Astikar. I want the people to see the camps liberated by you, to spread the word that Astikar does not stand without enemies.”
“It will take a greater act than that to sway the people, but I will rescue the women,” Sarah replied. “Who is being assigned to me?”
“All of the forces of Astikar except the heavy cavalry,” Gersius replied. “I want his banner to be everywhere as the women are freed.”
“Shouldn’t there be some women of Ulustrah to speak to the captives,” Lilly interrupted. “They might be afraid of Sarah and her army even if they do liberate the camps.”
“Sarah will have her women of Astikar with her,” Gersius said. “They will open a dialog, and the captives can use their sight to see the truth.”
“It seems like Ulustrah should lead the effort to free these camps,” Thayle said as she moved closer. “I worry some in my order will be offended if we don't.”
Gersius turned to her with a gentle gaze and let out a sigh. “Your army has become the backbone of our campaign. I need your numbers on the march so the enemy will not notice the change.”
Thayle nodded, understanding his point. “Well, I suppose this is excellent news. I want to go spread the word and make sure my order is ready to go.” She hugged him and hurried off, leaving Lilly and Sarah.
“How are you going to feed so many?” Sarah asked. “I understand Thayle uses the sword to help grow foodstuffs, but this will become her only task if Ulustrah’s numbers swell so large.”
“We are going to have to begin taxing the regions we pass through for food and supplies,” Gersius replied. “I hate to do it, but it is a necessary thing.”
“Thankfully, we captured all those tents and wagons from the river battle,” Sarah added. “But will there be enough, and how long is it going to take to set or break camp?”
“We will figure out the logistics once they are safe,” Gersius said and took her hands. “You are my fire and my strength. Go with the glory and blessing of Astikar.”
Sarah leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss, smiling at his choice of words. She left as well, leaving Lilly standing nervous and alone.
“Do you want to tell me what has you so upset?” he asked.
“I’m not upset,” Lilly lied and then winced when she realized he could see her aura.
“You may as well give up lying to me up,” he replied and walked across the room to sit on the bed. “You haven’t felt right since that vision.”
Lilly sighed and moved to sit beside him as his arm came around her waist.
“Well?” he pressed.
Lilly played with her hands and tried to think of the best reply. She realized he would be reading her thoughts, so she opted to be blunt.
“I was upset about the visions because I wasn't in any of them.”
“Is that all you are upset about?” Gersius asked and rubbed her arm. “I am sure that vision was meant for me.”
“Sarah and Thayle said the same thing,” Lilly replied and looked down. “I just wish I had been in one of them. I wanted to see myself with her.”
Gersius nodded as a tear ran down Lilly’s cheek.
“One day, you will hold that child in your arms, and she will call you mother,” Gersius said as he hugged her tight. “Then you will know what true happiness is.”
Lilly leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder as she let out a long sigh. “How did you tame me so? How did you make me desire to raise children with you? I am a dragon, the male is supposed to leave so I can raise my brood in peace, but if you left, I would be devastated. I want you at my side always.”
“I will be at your side always, and I did not tame you. You opened your eyes to the truth, and your loving heart did the rest.”
Lilly turned her head just enough to look into his eyes. “You opened my eyes to the truth, and Thayle made me admit it.”
He felt happy to be looking at her, especially her eyes. She knew he marveled at how blue they were, and now was no exception. Their moment was brief, however, as he insisted they get ready to march. At least Lilly would get to be in her dragon form for a bit and promised to be ready before the hour was up.
By the time she was ready, Sarah was already gone, and Thayle waited at the front of the line. Gersius arrived shortly after, wearing the dragon knight's armor as if it was made specifically to him. He climbed in behind Thayle, and off they marched, heading slightly northwest to find the city of Calathen. For a full day, they marched, camping that night outside a town that surrendered without a fight. The town was taxed with an emphasis on foodstuffs to prepare for the expected arrival of the women. Before they left the next morning, they were sure to bless farms and animals, ensuring a quick recovery. On the road, they passed two more settlements that little more than villages. These were taxed as well, before making camp on the second night. They marched out in the morning, and it was just passing noon when Numidel arrived to inform them that Sarah was nearly to the camps. She was now traveling in her dragon form intentionally to invoke fear, hoping the rumor of her approach would frighten the guards. The battle would be joined that very night, and hopefully, the camps would be free before morning.
He didn’t sleep at all, despite Lilly and Thayle enticing him to bed. Lilly was particularly passionate that night, as if hungry for his touch. Thayle spent some time with him and then more with Lilly, giving her a soothing rubdown as Lilly talked about the valley. As they slipped off to sleep, he dressed and left the room, allowing them their peace.
Gersius walked the camp, his anxious energy preventing him from finding peace of his own. It was of no surprise to discover that the warriors of Balisha were all awake, the dragon gift banishing the need for sleep. He spent some time talking and showing them some weapon techniques, encouraging them to train.
As he passed into the depths of the camp, he was surprised to see three people standing in the shadows.
“Do you ever sleep?” Ayawa asked.
“Are you not supposed to be scouting the camps?” he asked, wondering why they were here.
“We did all the scouting they needed. The camps are defended by a rabble of forced labor and a tiny handful of actual soldiers. We met Sarah on the march yesterday and delivered our findings, then road hard to get back.”
“So you do not expect a serious battle?” he asked.
Ayawa scoffed and smiled with a shake of her head. Tavis tipped his hat and answered for her, making eye contact to reply.
“When we told her how few guarded the camp, she decided to march in her dragon form to scare even more away.”
“What of the conditions of the camp? How are the women being kept?” he pressed.
“Poorly, but they have water, and the guards seem to be allowing some of the women to use their blessing under heavy watch. They are growing their own food to help feed the camps. What they have precious little of is shelter. The camps are built over farms, with hundreds trying to hide inside barns. There isn't enough shade for even a fifth of their number.”
“That will come to an end tonight,” Gersius replied. “With any luck, they will be here in a couple of days where we can care for them properly.”
“I would like to see you try,” Ayawa laughed. “They number in the thousands. They will more than double the bodies you have now.”
“At least we can give them a tent and simple bed,” Gersius replied with worry in his voice, indicating he wasn't sure it would be enough.
“I am sure they will be grateful for that,” Gedris said with a smile. “And they will carry the truth and the story of your kindness to every corner of the empire.”
Gersius took that thought to heart and thanked them for their efforts. Tavis expressed concern about the weaver's college in Calathen and if they would be supporting the Father Abbot. Gersius wasn't sure, they were not particularly loyal to the faiths, but the Father had a way of making people do his bidding. With more to think about, he wished them a good night and continued his walk, heading back to his tent.
He returned to the room to find Lilly and Thayle curled into one another, sleeping soundly. He dared to look at their dreams to see Lilly reliving the moment they first kissed on the cliff garden. Thayle was dreaming of cleaning her temple in Pinehollow, going about an ordinary day of quiet living. They both valued the simple moments of beauty and peace, how he wished he could give them more.
He sat on the edge of the bed as Thayle made a soft sigh and slid a leg over Lilly. He marveled at the love they shared and how readily they sought each other. He wished the war was over, and this was his life, a warm bed filled with loving women. He sat there for the next three hours until Thayle woke and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She snuggled in, closing her eyes as she leaned into his back.
“You’re worried about Sarah,” Thayle said. “I can see it in your thoughts. You worry we won’t be able to care for the women once she frees them.”
“It is my place to worry,” he replied. “Come, wake Lilly, it is time to prepare for the march.”
Thayle sighed and turned to wake Lilly with a kiss that was quickly reciprocated. They dressed as Lilly lamented that Sarah wasn't there to brush her hair. Thayle reminded her she would be a dragon today, but Lilly still missed sharing the moment. Once outside, Lilly took her dragon form and waited as the camp broke down and the wagons were packed to march.
Gersius helped Thayle up then climbed in behind her, taking his place as always, holding her waist. The march began with little fanfare, the army setting off under a gentle blue sky. The hours began to slip away as they talked silently over the bind, sharing their desires to be in the valley. They reached a series of low hills, and Lilly led the way, climbing to the peak with dragon ease. Thayle rocked gently in his arms as Lilly climbed over the crest, her blue scales glittering in the noon sun. The sky was clear and the countryside green with life but a dark cloud road fast and hard up the road, heading right for them.
“It’s one of the scouts,” Lilly said as she squinted. “He looks upset.”
“He's pushing his horse hard,” Thayle said. “He must have something important to report.”
Gersius silently agreed and urged Lilly forward to meet the man halfway. He had to pull up short as his horse began to falter, unwilling to approach Lilly. He climbed down and ran the last twenty meters falling to a knee in a pant.
“My Lords and Ladies, Ayawa sent me to report,” he wheezed.
“What is it you have to say?” Gersius asked.
The man looked up with pained eyes as he explained that an army was approaching one vastly larger than their own. Ayawa estimated it at nearly fifty thousand but couldn’t get close enough to see the depth of its ranks.
“Fifty thousand?” Thayle said in shock. “He must have emptied the whole of the land's defenders.”
“He would have to have stripped the border keeps to half their strength, and ordered the reserve units east,” Gersius said as his mind began to reel. He saw his army crushed and the Doan sweeping the thin defenses aside with ease to butcher the empire. If the Father Abbot was willing to take this kind of a risk to stop him, then all was lost, for his army didn't even number ten thousand.
“How far away are they?” Gersius asked.
The man shook his head. “They are only an hour behind me.”
“A portion of our army is with Sarah, and we don't have any time to prepare a defense,” Thayle said. “We will have to fall back to the Common lands and try to raise local armies. Maybe even hire mercenaries from the east.”
“I can’t believe he found fifty thousand men,” Gersius said in stark disbelief. He looked to the man and urged him to get his horse and return to Ayawa. She was to fall back and regroup with the army as he tried to think of some way to salvage the situation.
“What do we do?” Lilly asked as she felt his worry.
He closed his eyes and focused on the task at hand. Surely the Father Abbot hadn't moved the garrisons at the border, but then from where had these armies come?
“Push on,” he said.
“What?” Thayle argued. “You want to march into them?”
He opened his eyes and looked ahead. The city of Calathen was under a week away; he wasn't turning back now.
“We go on. I want to see this army for myself.”
Thayle let out a staggered breath as Lilly moved, signaling the army behind them to resume their march. Thirty minutes later, they crested another hill, and he had to stand on Lilly's back in awe. The landscape was covered with ranks of soldiers marching in clumps. They covered the distant landscape like locusts, spilling out into the valley between them. Most were on foot, but a good thirty were on horseback, riding at the front and barking commands. As soon as Lilly was visible, a chorus of cries went up, and those orders became aggressive as swords were pointed their way.
“You fool!” Ayawa barked as she appeared from a nearby bush. “Why didn’t you turn and run?”
“I needed to see it,” Gersius said as he surveyed the endless mass.
“We scout ahead to give you warning, so you don't blunder into these things. What good is what we do if you ignore our warnings and press on?”
“I can not afford to turn back now. I have to find some way to meet this challenge,” he replied.
“Why are there almost no flags?” Thayle asked as Lilly lifted her head high to use her dragon sight. “They don’t have any unit markings or house emblems.”
“Most of these people aren’t even in armor,” Lilly said.
“They are not marching in formation,” Gersius pointed out. “They are swarming like ants with little discipline.”
“You picked a sorry place for a major engagement,” Gams said as he rode up on his horse, the only one in the whole army that didn't seem to mind Lilly. “We have nothing to our advantage but the hill we stand on.”
“Then make it a good stand,” Gersius replied.
Gams began to spread the lines behind them, using the hill to conceal how few their number were in comparison. Gersius was glad Gams was in control, but something about this scene felt off. Thayle was right, there was no heraldry, or markings and Lilly said they had little armor?
“Lilly, what weapons are they using?” he asked.
Lilly squinted as her dragon sight reached over the distance, easily seeing the soldiers.
“Everything, swords, clubs, spears, things that look like farm tools.”
“It’s a militia,” Thayle said. “Peasant soldiers.”
“It’s more blackmail,” Gersius growled. “These are the people of the land, armed with whatever could be found and sent to die for the Father Abbot.”
“They will have little discipline,” Thayle replied. “We will be able to break their ranks easily, but the cost in lives will be terrible.”
“No,” Gersius said as he shook his head. “I will not allow this. Duncan was bad enough; I cannot slaughter the good people of the empire to achieve my goals.” He reached up and removed his helm handing it to Thayle before climbing down.
“What are you doing?” Thayle asked as Gams approached to find out what was happening.
Gersius looked back as he started to walk forward.
“I am going to meet them,” he replied. “Gams, hold the army here until I return.”
“You're not going out there alone!” Lilly bellowed and went to follow him.
He came to a stop as his shoulders sank. “Lilly, please,” he urged. “I can’t do this anymore. I will not slaughter these people. If I am that important to the divines, then they will have to act. Otherwise, their hopes and dreams will die here with me.” He turned back and continued to walk, heading into the open for all to see.
“Gersius, you are testing the gods!” Gams bellowed as he moved to stand before Lilly. “You know this is a mistake! Gersius!”
“Why is he doing this?” Lilly asked as she looked back to Thayle.
Thayle looked on in awe as she turned his helm over in her hands. “He's tempting fate and challenging the divines to prove they are with him.”
“He's going to die out there,” Gams argued.
“Thayle, I don't like this. We have to go with him,” Lilly said, her voice starting to panic.
“Lilly, please. We have to honor what he is trying to do, but be ready, if they respond with hostility, you charge in and snatch him up.”
Lilly looked back as her anxiety mounted to see the man she loved heading off to face the army alone.
Gersius walked with a firm gaze, but his mind was elsewhere. He was singing a low song to Balisha, assuring her that he trusted in her mercy. As the safety of his lines fell away, so too did the enemy lines grow closer. He could hear the commanders shouting orders to form up and prepare to meet the enemy. The forces moved clumsily, forming tight packs with little cohesion. They would be wiped away by his professional soldiers in a matter of hours. The only strength they had on their side was numbers, and perhaps that would be enough. Sooner or later, his forces would tire, and blessings would be exhausted, then perhaps this rabble would achieve some measure of victory, but at what cost? Certainly half their number or more would be dead by the time the tide turned, and to achieve victory, another half would join it in the grave. It would be the largest slaughter in the empire in three hundred years.
As he reached a small rock outcropping, a single voice echoed out over all the others, and Gersius saw a ray of hope. His eyes searched the scene as the approaching lines closed to fifty meters. He had to be one of the men on horseback, and Gersius quickly spotted him.
He rode on the back of a chestnut mare, a green and white cloak on his back and a crest of red fur on a golden helm. General Linneus Nivomar was a legend for his ability to defend cities and towns. He was born in Anvir to the south of the empire, bordering not only the Doan to the west, but the volatile Roanmer region to the south, often ruled by shifting leadership and bandit kings. He was a man who could turn a town peasantry into a garrison in days, erecting barricades and digging fortifications. He had saved his homeland three times from bandit invasions and once from a modest Doan attack. Gersius handpicked him to handle the defense of the border keeps but clearly had been reassigned. As Gersius reached the rock, he climbed up for all to see and yelled with all his might in the dragon voice.
“Linneus!” His voice echoed across the space as the approaching army came to a frightful halt.
“whose that?” Lilly asked as the voice echoed over the army.
“A general from the south,” Gams replied. “It figures he would be assigned to this rabble. He has expertise in turning villagers into impromptu soldiers. He and Gersius have some history but not always good. Gersius once criticized the man's unwillingness to retreat from a battle instead of pressing the people from the town he was defending into the fight. The losses were high, but he held the town and beat back a Doan raiding party. Still, Gersius respects his ability to hold a line so much he made him commander of the border keeps.”
They watched as a single man in a crested helm turned his horse and urged it to a trot, approaching as both armies stood still.
“Gersius,” the man said as he came closer. “To think you of all people would betray Astikar.”
“I never betrayed Astikar,” Gersius replied. “You know me better than that.”
The man came to a halt three meters away, looking down on Gersius with contempt. “I know what you were, but rumor has it you attacked Whiteford with a dragon and then attempted to disrupt our supply lines in the east.”
“And why would I do that?” Gersius asked. “When has my loyalty to these lands ever failed?”
“You speak of loyalty when you march an army through the empire, slaughtering its people?”
Gersius held his ground, his gaze fixed on Linneus as one hand clenched into a fist.
“I march to deliver my dragon to Calathen and unite the empire.”
“The empire already united under the dragon knight Dellain,” Linneus replied. “He has taken the throne as the new emperor and has the support of the Father Abbot.”
Gersius laughed and threw out his arms. “Look, Linneus, I have the armor of the dragon knight and the sword of Astikar. What you have heard about me is all lies spun by the Father abbot.”
“You expect us to believe you are the one telling the truth?” he replied, leaning over his horse as if to mock him.
“Why don’t you ask your priestesses of Ulustrah to test my truth, or have already murdered them all?”
Linneus sat back, his eyes burning with anger. “That was made necessary because of you!” he shouted. “You deceived them in allying with you and conspiring against the order of Astikar.”
“How do I deceive an order that can see the truth?” Gersius asked in a mocking tone. “Think, Linneus. The Father Abbot ordered them removed because they could see through his lies. The order supports me because their arch prime questioned me himself and found me to be honest. They are a danger to the Father Abbots lies and had to be hidden away.”
“I will not bear your insults on the Father Abbot,” Linneus growled. “He has ever been just and noble.”
“He supports a man who has a history of brutality and murder to be your new emperor. What do you think his empire will look like once he is in charge?”
Linneus shook his head. “I am in no position to judge his ability to rule. If the divines support him, then so do I.”
“The divines do not support him; they support me,” Gersius said. “I have the sacred weapon of Ulustrah with me as well. I have her champion as a wife. As do I have the champion of Astikar and Balisha.”
Linneus laughed, turning his horse about in a circle.
“You expect me to believe you have the favor of the divines? You just claimed to have a woman of Astikar as your wife. Your lies are as easy to see through as glass.”
“Ulustrah and Vellis have already turned against you. How many more of the divines must turn their backs on you before you see the truth?”
Linneus shook his head. “We have spoken long enough. Run back to your army. You might make it before I crush it underfoot.”
As Linneus rode off, Gersius dipped into the bind pulling on Lilly to boost his voice. He yelled with the dragon power, causing the army before him to flinch again as the sound of it carried across the battlefield.
“I am Gersius of Balisha, chosen to be one of two Dragon knights alongside my wife Thayle of the Champion of Ulustrah. The Father Abbot lied to you about me and is working with the Doan to bring the empire to ruin. I have been chosen by the divines and given their champions as wives to stand against these lies and save the empire. The divines stand with me, and you stand against them.”
He heard a chorus of laughter as the Linneus returned to his lines and motioned them forward. Gersius saw them approaching but closed his eyes.
“I have done all I can to serve you,” he said to Balisha. “But I will not do this. I will not slaughter the people I came to save. Whatever say you have in the heavens, you must convince them to act.” He kept his eyes closed as the sound of horns, and marching feet filled the air. There was a gentle breeze at his cheek, followed by a series of gasps. Gersius lifted his head and looked skyward as thunder began to roll on a sky suddenly frothing with dark clouds.
Thayle looked up as the wind began to grow and with a sense of anger. The sky rumbled from every direction as if the storm was converging on them from all sides.
“By the gods,” Gams said. “He has provoked the divines to action.”
“Let’s hope he provoked them to his side, not against it,” Thayle replied.
“What has that fool done?” Ayawa asked as Tavis and Gedris joined her side.
Thayle shook her head as the wind continued to grow, transfixed by what was happening before them. “He has dared the divines to act or lose everything they worked for.”
Tavis had to hold his hat as a sudden light grew in the field before them. Gersius was aglow with a white brilliance as a lightning bolt forked in the sky above him.
“Keep advancing!” Linneus ordered, but his soldiers only crept a step closer. “Keep advancing; I tell you the divines are with us!”
A second after he said the words, a terrible shrill cry filled the air, and red light formed directly behind Gerisus, a giant emblem of a falcon burned over his head twenty meters high and thrice that across. People stumbled back in panic as a green light burst beside it, forming a leaf with the head of a doe on its surface. To the other side came a blue light and a raindrop with a white handprint at its center.
“Astikar, Ulustrah, and Vellis,” Thayle said in a gasp. “They answered him.”
The ground shook, and a new emblem appeared, rising over the red hawk. It burned with a blue light as it formed around a moon emblazoned with the head of a dragon.
“Balisha!” Lilly said and turned to cry out to her followers. “Look, your goddess is present!”
Before she could look back, a purple light grew and formed an eye inside an intricate weave.
“Who is that?” Gams asked.
“Asmigara, goddess of magic,” Tavis said.
Orange light flashed, and a red hammer over an orange flame joined them, as did a blue wave of water, a white mountain, a silver lightning bolt, a golden bowl of smoke, and a purple book with black pages. They all floated in the sky over Gersius, marking him as the one they choose.
“I. I can’t believe what I am seeing,” Gams said in shock.
“Nearly all the major divines have answered him,” Ayawa added. “Even the ones whose members do not march with us.”
“I don’t even recognize some of these symbols,” Thayle said as
Lilly shook off the shock first and turned to the armies at her side, bellowing to them.
“Call out and praise Gersius, chosen of the divines! Let them hear you cry it to the heavens!”
The army took up the chant as Gersius looked to the lights in the heavens. Lightning flashed again, and he locked eyes on the distant army as Linneus dismounted his horse. The man strode forward with shaking legs, coming to fall to his knees before Gersius. His hands shook as he took off the helm and cast it aside, his long hair framing the broken face.
“I can't believe I was deceived,” he said and looked up. One by one, the lights streaked into the sky, each with a clap of thunder. His face shook side to side as he met Gersius's terrible gaze. “I have failed,” the man said. “But what was I supposed to do?”
“What do you mean?” Gersius asked.
Linneus looked down as his shoulders slumped. “They have taken women from every town and village. They say it is to ensure you can't use them as spies and saboteurs. They told me if I would lead this army and defeat you, they would release them. I am told they are running out of food and supplies, and the women are in poor condition. I believed what they said about you because it came from the Father Abbot himself. I thought I could end this terrible conflict and bring the women home.”
Gersius listened to the story as he felt something approaching. He looked to the sky with a smile then knelt on one knee to speak to Linneus man to man.
“I spoke the truth when I said the Father Abbot locked them away so they could not reveal his falsehood, but have hope; you have not failed, the women are free.”
Linneus looked up in confusion as a roar split the sky, and all looked up to see a massive dragon of red coming right for them. Sarah landed in the field between the two armies and gave the peasant one a snarl that made the closest men panic. She shook the ground as she stalked toward Gersius, her head large enough to snap both men up in one bite.
“Why is my husband alone before a host of armed soldiers?” Sarah growled.
Linneus held up an arm in terror, but Gersius turned to Sarah and explained what had just happened. She looked up as if trying to see the divines before turning back to the man groveling at their feet.
“So he believes he can restore the women by breaking your back,” Sarah grumbled. “Well, I have come to report the camps are taken, and the women freed. We lost not a single soldier in the battle as few of the guards stood their ground when I charged.
“The women are free?” Linneus asked.
“They are marching from the south under the protection of Astikar,” Sarah replied. “They will be here by nightfall.”
Gersius took this opportunity to introduce Sarah, the champion of Astikar and his wife, to the trembling men.
“I have soiled my honor,” Linneus gasped. “I failed the land, the people, and the divines.”
“No, you just saved it,” Gersius said, reaching out a hand that Linneus took with a trembling grip. He pulled the man up and then stood tall as sizing him up for a task.
“General Linneus, I assigned you to hold the border keeps. I expect you to get back to your position as quickly as possible.”
“But I stood against you,” he remarked.
“You followed the man you believed you could trust and was snared by his lies,” Gersius corrected. “When the truth was made clear, you turned from your course. I need you to send these people back to their homes and then resume your command of the border. I have a war to win. I cannot worry about the Doan just yet. I need to know a competent man I can trust is in command.
Linneus bowed his head with trembling lips. “Of course, my lord,” he whispered.
“Your emperor,” Sarah corrected. “When this is over, he will sit on the dragon throne.”
Linneus bowed again, going deeply to his knee. “My Emperor.”
He moved away, still wary of Sarah, who glared at him with blazing red eyes. When he was safely back and shouting orders to stand down, she turned to Gersius with equal anger.
“You mean to tell me the very divines marked you as theirs, and I wasn't here to see it?” she growled.
“I did not know this was going to happen,” he replied, reaching up to stroke the side of her jaw.
“Oh, don’t you try to soothe me,” she grumbled. “I am very angry about this. I will have to use the bind to see it through the eyes of one of our wives.”
“I am sure they would be happy to show you,” he replied.
“Of all the things to be away and miss,” Sarah complained as Lilly ran up with Thayle on her back.
“Sarah! You won't believe what just happened!” Lilly exclaimed with boundless excitement in her voice.
“I have heard all about it from our fool husband,” she replied. “I am upset that I missed such an event.”
Gersius went to reply when the peasant army took up the chant, praising Gersius chosen of the divines. They all turned to look over the mass, hands in the air chanting wildly in praise.
“You may not be a champion of the divines,” Sarah said. “But you are certainly chosen by them. They must have great plans for you if they all turned out to mark you as theirs.”
Gersius nodded in agreement as his heart began to relax. The day was won, the battle avoided, and the women saved. When word reached Calathen, it would strike at the heart of the Father Abbot, and he would know Gersius was coming.
Comments
WhiteRabbit
Having 50k people see Gersius with the favor of the gods is really going to put a crimp in the Abbot's plans. road-> rode x2
Had to make a quick edit. I realized I referenced an event that doesn't occur until the next chapter. Silly me.
