Omnixius
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DKP 6-8 An Evil place.
🕑 Added 2020-12-13 23:26:11 +0000 UTCThe trees rustled in the wind making the men hidden underneath apprehensive. It was morning on the third day since parting with Gersius, and Jessivel was growing frustrated. He traveled south, following the river, assuming he would find Alayse coming north, but instead, found cause for alarm. Now he hid in the trees with the bulk of his force, waiting for scouts like Myers to report in.
"Anything?" Jessivel asked as Myers stood at attention to give his report.
"No sign of Alayse or the dragons," the man said. "But we are covering very little ground by running from cover to cover."
"You have my permission to ride in the open," Jessivel replied as the scout shook his head. "Then, no more complaining about the situation. We can't risk exposing ourselves to the dragons. We will have to follow the trail as best we can at the speed we can safely manage."
"It would be easier to follow if she wasn't going to great lengths to conceal her trail," Herris added as he stood nearby.
Jessivel dismissed the scout and leaned over the fallen tree he was using as a table to study a map. Gersius tasked him with finding Alayse and making sure she arrived in time. Instead of Alayse, they found were burned villages and the bodies of scouts they could only assume belonged to her. Some were charred husks leaving only their armor to mark who they were. Others were stabbed or cut, indicating a battle. One group of bodies caused great concern for the men, as they were laying in a muddy circle, with blistered skin, but otherwise appeared unharmed.
Moving further south, they picked up the passage of several hundred horses initially heading north. This could only have been Alayse, but right where they found the trail, it suddenly changed. The women seem to have scattered to the east, heading in a dozen or more directions. He had to guess which ones to follow and sent a scout down every trail, but it all proved to be a waste of effort. Three miles down every trail, it suddenly vanished, the women of Ulustrah putting their ability to grow plants to use and conceal their passing. Now it was a frustrating game of hide and seek, as Jessivel sent men to scour the land, hoping to pick up the trail and locate the missing second company.
On the second day, they made another discovery, a dark shape high in the sky, watching a small group of his men. It didn't look like one of Gersius's dragons and proved him right when it dived from the clouds and turned a group of his scouts to cinders. He had no choice but to change tactics, dividing his men into even smaller teams to avoid providing a large target. An hour later, they spotted a second dragon whose blue scales blended with the skies. They now hid in trees or abandoned buildings, watching the sky with dread. They moved from one form of cover to another, slowly crawling their way across a vast area, hoping to trip over Alayse. The battle for the river was planned for this morning, and she was supposed to be there. Now he brooded as his frustration mounted, the seekers hunting for a prey that could pass almost unseen.
"I understand why you are hiding," Jessivel said to himself as he studied the map. "But where are you going?"
She is avoiding the river because of the dragons," Herris said as he moved closer to look over the map. "She must be circling wide to come back to the road closer to Gersius."
"Maybe," Jessivel agreed as he considered why Alayse was going to such great lengths to hide her passing. Certainly, the dragons weren't concerned with following her trail, preferring to hunt like hawks from above, pouncing on anything that moved. No, Alayse was covering her tracks as if being followed, but who would be following them? He tried to work out how long Alayse was on the road and at what speed she could be moving. If she pushed her forces hard, they could already be passed him and closer to Gersius than he was.
"None of the dragons have been seen since yesterday," Herris pointed out.
"That's because they went to the river battle," Jessivel replied, knowing full well Gersius was across and moving inland. The enemy would have thrown their dragons and everything else they could muster into the fight.
"Maybe it's safe to operate in the open again?" Herris asked.
Jessivel wasn't sure, but Herris was right; the dragons hadn't been sighted since the day before. Hopefully, that meant they were dead or driven off, but there was no way to be sure. All he knew was time was running out, and options growing thin.
Desperate for more information, he sent men into the surrounding villages, directly asking about the elusive second company. This proved disastrous at first, with many villages unwilling to talk and a few openly hostile. The name of Astikar was a sour taste in the mouth of the people, and seekers were seen as little more than bounty hunters. Few villagers would betray any information about the women of Ulustrah, who were well known for blessing their fields and families alike. They saw the faith of Astikar as a blight on the land, leading to failed harvests and unhealthy families. Thankfully Gersius had thought to send a sizable force of regular cavalry who were not men of Astikar. These men had better luck, with a few villages suggesting they saw the woman ride north but then return south hours later. The clues didn't add up or lead in any direction he knew to follow, and that was bothering him most of all.
"You look tired," Herris observed as Jessivel turned away from the map, an angry scowl on his face.
"Do you remember our brief encounter with Commander Alayse?"
"I remember she was as hostile as a cornered snake," Herris replied.
Jessivel nodded and thought back to the fiery woman who stood defiantly on her wall, accusing them of coming to survey the damage they caused. She was a fearless woman who trusted in the strength of her faith and skill in combat. She wouldn't run from a fight unless it was hopeless, so why was she running now? The more he thought of the clues, the more an idea began to grow. He began to pace, trying to work it out while sharing the thoughts with Herris.
"Why scatter your forces east, leaving a clear trail to follow only to begin covering your tracks a few miles in?" Herris looked lost as Jessivel worked on the solution using only the clues he had. "She was leaving that trail on purpose, using it as a distraction and intentionally making several to confuse a potential stalker. She wanted to leave them unsure which to follow and unable to guess where she had gone."
"Why?" Herris asked. "By all accounts, the enemy hasn't crossed the river at any point."
"Oh, but an enemy has," Jessivel corrected. "She was across the river long ago and has significant manpower."
"You're talking about Zhadain," Herris said with a tense voice.
"The villages say Alayse was heading south, away from Gersius, but left tracks to the east."
Heriss worked on the information for a moment but asked the logical question. "How can she be going in two directions?"
Jessivel smiled, the thoughts becoming clearer as he worked them out.
"Alayse knows how to play a ruse and run an enemy in circles. She isn't running. She is moving toward her destination while sowing as much confusion as possible. She has found a way to elude her enemies and go into hiding."
"But where?" Herris asked.
Jessivel looked at the map and tapped a finger on a road heading northwest. "She is right here, the last place any of us would think to look for her."
"That's the other side of the river," Herris pointed out.
Jessivel nodded as he worked it out. The road north became too dangerous, with dragons hunting the skies and assassins following behind. Alayse ran east in multiple groups to confuse her pursuers and buy time. She then regrouped to the south at a location where the river could be crossed. There were no bridges for miles, but there were a few ferries, and twenty miles south was a well run and organized barge system that could ferry them across thirty at a time.
"She turned around and went to Loyd's crossing," Jessivel said. "She is on the other side, fighting her way north to link up with Gersius."
"She'd be a fool to try," Herris argued.
Jessivel knew better. Just thinking of the woman's bold determination told him she would not turn away from such a gamble. It would take her away from the dragons and the pursuing assassins, all while aiding her main objective, the war on the Father Abbot.
"She is brilliant," Jessivel corrected. "Nearly every town has been stripped of its guard, and the temples are empty. All of it was moved north to stop Gersius from crossing the river. Alayse can move nearly unopposed and meeting only light resistance. From what General Thayle said about her, we can assume she will relish the opportunity to score easy victories. She might even draw attention away from Gersius when the enemy commanders learn there is a second army raiding the south."
"But even for her, this is reckless," Herris said as he traced a finger on the map. "She is three days hard ride from Gersius and deep in hostile territory. Every petty lord who wants to curry favor with the Father Abbot will send their house guard and whatever rabble they can muster to impede them."
"I am more worried about Zahdain," Jessivel added. "Alayse might have thrown her off the track initially, but I doubt she crossed the river unseen. Knowing the good mother of assassins, the road north will be even more dangerous. Let's hope Alayse is very lucky."
"Her luck will only run so long. Her force might be well trained, but it's still small for an army."
Jessivel glared at the map, looking across the string of towns and villages Alayse would have passed through on her way north. Word would reach Calathen quickly, and a response might reach her before he did. The raven guard, in particular, might see this as a chance to deprive Gersius of reinforcements. They were already trying to stop Alayse on this side of the river. How much more effort would they use now that she was on their side?
"Recall our scouts, and order the men assembled," Jessivel commanded.
"What are you planning to do?"
"We are going to wade the river where ever we can find a shallow enough spot and see if we can't catch up to Alayse before she brings the whole empire down on her head."
"You plan to swim the river with our horses carrying heavy armor?"
"I plan to wade a shallows," Jessivel corrected. "Anything that leaves the horse's head above water. I don't have time to travel south to the ferry or north to a usable bridge. If we cross someplace close, we will save a day or more. Now go. We have little time to waste."
Herris nodded and gave a salute before moving off to gather the men and send riders to recall scouts. It took three hours to find them all, but Jessivel used that time to send others to look for a river crossing. By the time everyone was ready, a suitable place was found, but few of his men were happy about it. It took an hour to slowly cross the horses, many of whom didn't take kindly to wading up to their necks in a river, but they arrived on the other side, soggy and disgruntled.
Jessivel ordered a march to the nearest town, ignoring complaints to allow men and animals to dry. Scouts were sent ahead and to neighboring towns, looking for word of Alayse and her company. The travel was tense, and the countryside uncomfortably quiet, with not so much as a farmer working a field.
"Something is wrong," Herris said after an hour of riding. "This is a fairly well-settled region."
"And yet we see no sign of human activity," Jessivel replied.
"You don't think the Father Abbot would stoop low enough to conscript the local people into mobs to battle Gersius?" Herris dared to ask, the very thought raising terrible images.
Jessivel didn't even want to consider it but had to weigh such a crime against what they witnessed in the camps holding the women of Ulustrah. Even worse was the terrible crime of breaking the women's legs to delay Gersius by burdening him with hundreds of wounded. If the Father Abbot was capable of such atrocity, surely he could order the simple people to their deaths. Even as this disturbing thought plagued his mind, one of his scouts came over the hill, riding at full speed.
"Make ready," Jessivel commanded, concerned that such haste might mean the man was being pursued. The man came directly to them and pulled his frothing horse short to issue his report.
"We found something," he said in a strained voice. "A battlefield just north of the town ahead."
Jessivel set his jaw as he listened to the description and the proof he was right. Alayse was on this side of the river, battling her way north in a desperate bid to reach Gersius. His scouts found a damaged shield of Ulustrah and a dozen graves blessed by thick growths of flowers. The enemy appeared to have been nearly five hundred soldiers from a southern province. That they were here meant the call for men had gone out far and wide. Alayse probably stumbled on them while riding north and, in her zeal, engaged them in battle.
"I want to see it myself," he said and motioned for the man to lead him. "Herris, when we get there, put men on the trail and follow it as quickly as possible. Throw caution to the wind. I want to catch sight of her before she gets too far."
"We can't be sure it's her," Herris interjected.
"Who else could it be?" Jessivel asked. "Who else but that angry woman would dare to fight her way through the empire to reach Gersius?"
Herris scratched at his bald head as he thought back to their encounter. "She was rather feisty as I recall."
Jessivel nodded as he turned the column and headed west to see the battlefield for himself. "Gersius said she was very combative with Thayle, hence why we were sent to make sure she was doing as instructed. He also said she was a fearless and battle-hungry leader who relished a good fight."
"That doesn't sound like a priestess of Ulustrah," Herris replied. "I knew they had a small number of battle priests, but I never dreamed they would be so aggressive."
"Nor did I, but Gersius insisted she was a skilled fighter and leader. He needs people like that for the battles ahead." The two spoke more as they pressed on, finally arriving at a scene of carnage. The landscape was littered with bodies, many showing the telltale signs of trampling by charging horses. A quick examination of the battlefield showed the slaughtered men hadn't been in formation. They didn't expect to be attacked, especially from the south when Gersius was known to be north.
Riders were dispatched to race ahead, following the obvious trail while the rest of the column moved at a modest pace. This was enemy territory, and his alliance with Gersius was most assuredly known to the Father Abbot. What level of cruelty would the old man sink to if Jessivel was captured? He took all the caution he could while trying to keep up a brisk pace. The trail passed a village, and men sent to ask questions were sharply repelled. Many voiced the word traitor and threw stones to drive off the horsemen, unwilling to cooperate with allies of Gersius.
"It would appear the people know," Herris said. "And they believe we are as vile as Gersius."
"All that will be set right when Calathen is Gersius's capital city," Jessivel replied.
"You think this kind of hatred will wash away?" Herris laughed. "They will assume a tyrant has taken the throne by force and blame every ill that comes their way on him. If a disease spreads, or a crop fails, it will because the gods are angry that Gersius sits on the throne."
Jessivel knew he was right, but what choice did Gersius have? The land and its people would need time to heal and learn the truth. It would take years for this level of conditioning to wear off, and Gersius's name would be cursed for many of them.
As the day grew long and the sun was just two hours from setting, the men sent to follow the trail all returned together. They looked fearful with pale faces and shaking hands as they relayed a terrible tale.
"You are sure?" Jessivel demanded, unable to believe their reply.
"We all saw it," the scout said with a voice devoid of strength. "A blue dragon twice the size of the beast Gersius calls his wife."
"Her name is Lilly, and do not refer to her as a beast again," Jessivel said with a displeased tone. Some of his men had a hard time accepting that Gersius called a dragon his wife. While she seldom took the dragon form and was more often seen as the beautiful woman, they knew what she was underneath. Even he wondered what role such a thing played in all this but kept his concerns to himself. The divines clearly favored Gersius, and together with his dragon wife were the heads of the fledgling order of Balisha. If the divines saw no conflict in the union of man and dragon, why should he?
"What was it doing?" he asked, not sure he wanted the answer.
"Eating a horse," the man replied. "There are several dead on the road, and we think a few bodies."
"You think?" Herris asked as he and Jessivel exchanged glances.
"We saw it, but none of us dared to approach it," the man replied.
"So this dragon is just ahead?" Jessivel asked.
"No, my Lord Seeker," the man replied with downcast eyes. "It finished the meal and took to the sky, heading slightly west, following the trail."
Jessivel let out a sigh that reeked of his displeasure. "We double our march," he said and turned to look at the men trailing behind him. "Double speed, we need to reach the second company as quickly as we can."
"We have been riding all day," Herris reminded him.
"I am aware the animals are tired, but what blessing do the women of Ulustrah possess that can drive away a dragon?" Herris let out a torrent of curses as Jessivel set the pace, driving animals hard to gain ground.
He had no hope of catching a flying dragon and was sure it would find the women first, but maybe it wouldn't attack right away. It might circle above and spy on them for a bit or lay in wait for an ambush. As the thunder of hooves shook the ground, he set a determined heart to complete his mission. He wasn't going to fail Gersius twice. Sending the man into the trap in Whiteford was bad enough. It was an hour after dark when they crested a hill to see an unwelcome sight. Even in the dim light, Jessivel could tell the dark mounds that littered the ground ahead were bodies.
"Disperse the men, and cover our flanks," Jessivel ordered as he urged his horse forward. It was a wide clearing with thin trees to either side, providing more than enough cover for prying eyes. His gaze kept returning to the skies hoping against hope the dragon wouldn't be there. As the moon broke through the clouds, it bathed the meadow in its brilliance, glinting off the blue-green armor.
"You found them," Herris said as they both climbed down from their horses to get a closer look. He leaned over the nearest body, a woman with short brown hair and a blank stare in her dead eyes. Jessivel stood behind as Herris searched the body until he found a deep stab in the back.
"This wasn't a dragon," Herris grumbled. "They ran into something they couldn't handle."
Jessivel stepped to another body, squatting as he lifted a chin to find a slit throat. The cut was clean, done with a very skilled hand. Scrapes on her armor indicated the attacks were rapid, done with a short blade meant to keep her on the defensive. There was a sword in her hand with blood on the blade. At least she scored a hit as well, but no body lay at her feet. Some of the bodies were horses with arrows in their sides or slashes across the legs to stumble them.
He and Herris moved from body to body, inspecting the carnage and searching for clues. He looked up now and then to see his men fanning out and searching the trees. He was tense as they peered into deep shadows, unable to see more than a few paces. Whoever did this might be watching, eager to add him to their body count.
"This was an ambush," Herris said as he stood to look about. "The arrows come from all directions."
Jessivel agreed as he reached a gentle hand out to close the eyes of a fallen woman. "Go to your goddess," he whispered. "I am told her gardens are beautiful and endless." He stood with a glance to the skies before turning to address Herris. "This is but a few dozen of her women. The bulk of the second company isn't here."
Herris nodded as he looked over the ground, reading the tracks and looking north. "The attackers wore soft boots," he said as he followed one set. "They lost some men as well; there are blood trails to the north. I bet they hid the bodies someplace nearby."
"It's Zhadain," Jessivel replied as he plucked an arrow from a horse. It was a typical arrow, purchased in any fletcher's shop, and flocked with a common grouse feather. He lifted the top to his nose and carefully smelled the bloodied end, noting the faint acrid smell.
"Poisoned?" Herris asked as Jessivel cast it aside and gave him a nod. "So Zahdain is getting bolder."
"Or desperate," Jessivel corrected as he glanced to the sky once more. "The bounty on Gersius would make one wealthier than an emperor. Now that he's begun his march into the empire, her chance to claim the prize is fading."
"How is attacking a bunch of women of Ulustrah going to help claim such a prize?" Herris asked, throwing his hands out to indicate this slaughter was senseless.
It was indeed a mystery, but one that no doubt had a sinister solution. It was no secret where Gersius was camped. Zahdain didn't need to find him. She needed a way to get through his army. Killing this small group of women hardly accomplished that task, so there must be another reason.
"I wonder why Alayse left them unburied," Herris remarked as he looked up. "She stopped to bury the others."
It was a good question and one that Jessivel had overlooked. Why were they left where they fell? More so, why were the enemy's bodies carried away and hidden? It could only mean Alayse lost this fight and fled before the casualties mounted. He couldn't see such a bold woman running from a fight, so he considered it longer and thought of a solution.
"This was either a group that failed to link up and was trailing after Alayse or a party left behind to bury those dead while she ran ahead."
Herris nodded in agreement and glanced to the sky as they heard a distant rumble. A storm was coming, and soon the blood of this battle would be washed away.
"She must be in a hurry," Herris said as he headed back to his horse.
"From what I know of it, Thayle was ready to strip her of command if she failed to appear. Alayse must know her position in this conflict is in jeopardy. A woman with her desire for combat must assuredly does not want to find herself without a command in the greatest conflict in a thousand years."
"So what do we do now?"
Jessivel climbed onto his horse as the wind began to pick up, blowing his hair. He, too, felt the pressure of time slipping by and an urgent need to press on. With a glance around the field, he let out a low sigh and pointed to the distant trees.
"Though it pains me to leave these poor women this way, we need to march, and quickly. If Zahdain has figured out the ruse, then Alayse needs to be warned as quickly as possible."
"I hate to say it, but I agree," Herris intoned and climbed onto his horse. "But Gersius needs to know as well. If Alayse starts covering her tracks again, we might need to give up and go back."
Jessivel understood the point of view, but thus far, their prey was heading toward Gersius. With any luck, he would find Alayse even if they had to give up and report to Gersius.
"Your point is understood, but I choose to follow the trail. Assemble the men; we ride another hour."
With a quick command, the men assembled, and the column began to march, leaving the dead behind. They camped under thick trees to avoid detection by the dragon, careful to set a heavy guard, lest the assassins find a second easy target. By sunrise, they were on the move, hurrying northwest as they followed the unmistakable path of hundreds of horses.
"By the grace of Astikar, she is making no effort to hide her tracks," Herris said as they rode.
"You were right about what you said earlier. She is in a hurry," Jessivel said, noting that such a tactic would slow the women down. There was no time to sing songs of blessing. She was already late and being hindered by men and dragons alike. Her best course of action was a swift meet up, adding her forces to the protection of the much larger army.
An hour into the march, the wind picked up, and rain began to fall, turning the path into a muddy slog. Horses slowed, and soldiers grumbled, the rain finding its way through gaps and seams in armor to soak the men inside. The dark clouds blocked out the sunlight, muting the colors of the landscape into a gray pallet. It all echoed his mood as they followed the women's passage, finally coming on a large copse of trees where Alayse must have camped for the night.
"She was only five hours ahead of us," Herris said as they made a quick search. "They camped under the big trees, using their powers to thicken the growth above and build walls of thorns on three sides. The funny thing is they didn't light a single campfire."
"They didn't want to be visible from the air," Jessivel surmised.
"Then she knows about the dragon," Herris replied.
Jessivel nodded. Obviously, she knew and was taking precautions to avoid being detected. Jessivel looked to the north and began to ponder. There was a large town about three hours ride, and Alayse would have to pass through it or waste time going well around. Considering the choices she made thus far indicated haste, Jessivel surmised she would head straight through.
"We ride to Heverston," he said, turning the horse about. "Get the men ready to move."
"Aren't we overlooking the fact that we haven't seen the dragon either?" Herris asked as he mounted a horse.
Jessivel hadn't so much as overlooked it as hoped it had gone away. His men numbered less than a hundred and though, while many were priests, would still find battling a dragon a deadly task.
They rode for hours until the outlying farms of the town came into view, the muddy trail that was Alayse's passing heading for the road. She didn't go into the town, instead passing through a farm beside it. He paused to send riders wearing unmarked armor into the town, asking questions. They returned with a puzzling reply; the town was empty.
"Empty?" Jessivel asked to be sure he heard the scout right.
"Aye, lord, as are the surrounding farms. The place seems to have been abandoned in a hurry, the shops still have wares on display, but it's clear somebody looted them."
A glance at Herris brought a shrug, neither man able to explain it. Sitting back, he went over the facts again, searching for what was missed. Why was this road to find Alayse strewn with mysteries and surprises?
"Search the farms," Jessivel said at last.
"We will lose ground with the delay," Herris commented.
Herris was right, but this might be too important to pass up. "Just the nearby ones. Somebody has to be here someplace."
"As you wish," Herris replied and assigned men to the task.
Jessivel was not at all comfortable with the delay, but a clue here might reveal a danger ahead. His efforts were rewarded when a rider returned with word that a family was hiding in a nearby farm cellar. They told a story of dragons in the skies and men in black armor on the ground. Bandersooks were prowling the forests, and the eastern farms had seen attacks. Gersius was to blame for all of it, they said. The dragons were his, as were the strange soldiers in black. They were told that the dragons were driving the bandersooks into areas he wanted pacified. The people in the town abandoned it when the soldiers came and told them an attack by the cursed women of Ulustrah was coming.
"They are using Alayse as a weapon of terror," Herris grumbled.
"They are using her as an excuse," Jessivle corrected.
"For what?
"The wealth, I'd wager," Jessivel replied. "Use her as the reason to force the people to flee in a hurry, then pillage anything of value. They will say the women of Ulustrah did it and turn the hearts in this region against them and Gersius."
"This really is an all-out war," Herris lamented. "Even people miles from the fighting are suffering. How can the Father Abbot be so far from the ideals he used to uphold?"
"The good Father has found something more endearing to fight for, and all of his mind is bent on it."
"Do you think the bandersooks are real? We haven't seen any sign or track."
Jessivel knew it didn't matter if they were real. So long as the people believed, it would frighten them. Still, he knew from Ayawa that bandersooks were being used as shock troops, carried into battle in cages flown by dragons. It was very possible a pack was turned loose nearby and now stalked the woods. It could even be a survivor from the Mordholm attack, wandering the wilderness and attacking remote farms. The threat had some credibility to it, but he didn't have time to investigate. He added them to the long list of events that needed reporting and pushed on to follow the trail. The rain had finally let up, and the muddy track that was Alayse's passing was now evident in the otherwise green fields.
The skies were still gray, but that didn't prevent them from spotting the black smoke rising over the hills ahead. Cresting the top, they looked down into a small farming town with old overgrown trees and narrow winding roads. A house burned on one side, while a field burned on another. Hundreds of armored women on horseback circled the town as they battled with ranks of soldiers on the ground. Above, the dragon circled, occasionally diving and spraying the ground with a white mist that turned everything under it to ice. Fortunately, it's breath was met by a dozen discs of green light that formed in the air over women, sheltering them from the deadly cold. The sky above was covered in dark clouds as distant thunder rolled, threatening the return of the storms.
"By the divines," Herris said as the men began to line up on either side.
"Make ready!" Jessivel shouted as he drew a sword. "Knights to the front, you charge the closest line, Priests behind, you are to provide cover and hammers to greet the dragon."
"This is going to hurt," Herris grumbled as he put on his helmet.
"The women are holding their own. We need only tip the odds in their favor," Jessivel replied. "
"And what will keep them from turning on us?" Herris asked
"They will see the truth in our actions," Jessivel said as he pointed his sword forward.
Horses surged forward as Jessivel led the charge flanked by heavy cavalry with long spears. Horses in armor shook the ground as they descended the hill forming a wedge as the distance to the enemy's lines grew thin.
The dragon dived on the women, but a hail of orange hammers raced up to meet it. For a moment, the day was sunny and bright, the light of the hammers banishing the gloomy haze. They impacted by their dozens, flashing in yellow explosions as the dragon roared in anger. Now alerted to the threat behind, the soldiers turned just in time to see the spears closing the last dozen paces.
The cavalry blasted into the side of the men in dark armor, scattering those in the middle and opening a large hole as the flanks fell away. The priest followed close behind, throwing hammers to the sides to widen the gap. Inside the ring of encircling men, the women had been busy. Walls of dense plants formed choke points that were defended by clusters of a dozen women each. Fully half their number was on foot, while the other half raced about, desperately trying to plug holes. There were dead men all around, tangled in plants and skewered by swords, but there were also sheets of ice and a few frozen women.
Jessivel raced straight for the closest women as they readied to meet his charge. Pulling up short, he turned to the side, sheathing his sword and tearing away his helmet.
"I am a servant and friend of Gersius. My men and I are here to lend you aid."
A dozen women before him looked shocked, but his light told them all they needed to know. Orders began to spread that the priests of Astikar were here to help, as his knights turned to make another charge.
"You won't take them by surprised a second time," Herris pointed out.
"We need only break them and cause a route," Jessivel said through gritted teeth, then turned on the nearest woman. "Where is Governess Commander Alayse?"
"Gone," the woman replied. "She went out to investigate a report made by one of our scouts. She has been gone since before the battle started."
"You mean to tell me Alayse is out there?" Jessivel asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.
"She went with five guards to a mill in the east," the woman replied with a shake of her head.
Jessivel growled and looked back to see the whole his charge made rapidly closing.
"Herris, take command," Jessivel roared as he urged his horse into a charge, heading for the gap.
"Crazy, fool," Herris replied as Jessivel narrowly raced through the opening, spears, and arrows chasing as he emerged on the other side.
"What is he doing?" one of the women asked as Herris turned his horse about.
Herris uttered a silent prayer for his commander before replying, "He is the lord seeker, and his mission is to find Alayse."
Jessivel recklessly charged into the nearby trees, desperate to have cover from the arrows. He felt a few of them nick his armor in passing and counted his blessings the horse was still unharmed. Now safely in the trees, the pace slowed, and he turned the horse east, hoping to avoid hidden enemies. He leaned low over the animal, ready to call on a protective shield of his own should they target the horse.
"She knew the assassins were on her trail," he growled as he looked for a path to circle east. "What fool commander goes out with only five guards to investigate a report?" he asked himself as he passed a rain puddle and for a moment saw a reflection of his face. "The same type of fool who runs out alone to find her."
He quieted his thoughts and crept through the brush, the sounds of battle echoing from his left. It didn't take long for him to find a group of five men also on horseback. They were garbed in flowing sashes with shades of tan and yellow. The heads were wrapped in the same material so that only their eyes showed. Above them was a metal crest, a sort of dark beetle or another insect. He wasn't familiar with the insignia but knew the desert people had bands of raiders and private armies. It was common knowledge that when the assassins needed to strike something big, these were often employed to help. Not wishing to test his mettle in such a fight, he remained hidden until they finished their conversation and rode toward the battle.
He slipped across an open area as quickly as possible, arriving at a steep embankment. Below was a fast-moving narrow river, and built all alone one side was a series of water wheels running grindstones and mills. A series of storehouses were built into the hillside and a path wide enough for a wagon winding down. Even from here, he could hear the shouting and saw plants blocking narrow passes, doors, and windows. Men in dark armor consisting of metal shoulders and chest but cloth everywhere else were crawling all over the structure.
Two crouched nearby with crossbows aimed, waiting for one of their targets to appear. Jessivel slowly dismounted and drew his blade, making his way toward the two men. Priests of Astikar were not known for being stealthy, but the chaos below was causing enough distraction that the two men didn't notice. One died with a sword through his back, alerting the other, who took a plated punch to the face. Weakly holding a hand up, he tried to cry out just as Jessivel silenced him forever.
He went to run down the hill, but the slope was steep and treacherous. Going back to his horse, he took out a length of rope and tied it to the saddle. With this in hand, he dared the dangerous hill, anxious to avoid the road.
Down the slope, he stumbled, trying to arrive beside a building whose upper ledge he hoped to reach. The fighting below seemed to be right outside that building, indicating his target was inside. With all the grace of a stumbling child, he dropped onto the balcony's stones and looked into a simple warehouse. It was mostly sacks of grains piled in organized rows that turned the lower floor into a patchwork of narrow passes and wide barriers. Five women lay dead in a wide doorway to the street, around them two dozen bodies in dark armor. He noted no insignia of rank or special markings on any of them and assumed Alayse was not among them. Someplace nearby, a woman cursed as the sound of metal striking metal rang out.
Jessivel decided not to cross the warehouse, instead using the balcony that ringed the building. Creeping along the front face, he dared a look into the street to see additional dead warriors lying up and down the lane. The women made the enemy pay a high price for attacking them, thinning their numbers considerably as Alayse fought on someplace ahead.
Rounding the corner, he saw the balcony connected by a wooden bridge to the building next to it. Directly across was a stairwell down to the street and up to an even higher balcony. Alayse stood a the top of the stairs, defiantly holding up a battered shield as she fought a group of ten trying to come up. He could see the blood on her armor and the cut that graced her cheek as golden hair danced around her shoulders.
As he moved to the bridge, men came out a doorway behind her, threatening to squeeze her between them. He rushed across, raising his shield as he intoned a sacred blessing, the surface glowing orange as he collided with the men. They were thrown back with great force, and he quickly ended the lives of two of them before three more came through the doorway and pressed him back. The noise drew a glance from Alayse, who fell back as well, meeting him in the middle by the bridge as the enemies came from both sides.
"You are the seeker from the temple. Where did you come from?" she shouted as they fought back to back.
"Gersius was concerned you would have trouble reaching us. He sent me to help."
"I would have trouble?" Alayse laughed. "I haven't moved a mile without a dragon or ambush delaying me. Couldn't he have sent more than one man?" She created a green ward to press a man back before slashing at another who blocked the attack and kept coming.
Jessivel called on divine strength with a deep chant, using the power to batter a sword wide before cutting a throat with a quick slash. With his chant done, he finally replied as they were pressed closer together.
"I have more men, but your company is surrounded and under attack from a dragon. I left them to aid your company while I came for you."
"So you came alone?" she criticized while swiping a blow wide with her shield.
"Are you going to mock me?" he laughed, tangling swords with a man whose eyes burned with anger. "What fool runs off to investigate a mill with only five guards when she knows assassins are lying in wait nearby?"
"I do things myself," she argued back. "I don't send my women to risk their lives in my place."
"You are a commander! Your place is with your company!"
"And where is your company?" she shot back.
The point was a good one, but his situation was different. Had he been able to take twenty of his men out of the battle, he would have. As it was, there was barely enough time for him to get out, and even then, luck had much to do with it.
"We can talk about this later," he quipped as they bumped into one another.
"I admire your bravery," Alayse countered. "But how did you plan to escape the trap?"
"Get across the bridge," he shouted as the wall of men pressed them. Alayse let out a huff and dashed across as Jessivel fell back, blocking the pass with a raised shield while chanting his protective ward. It would block the narrow passage for now, but he needed a way to topple the bridge.
"Hurry up and get over," Alayse shouted from the far side, causing him to look back. She went into a song, her voice soaring up in a silver tune as the ground below him began to crack. Vines that grew on the side of the buildings began to thrash as they doubled in size, reaching up and wrapping around the bridge's supports. Jessivel got the idea immediately and turned, running as fast as he could as the wood below his feet began to groan. With a cry, he leaped, the sound of wood splintering behind him as a dozen of his pursuers went down with the tumbling structure.
He landed on hands and knees at her feet, panting as he looked up in frustration. "You could have warned me."
Alayse smiled down as she wiped the blood from her cheek. "Oh, and I was enjoying this moment with a high lord of Astikar at my feet."
He stood up, glaring at her as men shouted from the other side. She lost her smile and rushed around the balcony, heading across the front as arrows flew from below.
"There is doorway down on the other side," Jessivel said.
"I know!" Alayse shouted. "How do you think I got up here?"
"There are other stairs," he shouted back, shield high to catch arrows.
They turned the corner and raced through the door into the grain warehouse. Alayse came to a stop on the upper balcony as she looked down on her slain guards.
"I failed you," she whispered. "You trusted in me, and now you're dead."
"Soldiers die," Jessivel interrupted as he arrived behind her. "Even now, yours and mine are dying in a battle we need to rejoin."
Alayse turned about to shout at him when a silky voice echoed out of the shadows sending a chill down his spine.
"Well, well, look whose here. I can't believe how lucky this day has been for me."
"Zahdain," Jessivel growled as he looked around. Nothing stirred in the warehouse, but that didn't mean she wasn't there. Rumor had it she could walk in the darkness unseen and strike when least expected.
"Sweet Jessivel, you have been a hindrance to my plans. Were it not for you, I would have Ayawa and Tavis, and they would have led me to Gersius long before he was ready to march."
"I see you have a knack for annoying women," Alayse said to him as he stepped forward.
"Stay in the light of the doorway," he whispered. "Don't go into the shadows."
"I was going to turn in the woman's head for the bounty," Zahdain went on, her presence still undetectable. "But then you showed up, and the reward tripled."
"You're worth more than me?" Alayse balked.
"Is that really upsetting you right now?" he asked while daring a glance outside.
"I have killed dozens of her forces over the past few days," Alayse argued. "I should be worth more."
"She doesn't set the bounties; she collects them. If you want a higher price, you have to annoy the Father Abbot!"
"Are you two done?" Zahdain asked with a laugh.
"Why don't you come out of the shadows, and we can see who is the better fighter," Alayse demanded, boldly stepping forward. "I am familiar with your kind. My company has fought you in the desert many times."
"That is why your head will be especially sweet," Zahdain cooed. "I am looking forward to killing a hated enemy and collecting a major reward."
"You should consider supporting Gersius instead," Jessivel added. "When he becomes emperor, he will be able to grant far more than the Father Abbot is offering you."
Her laugh was pure, echoing off the walls as she tried to contain herself. "The Father Abbots reward is but a paltry sum compared to what the Gorromogoth is offering. I will have an empire of my own, stretching across the sands into the green hills and the sea beyond."
"The cellics will never give up their land," Alayse retorted. "Your kind has never been able to break their weavers."
"Oh, but I will have friends in high places with power enough to bring anyone who apposes me to heel."
"She is trying to stall us," Jessivel whispered. "Her men are probably surrounding the building."
"There is only one way out, and that's through the warehouse and into the street," Alayse replied.
"Not true," Jessivel replied as he remembered the rope. " Can you seal this doorway?"
"I can seal any opening," Alayse laughed as they stepped back onto the ledge.
"You can't escape," Zahdain laughed from inside. "Unless you have suddenly learned how to fly."
Alayse burst into a song, causing vines and thorns to choke off the doorway as Jessivel ran to the rock face and grabbed the rope. He fell into a chant, calling on divine strength as Alayse arrived with a look of annoyance.
"You intend to scale a cliff face in heavy armor?" she scoffed.
"No, I intend to scale it in heavy armor while carrying you," he replied and reached out with divine might. She protested as he threw her over his shoulder and wrapped the rope around his free arm. "Comfortable?"
"Put me down!" Alayse shouted as men came around the corner of the balcony.
Jessivel looked up and let out a loud whistle, and his horse went into motion, pulling away and dragging him up. He tried to help by using his feet to push upward, and slowly they began to ascend. Arrows flew, but Alayse sang for shields, protecting them until the ground became level enough to plant his feet. He then ran uphill, allowing his horse to aid in pulling until they were safely over the lip.
"There," he groaned and set her down.
She looked at him in silence for a long moment before turning about and looking around. "Now, how do you plan to rescue my horse?"
"We can ride on mine," he suggested.
She turned her gaze on him with narrow eyes that said he was about to die.
"I am not riding behind you clinging to your waist like some rescued maiden."
"I never suggested you should," he replied while coiling the rope. "But I can only assume your horse is below, and so is Zahdain."
"You can sit behind me," she snapped.
"Fine," he replied, anxious to be away. "But let's hurry before your bruised ego gets us both caught."
She snarled and rushed ahead, moving to the horse and climbing up. She looked away as he climbed in behind her, letting out a sigh as his hands came around her waist. She urged the animal ahead and set a brisk pace back to the town as he warned her about the patrols. They argued the whole way but as the treeline came to an end, so did their argument.
The barrier of soldiers around the town was still strong, and hammers flew high in an attempt to drive out the dragon. Jessivel was about to suggest they make a mad charge when the dragon flew high, drawing near the clouds as something rumbled. All eyes looked up in time to see the lightning flash and something unfathomably large silhouetted in the darkened sky. The dragon flew into the embrace of those clouds and was gone for but a moment. There was a flash of blue light and a terrible roaring wail followed by a sudden rain of blood. A dark shape flew out of the clouds hurtling down like a rock thrown from a cliff. The ground shook as the dragon crashed to the muddy earth, it's body looking like it had been mauled by a bear ten times its size. The soldiers in dark armor took a good look at that sight as a rumbling growl filled the air with such intensity it shook the trees. A gust of wind followed that bent branches back and drove men to their knees as they lost balance.
They fled in panic, running in all directions as if the gods themselves had taken to the battlefield against them. Terrified men ran into the horse, crying out in shock before running on, desperate to be away. The town was clear in a minute, and Alayse rode on in shock, her head thrown back to watch the clouds above.
In the town, men and women did all they could to contain panicked horses. Many professional soldiers hid inside buildings or under trees looking up with terrified eyes. Some pointed to the sky while others dared not look, the fear clutching their hearts.
"Herris," Jessivel called, his voice failing to find any strength. "Herris report."
He climbed down as Herris ran out from under cover, looking up the whole way until finally arriving to give his account of what happened while Jessivel was gone.
"We need to be away from this place," Herris insisted. "Something evil is above us, and it's hungry."
Jessivel looked to Alayse, who was consulting with her captains and getting an update on the situation.
"Do all you can to get the wounded on their feet," Jessivel ordered. "Then gather up every horse you can find. We're not spending another hour in this place."
Men and women hurried to make ready to move, eyes warily watching the sky as if doom was about to descend. When they did march, it was at a near gallop, every man and beast eager to be as far away from that forsaken place as possible.
The ride was somber and full of terrified whispers as Jessivel tried to make sense of it all. After a long hunt, he found his quarry and so much more. Now he hoped and prayed they would live long enough to find Gersius and deliver the report of a lifetime.
Comments
WhiteRabbit
That's very ominous.....
Sorry this was so late. I rewrote more than half this chapter after I reread it and saw it didn't go where I wanted it to. Then I was going to make it two chapters, but decided it really needed to be one. Anyway the ending of this chapter is significant. It is the first major hint at what is really going on. Nobody will be able to make sense of it yet, but it is importnat.
