Amethyst of the Gods Page 17

  "You still haven't figured out how to set the siege engines ablaze," sighed the general.

  "The dwarves can do that," Prince Darok declared, his chest swelled with pride. "We still have the trap door into the barren portion of the city. We will emerge from the tunnel and ignite the siege engines."

  "That would be suicide," the king shook his head. "You might get the engines close to your trap door, but what about the other two sides of the city?"

  "There is a better way," interrupted Alex. "Prince Darok, I think your people should exit the city to the south. I will take the Red Swords to the west. We can get word to the gypsies to attack from the north. This will put pressure on all three flanks of the enemy."

  "That only leaves the elves and the Alcea army to defend the walls of the city," frowned General Gregor. "We will lose our magical shields once more. Do you propose that we abandon this section of the city and retreat to the old wall?"

  "Not at all," Alex shook his head vigorously. "We are not retreating. We are attacking."

  "You are mad," scowled the general. "Look over that wall and tell me what you see."

  "I see a bunch of unintelligent creatures," Alex replied. "I also see a large group of humans atop the western edge of the defensive wall. Those Black Devils are the true army that we face. Only their magic can thwart my plan."

  "Let me hear the rest of your plan," interrupted King Arik.

  "The plan will place great risk upon the fairies," Alex continued. "I want them to carry jars of fire glue high above the enemy. They are to drop them on the siege engines, but more importantly, they need to drop them on the Black Devils. This will push the enemy into panic. Those that charge our walls will need to be met by elven arrows. Those that try to flee the city will meet the dwarves, gypsies, and Red Swords. It is the only hope that I can see for our present predicament."

  "Thousands will die," Fredrik said softly.

  "Without a doubt," Alex nodded grimly, "but all of us will die if we do not act soon. Come morning, those siege engines out there will begin to pound this wall. Our men will end up running for cover while Sarac's creatures throw themselves at our walls. There is no time left for us to play defensively."

  The group fell silent as each member thought about the cost of Alex's plan. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that the next day would bring the loss of thousands of their friends. Finally, King Arik turned and gazed into the eyes of Prince Midge.

  "The fairy people stand ready to serve the Bringer," he declared loudly. "We will deliver our fiery cargo as requested. Long live the Bringer!"

  Thousands of tiny voices responded through the still night air and echoed the fairy prince's words.

  "Long live, Garala," shouted Prince Darok as he raised his dwarven axe high into the air. "May the bulk of the enemy come our way."

  "Not a creature will pass through the rain of elven arrows to reach Valon," vowed Prince Garong.

  "May the gods watch over all of us," General Gregor said softly as he bowed to King Arik.

  The group stood silently and solemnly for several minutes before King Arik spoke. "Let it be so," he declared. "Prince Midge, send Button back to the gypsies and a fairy to the Rangers. Let them know our plans. We attack at the first hint of the sun over the horizon."

  The group immediately dispersed to begin assembling the forces that would gamble their lives in the coming battle. Alex turned and walked across the street to the Gateway Inn. King Arik followed and stopped as he entered the common room. Alex knelt between the two large tables, his arms outstretched to hold the hands of his wife and daughter. Zalaharic and the other healing elves looked on with puzzled brows, but felt that they dare not interrupt whatever was going on. King Arik walked around the table that held Tanya. He knelt on the other side of it and gently took the free hand of the unconscious mage. He kissed her hand and held it to his forehead as he bowed in a silent prayer to a god he never knew.

  Alex rose with tears in his eyes. He walked around the table and placed a compassionate hand on the king's shoulder as he fixed his gaze upon Zalaharic.

  "Make them live, Healer," he said softly to Zalaharic. "Whatever you do, make them live."

  "I shall," vowed the elf healer, but Alex did not hear the response.

  Lost in his own morbid thoughts of the coming battle, Alex strode out of the Gateway Inn and headed for the Red Sword encampment. King Arik stared at the legendary warrior as Alex left the room. The king rose and placed Tanya's hand by her side on the table. He stood staring at the empty doorway as the impact of Alex's actions finally registered in his mind. Tears welled up in his eyes as he raced out the door of the inn.

  He scanned the street for any sign of Alex, but he could find none. Prince Midge fluttered down to land on the king's shoulder.

  "There is nothing you can say or do," the fairy prince said compassionately. "He is a mighty warrior and sometimes he accomplishes more than he thinks he can. Let him go without further doubt or confusion in his mind."

  "And is it the same for you?" asked the king. "Am I the only one who does not understand what I have asked my people to do?"

  "It is not what you have asked of them," Prince Midge smiled sadly. "It is what they have volunteered to do for you. Feel blessed with their love and devotion, but do not seek to shelter those who must battle for you. It is our destiny."

  Chapter 14

  The Battle of Tagaret

  Kroto knelt next to the dwarven king of Cazra and shook his head sadly. He rose quietly and turned to face Queen Sipitar.

  "There is nothing else that I can do for him," shrugged the dwarf magician. "His illness is unlike any that I have ever seen. All we can do now is to make him comfortable for his last days."

  The queen was petite by dwarven standards, but Kroto knew her as a person of quiet strength. She stepped close to the king and took his hand in hers. King Caratakora opened his eyes briefly. He sighed through his large nose and shook his head weakly before closing his eyes again.

  "Sipi," the king uttered with a pain-wracked gasp, "tend to our people well. Never forget that they are the reason for our existence. I will miss you so much."

  Tears flowed from the queen's large round eyes. It was a sight that had never been seen before in the tunnels of Cazra. Even through the battles with the elves of Dielderal, which had cost thousands of dwarven lives, including two of her sons, Queen Sipitar had been a pillar of strength. Her stoic presence alongside King Caratakora had been a solid foundation of determination for the dwarves of Cazra as they fought to maintain their homeland after the Collapse. That catastrophic shift in the Universes had surrounded the dwarves with new foes, and it was the king and queen who had seen the need for the dwarves to rid the land of the dark elves.

  A decade of warfare eventually brought about the end of the Dielderal, but the losses to the dwarves of Cazra had been steep. Every dwarven family had felt the loss of a loved one, including the royal family. Yet through it all, the queen had never wept, until now. Kroto bowed silently and backed out of the king's chambers. He had no desire to witness the failure of his healing magic, nor did he wish to intrude on the royal family's privacy. For over an hour, Kroto wandered aimlessly though the empty tunnels of Cazra. Almost the entire population had been sent to Tagaret to defend Garala. All that were left were young children and a scattering of guards to defend the mountain kingdom.

  It was the utter solitude of the empty tunnels that caused Kroto to stop walking. Here, deep in the bowels of the mountain, there should be no guards. It was not an area that children were allowed; yet Kroto felt a presence. Not a sound broke the silence, nor did the flitting light of the torches betray any movement, but Kroto no longer felt alone. The dwarf lifted his large nose and sniffed the air. There was no scent of an intruder. Kroto shook his head, sighed, and started walking again.

  "What bothers you?" asked a voice that drifted lightly through the tunnel as a hand rested gently on the dwarf's shoulder.

  Kroto stiff
ened. He immediately cast a shield about himself as he twirled to face his attacker, but nobody was there. Kroto frowned as he realized his shield had also failed to materialize. That had never happened before. He went through the motions of recasting the spell, but to no avail.

  "Do you fear me so?" asked the voice from another direction.

  "I fear anything that I do not understand," retorted the dwarf mage as his fingers slipped around the shaft of an axe on his belt. "Who are you?"

  "You say that you fear me," the voice replied with a hint of humor, "yet I sense no fear within you. You are alerted to danger, but most of all you are curious. You are fairly confident of your skills."

  The air shimmered in the torch-lit tunnel and the figure of a human materialized in front of the dwarf mage. Kroto's fingers tensed as he gripped the shaft of his axe.

  "A human wizard?" Kroto questioned as his brow creased heavily. "That cannot be. A human I could smell with ease. You carry no scent at all, therefore you are nothing more than an illusion."

  "And does an illusion often lay its hand upon your shoulder?" questioned the human figure.

  "No," frowned Kroto as he shook his head slightly. "So you are not an illusion, but neither are you human. What do you want of me?"

  "I want what is most precious to you," sighed the voice. "I have come to ask you to forfeit your life in these tunnels and follow me. I have great need of your skills."

  "You have not declared who you are," Kroto retorted defiantly. "I shall know your name before we talk further."

  "I have many names," the human mage replied with a taut smile. "You would know of me as the Mage."

  Kroto's large round eyes widened as he stared at the human wizard, but his fingers came away from the shaft of his axe. After several moments of silence, the dwarf magician exhaled and nodded.

  "Well, Mage," Kroto stated calmly, "if you have come to take that which is most precious to me, then I will not follow you. Be off."

  The Mage stared curiously at the dwarf for a long time before he spoke. "You still show no fear, yet you realize that your life is what we are discussing. You are filled with curiosity. Is it for what I demand of you, or what the consequences of your refusal might bring?"

  "I fear not your consequences," Kroto retorted confidently. "Every life comes to an end sometime. If now is my time, then I shall leave this world on my terms."

  "Dwarven life does always end," nodded the Mage, " although the date can be arbitrary at times, but I feel a sense of confidence in your dealings with me. What are your terms?"

  "If you are truly the Mage," declared Kroto, "then you have the power to do what I cannot. If you will extend a favor on my behalf, I will place my life in your hands."

  "So there is something more precious to you than your own life?" posed the Mage. "Request your favor."

  "King Caratakora lies on his deathbed at this very moment," stated the dwarf magician. "Give him the life that you will take from me. Do this, and I will follow you gladly."

  "Devotion is an attribute which I highly favor," smiled the Mage as a vial of green liquid appeared in his hand. "Give this to your king."

  The dwarf hesitantly took the vial and held it up to the torch to examine its contents. "How long will he gain?" asked Kroto. "I do not sell my life cheaply."

  "You have sold nothing," countered the Mage. "I ask that you follow me and aid me in my time of need. You may very well die in my service, but that is not foretold. As for your king, he shall have years yet to live. Ask for no further definition because I cannot offer it."

  "Then a bargain is struck," nodded the dwarf magician with a toothy grin.

  "Indeed," chuckled the Mage. "Your curiosity alone would have demanded that you follow me, but you bargained for a boon beyond your expectations."

  "So it is so," grinned the dwarf, "but you will not neglect the terms of our deal."

  "Of course not," smiled the Mage. "When you have administered the contents of the vial, travel westward three leagues past the entrance to Cazra. I will wait for you there. Do not dally, and do not speak of your obligation."

  Kroto nodded, but the Mage had already disappeared. He clutched the vial tightly as he turned and ran back to the king's chamber. The queen was on her knees with her head leaning against the side of the king. Her tears had ceased like a fountain run dry, stained tendrils of despair etched into her cheeks. She did not even look up as Kroto entered the chamber.

  Kroto walked to the opposite side of the bed and held the vial to the king's lips. The queen stirred as Kroto lifted the king's head slightly and poured the green liquid from the vial.

  "What is that?" asked Queen Sipitar. "What are you giving him?"

  "A second chance at life," Kroto replied softly as he stuck the empty vial in his pouch.

  The king's eyes popped open, and he gazed around the room. His eyes were young and alert, and he breathed with the excitement of one coming fresh from victorious battle. He sat up in bed and tossed his covers aside. He looked down at the tear-stained face of his wife and frowned.

  "What is it, Sipi?" he asked softly. "What brings forth your tears?"

  "You are dying," answered the queen haltingly as she stared at the king in confusion.

  "Nonsense," blustered the king. "I feel wonderful. I may have had a bad meal, though. Certainly that must have been the source of the nightmare I just had."

  Kroto smiled inwardly. He silently left the chambers as the king and queen hugged each other like newfound lovers.

  * * *

  King Arik stood on the western edge of the new wall of Tagaret looking out over the assembled horde of Sarac's creatures. Beside him, Niki stood quietly, her eyes rolled up into her head and her lips moving silently. The king watched curiously as a group of ogres began to look around in confusion. After a few moments, several of the ogres moved purposely towards the south. Several minutes later, another small group moved away towards the north.

  "She is doing it," Fredrik remarked excitedly. "The ogres are obeying her commands to close the gates. I must hurry to my station."

  "Where is your station?" asked the king. "What part are you to play?"

  "I have taken the liberty of claiming a section of this wall to myself," explained the young mage. "When the fairies begin their attack, I will send forth magical spells towards the Black Devils. While I may not inflict much damage before they block my assault, it will divert their attention away from the fairies."

  "Won't they concentrate on killing you then?" questioned King Arik.

  "They will try," nodded Fredrik, "but hopefully they will not have the time to complete their task. The fire glue dropped by the fairies will start to burn through their ranks."

  "Still," frowned the king, "you risk too much. Remember that you are the descendent of Sarac. It is you who must wield the Sword of Heavens to defeat the Dark One."

  "One day at a time," Fredrik smiled strangely. "We must live through this day before we can plan the assault on Mount Kalas. While my section of the wall will be free of elves, several of them will be shielding me. I will stop my attack as soon as the fairies drop their loads."

  "It is done," Niki sighed with exhaustion. "Ogres are now heading towards each of the three gates. Those gates will be closed very soon."

  "Go to the Gateway Inn and rest," ordered Fredrik as he turned to leave for his station. "We have need of your skills later, and you must be rested."

  Niki nodded and kissed Fredrik before he had a chance to leave. "I will be ready when you need me," she smiled. "You make sure that you join me soon."

  King Arik smiled tautly as he watched Fredrik and Niki part company and go their separate ways. His mind lingered on memories of the early days when they were just a bunch of Collapse Children running for their lives. There had been friction in those early days, particularly with Niki, but all of them had united to become the core of the Knights of Alcea. He wondered how many of them would be left by nightfall.

  Suddenly, far across the
barren portion of the city between the new wall and the defensive wall, flames erupted among Sarac's Black Devils. Screams and shouts blasted the still dawn air, as fires roared along the defensive wall. King Arik saw several bolts of lightning streak across the barren area and strike in the vicinity of the Black Devils. There was an immediate reaction from the defensive wall as dozens of fireballs and lightning bolts slammed into the new wall where Fredrik was stationed. The exchange lasted only moments before it ceased, but new fires continued to break out among Sarac's Black Devils.

  Fireballs streaked skyward from the distant wall, and the king knew that the fairies had been discovered. Jars of fire glue began falling among the siege engines, and the wooden instruments of war began burning brightly. As Alex had predicted, pandemonium ruled the barren area between the walls. Goblins and ogres ran in all directions. Some charged the new wall only to be met by swarms of elven arrows. Others backed away from the carnage and tried to escape the enclosed area, only to find the gates closed. The Black Devils, the ones who were not busy burning to death, tried to bring order to Sarac's army. It was a futile exercise. Their voices could not be heard above the crackling flames and screams of the dying.

  Suddenly, the long shadows of the early sun disappeared as the sky turned dark. King Arik looked skyward, and he gasped with glee. Blocking out the morning sun in the east, Wyka led the dragons over the city. Wyka roared and belched flame as she skimmed over King Arik and started attacking the ogres. What had been confusion only moments before, turned into a full rout as the dragons attacked. Gates in the defensive wall were torn down and creatures leapt from the walls as they scrambled to leave the barren area of the city for the fields and forests beyond.

  As the enemy became bottlenecked in their escape from the walled city, General Gregor ordered an attack. The six thousand mounted soldiers of the Alcea army rode through the gates in the new wall. They charged at the fleeing creatures as elven archers dropped ropes from the wall and slid down to join the attack.