Amethyst of the Gods Page 6

  "Nobody is to know that you have left," declared Boris. "As for your return, I cannot guarantee that you will return."

  "You ask much and offer little," frowned the dwarf.

  "Well said," nodded the Mage. "I need you."

  Doryelgar stared at the Mage and sighed. He glanced briefly around his small room and his eyes landed on the tome he had borrowed from the library. Finally, he nodded.

  "Let me pack a few things," submitted the dwarf. "I will not be but a few moments."

  "You have time," answered Master Khatama. "When you are ready, take the eastern exit from Talman. Go north out of the mountains. You will find a small group camped on the plain there, two humans and an elf, to be precise. Wait for me there."

  "Wait for you?" questioned the dwarf.

  Suddenly, the candle blew out. Doryelgar quickly relit it. He looked around the room, but the Mage was nowhere to be found. The door was still closed, but the dwarf walked over to it and opened it. It creaked as loudly as it had before. He shook his head and closed the door again.

  * * *

  The Dark Rider sat in the corner of the common room of the Falcon's Hood Inn in Tagaret. He leaned his back against the wall in an attempt to merge with the shadows. He felt exposed and out of place, so he watched every person in the room with suspicion. He sat sipping his ale for over an hour before someone entered the inn that caught his attention. He watched as the old man entered the common room and scanned the patrons with cold eyes. Their eyes met briefly and instantly broke contact.

  The old man sat at the first available table and ordered a mug of ale. His eyes bored into the table before him and he did not speak to anyone. After fifteen minutes, he casually rose and walked to the corner table. He sat down across the table from the Dark Rider.

  "Did anyone pay attention to me?" asked the old man.

  "I would have alerted you if they had, Calastano," replied the Dark Rider.

  "Very well, Klarg," sighed the Black Devil. "Did you check out the estate that Lattimer mentioned?"

  "Of course," answered Klarg. "It is as Lattimer described. It used to belong to Duke Everich. It is empty now."

  "Good," nodded Calastano. "I prefer that to having our men spread out all over town. Inns are no the place to spend your days if you value your privacy."

  "I will spread the word to our men this evening," declared Klarg. "By tonight we will all be off the streets. What did you find out about our prey?"

  "Fredrik and Niki have just arrived in the city," Calastano reported. "He is known as Lord Wason here in Tagaret. He has a mansion of his own. He also has bodyguards. In fact, the Cidal Mercenary Company guards him. We will lose a lot of men getting to him."

  "Perhaps," mused Klarg. "He cannot stay in the mansion forever. When he comes out, we will be ready for him. What about Jenneva? She is the main threat to our success."

  "I agree with your assessment," nodded the Black Devil. "She is not currently in Tagaret from what I could find out."

  "Not here?" frowned Klarg. "Lattimer is usually not wrong about these things. We must know for sure. If she is not here, then Fredrik will be easy to kill."

  "This is more than just killing Fredrik," warned Calastano. "Sarac wants them all dead. At least he specified Alex and King Arik as well as Fredrik."

  "And are they in the city?" questioned the Dark Rider.

  "No," frowned Calastano, "but I am sure that they will be soon."

  "How can you be sure?" asked Klarg. "This is not one of your hunches, is it?"

  "Actually, it is," smiled Calastano, "but I think you will agree with it."

  "Tell me," sighed Klarg.

  "Everyone knows that Sarac's army is due here in a matter of days," stated Calastano. "King Arik will gather all of his Knights of Alcea around him. He cannot afford not to. Trust me on this. They will all be here before Sarac's army arrives."

  "We could wait until after the battle with Sarac's army," suggested Klarg. "Why risk trying to kill them all when most of them are likely to die anyways?"

  "You always look for the easy way out, don't you?" Calastano shook his head.

  "I enjoy living," shrugged Klarg. "My methods have allowed me to survive where many others have failed. Do you have a better idea?"

  "Actually I do," grinned the Black Devil.

  "Tell me and I will be the judge of the worthiness of your plan," Klarg replied skeptically.

  "We attack them during the battle with Sarac's army," grinned Calastano. "They will all be in the city at one time. They will all be out of their mansions and palaces. Most important of all, they will all be extremely busy trying to stay alive."

  "They will be at their most vulnerable point," laughed Klarg. "I do think that I could learn to like working with you, Calastano. We must plan this well, though. The witch must be the first to go. I do not want that power directed towards me while I am focused on someone else."

  "Normally I would berate you for your use of such a derogatory term," retorted Calastano, "but in this case you are quite correct. Jenneva must die first. It just so happens, I have the perfect plan to kill the witch."

  Chapter 5

  Too Few, Too Late

  King Arik walked into the throne room of the palace in Melbin. His eyes scanned the room to note who was present and waiting for him. Without breaking stride, he walked to the throne and turned around to face his audience.

  "The war with Lanoir is officially over," he announced. "From today onward Lanoir will be known as another province of Alcea."

  The room applauded the official pronouncement of the news, which had already spread through Melbin with the speed of a lightning strike.

  "General Mobami," King Arik said, "back in Trekum you and I made a deal. I have fulfilled my portion of that agreement. The Darkness no longer exists over Sordoa and the Empire of Lanoir is no longer a threat."

  "I stand in your service, My Liege," the general smiled broadly as he bowed to King Arik. "I admit that I had great doubts of your ability to deliver on your promise, but I will be the first to agree that you have performed as promised. The people of the province of Sordoa acknowledge you as our king. We stand ready to do your bidding."

  "Excellent," smiled King Arik. "As promised, you are appointed as the governor of the province of Sordoa. You shall henceforth be known as Duke Mobami. What is the state of your army?"

  "We have lost many," frowned Duke Mobami. "Through death and disablement, my forces are but a fraction of what they were when we began. Still, the Army of Sordoa is still a potent fighting force, and we stand ready to fight wherever and whenever necessary."

  "That will be soon," frowned the king. "The city of Tagaret is facing an army of unprecedented size and ferocity. The Dark One has sent his minions southward from the Castle of Man to lay waste to the city. Goblins, ogres, and yaki are only days away from Tagaret. In addition to these gruesome creatures, Sarac sends his army of Dark Riders and Black Devils. The magic of the hundreds of Black Devils alone is a force to be reckoned with. The future of Tagaret and the world looks bleak. Duke Mobami, I charge you with gathering the most able of your men and the speediest of your horses. In the morning you are to depart northward to Tagaret."

  "It shall be as you command," Duke Mobami nodded as he signaled to Captain Azule and Captain Orteka. We will proceed with the greatest of haste."

  The Sordoan captains bowed to King Arik and left the room to initiate the preparations for the army's movement in the morning.

  "Your Highness," bowed Za-hong, "the Lanoirians would be pleased to join with the Sordoans in the march northward."

  "Thank you," smiled King Arik smiled, "but your men already are proving their worth by feeding your fellow countrymen. I saw the blankets spread out along the ruins of the wall laden with food supplies for the hungry. Your initiative in this matter had been noted and appreciated. The Army of Lanoir, however, is mostly infantry. As such, the battle of Tagaret will have long been decided before they could reach it."


  "Aye," nodded Za-hong, "but our cavalry can match the stride of the Sordoans."

  "I have no doubt that it can," agreed the king. "I will be frank here, Za-hong. The Army of Lanoir is huge in size. While I have faith in your brother, Za-chan, to administer wisely in Lanoir, I do have fear of insurrection before the army returns to your homeland. Your people have lived under an emperor for many generations. Their new status may be hard for them to adapt to. I am counting on your cavalry to aid your brother in maintaining order during the long march back to Lanoir. I truly believe that once there, all will go well."

  "Your fears are justified," nodded Za-hong, "but a trip to Tagaret to aid your army will only delay us for a few weeks."

  "A few weeks may prove to be crucial," King Arik shook his head. "Besides, I truly doubt that even the Army of Sordoa will make it to Tagaret in time for the battle. If Sarac's forces were planning a siege of the city, I would not hesitate to call upon the Lanoirians for aid. The fact is, there will be no siege of Tagaret. Sarac is more than willing to sacrifice tens of thousands of his troops to crush Tagaret. He may dally long enough to build some crude siege engines, but I fully expect them to storm the walls as soon as they arrive. If I am correct, the Army of Sordoa will be far too late to help. I asked for their assistance because there is no better use for them at this time, and I hope against hope that something will stall the march of Sarac's army. Your men, however, are needed to ensure the safety of Sordoans and Lanoirians as the huge Army of Lanoir marches home. I hope that you understand that this is not a rebuke of your worthiness. You have already shown your bravery and dedication to Alcea."

  "I understand," Za-hong nodded sadly. "I do wish there were more time available, though. Rest assured that the Army of Lanoir will proceed home in proper order and with dignity."

  "I am counting on your help for that to happen," replied the king. "The families of the men under your care await them."

  "What of the Melbin Guard?" asked Duke Alfred. "I am sure that we could supply some men to aid Tagaret."

  "Again," sighed King Arik, "there is no time for it. Sarac's army has moved much faster than we thought they would. I can only imagine that they must have used magic to carve a way through the destroyed pass at Tor. You need to rebuild your defenses here in Melbin. If Sarac's army defeats us at Tagaret, who knows where they may go next. My thought with the Army of Sordoa was that they could engage the remnants of Sarac's creatures. That way, even if Tagaret falls to the Dark One, someone would be close enough to destroy what is left of those vile creatures. There is no place for them in the world of man."

  Duke Alfred nodded and King Arik waited to see if there were any more questions.

  "Very well then," King Arik finally said, "we have had a great outcome to the conflict here in Melbin. Everyone knows what is expected of them. The Knights of Alcea will be leaving Melbin immediately. May we all be successful in our endeavors."

  Everyone began to file out of the room. When the room was empty, King Arik announced that they would depart on their unicorns immediately. Alex and Jenneva left to say goodbye to their friends.

  "You continue to grow in unexpected ways," complimented Tanya. "Your speech was absolutely royal. You were born to be a king."

  "Perhaps," frowned King Arik. "I sometimes wonder if I am up to the task."

  Tanya started to respond, but King Arik cut her off. "I know what you are going to say," he smiled. "Do not mistake my questioning of my abilities for a lack of determination. I realize now that I alone must decide the course of Alcea. I will do so as best I can. I will not balk from my responsibilities, but that does not stop me from wondering about how this all came about."

  "I am glad to hear you express your resolve," smiled Tanya. "I will stand by you to the end. Look to me for support when times are bleakest."

  "I have had much to think about today," responded King Arik. "Your revelation that you are the daughter of Alex and Jenneva was stunning. It has puzzled my mind all day. During that time, I realized that I have already come to depend upon you in many ways that I had not thought about. I was confused when I sent you to the Castle of Man with Alex and Jenneva. I did so because it appeared that your skills would be needed there, but I fully expected a fight with you about it. I was surprised when you offered no resistance. Now I understand you better. How could you possibly abandon your parents at such a time?"

  "It was as you said," nodded Tanya. "I wanted to be in both places at the same time. You made my decision for me."

  "What I cannot understand is why you hid your relationship from me," stated King Arik. "Have you ever thought that I would cause harm to come to you?"

  "Never," frowned Tanya. "I have not sought to hide the knowledge from you as much as I swore not to divulge it to anyone. I feared that the knowledge of my lineage could cause harm to Alex and Jenneva. Sarac's forces have long sought some leverage against them. I refused to allow myself to become a weakness for my parents."

  "All right," King Arik nodded with understanding. "And I can understand what prompted you to reveal the truth today. How did you learn the truth about your parents?"

  "It was your father who figured it out," Tanya answered.

  "My father?" echoed the king. "I do not understand."

  "It was during the search for the Dwarven Ruby," Tanya explained. "Prince Oscar called us all to a meeting when we were in Tagaret. You should have been there too, but you and Wylan were running around the sewers with your new friends."

  "I remember that day," nodded the king. "You must tell me the whole story while we fly up to Tagaret. I want to know how Prince Oscar figured it out."

  * * *

  The unicorns swept over the wall of Tagaret and headed towards the Royal Palace. Alex looked down at the outer ring of the fortifications. The bare yard between the city's new wall and the newly built defensive wall was filled with catapults and trebuchets. More siege machines were being brought to the area by large teams of horses. The unicorns banked in formation and soared between the two large mage towers that had been built so that Jenneva and Tanya would be high enough to oversee the battle.

  Citizens of Tagaret noticed the return of King Arik and his Knights of Alcea. They cheered loudly and pointed into the sky as the unicorns passed overhead. The area between the new wall and the old wall was filled with makeshift forges and shops. Hundreds of craftsmen labored feverishly to finish the items needed to complete the defensive fortifications.

  As they neared the Royal Palace, two Red Swords stepped onto the balcony of the library. They opened the large doors leading to the balcony and then waved a banner of Alcea towards the king. King Arik nodded and nudged Chaco towards the balcony. The Red Swords quickly disappeared inside the building. Chaco banked once more and glided through the open doors. The other unicorns followed. They came to a halt in the library of the Royal Palace.

  King Arik looked around as the Knights of Alcea dismounted. The library was packed with advisors and officers. He saw Konic, Prince Oscar, and General Gregor huddled around a large table with a map spread upon it. He made his way through the crowd to the table.

  "Welcome back," Prince Oscar stated. "You are not a moment too soon."

  "Trouble?" asked the king as the Knights of Alcea gathered around him.

  "The fairies report that Sarac's army may be here by morning," frowned Konic. "How did it go in Melbin?"

  "Dalgar and his men are dead," King Arik reported. "Za-chan has been appointed as governor of Lanoir. The Lanoirians begin their long trek back to their homeland in the morning."

  "So they will not be coming to our aid then?" sighed General Gregor.

  "I saw no point in it," shrugged the king. "Most of them are starving, weak, and tired. Only their cavalry would have been of any help, and they were needed to control the rest of the army. Ten thousand Sordoan cavalry are heading this way, but they will not make it in time. We are on our own."

  "Then our future is bleak indeed," General Gregor said softly. "Sarac
's army is much larger than we thought. Even with the losses they suffered at the Castle of Man, there are well over a hundred thousand of them. The battle of Tagaret will be over before their rearmost ranks even arrive."

  "I have not become king of Alcea to see it destroyed," retorted King Arik. "Tell me the state of the fortifications."

  "The mage towers are complete as you know," began the general. "The new defensive wall is as high as it is going to get. We even changed the design slightly to allow for more sentry towers upon it. Right now our tradesmen are forging metal doors for the gates. We were advised that wooden doors would not last very long with magicians among the enemy's ranks."

  "Who advised that?" asked the king.

  "I did," offered Fredrik. "Tree mines would destroy the wooden doors in seconds. The metal will present them with more of challenge."

  King Arik turned to look at Fredrik and Niki. He smiled at them and nodded.

  "Good thinking, Fredrik," the king declared. "It is good to see the two of you back here again. This is becoming much like a reunion."

  "In terms of our army," General Gregor continued, "our men are fit and ready to fight. They are well trained, well armed, and in good spirits despite the odds against us. I fear those good spirits will dissolve quickly when the enemy army comes into sight. The biggest problem that I see is the strength of our forces. We barely number over ten thousand men. Our defenses will slow down the assault somewhat, but will also limit our maneuverability. With the Sordoans and the Lanoirians here, we would surely triumph."

  "Surely?" questioned Alex. "Do not underestimate the impact of hundreds of magicians. The Black Devils will be the greatest threat facing us. You cannot expect our mages to easily defeat such a large number of magicians."

  "I guess that I have been discounting that problem," acknowledged the general. "I knew that there would be Black Devils against us, but hundreds of them is not something that I have planned for. It matters little in the end, though. We do not have the Sordoans with us. We do not have the massive army of Lanoirians with us. Even the Army of the West is too far away to help. I have always taught my men not to approach a battle pessimistically, but I fear that In this case, I cannot even abide by my own advice. I fail to see how we can possibly survive against such odds. I have advised Prince Oscar to evacuate the city."