Siege of Pailtar (15 page)

The three other soldiers moved forward to join their captain. Hands at swords, the soldiers tried to look intimidating. Their orders were clear, only Meron soldiers could access the oasis. These travelers would have to find water elsewhere.

The captain smirked, four against two and one was a woman. These travelers had best get moving before he decided that keeping a woman with them would make the time go faster, guarding water in the desert was lonely work. “Last chance, turn around and go. I’ll not say it again.”

Everet sighed, why did soldiers always have to be so ridged. Simply ignoring them and letting them drink their fill and move on would’ve been the right decision. But that obviously was not going to happen. “What do you think, Severa? Should we turn around or have a drink of water?”

Behind the cover provided by Everet’s horse, Severa had been able to draw her daggers without the soldiers noticing. When Everet asked his question, Severa knew exactly how to respond. Taking the short blade in her hand, Severa whipped the blade over the back of Nathan’s horse and into the closest soldiers throat!

“I guess that answers that,” said Everet before lunging towards the arrogant captain. Everet drew his sword and sliced off the captain’s arm as he went to draw his own sword. The two remaining soldiers caught off-guard by the sudden vicious attacks were slow to respond.

Severa’s second dagger did not have the same impact of her first. This one missed it’s target, instead of piercing her targets heart it ended up in his shoulder. The soldier gasped in pain and tried to maneuver around Everet’s horse to get to Severa while his companion attacked Everet.

Everet, ignoring the screams of the captain as he tried to stop the bleeding from his arm, met the attack of the soldier head on. He blocked the man’s sword with his own and brought his leg behind the soldier’s. Pushing back on the soldier’s sword, Everet forced him back and the soldier tripped over Everet’s leg. Off balance and falling, the soldier lost his focus on Everet’s blade. It was his last mistake. As the soldier hit the ground, Everet’s blade punctured his chest.

Everet quickly pulled his sword out of the dying soldier’s chest and turned to find the remaining soldier chasing Severa around his horse. Everet took his sword in two hands and flung it. As the soldier came around the back end of the horse he ran right into the thrown sword. The hard thrown weapon struck the soldier high in the chest. The blade went so far into the soldier that the tip came out his back.

On his knees, staring at his handless arm profusely spurting blood onto the desert, the captain kept screaming in agony. Everet pushed the man over. “I think we’ll have that drink of water now.”

Everet lead the horses to the Oasis, leaving the captain to bleed out.

All that over a few mouthfuls of water.

16

Balta

“GET UP SLEEPYHEAD!”

Nathan woke up and looked around to see if Ava was sending him her thoughts or if she was there in the room.

From the doorway, a voice rang out answering his question. “Come on, you’re late for breakfast,” said Ava as she turned and headed downstairs.

Nathan waited until he was sure Ava was gone and then got out of bed. It wasn’t that he minded Ava seeing him in his underwear. It was that he did mind her seeing him like this. Trying to explain how a teenage boy’s body woke all on its own was a conversation best avoided.

Dressed, Nathan headed downstairs and joined Ava, Rose, and Avera in the kitchen. A bowl of warm oatmeal covered in cream and sprinkled with cinnamon awaited him. Nathan loved the smell of cinnamon, and his mouth watered as he prepared to dive into his breakfast.

“Are you coming with me to see Balthazar today?” asked Ava.

Nathan had his spoon poised and ready to dive into his morning meal. Damned girl woke him so he could eat and now she wanted to talk? “No, someone suggested it would be a good idea if I helped out at the blacksmith shop. So I told Breon I’d come down and help today. What are you doing with Balthazar?”

Ava frowned, she had hoped Nathan would come help her. “I’m his assistant for the day. He is examining the tomes again and requested that I help.”

Nathan smiled, he knew why Ava wanted him to help. “You are his lacky. He wants you to go back and forth from his lab and his library with books as he tries to decipher the tomes.”

“Yes,” said Ava. “But I do get to be there. Who knows what kind of awesome spells he will be able to decipher. Maybe I will learn them. Besides, I’m caught up on my duties at the infirmary so learning from Balthazar would be a nice change from making salves all day.”

“He’s had weeks with the tomes and hasn’t figured them out, what makes you think he is going to have any more luck today?”

Ava shrugged, “I’m just hoping. I don’t want to be a lacky forever.”

“Can I be a lacky?” asked Rose.

“You are going to school, Rose. You don’t have time for that sort of foolishness,” said Avera.

“She’s right, Rose, you have to go to school. Someday you can come help me, but first you have to go to school,” said Ava.

“Fine,” said Rose. “I will go to school, but if you learn any new spells today you have to promise to show me later.”

“I’m not sure I could show you. But if I learn something that I can show people, you will be the first one I show. I promise.”

“Deal,” said Rose with a smile.

“Are you done breakfast, Rose? It’s time for us to get going,” said Avera.

“I need to get going too,” said Ava. “Come on, Rose, I’ll walk with you and Avera for as long as I can.”

Rose quickly finished up her oatmeal and left with Avera and Ava.

Finally
, thought Nathan,
I can finish my oatmeal in peace
.

That’s what you think,
Nathan.
Enjoy your oatmeal
! Ava smiled as she read his thoughts and responded.

Nathan looked at his oatmeal suspiciously. Hunger overcame caution and he ate it. Nothing was amiss. There were no bugs in it, no surprises at the bottom of the bowl. She had worried him for nothing but fun. He wondered how he was going to return the favor, hiding his thoughts so he could prank her.  Ava was keeping him on his toes. He smiled and refilled his bowl.

…

Breon Poultin watched with amazement as Nathan worked at the forge. A northerner, Nathan was as big and strong as any young man. Breon knew a few men who might be stronger, but none could work the metal the way Nathan did. Nathan’s giant’s blood heritage and his strong magical connection with the earth were a perfect combination for a blacksmith. Breon wasn’t sure which factor, his strength or his magic, most influenced his smithing ability. But it did not matter, the results were all that mattered.

Today, they were making swords. Normally, his apprentices would take turns on the forge hammering the metal into shape, but when Nathan was working, they simply left that task to him and Breon’s apprentices focused on sharpening the blades once Nathan had them shaped. In a day they would make three times as many swords as normal when Nathan assisted them. “Take a break, boys. I brought you some cold water.

Nathan ignored Breon’s words. He was almost done forging the weapon and to stop now was a waste of effort. Making swords was tedious and boring work for Nathan. He knew it was necessary and important work, but he would much rather be making jewelry or fancy ironwork. Nathan hammered the blade a few more times and then inspected it. It was good. He could make better with the right materials, but witchwood and phosphorus were not common in Balta. Nathan still had some of his supplies from his trek through Northern Solotine, but certainly not enough to arm the entire army. Satisfied that the blade was ready, Nathan put it down and went to get a drink of the cold water that Breon had offered.

“I wish I could get you here everyday,” said Breon. “I know the apprentices certainly enjoy having days where they don’t have to do the hammering.”

Nathan laughed, “Sorry, I wouldn’t be able to do this every day. I’ll stick to making jewelry.”

“As you should,” said Breon. “Your black steel jewelry is excellent. Well worth the exorbitant prices you’re getting for them. That doesn’t change the fact that it would be better for
me
if you made swords every day.

Nathan laughed again.

…

“Ava, could you grab the red spell book from the third shelf of the fifth bookcase. I recall it might have something of use,” said Balthazar as he studied the tomes of the Red Order.

“Right away,” said Ava. So far this was the eighth trip to the library for a spell book that might be of use. So far none of them had helped. The Red Order had used a dead language for the spells and so far Balthazar had not been able to decipher much of it. Cyrnic, the one mage with the most experience studying the Red Order had perished during the attempt to retrieve the tomes, and his knowledge regarding the ancient tomes was now lost. Cyrnic’s notes had been less than helpful.

Ava grabbed the red spell book and took it back to the workspace Balthazar was using. When she got there she was surprised to see the king and one of his knights talking with Balthazar.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, there is no easy way to decipher the tomes. Whatever secrets they hold will take some time to reveal themselves. Cyrnic studied for years before he understood enough to track down the tomes. Hopefully some of his findings will help guide us, but so far I have nothing to offer you.”

The king was obviously frustrated by this answer. “Then why were the Darcarions so insistent on finding the tomes. King Ganus won’t wait years before he attacks. Why would they risk so much for tomes that would take so long to understand.

“The Red Order was a powerful organization, they had members in many cities. Perhaps Meron or another city of Morthon had temples of their order. Perhaps his mages have studied the language and only needed to get ahold of the tomes. I don’t know what King Ganus was thinking, other than the legends state the tomes contain powerful spells, ones that could change the balance of power in Mithbea. I would assume a man like King Ganus would want the tomes regardless of how long it took him to gain their knowledge.”

“I suppose,” Said King Verbon. “I had hoped you would be able to provide something soon. Something we can use to defend the kingdom against Morthon’s armies.”

“I, too, hope to accomplish that goal, finding the Red Order’s secrets is my highest priority.”

Boom! An explosion rocked the room. Everyone in the room was knocked down by the violent blast.

Ava opened her eyes. The explosion had sent her flying into the wall. The room was smoky and hot. Ava blinked and tried to clear her eyes. When she finally was able to focus, Ava watched in horror as four Darcarions rushed into the room. Ava instantly recognized the tattoo-covered bodies and tried to put up her magic shield. But something was wrong with her back. She could not move her hands or arms, and her brain was still fuzzy. Fear was coursing through her body. Something was paralyzing her body.

The Darcarions moved swiftly. The shock wave had worked perfectly. The spy had told them that Balthazar had removed many of his normal protective spells in this room so they would not interfere with any spells they learned from the tomes. Once the spy had snuck them into the city it had been easy to hide out and wait for the signal that the king was with Balthazar. They were more than happy that they would be able to take out all of their targets at once, and retrieve the tomes. Fortune had smiled upon them.

Balthazar assessed the damage the powerful blast had caused. While he had taken down the majority of his magical wards, he had kept on his ring, a powerful talisman that absorbed much of the magical damage of the shockwave. The Darcarion mages were already in the room and about to finish their job. Three of the mages sent spells at Balthazar while the fourth attacked the king's knight with a wicked looking blade. The knight, groggy and still stunned fell to the Darcarion’s blade. The mage then turned and struck down King Verbon who was trying to stand up, with what looked like a bolt of lightning. Balthazar needed all of his energy to block the spells being cast at him. Helplessly, he  could only watch as the king died.

Balthazar knew his own death was imminent. He could not withstand the attacks for much longer. The only thing that mattered now was making sure the Darcarions did not take the tomes. His own life, even that of his king, did not compare to the cost of letting the Darcarions retrieve the tomes. Looking around for a course of action, Balthazar found a full wineskin and threw it across the room. The Darcarions watched in amusement as the wineskin flew past them. Balthazar had not even come close to hitting them.

The Darcarion mage leader smirked at Balthazar. “The great Balthazar, and all you manage to do is throw away good wine. How disappointing. I expected more from such a legendary mage.”

Energy fading and wounded, Balthazar knew he would not be able to defeat the four mages. Balthazar now had a choice to make. He could save himself or the kingdom. With his remaining magical energy, Balthazar cast his last two spells. The wineskin burst into flames and a shimmer of blue light surrounded Ava. The Darcarion mages, focusing on Balthazar and the burning wineskin, did not notice the magical shield he placed over Ava.

The Darcarion mage turned and looked at the burning wineskin. He finally realized that Balthazar had not missed with his throw. He had not been aiming at them, he had thrown the wineskin on top of the tomes of the Red Order. The valuable tomes were now destroyed by the flames!

The Darcarion leader screamed in anger. They had failed again to retrieve the tomes. King Ganus would never accept this outcome. He would kill them and everyone they ever knew. The only thing the Darcarions could do was make sure Balthazar died. The leader barked a command at his fellow warrior mages. The four mages clasped hands, stood in a circle and started their last spell. One they had hoped to never use. With a few words, the Darcarion mages started to glow and then a spark of energy erupted in the center of their circle. The spell used all of the magic of the four mages and created a powerful explosion, blowing them up along with everyone else in the room.