Alutar: The Great Demon (14 page)

“Tell him what?” asked Colonel Taerin. “Don’t you think you should find out if there is even a door inside that tent? “Won’t he want to know where it goes?”

“I have to answer yes to both of those questions,” frowned Colonel Donil, “but I shudder to think of how I am going to find out. The tent is always guarded. Besides, if I am able to get to the door and step through it, all I am likely to recognize will be the 20,000 soldiers who just marched through it.”

“And eight black-cloaks,” added Colonel Taerin.

“It is another team,” sighed the A Corps colonel. “Where could they be going?”

“I am not sure,” admitted Colonel Taerin, “but I don’t like it. I am being intentionally kept out of the loop.”

The two men fell silent for a while as they both stared out at the dark sea. It was Colonel Taerin who eventually broke the silence.

“I saw a wagon arrive last week,” he said softly. “I thought little of it at the time, but I now see that it might be significant. It was a shipment of doors from Camp Destiny. I did not know at the time that the portals were nothing more than mere doors.”

“I have to get through that door, Taerin,” Colonel Donil said, “and I need your help to do it.”

“My help?” balked the Baroukan colonel. “You have no idea what you are asking.”

“I do, Taerin. I know you think we are potentially on the opposite sides in this war, but I do not think we are.”

Colonel Taerin stared at the A Corps colonel. “Do you have any idea who General Forshire really is?”

“I know exactly who he is, and so do you, although neither of us will ever say so out loud. You think that makes us at odds with one another, but that is not true. I have observed you for a long time now. You are a good and decent man, Taerin. You do not fit in with the greed and the lust for power as the other officers in the Federation do, and I can not see you cheering because the masses are living in misery while you dine on roasted duck. You are not like them.”

Colonel Taerin was touched by the other colonel’s words, and he pressed his lips together tightly in thought.

“Are you Alcean?” he asked Colonel Donil.

“No, but I have been to Alcea. I went with the group of colonels last fall. What I saw would warm your heart, Taerin. I saw a land where strangers were friendly, where people weren’t afraid to share their campsites. It was a land where the fear of bandits was almost nonexistent. It was also a land of plenty. There were no starving people in the streets. There was no rampant disease.”

“You make it sound like a utopia,” sighed Colonel Taerin.

“Not a utopia,” Colonel Donil replied, “but a far sight better than any country under the Federation’s rule. Isn’t that what you would like to have for Barouk?”

“I would,” Colonel Taerin said after a long pause, “but should I commit treason to achieve it?”

“Treason?” scoffed Colonel Donil. “Grand General Kyrga is calling the shots here. Do you really consider going against him to be treason to the Empire of Barouk? I think not. It is not the empire that is rotten. It is the Federation, and it must be destroyed.”

Another lengthy silence ensued. Colonel Donil was content to wait for a response from Taerin, and the Baroukan used the silence to dwell upon his dilemma.

“If you know who General Forshire is,” asked Colonel Taerin, “why do you and the men of A Corps follow him?”

“General Forshire is the only officer who ever treated us as men,” Colonel Donil answered without hesitation. “The other Federation officers squeeze blood out of us when they have need of it, but outside of that, they treat us like dirt. You have read my file, Taerin. It holds charges of theft, insubordination, and striking an officer. That makes me an unsavory character in your eyes, doesn’t it?”

“After getting to know you, Donil, the charges do not seem to fit you, but a man must be held accountable for his errors.”

“Then I should hold you accountable for yours.”

“How do you mean?” asked Colonel Taerin. “What have I done to you?”

“You believed the lies spread about me,” answered Colonel Donil. “I never stole anything in my life. I was falsely accused of stealing by an officer who held a grudge against me. He knowingly lied to punish me for pointing out one of his mistakes. I am guilty of pummeling him when I found out what he had done to me, but the beating was only his just due. That is how your typical Federation officer treats his men. We are slaves who may do nothing more than bleed on the battlefield.”

Colonel Taerin nodded sadly. “And General Forshire rescued you from prison. Is that why you follow him?”

“At first,” admitted Colonel Donil, “but General Forshire has done much more for us. He has properly trained us in the art of warfare, sometimes personally instructing us. He has given us responsibilities when we have shown that we can handle them. More importantly, he trusts us. He even respects us, and we respect him. There is not a man in the A Corps who would not die for General Forshire. Can you say that for any other army in the Federation?”

“No,” admitted Colonel Taerin. “Your words make me see General Forshire in a new light. A man of such character certainly puts shame on one like Grand General Kyrga.”

“Then you will help me?” asked Colonel Donil.

“You are still asking me to go against everything I have lived for,” frowned the Baroukan.

“You know that is not true,” replied Colonel Donil. “You have never lived for the abomination known as the Federation. Besides, I am only asking you to distract the guards while a soldier risks his life for his general. I will come back here and let you know what I discover before I report to General Forshire.”

Donil’s last words intrigued the Baroukan. He found himself nodding at the words, and a smile came to his lips. “Tell me what you want me to do, Donil.”

General Salaman stood before King Vlador of Karamin in the castle in Calusa.

“Is this soldier sure of what he saw?” asked the king.

“He is sure,” answered the general. “He said that the cave held about a thousand men, and that is the strength of Boric’s forces as best as we can determine. It sounds as though the small campsites he let our men attack were all decoys. We now know the location of his true base.”

“And this soldier will know how to find his way back there?” questioned King Vlador.

“He assures me that he can find the hideout again,” General Salaman nodded. “He was mindful enough to mark the road when he exited the forest, and he was sure that he had proceeded due west from the camp. We will find Boric. I feel confident about it.”

“So take 2,000 men and do it,” the king waved dismissively. “Bring me Boric’s head to display in front of the castle.”

“I was thinking more along the lines of 5,000 men,” replied the general.

King Vlador frowned. “Why so many men? You could probably kill all the rebels with a mere one hundred men. Shoot them down when they try to escape the cave.”

“The cave is huge,” responded the general. “The rebels will hole up in the cave and refuse to surrender. I will have to send men in to flush them out, and that will cause my forces to suffer large losses. I will not go without sufficient forces to guarantee the end of Boric and his lot.”

“Smoke them out,” scowled King Vlador.

“That will be the first thing I try,” General Salaman replied calmly, “but such a large cavern is likely to have vents. In fact, the soldier reported numerous campfires inside the cave. No, King Vlador, it will require sending my men into the cave to eliminate the rats within.”

“Could there be another exit from the cave?” the king asked with concern.

“It is possible,” the general nodded. “I plan to send a detail around the mountain to check that out before we attack. It is another reason for a larger deployment. I may have to spit my forces several times.”

“Do as you will,” the king sighed with a dismissive wave. “Just bring me Boric’s head. Do not fail me.”

* * * *

The Alcean dwarves stepped through the portal into Tarashin, the home of the Zaran dwarves.

“I am Prince Darok of Dorgun,” the Knight of Alcea said to the guards. “Where would we find King Drakarik?”

“Last I heard,” answered one of the guards, “he was heading to the northernmost tunnel. They are having a demonstration today of affixing new waterproof seals to a door. I will escort you.”

Prince Darok smiled and nodded. The guard led the three Alceans through the maze of tunnels as only a resident of Tarashin could. An hour later, they halted in a large round room where several dozen dwarves were standing in a semicircle. King Drakarik noticed the new faces immediately and stepped over to meet them. The three dwarves bowed respectfully.

“I am Prince Darok of Dorgun,” announced the Knight of Alcea. “I believe you met my father, King Tring.”

“Indeed I did,” smiled King Drakarik. “What brings you to Tarashin?”

“We have come to help our brothers,” grinned Prince Darok. “First I should introduce my comrades. This is Doryelgar, a mage from Talman, and Kroto, a mage from Cazra. It was relayed to us by King Arik that the people of Tarashin might enjoy some help from their brothers, and I know of a few thousand brothers who would love to join with you in battle.”

The king laughed heartily. “Then we shall have fun together. A few thousand you say?”

“Close to ten thousand,” grinned Prince Darok, “but not all can come on such short notice. One thousand warriors stand ready to come right away. Those men will be from Talman. After we solve the transportation problem, the rest will join in the sacking of Valdo.”

“May I ask what your men are working on here?” inquired Doryelgar as he pointed to the door.

“Aye, you may,” answered King Drakarik. “Floro, come explain what you are doing.”

A dwarf with an incredibly large nose toddled over to the visitors with a huge grin on his face.

“It was Dorforun’s idea, actually,“ Floro began. “He developed some new watertight seals that are rather complex to make, but very simple to install. They are magically enhanced to expand after they are fitted to the door. We have tested them in a limited manner. I mean, there is only so much pressure we can apply in a testing environment, so we are fitting seals on this door to get a real test.”

“I see,” Doryelgar mumbled. “Is there a lot of water on the other side of that door?”

“Not yet,” grinned the Tarashin mage, “but there will be soon. Come. Let me explain what will soon happen.”

The two dwarven mages moved off towards the door with Kroto hurrying after them to hear what was being said. King Drakarik moved next to Prince Darok and put his arm around him.

“Come join me for the evening meal, Prince Darok,” offered the king. “I want to discuss strategies regarding our upcoming mission. This job will be a delicate dance against time, and we need to make sure everything is coordinated to the minute. With only a few days before we have to deploy, I would like to know about the men who will be coming from Talman and what they are capable of accomplishing.”

An hour south of where the king and Prince Darok walked, another pair of people stepped through the portal from Alcea. They did not dally in Tarashin, but rather passed through another portal to the Isle of Despair. The elven sentries there stiffened as the door opened. The two elven visitors stepped through the door and closed it.

“I am Galdan of Glendor,” stated the older elven visitor. “We have come to speak to King Elengal.”

“And Prince Saratoma,” added the younger elven visitor. “Can you direct us?”

“You are a magician of great stature,” stated one of the sentries as he bowed in respect to the older visitor. “I have heard Prince Rigal speak of you. Please, follow me. It will be an honor to escort you.”

The sentry led the two visitors through the tunnels of the old dwarven mine and eventually led them outside where a large number of elves were taking advantage of the sunshine. Many of the elves saw that new faces had arrived, but only two of them strode towards the cave entrance to greet the visitors. King Elengal and his son stopped in front of the visitors. The other elves who had noticed the new faces casually moved closer to hear what they could.

“I have the honor of introducing the magician Galdan of Glendor,” beamed the sentry. “Galdan, this is King Elengal and Prince Saratoma.”

“Well met and welcome to the Isle of Despair, Galdan,” the king said rather formally. “The tales of your magic have preceded you. We are honored to welcome you to our home, however temporary that might be.”

“You and your kinsman are welcomed as family,” smiled Prince Saratoma said as he gazed at the younger visitor.

“Actually,” smiled Galdan, “He is not my kinsman in the strictest sense of the word, although he is a brother dear to me. May I have the honor of introducing Prince Garong. He is a Knight of Alcea and the heir to the throne of Elderal.”

Gasps ran through the elves, and even King Elengal’s face paled. There had been many generations of conflict between the Dielderal and the Elderal and while the Dielderal had recently learned that their histories were invalid it was shocking to come face to face with an ancient enemy. Prince Garong seized the moment, swiftly stepping forward and embracing the Dielderal king.

“Welcome home, brother,” Prince Garong said with a smile on his face. “The Elderal have long awaited your return.”

The elves cheered wildly as the king returned the prince’s embrace. Prince Saratoma stood watching the historic moment and tears came to his eyes. While King Elengal was at a loss for words, Prince Garong was not. He gently pulled from the king’s embrace and hugged the Dielderal prince.

“And you, my younger brother,” Prince Garong said solemnly, “May we bring tears to the eyes of our enemies.” Prince Garong pushed Prince Saratoma to arm’s length. “The Elderal, the Sorelderal, and the elves of Glendor have pledged 10,000 men to your battle. You have only to say when and where you want them.”

The shouts and cheers were so loud that elves began filing out of the mine to see what was happening. The newcomers were confused at first, but Prince Garong’s words were echoed through the crowd and into the mine until every elf had heard them.