Army of the Dead (62 page)

“There must be a way that I can help you with the demons,” sighed Marak. “I will find a way.”

“Go to sleep,” replied the dragon. “We all need rest so that we are at the peak of our skills when the battle begins. Let me sleep.”

Myka’s eyes shut instantly. Marak sat for a few more minutes staring at Myka. His mind raced trying to think of how he could help, but he knew that Myka was probably correct. Her life was created to battle the demons, so she surely knew their weaknesses. He finally started to rise to find a place to sleep, but he could not bear to leave Myka alone. The Torak moved close to the dragon and curled up next to her and fell asleep.

* * *

Premer Tzargo entered the throne room at Vandegar.  The head mage, Pakar, had just finished addressing the Emperor and returned to stand with his mages.

“Report, Tzargo,” commanded Vand.

“The Khadoran armies are crossing the Fortung Mountains,” Tzargo responded. “They appear to be in no particular hurry, but there can be no doubt that every clan in Khadora is coming to Vandegar.”

“Excellent,” smiled the Emperor. “We will put an end to them soon enough. What about the Chula?”

“There has been no sign of the Chula,” frowned Tzargo. “They are definitely not traveling with the Khadorans. I specifically asked our scouts to watch for them.”

“And the elves?” prompted the Emperor.

“They have not been seen, either,” shrugged Tzargo.

The Emperor growled, but Pakar stepped forward and spoke.

“The Elves and the Chula will travel clandestinely,” the mage advised the Emperor. “They may elude our scouts in the forests of Khadora, but once they reach the plains of Fakara, there will be little for them to hide in. We will see them coming long before they get here.”

“It has been a long time since you were last in Fakara,” the Emperor shook his head. “It is no longer the complete wasteland it once was. The Chula shamans brought their magic here and have caused the barren wastelands to spring to life. You really need to get out more, Pakar.”

The mage frowned in humiliation. The Fakara he knew from years ago when he had helped Veltar seize control of Grulak’s mind was a vast wasteland. He could not imagine anything else.

“Perhaps you should spend some time on the roof,” smiled Premer Tzargo. “While the area around us is indeed barren, you can see the distant forests from up there.”

“I have a better idea,” smiled the Emperor. “Pakar, take your mages and make your way to the west. You can report back when you have found out where the Chula and elves are.”

“And leave you defenseless?” balked the mage. “We might not get back in time for the battle.”

“I am hardly defenseless,” chuckled the Emperor as he enjoyed watching the mage squirm. “It will give your men something to do while we wait for the Khadorans. They are growing fat and lazy sitting around here. Find the elves and Chula and report back quickly. Go.”

Pakar bit his lip as he bowed low to the Emperor. He turned and gathered his dozen mages and marched them out of the room.

“They would be useful to have around when the battle starts,” Tzargo said softly.

“They will be back in time,” shrugged Vand. “You would be amazed at how well Pakar and his men can perform when they are given a task. They have not failed me yet, but they are getting lazy sitting around here. Their small task will do them good. Has there been any further word from Premer Cardijja?”

“Nothing,” frowned Premer Tzargo. “Their last message made little sense. They were in a jungle being attacked by giant spiders and little men. All attempts to contact them since have failed.”

“That is not what I wanted to hear,” frowned the Emperor. “I want Angragar located.”

“I could send a rider out to them,” suggested Tzargo. “There is still time to have his armies return for the coming battle.”

“Have I not given you enough men?” shouted Vand. “You have half a million more men than you brought with you, plus I have made each of your men invincible. You have the strength of all of the armies that we sent out of Motanga and still you whine for more. You will not mention it again. Do you understand?”

“Perfectly,” Premer Tzargo replied quickly as he bowed low to the Emperor.

Tzargo remained bowed low as he waited for the Emperor’s anger to subside. Several minutes passed before the Emperor spoke again.

“What about the dragon?” Vand asked the Premer. “Have there been any sightings of the foul beast?”

Premer Tzargo glanced towards the dark corner of the room as a loud hissing emanated from it when the word dragon was mentioned. He tore his eyes from the dark corner and gazed at the Emperor.

“There has been no mention of a dragon since the battles in Khadora,” answered the Premer.

“Zarapeto,” called the Emperor. “Come out of the darkness and stand before me.”

Premer Tzargo gulped air as the huge demon strode out of the corner. The premer backed slowly away as the black creature made its way to stand before the Emperor. The loud clicking upon the stone floor reverberated through the nearly empty chamber as the demon halted in front of the throne.

“Your command?” asked the demon with a low guttural voice.

“I want you to head to the east,” Vand ordered the demon. “I want you to find either Angragar or Premer Cardijja and then report back to me.”

“As you command,” nodded the demon.

“You will take Xero and Yunga with you,” declared the Emperor.

“Three demons are not necessary for so simple a task,” frowned the demon.

“I will take no chances while the dragon’s location is unknown,” Vand responded. “I know you are concerned with missing the battle, but you need not be. It will take at least a couple of days for the Khadorans to get here. If you have not found Angragar or Cardijja within two days, return here.”

Zarapeto nodded and skulked off without a reply.

“Why is the dragon so important to the demons?” asked Premer Tzargo. “Zarapeto appeared offended that you are sending others with him.”

“He is greatly offended,” shrugged the Emperor with disregard for Zarapeto’s feelings. “A dragon is the only beast that can kill a demon, and I will not risk losing Zarapeto because of his foolish pride. A dragon can possibly beat a lone demon, but it has no chance against more than one. My demons will remain grouped in threes until the dragon is destroyed.”

“Nothing else can destroy a demon?” asked Tzargo.

“Nothing,” smiled Vand. “Perhaps now you can understand my distaste for your whining. Let the Torak bring whatever armies he wants against me. The more he brings; the more we will kill. In just a few days, the world will be delivered to me as promised by Dobuk so long ago.”

The two mages stood on the open plain, a wasteland blasted to infertility ages ago. It was this area, north of Lake Jabul, that the Chula shamans had not gotten to when they set out to restore life to Fakara’s barrenness. While the rest of Fakara was in various stages of regrowth, the land around the Temple of Vandegar still resembled the harshness of salted earth. Having abandoned their horses at the edge of the new forest a day ago, the mages had walked across the barren openness, but they had not been seen by anyone. The shimmering hue of an illusion surrounded the duo, obscuring their approach from the eyes of the enemy. They halted, just a half-hour’s stroll from the ancient temple fortress.

“What do you see?” Lady Mystic asked impatiently.

Xavo did not answer as he stood peering at the distant temple. His head shook dismissively as his attention remained intent on the throng of distant Motangans.

“This illusion does nothing to shield us from the sun,” warned Vand’s daughter. “It is already climbing into the sky, and I am not about to stand out here and bake while you ignore me. What are you looking at?”

Xavo sighed and dropped his hands to his side.

“It was not what I was watching,” he explained softly, “it was what I was listening to. We are too far away to see much of anything other than thousands of Motangans milling about.”

“Fine,” snapped Lady Mystic. “What were you listening to?”

“Pakar is leaving the temple,” smiled Xavo. “He is taking his mages with him. I suspect that Vand is sending them somewhere, and they are not too happy with the order.”

“All of the mages?” brightened Lady Mystic.

“Yes,” smiled Xavo. “Our greatest worry about approaching the temple is no worry at all. With Vand’s mages away from Vandegar, we can easily slip into the temple unseen.”

“Praise Kaltara,” exclaimed Vand’s daughter.

Xavo turned and stared at his partner in disbelief.

“What did you say?” he asked. “I thought you did not believe in god?”

Lady Mystic blushed profusely and shrugged.

“Times change,” Lady Mystic offered meekly. “Think about it for a moment. Although we have both tried to deny His existence, we readily accept that Dobuk is guiding Vand’s every step. How can we possibly believe in the Great Demon without acknowledging that his counterpart must also exist? Face it, Xavo, we were wrong. Kaltara not only exists, but He is driving us towards our destiny.”

“I thought we were walking,” Xavo grumbled sarcastically.

“Say what you will, Master Magician,” smiled Lady Mystic, “but I know your thoughts well enough. You have already accepted the truth, but you are too stubborn to admit it. As the father of the Star of Sakova, you should have been among the first to understand what is going on in this world.”

“I should have been among the first,” Xavo sighed in defeat, “but I was not. I still cannot forgive myself for the troubles I caused Lyra. It all seems so long ago.”

“Much has transpired since then,” consoled Lady Mystic. “You are no longer Aakuta, and Malafar is a distant memory. You have changed, and I mean more than just your appearance. Lyra would be proud of you now.”

“My daughter would not even recognize me,” chuckled Xavo.

“There is that, too,” Lady Mystic frowned. “You do realize that we will be in Vandegar when the armies of the Torak attack? It is very likely that the friends of your daughter will kill us when they arrive. No one knows that we are heading here.”

“Does it matter if we are slain by my daughter or by your father?” shrugged Xavo. “No one lives forever. Let’s get out of this sun and find a place to hide in the temple while we think of a plan to defeat Dobuk.”

Lady Mystic smiled and reached for her lover’s hand. They had not walked but a few steps before Lady Mystic stiffened and clamped Xavo’s hand in fear. Xavo turned to look at his partner and saw her staring upward. His own eyes rose and scanned the sky. His mouth hung open as he watched the huge black shape flap its wings. Two other black shapes launched themselves from the roof of the temple and sped after the first.

“Demons,” Lady Mystic hissed under her breath. “Do not move. Our illusion is not strong enough to withstand their scrutiny.”

Xavo continued to stare skyward as the huge beasts flapped their wings in long, slow, powerful beats. The two trailing demons raced to get ahead of the first as all three soared higher into the sky. The first demon snarled at his pursuers as if daring them to question his supremacy. In moments they were too high up to distinguish, and Xavo felt Lady Mystic’s grip relax.

“They are so full of themselves,” Lady Mystic sighed in relief. “If any one of them had been paying attention, we would no longer exist.”

“We could have given them a fight,” Xavo shrugged boastfully.

“No, Xavo,” Lady Mystic corrected seriously. “Our magic is useless against them.”

“Useless?” balked Xavo. “They are physical creatures. Nothing is indestructible. It would just be a matter of finding their weakness.”

“Legend says that they are immune to magic,” retorted Lady Mystic.

“Legends have been wrong before,” countered Xavo.

“Perhaps,” Vand’s daughter conceded, “but you would only have seconds to prove it wrong. Your first spell would be your last before their talons ripped you to shreds. What spell would you attempt?”

Xavo stood in contemplation for a moment before sighing. “Let’s get out of the sun,” he said dryly.

The couple continued walking across the parched land towards the temple. They did not hurry, nor did they dally. As they got closer to the building, they were forced to thread their way through groups of Motangan soldiers that had set up camp outside the temple. Directly around the temple were the thickest crowds of soldiers. Xavo stepped in front of Lady Mystic and, while still holding her hand, led the way single file through the throng of Motangans.

When they reached the front of the temple, they marched up the stairs and found the doors closed. Xavo led Lady Mystic to one side and halted. He did not dare to open the door to gain entrance to the temple. To do so would expose their existence. Patiently, the two mages waited for the door to open. The wait seemed interminable as they listened to the banter of the nearby soldiers.

“I heard that the Khadorans are only two days away,” remarked a hawk-nosed soldier.

“Have you heard their numbers?” asked his bald companion.

“No,” admitted the first soldier, “but numbers hardly matter in this battle. The dead warriors will take the brunt of any attack. We will be lucky if any Khadorans even reach the temple.”

“The rest of our armies did not fair well against these Khadorans and their friends,” retorted the bald man. “Don’t be so sure that the dead will slow them down.”

“Half a million invincible warriors?” chuckled the first soldier. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have heard that they cannot die.”

“They are already dead,” countered the bald man. “I do not like this magic stuff. How can they be invincible if they have already died once?”

“Well,” pondered the first soldier, “it is said that we cannot die any more, either. So what are you worried about?”

“I do not believe everything that I am told,” snapped the bald man. “If you think that we will rise from the dead to continue fighting, then you go ahead and believe that. I intend to stay alive.”

The door opened as a group of soldiers filed out. Xavo moved quickly to snare the door before it could close. He swiftly led Lady Mystic through the doors into the temple. The two mages paused inside the doors to let their eyes adjust to the dimness. As soon as his vision was clear, Xavo led Lady Mystic to the stairway and up the stairs.