Chains of a Dark Goddess (27 page)

“By the ancient pact that flows in your veins as citizens of Mûlkra, you shall know what I say is true. Harmulkot is with us again and she resides in me!”

At that moment, Harmulkot ghosted over Aleui completely. Along with a well-placed
spell of seeming
this gave the perfect impression that Aleui had become Harmulkot.

“Citizens of Mûlkra,” declared Harmulkot. “I, your Goddess of the Blessed Night, have returned! Long have I been banished and held from you by foul sorceries. No longer! In your hour of greatest need, I have returned!”

A roar went up from the crowd such that the walls of the city shook and dust fell from the roofs of houses. Children wailed and dogs howled.

“You have hope again!”

“Hope! Hope! Hope!” the people cried.

“Queen Marisan,” announced Harmulkot, “is not my ancestor. She is a charlatan and a traitor!”

Queen Marisan was brought out before them and Aleui-Harmulkot took the statuette to her. Queen Marisan moved hesitantly, but she had no choice. One execution would be as good as another. She reached out a shaking hand and placed it on the statuette. Darkfire blazed and she was reduced to ashes. Everyone in the crowd was stunned into silence. All of them had seen criminals killed in this way by being forced to touch the statuette when it was carried out here on a pedestal, to these very steps. 

Suddenly a tremendous boom beneath the earth shook the temple, the commons, and much of the city. 

“Not now,” Harmulkot murmured. 

“Are we safe?” Aleui whispered.

“
In addition to the curse binding me, there was a safeguard of some sort to prevent me from taking back the city should I escape my imprisonment
,” Harmulkot said into Aleui’s mind. “
I had hoped time had erased it. I had hoped the people had forgotten. Regardless, it is a risk we must endure
.”

People began to look fearful. Some screamed as the earth continued to rumble.

“It’s the curse!” one man shouted. Then a woman took up the refrain. Then several in unison. One after another they began to panic about the curse. Darkhearts, moving through the crowd, identified many of those who cried out, intending to permanently silence them later.

The rumble ceased. 

“Citizens!” Harmulkot shouted. “This is not the curse intended to keep me from you. This is but an earthquake.”

“What if it is?!” shouted someone.

“If it is, then it will destroy us as surely as the Issalians. You can cast me out if you like, but
without
me, you have
no
hope. With me you do! 

“Using tremendous magics, I have brought forth a champion to lead you to victory, one more than fit to wage war against the Issalians for he was their mightiest warrior. I have brought the greatest knight of our age back to life. General Breskaro Varenni, who rides with his Undying Valiants!”

Trumpets blared behind the commons and people wheeled to see Breskaro Varenni riding at the lead of his Valiants, the ancient banner of that order of knights fluttering in the wind and carried by Captain Amrasi. Following the eighty Valiants were Breskaro’s twelve Knights of the Dark in their motley uniforms. Riding directly behind Breskaro was Esha, dressed in lacquered leather armor as a shield-maiden would have been in the days when Harmulkot had sat on the throne. The gear had been recovered from the palace vault and fitted to Esha as best as possible. The great wooden shield on her back was rimmed in iron and was unadorned. Her blonde hair and golden eyes shimmered in the morning light. A crimson cloak hung from her shoulders. 

The crowed parted for them and Breskaro rode up to the base of the steps. His knights formed into ranks. Batwings sprung from his back. As the crowed looked on in silent amazement, he flew up and landed beside Harmulkot. He turned and the wings disappeared.

“
Our champion
!” Harmulkot shouted and the people roared.

“People of Mûlkra!” said Breskaro, “I am here to fight for you. Your enemies are my enemies! I was betrayed by the Issalians, slain on the Plains of Brekka, and restored from the Shadowland by Lady Harmulkot. 

“I know the tactics of your enemy. I know what’s in their hearts. If this city falls they will put men, women, and children to the sword. But if we stand together and fight them, we can win! I
pledge
myself to you.” He turned and knelt before Harmulkot. “I pledge myself to your goddess,
my goddess
, Harmulkot.”

Who thinks she has me wrapped in her chains.

“Go now and make ready for war!” Harmulkot declared. “Ration your food. Sharpen your weapons. Enlist! Be brave. Be strong.
Together
we will
endure
!”

Chapter 38

News of the massacre at the Mausoleum of the Valiants had spread fast. Nothing could stop that. And too many who had fled Iori heard Breskaro screaming out who he was. Rumors of Breskaro returning from the dead circulated throughout the cities. 

The Matriarch gave a speech in response, with heralds moving to all the major towns and villages in the Issalian Empire to repeat what she said: That a demon summoned by the Mûlkrans had animated the body of Breskaro Varenni, that they intended this to strike fear into the hearts of all Issalians, whom they thought would cower because of this. Instead, the Matriarch urged the populace toward holy vengeance upon the Mûlkrans for this atrocity. 

Enraged, the populace had moved with fervor to join the ranks, or to support them with offerings of food and money to pay for equipment and supplies. Temple donations were soaring. 

General Togisi formed his crusading army as fast as possible, mobilizing the full Imperial Army two months early, their numbers augmented by the many knights and peasant volunteers who had already gathered at dozens of temples in preparation for the upcoming crusade. 

The army at his command was forty thousand strong, of which more than six thousand were mounted knights, nearly ten thousand were archers, and the rest were infantry. 

Volunteers continued to join as the army marched. Some were the sons of lords, off to prove their devotion and make a name for themselves. Most were mere commoners, motivated by a zeal to attain Paradise or to atone for past sins, or motivated by adventure and foreign spoils. This rabble was difficult to control and often a liability. But they would bear the brunt of any surprise assault, and when the walls of the city should fall, they would pour in and take the heaviest casualties in the process.

Togisi despised this rabble, ranting about them to his officers every chance he had. While devotion to Seshalla was admirable, he thought it best served by joining the Issalian military and getting proper training. Breskaro had always loved the throngs of eager warriors. He was always the one to give speeches to motivate them — not for bravery but to stay disciplined. Togisi had had difficulty dealing with them after Breskaro’s death. He had thought the destruction of the Valiants would inspire the army to greater accomplishments, but instead the Third Crusade had bogged down with an army that had seen their best wasted and their morale lowered with the volunteers often in disarray. 

The Imperial Army set off with little of the fanfare the Matriarch had intended months earlier. Weeks of difficult marching through increasing cold and flurries of snow followed. The army moved from the lowland plains of central Issaly, through the midlands, and through the Cerithu Forests. Finally they moved into highlands controlled by the City-State of Mûlkra whose realm was one-quarter the size of Issalia’s, most of it being rocky highland pastures and anemic farmland. The Mûlkrans fled before them, putting up no defense.

The Imperial Army marched until they reached the steep Mountains of Blessed Night. There was only one good passage in through the mountains, Kerokar Pass, a wide ravine that went on for a league before opening to the valley where the city of Mûlkra lay. They stopped and made camp before daring Kerokar Pass, needing to rest and make sure that it was safe to enter before moving on.

Chapter 39

Breskaro watched three Mûlkran officers dig a trap pit outside the walls of the city. High Priestess Aleui stood nearby, still maintaining the appearance of Harmulkot. 

“We have,” said Aleui, “the good will of the people now but—”

“We will have the goodwill of the soldiers as well.”

“Are you certain?”

Breskaro smiled. “I’m earning it now.”

“What about the officer corps?”

“They’ll fall in line after this, and the soldiers will feel empowered. I know what I’m doing.”

“This is why we brought him here,” said Harmulkot.

Breskaro, speaking loud enough for the majors to hear him down in the pit, said: “This place has been run poorly for too long. But it’s not the fault of these men, who have surely dug enough. They were long given lax commands by leaders who didn’t care about standards. I, on the other hand, care about standards. I am not disciplining these men so much as I am correcting an oversight. They will become better officers, or they will die as cowards and their city will be overrun.”

The three mud-covered majors climbed out and assembled before Breskaro.

“So, gentleman, have we learned a lesson?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Should I demote the three of you?”

“Yes, sir,” said two of them.

The third hesitated and then said, “No, sir.”

“And why is that, major?”

“Dalu, sir. I have the wits. And I have the desire now. I had the desire before, years ago, but I became lazy, unfocused. I will thrive under your command. I
won’t
let my city down.”

Breskaro stepped up to him, his eyes blazing, but the man didn’t back down, even though he began to tremble. 

“If you were in charge of a century of foot and I were to employ the Tremblix Maneuver against you with forty cavalry, you would—”

“Form the Ambrus Circle until I could be certain of the direction of attack. Assuming, sir, that we were fighting alone.”

“Good,” said Breskaro. “You are now promoted. Do not fail me, Colonel Dalu.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

“As for you others, you are to remain at the rank of major, but I am watching you. Dismissed.”

“The blessing of the goddess on all three of you,” said Aleui. Once the men were gone she added, “Was that wise to promote him?”

“He’s confident and he knows what he’s doing.”

“Have we need of more colonels?”

“Yes. I killed one this morning.”

“What! Why?”

“Laziness and over-disciplining of his troops. He was ruining morale and he was contentious with the other officers. He tried to buy my favor. Instead he bought my sword.”

Aleui shook her head. “We need all the men we can get.”

“Oh, he’s a fine soldier now,” said Breskaro. “Never complains, requires neither food nor rest.”

Aleui shivered. “I don’t trust these automatons of flesh that you are raising.”

“It is my knowledge of the science,” said the voice of Harmulkot, “that allows him to do this. Have my priestesses fallen so far in trusting my powers?”

“No, my Lady, no. I just don’t trust things that cannot reason for themselves.”

“You should be cautious. No doubt. But if we have a chance of survival, it will be those who have died more than those who live who shall win the day for us.”

~~~

Breskaro spent his mornings training troops in the best measures to counter the Issalians using whatever techniques and meager equipment the Mûlkrans had at their disposal. He spent his afternoons drawing up defense plans with his military commanders. 

In the early evenings he met with the city’s new Supreme Council: Harmulkot, Aleui, Whum, General Hugisen, Councilors Arkiss and Petri, Larekal, and Esha. Esha he couldn’t be rid of, so he had placed her on the council to the dismay of the others, though Harmulkot didn’t have any problem with it. Esha’s childish questions often succeeded in reframing problems. Larekal’s advice Breskaro valued because he was an outsider and one who was used to fighting with guerrilla tactics. 

Once their daily planning sessions concerning the city’s defense, the organization of supplies, and the maintaining of morale were complete, he would spend the rest of the day studying every scrap of sorcery he could get his hands on that seemed to have potential. Primarily this meant using the grimoire Nalsyrra had given him, but he also found things of interest in Mûlkra’s Grand Library. He practiced as many of the spells as he could, including spells he had cast before to be sure of Vadagaras’ qavra.

Any time he had alone he spent searching for knowledge of how to operate the Akythiri Mechanism. If he could find some way to heal Orisala without Harmulkot, he could take his Knights of the Dark and abandon Mûlkra. He even compelled a scholar to aid him in the search, but as the weeks passed, he still couldn’t find what he needed.

Esha was by his side almost always, and he had come to depend on her as an aide. If he wanted anything, she would fetch it. If an officer came to him wanting information, she would allow in only those who had pressing issues. She could often answer many of their questions, and most of them, even the bureaucrats, got used to her doing so. Mûlkra was a city tolerant of all things new and strange. In fact, those within the circles of power were quickly won over by Esha and they all became enamored with her.