Alutar: The Great Demon (32 page)

“You had better have a good reason for disturbing me at my home,” scowled Lord Kommoron.

“The Alceans have discovered our last portal,” the priest announced. “I suspect that they might know about the latest attack force sent there. If so, we need to get word to them.”

“And how would you suggest doing that?” frowned the noble.

“The demons,” answered K’san. “They have the ability to make such a trip.”

The crease in Lord Kommoron’s brow deepened as he stared at the demonkin. “The demons are not inclined to meddle in such affairs. That has been made clear to me more than once. Heavy involvement by the demons will drag the gods into this conflict. That is not what Alutar desires.”

“Alutar fears that the Mage might discover his whereabouts before he is prepared to face him in battle,” retorted the demonkin. “That is not the same thing as awakening the gods.”

“I have no need to parse words with you,” scowled the noble. “The demons have shown reluctance to get involved. That is enough to deter me from bothering them with this issue.”

“They have been involved already,” retorted K’san. “D’Artim has been to Tagaret to aid his plaything, Artimor. Besides, Alutar requires the devastation of Tagaret. We must do everything we can to ensure the success of the latest attack force. We have no means to send another army to Alcea.”

Lord Kommoron sighed as his eyes fell to the floor in contemplation. He realized that the demonkin spoke the truth, but he did not trust the demons. Indeed, he was fearful of their involvement. He sighed again and looked into K’san’s face.

“Send a black-cloak,” ordered the noble.

“But the plea should come from you, Master.”

“The demons merely need to be made aware of the situation,” retorted Lord Kommoron. “If they deem it is to Alutar’s benefit to become involved, they will. Send a black-cloak.”

* * * *

The sun was climbing high into the sky when Colonel Pfaff called a halt to the portion of the 31
^st
Corps that he commanded. Two thousand riders halted and dismounted. Seeing a signal from Colonel Pfaff, Major Stark rode forward to see what the colonel wanted.

“Have the men tether their mounts,” Colonel Pfaff instructed the major. “I want the horses placed to the south of our rear guard and I want each of the groups separated. Place the white group in front, and the lavender group in the rear. The blue and green groups can straddle both sides of the road. When that is done, take a squad northward on the Lombardi Road. Make sure that the squad shares our lavender persuasion. If they are on schedule, you should find the A Corps less than a league up the road. Let General Forshire know that we are ready for him.”

The major saluted and started issuing orders to the soldiers. Colonel Pfaff remained mounted, watching his army prepare for a rest period. None of the men appeared to be overly concerned about rebels being in the area. As the camp began to settle down, the colonel rode to the rear guard and dismounted. One of the soldiers rose and took the reins to the colonel’s horse. The colonel let his eyes scan the upturned faces of the lavender group before speaking softly.

“You are to appear relaxed,” the colonel said to his patriots, “but the time for battle is fast approaching. In a few moments, the A Corps will arrive here. They are our allies, and you will not attack them, nor will they attack you. When the fighting begins, choose your targets wisely. Let the A Corps handle those near them. We will attack those of the 31
^st
Corps that are closest to us. The bow will be your primary weapon, but keep your swords handy. This could easily get messy. Also, if you have a choice of targets, take out the archers first. The one thing you must accomplish is to make sure that no one gets on a horse and rides out of here. There are to be no survivors to hurry back to Waxhaw and spoil our surprise for King Daramoor. Any questions?”

“The A Corps is known to be a bunch of misfits,” one sergeant said. “If we only attack those near us, we will have no way of protecting the A Corps. I guess what I am saying is that by attacking our fellow soldiers, we will be placing ourselves against our own men. If they manage to finish off the A Corps, we will be badly outnumbered. We could easily lose this engagement. Wouldn’t it be better to attack during the night when they are sleeping?”

“I think you will find that the rumors are false,” replied Colonel Pfaff. “I have been assured that the A Corps can handle itself quite well, and I have faith in my source. Besides, it is too late for changes. The A Corps is already on its way here. Follow my orders and leave the worrying to me.”

The sergeant nodded anxiously, and Colonel Pfaff left the group. To cover his need to speak to the lavender group, he walked to the blue group and spoke softly to them. His words were informal and light, and he managed to put the men at ease. He repeated his performance for the green group and was on his way to speak to the white group when a column of Federation soldiers appeared on the road to the north. Major Stark and his squad preceded the A Corps, and they rode through the camp and dismounted near the lavender group, tethering their horses with the others. General Forshire rode past the white group and halted in front of Colonel Pfaff. His voice was loud when he spoke, and all of the groups listened to his words.

“You are in charge of this detachment, Colonel Pfaff?” asked General Forshire.

“I am, General,” the colonel responded. “We are searching for rebels. Have you come across any?”

“In fact, we have,” General Forshire responded. “We just destroyed one thousand of them. There may be some smaller pockets of them left, but they will not pose a threat to us. I will have my men keep watch just in case.”

General Forshire turned in his saddle and made motions with his hand.
 
Two colonels from the A Corps saluted and started shouting orders. General Forshire then dismounted and stood facing Colonel Pfaff.

“Set up a perimeter for this camp,” Colonel Magee ordered loudly. “First Regiment, take the south side of the road. I want a protective ring around this camp and fifty paces out. Nock your arrows and keep an eye out for anyone trying to approach this meeting.”

“Second Regiment,” shouted Colonel Hardi. “You heard the orders. Take the north side of the road and be quick about it. No one comes near this road without authorization from General Forshire or the leader of the 31
^st
Corps.”

“We may talk now without looking over our shoulders,” General Forshire said to the colonel. “Did you see any stragglers heading south before us?”

“None,” answered Colonel Pfaff. “The road has been quiet all the way from Waxhaw. Did you say you killed a thousand rebels? Our reports put their number at only five hundred.”

“One thousand,” General Forshire responded. “We took the head of their leader, a man called General Blackmoor. One of my officers is carrying it. I wonder if I could get you to verify the identity for me.”

“I will try to,” replied the colonel. “Let me see it.”

The general led the colonel away from the center of the camp and past the white group to where several dozen men of the A Crops held the northernmost portion of the Lombardi Road. Both officers walked casually as if they were conversing in the streets of Waxhaw. They appeared quite relaxed and informal. The men of the 31
^st
Corps looked curiously at the A Corps soldiers manning the perimeter, but all of them were looking away from the road. No longer able to hear the words of the two officers, most of the men of the 31
^st
Corps lost interest in the meeting. They began to talk among themselves, the talks revolving around women, taverns, and desired pursuits during their upcoming time off when they returned to the city.

General Forshire and Colonel Pfaff halted at the tether lines for the A Corps. The general made a show of opening up a pack on one of the horses, but there was nothing inside for the colonel to see. Instead, they spoke softly to each other.

“Is this going to work?” asked Colonel Pfaff. “Some of my men have expressed concerns.”

General Forshire smiled thinly. “It will be over in an eye blink,” the general said. “Your men are far more relaxed than I had expected. You have prepared them well.”

“I hope so,” the colonel said anxiously. “I mean no disrespect, General, but the A Corps has a certain reputation. That is the source of the concerns from my men. They worry that if your men are struck down quickly enough, the lavender group will be wiped out because they showed their hand when the attack began.”

“I wish I had known about that in advance,” replied the general. “I would have told you to have your lavender group stand down.”

“Do you mean not use them?” frowned the colonel. “I don’t understand.”

“Turn around and view your camp, Colonel,” instructed the general. “Tell me what you see.”

The colonel complied, but he shook his head in confusion. “I see the 31
^st
Corps taking a break, and I see the A Corps holding a perimeter. What am I supposed to see?”

“Visualize the men of the A Corps facing the opposite direction than they are right now,” continued the general. “Now what do you see?”

“Two thousand arrows pointed at the 31
^st
Corps,” answered the colonel.

“And only fifteen hundred targets,” stated General Forshire. “Every one of my men is a decent shot, Colonel. There will be no battle here today. Watch.”

General Forshire whistled loudly. Three fourths of the members of the perimeter guard immediately pivoted and let fly their arrows. The other fourth also pivoted, but they fired their arrows a couple of seconds later. There were screams of pain and surprise, but they all ended abruptly. Before the lavender group could get to its feet, the fighting was over. The colonel stood staring in disbelief.

“I can’t believe it,” he gasped. “Not one of the men had a chance to fight back. Even with a superior number, it is incomprehensible that not a single man withstood the first barrage. I mean surely some archers must have targeted the same man.”

“My men have been trained to choose the correct target in such a situation,” replied the general. “Each man knew his placement in the perimeter line, and each of them chose a matching target among your men. The only confusion would come from some of your men moving about after my men chose their targets, That is why every fourth man was selected for a delayed strike. Anyone missed on the first barrage was immediately targeted by the second. It works very well as you can see.”

“I am impressed,” the colonel said sincerely, “and I suspect my men will be as well. No longer will the A Corps be known as misfits.”

“I happen to enjoy the reputation of the A Corps,” chuckled General Forshire. “It causes the enemy to underestimate my army.”

“What do we do now?” asked the colonel. “There is no head of General Blackmoor to deliver to King Daramoor.”

“There is no need for one,” answered the general. “I will accompany you back to Waxhaw and praise the performance of your men. I will let the king know how you managed to wipe out three thousand rebels.”

“Three thousand?” questioned the colonel. “I don’t think the king will believe so many died.”

“He will,” replied General Forshire. “You have to have a good reason for losing fifteen hundred men and yet still be praised for your performance. Besides, I have a few things to say to your king that will distract him from this mission. I will explain it all as we travel to Waxhaw. Have Major Stark take command of your men. You and I will ride on ahead while they bury the dead.”

“Is that necessary?” asked the colonel.

“Perhaps not necessary,” answered the general, “but it is the decent thing to do and your men have the time to do it. I need to have your army delayed in its arrival in Waxhaw. King Daramoor is going to be expecting the A Corps to arrive with your men, but the A Corps is heading the other way. By the time your men return to the city, the situation in Waxhaw should be resolved.”

“The other way?” echoed the colonel. “You are returning east of the Barrier?”

“No,” replied the general. “The A Corps is going to Ur. I will catch up with them after you have liberated Vinafor.”

* * * *

Colonel Rhio halted at the border to Karamin, and the five thousand men of the 31
^st
Corps with him halted behind him. He glared at the sign at the side of the road. The sign said, “Welcome to the Kingdom of Karamin, a nation free of the Federation.” The sign was newly painted and the colonel’s face turned red with anger as he stared at it.

“Tear that sign down and destroy it,” the colonel shouted.

Several soldiers raced to carry out the colonel’s orders. Colonel Rhio watched until he was satisfied that the offending sign was destroyed. He then raised his arm and motioned the column forward, kicking his own horse into action. The column began to move again, but the colonel was still angry about the sign. He knew that General Salaman was having problems with the rebels, but it was a disgrace to allow them to go to such lengths as posting a sign on the Calusa-Waxhaw Road. Such a thing would never be permitted in Vinafor.

As Colonel Rhio led his column around a bend, he saw people in the middle of the road ahead. Three black-clad men sat astride their horses, and a white flag flew over their heads. The colonel slowed as he tried to make sense out of what he was seeing. As the column drew closer, the colonel signaled for a halt. Ordering two of his men to accompany him, Colonel Rhio rode forward to see what the flag was all about. The three Federation soldiers halted their horses ten paces in front of the black-clad men.

“You are in Karamin, Colonel Rhio,” one of the black-clad men said. “Are you planning on invading your peaceful neighbor?”

The colonel was taken aback at the man’s familiarity, but he did not let it show. “Karamin is a member of the Federation,” Colonel Rhio replied. “We have been asked to journey to Calusa by General Salaman. Who are you, and why are you blocking the road?”

“I am Mitar Vidson,” replied one of the black-clad men. “As for General Salaman, he no longer controls the army of Karamin. King Boric has accepted his surrender. As for Karamin being part of the Federation, I am sure that you must have noticed the sign at the border. Karamin is no longer allied with the Federation. You, Colonel, no longer have a reason or a right to travel this road. I suggest that you turn your army around and return to Waxhaw.”