(Dragonkin) Dragon Rider (41 page)

   With the appearance of the warriors on their right flank, the enemy advance halted altogether, and their captains began shouting orders from one end to the other. Menimeth could see Chidren in the middle of the mage kings forces, and watched as he directed his men to different parts of his army in an effort to bolster his lines.

   "Chidren is the one who holds this army together." He said to Litlorn. "And he is the one we must kill if we are to have any success in forcing the enemy to surrender."

   "He will not be easy to get to." Litlorn replied. "I am afraid it will be a long time, before any of our forces can penetrate that far into their lines."

   "I am the one who must fight him." Menimeth said. "If his death is to have the desired effect."

   "Even with your skills, you cannot fight your way to him, without the risk of being overwhelmed." Litlorn pointed out. "We will just have to hope that the men remember what we have taught them, and keep their ranks together as the battle progresses."

   "Javen and Feran will not allow their men to break ranks." Kyler said. "They know we need to drive the enemy in on itself, which will cause them to be hindered by their own numbers."

   "But if we do not begin to drive them back on the first charge, then the battle could take longer than we can afford." Menimeth said. "Even with our men mounted, both armies are evenly matched."

   "Then we had better make sure that the attack has the desired affect." Litlorn said. "To save the lives of men on both sides."

   When the enemy reserves reached the main army, Menimeth could see that the siege weapons had been left behind, and Chidren was furious about it. Though he could not hear what was being said, he knew the man was angry, but as far as Menimeth could tell, the siege weapons would have been useless against the formations arrayed against them. Even if they had worked, which Menimeth knew they did not, the siege weapons would have killed more of their own forces than those of the empire.

   "It's time." Menimeth said, as he gave the signal for the men to ready their bows.

   Darik walked his horse forward for several paces, and began to chant in a language those around him had never heard before, and he raised his staff as he did. A bright light began to form above the staff he held, and the wind began to blow, picking up speed as the seconds passed. The enemy mages began shooting fireballs at Darik, but to their surprise, they disappeared long before they could reach their target. Several times, the mage's of the enemy sent fireballs and lightning bolts at Darik, but they had no affect on him. Not one of the lightning bolts or fireballs, ever reached the dragon mage as he cast his spell, because they disappeared before they could do so.

   Darik's voice became louder as he chanted, and the light became brighter with every fireball and lightning bolt the enemy sent his way, until he screamed the last words and pointed his staff to the heavens. The light that formed above the Staff of the Dragon Darik held, shot into the sky with ferocity, and exploded above the heads of the mage kings solders. All of the fireballs and lightning bolts that had disappeared before they could reach their targets, rained down on the enemy solders, along with hundreds of thousands of burning embers. As they began to reach the enemy solders below, Menimeth gave the order to fire, and the bows of the empire sent thousands of arrow to join them.

   Those of the enemy solders that had their bows launched their missiles at the warriors of the empire. However, with the lines as thin as they were, most of the arrows missed the targets for which they were intended. Very few of the arrows of the enemy solders, got passed the shields of the men who held them, but of the ones that did, none were fatal.

   As the warriors of the empire raised their bows for the next volley, the screams of the wounded and dying among the enemy ranks had begun to drift across the battlefield. As the second wave of missiles rained down on the forces of the mage king, all three armies of the empire began to move forward. With the third and final volley of arrows, the warriors of the empire lowered their spears, and prepared to attack the enemy with the second phase of the planned assault.

   So far the enemy had lost several hundred men to the first phase of the attack meant to halt their advance, while the empire had lost far less than they could have hoped. The battle had gone well for the warriors in the purple and gold of the empire, but Menimeth knew that the biggest test would be the combined charge of the three separate armies, which surrounded the enemy. As the horses of the empire began to pick up speed, and as they drew nearer to the enemy ranks that faced them, Darik engaged the enemy mages to keep them from affecting the outcome of the battle. Fireballs and lightning bolts flew back, and forth, as the mages plied their arts in an effort to weaken the other side enough and allow their armies to gain an advantage.

   Menimeth led the charge with Litlorn and Kiler by his side, and the warriors of the third army racing behind him, while Javen and Feran led the charge from both flanks. It was the moment of truth for the empire, and the first big test of their will, but the dragon rider did not allow the magnitude of its outcome to the empire affect him. The battle had begun, and it was up to the warriors of the empire to drive the enemy from their lands.

Chapter Thirty-Four

   Chidren yelled orders to his captains as the warriors of the empire rode from the trees on their left, and directed his men to the best places to bolster their lines.

   "Send your men to the left flank." Chidren said to the captain to his left. "And stop the attack on our left."

   "Right away sir." The man said, and assembled the men he needed from the third formation.

   When the warriors of the empire appeared from the trees on their right, Chidren called the captain to his right

   "You." Chidren said to the captain. "Reinforce the right flank with the remaining men from the third formation, and stop the attack on that side. Do not allow them to breach the formation."

   "Yes sir." The captain said, and raced to gather the men of the third formation that he was ordered to use against the mounted warriors.

   He called for the reserves to join the battle, having Mareston assemble the men along with Gaston and those of his solders that he was worried about the most, and they began to move forward. The number of warriors the empire was able to assemble, caught Chidren by surprise, but he believed they were no more than farmers and shopkeepers dressed as solders.

   "What about the men in the front lines?" Another of the captains asked. "Should we use the cavalry to reinforce them?"

   "No, once we have stopped the attack on our flanks, we can divert the men to the center lines, to help drive them back." Chidren said. "Have the cavalry reinforce whichever flank needs it."

   "Yes sir." The man said, and rode in the direction of the cavalry leader to relay the orders.

   "Where are my siege weapons?" Chidren yelled, as Mareston and Gaston arrived at his position among the solders of the mage kings army. "We may need them to throw back the assault on our flanks."

   "They are useless in this kind of battle." Mareston said. "We would kill more of our own men, then we would the enemy because their lines are too thin."

   "What good are they then?" Chidren screamed. "If they cannot be used against the enemy solders."

   "They are designed to attack a castle, not lines of mounted spear men." Mareston informed him. "It was by your orders that this design was used because the defenders were not believed to have so many warriors in which to fight us."

   "They are no more than farmers and shopkeepers, dressed as warriors to make us believe we face an army." Chidren said. "The empire has to few solders to form an army of such size without conscripting farmers and shopkeepers into the army to make it appear larger."

   "Then we should be able to defeat them without the siege weapons." Mareston replied. "But we can go and retrieve them if you wish."

   "Just prepare the reserves to reinforce whichever lines need it." Chidren said, and dismissed the old solder with an angry gesture.

   Mareston rode back to the captain of the reserves and relayed the orders he had been given, before returning to where Gaston and the other commanders waited.

   "We have been out maneuvered by the warrior in the dragon armor." Mareston said, speaking where only Gaston could hear him. "And they are not nearly as weak as we were led to believe."

   "It seems your suspicions were right after all." Gaston replied. "And Chidren has no business being in command of an army. He has led us into ambush after ambush, and he has played right into the empire's hands."

   "If we are not careful, he will get us killed." Mareston said. "But we had better not try to escape the battlefield before the battle is over, if we are to survive."

   "You believe there is more to this battle than we are being told, do you not?" Gaston asked, sensing the old solders instincts were telling him something that would help him save his men.

   "Yes I do." Mareston replied. "I do not believe we have seen all the warriors the empire can use against us, and I do not think we can escape to the north. I believe the empire has us surrounded, but have not called the warriors behind us out into the open for some reason."

   "Then are we doomed to die in this place?" Gaston asked. "Is there not another escape route that will save my men?"

   "Do not fear my friend." Mareston replied. " I believe there is one way we can avoid death, and possibly allow many of the men to survive this battle."

   "You seem to have far better instincts than Chidren, and you were right about the events so far." Gaston said. "So we will follow your orders from now on."

   "I believe that Chidren and the warrior in the dragon armor have known each other for a long time." Mareston said. "And if we can have the men hold out long enough, and we are able to allow the dragon warrior and Chidren to engage in combat, we could let the outcome of that fight decide the battle."

   "But is the warrior good enough to kill Chidren?" Gaston asked. "It will not go well for us if Chidren wins."

   "I think the warrior in the dragon armor, has been looking for Chidren for a long time, and that Chidren has been running away from him." Mareston said. "I believe Chidren is afraid of him, and that is why he was so furious every time his men failed to kill the warrior in the ambushes they set up, just for him."

   "You believe the dragon warrior is that skilled?" Gaston asked, beginning to believe he would somehow get his men out of the battle alive.

   "I believe there is more to the dragon warrior than we realize." Mareston replied. "And if he turns out to be a dragon rider, I will fight for the mage king no longer."

   "If he is a dragon rider, we will join you." Gaston said.

   Chidren was yelling orders to the men around him, and preparing for the attack that the empire was about to launch, when he called for the lead mage standing close by.

   "Have your mages attack that traitor, and kill him." Chidren said to the lead mage, as Darik rode forward from the warriors of the empire that faced the center of his lines, and began to cast his spell. "And then kill the rest of those fools who stand between us and our objective."

   "As you command." The lead mage replied, "We will begin right away."

   Fireballs began to fly from the mages who stood around Chidren, as they attempted to destroy the single mage of the empire who stood against them. To their complete and utter surprise, the fireballs disappeared long before they could reach their intended target, and they stood stunned by their failure. The light began to grow brighter over the staff of the mage of the empire, and the wind began to blow harder as Chidren's mages began their second attempt to destroy him.

   In the second attack, lightning bolts as well as fireballs were hurled at the mage, but disappeared in the same manner as the first. They continued to cast their spells even though they had no affect on the target, hoping to weaken him enough to overpower him, but it did not work out the way they had hoped. The bright light from above the staff he carried, streaked into the sky, and exploded above their heads. When it did, the fireballs and lightning bolts that had disappeared before they could reach their targets came raining back down on their own heads, along with Thousands of flaming embers. The fireballs and lightning bolts that they, themselves, had summoned, killed many of the solders that stood against the empire.

   The warriors of the empire chose that moment to began their assault, with the first wave of arrows from all three armies, which added to the confusion among the ranks. With the second wave of missiles launched by the empire, the men began to realize what was happening, and settled down enough to protect themselves from the rain of death the empire had unleashed.

   With the third and final wave of arrows, the warriors of the empire lowered their spears, and began the charge. The men began to retreat slowly from the advancing spearman, when the last of the arrows had landed, but they did not turn to run. Instead, They began to brace for the collision to come, as the spearman of the empire picked up speed.

   Mareston looked on as the warriors of the empire neared their lines, with growing respect for the warrior in the dragon armor and the tactics he used against them. He had out guessed Chidren at every turn, and he had made him believe they were weak when they were not. By splitting his forces into three different armies, he had gained the upper hand, and had eliminated the siege weapons they had spent so many month's building for the battle. With the use of mounted warriors instead of infantry, He negated the experience of the mage kings army, and gave his warriors far better mobility.

*****

   Menimeth crashed into the front ranks of the enemy lines, sending his spear through the solder that stood in front of him. Donner was a very large horse, and he was immune to the confusion and noise of the battleground, having been trained for battle since he was a colt. He was a weapon unto himself, and he was trained to ride down the enemy, so that was what he did. Menimeth did not carry a shield like the warriors behind him, to ward off the blows of the enemy, but kept them at bay with his two swords instead. Donner was more than the enemy could stand against, and they tried to leap out of the way, swinging their swords at the horses rider when they did, but most of the did not survive the attempt.

   As the line of warriors crashed into the ranks of the enemy, seconds after Menimeth, they began to drive them backwards, and into the ranks of solders behind them. Those of the empire's warriors, that were more skilled with their swords than the rest, dropped from their horses and attacked the enemy on foot. Menimeth was one of the men who dropped from his horse, and he attacked the enemy solders with more skill than any of them had ever seen before. Several times the enemy tried to surround the dragon rider, but each time they did, the number of their dead reflected their failure.

   Slowly he began to work his way through the enemy lines, always keeping an eye on Chidren, who directed the enemy solders from relative safety. As the battle raged around him, and the dead began to pile up, Menimeth found the solders of the mage king began to avoid him. As he looked across the battlefield, he could tell that the enemy was being decimated, and that the empire had not lost as many men as he feared. Very few were dead, and those that were wounded in the battle, seemed to have managed to escape to the side, where they were protected from further injury.

   Some of the warriors of the empire rode across the enemy formation, launching arrow after arrow at them, and reducing the number of solders who could attack the empire's swordsmen who fought on foot. Others rode through the enemy ranks, and attacked with their swords from the back of their horses, reeking havoc among the solders of the mage king. The battle raged on both sides of the dragon rider, and he could see Feran and Javen as they collapsed the enemy in on its self, but Javen was not gaining as much ground as he had hoped. They did have the third formation to contend with, as well as the reserves brought up from the siege weapons, but still they were driving them back.

   Once Menimeth and the warriors of the third army had pushed the front lines of the mage kings forces back far enough to allow all three armies of the empire to link together, the sheer numbers of the enemy began to slow their advance. The battle became sluggish in areas where the men who faced one another were less skilled, but heated where the opposite was the case. Menimeth began to encounter solders of the mage king as he drove the enemy back, that would attack him in force, but slowly even these men refused to engage him.

   "Have your men reinforce the right side of the line." Menimeth said to Captain Sangrivol when he reached him. "They are involved in the hardest fighting."

   "How many do you want me to take?" The Captain asked.

   Fifty should do it, as long as you choose some of your better swordsmen." Menimeth replied. "I will have Kyler reinforce the left side, and we should be able to push them back faster on the ends."

   "I will do it right away." The Captain said, and began to assemble the men he needed.

   Kyler did not hesitate when Menimeth told him what he wanted, and was soon racing to assemble the men he needed for the task. Both reached their objective at the same time, and the resulting serge, made the battle lines take on a horseshoe appearance.

   Feran and the second army were doing the most damage to the enemy ranks, and the reinforcements that had arrived to try to halt their advance. The dead littered the ground behind Feran and the warriors of the second army, but very few of them were warriors of the empire. Feran had the most experienced of the solders, which had joined the dragon guard after the forces of the mage king had overrun their kingdoms in the southeast, and they fought like the solders they were. The enemy forces that now faced them, as they fought to avenge the friends and family they had lost to the mage king, could not stand against them in their fury. Even when they were wounded, the warriors of the second army would not resign their place in the front lines until they could fight no longer.

   Commander Fracher fought as hard as any of the warriors around him, and the old solder proved his skill and intelligence many times throughout the day. The battle was not as intense as it had been after the initial attack, and both sides began to fight more cautiously as time passed. Several times the Commander would fight his way into the enemy ranks, only to fight his way out again. Though he did not kill the enemy solders he faced, unless he was given no alternative, he put a lot of them out of the fight.

   "Why do you do that?" Feran asked commander Fracher when they were close enough to speak to each other. "Fight your way into their ranks until you are surrounded, so you have to fight your way out again."

   "To give the enemy solder's who are not in the front ranks something to worry about." Commander Fracher said with a grin.

   "You are truly not right in the head." Feran said smiling. "But it does have a certain appeal to it."

   "Yes, that it what I thought." The commander replied. "But it is not for the faint of sprit."