The Powterosian War (Book 5) (36 page)

*

Saxthor grabbed his best friend in a bear hug, then stood back and looked him over. “I see you weathered the journey well,” the king said. “I hope you brought the army safely with you, or did you rush ahead and leave them to follow?” The grin demanded no response.

Bodrin cleared his throat, his face searching. “Was your plan successful?”

Saxthor put his arm around his friend. The two men went to Bodrin’s tent, where Saxthor and Bodrin talked further.

“Here are dispatches that came for you while you were wrecking the emperor’s plans,” Bodrin said, handing the state pouch to the king.

Saxthor broke the seal and took out several dispatches just as Memlatec entered the tent. The king greeted the wizard and glanced at the posts, then at the two men. He tossed a letter from Rakmar on the cot, but stared at the sealed messages from generals Socockensmek and Sekkarian.

“Looks like the Dark Lord is wasting no time in bringing the war to Neuyokkasin,” Saxthor said.

“Wolves scrapping for first chunk of a wounded beast,” Bodrin added.

The three men frowned. Bodrin sat down on his cot. Saxthor opened General Socockensmek’s message and read it. Without speaking, he broke the other seal and read General Sekkarian’s message as well, tossing both on the cot beside Bodrin.

“Well, we’ve not much time to defeat the emperor here,” Saxthor said. He’d slumped slightly; his strained voice cracked. “The northern border fortresses are under attack by all the forces Dreaddrac can muster. They mean to crush our defenses quickly and overwhelm Neuyokkasin while we are held here on the southern border, subject to imperial attack.”

“How bad is it?” Bodrin asked.

“General Tarquak has all the forces from Botahar, plus the legions the Dreaddrac fleet deployed after their defeat at Olnak, and whatever forces were disbursed in the southern Sengenwhan marshes. There must be three or four legions bearing down on Heedra. There’s no mention of Favriana or Hyemka. Who knows if more forces are attacking there as we camp here? There was a massive land force across from Hoya as Sekkarian wrote this message. Prince Pindradese was bringing his Prertstenian army down the Pundar to attack Hoya from the river, or north of the city if they disembark and come by land. In short, the northern border cannot withstand the onslaught without the aid of these legions.”

“How can we defeat the emperor with the forces we have here, much less save the border cities to the north?” Bodrin asked. He dropped his head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair.

Tonelia entered the tent with a tray of wooden cups and refreshments. She stopped short, looking at each man’s face. She said nothing but put down the tray.

“How are you, Tonelia?” Saxthor asked.

“I’m well, Majesty, you needn’t worry about me. How may I be of service to you?”

Bodrin smiled at his wife and gently waved his hand toward the tent flap. Tonelia nodded, and bowing, backed out of the tent without another word. Saxthor smiled at her as she left. The three men were silent for some time.

“I’m responsible for so many people,” Saxthor said. “My decisions commit so many lives. I’m just a man; the burden is too much.”

“What does Rakmar say?” Memlatec asked.

Saxthor opened the chatra’s dispatch, noting it was not in Rakmar’s handwriting. He read the short message and sat down on the cot too. Memlatec picked up the dispatch and read it.

“Rakmar has disappeared,” the wizard said. “This is from the chatra’s ministry. He’s been acting strangely of late. It appears he may have gone over to the emperor.”

“Perhaps you could entreat the emperor to join us in driving back Dreaddrac if we surrender without further resistance,” Bodrin said. “I know it’s not your nature to surrender, but how can we possibly fight major wars on both fronts? We’re outnumbered by both armies independently. There’s no way we can defeat both.”

“Remember who you are, Saxthor,” Memlatec said. Saxthor looked at him and saw the blazing violet eyes, staring.

Suddenly, Saxthor realized he was thumbing the dragon ring on his finger. He recognized its warmth and glanced down at it, seeing the stone glow intense blue.

“There will be no surrender,” Saxthor pronounced. “After the defeat on the plain, the emperor will be furious. He tolerates no opposition. Reports have circulated over the years of his cruelty to governors that displeased him. If we surrendered to him, he’d annihilate half the Neuyokkasin population out of vengeance.”

“Even if we could defeat Engwan, it will take a protracted struggle,” Bodrin said. “We don’t have that much time. Socockensmek and Sekkarian can’t hold out long with the armies coming to bare on them as we speak. It’s been a brave struggle, but you must find some solution to save the people.”

“Yes, the people,” Saxthor said. “I’ve lived my life for my people. If necessary, I’ll die for them. That is my pledge in exchange for their support and confidence in the dynasty. But surrendering now would only bring the bloody struggle to Neuyokkasin’s people. The kingdom would be torn to shreds in the cataclysmic struggle between Dreaddrac and the empire. Men will die in any case; I cannot avoid that. We might as well die fighting to save our people, our world, and freedom from both forces of evil.”

“Well said,” Memlatec said. “I expect you have a plan.”

“I do. We’ll disburse the army here at the pass where it narrows in the gorge. No matter how many legions the emperor can muster, they can still only get through that pass at no more than six men across. We can cut them down from the cliffs on either side.”

“That will take time, Saxthor. We don’t have time,” Bodrin said.

“No, but that will stall the legions until I can bring forth the Chowzenschwang from Helgenstat. If that thing is what you suggest Memlatec, it will chew up the imperial legions for us.”

“Saxthor!” Memlatec protested. “You must not awaken that thing. Its power is elemental and emanates directly from the planet. That power…no one can restrain that energy once aroused.”

Saxthor thumbed the dragon ring on his finger, walking around thinking, looking into his thoughts for answers that wouldn’t come. “I’ve no choice Memlatec. Our only chance is to stop the empire quickly and decisively, so we can rush the legions north in time to relieve Heedra and Hoya. There is no other way. It’s a risk I must take.”

“You could destroy both armies, wiping out all here, if you summon the Chowzenschwang.”

“Memlatec, I am king. It’s ultimately my responsibility to save my people. I must do what I think is best and accept the responsibility for those decisions and actions. No one can share that burden with me. Now, what must I do to bring forth this monster?”

Memlatec shuffled his feet and cleared his throat, digesting the enormity of Saxthor’s statement of the facts laid bare. “Tomorrow morning we three will go to one of those great arches,” the wizard said. He left the tent.

“He’s always been our mentor and leader, Saxthor,” Bodrin said. “It will take some getting used to having you stand alone and against his direction.”

Next morning Saxthor, Bodrin, and Memlatec left camp, having given instructions for the disposition of the legions at the pass below the imposing Helgenstat. The men reached the first arch outside the citadel and studied its intricate carvings, elegant even beneath a coating of lichen. The runes intermingled with fierce, fantastic beasts on the arch. Memlatec ran his fingers over the runes, reading them carefully, his face reflecting his frustration with certain ones he apparently didn’t know.

“Can you make out what they say?” Saxthor asked.

“The runes are a riddle that opens a portal. There must be another corresponding arch inside the wall such that with the correct incantation, the traveler and his goods pass across space to the opposite arch without ever having to open a gate!”

“You’re not serious?” Bodrin asked.

“Yes. There is a dark side as well,” the wizard noted. “If the incantation is pronounced incorrectly, the demons you see between the runes devour the traveler as he passes into the arch, or the unfortunate person goes somewhere to another plain. There is no way to tell if you have it correctly spoken until you pass through the arch. And these carvings, the rampant beasts, warn of something else.”

“What?” Bodrin asked.

“I don’t know yet. These runes are from ages long ago, Occintoc runes. I’ll try to decipher them using the rune codes from the few remaining ancient sorcerer’s books I brought. They’re back at camp.”

“Do all the monstrous bones lying about have anything to do with the arch?” Bodrin asked.

“They are the remains of some creatures released in some great battle or when the Helgenstat was overthrown. They died in the battle, but no one survived to record what happened here.”

“Can you decipher the incantation?” Saxthor asked.

“I’ll research them as soon as I get back to camp.”

The men looked up to the Helgenstat’s walls at the sinister battlements that rose so high and the massive, regularly spaced towers that stood like sentinels in the gloom. They then retreated to the encampment.

*

On their return, a messenger came scurrying up to Saxthor.

“What is it?” Saxthor asked.

“Majesty, the sentries watching beyond the mountains’ southern slopes report the imperial army will reach here in thirty six hours.”

“Memlatec, please get to those spell books and decipher the runes. We’re out of time.”

While Memlatec researched the enigmas in his manuscripts, Saxthor and Bodrin made an inspection of the troop placements on the slopes of the gorge through which the imperial army had to pass to enter Neuyokkasin. They rested that night, but Saxthor was restless, tossing and turning, worried Memlatec wouldn’t break the code to the arch in time to prevent the enemy from seizing the pass. He rose at dawn anxious to get on with whatever action he could take before Memlatec could get him access to Helgenstat. The morning mist and chill disturbed him.

“Summon the commanders,” Saxthor ordered. When the officers assembled in his tent, Saxthor issued final orders. “Gentlemen, shortly the enemy will attempt to take the pass and cross into Neuyokkasin. We’ve stationed your units to prevent their getting through. However, that can’t last but so long. The emperor can out last us in this war. I’ll be attempting to bring other forces against the empire. Let me remind you again, if I’m successful, I’ll send you the signal to withdraw from the gorge. You must signal your men to withdraw at once. They are to retreat at double time down the mountain and not look back. Is that understood? They must retreat quickly or be lost.”

The commanders nodded to each other. “Understood, Majesty.”

“Then, join your troops. Fight off any attempts by the imperial forces to get through the pass until you receive my signal.” The commanders left the tent. Saxthor, Bodrin, and Memlatec again climbed the mountain to the arch before the solid wall of the Helgenstat.

Memlatec chanted the incantation, and the space in the arch shimmered in a wavy pale blue hue like rippling water. The men looked at each other. With Saxthor in the lead and taking a deep breath, they walked through the arch. Instead of stepping through the arch, they stepped through the warp, stepping out inside of the Helgenstat wall! The three men stood transfixed, looking around at the street covered in ancient, decaying leaf litter.

“Quick, we must make our way to the center and find out the secret of the Chowzenshwang,” Saxthor said.

Memlatec’s long arm stretched out, holding the king back. “No human life has entered this castilyernov since its destruction. The center of this place is gone, blown away.”

“How can the center of such a massive stone fortress be blown away?” Saxthor asked.

“You can see there is nothing beyond this one circle of buildings facing this street.”

Memlatec led the way this time as they searched along the street, looking for an alley. There was none nearby so they tried doors to the buildings and found one open, a wooden door, a bare paper husk flapping in the breeze. They passed through the building, finding a back door that had led to what must have been the wall of a massive building, but now beyond was an enormous, gaping abyss where the monumental buildings of the inner bailey had stood.

* * *

“Your Majesty, the troops are exhausted. They need to rest one day before advancing up the mountain to the pass. If the enemy has control of the pass, our men will be in no shape to fight after such a march,” the senior general in charge of the operation reported to the emperor, who was seething with anger.

“We don’t care how worn out the troops are, order them to take the pass,” Emperor Engwan yelled at his generals. They saluted, bowed, and retreated back to their units to prepare for the forced march up the slopes to the pass.

“Send scouts up the mountain. See if there is any sign of the enemy. Take that farmer with you, he knows the way,” the commanding general said to a subordinate on his staff. He removed his helmet in his newly set up tent. “The men are restless and grumbling, general,” an aide said, pulling off his boots. “They leer at the officers with snarls.”

“Yes, I’ve noted that myself, but the emperor is unconcerned with the army’s discontent. Their condition is of no concern to him. He commands that we secure the pass before the enemy can reach it. He fears they will also discover the pass, having seen us march east and not returning to Engwaniria.”