The Way of the Blade (14 page)

Fawbry grinned. “I think her name was Coshala. Very appreciative woman.”

“Then let’s try to keep her alive. Go to the old men and get them ready.”

“You just be there when we need you.”

“You know I will.” Malja pounded on Tommy’s door. “Wake up. Time for battle.”

When she stepped outside and breathed in the fresh air tinted with morning dew, a thrill surged through her body. More than an adrenaline jolt, she felt all the frustrated waiting release through her veins. To be sure, she checked her do-kha, but it had done nothing to her that she could tell — this sensation came from within.

Across the street, Hirasa directed several young women toward a group of buildings. They were clearing out all the women, children, and elderly, guiding them toward the shelters that had been completed. When Hirasa noticed Malja, she rushed over and place a hand over her stomach.

“What do you know?” Malja said, slipping on her commanding voice like a favorite shirt.

“Two of our scouts on watch in the east saw Scarites approaching. They hurried to the Summoning Horn and gave the boys posted there the signal.”

“How long from when they spotted the enemy to when the warning was sounded?”

“I-I don’t know. Maybe three minutes? I’m sorry. I didn’t think to ask.”

“It’s okay. You’re new to this. Get back to helping move the non-combatants to safety. Then take your position and be ready.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Malja watched Hirasa hurry off. The girl cursed herself but jumped right into her task without pause.
She’s going to make a fine fighter.

Walking with a confident stride, Canto approached Malja. “We’ve had so little time to talk, and now we must lead a fight together.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“With you by our side, I have no fear.” Canto looked like a child about to play a favorite game.

Ten young farmboys burst out of a building further down the street. They each carried a sword and body armor made from thick, wellspiker hide. Though they jogged with purpose and shouted with vigor, Malja knew fear when she saw it. She hoped this would be the kind that helped them fight better.

As the boys moved down the street, the townspeople cheered for them. Some of the boys raised their swords. Others looked straight ahead, avoiding the eyes of those they knew. Malja knew those reactions well. The ones that survived this fight would do so by keeping their minds on only one idea — destroy the enemy.

These boys climbed into the autoflys that had been lined up and waiting. They were going to be the first Carsites to taste battle. A few days earlier, Canto had asked Malja to give them advice, but what could she say beyond the generalities of battle? She had never fought aerial combat. Never really seen it before. But she said some words anyway — the last thing any of these boys needed was to doubt her ability or leadership.

Javery bumbled his way out of an alley looking as if he had partaken in a night similar to Fawbry. Smoothing down his hair before adjusting his robe and resetting his hat, Javery looked panicked but calming with each second. Malja had seen that in many people, too. Javery’s adrenaline must have hit when he heard the Summoning Horn and now he pulled himself together. In fact, by the time he reached Malja and Canto, he acted as determined and in control as Malja would expect from a seasoned veteran.

“I have an autofly at the ready to take us to the Hantlia farm,” he said. “We should get an excellent view there to run our forces.”

“The signals?”

“Everything is set where it needs to be. I’ve seen to it all.”

Malja caught a strange look between Javery and Canto. Then as Javery headed for the autofly, she caught an even stranger look towards her. Before she could comment, Tommy popped out of the guest house and rushed off. He knew what to do, but it bothered her the way he went about things.

She could hear Fawbry in her head, “He’s a man now. You can’t control him. And you shouldn’t.”

“Damn. Why does that idiot have to make sense?”

“Who? Javery?” Canto asked. “Sometimes I think he’s too smart. Gets him thinking stupid thoughts when really we’re all trying to do the same thing — save our people.”

Javery sat at the autofly’s controls. “Come on,” he shouted. “We’ve got to hurry.”

Malja and Canto hustled down the street and climbed aboard. As she strapped in the safety belts — she made sure such things had been installed in the last week — Javery had the craft in the air and soaring for a small farm towards the south. He pushed the autofly until the metal started to shake.

“Slow down,” Malja said. “All of our people are getting in position. There’s no rush. In war, everything takes forever to start. When it does, we’ll be moving plenty fast.”

Javery eased back and brought them around to the front of the farm. He landed them near the edge where a perimeter wall had been set up. A small fire burned low to keep the area near the wall warm. From there, they would be able to observe the battle while being protected by the wall. It also prevented them from leaning over too far and falling.

A boy no older than Tommy ran up to them. “I’m all set whenever you need me.”

Javery gestured to the boy. “Malja, this is Rewt Hantlia. He’ll be our first messenger.”

Malja gave the boy a curt nod before turning to the wall — their command station. A small desk with a map of the town had been placed to one side. Two cylindrical objects sat on the table. Canto picked up one and handed it to Malja but she declined. She preferred her own spyglass. Though dented and with a slight crack in the lens, it provided a better view than the inferior Carsite version.

“Now we wait?” Canto asked.

Peering through the spyglass, she saw one autofly after another take position in the sky — hovering, waiting, watching as the dark marks in the distance grew in size and number. “We wait.”

Judging by how fast the distant spots grew, Malja guessed the wait would be short. However, she learned long ago to take advantage of any peace one can find. She lowered her spyglass and breathed in the farm fragrant air — sweet and full of life.

She turned to young Rewt Hantlia. “What does your family grow here?”

Rewt licked his lips and cleared his throat. When he looked up, his eyes stuck on Viper. “W-We grow vegetables, mostly. But my mom likes to grow flowers, too, so she’s got a half-acre set aside for that. Lots of kinds of flowers. Sells them to the girls and for the dances and weddings and —” He froze with his mouth open and stared at Canto.

“It’s okay,” Canto said. “Your mom did a wonderful job for my wedding.”

“S-Sorry.”

Malja inhaled deeply. Flowers. That was the sweet aroma she had noticed. Flowers, plants, a fire burned down to embers — calming, centering smells. She breathed again, this time with her eyes closed. And she felt her mind clear.

“Okay,” she said, snapping her eyes open. “Get ready with the signal.”

“What?” Javery said. “The plan was to wait for them to attack. We only set up for defense.”

“Canto, get the signal ready. Javery, you will not debate every order I give. Once this starts, there will be no time.”

“But how can we attack? Why? You’ll be sending them to slaughter.”

“Your enemy has many assumptions about you. We must use those assumptions to our advantage. Your boys are fast and small. The enemy won’t expect the attack. You watch what happens. And if you question me again, you better do so from far away or I might throw you over this wall.”

While Javery backed off, grumbling but cowed, Canto yanked open the chest of fireworks. He set two red rockets in the ground and picked up a burning stick from the fire. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Malja peered through her spyglass once more. “Light them.”

The rockets shot off with a high-pitched whine and exploded in large bursts of red. Seconds later, the autoflys pressed forward towards the approaching Scarites. Malja, Canto, and Javery all stood silently as they watched through their spyglasses.

She counted around thirty Scarites with Ten Snakes in the lead. While most ignored the Carsite air force and continued towards the town, seven broke off to engage. Neither side had ever fought in the air like this, so the initial conflict looked rather clumsy.

The autoflys made wide turns, sweeping around their opponents while trying to make a fast pass from behind. The Scarites, however, attempted to fight as if they were on the ground — trying to punch or grapple the Carsites as they flew in circles. From Malja’s vantage, they looked like irate hunters waving off a swarm of stinging insects.

That all changed when one Carsite finally got his confidence and charged his enemy head-on. The Scarite held his position, readying his snakes. Seconds before reaching his target, the Carsite accelerated and pulled out his sword, its metal flashing against the morning sun. He swung down as he passed by the surprised Scarite and cut off the head of one snake.

The Scarite screamed and the rest of the army paused to look back. Malja tapped her finger against the metal tube she held.
Forget about your friend. Keep coming toward us.
But Ten Snakes ordered another ten of his soldiers to turn back and help defeat the autoflys.

“Canto, light up one green rocket,” Malja said.

As Canto prepared the rocket, she heard Javery mutter to himself. At least, the man didn’t voice his objection any louder. She didn’t have the time or desire to handhold a virgin warrior.

With a loud crack, the green firework lit up the sky. Malja leaned over the wall and checked that the reinforcements heeded the signal. Five autoflys lifted into the air and headed straight for the battle.

She tossed her braid back over her shoulder and brought the spyglass back up to her eye. The Carsite pilots had come to life since the actions of their teammate. All of them bared their swords. They flew in fast, zipping around the Scarites and hacking as they passed by. When they severed enough snake heads, that Scarite lost his ability to fly. Watching the enemy drop to the unmerciful ground below emboldened the reinforcements.

“They’re doing it,” Javery said. “Our boys are really winning.”

Malja caught sight of Ten Snakes sending the rest of the group back.
Damn
. She hadn’t expected her side to perform so well.

Using the spyglass, she searched among the swooping and diving and looping bodies for the one clad in a do-kha — Harskill. But she saw no sign of him. As she suspected, he probably wouldn’t show up until the Scarites had either taken the town or needed the help of their god to finish the assault.

Ten Snakes bellowed an order and all the Scarites flew higher towards the clouds. Malja heard it as a dull drumbeat, but she knew the tone too well. Another command and the Scarites flipped back with their snakes at the ready.

“Call them back!” Malja ordered and Canto fumbled through the chest for the appropriate firework.

Before Canto could light the rocket, the snakes spewed out their various magic. Fire, lightning, and stones cascaded upon the Carsite pilots drowning them in pain. Torrents of wind and spirals of water struck them from the side leaving no escape. Four autoflys plummeted to the ground, trailing gray smoke and spinning chunks of flaming debris.

Ten Snakes singled out a Carsite pilot, and all ten of his snakes worked their magic together. The pilot clutched at his throat. Malja turned away but not before catching a glimpse of the pilot erupting a volcano of snakes from his insides.

“More are coming,” Javery said, pointing with one hand while watching through his spyglass with the other.

Malja peered through her own to see the second wave of the army approach. This group of snake-magicians each carried another in his arms. The carried men had only one or two snakes on their bodies. “Looks like they need at least three to fly.”

They passed the dissipating smoke from the previous battle and flew steadily ahead. As they neared the town, the magicians dropped their cargo and rose high into the clouds. The dropped men leaned into their fall, face first, arms back, like a bullet dropped from a tall tree.

Right before they hit the ground, their snakes whipped around and hissed out magic. Each soldier slammed into a thick barrier that slowed them to a safe landing.

Malja peered down at the town. “Canto?”

“Rockets at the ready — blue and green.”

Javery gasped. “Blue and green? I thought that was just to make them feel useful. You’re going to send them into battle. They’ll be slaughtered.” Javery shook his finger at her. “You expected this, didn’t you? No, you planned it this way. We have plenty more autoflys. We should’ve been fighting every last man in the air.”

Part of Malja wanted to break that finger, but she refrained. Javery was right. She ignored the aerial battle because she understood a land fight far better. “The air is important, but they can’t hold a town without soldiers on the ground. For now, let them have the air. We’ll kill everything that comes near the town.” She pointed to Canto, and he shot off the rockets.

Below, Malja saw Fawbry lead a squad of old men and women into the trenches. Each person held a rifle and wore wellspiker-hide armor. They took positions and waited.