Colonel Rotti opened his eyes and stared up at the canvas roof above him. It took him a moment to get his bearings, but the unicorn flight from the previous night had been an unforgettable experience. He pulled his boots on and rose to his feet. Out of habit, he grabbed his sword sheath and pulled it on before exiting the tent. The sun was just rising above the horizon, and the colonel wiped the sleep from his eyes. It had been dark when they had arrived, and his first sight of the enemy camp caused his eyes to widen in curiosity. The Lanoirian camp was far larger than the one by the Chi River. In fact, it was almost as large as a Federation camp, but that was not what intrigued the colonel. Massive vats sat at the edge of the camp at varying heights above the ground. A series of bamboo pipes connected the vats to one another, and the pipe out of the lowest and largest vat disappeared over the edge of the cliff. Standing alongside that vat were General Somma, Bin-lu, and Rut-ki. The colonel strode towards them to find out what was going to happen.
Bin-lu smiled and turned towards the colonel when he saw him approaching. “Good morning, Colonel Rotti.”
The Federation colonel’s eyebrows rose at the friendly greeting, but he smiled and nodded in return. “We meet again, Bin-lu, although this time you are not a young fisherman with your blushing bride. I understand that you are a Knight of Alcea.”
“Rut-ki truly is my bride,” smiled Bin-lu, “and she is also a Knight of Alcea. As for being a poor fisherman from the city of Barouk, the story is true, although I always thought that I was ill-suited to fishing. Are you trying to point out the disingenuousness of our last meeting, Colonel?”
The emphasis of Bin-lu’s words were centered on the rank of the Federation officer, and Rotti actually blushed with embarrassment. He and Colonel Kerk had portrayed themselves as Cordonians on their spying mission the previous fall.
“Fair point, Bin-lu,” conceded the colonel. “What are all of these vats for?”
“I will let General Somma explain it to you,” Bin-lu replied. “I need to check on the progress of Team Elmor.”
Colonel Rotti watched as the young Lanoirian leaped onto the back of beautiful unicorn which immediately took to the air. He shook his head in wonder as he watched the magnificent creature fly away. He chuckled inwardly at the stark contrast between Bin-lu and the unicorn and the young fisherman and the nag of a horse he had met in the fall.
“It is odd to hear Bin-lu speak so casually about checking on Team Elmor,” commented General Somma. “We Zarans thought we were being so clever with our secrecy, but you Alceans knew about this invasion even before the Federation generals did. Someday I would like to hear the whole story about how this all came to pass.”
“May our futures allow that to happen,” Rut-ki said softly. “If you will excuse me, I have some tasks that require my attention. I will return when I can.”
Rut-ki walked away, leaving the two Federation officers alone on the edge of the cliff. Colonel Rotti walked right up to the edge and peered at the road far below. It was a thin ribbon of hard-packed clay wedged between the sea and the bottom of the cliff, and it extended northwest as far as the eye could see.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” asked the general. “The Lanoirians call this place Hun-lo Heights, and it is where Generals Ruppert and Hanold will be met by their betters.”
“Their betters?” echoed the colonel. “What do you mean? What is going to happen?”
“The vats contain highly-flammable oil,” explained General Somma. “The pipe will carry that oil down to the road and spread it out upon its surface. Once ignited, the entire road will become a blazing inferno.”
“An inferno?” gasped the colonel. “I thought these Alceans were trying to save the lives of the Federation soldiers, not roast them. I will not be a party to such a massacre.”
General Somma frowned at his subordinate. “You still have not learned to trust these people, Rotti. Everything they say and do is in earnest. That is very much unlike anything we Zarans are used to, but I expected more from you. If you were an Alcean colonel, and the Federation had captured you, what condition would you be in right now?”
“Dead,” Colonel Rotti answered without hesitation. “Or held captive awaiting torture,” he added after a moment of thought. “I understand that I am lucky to be alive, General, but I would rather be dead than to watch a senseless slaughter. I thought we were here to aid in a surrender.”
“We are, Rotti,” the general said soothingly. “We are. Look at the waterline alongside the road. If you look closely you will see that a shelf runs alongside the road. According to Bin-lu, the road used to be twice as wide, but the outer half sunk over time. The soldiers will be able to flee the flames by jumping into the sea, but they will have nowhere to go. It is shallow enough that the men will not drown, but it is also narrow enough that they will have no room to maneuver. Lanoirian soldiers will block both ends of the road, and they will be demanding a surrender. It will be up to Generals Ruppert and Hanold to decide the fate of their men, and that is where you and I come in. Our task is to get them to choose life over death.”
“There will be twenty-thousand men on that road,” frowned the colonel. “Can’t they just wait until the flames die out?”
General Somma shook his head. “The vats are large enough to keep the oil flowing for days, but the Alceans will not let that much time go by before attacking on their own.”
“So there is a time limit to their benevolence?” scowled the colonel.
General Somma sighed deeply and shook his head. “I do not know how you can be so stubborn in the face of so much evidence. The Alceans are doing everything they can to save OUR people, and you continue to find faults with their methods. They are risking the lives of their own people by even giving Ruppert and Hanold a single day to decide. I would not be so generous if I were in their position.”
Colonel Rotti frowned in confusion.
“This is day nine of the invasion,” General Somma continued as if explaining something to a child. “That means that Ongchi is another four days march from here, and that is where this Lanoirian army must go next. Have you forgotten that Generals Kolling and Gertz are closing in on Ongchi from the east? The Alceans have not forgotten. The Lanoirians do not have the massive armies that we Zarans have. These soldiers around you will be the very same men pitted against Team Barouk.”
The colonel gasped in understanding. He was so used to dozens of Federation armies that he had forgotten that the Alceans had few troops. The sense of urgency suddenly became all too clear.
“Is there no trap set for Team Barouk?”
“Only delaying tactics,” answered General Somma. “They hope to slow Kolling’s armies down enough to give time for the Lanoirian soldiers to gather. The five-thousand men that met us along the Chi River will be the first to arrive. Their task will be to buy time for the men here to get to Ongchi. It is a risky proposition at best.”
“So the Federation might win after all?” asked Rotti.
“The two forces will be evenly matched,” answered the general, “at least in terms of numbers. I have not seen the Lanoirians fight yet, so I can not gauge their worthiness on the battlefield, but I know Kolling to be a shrewd strategist and a bulldog when it comes to giving up ground. I truly do not know how it will turn out, but I will do what I can to minimize the bloodshed. I would like to think that you would join me in that endeavor.”
“I will,” vowed Colonel Rotti. “I am sorry for the way I have acted, but I have had a hard time understanding these Alceans. I kept looking for the real reasons for their actions, not realizing that I was already seeing the truth. Tell me how I can help.”
General Somma smiled fatherly. “General Ruppert’s army should be in the vanguard. I will place myself at Bin-lu’s service and try to negotiate the surrender of the 13th Corps. It would be helpful if you joined Rut-ki at the other end of the column. She will be trying to get General Hanold to surrender the 26th Corps. Hanold is a reasonable man, but I do not think he will surrender unless Ruppert does. Treat him with respect. Do not push him unless Rut-ki decides that the time has come to do so.”
* * * *
Prince Oscar entered the library and closed the door. King Arik, Alex, Balamor, General Gregor, and Prince Midge all turned to see who was entering the room, but they quickly returned to their discussion of the trap being set for Artimor, the last Claw of Alutar.
“Stop talking,” Prince Oscar said loudly. “I do not want to hear your plans yet.”
“Why not?” asked Alex. “This is your plan that we are discussing.”
“I understand,” replied the prince, “but I do not want to know any details just yet. I just need a minute to speak with General Gregor before I leave.”
“Before you leave?” asked King Arik. “Where are you going?”
“To buy a new pair of boots,” smiled Prince Oscar.
“Is that wise?” asked Alex. “Remember that Artimor is a demonkin of great power. We have no idea what he can do.”
“But we do have some idea of some of his capabilities,” retorted the prince. “K’san was able to see through the eyes of Red Swords and hear through their ears, and K’san was inferior to a Claw of Alutar. I highly suspect that Artimor is doing exactly the same, but on a much grander scale. That is why I needed to talk to General Gregor. I want him to speak to several soldiers about the king’s visit to the estate, and I want him to warn those soldiers that the information is very secret. They are not to talk to anyone about it. Do not discuss our preparations at all. Only the people in this room are to know, with the additions of Jenneva, Tanya, and Theos.”
“You think Artimor will learn the secrets?” asked Balamor.
“I do.” The prince nodded. “I expect that he has dozens of unwitting moles inside the Royal Palace.”
“Then why is there a need for you to visit the shop?” asked the king. “I do not like the idea of you putting yourself in danger needlessly.”
“There is a need,” answered the prince. “I think Artimor may have far more spies than he can juggle. If he does not expect anything extraordinary to happen, he will not go looking for the secrets we wish for him to discover. My visit should be enough to spur him to look deeper into what is going on in the palace. I am a high profile noble, and he will no doubt sift through my thoughts when I enter his shop.”
“He will learn that we are planning a trap?” frowned Prince Midge. “Was your mother an ogre?”
Alex coughed loudly, and the fairy prince gazed at him to see the Knight of Alcea shaking his head in warning. Prince Midge noticed that the king was not laughing at his joke and suddenly realized that he was besmirching the Bringer’s grandmother. He blushed bright green. Before the embarrassment could become the topic of conversation, Prince Oscar responded.
“I do not think he will learn about the trap. I intend to concentrate on the king’s unannounced retreat to a private estate and nothing more. That is why I do not want to hear your thoughts and plans until later. I also plan to take two soldiers with me as guards. If the demonkin tries to magically delay me to probe further, they will have specific instructions to drag me out of the shop after a certain amount of time has expired. Artimor will not tip his hand by attacking me. I am not one of the big fish he is hoping to net.”
“Be careful, Oscar,” Alex said with concern. “Artimor is not like dealing with a bandit. Tread softly.”
Prince Oscar nodded and exited the library. He left the Royal Palace, but halted in the courtyard where a number of soldiers stood ready to defend the palace. The soldiers straightened in the presence of the prince. Oscar strode in front of the soldiers, examining their boots. When he found two soldiers whose boots were in need of repair, he ordered them to accompany him. He said nothing to them about his destination until they had left the grounds of the palace.
“I have one stop to make,” Prince Oscar announced to this newly formed escort. “Listen to my words carefully and ask no questions. I am going to enter a shop and make a purchase. If I am not out within three minutes, you are to enter the shop and get me out, even if you have to do so forcibly. You will say nothing to me or anyone else until we all return to the palace. Do you understand?”
One of the soldiers opened his mouth to ask for clarification of the strange orders, but he suddenly thought better of it. Prince Oscar was well known within the palace for being exact with his orders. The soldier nodded his understanding. The shoemaker’s shop was fairly close to the Royal Palace and within minutes they reached the entrance to the shop. The two soldiers immediately took up posts on each side of the doorway and the prince entered the shop. A tiny bell rang as Oscar closed the door. An old man with thick, white hair hobbled through a curtain and entered the room. The shopkeeper looked at the prince with a puzzled expression.
“May I help you?” asked Artimor.
“You may,” Prince Oscar smiled warmly. “You are the shoemaker who made the boots for the king?”
“Were they not to his liking?” asked the demonkin.
“Quite the contrary,” replied the prince. “He wears them every day. I must agree with him that the workmanship is exquisite. As I am in the market for another pair of boots myself, I thought that you should be the one to provide them.”
“Ah,” nodded the shoemaker, a hint of skepticism in his voice. “You are Prince Oscar, are you not?”
“I am.”
“And you want me to make you something similar to what I gave to the king?”
“Not at all,” replied Prince Oscar. “I merely need a pair of simple boots to use during inclement weather. They need not be anything special, but I thought I would buy them from you to show the king’s appreciation of your gift.”
Prince Oscar felt a tingling sensation in his mind. Had he not been expecting something to happen, he would never have felt it. He concentrated on his plans to secure the old estate of Duke Everich for the king to convalesce in. The feeling lasted only a minute, and Oscar suppressed a sigh of relief.
“Perhaps something that you have in stock would suffice,” the prince continued. “I am rather short on time today.”
The shoemaker nodded with a smile and walked to one of the shelves. He took a pair of new boots off the shelf and handed them to the prince.
“These boots are your size,” said the shoemaker. “You will not even need to try them on. Trust me. I am an expert on feet.” Artimor paused and then lowered his voice, “Some of my customers have been lamenting the fact that the king has not addressed the plague that is running rampant in the city. Is he not well himself?”
Prince Oscar started as if someone had just uncovered a state secret. He glanced around the shop anxiously and then returned his eyes to the shoemaker. He sighed and nodded slightly.
“He is feeling a bit under the weather,” the prince replied confidentially, “but it is better not to talk about such things. Besides, I am sure that the citizens do not need the king to tell them about the sickness plaguing the city. How much are the boots?”
“They are a gift,” Artimor smiled.
“No,” balked the prince. “You have been more than generous already. I insist on paying. A merchant should not be expected to provide for royalty at the expense of others.”
Just then the door opened, and two soldiers entered the shop. Prince Oscar shoved several gold coins into the shoemaker’s hand.
“I must leave,” the prince said apologetically. “I will stop by again and let you know how well these fit.”
The prince and his escort left the shop and walked back to the Royal Palace. Before passing through the gates, the prince made the soldiers swear not to reveal where they went or what his orders had been. Once parted from the escort, Oscar hurried up to the library to join in the planning.
“The deed is done,” reported the prince. “Now we can get to the details of this plan.”
“Are you sure he knows about the Everich estate?” asked Alex.
“I felt a tingling in my mind,” answered the prince. “I am sure that he was probing it. “Why did you pick the Everich estate for the ambush site?”
“It has certain features that we can make use of,” smiled Alex, “but mostly because it will contain any damage to an area where there are no innocents. Now we have to plan how to get Arik into the estate without being attacked.”
“Keep the king heavily shielded while transporting him,” suggested Balamor. “While Artimor can likely blast away the shields, he will be hesitant to do so if he thinks that the shields will be dropped once the king is on the estate. He will want the maximum effect of his spells to do damage, not be dissipated by shields. I think you should have multiple, powerful mages shielding him for the trip. The more the better. Let him sense the power of the shields.”
“Wycaramor was strong enough to destroy this library,” commented General Gregor, “and Lycindor destroyed two rooms in the palace. If the Mage is correct, and Artimor is the most powerful Claw of Alutar, Duke Everich’s estate will not fare well under the demonkin’s attack. It will likely be damaged. Are you sure it is wise to have the king inside such a structure? He will be trapped.”
“The King will be safe,” promised Alex. “We just need to be sure of Aritmor’s location at all times.”
“The fairies will handle that,” chirped Prince Midge. “I have already assigned fairies to keep watch on the demonkin.”
“Then we are ready to plan the rest of this,” declared Prince Oscar. “Let me explain how I envision this unfolding and then Alex can present the military requirements for the ambush. We will need to discuss everything quickly, but thoroughly. There will be no room for ambiguity, and we have little time to put everything in motion.”
* * * *
Colonel Dukirk sighed anxiously as he rode through the swamp with twenty other riders. He was now five leagues ahead of the main column of Team Danver Shores, and he was not happy with what he was seeing. Instead of the roadway widening and returning to forested land as he had expected, it had continuously narrowed until the murky waters crowded the road on both sides. The road resembled a land bridge through the watery muck, and there was not a decent campsite in view.
As if responding to the colonel’s sigh, the squad leader spoke. “It doesn’t look good, Colonel. The road stays rather narrow up ahead as far as I can see.”
Colonel Dukirk nodded in agreement. “We are already at the distance of a day’s march, but I cannot imagine camping here for the night. We will ride on a bit farther.”
Less than an hour later, the land widened around the road. The cavalry squad halted to survey the land. It was a grassy meadow, though quite damp underfoot. Colonel Dukirk dismounted as did the other riders. When the colonel stepped off the relatively hard surface of the road, his boots sank just a bit in the muck. He shook his head in disgust and sighed once again.
“It’s better than nothing,” commented the squad leader.
“Barely,” conceded the colonel. “Send one of your men back to General Pryblick to inform him that today’s march will be a bit longer than normal. He will want an accurate estimate of the distance so he can pace the infantry appropriately.”
The squad leader nodded and summoned one of his men. He quietly instructed the soldier and sent him on his way before returning to the colonel.
“Do you think the ground will dry any under the brunt of the sun?” asked the colonel. “I have no practical experience with swamps.”
“Nor do I,” admitted the squad leader. “The only sizeable swamp in Zara is on the western side of the Barrier. I have never been there, but I think the men should expect damp ground tonight.”
A violent splash caught the attention of the two men, and they both whirled towards the sound. They gaped at the sight of a giant reptile with a cavernous mouth full of long, sharp teeth. The creature must have felt foreign eyes upon it because it closed its mouth and slithered off into the water.
“What was that?” gasped the squad leader.
“I don’t know,” the colonel said in a whisper, “but it does not give me a warm feeling about our campsite. That thing looked as if it could swallow a man whole.”
“That would be far less painful that what I was envisioning,” quaked the squad leader. “Did you see the teeth on that? It could rip the belly out of a horse with one bite.”
Colonel Dukirk nodded as he eased towards his horse. “I am going to check further north. Perhaps there is drier ground within a reasonable distance.”
The squad leader whistled to get his men’s attention as he hurried after the colonel. “We will join you. We are, after all, supposed to be protecting you.”
Colonel Dukirk smiled inwardly at the squad leader’s devotion to duty. He knew that that the man was fearful of remaining near the giant reptile, and he did not blame him. Such monsters were unheard of. The cavalry squad rode for another hour before halting once again. The road through the swamp had narrowed within minutes of leaving the campsite, and it had not widened again. Now, an hour north of the campsite, the road ended.
“This cannot be,” scowled the colonel. “We must have missed a turn somewhere.”
“We missed no turns,” replied the squad leader. “This road might be fine in drier weather, but I suspect that springtime is not the right time to be here. We are trapped.”
“Worse than that,” frowned the colonel. “The whole 8th Corps and 12th Corps are trapped. General Pryblick will be furious.”
“I could send a rider to get him to turn around right now,” offered the squad leader.
Colonel Dukirk glanced up at the sun and shook his head. “It is too late for that. The vanguard is already on the narrowest stretch of road. General Pryblick will not encamp the army there. He will continue on to the wider area for the army to settle in for the night. We have just lost two days out of the five allotted to us to reach Tagaret.”
“And then what?” asked the squad leader. “How are we supposed to get to Tagaret?”
“That is something that we will have to get the locals to tell us,” answered the colonel. “I suspect that we will return to the main road tomorrow and march south into Danver Shores. General Pryblick will take his wrath out on the local population until they tell him the shortest route to Tagaret. It will not be a pretty sight to behold. He may literally destroy the entire city.”