“Enemy sighted,” growled Wyka. “Are you sure I can’t eat them?”
King Arik strained to see General Bledsoe and his three regiments of reserves, but his eyes were not as good as the dragon’s. “You may kill with abandon,” he answered, “but you will not eat a human. There will be more horsemeat on the battlefield than you and Rylana can possibly devour. Quit complaining.”
“Grump,” retorted Wyka.
“Light the battlefield as soon as you see it, Tanya,” called the king, ignoring the dragon’s banter.
Hearing the king’s command, Rylana put forth a burst of speed and rose over Wyka and King Arik. “One thousand paces forward,” she said. “Can you see them?”
Queen Tanya did not reply. She took the dragon’s word as accurate and raised her arm. A brilliant light flared to life at her fingertips and arced into the sky. When it reached the prescribed distance, it burst into a brilliance like a tiny sun hanging high over General Bledsoe’s position.
“That is sure to announce our arrival,” quipped Rylana.
“Then let the killing begin,” the queen replied stoically.
And begin it did. The Federation soldiers of the reserves gazed upward, holding the reins of the mounts standing beside them. They gawked at the magical light above them as the two dragons glided silently towards them. Wyka and Rylana split up upon reaching the clearing where General Bledsoe had decided to make his stand. Wyka banked left and Rylana banked right. From opposite sides, the dragons swooped over the reserves, their talons reaching down and goring the heads of the soldiers. Flames leaped from their mouths searing scores of men, while Arik and Tanya threw Lanoirian stars as quickly as they could pull them from the pouches on their waists.
Chaos swept over the Federation troops as man and beast tried to react to the sudden attack. Men shouted in alarm, and horses screamed with fear. Some men tried to mount their horses; some drew their swords. Still others, seeing the threat as too distant for close combat, dropped their reins so that both hands were free to handle bows and arrows. Free horses broke in every direction as the two dragons raced over the reserves, and the din of confusion and terror made it impossible for the officers’ orders to be heard. At the end of their run, both dragons banked sharply, Rylana shooting high into the sky to avoid the arrows being nocked below. Wyka, however, was not done toying with the soldiers. She maintained her sharp bank for another pass.
“Behold Dragon Heart upon my back!” bellowed Wyka. “Kneel and yield to him or die!”
King Arik drew the Sword of Heavens as Wyka soared towards the reserves once again. When she reached the beginning of the line, she spied a soldier who had managed to mount his horse. The man was desperately trying to get his horse to leave the area, but it was too crowded for him to make progress. She adjusted her path straight towards him. She snapped her jaws shut around the man, ripping him from the saddle. She then sunk her talons deep into the horse and lifted it off the ground, tossing the soldier’s body aside. With her powerful wings propelling her forward, she dragged the horse into the crowd. Man and beast alike were plowed out of the dragon’s path as the horse carcass smashed everything it met with an explosive force. King Arik, on Wyka’s back, reached out with the Sword of Heavens. The magical sword’s blade sliced through the necks of anyone who had managed to just miss being hit by the horse carcass. Together, Dragon Heart and the Queen of the Dragons cut a swath through the reserves of the 7th Corps of the Empire of Barouk.
Small groups of soldiers, who had managed to split from the column during the initial pass, nocked arrows and waited for the dragon to come within range. Before they had a chance to fire their arrows, lightning bolts shot down out of the night sky and struck in the middle of each group, the soldiers’ bodies flying through the air and creating even greater chaos among the reserves. As Wyka neared the end of her pass, she tossed the horse at the last of the men and shot upward. That was when the Red Swords arrived on the battlefield. As the Red Swords tore into the Federation reserves, King Arik sheathed the Sword of Heavens and glanced down at the battlefield. He saw a squad of soldiers standing tensely apart from the others and saw General Bledsoe in the middle of them. He roused Prince Midge from his pocket.
“I need to be warned of the approach of the men from the shield wall,” instructed the Bringer.
“You will be able to see them easily from up here,” replied the fairy prince.
“I will be down there,” declared King Arik as he pointed to the group around General Bledsoe. “Warn me in time to make preparations.”
“You will know of their arrival before they do,” promised Prince Midge. He flared his wings wide and let the air current whip him off the king’s shoulder.
King Arik signaled Queen Tanya, and both dragons dropped into a steep dive towards General Bledsoe and the twenty men guarding him.
“Shall I even the odds?” Wyka asked as they shot downward.
“No,” answered Dragon Heart. “I cannot afford for General Bledsoe to die, even by accident. You and Rylana will return to harassing the reserves. Keep their attention divided between the Red Swords and you. When the Rangers arrive, return to the sky and watch for the men of the shield wall. I may need for you and Rylana to slow them down.”
“As Dragon Heart commands,” Wyka replied, “but one seldom dies of fright.”
While King Arik was still puzzling over the dragon’s comment, Wyka’s wings suddenly beat faster, and the dragon leveled off just above the ground. She flew straight at General Bledsoe. The general’s bodyguards quickly pushed the general to the ground and covered him with their bodies, but the dragon did not attack. Wyka flew over the small group of men and landed, King Arik quickly sliding to the ground. Rylana landed next to Wyka, and Queen Tanya quickly moved to stand next to the king. The dragons immediately returned to the air. The king and queen filled their hands with Lanoirians stars and ran towards the soldiers. While the bodyguards were still rising to their feet, the Warrior King and the Warrior Queen halted their advance and attacked by throwing their stars. Their practiced aim was deadly. The falling bodies slowed the rising of other soldiers, but eventually enough of them rose to dictate a change in tactics. Arik and Tanya drew their swords as some of the soldiers raced towards them.
Striding slowly forward in a well-rehearsed battle dance, Arik and Tanya met the enemy, keeping just enough space between them to allow each to maneuver without hindering the other, yet not enough space to allow the enemy to come between them. The Alcean warriors met the enemy confidently, their long, two-handed swords reaching out to slay their foes before the soldiers could reach their target. As the Federation bodies piled up, an arrow slammed into King Arik’s chest, its impact driving the Warrior King back a step. The arrow, instead of penetrating deep into the king’s body, struck the Breastplate of Alcea, worn under the king’s tunic, and fell to the ground. The three remaining swordsmen attacking the royal couple gasped and their attack faltered for just a moment. The pause was long enough for one of Queen Tanya’s hands to leave the hilt of her sword and send a magical projectile at the archer behind the soldiers. His lifeless body flew through the air and slammed into a tree. The faces of the attackers paled as they stared at the queen. They backed away from the Alceans and stood directly in front of General Bledsoe, who also held his sword ready.
“Yield, General Bledsoe,” King Arik said as he and Queen Tanya slowly strode forward. “End this unnecessary bloodshed.”
“You have only moments to live,” the general replied. “Flee while you can.”
King Arik extended the Sword of Heavens before him and moved closer to the general. The three remaining soldiers tensed, ready to spring forward and sacrifice their lives to protect the general. King Arik glanced at them and shook his head in warning.
“Enough blood has already stained these grounds,” scowled the Warrior King. “Do not add yours to it. I am seeking a surrender, not a massacre.”
General Bledsoe glanced over at the reserves and the Red Swords battling as if wondering when his troops would come to his aid. Instead he witnessed the arrival of the Rangers and the Men of Tor. He knew the battle was now lost unless…
“General Kozinski and the 17th Corps have already surrendered,” stated Queen Tanya. “The only thing you have left is the men of your shield wall, and they will be destroyed just as easily as the rest of your armies. Must all of your men die to satisfy your ego?”
The general whipped his head towards the queen and glared at her. He was about to call her bluff, but as he gazed into her eyes, he knew that he was hearing the truth. At that moment, Prince Midge swooped down and landed on the king’s shoulder.
“The men of the shield wall will be arriving in moments,” announced the fairy prince. “Should I order the attack?”
The Baroukans gasped and stared at the tiny man. All night long, the Alceans seemed to know everything the Federation was doing. Suddenly, the source of the Alceans’ knowledge became clear. The general pushed aside his men and stepped forward. He grasped the blade of his sword, extending the hilt towards King Arik.
“Allow one of my men to sound the surrender,” he pleaded. “Enough have died.”
King Arik accepted the sword and nodded. General Bledsoe instructed one of his soldiers to sound the surrender. The man dropped his sword and ran off in search of a horn. Moments later, the sound of the horn pierced the air. The fighting stopped almost immediately, and a stillness pervaded the battlefield for a moment. As the true significance of the horn dawned on the members of the reserve regiments, they stabbed their swords into the ground and walked towards the general. They quietly formed ranks and stood silently, awaiting the general’s orders. Moments later, Colonel Sawar led the vanguard of the shield wall into the clearing. The men had clearly been running hard for some time, but now they walked slowly. Alexander Tork met them as they entered the clearing.
“The swords stay here,” Alex said to the colonel.
Colonel Sawar nodded and stabbed his sword into the ground. He then stepped out of the column and stood alongside the Knight of Alcea, instructing his men to leave their swords and form ranks. By the time the end of the column entered the clearing, dawn was already lightening the sky. The thirteenth day of the War in Alcea had begun.
* * * *
As dawn broke over Lizard Hill, two Federation generals met inside the large command tent. The acrimonious exchange was loud enough to be heard outside the tent.
“The 9th Corps carried the weight of battle yesterday,” scowled General Kolling. “Today the 25th Corps will take its turn.”
“There was no reason for battle yesterday,” retorted General Gertz, “and there certainly isn’t any reason for battle today. We should bypass the bloody hill and be on our way to Ongchi. You were the one trying to avoid delays. Why now are you intent on fighting for a hill that has no meaning? There are only a hundred or so Lanoirians left alive up there.”
“Then it shouldn’t take a full corps of Aerta’s finest very long to conquer them,” spat the Baroukan general. “Stop arguing, Gertz. I am the leader of Team Barouk, and you will follow my orders. I want every last one of those Lanoirians destroyed. Get out there and get your men ready to assault that hill.”
Before the Aertan general could respond, the tent flap flew open and Colonel Ednor of the 9th Corps of the Empire of Barouk entered the tent.
“A flag of truce flies at the base of Lizard Hill,” the colonel reported. “Perhaps the Lanoirians have realized that there is no hope for their position.”
The eyebrows of General Gertz rose with hope, but General Kolling was not pleased.
“You tend to the parley, Colonel,” he snapped. “I have no time for such nonsense. When she offers to surrender, tell her no.”
“That is not right,” objected General Gertz. “You are either the team leader or you are not. It is your responsibility as team leader to negotiate with the enemy. You cannot delegate that to an inferior officer.”
“I can do whatever I want,” snarled General Kolling. “Do not tell me my place.” The tent fell silent for a moment and then the Baroukan general continued in a more controlled manner. “Although, it might give me pleasure to watch Rut-ki’s face when I refuse her offer of surrender. Let’s see how she controls her emotions then. Come along, Gertz. We have a parley to attend.”
General Kolling stormed out of the tent. General Gertz sighed with frustration and then turned to the colonel.
“Join us, Colonel. I think it is time for you to become more informed of the affairs of the 9th Corps.”
The colonel’s brow creased at the general’s odd offer, but he dutifully followed General Gertz out of the tent. The two men hurried to catch up to General Kolling, but they slowed again as they drew near, leaving the Baroukan general walking several paces before them. Colonel Ednor glanced across the valley as they descended the hill. He saw a lone woman and her mount.
“Is that the one called Rut-ki?” he asked the Aertan general.
General Gertz nodded. “Do not mistake her mount for a horse,” he warned softly. “That is the unicorn you saw flying through the sky yesterday. It almost killed General Kolling the last time we met with Rut-ki. First it threw him to the ground and then it almost gored him with its horn.”
“Is it that hard a creature to ride?” the colonel asked in confusion.
“Not at all,” answered the general. “They are beautiful creatures, far superior to even the Occans back home. Kolling made the mistake of using his spurs. He said that the creature spoke inside his mind and threatened to drag his body along the road if he ever did that again.”
“It spoke to him?” gasped the colonel.
“It did,” chuckled the general. “You should have seen his face. I am not surprised that he did not share that with you.”
“He shared nothing about the last parley with me,” frowned the colonel. “I guess he no longer has confidence in me.”
“Do not take it personally, Colonel,” the general said sympathetically. “I don’t think this war has been going the way he expected. I think we have all underestimated our enemy, and Kolling has a hard time accepting that.”
General Kolling glared back at the other officers, and they fell silent, fearful that he might have been able to hear their words. Nothing more was said before they halted a few paces in front of Rut-ki.
“Good morning, General Kolling,” Rut-ki opened with an impassive face, “General Gertz, and…” Rut-ki paused for only a moment as if sifting through the faces in her memory. “Colonel Ednor. Thank you for coming so early in the day.”
The colonel’s eyebrows rose. He was sure that he had never met Rut-ki before yet she seemed to recognize him.
“There is little time before the start of battle,” General Kolling said brusquely. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Surrender, General Kolling,” answered the Knight of Alcea. “It is time to end the bloodshed.”
“It took you long enough to realize that, Rut-ki,” General Kolling said with a slight smile, “but I will not accept your surrender. Your people have inflicted great harm on my army, and I demand my revenge. Return to your people and tell them to prepare to die.”
General Kolling watched Rut-ki’s face closely for any sign of emotion. He was disappointed when it showed none.
“My people were prepared to die yesterday, General,” Rut-ki replied, “and far too many of them did, but you continue to misunderstand me. I am here to offer you one last opportunity to surrender.”
“You should at least learn to smile when you joke,” scowled General Kolling. “You can’t have more than two-hundred men left alive up there. You expect me to surrender to that?”
Rut-ki half turned and waved her hand towards the summit of Lizard Hill as she spoke. “One-hundred-fifty survived your attack yesterday, but we accomplished our goal. We have delayed the advance of Team Barouk, and now you are left with only two choices. You may surrender here and now, or you will all die.”
Colonel Ednor gasped and the two generals turned to see what he saw. They followed his gaze to the top of Lizard Hill and saw it lined with Lanoirian soldiers. For several moments the three Federation officers scanned the ridge of Lizard Hill. From the head to the tail, thousands of Lanoirian soldiers stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Finally, General Kolling spat defiantly in Rut-ki’s direction. He turned abruptly and strode off towards his tent. General Gertz and Colonel Ednor stood staring at the thousands of enemy soldiers. Eventually, General Gertz lowered his eyes and met Rut-ki’s gaze.
“The men from Hun-lo Heights?” asked the general.
Rut-ki nodded. “You are outnumbered, General. Worse, your men are starving and exhausted. We have the high ground, and you have nowhere to run. And if you did have somewhere to run, we have the cavalry to run you down. Your cause is lost. Accept the inevitable, and let your men live to return to their wives and children.”
Colonel Ednor raised an eyebrow when the Aertan general asked Rut-ki for an hour to think about it. She quickly agreed, but the colonel knew that General Gertz did not have the authority to surrender. Only General Kolling could do so, and Colonel Ednor knew that was not going to happen. When General Gertz turned and started back towards the camp, the colonel raced after him.
“Surely you aren’t thinking of trying to persuade General Kolling to surrender?” asked the colonel. “You must know him well enough by now to understand that he will never surrender.”
“What point is there in continuing the fight?” asked the general. “We will not win. Everything Rut-ki said is true. The 9th Corps demonstrated that yesterday. Men cannot fight when they are weakened by fatigue and starved for lack of food. Our morale couldn’t get any lower than it already is. What is the point?”
“Even if we lost,” posed the colonel, “we would take a good deal of the Lanoirian army with us. That would leave the way open for the other teams.”
“There are no other teams, Colonel,” retorted the general. “We are all there is in Lanoir.”
“I know that you and General Kolling have been speculating about such a situation,” frowned the colonel, “but you cannot know for sure.”
General Gertz stopped walking and faced the colonel. He frowned deeply as he stared in the colonel’s face.
“Kolling really has kept you in the dark, hasn’t he? Team Elmor and Team Chi have surrendered, Colonel. That is not a rumor or speculation. It is a fact. We learned that the very first time we saw Rut-ki.”
“But you cannot take the word of the enemy on such matters,” protested Colonel Ednor.
“I am not taking her word,” replied the general. “I am taking the words of Generals Somma, Ruppert, and Hanold. They were at the first parley. General Franz couldn’t make the meeting. He was already dead.”
Colonel Ednor gasped loudly. “Then we have known about this for two days already?”
General Gertz nodded.
“All of those men who died in the last two days have died for nothing?” scowled the colonel. “How many Lanoirians are up there waiting for us?”
“Over fifteen-thousand,” answered the general. “They are the army that accepted the surrender of Team Elmor. The smaller army that defeated Team Chi is what we have been battling so far.”
“We are doomed,” sighed the colonel. After a moment of thought, the colonel’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as he gazed at the general. “Why are you telling me all of this now? You and I both know that General Kolling will not surrender.”
“I agree,” replied the general, “but I will.”
“You can’t,” balked the colonel. “General Kolling is the team leader. He will not allow you to surrender.”
“And how will he stop me?” asked the Aertan general. “Will he order the 9th Corps to attack the 25th Corps?”
The colonel gasped in horror and nodded. “You know that he will.”
“I have seen the state of the 9th Corps, Colonel,” stated the general, “and I have seen the numbers of the Lanoirians. Which army do you think I would choose to engage if I had to pick one?”
“The 9th Corps is but a shell of its former might,” sighed the colonel. “The 25th Corps would destroy us easily, but I cannot believe that you look forward to us fighting each other.”
“I most certainly do not,” agreed the general. “Enough Federation blood has already flowed into the Lanoirian soil.”
Both men walked in silence for a long time, their troubled thoughts centered on the possible battle between two allied forces. Neither of the men was happy with the situation. When they finally reached the Federation camp, the soldiers were preparing for battle. None of the men seemed eager to engage the Lanoirians who were now visible to the entire camp. The two officers halted outside the large command tent.
“It would seem that your sword will be bloodied today,” the general said softly to the colonel. “You have a short time to decide who its victim will be.”
The colonel turned and looked at the Aertan general and saw him looking at the tent flap of the large command tent. He clearly understood the Aertan’s suggestion to kill General Kolling.
“You cannot be suggesting what I think you are suggesting?” gasped the colonel. “That would be treason.”
General Gertz smiled thinly. “I know nothing of what you are talking about, Colonel. I know nothing about it now, and I assure you, I will know nothing about it later.”
The four guards posted outside the large command tent watched the two officers whispering to each other. They could not hear the words being spoken, but they could easily sense the furtiveness of the conversation. The colonel bit his lip as the internal conflict tore through his mind.
“Either way you must enter the tent,” the general said softly. “You either enter it to save the lives of your men, or you enter it to inform General Kolling that the 25th Corps is surrendering to the Lanoirians. I do not envy your task, but there is no other who can perform it. Good luck, Colonel.”
General Gertz turned and walked away leaving the colonel standing before the large command tent. The colonel turned and glanced at the four guards. Each of them immediately averted his eyes. Colonel Ednor knew right then that the guards suspected what the conversation had been about. He turned slowly and watched as the Federation soldiers prepared for battle. The men moved sluggishly as if preparing for a deed best avoided. The whole camp knew that they were going to die. He could see it in their faces and their movements. He turned back to the guards and nodded his head to one side, an unspoken order to leave their post. Not one of the men hesitated. They silently moved away from the tent and never looked back.
Colonel Ednor inhaled deeply, drawing on his courage to attempt the most vile of deeds. He straightened and marched towards the tent, throwing the flap back as he entered. General Kolling glanced up with a glare.
“What do you want, Ednor?” scowled General Kolling. “Have we so few men left that you have time to dally while they prepare for battle?”
The colonel smiled slightly. “I have a thought about the upcoming battle,” stated the colonel. “We might be able to save thousands of lives if things are handled correctly. Do you have the map of this area handy?”
The general raised an eyebrow in surprise and nodded. He bent down to pick up a map that was resting on the floor. When he straightened up, a knife flew across the table and struck him in the chest. The general gasped in pain, and he stared down at the knife sticking out of his chest. His face filled with rage, and his hand grasped the hilt of the knife. The colonel quickly drew his sword to finish off the general, but it proved unnecessary. As the general pulled the knife from his chest, his body tumbled to the floor. The battle for Lanoir was over.