For an instant, his snarl turned into something resembling a smile. Martok the Great, the elves called him. Indeed, he was exactly that. In one fell swoop they had denied Shinzan more than half of Lumnia.
While raising his sword, he saw the eyes of his first kill filled with dread. The sheer force of his strike shattered the enemy’s breastplate, opening a gaping wound and causing near instant death. A moment later the battle cries of his own men reached his ears; steel clashing on steel like the ringing of a thousand anvils. Four more men perished at his hand before he was forced to slow his charge.
The enemy was surprisingly unskilled and barely able to defend themselves against even off-balanced attacks. Some of them had scrambled together to form loose battle lines, though it was to no avail. His cavalry smashed through them as if they were made of glass.
Much to his irritation, his personal guard finally managed to form a protective circle around him just as the infantry joined the battle, so separating him from the fray. And though he tried repeatedly to outmaneuver them, they were far more skilled riders than himself and easily kept him within their ring.
A few Imperial stragglers passed near, but the guards cut them down before Yularian could lay a blade on them.
“Damn it!” he roared. “Let me fight.”
In spite of the fact that he was their king, they ignored his anger. A young man Yularian recognized as Irivan rode up and gave a quick salute. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. Do not blame your guard for this. It was my decision. Punish me after the battle is over if you wish. But you have risked yourself enough for one day.”
Yularian grumbled and glowered while considering these words. Irivan was his most trusted captain, and surprisingly level headed for one so young. He was among the very first he had sought to enlist in the fight against Shinzan, and the young man had not hesitated for an instant. He would serve his king against any foe. Even the fearsome Emperor.
“Remain here, Your Highness,” he continued. His eyes stated that this was not a request from a junior officer, but a command from a man determined to ensure the safety of his monarch. “The day will soon be ours. This pathetic lot has no heart for battle at all.”
Yularian locked eyes with the captain for a brief moment before relenting. He let out a sigh. “Very well. I suppose my blade’s thirst will have to remain unquenched for now. But next time, remind me to send you to the supply lines
before
the battle.”
Irivan smiled broadly. “Not a chance, Your Highness.”
Forgetting his irritation, Yularian returned the smile. Such men were an honor to lead. And a gift to have near.
His infantry was now steadily battering down the remaining meager resistance, while the cavalry had already cut off any possibility of retreat. He shook his head. How could Shinzan possibly hope to defeat their combined forces with such weak soldiers?
From his vantage point he could see that the elves and dwarves, along with a few human allies, were allowing the vanguard of the enemy to surrender. There were at least eight thousand men laying down their weapons; what would they do with so many? It would be impossible to imprison them all. They could only kill them or let them go. And after having spoken to Queen Berathis of Al Theona, he did not foresee much mercy in their future. As they were still within her lands, it would be her decision. Unless, of course, the elves or the dwarves contested her authority. But that problem, if it arose, would have to be dealt with later.
After a time, he retreated to the edge of the tree line to watch the day unfold. It was a slaughter. In less than three hours of battle, the Imperial army was all but lost. The ground was literally smothered with their dead and soaked deep in blood. And though he had not actually given an order to leave none alive, it was clear that his men would not be satisfied until every last one of Shinzan’s soldiers no longer drew breath. The failing daylight seemed to be no deterrent to this work. Their fury had consumed them. A fury that had been building for their entire lives.
As the stars began to appear, the sounds of the wounded overcame the clattering of steel. He could no longer see the carnage in the dim light of the quarter moon, but he knew it would continue for some time yet.
A messenger arrived a short time later with a request for him to join the dwarf and elf leaders. Yularian could see that this made his guards uneasy. In truth, he was nervous about the meeting as well. Though he had met Queen Keira previously, King Halvar was another matter. Dwarves were not exactly renowned for their friendliness, and many considered their hatred of humans to rival even that of the elves. But times were changing fast. And where he had been plagued by fear and doubt at the onset of this campaign, he was now actually daring to hope for victory.
Choosing two of his best men to accompany him, he rode behind the messenger toward the massive combined force that had become his new allies. The enemy prisoners were now disarmed and sitting at the bottom of the rise inside a large circle of dwarves, all of whom were holding their strange rod weapons. Fires lit the camp with a welcoming glow, and numerous songs of victory rang out into the night.
His own men had been ordered to gather near the forest once the enemy was defeated. He wondered what it would be like when the two armies eventually met. A great number of his men hated elves and dwarves only slightly less than they did the Emperor. It had not been easy to overcome their objections. Many pleaded with him to forget such an alliance. If war with the Empire was inevitable, they stated, then so be it. But surely it would be better to gather support from other humans. Most knew that Al Theona would rally to their banner. Queen Berathis had lost her entire family to the wrath of Shinzan in one of his legendary fits of anger. And even if the other rulers would not actively join their ranks, they would surely not oppose them by fighting against their own kind.
No matter how powerfully put, Yularian knew these arguments to be without merit. Though he too had been confidant that Queen Berathis would join them, he knew for certain that the others would not. Traxis and Kytain bordered the wasteland that separated the Emperor’s desert from the rest of Lumnia. Though Shinzan had been hard on them over the years, the nobles there had grown rich through trade, and had supplied his army with vast quantities of both provisions and men. As for Malacar, that was all but useless. The king was old and without an heir. Most of the nobles there were far too busy trying to gain Shinzan’s favor so that they could lay claim to the throne to even think of rebellion.
Only Ralmaria and Al Theona had the two dwarf nations within their borders. This meant having access to weapons of a fearsome nature. What's more, their ports furthered their advantage. The Empire had long used them as a base for the majority of their ships. Now they would be forced to use smaller, lesser equipped ports far to the south.
Of course, none of this would matter in the slightest if Shinzan himself ventured forth. But for the time being, he could not. At least, that was what Lord Dragonvein had assured him. This had been the tipping point for Queen Berathis – the one thing that ensured her support. He recalled the doubt and suspicion written plainly on her face when he had spoken to her. She had nearly thrown him out, fearful that his visit was a ploy to trick her into admitting to treason. Even when she did finally accept that Yularian was being truthful, it still took almost a week for her to agree.
While passing through the heart of the dwarf and elf army, he'd fully expected to be eyed with trepidation and malice. To his astonishment, he was given only cursory glances and even a few brief nods of greeting. Times
were
changing. He had never before seen a dwarf up close and found them to be odd in an almost comical way – not a thought he would be sharing with their king, to be sure. However, the strangest thing of all was the way he saw these supposedly bad tempered people laughing and singing alongside the elves, and even a few humans for that matter. This had him shaking his head in wonder.
He was led through the ranks to a large pavilion where six dwarves were still busy hammering in the final few tent stakes. The light from several lanterns revealed Keira standing beside a stout dwarf with a dark beard and grim countenance. His resplendent armor and proud bearing told Yularian immediately that this must be King Halvar.
After dismounting, flanked on either side by his guards, Yularian approached the two monarchs. “It is good to see you again, Keira,” he said, bowing formally.
She did not look especially pleased to be renewing their acquaintance, though she did return the bow. “I am glad you are unhurt from the battle,” she said. “This is King Halvar.”
His eyes shifted to the dwarf. “I am King Yularian. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”
Halvar looked equally unhappy. Dispensing with formalities, he said brusquely: “Let us sit and talk.”
Chairs had already been placed beneath the pavilion, along with a small table and a bottle of what Yularian considered was probably whiskey. While taking a seat, he gestured for his guards to remain near the horses, though he could see that being so far from his side was making them nervous.
“It would seem you intend taking no prisoners,” Halvar began unceremoniously. “In fact, your men are still engaged as we speak.”
Yularian leveled his gaze. “I was not aware I was required to consult with anyone on this matter. But I am happy to discuss it now.”
Halvar did not flinch. “You should have. You are not alone in this fight. And you are not the only one who feels hatred for the Empire. We desire victory. But not at the cost of our souls.”
“So you accuse me of what? Being ruthless toward an enemy who would have done exactly the same to me?”
“No,” Keira interjected, her tone considerably softer than Halvar’s. “But we are your allies. And we have a right to know of your intentions.”
Yularian regarded the two for a moment, then nodded. “You are right, of course. We are indeed allies. And perhaps I should have sent word of my intentions. But it would have not changed the outcome. We are sending a message to Shinzan. And that message must be clear.”
“We are also sending a message to those who live on after Shinzan has fallen,” Halvar responded. “Not to mention that if word spreads throughout the Imperial ranks that we take no prisoners, we will be facing a foe without options. If faced with only death, then they will have no choice but to fight on until their final breath. That will cost lives on our side too.”
“I will not be spoken to as if I am a child, dwarf,” Yularian snapped. “You do as you see fit with your people. I will deal with my own.”
“I think we should all calm down,” Keira jumped in quickly.
She reached over to touch Halvar’s hand. “Remember how you felt during that first battle. Your heart was exactly where King Yularian's is at this very moment.”
She switched her attention over to the human king. “And you must cease thinking of our peoples as being separate. Though our history is impossible to ignore, we must focus on the future. And should we as leaders appear at odds with each other, victory will be impossible. Shinzan’s army may only be united by fear and greed, but they
are
united. And they will crush us in the end if we cannot find it in ourselves to be united as well.”
The two men stared daggers at one another for what seemed like a dangerously long time. It was Halvar who finally relented.
“You are right of course,” he told her. “I was indeed just as vengeful and filled with fury at the beginning. Forgive my lack of understanding, Your Highness. Please allow that the reasoned voice of a wise elf queen has lifted the veil of rage from my eyes.”
Yularian did not reply. Instead, he stood and strode over to his guards, one of whom immediately hurried away. When he returned his face was set firm.
“I have sent word that we will accept surrender should the enemy apply,” he told them.
Halvar nodded. “Thank you, Your Highness. I think in the end that you will be better able to live with your decision.”
Yularian sniffed. “It saves them only for the time being. We are within the borders of Queen Berathis’ rule. Ultimately, she will decide their fate.”
Keira raised an eyebrow. “So the Queen has decided to join our cause? None of the messages you sent mentioned this.”
“I feared they might be intercepted,” he explained. Though his voice was somewhat calmer, his posture remained rigid. “Her soldiers had already been sent to secure the ports and garrisons. With that achieved, we will have successfully cut the Empire in half.”
“What do you make of their chances?” asked Halvar.
“I cannot see how they could have failed,” he replied. “Martok’s plan was precise and cunning. The explosive dwarf rods you smuggled to us were placed around the walls of every garrison in both Al Theona and Ralmaria. Once they were detonated, the Imperial soldiers would have been incapable of resisting for very long. And by now, every Imperial ship in all the major ports will have been either taken or destroyed.”
Halvar was smiling broadly by the time Yularian had finished with his assessment. “I will send scouts immediately to ascertain the outcome for certain.”
“There is no need for that,” Yularian told him. “I have couriers awaiting word as we speak. They will deliver news the moment they receive any.”