Possessing the Grimstone (21 page)

Repitlian riders swept the field, their own weapons catching men in the face, and throat, crushing helmets, tearing ears, and ripping cheeks. The reptilian mounts bit into Southern warriors, tossing them into the air. Tails swung hard, cracking ribs.

Neshing mages took position on catapults and other war machines, launching fireball after fireball. They even ignited the boulders that were slung into the air. Southern warriors attempted to overtake the catapults and mages, but even their ferocity was no match for the dark magic that reduced their bodies to ashes.

Stone and fire assaulted the city’s gates, but the great doors held.

Gyrn saw a rider decapitate another of his brothers. The deed moved him. His body seethed, and he leaped through the air, tackling the rider.

The Neshing swung and nipped at him, its familiar raked its wraith-like fingers across his chest. Gyrn howled in a mixture of anger and pain. He dodged the spirit’s next slash, but the Neshing host seized him by the throat. Gyrn spat in its face. He jerked his blades up, tore open the creature’s chest, and then pushed down, running it through. He felt the ghostly claws tickling the back of his bald head before vanishing.

Gyrn jumped up and mounted the lizard steed. It bucked to shake him off, but he held strong, charging it toward the Neshing’s ranks. He led dozens of yelling men behind him, both Southern and Cardoon.

Galloping on, he caught a glimpse of mages, catapults launching fiery boulders, crossbow quarrels falling. He let out a war cry, and charged.

A pair of spears downed his scaly steed, an the behemoth crashed onto its side, rolling on top of Gyrn. The men behind him froze. An arm punched from under the scaly blubber, and Gyrn, blood-soaked and wild-eyed, crawled from under the beast, growling, and raced on into the battle.

The men followed him.

Wave after wave of Neshing flooded the area; their vast numbers went on as far as the eye could see. Monstrous, grey-fleshed creatures lumbered in bone-covered armor, misty forms hovering just above their broad shoulders. Black saliva drooled from jagged teeth as the creatures worked themselves into a frenzy.

Massive wheels squeaked and churned, driving the catapults closer and closer to the city. Slings with huge spikes followed behind the catapults, and more riders galloped onto the field. Their numbers seemed endless, but the united forces joined at Cardoon refused to back down.

“Power of their stone, be damned!” Sooth-Malesh called. He launched a lightning attack down on the battle, but it was weak, and only fried a small amount of the Neshing.

“You can match them,” Olani said. “Reach into your soul. Your power is still there.”

Men fell screaming around them, exploding into ashes. Olani armed her crossbow, but a lance hit her right shoulder. A scream escaped her, and the crossbow toppled as she went down.

“No!” Sooth-Malesh screamed. He rushed to her, heart pounding. Magic surged through his veins. His hands ignited as he bent to heal her.

“I’m alright. I’m fine. It just grazed me.” She put her arms up: a slice on her shoulder was revealed. Sooth-Malesh’s anger was not satiated. Olani saw his eyes gleam with blue light.

The crimson mage turned to the wall and lifted his hands into the air. Every flame from every torch and sconce in the city shot to Sooth-Malesh and obeyed his call. He directed the fire down into the battle.

Fireballs exploded on the ground, arms and legs sprouted out of them, and fiery orange figures elementals joined the battle. Standing taller than any being on the field, they unleashed crackling screeches and attacked the Neshing, setting them ablaze. Howls and screams rose, catapults burned, and mages turned their attention from the city walls to the elementals wreaking havoc among them.

“Told you…” Olani grinned.

“Long unused, but still there,” he said. “I only needed some incentive.”

Olani laughed and struggled to get up. When she looked down into the courtyard, she saw Nachin peeking out of the shadows. Once she made eye contact with him, he stepped out of hiding, and rushed to her.

“M’lady… I have been searching all over for you. This is no place for you. Please come with me, return to your room.”

“I cannot leave. I am needed here. I…”

“I agree with him,” Sooth-Malesh said. “You should not be here. It is far too dangerous. You are not a warrior.”

“Neither are you, mage.”

“You are wounded. Go to your room, Lady Olani.”

“Very well. I will see to my wound, and then return.”

Sooth-Malesh shook his head and moved back to the wall. The elementals burned through the Neshing ranks, but the attacks continued. Fire against fire, strength against strength, the battle intensified.

###

Nachin escorted Olani back to her room. She rinsed her shoulder and bandaged it.

“I shall make you your tea,” Nachin said.

“Now is not the time. I do not want to relax. We are under siege.”

“What better time to have it, M’lady? You must take it. It does your soul good.”

“Must you always contradict me?”

“You misunderstand my intentions, M’lady. I have always known what is best for you. Now please, rest while I prepare you a cup.”

Olani removed her rings and bracelets. She brushed the hair from her eyes. Outside, she heard a rumble. She thought of it as thunder, but knew it was the war. A tremor rippled through the palace. She wondered what the King was doing right now. Where was he? Why did he not care of the attack upon his city?

There was a clatter behind her as Nachin fixed her tea. Her back was to him as he stood in an alcove, tending the fire in the hearth. The pot above it steamed and whistled.

Dishes clanked. The scent of jasmine filled the air. The candles in the room flickered to life, flames sparking in the wicks. The fire had returned to the city. Olani looked up and out of the window closest to her. The sky outside flashed, and as she went for a closer look, she caught Nachin’s reflection.

She watched him fiddle over her cup, a vial in his hand. She squinted and saw him pour white powder into her tea.

He returned to her, the cup in his hand.

“You always know what’s best for me, Nachin?”

“Of course, always, M’lady. Drink your tea, now.”

“Now? Leave it on the table. I’ll drink it when it cools.”

“I think you should take some now, so you can rest.” He pushed the cup toward her.

“Rest in peace, Nachin?”

“M’lady?”

She smashed the cup from his hand. It crashed to the floor in a tidal wave of hot tea.

“I trusted you!” She screamed. “You have been part of my family for years. You were to guide me!”

“Lady Olani, I am shocked. You have lost your senses…”

“Stop lying to me. I saw you. I saw you put it in my tea.”

“You are mistaken…”

“I’m summoning the gaurds.”

She took a step, and Nachin backhanded her. Olani collided with the reading table beside her, and tumbled onto the floor.

“Utter half-wit!” Nachin wailed. “I am not going to let a sniveling, weak girl take away my rule! I have waited too long for this; I’ve lived in servitiude to the most passive, ineffective leaders. That time is over!”

She attempted to crawl to her feet, but Nachin delivered a kick to her ribs. Olani hit the floor again, rolling over.

Nachin pulled a blade from his belt and stormed over to her. He whipped her onto her back and put the knife to her throat. “You were taking forever to die… you just kept recovering and recovering. I had to keep harvesting that damn herb in the mud and the stink. This will be
much
quicker!”

“You will simply be a casualty of the battle, my dear. They’ll discover your body under a pile of burning rubble. He leaned in with the dagger, and Olani sunk her teeth in his hand, between his thumb and index finger.

Nachin howled in agony, dropping the knife. Olani pushed hm aside and jumped to her feet, trying to run. He grabbed hold of her leg and tripped her, pulling her back down to the floor.

Olani landed a foot in his face. He fell backward as she crawled across the floor. Nachin shook his head, wiped his bloodied nose, and started for her again.

He came upon her and stopped short as she held the blade against him.

“Now, M’lady… do not act in haste.”

“Who offered you my position? The council? Have they conspired with you?”

“They cannot stand another day of your rule. They have begged me to rid them of you. Then together, we will rule Bhrungach and bring it back to glory.”

“Rulers of a fallen city. They will all pay for their treachery.”

“Do not get ahead of yourself, M’lady. You are not safe, yet.”

He lunged to take the knife from her, but she jabbed him in the throat. His eyes widened. Blood streamed from his neck. He stumbled backwards.

Olani advanced on him. “Am I safe now?” She brought the blade aross his throat and he fell to the floor. A puddle of blood now formed beneath him. She turned away from him and left the room.

###

The council sat and whispered amongst each other. They waited for Nachin’s return and for his good news. Instead, when the doors to the chamber burst open, they were greeted by a furious Olani, and a host of guards who took the old men into custody.

“What is the meaning of this?” One of the men cried.

“You are all under arrest for plotting to murder me! I hearby dissolve the council of the North. It will be no more.”

“You cannot do this! Hundreds of years of law… you cannot…”

“I can, and I have. There is no more North. No Bhrungach. I begin a new Bhrungach, one that will rise with honor and justice, one that will no longer be ruled by a council, but by a queen. A queen who is strong and loved.”

The men’s mouthes gaped, they clamored about, attempting to protest.

Olani directed the guards. “Any who resist will be executed. Take them away.”

Chapter Fifteen

A few days after they cleared the Western Isles, Pim, Tolan and the others, reached the shores of Norrow. A white sandy beach awaited their arrival, and beyond that, lush, green jungle with flowering trees reached toward the skies.

The ship cast anchor just off the shore, and they disembarked. The captain and his crew remained behind.

Pim looked around, listening to the sounds of strange birds and the chatter of animals that he didn’t recognize.

They walked along the beach, drawing closer to the jungle. The trees were ripe with a bounty of fruits and nuts. Bushes and thickets grew heavily with berries, and flowers glistened with nectar.

“There is a high point to this land,” Panno said. “It is there we must go.”

“This way.” Jodan pointed into the jungle. A path, strewn with wagon wheel tracks, formed there.

Tolan led the way, drawing his sword. Pim followed next, and the rest followed. Shannara stayed close to her husband seers, and Drith guarded the rear.

The trees provided a natural shaded canopy, and the path led them to a huge clearing. A massive garden spread across the clearing in every direction: patches of vegetables grew wild, and stalks were crowded with blue corn, green corn, and wheat. Fragrant greens grew tall and vivid.

The group walked among the rows of the carefully tended and pruned garden. Around the corners, small trees stood with more fruit: speckled apples, bitter pears, and holly peaches.

Pim had never seen many of these fruits and vegetables back home. He wondered how they were grown. He reached out to touch them when footfalls sounded. Tree branches cracked, and the jungle fluttered.

Within moments, the group was surrounded by men armed with spears. Their lean bodies were dressed in grass skirts, and moccasins donned their feet.

Drith raised his sword. Tolan seized his arm. “No, do not attack. These are the people of Norrow. We mean them no harm.”

“It’s not them I’m worried about,” Drith said. “We’re outnumbered.”

“Just show them we mean no harm,” Tolan said. “Lay down your weapons.”

“Are you mad?” Drith protested.

“He’s right,” Shannara said, setting down her dagblades.

Pim set his weapon down, as did the D’Elkyrie, and finally Drith reluctantly dropped his.

Among the Norrow people, an older man with long white hair made his way through the ranks. He wore a headdress adorned with many colors of bird feathers, seashells, and nutshells. He carried a scepter with blue stones fixed into its head.

“Bow,” Tolan said to the others.

Drith shot him a look. “What?”

“You heard me, bow. It will help.”

The group bowed to the approaching King. The old man held out his hands. “You came from Fionngall. We saw your journey from our homes. You are not of their people.”

“Yes,” Tolan said. “The people of Fionngall are our friends. They helped us on a grave journey to save our world, and everyone in it… including your people.”

“What news do you bring from the other side?”

“An evil people have come to destroy us all. They seek something very valuable… it gives them power. We must not let them find it.”

“Why would you come here?”

“Because they will come here. The great power they seek sleeps in your land.”

“This is very troubling. Come and tell us more of this tale so we may help you.”

“You are very kind.” Tolan nodded and got to his feet. The others followed his lead and got up.

The group followed the island King and is people out of the clearing. They followed a path along cliffs overlooking the shore. Out on the shore, they saw ships and canoes, some rowing ships, and some with primitive sails. There were no real docks, just slabs of driftwood and loads of packs stuffed into the ships to trade with Fionngall.

“Looks like we docked on the wrong side.” Pim said.

“We are still where we need to be,” Tolan said.

“Yes, prisoners, now,” Drith said.

“We are not prisoners, we are guests,” replied Tolan.

“These people are savages,” Drith continued.

“These savages feed your people.”

When they came to an area of rolling green hills, they saw a great fort at the top. The hill fort was surrounded by walls made of wood, fastened together with pegs and rope.