Soul of Skulls (Book 6) (36 page)

Montigard wiped sweat from his brow. "Good fight. Though I could do without the journey through the freezing darkness."

"Trust me," said Molly, stepping to the windlass, "after today, it won't happen again." 

She yanked the lever holding the windless in place, and the massive wheel turned with a groan. The stone floor shuddered as the mass of counterweights and gears controlling the Gate moved, and she heard the groaning of timbers as the doors opened. 

Molly gripped the lever, drew on her Demonsouled strength, and ripped it free from the windlass. She staggered back several steps and hit the wall, the lever clanging against the floor. 

The Aegonar would not be able to close the gate now.

"How did you do that?" said Montigard. 

Molly rolled her eyes. "I eat raw meat three times a day. Now stop talking and hold still."

Montigard shuddered, and Molly took a deep breath, gripped his shoulder, and pulled him back into the shadows.

###

"What treachery is this?" said Agantyr.

Malaric whirled, and a fresh wave of fear clenched at his stomach. 

The Gate of Knights swung open, the ramparts shuddering beneath his boots as the machinery ground into motion. Somehow Hugh's men had infiltrated the city and opened the gates. Or Molly Cravenlock had walked the shadows to the gatehouse.

Malaric should have thought of that.  

It didn't matter. The Gate of Knights had been opened...and there was no way to keep Hugh's army out of the city now. 

"We are betrayed!" bellowed Agantyr, glaring at Malaric. "What a useless fool you are! Your own people turn against you?"

"Your men guarded the gatehouse!" said Malaric. He saw movement in the heart of the enemy army. A column of horsemen, knights and mounted armsmen, preparing to charge the Gate. Once they got into the city itself, Malaric would never be able to dislodge them. "Perhaps if you had not chosen such craven fools to guard the gatehouse, this would not have happened."

Agantyr's black eyes narrowed, and Malaric realized he had pushed the Aegonar High King too far. Just as well. For all the High King's strength and skill, he would be no match for Malaric. If he killed Agantyr, he could...

"Enough," said Skalatan. 

Malaric stopped himself. He was a match for Agantyr, but not for Skalatan. 

"This is not the time for a quarrel," said Skalatan. "High King, I suggest you withdraw along the ramparts and to the Inner Wall. Both the Inner Wall and the Prince's Keep are more defensible..."

"No!" roared Agantyr. "The High King of the Aegonar does not show his back to the foe! We shall rally in the plaza below the Gate and drive the foe from the city! And if we perish, then we perish in glorious battle."

Malaric expected Skalatan to refuse, but the archpriest seemed indifferent. "As you wish, High King." 

Agantyr shouted commands, and the Aegonar abandoned the fight upon the ramparts and sprinted to the streets. The reserve companies ran for the Gate, and Agantyr strode down the stairs, his ulfhednar trailing after. 

"This is madness," said Malaric, following Skalatan. "The Aegonar are fierce warriors, but even they cannot withstand a charge of horsemen. If they force their way into the city..."

"It is," said Skalatan, "of no concern." 

"Of no concern?" said Malaric. "We are going to lose the city." 

"Perhaps," said Skalatan. "But greater matters are at stake."

"Like what?" said Malaric. "The city is about to fall, Mazael is going to hunt you down and kill you, and..."

But Skalatan was not paying attention. 

A wave of fury washed through Malaric, and he almost lifted his sword to attack the San-keth.

He stopped himself. There was opportunity in this. If Agantyr fell in battle, and Malaric killed Hugh, then Malaric could hold on to Barellion. The Aegonar would need a new High King, and perhaps Malaric could take control of both the Aegonar and the lords of Greycoast. 

He stepped into the shadows, reappeared on a rooftop overlooking the square, and waited for his chance to strike.

###

"Now," said Mazael, pointing with Lion. 

He looked at Hugh, who took a deep breath and nodded. 

"Sound the charge," said Hugh. 

The standardbearer lifted his trumpet and blew a blast, and the other heralds answered in kind. Hugh drew his sword, and behind him, two thousand knights and armsmen followed suit. Mazael had tried to convince Hugh to remain with the host, but the Prince would have none of it. Mazael could not blame him. Barellion was his city...and the woman Hugh loved was behind its walls.

"For Greycoast!" shouted Lord Bryce. "For Greycoast and the Prince!"

The horsemen roared in answer, and Mazael put spurs to his mount and galloped for the Gate. The thunder of hooves filled his ears, and the horsemen surged forward. Arrows hissed and buzzed past them, but not as many as Mazael had feared. The fighting upon the walls distracted the Aegonar, and most of the warriors had withdrawn from the ramparts to await the horsemen. 

He shot a look at the walls, but saw no trace of Skalatan's gray-robed figure. 

Then the opened gates yawned before him, and Mazael saw a square ringed by shops and houses. A shield wall of Aegonar warriors stood in the plaza, screaming battle cries, and Mazael gave himself to the Demonsouled rage.

The horsemen slammed into the shield wall, and the sounds of fighting filled the air. Mazael's horse knocked an Aegonar warrior to the ground, trampling the man beneath steel-shod hooves. Mazael swung Lion in a high arc, his Demonsouled strength and rage driving his arm, and killed an ulfhednar. The charge of knights broke the Aegonar shield wall, and horsemen flooded into the plaza, driving the enemy into the surrounding streets. But more Aegonar warriors charged from the walls, even as the rest of the horsemen thundered through the Gate.

Mazael killed and killed, his arm running red with blood.

###

Riothamus watched the struggle on the walls and in the plaza. Neither Skalatan nor Malaric had launched any additional magical attacks. Riothamus suspected the San-keth was holding his power in reserve. 

Darkness swirled besides him, and Molly appeared, her hand on Montigard's shoulder. The knight's eyes were a little wild, but both of them appeared unhurt. 

"The Gate's open," said Molly. 

"I noticed," said Riothamus. 

Montigard shook himself. "I will take command of footmen and move them into the city. The horsemen will need our aid."

"I'm going to watch for Malaric," said Molly. "I suspect he’ll try to kill Hugh, and I mean to be ready for him when he does."

She disappeared in a swirl of darkness, and the footmen began to march. 

###

Hugh cut down another Aegonar, his sword red with blood. 

The battle in the plaza had degenerated in a brawl, knights and armsmen struggling against Aegonar warriors. Hugh's horse spun in a circle, and he caught the blow from an Aegonar axe on his shield. His horse's shoulder slammed into the warrior, knocking the man off-balance, and Hugh's sword crashed down upon his helm. 

The Aegonar collapsed, and a screaming warrior in a bronze serpent helm threw himself at Hugh. The ulfhednar slammed into his horse, and Hugh almost lost his saddle. But he kept his balance, and hammed at the howling ulfhednar's helm with the pommel of his sword. The ulfhednar staggered, and a passing knight drove a spear through the Aegonar's back. 

"Kill them all!" 

A mass of ulfhednar rushed into the square, and in their midst Hugh saw a tall man in gleaming golden armor, a diadem fashioned in the shape of a serpent resting upon his brow. 

Agantyr, the High King of the Aegonar. If Hugh could kill him, perhaps the Aegonar resistance would collapse.

He turned his horse to face the charging ulfhednar.

###

Malaric perched upon the roof, watching the struggle. 

The Aegonar were losing.

The armsmen and militia had gained control of the ramparts, the Aegonar falling back into the Outer City’s streets and alleys. The ulfhednar in the plaza fared better, but even they could not hold against the crush of horsemen. And watching Mazael Cravenlock was like watching a whirlwind of death. The Demonsouled lord cut through the Aegonar like a storm, killing and killing, and wherever he went, the resistance collapsed. 

The Aegonar were going to lose the city.

But all was not lost. If he could just kill Hugh, he could still claim the title of Prince. The lords would splinter without a Prince to lead them, and in time Malaric could bring them back over to his side one by one. 

He saw Hugh lead a charge of knights towards Agantyr and his ulfhednar guards. 

Malaric grinned and stepped into the shadows.

###

Molly crouched on the rooftop overlooking the square, seeking for Malaric.

She saw the flicker of darkness on a building across the plaza.

She straightened up, strode into the shadows, and reappeared in the midst of the raging battle. Men fought and shouted and died around her, their blood spilling upon the cobblestones. Hugh and his men charged a group of ulfhednar, their attention focused upon the foe.

A column of darkness swirled a few yards behind Hugh's horse, and Malaric appeared, his attention fixed upon Hugh. 

Molly had her chance.

She raced forward, her blades angling for Malaric's neck. At the last moment Malaric saw her and jerked to the side. Molly's dagger gashed his neck, but her sword missed. Malaric spun to face her, sword in his right hand, that curious feather-shaped dagger in his left. 

"You," spat Malaric.

"Me," agreed Molly. "Such a fine job you've done conquering Barellion, Malaric. Two weeks and you've already lost..."

Malaric roared and sprang at her, sword flying for her stomach, dagger slashing at her neck. Molly parried the dagger and twisted aside, Malaric's sword shooting past her hip. Her dagger gashed open Malaric's forearm, and her sword tore a wound in his leg. Yet Malaric's fury did not slow, and he hammered at her again and again. Molly landed blow after minor blow, yet Malaric hardly seemed to feel them...and the wounds she had dealt him shrank as they healed. 

She could not face him alone.

Molly backed away, letting Malaric drive her across the square.

Towards Mazael.

###

Malaric cursed in rage, slashing at Molly. She danced around his blows, but that didn't matter. She was quick and strong, but the power of Corvad's skull made him stronger and faster. He would wear her down in the end. He might have lost Barellion, but at least he would take Molly's head...

Molly blurred into the shadows, and Malaric found himself staring at Mazael Cravenlock. 

The Lord of Castle Cravenlock sat atop his horse, his armor and sword spattered with Aegonar blood. Mazael’s gray eyes turned towards him, and Malaric flinched as if beneath a physical blow. There was rage in those eyes unlike Malaric had ever seen.

And it was directed at him. 

Mazael was going to kill him. 

Skalatan. He needed Skalatan's help.

Malaric turned and fled into the shadows.

###

Hugh killed another ulfhednar, Lord Bryce's knights struggling against the Aegonar. They were winning. Another few...

An axe plunged into the neck of Hugh’s horse, and the poor beast screamed and collapsed. Hugh lost his seat and fell to ground with a clatter of armor. 

He rolled to his feet and found himself face to face with Agantyr. 

"So," rumbled the High King. "The puppet Prince."

"You should have ignored Skalatan," said Hugh, "and killed me when you had the chance."

"No," said Agantyr, "it is better to kill a man in fair battle, to look him in the eye as you slay him. Like this." 

He brought up his greatsword, and Hugh met the attack. He danced past the first blow and lashed out with his sword, but the blade rebounded from the High King's gilded armor. Agantyr laughed and drew back his greatsword, raising the weapon for an overhand blow. Hugh thrust his sword, but again his blade scraped off Agantyr's armor. 

Agantyr’s sword came hammering down, and Hugh just got his shield up in time. The massive greatsword struck with enough force to knock Hugh back, chips flying from his shield. Agantyr pursued, and Hugh recovered his balance and thrust. The High King beat side the blow with a block of his greatsword, and swung once again before Hugh could recover.

His shield shattered under the mighty blow. Hugh slipped, lost his balance, and landed atop his dead horse. 

Agantyr laughed as he raised his greatsword for the killing blow. "Weak, in the end."

The axe still jutted from the horse's neck. Hugh seized the axe's handle, wrenched it from the horse, and swung it with all the force he could muster. The blade sank into Agantyr's right knee with a hideous crunch, and the High King bellowed in fury. Agantyr fell to his knees with a mixed scream of rage and pain, and his blow missed Hugh and sank into the dead horse’s flank. 

Hugh surged to his feet, raised the axe, and brought it down onto the back of Agantyr's exposed neck.

The High King of the Aegonar fell, his golden diadem rolling across the square. 

Hugh looked around, the bloody axe hanging from his right hand, and braced himself to face more foes. 

But the fighting was over. 

Everywhere he saw the Aegonar fleeing towards the Inner Wall. Bands of horsemen galloped down the streets, hunting the retreating Aegonar. More men rushed through the Gate of Knights, while others swept the ramparts of the remaining Aegonar. Corpses carpeted the plaza...but Hugh saw more Aegonar dead than his own men.

"We're winning," he said to himself, half-shocked. 

"We are." Lord Mazael reined up his horse besides Hugh. "Are you wounded?"

"No," said Hugh, looking at Agantyr's corpse. Gods, but that had been a messy way to die. "I'm certainly faring better than the High King." 

"Good," said Mazael. "The Aegonar are in full flight for the Prince’s Keep."