Soul Under the Mountain (Legend of Reason Series) (27 page)

"Medorans! I am the Zidaoz, ruler of all of Bhoor-Rahn. I have come to put an end to this war and bring order and peace to these lands. My army has marched a great distance to confront the evils of the world and bring the truth of the one true god to the men of the west.

"I know that you are a proud people and do not wish to join the Bhoors as the Vindyri have done. I know your pride will not allow you to see the truth
of
Rohni, the one true god, but he has sent
us
anyway. He has sent this blessed army to cleanse and purify these lands and the inhabitants within them.

"
Those of you who raise weapons against us will be
tortured and killed. Those of you who lay down your weapons will be offered a quick death. Your children will not suffer, and will be taught the wondrous teachings of Rohni. They will be rewarded in the worlds beyond for their service to the one true god; a blessing that they could never have bestowed upon them under your teachings.

"Hope is not lost on your children. Peace and truth follows behind my army, and with the help of Rohni I shall save this land. Your iniquities will not be forgiven but the light of truth will soon shine on your children. Although my sword shall come down upon your necks, I swear to the one true god that I will save those who your wives have bared.

"I come to this city and this nation as its savior. This city of infidels will no longer be known by the Medoran name. This city is now Zuhr'Awhi, or in the common tongue, 'New Zuhr'. No longer will the streets of this city flow with sin and blasphemy. Now the iron fist of the Zidaoz will align the people here with the truth
I bring to them. For those who follow me, I offer reward in the worlds beyond. For those who stray, I shall bring that iron fist down upon them and make examples of them. Those who refuse the truth shall be lost to this world and any beyond.

"This, Medorans, is your final battle. This war is already won, and I advise you to give up your souls now while I am making the generous offer of a quick death. Lay down your weapons and offer your necks to your enemy before you. Lay your swords and spears to ground so that there may be peace."

One of the distant siege engines creaked and moaned as it was triggered. It was a trebuchet, which was a large catapult that
operated off of a heavy counterweight. When the weight was dropped, the massive arm swung upwards, dragging a long sling behind it. In the sling was a heavy stone, and when the sling reached maximum height, the stone would release, hurling towards the city walls with tremendous velocity.

The Zidaoz watched the wooden machine come to life and launch the heavy stone towards him. He stood calmly, knowing that Rohni would protect him from any harm. The stone sailed though the air at the newly-named city of Zuhr'Awhi. When it finally reached the wall, it exploded into hundreds of pieces mere feet from the Zidaoz. The wall provided hundreds of pieces of its own, sending shards of dusty rocks all over. A few hit the Zidaoz, but he ignored the pain. He just stood with his arms outstretched to the
sides as he waited for the
Medorans to come to their senses and abandon the fight.

But that didn't happen. Other siege engines were being loaded, and the sky was suddenly filled with arrows. It seemed that the Medorans had turned their attention away from the battle surrounding Zuhr'Awhi, and now focused on attacking the city itself. Colossal impacts shook the walls as the distant catapults rained down stone upon them.

The soldiers fighting below were once again whipped into a frenzy. Some fought in phalanxes, while others attacked with swords at the flanks. But they were shifting the positions of their lines. Instead of facing east, toward the greater army, they turned to face north. They slowly moved the lines forward, inching their way towards the southern wall.

Arrows tore through the air. One was so close to him that he could feel it in his hair. Another brushed his robes and
landed with a thud in one of the wooden beams holding up the ledge he stood upon.
Many more flew by him, tickling the air with their feathers until their dangerous points hit something solid.
Still, he stood there fearless, proving to the infidels below that he could not be harmed while his god protected him. He closed his eyes and raised his chin as he smiled.

But one of the Dirujen pulled him down by his robes. "Have you lost your mind, Zidaoz? You must take cover."

"How dare you embarrass me like that? Rohni protects me, and the Medorans were only just starting to get a glimpse of that. You have made me look like a fool in front of them by pulling me down off the ledge in such a way."

"If you wish to die, Zidaoz, by all means return to your perch. Remember that your fathers who came before you have all died. Did they not trust in Rohni as you do? How can you explain their death if your god offered them the same protection he offers you?"

"I—I—"

"You, are a fool, Zidaoz," Desmond said with arms crossed. "Do you have any idea how luck
y
you are to not have an arrow in your heart right now? Those Medoran archers do not miss very often.
"

The Zidaoz straightened. "All the more reason to believe in me and my power. I am no fool, Vindyri. I am the only one among you who has any faith."

"Faith does little to dull a sword. If one comes your way, I suggest you duck."

"You worry about the swords, Vindyri, and I will worry about faith. Do not underestimate my abilities or my god, and I will do my best not to underestimate you. Have your men sound the horns again. This time make it three long blasts."

"Three long blasts? That's not one of our calls. You're just going to confuse my soldiers."

"The blasts are not for your soldiers, they are for mine. It is time to show these Medorans the gateway to the next world. It is time to call in the Thrahks.
"

Chapter
33

The three horn blasts caught Tannis's attention. He scanned the field of battle, searching for any coming change but he could not see it. The other Medorans paused in wonder as well, although they did
not pause long. The Vindyri and the Bhoors ignored the calls and continued to fight on.

Tannis swung his sword hard from horseback. Unarmored Bhoors felt the sting of his blade as they tumbled backwards into their own disorderly lines. Some screamed as they held their own intestines, while others charged recklessly to the front. The Medoran cavalry funneled the overzealous enemy
into the long lines of phalanxes. Controlling the front line was easy enough for the Medorans, and the enemy paid with heavy losses.

The Bhoors had no direction at all. From what Tannis could deduce, they were simply pointed in a direction and told to attack. Their swords almost never got the chance to even reach the Medoran shields before a spear brought them down. Vast piles of fallen soldiers began to pile up at the front line, and unarmed Bhoors were being sent in to clear the dead.

But the Medorans were not allowing the removal of bodies. Under normal circumstances, they would allow it, since it was the honorable thing to do. It also allowed for a fair battle on both sides. But since the Bhoors and Vindyri were invaders in the land, the Medorans granted them no suc
h luxury. The dead were piled up
as barriers, making it even more difficult for the enemy to get close enough to attack. Eventually the enemy would have to reconsider their plan, and the Medorans would be ready for the change.

Suddenly the
idea of a change in attack didn't look so promising. Tannis finally realized what the three horn blasts were meant to signal. The Thrahks were suddenly moving towards the front line. The lumbering creatures were not in a hurry, but it was clear that they had finally been sent in to play their part in the battle. It was a terrifying site, and the Medoran lines began to recoil.

But the Bhoors began to panic as well. The Thrahks had no pathway from their posit
ion to their destination
since Bhoors stood in their way. The beasts completely ignored the tiny people in their way, and simply crushed them under their mighty weight. Even from a great distance the grinding and popping of bone could be heard as the Thrahks
approached.

Orders were given for the trebuchets and other catapults to stop attacking the walls of the city. They were repositioned to face the coming attack, although hitting such small targets was improbable. The Thrahks were at more than triple the range of the largest of the siege engines, but several of them fired anyway. The huge boulders smashed into unsuspecting Bhoors and rolled through many others before coming to a stop. But the intent was not to hurt the distant soldiers; the intent was to aim the weapons and take note of their range.

The battle at the front still raged on as Bhoors continued to throw themselves at the phalanx. The Vindyri who had been fighting at the line had shuffled northward to the city wall. They were probably preparing for the doom that the Thrahks would soon bring when their chests opened
and beams of energy swept
through the ranks. They were probably disobeying orders, but
the defiant act
would most likely save their lives. The Thrahks would not be choosey about who they destroyed with their power. Whoever was in the way would be a target no matter which side he fought on.

Several more large stones sailed through the air overhead and landed in the endless sea of the enemy. The Bhoors had begun trampling each other as they tried to avoid the Medoran projectiles and the monsters approaching from their rear. As they began to create a part in the center, the Thrahks funneled into the crease and were able to pick up speed. Their terrible roars shook the ground along with their heavy footfalls.

And then the piercing rings began. Tannis watched the chest of one of the beasts open to expose a core of energy inside. The blue light grew with intensity for a moment until the tremendous power was unleashed and a thick beam of energy tore through soldier and soil alike. Huge chunks of earth were ripped up and thrown through the air as the bolts of power melted flesh and armor.

Screams and weapons meeting in battle could no longer be heard over the intense noise. Long lines of devastation crisscrossed the landscape,
leaving trails of fire behind. The fortunate soldiers in the path were killed instantly, while the less fortunate were mangled beyond all help and left to suffer a painful death on the battlefield. But all of the casualties so far had been Bhoors. The Thrahks had not even attempted to kill any Medorans yet.

Men in black robes weaved their way up through the Medoran ranks. The soldiers stepped aside, allowing the men to pass without hindrance. There were dozens of them; probably close to 100, all of them somber and silent as they calmly walked to the front line. When the Bhoors tried to harm them, the Mages ignored the threat. Medoran soldiers quickly cut down any attacker who even looked in the Mages' direction.

The Thrahks crept ever closer, roaring and clicking their claws together violently. Some of them picked
up nearby soldiers and threw
them—apparently just for the amusement. Others held soldiers and bit off parts of their bodies
before tossing the flailing torsos aside
. Any scrap of armor that a Bhoor was fortunate enough to be wearing was no match for the powerful jaws and hardened teeth of the ferocious beasts.

The stench of burning flesh mixed with the pungent smell of rotting meat. The piercing sound that occurred when the Thrahks used their power
made it difficult to hear anything.
The light coming from their chests left bright blue trails of light in his vision, and the appalling blend of horr
id scents overpowered his sense of smell
. He saw others vomiting, and he thought he might do so as well.

Giant boulders landed all around the
Thrahks as the Medorans took aim. On occasion, one would hit a Thrahk, but usually only enough to anger it. Tannis had seen only one direct hit, and it had killed the beast by breaking its neck. When it fell, he saw Medorans rejoicing,
although his ears could not hear their
cheers.

The Thrahks were finally close enough to roast the Medoran ranks with their power. The Mages stood calmly, their robes blowing in the gentle breeze. They reached out and presented their palms to the coming monsters, but there was no visual cue as to what they were
accomplishing
. As far as Tannis could tell, they were doing nothing beneficial at all.

But then the first beam reached the Mages. The bright blue stream of energy slammed into a sort of invisible shield that the Mages seemed to be holding up. Where the two magics collided, the air boiled with a red and purple glow. Everything beyond the magical shield became wavy and indistinct. Thick bands of energy reflected back outwards and into the ground as the Mages struggled to hold their ground. Soldiers
assisted them by pushing against their backs so that the Mages did not tumble backward
.

Over and over the magic shields took violent hits. There were a few places where the shields did not overlap, and the bright blue beams of light would scream passed and annihilate Medoran soldiers. The soldiers saw this and avoided destruction by lining up closer behind the Mages. This created a sort of crenellated line where open areas between the shields were free of soldiers.
The grass and soil became the only casualties and the Medorans remained safe behind the Mages.