The Elementalist : Next of Kin: The Kothian Chronicles (8 page)

The battle had been ongoing for barely an hour, and already Pitford was becoming a mass of bodies. Those who had not made it past the outer wall were left were they had fell, just like those atop of it. The number of dead inside the outer barrier was rising by the minute, as both attackers and defenders succumbed to the constant ferocity of battle. Here and there, lay the wounded, left to help themselves or die from their injuries. At least the Kothian injured were treated better, as the healers were working overtime to deal with the ever-increasing number. Oran knew that if things continued as they were he would lose, despite some small successes, his numbers were still far fewer than the enemy. He grabbed Katria by the arm, "Any sign of Ramon yet?" he asked her, knowing that defeat was surely looming. They had managed thus far from keeping the Bosarian teleporters and infantry getting a foothold upon the wall, but he also knew it would only be a matter of time before they succeeded.

Chapter 10.

Ramon rode quickly, knowing he had been forced to take much longer than he had wished. Although a majority of his soldiers were on foot, he had little option but to leave them behind. He needed to move quickly, and so those not on horseback, would have to catch up as soon as they could. Those that rode with him, were cavalrymen or magicians, the latter of which he hoped were strong enough to be decisive in the upcoming battle. If he moved swiftly enough he could even catch the enemy unawares and strike at the rear of their lines, he just hoped he got their in time to do so.

Maxim, although still very tired was among them, riding the horse which had been bought for him by Danton when they had escaped from Woodhaven, that now seemed so long ago. So much had happened since that time he could barely recall all the details about it. The thing he would never forget however, was the day that he met his friends at the wooden hut in the forest. Mikel at that time had seemed for want of a better word, mean to him. Melia had been a little more welcoming, but the one who now rode to his left, had greeted and treated him as if they had been the best of friends for years.

Maxim thought it strange that he was thinking of such things at a moment like this. They were riding into battle, little more than a mile from Pitford, and he was reminiscing about the first time he had met Zack. The image of the young man with short brown curly hair and big brown eyes, with a warm smiling face was soon shoved aside, as another image appeared. Maxim felt a shiver run through his body as he pictured a tall-cloaked figure, the man's face shadowed by the hood pulled up over his head. He did however hear a voice, a few words, "We are coming...We are coming."

Maxim felt a chill, and was almost glad when his attention was diverted to someone shouting. "They are already attacking," he heard from somewhere to his right. He looked up to see the walls of Pitford ahead of him, and smoke pouring up from within. The thought he should perhaps teleport forward and get there a little more quickly crossed his mind, but he turned to see Darion still atop his horse. He thought perhaps if he was not doing it, then it probably was not worth doing, and that it would likely save what little energy he had anyway.

Mikel had been forced to leave Tia in the group following behind, although he had wanted to leave her at Denley. The youngster however was clearly having none of it, and as a compromise, she was allowed to travel with her brother Samuel and the other young lad called Connor, in the group following them. As a result, Melia had also been forced to travel with that group, as she was unwilling to leave Samuel in his current condition.

Mikel sensed Shadow running cross-country, not bound to the tracks and roads as he was, ahead of his position. He closed his eyes for a brief moment hoping to get a better view of the battle ahead, and was shocked by what he saw. The gates to the outer wall were open, and bodies were strewn everywhere, whether they were the bodies of Kothians or Bosarians he was not sure. "The gates are open," he announced to the others as they swung left, taking the final turn before reaching their goal.

Ramon had no particular plan, other than to go charging in en masse in hope that they caught the enemy by complete surprise. After all, they could not possibly have anticipated him breaking through from Denley so quickly and easily. As strange as it seemed, just having Darion and Maxim with him gave him a confidence he had not had before. With the two most powerful magicians he knew at his side, surely they would be able to repel the invaders.

Kurtis awoke to the sound of battle continuing around him. He looked up to see a young face smiling down at him, "How do you feel?" she asked tenderly moving his hair from his eyes. He tried to move, and felt every inch of his body react to tell he would not be moving anywhere. "I feel so...weak," he managed to say as he watched the young girl stand and wave to somebody stood nearby. He felt himself being picked up on a stretcher, before hearing an old man's voice, "Take him into the main hall...He has fought his battle," before slipping back into a dark dream-like state.

As they rode up toward the gates, trying to avoid the bodies of the fallen, Darion nudged just a little ahead of the main group. No sooner was the old man through the stone archway that acted as the entrance, before he was off teleporting away to the left. His horse, now unmanned, just trotted to a stop as the others caught up and passed it by.

Mikel sensed Shadow prowling down one of the side streets just off to the right of the main thoroughfare and swung about that direction. He glanced back to see Maxim and Zack mirror his own actions, as Ramon led the main cavalry charge straight into the rear of the unsuspecting enemy.

The noise of the advancing horses gave little warning to the Bosarian troops lined up facing the inner wall. With their long spears held low as one would hold a lance, Ramon swung aside to let the cavalry make their charge. With all the magical ability amongst their ranks, it seemed the best form of attack at the moment, was to do so by more traditional means. With a thundering of horse's hooves, the cavalry rode closely together, lances held out in three ranks of forty or more. With the enemy infantry shielding themselves from the defenders atop the inner wall, they quickly proved a soft target.

Ramon gestured for another group of his men to dismount, "Form a defensive line," he shouted, as the second wave of cavalry charged the enemy. The Bosarian ranks were breaking, as the third wave of cavalry smashed further into them, before they swung around to regroup for another charge. Two solid lines of infantry, although not as many as he wished quickly formed, with the archers at his disposal taking up positions behind them. As soon as the last cavalryman had swung aside, Ramon signalled for his bowmen to open fire, attempting to make the most of the opportunity he had. With the enemy running about trying to reorganise he realised his success might be a short lived one. He noticed hundreds of fur-clad tribesman gathered off to his far right, some of whom stood out above the others atop massive beasts. "Caruc..." he uttered to himself.

Ramon had seen the destructive power of the beasts in the previous war, and knew only too well that his infantry shield wall would prove little more than a minor hindrance should they attack his way. He turned to his left in an attempt to see if he could see any sign of Darion or the three youngsters, wishing he had kept them at his side just in case. Danton saw him looking, "I'll ready our magicians, perhaps we can strike them a blow before they reach us," he said more in hope than any real conviction.

With the Kothian cavalry having run amok amongst the Bosarian infantry, the three waves headed back towards the man leading them. Their surprise and swift attack had dealt the enemy a severe blow, that much was plain to see, but the captain of them was also aware they should not stray too far from the main bulk of soldiers. As a result, he gestured for all three waves to make one final surge through the enemy and return to where Ramon was attempting to make a stand.

Oran watched on as his own forces made an appearance through the outer gates before having an immediate impact on the pursuing battle. He felt a certain pride and relief as he watched his own cavalry smash into the enemy rear lines, causing them to disperse and break rank. With the enemy on both sides appearing void of ideas, he at last thought the tide of battle could be turning.

Mikel, Zack and Maxim dismounted and stood between two houses, out of sight from the enemy amassed around the inner wall. Shadow crept up alongside them, as if wanting to look for himself, before sloping back into the gloom of the alleyway. "What the bloody hell are they?" Mikel said pointing a little further away at the massive Caruc. Neither Maxim nor Zack knew, but whatever they were, it was clear you would not want to get in the way of one.

"I think we need to deal with those," Zack suggested pointing to the mountain tribes and the Caruc. "You think you have anything left?" he added looking to Maxim. His friend merely shrugged, "Not a lot Zack, but as long as you can get me back to safety I'll give it a go." Zack nodded, knowing he was asking his friend to expel what little energy he had left in reserve. Once used, Maxim would be out of the battle, and probably need carrying back to the others.

Mikel instructed Shadow to keep watch on their rear; the last thing they needed was some sneaky enemy soldier creeping around behind them catching them by surprise. Zack patted Maxim on the shoulder, leaving his hand there a little while longer, casting him a warm smile. Maxim took a deep breath, knowing he would probably be best using some sort of fire attack, being, as it appeared to cause him less problems afterward. He went to cast his magic, before indicating to the others that they would probably be better if they could move position, so they were closer to the mountain tribesman.

Neither Zack nor Mikel argued, and along with Shadow, the trio slipped between buildings, trying to remain from view of the enemy. Once satisfied he was in as good a position as he was going to find, Maxim readied himself. He felt his power flow through his body, as at first a small line of flame appeared across the ground ahead of them. Within a few seconds, that line had become a wall some fifteen feet high and thirty feet long. Maxim knew he could not hold that sort of spell for long, and so pushed with every last ounce his body could give him. The wall of fire rushed forward towards the unsuspecting tribes, engulfing those unfortunate enough to be in its path.

The cries and screams of men and beasts caught in the flames filled the air, as the wall of fire suddenly ceased. Maxim felt Zack place his arms around him, which he was thankful for or else he felt he might just tumble over. With legs of jelly, Maxim felt absolute fatigue take hold of him, and thought for a moment he would pass out. Mikel added his greater strength in supporting him up, as the friends retreated back into the shadows of the alleys.

Hadan sat atop his Caruc witnessing something that horrified him to the core. One of the other tribes was subjected to a mass of fire, conjured up he assumed by one of the Pitford magicians. What he was forced to see and hear would remain with him for the rest of his days. The stench of burning flesh and the cries of men slowly being burnt to death was not a sight he ever wished to see again. He reached down for the bone horn hanging down at his waist, before placing it to his lips and giving it several short blasts. His tribe, or what was left of it, was going to retreat. Without further ado, he turned his Caruc about and headed for the breach he had help create in the outer wall. His men, both those on foot and those afforded the beasts to ride, followed him without question.

With one tribe withdrawing from the battlefield, it did not take long for another to follow suit. Within just a few minutes, the enemy force attempting to break the inner wall had halved in size. The Bosarians amongst them continued their tactic of trying to teleport soldiers up to the top of the wall, and gained a small foothold. This was mainly due to a magician holding a shield over them, repelling any Kothian attempt at removing them.

From his position on the ground below, Ramon noticed this man, and knew this was something he could deal with. Without giving it further thought he grabbed one of the magicians beside him, "Can you teleport me up there," he asked, pointing to where the Kothians were attempting to hold back the growing foothold of Bosarians. The man nodded, and before Ramon could say another word, he was whisked in to the midst of an on-going skirmish. As the Kothian archers fired arrows, they merely bounced aside, and Ramon noticed the man smirking from inside his barrier. His mirth was short-lived as the Seer waved a hand, nullifying the man's magical ability. The next arrow sent, flew straight at him, striking him clean in the chest, "Not laughing now are you?" Ramon shouted aloud. After quickly asking his magician to teleport him back down again, as the Kothians holding the wall charged at those attackers atop of it, and without a magical shield to stop them quickly regained control.

Maxim was half carried, half dragged back towards the part of the town being held by Ramon and his infantry, as Mikel and Zack tired from doing so. "Bloody hell Maxim you're much heavier than you look," Mikel quipped.

"I thought Zack might have teleported me back," Maxim replied looking up at his friend through weary looking eyes.

Mikel turned to Zack and gave him a stern look. Zack gave a wry smile, "Sorry...I thought you wanted to carry him," he replied. Mikel rolled his eyes back, and despite everything that was going on around them started laughing.

Oran spotted his nephew amongst the other magicians with Ramon, and was pleased to see the last of the mountain tribesmen scampering over the rubble of the outer wall. The remaining Bosarians were also now finally dispersing, and he watched on as Ramon seemed to be allowing them to make their way unhindered towards the main gates. He puffed out his cheeks, and turned to see Katria step up beside him, "I think we have done it," he said, sounding as much surprised as he did relieved. Katria turned to reply and stood in shock, as she watched the bolt of an enemy crossbow thump into Oran's chest. She looked into her king's eyes and could do nothing to stop the man slumping to the ground.