Authors: Greg Curtis
Chapter Fifty Three
Blue Water was a mess. That was Erislee's first thought when she saw the town. And she guessed it might well be the one she kept with her.
It wasn't supposed to be like that. Her memory of it had been of a picturesque little town of twelve thousand people sited beside a large lake with some of the bluest water she'd ever seen. It was a warm place where the people lived in elegant wooden and brick cottages with proper slate roofs. There wasn't a thatched roof in the entire town. And the streets were neat and tidy and lined with elegant gardens.
Since then of course the false temple had come and the town had suffered, just as had all the others. Houses had deteriorated. The streets had been left to become filled with pot holes. Gardens had become overgrown. And then someone had built a massive, incredibly ugly temple in the middle of it.
But some time in the last couple of days that had changed again and the town looked like it had been torn apart. Some parts had been burnt down. The smell of the burnt timbers – and worse the burnt flesh – still hung in the air. Other parts of the town had been blown apart. And here and there the ground had actually opened up and swallowed sections of it. That she knew could only mean that there had been wizards fighting here. Wizards of fire, sky and wind.
But the wizards hadn't been at war with each other. Nor had they been murdering the town's folk. Instead it seemed that they'd been fighting the chimera and the false priests, their former comrades in arms – who when she thought about it they had been pretending to be only a few short months before. But now it seemed they weren't pretending. Nor were they serving the demons. The bodies of the wizards they found – and there were a great many bodies – had all had their tattoos burnt off. She'd never seen so many blackened wrists in her life before.
Most of them had been torn apart. Many showed the obvious signs of harpy poison. As for the beasts and the false priests, they'd been burnt alive, blasted with lightning and sometimes smashed with enormous power into walls. Many also had wounds from swords and spears. Which told her that the wizards and the soldiers had been battling the beasts and presumably the demon king's thralls who were still robed as priests.
For some reason The enemy forces were imploding. It wasn't clear who had won and who had lost and in truth it probably didn't matter. What did matter was that the streets were filled with bodies, and few of them were those of the towns folk. They were mostly still in their homes, hiding. Every so often she could see a frightened face peering out of the corner of a window or from behind the edge of a house. But none of them came out to see them.
She guessed they'd been in hiding ever since the battle, none of them knowing what was happening or what to do, and none of them wanting to get involved. Not even to the point of clearing the bodies away. The fear that was their normal life was too deeply ingrained in them. These weren't people who ever showed their faces proudly.
This was new.
She'd heard rumours of course. Ever since Cloverfield she had known that the wizards and soldiers of the false temple had split with the demon king's thralls and beasts. And there had been reports from the scouts that some of the wizards returning to Lion's Crest had been attacked. There had been word from Inel Ison and Pariton that it was happening in the realms near them and that they were taking advantage of it. But this! This was something else. This wasn't minor skirmishing. This wasn't hunting down fleeing wizards. This was all out war. These wizards and soldiers by the looks of things were not from Blue Water and had come in fighting.
“We've got the counts High Priestess.” A soldier came up to her with the piece of parchment in his hand and she thanked him for it. But really she thought, should she be? Should someone have even done the counts? This wasn't a battle. Not one they'd been in anyway. It was something else. A civil war maybe.
A bloody one. When she read the numbers she knew that for certain. Six hundred soldiers and twelve hundred chimera. That was a lot of dead. Especially in a town of only twelve thousand. Assuming there were twelve thousand people left. She doubted there were. In most places they'd been to there had been less than half the original population remaining.
Erislee knew she should celebrate. Because even if this wasn't a victory for them it was a loss for their enemy, and all of them had been killed with absolutely no losses of their own. Sixty priests had also fallen, burnt and broken for the most part. But just as many wizards had died, and that was what really mattered. They were easy to make out in their colourful clothes. And they were just as dead as the rest.
What she couldn't work out was why the two halves of the false temple were at war? Certainly they'd seen one town after another without wizards, and they'd had reports of battles. But they were skirmishes. This was the first time they'd seen an all out war between the two sides.
“So what happened here?” Erislee turned to the few witnesses who had come forward when they'd called for them. A very few had, mostly the old and the sick. The ones that if they were killed wouldn't be so terribly missed. She understood that. The townsfolk didn't know who she and her army were. They thought at the least they were more trouble. And those who had little left to live for had sacrificed themselves to protect the rest. It was simply the sad reality of life in the five kingdoms.
“I don't know High Priestess.”
One of them, an old woman suddenly started grovelling in front of her and Erislee knew it was because of her robes. They believed she was a high priestess of Artemis – as she was. But they still hadn't realised that the others weren't. Not even when she had a dozen unicorns walking with her and the skies filled with griffins. And the woman probably wouldn't accept the truth for a long time to come.
“Some riders, wizards and soldiers of the temple came riding into town, all of them wounded, and then when they rode into the temple everyone started fighting.”
“Some of them were injured when they rode in?” That seemed important to Erislee. Not least because it surely meant that they'd been fighting elsewhere.
“Yes High Priestess. Many were bandaged, some were draped over their horses as if they were dead.”
“And who won?” That was the other thing Erislee couldn't fathom. In any war there was a winner and a loser, and in a war like this sure the winner should have taken the temple in the heart of town. But the temple had been destroyed and there were no survivors anywhere.
“No one. Maybe a dozen of the riders who entered the town left. But they were mostly badly injured. They would not have made it far.”
No survivors then. If what the woman was telling them was the truth there were no survivors. The wizards and the soldiers, had – having already been through a battle – ridden into the town, attacked the false temple, fought a battle to the very end, and then ridden off without claiming any of the spoils. That made no sense at all. And yet the woman seemed truthful to Erislee. She might be mistaken about some things, but she wasn't lying.
“Thank you good woman. Please return to your home with the blessings of the Goddess.” In the end politeness was all she had, and whether it worked or not she didn't know. What she did know was that the woman suddenly looked up at her with something akin to shock in her eyes before she and the others scurried away. No doubt she'd expected a beating or worse.
“Dina?” She didn't even have to raise her voice as she called for the wizard's counsel. Dina was almost always there beside her. Some days it was annoying. But she had to admit the woman was also a font of knowledge and wisdom in most things.
“The wizards are no longer pretending to be of the false temple. And they're not just leaving any more, not just running skirmishes as they flee. They're fighting a war of complete annihilation with their old allies. And if as the old woman said, the wizards rode into town already suffering injuries from other battles, then whatever this is not just a local event. Which agrees with what we've heard from the other realms. It would appear that there's some sort of rift between the Circle and the demon king.”
“Any thoughts on why?”
For an answer Dina just shrugged helplessly at her. And then suddenly she looked straight at her – startled as something occurred to her. “Yes! One.”
“Dina?”
“The deal! It's come completely undone. No doubt the Circle have discovered another of the demon king's tricks. Something that cannot be overcome. Which means there will be no ascension for them. And if there's no ascension for them there will be no food for the demon king. The alliance has come completely apart.”
She could be right Erislee realised. It would explain why a bunch of wizards fleeing their allies to escape a war had turned their spat into a war all of its own.
“So what do we do?”
“Carry on. Now hopefully the battles will be easier. And maybe the Circle and the demon king's forces will have done some of the work for us. And hope that this is happening elsewhere.”
Dina was right of course. It was really the only thing they could do. It was also probably a good thing that the temple seemed to have an internal war going on. It just didn't feel like one. It felt like the continuation of a bad dream. And more than that she had the feeling that they should be doing something about it. Taking advantage of the situation. But how? The enemy were destroying themselves already.
On the other hand every wizard who made it all the way back to the Kingdom of the Lion, and presumably Lion's Crest, was another enemy they would have to face at the end. Whatever they could do to stop them completing that journey they would have to do.
It was time to visit the war masters again.
Chapter Fifty Four
A baby!
Harl stood at his smithy trying to concentrate on his work, and failing. All day he had been unable to think of anything else other than Nyma's news. Not since he had received the message.
Nyma was with child and he was to be a father! It was almost beyond his ability to understand. It was something that he had certainly never expected. And yet he knew he should have. After all the nights they had spent together it was only natural to expect that a child would come along in time. And yet for some reason the thought had simply never occurred to him. Maybe he truly was as ignorant in the ways of life as many seemed to think. Maybe it was just that there were some things in life that were simply too good for him to imagine happening.
Still, that didn't matter. As he tried to concentrate on beating the metal for a cuirass he knew that only one thing did matter. He was going to be a father. He would have a son or a daughter.
The knowledge filled him with wonder. It was joyous. A dream given life. But at the same time it terrified him. Would he be a good father? What did he know about raising children? Worse still, how could they have a child in the midst of a war, when people were trying to kill him? When Nyma was a custodian who seemed determined to put herself in harm's way? She hadn't said it, but he was certain she would be in the thick of the fight. She and their baby. And all the while he was sitting out here doing nothing. Crafting weapons for the war yes. But not there beside her, protecting her as he should be.
He needed to be with her.
But there were two problems to overcome if he was to get to her. First he didn't know where she was. He knew where her family's home was, but she wouldn't be with them. She would be in the thick of battle somewhere in the Regency. And second, even if he had known, he couldn't reach her. There was a war raging between them and both sides would likely kill him on sight as an enemy. To add to his problems he had no horse, and even if he had had one, he couldn't ride one well enough to cover the hundreds of leagues he needed to to reach her.
Of course there was a third problem as well. Maybe the most important problem of all. Nyma wouldn't thank him for coming. She was a soldier. A custodian. She did not need or want to be rescued. She would not be taken out of the battle just because she was with child. And if he tried to take her away she would consider it a grave insult. Some days he thought the woman was just too proud. Maybe that was what he loved most in her.
There was supposedly a realm where the people were all blonde giants living among the ice and snow. And where the men were all warriors battling trolls and other strange creatures. He remembered being told stories of them when he was a child. And among those stories there was one that he remembered. One about the women of that warrior race riding into battle with swords and shields, screaming war cries and fighting without thought for their own safety. They were called Valkyries or shield maidens. And while she might not be blonde, a giant, nor carry a shield, that was Nyma. She was a Valkyrie.
Still, everything in him was telling him to go to her. To take her away from this. To save her. It was simply what he had to do. He just wished he knew how. Or that he'd be welcome.
The sound of hoof beats unexpectedly intruded on his thoughts and Harl looked up to see who was calling. He wasn't expecting anyone. Not since the soldier had come that morning to deliver Nyma's message and to pick up wares for the fort. He wasn't expecting to see anyone else for at least a few days. And just then he wasn't in the mood for visitors. He had too much on his mind. He was even less in the mood when he saw who it was.
“Mistress Windstrider?”
It was her, and on a horse – the first time he had seen her riding. That surprised him for some reason. It wasn't that he'd thought she didn't ride – or couldn't. It was just that he'd somehow imagined that she chose to fly everywhere. Since she had the magic. If he'd had the magic that was what he would have done. Also, she was a woman in her sixties at least. Women of that age didn't ride in his experience. If they needed to travel some distance or quickly they used a cart.
Still, she was riding and she seemed quite comfortable on the back of the large black mare. More comfortable than he was if the truth be known. And she dismounted as if it was something she'd done every day of her life.
“Boy, Erislee sent me. She was concerned.” Dina launched immediately into her reason for coming. She was never one for the pleasantries.
“About her sister?” Harl could understand that. Being with child was always a difficult time for a woman. And when the father was a difficult wizard as the High Priestess no doubt considered him, that probably just added to things.
“About you. And about what she thinks you might try to do.”
“About what I might –.”
“Don't play coy with me boy!” Dina was in no mood for his deceptions and she cut him off quickly. “We both know you're thinking about running off to Inel Ison and finding her. And that cannot happen.”
“Why not?” There seemed little point in pretending that he hadn't been thinking about doing exactly what she knew he had been.
“Many reasons. First, you'd get yourself killed. And that is not acceptable. A baby needs a father, and Nyma will need a man beside her to raise the child.”
Harl would have denied her that save that he knew she was probably right. He was good at hiding in the forests, and he was good at running. But sneaking through a battlefield was something else entirely. So he kept his peace.
“Second, you are needed here. Your weapons are helping the battle, saving lives. You are every bit as much a soldier in this war as those who swing your blades. And soldiers do not leave the field of battle before the battle is won.”
“Third, because Nyma does not need your help. She has told her commander that she is with child, and because of that she can no longer ride. She will be in her family home – and no I will not tell you where that is – being cared for by them.”
“Her war is over, and the best way you can protect her is to keep crafting your wares so that in time everyone's war ends.”
“She's at home?” In everything she'd said that was the only thing that mattered to him. He knew where her family lived, the name of the town at least. Ilendigo. He might never have been to Inel Ison. He might have no way of getting there. But he finally had the one thing he wanted more than anything else. Her location.
“Where she's
safe and well
with her family! Meanwhile her people's war rages on. It goes well, as the wizards and the thralls set about killing one another, but it will take time. Three months, maybe six. And for all that time you will be here, at your smithy, doing your duty. Is that completely clear!”
“Yes.” But it wasn't really. Not when he suddenly knew where to go.
“In that case let me make one thing completely clear boy.” Apparently she'd guessed that he wasn't as committed to his duty as he'd pretended. She sounded upset about it. “If you do leave here, cross a battlefield and finally reach Nyma in one piece, she will know that you abandoned your post here. That because of her, you did not craft the weapons and armour that will save lives and help defeat the enemy. You will have betrayed your people. Just how well do you think she will take that news?”
It was true. Harl wished it wasn't but he knew it was. And just then he would cheerfully have strangled the wizard for her words. Not that it would have changed anything. Nyma would not forgive him if he did as she said, and there was no point in pretending otherwise. He didn't answer her though. He couldn't bring himself to say the words. But his silence seemed to satisfy Mistress Windstrider regardless.
“Good. Now that we understand one another boy, we can start work on composing your note for Nyma. And perhaps a cup of something warm and something to eat wouldn't go amiss while we work. After all, you have a guest. You do remember what it means to have guests?”
“Yes, of course Mistress.”
Was it just him Harl wondered? Or had she actually become more fractious with age? He'd always thought people were supposed to mellow. Still, he knew better than to annoy her. She was after all the most powerful wizard they had and important to the war. She had also taken time out of her duties just to come and see him. If only to berate him. A little politeness was in order. And sending Nyma a note was an excellent idea.
So he mumbled a few vague words and led her across the yard to his front door. Inside his house though things turned almost comically strange.
“What in Hades is that?”
Dina had turned completely white as she stared at the cat as it lay stretched out on the bed, and caught Harl completely by surprise. Why did everybody seem to hate the cat? Granted the cat was a nuisance, but he hadn't thought it was anything more than that. Certainly not enough to provoke such a powerful reaction in her.
“A cat?”
“I can see that child. But it looks horribly like the last cat that Maynard summoned before he was sent to Tartarus. A lot rounder though.”
“He eats a lot.”
Harl wasn't exactly sure what else to say. Or even what to think. It was just a cat after all, and her reaction seemed extreme. And there was no way it could have crossed the leagues between Midland Heights and his home. On the other hand it was stretched out on the bed covering it with its fur and probably sticking its claws in to the furs, shredding them a little more. So he went over, picked it up and put it out.
The cat did not seem impressed by that and stared at him balefully from the yard as he shut the door on it. Harl had no doubt that the little orange monster would somehow find his way inside again in due course – he still hadn't found where it was getting in – but at least for the moment it was outside.
Who knew; maybe it would finally even start hunting some mice? But he doubted it. Meanwhile he had a guest to placate and a letter to write. He began with the basics.
“Tea, Mistress?”