A Crown Of War (Book 4) (13 page)

The
old, familiar rush of anticipation filled Dirk, as Fyrfrost weaved back and forth above the road, so as to not overtake the horde. He scoured the sky and was a bit disappointed the group had no draquon; he had become quite fond of aerial battle. Since his defeat to Roakore atop the back of Zhola the Red, he had vowed to master the art. It was also the reason he had asked Krentz to enchant his cloak to allow him to glide upon the wind, should he find himself falling to his death once more. She hadn’t time as of yet to formulate a spell to do exactly what he envisioned, but the cloak would slow him considerably now.

The
horde drew closer to the bridge, and Dirk smiled to hear the first shrieks of discovery. It was time. He kicked Fyrfrost’s sides and pushed forward the horn of the saddle.

“
Light ʼem up!” he urged his mount.

The
dragon-hawk surged upward and arched downward, quickly gaining momentum as his wings sent up a wall of snow behind them. The Draggard never saw them coming as flame burst forth in thick streams. Those caught in the initial blast were laid to waste. Dozens shrieked and howled as they scrambled frantically and dove for the deep snow. Fyrfrost’s second attack was deflected high by a dark elf energy shield, and Dirk steered him out wide. The dark elves lifted their shields as the flames subsided and on cue, the arrows of Eldalon rained down upon the disorganized horde of frothing beasts.

The
Eldalonian soldiers taunted the Draggard from across the bridge, screaming obscenities and slamming sword to shield. Dirk flew upstream even as the first of the Draggard rushed toward the bridge. Three small bends in the river brought him to Krentz. She stood upon the riverbank, arms stretched out wide, a look of deep concentration etched across her face. The riverbed was bare; fish slapped and flipped in the shallow channels left among the once submerged weeds. Krentz held the river at bay, surging within her bowl-shaped energy shield, waiting to be released.

“
Now!” he yelled, and she dropped her shield. The water floated unmoving for a still second, and, with a violent crash, reclaimed its passageway. Dirk steered Fyrfrost to bank hard and together they flew behind the raging river as it breached the banks and bore down upon the bridge. The soldiers had taunted the Draggard to the bridge, and many of the beasts were pressing their ranks.

The
water rolled over the land and grew to a height of twenty feet before slamming into the bridge. Wood buckled and moaned, and ropes snapped under the weight. The bridge and dozens of Draggard were swept away by the water rushing down the empty channel, leaving a muddy bank of jagged ice in its wake. Fyrfrost bathed the Draggard with dragonsbreath once again, but was forced to pull up and bank quickly to avoid a fireball coming at them from the middle of the horde. The dark elf hurled another, and a third, forcing Dirk and Fyrfrost to sail beyond the trees. They flew back around to cross the river once more, and Dirk leapt from his mount to land on the side of the soldiers. Many dead littered the ground, but those Draggard who made it across lay among them. Dirk noticed the archers had pulled back and waited for word.

“
Hold your arrows, the dark elves!” Dirk warned.

“
Fall back!” General Reeves ordered.

Dirk
turned at the wet sound of a Draggard landing upon the steep bank as more came leaping across the river. Some fell into the still rushing waters, and others clawed their way up to be met with Dirk’s enchanted blade. He fell upon one and twirled along the bank, deftly avoiding the reaching claws of his victim. The Eldalonian soldiers retreated around the bend in the road as dozens of Draggard attempted the great leap. Dirk threw two explosive darts on either side of him and sprinted away from the advancing horde. The howl of Chief rang out in the cold air, and was soon followed by the cry of a dying Draggard. The spirit-wolf came leaping out of the woods to Dirk’s right and intercepted a Draggard that flew at his back. They tumbled in a blur of thrashing tails and snarling teeth over the bank and into the river. Dirk noticed two forms, smaller than Draggard, soared over the water to land upon his side of the river. They shot spells in unison, and Dirk leapt to the side as the explosions shook the earth and sent him whirling into the trees. He crashed through the low branches and was buried in falling snow from higher bows. Knowing another spell was likely headed his way, he dove behind a large boulder as its edge was shorn by lightning. Swords clanged, and curses echoed from the road. He recognized Krentz’s voice and dared peek around the boulder.

Krentz
danced around the two dark elves as their swords sparked off of one another and the Draggard came rushing at them from the riverbank. Fyrfrost appeared out of the gray sky, pouring fire down among the three dark elves. Krentz turned to smoke as the flames were deflected harmlessly around her opponents. With an ear piercing shriek, Fyrfrost doused the Draggard yet again in dragonsbreath, causing fog to roll up in plumes from the river as he passed.

Draggard
charged past the fighting dark elves in pursuit of the soldiers. Dirk whistled the signal, and the blaring trumpets of the forward cavalry marked their charge. They came fast around the bend and met the Draggard charge with long, gleaming lances leading the way.

Across
the water, Fyrfrost descended upon those Draggard yet to make the leap. The dragon-hawk ravaged with tooth and claw and sent Draggard flying with sweeps of his long tail. Chief joined him in the fight, flying from one beast to the next, and violently snapping necks with his powerful jaws.

Dirk
bolted from his place behind the boulder to aid Krentz, as she exchanged blows with the dark elves. One broke from the fight and blasted a bolt of lightning that hit the cavalry and Draggard alike, sending man and beast flying limply through the air. The Draggard had absorbed the initial charge, and now engaged the knights at the bend in the road. From behind them came the charge of the remaining soldiers, as they poured forth by the hundreds to take on the nightmarish beasts. In their eyes shone the pain of their losses and the promise of vengeance.

Dirk
whirled as a spell sped by. He came down upon the dark elf with a flurry of sword and dagger, forcing his foe to take up his own blade. Their swords met, and sparks exploded from the contact angrily. The dark elf’s speed was incredible, and Dirk soon found himself on the defensive. His sword parried the enemy blade high and to the left as he bided his time, waiting for the dark elf to cast. He felt a pressure in his head and knew his opponent was attempting a mental assault. Dirk landed a blow to the dark elf’s side, and, though it was deflected by the energy shield, he saw surprise in the elf’s eyes.

Behind
them, the knights of Eldalon fought bravely against the towering Draggard, and though many fell to the beasts, they held their ground and even began to push the horde back. Krentz flew as a wisp around her enemy, solidifying only long enough to land a sparking blow against his energy shield. The dark elf gave a frustrated scream of rage, and with an outstretched hand, shot writhing black tendrils that wrapped around Krentz, binding her, even in spirit form.

Dirk
was distracted for a moment by her baleful scream, and his dagger was sent flying by the dark elf sword. His attacker sneered and slashed at Dirk’s face, forcing him to parry high. A spell erupted from his free hand, and lightning hit Dirk square in the chest. He was jolted painfully, though his cloak absorbed much of the blast. Still, he was shaken enough to be slow in his next parry, and the dark elf blade tore through the cloak’s enchantments, and those of the armor beneath. Pain shot through his shoulder, and he lost all feeling in his left arm. He parried desperately as the dark elf came at him, sensing victory. Another blast of lightning erupted from the dark elf’s hand, but Dirk quickly intercepted it with his sword, which absorbed the spell and glowed white hot with pent-up energy. With a cry of rage, Dirk released the energy in a powerful strike that the dark elf parried. The blades collided, and an explosion ripped through the air, sending them both flying backward. Chief came to Dirk’s aid then, and collided with the dark elf in a flurry of snapping jaws and raking claws.

Krentz
cried out again, and her form wavered as the dark elf bore down upon her with a maniacal grin, pulsing black tendrils tightening around her spirit form, causing it to waver. Before Dirk could move to help her, Fyrfrost swept over the river and pounced upon the dark elf. Krentz fell to the ground in spasms, as her body flickered in and out of existence.

“
Back to the spirit realm, Krentz,” Dirk commanded.

She
looked up at him from the ground with a pained expression which was not the result of the assault. She turned into a wisp that swirled around and around, as she fought the pull of the trinket in his pocket.

Chief
cried out as the same dark tendrils held him fast. Dirk threw a dart at the dark elf as he bore down on Chief; it hit the energy shield and exploded in a ball of fire.

“
Back to the spirit realm, Chief!” Dirk yelled.

Through
the thick black smoke and rolling fire, Chief came as a wisp into the trinket. The dark elf attacking him disappeared. Dirk looked quickly to Fyrfrost, who leapt into the sky clutching the other dark elf bleeding in his massive talons. The dragon-hawk’s powerful wings lifted them high into the gray sky. With a slash of his curved blade, the dark elf was free of Fyrfrost’s grip and fell. Dirk followed his descent and groaned when the dark elf changed into a large crow and flew up to meet Fyrfrost in battle once more.

Behind
him, the Eldalonian soldiers battled the last of the Draggard horde. Dirk scoured the woods once more, and, seeing no trace of the dark elf with his eyes nor through his hood, he joined in the fray. He tucked his useless arm in his belt and sped toward the three Draggard who held back the circling soldiers with spear and tail.

A
soldier saw Dirk speeding directly at him. “Down!” Dirk yelled at the man. The soldier dropped to his hands and knees, and Dirk took a leaping step off his armored back. Up and over the group of soldiers he went. He flipped four times as his cloak engulfed him in his flight. He felt spear and claws hit his cloak harmlessly and planted his feet firmly when he knew the ground to be near. Dirk landed in a crouch in between the three hissing and snapping Draggard, and his enchanted blade sliced through all of their legs as he spun in a full circle. Tails came at him but were sliced in half before they could connect, and their limbs flew in all directions as claws reached out to throttle him. The Draggard screamed in anguish, and tried to get away from the death dealer. They found their escape at the ends of Eldalonian spears.

Dirk
whirled his head to find the dark elf and Fyrfrost, but they were nowhere to be seen. The soldiers hooted, and cheered their victory, but Dirk swiftly brought his sword up and screamed for silence.

The
soldiers fell silent and listened as he did. After a time, they began to relax their still postures, but Dirk cocked his head and jerked his sword. Again, they listened to the silence, but then a baleful cry echoed from the road behind the, and an explosion followed. The soldiers stirred angrily.

“
That blast came from the wagon train!”

“
They are under attack!”

“
Hold!” General Reeves ordered and followed Dirk as he moved swiftly back to where he had bombed the dark elf. Soon, he found what he sought. He showed Reeves the footprints heading west, the direction they had come.

“
The other dark elf?” Reeves asked, even as another explosion sounded in the distance.

Dirk
nodded agreement as he scoured the sky. At last, he spied Fyrfrost and the large crow far off to the north. They circled each other and exchanged blows, but soon dipped beyond the horizon once again.

“
Can you defeat him?” Reeves asked with a glance at Dirk’s badly bleeding shoulder. Dirk followed his eyes. He had nearly forgotten about the wound in his worry for Fyrfrost. He worried too for Krentz and Chief. He had no idea if they were well or not; he did not know what the dark elves had done. He had his suspicions, however, and knew them to be necromancers.

From
the forearm band of his useless arm, he extracted a glowing dart whose vial was full of swirling blue tendrils. He jabbed it into the deep gash. Through the cut in his leather armor, the wound glowed blue, and soon the gash closed and the bleeding stopped. He still did not have much use of his arm, as the magic would take some time without the guidance of a healer, and, if not properly tended to, it would never be the same. But, for now, it would have to do.

He
rotated his shoulder gingerly with his good hand over the wound. Another explosion sounded, and Reeves moved to give an order, likely for the cavalry. Dirk stopped his words with a hand to the general’s arm.

“
Give me a fearless horse, and I will do what I can. And please, send scouts to search for my mount. I would know his fate.”

“
Of course,” said Reeves with a strong hand of his own over Dirk’s.

“
Gelhamond, your steed!”

The
horse was brought to him in short order, and Gelhamond, a tall knight with fierce green eyes and a winter beard of red, patted the mane of his mount.