Alutar: The Great Demon (72 page)

Colonel Tamil sighed and nodded as his eyes scanned the thick forest along the side of the road. He had never been to Elfwoods, but he suddenly envisioned elves behind every tree, and the thought scared him. A small gasp escaped his lips when he thought he saw movement in the forest, but he quickly recovered his composure. He mentally berated himself for his irrational fear and pulled his eyes away from the trees of the Bloodwood. Moments later, shouts bellowed forth from the column behind the vanguard. Colonel Tamil turned in his saddle to see what the commotion was.

“Get back there, Tamil,” ordered General Kartacus. “Instruct the men that order is required while under march.”

The colonel turned his horse and headed towards the center of the column. He could hear shouting in the distance, but he was more disturbed by it than alarmed. After a few minutes, his demeanor changed drastically. The sounds of shouting turned into screams of agony, and the clash of weapons was unmistakable. He spurred his horse into a gallop and began shouting of a possible attack. A mere moment later, a throwing ax sailed past his face and into the column. A soldier cried out in pain. Colonel Tamil glanced to his left and gasped. Short, ugly creatures appeared alongside every tree in the Bloodwood, and their throwing axes flew like hail. One of the axes struck the colonel’s horse, and the animal stumbled. Colonel Tamil was thrown through the air. He collided with men in the column and ended up in a jumble of arms and legs. As he tried to untangle himself, he saw the dwarves attack, their huge battleaxes cleaving their way through the column. He stared in horror as the dwarves cut through the shield wall that was forming. It did not even slow them down. Knowing that the column was lost, the colonel rose and ran towards the sea. Abandoning anything of weight, the colonel dove into the water and started swimming out to sea.

* * * *

The fishing boat glided smoothly alongside the dock at the wharves of Valdo. One of the fishermen shouted for the guards, and four soldiers raced towards the boat. When they arrived, they saw the body of a Federation colonel lying on the floorboards.

“We picked him up at sea,” one of the fishermen reported. “He’s darn near dead. He must have been swimming for hours. He kept shouting something about dwarves attacking his column, but he passed out an hour ago.”

“He said more than that,” scowled one of the other fishermen. “The dwarves didn’t just attack his column. They tore it apart. He said his men never had a chance. He was clearly terrified. What are we supposed to do with him?”

Two of the soldiers moved to the boat and carried the colonel ashore. One of the other soldiers turned and ran to his superior officer to report the incident. Over the next hour, the report was sent up the chain of command until a colonel stood before General Somma.

“What are we to do?” asked Colonel Fodor.

“See that the man receives healing,” replied General Somma, “And try to keep his words from spreading throughout the city. We do not need a panicked citizenry.”

“It is too late for that, General,” frowned the colonel. “Everyone already knows about it. Fear of the dwarves is spreading through the city like a wildfire.”

“Spreading?” scowled General Somma. “It is spreading before word has even reached the Royal Palace? I think it is time that the 16
^th
Corps learn proper protocol, Colonel. Things of this nature are to be brought to my attention before it becomes public knowledge, not after.”

“I apologize, General,” the colonel stated. “I will speak to the men involved with carrying the message. I assure you that it will not happen again, but what are we to do about it?”

“We are to man the walls in a defensive posture,” stated the general. “Make sure that the men remain alert and that any sighting of dwarves arrive here immediately.”

“What about the deaths of our brothers?” frowned Colonel Fodor. “Are we not to avenge them?”

“The 35
^th
Corps was a Federation army,” declared General Somma. “They are no longer our brothers. King Samuel officially withdrew from the Federation shortly after the 35
^th
Corps left Valdo. If the dwarves come to claim Valdo as their own, we will stand alone against them. Make sure that the men are prepared for it.”

Colonel Fodor saluted and withdrew from the general’s office. For the rest of the day, the colonel issued orders to make the army ready to defend the walls. By the end of the day, he was exhausted. He walked wearily to a tavern where many of the senior officers of the 16
^th
Corps gathered each night. As soon as he walked in the door, he knew he had made a mistake. He would have been far better off to have returned to his bed and gone to sleep early.

“I have heard no orders about avenging our brothers, Fodor,” called a fellow colonel as Fodor entered the tavern. “Is our cowardly general afraid to get dwarven blood on his uniform? Or perhaps he is a pacifist like our new king?”

“Are you crazy?” retorted another colonel. “What men do you think would follow you out of the city gates to fight dwarves? You could line up your regiment, but don’t try leading them out of the city. You will need to send them out before you, or you will find yourself standing alone out there.”

“That’s the truth of it,” added another officer. “My men are trembling at just the thought of fighting dwarves. We will have a hard time getting them to stay on the walls. Maybe we can get help from Despair, or maybe the 35
^th
Corps will return.”

Colonel Fodor sighed and sat down at a table. A serving girl immediately brought him a mug of ale and he sipped a bit before glancing around at the men in the room.

“There will be no help coming to Valdo,” Colonel Fodor declared. “King Samuel has withdrawn from the Federation. As for the 35
^th
Corps returning to Valdo, it will not. That army no longer exists.”

“Nonsense,” scowled a major. “Just because the column was attacked doesn’t mean it was badly damaged. Maybe they drove the dwarves off.”

“I sent a black-cloak out this afternoon,” stated Colonel Fodor. “The only traces of the 35
^th
Corps were the heaps of bodies littering the Coastal Highway. There is no 35
^th
Corps.”

As dawn arrived in Valdo, a runner raced into the Royal Palace and demanded that General Somma be awakened. While the general was being awakened, Colonel Fodor arrived at the general’s office and waited for the him to arrive. Moments later, the general arrived and ushered the colonel into his office.

“The dwarves have arrived,” Colonel Fodor simply stated.

“Report,” replied General Somma.

“There are thousands of them, General,” reported the colonel. “They are spread along all three walls of the city. I have ordered the city gates sealed.”

“I sent a messenger to you last night,” said General Somma. “Did you receive it?”

“I did, General,” frowned the colonel. “The men have been instructed not to antagonize the dwarves, but I find your message troubling. Are we to remain steadfast and let the dwarves have their way with the rest of Spino while we hide behind our walls?”

“No, Colonel,” retorted the general. “We are to obey orders until King Samuel has decided how we will treat the dwarves. I offer the king my advice and then I follow his orders. You should learn to do the same.”

“No disrespect meant, General,” countered Colonel Fodor, “but the dwarves are not bound to our schedule. If the king takes too long to attack them, we may find our walls overrun.”

General Somma smiled. “I take no offense at your words, Colonel, as long as you understand that whatever action we take is not ours to decide. I know many of the men think that King Samuel is unfit to be king, but I am not one of them. I have already alerted the king to our current problem, and he is getting ready to meet with his advisors. We will have a decision soon. Now, I must go and join the meeting. Wait for my return.”

The general started to leave the office, but Colonel Fodor spoke quickly.

“May I come, General?” he asked. “Perhaps I can offer some observations from what I have seen so far.”

General Somma paused for only a moment before nodding his head. The two officers left the office and walked to the king’s office where King Samuel sat behind his desk. A dozen nobles stood before the desk, and the officers moved to join them.

“We should not have let the 35
^th
Corps leave the city,” complained one of the nobles. “We have only the 16
^th
Corps left to defend us.”

“They will not be enough,” scowled another noble. “We should start evacuating the city by ships.”

“There are not enough ships to carry a tenth of the population,” retorted a third nobleman.

The noble who suggested the ships merely shrugged as if to say that he did not care about the other nine-tenths who would not fit on the boats.

“We still have battle mages,” offered one of the advisors. “If we attack the dwarves before they are ready, we might be able to scare them off.”

“The dwarves will not be scared off,” offered Colonel Fodor. “The reports of the attack on the 35
^th
Corps yesterday mention very few dead dwarves on the Coastal Highway, and that army had battle mages, too.”

King Samuel smiled. “Welcome to the meeting, Colonel Fodor,” he said. “What is the state of our army?”

“Every available man is on the ramparts,” the colonel reported, “but I would be lying if I said that we are ready for a dwarven attack. The men are scared, King Samuel. They have all heard tales of the battle prowess of the Alcean dwarves, and the slaughter of the 35
^th
Corps only reinforces that.”

“You fear that the men will desert?” scowled one of the advisors. “Are they that cowardly? Who will then protect the city?”

“The men of the 16
^th
Corps are not cowards,” retorted General Somma, “and I will not stand for people inferring that they are. They are out there right now staring at the dwarves and ready to defend this city. Is there one among you who would dare to join them?”

The advisor raised an eyebrow in surprise at the strong defense of the soldiers from a general that many in the city considered a coward. The king, however, smiled.

“What do you suggest we do, General Somma?” asked the king.

The general pressed his lips together in thought and lowered his gaze to the floor, but not for long.

“We need to determine what it is the dwarves want,” the general eventually said. “If they are gathered before our walls to attack us, why then have they not attacked?”

“Precisely,” smiled King Samuel. “I am pleased that one of my advisors has taken the time to question the unquestionable. I think we have had enough discussion on this topic. I will go and parley with the dwarves.”

Gasps rang out through the room as the king rose to his feet. Those who had looked upon Samuel as weak and unfit for the office now stared in disbelief that he would expose himself to the hideous creatures.

“Your Highness,” frowned General Somma, “I cannot let you go alone. Allow me to accompany you through the western gates.”

Colonel Fodor had been awestruck when the king mentioned leaving the city to talk with the dwarves, but the general’s volunteering floored him. With large eyes and a gaping mouth, he stared at the cowardly general. While the king and the general were on their way to the stables, Colonel Fodor was racing through the city to the western gates to spread the word. By the time King Samuel and General Somma arrived, the eyes of every soldier in the western portion of the city was on them. The general carried a flag of truce and ordered the gates to be opened. The king and the general rode through the gates and one hundred paces beyond. There they dismounted, and the general planted the flag in the ground. Silence claimed the wall and the forest beyond, but eventually three dwarves walked out of the forest and approached the King of Spino.

“I am King Samuel of Spino,” announced King Samuel, “and this is General Somma. What brings the dwarves to the gates of my city?”

“I am Drakarik, King of Tarashin,” stated one of the dwarves. “My friends are Prince Darok of Dorgun and Doryelgar of Talman. We have come to demand your surrender.”

“My surrender?” echoed King Samuel. “And what slight have the people of Spino given to the dwarves? I have never heard of any of the places you come from, and I cannot imagine that we have transgressed upon your lands. By what right do you seek to rule over my people?”

“The Federation has brought war to Alcea,” declared Prince Darok, “and we are allies of King Arik. If you choose not to surrender peacefully, we will use force to drive you to your knees.”

King Samuel smiled. “The Kingdom of Spino is no longer a part of the Federation,” he declared. “In fact, we are allies of the Alceans. I guess that makes us like brothers of a sort.”

“Are we now?” chuckled Prince Darok, his large bulbous nose crinkling as he laughed. “I suppose you will have us into your Royal Palace for tea now?”

“An excellent idea,” smiled King Samuel. “If you have horses, the general and I will wait until they are brought to you. If you have none, we will leave ours inside the gates and walk through the city with you.”

The three dwarves looked at one another with puzzled expressions, but Prince Darok finally laughed loudly and nodded his head.

“I personally would prefer some ale,” Prince Darok said, “but I will not presume to speak for the others.”

“We prefer to walk,” stated King Drakarik. “Is our safety guaranteed?”

“By my life,” declared King Samuel. “General, spread the word that the dwarves are guests of the king, and their safety is to be guaranteed.”

General Somma immediately moved back to the gates and ordered runners sent throughout the city. When the king and the three dwarves arrived at the gates, the general rejoined the group for the walk to the Royal Palace. Before they were halfway through the city, the streets were lined with citizens and soldiers alike. Everyone wanted a glimpse of the strange creatures, and what they saw was their new king talking amiably to the dwarves. By the time they reached the palace, King Samuel and the dwarves had become friends, and they spent the time together talking about the death of the Federation and the new alliances Alcea had made in Zara. By nighttime, the dwarven army had disappeared and the whole city was talking about the extraordinary courage of King Samuel and General Somma.