Awakening (Telindell Book 1) (31 page)

Lian glared towards Oryn.  “I’ll handle Roxees.  I’ll keep her away from the battle.”

Oryn nodded.  “That may give us an edge, but we will still suffer heavy losses…”  Oryn shook his head.  “We would not have the people left to stand against Dreathous when he marches upon Zaneen.”

Lian smirked.  “Shinrok.”

Oryn raised an eyebrow and glanced to Elintae.  “Shinrok?”

Elintae nodded.  “Shinrok sends word that they stand with the legendary General Oryn Durothill.”

Oryn looked around the room.  “How do they know of us?  Of me?”

Elintae nodded.  “As you know, they are secluded by the Bintol Desert.  They have always been heavily devoted to me and have kept close records of the past.”  She smiled to Oryn.  “They prepare as we speak.  I will lead them into battle.”

Oryn stood and looked around the room.  “We prepare and leave for Allendale at dawn.”

Stala looked up to Oryn.  “I’ll have troops inspect our siege equipment.  We haven’t used it in a very long time.  Some of it may yet be operational.”

Oryn nodded.  “Catapults only.  We will not reach the castle before the enemy is upon us.”  He looked to Alisia.  “Take command of the magic wielders.  Brief them on Roxees.”  Oryn looked to Stala.  “You know as much about the Enforcers as I, brief our forces on what to expect.”  Oryn then looked to Elinar.  “You will command the Alinshaharian Riders and take instructions from me alone.”  Oryn looked to Teelia and sighed.  “You will remain here and assume command of Alinshahar in our absence.”

Teelia’s mouth dropped open as she glanced around the room.  “What?”  She stood and shouted, “I can fight!”

Elinar grabbed Teelia’s shoulder.  “I agree with father!”

Teelia shook her head and glared at Elinar.  “I can fight!”

Oryn took a deep breath.  “You will not fight while you are with child.  I need you here to oversee training.  All of our people with the courage to fight will be outfitted and prepared to defend Alinshahar in the event of our failure.”

Elinar closed his eyes and nodded to Teelia.  “Father is right.  I won’t lose my daughter again.”  He pulled her close to him.  “And if we fail, it will be up to you to ensure she… as well as every other child and elf, will have a future.”

Lian looked to Sarath.  “I want you and Kane to stay behind as well.”

Sarath shook her head and glanced down to Kane.  “No!  Absolutely not!  I’m with you till the end…”  She looked down to Kane.  “I’m sure our fearless leader is as well.”  Kane looked up and nodded.

Lian shook his head.  “Roxees will take the form of that dragon, I’m sure.  She will kill indiscriminately.”

Sarath smirked.  “We have our own dragon.”

Elinar looked to Lian.  “You aren’t going to ride a dragon into battle, are you?”

Lian looked to Elinar.  “That’s a good idea… Shinaugra could draw her away from the battlefield.”

Elinar stepped towards Lian and shouted, “You can’t!  It’s suicidal.”

Sarath stood and stepped in front of Elinar with a smirk.  “No.  What’s suicidal is that I’m going with him.”

Elinar turned to Oryn. “Don’t let them do this.  It’s madness.”

Oryn looked to Lian.  “Are you sure?”

Lian nodded.  “It will give you a better chance against her army.”

Oryn sighed.  “Very well.  I may be able to aid you.  As powerful as you are, extra protection may prove invaluable.  I have a set of armor that was enchanted long ago, it may protect you from her magic.”

Lian nodded.  “Thank you.”

Elintae peered upon the group while her eyes glowed green.  “Prepare yourselves.  The fight for our world is about to begin.”

Early morning fog gripped the rolling hills before Alinshahar.  The earth trembled under the weight of fifteen thousand pairs of footsteps.  Oryn Durothill led his army from the Elven city prepared to give their lives in Zaneen’s defense.  The Elven forces marched in close ranks while they exited the city and then divided and shifted their formations.  Two columns of five hundred soldier-units were formed from the mass.  At the front, Elinar led two hundred Alinshaharian Riders.  A series of catapults and supply wagons drawn by horses occupied the empty spaces between each Elven unit.  Magic wielders occupied the center of the units behind front line infantry with archers occupying the rear ranks.  Morale was mixed among the soldiers.  Some were young and eager to bask in the glory of victory, while others were seasoned veterans of the previous war.  Those veterans wrestled with the undeniable fact of marching to their deaths.

Oryn and each of his commanders were mounted on horseback and rode at the front.  Elinar rode directly to his father’s right, while Councilor Stala and Alisia rode side by side to the left of Oryn.  Lian and Sarath shared a horse, riding next to Elinar.  Kane trotted alongside Lian.  Shinaugra circled the skies above the massive army while he awaited his master’s call.

Elinar stared into the distance, pondering the upcoming battle.  He looked to his father.  “What should we expect?”

Oryn gazed into the distance, not answering right away.  He slowly turned his head to Elinar.  “Overwhelming force.  Brutality of the likes you have never witnessed.  Unthinkable evil.  Death.”

Elinar looked away and once again stared into the horizon.  An expression of hopelessness overtook his face.  His voice trembled as he asked, “Will we see our family again?”

“We may not,” said Oryn.  “These could very well be our last days.”

“If all goes well, and we are victorious…” said Elinar.  He paused briefly and looked to Oryn.  “How many casualties do you expect?”

“At least half,” he said.

Elinar’s eyes widened.  “Half?  You expect us to lose half of our people?  Even in victory?”

Oryn looked back to his army before he stared into the horizon calmly.  “I do.  They will not surrender.  They will kill until the very last one falls.”

Sarath listened closely to father and son.  She squeezed Lian tightly, gaining a sense of comfort.

Lian felt her tight embrace.  He had listened to Oryn’s words as well.  Lian glanced back to Sarath and softly said, “We may lose a lot of people.  You will not be one of them.”

Sarath closed her eyes and touched her forehead against his shoulder.  “Promise?”

Lian confidently said, “I promise.  Nothing will happen to you.”  Lian looked down to Kane.  “Right, Kane?”  The wolf looked up and nodded.

Sarath looked down to Kane as well.  “At least I can count on our fearless leader.”  She smiled at him.

Alisia listened to the words of her companions, but her mind dwelled upon Roxees.  Many of the magical abilities Alisia had mastered were thanks to the teachings left behind by the human defector, including invisibility.  The sorceress looked to Lian and stared.

Stala took note of Alisia’s fixation on Lian.  “What are you staring at?”

Alisia hesitated for a moment, then turned her head to Stala. “Nothing.

“What is it?” said Stala.

Alisia shook her head and mumbled, “It’s nothing.”

Stala snorted.  “I’m no fool.  Speak your mind.  This may be your last chance to do so.”

Alisia looked to Stala with worry filled eyes.  “It’s Roxees.”

Stala looked ahead to the distance.  “What about her?”

Alisia shook her head.  “I studied everything we know about her, well her human self.”  The sorceress let out a sigh.  “She was immensely powerful.  She makes our magic wielders of today, even our most skilled, look like infants in comparison.”

Stala closed her eyes for a moment.  “You don’t think Lian can defeat her?”

“I just… I just don’t know,” she said.  “I saw Lian fall from the sky, the incredible power he wielded… but…”

Stala turned her head to Alisia.  “But what?”

“I don’t know if it will be enough,” she said.

Lian turned his head and shouted, “It will be!”

Oryn and Elinar turned their heads to Lian.  Alisia looked over to him.  “How do you know?”

Lian looked ahead and calmly said.  “I don’t.  It just has to be.”

Sarath raised her head and looked over to Alisia.  “Lian won’t let us down…”  Sarath put her hands on Lian’s shoulders and squeezed them lightly.  “I’ll kick his ass if he does.  Trust me, he doesn’t want that.”

Kane snorted and shook his head.  Then looked up at her knowingly.

Sarath glared down to Kane.  “Stop snorting at me!  If, and I mean that’s a big if, Lian breaks the promise he just made and we all do die a horrible agonizing death…”  She looked over to the rest of the group.  “I’m going to laugh and have a good time as much as I can before we get to the dying part.”

Oryn’s cold face warmed with a slight smile.  He chuckled a bit.  “The girl is right.”

Elinar looked to Sarath, then to his father.  “What do you mean?”

Oryn smiled towards Elinar.  “You all act as if we are dead already.  If we do not carry the spirit of life into battle with us, we certainly will be dead.”

Sarath looked to Elinar with a smirk.  “Listen to Daddy!”

Elinar looked to Sarath with his mouth slightly dropped open.  “What?”

“That must have been an elfy way of saying ‘lighten up’,” she said as her smirk turned into a smile.  “You should really take that advice.  We all should.”

Elinar looked to Oryn and the others.  “Is what she says true, father?”

Oryn looked to Elinar and laughed briefly.  “It certainly is.  If we are to die in battle, let us do it lighthearted, filled with the warmth of life.”

Elinar shook his head.  “You’ve all gone insane.”  He chuckled a bit before looking to Sarath.  “Very well, then.”  Elinar looked to Oryn.  “If we die, we die with smiles on our faces.”

Stala laughed, followed by Alisia and the rest of the group.  The Elven army marched forward throughout the day and deep into the night.  Allendale grew closer with each step.  Midnight had come, and the army now marched along the edge of the northern forest of Kynlynn.  Within that forest was the Elven outpost where Lian had spent a good portion of his life.  In the distance, the glow of a brightly burning fire could be seen.

Oryn took stared with great interest.  “Prepare yourselves!”  Elinar and the others quickly brought their attention to Oryn.  He glanced to them and focused his sight on the blaze.  “We may be met with combatants sooner than expected.”

Elinar nodded and turned to look upon the Alinshaharian Riders who followed behind.  He turned to Oryn.  “Father, I’ll take a group of riders and scout ahead.”  Oryn nodded.  Elinar kicked his horse and rode to the right as he drew his sword.  He rode swiftly down the line of riders, pointing his sword toward them.  After he had passed twenty riders, he turned forward and raised his sword into the air.  The twenty riders he had selected broke their ranks and followed Elinar.

Horses stampeded through the fields as Elinar and his riders quickly approached the glowing fire.  Elinar noticed the splattering sounds with every hoof that struck the ground.  The horses slowed their pace on the soft terrain.  Elinar stopped a short distance from the raging inferno.  He saw that it was the burning remains of a village.  A few walls of small huts and houses were still standing, but little more than that.  Elinar looked around the area while he studied the blaze.  “How could a fire have grown this large?” he said to himself.  “There is far too much water in the ground.  The rain should have doused the fire.”  He looked down at the ground, and his eyes widened at what he saw.  The ground was littered with body parts and entrails.  Elinar looked around the area lit by the fire to see mangled limbs, heads, and the remains of torsos.  His voice trembled in horror while he said, “It’s… It’s blood.”

Riders came to a halt behind Elinar.  He reared his horse and turned to face them.  “Spread out and sweep the area for survivors!  I fear we may be too late, but we must retain hope that some escaped!”  Elinar turned to the blaze and gripped his reigns tightly.  He looked back to his riders.  “Once your sweep is complete, return to formation!  I must report this to General Durothill!  Now go!”

Riders quickly dispersed to carry out their orders.  Elinar kicked his horse and swiftly approached his father.

Oryn watched Elinar come to a halt in front of him.  “Report.”

Elinar shook his head slowly.  “A massacre.  So much blood… It turned the ground to mud.”

Oryn glared and sighed.  “Body parts?  Mutilation?”

Elinar slowly nodded.  “Yes.”

Oryn turned to face the Elven army.  His voice erupted like thunder.  “We make camp here!  For tomorrow, we taste victory or Lady Dusk’s embrace! 
We march at dawn!
”

Elves erupted in cheers, shouts and battle cries that echoed through the area.  Oryn looked to his commanders and Lian, then back to Elinar.  “Elinar, what of your riders?”

Elinar looked upon Oryn hopeful eyes.  “I had them sweep the area for survivors.”

Oryn shook his head.  “I admire your hope, but I fear their efforts will be futile.”  Oryn’s horse carried him forward slowly.  He turned to see his army disburse and begin to make camp, a moment’s rest before a defining moment in each soldier’s life.  Oryn looked to his commanders and Lian once again.  “Come, follow me.”

Oryn kicked his horse and set off toward the burning village.  Elinar looked to Lian and the rest.  He nodded and motioned for them to follow.  They all set off behind Oryn.  Once again, the horses’ hooves sunk deep into the blood-soaked ground.  Oryn tugged the reigns of his horse and came to a stop close to the burning village.  Elinar and the others arrived shortly after.

Sarath squeezed Lian tightly at the sight of the mutilation.  She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.  “That is… That is…”

“Horrible,” said Lian.

Stala looked on in horror.  “What… What did this?”

Oryn turned to face them.  “Enforcers.  Sometimes I wonder if there is a semblance of sanity left within their minds.”

Alisia turned her head while she covered her mouth.  “This is an example of what we face?”

Oryn closed his eyes for a moment.  “Yes.  These Enforcers were not restrained.”

Elinar looked to his father curiously.  “Restrained?  What do you mean?”

“Enforcers are blood thirsty,” he said.  “Killing brutally, often eating those they slay.  When the Dalronians invaded before, Enforcers were unleashed upon our cities in this manner.  With no commander to control any of these sorts of tactics.  They were exterminating us.”

Stala took a deep breath.  “Extermination?  I never witnessed this!”

“Of course not,” he said.  “Alinshahar never fell to the Dalronians.  In all of their brutality, it was not enough to defeat us entirely.  That is when Dreathous dispatched his Generals to take control of the horde.”

Lian gritted his teeth while he stared upon the death and destruction.  “Roxees.”

Sarath squinted.  “I hate that bitch.”

Oryn shook his head.  “Not Roxees.  Another took command of the Enforcers.  An Enforcer himself, but different than those he commanded.”

Elinar looked to Lian, then back to his father.  “Different?”

“Yes,” said Oryn.  “He did not lose his mind when he became one.  Dilintor is far more powerful than any Enforcer we faced.  He would not have allowed this.  He would have secured these humans for ‘ascendance’ as they refer to the vile transformation they undergo.”

Alisia looked to Oryn with confusion.  “I thought you said this was an extermination?”

“In the case of the Elves, it was,” he said.  “For reasons unknown, they do not try to capture or change Elves.  Only murder.”

Elinar glanced to the rest of the group, then his eyes rested on Oryn.  “Does this mean Dilintor is not present with Roxees?”

Oryn nodded.  “I believe he is not.  That improves our chances of victory.  Especially if Shinrok arrives as promised.”

Sarath leaned to Lian’s side and smirked at Oryn.  “Ceriene seemed pretty devoted to the cause.”

Oryn smiled slightly.  “Let’s hope that devotion is accompanied by haste.”  He looked to the Riders as they returned from their search for survivors.  Their efforts had indeed been in vain.  Oryn sighed.  “No survivors.”  He watched them gallop towards the Elven army in the distance.  “Now, tend to your armor and weapons.  Eat, sleep, and collect your thoughts.  This may be our last chance to do so.”

The group nodded and disbursed towards the army’s camp.  Sarath held Lian tightly while Kane trotted alongside them.  Lian looked to the sky and watched Shinaugra circle the area.  He pulled the reigns of his horse and stopped.  Kane stopped in front of Lian and looked up to him.

Sarath released her grip from Lian slowly.  “What are you doing?”

Lian looked back to Sarath with worry in his eyes.  “I want you to return to Alinshahar.  I will have Shinaugra take you.”