Soul Under the Mountain (Legend of Reason Series) (44 page)

The Bhoors had sent in more soldiers to the front line in an attempt to overrun the Medorans and force them to abandon the phalanx. They had even gone into the trees and come around to the Medoran flanks, squeezing the Medorans into a tight area where it was difficult to fight from. On one side,
the ground the Bhoors attacked from was higher, and even though they fought from the tree line, the position was far more advantageous. The Medorans could do little to stop the Bhoors from trickling down from the protective forest and wreaking
havoc
at the side
s
and rear.

But the Bhoors were not the only ones fighting. The Vindyri also took the field and clashed with Medorans. Even though it was not an unfamiliar sight to see, it was still surprising. For the majority of the battle at Taburdum, the Vindyri had let the Bhoors do most of the fighting and suffer the losses. Seeing the Vindyri fighting on the field meant that they were confident that the Medorans could be defeated. The Vindyri waited until their enemy was weak to finally strike the deathblow. It was a cowardly move—but an effective one.

Rommus yelled over to Alana. "
They need to see us.
I
will draw their attention by calling t
he armor. When they see the light h
opefully it will cause en
ough of a break in the battle
that you can put the hammer to use."

She looked at the golden hammer laid across her saddle. "How do I use it? What am I supposed to do?"

Rommus shrugged his shoulders as he galloped off. "You'll figure it out."

Rommus
spurred his horse to a run and rode towards the front line. He brandished his golden sword as a warning to any
Bhoor or Vindyri
who dared to confront him, showing them that he was willing to send their souls to the void for getting in his way. The Bhoors did not seem to take the threat seriously, but the Vindyri were much more cautious. The Vindyri ducked and ran as he approached, even though he was not yet swinging his sword.

When he neared the center of the battlefield, he called forth the armor of Arius. A brilliant crimson light fell over the field and many turned away from its radian
ce. Some of the soldiers who had
seen the spectacle before ran from the sight, digging heels and elbows into the crowd around them as they clawed their way over top of them. Others stood
still and confused;
missing the display because they were fighting, or confused about what they had just seen.

But Rommus had succeeded in bringing the battle to a temporary halt. He started swinging his sword from horseback, instantly killing anyone within reach. When soldiers saw how easily Rommus could kill, they began to panic and flee. There was no clear path they could use to escape, but they did everything they could to avoid his blade.

Rommus paused for a moment to look back at Alana.
She had positioned herself on a small hill, and remained on horseback. Although he was too far away to hear the words she used, he could hear her voice on the wind. She held the hammer high above her head so that all the Medorans could
see it, and it looked as if every one of them did. Immediately they fell into orderly ranks and files. Every shield overlapped the one next to it, creating a nearly impenetrable wall of steel. All their faces were blank, showing no fear at all. It looked as if an army of the dead had come to slay the living, fearing no slaughter themselves.

Then the rhythmic pounding began. Every soldier marched in perfect unison, their armor and leather clanking and creaking in harmony. The soldiers in the front three ranks carried spears, but the rest of them beat their swords against their shields in rhythm with their march.
It was a terrifying sight for even Rommus to behold, even though he was looking at his own fellow soldiers.

Once the killing started, the Bhoors began to panic. Their swords were no match for the Medoran shields and armor, and their own armor was often little more than animal hide. Even the lucky few who had metal scale armor could not escape the war machine that the Medoran army had suddenly become. It struck with such precision that no Bhoor within reach survived long enough to even retreat a single step.

Alana charged to the front, swinging the hammer with a fury Rommus had never seen. Large swaths of men fell as the hammer fell upon them, and the Bhoors and Vindyri were whipped into an alarmed frenzy. They hacked through their own men to clear a path for escape, but others behind them hacked as well. Spears and blades from both sides tore the enemy apart.

Rommus turned from the front line to see how the rest of the Bhoor army would react. They retreated in waves, somewhat more structured than the
mess at the front, but still far from systematic. When the horns sounded, it was clear that the entire army had been ordered to fall back. If the pressure could be maintained, the invaders would be forced to leave the battlefield and areas beyond. Medora would be safe once more.

But the lumbering Thrahks were not frightened by the Medorans. They continued their rampage through the endless waves of fleeing men. They swatted soldiers hard enough to kill them on impact, or picked them up and tore them
apart with their claws or
teeth. Many men were crushed underfoot as the creatures continued their violent riot. They needed to be stopped.

Rommus turned back to check on Alana and the Medorans before riding off to handle the Thrahks. Once he saw that all seemed well, he tore through the boiling crowd towards the beasts. He cut down anyone who was in his way as he rode, sending their souls to the void. Retreating or not, their intent was to murder innocent Medorans, and Rommus punished them accordingly.

When he was close enough to the Thrahks, he dismounted and smacked his horse
on her haunch, sending her back to Brinn. The Thrahks had cleared an area around them as soldiers ran from them, but an unlucky few still crossed their path. Rommus ignored the pleas for help from dying men all around and walked right up to one of the terrible beasts.
He knew the sword would have no effect on the bony armor of the legs, so he attempted a different attack.

He held the sword above his head, summoning
roiling
storm
clouds above and calling down b
lack lightning. Loud thunder shook the earth when the lightning struck the giant Thrahk in front of him. Its head split open, revealing singed brain and bone. Chunks of flesh splattered all around the area before the beast collapsed to the ground.

The other Thrahks t
urned to Rommus and moved in to attack. Their chests opened up, exposing the core of energy inside, though it seemed much dimmer than he had seen in the past. Bright light blinded Rommus momentarily, and
he could feel the vibrating jolt as the energy blasted him.

When the light faded and sound returned to his ears, the beasts were furious. They clawed at the air above their heads in anger, looking as though they could rip the sky down and hurl it to the earth. Their white eyes stared at Rommus with irrational fury, and their jaws snapped shut over and over in their rage.

Rommus called down the black lightning once more, only this time, he called it directly to his golden sword. Archenarius collected the lightning, altering its color as the dark energy swirled around it. He sliced horizontally through the air, sending out the terrible lighting from the tip of the blade. All three remaining Thrahks were cut in half by the inconceivable power, sending most of their flesh and bones to splatter far across the battlefield. Dark blood covered nearly everyone, and the horrifying sight had made some of the
warriors faint from fright.

The massive remains crumpled to the earth just as Alana arrived with the army behind her. She still swung the hammer at anyone who dared to stand their ground, but most fled in terror. The hammer hit with a force that caused damage far more deadly than a weapon of its size
should have been
capable of inflicting. Alana swung it with ease, even though it was heavy and slightly awkward to hold.

Alana led the Medorans across the field as Rommus stood watching. For a moment he feared that they would start attacking him as well, but they moved right by him without paying him any attention or raising a weapon towards him.
They just marched passed him with precise, mindless dedication to the total annihilation of the army in front of them.

In time, the enemy was scattered, and they fled over the hills and out across the plains. The ones who had sacked Taburdum remained trapped inside, but the rest of the invaders were driven from Medora
and back into western Vindyrion. Trampled earth and clouds of dust were all that remained of the enemy that had nearly brought Medora to its knees.

Chapter
47

Birds sang the song of morning as the first warm rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. The sleepy city of Brinn was still cast in the blue shadows of
daybreak
, unwilling to wake until the sun climbed a little higher in the sky. The cool, still mists hovering above the streets dissipated
in the coming warmth of the day, disappearing like ghosts at dawn.

Buds on the trees brought life to the city. Branches bobbed in the gentle breeze or bowed under the weight of a swallow or finch. Patches of light fell between the limbs onto grass and cobblestone, slowly burning away the morning dew. The smell of flowers wafted through the streets and alleys, offering joy to anyone fortunate enough to encounter the aroma.

Rommus saw a city reborn. His mission was far from complete, and he knew that the Emperor and literally half of the Medoran army conspired against him, but at that moment, it didn't
matter. For a few minutes he all
owed himself to
pause and experience life and victory and pride in what he and his friends had accomplished. The Medorans were waking up from a slumber that had gripped them for decades. Their government that they had trusted so faithfully had deceived them and steered them dangerously close to the edge of a cliff. The people of Medora had opened their eyes and realized that their freedoms were slowly being swept away and replaced with a sort of kindhearted oppression offered by Uritus and his ilk. There were still many who needed to be shaken awake, but Rommus was proud of those who truly understood the danger and wanted change.

He was also proud of all the soldiers who had fought for freedom. He felt for all the women and children who had lost their
husbands, fathers and
sons to the terrible war that the Bhoors and Vindyri brought to Medora. He could not even begin to understand the weight of their losses, but he truly felt for them. In a way
, the rest of their lives would be a heroic endeavor. They would most likely not face any blade in battle, but they would endure a battle all their own; one without their loved ones next to them.

He felt a hand on his shoulder which made him turn around. "Oh, you're early," he said.

Alana straightened the knife at her
belt. "I'm not early. We're actually late. I told him I would be there at dawn the day after the war ended. Are you okay? You look a little troubled or something."

"No, I'm fine. I was just standing here trying to enjoy the beautiful spring morning, and my mind wanders and all I can think about is the pain and suffering of my people. It seems we never get a chance to stop anymore. We're either fighting against swords or fighting against ideals. There's just no end to it."

"No Rommus, there isn't. But like your father told me, we cannot choose our calling; it chooses us. The only real choice we have is whether to accept or re
ject it."

Rommus shook his head slightly. We still make choices. We still make mistakes."

"Luckily we live long enough that we can go back and correct a lot of those mistakes. If we can learn to forgive others for their trespasses, maybe others will forgive us for ours."

Rommus let out a long breath. "Sometimes it's too late for that. Sometimes we let something slip through our fingers that we can no longer get back."

She lowered her eyebrows and cocked her head. "Like what, Rommus?"

He just shook his head; not wanting to tell her what was really on his mind. He honestly couldn't put words to it anyway, since he couldn't seem to get his mind and his heart to agree on anything. All he knew was that he didn't feel right when he was away from her—but things didn't feel right when he was next to her either.

She saw he was uncomfortable and changed the subject. "What did you do with Daphne?"

"I went to Song's house last night and took her. I played with her
for a few hours to try to comfort her. She knows that Song is gone and she's hurting."

"Aw, Rommus, that's so sad. I feel so bad for her."

"Me too. I would take her myself but obviously I don't have the time to take care of a dog, so I convinced Pirius to keep her. He took to her pretty quickly and they get along well. I'm sure in time a real bond will grow between them."

"That's good to hear. I think they're a great match for each other."

Rommus looked at the sun cresting a nearby wall. "I guess we should get going. He's waiting for you."