The Ascent (Book 2) (21 page)

"I have waited long to be in the presence of the great Enkhatar," he said. "They are every bit as impressive as I was told."

"Indeed they are," The Prophet said. "And they will serve you well."

Eogan smiled. He was overjoyed at the prospect of being in command of the Enkhatar. With them at his bidding, he would surely defeat the Onyx Dragon and his armies. His victory would be sure and swift. Eirenoch would be his.

"Come to my chambers later," the Prophet said commanded. "We will get acquainted. The Ka'ha'di will bathe you appropriately and prepare you for the night."

"I look forward to it," Eogan said, smiling widely.

Maebh kissed her son once more before he left, joining the Prophet in watching him go as impressively as he had come. The two of them looked to each other again, smiling and laughing.

"Come," Maebh said. "Let us eat. My cooks are the finest in the land."

"Excellent," the Prophet exclaimed. "And in the morning, I will choose my finest handmaiden to rid us of Siobhan's plans. All will be well. You need not worry. Tonight, you will rest well, knowing that your loving mother will keep you safe."

"I know you will," Maebh said. "And I know you will love Eogan as your own. He will make you proud."

"I am impressed already," the Prophet said. "He has his Grandfather's strength."

Maebh smiled only slightly, disappointed at the lack of praise for her own maternal traits. Yes, Eogan was like his Grandfather in that he was strong-willed and determined, but his treacherous ways and conniving personality were all hers.

It would be hard to convince the Prophet that she should be allowed to stay upon the throne.

Chapter Twelve

Ulrich scanned the horizon to the south of Gaellos. In the distance, a large Jindala army approached, determined to retake the city and eliminate any resistance. Among them, Ulrich could see the same golden-robed warriors that he had fought previously. They were berserkers; warriors who felt no pain and could fight until the last drop of blood was spilled from their veins.

They were formidable warriors to say the least, but they could be killed.

Ulrich took a bite from his apple, spitting out the seed that came with it. He glanced from side to side, seeing that his army was prepared for the assault. Among the archers, the captive Jindala stood in defiance of their former allies. They had volunteered to fight alongside the people of the island in exchange for being allowed to stay. As a precaution, they were not armed with melee weapons, only bows. Angus had made that suggestion, reasoning that if the battle went for the worse, the Jindala would switch sides again and join the winning side. Such were their ways. Ulrich had confidence that the men would prove him wrong, but agreed with the precaution.

Ulrich waited patiently for the Jindala army to approach. He eyed the front flanks, seeing the men of the thieves guild stationed at key places. A man named Adder had come to him last night to offer assistance. This very guild had helped to liberate the city, he was told, and he was glad to have them on his side. Their master skills at stealth would be a valuable asset.

Ulrich looked to Angus, who stood command over the archers. He nodded to the smith, signaling him to ready his archers. The line of bowman drew their bows and awaited the command to loose. Ulrich glared at the line of Jindala men who came ever yet closer and closer. The sounds of their marching became louder as they neared, and the ground shook lightly.

Then, they stopped.

"Loose!" Ulrich yelled. Angus dropped his hand from the air and the archers fired. Hundreds of arrows streaked into the sky, catching the Jindala off guard. Other than the berserkers at the front, the Jindala crouched and cowered behind their shields. Ulrich laughed at their plight.

"Ceor!" he yelled at his possible successor. "Look at the little lasses playing with their toys!"

The line of Northmen laughed, drawing chuckles from the men of Gaellos as well. Ulrich tossed his apple to the side, drawing his hammer.

"Forward men," he ordered. "Keep your pace, let them approach and pass the thieves."

Ceor caught up with him, marching beside him. The younger warrior, who was Wrothgaar's main rival for chieftain, was confident and excited to spill the blood of the Jindala.

"I stand with you, my king," he said. "As your loyal subject and your friend."

Ulrich laughed. "You're the ugliest woman I've ever seen," he said, jokingly.

Ceor chuckled as well, slapping Ulrich on the back. "Even uglier than Olga?"

"Hmmm," Ulrich grunted. "Alright, the third ugliest. My wife wasn't very impressive, either."

The surrounding men burst into laughter. Ulrich was glad to see that the army was in good spirits. Morale was high, and the battle would surely be glorious. Live or die, Valhalla would have more occupants by the day's end.

"Spears!" Ulrich called. "And keep your pace. The Jindala are close to the thieves!"

The men marched on at a slow pace, keeping their eyes on the line of Jindala that approached. The enemy began to cross in between the two tree lines that marked the hiding places of the Thieves' Guild. Once the bulk of the army was past, the shadowy men would attack from behind, taking out their archers, and, possibly, their leaders.

"Ready!" Ulrich called again, as the last of the Jindala passed the tree line. The men lowered their spears, drew their swords, and prepared for the charge.

"To Hell!!!!!!"

The army of islanders and Northman howled their war cries with fury. The line of men charged fiercely, leaping over obstacles and raving like madmen. The Jindala did not waiver in their march.

"Signal!" Ulrich yelled over the fray. From down the line, a horn blasted over the sounds of the men's cries. The tall grass behind the horde of Jindala began to rustle with the passing of men moving out of sight. The back of the enemy line became chaotic as the thieves attacked their archers, bringing them down before they had a chance to fire.

The two armies clashed with a cacophony of clanging metal. The spears of the allies tore into the berserkers, furiously jabbing and slashing the seemingly immortal warriors until they fell dead one by one. Ulrich smashed foe after foe with his hammer, laughing and singing alongside Ceor. The younger warrior fought with glee, joining Ulrich in his song of glory.

The Northmen tore through the ranks of berserkers, leaving them for the men at the back of the line. Axes hacked and slashed at the Jindala forces, and the battle raged ever more furious by the moment.

Ulrich bashed a swordsman in the head, knocking him flat onto the ground. He then raised his weapon, smashing it down onto his foe, crushing his ribs with a sickening splat. A spear was thrust near his head, but the Northman dodged, grabbing the spear and pulling its wielder toward him. He punched the enemy in the face, feeling his nose smash under his fist, then swinging his hammer at the man's shoulder. Ulrich then leaped over the crumpled body, finishing him off with a stomp from his heavy boot.

Ceor swung his axe over his head, howling like a madman as he brought it down onto a Jindala head. The skull was split, splashing blood in all directions. Ceor kicked the lifeless corpse out of the way, ramming his axe head first into another Jindala's back. As the foe was forced forward, the young warrior helped him along with an overhead chop, splitting his spine from neck to pelvis.

Angus and his archers had joined the melee. The experienced warrior wielded his short sword and hand axe well, striking with both of them at impressive speeds. As a Jindala charged, he dodged, jabbing his short sword into the enemy's gut and chopping his neck with the small axe. He withdrew the sword, turning to face the next enemy. He saw that the captive Jindala had armed themselves with dropped weapons and had also joined the battle. Angus smiled proudly as he saw them furiously killing their former allies as if they had been enemies their whole lives. No longer doubting their allegiance, Angus continued his fight.

Adder and his cutthroats weaved in and out of the battle, taking down archer after archer with silent, unseen daggers. Their brutal executions dwindled the number of bowmen quickly, and the silent killers were working their way toward the cadre of Jindala leaders that congregated at the rear of the lines. He ran across Jhayla on occasion, nodding to her as he did. She was as impressive in battle as any man, and her silent attacks were no less deadly.

Adder passed behind her as he spied a Jindala noble drawing his bow and taking aim at one of the thieves. He drew a throwing dagger from his belt, taking aim and launching it with a quick flick of his wrist. The Jindala fell straight down as the dagger imbedded itself in his forehead. Adder raced to the dead man's side, taking back his dagger and drawing his short sword as the battle grew more intense.

Ulrich had reached the middle of the Jindala forces, Ceor fighting at his side. The two giant Northman were fierce and beast like in their ferocity, and the Jindala who spotted them avoided them as much possible.

No matter.

The two men grabbed any enemy that tried to pass them, bashing their faces with their fists and tossing them to the side. They hammered and chopped at every Jindala who came near, and Ulrich even hurled his hammer at an enemy that was a few paces away. After the heavy weapon knocked the Jindala warrior onto the ground, Ulrich pounced on his body, retrieved his hammer, and pounded him into the dirt. Ceor laughed as he leaped over Ulrich's kill. He kneed a man in the back, chopping him into pieces as he landed, and bashed another with his head. Another Northman finished him off, tapping Ceor on the back as he jumped back into the chaos.

Angus continued his dual attacks, noticing that the captive Jindala had all moved up around him. They seemed to be protecting him from being overwhelmed. Again, he smiled proudly. The men had adopted him as their mentor and teacher, and would not allow him to be harmed. Nevertheless, he did not hold back in his attacks.

As an enemy broke through the line of his men, he skewered the man through the gut, backhanding with the spiked end of his axe. A spear from one of his Jindala finished the man off. He clapped the warrior on the shoulder, then pushed him out of the way as another masked Jindala spun through the air over the line of allies. His blades clanged with Angus' short sword as he blocked. The fury of the warrior was breathtaking, and Angus struggled to parry and counter.

His men gathered around him, trying to fight off the skilled warrior. Their attacks went wild, missing the mysterious man as he bounded and spun through the air. Angus fell back, stumbling over the bodies of the fallen men around him. The warrior seemed to be invincible. None of his men could land a blow or even come close to wounding him. They thrust and slashed to no avail. He was much too quick.

Angus stumbled back onto his feet, desperately parrying and blocking the man's attacks. With another quick spin, the warrior disarmed Angus completely, knocking both his short sword and axe out of his aching hands. Though surrounded, the mysterious warrior slowly approached him, blocking all attacks without batting an eye. Angus was prepared to die.

Suddenly, a metallic creature swooped in, grasping the warrior by the shoulders and quickly plucking him from the ground. The creature flapped its gleaming wings, carrying the struggling man into the sky. Angus gathered his weapons, staring wide-eyed as the magnificent machine ripped the dangerous man into pieces and dropped them to the ground below.

"What the hell was that?" he asked no one.

He looked to his men, who were just as speechless as he was. He shook his head, turning back to rejoin the battle, urging his men on.

Adder and Jhayla continued their assault on the Jindala archers. They dodged arrows as they weaved in and out of their ranks. Jhayla slashed at the back of an archer's knees, felling him instantly and finishing him off as he landed. Adder followed her close, trusting in her path, finishing off anyone she missed or left alive.

As they approached the gathering of leaders, the two thieves joined a throng of other guild members that had surrounded a single noble. The man's dress marked him as a Sultan, and his jeweled scimitar told them he was a skilled warrior. He stood surrounded by thieves, his scimitar poised to defend. The other nobles around him had fled, and only a single, black robed figure remained at his side. The sorcerer, as he was identified, stood with his arms held out to cast a spell. His face was contorted and gaunt.

"Necromancer!" Jhayla called. "Take him down!"

Adder leaped over the other thieves, drawing a throwing dagger from his belt and hurling it at the sorcerer. The Sultan saw Adder's move, deflecting the dagger with a quick swipe of his scimitar. Adder fell back in retreat, not wanting to get too close to the skilled noble.

The sorcerer chanted in the Jindala tongue, drawing his magic up around him. Dark streaks of swirling energy shot from his crooked fingers, striking the thieves around them. They were thrown back, landing hard on the ground and writhing with the pain of the enchantment. Adder ran to help his comrades, pulling them out of the way as the Sultan charged.

The enemy leader slashed at Adder fiercely, causing the thief to jump back and regroup with the others. He saw the necromancer begin to cast another spell, and the swirling energy gather around him again. This time, the energy shot out toward the bodies of the fallen archers. They began to quiver and stir, slowly rising to their feet and stumbling around.

"He's raising the dead!" Adder called. "Cut off their heads!"

Just as Adder finished his order, a metallic, winged creature swooped down and landed on top of the necromancer, crushing him. The dragon, as it were, buried its teeth into the man's flesh, ripping into his chest and tearing out a large chunk of innards. The Sultan, wide-eyed, rushed to attack the dragon, enraged that his powerful ally was now disemboweled. The dragon saw him charge, and reared back its head, firing a jet of incinerating breath. The Sultan was consumed in flames. He screamed in agony, thrashing and flailing to extinguish the flames. The thieves closed in on him, finishing him off with dozens of jabs and thrusts. Finally, the Sultan fell to his knees, his flesh slowly charring and peeling away.

The dragon stepped off of the mutilated corpse of the necromancer, turning on the undead archers. The thieves joined in, attacking as they could. With the dragon on their side, the archers were no match. They were dead once again.

Ulrich had seen the dragon attack twice from two different spots on the battlefield. As the Jindala began to retreat, he guessed that the creature had killed a leader that was important enough to affect morale.

"Chase them down!" he ordered. "Don't let them get away!"

The gathering of allies made after the fleeing Jindala. Angus' archers cut them down before their shots were blocked by the charging footsoldiers. Ulrich watched his men, Ceor included, finish them off before they were able to escape. He laughed, clearly proud of the men that he had been left to lead. They were furious lads, all of them; Northmen, natives, and rebel Jindala alike.