The Powterosian War (Book 5) (41 page)

“After burying the dead, the imperial army marches behind me to relieve Heedra,” the messenger said. He looked around. “Doesn’t look like they need to hurry.”

“Well, we must have the dead buried, this battlefield cleaned up, and the army ready for inspection when they arrive,” the commanding general of the four legions said.

“Indeed, we must be presentable for the imperial army,” Socockensmek said. “Saxthor is emperor now. I still can’t believe it. I knew him as a boy and again on Tixos as a youth still quite uncertain of his role in life. Look what he’s grown into.”

“Well, he’s our emperor and we’re all part of the Grand Imperial Army now,” the other general said.

When the combined army marched down the Upper Nhy to Heedra’s rescue, at its head the astonished Emperor Saxthor saw the four Neuyokkasinian legions, in formal review formation with armor and weapons polished, standing to receive him.

“Long live Emperor Saxthor!” They shouted. The cry was taken up by the imperial army behind Saxthor, and the whole plain around Heedra resounded with the acclamation.

At a glance, the messenger thought he spotted a few silent, dark creatures, peering from behind trees in the forest across the river that turned and fled north at the sight.

*

The combined army of six imperial and seven Neuyokkasinian legions marched along the royal road to Favriana. There they rested for a day and reorganized supplies for so vast an army. Auxiliaries rode in from all sides to join the most powerful army to march on the peninsula since the collapse of the Occintoc Empire eons before. They moved on north to relieve the critical border fortress of Hoya. As the vast army began to appear south of Hoya, the fierce battle there came to a halt. Prince Pindradese atop his mount stood on a hilltop overlooking his exhausted and starving army besieging Hoya.

“Look there, Your Highness,” an aide to Prince Pindradese said, pointing to the dust cloud on the southern horizon beyond Hoya.

The prince’s command post was well back from the fighting or the danger of it. As the approaching army marched closer and the spreading line of legions advanced, their numbers swelled.

“What do you make of it?” Pindradese asked the aide.

Before he could answer, a rider rode up. “The army to the south, Highness…”

“I can see there’s an army coming, you idiot. Whose army is the question?” As he ranted, Pindradese whole body stiffened.

“What’s that glow on the leaders head?” the aide asked. He looked to Pindradese who stared.

“That, I would guess, is the fabled Crown of Yensupov, and if rumors are correct that would be King Saxthor of Neuyokkasin at the head of so vast an army. There couldn’t be that many Neuyokkasinian legions. Some would appear to have unusual standards.”

Frightened creatures racing north through Pindradese lines babbled about a massive army with Emperor Saxthor at its head.

“Emperor Saxthor!” Pindradese exclaimed, unconsciously jerking on his horse’s reins. The horse stumbled backward, whinnying and jerking his head. Pindradese looked back at the battle. His army had stopped fighting to stare at the approaching army spreading across the plain south of the city.

“The Dreaddrac army is abandoning the siege,” the aide said.

“Just at the point of our overrunning the mighty Hoyan walls, this has to happen,” Pindradese said.

“Your Highness, the ogre general is rushing for the pontoon bridge. He’s trying to escape being caught between the enemy on the city walls and the approaching army.”

“Look there,” Pindradese said, pointing to the demoralized troops before Hoya. Those orcs are abandoning the attack and following their commander to the bridge.”

“And there across the river, are those Sengenwhan troops coming out of the forest?” the aide said, pointing wildly. “That looks like a woman leading them. And is that an elfin king riding beside her?”

“She’s supposed to be dead,” Pindradese said, trying to steady his horse that now stamped about, intermittently raring up.

“She who?”

“If my guess is right, that would be Queen Dagmar, reported dead in the river. I don’t know who that elf king is. I didn’t know there were elves still on the peninsula.”

“Well, that’s an elfin army with the queen and her troops.”

“I can see that, you moron.”

As the panicked orcs fled, the Prertstenian army abandoned the attack and began to descend the ladders against Hoya’s north walls. Those on the ground turned and fled back toward the prince. Pindradese could just see Emperor Saxthor thrust green-glowing Sorblade toward the fleeing orcs. The legions began racing to beat the orcs to the bridge. No more than a brigade of orcs crossed the pontoon bridge before the imperial forces cut them off and slashed the ropes anchoring the bridge boats, sending the pontoon boats swinging down river in the current. The orcs toppled from the disintegrating bridge into the river.

The remaining orcs half fought, half retreated to the river. Pindradese watched as the now imperial Neuyokkasinian army wiped them out. Across the river, the forces Queen Dagmar and King Ahkenspec brought hunted down the orcs that made it to the far bank.

“Pack my tent,” Pindradese said in a near whisper to a servant standing by with refreshments. The servant looked at the prince, then at the chaos spreading around Hoya. He hesitated for a moment.

“Move!” Pindradese shouted.

The servant dropped the tray and dashed off, not to the royal tent, but northwest toward Prertsten.

Stunned and transfixed, Pindradese watched the annihilation of the orcs on the river bank until his own army, racing back at him, broke his nightmare trance.

“The attack is doomed,” Pindradese said to the aide. “The Dark Lord can’t expect us to continue the attack against such overwhelming numbers. Look there, more imperial legions are still marching up. They must be without number.”

“What can we do to save our army?” the aide asked.

Pindradese didn’t respond but jerked his horse’s reins, turning the frightened beast. He rode off at a gallop northwest to Prertsten, abandoning his army and valuables. The aide was close behind.

* * *

Emperor Saxthor, on his stallion amid his generals, stood up on a hill just beyond Hoya, watching the panicking Prertstenians. They shed a trail of arms on their flight northwest from the kingdom.

“Let them retreat back to Prertsten,” Saxthor said to the generals. “We shall deal with Prince Pindradese later. Those are abused and impoverished men forced to fight far from home for something they don’t understand or care about. We must see to the condition of Hoya and then move in haste to Graushdemheimer. Graushdem needs our forces to relieve the siege there before General Vylvex can overpower King Grekenbach.”

With the battle won, Queen Dagmar and King Ahkenspec crossed the river and joined Saxthor overseeing the mopping up operation. Saxthor formally greeted King Ahkenspec, then the two hugged, delighted to see each other again in the exhilaration of victory.

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for risking exposure to come to our aid,” Saxthor said, shaking Ahkenspec’s hand vigorously.

“We are all one against this evil,” Ahkenspec said.

He stepped back and Queen Dagmar stepped forward. Saxthor blushed, his throat choked up at the sight of her. Now freed from her helmet, Dagmar’s radiant long, black hair cascaded down to frame her green eyes that flashed. She clearly couldn’t restrain the brilliant smile that bloomed. They held stares on each other.

“Say hello, Majesty,” Tonelia said. All grinned, but no others spoke.

“How wonderful to see you again,” Saxthor managed to say, his eyes locked on her. She flushed and looked about at the surrounding staff watching them.

“How much I have missed you, Saxthor,” Dagmar said, barely above a whisper.

Saxthor jumped down from his mount and took Dagmar gently about the waist, lifting her down from her horse. They looked again into each other’s eyes, then Saxthor swept Dagmar into his arms, squeezing her to him as if never to let her go again.

Dagmar, still blushing, looked about at every eye watching them. “Saxthor, everyone on the peninsula is staring at us.”

“Let them stare. I thought I lost you. I can’t lose you again.”

Dagmar pushed away from Saxthor, but she clutched his hand still. The two monarchs recovered themselves and remounted their horses.

“On to Hoya!” Dagmar shouted. The entourage rode to the city where the defenders were cheering and bursting from the gates to greet their saviors. Saxthor and Dagmar glanced repeatedly to each other, as if to reassure themselves the other was really there.

*

With the last of the enemy scrambling by any means to escape north, Saxthor was talking with General Sekkarian, the other generals, nobles, Memlatec and Tournak in the Hoyahof’s great audience hall as to the conditions at Hoya.

“Your Majesty, Your Imperial Majesty,” Sekkarian said to the assembled dignitaries, “this sergeant you already know.”

Prodded by his captain, the old sergeant stepped forward slowly, bowing repeatedly.

Saxthor recognized the old man who had almost arrested him in the scuffle with Hendrel on the way up river during the adventure. He rose from his throne and stepped down the dais to shake the old man’s hand. Red faced, the jittery sergeant bowed again. “Of course, I know this marvelous man.”

“This sergeant and his catapult crews saved the city from a river attack. He forced Pindradese to disembark north of the city and attack through the narrow land corridor. His pinpoint accuracy in his catapult batteries sank the two massive barges intended to break the river chain and seize the city’s wharf.”

“Excellent shooting!” Saxthor exclaimed. He scanned the great hall. “We promote this most excellent soldier to captain, approve his retirement with full honors, and grant him an estate near Hoya to be determined by the city council. We commission this city to proclaim him hero and honored citizen, to live out his days in comfort and revered by his fellow citizens.”

The sergeant fell to his knees, sobbing. Saxthor reached down and lifted the man by his elbow.

“Majesty!” Bodrin yelled, rushing into the cheering hall. “A great bronze dragon has been sighted flying toward Hoya!”

The cheering crowd erupted in panic. Nobles fled for the door. Stunned at the news, Saxthor hesitated. The sergeant stood up quickly, plopped his helmet on his head, and saying, “No retirement just yet,” rushed out of the great hall.

“Man the walls,” Saxthor ordered. The generals led the way out, followed by Saxthor and Memlatec.

By the time the emperor reached the balcony on the Hoyahof’s highest tower, he could hear the swooshing of the massive dragon wings zeroing in on the city. The great bronze dragon snorted flames. Looking down, he circled Hoya, apprising himself of the situation, intimidating the inhabitants in the process.

“He hesitates,” Bodrin said.

“He’s come too late and must see that,” Saxthor said. “But this one is only capable of concentrating on one order. It will attack in any case.” Saxthor looked over Hoya, seeing the generals stationed on the walls under cover of the towers’ roofs. The soldiers sought whatever cover they could find.

The great dragon pulled in its wings, straightened its body, and began a dive at the Hoyahof. Saxthor stood his ground in the turret. Memlatec shot wizard-fire at the dragon, causing it to veer to the left, narrowly missing another building. The great beast circled back around the city and flew in lower, avoiding the tower with the wizard. He honed in on the great gate at the city’s wharf.

“It means to burn the wharf and docks,” Bodrin said.

Saxthor saw Tournak at the gate. As the dragon soared in, Tournak shot wizard-fire bolts. The bronze beast veered away, soaring in an arc back away from the city, exposing its breast to the walls.

Saxthor read the old sergeant lips. “Now!” his arm shot up, sword-in-hand.

A commotion on the wall ensued as the others dove for cover. But the old sergeant, stooped, and sighting a great crossbow, issued the command. A monstrous arrow shot from the massive crossbow. It flew straight at the dragon and drove up under the momentarily exposed scales, deep into the dragon’s chest.

The reptile jolted at the impact and spun over, only regaining its flight control just before crashing into the river. Its great pointed tail smashed the river, sending two walls of water out from the impact. Grimacing with pain, the dragon struggled to flap its right wing. Its trajectory turned to the right before it could compensate. Too low now, it flew up but not fast enough. It slammed into the crest of the mountain behind Hoya. Stunned, the beast clawed at the mountain to right itself. Finally, glancing back with a piercing look of pain, shock, and rage, it hopped along for several steps and launched itself into the air, flying with labored wing beats north to Dreaddrac.

“Remind me to kiss that old man on the cheek,” Saxthor said to Memlatec, who grinned.

* * *

King Grekenbach ran from gate tower to gate tower directing his generals to repel the coordinated attacks General Vylvex pursued against each of Graushdemheimer’s gates. With Dreaddrac’s full northeastern army now under his command, he had the legions necessary to overwhelm the city. Grekenbach had repeatedly burned siege towers or managed to topple them with sorties dashing from hidden gates, but the numbers had grown overwhelming. Orcs climbed innumerable ladders and were fighting on the crests of the walls. The great royal palace was in flames in the center of the city. Smoke billowing from it, demoralized the population cowering in their homes.