Wizard's Blood [Part Two] (93 page)

“
If it is a trap, so much the better,” Den-Orok said with a satisfied grin.

Jolan looked at him questioningly.

“
Either way it is an opportunity for us,” Den-Orok explained. “With them in a single spot, we have a chance at removing many of them easily. If it is a trap, then Cheurt is trying to lure us in for the kill. That means he will have his strongest triads deployed to launch the attack. That is what we need. The strong triads are the ones we must eliminate. We especially want to get to Cheurt, and we can only do that where he is. He has brought everything to his own territory.”

“
What are you suggesting?” Vaen asked after a minute while everyone considered what had been said.

“
We attack the Academy tomorrow,” Iach-Iss answered for his friend. “We cannot expect them to remain clustered like this for very long.”

“
I don’t think the approach we have been using will work there,” Jolan said.

“
Just the scouts,” Den-Orok said firmly. “The skimmers would be of no use and it would put them and the crews at risk. It need only be the four of us. We can get in and out in a matter of hours. We will know if we have the opportunity by then.”

“
It sounds like it is unnecessarily risky,” Shyar said after a moment. “With that many wizards in one location they may be able to penetrate the shields of the scouts. You have admitted they aren’t as strong as they once were.”

“
It is unlikely, but possible,” Iach-Iss admitted. “This would be especially true if Cheurt is as strong as it seems and has triaded appropriately. Still, it is worth the risk. If the wizards, especially the triads, are not eliminated, this is going to be another very long war with an uncertain outcome. At some point we are going to need to go against him. It might as well be now before he expects us and while we are as strong as we are going to get. Over time, the scouts can only degrade.”

“
I’m going along,” Shyar said.

Jolan started to object, but she continued.

“
Two of the skimmers should go. They can be pre-positioned as pickup vehicles in case there are problems. We can’t expect to be able to use the portals to get out of there any longer. Anything close to the Academy will be closely watched.”

“
You’re determined to do this?” Vaen asked.

The dragons grinned their answer. Asari nodded to her as well. He had long waited for his chance at Cheurt. Now might be the time. Reluctantly Jolan nodded as well. He wasn’t as convinced, but he owed the dragons his life, and he wasn’t going to let Iach-Iss go into this battle alone. It just seemed to him that suddenly things were moving a bit too fast.

They spent the next couple of hours working over possibilities after Wylan was brought in, but there weren’t too many variations. In the end, they decided they would fly in overnight, the scouts moving a bit slower than their maximum speeds to allow the skimmers to keep pace. They would attack in the morning before everyone had started their daily routine. If anything looked bad, they would turn and head for the mountains. Escape should be easy.

* * * *

The plan had sounded easy enough when they laid it out the previous day, but as Jolan, Asari, and the two dragons conferred over the communications net earlier, he’d had a bad feeling about how this might go when he learned of the change of plans the two dragons had dreamed up on their own. He didn’t know how he had been talked into allowing he and Asari to be placed on the ground instead of staying at their proper place onboard the scouts with the weapons. Iach-Iss explained that if they were to get a chance at Cheurt, he was certain the wizard would remain protected and hidden from the air. He knew enough about the scouts to fear them, and wasn’t the kind to risk himself. Therefore Iach-Iss wanted the two of them on the ground with one of the dragon blasters ready to take a shot from an unexpected hidden location should the chance arrive. Iach-Iss and Den-Orok would do what they could to entice the wizard out into the open.

Now he and Asari carefully made their way down the steep hillside behind the castle where Cheurt resided. They had identified a spot where they could watch the entrance to the residence while remaining concealed. Jolan couldn’t help but remember what had happened the last time he had confronted the wizard not too far from here, and was more than a little anxious about being stuck on the ground with minimum options for escape. Shyar would go ballistic when she found out about this bit of madness. If anything went wrong or things looked bad, they had three pickup spots that had been prearranged before they left Cobalo. A call over the dragon’s communicator would reach either of the scouts and the two skimmers as well. There was a pickup point north of the Academy in the foothills, one to the south of the village, and another just across the river.

It was too late to change anything now. They were on the ground and had made the tricky climb with the blaster down the steep hills behind the castle. Jolan was pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to get back up that route, even if they left the heavy weapon behind. He could see the two scouts coming out of the rising sun on a run toward the Academy buildings. As they approached they started firing blast after blast of the intense blue-white energy from the main guns. Ale’ald was more than a little prepared. It was unclear whether the preparations reflected an expectation the dragons might attack or whether the preparations were long standing against any possible attack was unknown. The walls of the Academy itself were heavily shielded, and the incredible blasts of energy released from the scout’s weapons had only marginal effects on the structures. A few major pieces of the structure were knocked loose in one corner, but the damage was far less than would have been expected. Obviously, Ale’ald had access to some skills that the dragons expected would have been lost.

As the scouts passed swiftly overhead and banked in the distance for a return pass, Den-Orok saw a number of triads move out onto the roofs of the various buildings where they would have clear shots at the attacking planes. Now he knew. Cheurt had hoped to entice the dragons to come here, so they would be facing forces that were prepared and ready for them. He could tell that Iach-Iss had seen them as well. It might be wisest to pick up their friends and retreat and rethink this attack, but he was anxious to have a shot at the troublesome wizard. As the scout passed over the southern edge of town it banked out over the river and swung back around for another pass at the Academy.

Once again Den-Orok and Iach-Iss made simultaneous runs past the structures, releasing multiple shots against the structures, and using the on-board intelligence to pick out the weaker triads that revealed themselves. Multiple blasts were fired from the ships, and a number of triads fell from the withering fire. The dragons made a couple more passes, inflicting further damage on the wizards, and only minimal damage on the structures. They took fire as well, and while their systems flickered a bit at the simultaneous hits from below, thus far nothing had appeared to have seriously threatened the ships.

On the ground, Jolan and Asari watched as the dragon ships made repeated passes. He had seen one group of wizards take fire near the edge of one of the structures, and assumed that more were on the rooftops. He didn’t know how successful the dragons were being, but he sensed the structures themselves were protected better than had been expected. He was surprised that the dragons continued their attacks. He wished they were on board where they should be rather than waiting here. If they were on board they could be helping, or better yet they could simply pull back and rethink the attack. Part of him wondered if the dragons had deliberately put them off thinking to put them in a safer position. Unless they took action, they would essentially go unnoticed in the confusion, the enemy being focused on the skies. They could make it to one of the extraction points and wait for a safe time to call for evacuation.

Thus far they had been of no use in the fighting. Of course, they were supposed to remain hidden, hoping for a shot at Cheurt. If they started picking off wizards, they would forfeit their obscurity. Jolan was starting to wonder if Cheurt was going to sit out the battle, when Asari nudged him softly. There was movement near the entrance to Cheurt’s castle residence.

Then, there he was, along with two others that had to be part of his personal triad. There were also a half dozen other wizards that quickly spread out to somewhat protected positions around the side of the building. Cheurt quickly slipped down along the side a small structure that hid him from the skies and for the most part from Jolan and Asari.

Moments later Den-Orok and Iach-Iss passed quickly overhead. Three intense orange beams sprang skyward, Cheurt’s far outshining the other two. Cheurt’s beam struck Iach-Iss’ scout, and Jolan was certain he could see the ship wobble. The other two struck Den-Orok’s vehicle, but it seemed to continue on unaffected.

On the return pass, Den-Orok was in the lead, Iach-Iss seeming to hold back a bit, perhaps because of the strike he’d taken moments before. As Den-Orok passed overhead, a beam from the ship targeted one of the triads on the ground. Jolan watched as the three wizards crumbled to the ground. Then a vivid green beam that sparkled as it rose rose upward from Cheurt’s position. He was still down low enough that they couldn’t get a shot at him. Jolan had seen the beam once before, the last time he was here and the results had been fatal to Luzoke.

This time the sparkling magic struck Den-Orok’s scout as it passed overhead. Jolan held his breath as the plane seemed to suddenly become encased in the sparkling green energies, and then, as before, disaster struck. Suddenly the vehicle seemed to disintegrate, and a massive thundering explosion shook the skies. The fireball that errupted where the plane had once been made it certain that Den-Orok could not have survived.

Jolan heard a sharp intake of breath from Asari as he watched his friend die. Jolan knew how close he’d become to the dragon, and after such a short time he had now lost him. Cheurt had once again hurt Asari deeply.

Iach-Iss had also seen the destruction of the second scout, and momentarily broke off his attack, moving out over the river. He passed by, looking at the falling wreckage, and then turned and began another pass, intent on targeting the area where the green beam had originated. As he approached, the scout was hit by a barrage of the orange beams which shook the ship, and at the last minute he broke off to get away from the powerful magic.

Jolan and Asari had watched as Iach-Iss made his approach, wondering what the dragon was thinking. Then Asari hissed softly, and Jolan realized that Cheurt had shifted position and he and his triad were now visible. Jolan knew the triad would have far superior shields to those of the other triads and wondered if they were inviting destruction down upon themselves, but it was time to act. He helped Asari steady the weapon, his mind focused on holding the weapon while Asari did the fine sighting. A peripheral part of his brain noted the repeated strikes against the scout, and then the fact it was puling away.

Then Asari fired. The shot was perfect, and the triad went down. Both he and Jolan saw the two members of Cheurt’s triad fall immediately, and then their long time enemy crumpled to the ground after them. His staff fell from his hand, rolling a few feet away from the inert form of the wizard.

“
Got him,” Asari murmured softly with great satisfaction.

There was no time to celebrate. The shot had attracted attention, and several wizards and one triad were now sending beams of magical energy their way. Asari quickly shifted the weapon and finished off the remaining triad, and then followed up with two quick shots to dispatch the two lone wizards that were attempting to kill them.

Suddenly all was quiet, at least around them. Bolts of energy were still seeking the skies toward the remaining scout, which was firing from a distance, but not making the close in runs for the moment. Asari had let go of the weapon, leaving Jolan to support it, while he stood from his position. It was time for them to move away. As he stood, Asari looked in the direction where Cheurt lay on the ground, and was shocked to see the wizard making his way shakily to his feet and reaching for his staff. There was no time to reach for the dragon weapon, and Asari smoothly drew his Wilson .45 and with a two-hand hold fired two quick shots at the wizard. This time he aimed for the head, since following the training last time hadn’t worked. The first shot missed entirely, but the second, which was low and to the left of the head, caught Cheurt in the left shoulder. Jolan could see the impact and the blood splatter from the wound.

Cheurt moved quickly somehow. He dropped to the ground out of sight, abandoning his attempts to reach the staff. Asari set off on a run toward the position, and Jolan had no option but to follow along behind. The blaster was too cumbersome and was slowing him down, so he let it slip to the ground and he drew his own Kimber, following Asari as he ran to the spot where the wizard had fallen.

A triad appeared off to Asari’s left, and while Asari took down two of them, Jolan was able to target and kill the third. None of the wizards here were protected from the copper bullets. The heavy shields they used in the combat zones were not being employed here. They had wanted mobility and expected to be fighting the energy weapons from the aircraft.

Jolan came running up beside Asari who stood looking at the spot where Cheurt had fallen. The two other members of his triad lay dead on the ground, but Cheurt was nowhere to be seen.

“
Where could he have gone?” Asari asked frustrated and angry.