Stars' Light, page 35
Sarannya grimaced to herself. No fighting. I need to control myself. She turned and saw Lubos skulking along the side of the road. His attention was on the three soldiers that had just passed her. She smiled. She turned towards him, and he jumped, startled, noticing for the first time that she was watching him.
Walking towards him, she broke the quiet of the night. “Come, Sergeant. We are needed on the wall.”
Lubos bowed his head. “Of course, Colonel.” He fell into step slightly behind her.
“Lubos. You can walk beside me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Lubos does not hate you. He is in awe of you.
Sarannya and Lubos walked towards the wall. She smiled to herself, noticing that he never once looked at her backside.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Markos paced around his tent, waiting for a response from Asenath. He was mired at the base of the first pass. It would be a short march tomorrow, and they would be facing the walls of Bosc City again. His scouts told him the walls had been rebuilt, and they were bonded. He was already on edge after speaking with his master, and now this. He put the report aside and took a sip from from his wine cup.
The projection crystal lit up, and he activated it with a slight push with the Essences. It always took him by surprise how beautiful Asenath was. She frequently made him feel uncomfortable when her eyes focused on him. He felt they stripped away the layers he had carefully put into place. He felt open and exposed before her, and she was not even here.
“Yes, Markos. I have received your various messages.” Her tone was tired and irritated. “You must understand my position here. The Tracian Knights’ presence complicates everything.”
“Yes. You saw the column of light?” Markos felt that something was off. Something about her looked different, but he could not quite place it. She was more radiant and beautiful than the last time he saw her, and yet she was not exuding her normal raw sexuality.
“Of course I saw it.” She frowned.
“And the hive?” Markos pushed.
Asenath paused, her aqua blue eyes fully focused on him. “The hive has been destroyed. As you already know, he is here. My spies tell me the General knows that you are leading the third army against him. Fortunately for you, he appears to be following his normal patterns of battle preparation. And…” she paused for effect. “He has trained two students, and they are here. You could strike a valuable blow to our cause if you do this right. We may not be able to bring down the General, but you could kill his students. This could unsettle him and give you victory.”
Markos was stunned. He was not expecting this much information. Maybe his feelings were wrong. Maybe she was not working on joining the other side. “Do his new students have War Blades?”
“Yes. They were given them here in the city. I felt them when they were bequeathed. It brought back memories of the old days, and you know what I mean by that.” Her head tilted, and the chimes on her horns tinkled.
Markos was confused by what he was hearing. His heart was telling him something was wrong, but his excitement over knowing this information made him doubt his feelings. “The Forges must be there. If we can take this city, we can choke their ability to create new knights. When the Darkening fully starts, there will be no one to stand in the way. We can end it.” He took a deep breath. “What do you know about the bonding on the walls?”
“The walls are bonded. They will not come down easily. You will have to breach the wall and bring them down from the inside. I will try to help in that regard, but it will be difficult, as I will be busy poisoning their bandages and allowing their wounded to die.” Asenath smiled as she spoke of strategies they had used in the past.
“If you can, I will need you to kill the guards in a small section, so I can send in units during the night.” Markos was pacing now. His golden horns caught the light from the projection crystal on every turn. “I shall test the walls and their resolve on the first day. Then on the second night, I shall have you open up a section, and we shall bring the city down.” He stopped pacing with his hand clenched in front of him.
Asenath just nodded.
“When shall we speak again?” Markos asked.
“We will not be speaking again, as I do not want us to do anything that would give myself or my people away to the General. He would destroy us and take away a valuable asset for our master. My people will be needed to cull the humans.”
Markos did not like this at all. “Then how shall we…”
Asenath interrupted him. “I shall send you messengers.” She looked about her and then back at him. “I have to go. One of them is close. I shall see you in a few days in the city, my lord.” She bowed her head, making sure that her breasts were easy to see.
Markos was about to respond, but she was gone as quickly as she had appeared. The crystal went dark. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He turned to General Chenda Bopha, who had stood out of the crystal’s viewing area. “What do you think?”
“With Lady Saffora’s help, you will be able to succeed. With the Tracian Knights there, it will be very difficult. If the General is truly there, it will be impossible. We will not be able to win, even with both armies and the demons. He will destroy us.” Her hand came up to her face and rubbed an old scar that stood out on her azure-colored skin. Her yellow eyes drew in the light, but they did not have a glow to them. “If we were to kill the younger ones, it might put the General into a mood that would make him reckless. He might make a mistake, and give us victory. We would be able to push him out of the city, or if we are truly lucky, we could overwhelm him, and kill him. Although, I find that last possibility most unlikely.”
“You are off?” Kiril spoke to Asenath, who was being projected from a crystal in Kiril’s hand.
“Yes. The last ship is off. The Defiant will be waiting for you at the docks two days from now. It will carry the last of you to the bay.” Asenath paused. “You know they will be coming for you, specifically.”
“I know. With what you told them, they will be coming for Sarannya and I, thinking that we are a weakness for the General. Either it will make them rash, or they will be cautious. I’m hoping for the cautious, giving us more time for the General to get back with whatever he is doing.” Kiril’s tone gave away his feelings. He felt the General had made a mistake in leaving.
Asenath smiled at him. “Remember, young master, never doubt your Mirogen. He has a good reason for everything, and maybe he is working on something only he can do. It may mean the difference between victory and defeat. I shall see you soon.” She bowed towards him, self-consciously holding her top.
Kiril smiled at her, and he bowed back, holding the crystal, so she could see his sign of respect. He noticed a slight curve of her lips before the crystal went dark. Kiril straightened and turned towards Masamiria. “This is going to be a fight. I sure hope the General gets back here soon.”
“Agreed.” Masamiria scratched at the stubble that was growing on his face. “The tunnel has been collapsed as you requested. We will have to take the long way around, as will the enemy. It was a good plan having her build it in the first place. It shortened the time by quite a bit, moving the populace down to the old docks.” Masamiria quit scratching his scruff and laid his forearm across the hilt of his sword. “By the time the enemy gets here, Maarika, Ivana, and Asenath will be a day gone. There is no way the enemy will catch them.”
Kiril nodded. “I only wish Sarannya was with them.”
“Not our decision,” Masamiria answered. “Trust the General. Trust Sarannya; she will do fine tomorrow.”
Kiril and Masamiria turned, seeing Sarannya and Lubos being directed toward them.
Sarannya walked up. “War Bringer said I was needed.”
Masamiria nodded. “The enemy will be here tomorrow afternoon. They will probably not attack until the morning of the following day. They will spend their time tomorrow testing the walls, and strategizing how to best bring them down.”
Sarannya could feel the anticipation starting. “How do you think they will come?” Even in the dark, she could see Kiril’s smile.
“More than likely, they will come right up the road. Their archers and demons will attack from the sides, targeting our archers. That will probably go on for a few days. And if what Asenath says is true, they will use their human troops first, as they see them as expendable. The Fallen won’t probably attack until the third or fourth day, if we last that long.”
“What about the rest of the civilians in town?” Sarannya asked, having seen some businesses that were still open and people that were still in their homes.
“Those were the ones who elected to stay behind, and did not want to leave their homes.” Kiril grimaced.
“They do know that we are not staying here? That we are fighting a retreating battle?” Sarannya questioned in disbelief that anyone would want to stay.
“They do,” Masamiria interrupted the conversation. He could see where this was going. “Come. Let us go back to the Silk Stocking. I’m sure Maarika has left us something nice to drink. Tonight will be the last of our peaceful nights for the foreseeable future.”
Dusan lay in a medical ward in the lower sections of Bara Murr, the capital city of Marpesia. He was lying in a bed that had curtains completely around it, and he could hear people moving about and talking in low voices. He shifted in his bed, and pain shot through his body. He grunted and immediately stopped trying to move. His chest was wrapped tightly, and there was a splint and bandages wrapped around his right leg. He remembered getting hit, but he did not remember being pulled to safety. He frowned. How many of his men had been killed trying to save him?
The curtains opened, and Bran walked over to his bed. He had dark rings around his eyes, and looked like he was suffering from some illness.
“Good to see you, brother.” Bran smiled wanly. There was a touch of sarcasm to his voice, expecting Dusan’s normal attitude.
Dusan’s head hit his pillow as he sighed in relief. He held his hand up, waiting. When his brother took it, he spoke. “I’m sorry.” He spoke informally for the first time in a long time.
Bran was struck, and did not know what to do. “Sorry for what? You saved a lot of men. I…”
“For everything,” Dusan interrupted. “You know what I mean. I’m sorry.” Dusan turned his head and looked at his younger brother. His only brother. A single tear slid down his face, and then embarrassment pulled his mouth into a frown.
Bran nodded his head. He pulled up a corner of the sheet and wiped his brother’s face. “You have something in your eye. Hold on a moment, and I’ll get that for you.”
Dusan made a slight nod, understanding that his brother was helping him to maintain some dignity, but he did not really care anymore about dignity, or what others thought. He had spent so much time on what was expected and what other people thought was proper. He was done with that. “Sarannya! What do you know?” There was a fierceness on his face.
Bran shook his head. “Not much. She’s in Bosc City, where an army is about to storm it. She is with the General, but you and I both know that she is headstrong and will not stay away from the fighting; especially if she has earned a Mara Blade.”
“Do you really think she could have earned one this soon? I mean that in a good way. These blades do not come easily, but I do not doubt her abilities or her desire,” Dusan whispered, not wanting to be heard outside of his small curtained bed.
“Knowing her, yes, she has earned a blade and will take part in the fighting. I fear that our sister is going to return to us a much different person than when she left. If she comes back at all.” Bran spoke what they were both thinking.
“Colonel, you are needed.” Bran looked over his shoulder and acknowledged the aide. “I have to go.”
“Congratulations on the promotion. Don’t make us look bad.” Dusan smiled.
“I’ll try not to.” Bran saluted and left.
Dusan laid there alone for some time, before a nurse came in to check on him and the dressings.
“You are lucky that the Lady Tal was present,” the nurse said. “She is the one who kept you alive. Your wounds were very serious. Also, Lord Tatara, your mother was in yesterday. I have sent a message, letting her know that you are awake and can receive visitors.” She was tall for a girl, and in her early twenties. She was pretty in a common way, and moved about efficiently as she changed his dressings.
“Thank you. Very kind of you.” He smiled at her, meaning it. It had been a long time since he had smiled in a genuine way. It felt good.
Analia was standing in the pass, looking down upon the enemy. It had been two days since they last attacked. Two days since her signal. She was surprised. If they knew it was her, they would attack with renewed vigor, but if they thought it was Jorian, they might hesitate and take their time. She did not know which it was.
Jorian had sent that Markos was attacking Bosc City, and he was going to wake the dragons. She shook her head. “This Darkening is not going anything like those before,” she spoke to herself. She remembered Syrreth declaring that he was done fighting, and the humans could destroy themselves for all he cared. For a moment, Analia despaired. In the long run, this war was not winnable. There just were not enough of them.
“General, you wished to see me,” Bran said, approaching her.
Analia gathered herself, turned, and smiled. “Yes, Colonel.”
He stepped up beside her, looking down on the enemy.
“How are you feeling?” Her purple eyes stared directly at him, the gold flecks catching the sunlight.
“Just all right,” he responded.
“Your Mara?”
He shook his head no.
“Do not fret or worry. It will come back. Just keep doing the exercises that I taught you. It will take time.” She turned her gaze back to the enemy.
“I feel like I have lost something. Something dear to me.” His tone was mournful.
“The body takes time to heal, as does the mind. You must give it time. The more you worry about it, the longer it will take.” She turned back to him. “I need you to take command of the archers in your brother’s absence, and I shall take full command in the pass. Even though there has been no fighting in the pass for a couple of days, we must make sure to keep them out. Once the pass is secure, I want you to travel to the Citadel, where only a few more ships are coming with refugees from Bosc City. Make sure they are placed like the others. When you have identified Lady Asenath Seffora, please bring her to me at my house.” Her tone was commanding.
Bran took a step back. “Of course, General. I shall leave Lieutenant Narcis in charge while I am away.”
“Promote him to Major. He has done an excellent job. He has earned it.”
“Of course, General. Anything else?” Bran stood at attention.
“How is your brother?” Her tone softened.
“He is well. Thank you for your skill and quickness to save him.” Bran bowed low from the waist.
Analia smiled at him. “He will have a limp for the rest of his life, but otherwise, he should heal completely.”
“I think the light you put into him has changed him.”
Analia paused for a moment. “Any change that comes to him will be his own. I am sure the light helped him on his way, but he had to choose it in the first place.”
“Well, thank you again.” Bran straightened.
“If you see the Heir Prince, please send him my way.”
Bran backed away and saluted. “Of course, General. I will send him right away.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, already returning to her own thoughts, looking down at the enemy.
Aiden stood with Cardinal Tonis Miles before the legion of Girian Knights. They stood in rows, waiting for inspection. The rank and file knight wore a dark green, enameled armor with the Girian Symbol embossed over the heart. The symbol was a triangle with a circle inside it. Overlaying both the triangle and the circle was a vertical line and a horizontal line in the form of a cross. It was an old symbol of protection. The officers wore black armor with their order’s symbol embossed over their hearts in white, and stood on the outside of the rows near their units and squads. Spear points and halberd blades gleamed in the evening light. The rows were perfect, and all the armor was clean and perfectly maintained. Every knight also carried a Mara blade at their hip.
A man with crows’ feet around his eyes and grey at his temples tucked his helmet under his arm and came forward. His armor did not creak, or make the normal noises that armor would make. His posture was straight, his step was sure, and his facial expression was cool indifference. His gear was even more immaculate than his soldiers. The air almost hummed around him when he came before Emperor Mirogen and Cardinal Miles. He bowed stiffly.
“My Lord Cardinal.”He straightened halfway from his bow and turned to Aiden. “My Emperor.” He stood fully. He was a large man, standing over six feet tall.
Tonis smiled and nodded his head in return. “Emperor Mirogen, this is Soryn Bharaclaive. Lord General of the Girian Knights. He will not fail us in taking the pass. He and his knights have been ordained in the secrets of Priam Marr, elder god and father of the Gods.” He turned directly to Aiden. There was a fire in his eyes. A fervent energy. “You will not find finer warriors anywhere on Baral. These are the greatest warriors to have ever walked the land.”
Cardinal Miles turned back to Soryn. “Lord General, as you were. You may continue.”
Aiden smiled, nodded, and agreed where he knew that he must, but something was off about these warriors. Someting was not right about them; especially Soryn Bharaclaive. Once the inspection was over, he moved to a small hill with a large rock on it. He had been spending a lot of time here, as he was high enough to be able to see into the pass. It also gave him a good vantage, from which to observe his own camp.
