Part 36 (1/2)
”Abandon Hethnost?” said Sevaisan.
”You yourself just admitted we have no defensible position with that cloud above us. Marandra gave her life to defeat it, but she failed. We have no other recourse. If we don't flee, the Havalqa will kill or capture all of us.”
Sevaisan opened his mouth to protest, but Kirin raised his hand. ”If you respect what Marandra has done, you'll obey me now as Archmage. We'll fall back to the cliff and make our escape while the Sunrise Guard holds them back. Lord Commander, use as few of your men as necessary to form the rearguard. I doubt they will survive.”
”Yes, Archmage.”
Soldiers began to relay the order along the wall-walk to abandon the Hammdras and retreat to the base of the Part.i.tion Rock.
Hollin was kneeling by Marandra's body, still clutching her hand. Gerin grasped his shoulders. ”Hollin, it's time,” he said. ”She made her choice, her sacrifice. For us. We have to honor that now.”
Hollin kissed Marandra, ran his fingers along her cheek. Then he stood and wiped his eyes with the heels of his palms.
”For what it's worth, I'm sorry,” said Gerin as they made their way to the stairs.
”It's worth a great deal, Gerin. Thank you.”
Horns began to sound through Hethnost, calling the signal to fall back to the Kalabrendis Dhosa. Servants and wizards alike were das.h.i.+ng toward the rear of the fortress as the Sunrise Guard moved into position to defend the retreat. Demons still swooped over their heads, though their numbers had been depleted during the defense of the Hammdras.
Gerin saw Nyene among the Sunrise Guard, this time wielding a sword with great efficiency against her enemies.
”The woman's got talent with a weapon,” said Balandrick.
”We should get her out of there,” said Hollin. He halted and started to turn, but Gerin grabbed his arm and dragged him along.
”She's made her choice to fight,” he said. ”As Marandra did. Nyene's ways are different, but that doesn't mean her choices are any less valid. Leave her be.”
”But she'll die...”
Gerin continued on. Hollin grunted and followed.
”She may, or she may fall back when she needs to. She's a smart woman, and as Balan said, a gifted fighter. But it's her choice to make, not ours.”
40.
Ezqedir surveyed the scene along the fortress wall and for the first time since arriving in this accursed place felt that victory was within his grasp. He knew that there was a price yet to pay in many, many lives of Herolen before their task was done. The wizards still had their magic, and while one wizard still lived, who knew what unseen dangers awaited his men?
The Herolen swarmed through the western half of the wall. Those attacking the eastern side were having difficulty reaching the wall itself-apparently the wizards had erected invisible barriers to impede their progress. But as Ezqedir watched, those barriers vanished as the defenders abandoned the wall and retreated.
His Herolen raised the first ladders. A few archers remained to hara.s.s his men with their arrows, but there were far too few to stop his soldiers from quickly reaching the battlements. Swords flashed, but the defenders were easily overrun.
”You finally breached the wall,” said Tolsadri.
Ezqedir, focused on the battle through his seeing-gla.s.s, had not taken note of the Voice's approach. The fat oaf Enbrahel was with him.
”Of course you needed the Loh'shree to pave the way for you,” said Tolsadri.
”I used the proper tools for the task at hand,” said Ezqedir without looking at him. ”I will commend the Exalted for her wise decision to send the Loh'shree with this army-a decision you objected to, I understand.”
”Yet my Loremasters were slain by your incompetence,” snapped Tolsadri. ”Their deaths were needless, and solely your responsibility.”
”Really, Tolsadri. Are you prepared to make such an argument in the Court of Kalmanyikul?” Ezqedir laughed, a rich, throaty sound. ”By the Powers, I almost hope you do. You'll only expedite your own ruin, and for many it will not come soon enough. I for one cannot wait to see how far you'll sink before someone ends your miserable existence, since you don't have the courage to do so yourself. Your opinion of yourself, were it a natural resource that we could harness for the purpose of war, would be entirely without limits. A pity it cannot be used so.”
He wondered if Tolsadri would take his bait. He doubted it. The Voice, for all his bl.u.s.ter and errors of late, was no fool, and had already diminished himself by uncharacteristically speaking in anger in his presence. Ezqedir did not think he would do so again. But I must always hope. It is an amusing and rare thing to watch as one so high slowly destroys himself. With a little a.s.sistance from me, of course. His fall and ultimate ruin will be a thing of beauty to behold.
”Honored Voice!” said Enbrahel in shock, obviously unaccustomed to having his superior spoken to in such a manner. ”Will you-”
”Silence, Enbrahel.” Tolsadri's tone was deadly. Ezqedir thought he could almost hear the sound of Enbrahel's teeth clacking together as he snapped his jaws closed.
No, he did not rise to the bait. A pity. ”At least your servants are well-trained in obedience,” said the general.
”Do not bother me with you inanities,” said Tolsadri. ”How will you contain any wizards you capture?”
”Since you and your remaining Loremasters have devised no means of containing their powers, we have no soul stealers among this army, and both the Loh'shree and the mursaaba have told me they do not believe they can hold a wizard captive, I've ordered my men to kill them all. They are to attempt to capture servants or members of the soldiering cla.s.s, but even then they're to proceed with caution. Who knows if a wizard will disguise himself as a stable hand or archer to avoid death? What mischief could one cause if brought as a prisoner among us? He might even be able to kill you if you are unsuspecting.”
His men were scaling the eastern part of the wall unchallenged at this point. All of the defenders had either been killed or had fallen back.
”You cannot kill them all!” protested Tolsadri. ”We need some of them to tell us about the Words of Making!”
”Do you have a solution for me, Voice of the Exalted? Will you volunteer yourself or your Loremasters to oversee the interrogation of any wizards we capture? Will your followers guard them and ensure they don't escape or use their powers against us? Can you bind their magic? Answer me that, Tolsadri, and we'll see about a change of orders.”
”If they all die and we cannot determine how to use the Words of Making-”
”That is the reason you and your brethren are along, Tolsadri. Once all the wizards are dead and the circlet is in our hands, it will be your task to determine how it functions.”
”And what if the Loh'shree have destroyed the Words in their wanton destruction of the fortress?”
”That has always been a calculated risk. We knew before we set sail that whoever held the Words would not surrender them without a fight. There was a risk that whoever held the Words would destroy them outright rather than allow them to fall into our hands, and there is obviously the risk that they would be destroyed or damaged in any battle to take them. The Loh'shree were commanded to halt their pummeling once my Herolen breached the walls.”
Ezqedir knew he was taking a risk by tweaking the nose of the Voice to such a degree, but he could not stop himself. Victory was almost his. Tolsadri's contributions to date had been nothing. Less than nothing. If he did not want to be remembered solely as an impediment on this campaign, he would have to step forward to avoid a complete personal disaster. Understanding how the Words of Making functioned seemed the only choice left to him.
He again felt a trace of unease about the use of the Loh'shree. The possibility that they would inadvertently destroy the Words of Making themselves had been another reason for holding them in reserve. But what choice did he have? The wizards' powers had all but made it impossible for him to conduct a proper siege. He would have gladly waited months to secure the fortress, starving them out or attempting to infect them with disease, but those options were taken from him by their infernal powers.
”Do we know what the circlet looks like?” asked Enbrahel.
”Do not speak again, Enbrahel!” said Tolsadri.
”I thought that's what your vaunted Mysteries were for?” said Ezqedir. ”My Herolen will gather every circlet and headband we find, but the Words themselves are a matter of power, and such things fall to the followers of Bariq. How you will recognize it is not for me to say.”
”The Mysteries are not for you or any other to know,” said Tolsadri. ”Not that one such as you could comprehend the sublime beauty of the power Bariq has bestowed to us.”
”And I have no interest in them, I a.s.sure you. But if you cannot identify the Words, or discern with your 'sublime' power how to use them, then what use are you? Truly, why have you burdened yourself with this journey if you have nothing to contribute to this cause?”