'Now!' shouted Alvaron. 'Loose now!'
'But my Lord Mage,' protested a ballista-man, 'the range.'
'By damn, I said now!' bellowed Alvaron.
The man leapt onto the platform and took up the stock, while 'Out of the way, Waldan!' shouted another, shoving Tipperton aside, the buccan barely able to keep his feet as he pitched to the ground.
'Wait!' called Imongar, trying to reach the spear-caster, but then -Thuun! -right above Tipperton the great ballista loosed, the spear to hurtle away in the oil-fired crimson dark, and the man who had shoved Tip aside began frantically turning a crank handle, a ratchet clattering as the ballista bow was drawn once again to reload.
Down on the ground, battle but an arm's span or two away, Tipperton dodged this way and that, dancing back while trying to see the flight of the great bolt, to no avail, for clashing men and Foul Folk raged back and forth and blocked the view.
'Missed!' shouted Alvaron. 'Loose another. Mages, stand ready, the Draedan turns.'
And just as a second shaft was dropped into the waiting groove -unendurable terror whelmed into Tipperton, and he dropped his bow and fell to his knees in the churned up snow and covered his face in his hands and shrilled in dread, while all about men and Rupt alike shrieked and howled and collapsed to the snow as well.
And the Mages, the clustered Mages, they stood as if frozen, for the Gargon had captured every last one in his dreadful glare, and waves of paralyzing fear washed over them all.
Alvaron, his features stark, all the blood now fled from his face, Alvaron alone managed to grit out, 'Averto for-mido; abigo timeo.'
But solely he could not stave off the dreadful force of the mighty Gargon, and Alvaron's manipulation of astral faded to nought ere he could bring any to bear.
And now the hideous Mandrak began to move thdd! thdd!
– stalking forward, toward the frozen Mages, toward the downed Warrow, toward the squalling king and his screaming men and the screeching Foul Folk, its mighty claws set to rend, to tear, to shred these groveling fools who had dared to seek its life. thdd! thdd!
On ponderous feet like stone it came, the monster scaled and grey, the frozen ground shaking under its massive tread.
Thdd!
Thdd!
Men screaming, Foul Folk shrieking at its nearing approach, still it came on.
Thdd!
Thdd!
Through the smoke and smell of burning oil and the shiver of crimson light the Fearcaster came. Now it passed into the fringes of the shrilling flock, none able to flee, to run away, for its dread was too strong. And as it stalked forward, it shredded all those within its immediate reach- men, Rucks, Hloks, Ghuls-it mattered not whether it was friend or foe, all that mattered was the rending. Heads, limbs, faces: through the air they flew, trailing blood both red and black, riven from shrieking victims as the hideous creature waded past downed prey.
But as it stalked forward riving, a distant bugle rang, a clarion call from the darkness, from the south.
And a faint tremor quivered through the ground, and still the bugle sounded -ta-rah… ta-rah… ta-ra, ta-ra, ta-ra…
Louder it blew, and louder still, and the earth shivered with the beat of hooves.
And now the Gargon slowed.
Ta-rah… ta-rah… ta-ra, ta-ra, ta-ra…
To the distant west and east and even from the far north rang answering bugles belling in the predawn.
Ta-rah… ta-rah… ta-ra, ta-ra, ta-ra…
And now the earth boomed with the hammer of hooves.
The Gargon, eyes glaring, claws dripping blood, turned its fang-filled, lizard-snouted face southerly.
And ponies driving, bugles blowing, out from the darkness and into the crimson light thundered five hundred warriors, axes and hammers in hand.
The Dwarves had come at last.
And the Ghath, the Dread, the Gargon, the Horror, roared in rage and turned his terror upon them.
Ponies reared up and back, and Dwarves shrieked and fell away. And Foul Folk at the next tower turned to see the foe, and they took up their tulwars and scimitars and cudgels and pikes and ran to aid the Dread, for he was their key to victory.
With the Gargon gaze averted, Tipperton, still screaming, found he could move, and he snatched up his bow and turned to flee. But then his eye fell upon Imongar and Alvaron and the others, yet frozen where they stood.
Shrilling in fear, Tip sprang to the platform of the bal-lista, only to find Shrieking in dread, he jerked out an arrow from the quiver at his thigh and jumped to the ground and stabbed Imongar in the leg and squealed, 'It's too high, too high!'
Imongar reeled back, her own voice now screaming in terror, and she turned to run, but Tip kicked her behind the knee, and she fell to the ground.
'The ballista!' shrieked Tipperton, snatching a fistful of her hair and jerking her about in the snow.
Imongar batted his hand aside and struggled to her feet, and whining in horror she stumbled to the spear- caster, while all about, men and Foul Folk and Dwarves screamed, and Mages stood frozen in dread.
Imongar struggled to the platform, and wrenched up the rail of the ballista, and aimed, and the Dread turned her way -Thunn! -the spear was loosed -'Verutum ferio cor!' shrilled Imongar, stabbing a finger toward the Gargon -the javelin to shift course slightly and slam into and through the hideous beast's chest.
Yaaaawwww! bellowed the monster, and great waves of unendurable dread blasted outward, and Tip was hurled backwards onto the ground shrieking, his hammering heart all but bursting asunder. And everywhere about the city, this side and that, ponies squealed and bolted, while wailing Dwarves fell from the steeds and groveled in the snow in dread, their axes and hammers forgotten. Men, too, dropped howling in terror, many to pitch from the battlements to the cobbles below, breaking their bones, crushing their skulls, dying even as they screamed.
Foul Folk as well tumbled from the towers and ramparts, some to burn in the fire of the moat, while others crashed to the stone streets. Elsewhere on the walls and the ground outside the city, Rucks and Hloks and Ghuls crumpled down and yawled in terror, while Helsteeds fled across the icy cold plains.
And somewhere nigh the western perimeter, a second wee buccan along with two Elves and a fierce Dwarf groveled in the snow in fear.
And just as suddenly as it began, the hideous dread ceased altogether.
Alvaron collapsed to the snow.
Her leg bleeding from a deep arrow stab, Imongar hobbled to the other Mages, while all about men and Dwarves and Foul Folk began to stir, though some without visible wounds lay utterly still.
As Tipperton floundered to his feet, behind him a Hlok staggered upright as well, the Spawn with a tulwar in hand.
'Waeran!' came a cry.
Tip spun about to see the Hlok, tulwar upraised to strike, the Spawn plunging down at him-'Waugh!'-to fall dead at the buccan's feet, a crossbow bolt embedded in the Hlok's back.
And beyond the dead Grg sat a Dwarf in the snow, spent crossbow in hand.
Tipperton grinned and saluted, receiving a like grin in return, but on all sides the Foul Folk snatched up weapons and scrambled to their feet, only to meet Dwarves with weapons in hand scrambling up as well, the men yet floundering.
Tip whirled and caught up his bow from the ground and, dodging and ducking, sprang to the bed of the slack ballista. And he loosed arrow after arrow into the Spawn, bringing down any who came nigh the Wizards at hand. But then the Dwarves cleared the way, driving the Squam back, though more Foul Folk came rushing toward the fray.
Among the Mages, Imongar shook Delander and Letha, and then Ridich and Veran. 'Quick, now,' she called, 'gather your energies. We are outnumbered, and all our power will be needed.'
As the four Mages shook off the dregs of the dread, Imongar bent down to waken Alvaron, only to fall to her knees weeping.
