east.”
Illan nods in understanding as the second rider adds, “A couple hundred men at arms and maybe fifty crossbowmen is all we’ll have to deal with.”
“Any mages?” James asks.
Shaking his head, the first rider says, “Not that we heard.”
“There was one there that left with the others,” the second rider explains. “But word on the street is that there isn’t one now.”
James glances to Illan and says, “That’s good news.”
“Appears your plan worked,” comments Jiron. “Most likely the mage they’re talking about lies dead on the road behind us.”
“Let’s hope so,” agrees James.
“Any word about reinforcements heading to Korazan?” asks Illan.
“No,” the second rider replies.
“Very good,” says Illan to the two spies. “Grab a quick bite to eat, we’re leaving shortly.” They both give him a salute and then move back toward where the pack animals are held to get some food.
Turning back to James, Illan says, “By the time we get there, they will have little time to do more than man the walls and shut the gates.”
“I’m sure they will send out riders requesting reinforcements from the nearby garrisons,” Ceadric adds. “Not that they will get there in time.”
“Probably,” agrees Illan. “It’s what I would do.”
James takes out his mirror again and they gather round as he brings Korazan into focus. “The riders have arrived,” he says when they find the gates closed, soldiers lining the wall facing their approach and all signs of civilians outside the walls gone.
“So it would seem,” breathes Illan. They take a few moments to size up the enemy’s forces as well as the slaver compound just within the eastern wall. When they are through, James puts the mirror away and they get going once again. In less than an hour the walls of Korazan come into view.
When they reach about a hundred yards from the walls, James brings them to a stop. Illan arranges their forces for the coming assault while James moves back to the pack horses and finds the bag with the crystals he needs for the attack. Removing the bag, he attaches it to his belt and returns to the front line. Dismounting, he hands the reins to Devin who stands there with spear in hand, the same spear James had given him during his first time in Trendle.
“You ready?” he asks Illan as he rejoins him at the front.
Illan nods and replies, “All set.” He motions for one of the Raiders standing behind him to come forward. To James he says, “Jared can speak the Empire’s tongue well.”
“Alright then,” he replies with a nod to Jared, “let’s go.” With that he and Jared step forward and begin making their way to the walls, if he figured it correctly, the slaver compound should be on the other side. As they draw closer to the walls, a shimmering field springs up around the pair. “Whatever you do, stay close,” says James.
“I will,” Jared assures him.
Several bolts are loosed at them before a command is hollered by someone on the wall. The bolts arc toward them and are deflected by the barrier. James hears Jared sigh with relief when the bolts fail to find their mark. “Nothing can get through to us in here,” he says.
“Yeah,” replies Jared, “I saw that during the battle at Lythylla. It’s just unnerving seeing them flying toward you.”
James brings them to a halt when they are within a dozen feet of the wall. Still no tingling indicating a mage is working magic, perhaps what the spies had said was in fact true, no mage is within the walls.
Jeers reach them from those manning the walls. The men up there see the numbers arrayed against them and know that such a force will stand little chance in breaching their defenses. James glances up at them just as a wad of spittle flies toward them and hits the barrier. “What are they saying?” he asks Jared.
“That we should go away and not to waste our lives,” he says, though from the redness of his face James doubts if they’re using those exact words.
“Tell them this,” James says as he gazes up toward the battlements. “They are to release all the slaves in the city. Send them to us and we will leave them be.”
Jared’s bass voice booms forth with the message to those within the city. The men atop the battlements quiet down as the words roll forth. When he’s done, there’s a quiet hush for a moment before the jeering continues.
A command is given and a great vat of oil empties its contents over the side and pours over the barrier, behind it falls a flaming brand. James notices Jared about to bolt when he sees the torch falling to ignite the oil. Laying a hand on his arm, he says, “We’ll be alright.”
Whoosh!
The oil bursts into flame and the outer edge of the barrier becomes a roaring inferno. Inside, the temperature rises abruptly and sweat begins rolling down their faces. The oil is quickly consumed and they stand there unscathed until the fire dies down. Atop the wall, the men are no longer jeering. They stare down in awe at the fact they are still alive and untouched.
“Holler back up to them, ‘So be it’,” he instructs Jared. Once he has done so, James tells him to walk with him. Reaching into the pouch hanging at his hip, he pulls out one of the four glowing crystals within. He wishes he would have brought more of these but he didn’t think about it when back at The Ranch. Making more is easy, but you need crystals and somewhere to drain power from. He isn’t about to drain the men who came with him, he has a hard enough time grappling with the morality of doing it to his enemies let alone friends.
Tossing the crystal to the base of the wall he says, “Four.” Walking along the base, he tosses down the other three crystals at twenty feet intervals. “Three.” “Two.” “One.” After the last crystal rests by the stone wall, he turns to return back to their lines.
Bolts rain down upon them now as well as stones roughly the size of a man’s head, each are easily deflected by the barrier. Breaking into a run, he and Jared race back to their lines. When they leave the range of the bolts, James cancels the barrier allowing them to make even better speed.
Ke-Pow!
The magic of the four crystals is released beneath a single section of the wall, blasting it up and out.
“Dear lord!” Ceadric breathes as he watches a section of the wall easily twenty feet wide launch itself in the air.
“Watch for falling debris!” Illan shouts and the word is passed throughout the waiting men. Most of the larger chunks fall well short, some of the smaller pieces manage to reach them and men dance aside to avoid being hit. A few either weren’t fast enough or not observant and are struck by the falling debris.
The concussion of the blast knock James and Jared to their knees as it rolls past them. By the time it reaches where the others wait, it isn’t nearly as forceful.
“Hedry!” Illan shouts.
“Sir!” comes the reply as Hedry rides forward.
“Take your archers and kill anything that moves,” he orders.
“Yes, sir,” he replies. With a command to his men, they race forward, bows in hand.
Jared is the first to regain his feet and offers a hand to James. Taking it, they both resume their run back to the lines.
“Ceadric,” Illan shouts. “Take your men and begin securing the interior. After that blast there shouldn’t be much left, most of their men were concentrated up on the battlements.”
“Yes, sir,” he says. Turning to his men, Ceadric cries, “For Madoc and Black Hawk!” With a deafening roar, the Raiders charge forward.
Hedry’s force has already come within range of the walls and has begun picking off anything that moves. A few bolts rain down from above but the crossbowmen up there are soon taken out. By the time Ceadric and his riders arrive, bolts are no longer falling. Hedry gives him a grin and a salute as he races past.
The dust is beginning to settle and the hole that had been blasted in the wall materializes before them. Damn! Ceadric thinks as he sees the depth and width of the crater the blast created. He leads his men toward it. If
