The projectiles had come too close. Then they exploded, and he cringed and shut his eyes, expecting a rain of fire and pain on his body. And when he felt nothing, he opened his eyes just in time to see shrapnel from the explosion tumble off the shield. He smiled. This was exactly what the Technocons told him would happen. All of this at the cost of nothing except an alliance.
When the next wave of projectiles came, he stood close to the edge of the wall and watched them come. He was unafraid.
And now, a taste of your own medicine! he had thought.
He ordered his men to fire the missiles – miniature forms of cannonballs, but with much more explosive power. He had watched the first wave of missiles scatter the attacking army’s impressive front, and now he was watching it scatter them again.
One thing that had dogged him all his life as a soldier was his intuition; his uncanny ability to feel things within his bones. Now his bones were telling him that now was the right moment to attack, under the cover of dust and debris that the explosions had racked up.
He called up the colonel in charge of the first battalion.
“I need you to take your troops and make a head-on charge at the army, now that they are in a state of disarray.”
“Yes sir,” the colonel said and walked out.
Mosael gave the order for the gates to be lifted, and watched as the first battalion, consisting of brigades of horse soldiers and footmen, charged towards the battlefield.
That’s just to keep you company, he thought. Tonar welcomes you with open arms.
Thanks to Sinto’s warning, the mages were able to rally around and cast a shield spell that lessened the effects of the projectiles, but some soldiers were still caught in the explosions, but not as much as the first series.
Lord Taboon had performed a teleportation spell, ferrying Henok away in mid-air. Thus, saving the king from the pain of broken bones. Now, the King was deep within the ranks of his elite squad, surrounded by the fastest, most bloodthirsty and efficient soldiers in Toas. Going for the head of the king of the Middle Kingdom now would be a capital suicide statement.
Sinto was still gritting his teeth from the pain of getting his wounds healed when he heard a chaotic yelling rise among the ranks of the soldiers. It was the first horseman running towards where he sat at a tree with the hands of a healer hovering over his arm that told him that they were in deep trouble.
“Incoming!” Senay yelled, as the first wave of Tonar soldiers went through their confused ranks and began wreaking havoc immediately.
Sinto was in too much pain to react quickly, and the horseman would have impaled him to the tree had it not been for the healer kneeling in front of him. The spear passed through the healer’s throat, spilling blood on Sinto’s face. Sinto used the opportunity to cast a spell.
“Touerneya zechai!” he yelled, flinging his arm towards the horseman.
In an instant, the horseman and the horse went up in flames, and they went barrelling through the forest, a horrific duet of neighing and screaming.
Sinto was still weak but he had enough strength to work a little magic. The magic he was about to perform was dark – but he was left with few options. He could not lie around, close to helpless, while he waited for a healer. He rolled to his side and placed his hand on the tree, as he whispered the words:
“Ohm sab hagez,” the huge tree shrank. Sinto’s wounds healed synchronously. His strength began to replenish, until he was not just back to himself but felt stronger, at which point the entire tree died.
He got to his feet. He had only walked a few feet before he was met by Tabeli and the rest of the guard.
“We thought you would have left us by now,” Tabeli said.
“Ah, trust me. It’s going to take more than a horseman and a spear to steal me away.”
“We’re glad you’re back to us,” Tabeli said. “The battle is fierce. Our skills are needed, as the Warriors of the Middle Kingdom face the human soldiers who have an upper hand, courtesy of the damnable technocons technology!”
Sinto looked at the faces of his guards. This was not the first war they had been in, but Tonar had sprung them a surprise and seemed to be making the most of it. He needed to be sure that his soldiers were ready. The steely glares he received filled him with assurance just as well as it did fear. Whatever ritual Lord Taboon had taken them through to replenish their strength left them looking bereft of any human compassion or feeling.
The sound of footsteps approaching them told Sinto that he would have to save his worries for another time.
“Guards on me!” Sinto yelled.
Out on the plains before Tonar, the smell of magic burnt the air, the runes on their robes blazed, as did their swords as they engaged the incoming horsemen in battle, slicing with their swords, and killing with spells.
The battlefield was pure, unbridled, chaos. A blend of the Middle’s magic, and Tonar’s newly acquired technology. Mosael was not liking the way the battle was going. It seemed like the Middle Kingdom was beginning to gain the upper hand, but it was not just from their soldiers, but their magicians as well.
“Damned magicians,” he cussed.
However, the battle had not reached Tonar, it was still being contained within the forest. And that was the only thing that pleased Mosael. But he knew that he could not just keep sending men out like fodder to engage the enemy in battle and stall them in the same position. He needed a powerful move. Something that, if it
