Terry W. Ervin Page 16

  She motioned that we were taking the next stairwell up and stared at my hands. “Are you always so nervous without your spear, Flank Hawk?”

  I stopped rubbing my fingers. “No, Grand Wizard. It’s not that.”

  “Is it the fact that two cavalrymen from Colonel Brizich’s bevy will be with us?” She uttered his name with contempt.

  Their participation was one thing Grand Wizard Seelain argued against. I hadn’t been happy when Prince Reveron insisted on their participation, but that didn’t worry me. “No, Grand Wizard,” I said, following her up the spiraling stairs. “That is not it.”

  She stopped and turned. “It’s not riding dragons, I know that.” Her eyes flashed up and she smiled. “You have never parachuted from a dragon in flight. Is that it?”

  Guzzy had always said to never enter battle on an empty stomach. I decided eating wasn’t a good idea when summoned to a meeting. “I’ve never parachuted, ever.”

  “Do not worry, my spellcraft will be directing us all down through the darkness.” She continued up the stairs and down another long hall. “I will send a servant to your quarters one hour past midnight. He will assist you in dressing before departure.”

  “Thank you, Grand Wizard. I will be ready.”

  “Do not worry. Your friend, Road Toad, suggested a few pieces of equipment that I have secured for you. Eat and get some sleep. That is what I intend to do.”

  Chapter 14

  Central United States

  2,873 Years before the Reign of King Tobias of Keesee

  Deep within the almost forgotten missile silos buried in the U.S. heartland, soldiers and computers proceeded with clear determination. The most organized ant colony couldn’t compare. Targeting information received and downloaded, the men and women performed their assigned duties flawlessly. Training drill or actual launch? No questions. Orders were orders.

  We traveled for three nights, hiding under trees and in ravines during the day. Our flight consisted of six dragons, including two blacks. The prince handled Night Shard and an elderly serpent cavalryman guided the second. In addition, each black carried two highly trained infiltration soldiers. Three reds bore a rider and three soldiers on their backs, and two of the three reds carried masked enchanters slung underneath. Their position must have been uncomfortable but during our silent camps they never whispered a complaint. And Road Toad said it was the safest place should we encounter Stukas.

  I rode on Hell Furnace as aft-guard with Road Toad guiding her. Grand Wizard Seelain and an infiltration soldier, Private Shaws, sat between us on a specially designed saddle. Instead of an enchanter, Hell Furnace and the other red dragon without an enchanter as burden carried the group’s equipment.

  We headed north, then west to avoid the Alps. Using the mountain passes would have increased the chance of being spotted by or, worse yet, encountering enemy forces while resting on the ground. We’d spent the most recent day in a coppice of trees located well into the Faxtinian Coalition territory before pushing hard northeast at nightfall.

  I was thankful for the soft leather gauntlets that Grand Wizard Seelain had given me. They had fine steel plates sewn over the tops of the fingers and broader ones across the forehand and the forearm. They kept my hands warm in the crisp night air but still allowed me to handle my crossbow with confidence.

  With each bit of armor and equipment, I looked less like a militiaman and more like a mercenary. Not that it impressed the infiltration soldiers. Although they didn’t scoff at Road Toad like they did me, I could tell that they didn’t fully respect him. Wizard Seelain directed me to ignore them, explaining matter-of-factly that they were the king’s elite troops.

  They dressed in soft leather and carried their equipment in nets harnessed to their body. They were silent in the woods and seemed constantly alert and above fatigue. Instead of being insulted, I watched and learned. A couple of times Private Shaws stepped aside and explained things to me, like why we’d selected a certain spot to hide and how to best position myself for lookout while remaining concealed.

  Wizard Seelain leaned forward and tapped me on the shoulder. Like me, she faced rearward, while Road Toad and Private Shaws faced forward. She’d requested to ride with Prince Reveron, but he stated that both air wizards should not be on the same mount. I leaned back so that I could hear her, wondering if I missed signs of an enemy in the star-filled sky. Then I remembered what was to happen at the end of our flight.

  “We are approaching the drop point,” she said while tightening the straps of my parachute. “Clouds would have been preferable to a clear sky.”

  I didn’t understand how fourteen descending parachutes would be less noticeable in the night sky than six dragons. “No sign of the enemy,” I said, tying my crossbow across my chest. “I’m ready. Just give the word.” I loosened the straps holding me to the saddle.

  Our flight of six dragons formed up into a tight circle at least a half mile above the steep hills below. On the far side of a small mountain to the north stood a walled city where the enemy was reported to build panzers and possibly Stukas.

  The dragons banked hard, closing the circle. “Now!” urged Wizard Seelain.

  I crouched atop my saddle, fighting the wind and the angle to keep my balance. With my heart in my throat I jumped into the gaping darkness, like they told me in training. I looked up to see if Wizard Seelain and Private Shaws had followed. I spotted two blobs above me, moving away. Dragons, not them.

  Remembering I was supposed to be counting, I made a guess where I should’ve been. “Four…five.” I pulled the cord. The result felt like Linolule had yanked me back upwards into the night sky, though I knew the god of darkness and strife had nothing to do with what I’d felt. I descended with a parachute canopy above me. Distant shadows below grew. I looked left and right, finally spotting another parachute thirty yards away.

  A breeze conjured by Grand Wizard Seelain buffeted my parachute and changed my direction of descent. More parachutes came into view, their black fabric masking the sky and stars beyond them. All of our metal equipment, my breast plate included, had been painted black, brown or dark shades of green.

  The trees came rushing up, but my chute kept to the ribbon-like road running through them. I remembered to bend my knees just before hitting the ground. Nearby, others grunted like me on impact. I stood and like the soldier next to me began gathering the ropes to my parachute. He took several strides toward me.

  “Faster,” whispered Private Shaws. “Oh, and Road Toad said to keep your nose clean for a few days.”

  I tucked my bunched chute under my arm and looked to see what Private Shaws was doing. He’d moved behind me and began detaching my chute lines from my harness. “Give me your chute.” He pointed. “Supply bundles over there. Grab ours. I’ll stash your chute along with the wizard and enchanter’s.”

  I hustled across the packed gravel road. An infiltration soldier had already laid our bundles out in a line. As practiced, I took the four identified by my spear next to them. Each light bundle consisted of a blanket, food, canteen, and one half of an A-frame tent. Assorted small items like twine and hand shovels had been added to mine and Private Shaws’.

  I trotted back to the exact spot I’d left Shaws. Wizard Seelain and Lesser Enchanter Jonas stood there, looking about anxiously. Enchanter Jonas was a short, frail-looking man who fancied himself an expert with a rapier.

  “Turn around,” I whispered. When they did, I shoved Wizard Seelain’s assigned bundle into her empty parachute pack and tied it shut. While I was tying Enchanter Jonas’ pack closed, I felt Wizard Seelain shoving a bundle into my pack.

  Without a word, our group of four moved south while the remaining ten went north. Shaws led, followed by Enchanter Jonas and Wizard Seelain. I brought up the rear, watching our back.

  After less than five minutes at a brisk walk, Shaws signaled us off the road, through a brush-filled ditch and into a stand of pine trees. Less than thirty seconds later we watched a
patrol of goblins pass by, moving north. The twelve snickered and hissed, apparently laughing at something their leader said.

  Directed by Enchanter Jonas, Shaws led us another half hour on the road past several pine-covered hills strewn with boulders. The enchanter wore high boots, doeskin breeches and vest, and a dark green cloak that looked identical to Wizard Seelain’s.

  I was wondering why the enemy would build and maintain such an impressive road when Enchanter Jonas signaled us to stop. Without a word he directed us off the west side of the road, through a narrow stand of white pines, and to a small meadow at the base of a steep hill face.

  At the edge of the meadow we established a camp in a stand of small fir trees. No fire, and just as we had for the entire trip, bland food consisting of ground oats, dried apples and water. Shaws said it would keep us from giving off exotic scents.

  When I’d asked Shaws about the dragon scent we were bound to be carrying, he said that wild dragons, although rare in the mountains to the south, are not unheard of. And it would help to mask our human scent.

  About every two hours a goblin patrol passed by on the road going north, and returned forty-five minutes later walking south.

  Shaws relieved me after my midmorning watch. At our camp Wizard Seelain was asleep on one of the canvas tent sides, wrapped in her cloak. A few strands of her white hair had slipped from beneath the brown knit cap she’d worn since our drop last night.

  Enchanter Jonas still wore the mask that covered his face below the eyes. He studied me with one eyebrow raised as I sat down next to him. I wasn’t tired yet, so I decided to make conversation. In a low voice I asked, “How did you know the meadow was here?”

  He sat up straight and cocked his head. “I observed it as we flew.”

  I nodded. “That’s right. You were under the dragons.”

  “And,” he added with an air of importance, “I employed a night vision spell.”

  He was only a lesser enchanter, but in everyone’s eyes, he was more important than me. I removed my helmet and scratched behind my ear, wondering if it was worth trying to make conversation. “Well, Private Shaws says you found us a good spot. It’ll provide some cover for a few of the dragons to land and wait if the timing is off.”

  “Thank you,” he responded. “It was also infiltration soldiers, including Shaws, who’d insisted on the parachute drop, so that the dragons wouldn’t leave any trace if they landed in a meadow or on the road.” He said it like the idea was a flawed plan.

  He snorted after a brief silence. “I could have easily erased the marks.”

  I didn’t want to argue with him about the possibility that the goblin patrols could have spotted the dragons’ descent or return to the sky. Or the unnecessary use of his magic. Even I knew that the elemental magic of wizards left no trace, while that of an enchanter could linger for hours.

  “I’m sure you could have, Lesser Enchanter,” I said, grabbing the hand shovel and my spear. I wove my way between the fir branches toward the hillside.

  Shaws insisted that every time we relieved ourselves, we dig a hole at least a foot deep. Before I dug the first shovel full of rocky dirt, I noticed something out of place. I climbed over a fallen pine and between two small saplings. What I’d thought was an unusual right-angled rock formation turned out to be cut stones framing a narrow door set into the hillside. Countless years of exposure had left the door’s wood a weathered gray.

  I looked over my shoulder to see if Enchanter Jonas was playing some sort of spiteful trick. I didn’t think he’d bother, but I also couldn’t believe I’d just found a door built into a remote hillside. I backed away without disturbing it and made my way to the spot near the road where Shaws stood watch.

  “Dance of anger,” he challenged.

  He knew it was me. Still, I gave the established password in reply, “Desert smells like rain.”

  He stood. “What is it, Flank Hawk?”

  “I found something you should see.”

  After Shaws and Enchanter Jonas inspected the door, we huddled in a tight circle. “We can detect no sign of magic sealing the door,” said Shaws, “or a trap to be triggered if we open it. What do you think, Wizard Seelain?”

  “We’re here to gather intelligence,” she said. “Flank Hawk, what do you think it might be?”

  I was surprised she directed the question to me. “A forgotten weapons stash.” I looked around. “Maybe a hide hole.”

  “This is the right country for wights,” said Shaws. “Seems too remote for ghouls.”

  “It appears that the door hasn’t been opened in many years,” said Enchanter Jonas. “It could have been taken over by ghouls. They’re not intelligent enough to build.”

  “Not ghouls,” said Shaws. “Goblins eat their dead. No corpses for ghouls to feed on. Any other ideas?”

  After a moment of silence Wizard Seelain shrugged. “Other than a hermit or wilderness healer.”

  “The goblin patrol passed going south before I took the watch from Flank Hawk. If we’re going to investigate it, and if it is a hide hole.”

  “Wait,” I said, thinking about the goblin patrols in the area. “It could be an escape route from a fortress somewhere above.”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Still,” said Shaws, “that makes it even more urgent. If we’re sitting on a potential enemy anthill, we’d better find out sooner rather than later.”

  “Right,” said Wizard Seelain. “The infiltration squad may return tonight. It’d give us time to communicate our move to the alternate site, allowing them a chance to adjust their plans.”

  “Flank Hawk,” said Shaws, “stand ready. Wizard, over there.” He pointed behind the fallen pine. Then he pointed to a spot twenty feet to the right of the door. “Enchanter.”

  Enchanter Jonas drew his rapier and hurried to his spot. I looked over my shoulder at Wizard Seelain before standing between the pine saplings with spear ready.

  Shaws ran his dagger between the door and the stone frame, digging out moss and grit. Then he reached for the rusted ring set in the door’s left side. He nodded once to each of us, and pulled. It withstood Shaws’ first tug but not the second.

  In the doorway stood a zombie, with two more right behind. I charged, cursing myself for not salting my spear.

  “Wait!” ordered Shaws. He’d drawn his sword, and waved it in front of the motionless zombies. “Dormant.”

  I looked closer. The zombies appeared to be in good condition for animated corpses but their remnant clothing and armor were rotted tatters. Even the expected stench of decaying flesh didn’t emanate from them. I inhaled deeply. The all too familiar odor of death was there, barely.

  Shaws waved the enchanter over. “How far back can you see?”

  Wizard Seelain moved up to stand beside me while Enchanter Jonas mumbled an incantation. He stepped forward and peered in, then tried to look around the foremost zombies. “Lift me up,” he said.

  I stood next to the opening, ready to thrust my spear into any zombie that moved. Shaws lifted the enchanter so that he could see beyond the foremost zombies.

  “It appears to be a straight shaft. Slopes upward.” He paused. “I’d estimate seventy-five to eighty zombies in there.” He squinted and looked once more. “You can set me down.”

  The enchanter pinched his forehead just above his eyebrows. “I’m not an expert in necromancy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if every one was a souled zombie.”

  That surprised me. Every time I’d battled zombies, only a handful of souled zombies were sprinkled among the hundreds, except for in the panzers. Souled ones could think and respond without a necromancer’s direction.

  Shaws examined the foremost zombies one more time before closing the door. “I agree. Mundane zombies would’ve decayed to mummified skeletons by now.”

  “I know the captured soul works to maintain the animating magic,” said Wizard Seelain. “But you speak as if you know how long they’ve been here.”

  �
��The insignia on the uniform of the third zombie back,” Shaws explained. “The head of a long-fanged tiger. Worn by followers of the Rogue Duchess Andraim.”

  Wizard Seelain nodded. “She was defeated by the Order of the Sun-Fox at the Battle of Silver Valley.”

  “Routed,” said Shaws. “She and the remnants of her army perished during the siege of Tremont Keep well over a century ago.” Shaws frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’ve got a suspicion that concerns me greatly.”

  “What is it?” asked Seelain.

  “It may be nothing,” said Shaws, staring back at the door. “Flank Hawk, watch the road. Wizard and Enchanter, stay in camp. I’ll return no later than one hour after noon.”

  I wanted a further explanation but it wasn’t my place to question Shaws, and for some reason neither the enchanter nor Wizard Seelain did either. Shaws took a drink from his canteen before trotting south along the base of the hill.

  Shaws returned two hours later, tired and with a concerned look on his face. We sat in camp and waited for him to catch his breath.

  “I ranged south,” he finally said after taking a long drink from my canteen. “Found five other doors like the one you found, Flank Hawk. Except these were better concealed. And if I wasn’t looking I’d have missed them.” He shook his head. “How many remain fully buried is impossible to say.”

  “What does it mean,” I asked.

  “Well,” said Wizard Seelain, “it explains why the enemy established his panzer construction so far south, away from his stronghold.”

  “The unexpected coal and iron deposits found in this region definitely influenced the enemy’s decision,” said Enchanter Jonas. “Still, the fuels for the battlewagons aren’t found here.”

  “He’s been planning this a long time,” Shaws said to our huddled group. “I don’t know the answer about fuels. Many have questioned the wisdom in placing such a strategic city so far from his powerbase.”