Richard Tuttle - Army of the Dead

“Who is riding the dragon?” asked Harmagan. “I thought only the king could ride one?”

“That is Emperor Marak of Khadora,” answered Rejji. “He is also known as the Torak.”

“And you let him ride your dragon?” asked Jaker. “How can he do it? You are supposed to be the only one.”

“Marak is a special man,” smiled Rejji. “Besides, it is not my place to allow anyone to ride a dragon. It is the dragon that allows it. The Torak is probably the most capable fighter in the world.”

“Is he the one who defeated the Jiadin in Khadora?” asked Niger.

“He is,” nodded Rejji.

“Then curse him,” spat Niger. “I hope he falls off.”

Rejji’s hands moved faster than he had ever felt them move before. His staff flew outward and pressed tightly against Niger’s throat, and the Astor’s eyes turned to ice as he glared at the Jiadin.

“I would sooner die myself than to see Marak fail,” spat Rejji. “You will apologize for your words.”

“I am sorry,” Niger uttered softly as his eyes filled with fear. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Don’t be harsh with Niger,” pleaded Harmagan. “He doesn’t understand, but I can explain it to him.”

Rejji withdrew his staff and, after a final glare at Niger, returned his attention to the battle in the sky.

“The fact that this Marak defeated the Jiadin in Khadora is a testament to his skills,” Harmagan said to Niger. “The Jiadin have always admired the skills of great warriors, and this Marak appears to be the greatest of all. I know men who were at the battle of Balomar. It was a tiny estate and should have been easy pickings, but Marak turned back twenty thousand of our men with a vastly inferior force. Do not wish him harm. If anything, I would love to meet him, and not on the battlefield, if you know what I mean.”

“I am sorry,” Niger repeated. “It was a dumb thing to say. I truly am sorry.”

“The dragon won!” shouted Jaker. “Hah, those demons don’t look so tough now.”

“It looked like a tough fight to me,” remarked Bakhai. “Myka’s wing is damaged. I would say that they were pretty evenly matched.”

“Then trouble is on the way,” pointed Harmagan. “Two more of the creatures are coming out to play.”

“Two?” gasped Rejji. “This is not good. How many of them are there, Scarab?”

“Six altogether,” answered the Khadoran spy. “I heard the other three are looking for Angragar, but they might even be back by now. I do not know for sure.”

“Marak has fallen!” shouted Wyant.

Everyone focused on the Emperor of Khadora as his body tumbled down and fell into the lake.

“Did he survive?” asked Rejji.

“I can’t tell from here,” answered Wyant, “but if he did, he has a long swim to shore. He went down somewhere near the middle of the lake.”

“What will he do?” Bakhai asked his brother.

“I am not sure,” answered Rejji. “I know he swims well. We spent some time swimming in the surf when he came to Ghala.”

“But the lake is surrounded by those creatures,” Harmagan pointed out. “He can’t go to shore, and he can’t swim forever.”

“Try reaching him with an air tunnel, Bakhai,” ordered the Astor.

The shaman spent several minutes probing the surface of the lake with an air tunnel, but he received no response.

“Look towards the woods south of the lake,” Jaker said urgently. “Something is going on down there.”

“Chokas,” remarked Bakhai. “Remember the warbirds we saw in Fardale? Those are Sakovan chokas. Nothing else looks like them.”

“They are making a run for the lake,” commented Harmagan. “They have guts, but they will never make it.”

“Why not?” asked Niger.

“Look at their column,” answered Harmagan. “There can’t be more than a thousand of them, fifteen hundred tops. There has to be thirty to fifty thousand skeletons between them and the lake, and what are they going to do when they get there? They are going to have to turn around and run away from the creatures. That is what they are going to have to do. They don’t stand a chance.”

“They are obviously trying to rescue Emperor Marak,” stated Wyant. “They must know that he is still alive. We must do something to help them.”

“Us?” balked Niger. “You can’t be serious? How do you kill something that is already dead? We’ll be cut to pieces.”

“You separate their heads from their bodies,” answered Bakhai. “At least that is what we have been told.”

“Easier said than done,” scowled Niger.

“Well,” Rejji smiled fatalistically, “I guess the Sakovans are tougher fighters than Fakarans, or at least some Fakarans.”

The three Jiadin frowned, but Rejji continued speaking.

“Wyant,” ordered the Astor, “I want you to join up with Yltar and the free tribes. They are to hold in position until ordered to move.”

“As you wish,” nodded Wyant. “Will you be here if we need direction?”

“No,” the Astor shook his head. “I will be at the south end of the lake providing cover for the Sakovans so they can retreat with Emperor Marak.”

“You can’t be serious?” balked Niger. “You will surely die.”

“We might,” shrugged Bakhai as he rode forward and halted alongside his brother, “but we will have died in glorious battle, not sitting in the sun baking to death like old women.”

Harmagan laughed so hard that he doubled over in his saddle. Jaker and Niger looked at their leader with puzzlement.

“What is so funny?” asked Jaker.

“I think Rejji already knew that the Jiadin would ride with him into battle,” chuckled Harmagan, “but his little brother’s words left no chance of our refusal. You are a wily one, Bakhai.”

Bakhai blushed slightly and Rejji grinned broadly.

“Jiadin,” shouted Harmagan, “prepare for battle.”

Tens of thousands of red-scarfed warriors shouted battle cries and raised their swords high. The outcast horsemen formed ranks and prepared to charge into the midst of the mass of skeleton creatures.

“Scarab,” Harmagan said softly to the Khadoran spy, “you keep close to Rejji and his brother. Let nothing harm them. I am counting on you.”

“Thank you,” smiled Harmagan’s supposed little brother.

Harmagan nodded and smiled as he raised his sword high.

“Jiadin,” he bellowed, “Charge!”

The plains of Vandegar rumbled as over a hundred thousand hooves slammed into the dust. Harmagan took the point and led his people towards the lake. Great billows of dust rose skyward as the Jiadin swept towards the skeletons. If the skeleton creatures had been capable of knowing fear, they would have fled immediately. Instead they turned to meet the stampeding horde of Jiadin.

Harmagan kept part of his attention on the progress that the Sakovans were making. When he saw that they had reached the south shore of the lake, he altered course so that the Jiadin would bisect the mass of skeletons between the lake and the forest. The move threw the skeletons off stride. Those that were preparing to meet the Jiadin charge suddenly had no opponents to fight, and those who were bearing down on the Sakovans had to turn and fight a new threat. The tactic could not have worked better.

* * *

The Torak reached up and grasped Goral’s hand. The giant easily lifted the Emperor clear of the lake and set him down on the ground.

“StarWind,” ordered Lyra, “find Marak a choka.”

StarWind dashed away, and Lyra approached Marak and wrapped her arms around him.

“I thought you had died,” Lyra said softly.

“Impossible,” grinned Marak, “I have not had a chance to fight yet. How are we getting out of here?”