Richard Tuttle - Army of the Dead

ValleyBreeze assured StarWind that the mages would strike a telling blow. The spymaster dropped the air tunnel and rolled back onto her stomach as another quake struck the ridge.

“I hope she hurries,” StarWind said as she saw that the Sakovan archers were being made useless by the constant quakes. “The enemy is probably already climbing the face of this ridge.”

“Then they will be having a hard time of it,” replied HawkShadow. “The earthquakes will hinder them more than they hinder our archers. You were right about not having a second chance at this,” he added. “Once we attack them, the Motangan mages will never group together again like they have today. They are not stupid.”

Moments later a brilliant flash emanated from further along the ridge. StarWind watched as a hundred light blades flew into the black swarm. The air instantly became a fine red mist as the Motangan mages were sliced into pieces. A second wave of light blades quickly followed the first. The quakes suddenly stopped as the surviving black-cloaked mages fought their way through the Motangan troops in an effort to get out of the killing zone. A third wave of light blades ripped into the soldiers near the previous killing zone in an attempt to slay the remaining mages.

StarWind leaped to her feet and moved back from the edge. She quickly wove an air tunnel to ValleyBreeze.

“Start on the Motangan troops,” StarWind ordered as HawkShadow rose and rallied the archers back to their positions. “Decimate the vanguard and keep it up until the Motangans turn and retreat.”

StarWind turned and watched as the Sakovan mages started to attack the red uniforms. LifeTender ran up to StarWind, panting from a fast run.

“General Romero’s position has been overrun,” reported LifeTender. “The Motangans are coming around the north end of the ridge.”

“Send SunChaser’s people to reinforce the position,” ordered StarWind. “See if you can find some mages who know the light blade spell. Have them help her out.”

“ValleyBreeze has all the good warrior mages,” answered LifeTender. “The rest are mostly healing mages.”

“Use any mage that can throw a light blade,” interjected HawkShadow. “As long as they don’t hit our own troops, we don’t care how proficient they are with the spell.”

LifeTender nodded and ran off. HawkShadow drew his sword and started to move away from StarWind.

“Where are you going?” asked the spymaster.

“I am going to help SunChaser,” answered HawkShadow. “We have a chance here for a great victory if we can force the Motangans to retreat, but Romero’s position must hold for that to be true.”

“Take StormSong with you,” nodded StarWind. “And Goral. They are much better warriors than archers.”

HawkShadow nodded and dashed across the ridge. He scrambled down the steep rocky path and was met by a grinning StormSong at the bottom.

“StarWind told me the plan,” grinned StormSong as she handed the reins of a choka to the assassin. “Goral will meet us on the way. He was on the north section of the ridge”

HawkShadow leaped onto the choka and raced northward with StormSong alongside him. They passed the mouth of the canyon and saw that only a few Motangan troops were trying to get through it. Moments later Goral raced towards them riding Bertha, his oversized choka. He was leading another choka behind him.

“What is the spare choka for?” asked StormSong.

“For SunChaser,” answered Goral. “I was above Romero’s position when he was overwhelmed. The only chance of stemming the tide at the north end of the ridge is to take out the officer leading the charge. The Motangan soldiers have attempted to retreat several times, but he keeps goading them onward. It will be up to us to get that officer. He has been keeping himself out of the battle and in a position that our archers cannot reach.”

StormSong nodded as the three Sakovan warriors rushed towards the conflict. Flashes of light in the distance let them know that the fight was near. The three warriors halted behind the line of archers where SunChaser was directing the battle.

“We can’t hold them,” announced SunChaser. “We keep killing them, but they keep charging. They have more soldiers than we have arrows.”

“Mount up,” ordered HawkShadow as he scanned the enemy lines looking for the officer.

“Near the base of the ridge,” Goral said as he watched the assassin’s eyes move over the enemy.

“What do you three have in mind?” asked SunChaser.

“We must turn this attack,” explained StormSong, “or we risk losing the entire battle. If these Motangans get past us, the ridge will be surrounded.”

“I thought we were supposed to break off the battle after we bloodied them?” frowned SunChaser.

“That was before we saw a chance to make them retreat in defeat,” replied HawkShadow. “All of the other fronts belong to us. This one must as well.”

“We need to kill that officer,” Goral pointed to the man leading the attack.

“We will never get near him,” frowned SunChaser. “He is out of range for our archers.”

“Then your people must open up a corridor for us,” retorted StormSong. “Let Romero handle it. Your skill will be useful in reaching the officer.”

“Romero is dead,” SunChaser replied as she waved LifeTender over. “LifeTender, I am placing you in charge. We need a corridor opened up to get to that officer. Can you do it?”

LifeTender followed SunChaser’s finger and saw the officer who was staying out of the thick of the battle. She frowned heavily and sighed, but she nodded.

“I will try,” replied the healing mage, “but it will be risky. We will have to move some of our forces forward, and that will harm our defense.”

“Do it,” replied StormSong. “If we don’t kill him, the battle is lost.”

LifeTender nodded and started sending orders through an air tunnel. A small group of Sakovans gathered in front of the chokas and began concentrating on the enemy between them and the officer. After a few minutes, a noticeable bulge in the enemy’s lines appeared. The small group moved forward a few paces and continued their assault. They repeated this procedure several times until they started taking fire from enemy groups alongside them.

“Now,” HawkShadow said to his partners.

The four chokas raced forward into the enemy’s bulge. HawkShadow led the way with the other three following in his wake. The assassin swung his blade from side to side as he sliced his way towards the officer. The choka’s sharp fore claws and beak tore into the Motangans who failed to yield to the attacking Sakovans

Goral urged Bertha forward until he was right behind HawkShadow. His long maul reached out to smash Motangans that were beyond HawkShadow’s reach. When the group reached the edge of the rise, StormSong and SunChaser moved off center to clear the Motangans away from the face of the cliff. The Sakovan archers on the ridge above the charging chokas saw what was happening. They directed their fire into the enemy around the chokas.

HawkShadow locked eyes for a moment with the officer who had been watching the charge. There was hatred evident in the man’s face, but there was also fear as he watched the Sakovans coming for him. He began to back away, pushing soldiers between the chokas and himself. Suddenly, SunChaser fell from her choka, an arrow lodged in her back. StormSong turned and saw some of the Motangans turning away from the front lines and pursuing the chokas.

“We have followers,” shouted StormSong. “SunChaser is down.”

Moments later, StormSong’s choka took an arrow to its neck. The warbird stumbled and fell, throwing StormSong to the ground. Her sword skittered away from her as she rolled into the base of the cliff, the wind knocked out of her lungs. HawkShadow slowed and let Goral pass him. He sheathed his sword and reached for several Sakovan stars as Goral’s maul continued clearing the way towards the officer. HawkShadow tossed one star at the officer, but a Motangan soldier unexpectedly stepped into its path. HawkShadow fisted another star, his eyes scanning the movements of the soldiers around the retreating officer. He waited patiently for an opening as Goral and he charged forward.