“They look better,” Thayle said as she gazed into Lilly’s eyes. “And the swelling is gone.”
“Why does everybody go for my eyes?” Lilly asked as Thayle pulled at her cheek.
“It is one of your few weak points,” Gersius said.
“I wasn’t in my dragon form,” Lilly argued. “My whole body was a weak point.”
Gersius stood from the bed in their private space and ran his fingers through his hair.
“I suspect they didn’t want to kill you, only disable you.”
“Why?” Lilly asked.
“That was a well-laid trap. He tried to separate us at first when we refused; he changed plans.”
“I don't understand how he had such a trap when he had no idea we were coming,” Thayle said.
Gersius thought about the strange man from the day before. The man knew he couldn't lie in front of Thayle, so he skillfully manipulated them. Gersius realized the whole point of telling the history of the city was to keep them from asking questions. It was all a distraction technique that was skillfully executed by a master manipulator. It left many questions unanswered, most notably the one Thayle asked. How had the man had such a trap ready and waiting when he didn't know they were coming? How did he adapt that plan so quickly to deal with Lilly not being separated? Most importantly, how had he arranged for all the leaders they wanted to meet to be away so the plan could be executed? It could only mean he not only knew they were coming but that he knew days in advance.
Gersius did have a list of towns they wanted to visit, and he often shared those goals in the meetings. Not all the towns would be reached due to problems and delays. He left it to Lengwin and the others to rate them in a list from most to least important. Many of these towns were sent riders, but the riders never informed the towns that the dragon knights were coming. If the town responded well to the letters, they were often removed from the list to save time and effort.
Somehow this Illius knew they were coming, arranged for the local leadership to be away, and laid a careful trap with contingencies. This included a means to neutralize Lilly. He also turned out to be a priest of Youthan, the trickster god of luck and insight. Of all the prime divines, Youthan was the one most shrouded in mystery. Gersius knew little of the faith other than it was often favored by gamblers and fearless mercenaries. Men who lived their lives on luck and recklessness. It had no large temples anywhere he knew of.
Whatever the cause, he was going to have to report it at the meeting this morning. The whole camp was already on edge after a wailing Lilly crashed down in the field behind the tent. Looking through Thayle's eyes worked alright in the open skies, but it made landing extremely difficult. She hit the ground hard enough to leave a depression and shake the camp. Thayle ran to the kitchen wagons and tore them apart, looking for vinegar. Thankfully the vinegar worked, but it burned her eyes itself and had to be washed out with water.
Gersius called an emergency meeting with a few heads and explained what happened so they could deal with the rumors that were sure to begin spreading. He gave just enough details to make them understand and then went to check on Lilly. Now he needed to sit down with them and explain his worries in detail. They have suspected there was a spy in the camp for a long time. It was time to find out who it was, and deal with them.
“I think you're fine,” Thayle said, rousing him from his thoughts.
“They still feel sore,” Lilly said as she poked at her own eyes.
“That will pass in another day,” Thayle said with a smile.
Lilly folded her arms and looked at him with a frown.
“I want to train with the swords,” she said. “I don’t want to be stuck in a tunnel where I can’t change and be unable to defend myself again.”
“I am sorry this had to happen to change your mind,” Gersius said.
“I knew you were right when you explained it to me before,” Lilly said. “I just didn't want to admit it.”
“Thankfully, we already started,” Thayle said.
“Do you think you are well enough to train now?” he asked.
Lilly nodded quickly and shifted her feet.
“Then let us do some sparing before the acolytes arrive for prayers.”
The early morning was still dim, but the sky was clear, and it would soon be a bright day.
As they walked into the meeting tent, they encountered Mingfe coming to find to them.
“Is anything wrong?” Thayle asked as the woman came directly to her.
“I wanted to speak to you about the attack yesterday,” she said.
“What about it?”
“You said they used a pepper oil,” Mingfe asked to be certain.
“Yes,” Thayle replied.
“How do you know what pepper oil is?” Mingfe pressed.
Thayle shrugged. “Some of the mercenary groups of my homeland used it. Even our order has used it before to suppress angry mobs without killing.”
“Yes, but the forces that make the most use of it are the assassins,” Mingfe pointed out. “You said they wore dark armor. Did you take any time to search any of them?”
“No,” Gersius said, now very interested in the conversation. “Lilly's eyes were burning. I did not think to stop and take the time to check them.”
“Are you suggesting those were assassins?” Thayle asked.
“The men in the tunnel maybe,” Mingfe said. “They wore the armor and used their tactics. The men in the yard were probably regular city militia.”
“How do you know so much about the assassins?” Gersius asked.
Mingfe stood tall and squared her shoulders as she glared back at him.
“Because they originate in my homelands. They are often lead by a woman of deadly power known as a shadow dancer. They use any tactic or method needed to get the job done. All that matters to them is the contract and the pay.”
Gersius nodded as he considered her words. “Then, we have to assume the assassins are lying in wait.”
“We don’t know for sure they were assassins,” Thayle pointed out.
“We can’t afford to assume they were not,” Gersius replied. “We may need to start bringing guards with us when we fly.”
“We can’t carry enough to make a difference,” Thayle said. “The saddle will hold maybe four more men.”
“We will have to give up flying out,” he said. “Or refuse to enter the cities and force them to come and meet us on our terms.”
“I agree,” Mingfe said. “Do not meet them on their terms. Make them come to you where you have control of the ground.”
“Can we talk about all this later?” Lilly asked, annoyed. “I have to lead a prayer service in an hour.”
Mingfe looked confused, so Gersius filled her in.
“I am going to spar with her so she can learn to fight.”
“You should have started this weeks ago,” Mingfe insisted. “She would not have been taken by surprise in that tunnel.”
He smiled and shook his head. “I tried, she insisted the sword was only good to throw at me. You are welcome to stay and watch if you wish.”
“I will stay so I can correct your insistence on training them to fight like men.”
Gersius nodded again and went to the small rack by the tent wall with the training weapons. He handed Lilly her rapier and then stepped into an open area of the tent.
“Shall we begin?” he asked.
“I need another sword,” Lilly said as she pointed to the rack where her second sword hung.
“I want you to work with a single weapon for now.”
She shrugged and stood, facing him with determined eyes as she waved her sword gently.
“Now watch how I advance,” Gersius said.
“Is this one of the techniques you showed us the other night?” Thayle asked.
“No, this is more of a fencing style,” he replied, still smiling.
“Is that why you're making me use one sword?” Lilly asked.
“I want you to learn how to master one before you focus on two,” he said.
Lilly tightened her grip and glared directly at him. “Then, make your attack.”
Gersius gave her a smirk and then burst into motion, his sword cutting in. He wasn't attacking at full speed to allow Lilly a chance to read his motion and react. As he hoped, Lilly intercepted it and deflected it away. He quickly brought it back in, but Lilly caught it again and pushed it aside.
“You have greatly improved,” he said, pressing the attack only to be met time and again by a blocking blade.
“We have done this for hours nearly every day. I was bound to get better eventually,” she replied, stepping back to get out of his reach.
He let her have her gap and then stepped in their blades meeting in a ring of metal on metal. Thayle watched from the side with Mingfe, who scowled at the whole display muttering he still trained them like men.
He was impressed as Lilly began to meet attacks quicker. She was learning, and the attacks were becoming predictable. Just as he was about to congratulate her, she stepped to the side and thrust at him, forcing him back.
“What made you decide to do that?”
“It seemed like an opening to hit you back,” she replied with a shrug.
“It was an opening, one that is countered by marlet.”
“That's the style you keep showing us?” Lilly said.
“I have, but we have never practiced it.”
Lilly shrugged and threw her long hair over her shoulder. She liked to braid her hair to keep it out of her eyes, but she hadn’t thought of it this morning.
Her eyes met his as he considered what to do next. He smiled as he decided to see just how much she had learned. He turned sideways and set his feet, preparing to attack.
“You want to know if you’re right about what?” Lilly asked as she read his thoughts.
“No cheating,” he said with a smile.
He moved in going much lower than before. His blade swept at her legs even as his whole body twisted downward. He was pleased when she danced over the sweep and dashed behind him with a cut at his back. He caught the blow with a rapid swipe over his shoulder and then twisted about. His momentum carried into her swing and drove her back. She stepped aside to let his sword swing wide and then tried to follow it with another rapid thrust. He could see the surprise on her face when he stepped into her thrust. He tapped the blade, so it missed him by an inch, but her body met his shoulder in a firm slam.
She was staggered from the sudden blow but kept her feet. He could feel anger from her over the bind as she came running back in. He gave her a swipe, but she deflected it and repaid the slam with one of her own pushing him back.
“Was that necessary?” Thayle called from the side.
“Were you paying attention to what just happened?” he replied.
“Yes, you just injured your wife. I felt her pain across the bind,” Thayle said in a scolding tone.
Gersius chuckled. “No, I mean, did you see her avoid the first attack. I have not shown her how to do that yet. I switched fighting styles on her, and she responded with the counters for that style.”
“So, what does that mean?” Thayle questioned.
“Watch, and tell me if you notice anything,” he said before finally turning back to Lilly.
He locked eyes with Lilly as she rubbed her shoulder where they collided. He lowered his blade to face her and made a couple of quickly spiraling motions with his hand. He moved in, but this time his blade danced rapidly before her.
Lilly batted them away, turning her body to the side and extending her arm. He smiled as she wisely chose to turn her body to the side and limit what he could target. She tried to put the reach of her arm to work but was clumsy with her efforts and slow on the attack. Still, she succeeded in forcing him to work harder and make longer, more vulnerable thrusts.
He smiled and switched again, leaping up and batting her sword down. She had to turn and put her legs under herself and both hands on her sword to match the sudden switch from quick snapping thrusts to powerful blows.
He tried to tangle her arms, but she wheeled away, keeping her blade up and blocking blow after blow. When an opening appeared, she swung back, forcing him to block a few of her own.
He smiled and shook his head, finally letting his sword drop in defeat.
“It has to be true then,” he said.
“What is true?” Lilly asked, unsure if the lesson is over.
“Lilly, I have not shown you any of those moves, yet you know how to deflect them. You even know where some of the openings to counter attack are.”
“I just did what felt proper,” she said.
“It was the proper way. It was exactly how I would have done it.”
“What are you getting at?” Thayle called from the side.
He shook his head again and turned to face Thayle. “It has to be the bind again. My showing you the moves over the link is helping. She is learning how to fight at an alarming rate.”
Thayle raised her head back in shock. “I know we talked about it, but do you really think it’s working?”
“She is fighting well above her ability; you probably are too,” he replied.
Thayle looked distant as her eyes darted around. “I don’t feel any different.”
“Here,” Gersius said, throwing the practice sword to Thayle. “You try and hit her.”
“Me?” Thayle said, catching the sword and looking up at Lilly.
“Just try and get to her,” he said. “But don’t use anything that is very quick.”
“Because you're pacing your attacks so she can see them coming,” she said in understanding.
“She hasn’t learned to respond without thinking,” he replied. “But she is responding correctly.”
Thayle nodded and stepped up to face Lilly. Both women were in dresses and held their swords out before Thayle struck with a simple series of cuts. Lilly was slow, but she countered them all correctly.
Gersius stood beside Mingfe, who scowled at the display with a frown.
“They are both improving far quicker than they should,” he said.
“They both fight like men, you hamper them by teaching them to fight with strength,” Mingfe argued.
Gersius nodded and pointed at Lilly. “See how Lilly holds her sword with both hands and swings it around as she turns?”
“I see her stepping as a man does.”
“She is stepping that way because she knows she needs the leverage of her legs.”
“And how will she do that when she fights with a sword in each hand?” Mingfe asked.
Gersius shrugged, he would figure that out when the time came. If needs be, Lilly could utilize blocks by crossing her swords. He jerked up with sudden amazement as Lilly and Thayle tangled swords in arms in a complicated maneuver to disarm one another. This, too, he hadn't shown either of them yet.
“They are fighting exceptionally well,” Mingfe conceded.
“They are learning my techniques across the link we share.”
“Pah! I will learn nothing from Shadros. He has spent much of his life asleep.”
“Give it time. Now that you have his bind, you should be able to start drawing on his strength. He will learn things from you just as you learn them from him.”
“Thankfully, he won't be teaching me to fight like a man does with his upper strength.”
“Unless you want to join our bind so we can learn your fighting style, I suggest you allow them to learn mine.”
Mingfe laughed at him. “You are a worthy husband, but your heart is not ready for three.”
Metal rang against metal loudly as the two women pressed one another desperate to land the first hit.
“Shadros would probably be unhappy about it,” Gersius added.
“Unhappy at what?” Mingfe asked.
“Me stealing you away from him.”
Mingfe looked at Gersius nd let another laugh slip. “I cannot be stolen away. I am his shopha.”
“Shopha?” Gersius repeated unfamiliar with the term.
“It means I am committed to him. I would not betray that trust unless we agreed to end it.”
“You're his girlfriend, then?” Gersius said with a smile.
Mingfe nodded her head. “I have given him a vow that I will seek his heart and offer him mine. He acted as if he did not care, but his aura says otherwise.”
Gersius winced as Lilly practically tripped Thayle in an effort to throw her off guard, but Thayle rolled away, kicking Lilly's leg out from under her leaving both women lying on the ground.
“I think that will be enough,” Gersius said, walking toward them.
“No, I want to tame that arrogant dragon,” Thayle said.
“Maybe I will tame you instead,” Lilly replied as she got up.
“I think you two should remember your both ladies and not girls,” Gersius said.
“They are worse than girls!” Mingfe barked from the side.
Gersius smiled at her words and looked from panting woman to panting woman. Both of them had dirt on their faces and clothes. Thayle had a lock of hair over her face she kept trying to brush away, and Lilly's hair was tangled over her shoulders.
“I think we are right about our theory,” he said.
The two women exchanged looks, and Thayle shook her head again.
“If only we had explored this sooner. It would have saved so much time.”
“It is saving time now,” Gersius said. “You are both progressing greatly.”
“So, I can fight at your skill?” Lilly asked.
“I don't think you are exactly at my skill. You are making the moves, but your timing is a little off. You are still thinking about what to do next. You need the practice to train your body to do without thinking.
“This bind really is amazing,” Thayle said.
“Do not let this bind make you overconfident,” Mingfe insisted. “Your husband is right, you know it in your head, now you must teach it to your body.”
Thayle nodded and looked at Lilly. “So, what do you think?”
“I don't know. I saw what you were doing, and I knew what the proper counter was,” Lilly had to admit.
“That's what we're talking about. You recognize the style of combat I am using, and know how to defend against it,” Thayle said. “But he's right; we're a little slow.”
“You're both slower than a donkey in the mud,” Mingfe replied
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Gersius smiled at the remark as Thayle frowned over it.
“You were only slow because I asked you to go slower.”
“I appreciate that, but she is right. Whenever I tried to use anything you showed us, I was just as slow as Lilly.”
Gersius took her hands and rubbed them. “You know the moves. You just need to practice them. In a year's time, you and Lilly will likely be as good as I am or better.”
“It’s too bad we can’t bind the acolytes so they can learn it too,” Lilly said.
“I don't think it would work for them. It is the love we have that is a big part of this sharing,” Gersius pointed out.
“I agree,” Thayle said. “I think this is why I was making no progress with Shadros. Hopefully, Mingfe will have better luck with him.”
“Did she tell you she made a vow to be his?” Gersius said in a lowered voice.
Thayle stood tall, and her eyes went wide with shock. “No, she did not!”
Lilly smiled a crooked smile and looked over at Mingfe, who scowled at them all.
“Why do you look at me like that?” the dark-skinned woman barked.
“You made a vow to love Shadros?” Lilly asked, walking toward the woman.
Mingfe stood defiant and proud, but there was a noticeable twitch in her left eyebrow.
“I told him I would seek his heart,” she replied.
Lilly smiled at her as she closed in on the woman. “What did he say?”
“He said he didn’t care, but his aura showed he was curious,” she replied.
Lilly knew it was true then. He was free of his curse and in the awkward part of his growth. His feelings would be running wild, and he would have no idea what to do with them.
“I am so happy for you both,” Lilly said, still smiling.
“Why didn't you tell me sooner?” Thayle asked, joining Lilly's side.
“What was there to tell?” Mingfe said defensively. “I made a vow to him. I do not see why the whole camp needs to know.”
Thayle put her hands to her hips and cocked her head to glare at the woman. “You made a vow of love to the dragon who hates people. You didn’t think I would want to know that?”
“It is between him and I,” Mingfe replied.
“Has he bound you yet?” Lilly asked.
Mingfe shook visibly for a second and then quickly regained her composure.
“I do not see the need to be bound to him.”
Lilly smiled and glanced over at Thayle as they all read the aura around the lying woman.
“Pah! My aura betrays me, I know, but he has not asked me to be bound to him.”
It was the truth, but Lilly wasn't done prying. “If he does ask you, will you accept?”
Mingfe froze and, for a long moment, was unable to speak. “If, if he asks, I could. I mean If he asked I...”
Thayle began to laugh as the strong woman began to trip over her own words.
“Do not feel ashamed to have fears about letting him bind you,” Gersius said to give the woman a reprieve.
Mingfe's face went hard as stone, and she scowled.
“If he asks me properly, I will accept,” she finally said defiantly, but her hands shook slightly.
“I told Gersius I wanted to be bound to him,” Lilly said.
Mingfe looked at her with a stern gaze. “I am not a dragon!”
Lilly giggled at the evident discomfort the woman was displaying. “You don't have to be a dragon to tell him what you feel.”
“If anything, it should make it easier to tell him,” Thayle added.
Mingfe shook from head to toe with a look of stone on her proud face. “If he asks me properly, I will accept!” she spat back and turned away from them all and walked out of the tent.
They watched her go with amused smiles.
“And I thought Shadros was going to be the hardest one to reach,” Thayle said.
“Why does it seem like you priestesses of Ulustrah guard your hearts more fiercely than dragons?” Lilly asked.
Thayle shook her head. “You learn to seal off your feelings when you are dealing with other's pain. You can't let any of it get to close to your own heart, or you get swept up in it.”
Lilly and Gersius regarded her with glances and smiles.
Thayle understood what the glances meant. She had allowed both of them to get into her heart and carry her away.
“You two made it impossible for me not to get swept up in you. You both came right out and told me to love you.”
“I did a little more than tell you,” Lilly teased, nudging her with a hip.
Thayle looked down, struggling to hide her smile. “Yes, you stalked me, cornered me, and when I showed weakness, you pounced on me.”
Gersius took the swords and put them away as Lilly began to feel relaxed for the first time since yesterday. She walked up to Thayle and wrapped her in an embrace, pulling her close.
“I love it when I can feel your love across the bind,” She said, holding Thayle tight.
“You didn’t leave me any choice but to love you. I am so grateful you never gave up trying to make me show it.”
“Ha! Lilly snorted. I just wanted to pay you back for how uncomfortable you were making me with Gersius all those days.”
Warm arms wrapped around them as Gersius pulled them both to him. “You two are the two halves of my heart.” He took a moment to share in the love they were radiating and let it fill him. His mind wandered away as he dreamed of the valley and the house he would one day build.
Lilly closed her eyes and relished the embrace and the images she saw in Gersius's mind. To think how long she lived her life, believing her human form was a curse. Now she spent most of her time in human form relishing the feelings of touch that it granted. With this form, she could feel so much more of the world. So many simple things brought her pleasure now. The kiss of the wind, to the warm embrace of her lovers, were hers to enjoy.
Even conversing with humans brought her pleasure now. For so long, the only social contact she sought was her mother, and then only once every hundred years. Now she hated to be alone and craved the company of humans. She loved the affection Gersius and Thayle gave her, and she loved the adoration her acolytes showered on her.
A horn blared someplace in the camp, causing Gersius to release the embrace. She opened her eyes and was reminded that they were not alone in some remote forest. They were in a war camp marching to a bloody battle that was certain to test them. ‘Steal your moments of happiness where you can get them,’ Thayle had told her.
“Was that an alarm?” Thayle said, lifting her head as the horn blared again in three rapid notes.
“It is a call to arms!” Gersius said while running from the tent.
Lilly and Thayle rushed after him, and the camp outside was an explosion of people running to one side.
“Lengwin!” Gersius yelled out as he saw the man hastily pointing others to the east.
“Gersius, thank Astikar, you didn't fly out this morning,” Lengwin said with a panicked look to his eyes.
“What is wrong?” Gersius demanded to know.
“Look to the east! The Father Abbot is not going to wait for you to come to him.”
Gersius turned and looked out over the hills to the east and saw walls of men coming over the crest.
“Why did our scouts not alert us before they reached the camp?” Gersius said more to himself than Lengwin.
“Our scouts never reported back in,” Lengwin replied, wiping a hand across the top of his head.
Lilly arrived to hear the conversation and looked to the east to see the walls of men forming against them. They looked like a collection of colors and armors. They were dressed in a dozen different styles and colors. There were men with large round shields with a red band across them, and then there were men with no shields, but they held extremely long spears. Some were on horses, others on foot. Some had helmets, and some did not.
“Why are they all so different?” Lilly asked.
“They are a collection of local militias and irregular forces,” Gersius replied. “The Father Abbot has probably been stripping every town between here and Calathen of its guard to march them against us.”
“There must be twenty different heraldries out there,” Thayle said.
“At least twenty,” Gersius replied.
Even as they spoke, the priests of Astikar began forming a line of linked shields. Behind them, the priests and priestesses of Ulustrah were lining up quickly under Mingfe's guidance. The mercenaries and volunteers were split into two packs to either side, forming mixed units of skirmishers just as Gersius had directed them to in training.
“We need to get into our armor,” Gersius said, turning to Thayle and motioning to the tent before running off.
Lilly watched them go and turned back to look at Lengwin.
“Why is this Father Abbot so evil?”
He frowned his short brown beard that ringed his mouth, emphasizing the expression.
“I have no idea what turned his heart, and I have no idea why none of the other leaders have made a move to dispose of him. But I do know this. He will not win here today because Astikar and Ulustrah are with us.”
“Why are you not changed?” bellowed a loud voice as a gust of air battered them from above.
Lilly looked up to see the long sleek form of the black dragon, fly overhead.
“I need to go change,” Lilly said, turning back to look at Lengwin.
“Of course, my Lady,” he replied, bowing slightly.
Lilly flew over the camp; her rage slowly beginning to build again. She saw Gersius and Thayle running up to the lines in their silver armor. Shadros was already on the ground standing behind the lines of assembled priests and priestesses. She landed to his right and dropped to all fours. She looked out across the landscape to see the forces arrayed against them. Lilly couldn't count them like Gersius could, but she was pretty sure there were many more of them.
“Few of them are priests,” Thayle commented as they both stepped in front of the assembled men.
“That will count for little if they overwhelm us with numbers,” Gersius replied.
“We have far more priests and priestesses, and we have two dragons,” Thayle reminded him.
“We will do little healing if they control the battlefield. I needed an earlier warning.”
“Maybe seeing two dragons will frighten them off,” Lilly said.
A horn blared, and the men across from them let out a resounding shout.
“I don't think it will,” Thayle said, drawing her sword.
“No, it will not,” Gersius agreed.
Thayle turned and called out to Mingfe. “As Gersius has shown you, work with the priests of Astikar and keep the small groups with the skirmishers! Break the charge and then reinforce the lines.”
Mingfe nodded and turned, walking down the row of Green armored soldiers under her command barking orders.
“Gersius,” Lengwin called as he ran up with Kilgian at his side,” What do we do with the camp and non-combatants?”
“Abadon the camp, and pull all the acolytes and aids into the center,” Gersius said. “We can’t afford them to the outside the ring if we get surrounded.”
“We should not be fighting a battle at our very doorstep,” Kilgian snarled.
“This is where the battle found us,” Gersius said. “Now, move and get them packed as tightly as you can.”
Kilgian growled and ran back to assemble the cooks and staff as well as the acolytes.
Gersius turned to the captains of Astikar, who had gathered behind him. “Watch the flanks and turn in if they try to go around you. Use the priestesses of Ulustrah to heal until they run out of power, then press them into the lines. Captain Volder, I want your pikemen to follow the center. If it falters, we will split, and you will charge.”
“It will be done, my Lord Dragon Knight,” the captains replied said with salutes.
He watched only a moment as the men ran down the lines to take charge of their forces. His center was where his heavy infantry was.
Another horn and a deafening cry of voices shouting death to the betrayer and his fallen army echoed across the open fields and then as one they charged.
Gersius and Thayle stepped behind the wall of shields and spears that made up the lines of Astikar. Men tensed and planted their legs to meet the forces now racing down on them. Gersius looked up and down the line. To form an effective shield wall, his lines needed to be at least three men deep. His were only two men deep. When the tide of bodies slammed into the front lines, the sheer weight of the press would force his men back. They would call on strength to hold their ground, but it was clear they were easily outnumbered. It was the priestesses of Ulustrah who were going to make all the difference. They stood in five ranks all down the line and would have to carry the bulk of the fighting.
“Lilly, Shadros, get into the air, and disrupt their lines. Stay above them and use your breaths for as long as you can,” he said to the two dragons.
The dragons nodded and took to the sky as the wall of shouting men rushed down on them.
Gersius stood tall and looked to Thayle, who had a face of stone.
“When they cross inside thirty paces,” he said to her.
Thayle nodded and waited a few more seconds. She turned and dipped into the dragon voice to cry “Now!” as the tide of screaming men bore down on them.
All up and down the line, the chants of Ulustrah went up. A wall of green light formed in front of the priests of Astikar, creating a thin magical barrier.
Charging men slammed into the wall and stopped dead as the men behind them slammed into them, pilling up in a mass of trapped forms.
“Release!” Thayle yelled. The wall disappeared, and men fell forward in a heap just as the spears of Astikar rushed in to meet them. The screaming that filled the air was chilling as men began to die.
“Hammers free!” Gersius shouted, and orange lights raced out as well. They were answered by hammers racing back in revealing the presence of priests in the enemy ranks. Green shields went up in an effort to intercept any thrown weapons. Some were successful others were not.
“They are foolishly trying to break our center!” Gersius yelled.
“Why is that foolish?” Thayle yelled back.
“They have superior numbers. They should have tried to envelop us!”
“How badly outnumbered are we?” Thayle asked.
“Two or three to one,” Gersius said. “Assuming this is their entire force.”
A great roaring noise filled the air as Shadros racked a line with ice. He pressed a wall of men back, thinning their lines before the priests of Astikar. He was quickly followed by Lilly, who scattered a second line. Hammers chased both dragons into the sky. The hammers were joined by arrows fired by packs of men in the rear. Gersius groaned as stray arrows began to fall in his lines causing wounds.
Despite discipline training and tactics, men began to fall. When they did, a priestess would attempt to drag them back while another plugged the hole. When enough of his men were injured, and his line began to thin, he turned to the wall of pikemen behind him.
Lilly and Shadros continued to dive and blast any large groups, but hammers and arrows were starting to meet them. He could feel the pain and annoyance over the bind from Lilly and was sure Shadros was faring no better.
“Captain Volder,” Gersius said with dire eyes. “Press the center.”
The man saluted with a saber and turned to his men with a shout of “Set pikes!”
Gersius tapped Thayle and pull her aside and issued the orders to the ranks before him.
“Center divide!”
The thin line of men parted, allowing the enemy to spill in just as a wall of pikes race in to meet them, impaling them on the long spears. The men who parted spread out down the already dangerously thin lines giving them some extra strength as the pikes managed to push the center back out.
Lilly saw the chaos and the screaming below. Her first large battle, and she suddenly felt anger and terror all at once. At one point in her life, she didn't care for humans. Her inner voice even now told her they could all die, and it would mean nothing, but she had grown to see the nobility of them and experienced their kindness and generosity. Her heart felt nothing but pity when she swooped down and blasted a line of ice across them. She hated what she was doing, but at the same time, a part of her nature relished it.
They had packs of archers behind the walls who were focused only on her and Shadros. Most of the arrows bounced off her hide, but a dozen were stuck in the leather of her wings.
As she circled above to prepare for a dive, she saw the battle from a higher perspective. It was obvious how badly outnumbered they were, and from where she flew, she could see there were more men over the hill. Shadros flew high from a dive dripping blood from the arrows in his wings.
“This is madness!” he roared. “We should flee!”
“I am not leaving my lovers!” Lilly cried as she tried to pick out another target where her breath could be used safely.
As they circled, the men on the hill began to push wooden machines on wheels over the crest.
“What are those?” Shadros asked a moment before a large spear of wood as wide around as his arm went through Lilly’s wing.
Thayle felt the sudden surge of pain and anger from Lilly and turned to see her weaving through the sky as large spears raced past her.
“Gersius, they have war machines!” Thayle cried out.
Gersius glanced up to see Lilly and Shadros dancing in the sky. A huge mast of a spear raced up from someplace behind the hill, and she twisted in pain as it sank into her thigh. Five more went harmlessly by, but another clipped Shadros down the side but didn't bite home.
“Lilly, you and Shadros get to the ground now!” he shouted over the mental link.
“Gersius, there are many more men over the hill!” Lilly shouted back.
“What men?” he asked as Lilly struggled to come down gracefully.
“I don't know; they are all on horses,” she replied.
“Horses?” Gersius thought out loud as he struggled to hold the line. The words hit him with tremendous impact. This was why they were pressing the center. They needed him to commit the pikemen so they couldn't be used to break a cavalry charge. Now that they were engaged, the horses could sweep down and ride around his flanks. He felt another shock of pain as Lilly came crashing to the ground behind them a second spear in her right shoulder.
“Aaaarhhh!” Lilly yelled as the blood poured from her wounds.
“Kilgian put the acolytes to healing her!” Gersius yelled and pointed to Lilly.
The young in the faith of both Balish and Ulustrah came rushing forward from the rear to lend what little healing they could muster to Lilly.
“We have to get those spears out first!” Thayle yelled, coming to his side as more priests of Astikar began to fall.
“This is a trap, Thayle. The ballista are to keep the dragons grounded. When they have pressed us enough, the cavalry will charge over and sweep in from behind!”
“Gersius, the spears, we have to pull them out!” Thayle yelled at him again, ignoring what he had just said.
Gersius nodded and cut down a man who ran at them. He had no choice but to take a formation for encirclement.
“Hedgehogs!” he yelled out. “Tighten them around the center, prepare to be attacked from the rear!”
The lines shifted and began to form tight bricks of men. Men with shields formed the outer walls with the pikemen reaching over them. The centers were packed with the priestesses of Ulustrah using what power they had to help or to plug holes as they formed. They moved close together and created a staggered wall of bricks around the dragons as the attacking men began to encircle them.
Gersius turned to see Lilly bellowing in pain as eight people worked to try and pull a spear free of her shoulder. Shadros blasted a wall of men with ice and was struck with a hammer to the side of his head.
“Shardos!” Gersius called.
Shadros looked down on him with a maddened look in his blazing blue eyes.
“I need you to pull those spears out of Lilly!”
Shadros looked up and saw the scene and nodded his head. He moved with an almost graceful stride and arrived beside Lilly as the acolytes scattered.
“This is going to hurt!” he said as he grabbed the one in her thigh.
“Just get them out!” Lilly roared back.
Shadros grabbed the shaft of the spear and yanked, tearing it free and producing a roaring wail from Lilly as flesh tore free with it. He looked a the gory head of the weapon in shock. It was covered in metal spikes the pointed backward so that they would bite the skin if pulled. Blood now poured from the terrible wound it left.
“I cannot pull the other one out; it will be hooked as well,” he said, throwing the wicked spear down.
Lilly was crying with pain, and she thrashed from it. “Pull it out!” she roared.
He shook as he grabbed hold of the second shaft and closed his eyes as he pulled hearing the tearing flesh and the pained wail it produced. When the shaft came free, he turned and threw it into the men attacking them.
Lilly sobbed in pain, and blood flowed everywhere. Her arm hung uselessly from its socket, and her leg twitched in uncontrolled spasms. All around her, acolytes came to her aid, lending their healing, and golden light began to crawl over her wounds.
“Shadros!” Gersius yelled back. “They will take it from there. The wall behind you is collapsing; you must help them!”
“We need to flee this place!” he roared back at Gersius.
“You need to reinforce that wall!” Gersius said in a demanding tone.
Shadros turned and ran for the brick of men that was already below half strength. The priestesses of Ulustrah were now fighting with swords and spears trying to fill the holes left by the dying priests of Astikar.
Gersius surveyed the battle as he fought beside his men. They were still greatly outnumbered. The enemy hadn't committed his full force yet, and Lilly was terribly wounded. He knew she would be healed, but there were many more that needed healing, and the acolytes were not strong enough to keep up. The women of Ulustrah were overtaxed, and many were fighting instead of healing. As his heart began to sink, the very gods decided to mock him with a roll of thunder. He looked up and shook his head.
“Please, Astikar, do not allow this.”
The sky began to twist a red color, and a flash of flame appeared. Somewhere a powerful priest of Astikar was calling down a pillar of fire right on top of his center. His formations would break, and it would kill the wounded, the acolytes, and most likely, Lilly.
It was then he saw Thayle running to the center with Mingfe and three of her priestesses.
“Hurry channel!” Thayle cried as she turned to face Lilly, who was struggling to get back to her feet.
“Lilly, I need your strength!” Thayle cried out.
“Take whatever you need, my love,” Lilly sobbed as she struggled to stand.
The women formed a star pattern as they combined their strength into one blessing. Thayle joined the channel pulling on Lilly for power and magnifying the effect. A luminous green light burst overhead of them and formed a massive shield of blazing energy even as the pillar of fire suddenly raced down.
Lilly cried out, and Gersius stood in awe as the aura sight showed the flow of energy. It poured out of Lilly in a torrent and flooded Thayle as she then poured it into the shield. The women assisting her made the shield much larger and lifted it high to protect the army.
A thunderous boom was heard, and the sky went white with light as the flame hit the shield above them. The fire roared as the two channels struggled to break one another.
With a sudden flash, it ceased, and the four women holding the ward up staggered to the ground.
Lilly collapsed with them, and Gersius could feel a profound sense of exhaustion. Thayle had drawn heavily from Lilly's strength, and Lilly would need time to recover. The time he feared they did not have.
He looked around as the walls were being pressed further. The entire force was now dangerously close to breaking and being cut to ribbons. Then he saw Lengwin running up to him.
“Gersius, more soldiers are coming from behind!” he yelled in a panic.
Gersius looked, and coming up the road were at least thirty men in flat gray plate armor. They wore strange helmets that flared out at the sides. Each had a mask that completely covered the face with a second face of metal. Behind them was another fifty or more men with shaved heads and wearing blue robes. These marched in three long rows with heads bowed and hands folded as if praying.
He wondered briefly if they were weavers and quickly turned to run to Thayle.
“Get up!” he barked, pulling Thayle to her feet. “There is a second force coming in behind us.”
“By Ulustrah, no!” Thayle groaned as she struggled to remain standing. She looked over the lines of battle to see the men approaching. They spread into three ranks of twelve and raised a single great sword, so the points stood skyward. She was about to cry to realize this was the end when she finally noticed the masks.
“Gersius, we are saved!” Thayle cried, using him for support.
He shook his head at her, unaware of where the salvation was coming from.
“That’s the gray legion, the warriors of Vellis!”
“Vellis?” Gersius replied in shock.
With a cry that sounded like a plea for forgiveness, the men lowered their swords. They charged down the road throwing themselves into the backs of the encircling force.
“We need to open a hole to get those men in here!” Thayle yelled, struggling to move to the back wall and help.
Gersius followed her and charged in throwing his dragon strength into the fight, but being careful not to draw from Lilly. He saw Thayle struggle to keep her feet and attempt to lend aid, but it was clear she was in no shape to continue.
“Thayle get back, you are not ready to return to battle!” he yelled as he cut into a man in a green sash.
“We need to get those men inside!” Thayle wheezed.
“I will get them in, go see to Lilly!” Gersius yelled out.
He watched her disengage, and a soldier of Astikar quickly took her place, giving her a gap to withdraw.
He pressed into the fight cutting his way through the militia in his path. He used his blessings to the best effect he could, tearing men with dragons claws, and battering shields down with might. Shadros arrived at his side with Mingfe and a dozen women of Ulustrah to help. At last, a tiny gap opened, and the first of the gray masked men was able to step in and begin to widen it. He could see the mask clearly now. It had sad, angled eyes and a small emotionless mouth. A single tear was engraved under each eye invoking a sense of discomfort.
Gersius pushed to widen the gap, and soon more of the masked men pressed in. They helped push until at last there was an opening nearly five men wide. Suddenly the men in blue cloth began to run through the gap into the circle. They ran toward the center of the yard to the wounded and the dying.
Thayle leaned over a priest of Astikar whose leg was shattered and had a nasty wound in his stomach. She tried desperately to heal him, but without being able to draw on Lilly she could do little to save him.
A man in blue robes knelt beside her and put his hands to the priest's chest. A song like the chant of birds on a summer morning came to his lips, and a golden light shown around his hands. The blood on the wounded man's stomach stopped flowing, and his leg jerked and straightened of its own accord causing the man to grunt, but in moments it was healthy and whole again.
“Are you hurt?” the man asked, turning to her with concerned eyes.
“No,” Thayle breathed in relief. “I am just exhausted from channeling.”
“Here, take my blessing,” the priest said and placed a hand over hers. He called out a quick little chant and closed his eyes. She felt a sudden rush of strength in her limbs as the weariness fled her.
The priest climbed to his feet and began to search for a weapon and rejoin the battle
Thayle looked around as men in blue knelt over the wounded and channeled the power of the prime healer. With ease, they began restoring strength and health to the broken and dying. Now it didn’t matter what the numbers against them were. They had an army of the best healers in the land, and they would be terribly hard to kill now.
“The dragon is hurt?” the man asked Thayle, bringing her back to the moment.
“Oh, Lilly!” Thayle called out, running to her side.
Lilly lay motionless on the ground breathing slowly.
“Lilly, I am so sorry!” Thayle cried, coming to her head.
Lilly opened her eyes and regarded Thayle. “It is alright, my love, you saved us.”
“I took to much power, I have crippled you.”
Lilly struggled to lift her head. “I feel so weak, and all of my limbs hurt.”
“Come!” The priest in blue yelled to several of his comrades, drawing them to Lilly. “She requires a blessing of spirit,” the man said as the others gathered around.
“She is much bigger than a man,” a thin priest said as he arrived.
“You must combine your blessing; give her your strength.”
They nodded and placed hands to her side. The same short, whistling chant went up, and for a brief moment, a blue ring of light shone around Lilly, then they stepped back.
Lilly lifted her head and got back on her arms and legs.
“Whatever these men did, I feel fine now,” Lilly said, looking down on them all.
“There is no time to explain. We have the advantage now; we must press it!” Thayle yelled.
Lilly looked to see Shadros in the front line using his claws and teeth to tear into men. He had quite a few gashes in his hide, and at least one spear stuck out of his flank.
Lilly shook out her wings and ran for the nearest line roaring for effect. The men before her parted and let her plow into those beyond as she blasted them with ice.
Horn calls went up around them, and the forces pressing them began to falter.
The enemy forces began to fall away is disarray as the soldiers of the dragon knight swelled. More and more of the wounded were healed and returned to the fight renewing the ranks. Gersius felt his heart soaring as the miracle unfolded around him. While he was grateful for the rescue, he was angry that he had been caught unaware. He would have to talk to Lengwin about the scouts and how long had he known they had not reported in.
The masked men in gray were fighting bravely, trusting in their armor to protect them, and making no effort to defend. They were taking wounds that were quickly recovered, be a healer behind them. They never wavered and, with ruthless efficiency, broke the back of the encircling forces.
Horns blared out a quick series of five notes that Gersius knew was a retreat. He needed to peruse the shattered force, but he decided the priests of Vellis offered him a new options one he needed to dare to take.
“Stand down, let them go!” Gersius shouted out in the dual voice to make sure he was heard across the battlefield. It was echoed by captains up and down the lines alerting the army to let the retreating forces go. He quickly raced to Thayle and Lilly. “I have an idea, and I need your help. We must find all the wounded and restore them, ours and theirs.”
“Theirs?” Lilly balked a fresh wound on her face. “Why not end them now?”
Gersius was taken aback by the uncharacteristically hostile response, and the flare of anger he felt over the bind.
“These men are fighting for a lie. If we show them great mercy, we may win some of them over,” he replied.
Thayle considered the idea a moment and then closed her eyes and nodded her agreement.
“It is the merciful thing to do, at least.”
“Mercy?” Lilly mocked them both. “Do you think any of these men would have shown us mercy?”
“This is a war of hearts and minds, Lilly. We cannot afford to let our hearts go hard. We must show these people we are not the enemies they think we are,” he reassured her.
Lilly heard what he was saying, but her anger clouded her senses. She spent the last night in agony with burning eyes, and now she was hurting from their arrows and their swords. Why should she suffer for these rodents?
She looked around as the two armies parted. Hundreds lay on the ground. Many of them still moving but dying of horrific wounds. She could smell the blood in the air and taste it on her tongue. Her dragon sense urged her to eat some of them just for the joy of it.
“Lilly?” Thayle said softly as she raised a hand to touch her.
Lilly growled and snapped her head to look down at Thayle as her emotions ran wild.
Gersius and Thayle could read her surface thoughts, and they both paled at what they saw.
“Lilly, don’t go,” Thayle cried.
Lilly shook her head as a deep desire called her to eat the fallen. She knew it was wrong, but her heart raced, and her anger raged. She looked down at Thayle to see the pain in her eyes. For a moment, her anger cleared, and she realized what she was thinking.
“I need to get away from this place!” she cried, fighting her rage.
“Sweetheart, go! Fly south and come back when you have cleared your head,” Thayle pleaded.
Lilly looked at Gersius, who nodded to her, and she heard his voice in her mind. “Go, you cannot be here if you are so angry.”
She lifted her wings and took to the sky, heading south away from the devastation.
Thayle and Gersius watched her go as Thayle put a hand to his back.
“Did we just lose her?” he said in shock.
“She will be fine, Gersius. She was not ready to see such a battle.”
“That was the dragon we saw there. Very little of that was our Lilly.”
“The shock of the battle and the wounds the ballista inflicted made her rage, she will be fine once she clears her head,” Thayle reassured him.
“I hope so,” he said as a tear fell from his eye.