Destiny Intertwined, The battle for Freedom
#11 of Destiny Intertwined
Here we go, the next installment of Destiny Intertwined. I hope you enjoy this, I spent a lot of time writing and rewriting this story. Anyway, comments are appreciated as always.
Continued from "A night of fires..."
"I can't believe it is starting already." He said, handing the dispatch to the officer, who very quickly turned pale. Jessica stepped forward with Cerule and the pair waited patiently for the dispatch to be handed to them. When Jessica at last got a look at the paper, she gasped. Cerule read it once and then handed it to her, a look of deepest thought on his face. She read the message aloud after a moment.
"Tordek, a fleet of many ships has left the waters of Looking Glass Bay. Held within the ships is an army of numberless morphs, led by the Scio. Their course was due south when they left the bay and it would seem obvious where they are going. It would be best if you prepared your forces for battle or evacuation. Tiderunner." The wizard paused a moment, thinking, the message frozen in her hand for a moment while she pondered its meaning. It seemed that they had made their choice only just in time. She looked up to find that the officers seemed to all be speaking at once, each one quick to lay out his own plan. A few seemed to want to evacuate the island, fleeing to the mainland. Others wanted to fight, meeting them on the beaches with all their forces. Two alone remained silent. Tordek stood still, listening to the all the chatter but saying nothing, his eyes on a map of the island. Cerule also said nothing, the big tiger standing apart from the officers, his brow furrowed in thought and one hand idly stroking his chin. And then, gradually, as she listened to the increasingly desperate plans laid out by the officers, an idea formed in her head.
"We cannot flee from this island." Tordek stated, speaking at last, his words cutting through the tumultuous voices of the panicked officers. "By the time we got organized, the enemy would be only a day behind us. Even if we managed to get to the mainland, the humans would come after us with their armies. And where would that get us? No, we must fight. But how?" The officers continued to put forth their plans and Jessica smiled, calmly folding the dispatch in her hands before walking up to the table. She tried to speak, but the officers ignored her. Cerule, sensing her urgency came up behind her and she turned, speaking quietly to him.
"I think I have an idea." She said and her love listened intently as she explained it. When she finished, he spoke at last.
"That is a good plan." He commented, smiling. "But it is very risky."
"But it would be worth it if it worked wouldn't it?" She persisted and he nodded, then stepped forward to the side of the table. The moment the Champion stepped forward, the officers fell silent, some in mid-sentence, his force of presence alone silencing their discussion.
"Jessica has a plan." He said, motioning her up beside him. "And I agree with it."
"Please, tell us your idea." Tordek said, making a sweeping gesture with his hand.
"Well, Aden, one of our traveling companions, discovered that the spell that holds our people under the control of the Scio fades when the Shaman controlling it dies." She said and Tordek nodded. It seemed that this wasn't a new concept. Jessica pressed on with her idea. "Well, what if we allow them to land on the island? Our army would hold them at the beach, but we would avoid killing as much as we could. Instead, we would try and immobilize their soldiers, capturing them if we can. But while you were fighting, the magic users under our control would target the shaman, and once they are dead, the morphs would be free and we might be able to convince them to join us."
For a moment, the officers were still, silent in their thoughts then Tordek smiled. "A good plan. It would certainly solve our problem. We must ensure that every one of our soldiers understands what we are planning. But yes, I think it can be done. We must hurry to prepare our defense."
***
It took a better part of two days to get everything organized. The magi had spent the time on the beaches, weaving spells of protection and entrapment over the pale white sands. The soldiers of the army, once the plan had been explained to them, had hurried to the shoreline, working hard to build hidden fortifications of ditches and redoubts to conceal them while the enemy came on. Aden and Shae had both been given command of sections of the island's defense, their status as companions to Cerule giving them the trust of their soldiers. During the preparations, Cerule was everywhere, from casting spells with the magi, or lending his tireless strength to the digging. Jessica had hardly slept since the war council, working ceaselessly with her magi. She taught some of the human spells to the mages under her charge, none of whom had had formal training. The human magi had been perfecting complex spells that defied instinct for hundreds of years and now, she felt good to be passing some on to the instinctual magic users of the Morphic peoples. By the end of the two days, the magi could very quickly destroy even the ships at sea if needs be. Though, after seeing what allies they had, she really didn't think that it would come to that.
Late on the first day after the meeting, a platoon of Naga had emerged from the sea, escorting their great chieftain. Chieftain Tiderunner was a massive Naga, his human half nine feet high and easily twice as broad as Jessica. She figured that she couldn't have encircled his snake tail with her arms if she had tried it. He and his warriors were all wearing armor made from coral that looked as if it were still growing and all carried weapons made from a similar material, though wickedly sharp. She had watched them come up onto the island and meet with Tordek and it became clear how they had been able to tell when the fleet had left the bay far to the north. Later, she found out that Chieftain Tiderunner ruled the Naga for many miles around and that his army was coming to the aid of the Morphs defending the island, adding two thousand more soldiers. When they arrived, they brought huge nets made from tough seaweed that would be impossible to cut through once thrown.
But now, at midnight on the second day, all preparations that could be made were completed. Tiderunner had estimated that the fleet would arrive soon after dawn of the next day and the air of the island was filled with the excited energy of anticipation. Though it was very late, the two tigriss lay wide awake. Sleep would not come to either of them, for both had to rise in the hours of the predawn and prepare their commands. Jessica was nestled in the arms of the larger Cerule once more, the pair lying naked together. Neither had felt it wise to mate that night, but it was a comfort just to feel their fur against one another, the closeness of their life's love bringing more joy and calm than anything else could have. They did not speak for hours, instead just lying quietly, looking at each other, locking every detail of their other halves into their minds before battle. All around them, warriors and magi were waiting for the dawn that would herald the battle. All knew that this was one fight they could not afford to lose. If they lost, there would be no escape for any of them. Finally, as the hour of the battle drew near, Cerule and Jessica rose from their bed. They dressed slowly, Jessica helping Cerule to settle the armor he wore into place. Then, they left their house and stood in the heavy and still air of the early morning. The stars were still out above and they stood for a moment, staring at each other.
"Jessica, do you remember the promise I wanted you to make, back at Scolor when we first declared our love for each other?" Cerule said. Jessica nodded, knowing what was coming. "I need you to swear that if they get through us and come for you, you will not wait. You will flee. Use your powers to go far from here. Hide where they cannot follow and keep yourself safe." Jessica started to protest, but he cut her off, taking her shoulders in his armored hands gently. "Please, do not argue with me my love. To fight as I must, I must know that whatever happens, you are safe. Swear it. Please."
"I swear it." She replied, embracing her love, armor and all.
Cerule returned the embrace and they shared one last kiss before parting ways, Jessica headed for the top of the mountain in the center of the island where the other magi would wait for the battle to begin. Their magics could reach all over the island from that point and it had been agreed that that was where they should wait. It was also the place where the warriors would make their final stand if the plan failed. Cerule headed for the sheltered bay where they had landed on the day they came to Lan'as'atal, for it was the place most likely to entice the enemy to land. As they walked away, each wondered what the day would bring...
***
The sun was fully risen, staining the waters of the island with orange and red flame. Somewhere over the horizon, the fleet of ships carrying the Scio's army was sailing towards them. Jessica stood on the mountain's summit, staring off to the north, watching for the enemy. Ardal stood behind her with Fel and Ferus, the three of them meant to serve as runners. Everything was still as silent as it had been while it was dark. Even the birds in the trees were quiet, as if they sensed the seriousness of the moment. A few more minutes passed in total silence and the sea's fire began to fade into cold blue. And then, on the northern horizon, she saw it. A distant smudge of white, marking the sails of a ship. A few moments later, more smudges could be seen all across the horizon and Jessica turned to the three youths that stood nearby. She nodded to them and they rushed off down the mountain, each following a different path down to the waiting soldiers.
As the runners ran down the mountain and the magi behind her began to take up positions where they could watch the battle's progress, Jessica turned back to the edge of the mountain top, looking down now to the bay far below. Somewhere down there, on that shore of pearlescent white, Cerule was waiting for the battle to begin...
***
Cerule sat on the edge of the redoubt of volcanic soil and crushed shell, thinking about the battle to come. The waves of the sea were lapping at the shore a dozen meters from his toes. The sand was already warm despite the early hour. The sea was cool, and the air sweet scented. If not for the threat of battle, this place could have been a paradise. Behind him, within the walls of the redoubt, soldiers were readying themselves for battle. Mail jingled and whetstones sounded on blades as weapons were readied. The soft squelch of foot steps on sand sounded a swift tread behind him. He rose slowly to his feet and turned to find Ardal sprinting up the beach towards him. He met the white furred youth as he hopped the wall of sand and waited for him to catch his breath.
"They are coming from the north, a great fleet. They will be here within hours." The fox said, putting his hands on his knees and panting, trying to slow his rapidly beating heart. Cerule nodded his understanding and the boy took another deep breath before running on to the next position. Cerule turned to the battalion of soldiers under his direct command and spoke.
"To your positions." He ordered and the soldiers quickly lined up at the walls of the fort. The naga who were posted to the battalion were in front, the large weighted nets in hand. Behind them were the morphic soldiers, their weapons and armor ready. The warriors of the lizard folk had taken up positions within the trees between the redoubts, ready to handle the flanks of the positions. The soldiers crouched behind the walls for a few long moments, then, gradually, the sails of the coming fleet came into view. Dozens of ships appeared, more than a hundred and still more. The soldiers shifted nervously and looked around at each other. If each ship held only a hundred soldiers, they were outnumbered by a wide margin, more than they could hope to defeat. A wave of whispers passed through the crowd of armored warriors, and Cerule looked about him. It was clear form the expression of the soldiers nearby that their will was failing. Cerule stood up suddenly, climbing up the wall of the redoubt so he could be seen by all the warriors behind the walls.
"Warriors of Lan'as'atal, hear me now!" He shouted and all eyes turned towards him. His great ringing voice echoed along the beach. All the battalions of soldiers along the bay were watching him now. He spoke loud, so all could hear him. The things he said were things that had lived within his heart for many long years, unexpressed while he journeyed alone. "I know you fear what lies before us, I can see it in your eyes. An army of thousands, made of our own people, twisted by a dark power so they stand against us. I know you fear because I feel that fear as well." The soldiers were still listening intently, and they seemed surprised that he would admit his fear to them. "For long years, I wandered the trackless wilderness, seeking only to survive. I fought without a cause, fighting only for the right to live. But now, this day, though I face the dawn with fear, I will never flee. If needs be, I will die on this beach today, and gladly. Not because I am fearless, not because I think I cannot be beaten, but because I know what will happen if I fail here. Look around you now. Here, on this island, Ka-lin stand with their dark furred brothers, united against our enemy." Cerule drew the bastard sword from his side and held it point first towards the approaching fleet. "Out there, an army made of slaves comes to swallow up this island, this last hope for the freedom of our people. I do not ask you to stand and fight for my sake, nor for the sake of your lives. For behind our lines wait those who cannot fight. Our loved ones, our mates and children, our parents and grandparents, all of them are there, waiting for word that the battle is won. It is for their sake that I ask you to fight. Now, who will stand with me here? Who will stand beside me to defend the ones we love?"
For a moment, the question was met with silence. For a brief moment, all the warriors were still, staring at the tall champion who stood before them, the bright sun glinting on his mail and armor, flashing across his stripes. And then, a ragged cheer rang in the air. Every soldier within ear shot raised its voice in a cheer, their weapons raised to the sky. The bay echoed with the cheers of the soldiers. And the cheer was spreading. From redoubt to redoubt, battalion to battalion, the cheer echoed, until the very stones of the island itself rang with it. The loud cheers carried on up to the top of the mountain, where the mages stood. As the cheers began to fade, and the ships of the enemy came nearer, Cerule raised his blade in silent salute to his warriors, and they echoed the gesture. Then, the large warrior hopped back down behind the redoubt's walls. It was nearly time.
The island fell silent once more as the first of the ships sailed into the bay. It was a tall three masted ship of human manufacture, but morphs crewed it now, swarming all over the decks. As the longboats were lowered over the side of the ship, heavily laden with morphic soldiers, Cerule spotted a Scio assassin in the lead boat, and he grinned. Dozens of boats were in the water now, headed for the beaches of the bay. Soon, the soldiers were swarming up the beaches as their boats went back for more. But the soldiers of Lan'as'atal did not move. They were waiting for the right moment. And then, just as the Scio assassin who was leading the way neared the embankment where the soldiers were waiting, a bright flash of magic lit the air behind them. With a roar so loud that it could be heard onboard the waiting ships, Cerule leapt up from where he had crouched, his bastard sword carving an arc through the air. The Scio assassin never knew what had hit him. And as the human's blood sprayed the earth, a war cry filled the air and the battle was joined...
***
Cerule blocked the axe blow aimed for his head with his sword, his free hand grabbing the human warrior's wrist. He pulled his sword from the block and stabbed, dropping the human to the earth. He looked around for a moment and saw that this part of the island was clear. Taking a deep breath, he turned and ran towards the sounds of battle. The battle had been going well at first. The Scio and the Shaman had been slain and the enslaved warriors captured when they got off their boats. The boats themselves had been seized by the naga that swarmed up their sides from below. Wave after wave of enemy infantry had been captured, taken into the interior of the island under guard until the situation could be explained to them. But then the enemy had gotten wise to the trick. Battalions of human mercenaries had started landing in force and the allied forces of Lan'as'atal had been pushed back off the beaches and into the interior of the island. Even bolstered by the forces of the newly freed morphic warriors, they were unable to hold their ground. Twice, new positions had been formed and twice the enemy had broken through.
But, it seemed at last that the Scio had run out of mercenaries. The morphic soldiers had begun to land once more, but this time, the shaman were staying behind on the beaches while their folk advanced inland. 'But,' Cerule reflected as he was joined by other stragglers fighting their way to the new defensive line begin formed at the base of the mountain, 'the battle is far from lost.' The ships of Lan'as'atal, as few as they were, had bottled up the incoming fleet, forcing them to remain within the reef that circled the island. The army was being forced to land, and from the dwindling numbers of soldiers seen headed towards the fighting from the beaches, the enemy was almost out of reinforcements. But that still left thousands of able soldiers on the island, pushing inward against the increasingly exhausted army of free morphs. The human mercenaries were still here and there among the enemy and they were vicious foes, totally unafraid. Cerule and the soldiers that accompanied him came over a rise in the land to find a battle raging at the entrance to the path up the mountain. A fresh battalion of mercenaries, one of the last on the island, had thrown itself against Tordek and his battalion, who were defending the path.
"Come on!" Cerule shouted and dashed down the other side of the rise, his small force slamming into the flank of the humans. His bloody sword slashed quickly, downing another warrior. Blow after blow slammed into the human line and it finally broke, falling back. For a brief moment, it looked like it might reform, but then lines of Morphic troops led by Ka-lin could be seen coming up towards the mountain from other parts of the island and the humans seemed to think better of the attack and fell back once more. Cerule wiped off his sword and sheathed it while he walked towards Tordek.
"Cerule." Tordek said, nodding in acknowledgement to him.
"How fares the rest of the battle sir?" He asked and the huge bear paused before speaking.
"As well as can be expected I think." He answered. "Most of the non combatants have made it to the sheltered valleys and the battalions that we assigned to protect them are entrenched all over the entrances. The rest are further up the mountain with the wounded. I sent runners to all the intact units and they are gathering here. Unfortunately, there are far more wounded than we expected. Most of our units are at half strength or less." As he spoke thus, Aden came up to them, one arm bloody beneath a rent in his chainmail. The fox was apparently still fighting, despite the injury and he had managed to acquire a crossbow that he was reloading as he walked up. His battalion was already taking up positions with the soldiers of Tordek's unit.
"Sir." He said, nodding.
"Aden, why aren't you with the other wounded?" Tordek asked and the fox shook his head.
"No need. It isn't that serious of an injury." He said, finishing with the crossbow. Aden looked up in time to see Shae coming up to him and Ardal running down the slope towards them. He embraced his mate and his son with both arms, wincing slightly at his wound. But then Ardal fought his way free from his father's embrace.
"Cerule, I was told to bring you and a company of soldiers to the summit." The youth said, and Cerule noted that his spear was covered in blood.
"What happened?" Cerule questioned, worried now.
"A small group of enemy soldiers made it through before Tordek's troops arrived and we had to fight them." Ardal said. Cerule grabbed Aden by his uninjured arm, then whistled, motioning a company of soldiers to come with him. The group started up the hill and Ardal continued. "No one was seriously injured, but we want to keep it from happening again."
"Right." Cerule replied, leading the way up the mountain. On the way up, they passed groups of wounded soldiers being tended by healers. But soon, the meadows and the spaces between the trees were choked with wounded soldiers and refugees. The air was filled with the metallic tang of blood and more than one soldier gagged on the scent on their way past. Despite the numbers of wounded lying there, it was not as bad as it seemed at first glance. Many of the lightly wounded were already headed back down the hill, their wounds bandaged, but ready to fight none the less.
When Cerule's company at last passed out onto the bare top of the mountain, Cerule saw the bodies of the human mercenaries being unceremoniously tossed off the cliffs that bordered it on three sides. A few morphic magi were sitting down while healers tended to them, but Jessica was not among them. Fel and Ferus were standing on either side of the trial, their weapons bloody. They nodded to Aden and he split off from the group while a healer came up to him, allowing the healer to wrap a bandage around his arm. Cerule motioned the company of soldiers to take up positions around the top of the plateau before he set off to find his love. His armor had been stained red by blood and he was tired from the constant fighting he had done. But he sensed that the battle was almost over. And there, standing near the edge of the mountain top, Jessica was waiting, a splash of red blood across the front of her robe. She was cleaning blood off her dagger when he walked up and embraced her. She returned his embrace and spoke.
"Its good to see you." She said and he nodded, releasing her. "Look down there." She said, pointing towards the base of the mountain. A large mass of soldiers were gathering below. No more boats were coming from the ships and the Naga soldiers in the water were already climbing up the hulls of the last ships, overwhelming whatever crews were left on board. There were no more soldiers coming ashore, but all the same, the mass below them was getting larger and larger as the soldiers of their foe gathered. "I think they are massing for a final push. I have an idea, but we need time to pull it off. If you can hold them on the lower slopes, we can target their shaman from here all at once. If they die, then the battle will be over. Can it be done?"
"Yes it can." Cerule answered and gave her a kiss before turning back towards the position where Tordek and the rest of the soldiers were waiting. "Good luck, we will give you all the time we can." She nodded at his words and the magi formed into a circle, already beginning to chant in the mystic language known only to them. Magic energy crackled throughout the clearing and Cerule knew whatever they were doing was truly a powerful spell. The tiger snagged Aden on his way down the hill and the pair made their way to the front, gathering every wounded morph still capable of fighting on their way...
***
A half hour later, the soldiers of Lan'as'atal were being pressed so hard, they were almost overwhelmed. Cerule clubbed a morphic soldier on the head with his sword, dropping him senseless to the earth. Another soldier engaged him and he blocked the spear thrust, slamming the flat of his sword on the spear haft, knocking it from his attacker's hands. The wolf dove at Cerule and he donated a strike with the pummel of his sword to the warrior. A Scio assassin stepped forward next and Cerule parried a slash from the assassin's scimitar with his sword, then drew his own dagger, rising up out of his crouch and burying it up to its hilt in the man. And then, as he tiredly lifted his sword back into ready position, a bright flash lit the sky behind him. He turned to find a dome of light capping the mountain. Then, suddenly, bright bolts of lightning soared down from the mountain top, striking many points along the coast of the island. And then, as the lightning faded, the battlefield grew quiet. All the morphic invaders were standing still, the red in their eyes fading away. And then, as the armored islanders approached, they dropped their weapons, quickly putting up their hands. It was over.
Cerule wiped off his blade on a cloth and then sheathed it, pausing to retrieve his dagger from the downed assassin. Looking around and finding that there was nothing for him to do, he turned and began a last weary climb up the mountain side. As he walked, he kept waiting for the sounds of battle to pick up again, but nothing happened. It took him a good twenty minutes to get up to the top. He had been joined by Shae and Aden, both of whom had taken wounds in the last battle, but they had not been life threatening. When the trio finally crested the top of the mountain, Cerule was nearly bowled over by Jessica, who had run to him the moment he had been in sight. They tiredly put their arms around each other and held each other for a few moments of silence.
"We did it!!" She said, flushed with the triumph of victory. "We won!!"
"Yes, we did." Cerule replied, holding her tight to him. He was tired, more tired than he had ever been, but the elation of victory was starting to creep into him as well. "But somehow, I don't think this war is over yet. Scio himself wasn't here, and until that madman is slain, there will be no true peace."
"I know." She answered, then kissed him. "But this calls for a celebration. We all survived."
"It does." Cerule answered, looking over at the odd family that was Aden, Shae and Ardal. They were standing embraced with each other, not speaking but standing totally still. He smiled broadly and then removed his helm, sweeping the chainmail hood back off his head. A great battle had been won, and they were at last free...