Warrior Priest Of Dmon-Li Part 40

...three consecutive explosions on the other side of the river rip through the ranks of crossbowmen as their deadly hail of bolts comes to a stop.

This time, he does begin to slump over. The past days of hard riding and little sleep is really taking its toll.

Calls to fall back can be heard from the other side of the river and the defending army begins to move back. An officer rides over to Jiron and the others, the squad leader salutes as he approaches. "What the h.e.l.l happened?" the officer asks.

The squad leader points to James who's sitting crooked in the saddle and replies, "He just showed up sir, and well, he blew up the bridge. He's a mage!"

"A mage? And he just happened by when we needed one the most?" the officer asks.

"Yes sir," the squad leader replies.

Another rider comes up and salutes the officer as he reports, "The enemy is falling back, sir. They're regrouping west of the river and aren't showing any signs of leaving."

"Pull our men away from the river and have them rest," he tells him. "With the bridge gone, there's no reason for all the men to stay here. Have half go to Colton to aid in the evacuation, I'll stay here with the rest and keep an eye on our friends over there."

"Yes, sir," the rider says as he salutes and turns back to the men as he carries out his commander's orders.

"You might want to keep all your men here, sir," Fifer says to him.

"Why?" replies the commander as he turns to him. "And just who are you?"

"Fifer sir, with Miller's band," he explains.

"Miller you say?" he says, thinking.

"Yes sir. We were with the alliance forces near Lythylla when Lord Pytherian had been taken," he adds.

Understanding suddenly dawns on him and he states, "So, you are those guys."

"Sir?" asks Fifer.

"Aren't you the ones who helped Lord Pytherian to escape from the enemy?" he asks.

"Well, yes sir," he replies.

"He said you might be coming through the lines," he replies. "Also said to aid you in any way I could." Breaking into a laugh, he says, "Though it seems it turned out the other way around."

"Sir," a man says from behind him.

Turning around, he says, "Yes?"

"All the wounded have been loaded onto wagons and are making for Colton," the soldier explains.

"Good," replies the commander. "Send an escort with them."

Saluting, the man turns and begins to arrange for the escort.

"Now, why should I keep the men here?" he asks.

"To the south a force is coming around the forest, where Captain Alerin is defending," Fifer explains. "He is currently hara.s.sing them, delaying their march. But they should be here soon."

Nodding, he signals another soldier who comes over. "Send a rider to Captain Alerin, tell him the bridge has been taken out and the enemy will likely be coming his way. May be unable to send reinforcements, he's to remain at his discretion."

Saluting, the soldier says, "Yes, sir."

As the soldier moves to carry out his order, the commander turns back to them and says, "The main battle will be for Lythylla. The men will be needed there, that's our first priority."

"Sir!" a soldier hollers over to him as he points across the river. "The enemy is pulling out and moving south!"

Looking over the river, they see the army beginning to move south, keeping just out of range of Madoc's bowmen.

"Captain Alerin is soon going to have his hands full," he comments.

"Looks like it," James says as he watches the soldiers marching south. "What do you plan to do?" he asks the commander.

"Follow them as they go south," he says. "At least until they reach the forest, then they're Alerin's problem." He turns and signals another of his aides and says, "Get the rest ready to move, we got to keep them on that side of the river."

The man salutes and then begins barking orders as he gets the men ready to march.

A soldier brings the commander's horse over to him. Mounting, he turns to James and says, "When you see Lord Pytherian again, tell him Commander Eathan will hold the southern flank as long as possible. I'll keep the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds off them as they march to Lythylla."

"Good luck, commander," James says to him.

"You too, son," replies Commander Eathan. "Ride fast, the Empire has patrols on this side of the river but no main forces north of here. So far, we've kept them on the west side of the river but that's not going to last for long."

"Move out!" he hollers to his men as they begin pacing the soldiers who are moving south on the other side of the river.

James and the others watch as the commander and his men move south, keeping the enemy from crossing over. Then they turn their horses north, following the river. They don't get very far before they hear horns coming from the east. Answering horns sound from the army across the river.

From the east marches the army that Captain Alerin had been trying to slow down. "They're going to catch Commander Eathan and his men against the river!" he exclaims.

"They'll be cut to bits!" cries out Fifer.

They watch as the army moves toward the Madoc defenders. Commander Eathan forms his men to meet the charge, but from where James is sitting, he doesn't stand a chance of surviving it. The army across the river has stopped its southern advance and its crossbowmen have come to the edge of the river where they fire a volley at the men caught between them. The bolts fall short, but if Commander Eathan is pressed backward much further, they'll soon be in range.

"We've got to help them!" Fifer says to James. "They're dead if we don't!"

Jiron watches as James ties himself to his saddle as he's done several times before. That can only mean what he's got in mind is going to be rough. "Stay close to James," he tells the other two. "We've got to protect him and get him out of here once he's done."

They begin moving toward the advancing force. At first, they're not noticed, so intent is the army on the trapped men at the river. When they get within a mile, a force of twenty men break off and head in their direction.

James glances to Jiron and says, "I'm already very tired."

"I know," he replies. "Do what you have to, we'll get you out."

Nodding, James tightens the rope binding him to his saddle before closing his eyes.

Crumph!

The ground under the men explodes upward in the biggest explosion James has done so far. When the dust clears, none of the attackers are moving.

Fifer gasps as five translucent floating b.a.l.l.s appear before James. As if propelled by a strong wind, they fly toward the Empire's men. Barely seen, they reach the army and begin moving among them before they're even noticed.

Arrows from Commander Eathan's men begin felling the attackers as they come within range. Their longbows have a greater range and force than their counterpart's crossbows.

As the enemy notices the orbs floating among them, they begin stirring and move away from them as best they can. The tightly packed formation doesn't give them room enough to avoid them.

Suddenly, the enemy force is lit up as red lines flare between the orbs. The men begin crying out, all thoughts of attack forgotten. They see one soldier run and accidentally run across one of the lines. After he pa.s.ses the line, he stumbles for a moment and then the top half of his body slides off the lower. The red line had cut him in two. Unable to move, caught within the boundaries of the lines, the bulk of the army comes to a standstill.

The arrows from Commander Eathan's men begin taking a terrible toll.

As the b.a.l.l.s move, so too do the lines. Jiron watches in fascination as two lines come together and the men trapped between them are agonizingly cut in half before his eyes.

James is slumped over his horse as he tries to hold onto consciousness long enough to complete what he's got to do. He gives one last surge of power as he brings the b.a.l.l.s together in the middle of the group of men. Every last one of them is cut in half, their cries abruptly silenced. Then he pa.s.ses out and the b.a.l.l.s disappear.

A cry goes up from Commander Eathan's men as they surge forward to attack the remaining enemy soldiers who hadn't been caught between James' lines of death. Arrows fall as they rush forward to close with them.

The enemy turns tail and retreats, but is soon overtaken by a hundred hors.e.m.e.n that strike them down as they run. Some stand and fight, but don't last long.

Jiron sees the commander waving at them. He waves back and then says, "Let's go. We've got to get him someplace safe for a while."

"What's wrong with him?" asks Fifer as he comes over to the unconscious James.

"It's what happens when he does too much magic," he explains. "If he uses too much, he pa.s.ses out and it takes some time before he can even do simple things again."

"Oh," he says.

They move down the road and quickly catch up with the wagons bearing the wounded and the men escorting them. "How far to Colton?" Jiron asks one of the soldiers.

"About an hour," he replies. "It's not too far."

"Thanks," he replies as they pull away, leaving the wounded behind.

Chapter Twenty Four.

By the time the town of Colton appears ahead of them, James has regained consciousness, although the dilly of a headache makes him wish he was still out cold. The scene before them reminds James of an anthill he'd stuck a stick into long ago, people are swarming everywhere.

Carts and wagons, along with a mult.i.tude of people are making their way to the north along the road. As they approach the town, a rider comes out to meet them.

"Is Lord Pytherian still here?" James asks when the rider nears.

"Who are you?" the man replies.

"Name's James," he says. "These are my companions, we've just come from Commander Eathan."

Shaking his head, the man says, "He left some time ago for Lythylla. Captain Kurk is in charge of the evacuation."

James laughs in spite of his headache, and says "Where can I find 'Captain Kirk'?" His friends exchange glances, thinking maybe he's getting a little too light headed.

"You can find the Captain over at the Seasoned Ham," the man replies, slightly annoyed at the way James is acting. He points into town, "You'll find it further in."

Still grinning, James holds up his right hand, spreads his fingers and says, "Live long and prosper."

"Uh, you too," the man replies. As James and the others ride away, the man continues watching them, and just shakes his head.

Once past the first buildings, Jiron says to James, "What was all that about?"

James glances over at him and begins to grin, "I couldn't even begin to explain it to you." And then he starts laughing once more. His friends look at him, worried.

Down the street they find several soldiers who are helping a store owner with packing a wagon. James pauses a moment as he asks one of the soldiers, "Where's the Seasoned Ham?"

The soldier points further down the road and says, "Go down two more streets, then turn right. It'll be the fourth building on your right."

"Thanks," says James as he gets his horse moving in the right direction. They continue down two streets and then turn to the right. Sure enough, four buildings down on the right they find a sign depicting a ham with steam radiating off of it.

They stop in front and he leaves Jiron and Miko with the horses as he and Fifer enter the building. Inside the main room, they find several soldiers there gathered around a map laid out on a table before them. A soldier stationed by the door stops them and says, "No one's allowed in."

"We've just come from Commander Eathan," James says to him, "and would like to talk with Captain Kurk."

"It's okay," a voice from inside the inn says. "Let them come in."

Stepping aside, the soldier allows them to pa.s.s. The men that had been pouring over the map are now looking at them as they enter the common room. James steps up to them and says, "I bring word from Commander Eathan. I was supposed to deliver it to Lord Pytherian but since he's no longer here, I'll give it to Captain Kurk."

One of the men says, "I'm Captain Kurk, what's the message."

"He said, 'When you see Lord Pytherian again, tell him Commander Eathan will hold the southern flank as long as possible. I'll keep the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds off them as they march to Lythylla.'" James tells him.

"The bridge he was defending is no longer standing, and the enemy that had been trying to cross is now heading south," he goes on to explain. "Another force had appeared on his side of the river, apparently coming around the forest where Captain Alerin's forces are defending. They were successfully beaten back and I believe the commander had planned to follow the river south, pacing the enemy army, in order to prevent them from crossing over."

Nodding, the captain says, "Good, I was wondering what was going on down there. The enemy has patrols on this side of the river and they've been intercepting our messengers."

"There are several wagons of wounded coming to Colton as well," James tells him. "They're an hour or so behind us."

Captain Kurk glances to one of the men near him and says, "Take care of that."

Nodding, the man turns and leaves the room.

Turning back to James, he says, "You're not with our forces are you?"

"No, I'm not," he answers.

"But I am, sir," Fifer pipes up. "I'm with Miller's band, or was until we got separated from them."