Scourge of the Dragons (16 page)

“If we manage to halt the slavery for a
time, would the tribes be willing to follow us to war?” Hadrin
asked.

“They might. We can look into it for the
future, for now we should focus on getting Kade out of his
predicament.”

“It won’t be easy taking out the slavers. We
were one of the smaller less organized groups. One-eyed Silva, Old
Jack, and the Demon are the three main slavers. They each have
their own slice of territory. Between the three of them, they keep
the dwarven lands, the borderlands, and the wilds from getting to
powerful,” the prisoner said.

“Why are you helping us?” Amber asked.

“I’m not proud of what I did. I was in it
for the money and it never quite felt right. This isn’t my way of
trying to get any of you to spare me. I am simply trying to make up
for some of the horrible things I did.”

*

Kade and several of his Knights dismounted
from their horses as they neared the inn. According to the locals,
the owner was a friend to the dragon hunters. It was a particularly
busy night at the inn, meaning more dragon hunters to maim or kill.
Ungaroth and his fellow dragons had insisted that they weren’t
afraid of the dragon hunters, yet they were open about only needing
to injure them. Kade found it amusing that they were so adamant
about stopping these groups, yet still claimed to be all-powerful.
He pushed open the door to the inn and then made his way to the
bar. The innkeeper rushed over to him and asked if he and his men
wanted something to drink.

“Nothing for us, thank you. We are here
because there are rumors that you support the dragon hunters,” Kade
said.

“Absolutely, they’re heroes. We’d have to
deal with those deadly beasts if not for them. You here to join?”
The bartender asked.

“No, I’m here to send a message. Not just a
message to the dragon hunters, but a message to everyone. The
dragons are returning and your foolish dragon hunters will be swept
away in flames.”

His words riled up the patrons of the inn,
but none as much as the dragon hunters. It was just as he had
planned. More than a dozen armored patrons stood up from their
tables and drew their weapons. Kade drew his own sword and motioned
for his men to do the same. He placed his free hand on top of the
bar and whispered an incantation. The wood began to splinter as it
came to life and pulled itself up. It formed the shape of a large
humanoid wielding a club. The young leader of the Knights used his
thoughts to order it to attack the dragon hunters. He followed
closely behind the wooden automaton and clashed with the first
opponent he could find. Small shadowy tendrils seeped out of his
free hand and held the man in place as he drove his sword into his
opponent’s gut. He flicked his hand to the side and the tendrils
sent the man flying.

Kade’s Knights engaged the dragon hunters
just as the crowd was beginning to get involved. The majority of
the tavern patrons were farmers and villagers, but some of them
were competent fighters. They surrounded the Knights of Ardevale
and their leader. The wooden construct let out a deep roar as it
slammed its club into the gathering field of opponents. Kade
grabbed hold of a chair and uttered the same words as before. He
continued in that fashion until there were over a dozen wooden
creations assaulting the patrons of the inn. His Knights let out a
cheer as they led the final charge against the enemy. He raised his
sword in the air as the last of the dragon hunters was killed. Much
of the inn had been destroyed in the battle, but none of his men
were seriously injured.

“Let this be a lesson to the four kingdoms.
The dragons are coming and they bring with them,” he said.

“This was a good victory, but the dragon
hunters are much greater in number. I fear we may just be driving
even more people into their fold,” one of his Knights said.

“Attos, this is not about fighting the easy
fight. We are to bring the full brunt of our forces down on these
dragon hunters.”

“I understand, sir, but the four kingdoms
will surely respond with an army.”

“Yes, that is why it is of the utmost
importance that Finrul secures the borderlands. They’ll need to
position their armies in such a way that the invasion isn’t too
easy for the elves. That should give us a chance to continue our
quest. In the meantime, we should make it known that we are hunting
these dragon hunters,” Kade said.

“What if they travel with the armies?” Attos
asked.

“We must make certain that they will do no
such thing. I need to contact the others. Finrul and his men cannot
let anyone know he is working with the dragons. The four kingdoms
must think this is a separate threat. Get me a scroll, I have much
to write.”

Finrul took a deep breath as he watched his
men begin their march. The borderlanders had sent an army to
challenge the elves and this would be the first clash between
either side. This army was no match for the one that the elves had
brought, but they were unaware of his other battalions. As far as
the borderlanders knew, they were facing one army that was slightly
larger than their own. The magician had given his Generals specific
orders as to how to deal with the situation at hand. He had
predicted that they would respond in such a manner and he wanted to
send an unmistakable message. The two armies were preparing to meet
on the field as he considered whether or not to use his magic to
assist his own men.

“Revin, should I tip my hand this early?” He
asked as his new head of intelligence approached.

“I’m sure I know what you are talking
about,” Revin replied.

“My magic, should I give our enemies a taste
of it or should I save it for later?”

“It would make a fine display, but I do not
think now is the time. Our force should be able to squash this army
without even calling in our other battalions.”

“You seem quite confident. Is there any
reason to keep the other battalions back?”

“Perhaps one of them. I have no doubt that
we would sustain fewer casualties if we use all three battalions,
but what if they decide to run to the four kingdoms for
assistance?” Revin asked.

“A question I’ve been pondering for some
time. We need to face the four kingdoms at some point, that is for
certain. However, when will they make their move? Will they allow
us to decide where and when to strike or will they counterattack
when possible? There is much that we need to learn about the
kingdoms,” Finrul said.

“I shall look into it myself.”

“Good, but not until after the battle. I
want you to watch and inform me of how we can improve for the
future. Before you say anything, I already know that there are
others who are better tacticians. That isn’t what I am looking for
at the moment. What I need from you is someone who is willing to
give me information that will be helpful. The Generals already know
how to fight their battles, what I need is somebody who can look at
both sides and figure out where the strengths and weaknesses will
come into play.”

“If it helps, sir, there are a few things
I’ve already noticed about our men. You see, their confidence is
much higher than their actual skill. We are the better army, yes,
but foolish mistakes could cost us this battle. They don’t know
that you’ll bring in the other battalions, yet they are already
planning their celebrations. Confidence is good, but overconfidence
is easy to exploit. Our enemy, on the other hand, seems to be
gearing for quite a war. They protect their own lands and they will
do so with a ferocity that our men cannot match. We need them to
feel overwhelmed and helpless. This cannot turn into a last stand
type of situation for them. Humans have an ever so strange way of
always wanting to be the big hero. Martyrs are not good for our
cause. We need to ensure that their heroes die first and
brutally.”

Finrul smiled and nodded as he contemplated
the elf’s words. He was correct, of course. Revin had a way of
seeing things that others would often overlook. To Finrul and his
Generals, war was war. Whether attacking or defending, the elves
always believed themselves to be doing what was right. They fought
as well as they could, but it would be difficult to match the
desperation of the humans. The longevity of elves could, on
occasion, create issues that other races didn’t need to deal with.
Finrul turned his attention toward the two armies. As he had
commanded, the frontline troops had halted in preparation for the
ranged troops. The first volley caused a panic among the human
army. Their soldiers were less inclined to want to fight an enemy
that was out of range. However, their spirit served them well. The
foot soldiers broke off to the side and allowed the riders a
straight shot at the elven frontline.

“How quickly they rush to their deaths,”
Finrul said.

“Do not be so certain. I’ve seen them move
like this before. The humans are a very crafty people,” Revin
said.

The elven foot soldiers readied their
weapons and began to head out toward the cavalry. Even though
Finrul had expressly told them to allow the enemy to initiate the
attacks, his men still were too eager to keep from charging. Out
ran the frontline troops. They chased after the horsemen, but
quickly found themselves to be outmatched. Finrul watched in
frustration as the enemy riders circled around his troops and
charged at his archers. His own cavalry began their surge forward,
but they were not quick enough to stop the slaughter that ensued.
The enemy horsemen descended upon his archers and tore through
their ranks before circling back toward their own army. His foot
soldiers moved to cut off the cavalry, but had left themselves open
to a barrage of arrows from behind. Within a matter minutes, his
troops had gone from almost certain victory to almost certain
defeat. He signaled for the two banners to be raised.

“It looks like we will be using all three
battalions today, Revin,” Finrul said.

“You’ll need to speak with the Generals when
this is over. There is no excuse for what just happened. Either our
foot soldiers need to be more disciplined or the cavalry needs to
be able to react quicker. They massacred our archers and that does
not bode well for the future of our campaign,” the elf said.

“I will do what I can to ensure that
everyone learns from this mistake. It is hard to believe that we
fell for such a move. Have we gone too long without war?”

“Our people will remember, their pride won’t
give them any other choice. Not that it was the most dishonorable
tactic, but our people are not accustomed to fighting other races
anymore. There was a time when we knew the humans tactics as if
they were our own, but that is not so anymore. Our people think
like elves and that can be dangerous.”

*

“This has been a disgrace,” Finrul said as
he addressed his three Generals.

“I agree, sir. The humans are barbaric and
dishonorable. It is truly appalling to see such tactics used on the
field of battle,” General Kern said.

“I was referring to our own shortcomings.
The humans should never get the jump on the elves. We are superior.
How did this happen?”

“We were unprepared, sir Finrul,” General
Peliras replied.

“And why were we unprepared?” The elven mage
asked.

“Overconfidence, I believe. Yes, we are
superior, but that does not mean that they are unable to come up
with effective tactics. Yes, we are better, but that does not make
them worthless. We underestimated them and overestimated
ourselves,” General Wellith said.

“You are correct, Wellith. I think it is
time that we instate you as High General. Peliras and Kern will
obey your orders from here on out. Let us learn from this mistake.
We may have the dragons on our side, but that does not mean that we
will not need superior tactics to win this war,” Finrul said before
dismissing his Generals.

He paced back and forth, contemplating how
to explain to the dragons that nearly a third of his archers had
been wiped out. They would want someone to blame and he couldn’t
afford to choose any of his Generals. He sighed as he accepted that
it would be the best course of action to take on the blame himself.
His hand trembled as he took up his quill. He took a deep breath
and began writing out a letter to explain what had happened. There
was little doubt in his mind that the dragons would not be happy
with this failure. Despite having won the battle, this many losses
was simply unacceptable. The sorcerer wondered if this would be his
last letter.

*

Wrotan grimaced as he climbed up onto his
horse. The battle against the caravan guards had not come without a
cost. Both Bertram and the hunter had been wounded. The leader of
the paladins tried his best to show no weaknesses, but everyone
could see that he was hurting. Wrotan, on the other hand, made no
effort to hide the fact that even a week after the encounter, his
injuries still got in the way. Since their encounter with the
caravan, they had slowed their pace to speed the recovery of the
injured. Two of the paladins had also taken minor wounds in the
fight. Nearly everyone involved had come away with at least a few
nicks and bruises, but Wrotan and Bertram had taken the brunt of
it.

“Don’t we look nice,” Mariah said as she
came alongside Wrotan.

“As long as everything heals properly, I
don’t mind a few scars,” Wrotan said.

“That was pretty impressive back there. You
two must have killed over a dozen each.”

“We got lucky. Bertram’s initial blow
shocked most of our opponents. We also must remember that slavers
are trained to capture not kill. Their instincts kicked in and they
were trying to subdue us. I did everything I could to attack as
aggressively as possible. They should have killed me, but they were
looking to wear me down instead.”