Shades of the Past: The Morcyth Saga Book Six (31 page)

“And the city?” Ceadric hollers back.

Hedry glances over the wall then turns back.
“People are fleeing for their lives but no sign of any
soldiers.”

“Keep me posted,” he shouts back.

“What about the city?” one his men asks
him.

“We were told to secure the compound,” he
replies. “And that’s all.”

“Shame,” comments the man.

Just then James and Illan make their way
through the hole in the wall. Jiron and the others remain on the
other side to patrol the area for incoming hostile forces. Ceadric
rides over to them and salutes Illan. “Area is secure.”

“Good,” replies Illan. “Release the slaves
and gather them in the compound.”

“Yes, sir,” he replies.

James glances around at the wreckage the
destruction of the wall wrought. One of the pens had been built up
against it and now a good portion of it is missing. He feels
saddened by the fate of the slaves who had been held within it. All
around the compound the bodies of slavers and soldiers lie strewn
about. Some were killed when the wall blew, but many show signs of
being cut down by Ceadric’s men.

Voices ring out from the walls as the men who
are fluent in the Empire’s tongue begin shouting for all slaves who
wish for their freedom to make their way to the slaver’s compound.
Whether any will heed the call is the question.

“We can’t stay here too long,” Illan says to
James. “Another couple hours and the army from Al-Zynn will be
here.”

“Don’t worry,” James assures him, “we won’t
be tarrying here very long.”

From the surrounding buildings, slaves begin
filing into the compound’s courtyard. A rider comes to a stop
before Illan and says, “We found their weapons cache.”

“And?” Illan questions.

“Must be a couple hundred crossbows there and
several thousand bolts,” he replies. “Not to mention swords and
other useful items.”

“Very good,” Illan says nodding. “Begin
taking the equipment out and set up an area where it can be
distributed to the slaves. Start with the crossbows and bolts.”

“Yes, sir,” the rider says. With a quick
salute, he turns his horse and races back across the courtyard.

The city around the compound is in a state of
panic. Cries and screams of people reach them as they race away
from the scene of the attack. By the time the slaves have been
gathered together in the courtyard of the compound, the city has
grown silent as it waits to see what they will do.

Atop the walkway running the length of the
wall, the men continue to shout the word for slaves who wish their
freedom to come. Near the compound gates leading into the city, a
squad of Ceadric’s men as well as half a dozen archers, stand
guard. A few slaves who heard the announcement arrive and are
promptly let through to join the others.

James climbs onto one of the auction
platforms with Jared by his side and faces the assembled slaves, or
rather, the newly freed. Gazing across them he sees hundreds of
faces gazing back; men, women, and all manner of children. He
gathers his thoughts as they look up to him expectantly.

Off to one side, a pile of crossbows, swords
and other such equipment is being brought forth from the
storehouse. The pack horses which had carried the crossbows
gathered from the last caravan they sacked are brought in as
well.

“Time is short so I will get to the point,”
he says loudly. Pausing just long enough for Jared to translate, he
continues. “We mean to fight the Empire. They’ve taken our lands,
our people, our children and it’s time they paid.”

He pauses as his gaze travels the breadth of
the assembled people. “We came to Korazan, not to take it, but to
take you from them.” A murmur ripples through the crowd as Jared
translates. “Slavery is hateful. I would see every slave free and
every slaver put to the sword.” At that, a ragged cheer goes
up.

One of the men standing in the front hollers
up at him, “That’s all well and good, but we aren’t fighters. Seems
to me most of us will die if we go with you.”

“True,” admits James. “I’m not about to lie
to you. We are an army at war in enemy territory and it’s a long
way back to Madoc.” Scanning the crowd, he sees many nodding their
heads at that. “Should some of you wish to remain here in slavery,
we won’t force you to come. Anyone who wishes for the chance to be
a free citizen of Madoc rather than a slave, may. What I offer is
the chance for freedom. You will have to fight for it and it’s
quite likely we all may die before we return home.”

Gesturing over to the gates leading from the
compound into Korazan, he says, “If you wish not to accompany us,
there’s the gate.” He pauses a moment. Not one person makes to move
toward the gate. In the quiet of the courtyard, they hear the gate
opening and many turn to see another dozen slaves enter at their
chance for freedom.

“Very well,” he says. “An army is even now on
the way here and will be here within a couple hours.” Fear comes to
the eyes of many, while others have the look of those ready for a
little payback. “Do not fear,” he assures them. “They are not so
great as to destroy us.”

“You mean to fight them then?” a voice cries
out.

“Yes,” he replies.

“Is that why you are setting us free?” one
woman hollers. “To let us be the fodder for their swords?”

Shaking his head, James replies, “No. But if
you want your freedom, you’ll have to fight for it.” He gestures to
the armament laid out on the ground and says, “Any who will fight
for their freedom, see the men over there and you will be given the
opportunity.”

Men have already been designated to aid in
the distribution of the weapons. As the freed slaves begin moving
to either the crossbows or the other weapons, Raiders begin handing
them out. Those who choose the crossbow are given a crossbow, a
brace of bolts and are being grouped into squads of thirty. The
ones able to wield the other weapons such as swords and knives are
grouped together in one unit.

Once the squads are formed, they are taken
from the compound and through the wall where they begin learning
the rudiments of wielding a crossbow. The fighters on the other
hand, most already know how to wield their weapon of choice. One
young lad of about thirteen stands with a short sword in hand and
despite the seriousness of his expression, appears like he’s never
held one before.

“Think they’ll do the job?” James asks Illan.
They’ve moved off to the side away from the hustle and bustle going
on in the arming process.

“We’ll see,” he says. “Anyone’s first battle
is always the toughest. We’ll know after that.”

While the new additions are armed, escorted
out through the hole in the wall and begin practicing, Illan sends
forays into the city for some much needed supplies. In the
immediate vicinity of the slaver’s compound are many business which
yield sufficient quantities of food, equipment and other
necessities that their force requires.

Wagons are also commandeered to haul the
additional supplies. Many are used strictly to carry barrels of
water. Seeing as how their force will be reduced to moving at the
speed of the slowest person, wagons will no longer be a
hindrance.

Citizens of Korazan are seen here and there
as they keep an eye on the invaders, but other than watching from a
window or peering around a corner, no hostile move is made. James
wonders what became of all the slavers that had been at the
compound. The number of dead slavers couldn’t account for half of
the ones he saw here during his last visit. Gone to ground most
likely until they leave.

Once word comes that the pursuing army is now
less than an hour away, they begin taking their force out of
Korazan and getting it into position in the field. Those unable to
join in the fight remain within the slaver’s courtyard. To protect
them, Illan has a squad of crossbowmen and the unit of newly armed
fighters remain with them in the event of an attack from the
city.

The ground around Korazan is fairly flat with
some scrub brush and stunted trees doing their best to survive in
the dry environment. With no high ground of which to speak of,
Illan forms the ranks a couple hundred yards away from town. In the
center stands Jiron with his fighters, Delia and her slingers are
just behind. To either side sit Ceadric and his raiders. The newly
formed squads of crossbowmen stand behind the Raiders. In their
loincloths and slave garb, they are a stark contrast to the armored
riders before them. If the situation wasn’t so grave, it would
almost be funny. But there’s nothing amusing about the
determination exhibited by each of the crossbowmen. Totaling over
three hundred, what they lack in skill their numbers should readily
make up for.

At the fore, Illan stands beside James.
“Scouts say their numbers haven’t increased,” he says.

“That’s still twice ours though,” counters
James.

“Not any more,” he says with a nod toward the
crossbowmen. “Besides, we have you.”

“There is that.”

To the east a dust cloud rises from the
approaching army. Delia and her slingers move to stand before the
others, each carries a pouch at their hip containing two crystals.
They wait as the Empire’s forces continue to advance.

Several hundred yards away, the enemy army
comes to a halt when they see James and the others already arrayed
for battle. Trumpets sound as their force moves into position for
attack. Over a thousand men-at-arms, several hundred cavalry, and
ten score crossbowmen make ready their assault.

After several minutes, the army before them
finally gets itself into attack formation. Then the horn sounds the
attack and they begin moving. “Here they come!” Potbelly
announces.

“We can see that,” mutters Jorry in
reply.

“Yeah,” states Uther, “does he think we’re
blind?”

James pays little heed to the good natured
bickering between them. To Delia who stands before him he says,
“After you send the crystals flying, fall back.”

She simply nods her head in reply, all the
while keeping her eyes on the advancing army. When they’ve covered
half the distance between them, she hollers, “Ready!”

Her slingers place their free hand on the
pouch containing the crystals. When they are within a hundred yards
she yells, “Now!”

Each of the slingers removes a glowing
crystal from their pouch and places it in the sling’s pocket.
Twirling the sling rapidly over their heads for a second, they let
fly their crystals toward the advancing soldiers. The crystals fly
through the air and land a dozen yards before the front rank of
men.

“Again!” she hollers.

Once more, her slingers remove a glowing
crystal from their pouch and send it flying to land near the
others. As their second crystal is released, each turns and hurries
back through the soldiers behind them.

After the first crystal was removed from the
pouch, James began counting down from sixty. Each of the crystals
has a sixty second delay before going off. The forward line of men
charging toward them comes ever closer to the crystals lying on the
ground. When James reaches ten, the front line races past the
crystals.

“Ready bows!” Ceadric cries out, never once
taking his eyes off the enemy. Hedry’s archers, as well as the
newly formed crossbow units, prepare to launch their deadly
missiles.

Eight.

“Fire!” commands Ceadric as hundreds of
deadly projectiles are loosed.

Seven.

Men fall as the hail of deadly projectiles
find their marks. An answering swarm of bolts emerges from the rear
of the advancing army.

Six.

“Ready shields!” Men up and down the line
raise shields to ward off the attack.

Five.

The bolts fall and many are deflected by the
raised shields. Two are deflected by the shimmering shield James
erects around himself to ward off the attack.

Four.

“Nerun! Wylick! Now!” commands Ceadric.

Three.

Two bands of horseman charge forward, angling
to bypass the advancing men. Those enemy soldiers on the fringes
alter their course to intercept.

Two.

“Fire!” comes Hedry’s voice as another
barrage of deadly missiles is released into the charging men. A
hundred or more men fall as the missiles find their targets.

One.

The leading edge of the attack men is now no
more than a dozen yards away. “Make ready!” Illan hollers as he
draws his sword to meet the charge.

Crumph! Crumph! Crumph! Crumph!

Explosions erupt in the mass of charging men
throwing hundreds into the air only to fall back to earth lifeless.
The momentum of the attackers falters as the concussion rolls
through them. Two seconds later, the second volley of crystals
detonates and more men are taken out.

Knowing what was going to happen, James and
the others are braced for it. No sooner than the concussion rolls
by than Illan hollers “Charge!” The remaining line of horses bolts
forward into the now somewhat rattled army.

“For Madoc!” riders yell as they wade into
the ranks of the Empire’s soldiers and the fight is joined. Hack
and slash, men strike out as each side tries to kill those of the
other.

James takes slugs and begins peppering enemy
soldiers as they become available in the churning melee. Jiron, now
on foot, is a blur as his knives dance in and out. Blocking the
attack of one only to turn and sink a blade into the exposed side
of another.

Another rain of bolts falls from the Empire’s
crossbowmen before the riders of Nerun and Wylick are among them.
Riding them down, the Raiders soon halt the hail of the deadly
bolts.

It isn’t long before the Empire’s commanders
realize they aren’t going to win the day. Men begin throwing their
weapons down in surrender only to be cut down by Raiders. Before
the battle, Illan ordered that no prisoners would be taken.