The Crystal Warriors (29 page)

Mokaoto was silent.

"How will they react, do you think, when they believe they have discovered my hoard of gems, now that they are decimating theirs?"

"They will fall upon it like tigers on a dying fawn," Mokaoto replied.

"Order my reserve group to stockpile our remaining crystals in the open, above the hill beyond our main tunnel opening. Have them put my great red in a container and place it among them. Let the fools then come to loot my hoard. If they see it, they will flock to it like carrion. But once one lands and his shield touches the crystal, or the container holding the red is shattered..." Sarnak smiled. "Everything on and above that hill will be gone."

"And myself, my lord? When may I seek my revenge?"

"You are to stay here with me. That is your post."

One of the communications assistants came up to stand before Sarnak.

"What is it?" Sarnak asked.

"It's not good, my lord."

"Go on!"

"I've just picked up two reports. We have a report of fifty or more sorcerers from the north. We believe they might be some of Allic's sorcerers who had been assigned to serve at the Crystal Mountains. They've most likely been released to return home."

Sarnak tried to suppress his smile. "More for the trap," he said quietly.

He had hoped to be into the city by the time reinforcements had come up and to use equipment captured from Allic to hold them off. But the trap could still be sprung, now that the offworlders had shown the way. No crystals of significant power would be left here when the battle was finished, but then there'd be no enemy sorcerers, either. It would be an even enough trade, and the reward from Tor in the Crystal Mountains would make up his losses.

"What about our man with the Subata?"

"Silence, my lord."

Something was wrong there, he thought. The enemy armies to the south were still a good six turnings away. This was starting to get close.

"Any report from our spies in the hills?"

"Just that the enemy is still strung out on the roads; the sorcerers were seen to fly southward for a few minutes and then they returned. Nothing since."

Something definitely wasn't right here. He looked at the communications officer, feeling suddenly uneasy.

"Order everyone up," Sarnak commanded, "I want everyone on the offworlders. If they should dare to use their remaining crystals, strike them down. Now move."

"Do you want a patrol sent to the south?"

He hesitated. It would be prudent, but he was already stretched to the limit. He could not afford to send more sorcerers to a front already covered by his spies.

"No, I want everything here. Every sorcerer, every demon, here!"

"Will you be going up, as well?" Mokaoto asked coldly, staring straight at his commander.

Sarnak turned on him with rage. "No, damn you!" Sarnak roared. "Now go back to your post!"

Bowing, Mokaoto turned and left. Sarnak stared after him, barely restraining himself from blasting Mokaoto. No one had dared to cast doubts on his bravery in combat for centuries. Only Mokaoto's potential usefulness had saved him―this time.

Now, if Sarnak could only take Mokaoto's anger, channel it, and shape it, there would be a truly formidable weapon.

So, sorcerers were coming down from the Crystal Mountains at last. Excellent. He touched the communications crystal on his belt, sending Tor and his army in the other secret tunnel the signal to attack the Crystal Mountains. Nothing could stop Tor now.

T
wo more columns of smoke filled the sky. The seventh blast smashed the northern tower, where Sarnak had mounted three of his own crystals, and the following one had annihilated a heavy troop concentration in the Square of the Merchants, where the enemy had made an attempt to storm the citadel from the north.

The ninth bomb, last of the heavy crystals, had never even gotten into the air, for as they cleared the citadel, Younger, Giorgini, and Welsh had been stunned by a concentrated blast. Wavering, they dropped. For a terrifying moment Mark thought that they would either slam into the citadel wall or drop their bomb and obliterate the citadel. Struggling, the three barely cleared the wall and landed behind the protection of the citadel shield, which was back in action.

It was only the addition of the sorcerers released by Valdez that had seen the rest of the team through the last bombing run, and even then it was tight, with barely enough coverage to keep the formation from breaking apart.

Coming in low and hard, Mark led the group to land inside the citadel where Valdez awaited them.

"I thought we were all doomed," Valdez said ruefully, shaking his head and looking at the scorched bundle of the last heavy bomb in their possession. A thin smile crossed his features. "You might actually have been right about this."

Knowing that this was the highest praise anyone could hope for from the old training master, Mark found himself breaking into a weary grin.

"How are they?" Mark asked, looking over at Younger and his team.

"In any other situation I'd order all of them to stand down for at least a day," Valdez replied. "But look out there," and he pointed out over the flaming city.

Mark nodded. They needed every man who could fly, injured or not. He turned away and walked over to the three shaken Americans.

"Too close for comfort," Mark remarked to them.

"We'd have been all right if those fucking Japs had been doing their job," Younger snarled.

"Stow it," Mark snapped. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Ikawa and several of his men had come forward to check on the Americans. All of them had heard the comment.

"You forget, Lieutenant Younger," Ikawa said coldly, "that one of my 'fucking Japanese' saved Smithie's life not an hour ago."

"Big deal," Younger snapped. "That little faggot Takeo did it just to run from the fight."

"Fatherless scum!" Nobuaki stepped forward, his shielding up.

"Nobuaki," Ikawa roared, leaping between his enraged sergeant and Younger, who was coming to his feet, hand up to meet the threat.

Mark jumped in front of Younger and pushed his arm aside, then slammed him against the wall.

"Goddamn it," Mark snarled, "the enemy is
out there.
Out there, and don't you forget it."

Younger looked at him with cold fury.

"We're going back up and I expect you to be flying with us as a team. Do you understand me, mister?"

For a second Mark thought that there would be an open challenge, but Younger turned away with a mumbled curse.

Mark walked back to Valdez and the rest of the group. The Japanese were silent. Ikawa was off to one side, giving Nobuaki a tongue-lashing. Mark could see that most of the men were ashamed and embarrassed by what had just occurred.

At last Valdez broke the tension. "Come with me," he commanded, and pointed to a side chamber off the main tower. The men strode in as a group.

"Are they ready?" Valdez asked.

A group of young acolytes were huddled over a table working furiously. At Valdez's approach they stepped back.

The table was heaped with a hundred or more smaller crystals, most the size of a fist, some as large as grapefruit. To each was lashed a small dark bottle sealed with wax.

"This is most of Prince Allic's private crystal hoard. Resting on this table are thousands of years of work faceting and shaping. To each is lashed a bottle containing a small red crystal, our entire supply."

Valdez looked at the group, a pained expression on his face.

"It's dive-bomber time," Walker roared, rushing to check the heft of one of the smaller crystals. He looked back at Valdez and smiled.

"Pops, with this stuff we'll dive-bomb those bastards back to hell!"

Valdez nodded gravely.

As the men gathered round the table to pick up their loads, small padded satchels were passed around for each of the weapons, which were then slung over their shoulders, where they could be pulled out and dropped individually.

All the men handled the bombs with extreme caution, for if two should hit together and a bottle was broken, it could spell all their dooms.

"Your raids have stopped the enemy advance," Valdez said as the men were loading up. "In half a turning all our forces in the eastern half have been ordered to advance as one towards the south wall. We have the one large crystal left to take out the last tower and blow another hole in the wall. Our forces will already be rushing towards that position when you hit it."

"My people will try to support you from above as long as is possible," Valdez continued. "You are to ignore the fight above and use these." He pointed at some of the crystals on the table. "Once the heavy weapon has been dropped, you are to use the smaller crystals to smash the enemy line on the ground so our army may advance."

"But we're still outnumbered in the air," Mark pointed out. "If we split off, your own people could be wiped out."

"By that time I pray that the ground forces, with your support, will have broken out of the city. They've been ordered to pivot and push the enemy towards the river, at which point you're to destroy Sarnak's temporary bridge. It will cut his forces in half. We'll have the one remaining bridge in the center of town; we can shift our troops back and forth to defeat them in detail. When you are done, you're to climb back up and help those of us who are left."

"In other words, defeat their ground attack at the possible cost of you and your sorcerers."

"If you know of a better way, tell me," Valdez said quietly.

Mark looked at Valdez appraisingly. Their bombing runs had stopped the offensive, but had not given them victory. Valdez was very likely ordering his own death. Mark stared at him, wishing somehow to come up with an alternative.

"It is Bushido," Ikawa said quietly, coming to Mark's side, and bowing towards Valdez.

Mark nodded and turned away.

* * * *

"Christ, they're coming up this time with everything they've got!" Giorgini cried.

"Cut the chatter," Mark snapped. "We can see them."

Mark was in the lead, this time with Jose and Walker helping to carry the heavy bomb, while Ikawa and the rest of the men flew in a protective shield around them. At the last minute Ikawa had assigned Shigeru and Nobuaki, the two weakest flyers, to lead the ground assault which would hopefully break into the open fields beyond.

Even before the last of them cleared the tower, the enemy was upon them, diving in close and slashing out with bolt after bolt, for they now knew what was being carried in the sling, and hoped to have it drop back on the citadel.

It was worse than anything Mark could have ever imagined. The sky was awash in fire.

A sorceress tumbled directly in front of him, shrieking. Ally or enemy, Mark couldn't tell. All he could see was the smoke as the woman fell, and disappeared into the fires below.

Straining with the effort, Mark leveled out and headed for the tower. The three heavy crystals mounted within fired repeated shots at his formation. One of the bolts cut straight up at them, but it was intersected by one of Valdez's assistants. It was a suicide move―the sorcerer simply disappeared in a blinding flash―but the rest of the party was saved and pushed on.

Valdez came up close, flying only inches away.

"We're going in," Mark cried.

Valdez nodded and gave Mark a look that clearly said,
I'm following a madman.

"Ten seconds!"

Yet another sorcerer placed himself between a heavy blast from the ground and the main formation. Mark looked over at Valdez and saw him screaming with rage. He realized that Valdez had given orders for that tactic to be used and knew, as well, the agony the man must now be feeling for ordering comrades to their deaths.

Directly beneath them they could see the ocean of Allic's men surging forward, no longer held down by the fiery blasts from the tower which were now aimed skyward. Shigeru was plainly visible at the head of the press, and Mark could imagine the giant bellowing with joy as he finally had the chance to close with his enemies while his feet were planted firmly on the ground.

A dozen sorcerers raked across the formation, all of them firing as one, so that for an instant Mark felt as if their collective shielding was about to overload.

Concentrate―he had to concentrate on the bombing and leave the flying to the others.

It had to be perfect, this one was it. Mark held his breath, looking straight down. The shielding around him went bright red again, hanging on overload.

"Ready!"

A buffet sent them surging as a wall crystal shot got past one of the protecting sorcerers who had tried to place his body before it. The shot nicked the edge of the shielding.

"Bombs away!"

The formation surged up and for a moment the battle stilled.

To everyone's shocked amazement four of Sarnak's sorcerers broke out of the battle, diving downward, firing blasts at the bundle.

Valdez's men fired at them in turn, hitting the leader so that two others were thrown off. But the last one pushed grimly on, trying to detonate the bomb before it hit.

The crystal hit the base of the tower, there was a split second of delay, the pursuing sorcerer turning desperately away―and then the world beneath them disappeared in a thunderclap roar.

Stunned, all watched as the entire hundred-foot edifice seemed to lift straight up into the air, then vanished in two more white-hot flashes. The shock wave disrupted the battle overhead.

"Now in and after them," Mark cried.

The Americans pulled up, one after the other winging over into a dive, the Japanese following in their wake, while Valdez and his embattled survivors banked right to face the bulk of Sarnak's sorcerers.

Allic's ground forces pushed forward, ready to close with the enemy. But none were to be found. A cone of death nearly two hundred yards wide had been blown into Sarnak's lines. The triumphant forces surged through the break and emerged into the open fields beyond. Further down the wall, where the first break had been cut with the first bombing run, Sarnak's men came pouring out, some fleeing the city, the rest grim and turning to face their enemies, while from the positions back by the tunnel the last of Sarnak's reserves rushed forward to try and catch the counterattack on the flank and throw it back.

"There's our target," Mark cried, pointing to the threat on the flank. One after another they winged downward, each man pulling a small crystal from a satchel. Walker pushed to the lead, going into a near vertical dive.

Walker lined up on what appeared to be a command unit and dove straight for it. At the last possible second he released and pulled out, skimming so close to the ground that he found himself in a hail of arrows.

The small crystal detonated behind him, cutting down everyone for nearly a dozen yards.

All across the enemy advance, bomb after bomb impacted, so that within seconds, along a front of several hundred yards, the entire column was down.

"Better than hundred-pound bombs," Walker yelled, coming up to Mark's side.

"On to the bridge," Ikawa ordered, pointing to their second major target, a half mile away.

Mark called for his formation to follow.

They cut across the open field, ignoring the confusion of battle beneath them. Pulling up to several hundred feet, they leveled out.

"Three for the bridge should do it―one on each end, one in the middle," Mark shouted. "Ikawa, hit the formations on either side!"

"In sequence," he went on, "me, Walker, then Jose. Then we form up and turn back to hit their flank!"

"Ready, now!"

Mark winged over, diving vertically for the bridge. He released his crystal directly on the massive moorings that held the pontoon bridge in place, and pulled out. There was a wild eruption behind him, followed seconds later by thundering crashes from the middle of the river, and finally from the far side as Jose's bomb missed the bridge and impacted on the bank a dozen yards upstream. A staccato series of explosions rippled up and down both sides of the river as the rest of the Americans and Japanese slammed into the troop formations on either side. Even with the near miss the bridge was destroyed.

Seconds later they reformed and headed back towards the main part of the fight. Mark looked overhead and saw that Valdez was still holding his own, but the odds were getting worse. Already some of the enemy sorcerers were diving to intercept them.

"We got company from above," Mark shouted. "Let's rip the shit out of their lines and get the hell back upstairs."

"Captain, where's Jose?"

Mark looked over his shoulder to see Walker searching the sky over the bridge, looking for their missing comrade.

Jesus, the kid must have bought it back there,
Mark thought angrily.
I never should have sent him out on the wing like that alone.
He searched the sky, hoping to see a sign, then looked towards the enemy formation closing from above.

"He's bought it," Mark yelled. "Push on with the attack. Open line wing abreast; we'll unload everything we've got. Now move it!"

The flyers came up in one line, Mark on the left, Ikawa a hundred yards to the right. They swept across the field several hundred feet up and lined up straight on the enemy formation which they had staggered moments before. It was now surging forward again.

The soldiers on the extreme left of the advance saw the enemy sorcerers who had tormented them earlier coming back in again, and they knew their purpose.

A shout of panic went up and within seconds had worked all the way down to the other end of the formation, a quarter mile away, as thousands looked heavenward and cried out.