The Zulani Empire: The New Chronicles of Elemental Magic (9 page)

He left the main warning until the discussion had ended. "We have to hold them here until reinforcements arrive, no matter what they throw at us," he said adding a certain authority to his tone. "We will likely be outnumbered, we will probably face creatures the likes of which, we have never seen," he added pacing about as he spoke. "We do not know their strengths, we do not know their weakness...but we fight here nonetheless." With his short speech over, he dismissed the others, but asked Camden to remain behind.

With just the two friends left in the tent, they both returned to staring at the map. "So where do we think they will land, oh great leader of ours," Camden joked. Dane laughed, "Not a clue. Although I hope the reinforcements get here sooner rather than later, because I have a nasty feeling we are going to be fighting against overwhelming odds," he replied to his friend's mockery. Camden patted Dane on the back, "Just like old times Dane," he said. "A few of us, lots of them, chance of success low," he chuckled as he spoke. Dane however was in a more sombre mood, "Do not forget we had Prince Luken with us then old friend. He could have sent these Zulani packing with a flick of his fingers."

A soldier burst into the tent. "Begging your pardon Sir," the man said saluting. Dane nodded, acknowledging the man, and gestured for him to speak. "The scouts are back Sir," the soldier said. Dane nodded again, before looking over to Camden, "Looks like they are nearer than we thought." Dane asked the soldier to send the scouts to the command tent. The man saluted again and scurried away as quickly as he had entered.

Within a couple of minutes, three of the scouting party were inside the tent and pointing to positions on the map. "The ships are truly massive Sir," one said. "They have archers lined all along the deck," added another. Dane questioned them further. He wanted to know how fast they were travelling, and how long the scouts reckoned before they came into sight. The answer he got was not particularly what he wanted to hear. The enemy ships would be in sight within an hour, even at the slow pace they were travelling. With only the minimum of defences in place Dane had to think quickly. "The docks are rotten...," he mumbled to himself, "Yet they would not know that. Camden I want as many ropes as you can find...Now!"

The camp was quickly put on battle readiness. The enemy approached and whether the Corlanian soldiers were ready or not, the Zulani would not wait for them to be so. Everything of worth was moved to the middle of the camp. Dane had his archers take up positions on the bridge, along with a section of infantry. The ropes he had requested were tied to the rotting timbers of the dock area. Dane's idea was to literally pull the platform from underneath them. With the docks on one side of the river, and Danes men on the other, he knew the bridge was the key. The Zulani would have to fight him whether they wanted to or not. Even though they did not really need to cross the bridge to gain a foothold into Corlan, the enemy could not afford to have such a large an army as his, left unattended behind them.

Any reinforcing army would arrive on the other side of the bridge to Dane, just as he had. If he could hold the enemy at the dock area long enough for those reinforcements to arrive, they would be forced to fight on two sides. The only place left for them to go would be the ruined city. With the number of ships moving up river, and by the description of their size, he reckoned he could be outnumbered by as many as five or six to one. That figure did not even take into account, any unknown creatures that might or might not be released upon them.

Chapter 13.

As the first enemy ship came into view, the sun was descending low in the sky. Dane watched from his vantage point, from within the hurriedly made camp he hoped would hold back whatever approached. The lead ship was quickly followed by another, then another. Moving slowly through the wide river, they kept to the middle so as to avoid running aground. He could see the enemy faces for the first time, as they neared a little a more.

It was now apparent that the enemy were in fact going to attempt the use of the docks to make their landing. Dane pondered on the thought of how old the Zulani intelligence was. Did they still expect to find a city here? Was there plan to attack Hamalin, thinking it the central hub of Corlan as it had once been? The questions continued in his mind, when he felt a nudge. "Dane," Camden whispered, nudging his friend again. "The soldiers are awaiting your order," the big man said. Dane realised his mind had been straying, and quickly reverted his thoughts to what needed to be done.

With all the defending soldiers keeping low and out of sight awaiting their commander's order, the Zulani neared. Dane kept a watchful eye on the men atop the deck on the two lead ships. Then for the first time he saw something different. "Camden look," he said quietly to his friend aside him. He pointed to a number of dark figures emerging from the ship's hull and grouping up on the top deck. "What the bloody hell are they?" Camden asked.

The creatures appeared to have thick dark hair, similar to that of an Orlac. Yet these beasts were smaller than a man was, and crouched down. "They look a bit like apes," Dane said trying to find a comparison. As the lead boat neared the rotting docks, the first of the beasts leapt up from the ship's deck and landing on the rotting timbers. Dane watched, hoping the creature would fall right through and into the waters below, but it landed with a thud on all four of its limbs. It then stood up on its back two and lifted its head back. Opening its large jaws and revealing its large razor sharp teeth. "I don't think I've ever seen an ape do that," Camden said replying to his friend's earlier comment.

Several more of the strange beasts leapt skyward, and landed on the dockside. As the first of the huge Zulani ships pulled up alongside the dock, Camden suggested the archers on the bridge reveal themselves and open fire. Dane shook his head, "Wait a little," he said quietly. "Either that dock is stronger than I thought, or those things are very nimble of foot," he added surprised the unusual creatures had not fallen through the rotting timbers.

As more of them leapt ashore, Dane gave a signal. As his archers fired skyward, several infantry pulled on the ropes they had earlier attached to the supports. With the pulling power of a dozen or more strong men, the dock creaked. The men all shot backward as the timbers gave way and the rope immediately slackened. As the first arrows slammed down into the unsuspecting beasts, a large section of the dock slumped into the water.

Those aboard the ships started returning fire. Arrows flew back and forth from the bridge to the leading boat. Several of the creatures were taken down from the first wave of arrows. Their bodies now drifting in the water, as the dock they had stood on was now in pieces. Dane ordered his archers on the riverbank, to fire at those aboard the ships.

Several of the creatures that had already landed raced toward the bridge. The Corlanian infantry immediately formed a shield wall across, forming a wall of steel. This did not stop the strange beasts however as they leapt over them. Fortunately, those infantry stood behind, normally used to fill the gap of any fallen frontline soldier, used their swords to slay the beasts as they landed.

Dane perused the on-going battle, and like any good commander tried to keep on top of what was happening. He knew he might need to change tactics at any time, always trying to keep one-step ahead of the enemy. The second boat nudged into the back of the first, pushing it nearer the bridge. Those behind the second started pulling alongside. With the River Deet being very wide, the reason it was used as a river port, it allowed the enemy ships to do just this. Within just a few minutes, three of the large vessels had lined up beside each other, allowing both men and beasts to cross to the ship nearest the broken docks. The other craft were already repeating the manoeuvre behind them.

Dozens of the ape like creatures leapt from deck to deck and onto the part of the dock that still remained standing. Dane realised his men on the bridge were in danger of being overrun. He waved a hand, giving an order. Fifty more infantry in five lines of ten quickly trotted from their position in camp to the bridge. Dane watched, as long planks were being slid over the side of the far ship. He quickly realised what the enemy were trying to do. "They are making their own walkway," he uttered to himself, realising there was little he could do to stop them.

The battle was barely fifteen minutes old, and already the enemy troops were crossing over the planks and onto the far side of the river. As long as his shield wall held, the ape-like creatures had little threat as they were forced to leap up into the air, giving time for the men behind to take them down as they landed. His archers on the bridge had scored dozens of hits against the enemy moving across the decks of the ships, although the enemy had also scored hits against his. Dane was very aware that if the battle became one of attrition, he would lose.

Just as he was beginning to think that his men were holding well against the continuing attacks, his attention was diverted. "What the hell are they," he heard someone shout from beside him. He looked up stream at the ships furthest away from their position. Standing at least twice the height of a normal man, even bigger than an Orlac, stood something which struck fear into his heart. Several more of the huge figures appeared, and he watched on helplessly as they merely stepped from the ship to the far bank. How could his infantry stand against such monsters?

Dane had only one plan of action, and immediately ordered his fifty or so longbows to target the huge lumbering figures making their way along the far bank of the river. These were the only weapons he had that could reach the necessary distance to cover the entire span from one bank to the other and still have enough potency to cause damage.

Luckily, for him, the giant man like beasts moved slowly. After a few shots to find their range, the first of the longbow arrows found their target. The Giganton hit flailed the massive wooden club held in its hand, making a most awful sound. Several more shafts thumped into the thick leathery skin. Dane puffed his cheeks, as the first giant stopped, paused a few moments, before slumping forward face first into the ground.

All the time more and more enemy soldiers were clambering ashore, forming lines away from the danger of the Corlan archers. Scores of the ape like creatures grouped up beside them, and no longer attacked those on the bridge. Dane had to admire the enemy. They certainly learnt fast. Clear the creatures were not making any gains by themselves, they had stopped attacking to group up alongside the soldiers. The lumbering giants not taken down by Dane's longbows moved away from the riverbank, and out of range.

With the numbers already ashore across the river, Dane reckoned he was already outnumbered by as many as three to one, and still hundreds more were leaping across the decks of the ships behind to join them. The only thing stopping him being overrun was the river, and more importantly the bridge that crossed it. He knew if he held this, he could keep the enemy at a bottleneck; lose the bridge and he would lose the battle.

He moved as many as he could to the area of the bridge, cramming as many heavily armoured infantry to the front as he could. All wearing plate armour upon their chests, and carrying large metal shields they held their wall firm. With the extra infantry upon the bridge, he was also able to offer his archers some protection from the enemy arrows still raining down on them. He kept his longbows near the back for now. As good a weapon as this was at range, they were too large and cumbersome for close combat.

The enemy at least for now seemed content in forming ranks, and remaining out of range. Dane could do little to stop them pouring off the ships by the hundred and amassing the army on the opposite side of the river. He realised he had under estimated his enemy. It would appear that the Zulani were landing here, not because it gave them a usable port, but because had he not been here with his small army, nobody would have been any the wiser. If not for the warnings of their appearance, the Zulani could have come ashore here completely unchallenged. With such a massive army being landed, Dane was beginning to think, that they might well remain unchallenged.

He kept looking forlornly to the south, more in hope than expectation. If reinforcements did not arrive within the hour, then the invaders would be free to deal with him, and move southwards unopposed. With the garrisons in both Sefton and Forwich all but empty, both towns would have only the walls around them as defence. With the creatures Dane could see over on the far bank, he doubted even the usual safety of such walls would help.

Camden stood at his side, pointing to a cloaked figure moving about the enemy. The figure was flanked by two enormous guards. These were not as big as the massive giant-like creatures that had disembarked, but still much larger than a normal man would be. Both these guards had massive swords strapped across their backs as they escorted the robed figure through the ranks. "You think he is important then," Dane said sardonically to his friend. Camden was about to reply when he noticed he was being mocked. "How is it you still have time to make fun of me, even at a time like this?" Camden asked with a wry smile. Dane just grinned at his friend before reverting his attention to the happenings across the river.

The large dark timbered ships were all pulled up alongside each other, and those aboard now holding the side of the river that was once the gateway to Hamalin. Whether the Zulani were aware that the former city was now little more than dust and rubble was as yet unknown. Dane was beginning to think the Zulani had indeed picked this landing point for its isolation rather than for any other reason. The nearest towns of note were in fact Forwich and Sefton, the rest was mainly small villages and farmsteads. The only other exception was the much larger new town of Lanber much further east, that had built up to stop any threat from Darekia.

The Zulani appeared to have had enough of waiting around and started moving. Only they did not appear to be moving in the direction Dane wanted them too. He had packed the bridge full of infantry in a hope he could hold them at bay. If they carried on the direction they were facing, they would be moving away from him, and out into open country. Dane had gambled the Zulani would not dare leave an opposing force at their backs; it was looking like he was wrong.

Camden standing beside his friend, watched on as the enemy troops appeared to moving away from their position. "Are we just going to let them go?" he asked Dane, puzzled as to why the commander had not ordered a pursuit. Camden did not get an answer and when he turned to look, he could see his friend was deep in thought, and left it at that.

The ships, now all but empty of the soldiers and creatures they had carried, rocked gently on the murky waters. Dane looked over to them, and then over to the army moving away from them. He was now contemplating having to move from his defendable position to pursue them. True there were still a few figures moving about on the boats in the distance, but why were the Zulani ignoring him?

Dane pondered, and then it hit him. "Supplies...They have not unloaded any supplies," he uttered to himself as much anybody else. This meant only one thing. "They are trying to get us to follow," he said now turning to Camden. "If we follow and move away from the defensible position of the bridge, they could turn at any time and we would be left out in the open. With such overwhelming numbers we would be routed." Camden nodded appearing to agree with his friend.

Dane quickly thought of an answer. "Camden, have the longbows use fire arrows." His friend nodded once more and went to give the order. He stopped and turned back, "But we won't reach them from here. Besides which, they are still moving further away." Dane smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "This, my friend, is why I am commander and you are not. Fire at the ships not the men. If I am not mistaken that army will turn right around if they think their entire supply cache is at risk." Dane also went onto to explain he had seen no horses as yet, and that most likely these were still aboard the ships also. "We have not seen them unload anything," he concluded.

Within just a few minutes of Dane giving the order, the Corlanian longbows were releasing fire arrows. The burning shafts arced skywards leaving a trail of smoke in the air, before landing upon the timber decks. Dane was not sure how many it would take for the ships to catch aflame, if at all. The enemy vessels were sea faring and hence the timbers would be damp and wet. What he hoped was that perhaps one of the arrows would strike lucky, and hit something with a little more combustion, a pile of supplies or a furled sail perhaps.

He afforded himself a small smile as he watched the decks be peppered with shafts of fire. More of the enemy than he had anticipated still aboard the ships appeared from below the decks trying to put the fires out. Some of the enemy were hit by the long shafted arrows and he ordered his archers on the bridge to start firing again, if anymore showed themselves on deck. "Look!" Camden shouted, "They're turning back," he added pointing to the enemy soldiers.

Dane realised his plan to keep the enemy engaged in battle had worked. The main problem now was how long his much smaller force could hope to keep them at bay before they were overrun. He knew he did not have the numbers to meet them in the open. He had to hold them bottlenecked at the bridge, no matter what the cost.