Heart of Black Ice

CHAPTER 64

General Utros had not smelled the sea in fifteen centuries. Long ago, one of his military marches had taken him to the coast, and he remembered how he had stared out at the sun on the open waves, observed the sailing ships and fishing settlements, and known he wanted to conquer them.

Now, the relentless march took his army along a river that flowed to the ocean. Approaching Renda Bay, he smelled the salt air again, which brought with it a tang of freedom. The soldiers marched nonstop, hour after hour, though they were gaunt and starving despite the spell that numbed the gnawing hunger in their bellies. Along the river, they grabbed fish, waterfowl, even weeds from the current, devouring whatever they could find. And they kept moving.

Utros, Enoch, and Ruva rode in the lead as they approached a significant town at the mouth of the river, the largest settlement they had encountered since crossing the mountains. Along the way, his army had overwhelmed smaller villages, mining towns, and crossroads settlements, which had offered only lean pickings. Renda Bay at last would offer supplies and materials.

“Tonight we will eat well,” said First Commander Enoch, sitting high on his dark horse.

Utros considered making this fishing port his new base, where he could meet up with the Norukai fleet. After King Grieve and his serpent ships departed from Ildakar, the two great military forces had had no communication with each other, and their overall war plan was based on nothing more than crude maps and vague memories. During the long days of marching, Utros had pondered strategic possibilities about conquering the land, whether to use his army as a single battering ram to crush anything in the way, or to split the force into dozens of sub-armies dispatched in all directions. He would make his final decision once he conquered Renda Bay.

When the Norukai eventually joined with his army, the scarred raiders would inspire fear among their victims. Utros would let the reckless warriors bear the brunt of any resistance, suffering casualties so that his own men remained uninjured. That was his entire purpose for the alliance with them.

“Will King Grieve be here in Renda Bay? And his vile shaman?” Ruva’s voice turned sour.

“We shall see. We don’t need the Norukai, but we can use them.” He urged his black stallion toward the town’s outskirts. A ripple of excitement rolled through the ranks, an awareness that their destination was ahead at last, and the town would no doubt be filled with supplies and plunder.

They passed empty meadows, stripped orchards, abandoned farmhouses, vacant paddocks for goats, sheep, or cattle, but no livestock. Utros frowned. “The people have fled. Where are the animals?”

“That’s no surprise, sir,” Enoch said. “They must have seen our army coming for days. Who would dare to stand against us?”

Outriders broke into farmhouses and came out with blankets, some cook pots, and scraps of clothes, but they reported that the pantries were empty, every one of them. Even barrels in the root cellars were gone. More scouts ransacked the outlying buildings and issued similar reports. Seeing no food at hand, anywhere, the troops began to grow anxious.

Enoch’s expression hardened. “Should I make a sortie into town, General? See what we can find?”

Annoyed, Utros urged his mount to a faster pace. “We will all go.”

With a flicker in the air, Ava’s shimmering spirit appeared. “I went ahead, beloved Utros. Renda Bay has been abandoned. The people fled.” She drifted against her twin sister, and the green aura brightened, as if the two drew energy from each other. “The whole town is empty.”

Ruva’s voice echoed along with her twin’s. “The wizard Nathan and his gadflies must have arrived first and warned them.”

Ava separated. “We should have killed him and all those others at Cliffwall! That might have appeased the Keeper while we continue our war.”

“Killing those people is of secondary importance,” Utros said. “Even if the town is empty, we will occupy it as our base of operations. I need to plan our next move, with or without the Norukai.”

He pressed his stallion into a gallop, and Enoch and Ruva rode beside him as if making a military charge. The soldiers in the vanguard let out a heroes’ cry and charged ahead to attack a silent city.

At the edge of town, Utros noted stables, farmhouses, a smithy, a sawmill, a brickyard, a cooper’s shop with half-finished barrels lying among piles of staves and iron hoops. At the center of Renda Bay they saw the main square, the large town hall. Everything was empty.

“Find them!” Utros pointed to the left and right. “Those are warehouses, grain silos. There must be some animals in the pens and stockyards. Report all food stockpiles you find. Our supply sergeants will divide up the spoils to best feed our men.”

The encroaching army roared with excitement. Soldiers broke ranks and rushed into the streets, ransacking the buildings. They smashed doors and charged into warehouses, but they came back out perplexed, angry, and empty-handed.

“There’s nothing, General,” reported one of the first scout captains. “The barns and warehouses are vacant. We didn’t find even a bale of hay for our horses.”

Utros adjusted the horned helmet and stared ahead. “I have conquered an abandoned town.” He pushed his stallion toward the central square. “There must be more here!”

Enoch gestured beyond the descending streets that led to the water and the open bay. “Down there, sir. Look at the docks—all the boats are gone.”

Utros’s leather gauntlet creaked as he clenched a fist. Beyond the mouth of the bay he spotted three large ships departing under full sail. Then he caught his breath as he saw more than a hundred serpent ships pursuing them like a pack of wolves. “The Norukai are coming. King Grieve hunts them down as they try to flee.”

Ruva raised her fingers and traced invisible lines of magic in the air. “I would be happier to kill those vermin ourselves, but I will rest easily just knowing they are dead.”

“The fleeing people aren’t our concern. They are already gone.” Utros ran a finger over the smooth surface of his half mask. “We need to find what’s left of this town. We need to feed our troops.”

The streets were paved with cobblestones, and the horses’ hoofbeats echoed loudly as they clattered forward. On the way to the central square, hungry vanguard soldiers rushed past the general and spread out to break into shops and homes. They smashed windows, battered down doors, and caused even more damage in their frustration. Utros expected they would find some stragglers barricaded behind doors, but Renda Bay was eerily silent.

Ava’s spirit drifted about. “There’s nothing … but also something. I sense danger here. Beware, General.”

Ruva sat on her bay mare, shuddering. Gooseflesh covered her pale skin. “I can feel deadly lines of force. This isn’t simply an empty town. Nathan and the others left something for us here.” She sketched in the air with an extended fingertip. Ava faced her sister, touching her spectral fingertip against Ruva’s, and together they opened a spiderweb of bright lines, identifying a pattern.

“It is a trap. These buildings are more than empty. They’re waiting to be—”

As the scouts broke into prominent storehouses near the town hall, they triggered an activation web. Bright lights sizzled through the walls of the storehouse, and the shuttered windows overhead burst open with a flood of bright light, a flare of heat. Gouts of flame erupted through the roof. Covered with fire, soldiers staggered back out, trying to smother the flames on their smoldering leather armor. In seconds, the entire storehouse became an inferno, as if it had been built of straw and kindling.

On the opposite side of the square, another building ignited, then a third one with such a vigorous explosion that the wallboards shot deadly splinters in all directions.

Ruva raised both hands. “I feel the tingling everywhere, down that street, down this street, along that alley!” She looked in horror at the cobblestones, where she saw painted lines that some wizard had left behind. “We are caught in the middle of the web.”

The town hall suddenly glowed with jagged cracks of orange heat, like lightning bolts within the stone blocks. A blast broke down the façade, and the debris crumbled toward them. The general’s black stallion screamed, and he hunched over the saddle, holding on as he galloped away. Flames raged down the street as one spell triggered another.

Ava’s spirit swooped along, leading him to safety. Other horses raced for the harbor and the open water. His soldiers scattered, charging at a full run down side streets, trying to stay ahead of the flame front. In doing so, they ignited one booby trap after another, setting off a cascade of magic.

The cobblestones cracked and shuddered. Lines of magic drew down into swirling patterns that connected building to building and square to square. The Renda Bay streets became molten, and all the adjacent buildings ignited from the connected tapestry of magic.

“Ride!” Utros roared.

The entire town became an inferno, incinerating countless soldiers. Summoning her gift, Ruva called a downpour to drench some of the fire and douse the lower streets. It was enough to keep Utros and the front ranks safe, but behind them the burning town cut off the rest of his army, engulfing many of the soldiers in flames.

Once he was safe by the waterfront, Utros turned away from the smoke and fire and looked angrily out to sea, where Norukai ships were approaching the fleeing cargo ships that carried the survivors of Renda Bay.

Out beyond the harbor, the two big sailing ships commanded by Captains Straker and Donell sailed away from Renda Bay full of evacuees. As the last of the gifted defenders came aboard the third ship, Captain Mills rang the alarm bell again and again. The serpent ships closed in on Renda Bay.

Nathan took a position near the bow as they got underway, following the other two large vessels. A sudden ripple of dismay crossed the deck as the passengers watched orange flames blossom in the center of town. Smoke erupted in pillars. He smiled. “Looks like General Utros found our surprise.”

Oron wore a grim expression as he stroked his thick, pale braid. “There is more to come.”

Moments later, additional blazes surged, like storms of fire triggered by the unsuspecting invaders. The sky blackened as more smoke rose, and the inferno built upon itself. Before long, the entire town was engulfed in fire. The blazes leaped from building to building, raced down street after street.

Thaddeus and other evacuees from Renda Bay stared back at their receding homes, weeping. The freed slave Rendell placed a comforting hand on the town leader’s shoulder.

Olgya was more intent on the countless serpent ships racing toward them across the sea. “How do we fight against the Norukai? They are closing in fast.”

Captain Mills paced the deck, shouting orders to his sailors. Familiar with their ship, they used the complex interaction of rigging, rudder, and sails to catch breezes and steer the ship at the greatest possible speed. Some of the gifted passengers assisted by increasing the wind in the proper direction.

Norcross stood next to General Zimmer, who alternated his glare between the burning town and the fleet of pursuing serpent ships. “After attacking Utros so often, it should be a nice change of pace to fight the Norukai.”

Nathan watched the receding siege towers at the mouth of the bay and felt a pang in his heart, which twisted as Ivan’s presence plagued him, but he pushed back the darkness. He turned his attention to the oncoming Norukai fleet.

The serpent ships had the breezes at their backs, and they put on an additional burst of speed using oars manned by strong warriors. Ten Norukai vessels continued after the evacuating ships, while the rest of the enemy fleet slowed and diverted toward the burning town of Renda Bay. Increasing smoke rose into the sky.

Next to Nathan, Bannon watched the inevitable approach of the dark blue sails of the pursuing ships, his face flushed with anger. “Looks like I’ll have another chance to kill some Norukai.” He touched the sword at his hip, a standard blade that General Zimmer had provided from the D’Haran spares. “Any sword is good enough, but I miss Sturdy.” He looked down at his unfamiliar weapon.

“You’ll get practice soon enough, boy,” Lila said. She was armed with a dagger and a sword she had retrieved in Renda Bay, and she looked fierce. “Stay by me, and we will make a good accounting of ourselves.”

Nathan knew how much the ungainly sword had meant to Bannon. Sturdy was a lot like the red-haired swordsman himself, unimposing and plain, but deceptively deadly. Nathan pondered the more ornate sword he had carried since leaving D’Hara. He had chosen it along with fine travel clothes to be part of his swashbuckling image. Nathan had considered the showy blade to be an important accessory for an adventurer, but now that he had his gift back, his real identity was that of a wizard. He could still fight with a sword whenever necessary, but the fancy, expensive weapon was not nearly as important to him—not as important as it would be to Bannon.

He undid the buckle and removed the scabbard. “My boy, you deserve this.”

Bannon looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean?”

“Take my sword. It should be the best ever forged, considering how much I paid for it. The blade has served me well in many adventures, as you certainly know, but you would value it more than I.” He extended the sword. “It is my gift to you.”

Bannon was hesitant to accept it. “I’ve never used such a fancy blade.”

“You stab with the point and cut with the edge,” Lila said. “Nothing unusual about it.”

Nathan pushed the pommel toward him. “You’d best take this before I change my mind.”

Bannon accepted the sword from him. “Thank you, Nathan!” In wonder, he drew the blade out of its scabbard. Tears shone in his hazel eyes as he held the gleaming steel up to the sunlight. “Maybe King Grieve will see it and run away.”

“I would prefer that he come closer, so you can stick it in his heart,” Lila said.

Nathan felt warm satisfaction. “Give me your borrowed blade in exchange, so I’m not entirely unarmed.”

Bannon handed over his sword, then proudly strapped on Nathan’s belt and scabbard. “It is a sword more worthy of your skills,” Lila said.

“I still miss Sturdy,” he replied.

“You are the weapon, Bannon Farmer. A blade is just a blade.”

The hounding Norukai kept closing the distance, and it was clear they would converge soon with their furious rowing. From the deck, Nathan could hear the shouts of angry warriors and the pounding beat of the oar master. “They are relentless. And a bit foolish.”

One serpent ship pulled ahead of the other four, its oars moving like the blurred legs of a centipede. Standing behind the carved serpent figurehead, one Norukai roared out a challenge. He swung a spiked iron sphere on a chain.

Bannon recognized him. “That one is named Bosko. He forced Lila and me to row until we were ready to die.”

“He thinks highly of himself,” Lila said with a snort. “I can smell him from here.”

Bannon looked at her with a hard grin. “His stench could be fierce enough to kill an enemy.”

The foremost serpent ship raced ahead of the others as if Bosko wanted to capture them by himself.

Amber, Oliver, and Peretta huddled together in a quick conversation. “We can help,” Amber said. “Watch this.”

Oliver and Peretta stood beside her at the rail, shoulder-to-shoulder. They unleashed their gift and sent a joint wave of water and air that pushed across the sea and slammed the side of Bosko’s ship. Aboard the vessel, the Norukai scrambled to hold themselves in place as the force shoved them sideways and snapped several oars. Some Norukai ran to the rigging, while others crowded the opposite side of the tilted ship, adding weight to bring it back level. The oars began moving again, but the wounded ship cruised erratically.

The three young friends cheered. “We did it. We stopped them!”

Captain Mills shouted, “Steady ahead! We can gain more distance.”

Scrambling to gain purchase on his buffeted ship, Bosko held the carved figurehead as he swirled his spiked mace. He roared a challenge, calling them cowards.

Oron waited next to Nathan, his lips twisted in a frown. “It will not come to hand-to-hand fighting, not yet.” Impatient, he lifted a hand, palm outward. “We can strike them from here.”

Nathan smiled. “Those trainees did a good job, but we can put an end to this right now.” Together, the two wizards summoned twin lightning bolts. Both jagged spears of energy struck at the same time, blasting the prow of the serpent ship and vaporizing Bosko in the blast of magic.

“Must be all the gas pent up inside him,” Bannon said. Lila snickered.

The rest of the Norukai ships pressed closer, and Captain Mills looked grave. “Good thing those other fishing boats got enough of a head start. I hope they found coves and other places to hide, but those Norukai will keep after us for day after day.”

Behind them the smoke of Renda Bay towered like an anvil in the sky. The passengers stared at it, knowing their homes were now obliterated. The rest of King Grieve’s fleet clustered around the harbor town.

“We have to get ahead of them and sound the alarm to the other cities on the coast,” Nathan said. “They will turn around soon enough once they know they can’t catch us.”

“There’s another way I can help,” Olgya said. “A trick I learned back in Ildakar, and I used it to some effect back at Cliffwall.” Using her gift, she reached out to the water all around them and manipulated the weather to raise droplets. She summoned a fog bank as large as an island that spread out in a smoke screen behind them. White curls of vapor filled the air, hiding them from the Norukai captains. Soon, the evacuating ships disappeared entirely.

Nathan smiled as he saw the swirling fog. Olgya seemed in a trance as she thickened the wisps, weaving it like a great silken cloth of vapor. The serpent ships were quickly lost inside the smoke screen. “Most excellent. Now we can be on our way unimpeded.”

Racing ahead of the wall of mist, the ships sailed under sunny skies, heading toward the large cities in the Old World.