CHAPTER 6 – THE BEAR’S FOOT
The Aristrian cavalry thundered into the small Tanarian hamlet scattering the small group of chickens that had been happily sifting the debris for the odd husk of corn. It was the first time in twenty years that an invader had entered these lands. The dust trail hung in the air behind the lead riders, obscuring the massed ranks of cavalry that were following behind. The riders were jubilant at their invasion yet sick of the ever changing terrain. For hours they had trudged through marshlands, sometimes immersed up to the saddle to cross the ground into Tanaria. One rider was no longer with them as he disappeared under the water – horse and all. Now that they had reached the hard ground of a road, it produced a great dust cloud that stuck to the wet riders as if to irritate them further. Now they were confronted with their first Tanarian contact.
The streets of the hamlet ahead were deserted. The invaders had expected a bloody fight on their hands but in fact the reality was different. The unit had seen no sign of Tanarian resistance or activity since they had invaded. A few merchants and a group of farmers had been as much action as they had seen on their glorious invasion, all had headed in the opposite direction on spotting the advance party of Aristrian troops. The commander of the thousand-strong cavalry unit confidently rode up to the largest structure in the Hamlet, the Bear’s Foot – a travellers’ tavern.
Tethering his horse outside he brushed off the trail dust revealing his red cloaks true colour, his boots squelched with swamp water as they touched the ground. The putrid smell of the swampland still filled his nostrils. The settlement was deadly still apart from the newcomers, Barrad confidently advanced to the taverns door with his spurs chinking on the wooden decking with every step; the commander’s youthful appearance did not fully represent his experience. The door was unlocked so he entered, followed by several swordsmen, more for the chance of some refreshment than a show of force, as their commander certainly needed no bodyguards. The long faced tavern owner awkwardly forced himself forwards from his back room as the Aristrian invaders shouted for service, shaking with uncertainty he welcomed the newcomers to his humble inn. As long as they left him and his family alone and hopefully paid he didn’t care which tabard they wore on their chests. Barrad accepted the welcome.
‘I need food and lodgings for my officers and your finest room for myself, barman. Arrange this and we’ll have no trouble.’
The tavern owner thought about bringing up the matter of coin, but after a second take of the man’s foul expression as he emptied marsh water from his boots and a glance at the two blades strapped to his belt, common sense took over.
‘Of course Lord,’ replied the man and hurried about his business. A scream from outside made Barrad instantly draw both of his blades and rush outside. One of his men had entered a nearby building and was excitedly ripping the clothing from the petrified middle aged woman that he had found within. The husband watched helplessly with three long cavalry blades held to his throat as his wife screamed and struggled against the ravaging man.
‘Let’s taste the spoils of war lads,’ yelled the young officer excitedly, as he finally ripped her dress off revealing a surprisingly nubile body.
‘Enough,’ shouted Barrad. The officer stopped at the sound of his commander’s voice, clearly looking disappointed.
‘Ah I understand …Su-Katii have first dibs. Ok men let’s see what else we can find in this cesspit till it’s our turn,’ he muttered discontentedly.
‘Let me make myself clear men,’ bellowed Barrad.
‘To be entitled to the spoils of war, first you must fight one, so if you have the urge to take this woman you will need to fight me first. I may have only recently been assigned the command of your unit, but my orders will be strictly adhered to by all men and officers alike.’ He turned and shouted out his words at the crowd of troops that had gathered, making them cringe at his words.
‘There will be no rape or murder here.’ Any man who fails to comply with my orders will be strung up. Do I make myself clear? Now fall back into line, get the sentries and reconnaissance patrols out immediately and leave the townsfolk alone. We seek the Tanarian army not their toothless mothers. There will be no looting here either, you are all well paid professionals.’
With a look of utter disappointment on his face, the Aristrian officer went about his business of organising the patrols. Barrad decided that the men would need to be kept busy to keep them from temptation and organized them into groups to dig ditches and fortify the hamlet against possible attack.
Later that night, inside the warmth of the Bear’s Foot, Barrad and the other senior officers were poring over the maps, planning their movements and actions for the next morning. A sentry entered and saluted.
‘Lord Barrad.’
Barrad stood up angrily. ‘We are not in the training grounds now soldier, I know we are inside now, but on operations we do not salute unless you wish to get your officers killed by an enemy bowman. Would you want me shot because of your actions?’
‘No Sir, sorry Sir’ the sentry’s face reddened.
‘Well what news do you have for me?’ barked Barrad.
‘Sir, the infantry have arrived – at least six legions and their baggage train …and Sir, they bear the Golden Stag’s Head battle standard.’ This meant only one thing; that the supreme commander was present, something that Barrad had not expected. Barrad turned to his men.
‘Officers,’ do your rounds again. Lord Thulsa is coming so I want everyone alert and prepared for his arrival. I want the defensive points manned and sentries re-checked, he will not tolerate anything but the best from his men. Are the patrols back in yet?’
Lord Thulsa rode arrogantly into camp as the thud of his marching army and drums filled the plain, with his chin held high. He was ecstatic in his moment of glory; it felt good to be leading a fighting force once again into hostile lands. For too many years he had been stagnating in the royal palace, having to put up with the petty in-fighting of the courtiers constantly jostling and scheming greedily to improve their rank and position. He had learned with time that this was also like a battlefield in its own right but one where the opponents didn’t die, (well not often). Pointless, words would never replace a good blade.
Now entering the hamlet, his bodyguards closed in about him with their large tower shields to protect him against the possibility of sniping bowmen, as was their constant overprotective way. A hastily erected barricade blocked the main road into the hamlet – ‘Good,’ Thulsa thought to himself, the correct number of men stood manning their post and a spiked trench had been dug in front of it and at other strategic choke points. He was satisfied that the correct military practices had been applied.
‘Welcome to Tanaria Lord Thulsa.’ shouted Barrad from the door of the tavern.
‘Good to see you Barrad, it looks like you have things well under control here,’ said Thulsa appreciatively.
‘Have there been any reports of activity yet Sir? Barrad enquired.
‘We haven’t seen any resistance so far, are you sure the Tanarian army exists?’
‘It won’t when I’m finished.’ Thulsa bellowed and the men within earshot laughed.
The leaders entered The Bear’s Foot as Thulsa’s ten thousand warriors and auxiliaries continued to flow into the hamlet and its surrounding grounds, then went about their duties of constructing a full battle camp.
Soon after the Supreme Commander had settled into what was going to be Barrad’s room, all other people were ejected from the inn. In order to maintain secrecy, even the innkeeper and his family were evicted from the tavern along with two disgruntled travellers who had been staying in the upstairs accommodation. Barrad had spent the evening at the tactical meeting, all Su-Katii generals were always required to attend such meetings and also expected to remain long after the regular officers and commanders were dismissed. He had just completed his Su-Katii training and forgone his passing out ceremony, rushing away to make it to his new command before it deployed. Now to his surprise he was treated no differently than any other established Su-Katii Lord by his Warlord. Only Barrad and Thulsa wore the crimson cloak that distinguished them as belonging to the Su-Katii order – the warrior elite. They existed outside the confines and control of any local law, answering only to their order and God. Barrad had just finished his training in the last days before the war and now filled the last of the twenty field positions available – each man a master of every discipline of war and worth a thousand troops or so the legends told, it had been a long time since anyone had seen them in action. After several lifetimes spent training in the timeless temple of their God, a position had at last opened for him when Lord Narctiss was drowned after his ship went down during a freak storm. Breaking with tradition, he had missed out on the great feast and ceremony that always ended up in the Brothels’ of Cardus, along with the ritualistic tattooing to mark his new position. He had been disappointed because his father had held the same position before his death and had described the ceremony as one of the proudest moments in his life. But with the others already deployed in the field he had no other choice than to join them.
Thulsa was in an unusually good mood, the Tanarian wine was substandard, but the invasion had gone well so far. Three Aristrian army groups had now crossed into Tanaria and only Battlegroup West had met with some light resistance, this was better than he had expected.
He gleaned from the briefings that Battlegroup East had been hurriedly assembled after a late change of plans. In Barrad’s opinion, it was the weakest of the three groups, but perhaps had the advantage of mobility. It comprised of one cavalry regiment, two light infantry units and one Aristrian heavy infantry regiment, he wondered why his commander would rush together a third army group at such late notice? He was astute enough to know that there was something being kept from him.
The light infantry were mostly irregular troops, mercenaries and foreign fighters, lacking in discipline but making up for this in their ferocity. Its target and prize would be the capture of the Marinhino Pass and the Great Gate far to the north-east. During the briefings Thulsa had reassured the sub-commanders of continued successes by sharing with them a fragment of his master plan. A second front would soon be opened behind the enemy lines to misdirect the Tanarians and bring havoc to their lands. The Nordheim force would be directed by Bellack, Thulsa’s mystical advisor. His diversion would keep the Tanarian garrisons busy and distracted until Army Group East could establish command of the region, whilst they had a different mission. Barrad’s cavalry was to cross the great ‘Illustrian Plain’ that led to the Tanarian capital, Tarctiania. Lord Thulsa reassured them that they would all see action tomorrow, but it would be more of a slaughter than a battle. After the briefing when just the two Su-Katii remained in conversation Lord Thulsa also let slip to Barrad that the Tanarian capital would also be too pre-occupied to mount an effective defence.
In the border wars of the great nations years ago, no army had managed to get past the network of rivers and marshes of the Mirelands, but today the Tanarians had been snoozing and these lands had been captured without incident. Due to the carefully planned chaos, misinformation and unrest in the north-eastern territories all major Tanarian units had been recalled to try and quell the unrest. Thulsa could hardly believe his luck; the enemy had endured twenty years of peace, which obviously had a debilitating effect on its army, they just simply had never expected this to happen. He retired to his room, his head swimming, probably due to the poor Tanarian wine he had drunk to help him sleep.
‘Wake me two hours before first light,’ he instructed the guard commander as he retired to his room, his personal bodyguard surrounded all entrances to the tavern. It was time to get back into the old regime of early starts. As he stripped off his armour and shirt he inspected the numerous scars that cut across his tattooed chest. He could remember how and when he had received each wound which marked him like symbols from an earlier age. Each individual that had delivered a scar on his body was now long dead. He unstrapped his back dirk and was about to lay it on his pile of armour, then changed his mind and instead placed it under his pillow.
At first his dreams had been pleasant; he was marching back through the ‘Pillars of the Righteous,’ the great stone slabs that mark the entrance way into his Gods rift. He had been returning from battle in his dream, with the Golden Stag standard held high in victory. Crowds cheered him as he marched back through to the immortal king’s portal. The Rift was a gateway that could transport a mortal to the Temple inside; it existed outside the normal boundary of our time. None knew if it was in another world or dimension – only that mortals could pass back out of the rift when the God beyond could not. The crackling Vortex marked the passageway and was magically held between the two great amber pillars. He had forgotten how many times he had passed between these gates over the years. A great feast awaited him as he entered the Vortex and the Temple beyond, on arrival the familiar crimson sky replacing what was before a blue sky. The God-King, unable to leave the grounds of the rift, waited at the portal ready to congratulate Thulsa on his victories.
‘Your name will join that of our other heroes.’
Suddenly a man’s voice called his name, pulling his exulted glory from beneath his feet. Again Thulsa heard his name called. A vision of a middle aged, blonde bearded man filled his mind pushing away the last of his elated mood. He felt himself shaking uncontrollably, barely able to stutter out his words.
‘Who… who… are… you?’
‘I did not give you permission to talk maggot.’ shouted Tamar, squeezing his fist so hard that Thulsa’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
‘Listen to me well, lapdog. Turn your army around and head home, go tell the Aristrian people of your past glories for they are all you will ever have. Your dishonourable actions will only lead to your doom. You will not live to see the dream that you desire. The crimson cloak and two swords no longer stand for Justice and Order. Your God turns in on himself in his prison and has forgotten the values that matter in peoples lives. Freedom is the first of these values, a freedom that you are about to take away. When you wake up, turn tail and run back across the border, you bloated pig-headed fool.’
Thulsa concentrated hard, forcing out his words.
‘I …I ...w ...will ...f …find …y …you.’
‘Shut up you stuttering fool,’ Tamar’s laughter echoed in his ears as his face leered in front of his eyes; then he was gone.
Suddenly a hand shook Thulsa. ‘Sir?’ Thulsa’s dirk flashed upward through the sentry’s throat, still mouthing the word ‘Sir.’ He fell to his knees, spraying arterial blood over Thulsa’s face. Rubbing the blood from his eyes, Thulsa, now fully awake looked down at the twitching body. In the dimly-lit room, an eerie glow emanated from Thulsa’s bare chest and Su-Katii tattoos. Their magical powers bound to their ink had at last managed to banish the vision of Tamar from his dreams.
Annoyed with himself he shouted for a medic and three armed men rapidly entered,
‘An assassin Sir?’ they questioned.
‘No, no just a mistake – go and get him help.’
The first man sprinted away to find a medic. The others dragged the dying man into the next room. Once out of earshot of their leader they turned to each other.
‘Boy, he’s a grumpy one in the morning; we’ll get Ferdinand to wake him up tomorrow.’ Both men laughed as the sentry passed away. Thulsa dunked his face into the freezing wash bucket, the blood on his face soon washed away with ease. The camp physician arrived as Thulsa came through to check on the still form of the sentry, unpacking an array of crystals, the Physician shook his head.
‘Too late for this one I’m afraid.’
Thulsa made a mental note to write to his family telling them their son had died a hero.
With the new morning the inn gradually came to life. Thulsa had already given one of the regular Aristrian officers a dressing-down for sending the guard in to wake him, his mood was foul. After finishing his morning porridge he threw the bowl across the room.
‘Right men, we have already wasted too much time here, let’s torch this place and get moving, we have a war to win.’ He looked about the room and then roared, ‘Well people, I said get moving.’
‘What about the villagers?’ asked one officer.
‘Put them to the sword,’ said Thulsa spitting out his words. Barrad appeared from his lodgings.
‘Lord Thulsa what are you doing?’ he growled.
‘These people are innocents, of no tactical importance. Why harm them? I know that terror tactics can work to build a reputation – but Sir they should only be used when resistance is shown.’
Thulsa reddened with anger, his cheeks puffing out.
‘Look boy. I used to teach those manuals that you are quoting in the Temple long ago, so don’t lecture me on their contents. Now stop questioning my orders and level this place. You know twenty years ago I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you. Had you not been Su-Katii, I would have just killed you on the spot for questioning my orders in front of the men. But, I knew your father; he truly thought you were a cut above the rest. What a fool.’
The tavern cleared as the officers rushed off to their commands and duties.
Lord Thulsa continued his rant at Barrad. ‘Your father, he broke all the rules of the Su-Katii and had you trained earlier than was allowed. Don’t allow this fact to make you think I will cut you any slack though.’
His foul mood had truly got the better of him, so he decided to give his new general a dressing-down to teach him the values that he expected his generals to have in times of war.
‘Just because you have passed the challenges of the Temple, don’t think that you have the experience to succeed in a full scale war. You are still wet behind the ears and out of your depth. Hell boy, you don’t even have your tattoos.’
‘I was assigned to my unit before the ceremony sir, no time,’ said Barrad.
‘Well listen to my words. Know this - when at war, the Su-Katii act as one, so you should have been agreeing with your commander, not questioning him. Now get about your duties, no more lessons.’ Barrad did not move.
‘I won’t tell you again. Carry out my order and spare none of the enemy.’
‘Lord Thulsa, answer me this one question.’ asked Barrad, with a cocky smile on his face.
‘Why, just before my Father’s death, he told me that the days of the Su-Katii were limited with men such as you steering our future?’
‘What?’ Screamed Thulsa. ‘How dare you speak to me like that? I think that you will need to work very hard to escape re-assignment.’
Barrad faced Thulsa staring directly into his eyes.
‘…And you will need to work hard just to stay alive, you fat toad. I will not kill these people.’
Sensing the mood of the room drop to a chill, the one remaining officer took a step forwards from his position behind Barrad, fingers curling around his sword’s hilt. Thulsa bellowed at him.
‘Hold your position man.’
The two Su-Katii warriors locked eyes.
‘You wouldn’t dare disobey my order, this would break every law that we follow,’ hissed Thulsa.
‘You break every rule of humanity, Thulsa. I will die before I have the blood of innocents on my hands.’ The rules of the game had just changed.
Each warrior’s hand rested lightly on their sword hilts, their eyes following the other’s every movement.
‘If you draw your weapons now Barrad there can be no turning back. You will break the first and most sacred Su-Katii law; there will be no escaping what follows. Surrender your arms now.
A board creaked as the officer remaining in the room behind Barrad tried to close in on him.
Both warriors moved with amazing speed, Thulsa was unnaturally fast for a man of his size. Blades flashed out and after a blur of action Barrad remained poised in the perfect battle stance. One of his blades was now reversed and thrust out behind him, embedded deep in the young officer’s diaphragm, the gasping mans legs twitching and giving way. Barrad’s leading blade had been quickly drawn simultaneously and had severed Thulsa’s right hand, before his opponent could even withdraw his own sword, the hand lay on the floor twitching in a pool of blood, Thulsa’s severed stump helplessly fumbled at his swords hilt. Barrad swiftly reversed his swipe with perfect form, slashing a deep and mortal wound across Thulsa’s throat, the shocked expression still showed on his face as the dying generals eyes glazed over. Barrad expertly flicked clear the blood from his blades and returned them to their scabbards. The two bodies surrounding him fell to the floor.
‘You were not the only one who had troubled dreams last night Thulsa. My father taught me never to betray that which is right and true, a lesson that you forgot a long time ago. Tamar, I have made my choice.’
Barrad left the ‘Bear’s Foot,’ his hands shaking with a mix of adrenalin, excitement and fear. It was still dark, but the sun would soon rise and Barrad passed the eight bodyguards outside surrounding the entrance to the tavern. The action had been so swift that it had not attracted their attention and there was now so much commotion going on in the hamlet that no one would have noticed any disturbance inside the building. The departed officers had already gone about their orders and the hamlet was already in flames. The screams of the villagers could be heard as the soldiers begun their slaughter – the men had been all too eager to get started. Barrad coolly walked past the bodyguards that surrounded the building, whilst inside he was secretly screaming with pain at the murder scene created by the rampaging soldiers. Their numbers were far too great even for him. Stopping at one of the guards he remarked.
‘Lord Thulsa is in a foul mood and has a chronic headache, he has commanded not to be disturbed… by anyone.’ The guard nodded his understanding; Barrad collected his horse and started to ride out of the camp stopping at a perimeter barricade to keep up the pretence of checking on the men. The officer who had instigated the attempted rape the day before approached.
‘Lord, a few of the villagers escaped to the north, our patrols should pick them up. Would you like me to send out additional men after them?’ Barrad approached low in his saddle and plunged his sword through the man’s throat – the watching crowd of warriors jumped to attention in shock.
‘That is the price of failure men.’ Barrad said, pointing to the corpse ‘I will not tolerate incompetence. Prepare to strike camp; we move out soon, I’ll get the Tanarian scum myself.’ Saddened by the unnecessary loss of life from the army’s actions, he rode off into the night at last allowing the tears to form in his eyes, he swallowed hard regaining his composure, the acrid stench of burning buildings was thick in the back of his throat.
Tamar was pleased with himself. It always took him forever to sleep, too many things floated around in his mind, all of his perpetual planning was exhausting. Still, once back in his fortress, he knew that nobody would be disturbing his sweet dreams. The Su-Katii Warlord had been easy to defeat. Turning his aggression and ego in on himself had been simple, disrespect and frustration had easily altered his actions. Barrad had been an unexpected opportunity. He had not expected to find one of such a pure heart so close to one whose ideals had become so warped over time. Without the ritual Su-Katii tattoos to ward off his magic he had unrestricted access to the young general’s mind and dreams, yet surprisingly he had not needed his magic, just a rational conversation had done the trick.
With one problem resolved he began to think through the others. Bellack and his sect still needed to be stopped, but how? He had followed their trails through people’s thoughts and memories but was yet to even pinpoint the hidden location of their lair. He sensed that their magic was more powerful than he had first anticipated. Why had they fuelled this war and how could it help his cause? There was always a reason to their every action, what had they to gain? No doubt their God Queen was ultimately behind their actions. All he knew was that they couldn’t be allowed to destroy the nation and people’s lives at their whim. It now appeared to Tamar that others were instead pulling their strings and shaping the world in their image. However he would stand against them, after several attempts on his own life and being expelled from the Magicians’ sect hundreds of years ago as the prize for obtaining an insight into their ultimate goal, he had now decided to spend his every breath thwarting any conditions that would aid in the God Queen’s release. She had lost the right to walk this world again and her promise of everlasting youth to her followers had proved to be unsustainable - with diminished returns. The most talented were summoned inside the temples structure to sleep with her, they would have years of youth returned to them and would return infused with new found power, but when they returned they would also be totally infatuated with her. When it had been Tamar’s turn he had fled the temples grounds before even entering the rift. An uncontrollable urge of panic had suddenly overwhelmed him and he knew that this sect was no longer for him.
The morning began with the usual reports. Cedar, Tamar’s loyal servant and friend, bought in fruit for the meeting. Once a slave but now freed by Tamar he had decided to stay on and assist him. Cedar bore a large scar over his left eye where his former master had severely beat him the first time that he had attempted to run away. Tamar had, over time, established a complicated network of contacts and agents and that had sided with his views.
‘Reports please.’ he demanded.
‘The Tanarian army attempted a dawn raid against Army Group West, it was repelled with heavy casualties and they are now in a state of rout, relayed Cedar.
‘And what of Nordheim?’
‘The region has almost been restored to order as the possessed have moved out, they are attempting to storm the Great Gate, only a few of those controlled remain in the settlements. However I fear, the psychological effect of slaying their kinsmen and families has all but destroyed their will to fight.’
‘Yes,’ nodded Tamar, ‘I hate to admit it but the nastiest elements of their plan are also the most effective.
‘What of the north-east?’ enquired Tamar.
‘The Tanarian forces have mobilised successfully? The 6th and 8th Regiments have managed to avoid the open field at the moment and are pulling back in an ordered retreat into the mountains,’ reported Cedar.
‘Then at last we have some good news, we still have an army to use,’ Tamar smiled as he spoke.
‘It is obvious that the Brotherhood is ultimately after this region and it will not be long until I discover why. Bellack had Thulsa create an extra war band to control the east. If we can still maintain a strong army in these lands, we can hopefully spoil their plans. There is nothing in this region worth fighting over, just the mines I suppose, but he could easily have brought the crystals rather than start a war over them.’ His face was thoughtful as he mulled over the only resource in the region.
‘Ah of course, I think I know what it is he seeks.
Sorus, another skilled in the arts of magic, stepped forward.
‘So this war was manipulated for the conquest of the crystal mines?’
‘Yes, I’m afraid so, but not crystals – a crystal,’ replied Tamar. ‘The Brotherhood of Keth has found a way to harness a dormant power inside of the crystals to bring chaos to our nations, but they lack the power to free their Queen, they lack the size to hold enough power to break her free of the rift. Even gathered together they do not multiply their powers, I know I tried it years ago but I must admit I had no idea of how dangerous the crystals really could be at the time. If you recall just over two months ago the miners in the Bacu mine reported finding a massive single formed crystal - I believe they called it the Moomran crystal. If they can harness it’s power, this single crystal could hold the potential to do untold damage or maybe even free their God. I suggested to my friends on the Tanarian council at the time that they should take it to the capital where it should be kept safe under lock and key. How stupid of me, if I had known the threat at the time I would have had it destroyed. It seemed a shame to destroy it when we were not sure if we could use this crystal for our own good, we would just need to learn how to harness its powers correctly. The Su-Katii order was naïve to think that they are the only ones following the old imprisoned Gods. But let me tell you Sorus, they were imprisoned for all eternity for a reason and I am not ready to find out that reason.’
‘Do you believe they can force her release?’ queried Sorus.
‘At first I didn’t think so,’ admitted Tamar. ‘At least not until the discovery of the Moomran crystal, it was so large that a team of twenty horses would be needed to extract it from the ground. This stone is no natural phenomenon; it was buried from a time long forgott