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Sword of Kings
Chapter 40 – Treachery Abounds
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The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts.
The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality.
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I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with this chapter.
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Groggily, Commander Elgin got up and the guard advised him about the problem. “There is a significant glow in the distance,” he stated, while pointing at the brightness, “and I don’t know what’s causing it. However, because of its size, I thought you would be interested. I suspect it might be the light from the enemy’s campfires or a crematory bonfire, which would mean the battle has already begun.”
“If that is the glow from the enemy campfires,” Elgin told him, “then we are indeed in trouble. That would indicate that the enemy forces are ten times larger than we had calculated, but I don’t think our information could be that wrong.” The young soldier looked embarrassed that his idea had been rejected so easily.
“The battle might also have begun,” the commander agreed, “but if that light is from the funeral pyres of those killed, then nearly everyone must be dead - on both sides.” The young trooper was totally flustered now and decided the best way to save face was to get Elgin’s take on the situation.
“Then…then what might that light be from, Sir?” the guard asked, in a halting, uncertain voice.
“It is from a very large fire, that’s for sure,” Elgin told him, “but it seems too large to be associated with a battle, unless an entire community has been set ablaze. My first thought was that Treblanc was burning, but I don’t think the location of the fire is far enough to the north for that to be the case. On the other hand, it may also be some sort of a ruse on the Dark Lord’s part, to make us think he has more troops than he does.” The younger dwarf nodded unconsciously, realizing these suggestions were much more likely than his own.
“I…uh apologize for disturbing your slumber then,” the guard offered, afraid that he had done something wrong and would be punished for his actions.
“That is not necessary,” the commander told him. “You did the right thing. In fact, I would have had you disciplined if you HADN’T brought this to my attention. Go back to your post and be assured you acted correctly. Please make sure to pass the word to your replacements that they are to rouse everyone at the first sign the night is ending. We must be ready to march by daybreak.”
The guard promised he would do as Elgin desired and then he went back to his post, while the Commander attempted to catch a few more winks before his day began.
* * * * * * * *
It had been a hectic day in Tunstan. The city’s residents had spent the entire day preparing for the upcoming battle. The men spent most of their time readying supplies for transport, recording the intelligence information that was still coming in and performing other related activities, while their small army prepared for battle. The soldiers and support artisans were busy sharpening weapons, repairing armor and exercising, in order to keep their strength and endurance at peak levels for what was to come. Finally, as darkness began to overtake them, these activities began to grind to a halt and everyone moved off to eat and get some rest.
A few hours after sunset, there was an abrupt end to the calm. A shopkeeper, who had worked hard all day loading supplies, was awakened by the sounds of the city’s warning alarm. Panicked and confused, he jumped out of bed and bolted to the window, in an attempt to determine what was going on. On the way there, he also began to distinguish the sounds of people shouting and weapons clanging off one another out in the street. Cautiously, he peeked through a crack in the shutters, to see what was happening. It was fairly easy to tell that soldiers were in a fierce fight. At first, the shopkeeper suspected it might be the result of a disagreement between some of the town’s warriors, who had been itching for some action. However, it didn’t take him long to determine the sounds of conflict had risen to levels that indicated this was more than just a minor squabble.
Hurriedly, he raced around his home, rousing the other members of his family. He told his wife to take the children and flee the city, while he and his eldest son went out to see what they might be able to do to help. Dutifully, his wife gathered up their younger children and prepared them to depart. She gave each one a small satchel to carry, which contained some food and a few of the valuables the family possessed. Before they left, the shopkeeper hugged and kissed them all, before seeing them out the rear door and hopefully to safety.
Once his family had departed, the shopkeeper grabbed the old sword that hung on his wall as decoration, to use to defend his city. At the same time, his son grabbed a large knife and a meat cleaver to carry with him. Together, they cautiously opened the door and stepped out into the street. They were immediately thrust into the fray and it was obvious whom their opponents were.
The duo fought bravely, but they were definitely outmatched and outnumbered. Fortunately, they were able to slip away from the worst of the fighting, after they heard a Tunstanese army officer shout an order for everyone to fall back to the bridges. Gratefully, they broke free of their opponents and began a hasty withdrawal toward the western edge of the city. However, when the shopkeeper looked back to locate his son, he discovered the boy had stopped to assist a neighbor, who had fallen. In the mayhem that followed, the shopkeeper and his son became separated. The man tried to make his way back to assist the boy, but found that impossible. He continued to move along, until he reached the bridges, and then remained there, awaiting his son’s arrival.
He watched intently for the lad and eventually spotted him. At that moment, the shopkeeper was somewhat relieved, but still anxious, as his son headed toward him. The lad had nearly made it, when out of nowhere a soldier lunged at him and ran him through with his sword. The boy fell like a tree in a powerful storm, after the soldier withdrew the weapon from his body, and the shopkeeper screamed out in horror, as he frantically tried to make his way toward his boy. However, he soon saw such an attempt would be futile, as a horde of enemy soldiers trampled over his son’s lifeless form, as they charged the bridge.
The shopkeeper was forced to fight against the advancing wave of warriors, in order to save his own life, and he tried to kill as many as he could, to get even for his loss. However, he didn’t have adequate skills as a fighter. The only way he was able to kill an enemy soldier was to find one engaged in combat with someone else and then deliver his blow on the sly. Sticking to that strategy, the shopkeeper killed or wounded a dozen or so of the heartless souls who had attacked them, before he was nearly pushed across the bridge by his retreating army. The last thing he saw was the bridge collapsing, before he looked up and realized his entire community had been set ablaze.
* * * * * * * *
When Elgin was awakened later, he sat down to chat with his other officers while they ate. “A little earlier,” he began, “one of the guards woke me to point out a glow in the distance, which I surmised was the result of a huge fire. I’m not sure exactly what the source was, but it does concern me. I really wish I understood what was going on.” The others agreed, but since they hadn’t seen it for themselves, they were hesitant to conjecture what might have caused it.
Hurriedly, they finished striking camp and set off again, even though they were all still quite weary. They had only traveled for about an hour or so, before they began to detect movement several hundred meters ahead. Scouts were immediately dispatched to check out its source and soon reported back that it was a large group of people heading in their direction. They also advised their superiors that there didn’t seem to be any need to worry, though, as it was obvious this wasn’t any sort of military force. Even from a distance, they could tell there were a great number smaller people in the group, possibly children, and there was no glint of armor or signs of weapons.
As the dwarfs drew closer to the group, they could tell the people were dressed shabbily, had no apparent organization and were spread out in an extremely long and haphazard line. This procession also seemed to grow denser, the further back they looked. When the army finally met up with the first travelers coming in their direction, the commander called his troops to a halt, so he could question the civilians about what was happening.
“What brings so many of you along this route?” he asked an elderly woman, dressed in rags. The woman stopped to answer him, while the others continued on.
“We’re fleeing Tunstan,” she informed him. “It was attacked last night by the Dark Lord’s army.” Elgin nodded and began to comprehend the reasons for the dazed and confused expressions on the faces of those now passing by.
“Could you tell me exactly what happened?” he followed, wanting to gather as much intelligence as he could about the attack.
“Madumda’s soldiers seemed to come out of nowhere last night, attacking and plundering the city. Anyone who stayed behind to defend his home was killed and then the soldiers stole everything of value.”
“What else?” Commander Elgin pressed. “How many soldiers were there and did your troops try to stand against them?”
“I will tell you what I can,” the old woman continued. “The first alarm sounded a few hours after sunset. Our army, which had been preparing for battle for many weeks, was quick to respond, but they were severely outnumbered and quickly overpowered. When the fighting began, many of the residents fled the city. They took with them whatever belongings they could easily carry or pull in a small cart.” She paused briefly, as she recalled the details and momentarily began to choke up. After composing herself once more, she continued.
“Many of the men and older boys went to assist the warriors, but it soon became apparent they couldn’t hold out for very long. That was when the soldiers started to fall back, but all they could do was delay the inevitable. They fought bravely and gave the rest of us time to get away, but there was no way they could win this battle. They were totally out-manned. If you’ll excuse me now, I have to go catch up with my family,” she apologized, while looking forward, to see if she could locate her loved ones. “Maybe someone else can give you more information,” she yelled over her shoulder, as she was leaving.
While Elgin and the woman had been talking, more of the residents of Tunstan passed them by. Not wishing to fall further behind schedule, Elgin ordered his troops to start out again. However, they only traveled a short distance before he stopped them once more, so he could question the first adult male he saw going by.
“Sir, can you fill me in on any of the details about what happened?” Elgin asked him.
“I’m not sure if my information will assist you,” the man responded, “but I will tell you what I know. I was a shopkeeper in Tunstan before this happened and we had just finished a hard day’s work, preparing for the upcoming battle. I was sleeping when the attack begin, but when I discovered what was happening, I sent most of my family to safety. My eldest son and I stayed behind to assist our army. We fought beside our soldiers until most of the city had been evacuated. Then I stayed and to help defend one of the bridges for a short time, until there was nothing left to defend.”
“What of your army?” Elgin asked him. “How many survived and where are they?”
“A great many of them were killed during the confrontation,” the man informed him, visibly shaken from recalling these details, “and they were also among the last to flee. At least two units stayed on the city side of the bridges and died giving the others time to get away. My son was also killed, just before he was able to escape across the river.” The man was trembling at this point, as his emotions got the best of him, and the commander could tell he was struggling to hold back the tears that were welling up in his eyes.
“I’m truly sorry to hear about your loss,” Elgin stated, sincerely, when he realized that man probably wouldn’t be able to tell him more.
The man thanked the commander for his kind words, in a cracking, halting voice, and then Elgin started his troops moving again. A short time later, they came across a warrior who had been badly wounded and was being carried by two of his comrades. The commander immediately barked an order for someone to give medical assistance to the injured soldier and to provide a litter to transport him, while he talked to the other pair. This time, however, Elgin ordered the rest of his army to keep moving, rather than wait for him. The Commander was encouraged that he would finally be able to get a military perspective about what had happened.
“We were not expecting an attack,” one of the soldiers began, “but obviously our information was faulty. It appears the Dark Lord believed our city’s continued existence somehow threatened his chances to be victorious and thought it best to eliminate us.”
“Unfortunately for Tunstan,” Elgin responded, in a conciliatory tone, “your community had been thrust into an extremely vital role in this conflict. Not only was your small army billeted there, but the city had also become a major supply base and a center for intelligence gathering. I completely understand why Madumda would feel uncomfortable about Tunstan’s proximity to his fortress. Please go on. What happened next?”
“The attack was swift, barbaric and totally without warning,” the trooper told him. “Our army responded as rapidly as we could, but we were greatly outnumbered, so it didn’t take long before our defenses began to crumble. When that happened, we started an orderly retreat. We continued fighting, as we made our way toward the bridges, trying to protect the city’s residents from being slaughtered. My friends and I were among the group that collapsed one of the bridges.” The man stopped momentarily, as thought about what had happened.
“Some of warriors volunteered to hold off Madumda forces, while the others destroyed the bridges. My friend was badly wounded while trying to protect me, as I worked to loosen one of the pins that would send the bridges into the river. When it finally came free, the span in front of us collapsed and took a few of Madumda’s soldiers with it. As we dragged our friend to safety, some of the enemy soldiers used their bows to try to take us out. One of their arrows went into the leg of my friend, who was already wounded.”
While they had been chatting, the dwarf healer had finished treating the injured man’s wounds, but there was nothing he could do to replace the warrior’s lost blood. All the medical practitioner could do was give the man plenty of water to drink and hope his body would be able to do the rest.
“Do you know how many others survived?” Commander Elgin asked.
“Not many,” the soldier told him. “Those who did are now protecting our rear, in case the Dark Lord’s troops decided to pursue us. We were afraid they might try to dispose of the remaining witnesses. There may be enough healthy men left to form a few units, but most of our army was killed in action or executed after the bridges were collapsed.”
“They executed the prisoners?” Elgin asked, appalled by the news. Even though he knew of Madumda’s treachery and thirst for blood, it didn’t make it any easier to accept the slaughter of unarmed warriors.
“Yes, they did,” the soldier continued. “I couldn’t believe the viciousness they used to finish off those who were trying to surrender. Madumda’s men took their weapons from them, made them kneel on the ground and then ran them through with their own swords from behind. Some of the others had their throats slashed, like hogs at a slaughter, or were beheaded. It was a terrible thing to witness and we all regretted that we hadn’t stayed behind with them and fought until the last of us were dead.” The dwarf nodded his understanding, before the man finished. “After that, they torched the city. That was the last thing I saw,” the fighting man continued, answering another question for the commander.
After digesting what he had heard, Commander Elgin thanked the trooper for the information and then made sure the wounded man would continue to be cared for. The commander found a family with a cart who was willing to take the injured soldier with them and care for him until they reached a safe location. The commander had the two other soldiers place their friend on the litter and then position it crossways on the cart. That way, the family could transport him, but he wouldn’t take up valuable space meant for their children or what few belongings they had managed to save. This also freed up the other two warriors, so they could return with the dwarfs and fight alongside the rest of the Tunstanese forces that had survived.
The three now set out to catch up with the dwarf column. Recent events had provided them a sense of urgency and a renewed purpose to fight, which in turn seemed to give them a boost of energy. This adrenalin rush had passed by the time they caught up to the others, so the men were exhausted and ready to drop. Commander Elgin ordered his army to take a brief rest, to allow the two who had traveled with him a chance to catch their breath. While they were recuperating, what was left of the Tunstanese army arrived at their location.
The officer who had taken charge of the group from Tunstan reported to the dwarf commander and the two of them hurriedly discussed the best way to integrate them into one army. Eventually, they took what was left of the Tunstanese troops and formed what units they could, under the command of Tunstanese officers. The remaining men were combined with some dwarf volunteers, to make up the final unit. Seeing there were no Tunstanese officers remaining unassigned, a dwarf officer was put in charge of this group. They were now organized nearly as Beraut had intended, except there were considerably fewer units under Elgin’s command. They were finally ready to do their part in the upcoming battle and, hopefully, there were still enough of them to complete the job they had been assigned.
Elgin barked out the order to resume the march and they made their way along the same path the others had just used during their escape. While they were marching, Elgin and the temporary leader of the Tunstanese army discussed what other changes they might need to make in order to still be effective. When they finally reached the river, the dwarfs could hardly believe their eyes. Even though they had heard about what had happen, they were still stunned to actually see the extent of the devastation that had been wrought and the number of lives that had been lost.
They knew the city had been set ablaze, but they were surprised that only a very few charred timbers still remained upright, to indicate where Tunstan had once stood. Unbelievably, most of the buildings had burned completely to the ground, indicating how intense the fire must have been. Among the rubble was also the smoldering remains of those killed or executed by the horde that attacked them. The unmistakable stench of burning flesh still hung in the air, which caused some of the returning troopers to gag and even vomit. The others understood their plight and, therefore, made no comment or jokes about what was happening to them. The sights and smells that now surrounded them were just another gruesome reminder of what had taken place just hours earlier, but they also understood they couldn’t afford to let their emotions get the best of them.
It was also difficult for the returning Tunstanese forces to acknowledge there would be no way to tell which remains belonged to whom, when it came time to bury them, as identification would be impossible. What made it even sadder was the knowledge that the ashes contained the remains of numerous women, children and babies as well, since the Dark Lord’s minions had indiscriminately slain any living soul who happened to get in their way. The killing of non-combatants was always taboo, unless they played a part in the actual engagement. That would have been considered the collateral damage of war, but this had not been the case. Everyone knew the slaughter of innocent women and children could not be tolerated by any decent society and this just stiffened the resolve of every fighting man, both human and dwarf, to defeat Madumda’s army.
Although they were fatigued, they realized they couldn’t remain here long. It was early morning and the commander feared the condor would start patrolling the area soon. Therefore, they would need to make some decisions and do it quickly. In order to get to the battle, they would have to cross the river, but there was no apparent way to do that now, seeing all the bridges had all been destroyed. That meant they would have to find another way to get to the battlefield, but what were they going to do?
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