King Of The North (Book 3) (9 page)

"Turin the Gray," Adder repeated.

"Sounds like a nice fellow," Jhayla added.

Adder hopped off of the table, testing his arm, inspecting the sutures. "Nice work, Lucas," he said.

"Don't get in any fights for a few weeks," Lucas warned. "Take off the bandage at night to let it breathe, and keep it clean."

Jhayla reached into her pouch for a handful of coins, handing them to Lucas. The healer's eyes lit up as he counted them.

"Will that do?" she asked, smiling.

"Yes," Lucas replied, beaming with delight. "Please injure yourselves...I mean, come again."

Chapter Eight

The guards at Faillaigh's gates were natives of Eirenoch, Khalid noticed. With that in mind, he believed entry to the city would not be too much trouble. If they knew that Khalid and his priests were here to help, they would surely let them in. The only difficulty would be convincing them to take a stand when the time was right.

"We will tell them the truth," Khalid advised his priests. "There is no reason to lie to them. We are here to liberate Faillaigh, and destroy the Jindala garrison."

"They will be sympathetic and hopeful," Dael said. "But without the influence of the Thieves' Guild, they may be reluctant to let us in."

Khalid nodded. "That is a chance we will have to take," he said. "Nevertheless, we will get inside, one way or another."

The group approached the guards, keeping their hoods up and their hands visible. They walked in step, grouping themselves as priests or monks would during a pilgrimage. From the outside, their weapons were well hidden, and their posture was neutral.

"Well met," one of the guards greeted them.

Khalid looked up, keeping his face hidden in the shadows of his cowl. "Greetings, brother," he said. "We come to pay homage to the people of Faillaigh and offer them guidance in these troubling times."

"You know
The Lifegiver has occupied this city," the guard said. "He does not allow worship of The Dragon. I'm sorry, I cannot let you in."

"We are here to challenge
The Lifegiver's soldiers, my friend."

"I know," the guard replied. "But we are not ready. Our forces are too weak. And I could be executed for even talking to you."

"A true man of The Dragon would give his life to save his people."

"Look, I don't know where you came from. You are obviously not a man of Eirenoch. You look like one of them."

"I was a Jindala once," Khalid responded. "But I now serve The Dragon. Trust me, brother, this is not a ruse, nor a test. We are here to fight for your freedom."

The guard consulted with his companion for a moment. Khalid watched as they argued, weighing the consequences of both decisions. Finally, both of them approached, the other guard addressing them this time.

"The Jindala are always watching," he said. "If we let you in, we are doomed."

"You should not fear," Khalid assured him. "The Jindala presence here is weak. Together, we can defeat them."

The guards sighed, looking at each other in question. The first guard spoke again.

"Fine," he said. "Go to the town square and blend in with the crowd. When the clock strikes the next hour, we will be ready."

Khalid nodded. The guards moved to open the gates. As they slowly creaked open, the priests could see several Jindala guards inside. They glared at Khalid and his priests as they entered, but did not seem to suspect anything. To them, they were just a group of monks  visiting the local library. However, Khalid kept his head down, fearful of revealing his ancestry.

The priests moved slowly through the streets, greeting civilians who stopped and stared. They moved with the crowds when they could, keeping out of sight as much as possible. Very few people seemed to take notice of them, and the guards they encountered were oblivious of their true nature. Only a few townspeople among them knew who they really were, and they kept quiet.

When they reached the town square, they stopped and gathered at a public fountain. Khalid's intuition told him that they should split up to avoid drawing any suspicion. They did so, each priest casually strolling around the square, talking with the civilians and pretending to haggle with the local merchants.

As Khalid scanned the crowd, he noticed a shady man watching him. The man was hooded, and dressed inconspicuously. The colors he wore were neutral, which helped him remain mostly unseen among the masses, yet there was something in his stare that told Khalid that the man knew who he was.

As Khalid predicted, the man began to make his way through the crowd toward him. Khalid glanced to the side, pretending not to notice the man as he came closer. Then, he bumped into Khalid, slipping something into his hand. He disappeared into the crowd again, and Khalid began walking, waiting for the right moment to see what the man had given him. When he was satisfied that he was still incognito, he looked into his hand. There was a note, written in ink that was quickly fading.

Change of plans. The guild will create a ruckus in the town square. When the guards arrive to investigate, you may begin. They will come in full force, leaving only the Sultan. We will deal with him.

As Khalid read the last words, the writing disappeared. He crumbled the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. He would have to inform the others of his encounter and relay the new strategy before the clock struck.

But before he could even approach the first priest, a woman's voice shouted over the bustling crowd.

"Behold!" the woman announced. Khalid turned, along with the rest of the townspeople, to the source of the voice. A young woman had cast off her veil and robes to display her naked body to everyone. She walked proudly and confidently up to the fountain, and stood on its short wall. I have thrown away the yoke of tyranny! I will no longer wear the vestments of my oppression. I urge all of you to do the same."

Guards approached from all directions, their faces frozen in rage. Khalid knew that rage; it was common among
The Lifegiver's people. According to their customs, women must always remain covered in public, and this woman dared to blaspheme against The Lifegiver's laws and expose herself. Khalid chuckled at her bravery.

He looked around to find his priests, nodding at all of them to be ready. As the guards filled the town square, the people began to scatter, fearful of retribution. Within seconds, all that remained were the guards, and seven cloaked figures bearing weapons.

Khalid met the naked woman's gaze, winking at her. She smiled, urging the guards to turn.

"The end of your occupation has arrived, devils!" she hissed. "Back to Hell with you!"

The guards looked behind them as the woman fled. There stood seven dark figures, hooded and fearsome in their fury. The power of The Dragon emanated from them like flames, sending terror down the spines of the Jindala. Out of the shadows came more figures, armed and poised to do battle. They stood behind the seven, glaring their hatred at the unsuspecting guards.

"Surrender now!" the Jindala Captain commanded them.

The thieves behind Khalid laughed, but the priests themselves said nothing, merely glaring at their prey as they stepped forward in defiance.

"What is going on out there?" Sultan Sira demanded as he saw the gathering. He hung halfway out the window trying to get a better look. He saw the cloaked figures standing there, and their companions joining them from the alleyways. "Halil!" he shouted as he turned. "Get out there and quell this uprising!"

But Halil did not answer. He was not there. Only a dark-cloaked figure stood where Kalil was expected to be. A figure who smiled as he slowly approached Sira.

"Who are you?" the Sultan hissed. "Where are my guards?"

The figure said nothing, but calmly plunged a dagger through the Sultan's chest. He twisted it round and round as the Jindala leader fell to his knees, grasping his assassin's arm in pain and shock.

Before he died, the Sultan saw the bodies of his guards outside the doorway.

The Jindala backed away as Khalid and his priests charged. Though outnumbered by at least three to one, the priests were fearless in their attack. Khalid leaped into the air, double slashing at a pair of pikemen who jabbed at him. He sailed over their weapons, spinning in the air and attacking furiously with downward strikes. They dropped their spears as Khalid's blades sliced open their chests. The other priests followed, plunging into the chaos, the thieves following suit.

The six priests parried their way into the center, standing in a circle and defending the various blows that the Jindala dealt. Behind the line of enemies, the thieves ducked in and out of sight, attacking, disappearing, and attacking again. They were fierce and nearly invisible.

Khalid continued his assault, facing a swordsman who attacked with a quick succession of alternating slashes. Khalid parried his attacks with both blades, impressed with the man's speed. The high priest backed away, giving the swordsman room to unleash a furious attack. As the enemy charged forward to strike, Khalid spun to the side, slashing his swords at the attacker's waist. He connected with both scimitars, laying the man's abdomen open. He grinned as he moved on to the next hapless enemy.

The six priests alternated their attacks, passing their enemies to each other as their own circle spun. The confused Jindala were unable to counter, as their attacker was immediately replaced by the priest next to him. Khalid watched them as he fought his own opponents, impressed with their coordinated efforts. It was quite obvious they had fought this way before.

Townspeople had begun to gather as the battle ensued. They cheered the allies on, some of them attacking the Jindala who came too close, others pulling the thieves who had been injured out of harm's way.

Khalid held up his weapons, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Your freedom has come! Cast off your veils, and take your city back!"

The crowd cheered again, some of them rushing away to scour the city for any remaining guards. Women took off their veils, children shouted and threw stones at the Jindala, and some of the younger men joined the fight.

"Faillaigh belongs to
The Dragon!" Khalid shouted again, encouraging them to cheer louder.

The Jindala began to shrink in number. The priests, along with the thieves, had slain most of them, and those that remained were fearful, having lost their morale when townspeople had begun their rebellion.

"Tear down their monuments!" Khalid yelled again. "The Lifegiver is not welcome here! Burn their temples! Burn their books!"

Just then, a wave of silence came over the Jindala, and the crowd became still. The allies, confused, stared in disbelief as the enemy began to flee. The townspeople backed away, fearful of what was coming. Khalid watched them flee, as well, as the thundering of hooves echoed through the alleys.

"What is happening?" Khalid shouted.

Enkhatar,
The Dragon's voice said.

Khalid, knowing full well the horror that
The Dragon had spoken of, stood fast. He beckoned his priests to stay behind him, and to keep the thieves from charging. He waited as the sound of hooves became louder, growing to a deafening crescendo. Then, out of the shadows, the steed appeared.

The mount was half again as large as a work horse. Its coat was jet black and gleamed like obsidian, and its eyes shone red with the fury of the undead. It snorted loudly, sending puffs of putrid gas into the air, and its hooves burned the ground where it stomped.

Atop the nightmarish steed, the Enkhatar sat. An aura of darkness surrounded it, lashing out as if it were alive. The creature's armor was black as night, and covered with spikes and blades of unearthly material. The huge warrior's face was covered in a cruel mask of black iron that seemed bolted directly onto its rotting flesh. Its great helm was adorned with long, spiraling horns that jutted far above its twisted crown.

"My brothers," Khalid whispered. "Do not fear this entity. It is merely a puppet of
The Lifegiver. You wield the power of the Firstborn."

He closed his eyes as the Enkhatar reared its horse back. He called on
The Dragon, praying for strength and courage to impart to his priests. He felt his scimitars begin to vibrate, as if the power of The Dragon was waiting to be unleashed. Quickly, he glanced at his priests, who were also gripping their weapons with renewed confidence.

"We are with you, brother," Dael spoke. Then, he charged.

Khalid charged as well, urging the others to follow. The Enkhatar let loose a horrifying screech that shook the buildings around it. It raised its gigantic axe and charged to meet them.

The priests parted as the Enkhatar rode through. They each struck at the creature's mount, Khalid dodging the swing of the huge axe. The priests regrouped as the Enkhatar turned to charge again. Khalid saw that there were still some townspeople cowering in the shadows. The thieves had vanished.

"When he nears," Khalid said as the Enkhatar barreled toward them, "scatter. Three to a side."

The priests followed his command, ducking to the side as the Enkhatar charged. Khalid ducked straight down, lashing out with his scimitars as the horse rode over him. His blades, charged with
The Dragon's power, severed the beast's front legs. Its back legs crashed into Khalid, knocking him back and stunning him with their impact.

"Khalid!" Dael called, rushing to aid his friend.

The Enkhatar tumbled forward as its horse collapsed with great momentum. The creature was smashed to the ground, cracking several of the paving stones that lined the streets.

"Are you alright?" Dael asked.

Khalid coughed and gasped for breath as he was helped to his feet. "I'm alright," he said.