Chapter Nineteen: The battle for Counquan and Kern's future
As red mists rose and scattered, grey clouds gathered in perpendicular formations, the town of Counquan awoke to a hari of challenge. Altran had finally arrived at the gates of Counquan and had demanded an immediate audience with the leaders of the resistance.
Duke Mon'seryt, Lord Treylk, Skye and High Command and the Dragonlord watched from a distance, as Jakyro'yah concealed the link-magic concentrations of the Dragonlord and Skye, while masking his own presence among the mortals of Corath.
Finally they made their appearance on the outer dinding of Counquan. Lord Altran was astride a war-horse and four dangerous looking barbarians were waiting selanjutnya to him, as well as a cold-eyed man with receding, grey hair.
Behind them, in the distance, were the barbarian Hordes and Skye lost count of them; there were at least twenty-thousand of the despicable looking barbarian folk. Skye noted that almost half of them were the Krellon creatures, like the things he and Ferral had seen while walking through the Great Wasteland.
Duke Mon'seryt cleared his throat angrily. “You, Lord Altran, will leave at once atau be destroyed oleh our better trained men. I won't stand for this outrage!”
Altran grinned up at the Duke. “I think not, Duke Mon'seryt. anda will, in turn, leave this town to me, atau else my horde of barbarians will destroy this town down to the very last block of stone.”
Skye appeared in front of the Duke. “If anda don't leave, Altran, I will tampil anda my full powers and destroy your whole Hordes, with a flick of my fingers.”
Altran laughed condescendingly in Skye's face. “That I'd like to see, anda don't even have any powers to speak of.”
The cold-eyed man walked meneruskan, ke depan and spoke a few words under his breath, then an orb of pure energy appeared around his hand, which he sent flying at Skye. The orb of energy sparked and appeared to hit Skye, but then it exploded around Skye's shields.
The sorcerer’s cold, blue eyes narrowed and he spoke lebih words for a spell, conjuring an image of a dragon composed completely of orange-red flames. This flame dragon was sent at Skye too, but again was engulfed in the fair-haired magician's shields.
Xorl snarled and started to speak lebih magical words, but it was time for Skye's turn. Skye concentrated every ounce of chaotically energetic link-magic he could, without killing himself and everything around him, then sent a bolt of pure chaotic link-magic at the sorcerer.
Xorl tried to summon a shield, atau something to block the bolt of chaotically enhanced energy, but it tore through everything he summoned and he dissolved into the chaotic bolt and exploded, along with everything around him within a ten Dexyl radius.
The ground, where Xorl had been, was completely black and there was a massive crater, where his charred remains lay.
Altran looked up at Skye with a vicious look on his barbaric face. “You and your friends will pay for this with your miserable lives”, then he and his four barbarian commanders turned and returned back to the Hordes. Skye breathed heavily, with a strained look he turned around and went to sit upon a block of stone. “That sorcerer was pretty powerful, but Altran isn't going to be easy to kill.
We really need a plan to destroy him personally, but we still need to hold out against the Hordes, even if Altran dies atau is defeated.”
Lord Treylk looked at Skye with a look of respect deep in his eyes; “how did anda do that Ser Mage? I've never seen a Mage with power like that.”
Skye shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and closed his eyes briefly. “I simply took all of the chaotically energetic link out of the surrounding link-magic and concentrated it in one small bolt, which exploded on contact.”
Treylk simply nodded apprehensively. “It was quite frightening and it certainly makes me glad that anda are on our side and not theirs” then he grinned thoughtfully at Skye.
Skye silently agreed with this assessment, but chose not to voice his opinion and lower the already low morale of the people defending Counquan.
“What's your opinion of Altran?” Skye asked the garrison commander contemplatively. Treylk grunted. “He's a fool and he'll get himself and many others killed, just because he wants everything for himself.”
“You have a good point, Lord Treylk, and that's why we are going to destroy him; he can't be allowed to survive when he threatens peace all over Kern and maybe even the whole of Corath” the magician concluded musingly.
The Dragonlord, Armonath, grasped Skye's shoulder. “That was an interesting display of magical force and tacticality anda showed, young Skye. I've never seen someone so young with magical knowledge such as yours.”
“I studied at the universitas of Koren for about a Yer and studied through many different buku on link-magic and uses, as well as owning my own copy of the Foundation.”
“The Foundation of Link-Magic?” Armonath questioned insatiably.
“That's the one. I've been membaca it thoroughly, to try and understand link-magic fully and learn to control the magic in almost every context and form.”
“I could feel your link-magic concentration all the way from Skrath Isle and that's certainly not usual for a Mage. However, if anda use magic out of your control, anda may kill someone oleh accident, atau damage the natural level disorder within our life-force, possibly even another organism's life-force.”
“The Foundation seems to hint at that, too” Skye remarked casually, somewhat used to the Foundation and its realistic, perceptive meanings. The script of menulis was of different perceptions than the way of the world, how Corathians generally occupied their activities and lives.
“And so it should. The Foundation, although I've never really read it, obviously is very cautious of using a power that can damage ecological systems and large groups of organisms that inhabit the undamaged natural world.”
Skye nodded enthusiastically, encouraged oleh his ease with the Dragonlord.
“You seem to know quite a lot about using magic and magical lore; much lebih than anybody else I've ever really talked to.” Magic was never easy to understand, especially when anda were just beginning to learn atau master the berkata magicks.
“Well, I have had dragons, Gods and elves to teach me magic, as well as an Arch-Mage and a Mage-King” Armonath noted satirically, grinning at the incredulous expression of annoyance and yearning Skye displayed so readily when education was mentioned.
While they were talking, archers and bolt-slingers were flooding the upper dinding speedily, rushing to defend against the siege, which came in the form of Altran and his Hordes in the background, scattered and congregating irregularly like arynts to an arynt-hole.
Gunnar rushed over and started to update Skye with the details of Altran's movements and what his Lenience's troops doing.
“Ser, Altran's Hordes are congregating into attack forces and will be getting ready to attack us soon. Hylyr has the Mage-Lancers on standby at the gates and Gerdamh is currently sending long-range troops us here to help.”
Skye thought for a moment. “Me and Armonath will need a squad, Commander Vyrt and you, Gunnar. The plan I propose is to attempt a plane-distancer on us all, hiding our presence from anyone, except a talented Mage, then we shall attack Altran and try and destroy him.” Skye cocked his head questioningly.
The time and situation seemed to demand that course of action, so Gunnar nodded his prolonged approval, and then waited demandingly for Skye to lead them to the required Low Command officer and Mage-Lancers.
The Dragonlord grinned and followed Skye over to the wall-steps, carved out of Krystythein mayrbal-stone and which lead to the courtyard of Counquan's outer luar angkasa within the fortress and aman, brankas zone. The fair-haired magician nodded to Treylk, then he and his cronies disappeared out of view, into the busied courtyard.
Automatically Skye glanced around to see where Commander Vyrt was, then spotted him directing troops to one of the lebih unguarded gates, while Hylyr was waiting the main bulk of the lance bearing Leniency men.
Skye made a beeline for that line of sight, nuzzling his robes closer to his light frame and thinking that Counquan was rather cold, even though it was only the warm season. Hylyr smiled as soon as he noticed his Mage-Advisor advancing and ran over to greet him urgently, determined oleh the presence of the aforementioned barbarians.
“Ser, I've everything under control here for the time being; is there anything that anda require?” the Mage-Commander wondered keenly, catching Gunnar's eye.
“I need a squad and I have to borrow our good commander for a stealth mission. I have a plan to destroy Altran, but it will be dangerous and that's why I need the most experienced men of the Mage-Lancers.”
Hylyr evidently agreed with this surmision and it showed. “Yes, Ser; I think that 3rd Squadron would be the best for anda to command, since our good Commander-Captain has always worked with Senior squad-captain Vaynh.”
Skye grinned wittingly, the stolid Gunnar had admitted to a few discrepancies on their part, following the small massacre at Wylldom; the barbarians had been eradicated and 3rd Squadron was honoured for valour and conduct.
“Yes, I seem to remember the stories that Gunnar told me, even though there was a point where he was a little too shy to remind us of his glorious past” Skye glanced sideways at Gunnar, who was blushing slightly.
“Let us get on with it then, we better get going before Altran sends the Hordes to the wall” the blond officer replied bluntly.
The officers of the Mage-Lancers all agreed promptly and Hylyr left to find 3rd Squadron, while Skye, without the company of the Dragonlord and Gunnar, decided to talk to Commander Vyrt and convince of the urgency of their mission.
Skye ambled gracefully over to the Commander and stood, arms folded, in front of him with his eyebrows raised. “I need your help, Commander Vyrt, and it won't be an easy task for you, I'm afraid.”
The Commander of the Mage-Lancers raised his eyebrow questioningly, glancing from Skye to the Dragonlord and Gunnar, who was talking to Squad Captain Vaynh.
“What plans have anda made, Ser?” the brown-haired officer asked, then crossed his arms firmly and eyed something in the background.
“This plan involves removing Altran of his command of the Hordes, essentially cutting the head off the chicken, if anda will. I plan to use my control over link-magic to overwhelm Altran before he is even able to practice his transfigurative magicks.”
Vyrt stared back, realisation not yet striking him. Then the commander gasped, as he finally considered what Skye was actually planning to do. “You... plan to kill Altran yourself, without any help?” Vyrt growled, suddenly visibly anxious, yet only for Skye and his life.
“Don't worry. I do have the Dragonlord for backup if I need it, besides, I really have lebih control over link-magic than most other Mages, even from Argate, if there are any left alive” Skye soothed the commander placatingly.
As red mists rose and scattered, grey clouds gathered in perpendicular formations, the town of Counquan awoke to a hari of challenge. Altran had finally arrived at the gates of Counquan and had demanded an immediate audience with the leaders of the resistance.
Duke Mon'seryt, Lord Treylk, Skye and High Command and the Dragonlord watched from a distance, as Jakyro'yah concealed the link-magic concentrations of the Dragonlord and Skye, while masking his own presence among the mortals of Corath.
Finally they made their appearance on the outer dinding of Counquan. Lord Altran was astride a war-horse and four dangerous looking barbarians were waiting selanjutnya to him, as well as a cold-eyed man with receding, grey hair.
Behind them, in the distance, were the barbarian Hordes and Skye lost count of them; there were at least twenty-thousand of the despicable looking barbarian folk. Skye noted that almost half of them were the Krellon creatures, like the things he and Ferral had seen while walking through the Great Wasteland.
Duke Mon'seryt cleared his throat angrily. “You, Lord Altran, will leave at once atau be destroyed oleh our better trained men. I won't stand for this outrage!”
Altran grinned up at the Duke. “I think not, Duke Mon'seryt. anda will, in turn, leave this town to me, atau else my horde of barbarians will destroy this town down to the very last block of stone.”
Skye appeared in front of the Duke. “If anda don't leave, Altran, I will tampil anda my full powers and destroy your whole Hordes, with a flick of my fingers.”
Altran laughed condescendingly in Skye's face. “That I'd like to see, anda don't even have any powers to speak of.”
The cold-eyed man walked meneruskan, ke depan and spoke a few words under his breath, then an orb of pure energy appeared around his hand, which he sent flying at Skye. The orb of energy sparked and appeared to hit Skye, but then it exploded around Skye's shields.
The sorcerer’s cold, blue eyes narrowed and he spoke lebih words for a spell, conjuring an image of a dragon composed completely of orange-red flames. This flame dragon was sent at Skye too, but again was engulfed in the fair-haired magician's shields.
Xorl snarled and started to speak lebih magical words, but it was time for Skye's turn. Skye concentrated every ounce of chaotically energetic link-magic he could, without killing himself and everything around him, then sent a bolt of pure chaotic link-magic at the sorcerer.
Xorl tried to summon a shield, atau something to block the bolt of chaotically enhanced energy, but it tore through everything he summoned and he dissolved into the chaotic bolt and exploded, along with everything around him within a ten Dexyl radius.
The ground, where Xorl had been, was completely black and there was a massive crater, where his charred remains lay.
Altran looked up at Skye with a vicious look on his barbaric face. “You and your friends will pay for this with your miserable lives”, then he and his four barbarian commanders turned and returned back to the Hordes. Skye breathed heavily, with a strained look he turned around and went to sit upon a block of stone. “That sorcerer was pretty powerful, but Altran isn't going to be easy to kill.
We really need a plan to destroy him personally, but we still need to hold out against the Hordes, even if Altran dies atau is defeated.”
Lord Treylk looked at Skye with a look of respect deep in his eyes; “how did anda do that Ser Mage? I've never seen a Mage with power like that.”
Skye shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and closed his eyes briefly. “I simply took all of the chaotically energetic link out of the surrounding link-magic and concentrated it in one small bolt, which exploded on contact.”
Treylk simply nodded apprehensively. “It was quite frightening and it certainly makes me glad that anda are on our side and not theirs” then he grinned thoughtfully at Skye.
Skye silently agreed with this assessment, but chose not to voice his opinion and lower the already low morale of the people defending Counquan.
“What's your opinion of Altran?” Skye asked the garrison commander contemplatively. Treylk grunted. “He's a fool and he'll get himself and many others killed, just because he wants everything for himself.”
“You have a good point, Lord Treylk, and that's why we are going to destroy him; he can't be allowed to survive when he threatens peace all over Kern and maybe even the whole of Corath” the magician concluded musingly.
The Dragonlord, Armonath, grasped Skye's shoulder. “That was an interesting display of magical force and tacticality anda showed, young Skye. I've never seen someone so young with magical knowledge such as yours.”
“I studied at the universitas of Koren for about a Yer and studied through many different buku on link-magic and uses, as well as owning my own copy of the Foundation.”
“The Foundation of Link-Magic?” Armonath questioned insatiably.
“That's the one. I've been membaca it thoroughly, to try and understand link-magic fully and learn to control the magic in almost every context and form.”
“I could feel your link-magic concentration all the way from Skrath Isle and that's certainly not usual for a Mage. However, if anda use magic out of your control, anda may kill someone oleh accident, atau damage the natural level disorder within our life-force, possibly even another organism's life-force.”
“The Foundation seems to hint at that, too” Skye remarked casually, somewhat used to the Foundation and its realistic, perceptive meanings. The script of menulis was of different perceptions than the way of the world, how Corathians generally occupied their activities and lives.
“And so it should. The Foundation, although I've never really read it, obviously is very cautious of using a power that can damage ecological systems and large groups of organisms that inhabit the undamaged natural world.”
Skye nodded enthusiastically, encouraged oleh his ease with the Dragonlord.
“You seem to know quite a lot about using magic and magical lore; much lebih than anybody else I've ever really talked to.” Magic was never easy to understand, especially when anda were just beginning to learn atau master the berkata magicks.
“Well, I have had dragons, Gods and elves to teach me magic, as well as an Arch-Mage and a Mage-King” Armonath noted satirically, grinning at the incredulous expression of annoyance and yearning Skye displayed so readily when education was mentioned.
While they were talking, archers and bolt-slingers were flooding the upper dinding speedily, rushing to defend against the siege, which came in the form of Altran and his Hordes in the background, scattered and congregating irregularly like arynts to an arynt-hole.
Gunnar rushed over and started to update Skye with the details of Altran's movements and what his Lenience's troops doing.
“Ser, Altran's Hordes are congregating into attack forces and will be getting ready to attack us soon. Hylyr has the Mage-Lancers on standby at the gates and Gerdamh is currently sending long-range troops us here to help.”
Skye thought for a moment. “Me and Armonath will need a squad, Commander Vyrt and you, Gunnar. The plan I propose is to attempt a plane-distancer on us all, hiding our presence from anyone, except a talented Mage, then we shall attack Altran and try and destroy him.” Skye cocked his head questioningly.
The time and situation seemed to demand that course of action, so Gunnar nodded his prolonged approval, and then waited demandingly for Skye to lead them to the required Low Command officer and Mage-Lancers.
The Dragonlord grinned and followed Skye over to the wall-steps, carved out of Krystythein mayrbal-stone and which lead to the courtyard of Counquan's outer luar angkasa within the fortress and aman, brankas zone. The fair-haired magician nodded to Treylk, then he and his cronies disappeared out of view, into the busied courtyard.
Automatically Skye glanced around to see where Commander Vyrt was, then spotted him directing troops to one of the lebih unguarded gates, while Hylyr was waiting the main bulk of the lance bearing Leniency men.
Skye made a beeline for that line of sight, nuzzling his robes closer to his light frame and thinking that Counquan was rather cold, even though it was only the warm season. Hylyr smiled as soon as he noticed his Mage-Advisor advancing and ran over to greet him urgently, determined oleh the presence of the aforementioned barbarians.
“Ser, I've everything under control here for the time being; is there anything that anda require?” the Mage-Commander wondered keenly, catching Gunnar's eye.
“I need a squad and I have to borrow our good commander for a stealth mission. I have a plan to destroy Altran, but it will be dangerous and that's why I need the most experienced men of the Mage-Lancers.”
Hylyr evidently agreed with this surmision and it showed. “Yes, Ser; I think that 3rd Squadron would be the best for anda to command, since our good Commander-Captain has always worked with Senior squad-captain Vaynh.”
Skye grinned wittingly, the stolid Gunnar had admitted to a few discrepancies on their part, following the small massacre at Wylldom; the barbarians had been eradicated and 3rd Squadron was honoured for valour and conduct.
“Yes, I seem to remember the stories that Gunnar told me, even though there was a point where he was a little too shy to remind us of his glorious past” Skye glanced sideways at Gunnar, who was blushing slightly.
“Let us get on with it then, we better get going before Altran sends the Hordes to the wall” the blond officer replied bluntly.
The officers of the Mage-Lancers all agreed promptly and Hylyr left to find 3rd Squadron, while Skye, without the company of the Dragonlord and Gunnar, decided to talk to Commander Vyrt and convince of the urgency of their mission.
Skye ambled gracefully over to the Commander and stood, arms folded, in front of him with his eyebrows raised. “I need your help, Commander Vyrt, and it won't be an easy task for you, I'm afraid.”
The Commander of the Mage-Lancers raised his eyebrow questioningly, glancing from Skye to the Dragonlord and Gunnar, who was talking to Squad Captain Vaynh.
“What plans have anda made, Ser?” the brown-haired officer asked, then crossed his arms firmly and eyed something in the background.
“This plan involves removing Altran of his command of the Hordes, essentially cutting the head off the chicken, if anda will. I plan to use my control over link-magic to overwhelm Altran before he is even able to practice his transfigurative magicks.”
Vyrt stared back, realisation not yet striking him. Then the commander gasped, as he finally considered what Skye was actually planning to do. “You... plan to kill Altran yourself, without any help?” Vyrt growled, suddenly visibly anxious, yet only for Skye and his life.
“Don't worry. I do have the Dragonlord for backup if I need it, besides, I really have lebih control over link-magic than most other Mages, even from Argate, if there are any left alive” Skye soothed the commander placatingly.