Chapter XIV
The Key
Jin leaned against the hard leathery interior surface of his tent, it rejected the flexibility of his body as it stiffened against his back, and slowly he regained his composure. The two impostors that had held a sword to his chest had just made their escape, and outside he could hear shouts and harried calls; something else was amiss. He shook his head mystified at what had just happened, unbelievably the two perpetrators had chosen not to join with him, and this after he had offered them so much, and there was something else something more disturbing, he had been unable to assert his will over theirs. He began to wrestle with his bonds, and found that his hands had not been secured properly, quickly he managed to unravel the wrappings as first his hands and then his feet were free. He rose and drew out the crystal that hung from a chain around his neck. It was singular in colour, circular in shape, and pulsed with an inner cold light. It amplified his powers, making him practically invincible; so then why had he been unable to bend the two impostors to his will. The only ones he had found it difficult to control were the Elementals. Their powers came from nature, and nature would not be restrained, contained or humbled in anyway; which was the reason why he had found the elementals more belligerent than any others he had come across. And why he had to resort to other methods of keeping them in line. Did that indicate that the two he had faced had taken Elemental powers upon themselves. Such a thing would make sense. They had proved highly resilient towards him. That meant more than likely that the Loki were dead. No matter, they had already proved themselves unworthy of him, and anyway he had other methods at his disposal, he could use his crystal to control a person's mind for a short time at least, even from a distance. So since the impostors could only be from Findolin then there was the possibility through the use of his dark arts to gain access to the city by a different more surreptitious method. It would be a very challenging and exhausting exercise, hence why he had not initially tried it, but it could be done. He would need the other sphere, if it had not already been destroyed. Jin hauled the table to one side reached down and lifted a rug, beneath it, covered by a plank of wood, hidden in a small depression in the ground; was a chest. He placed the small chest on the table drew in a deep apprehensive breath and opened it, to reveal another Orb. It lay in its satin shroud, silent, dormant, waiting for its masters call. Quickly he drew out his crystal and placed it over the sphere he then spoke into it, a powerful incantation, the Orb shone brightly a moment and then faded; he had contained the powers of the Elementals.
The echo of a horn outside shook Jin back to the moment, reminding him that externally there was chaos. He strode outside, and ordered the arrest of the guards that had been fooled earlier by the two impostors. By being so easily duped, they were complicit in the crime perpetrated against him. Their punishment was swift and assured. Satisfied that they would never betray him again, he moved off toward where the Orochi was. It suddenly became apparent the purpose of the visit to his tent, as when he reached the creature, it had broken free of its chains. The full consequences of having the sphere shattered was about to be felt. Its heads roaring furiously, one by one, they turned to face Jin, recognising who it was that had enslaved it; the creature went into a rage. Without flinching Jin came forward and placed his hand up as if trying to create a mental link with the beast, for a moment the Orochi was transfixed but only for a moment. It heads pulled away from Jin’s gaze, its mighty tail swinging round and crashing down on the catapults, and ballista knocking them into the large Siege engines. Jin looked on with resignation as they collapsed in front of him. He had always expected his hold on the Orochi to be temporary but this was a bit to fleeting for his liking. His warriors fought valiantly to keep the creature under control but it was to no avail. And as if things were not bad enough, the situation was about to get worse for the Mandrake Imperium, as a distant horn echoed round the camp answered by another and another; there to the disbelief of everyone; racing across the plain was an army. The sky darkened as arrows flew overhead. A guard jumped in front of the Jin raising his shield to protect him and taking an arrow through the leg for his efforts. The Orochi which was so surprised by this new onslaught became frenzied in its attempt to get away, and rammed into the massed lines of the Mandrake Legions crushing more catapults and siege engines as it went, and forcing the men to flee in all directions. The Wrath disciplined as ever formed up in lines and tried to fire arrows over the creature but this just enraged it all the more. Before Jin could readjust his strategy, his enemy had broken through to Findolin and was making its way up the plateau and into the city.
The Wrath and the Marauders that had been diverted to fighting the fire had returned to their positions at the front, but were too late to effect what was occurring. The Mandrake soldiers that had tried to intercept the opposing army did so at great cost, as they merely moved into range of the archers of Findolin. Jin realising he was strategically in a poor position pulled his men back to the area where they had been before he had ordered the advance on the city. Something unbelievable had happened; he had underestimated the tenacity of the Finns. He stood there watching the scene unravel and smiled.
Once the situation was brought under control he convened a council. But first he needed to see what damage had been done, so he went round the camp instilling his iron will into the legions of Marauders, Wrath, Mead Cavaliers and Shadow Warriors, and estimating the cost of what an out of control Dragon had done; he looked to the task ahead. Had the Finns known it, had they at that point come out to fight, they could have dealt Jin’s army a blow that he may not have been able to recover from, so fragile and precarious is the line walked by a dictator.
Jin made his way back to his tent, as he approached he could hear a heated argument. He waited a moment outside listening then entered. All fell silent as his menacing form appeared. Jin looked at his Generals stoically and then flew into a rage.
“Firstly how did an army manage to get passed our scouts and patrols and into Findolin,” he shouted. “And how were we infiltrated by Findolin spies who were able to kill the Loki, take their powers, and set fire to our stores, please discuss.”
There was a strong silence as Jin’s Generals looked to the floor for solace.
“You call yourselves an army; you were caught out like a rabble of untrained militia. Our camp was and probably still is overrun with their spies. Oh, and by the way did I forget to mention; for all those that may not have noticed. They managed to free the Orochi.”
Marshal Ti standing at the side with a gash down one of his eyes lifted his arm slightly to speak.
“I bloody noticed,” he said, he had been one of the few commanders who had shown exemplary courage and had prevented his men from fleeing as the Orochi had rampaged through the ranks of the Mandrake Imperium.
“You Marshal Ti did well to keep our legions from falling into disarray,” said Jin, “Most of my siege engines, and catapults broken, the Orochi gone, a priceless sphere destroyed, tell me have we any good news from today.”
Marshal Ti looked around seeing how fearful every one was to speak, took the initiative. As leader of the Wrath there were very few things he was afraid of; he like Jin was one of those exiled from Askalon. He was a formidable presence towering over every one. In full armour his shield with the emblem of the Wolfs head inset a full moon was slung across his back; his mighty mace at his side, his deep red tunic which was embroidered with a black pentagram inset a white circle made him appear ominous, intimidating and strong.
“The good news my lord,” said Marshal Ti. “Is that all our enemies are now in one place, from here we can win all these little realms and have no need for future campaigns. I said from the start that a frontal assault would prove problematic; these Finns are experts at siege defence, to succeed we have to employ more subtle methods.”
Jin smiled; he knew that when Marshal Ti suggested something it meant he already had a proposal in place. Jin gestured for him to continue. The
Marshal placed on the table a model of a ramp.
“We build a ramp to the gates we then send in the Rams head, this will fulfil a two fold purpose as the ramp is being built it will create trepidation among the Finns. Second whilst they are concentrating on it, we dig down into the rock and tunnel up into the city, we use the same diggers that were used in conquering the city of Quinn. The Finns will, since their friends have arrived feel more secure behind their walls. They will not suspect that the real plan is to have a small elite force enter their city from beneath, and once inside open the city gates for the army to then move in and sack the city.”
Jin was pleased, and told his Marshal to proceed with the plan at once. At that point a Wrath warrior came into the tent, a tall slender muscular individual with cold blue eyes and long dark hair running down his back. He bowed low, Jin ushered him forward.
“My lord I have news concerning the Loki,” he said. “As you suspected they are all dead, it must have been some poison for there are no signs of a struggle and we found this. It appears to hold some noxious aspect to it, the smell is quite overpowering as you can see it is wrapped in Thavma leaves.”
Jin recognised it immediately, and taking it from his hand he slammed it down on the table with an enraged cry. As he calmed he once more pulled out the crystal that was tied around his neck, perhaps there was an opportunity to turn this situation to his advantage. Not only did the crystal have the ability to limit the power of the four Elementals, it also enabled him to directly link with one of them, a power that would now prove quite valuable. Jin told everyone but Marshal Ti and Din to leave. He waited for the tent to empty before proceeding.
“With the Loki dead,” he said. “It becomes clearer to me why I could not control the minds of the two that entered here. It is now surely confirmed that they must have taken upon themselves Elemental powers. I will make an attempt to bend one of them to my will, and seeing through that mind I may be able to affect some design in the enemy fortress. But there is something more pressing we need to discuss. That army that fought its way across the plain and into the city contained riders from Askalon. It can only mean that the army we sent west has been routed. And for all we know this might be just the first relief column. They could be mustering an army even greater to come. Have we heard anything from our patrols in the west?”
“As far as I am aware not a word, and now I don‘t expect to hear anything. The more important question is, if our intelligence regarding the strength of the enemy is wrong, then what other information maybe compromised?” said Marshal Ti. “And that's not the worst news I have, our supplies are short; I estimate only a few weeks grain left. We need to somehow force them out of their lair and into the open where we will be able to crush them.”
"What are you proposing?" asked Jin.
Marshal Ti shuffled the papers in front of him picking one out.
“Looking at this,” he continued. “And from other information we’ve received I would have expected starvation to have affected them more deeply by now; but it seems to me that they have been well prepared for a siege for a long time. And also I am sure that that army brought with it more than adequate relief. Din what did you perceive when you were within their walls.”
“The impression I got was that they were confident,” said Din. “There were vague signs of plague, which we all know the reason why that’s occurring, but it appears to be well contained. Perhaps their alchemists are more powerful than we first thought. They certainly do not appear to be afraid, in fact they treated me with contempt as if I was some beggar at the door, it could be that their confidence came from the knowledge that they knew aid was on its way. But how they asked for it, I don’t know.”
Jin contemplated Dins words. He thought if the Finns did know about the imminent arrival of their friends then that would at least explain their stubborn resistance and, more importantly, how little he actually remembered of these small kingdoms, so much had changed over the centuries since his departure. The idea of such an alliance in his day would have been unheard of. His strategy would have to adapt accordingly. In the future he would throw discord among them. But such machinations would take time, something he did not have. For now he would have to trust to his mighty right hand.
“Marshal Ti would you inform the men to redouble their efforts,” said Jin. “We shall cut down half of Findolin Wood if necessary and once the tunnel is dug and the new catapults and siege towers are built, and the ramp finished, we will send in the rams head and batter their gates, and one way or another we shall breach their walls.”
“My Lord, we have left some of your fiercest warriors in the province of Quinn,” said Marshal Ti. “I am sure with the rebellion under control they could be freed up, send for the Terrible Horde and sir...” He paused for a moment looking first at the Din and then back at Jin. “Unleash Typhon, that mighty winged beast has never been defeated, it no longer needs to guard the Wilderness, as the threat from the Panthurians has ended.”
“For that to happen,” said Jin. “I would have to head back east and treat with it. No, we will defeat them here once the ramp is finished and your men tunnel their way into the city. I do not want any more delays I have grown impatient these past months. Marshal Ti come with me as I see to our dispositions. Din you stay here and look over these plans, see if there are any details we may have missed.”
As Jin and Marshal Ti walked among the men they could sense how restless the legions were becoming; fights were now common place between the Wrath and the Marauders. There was the additional concern as to why the Valkyrie were failing to sow discord in Findolin. Before the war had begun he had placed them in the city, but had heard nothing of their activities. It was they who would have caused the outbreak of plague in Findolin. They were the architects of fear and desperation. Turning to Marshal Ti he realised there was another unforeseen possibility they had to face.
“You know the Valkyrie have never failed before now,” said Jin. “If Din is correct and the plague has only sporadically taken hold of the Finns, then perhaps they were discovered. The more the days pass the more we learn how resilient our adversary is, and how strong their resolve is, and now they have the help of Askalon. Although I did not wish to say this in front of Din, these Finns are proving vexing, they simply won't give up.”
“My Lord think on this,” said Marshal Ti. “The Finns are trapped behind their walls so even a small number of victims dying of plague, will reap the results we require.”
As they passed some Marauders, they could see by there appearance that rationing had already taken effect. At this rate the sooner the siege ended the better. They finally reached the canopy beneath which the diggers were hard at work tunnelling. Its rough linen top rustled in the breeze. Grit and Dust blew across the arid earth. Jin climbed down into the trench quickly followed by Marshal Ti. They entered the freshly dug tunnel and inspected it impassively before walking along its dank cool interior. As they passed, the diggers stopped working and saluted them.
“How are things proceeding,” said Jin. “Are there any unforeseen problems?”
The Digger in charge of the operation, a short stocky figure whose forearms were as thick as the branches of a tree picked up some of the earth and rubbed it in his hands.
“No my lord,” he said respectfully. “On the contrary, what appears on the outside to be extremely hard is; once you get down to it quite friable. There’s something else, as you can see we dug down and discovered these disused tunnels, which is why we have been able to dig so far so quickly. There may have been an entire complex of tunnels here once; for the most part they're collapsed. But you never know. We may get one that leads us right into the City.”
Jin and Marshal Ti looked at each other, this was the first genuine good news they had received.
The Digger continued. “Another positive is that so far drainage hasn’t been a problem. The ground down here soaks away nicely. Also we found a few old artefacts pottery, and such. What you
might find of interest are these old clay tablets, I cannot make out the writing, it appears that there was an older settlement here, sometime, long ago, if we find anything further we will be sure to report it.”
Jin took the tablets from the digger thanked all the men for their hard work and dedication to duty and left. He and Marshal Ti walked the rough ground to his tent where Din was still looking over the plans on the table. On arrival they found a perplexed and frustrated man pacing back and fourth. Jin passed him the tablets, and gave him a new task, to see if he could decipher what they meant. Jin and the Marshal then left to look over the construction of the new siege towers.
Din had met many different peoples in his time, they had differing traditions and tongues, and all had been absorbed into the Mandrake Imperium. But the language inscribed on the clay tablets was unrecognisable to him. Nor could he find a common frame of reference with anything that he had encountered before. Irritated by his own efforts he put one of the tablets on the table and as he did so it slipped off onto the floor and shattered. As he bent down to pick it up he noticed a piece of parchment jutting out of the broken fragments. Drawing it carefully out and holding it up to the light he discovered it was a map. Din sent a guard to fetch back Jin immediately. As he entered the tent; Din could see that he was in a foul mood; apparently the building of his machines of war was not proceeding as planned.
“What news Din, and let it be good, I do not want to hear of anymore set backs this day.”
“My Lord look what I have uncovered hidden inside one of the tablets; it’s a map showing the layout of a Labyrinth beneath the city. And look here this must be entry and exit points it looks like the city was built over what appears to be ancient ceremonial chambers. Look at this, that depicts the old traditional god of the underworld.”
“That is interesting, and certainly worth exploring,” said Jin. “Considering the depth at which we found those tablets those tunnels must be ancient indeed. Wait a moment the Finns must know of these tunnels that must be how our camp got infiltrated. If it's good enough for them to use, it's good enough for us too. Come let us show this map to the diggers they may be able to make something of it.”
They hurried across to the site where the tunnelling was taking place, there was a lot of angry shouting, and people jumping down into the trench with pick axes and shovels trying to prevent a small cave in, turning into something far worse. As soon as Jin arrived everyone became ordered, the shouting and cursing subsided and within moments the tunnel had been strengthened with wooden joists, and any possible disaster was quickly and efficiently averted. Jin waited patiently as his men and women finished their work, before handing the map to the lead digger, whose eyes practically lit up.
“My Lord be cautious, although this is a great find, remember most of these tunnels have already collapsed. However with this as a guide, it should be possible to get into the city a lot sooner than was first anticipated.”
Jin smiled at him. “That’s good, because you have only got a short time to make it happen. Once the ramp is built the siege engines will have to be brought up and into position, by then I want you ready to breach their walls. We shall see if after that, the Finns have the will to fight.”
Jin left the diggers to consider the consequences if they did not find a way into the city and returned to his tent in a better humour than he had been for many a day. Lying back on some rugs and furs he began to mull over recent events. Considering all the set backs; they at last had reached that moment when the main offensive could begin in earnest. With the loss of so many men in the campaign, morale had been dealt a heavy blow. Also the loss of a high ranking General of the Wrath in battle had not occurred since the first war of the steppe. Outwardly Jin mourned such losses, inwardly he knew such things were part of war, and required to be put along side the greater picture of what he intended. His empire was unlike that of the Witch King, it was innovative, forward thinking, cultured, sophisticated, it was strange that people did not want to be a part of it. Well since they have snubbed his reasonable overtures he would now make them suffer; these petty powers that were willing to stand together, would fall together. Jin stared into space his gaze not landing anywhere, being in this land had brought back so many forgotten memories. He felt he needed a distraction something to relieve the tedium of war. Jin sat up and called an attendant to him; he knew exactly what was needed.