Chapter Twenty Nine
Two days after Wengillian's report, the Light defenders flew to the eastern edge of Blue's Realm and the vicinity of his undersea fortress to view the emerging Blue armies from high overhead. Andrew gazed down at the surf gently lapping against the sands.
First, a great many foot soldiers dressed in blue uniform emerged from the water and marched up the beaches. Their heads broke the surf first, then their torsos, followed by their legs. Some were armed with blades, and many with guns.
Then, more Blue soldiers mounted on an odd sort of creature that looked like a gigantic, pale white frog popped out of the sea. The creatures had eight legs, and huge, deep blue eyes. Aquamarine veins pulsed under their partially translucent white skin as they sprang forward in long bounds, transversing ten feet or more a jump.
"Taruals," said Teltibane ominously. "Grown to a monstrous size and trained to carry riders."
Lastly, several huge battle tanks painted all in a deep blue surfaced from beneath the seas, treads churning and helped along by sorcery.
"Blue's secret factories have been keeping busy," Greybeard commented from his perch atop his Kilon.
"This goes against all our laws," Finor protested. "Such machines, without permission from the High Council in Morrowen?"
"Indeed," Teltibane said.
Then, one more machine made its way out of the ocean. It was a small, blue car, with a machine gun mounted on its roof and rocket launchers attached to each door.
A tall man stood in the car, his body sticking out from a hole in the roof. His long azure beard and hair waved in the ocean breeze as he surveyed his armies arrogantly.
"King Blue," said Kiara with disdain. "How I wish I could chop off your thick head just as easily as I can your ridiculous blue beard."
'Is that what I think it is?' Andrew wondered. 'I need to take a closer look.'
Before anyone could stop him, Andrew dove down towards the sea.
"What are you doing!" Finor called. "Are you insane?"
"Come back!" Greybeard yelled.
But Andrew's curiosity was too strong. An instant later, he climbed back up towards the others.
"It's a Lamborghini," Andrew said excitedly.
Finor, Greybeard, and Kiara just looked at him blankly.
"Oh come on, you're telling me that you never heard of Lamborghini?" "Is that a kind of soup?" Greybeard asked.
Andrew laughed.
"Lamborghini," said Teltibane. "Where did I hear that name. Oh, I remember now, it was in that article about the death of your aunt, Miss Catherine Wallen. She was struck by a blue Lamborghini."
"Yeah, it's a famous mortal car," said Andrew.
"What's a car?" asked Finor.
"Oh forget it. I'll explain another time," Andrew replied.
"We have seen all there is to see here," said Teltibane. "We should take a look at the other two armies as well. I know their positions. Follow me."
They flew over the army from Greystar. It was by now only eight miles to the south of Blue's compound. Besides for foot soldiers, it also had many warriors equipped with the portable helicopter that Andrew had seen in the Great Rainforest, when Katy had been kidnapped. Heli-flyers.
Next they flew twenty miles to the north west. The army of Bexonome had attached to it several hundred ferocious eaguars. Apparently Blue's men had figured out a way to tame the wild creatures. Andrew spotted burns and welts on their flesh. So Blue was utilizing the best of the natural world, in combination with top notch technology. All in all, his army was a formidable force, Andrew thought, and one to be reckoned with.
Two days later, Teltibane sent Andrew, Kiara, Greybeard, and Finor to the city of Nicklevar, capital of the Realm of Green and seat of the throne. Nicklevar was a medium sized town on the edge of the Great Rainforest.
The first thing that Andrew noticed was that all of its buildings were made of stone. Wood from the forest was not used.
They were ushered into the throne room, which was lit with candles that gave off a yellow-green light. Andrew thought that it was plain as throne rooms go.
Inside the square stone room they found a broken man. The King was sitting in his throne, head in his hands. "The forest, the forest. What will be of the forest?" he moaned over and over again. He was dressed in green robes, with a golden crown set with emeralds adorning his flaxen blond hair.
"King Yionaffe, you must lead us. If you have given up hope, then the enemy has already won," said Andrew.
"But what hope is there? You've seen the mighty armies. You've seen the advanced weaponry of Blue. How can I ever hope to defeat him and his, and his tanks." The King spat out the last word, as if it were something repulsive. "Who are you, my boy?"
"I am Andrew Cilifax, Champion of the Light."
"So there is a Champion then. Who did you train under?"
"Teltibane."
"Don't recognize the name."
"En Garnvair Kuné," Greybeard said.
"Sorry, never heard of him," Green said.
"The People of the Light will send aid," assured Finor.
"Ha," said Green. "I wish. Their King is nothing but a weak-willed, pandering politician. Always trying to curry everyone's favor, never taking a stand for what's right. He would never make a move that might offend one of the other Kings, no matter how morally compelling. Especially one as powerful as King Blue. He will just make some excuse as to why he simply cannot send aid."
"But Teltibane is the true King now," said Andrew. "He will send aid. He has said so explicitly."
"Who is this Teltibane that you keep bringing up?"
Andrew was surprised. "But you should know him. He fought with you in the Battle of the Sky."
"I had many allies in that battle. Unlike the current one."
"He is also called Malenuven," said Kiara.
"Don't recognize it."
Kiara went through five more names, before Green recognized one.
"Oh, of course, Mwistinil Light-Hand. He is the true King of the Light, as you say. He comes and goes as he pleases, and was away for several years. I wasn't aware of his return. If he is with you, there may be hope yet." A glint of hope appeared in King Yionaffe's eyes. "I have called a meeting of all my generals and military leaders to finalize our strategy. It will begin in forty-five minutes. You are all welcome to attend. Tomorrow we will be moving out towards the border."
The meeting was in a rectangular shaped, low ceilinged stone room. Its main feature was a long stone table. On the wall was a large map of the Color Realms, done in chalk.
The King took a seat at the head of the table, his two highest ranking generals to his left and right. Next sat the guests from the Realm of the Light; Andrew, Kiara, Greybeard, and Finor. After them were the rest of Green's high ranking military.
King Green opened the meeting. "We have seen peace in these parts for many decades. But now one of our own kind, a Realm of Man, and a Realm of Color, threatens to devour us alive. We stand accused of a crime that we did not commit. But King Blue is fanatical about his power, and the alleged minimizing of said power at our hands is for him cause enough for outright war. Diplomacy has been tried. But it is impossible to engage in diplomacy with only one side at the table. And so we are forced to go to war, to defend our land, our Color, our Realm, and our values, against the aggressor."
One of the high ranking generals interrupted in a gruff voice. "Have we considered an assassination attempt on Blue?"
"Blue is constantly surrounded by highly trained guards at all times of the day, General Marnolone. Assassination would be next to impossible. We are here to discuss our overall strategy of the war. We expect Blue to reach this spot—" Green pointed to the chalk map and a Blue splotch appeared on the Green-Blue border "—in two to five days time. There is the ancient fortress eight miles to the northeast of there, which is known as the Ruvedaz fortress to most. Our main question is
, where do we deploy our forces? Do we divide our men between the border and fortress? Do we put all our strength on the border? Or all our strength at the fortress? Or another plan entirely?"
The room broke out into discussion. Arguments for and against various strategies flew around the table.
Eventually it came into two main camps. General Loben Tel-Tunn, a fierce looking man with cropped yellow hair and a vicious scar running down his face, argued that Green should deploy all their forces at the border. Allowing Blue to take eight miles of Green land, the land between the border and the fortress, would give Blue a significant psychological advantage.
Kiara headed the other camp. They argued that the fortress provided too good a defensive advantage to waste. A very small force should be deployed at the border. Blue would defeat them easily, and grow overconfident. Then Green would crush a cocky Blue at the mighty Ruvedaz fortress.
The matter was put to a vote of the five highest ranking soldiers in the room. Green read the outcome. "Three in favor of Kiara's strategy—deploy a small force at the border—and two in favor of General Loben's plan—defend the border fiercely. This meeting is adjourned. Men, prepare those under your command to mobilize. We move out at first light."
Andrew and his friends mingled among Green's men. Talking to the soldiers Andrew realized that most were regular farmers who had only joined the military recently for the sole purpose of fighting the threat of Blue. Few were professional, career soldiers.
The next day they moved out to the Ruvedaz fortress. The march took most of the day.
Andrew explored the fortress and surrounding area. It mostly consisted of two large black stone walls. The first wall was around fifty feet high, the second, over seventy feet tall and positioned twenty feet behind the first. Both were several hundred feet long.
There was a thick forest to the right and left of the fortress walls. The walls ran in line with the trees, as if someone had taken out a chunk of the forest and replaced it with the fortress.
This particular forest was chock full of extremely aggressive animals and poisonous plants, rendering it impassable. It extended behind the fortress for many miles. There was a path that led from the rear through the forest. The stronghold itself was only accessible from the front, or south side through two mighty iron doors.
Andrew understood the great advantage of the giant, rock hard fortress. Blue would either have to bring his army miles and miles around the dangerous forest to continue his advance towards Green's capital. Or he would have to fight through the fortresses' considerable defenses. The ancient stronghold stood as a great obstacle in the path of Blue's march towards Nicklevar.
Teltibane arrived that night. He quickly called a small conference with Green, Andrew and a few of Green's most highly trusted advisers.
"Jonah?" said Andrew in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
The man that Andrew had mistaken for Jonah laughed. "I am Yantry, Jonah's son, and assistant to the King. How do you know my father?"
He was a dead ringer for Jonah, complete with the large black beard and slightly turned ears.
"I was a guest of your father's in Cassara."
"I haven't seen him in a while. How is he doing?"
"He is well. His farm is doing good. He also says that he is very proud of you."
Yantry smiled. "Let us hope that we live through this war so that we can live to see our parents again."
Andrew nodded.
Teltibane entered the room. King Green got up and embraced him. "Mwistinil old friend, I am so glad that you are here. Your presence reassures me. What is the cause for this meeting?"
"I want to deliver some portentous news that I received yesterday afternoon from our spy, Masnog, who is embedded in Blue's Realm. Blue has executed the Priests of the Blue Crystal."
Yantry gasped. "This man knows no higher power. No boundary is too sacred for him to cross. He is a law unto himself."
"Indeed he is bold and audacious. And arrogant. We are not sure what this means yet," Teltibane continued. "Or what the motive of the slaughter is, but it is important that we know where Blue stands."
"Was the Blue Crystal raised today?" asked Green.
"Yes, it was. By Blue's own men. Which is why the motive of the executions remain hidden from us at this time, since it's obvious that it wasn't to prevent the forming of the Light."
"Is it possible that it was a senseless killing, out of anger towards the Realm of the Light? Perhaps Blue knows that you will be sending aid to Green, his enemy?" Yantry asked.
"We cannot rule that out," Teltibane said. "It would certainly fit Blue's style. His unquenchable thirst for power grows ever stronger, and could very well cause him to do a senseless act such as killing the Priests out of rage. However, it is unlikely that even he would divert attention towards something so trivial from his perspective, when we are on the doorstep of war. He must be focused on the battles ahead of him, if he hopes to prevail. Thus, the purpose of this killing remains a mystery, for the present."
"What of the reinforcements that you promised, Mwistinil?" asked Green.
"They come from a long way off, from the dwarf conflict in Fen-Serra, King Yionaffe. It will take some time for them to get here."