Read Hammer the Exalter Page 9

  Chapter 9

  The Verity rounded the southern tip of the Tear Drop and turned towards the coast. A fresh breeze filled the sails of the Aeserian navy and the hearts of the sailors aboard also lifted as the battle urge began beating through their veins. Gulls circled the tall masts of the galleon and dolphins porpoised through the bow water as the fleet sliced through the ocean towards the landline ahead.

  Hammer took his customary position at the helm. He had hardly left it for the entire two weeks since they encountered the serpents, determined not to be caught unawares a second time. He could now quite clearly see the spying van guard of the Ratites flying high above them careful not to get too close and appearing to the untrained eye as more gulls.

  Le Frag also did not leave Hammer’s side, concealing himself in a cosy nook allowing him a view of the ship without detection. Le Frag too felt the increase in tension and anticipation now the battle was only a few short days away and he wanted to go over the plans with Hammer one more time before the navy reached the shoreline.

  ‘Your captains have been briefed for a final time?’ he asked Hammer.

  ‘You worry too much,’ said Hammer as he tied the giant tiller wheel to a balustrade to ensure a steady course. ‘They all know their role. We have divided our army into the segments we spoke of and each has again been sub divided to absorb the Ratite attack. Our swords are sharp and our shields shine bright, the pennons of the Aeserians will strike terror into the heart of the foe. None of the flying terrors will live after they encounter the might of the Aeserian race.’

  ‘So long as we don’t stray from the plan I think you are right. If even one of our company stray then many others will be lost. They cannot afford to stop and stare at the beasts in wonder, they must attack without delay,’ said Le Frag nervously.

  ‘It is what we do best,’ said Hammer bluntly.

  Le Frag knew how intrepid Hammer was and he equally knew how formidable the Ratite are. He also needed to look out for himself because at the height of the battle it would be easy for him to become a victim especially as no one knew of his existence except Hammer. He would keep close to the Aeserian leader and reply on his protection.

  ‘We should reach the Landings by nightfall,’ said Le Frag. ‘It is an ancient harbour and deserted last I heard. Still we must be careful. I think we should send out a scouting party to do a reconnaissance before we go ashore.’

  ‘Sound advice Le Frag. It will do us no good to have our arrival discovered and if there are settlements we need to know their military strength.’

  Hammer moved to the forecastle and spoke to a ruddy faced giant who looked vaguely intelligent but also had a keenness in his eyes only impending battle will provide.

  ‘Faldor the Intrepid. When we are close to shore I want you to take one of the row boats and four men. Under the cover of darkness you will scout the shoreline and report straight back to me. I do not want you to be discovered and if there are people in the vicinity I do not want you to engage them even if they espy you first. Scout only. Do you understand me.’

  ‘You spoil the fun Hammer the Exalter,’ said Faldor ‘can we not have even a little play while there. I have honed my sword for two weeks and it is hungry for the taste of Invader flesh.’

  ‘Your sword will have its fill Faldor when the time is right. But for now stealth is more important to us than bloodshed.’

  ‘Very well. But can I request that my troop have the honour of launching the first attack when the time comes?’

  ‘It is a place of honour indeed to be in the van. I will consider your request and a successful sojourn to the coast and back without incident will accord you great favour with me.’

  Faldor thrust his fist into his chest and bowed curtly to Hammer and began organising his men.

  ‘You see how they thirst for revenge Le Frag. I pity the Ratite and I pity the Invader more. We will annihilate them utterly.’ Hammer punch a huge fist into the timber rails making a deep wound in the hardwood and he marched to his quarters followed in his shadow by a skulking Le Frag.

  Faldor’s boat silently brushed up against a sandy beach near what appeared to him to be an ancient stony wharf about six feet above the current sea level. The full moons on each side of the sky kept the night bright, so he made sure he kept to the shadows of some trees overhanging the bay and thus disappear from spying eyes. His men dragged the small boat quietly into the bushes and began taking points to the north and south making small cooing, birdlike noises to signal their positions to the others.

  Faldor sniffed the air and held his breath while he listened for any sounds, his thumping heart beat the only noise. After a few minutes he moved forward, ensuring he kept under cover. The land was barren of any living things although there was evidence of settlements here at some stage in the past, the area littered with the broken foundations of hundreds of buildings.

  He heard the dull lapping of water against the quay behind him as he moved further in land. In the distance he could see one of his men silhouetted against sinking moons. He must remember to chastise this one for carelessness. If he could see his outline then so too could spying eyes. Just as Faldor’s man slipped into another shadow Faldor felt certain he saw a sweeping shape follow after the him and then just as quickly disappear. It was so swift for a moment he thought he was mistaken but somewhere inside him he could sense an impending danger. He held still once more and tried not to breath, slowing his heart beat. He stood as still as the rocks around him, trying to pierce the darkness, searching for the peril he could now almost taste.

  Moments later he could see his man breach another dark space, the body again outlined by the moon. Suddenly a dark spot in the distance rose out of the ground and smothered his companion so quietly he was again uncertain anything had happened. He started to investigate when a loud swooshing of wings rose from the space where he last saw his man. It climbed into the air a body clearly seen hanging limply from the taloned legs of a giant bird.

  It rose higher and higher, the sounds made by the wings abating until almost dreamlike Faldor stood in shock but regained his senses quickly, dropping to the ground and placing an ear to the dirt as he tried to distinguish any other sounds or footfalls. His expert hunter’s senses could hear a deer at a thousand yards, but he could find no rumour of any of his troop. Calming his erratic thoughts and reminded himself that as a soldier in the Great Aeserian Empire, he is one of the most powerful creatures in creation. He stood tall and drew the wide sword out of the sheath on his back and held it defiantly in the air. Terror seemed to be all around him and he could feel the cold sweat of fear running down his temples.

  Faldor swung around and the dark shape of a massive creature towered over him. It flicked a leathery wing smacking him on the side of his head and flinging him to the ground. In an instant a taloned leg sat on his chest and began squeezing until spurts of blood pumped out of his mouth. Within seconds Faldor was dead and the great Ratite bird rose in the air with its prey and flew towards the Ice Mountain where it could present the intruder as an offering to its king.

  Hammer stood wearing a worried expression as he stared at the distant shoreline. He knew Faldor was brave, bordering on frivolous and at times slightly impetuous however in one respect he remained reliable. He always obeyed orders. He told him to keep a low profile and scan for intelligence and return immediately and that is exactly what Faldor would have done no matter what the temptation. No, there had been trouble and of what kind he could not guess.

  Le Frag climbed up beside him, careful to remain hidden.

  ‘What are you thinking?’ he asked.

  ‘I am thinking there is every chance Faldor and the troop are dead or imprisoned, the former I believe as who, or what, could possibly restrain one of Faldor’s nerve. We are therefore very likely discovered and that is our problem.’

  Le Frag also tried scanning the shoreline unsuccessfully.

  ‘Then we must either at
tack in full or retreat to another landing point. As you know time is our enemy and I know of no other harbour that could accept your fleet.’

  ‘Attack it is then. A foray onto guarded land is always a difficult and dangerous endeavour especially when we know little of the enemy’s strength and fortifications. We could become entrenched in a costly battle we have no guarantee of victory in.’

  Hammer considered his options when something heavy dropped from the sky and crashed though the ropes on the main mast, landing at his feet. He jumped backwards his sword drawn as a reflex moving to a bloodied lump at his feet. The other Aeserians gathered around the pile some breathing curses under their breath.

  Hammer leant down and with his sword poking the pile and turning it over. The men around him gasped in horror as the scarred and scratched face of Faldor stared up at them through eye sockets picked clean by the Ratite. Hammer searched the sky and in the distance he could see two flying shapes circling far above his ship. He kicked viciously at the bundle until it bounced over board, splashing into the ocean, its empty skull quickly filling with water and disappearing into the bay.

  ‘That is not Faldor the Intrepid. He is a man, not that abomination,’ said Hammer to his shocked crew as he followed the Ratites across the sky. ‘Beware the wrath of Hammer. My revenge will be swift and deadly. We attack immediately.’

  Horns and whistles blew from the Verity and were answered immediately from the other vessels in the navy as all the row boats hurriedly dropped into the water and quickly filled with the seething army. A hundred boats headed for shore each filled with dozens of Aeserians their faces grim as they rowed towards battle.

  ‘Stay within your groupings,’ ordered Hammer to the lead boats as they passed the instructions amongst the leaders. ‘We attack the winged ones in our squads, not alone. I want all these fell creatures to perish at the tips of our swords.’

  The boats crashed onto the sands and men leapt out in ordered fashion keeping close quarters as they searched for an enemy to smite. They scoured the entire shoreline and inland half a mile and they could find no sign of any of the giant birds.

  Hammer disembarked after the others and in a more calm fashion investigated the western side of Salnikov. He carried a large creel with him and he ordered the others in his boat to also scout the area around the Landings. He placed the creel down and Le Frag’s head peered out of a hole in the top.

  ‘Tell me what you see Le Frag,’ demanded Hammer. ‘And be quick about it I want these creatures dead.’

  Le Frag looked around him. Rock fences and foundations stood unevenly across the beach head with heavily overgrown wharfs jutting into the ocean. The bay they moored in had natural protection from the vagaries of the ocean by several rocky groynes stretching like fingers into the deep harbour. Le Frag could imagine the port being able to moor many hundreds of merchant ships at any one time.

  ‘This would appear to be a perfect place for a city Hammer. I would suggest it became almost impossible to keep populated if the Ratites visited often. There has been no man living here for hundreds of years.’

  ‘I am not interested in a history lesson Le Frag, I need to know when the Ratite will attack.’

  ‘Do not expect this soon Hammer. They assess us. They count our numbers and test our strength. They have had a victory with the fall of Faldor and this will give them confidence. They will try to draw you out into the open and maybe attack the fringes of the army, slowly witling it away until we approach the Ice Mountain when they will launch an all out assault. We must stop the small incisive raids and in a fashion where our true strength is not proffered to the Ratite.’

  ‘I will not sacrifice any of my people just to screen my strength Le Frag. I would prefer to destroy the first Ratites and thereby frighten them off.’

  ‘I do not believe they will frighten easily, more likely they will re strategise based on new information about our strength.’ Le Frag again searched the sky. ‘They are an army like yours Hammer and they control the skies. They could now be counting our numbers and dividing the feast amongst themselves.’

  Hammer’s blood began to pound in his temples. Every element of his being wanted to attack and destroy everything even resembling a bird but he knew it was his prudence which sets him apart from the rest of his people.

  ‘Yes. We will not offer to the Ratite our strength and we will protect ourselves. I crave the Ice Mountain. It is there we will end the reign of these foul carrion of the sky. When I am done they will never return.’

  Hammer ordered his army to make a camp on the shoreline and he set heavy sentries around the entire perimeter with instructions to kill instantly anything attempting a breach of the boundary. They needed to be wary of attack from the air as well as the ground and not even the most fatigued Aeserian thought of sleep that night.

  The sun breached the eastern horizon without incident and the Aeserians broke camp mustering into their squads of six, each spaced approximately twenty feet apart thereby forming an almost impregnable wall of swords stretching over two miles long. Carts of food and armory trailed the army, heavily guarded from an attack from the rear. Hammer began his inspection with the carts. To the observer he seemed to be talking to himself forever stopping as if waiting for an answer and then attending to another detail.

  ‘The day is askew with the sun rising over the mountains and not the ocean,’ he said to the concealed Le Frag who secured a spot in the last carriage. ‘It will take us time to acclimatise.’

  ‘For me it is the world I grew up in,’ said Le Frag in a maudlin tone. ‘The land of my forebears when they escaped the great evil who followed them across the ocean.’

  Hammer looked at him curiously. ‘You have oft times mention this great evil. Perhaps you can elaborate. We have a considerable journey so why not explain yourself.’

  ‘The Jarnell says the creature perished in a great battle with the Saviour and I pray to all the gods of creation this is so. We do not ever wish to meet its like again. Even your might would be brushed away in an instant.’

  ‘Perhaps so Le Frag. My interest is more in your personal history not your people’s. Why do you play the traitor and long to spill the blood of your own? You have told me of the woman but there must be more.’

  Le Frag thought long and hard remembering what seemed to him to be ancient history. He recalled the faces of the Yellows and of his father’s, as the Yellows offered him to the Blacks as a traitor. The Yellows believed his father, Le Fagan, provided information about the rebellion to the Blacks and as a result Mara the Seeress murdered a hundred of the Yellows as they lay in their beds. It was of course nonsense. Le Fagan, while never openly rebellious harbored secret ambition to also oust the Blacks and once or twice Le Frag recalled his father angrily denouncing the Blacks while in their home.

  ‘My boy will be a man one day,’ he would hear him say to his closest friends, ‘and then it will be my time and I will lead a victory against the Blacks. A decisive victory that will release my people from the suffering of their lot.’

  He knew his family must come first and once Le Frag reached independence, then Le Fagan could sacrifice himself to the Lowership’s cause. His stature however made him the subject of vicious rumour mongering and jealousy. There were those in the Yellow rebellion who did not wish Le Fagan to lead them, so they betrayed him and gave him to Mara as an offering and she sanctioned him where he stood with a powerful psy blast turning this brilliant but simple man into a mindless idiot. He often could be seen begging lodgings and food, barely able to remember those who loved him and angry at the many who wished him well. He was doomed to wander the streets and became a vagabond who others cruelly set upon.

  The bitterness of those who once were his father’s friends consumed Le Frag. He could never forget. A people whom he now despised and would do anything to punish. But what good is revenge if none remain alive to feel his pain. His plans were much greater and eventually he would rule
absolutely the remainder of the Mesanians with his bride, the only one left of the ancient higher orders usurped by the Blacks. A queen from the ancient race of Omarins from across the western oceans and she knew little of her peerage. It took Le Frag the better part of his adult life to sift through the records in the city and trace her genealogy. He also worked from the wrong end, not tracing a history back in time but finding the remnants of the royal line and eventually discovering a bastard child abandoned in the bowls of the yellow orders.

  He followed her daily when she was a child and waited his time before he contacted her. He knew of only two ways her line could be proven with complete certainty. The first is a faint two moon birth mark on the blade of her shoulder, unnoticed by herself unless she peered in reverse in a mirror and unlikely to be seen by others unless she stood naked to the world. The second is the gift of rejuvenation inherited from time immortal and given to those of royal lineage.

  It was many years earlier but he alone espied it. A common enough occurrence. A stroll through the markets and the donning of a shawl requiring her to slightly disrobe and he saw it. He almost missed it completely. She slowly slid the yellow blouse off her slender shoulders and exposed her soft and sleek skin untouched by man. Her curves locked him in a trance and her beauty made the colours of the market place retreat to grey. He wrenched his eyes away and saw her shoulder and the half moons shone brightly, a beacon of nobility he would not forget quickly, and now she is within his reach. When the battle finishes she will be with him forever and he will reveal her as a queen and join with her as a leader of the bones of the refugees of the Omarins. He would rebuild and beg the Great Hammer to employ his people in some capacity. They would accede to all the giants wishes and slowly they would infiltrate and the giants would forget the enemy within until it is too late.

  Murder by stealth, a thousand knives brandished in the secretiveness of the night by unseen hands and the giants would be decimated. They would rise as the dominant race of Salnikov and extend their hand across the entire island and he would rule absolutely and those who pained him in his youth and disrespected his family would pay for their crimes a thousand times over.

  Le Frag’s crooked smile spread across his face but vanished quickly as other realities bit him. This is now a dangerous period in his plot. He still needed to negotiate the Ratites and that is problematic. He could not have the giants be too successful in their campaign. A victory would build their confidence and they may destroy the Mesanians. There needed to be enough left to rule and only a few giants to rule them. It is here he knew he would make a master tactical stroke, for while he told Hammer of the Snow Bears, the true nature of their threat was not considered. How they lived in harmony with the Ratite no-one knew. Perhaps the Ratite left remains of their prey for the bears to eat and in return the bears protected the base of the Ice Mountain for the Ratite. Whatever their relationship they would be entering the melee at some point unexpected and the giants would suffer heavy losses and although he. believed the giants would still win the day they would be much less of the force which set sail three weeks ago.

  He did not consider himself an evil man but he could now see how others could perceive him as such and he knew this was their prerogative but he felt certain history would see him at the very least as being a significant tactician and why not? It was after all, he who was likely to write the history anyway. A short chuckle gained Hammer’s attention.

  ‘You seem to be enjoying yourself Le Frag. I ask again of your history but if it is too hard a question we can leave it till a later date,’ he said with disdain. ‘We will see how well you laugh when battle begins and the talons are scratching at your body. It will be Hammer you seek then I think.’

  ‘Indeed,’ thought Le Frag. ‘We will see.’

  The day brightened and the caravan of Aeserians shuffled slowly east through pastures and bush land, often criss-crossing old roads, with each soldier searching the skies for any sign of the flying death. The movement of a thousand Aeserians and the entire process of dismantling tents preparing breakfasts and generally organising themselves for a days march while constantly being aware of the chance of a battle at any moment, meant by mid morning they covered a scant five miles from where they made camp the previous night.

  ‘Our rate is too slow,’ said Hammer to Le Frag. ‘The seasons will turn frigid before we cross the Ice Mountain.’

  ‘Then the troops must be ridden hard Hammer. To date the whole exercise has been little more than an excursion if you ignore the serpents and Faldor’s mishaps. The army will not perform until it has shed the blubber around its waist and tasted some of the hardships we know harden the heart.’

  Hammer did not reply accepting Le Frag’s observations as being close to the truth. The army looked scared as it jolted along the road, more intent on avoiding contact and self protection rather than a fierce offensive force.

  The air chilled significantly since they rounded the northern reaches of the island and now the soldiers broke out their winter coats as the ground in parts became hard and brown. They funnelled through a small reach in the hills aware this would be a perfect place for an attack and still they saw no sign of the Ratite, even the spies in the sky having departed.

  Hammer returned to the front of the army and breached the gap first. He surveyed the land ahead. As the last of the hills sank behind them, they could see the distance line of mountains, punctuated by the enormous shape of the Ice Mountain, its white slopes extending far into the sky, a crown of clouds masking its true height.

  The sight intimidated some of the Aeserians. Hammer found it exhilarating.

  ‘I have heard your words Le Frag and it seems you do not speak falsely. This is one of the greatest sights in all of Salnikov we cannot fail with land such as this to fight for.’

  They made a light camp mid afternoon and Hammer called a counsel of the ten Gross Captains who each controlled a tenth of the forces.

  ‘We are in danger of defeat,’ said Hammer with unmasked menace in his voice. ‘We feast at each break in the day as if we lounged back home in our Spires and we rise late belching our fatuous selves to sleep and belching to awake. From now it stops. We march twice as hard for twice as long. We will have steel in the steps of our men within a week or there will be none of us left to glorify the quest. There will be no fires set for meals and no tents raised at night. We will sleep rough and travel long. The men must realise they must be mean when the Ratite attack.’

  ‘They may not like it,’ said Bolden the Seventh Gross captain.

  ‘Is that right? I am not here requesting a consensus,’ said Hammer angrily standing over the shaking Captain. ‘I am advising you of how I require you to discharge your duties. I am unaccustomed to having to explain myself Bolden the Crosier. I may take thy staff from thee and pass it to another if that is your desire.’

  Bolden sunk his head.

  ‘No Hammer the Exalter, I merely wished to describe the feeling of the men.’

  ‘I am aware of the feelings of the men, it is I who permit them to have feelings. Once the battle begins they will have a joy in their hearts we have not felt as a people for a thousand years, however if they enter the foray unprepared then some will die unnecessarily. Do you find some flaw in that reasoning Bolden? Feel yourself suitably honoured as I have never explained my purpose to another. Does it meet with your satisfaction?’

  Hammer enjoyed the effect his words had on the trembling Bolden. The soldier would go back to his troops and convey the messages and the men would march with renewed vigour and all will be well.

  ‘No Lord, forgive my insolence. It will be done as you command.’

  ‘Good, then be away. We march immediately and we will not stop for the fall of night. When the moons set then we can halt.’

  The men scurried to give the orders and Hammer took the sledge off his back and held it high with one hand. Those around saw the strength in the greatest of their kind
, the biceps rippling through the skin on his arm and all gained courage from knowing he led them through example. To a man they wished for the battle to begin.

  The army moved faster but still at a frustratingly slow rate and Hammer again called Le Frag into counsel. ‘What say you Le Frag, our purpose is true but our speed lax.’

  ‘An army can only perform if it has food in its stomach Hammer. Your supply lines will be long from here to the coast and back around the far side of the island. This is unsustainable. We must win this war sooner rather than later.’

  ‘I see the Ice Mountain ahead Le Frag surely not more than a good days march. Where is the place where we are most vulnerable? It is here we will be the stoutest.’

  ‘I knew not of the Ratite power to move in the dark but it seems after the assault on the scouts this may be a preferred method of attack. We must be prepared for a night fight and if I read the signs correctly, that night will be either tonight or on the morrow. I am sure before we reach the mountain and not after we have passed its base, we will have conflict.’

  The night approached rapidly. Hammer could feel pressure building around him. The malice in the air pushed against his chest. Tonight would determine the fate of the Aeserians. He passed messages along the line and the Gross began loosening their swords and became highly alert to all around them. Each Gross sub divided into twenty-four groups of six and they bunched so as to give to the flying Ratite as small a target as possible and with their swords pressed outwards they presented a spiny prey they hoped would surprise the Ratite. The night passed slowly and the men stood awake and watchful. With the first glimpse of dawn the birds attacked.

  They came in a rush, the flapping of their wings making a storm of noise in the valley The sky where moments showed a light grey from the pre sun dawn was now spotted with deep ink as the black winged Ratite began their descent.

  They crashed into the Aeserian army ripping and tearing at the shields and helmets of the soldiers who huddled together in their groups of six, none of the birds able to gain any purchase on the men as they held their shields tightly. The Ratite began hovering slightly above each nest of swords, dropping their bulk into the small bustle of men. Their wing spans prevented them from staying aloft while attacking and as their chests dropped, the giant’s spears pierced their underbellies.

  The battle was one of shadows, each grouping barely able to see the one next to it. Hammer dropped his shield along with the entire of the Aeserian forces who unleashed their swords in a deadly flurry of blood and flesh. Hammer drove directly up and caught the first of the Ratite cleanly in the heart, felling it immediately. He jumped out of the way of the falling beast to avoid being crushed and momentarily he found himself outside the safety of his cloistered bunch. He quickly regained his troop who also succeeded in driving the Ratite away and they picked up their shields.

  Hammer looked over his shoulder and saw one of the groups dangerously begin to fracture as the birds hit both sides simultaneously spewing men out of the defensive pod and onto the stony roadway. It took only seconds and two of the Ratite killed and carried off an Aeserian whom Hammer could not immediately recognise. Others also struggled to fend off an ever increasing number of the flying beasts who, sensing they had found a weakness, began attacking the groups from their flanks rather than from above, folding their wings behind them and pecking at the shields while on the ground.

  Hammer gave quick instructions to his troop to bunch closer and he broke himself off and sprinted towards the disintegrating section. He reached it quickly and powerfully swung his broad sword with one hand, severing the head of one Ratite and his sledge with the other, smashing another like a gourd.

  The other Aeserians saw their leader’s, single handed attack and they fought with a renewed strength cleaving hammering and cutting the remaining Ratite into a complete massacre, the few survivors flying off and leaving those wounded to the hacking of the Aeserian swords.

  As the last of the Ratite flew off, a huge roar of victory swept the battle field as the men screamed their joy and broke into song aimed at the few retreating beasts. The first victory they experienced as a people for a thousand years made each man feel strong and pride gripped their hearts and minds. They felt infused with a latent power bequeathed to them from their ancients.

  Hammer looked skyward swelling with pride in his people, sweat soaking his leather jerkin, his dank hair drooping over his squared cheeks. Men came rushing to him dropping to a knee and hailing him as their master and leader. Hammer knew that finally he had the respect and approval he knew he deserved, his reign of fear making way for a reign of approval gained through valour in battle. He looked at the faces around him and knew any one of these men would sacrifice his life if he demanded it. He looked upon a race united and a tear leaked out of his stern face as he went among his people and shook hands and stroked heads.

  The Ratites had managed to breach the defences on several fronts and all told thirty seven of his kinsmen perished. There were no wounded. The Ratite’s poisoned talons and their razor wings cut sinew and arteries killing in an instant. One touch from these creatures meant almost instant death.

  Hammer mourned the loss and knew there would very likely be more. In war good men died. This fact is irrefutable and can never be altered no matter the skill of him or his men. He ensured they buried each man in proper fashion and on Le Frag’s advice they dug a massive hole for the carcasses of the Ratite lest others stray upon the massacre and word gets back to those in Mesania.

  Le Frag peered out of his creel and watched the battle in horror. He suspected these giants would be able to use their size to advantage but did not expect the brutality they were capable of. None of the Ratite who flew within sword distance survived and the wounded were given no quarter, merely slain where they bled, the face of Faldor reflected in each of the faces of the Aeserians. But unlike the Aeserians, Le Frag turned his eyes skyward and only he saw the Ratite survivors amassing on the horizon. He smiled ruefully at the celebrating giants. In his opinion the Ratite had not extended themselves at all in the foray and if what he knew of the Ratite were true, they would attack again when the giants neared the bird's mountain home. The birds now knew much of the defence strategy of the Aeserians and they would structure their attack accordingly. Hammer would need to be warned about over confidence. He did not want the giants defeated until he possessed Le Carra and they could not lay siege to Mesania with an army ravaged by the Ratite. No. It is a delicate game he plays. Leave them strong enough to maintain their confidence and weak enough so any victory would cost them plenty. He balanced on the edge of a precipice and a slip will bring all his plans undone. He waited until Hammer sat alone, the army busy burying their dead before he voiced his concerns.

  ‘Hammer you have won a mighty victory,’ flattered Le Frag. ‘You gained a great deal of personal power and respect on the battle field today and rightly so. You saved many lives with your leadership.’

  ‘You think I am a dullard Le Frag?’ asked Hammer without malice. ‘I think I know you well enough by now and you give me little credit for military ability, but here is how I see the state of the game at present. Please tell me if I miss anything. You see my men celebrating a victory and consider this somewhat frivolous. You also have spied, as have I, that the Ratite are far from a spent force and at some stage they will renew the war with us, most likely when we are closer to their home at the Ice Mountain. You also think we will wander into their lands over confident and by doing so are setting ourselves up for a significant defeat. This annoys you because you need us to be able to defeat your country men so you can claim your prize and as such you are now going to try to convince me celebrations are premature and we should be more considerate of the nightmares ahead. Correct?’

  Le Frag could not lock eyes with Hammer as the giant cannily read his thoughts.

  ‘You read me right Hammer. Why then do you allow such gaiety when victory has not been as
sured?’

  ‘Because they need it Le Frag. We need to acknowledge small victories along the way to ensure we do eventually defeat all our enemies. We have not fought for a thousand years and here we are defeating monsters at our first encounter. They deserve to celebrate and when they are done we will re convene and replace their fervour with a dash of reality. For the moment let them enjoy for indeed there may not be a tomorrow.’

  Le Frag nodded his head. Hammer’s formidability grew with each day, which would make his death ever the sweeter.

  Hammer decided to remain in the region of the battlefield for one day, letting his men celebrate and regain some strength. They placed sentries around the perimeter of the encampment and for the remainder of the day they saw no sign of the Ratite. The night passed without event, the celebrations eventually abating and the camp fell into an uneasy calm.

  In the morning, the Aeserians finished the burying of the dead Ratite, careful not to touch their talons and hair. The army broke camp and slowly moved eastwards, closing on the white capped mountain, its bulk dominating the north east skyline. The ground began to rise slightly and the march became more difficult. The faces of the soldiers showed a stony resolve the glory of the first victory creating a thirst for a second and a third and the army grew eager to greet any new challenge.

  They stopped seldom and took most of their meals while walking, living off rations stowed in their packs slung snugly by straps over their shoulders, another of Le Frag’s suggestions that impressed Hammer. ‘A soldier must be as self sufficient as possible especially when a battle looms as strength is his greatest weapon and one that fails quickly with no food in the belly and isolated from the main body of men.’ He told Hammer before they left.

  Hammer listened carefully to everything Le Frag told him of tactics in battle and it became more and more evident to him that Le Frag’s stature masked a military threat he would need to be careful did not turn against him. At this stage the little man could still assist him however one day his worth as an asset would expire. Once the tactical advantage Le Frag offered him ended, then so ended Le Frag’s usefulness and he was quite prepared to kill the traitor instantly once that fact became clear.

  Hammer kept his eyes often aloft and even though he possessed farsightedness, he could not see any movement of the Ratite, either as scouts or as an attacking force. He stopped the front of the caravan of men to allow the wagons to catch up and called the men into their Grosses. He watched with worry as he his supply lines lengthen. He left a force of men with the navy and another at the Landings and more still to protect their provisions and his army would suffer further losses. He needed to ensure he possessed a large enough force to succeed. An attack from the rear could be happening and it would be hours before he knew of it. He decided to accept Le Frag’s suggestions, and have his army converge on itself to allow better communication and to have as many swords as possible at his disposal.

  The mountain covered their entire northern view and the men marvelled at the smooth texture of the sides. Unlike the rocky precipices of the Protectorate Mountains of Salnikovia, this one looked so flat they could see shapes reflected off it. Now closer, they could also see its reflective abilities gave the mountain its name, not because of its coating of ice, as they thought it would be, but because it looked like glass from a distance giving it an icy appearance. As the mountain tapered they saw signs of snow and ice. It seemed impossible to climb as no footholds could be seen. There were no tracks or paths and it looked impenetrable. The army peered at the apex partly hidden by clouds and they could see no sign of any life across the expanse of the mountain. Wisps of steam appeared to leach out of the highest reaches of the mountain, the eerie scenery disturbed Hammer.

  ‘Too quiet Le Frag. They must attack soon if what you say of them is true. There is not a movement to be seen across the miles of the damned mountain.’ A light scrub brushed over the Aeserian ankles as they marched and the carts of food and armour became more difficult to pull. Several stallions with two men in charge pulled each cart which held enough provision to supply a troop for a week. The men took their turns as the team leaders, each wagon assigned several troops so there was a constant parade of men jostling in and out of the leather harnesses they used to pull the stores.

  Again the attack came swiftly. Most of the army were unaware of anything until some screams of surprise alerted those nearest the breach and then the chaos spread rapidly.

  Hammer raised himself quickly onto a rocky outcrop and all around him he could see a carpet of white bears bounding over rocks and bushes landing like snowballs among the cartmen, killing some instantly and upsetting and trampling the stores as they snapped their ivory white teeth into anything that moved.

  He immediately understood the tactics. Without their stores, the army would be reliant on foraging and hunting and while they possessed great skill in the arts they would be slowed to a halt as they tried to feed themselves to stay alive. They would be completely vulnerable and nomadic, a spent force and easy target for the Ratite.

  ‘The stores,’ screamed Hammer as he leapt off the rocks. He could vaguely hear the urgings of Le Frag who secreted himself behind some nearby rocks.

  ‘Be wary Hammer. The stores can perhaps be replaced. It is now that if I were king of the Ratite I would be attack.’

  Hammer stopped immediately as he processed Le Frag’s logic. He was right. The Ratite were working in unison with the bears and any minute they would assuredly swoop from some hidden eyrie to finish them off. Even while he marshalled his troops Hammer marvelled at the artistry of the enemy’s military tactics although he knew with confidence he had some surprises of his own even Le Frag was not privy to.

  Well before they left Salnikovia, Hammer had been amassing hundreds of men to become competent in the use of bow and shaft. They practiced for months until they became expert. He kept them together even when he had dissected his men into their troops.

  He called their Captain, Burdon the Fearless who raced to his king’s side with an expectant look on his face.

  ‘Your time is nigh Burdon,’ said Hammer. ‘This is the moment where we will win or lose the fight. The Ratite will attack, I feel it in my very bones, and the men will be so occupied with the bears we may be slaughtered in the hundreds. Let them drive off the bears and let you protect their flanks and their backs from the threat in the sky. If you see anything that flies I want you to place a shaft in their hearts. The day is yours.’

  Burdon began shouting orders of his own and men rapidly organised themselves into wings of thirty or more men crisscrossing the battle field until the ground looked like a patchwork quilt. Inside the quadrants, the bears sensed they were being corralled and tried to escape as the Aeserians began to slice them to pieces.

  The bears retreated, letting out howls of pain as they ran some with three legs and others dragging themselves on two. Above them the Ratites broke from the sky in a wave of black and fell on the army. With renewed vigour the bears rejoined the fight as the Ratite swung heavy wings and poisoned talons at the Aeserians who were struggling to maintain their fighting turtle positions.

  Things would have gone awry until Burdon could be heard above the din of the battle as he blew a single long note on an elkin horn, the music singing throughout the battle field and bouncing back on him from the Ice Mountain. A storm of arrows flew into the bulk of the Ratite as they flew to engage the Aeserians and many thumped to the ground, dead before they landed. Many others were wounded and spinning on the ground uncontrollably with broken legs and wings pierced by as many as fifty arrows at any one time.

  The deadly rain continued and the Ratite fell in their hundreds, covering the land with purple blood and filling the air with deafening screams, their black wings looking like death cowls over the land, the only contrast being the white and red snow bears writhing in their own agony as the Aeserians put them all to death.

  Never had the Ratites met such resista
nce from an intruder but they were stronger than a few hundred and their losses they absorbed as part of their stratagem. Far above in the chief eyrie, their king watched through pea like eyes assessing the damage as well as the strength of these giant men.

  He had lived long in this world and could still remember the battles with the smaller ones who came from the ocean so bold. They had killed the greater bulk of those invaders however a special one of their kind could not be dominated and convinced him to retreat to the high parts of the mountain. He took care this did not happen again and he searched carefully for the one who appeared to be the greatest of the leaders and he would bend his attack towards him. The others would despair and the day would be won for the mighty Aeponysis.

  Of all the Ratite he possessed the greatest sight. Hundreds of miles he could espy game and in seconds he could lift his vast bulk from his dizzy ledge and swoop. None challenged him for kingship in the thousand years he had lived, as his flock would accept a king for life if his skill as a hunter vindicated his position. Year after year he would provide for his people, preparing them for trespass from any creature many days in advance of them entering his lands.

  He had travelled himself to the northern reaches where the land burned and smoke belched from the ground and he saw the new threat sailing in their many numbered vessels to attack his land.

  At first he thought them mere extensions of those he had previously fought. Now he knew they held a power in their larger bulk and also a will to survive and tactic the others lacked.

  He sent a small portion of his troops to assail them. He needed to test their strength and weigh any advantage they may have and then he would attack in full and feast on the bones of the intruder.

  Weeks ago he sought the Moonbad bear, the leader of the Snowbears who skulked around the base of his mountain keeping the area clear of any unwanted guests and demanded he was to send the bears into attack. The Moonbad did his bidding through fear. He knew this by the way the bear dropped its head. He also knew without the bears aid, the Aeponysis would need to commit more forces than he wanted at this juncture. Let the bears weaken these intruders first and then he would attack.

  The Ratite leader kept his focus on the land below and finally he spied the one he sought. Larger than the rest and stronger, the leader caused havoc wherever it went. It carried some sharps in each hand and these inflicted severe damage on his flock.

  He looked further and saw the men aiming high with some new weapon and then suddenly the Aeponysis dropped dead from the sky. His bones chilled further as he saw the manner of their strategy. The leader commissioned another to fire darts into his Ratites thereby freeing him to lay into the bears.

  The king watched events unfold and felt his own urge to join the melee. Let them expire themselves and relax momentarily and then he would unleash the full force of his people and in seconds the battle would be won. His gaze narrowed and he saw the mighty leader of the foe brushing his Aeponysis away with ease. An upward strike from his sharp and another died and in the same motion a snow bear lay twisting in pain as its leg twitched next to it, separated from its body by the stroke.

  The Ratite king’s royal guard surrounded him and stood motionless awaiting their orders. These were the strongest and wisest of his armoury. They were the greatest of the hunters and the swiftest of wing whose line had not been broken from the royal bloods of their race from across the oceans. They protected his person but he would use them in another role today. To be injected into the fight at the most opportune time and win the day.

  The king held his breath as he saw the battle turning away from him. With a stroke of a wing he sent another five hundred Aeponysis into the battle and with a sidelong look, his captain and his guards also flew into the fight, straight towards the stark figure of the giant leader.

  Hammer heard the air snap from the wings of the new arrivals and with despair he saw hundreds of Ratites rush upon his people like a gale. He saw his ranks break and scatter, their strategy destroyed as each man tried to fight for himself as the beasts tore into them. Blood draped the base of the mountain as the battle flowed towards an Aeserian defeat. The archers fell first and their ranks splintered, destroyed by the Ratites and the men fled in terror trying to find some place to hold up while they regrouped. Only Burdon remained in place as he fired arrow after arrow at the incoming tide broking around him. Of all the Aeserians in his Gross he alone remained unscathed. The bodies of the dead piling around him and the Ratite wary of the strength of Burdon thought it best to move on to easier prey and eventually Burdon ran out of targets.

  Sensing the weakness of the giants, the snow bears doubled their attack and slowly Hammer’s army was being decimated. He barely registered all of this when a half a dozen Ratite larger than the rest landed near him, forming a circle, their wings spread and touching the ones next to them. At full height they stood taller than he and their pointed and spear like heads crowned beaks full of sharp teeth dripping with venom. They slowly began circling, closing the gap between them and Hammer with each rotation. Hammer followed them carefully his sledge in one hand and the fighting sword in the other.

  A calmness descended over him as he stared into the black eyes of his enemy. Most would feel fear he thought but he somehow felt empowered by the sight before him. He stood as the greatest of his kind, proud and brave, the enemy ahead and a mighty arm carrying the strength of his people in it.

  He could hear the screams around him and knew only he could save them from destruction. He stared straight ahead as the monsters continued to circle him. He knew he could not afford to have his back to any of these creatures and as such he needed to cause a rift in their circle so he could at least face the group all at once. Without warning he attacked. The Ratite faltered. They expected some resistance but fear would usually cripple their prey well before they needed to fight it.

  Hammer leapt at the first creature who drew up in defiance and at the last moment Hammer sidestepped and drove his sword into the gut of the creature three away from him who was caught unawares and dropped dead on the spot. The birds flapped their wings in confusion as Hammer jumped out of the circle dragging his sword across the wings of a second Ratite while slamming his sledge into the beak of a third. In seconds the force sent to attack him had halved and the others stepped back warily.

  Hammer rushed at them again and this time they flew a few feet away well out of his reach. They hesitated to attack immediately especially as they could clearly see their kin either dead or bleeding.

  The King of the Aeponysis watched with anger. The stupidity of his guards boiled in his cold veins and he leapt off the eerie and dived at Hammer, his speed eclipsing the fastest wind. The three remaining royal guards saw their master from above and re-engaged Hammer. He rushed to meet the challenge and two more Ratite fell dead, the last fleeing towards the mountain.

  Le Frag watched the whole event unfold from a safe clump of bushes near the archers, a stone’s throw from the berserk Hammer. The skill and bravery of Hammer scared Le Frag. The muscles in the giant’s arms looked as if could burst through the skin at any moment as he struck the Ratite with blow after blow. The Ratites across the battlefield saw their elite guard fail as did the Aeserians, who attacked and again the battle turned their way.

  Le Frag saw it before anyone. High above, the largest bird he had ever seen, twice as large as the ones Hammer just killed, glided gracefully towards them in a dive aimed at the head of Hammer who swatted another of the snow bears away.

  There were only seconds left before impact and Le Frag was not close enough for Hammer to hear him. He saw the hulking form of Burdon run to within a few feet of him and watched as he knelt and with a steady arm shot another Ratite out of the sky.

  ‘Quickly Burdon to the north before it is too late,’ screamed Le Frag.

  Burdon looked with incredulity at the tiny Le Frag and then northward just in time to see the Ratite king swoop towards the Hammer. B
urdon carefully drew the last arrow from his quiver and stood in the open legs shoulder width apart trying to calm his heaving breaths. He knew he needed to shoot true and straight and no second chances would be allowed. The creature was enormous and his arrow would be a mere nettle in its side if he missed his target. He drew back carefully aiming at where he guessed the eyes of the creature would be in a few seconds and confidently he let the shaft fly. The shot landed squarely in the eye of the descending monster who let out a howl of pain as it writhed in the air just above a startled Hammer who realised immediately what happened. The king of the Ratite flew crazily in the air trying to wrench the arrow from its face with its talons but each attempt only caused it further agony. It swept straight up once and then fell in a dive towards Burdon. Le Frag scattered but Burdon had no time to flee, only able to place his bow to his chest before the Ratite crashed into him, a blast of dirt reaching high into the sky.

  Hammer looked in shock and sprinted to the heap, Burdon completely covered by the Ratite. The king raised itself on its taloned legs and spread its massive wings wide letting out a deafening cry stopping all who heard it.

  Hammer aimed his sword at the king.

  ‘How you live amazes me bird king, however your survival is only temporary. I avenge my people who lie dead in this cesspool and to Burdon the Fearless who I now call the Brave’

  Hammer leapt at the king who while severely injured still had an agility belying its bulk. He swung a wing at Hammer who dove under it and struck firmly, severing vital sinew leaving the wing useless and limp a second cry coming from the king.

  Hammer circled the dying beast and the battle around him ceased. All the eyes of the Ratite, Snow Bears and Aeserian were trained on the two kings as they battled. The Ratite lifted itself on its remaining wing and tried to throw its’ bulk at Hammer. The Aeserian easily avoided the bloated black body and swung another blow into the second wing leaving it dead at the side of the giant bird.

  He rolled close to the monster and in one sweep severed a taloned leg, the bird falling to the ground defenseless. Hammer sheathed his great sword and calmly walked over to the writhing beast. The midnight eyes of the King of the Ratite looked fatalistically at Hammer who raised his Sledge leaving it above his head for a few moments before he brought it down on the Ratite crown exploding it like an egg, shards of bloody skull shooting out in all directions.

  A roar leapt from the Aeserians who immediately began dispatching the enemy around them until only they remained and a few fleeing snow bears could be seen in the distance. The men dropped their swords exhausted and scanned the battle field. Body parts and blood were strewn across the country side, the Aeserians unable to determine whether they belonged to man or beast. Already the stench of death began filling the air and some of the Aeserians vomited as they saw the carnage.

  Hammer loosened his grip on his sledge, the strap to his arm stopping it from dropping to the ground and he began moving among his people counting the dead and caressing the injured. This time there were no celebrations as the men tended to the casualties and covered the faces of those whom they knew and loved counting the victims and crying over the dead.

  He moved slowly and sadly to the crushed form of Burdon. He knelt beside him and placed an ear to his mouth to see if could feel any sign of unlikely life. To his surprise Burdon half opened his eyes and smiled at Hammer.

  ‘My King, I told you my archers would serve you well.’

  ‘And so they have,’ said Hammer with a tear in his eye. ‘And none better than Burdon the Fearless. Rest peacefully Burdon and know with the flight of one arrow you will live for eternity in our lore as a hero, the greatest of bowmen.’

  Burdon stopped smiling as his own tears welled in his eyes and he squeezed Hammer’s hand tightly.

  ‘Fearless I may be named Lord, but at this moment I am scared.’ Hammer caressed his cheek and leant over him and kissed his brow.

  ‘Fear not Burdon, you go to visit our ancestors and you will sit next to the greatest with honour.’ Burdon closed his eyes for the last time and Hammer faced the Aeserians around him. ‘See Burdon the Fearless, who I also call The Brave, as he passes from the Aeserian world.’

  Hammer spent the next day and a half travelling throughout the length and breadth of his army, tending the wounded and offering words of encouragement. Not all his men witnessed the battle with the Ratite king but word spread to every Aeserian and they wondered at the majesty of their king when in full battle cry and they knew with this victory they would soon return to their ancient home in Mesania and reclaim it.

  The burials took three days and although mindful of the need to dispose of the Ratite and to bury his own people with promptness and proper ceremony, Hammer looked at his troops with concern. Each day on the road would tire them further and make the next challenge perilous.

  He saw, with some pride, his men puffing their chest and straighten their backs as he approached. He also saw their shoulders stoop when they thought he did not see.

  ‘The mind is willing. It is the body that may not be able to complete the task,’ said Hammer to Le Frag as the army prepared to sleep one final time on the battle field. ‘I have driven them hard and this has helped sustain them. The greatest challenges are ahead as the Invader is called to account and I have little more than three quarters of the numbers I left with.’

  ‘Your people are stoic Hammer and they will follow and fight till the end. I have seen enough to know my people will fail in the days ahead and you will regain your lost lands.’

  For the first time since he had known Hammer, Le Frag believed himself to be totally truthful and for some reason his confidence was bolstered. Glory days ahead he thought.

  Hammer needed to conduct strategy talks with the Captains now he and Le Frag completed their plans. The time arrived to advise the rest of the method they would employ to attack the mesa.

  The Captains filed into Hammer’s tent and sat crossed legged on the floor in a circle, while Hammer walked the circumference patting the men on the back and having quiet jests with them. He made sure the mood remained positive and calm as he spoke of the days ahead.

  ‘Men. Our victories are manful. It will however be of no importance if we do not finish what we have begun. Battles come and go and history tells us the mark of a campaign is the end game and ours is upon us.’ He looked towards the sleeping roll at the end of the ent knowing it housed Le Frag as he continued. ‘I have made a study of this land for many years and I know its lie and what awaits us and it is here we split our forces.’

  One of the Captains stood immediately the traditional signal he wished to speak and Hammer looked at him and continued his speech.

  ‘Before I allow Ragnor the Guardian of the Faith to speak I will give you the intelligence I have of this region and then you may comment on the folly of my plans. Agreed Ragnor.’

  ‘By your command Lord,’ said Ragnor who regained his seat.

  ‘Mesania sits in the middle of a vast forest we still have to negotiate. It is also surrounded at each point North, South ,East and West by large towers called Sentinels. The Sentinels communicate with each other through reflective glass and as such they can instantly report our approach to Mesania which could be our undoing. We must skirt the forest in four groups with the Eastern one needing to travel the furthest and we will simultaneously destroy these towers under the cover of dark so their communication device will be void. The attack must be co ordinated and swift. We will then move towards the south of Mesania and regroup for the final assault. If we approach directly from the west in one army we will be discovered and the mesa will be fully fortified by the time we reach it and we could not assail it with fifty thousand men and a hundred years to spare. We also cannot circumvent the Sentinels as the forest is too thick and the only paths are the ones that pass the towers. Men, this is the only way. Now Ragnor, you have some concerns?’

  ‘Nay my lord. As has been the case thus fa
r your skills as a strategist are without peer. We will do as you say.’

  ‘Very good, then it remains only to divide the forces. I will lead the Eastern group and you will accompany me. We will take the hardiest of our folk as we have the farthest to travel and we need to march without stopping and with only enough provisions to get us to the end. Once we have cleared this battle field we travel only at night lest we are discovered. Our route is to skirt the forest without entering. We will be at our target in three nights march and we attack the eastern tower at twilight on the fourth day. We do so in unison therefore the western group will have more time than the rest to configure their attack and as such can finish the work of cleansing the field of victory. The moons will have both retired early and the evening night would be dark. We will study the target thoroughly before the assault and we will destroy the Invaders. Do not be late Captains of the Aeserian Army for it will incur a greater wrath from me than any have yet encountered.’

  Hammer and the Captains divided the forces and each took a quarter of the soldiers and a crudely etched map describing the terrain. Hammer left with his troop as dusk approached. Approximately two hundred strong and all hand picked. They left their large packs behind and took only their weapons and small sachets of food wrapped around their waste in wallets attached to their belts. They uncovered a little used road reaching north east to a hazy green horizon signaling the beginning of the forests. A shimmering point clearly jutted from the roof of the forest, the western tower looking like a knife pointing directly to the sky.

  Hammer ordered the men to move off the road and find somewhere and conceal themselves while they ate some of their food. They nervously waited until full night before commencing the cross country march to the south of the forest with the aim to eventually pass the Southern Sentinel on their way further east.

  Because the men travelled light, they moved quickly and Le Frag found it difficult to keep up especially as he needed to stay off the road and having no wagons to secrete himself. He found himself falling farther and farther behind the group catching them only after they were finished their meal

  He sidled up to Hammer breathlessly.

  ‘This will be the end of me Hammer,’ he said puffing hard and collapsing next to the hulking king.

  ‘The walk will do you good,’ said Hammer quietly. ‘Your belt has noticeably tightened since you have done no exercise.’

  Le Frag could not argue through his exhaustion and threw himself down on some clover and began drifting to sleep. He didn’t care who spied him as he did not have the energy to hide anymore. Hammer momentarily softened towards his eternal enemy. Although Le Frag did not know it, Hammer heard his scream of alert to Burdon and while he did not see the bird king until too late, he knew without Le Frag’s warning he would likely be dead already.

  He remained a cynic regarding the Invaders. Le Frag helped him but only so his own goals could be reached. He knew the little man would likely murder him in his sleep if he thought it would gain him his advantage. Hammer decided he did not like Le Frag after all and would not acknowledge he had assisted him.

  The camp was quiet, most of the men exhausted from the battle, the ensuing cleanup and the march. Hammer alone could not rest and seemed more alert than ever before. He felt energised after defeating the Ratite king. He could feel the power from thousands of years of his forbears beating through his body and he revelled in the death throes of the vanquished. In a mere matter of days he would defeat the age old enemy and he would be ultimate ruler of the whole of Salnikov and he would be dubbed the Restorer.

  Hammer suddenly stopped his breathing and pricked his ears. He heard a very slight rustle in the bushes around him and then it stopped. The snores of some of the men filled the air when seconds later he again heard a crackling sound in the air. Something definitely moved not far from him. He thought it likely an animal though he could not be in the least dismissive of the simplest issue. Le Frag reached him in an instant fully awake and alert.

  ‘You have heard?’ he said.

  ‘Quiet,’ ordered Hammer. He listened carefully but the noise had gone. He began to relax when again he heard a noise, this time behind him and slightly closer.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Le Frag.

  ‘How in the gods names should I know,’ whispered Hammer. ‘You are the one who claims some local knowledge you tell me.’

  Le Frag moved slowly towards the noise, not from bravado but more from curiosity and knowing Hammer stood only inches from him made him bolder than he would normally be.

  He inched a few feet when a greyish white blur darted out from the darkness and engulfed him, whisking him away before Hammer could react. Hammer immediately screamed a battle cry, waking the troop in an instant.

  ‘To arms Aeserians, bring me a torch light. No other fires are to be lit,’ he ordered as he frantically searched the undergrowth. He could not lose Le Frag’s intelligence. They could not hope to win a battle against the enemy without his skills and insider ken.

  Snatching a torch appearing next to him, Hammer drew his sword and charged in to the brush inadvertently setting some of it alight and sweeping trees out of his way in a stroke, his men following behind and spreading out while others stamped out the brush fires.

  ‘Le Frag, where are you?’ he called over and over but no sign of any life could be heard. Ragnor appeared next to him. ‘For whom do you search sire. Who is this Le Frag you seek?’

  Hammer did not answer and bent close to the ground, inspecting a smallish gully in the sandy soil. It looked like a drag mark and he suspected whatever took Le Frag, dragged him in this direction through the undergrowth. The shallow brush gave way as Hammer plowed through it and he found more satisfaction in stomping the ground around him to make a path rather than tread carefully. Ragnor followed behind him at a distance, not game to ask questions.

  After a few minutes Hammer broke through the brush, the moonlights showing a circular break in the green some hundred feet across. In the middle lay three large piles of leaves and one smaller than the rest, each covered in a thick vine snaking into the far side of the clearing.

  The two men carefully approached the piles, swords drawn and alert to every movement reaching the centre and inspecting the lumps in front of them. The bundles were made of tightly bound leaves thatched together so well no edge could be found. Hammer kicked the first to test its thickness and he and Ragnor jumped back quickly as the sack let out a low moan.

  Hammer tried cutting the bonds, careful not to mark the contents but the rubbery leaves made his knife bounce back with each slice. Ragnor also tried to cut but with the same result.

  ‘Lift them and we take them back to the rest.’ Hammer raised one of the larger piles onto his shoulder and carried the smaller under the other arm when the bushes around him parted and hundreds of white shimmering creatures no taller than Le Frag emerged and surrounded the two men who carefully placed their packages between them and levelled their swords.

  ‘Be still Ragnor, they have yet to threaten us. Let us see what they want.’

  ‘They want the dinner we have taken back from them is my first reckoning,’ said Ragnor warily levelling his sword at the creatures directly in front of him. ‘What are they?’

  ‘I am not sure. Methinks they resemble Sprites do they not.’

  Ragnor looked with wide eyes.

  ‘Sprites. Yes they look like Sprites would look if there were such things. Thankfully we know they do not exist,’ said Ragnor as he marvelled at the little creatures in front of him.

  They were man shaped and looked like they existed only half in this world, shimmering in and out of focus. They wore bare chests with only the shortest of pants and each carried a sharp needle almost as long as themselves.

  ‘They only look small Hammer however I don’t think I would like one of those spikes sticking into me.’ He took a horn from his belt. ‘Let me call the army, they will be here in moments and we
can rid ourselves of these creatures.’

  Hammer eyed the group, trying to find the leader. They all looked so similar that he could not determine rank.

  ‘Do not be hasty Ragnor. We will be living in these parts for ages to come and unlike the Ratite maybe these can be allies rather than foes. I do not want to have peril all around us when re retake our lands.’ Hammer walked slowly towards the group and sheathed his sword opening his hands in the universal gesture of good faith.

  ‘I am Hammer the Exalter of the King Makers of the city of Salnikovia on the island of Salnikov in the Great Aeserian Empire. Who are you who stands in my path?’

  The shapes shimmered in the breeze floating just above the ground rather than on it. One emerged from the pack and glided towards Hammer making no noise and stopping a few feet in front of the King. It levitated to Hammer’s eye level.

  ‘I am Fornestarlumbi. You disturb our lands without invitation. You slaughter those who have lived here for centuries. You trample lands that have always been ours with your clumsy feet and here you ask questions of me. It is our leave you request not the other way around.’

  Hammer could hear the malice in the others voice and steeled himself for battle but the political side of him tried for a resolution.

  ‘We mean your people no harm. We only wish to be on our way however I cannot leave these behind,’ he said as he pointed to the four bundles near Ragnor’s feet.

  ‘We will tell you when you can leave Hammer the Exalter. Rumour of your quest reached us many weeks ago and we have taken counsel with our people to see what threat you pose. So far you have shown a lack of respect for all creatures and walk as if the land housed you only. We do not know whether we can live as neighbours.’

  The conversation looked to be heading to conflict as far as Hammer could see so he decided to go on the offensive. ‘We have no quarrel with your people though be warned the Aeserians do not take orders from anyone. Now is our time and we too have been victims of great injustices in the past which we will soon right. Step aside or you will see the wrath of Hammer and his Aeserians.’

  Amazingly the first shape began to laugh and suddenly all of the Sprites joined in until a chorus of laughter rebounding around the glade.

  ‘Your arrogance is without peer Hammer the Exalter,’ said the Sprite with unmasked derision in its voice. ‘You think yourselves all powerful. I warn you, we could snuff out your existence in an instant. We are merely deciding now whether we prefer you or the Omarins you intend to slaughter. To date the Omarins have never threatened us in the manner you do. Indeed I do not believe they even know of our existence such is the synergy of our lives in this world. They do not impact on our being. It is obvious to us you however do and that is the issue. We will return with our decision. In the meantime take your people with you.’

  The four parcels on the ground sprung open and inside three Aeserians slept soundly and Le Frag, also asleep and apparently unharmed. Hammer looked at Ragnor who stared at Le Frag in amazement.

  ‘What is this Lord, we have one of the Invader folk lying here with our own. How did he come here?’

  ‘It is a long story Ragnor and one I am willing to share with you but only if you hear in confidence. His existence is known only to me and now to you. It must remain a secret from the rest, as I have a need at present for the Invader. He has lived in Mesania and he will tell me its secrets.’

  ‘You will torture it then Lord, permission to remain and assist.’

  ‘Permission denied Ragnor. You have leave to remain silent and that is all. Only you and I know he is here and it must remain so. Should I hear any speculation from any others of an Invader is in our camps then I will know from whence the rumour came and woe to you if that happens.’

  Ragnor bowed his head in obedience and left the clearing with two heavy and unconscious Aeserians one over his shoulders and one dragged behind. They dropped the men onto the ground in the camp and the Captains hastily gathered around to hear Hammer. He carefully hid Le Frag with his own pack before he addressed the them.

  ‘Be ware Aeserians. We have stumbled into the lands of the Sprites whom you know from our lore and they are not happy with our presence here. They are confident and unconcerned about our victories and have shown Ragnor and I they may well attack us. We will hold a war council immediately to discover how we can fight these ghosts.’

  Suddenly in the middle of the group the shimmering shape of the leader of the Sprites appeared and all the Captains around it jumped to their feet with swords drawn. Hammer remained seated as if he expected the visit.

  ‘You interrupt us without our leave,’ he said. ‘Am I to assume this is a parley to discuss the terms of your surrender?’

  The Sprite came closer and Hammer could hear a slight gurgle of laughter from its white lips.

  ‘It is our mercy you should be concerned with Hammer of the Aeserians. I have spoken to my people and we have decided to give you some quarter or at least the opportunity to save yourselves. It is sport to us but it may well be life to you.’

  ‘Be swift then,’ said Hammer. ‘We are pressed for time and this diversion will only be tolerated for a short space.’ Although Hammer spoke confidently, it masked his great concerns about this new adversary. The Sprites showed no intimidation and Hammer believed them when they said they could destroy them all effortlessly. He needed to keep a pretence of superiority or his troops may panic or lead an assault where they could all be killed. He decided to play the Sprite game and see what eventuated. As yet he had no other alternative.

  ‘You better hope not too swift Hammer, surely you do not tire of this world already.’ The Sprite removed itself from the group and sat on a nearby log where some others of its kind also appeared.

  ‘We begin,’ it said. ‘You have proven yourselves worthy physically with the defeat of the Aeponysis, which we thought interesting. They have only ever been repelled from prey once before, so we acknowledge the feat as laudable however, you must now prove you are skilled in other more cerebral arts we consider much more valuable than brute strength. Therefore you must earn the right to exist on the same plane as the Tssarmanasssintents.’

  ‘Continue Sprite you begin to bore me,’ said Hammer. He heard the name they used for themselves and knowing he could hardly pronounce it, he decided to call them Sprites instead and he sensed this seemed to annoy them.

  ‘I give you enigmas Hammer, mysteries wrapped in riddles. I understand your people believe themselves quite proficient in the game. We will see. A simple test really and from your speech someone as mighty as yourself should have little difficulty. The prize however you may see as important. If the problem defeats you then you are also defeated and you and your people will disappear from this world. Is this not a worthy contest and one befitting a great such as yourself?’ The Tssarmanassintent leader laughed derisively and the others with him also bounced with amusement while Hammer seethed inside. He controlled his emotions. Now was not the time for lightheadedness. He must concentrate.

  ‘You will have three puzzles and each will be harder than the first. Fail and I hand you to the judges. I am afraid they have already decided your fate. You have until the sands pass through the glassware.’ On a large rock next to Fornestarlumbi an hourglass appeared and below it lines of words burned into the stone, the letters steaming and filling the air around them.

  ‘I assume you can read The Broad Speech and if not I will read for you.’ said the leader.

  ‘We read and write,’ said Hammer. ‘There is no need for you to intercede.’

  He walked to the rock and read the riddle aloud so all could hear.

  I live in the ocean but not in the sea

  You can see me in the lock but not the key

  I’m in the centre but not the middle

  Guess the answer to solve the riddle

  The Aeserians were good at the Enigma Game. It is how they spent their evenings, the challenge to create the
most difficult of posers making men wrestle with their intellect for hours. They would never concede defeat and oft times they would defer their answers for weeks or months as they struggled with the clues enlisting the help of entire families who would argue the hours away until they found a solution.

  Hammer could play the game well and here he had a quite simple example, the like of which all Aeserians knew. He chuckled to himself. At this stage of the game at least the Sprites did not issue a very sophisticated challenge. He did not think it wise however to show too much confidence and answer too quickly. If he feigned confusion and trouble and gave the answer when all the time expired then perhaps the second question would not be significantly more difficult than the first.

  He got to his feet and paced the small clearing, ignoring the pleas of his kinsmen who all guessed the answer and were mortified Hammer had not.

  The Sprite leader smiled broadly.

  ‘He stumbles at the first hurdle,’ it said. ‘The leader must give an answer.’ The men around Hammer tried to help and frustratingly they found they could not articulate the answer.

  ‘The question is for the leader and not yourselves. We test his wisdom as king not yours as vassals. There may be latter riddles where you are welcome to help.’

  Hammer looked imploringly at the Tssarmanassintent then moved to sit on the rock and then stood immediately and paced the clearing again.

  ‘The time is up leader of the Aeserians what is your answer?’

  Hammer snapped his fingers and pronounced loudly with a relieved sigh.

  ‘Of course the answer is in front of me, I feel quite foolish not to have seen earlier. The answer is simply the letter ‘C’.’

  The crowd of onlookers grew to include the entire of Hammer’s portion of the army, even the sentries leaving their posts. They cheered with relief at Hammer’s answer and Ragnor looked at the Captain nearest him.

  ‘Hammer would know that answer immediately, methinks he toys with this new enemy.’

  Fornestarlumbi seemed a little perturbed at Hammer’s success and quickly moved on to the second riddle without congratulations.

  ‘Perhaps the Riddles are too easy. We may have under estimated your ken. Here is the second and the time commences.’

  The words cleared from the rock and a new set burnt themselves deep into the stone.

  What is greater than the Gods

  Taller than the tallest mountain

  The poor have it

  The rich need it

  If you eat it you die

  The Tssarmanassintent did not lie thought Hammer. The poser was much more difficult than the first. The first followed the same pattern of many of the riddles he knew. This one however differed. Even the chatter from around him ceased as the others also did not know the answer.

  Hammer knew the problem many had when they tried to decipher an enigma riddle was urgency. They worried more about their inability to know the answer immediately than try to logically deconstruct each line. That was how he would attack the problem. Usually each line of the riddle held the answer in itself. He would disregard all but the first and try to find the answer that way.

  ‘What is greater than the Gods?’ he pronounced to the group. ‘Nothing is greater than the Gods.’ He used this answer for all the lines of the riddle and it fit perfectly. ‘Nothing is taller than the tallest mountain, the poor have nothing and the rich need nothing and if you eat nothing you die. So Sprite, the answer is ‘Nothing.’’

  A cheer erupted from the army as they praised Hammer while Fornestarlumbi let out a curse of annoyance.

  ‘You have told us of the consequences of our failure Fornestarlumbi. What of yours? What becomes of you should I win the battle of wits,’ said Hammer.

  The little sprite hesitated and then answered.

  ‘We will be at your command lord Hammer. That is how the game is played. This should bother you not. You cannot win. You are at the final enigma and you will stumble. It has never been crossed and you will not be the first.’

  For a third time the rocks burned red with words and the voice of Fornestarlumbi could be heard climbing above the din of the army.

  Ten little Aeserians lived by a stream

  If one chooses to cross it is simple it seems

  But for these men they cannot get wet

  And no boats or tools are allowed in the quest.

  The Sprites laughed gaily as they saw the quizzical looks on the faces of the Aeserians.

  ‘Surely this is a simple puzzle,’ said the Fornestarlumbi. ‘It is only the crossing of a stream a task I am sure has been done many times.’

  Hammer ignored the taunts. He needed to concentrate on the answer and not the gibbering from the Sprite. All his people fished both in the ocean and the few streams around Salnikovia, they seldom used the streams for any other purpose and fished from the banks not crossing them for any reason. They were traditionally poor swimmers and to cross this river they clearly could not use boats or ropes.

  ‘Are questions permitted?’ asked Hammer.

  ‘You may ask as many as you see fit but we wonder why any questions are required when the answer has already been given. The sands pass as we speak.’

  Some chattering began among the ranks making it hard for Hammer to concentrate. Ludicrous ideas were being proffered from every quarter.

  ‘Jump across, it is only a stream.’ said one. ‘But miss the jump and we perish,’ said another.

  ‘We need a rope,’ called another voice. ‘No tools are allowed,’ said someone else. The banter turned to worry as no obvious answer could be found.

  ‘You say the answer has already been given,’ said Hammer to the sprite. ‘Is it then in the riddle or from words heard previously?’

  Fornestarlumbi and the other sprites laughed loudly.

  ‘It asks a question,’ said the Sprite. ‘I said you may ask as many as you please that is true. I did not say I would answer any.’ They laughed again as Hammer fumed. He wasted valuable time and the hour glass had nearly emptied. He could think of nothing that fit. He had never heard of this type of question. It directly mentioned his people, naming them although perhaps this may merely be a ruse to interrupt his thinking. He felt beads of sweat begin to pool on his forehead and temples and he saw each of the sprites with a mischievous victory grin open in their white faces. That angered him more. If he lost he would explode on them in an instant and see if they could be hurt by sword and sledge. He knew inside himself however these creatures existed only partly of this world and they would destroy his people as they promised. The edges of panic began scratching at his belly and he could not see any way to answer the question.

  ‘Time has passed and you need to answer without delay.’

  A hush descended on the army as all the Aeserian eyes stared pleadingly at their leader.

  Hammer stood and drew his sword and levelled it at an unmoving Fornestarlumbi. ‘Here is my answer Sprite. The riddle talks of us choosing to cross a stream. It does not say we must cross it, so we choose not to cross it at all.’

  The army went deathly quiet and one by one the sprites disappeared leaving only Fornestarlumbi shimmering in front of Hammer.

  ‘You have done well Hammer of the Aeserians and we do not renege on agreements. When you need us call my name and we will be at your service. We will answer only once so choose the time wisely.’ The leader of the Sprites disappeared and the army erupted into cheers and congratulations for Hammer who smiled in relief as his men patted his huge back. He gambled and won on intuition only. The riddle had an answer if it played by the conventions of the game. The problem is, sometimes the answer is well hidden. He was lucky this time and knew it well.

  He accepted the congratulations quietly and with a superior arrogance his men wallowed in. They now knew their King could not be defeated by any creatures and their enthusiasm for Mesania increased.

  Hammer drank their congratulations like win
e. Another little step towards ultimate power he told himself as he moved through the bustling heads of his people.

  The black mind of evil contends with the white

  heart of truth. Who will prevail? Many wish evil

  to be utterly destroyed but this would be folly.

  What would be left to measure our goodness against?

  Mayhap our good deeds will be evil and we would

  never know the difference.

  Jharnell 27/56-61