The Song and the Serpent

Arfon and the archers were ordered to remain behind, as a last line of defense for the city, and to repel any Undelmans who tried to slip past the rest of the army. The former Vankull Warrior made his displeasure at remaining behind very clear, stating that he had a right to face Hugo.

“We all have grievances against him,” Kian replied, “but I must leave the city in capable hands, and yours are perhaps the most capable here. You built this trebuchet, and you know how to use it better than anyone here. I need you to man it in the event that we fail in our mission.”

Arfon scowled and crossed his arms, but he agreed to remain behind.

“If we find Hugo,” Kian added as he left, “I will bring you his head myself.”

By the time dawn began to approach, a pale light began to shine through the clouds of billowing smoke that hung low over the city. The sun remained invisible, blocked by the vaporous haze, but the fires seemed to grow darker as the fortress became brighter.

As the small army of men waited by the gatehouse, Kian stood on the parapet above, joined by Adan, Corthenu, and Calden, the gatekeeper, watching the smoking tree line for signs of a safe path through the forest.

It wasn’t long before the flames had all but disappeared behind the trees.

“How will we know when it’s safe to travel through?” Kian asked.

“We won’t know,” Calden replied, “because it won’t be safe. The flames may be gone but as long as there is smoke, there is fire. It will be buried under ash and leaves of the forest floor, but it will be there. The safest path will be through the places with no smoke.”

”But if we wait until it is safe,” Corthenu added, “then there will be nothing to stop Hugo from returning either.”

Kian nodded. “Then we should leave now, and try to find our way through, as carefully as we can. Calden, open the gate.”

The gatekeeper departed and Kian turned away from the forest and faced the warriors waiting within the walls.

”Estan Warriors!” He shouted.

The waiting men stirred when they heard him. Those who were seated leapt to their feet and all of them held their weapons ready.

”My brothers!” Kian continued. “We are about to leave the relative safety of our walls and pass into the fiery vale beyond, where the enemy waits, unaware of our plans. I know the danger that awaits us. I know that many of us will not return. I know that I am asking you to accompany me into the mouth of a fiery serpent.

“I will not tell you that our victory is assured, nor that we are certain to succeed. But…”

Kian’s voice grew louder and he held a finger in the air.

“I am honored to have you all beside me. You stand prepared to give your lives for your people, as I do, and that makes us brothers-in-arms. I can think of no other men who I would rather share this fight with today.”

There was a loud creak as Calden opened the gates below.

Kian lowered his hand and lifted his unsheathed blade into the air, shouting for all to hear.

“Hugo and his men lay beyond those flames! The servants of Sithril have already tasted our fury! Now they will taste our steel! Let us take the fight to them! Follow me!”

A cheer ran through the waiting army. Shouts of “Lord Kian!” and “Son of Halthorn!” rang through the city.

Kian and Adan descended the stairs into the gatehouse, where Corthenu and the Othelli captains waited first in the line. The cheers and shouts of the galvanized warriors echoed in the arched gatehouse.

Corthenu alone stood silent and grim faced. He nodded to Kian. “To battle.”

Kian nodded in return before passing through the gate and beginning to climb the gradual slope of the basin.

As they marched up the rise, Adan looked back and saw a number of familiar faces behind the Othelli: Samo and Laxander marched along with a few fellow bards, Fin, Nolt, and Bolf walked with the other men of Estanik, and Hammund trudged along not far behind them. Adan spotted a handful of the younger village leaders, those more capable of marching and fighting.

As they drew near to the tree line at the top of the rise, Adan could see into the forest more clearly through the screen of white vapor. Clouds of billowing smoke rose from the forest floor, wrapping themselves around the blackened husks of trees. The trunks that were still standing rose up like tall, ebony skeletons in a raging ocean of fire and smoke. Bright flames still blazed in many places, and the hiss and crackle of burning wood and steaming sap filled the air around them.

As they passed between the charred trunks, Adan’s eyes watered and he felt the need to put a cloth over his face, like the Undelman’s masks. The dry heat left from the conflagration was more oppressive than anything Adan had ever felt.

The army silently crept through the forest fire. Kian picked his way slowly and carefully through the haze, trying to avoid places where fires were still burning. They snaked back and forth between the trunks, and fallen timber, trying to keep an easterly heading, which was difficult without the sun.

Many times, they were forced to pass quickly through a smoking barrier without catching fire themselves, running over the smoking leaves and pine needles in an attempt to march in the right direction.

Adan began to long for a cool wind, or a breath of fresh air that wasn’t choked with hot vapor.

After what seemed like an eternity in hell, Adan heard a loud crack! in the woods ahead of them.

Kian stopped when he heard it and they tried to find the source of the noise.

Crack!

They heard it again, the unmistakable sound of someone wielding a wood ax. They squinted through the smoke but they still couldn’t see anything.

They crept further, following the chopping sound.

After walking another hundred paces, Kian held his hand up to signal a stop.

The army halted, and Kian pointed to their left.

“Undelmans,” he said in a hushed tone.

Adan stared in that direction and began to see the movement of many figures.

Kian and Adan crouched down, and everyone behind them did the same. They stole through the trees, trying to get close enough to see while not being seen themselves. The sound of voices became audible, as did the sound of chopping wood, creaking wheels, and trees falling.

“You were right,” Kian said, coming to a halt. “They’re felling trees for building, no doubt to create siege weapons.”

Another two hundred paces away, they could see green leaves and forest floor that wasn’t blacked by the flame. They had reached the edge of the fire, and the Undelmans lay just beyond. Adan could see clear sunlight shining.

“Is this just a small group of men, or is the whole army gathered nearby?” Corthenu asked from behind Kian.

“I can’t tell,” Kian replied. “There can’t be less than a hundred men, though.”

“If we get any closer, we’ll be spotted,” Corthenu said. “What do we do?”

Kian looked from side to side. Smoke and fire rose up around them, preventing them from moving to another position.

Kian took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

“We let ourselves be spotted,” he said, “and we take as many of them with us as we can.”

Adan and Corthenu got to their feet and drew their swords.

Kian turned and faced the rest of the waiting army, trailing behind him like a river of men. He lifted his sword in the air, and warriors rose to their feet, many of them drawing their blades.

Kian looked in the faces of his followers and lowered his blade.

“For Farel!” he growled, before turning around.

He let out a roaring bellow that broke the morning silence.

Adan, Corthenu, the Othelli, and every Estan warrior behind them echoed his shout of rage and defiance. Kian pointed his blade at the Undelman warriors and charged, followed, as he always was, by Adan.

Adan could hear the rest of the Estan warriors behind him joining them in their charge.

They ran past burning timber and smoldering piles of inflamed underbrush, their battlecry drowning out the Undelman’s shouts of surprise.

As they broke free of the burning forest, Adan could see numerous Undelmans scattered throughout the green trees. Hundreds were visible in the clear patches of forest. As they rushed at the nearest warriors, Adan could see the conical shapes of canvas tents pitched a short distance away from the line of burnt forest. Wagons and horses were scattered under the boughs of the unharmed pines.

They had reached the edge of the Undelman camp.

Adan’s nostrils flared, breathing the clean air again as he closed the last fifty paces of distance between them and working Undelmans.

The nearest enemy warriors had dropped their work tools and began running away from Adan and Kian while trying to draw their swords. Their masks prevented Adan from seeing the fear in their faces, but their panicked movements betrayed their fear.

The Estans rushed after them.

Adan watched as fifty of the nearest Undelmans formed a defensive line behind a fallen tree.

“Bring me Hugo!” Kian shouted at the waiting Undelmans as he leapt up onto the fallen tree and jumped forward, propelling himself into the Undelman line.

Adan had just enough time to see the white in the eyes of the Undelman warriors before they crashed into their line with a deafening sound of metal on metal.

Adan slashed and hacked at the Undelmans in front of him, cutting many of them down as he pushed through the line. Adan and Kian broke through in moments and continued their charge. Adan heard Corthenu bellowing and caught sight of the Othelli leader on the left as he swung his massive blade in wide arcs, cleaving enemy warriors where they stood.

“Where is Hugo?!” Kian shouted as he fought. “Bring me Hugo! Bring me your Commander!”

The scattered Undelmans formed into groups of dozens in an attempt to try and organize a defense, but the Estans had caught them completely off guard. Already Adan saw many of their number turning to flee.

“Drive them back!” Corthenu shouted as he dispatched another warrior.

After cutting another warrior down, Adan glanced back and saw the Estans pushing through the Undelman line, killing many of them as they fled.

Within moments, the Estan line had reached the tents of the Undelman camp.

“Where is Hugo?!” Kian demanded as they ran through the tents, killing anyone they met.

Adan glanced left and stopped in his tracks.

Over a hundred paces away, on the south side of the camp, Commander Hugo was riding toward the Estans on a black horse among the tents and trees.

“Kian!” Adan shouted, pointing at Hugo.

Kian stopped and turned.

“Hold the line!” Hugo shouted as he rode, drawing two short swords from his belt. “Rally to me and hold the line!”

The fleeing Undelmans hesitated at their leader's command.

“Drive the desecrators back!” he shouted as he neared the Estan line to the left.

“Hugo!” Kian shouted. “Come and face me!”

Hugo ignored Kian, either because the sound of battle drowned Kian out, or by his own choice.

“Get to Hugo!” Kian shouted, pointing at the commander.

Adan saw Corthenu, who was closer to the approaching Hugo, change directions and run toward the mounted warrior, as did most of the nearby Estans.

Adan and Kian turned left, running to intercept Hugo and cut him off.

The nearby Undelmans, seeing their commander, turned where they stood, raising their weapons and charging at the Estans.

Kian’s right! Adan thought. We have to kill Hugo!

As Adan and Kian passed a canvas tent, four Undelmans came running around from the other side and attacked them head on.

Adan caught a glimpse of Corthenu and half a dozen Othelli warriors converging on Hugo before he was forced to fight two red robed Undelmans at the same time. As Adan exchanged blows with his assailants, he saw Hugo, riding straight for Corthenu and his men with a hard look on his face.

Adan blocked a blow meant for his head and leapt backwards to avoid a slice aimed at his middle.

Hugo was ten paces from Corthenu and his men, galloping at full speed.

Adan managed to cut one of his assailants on the inside of his legs, severing an artery and spraying warm blood on the ground.

As Adan blocked another attack, he saw Corthenu disappear under the hooves of Hugo’s horse. For a moment, Adan feared the leader had been trampled.

The scream of a wounded horse rose above the battle din. Hugo’s black horse toppled forward, flinging the commander to the ground. Corthenu stood up, now behind the wounded animal. Blood dripped from his blade as he turned around to face the unhorsed commander.

Hugo rolled when he hit the ground and allowed his momentum to carry him back to a standing position. He stood up, with Othelli warriors all around him, and brandished his twin blades.

The warrior attacking Adan tackled him, trying to grab his sword arm and wrest the blade from his hand. Adan twisted, using the Undelman’s momentum to fling him to the ground and jump on top of him, still trying to maintain control of his sword arm.

The Undelman tried to buck him off, but Adan managed to punch the warrior in the face, breaking his nose with a crack!

When Adan glanced at Hugo, he only saw a blur of motion as the commander fought among the Othelli, swinging his blades with incredible speed.

By the time Adan had finally stabbed the Undelman underneath him and climbed back to his feet, Hugo had killed four Othelli warriors. Corthenu ran around the injured horse that lay thrashing in between him and Hugo, trying to reach the commander.

“Get to Hugo!” Kian shouted again, as he cut down an Undelman that stood in his path.

Adan and Kian were only twenty paces away from Hugo and the Othelli. They ran to join Corthenu, but at that very moment, a score of Undelmans approached to their right, aiding their commander and cutting Adan and Kian off.

Adan watched through the press of warriors as Hugo killed the remaining Othelli warriors as Corthenu reached him.

Adan and Kian tried to fight through the Undelman line and reach Corthenu, but the enemy warriors held them at bay.

Adan could see Corthenu and Hugo exchanging blows, Corthenu with his massive broadsword, Hugo with his two short blades.

Adan had never seen Hugo in battle. Now he understood the fear and respect that the Undelman warriors gave to their commander. The former Vankull Warrior moved with a speed that seemed almost inhuman, blocking Corthenu’s wide swings and returning with blows of his own. Corthenu was immediately put on the defensive, stepping backwards as Hugo pelted him with a flurry of strikes.

Adan and Kian slashed and hacked at the line of men blocking them from reaching the dueling warriors, killing many Undelmans, but they could not break through the press of bodies. More enemy warriors began to appear, running to the site of the battle and gathering near their commander.

Adan and Kian were forced to watch helplessly as Hugo parried one of Corthenu’s slashes with one sword, while driving the second blade into Corthenu’s gut.

“Corthenu!” Kian shouted.

The Othelli leaders eyes went wide with pain as Hugo’s blade pierced his middle. Adan saw Hugo grimace, almost as if he was smiling, and then twist his blade in Corthenu’s stomach.

The Othelli leader dropped his sword.

Adan watched in horror as Hugo eviscerated Corthenu, before pulling his bloody sword free. Corthenu fell to his knees, blood pouring from his torso.

Shouts of anger and dismay rang out among the surviving Othelli warriors.

“Corthenu!” Hugo shouted again.

He snarled and pushed against the warriors in front of him, but he was shoved backwards and forced to block the attacks from the Undelman warriors.

Corthenu teetered on his knees for a brief moment. Then he collapsed and toppled forward.

“To me!” Hugo shouted again, raising his bloody sword in the air. The Undelmans raised their blades and raised a battle cry that seemed to shake the trees.

Adan looked out over a sea of spiked helmets. The rest of the Undelman army had arrived, running through the trees to the site of the battle. Adan looked back and saw the small Estan army, outnumbered and overwhelmed by the wave of enemy warriors rushing at them. The forest fire may have killed a large number of Undelman warriors, but the Estans were still vastly outnumbered.

“What do we do?” Adan asked, turning to Kian.

Kian stared at Commander Hugo with rage in his eyes.

“Kian! What now? We’ve lost the element of surprise.”

“He can’t win,” Kian said, still staring at Hugo. “We can’t let them win.”

“Retreat!” Adan heard a shout from behind him.

He turned to see some of the Estan warriors turning and fleeing back into the burning forest.

“Kian!” He shouted. “We’ve lost our advantage. We need to go back!”

Kian still hesitated, staring at Commander Hugo, who had been supplied with a new white horse. The Commander mounted his steed and pointed his sword at the Estans.

“Drive them back!” He shouted.

The Undelmans began to advance.

Adan turned and saw more Estan warriors fleeing from the back of the line. Kian remained rooted to the spot.

Protect Kian!

“Kian!” Adan said. “I know you want to make your final stand, but this isn’t the time or place. We need to withdraw to the city, where you can still lead the people. If we die, we die, but there’s no need to throw our lives away here. We will have some small advantage at the fortress. C’mon!”

Adan grabbed Kian by the arm. Kian gave a frustrated growl, but he allowed Adab to pull him away.

“Fall back!” Kian shouted. “Retreat to the fortress!”