Chapter Twenty-Eight - The Power of Nymphs

Adric’s hand dripped with the blood of his enemy. They stood, nose to nose, looking into each other’s eyes. Roman grumbled. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He was blinking slowly as though it cost him a considerable amount of energy to open and close his eyes. His breathing was labored and uneven.

Adric reached his hand out to take the Staff of Rhodhinia from Roman’s grasp. He would make sure it rested safely under Alldelan lock and key. He would see to it that it would be destroyed, leaving only the necraphym and King Seevus himself to finish. As he stretched out his hand, he heard a sickening thump. Before his eyes, Roman’s head was separated from the rest of his body. It hit the ground with a sickening noise. Blood spurted from him and onto Adric’s clothes.

The blade that had separated Roman from his head was stretched out in front of him. It was held by a man dressed in black, wearing a cape fixed to his shoulders by golden epaulets. Adric stood, rooted to the spot, unmoving. The man in front of him did not say anything. He did not smile or make any other gesture toward Adric. This must be Rogha, the Rhodhinian Kaean had mentioned. He reached out a gloved hand, seized the Staff of Rhodhinia, and turned to walk away. Adric came to himself at this moment. He had frozen at the shock of Rogha’s sudden appearance and lack of care toward his comrade. Adric pulled the sword from Roman’s lifeless body and lashed out with Dawnwood at Rogha. He would not let Rogha get away with the Staff of Rhodhinia. A furious ripple of energy shot across the battlefield with such speed, the blades of grass bent over in its wake. Adric’s hands burned with the magnitude of the attack.

Having heard Adric’s attack, Rogha turned quickly, swatted the energy away as though it were a wadded ball of paper, and he held out his right hand, palm out toward Adric, and a blast of energy hundreds of times stronger than Adric’s shot at him. Adric instinctively thrust the Staff of Alldel into the ground. The bright red shield flashed, flickered, and went out as the wave of energy blew him off his feet, and sent him reeling backward through the air into the battlefield.

Adric coughed and gasped for air. He had landed squarely on his back, winding him. The Staff of Alldel rested in one piece to his left. He reached for it and tried to stand, but Rogha had disappeared.

He noticed a line of wraiths barreling toward him. He reached for his sword, but it was not there. He saw it lying on the ground beside Roman’s body a hundred feet in front of him. Using the only tool left to him, he swung the Staff of Alldel in a great arc, but his embarrassingly short contest with Rogha had left him drained. Nothing happened. He fell to his knees.

And then, as the wraiths approached him, and he felt himself preparing for the worst, they collapsed and skidded to a halt. An arrow protruding from each of their heads. Adric looked out over the fallen wraiths and saw Gaden, Avan, and a wood nymph standing in the distance. They had shot down his attackers.

“Get up Adric, get up!” Gaden whispered to himself, watching Adric struggle. Meanwhile, Avan was picking off wraiths behind Adric to give him time to rise to his feet. Finally, he did so. They watched him stand up, and he came to himself. They watched Adric run to his sword and pick it up off the ground. Gaden turned and resumed combat. He and Avan had resumed their previous back-to-back strategy. They were being driven back by the Rhodhinians. Their numbers were too great, and hundreds of Alldelan soldiers lay lifeless on the ground around them.

Gaden’s fingers were blistering from the use of the bow. His thumb was beginning to bleed. He ignored it the best he could and continued to fight. The Rhodhinians were starting to move the Alldelan line backward. Gaden’s new-found enthusiasm for battle surged through his veins.

“PUSH BACK!” He yelled to his legion, “PUSH BACK! HOLD FAST!” He spotted a weak link in the line on the east side of the field. “Avan, over there,” he pointed to the line. “We have to bolster that unit. If that line gives way, Rhodhinia will have a clear path of travel into Alldel.” Avan spun around, and they began focusing their attack at the wraiths on that side of the field. With Gaila covering Avan and Gaden, they began aiding the retreating line to the east. The wraiths were unable to locate the source of their attack, and their numbers started to decrease.

With the number of wraiths decreasing, that line of Alldelans was able to hold their line and soon began to push the Rhodhinian forces back toward the Rhodhinia-Alldel border. And then they heard the storming of feet. The ground was trembling beneath them. Gaden stopped his attack when he heard a piercing cry coming from the west.

“Wood nymphs!” Gaila cried in delight. “Kaocin has answered Alldel’s call for aid!” Gaden looked over his shoulder, and joy swelled inside him. A vast army of nymphs was running in their direction. A storm of arrows soared over their heads, as fresh hands released an organized and concentrated volley of arrows. They fell on the battlefield, some into the ground below, and others into the mass of wraiths. And then the wood nymphs flooded their ranks, their voices crying for battle, as dozens of wraiths fell in unison. His zeal renewed, Gaden swelled with fresh energy and shouted to his legion,

“CHARGE! PRESS FORWARD!” The nymphs had given them the numbers they lacked to hold the Rhodhinian line. Alldel, tired and worn from battle was refreshed by their allies from Alderhaven. “PUSH BACK! PUSH BACK! GO, GO, GO!” He felt unstoppable. And then, the wraiths were in retreat. With Rogha gone, Roman dead, and the surge of the entire Alderhaven military, some began to flee the battle, others stood to fight, but found themselves outmatched. The Alldelan line was steadily moving forward, reforming itself to order once again as Verrik took over for Elric, instructing the field marshals to coordinate the legions yet again. Gaden stepped up and was now commanding legions one and two, leaving Verrik free to fill Elric’s shoes. The two legions followed his lead seamlessly, and he led them to uncontested victory. Three short bursts sounded from a war horn around them. They echoed across the battlefield, loud enough for all to hear. And then again it sounded. After the horn blew three short bursts for the third time, the wraiths turned in unison and fled toward the Rhodhinian border.

Cheers, screams, and shouts of victory boomed across the battlefield from the Alldelan side as they raised their swords, axes, and battle hammers to the sky in triumph. They blew their own horns as though to chase away the wraiths. Nymphs continue to shoot volley after volley of arrows, taking down as many wraiths as they could slay. Drums were struck with force and shields were smashed together. They just wanted to make noise in the jubilation of their victory over Rhodhinia. With the aid of Alderhaven, Alldel held the city of Aelwynn, defending its land from the onslaught of Rhodhinia.

Adric stood in resolute silence. A mixture of relief and worry coursed through him. Yes, today the battle was won, but there was a long way to go before the war would be over. His mission to destroy the stones of power had been snatched from him by Rogha. He would have to fight another day, and he would have to find a way to overcome Rogha.

His brief conflict with Rogha had proven that. The Staff of Rhodhinia was still out there, and it was in the hands of someone stronger and even more dangerous. He thrust the blade of his sword into the ground in his frustration. He failed. There was still so much to be done. He felt as though they had accomplished nothing, despite their survival.

The noise died down as the wraiths disappeared in the distance. Voices were lost, trumpets had gone quiet, and soon, the tears began to flow. The Alldelan forces, who just moments before had been so joyous, were now somber. The only people left on the battlefield were their fallen comrades. No one person knew all of them, but everyone knew somebody. Gaden located Elric and knelt beside his lifeless body, Avan was on his knees crying unashamedly. A tear rolled down Gaden’s face as he watched Avan cling to his father’s body. And then Gaden remembered something. He moved forward and knelt beside Avan. He reached toward Elric and pulled his cloak back. Avan watched him curiously. Gaden pulled from a pocket inside Elric’s cloak the maps given to them by the Lorlean rebel. Avan watched him with brief interest, but then returned to his father.

Elric was dead. Elric, the grand marshal, the man who could do anything, the man who brightened the room by his mere presence lay on the battlefield, a great hole through his chest. A crowd of people converged on them. Gaden looked up to see Thale, Verrik, and the rest of the field marshals standing around them respectfully. They made a circle around Avan and his father. Gaden rose and filled the final hole in the circle. They saluted Elric.

“We have to see to the injured,” Thale said. The clearing of a throat made him turn around. Thale turned and saw Kaocin standing over them.

“I have sent some of mine back for aid,” he told Thale.

“Thank you for your assistance. Alldel owes you a great debt.”

“You can pay your debt by helping us to end this conflict,” Kaocin said. And he extended his hand to Thale. “Alderhaven formally offers alliance to Alldel. We would consider it an honor to fight alongside you. I believe the grasping of hands is the correct gesture in your culture,” Kaocin said, as only a nymph could. Thale took his hand and smiled gratefully.

“The honor is ours, king,” he said. And they shook hands. “How bad are your casualties?” Thale asked him.

“We were fortunate. We did not arrive in time to suffer too many. At last count, we lost only four lives. Had we been involved for longer than just a few minutes, I am certain the losses would be much greater. Our weapons are strong, but your armor is superior. You have sustained an immeasurable loss, Thale of Alldel. You have lost a leader. Elric was also my friend. The pain of his loss extends to Alderhaven. How did he die?” Kaocin asked. Gaden looked up for a moment, wondering what the answer would be. How would Kaocin react to Elric having been killed by an Alldelan arrow? At that moment, Avan rose from the ground and looked Kaocin squarely in the eye.

“My father was killed as a result of those winged beasts,” he said.

“The necraphym were here?” He asked.

“I don’t know what they were, but they are the reason my father is dead.”

“Death follows the necraphym wherever they go,” Kaocin said. “Avan, you were the son of Elric,” Kaocin said.

“I am still,” Avan answered defiantly.

“Then you have the honor of Alderhaven. Your father’s ring was given to him by me. If it is in accordance with your customs, I would be honored if it were passed to you. If it suits you, wear it not just because it belonged to your father but with my blessing as well. You will always be welcome in Alderhaven.” And then Kaocin turned to Thale. “I can send word to Soceria. My men are faster. What message should I deliver?” A slight nod in Elric’s direction told Thale Kaocin was referring to the late grand marshal. Thale looked Kaocin squarely in the eye.

“Tell them,” he paused, thinking. “Tell them that this day, a hero has died.” An awkward pause followed Thale’s statement as the weight of it rested upon their ears.

Avan bowed to Kaocin, but he did not remove his father’s ring. The crowd around Elric began to clear. Avan and Gaden were left alone. Gaden approached Avan, afraid of what he must tell him.

“Avan, I want you to know…” But Avan cut Gaden off.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he said. Gaden looked up, fearing the worst. “This was not your fault. There was nothing you could have done.” Gaden nodded but said nothing, and then he left Avan alone.

Kaocin’s aids soon returned with medical supplies, water, and beds. The injured were tended to, the dead were loaded onto beds, and into wagons to be pulled by a fleet of horses. Elric was not loaded onto a wagon with the other dead. He was to be carried by the surviving field marshals of Alldel. He was laid out with dignity onto a cot with four handles at the corners. Each field marshal took a corner and carried Elric on foot. Avan followed the procession, on the back of Elric’s horse.

The walk back to Aelwynn was slow and quiet. The mood was somber. Victory, it seemed, was not powerful enough to drown their sorrow. Gaden thought of Nasha, and then he thought of Ilvesa. He wondered what would become of Nasha, and how she would accept her husband’s death. And then his thoughts turned to his own wife, Haela. Her beautiful face flashed across his memory, and he was glad he was able to return to her. He hadn’t seen her in a very long time, and he owed her a great deal more than he cared to admit.

Eventually, the gates of Aelwynn were in sight. Whoever had returned here for aid must have alerted the city to their return. The streets were lined with women and children, who were waiting to see if their husbands, fathers, or brothers would be among those walking. If not, they must be riding in a wagon. That thought was the fear of everyone on the street greeting their men as they returned from the battle. Those who were not directly impacted by the absence of their family members shouted and screamed in triumph. Flowers were thrown into the streets, flags were waving above them. Today, they were champions.

Women sank to their knees as they saw their husbands in the crowd. They waved their hands to get their attention, and the husbands broke ranks, and ran to their wives, lifting them off their feet, kissing them, and embracing for long moments. Nobody tried to stop them.

Adric was caught off guard when Gaden tore out of line and ran to Haela, who was sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of Gaden. Adric would have thought Karina would be near Haela, but he did not see her at first. And then she stepped out from behind Haela, and they ran to one another. Their cold remarks from when they had parted last were long forgotten. They met in the middle of the street at speed, and Adric swept her off her feet as their lips met with violent passion. They had been foolish to part on such bad terms.

And then the shouts of anguish filled the streets. Cries of misery and pain echoed around them. The joys of reunion were not able to cover the pain of sorrow. Adric and Karina broke apart and turned to face the shouts. Nasha had collapsed on Elric’s body. Karina and Haela clapped their hands over their mouths, all happiness for the reunion lost.

“He didn’t make it?” Karina asked, knowing who was stretched out on the cot, though they could not see the body. Adric shook his head but did not speak. No words could be found in response. Karina shook her head and sobbed. Haela stood in stunned silence.

“What about Avan?” Haela asked.

“He’s fine,” Gaden said.

“We have to help them,” Karina said to Adric.

“How? There’s nothing we can do right now. They need to grieve,” Adric said.

“But…”

“He’s right,” Haela said, putting a hand on Karina’s back. The crowd of people stared in the distance at Elric’s family. Such was Elric’s prominence in Alldel that every eye was upon them at this very moment.

The four of them stood side by side. Karina and Haela were in the middle, Adric and Gaden on either side of them. Karina and Haela were still covering their mouths, tears were falling from their eyes. Adric and Gaden were looking at one another, somber expressions on their faces, each of them holding the woman beside them.

“There will be a memorial for all of those who fell. But they are holding a special service for Elric. The field marshals will be cremating the body,” Gaden said. Adric nodded.

“I think that’s perfect,” he said.

“He was an amazing man, you know?” Gaden said. “He accomplished much more than most men do. There wasn’t much he couldn’t do or didn’t know. And he was a friend. He brought happiness into the room with him. Happiness was like his shadow. It just followed him everywhere.” Gaden finished talking, but nobody had anything to respond.

“We shouldn’t spend so much time apart,” Adric said, breaking the silence. “We came here together, we need to stick together. We can’t forget each other.” Gaden nodded. Karina leaned her head over on Adric’s shoulder. They stood there until the line began to move again, and they followed the procession into the capital city of Aelwynn.