By the Sword Page 20

  Below, Pori chased after Timlin. He grabbed him by the arm. The two brothers began to fight. Tasar and Atalsa argued with a group of soldiers. Soon, the air filled with loud shouts and accusations.

  “I can’t believe this!” cried Chrissa.

  Sweat poured down Tanel’s face. There was a great army coming toward them, but their army was in disarray.

  “Silence!” shouted Commander Sanere.

  He was standing on another rise close by.

  The fighting and arguing ceased. Everyone froze and stared at the commander.

  “If you run, Ittonifer will find you. He won’t stop until we’re all dead. Do you want your innocent loved ones on the run, too? We gave the queen our word that we would protect her and her people. Please, stay and fight. General Edandir would have said the same thing if he were here. What would he think of us if we quit now?”

  “And where is he?” shouted a knight from the crowd.

  Several shouted their agreement.

  Sanere ignored them.

  “This is your calling, people. If God is with us, then who can be against us?”

  “Remember who it is that you are fighting for!” said Endil.

  A surrendered Malinorian knight stood then. Many gasped when they saw that he was only a boy of fourteen or fifteen. He was the same one that had surrendered to Tanel.

  He approached General Sanere.

  “I will fight with you,” he said.

  The army fell silent. They stared at the young Malinorian. He looked around and then spoke.

  “You spared my life when I would have taken yours. Malinor has no respect for enemies. I’ve seen what your God can do. He protected you from the beasts.”

  “If you mean it, then get out of that armor,” said Sanere.

  The boy complied.

  “Thank you for your bravery, son,” said the commander.

  Dressed only in a thin tunic and pants, the new recruit stood bravely next to Sanere. Tanel removed his breastplate and ran down the hill, making his way over to the one that they stood on.

  “Take this. You may need it more than I,” said Tanel.

  He fastened the armor on the boy.

  “Thank you,” the lad said.

  Tanel prayed that the lad would survive the day. He had more courage than many of the young warriors that were twice his age.

  Five more of the kneeling Malinorian soldiers rose and removed their armor, taking their place next to Sanere. Tanel breathed a prayer of thanks to God as even more came, stripping themselves of their past allegiance and joining with the righteous army. More than that, they were taking a step toward God without any consideration of their own gain.

  Many of the retreaters stopped in their tracks and watched the moving display of loyalty.

  “Will you not stay?” Commander Sanere called. “Ittonifer’s surrendered men have agreed to join us in the face of adversity.”

  Some returned.

  The great enemy army drew nearer, but Tanel’s faith in God’s deliverance had deepened so much that he craved to charge into battle. They had come so far. He was not going to throw it all away now.

  “Archers, rejoin with Sir Tanel and fire on my command!” said Commander Sanere.

  Chrissa smiled at Tanel as she walked by him.

  “See you down there, Commander,” she said.

  She was acting as though the whole thing was a game.

  “Be careful, Chrissa.”

  The archers raced up the hill to stand with Tanel. He was too nervous to be happy about his new responsibility. Tanel’s bowmen formed two lines parallel to one another, waiting for the command to release their swift arrows on the enemy. The opposing army was close now.

  Several moments passed, but Commander Sanere had not ordered them to fire yet. The mass of Malinorian soldiers was getting too close. Tanel would have fired at them several moments ago.

  “Steady, soldiers,” said Commander Sanere.

  Tanel’s heart thudded rapidly. He could now see the whites of his enemies’ eyes. In moments, their armies would collide.

  “Fire!” the commander shouted at last.

  Hundreds of arrows whistled through the air and rained down on the unshielded Malinorians. From where he stood, Tanel could see that several hundred men had fallen, but it had barely made a dent in the numbers. He drew another arrow.

  “Fire!”

  Another series of arrows speared into their enemy, but the Malinorians were running faster. The sword fighters of Sanctus charged into the formidable army. The battle had begun once again.

  *****

  General Edandir’s heart raced as he directed his firedrake over the battling soldiers. Where in the realm did all of those Malinorians come from? Ittonifer had outdone himself this time.

  The general ached to go down there and aid his soldiers, but he had to complete some crazy mission first – a mission that involved rescuing Jalarn, no less. He could barely believe what Uittan had told him to do, but he also knew that the prophet would never tell a lie.

  He landed his dragon on the roof of the castle and climbed down the thick vines that covered the side of it. With the intention of entering through another open window, Edandir heard Ittonifer’s thick voice just below. He and Jalarn were standing by the castle entrance.

  Edandir jumped down just a few paces away from them and unsheathed his sword.

  Ittonifer met him with the powerful swing of his sword.

  “Edandir, we meet again. You’re just in time for the grand finale.”

  The general slashed away his enemy’s blade.

  Ittonifer laughed hollowly.

  “Impressive isn’t it?” Ittonifer said. “Pity you’re on the wrong side.”

  Jalarn stood rigid. Edandir barely recognized the young man. There was vulnerability in his deep green eyes where there had once only been hatred. Something in him had changed.

  “What are you doing here?” asked Ittonifer.

  “I came to repay the man that saved my daughter’s life.”

  Jalarn’s eyes widened at the mention of Talya.

  “Then you wish for death.”

  Edandir swung at Ittonifer’s head, but his opponent blocked him and gave him a swift kick in the gut. Edandir stumbled back, regained his footing, and then stopped what would have been a fatal stab to his chest.

  Out of the corner of his eye, the general noticed someone else approaching them. He turned to face whoever it was, but all he saw was a black gauntlet slamming into his face.

  *****

  Tanel had never fought so hard in all of his life. The soldiers of Sanctus were completely surrounded by the massive imperial army, and only one of the reptilian beasts that God had turned back against the Malinorians remained. A group of Malinorian knights surrounded it now and stabbed at it until it fell with a loud roar. Because of Ittonifer, ten beasts had been uprooted from their safe home and had been killed in a foreign, evil place. Now they were gone forever.

  The ten giants took on several enemy knights at a time, but not without suffering large gashes on their limbs. They were starting to wear down.

  “Help me!” Atalsa screamed nearby.

  She had run out of arrows. Eight enemy soldiers already encircled her.

  Tasar was running toward her, but he wasn’t going to make it in time. His heart thundering, Tanel shot three of the men that were coming at the girl. He went to shoot another arrow, but there were too many Malinorians blocking his view.

  Tanel fought back tears of frustration as he shot as many of the oncoming enemy as he possibly could. No matter how many he slew, several more came. They were like ravenous flies on an animal carcass.

  “I trust in you, Lord. I know You will deliver us out of the evil one’s hand. I can’t do this alone. Please help me. And help Atalsa and the other knights.”

  As he felt for another arrow, Tanel noticed that there were only five left.

  I will have to make them count.

  He fired at t
he closest men, dropped his bow, and then unsheathed the sword at his side.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Queen Roselyn had lain praying on the floor of Sanctus City’s chapel for hours. Thunder roared in the distance. She slowly got up and looked out of the church’s window. Rain splattered against it as lightning flashed nearby. She imagined the general and his army fighting in the slippery mud and flinched.

  She paced back and forth, worry enveloping her once again.

  No. God will not let the devil win. Sanctus will conquer Malinor. There is nothing to worry about. He has heard my prayers.

  She went down on her knees and returned to praying.

  “Lord, as Your Word says, ‘He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.’ I ask that you give my general, soldiers and knights the same protection that You gave King David in his time of need.”

  The heavy wooden door flew open and Roselyn nearly jumped.

  It was Uittan.

  She relaxed, but her heart still raced.

  “Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion, but I need you to come with me at once.”

  Without a word, Roselyn placed the hood of her violet cloak over her head and followed the prophet out into the pouring rain.

  *****

  Tanel grasped the hilt of his sword with both hands as he blocked countless more attacks.

  “Give me strength, Lord. I can’t do this alone.”

  He stabbed at an enemy knight, but missed. All he could do was deflect blows as the fully armored Malinorians came at him.

  “I’m here, Tanel,” said a familiar, booming voice.

  Endil was at his side – mace in one hand and sword in the other. He knocked out the next ten knights that came charging at them with ease, but twenty more came.

  He glanced at Tanel.

  “Follow me, lad.”

  Tanel ran alongside the formidable man with their enemy in close pursuit. Chrissa joined them, matching their pace.

  There was a small hill ahead where several others readied themselves for another influx of Malinorians. Tanel liked the idea. They would have much more advantage over their enemy by fighting them from above.

  Tanel nearly tripped over something. It was a quiver full of arrows lying beside a fallen archer. He snatched it up with his free hand and made his way up the hill.

  The giants stood at the base of the hill as a barrier. The large men moved aside so that Chrissa, Endil, and Tanel could get through.

  Tanel shrugged off his empty quiver and strapped on the new one just as the Malinorians began to fight their way up the hill. The giants did their best to keep the enemy at bay, but several enemy soldiers still streamed through.

  As fast as his arms would allow him, Tanel shot a fresh round of arrows at his enemies. It helped, but every time a man was shot down, another ran up in his place.

  Once again, they were surrounded by the entirety of the imperial army. Chrissa and Endil stood in front of him, while Pori and Timlin stood on either side of him. His friends blocked and stabbed at their foes, sending them tumbling down the hill. Tanel took down as many men as he could with his blade once his arrows had run out again.

  It was the best position that they could be in under the circumstances, but that was hardly saying much. They needed another miracle soon.

  Tanel glanced up at the sky.

  Lord, we have come so far. Please, help us.

  *****

  General Edandir groaned as he was shaken back to consciousness. It took a while for his vision to focus. Several Malinorian palace guards encircled him. Ittonifer stood close by glaring at him.

  Edandir’s head thundered in pain, and he longed for Seline’s bitter tea.

  “Get up, Edandir. Your execution awaits,” said Ittonifer.

  General Edandir got up, still lightheaded. He had never felt so groggy in all his life. One of the guards tied Edandir’s hands behind his back.

  “Move!” shouted Ittonifer.

  Edandir and Jalarn followed the guards out of the castle and toward the field where the battle raged. What remained of Sanctus’ army was on a hill. They were fighting off thousands of oncoming Malinorians.

  Edandir’s anger suddenly overshadowed his fatigue. He should have been out there helping them. Now, he was a helpless prisoner of Ittonifer – about to be decapitated.

  At least my daughter is out of harm’s way now.

  “Will Talya be all right?” asked Jalarn.

  Edandir had a difficult time believing that it was Ittonifer’s nephew asking him that question. The deep concern in the lad’s eyes was genuine.

  “I believe that she will live. She has to. I took her back to camp and the doctor is helping her now. She risked a lot for you.”

  “I know.”

  “Good. Now, let’s settle the matter of your eternity. It looks like we might be entering it sooner rather than later.”

  Jalarn looked downward. His shoulders slumped.

  “You fear death?”

  “I am not afraid of anything! I just know that God will never forgive me after all that I have done to His people. I don’t think I can even forgive myself.”

  “Jalarn,” Edandir lowered his voice so that Ittonifer couldn’t overhear, “you saved Talya’s life. You turned against a wicked empire. You are not the same person that you used to be. I can see now that you regret what you did. God will forgive you if you ask.”

  Jalarn stared at him with an odd expression. It was definitely a conversation that neither one of them would have imagined they would have.

  “But it can’t be enough to wipe out what I have done. You know very well how many innocent, good people I have killed. He doesn’t want me.”

  “The only one that can wipe out your sins is Jesus. He rose from the dead after He died for everyone’s sins and then overcame the devil. There is nothing that you could have done that He will not forgive. He had to die for us, because not one person could ever go to God’s Kingdom by his own righteousness. I was just as much of a sinner as you were.”

  “Talya said the same—”

  “Enough!” shouted Ittonifer.

  He walked over and slammed his elbow into Jalarn’s stomach. Jalarn flinched, but resumed the straight, rigid posture of a respected general.

  “Your delightful little conversation is over, gentlemen,” Ittonifer sneered.

  He moved between them.

  *****

  Thick black storm clouds loomed above as a lightning bolt crashed down close to the battle. Rain poured down in succession. It was as though the weather was mocking them.

  Tanel’s arms had grown weary of the constant stabbing and slashing.

  “Don’t lose faith, knights!” said General Sanere from the other side of the hill.

  “Amen!” shouted Endil.

  “But there’re too many of them!” cried a soldier nearby.

  As quickly as the words left his mouth, a Malinorian warrior stabbed him through the chest. Tanel tried to focus as his aching arms protested against the impact of an enemy knight’s sword.

  “Lord, do you want your people to die at the hand of our enemies today?” he asked.

  A deep, authoritative voice echoed over the battlefield.

  “Knights of Malinor, halt!”

  It was Ittonifer.

  Almost instantly, the fighting from both sides ceased.

  All of Ittonifer’s men froze and faced their leader.

  Tanel swallowed as Ittonifer and his ten guards approached the battlefield. General Edandir and Jalarn were standing with them, bound by their hands.

  Panic surged through Tanel.

  “Dear God,” breathed Endil.

  Ittonifer’s jet-black stare flashed at Chrissa. For a moment, it looked as if he were going to say something to her. Instead, he looked away.

  “Warriors of Malinor, behold your traitor,” said Ittonifer.

  His hand motioned toward Jalarn as his booming voice echo
ed across the misty field.

  “Your former general turned his back on me and everything that this empire stands for. He chose to side with our enemy”.

  A former Malinorian knight that was standing next to Tanel gasped.

  “It can’t be,” he said.

  Tanel could barely believe it himself. He looked at Chrissa, who gaped in obvious shock.

  “My once trusted and highly favored general has turned his back on our lord and attempted to kill me in my own castle. Alas, the fool is now at my mercy, and you all know that I have none.”

  “No!” cried Chrissa.

  Her voice was mostly drowned out by the deep laughter that rumbled throughout the massive Malinorian army.

  “It is clear that Sanctus has lost, but before they all die, I want them to witness the death of their beloved General Edandir.”

  The masses fell silent.

  “God help us,” Tanel breathed.

  “And you mice that dared to leave my army and join up with them will suffer the brunt of my wrath. Yes, I have a very special death planned for you, but first I will rid the earth of this worthless worm.”

  Ittonifer unsheathed his powerful broad sword and stalked over to his nephew. The guards forced Jalarn to kneel. Jalarn bowed his head. He had clearly defied their lord, but Tanel wondered if he had surrendered his life to God, the true king.

  “Oh God, this can’t be happening,” said Chrissa. “I need to go down there.”

  Tanel gently extended his arm in front of her as she stepped forward, shaking his head.

  Ittonifer’s angry voice punched the air.

  “Look what you have given up, Jalarn! Now you are a loser like the rest of them. When you die, you will have nothing.”

  He glared down at his nephew and punched him in the mouth. Jalarn spat out fresh blood, but said nothing.

  Chrissa covered her mouth and choked back a sob. Tanel placed his hand on her shoulder.

  “Remember, God is on our side,” he whispered to her.

  “What about his?”

  Ittonifer stalked over to Edandir and kicked him so hard in the back that he fell to his knees and slammed into the mud, face first.

  Fury rose from Tanel’s belly. How dare he treat a respected general that way? Only Malinorians treated their enemies like that.