"We have to get that gate shut!" the mayor exclaimed. "Whatever it takes, get those people away from there!"
The captain frowned. "I don't much like the idea of fighting our own people."
"It can't be helped. We'll lose the entire city otherwise."
The captain turned to his soldiers and issued several terse orders. As one, they drew their swords and lifted their shields, then marched in an ordered line down the street toward the gate, deliberately putting on a bold show in hope of frightening away the attackers. If possible, the captain of the guard wanted to avoid fighting as many of his own people as he could.
Fortunately the crowd of attackers drew back quickly from the approaching soldiers. Several turned to flee back into the city immediately. While the crowd was most certainly under the command of the gemstone dragons, a number of them still possessed a mind of their own when it came to self-preservation. Some of the attackers, perhaps two dozen in all, tried to make a stand before the open gate, but they were neither armed nor trained to fight real soldiers. The city garrison marched directly into the band trying to hold the gate, scattering them in a matter of moments. Some of the stragglers tried to circle around and harass the garrison from behind, but the soldiers immediately spread out to either side of the gate to begin forcing the remaining attackers to draw back.
Now that the east gate was once more in the hands of the loyal forces, Mayor Kervaal hurried to check the condition of the gate itself. The attackers had beaten the lower hinges and the crossbar with stones and clubs, but the damage was probably not enough to prevent them from closing and barring the gate. The captain of the guard walked over to the half-open gate, rubbing the back of his neck. They were all feeling the stress of resisting the relentless voice in their minds.
"The gate seems to be in good shape," he said, turning to a group of soldiers. "Let's get this gate closed and secured."
"Wait a moment," the mayor interrupted, stepping out through the gate. "Look! It's the dragons."
Led by the Dragonking, a small band of dragons circled down from the north to land in the field just beyond the east gate. The invasion force had not yet reached the city, although Thelvyn could see narrow columns of soldiers and lines of wagons hardly five miles to the east, stretching back toward the mountains in the distance. The mayor and the captain of the city guard hurried to meet with Thelvyn as soon as he approached.
"Will the dragons protect us?" the mayor asked, almost pleading. The nearby Flaem appeared distracted, and most were obviously in varying degrees of pain. The will of the Masters was already like a storm raging in their minds.
Thelvyn shook his head sadly, hating to refuse such a desperate plea. "The Masters were warned before I could summon a force of dragons from the east. The dragons won't be here any sooner than dawn tomorrow, and your city will not endure that long. But we will defend you for as long as we can."
"We'll fight beside you!" the captain of the guard declared vehemently.
"I appreciate your spirit, but you mustn't," Thelvyn insisted. "Tell me quickly how bad it is in the city. How far does the influence of the Masters reach?"
"Not too many yet," the mayor said. "Our problem is that their influence is becoming stronger, and it's becoming harder for us to resist."
Thelvyn glanced at Kharendaen, who was frowning. "It will only get worse, especially when the Masters themselves arrive. The city is indefensible, even with the help of myself and my dragons. I suggest that all those who still command their own minds flee Braastar at once. Even your garrison force, which should follow as a rear guard. We will hold this gate until the Masters themselves force us to withdraw."
"But where should we go?" the mayor asked.
"South, to Braejr. I'm hoping that the Fire Wizards can make use of their special powers to break the influence of the Masters, and the dragon sorcerers will be gathering there tomorrow. Our best hope to protect your people from domination rests in Braejr."
The defenders of Braastar hated to abandon their city, but they were quick to agree to Thelvyn's plan. The mayor left to make preparations for the retreat of all those who still were in control of their wills and desired to leave. Fortunately many of the people could be placed on barges and small boats to float down the Aalban River to Braejr, arriving considerably sooner than those who would walk or ride. The soldiers of the city garrison closed and barred the east gate, then hurried to assist with the evacuation of the city.
As soon as the gate was shut, Thelvyn prepared to do what he could to buy some time for the evacuation of the Braastar. The other dragons in his company stayed close beside him, lying on the ground near the wall of the city so that they could not easily be seen across the couple of miles of open fields between them and the distant forest. So far, Thelvyn had yet to see the gemstone dragons themselves, and that led him to wonder if they even knew that he had arrived with his small force to defend Braastar. They were bound to know soon enough, once he attacked their army. That was why he was holding back, buying every possible minute for the evacuation of the city.
Even if the Masters didn't know he was at Braastar, he would soon be forced to reveal his presence. Moving out a short way from the gate, he sat upright with his head lifted and his tail looped around his legs. Then he closed his eyes and tried to open himself to the powers of the Great One. He knew he was asking for something the Immortals might not be able or willing to grant him, powers far beyond those commonly extended to their clerics. And yet he had to chase all thoughts that he might not succeed from of his mind, believing with all his heart that he was asking for powers that were within his right to possess. He was, after all, the Dragonking, and nearly an Immortal in his own right.
"What are you going to do?" Kharendaen asked quietly.
"I'm going to try to fight the will of the Masters," he answered. "If I can dispel their magical influence over this city, then the people of Braastar will be able to evacuate much easier and faster."
She looked uncertain. "Can you cast a spell to dispel magic on such a vast scale?"
"I have no idea," he admitted. "Perhaps, if the Immortals are willing to add their powers to my own, I might be able to cast such a spell."
Thelvyn stared toward the east with the intent, penetrating gaze that was unique to dragons, as if he faced the Masters directly and was locking his will against their own. Then he concentrated all his powers upon his spell, as if weaving layer upon layer of magic upon that one spell until it had grown many hundreds of times greater than usual. When he released the spell, it was as if it pulled away a large part of himself as it was cast, leaving him so empty and weak that he felt dizzy and could hardly lift his long neck for several moments.
Then the Masters recovered from their surprise and began their own attack, increasing the force of their summons. They
i ouldn't break Thelvyn's defense, and yet he could not completely shield the people of Braastar from their summons. because Thelvyn had cast the spell on so many people at once,
it had affected them all to different degrees, failing entirely on some of them. While this spell was ordinarily a permanent one, the massive scale at which it had been cast made it weak unci vulnerable to the influence of the Masters, so that it would hide over several hours. At least he was able to give many of
i he Flaem some relief from the distraction and the pain, freeing some who had not previously been able to flee and making
ii easier for others to escape from the city.
For now, Thelvyn could only wait, resting while he could, us the invading army drew slowly but steadily closer. His spell of protection wouldn't last very long, and he had poured so much of his own energy into working his magic that he would have to regain his strength before he could cast another spell.