That, they had left for Earl Arlen to face. The thought of what was on his docks was too horrific to even contemplate and now, with the rain still lashing down and the rumbling of thunder promising no respite, he was standing in a circle of hell'.
Centenary Square was ringed by fire and echoed to the sounds of the wounded and the terrified. Arlen's horse lay dead at his feet, his arm was broken and his face bloodied and bruised. Behind him, he knew, more fires raged than he could hope to contain and now he had ordered the pulling down of some more buildings in an attempt to stem the tide of flame driving north towards the castle.
Everywhere he looked, his townsfolk drifted by like ghosts, staring open-mouthed at the ruin that had become of their liyes. College men and mages had invaded his town and, in less than an hour, had reduced it to a burned out shell.
Darrick had been right; the Protectors were to be feared. But he had not made his case strongly enough. They were not human. Nothing could be that savage. The demons that controlled them had seen to that. And the mages that rode with them were worse. These were men in possession of their own souls yet he had seen them unleash such horror in the name of magic and so many innocent people had died frozen or in flame, with blood gushing from ears or eyes. He had seen them igniting buildings to frighten horses, he had seen hail drive horizontally across streets to rip man and beast to shreds and he had seen fire like rain fall from the sky to spread panic and more agony.
'Why here?' he muttered. 'Why my town?'
Arlen's sword dropped from his fingers and he sagged to the
ground in the middle of his square, wishing for the night to be eternal so he wouldn't have to look on the ashes of the morning.
How dare they visit such destruction? What presumption that they could take his land as a battleground for their squabbles? He put his head in his hands and wept, his energy gone, his humiliation complete.
But at least he knew where to lay the blame.
Magic had started the rot in Balaia and magic had sparked the batde that had destroyed everything he had worked for all of his life. There would be a reckoning. Not today, not tomorrow, but there would be a reckoning. And the wielders of magic would be made to suffer for what they so easily wrought and with such contempt.
Perhaps that bastard Selik and his Black Wings were right after all. The Colleges had assumed superiority for too long and they had to be shot from their pompous towers.
Sitting in the mud with rain lashing down from an unnatural sky and his town burning around him, Earl Arlen swore to himself that he would take the first shot.
Chapter 27
Darrick and Denser had captured the crew of the Caiman Sun, Denser flying in, carrying the heavy former General the mercifully short distance, and sweeping into the centre of the main deck.
Posing as the first of the Dordovans due to board, the pair had made easy enough progress to the wheel deck and it had been with some apology that Darrick had put his sword to the Captain's neck and invited him to usher his crew into the hold. All the while, Denser stood behind him, the origins of a FlameOrb spell visible between his palms for extra emphasis.
Now, with a gangplank lowered temporarily to allow The Raven and twenty-eight Protectors aboard, the crew had been released to make ready for sail, muttering and scowling as they came.
With The Unknown and Thraun both laid out in cabins, the remainder of The Raven, plus Darrick and Ren'erei, sat around the captain's table. The Captain himself, a brown-haired, tall and muscular elf named Jevin, sat at the head of the table, taking his time to comprehend what he had heard.
The only one of them he had really listened to was Ren'erei and the two had held several quick conversations in an elven dialect that Hirad noticed even Ilkar didn't understand. The barbarian warmed to the elf who had saved Aeb and Thraun. She was earnest and committed and had smoothed the angry elven crew by her very presence and a few obviously well-chosen words.
'And this ridiculous weather pattern is down to this one girl?' Jevin held up a forefinger.
'Yes,' said Denser.
'And you say that she is of the Al-Drechar?' He raised his eyebrows.
'Yes,' said Denser.
'Then why aren't the elves protecting her? She is so important.'
'They are,' said Ren'erei. 'But the Guild isn't big enough in numbers and we had to have more support. Erienne needed Denser and The Raven and that has meant we could bring Protectors to help us against the Dordovans.'
'They are Xeteskian,' said Jevin. 'Their agenda is no less selfish than the Dordovans.'
'Except in one vital area,' said Denser. 'We won't kill her, we want her to live and her talents to come to fruition.'
' "We" being Xetesk in this instance,' said Ilkar. 'We're The Raven and we aren't working for Xetesk. It just so happens our desires meet in some areas.'
Jevin nodded. 'It appears I am invaded by the lesser of two evils.'
'Will you help us?' asked Ilkar.
'I'm preparing for sail,' snapped Jevin. 'What more would you like?'
'That isn't what he meant,' said Denser, his voice calm. 'I'm sorry for what we've put you through. What we want is for you to help us willingly. You'll be paid, we'll see to that, but more than that, you'll be stopping Dordover committing a crime against Balaia. And you'll be helping to save my daughter.'
At last, Jevin smiled. 'The pay had better be good.'
'Double what the Dordovans promised,' said Hirad.
'That will serve,' said Jevin. 'And if I'm honest, I've always wanted to meet The Raven. I had imagined it a little differently but there you are. My conditions are these. You will let me sail this ship my way. I know the route to Ornouth and will ask for advice only when I need it and will not risk her keel under any circumstances. You will stand down the Protectors immediately and we will only then leave the dock.
'You are my guests here and not my captors. As such you will follow the rules of my ship which my first mate will explain to you when we are underway. I will assemble my crew and explain our position. Are there any questions?'
Heads shook all around the table.
'Then we have a deal.' He reached out a hand which Hirad, in the absence of The Unknown, shook.
The door to the Captain's cabin opened, Aeb stooped his huge frame inside.
'There is a man asking for you, General Darrick. One of your cavalry.'
Darrick rose quickly. 'I'll see to it. Denser, I think you'd better get the Protectors off the deck to let this ship get away.'
'Yes, I suppose I'd better,' said Denser.
The Raven followed Darrick out of the cabin, along a short corridor, up a flight of slatted wooden steps and on to the deck. Half a dozen riders stood under the light of a pair of torches. Hirad recognised Izack at their head.
'Commander Izack,' said Darrick, standing by the rail. 'Is this the arresting party?'
Izack chuckled. 'No, sir, it most certainly isn't. We've brought The Raven's weapons and armour and have come to offer our services.'
'The first, I will accept with gratitude, the second, I must refuse though I am touched by your loyalty.' He held up a hand as Izack made to say something more. 'Izack, you're a fine soldier and a good friend and it's because of both of those qualities that I don't want you mixed up in this, tempting though it is to have a man of such stature by me.
T have committed a crime against Lystern, though I know you and I don't see it that way. I'm on the run and Lystern will need good men like you to shore up her defences.'
'Defences?' asked Izack.
'There will be trouble between the Colleges, Izack. Whoever gains the child, there will be trouble. I have made my choice and I'll be fighting my battle in the Ornouth Archipelago. You must go home and start to prepare. Make Heryst listen. He's a good man if misguided at times and the Dordovans cannot be trusted as he thought. What do you say?'