Chapter 20

Wiltred hovered around like a proud parent as the elves put the finishing touches to a new, improved catapult. Yes, it was a weapon of war, designed to kill and maim, but even so Wiltred felt it was quite something to see his design made whole.

Unlike the first attempt, which had rolled down the hill and smashed apart in the river, this one came with a pair of wooden chocks to keep it in place. Even now they were positioned behind the rear wheels, and Wiltred was satisfied the device was ready for its first test firing.

The catapult sat on a four-wheeled platform, and consisted of a long, flexible arm fixed between two wooden arches, each parallel with the longest side of the platform. This forty-foot arm had a big wooden scoop attached to the thin end, which was resting on the ground, while the shorter, thicker end pointed towards the sky at a thirty-degree angle.

"Load!" called Wiltred, and six elves struggled towards the catapult's scoop, carrying a huge boulder between them. They staggered up and, on a count of three, let go.

Crunch.

The boulder smashed the scoop, breaking it off and pounding the fragments into the ground. Wiltred eyed the damage, then motioned his workers forward. "A new, stronger scoop," he cried. "Quickly now!"

A short interval afterwards, the catapult was ready once more.

"Load!" called Wiltred. "And place it carefully this time."

The six elves obeyed, puffing and cursing as they lowered the big boulder onto the newly rebuilt scoop. A movement caught Wiltred's eye, and he spotted Almiandra, the elven queen, watching progress from nearby with a frown on her face. Well, he thought, this ought to impress her.

Once the boulder was ready, Wiltred cupped his hands to his mouth. "Draw the arm down!"

Four elves stationed near the front of the catapult hauled on strong ropes, which were fastened to the short, thick end of the main arm. As they heaved and pulled, the scoop with the boulder rose into the air with a series of fits and jerks.

"Keep going!" shouted Wiltred.

The arm creaked loudly as it took the strain, but eventually the shorter end made contact with the beam across the front of the catapult, and an elf ran up and tied it firmly in place.

Now the arm was at a forty-five degree angle, with the scoop and the big boulder far overhead. Next came the tricky part.

"We'll use half power to start with," Wiltred called out, and two strong elves hauled on a big spoked wheel mounted on the catapult's base. The wheel was attached to a drum, and there was a rope which ran around the drum several times before heading up to the scoop containing the boulder. As the elves turned the spoked wheel, there was a series of loud clicks. Wiltred nodded with satisfaction, for he could see a pawl running smoothly over a big cogwheel. When the winding stopped, the pawl would prevent the drum unspooling again.

The slack was taken up, and then the rope tightened, pulling the scoop down towards the ground. With the opposite end of the arm fixed to the catapult, the long pole bent like a huge bow, and the elves strained as they worked the spokes.

This was the critical part. Pull the arm too far and it would snap in the middle, but if they didn't pull it far enough, when they released the boulder would be lucky to clear the front of the catapult.

At this moment Tyniwon emerged from his cottage, arm-in-arm with Allyance. "How's it going?" he called. "Do you need my help?"

Wiltred nodded. "You can fire the catapult on my signal. I want to watch from the side, to see how the arm reacts to the strain."

Tyniwon came over, and Wiltred pointed out the mechanism for releasing the arm. "Wait until I say, mind!"

"How far will the boulder fly?"

"I have calculated the trajectory using many complicated equations," said Wiltred loudly. He pointed across the clearing. "Be sure to keep that area clear."

'That area' consisted of a large swathe of forest, and Tyniwon grinned at him. "You have no idea, do you?" he murmured.

"Keep your voice down!" hissed Wiltred. He turned and strode away, until he was thirty yards from the big machine, facing one side. The queen was twenty yards further back, accompanied by a pair of maids, a gaggle of courtiers and prince Longroot. They were all watching closely, and Wiltred couldn't help noticing an impatient frown on the queen's face. He realised he had one shot at this, and if anything went wrong she would carry out her threat to execute him.

Slowly, Wiltred raised his hand, his gaze fixed on the catapult. They'd only pulled the arm down halfway, but even so it stored a tremendous amount of energy, and he was hoping the whole thing didn't shake itself apart with the very first firing. He crossed his fingers, then nodded to Tyniwon. "Now!" he cried, dropping his hand.

Tyniwon pulled on the lever, and there was a deep TWANG as the catapult fired. The thin end of the arm whipped up, flinging the scoop towards the sky, and the entire base of the catapult leapt off the ground before coming down again with a solid crash.

Wiltred turned to the forest and shielded his eyes, scanning left and right as he tried to spot the boulder in flight. Several seconds later, he widened the arc, but there was so sign of the missile.

"Look out!" cried Tyniwon suddenly. "It's gone straight up!"

Eyes wide, Wiltred tilted his head back and scanned the sky. Sure enough, the boulder was a black dot, high above them. It was still shrinking, ever so slowly, and then, after a pause, it started to grow. "You idiot!" he shrieked. "Why in Zephyr's name did you fire into the sky?"

"Me?" demanded Tyniwon, aggrieved. "You set the catapult up!"

By now the boulder was visibly larger, and Wiltred realised everyone was standing around looking at him. "Run!" he bellowed. "Take cover! Now!"

Instantly, there was mad panic, with screams and shouting and people shoving and pushing each other. Several elves dived under the catapult, fighting for the best spot, while others legged it for the cottages, their long blonde hair streaming out behind them. The queen and her courtiers hauled up their skirts and ran into the nearby forest, just behind the catapult, where they sought refuge amongst the trees. Longroot and Wiltred, keeping their heads better than most, simply stood in place and kept a wary eye on the flight of the boulder.

With relief, Wiltred realised he would live another day, for the huge rock was plunging towards the nearby forest, just behind the catapult. A warning bell tinkled at the back of his mind as he watched it coming down, but he pushed it aside.

The giant boulder smashed through the tree canopy with a loud splintering noise, smashing branches clean off their trunks, and the ground shook as though pounded by a giant fist.

"It's all right, your majesty," called Wiltred. "You can come out now."

Instead, he heard a piercing scream, and then one of the courtiers came running from the forest. She had the back of her hand to her forehead, and as she ran she wailed the same thing over and over. "The queen is dead. Oh no, the queen is dead!"

Then, with a noise like a deflating balloon, she fainted.

Shocked, Wiltred turned to look at Tyniwon, wondering whether they could flee in the confusion.

"Oh no," said Tyniwon, shaking his head. "Don't you dare pin this one on me."

— ♦ —

Sur Loyne was a proud man, and on the day he'd been crowned Queen's Champion, he was certain life held no greater reward.

But now he was King Loyne of Branche, and that took things to a whole new level.

Even better, he was still Queen's Champion, and a Mollister knight to boot. A foot in both camps… and what could be better than that?

Still wearing his metal sword, metal helm and metal shield, he strode into the great hall and sat on the throne. With his hands grasping the arm-rests, and his feet on a stool, he felt ten feet tall and completely invincible.

So, it was a bit of a shame when a lowly courtier turned up to spoil his mood. The man burst in, and, keeping his eyes averted from the forbidden metal in his new King's possession, he prostrated himself before the throne and blurted out his news. "Sire, a dragon has been spotted heading this way."

King Loyne grinned. "Hazing the new boy, eh?" he wagged a forefinger. "It's just as well this is my first day, or I'd have you killed."

"No, really," said the courtier, speaking to King Loyne's toecaps. "It's big and grey and—"

Whooosh!

Something huge and dragon-shaped buzzed the great hall, dislodging a handful of wooden tiles. In the silence, they clattered on the floor like a dozen firecrackers going off.

Roar!

The hall was illuminated with red and yellow light, and seconds later King Loyne heard the crackle of flames. He eyed the dry, wooden building, which gave a whole new meaning to the words fire hazard, then got up and ran for it.

— ♦ —

Tiera kept an eye on Thonn all the way back to Branche. She didn't notice him using any more of his powers, and she wondered whether the effects of the perlstone necklace had already worn off.

"Is that smoke?" said Spadell suddenly.

"It's probably just a cooking fire." Tiera noticed tendrils of smoke drifting between the trees, and she realised it was no cooking fire. "Could it be the city?"

They sped up, catching and passing Thonn, and as the smoke got even thicker then broke into a run. Ten minutes later they burst out of the trees, and on the plain ahead they saw a sight that had them staring in horror. They stood on a slight rise, and the walled city of Branche was stretched out beneath them. They could see columns of smoke rising from at least a dozen fires, and then Tiera ducked as a huge dragon skimmed the trees behind them and dived towards the city, the trailing edges of its wings fluttering from the sheer speed.

Tiera was dumbstruck at the sight. She'd heard about dragons, and she'd once had a slice of pie which was supposed to contain shavings of dried dragon flesh, but she'd never seen one.

The dragon swooped on the city, and flame jetted from its mouth and torched a row of buildings. Then the dragon pulled up sharply, rising high into the sky. Tiera saw light glinting off arrowheads as the city's defenders opened fire, and she blinked at the sight. "What are they doing with iron arrows? This is Branche… they ought to be using wood!"

"An angry dragon is burning the city to the ground, and you're worried about the bylaws?"

"That's not the point. The residents don't have metal arrows. So who's firing at the dragon?"

"Isn't the point that there is a dragon? What they're firing at it seems… trivial."

While they were arguing, Thonn had been watching the dragon. As it dived towards the city once more, preparing to unleash another firestorm, the farm boy raised both hands and closed his eyes.

The dragon's jaws opened, its neck muscles corded, and Tiera held her breath as she waited for the fire.

Nothing happened.

The dragon twisted its head from side to side, then pulled up from its dive and made a series of barking noises as it tried to breathe fire. When nothing came out, it gave an angry roar, turned to the west and flew away at speed.

There was a thump, and Tiera turned to see Thonn out cold on the ground. She hurried over, sat beside him and cradled his head in her lap. He was breathing, she discovered, but he was completely out of it. "Did you see what he did?" she asked Spadell.

He nodded, looking thoughtful. "The lad's got some powerful magic."

"It's the necklace the elves gave him." Tiera looked up at Spadell. "He once told me the power grows in him until he can control it no longer. The last time it happened, he killed his family."

"Then you must take the necklace."

Tiera reached for the cord, which was still jammed around Thonn's forehead. As her fingers closed on the thin leather, Thonn's eyes snapped open, and his hand shot out like lightning, gripping her wrist.

"I don't think so," he said, in his curiously deep voice.

"Thonn, it's doing you harm."

"It's our only defence against the dragon." He struggled to sit up, and Spadell leaned forward to offer his hand. Once they were all standing, Thonn rested against Spadell, still looking faint. "My powers are weak as yet."

"You just stopped a blast of dragon's breath. I wouldn't call that weak."

Thonn gazed down at the fires burning across the city. "If only we had arrived sooner."

"Well, we're here now," said Spadell. "Come, we must aid the citizens where we can."

They made their way down the hillside, and Thonn grew stronger with every step. By the time they reached the city walls he was leading the other two, striding ahead while they struggled to keep up. He found a section where the timbers had collapsed, and they all entered the city.

The streets were packed with people, most of them emptying their houses of belongings and bundling up anything of value they could carry. Some enterprising souls were emptying other peoples' houses instead, and every now and then a scuffle broke out as the thieves were confronted.

Then Tiera noticed a look on Spadell's face, and she turned to see what had caught his eye. There were three soldiers coming down the street, iron swords at their side, and they were wearing Mollister uniforms. One was eating a chicken leg, but when he saw Spadell, he tossed it aside and spread his arms wide. "Captain! By the great god Zephyr!"

They hugged, in a restrained manly fashion, and then Spadell greeted the other two soldiers. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "Do you protect the city from the marauding dragon?"

"Protect it? Do you jest, Captain? Why, we've just captured it!"

Spadell's jaw dropped. "Queen Therstie invaded the Bark Kingdom?"

"It's not the Bark Kingdom any more," said the soldier, with a rough laugh. "Welcome to North Mollister." He turned to Tiera. "I see you've found a woman at last. What is your name, my lady?"

"Tiera, and we're not—"

"You old dog," said the soldier, punching Spadell on the shoulder. "Go on, introduce us, will you?"

"This is Bellish, an old army comrade of mine."

The soldier bowed, and introduced his friends. Meanwhile, Thonn stood nearby, eyes scanning the sky. "You lost there, son?" Bellish asked him.

"I await the dragon's return."

"Yeah, funny how it flew away. Guess it ran out of breath, eh?"

"I guess," said Thonn, and he didn't elaborate.

Thick, acrid smoke blew down the narrow street, and there was a hiss as buckets of water were hurled onto a burning house. "Well, can't stand and chat. We're supposed to be looking for loot."

"These people have next to nothing," said Tiera, with a frown.

"They ain't people, sweetheart. They're conquered peasants. Anyway, it's not like they've got anything. Wooden money, wooden valuables… wouldn't bother."

"Why do you treat them so badly?"

"We're the conquering army. What do you expect?"

Tiera reached into her sleeve, and her fingers closed on the hilt of her stiletto. "This is my city, and I have a house here. Do you consider me conquered?"

The soldier was taken aback, and something in her expression told him he was treading on very thin ice. "Er… no, I suppose not. Come lads, we'd better get patrolling or the sergeant will have our guts."

"Before you go," said Spadell. "Who leads your army?"

"Well, that's the funny thing. When we set off it was Sur Wendah, with Sur Rysis as second-in-command. But along the way we met up with Sur Loyne, and now he's been crowned King."

"Is that so?" said Tiera flatly.

"Yeah, they're already singing songs of the battle, and I swear most last longer than the siege itself."

With that the soldiers bid farewell and left.

"Sur Loyne… that traitorous dog," growled Tiera. "I should have killed him when I had the chance. 'I'll meet the army and turn them away,' he said. 'I'll send them back to Mollister lands.' Instead, he brings them here and takes the crown for himself!"

"We don't know the full story yet," said Spadell soothingly.

"The city is overrun with Mollisters!" snapped Tiera. "I bought a house! I was supposed to start a new life here, in peace and quiet. How's that going to happen with enemy soldiers at every street corner, and dragons raining fire from the skies?"

"Perhaps you could sell up and try elsewhere."

"Sell up?" Tiera gestured at the columns of smoke. "Do you have any idea what dragon attacks and sieges do to real estate values? I'll be lucky to walk away with a tenth of the value!"

"Yes, well perhaps we can discuss your retirement plans later. In the meantime, we should seek out Sur Loyne and find out what he has to say for himself."

Tiera grumbled and cursed, but she knew he was right. Before she could take action, she had to know what was going on. So, she nodded to Thonn, and together the three of them set off across the city towards the palace and the barracks.