part0037

T he Wall stood thirty feet high and ten feet wide. It was constructed of huge blocks of quarry stone. It ran for leagues between the mountains that created a natural barrier between South Tiotan and Kingsland.

There was passage through the Wall, the Shield of Steel. The gate was twenty feet wide and had a grand set of thirty-foot-high solid-steel doors that opened outward and another set of doors that opened inward toward Kingsland. Between both sets was a portcullis made of heavy woven strips of steel.

On the backside of the Wall were tremendous ramps leading to the top of it. Forts that were interlinked on the Wall made up a small city. Thousands of Kingsland’s soldiers guarded the wall, from one end to the other. They moved like ants today. Armed with swords, spears, and crossbows, they marched up the ramps to the Wall’s battlements and manned the ballistae, small catapults, and vats filled with boiling pitch.

Abraham stood on top of the Wall near the gates with the sun on his face, marveling. He’d never been to the Great Wall of China, but he’d seen plenty of pictures, and the Wall looked very much like it. He and the Henchmen gazed over the battlements. Lewis and the Guardians were nearby.

The lands of South Tiotan were miles of rich green grasses as far as the eye could see. Now, those fields were littered with enemy camps. Soldiers from Tiotan and South Tiotan were lined up by the thousands out of bowshot distance. South Tiotan’s banners, with angled black stripes over a field of yellow, were on one side. Tiotan’s flags, with black stripes angled a different way on a field of maroon, were on the other side. Those weren’t the only enemy flags posted in the ranks. Flags from Hancha, Dorcha, and East and West Bolg were there. The enemies’ numbers had grown to over ten thousand or more.

“The Shield of Steel can never be penetrated,” Lewis said proudly. “It is the greatest fortification in the world. The army that stands behind it is invincible. My ancestor built it.”

Unlike Ruger, Abraham wasn’t a master at military combat strategy, but even he tended to agree with Lewis. Even with all the enemy’s armies gathered outside the Wall, outnumbering their troops ten to one, he still felt secure.

“There is a wall just like this in my world. It ran for three thousand miles. It did its job… for a while,” Abraham said. He leaned between the battlements and eyeballed the tanks in the field. He counted ten green army tanks. He didn’t know one tank from another, but to him, they looked like big ones. “But time and technology caught up. Now, the enemies can fly over it.”

Lewis scanned the skies and said, “I don’t see any zillon dragon riders. I think we won’t have to worry about that.” He stroked the furs on the collar of his cape. “Those iron chariots haven’t made any noise, and they look quite small from here. What do they do?”

“Blow walls like this to smithereens,” Abraham said. He ground his teeth. If the Drakeland Corporation had sent ten tanks through already, how many more could they send?

“Well, we can’t let that happen, or rather, you can’t let that happen.” Lewis took off his gloves one finger at a time. “Though, those iron chariots aren’t so frightening, like you described. They appear quite minuscule compared to the Wall. Besides, the gate won’t fall. The portcullis is made out of the King’s Steel. It can handle anything.”

“Those iron chariots are called tanks—get it right, Lewis .” Abraham moved from one battlement to another and looked over the ledge at the Shield of Steel. “That’s a lot of steel. Have the tanks fired a shot?”

“A shot of what?” Lewis asked.

He rolled his eyes. “You don’t want to know.”

Well over a week had passed since he’d departed in essence from back home. He was supposed to negotiate with King Hector and be the back-and-forth between them and the Corporation. But he hadn’t gone back and hadn’t been able to get word back to them either. That was a problem. If they didn’t hear back from him, they would no doubt attack.

A group of riders approached the Shield of Steel on horseback carrying a white banner.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“They carry the banner of truce. They want to talk,” Lewis said.

“Well, let’s see what they have to say,” Abraham said.

Passing through smaller doors built into the large gates, Abraham, Lewis, and a host of Guardians rode out to meet the enemy. Abraham’s eyes widened when he noticed Lord Hawk among the generals of Tiotan. The savvy-looking leader of the Shell was leaning over his saddle horn with a cocky grin on his face. “I’ve been waiting for days for you to show your face,” Lord Hawk said.

“What’s this about?” Lewis asked as he steadied his horse. “Who is this man?”

“This is Lord Hawk, the leader of the Shell. We’ve crossed paths a few times.” Abraham scanned the faces of the generals. “Where’s your little friend, Big Apple?”

“One never knows when he might pop up,” Lord Hawk said. The rogue with receding blond hair looked between Lewis and Abraham. “I take it you’ve had time to counsel with King Hector and have disclosed to him our offer?”

Prince Lewis bumped Lord Hawk’s horse with his horse. “Listen to me, you thieving rodent. Listen, all of you. Titanuus will freeze over before King Hector surrenders. You best pack up your armies and return home. The Wall will never fall.”

Lord Hawk chuckled. “Is that your final answer?”

“What is this, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? Of course it is,” Abraham fired back.

“I can speak for myself!” Lewis stated. He glared at Lord Hawk. “This negotiation is over.”

Lord Hawk lifted a finger and said, “Before we part, I was ordered to show you an example of what you are up against.” He raised a hand high.

The tank closest to the roadway leading to the Shield of Steel churned forward with its metal wheels grinding inside its tracks. It stopped fifty-five yards away from the Wall. The top hatch of the tank opened.

Big Apple popped out. The horned halfling wore a flak vest, smoked a cigar, and flexed his muscular arms. He took the cigar from his mouth and flicked the ashes. He had a grin on his face from ear to ear. He placed some goggles over his eyes and stuck his fingers in his ears.