CHAPTER 11

TARCOS

Faraway in the Green Empire capital city of Tarcos, an uneasy truce existed between the Winged-men and the green men of that sad and besieged city. The peace was not working as it should have, for it had merely become a waiting game. A waiting game for death.

Grusus and his flying creatures still kept the city surrounded and under siege though of course they never admitted as such, meanwhile day by day they were tightening their grip. The enemy grew stronger and more numerous each day while Sahn Jor and his force of Greens in Tarcos were growing weaker in numbers. Food was getting scarce and the water ration had to be cut again. In the meantime, Grusus had sent most of his troops to the smaller far away cities of Zoniant, Ag, Barz, and even Sfol and was in the process of conquering them all. One by one. Soon nothing would stand in his way to lay waste to glorious Tarcos itself—soon to be the lone holdout against the hated Zaran enemy.

By now thousands of winged warriors were completing their mission of the re-conquest of the other cities and even how some were returning to surround Tarcos. More were coming every day. Soon Grusus would have a force powerful enough to overwhelm the city. He was patient, he had time on his side. He was carefully and quietly moving his lines closer to Tarcos. Sahn Jor knew that the city was doomed and feared his people would eventually serve as a feast for the winged invaders. He wondered where Jon Kirk might be. Was his emperor even alive? What of Zaor?

Lady Sirah was in turmoil, sad and full of longing for her missing husband—and her missing brother. Would she ever see Jon Kirk again? Or Zaor? Would her people, who had been through so much war and travail, ever be free of the dread winged menace?

Then Sahn Jor received a message from one of his scouts telling him about the Zaran plans. It was said that Grusus had promised his army that very soon Tarcos would fall. Sahn Jor wondered what else he should do to strengthen the city defenses, and still he wondered where was Jon Kirk?

That night Sahn Jor felt the very real fear that Tarcos might indeed be lost. He knew the city could not hold out and yet thousands of brave warriors and citizens had joined together to fight for their beloved city. They had vowed to fight to the death. The Black Dragons, the emperor’s personal bodyguard, had stayed loyal to a man, a thousand of the finest swordsmen and bravest fighters in the realm—but they were not enough. They might be able to hold the city for a few hours, maybe even a day, but eventually the end must come…

Sahn Jor had tried many times to get Empress Sirah to leave the city to seek safety back in the caves of the Coastal Mountains, but she would not hear of it. She would never desert her people. For always in her heart was her love for Jon Kirk and the hope that he would return to her. She could not accept the thought that he, and her brother, Zaor, might be dead. It seemed incomprehensible to her. Nor would she desert her people in their hour of dire need and desperation. No, she would stay in the city and show her people that their Empress was with them even unto the end. The Empress was so brave, and so foolish, but everyone admired her.

Sahn Jor, along with the other ministers of state of the fledgling Green Empire of Ares worked doggedly in the defense of their city. Aid from other villages and clans slow in coming for Tarcos, was now completely cut off by the siege of the winged invaders. The city was now effectively surrounded even though the treaty still apparently held. At least in theory. A treaty that held in name only—since the enemy had not yet attacked—not yet! But all knew that day was coming. The city had been in near panic for many days and some people had gone into hiding, while others even more fearful had already left the city by secret routes.

However, those who escaped Tarcos discovered there was no true escape from their relentless enemy. It turned out that many of the people who had fled the city were soon captured by the Winged-men and quickly killed, or often kept as slaves. Slavery which was worse than a quick death in battle. After a short time, no one left the city any more and a dark pall of doom descended upon the people. Everywhere streets were deserted and shops closed. The once busy and noisy streets of Greater Tarcos were now silent and seemingly dead, waiting for dawn of the day when it was said thousands of winged warrior demons would fly upon them in furious bloody swarms to capture the city and kill everyone in it.

* * * *

Meanwhile, in faraway Keva, Aron The Eldest, leader of the Old Ones was now in direct mind communication with Shamar, and through him, with Jon Kirk and Zaor. All three could now hear Aron’s words.

“Tomorrow,” Aron told the three captives quickly, “Tarcos will be attacked by the winged horde of Grusus, even as elsewhere the eastern continent of Cos will be invaded by an air fleet of Lord Mentep’s Vognar force of blue warriors. We have seen all this through our mind powers and have made our plans accordingly. We have no time left, we must act now. Very soon men will come to release you and your two companions from your prison, Jon Kirk. They will be blue-skinned Vognars, but they will be under our thought control. They will lead you to an airship where you can make your escape. Shamar, you must fly the ship to Tarcos as quickly as possible for the fate of the free peoples everywhere on this world depends upon Jon Kirk’s leadership of his army against our enemies. Jon Kirk and General Zaor must reach Tarcos to stem the Zaran attack. Leave them off there to lead their warriors in battle. Then you must take the airship and come here to Keva, where we will inspect the Vognar ship, and find the secret behind their beam weapons and that invisibility device. Then we will use them to defeat the approaching enemy air fleet. Be quick about it! We have no time to waste.”

“But I can not fly a Vognar airship?” Shamar replied softly. Aron smiled, “Have faith in us, my king. Now you can.”