Nord’s army paused half a mile from the walls of Sultan’s Oasis. Nord hoped the sight would intimidate the soldiers guarding the city. For almost five days they’d seen no sign of Vilos’s army. He’d felt certain someone would try and harass them as they got ever closer to the capital. Perhaps his brother feared him more than he’d first thought.
Nord drew Heat’s Bane and motioned his army forward. They advanced at a steady march toward the main gate. Nord saw no sign of any archers along the wall. Not that that meant anything, they could be hiding ready to spring up when the army got within range. At the last town Nord had taken, they prepared a ram similar to the one they’d used at Aaron’s castle. Nord planned to take care of the city gates the same way he’d dealt with Aaron’s.
He motioned his army to stop then rode to within a hundred yards of the gate. No archers appeared so Nord blasted the gates with the sword until they were coated with ice. At his signal a dozen men charged forward pushing the ram.
Behind them came two hundred of his best infantrymen. They would seize the area surrounding the gate.
Nord smiled as they passed him. It appeared his brother planned to give him Sultan’s Oasis as well.
The ram struck the gate which exploded in a shower of wood chips. The infantry charged through the opening and an instant later four six-foot spears came flying out.
One missed Nord’s head by a foot. The others were less fortunate. The ballistae bolts struck with such force that they drove through three, sometimes four men before stopping.
A score of men lay dead or dying around the gate when Nord entered. The entire ram crew lay on the ground moaning in pain. None of them appeared injured.
“Arkon,” Nord bellowed.
The wizard rode up beside him. “Yes, my lord?”
“What’s wrong with those men?” Nord gestured toward the ram crew.
Arkon dismounted and looked the men over. He made several passes over them then picked up a piece of wood from the broken gate. The wizard spoke a brief incantation and the wood vanished in a puff of smoke.
“Poison,” Arkon said.
“Poison? How in the nine hells did they get poisoned?”
Before Arkon could explain an arrow embedded itself in the chest of one of the soldiers standing nearby. Men screamed as arrows rained down on them.
“Take cover,” Nord yelled.
The order was unnecessary since everyone was already scrambling around trying not to get hit. The only cover was behind the outer wall. Before everyone managed to get back through the gate half the initial entry force was dead or wounded.
“Anyone see where those arrows came from?” Nord asked.
No one answered and Nord swore. The bulk of the army had advanced down near the edge of the wall. They had to get in and establish a foothold.
Nord looked around for something he could use. He spotted the wagon that had held their ram. The bed still looked pretty solid.
“You men.” Nord pointed to a group of half a dozen soldiers that looked a little bigger than the rest. “Grab that wagon and we’ll use it for cover. Gray Company, get in behind them.”
Nord took a spot near the front of the soldiers as the big men hefted the wagon bed.
When they indicated they were ready Nord said, “Go!”
The whole group surged around the wall and through the shattered gate. Several arrows thunked home into the wood. Then they stopped.
The archers knew they couldn’t get to them.
“Keep moving,” Nord said.
No sooner had he spoken than there was a loud thwack and a ballista bolt smashed through the wagon bed killing three men.
A second bolt smashed through inches from Nord’s head, killing the man next to him.
The last two bolts blasted the wagon to splinters and killed six more men.
With no cover left Nord decided to let rip with a blast from Heat’s Bane.
He didn’t aim; he just sprayed the area in front of them with killing magic.
The man in front of him went down with an arrow in his throat.
His view clear, Nord saw no sign of bodies.
He’d hit no one.
All he managed to do was destroy the ballistae.
Arrows rained down on them. Nord saw dozens of archers positioned on rooftops all around them.
“Fall back.”
Nord was in a frothing rage when they finally reached the safety of the wall. He’d lost better than a hundred men with nothing to show for it.
“These half-assed measures aren’t getting us anywhere. When I give the order, the whole army will charge. We’ll drive right through to the palace.”
“Is that wise?” Arkon asked. “Bunched up in those streets we’ll make easy targets for their archers.”
“I saw only a few dozen archers defending the gate. If we move fast enough we can make it to the palace in fifteen minutes. The faster we get through the streets the better. At the rate we’re going they’ll just pick us apart.”
“True enough.” Arkon drew a slim black wand with a silver tip from his robe. “Perhaps I can give those archers something to think about.”
“Now you’re talking.” Nord clapped him on the shoulder. Louder he said, “Alright, we’re going to charge. Don’t stop until we reach the palace wall.”
Everyone nodded.
“Let’s go.”
Wave after wave of soldiers poured through the ruined gate, Nord and Arkon in the lead.
Arrows began raining down on them.
None of them got close to Nord.
He figured Arkon must have worked some spell to protect him.
When an arrow headed straight toward the wizard then veered suddenly away he decided maybe he was just getting a side benefit of Arkon’s own protection.
The wizard raised his wand and pointed at an archer. Streamers of red light streaked out and cut the man to ribbons. Nord’s own archers tried to run and shoot at the same time with little success.
Arkon raised the wand again and the red light streaked out.
Before it reached its target the light vanished in a flash.
“What the hell was that?” Nord asked.
“Your brother’s wizard negated the spell. I’m afraid I won’t be of much use now. His power is equal to mine.”
“You’ll be able to counter his attacks as well though, right?”
“Absolutely,” Arkon said.
They moved past the first group of archers and into a densely built-up portion of the city. Multistoried buildings and narrow side streets surrounded them.
Perfect place for an ambush.