certain rude charm. The spells, enchantments, sorcery and other
magical clap-trap, are minimal when compared to other works in which
everyone is a sorcerer, and the gods themselves strode the battlefield.
All Imperial diplomats, emissaries, ambassadors, trade negotiators and
such functionaries assigned to the court at Vo Mimbre should be
thoroughly familiar with this work – and most particularly with the portion
excerpted here – before undertaking any official mission to Arendia.
Further, it is considered mannerly and a sign of good breeding to
sprinkle one’s speech with quotations from this epic. The Arends are
convinced that this rather pedestrian work is the world’s greatest
titerary masterpiece, and there is even a cult among the nobility which
maintains that Davoul, the author, was divinely inspired at the time of
the writing. The deliberate archaism of Arendish court speech is a
reflection of the ‘high style’ affected by this author, and officials of the
Tolnedran Empire should strive to match the elevated speech
mannerisms of the Arends in all dealings with them. To do otherwise would
be to cast disparagement upon the Empire itself in the eyes of this most
troublesome of people.
BOOK SEVEN
THE BATTLE BEFORE
VO MIMBRE
Now it came to pass that on the third day of the great battle before
the gates of Vo Mimbre, the hosts of the Accursed One had gathered
for the final assault upon the city. This, then, was their order of
battle. The Murgos, commanded by their fell King, Ad Rak Cthoros,
held the left flank beside the River Arend to the east of the city.
To the north, the Mallorean Horde under the Accursed Kal-Torak
himself held the center before the gates of the city. To the west the
Nadraks under Yar Lek Thun and the Thulls under Gethel Mardu
held the right flank, encircling the city even again to the river which
flowed out west of the city walls. In the center of the Mallorean
Horde stood the black iron pavilion of the dread Kal-Torak himself,
who had not issued forth during the first two days of the battle.
And on the morning of the third day, a great horn was heard to
blow from the forest to the north of the city’ And another great horn
was heard to answer from the hills to the east. And yet another horn
sounded from within the city itself. Only this – nothing more.
Doubts began to assail the Murgos, the Nadraks quailed, and
there was fear in the hearts of the Thulls. None knew the portent of
the horns, and the dark kings were troubled and sought counsel
with Kal-Torak, their over-king and their God, but still he issued not
forth from his iron pavilion. The Malloreans clashed their cruel
spears against their shields and made fierce outcry to hearten their
allies.
Again the horn blew to the north, and again was it answered by a
‘peting from the east and by a brazen reply from the city. And
yet was there no movement or sound to reveal the nature of them
that sounded those solitary notes.
Nadrak riders went out from the host to the north. Black and grim
was their armor, and bright were their swords. They came not back,
and the dark forest gave no sound to tell of their fate.
Murgo riders went out from the host to the east. Smokey red were
their mail-shirts, and cruel were the maces and the axes of the
Murgos. They came not back, and the silent hills gave no token of
what had befallen them.
Yet once more the great horn sounded to the north, and yet once
more did the eastern hills and even the city reply. And behold, faint
and far away from across the plain to the west came an answer of
many brazen trumpets, and far out across the plain was there a
glinting as of the sun on many waters.
And it came to pass that Zedar, the sorcerer who sat ever at the
right hand of the Accursed One, did cast an enchanttnent and did
rise up from the host in the form of a raven that he might espy out
the portent of the horns. And he flew unto the east, and behold, a
great owl of snowy whiteness did appear in the sky and struck with
her cruel talons, and wounded hhnhim grievously, and he escaped only
with his life.
And Zedar cast another enchantment. and in the form of a great
stag went he out from the host again even unto the forest to the
north. And behold, a great grey wolf, grizzled and old, appeared at
the edge of the forest and harried him back to the host from whence
he had come, and the cruel jaws of the wolf did rend his flesh, and
he was sore afraid even for his life.
And one last time the great horn blew to the north; and one last
time the great horn answered from the east; and one last time the
horn within the city walls replied- And again and nearer now the
sound of the many brazen trumpets came from the west, and the
glinting of the sun was as upon a great ocean.
And then opened the gates of Vo Mimbre, and there issued forth
the mounted Knights of the Mimbrate Arends. Clad in steel were
they, and bright were the pennons on their lances, and the iron-shod
hooves of their chargers made a great sound, even as the thunder.
And the fell horde of the Mallorean Angaraks, servants of the
Accursed One, raised a great cry and clashed their spears on their
iron shields, thinking that their enemies were in their grasp and that
the city would soon be theirs.
And the Murgos exulted, and the Thulls and the Nadraks also,
and all pressed forward that they might quickly overwhelm the
Mimbrate Knights and take the city’
With a mighty clash, the Mimbrate Knights struck the forefront of
the Host, and the front ranks were overthrown. On they pressed, the
cruel, iron-shod hooves of their foaming chargers trampling the
living and the dead. And behold, the second rank was overthrown
and crushed to earth by the fury of the charge.
Still the Malloreans clashed their spears on their iron shields, and
still exulted the Murgos and the Thulls and the Nadraks also’ for the
numbers of the Mimbrate Knights were diminished, even as the
force of a wave is diminished as it rushes upon a strand. And a great
joy was in the hearts of the Grolims, the dark priests of Torak, and
they urged on the Malloreans and the Murgos, the Nadraks and the
Thulls.
And then, even as the watchers from the walls of the city despaired,
a great thunder arose from the east, and there burst forth from the low
and sullen hills a great charge of many warriors. And in the center the
dread long spears of the Drasnians moved like a forest in the wind.
And on the flanks the Algar horsemen curved out like two great
sickles, and none might withstand them. And upon the Murgos they
descended like wolves on the fold, and great was the slaughter and
the bloodshed they wrought. And King Ad Rak Cthoros of the
Murgos cried out in a great voice to rally his people, and they turned
away from the Mimbrate Knights to bear the charge of the Drasnian
spears and the long swords of the Algar horsemen. But their axes
could not reach past the long spears of the Drasnians, and they fell
before them. And their maces were too slow to stem the swift attack of
the Algars, and they fell as wheat before the scythe.
Recoiled back then the mail-shirted Murgos and formed they a
shield-wall to ward off the Drasnians and the Algars, and behold,
there were among them, even in their very midst, Ulgo warriors in
curious armor and with strange weapons – long knives with hooks at
their points or with edges like saws, and horrid curved things on
handles of iron with cruelly pointed spikes that reached into the mail
of the Murgos and sought out the life inside – and veiled were the
faces of the Ulgo warriors, and the Murgos were sore afraid. And the
veiled Ulgos fell upon them, and the shrieks of the maimed and the
dying filled the air and the Murgos were overcome by confusion.
Now it came to pass that Zedar the Sorcerer beheld the faltering
of the Murgos and went he even unto the iron pavilion of Kal-Torak
and spake unto the Accursed One urging that he come forth and by
his very presence overcome his enemies, but Kal-Torak would in no
wise do it and remained within the black iron pavilion.
And behold, the earth shook in the west with the heavy feet of the
legions of imperial Tolnedra. And came the legions upon the plain
and assumed their battle-order and closed with the Nadraks and