Secrets of the Sorcery War

Chapter 7

Chapter 2

A New Threat -Ruarnon

Ruarnon sat at the head of the table in the Golden Meeting Hall, surveying the Royal Council’s reactions to their report on damars being sighted in nearby seas again.

“What do you think?” Ruarnon asked.

“Nartzeer is no longer interested in the Zaldean Realm,” replied scarred, silver-haired Advisor Monin, sitting alert and upright, as he must have been when he defended Tarlah as its leading general. “The Zaldean army was what he sought there.”

“The fleet points towards Cauldron Island,” said Companion Tor. “But Timbalen expedition records say that island is ringed by steep cliffs and consists mostly of barren, uninhabitable plains and I can think of nothing that may interest Nartzeer there.”

“I wonder if Nartzeer is pursuing whatever he sought in Tarlah,” said Lenaris, “his reason for having their Benevolences and my father abducted.”

“Sending Damarian ships against us would be foolish,” said General Aza, sitting on the edge of his seat, his posture suggesting he may leap to his feet at any moment. “The damars’ greatest strength was the shock of their existence and their savagery, which are no longer a surprise to us.”

Ruarnon frowned. Aza was right. But if damars were the only force Nartzeer could spare for invasions across the sea, would he pursue his interest in Tarlah with them regardless?

“We assumed Nartzeer had sound reasons for having our King and Queen and Companion Pamoran abducted and for invading the Zaldean Realm with damars, and that ignorance was our greatest barrier to understanding his motivations,” said Companion Tor, his voice calm, belying the circles under eyes. “But as he is still a threat, I think it is time to acknowledge we might have been mistaken.

“Nartzeer’s use of damars in the Zaldean Realm was ruthless cruelty, more mass murder than invasion. All it achieved was death —not conquest. And sailing halfway across the known world to abduct an army from a foreign land, risking that army mutinying, killing his soldiers and stealing his ships? To me, that policy speaks of madness.”

Postures stiffened around the table and Ruarnon bit their lip.

“Abducting an army and transporting them halfway across the known world involves an insane level of risk,” General Aza agreed. “I half expected Companion Karmarn to break free, defeat his captors and sail his fleet home by now. The fact he hasn’t makes me wary of the ruthlessness I suspect keeps that army captive, and wary of Nartzeer’s ships sailing near our waters once more.”

“We must assume the fleet is aimed against Tarlah to ensure that we are properly defended against it, but it may strike anywhere,” said Advisor Monin, sitting in his usual upright position of authority.

“Ensuring the defence of Tarlah against damars means killing all and any damars that enter our waters,” Ruarnon asserted. “On land, they spread too swiftly. But we know they cannot swim, so engaging those ships in deep water is the best way to protect our coast.”

“That is an aggressive policy,” Monin cautioned. “If we are not Nartzeer’s target, it may make us his target.”

“Confronting them with anything less may end in disaster,” said General Aza, “as it did for the Zaldeans. The only way to protect yourself against damars is to destroy them at the first opportunity, not give those ships time to manoeuvre near our shores. But what made the Zaldean army surrender? And in countering the damars, do we leave ourselves vulnerable to a threat even they could not vanquish?”

Ruarnon’s chest tightened. They couldn’t risk anything like what happened on the Zaldean western coast occurring on Tarlahn shores. But what chance did Tarlah stand against whatever convinced the mighty Zaldean army to sail off, letting damars ravage the Zaldean Realm in its absence?

“There is more to consider,” said Advisor Monin. “Nartzeer has only targeted islands inhabited by humans and has left the west jungle coast untouched, so if Tarlah is not his target, the next most likely target is the Timbalen Empire. We are yet to sign a renewed treaty with them. We are not bound to defend them. If the Timbalen Empire is the damars’ target, I propose allowing the Damarian fleet to sail by.”

Ruarnon’s mouth dropped open. At first they saw disloyalty in Monin’s words. But Companion Tor didn’t seem surprised.

“General Takanis notes that our soldiers are still recovering from seeing bodies of people of all ages scattered in the damar-ravaged parts of the Zaldean Realm,” General Aza reported on behalf of the Second General, who Ruarnon had sent to South Harbour with reinforcements. General Takanis tended to notice and boldly state different things to the men in the room and Ruarnon regretted her absence but rank and tradition said if both generals couldn’t attend the Council, the senior should attend.

“Takanis says letting the fleet sail on would give the soldiers more time to heal,” General Aza continued. “If this fleet sails beyond our waters, she is confident that a bird carrying our warning and knowledge of effective tactics to our allies will enable them to defend themselves.”

Ruarnon slumped. She was right. The Timbalen army was a far greater force. With advance warning and tactical advice, it should crush shiploads of damars. But letting those ships sail near Tarlahn waters, unaware of the fleets’ destination and thought of those creatures roaming Tarlahn coastal villages made Ruarnon’s skin crawl.

“Can I remind the Council that Companion Noma’s report confirms Governor Armar’s report about sorcery coercing the Zaldean fleet to sail west and that we have no other logical explanation for it sailing away?” Lenaris asked. She was a little paler than usual, probably at thought of challenging the Council not long after joining it in her new role as Ruarnon’s first Companion of roughly their age.

“I know it sounds like preparing to confront villains from a child’s tale,” Lenaris continued, “but I feel we should discuss the possibility that whoever is transporting damars may be able to wield magic.”

Monin gaped at his granddaughter speaking boldly about something he still held reservations about the existence of.

“General Takanis and I have considered it,” General Aza replied.

Ruarnon’s eyes widened. Experiences in the Zaldean Realm had changed those two. They were more open-minded and seemed to be working more closely together in their roles as First and Second General now.

“We see no need for anyone who can wield magic to accompany the creatures to these seas. If they are transported in cages, as the Urai eyewitness report suggests, we think it likely the cages are designed and transported in a way that ordinary humans can unleash damars from their ships, without endangering themselves. We suspect that if anyone in this day and age can wield magic, they will be highly valued. And with Nartzeer’s previous expedition having ended in disaster for him, and this entire continent on high alert against his ships’ return, we feel it is unlikely Nartzeer will risk his sorcerers to achieve means he has sent few ordinary humans to pursue.”

“Precisely,” said Monin, recovering from his shock at a speed that reminded Ruarnon of his extensive experience. “It is merely a question of whether Nartzeer’s damars target Tarlah or not.”

“The failure of his previous mission and his clear intent to pursue its goal now may also be reason for Nartzeer to send greater force against us this time, to ensure his success, if there is something here he desperately wants,” Tor asserted. “And if Nartzeer’s methods are not entirely rational, that becomes more likely.”

Silence met his assertions. Ruarnon was quite certain that both their generals and Monin were deeply reluctant to consider how Nartzeer may achieve his goals if he wasn’t limited by rational planning. Ruarnon suspected that scared their advisors more than the possibility of magic wielders being on those ships. But whether Nartzeer was sane or not, whether sorcerers stood on the decks of his approaching ships or not, it all boiled down to did Ruarnon engage those ships?

“What does the Council think of our ships being loaded with soldiers, fitted with arms and stationed ready to defend our waters?” Ruarnon asked. “Of them keeping their distance and not engaging unless it becomes crystal clear we are Nartzeer’s target?”

Tor inclined his head. “I think that is the only practical course.”

General Aza his inclined head, followed by Lenaris.

“I won’t argue to leave our waters undefended,” said Monin. “But I should like to discuss clear terms in which we shall consider those ships to be aimed against us, to avoid unnecessary injuries and loss of life.”

Ruarnon suppressed a smile. Monin was always last to agree and strongest in his opinions. But this was agreement enough. And waiting and watching to see whether damars would hunt Ruarnon’s subjects would be as tense as confronting damars in the Zaldean Realm. But they would have to put the possibility of confronting whatever abducted the Zaldean army out of their head because it was unlikely they could do anything about it.

The discussion turned to preparing soldiers and the distance the Damarian fleet could be from Tarlahn shores for Ruarnon to have time to reposition their ships to defend Tarlah. But Ruarnon’s shoulders tightened with tension as the discussion went on. General Takanis’ observations made them realise they hadn’t spent enough time with their soldiers since securing the Zaldean Realm. They should have guessed that if they woke in a sweat in the middle of the night, the screech of dead damars still ringing in their ears, so would some of their soldiers.

Many soldiers were battle weary and many Tarlahns wanted to believe these were the days of Peace. That the days of fear, insecurity and sacrifice were over. They may not respond well to potential battle so soon, especially against the damars. And Ruarnon feared Tor may be right. Nartzeer’s goals may not be rational. His methods may not be rational. And what if he had stationed a magic wielder on one of his ships?

Uncle Omah’s most important lesson had been to act decisively in dangerous times, but whether Ruarnon’s decision was to attack or ignore the Damarian fleet, they feared their decisive action could go terribly wrong.