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Marvik finally speaks again, holding up the manacles still on his wrists. “We happened upon them in the Eastforte Thicket and they took me prisoner. General Dura freed me, but we were able to gather intelligence before we left. They have great numbers and plan to attack at sundown. We have to move quickly and evacuate the townsfolk into the castle. It is their only hope.”
The orcs look at Marvik, sizing him up, and when they look back at me, there’s suspicion in their eyes. “General, wasn’t this the human that you were fighting at Fort Attis? The queen’s brother?”
I don't know what to say to that. How do they know about Marvik? But Marvik immediately barks out, “Did you not hear us? We are hours away from an attack! Maybe less, if the vampires move early. How many soldiers are stationed here?”
“Ten orcs and five humans, sir,” the younger human supplies helpfully.
I shake my head. “The vampires had at least fivetimes that. And they have sentient blood slaves, which gives them more strength and stamina. The town will fall under their onslaught, unless we can act.Now.”
There’s some hesitation, but then the orc that spoke earlier says, “You heard the general. Rouse the magistrate and the townsfolk. Send a rider to the farmsteads. Start moving everyone into Castle Grimble. Move!”
The guards scatter at his words, even Karn, who had come back out of the guardhouse. A warning bell rings from the top of the guardhouse, breaking into the early morning stillness. The orc that gave the order is still in front of us, looking at us with a strange mixture of respect and suspicion.
“Thank you, soldier,” I say, “for your prompt action. What is your name?”
“Verog ka Roknir, general,” says the orc.
“Clan Roknir is a good clan,” I remark. “A strong one.”
“We’ve been tasked with keeping the peace in Adrik, as their own forces were decimated in the war,” Verog tells me. “But, general, why have you been gone all this time? And what were you doing in the Thicket so far from Fort Attis? The king has been sending scouting parties to the Deep Wood for the past two months to find your bodies, but here you are. Can you explain your whereabouts?”
Again, I don’t know what to say. It’s bad that he’s asking questions, though. Marvik interjects, “Our whereabouts are restricted information, soldier. That is a story that we can only tell to your king. But for now, we need to plan how to get reinforcements to Grimblton, as quickly as possible and get word to the capital that we are under attack. This action from Barakrin is nothing short of a declaration of war.”
That seems to sober Verog. “War again, so soon,” he remarks, sounding somber. “And from such an unlikely quarter. What could have spurred the vampires to attack? Adrik and Orik have long left them to their own devices.”
“A demon has taken hold of the throne in Barakrin,” Marviksays, telling the orc what we know. “Grazrath, Lord of Pain and Misery. He has somehow escaped the Nether.”
To my surprise, Verog doesn’t look shocked at all. “We wondered where he went.”
“You knew the demon had escaped?” I ask sharply.
“A group of humans, one that used to be led by the dead human king, unleashed the demon by accident when they were trying to expel the orcs from Adrik through dark magic. The ritual led to all of their deaths, but the demon ended up escaping and cementing his hold on this plane. I suppose we should not be surprised that he has dreams of conquest.”
No, I suppose not. The demons were first bound in the Nether by Karnia when they tried to overthrow the gods. Their lust for power is legendary.
Marvik speaks again. “Well, the demon has already taken one country, but we cannot allow him to take more. For now, the townsfolk will be safe for a night in the castle, but cannot hold out on a long siege. We need to call for reinforcements to forcibly remove the invaders.”
Verog nods. “There are more orcs and humans in Kingsbury. It’s a larger force. And there’s increased soldiers in Aquilar and the surrounding villages because of the king and queen’s visit.”
“Riders should be sent to those areas immediately and bring back as many soldiers as they can. I fought these vampires, Verog. They fight like demons, with an inhuman quickness. This is a skilled army headed this way,” Marvik says bluntly.
A human, hastily dressed, suddenly comes up to us, his hair still sticking up wildly from sleep. He gasps. “Sir Marvik! I thought Karn must be drinking again, but it is true! You are alive!”
Marvik chuckles a little. “Magistrate Tomen, it is good to see you, though I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“Karn said that there’s going to be an attack?”
“Yes,” confirms Marvik. He begins filling the human in on everything that we already told the guard. I turn back to Verog tocontinue the conversation of reinforcements.
“Do you have falcons for sending messages?” I ask.
“A few,” Verog answers. “We can send messages to Orik, but you should ride to High Citadel yourselves to report to the king and queen. You’ll get there faster on a warbeast than a falcon could fly.”
“Me?” I ask. “I should stay here and help with the siege.”
Verog shakes his head. “We can handle that. The reinforcements from Kingsbury may even arrive before sundown if they ride at full force. We’ll be fine. But the king should hear from your own lips what is going on . . . and where you’ve been.”
There’s that suspicion again. I’m almost certain that Verog knows I must have deserted at Fort Attis, but is keeping it to himself. Probably he doesn’t want to accuse someone with so much prestige without solid proof, which is wise. He continues, “This is a matter of duty, general, and your sense of honor is renowned. I’m sure you will do the right thing.”
