“There is a complication,” frowned Brakas. “I overheard several of the tribes plotting against Grulak. They are planning on leaving Ghala and going to Khadora with information about the Jiadin attack. They also plan to help the Khadorans defeat Grulak. We must get enough men here quickly enough to block their escape from the city or the attack on Khadora is doomed.”
“We have men here already,” declared Zygor. “We will block the city until the army arrives.”
“That will not be nearly enough,” Brakas shook his head. “Yojji, Blaka, and Adger were the three I heard speaking. That is over ten thousand men who plan on leaving and I am not sure it is limited to just those three tribes. They would run over this army without breaking stride.”
“He is right,” frowned Winus. “We need the elite here and quickly. They will be able to contain the tribes until the rest of the army arrives. This is what Grulak has been waiting for. We must get that wagon to him immediately. I would suggest it leave right now.”
“I will go with you, Brakas,” stated Zygor. “I must make sure that this information arrives and you have the habit of getting lost when you are needed most.”
“May I speak with you alone, Zygor,” asked Winus. “It is important.”
Zygor nodded and Winus led the magician into his tent.
“I think Brakas should remain here,” Winus declared. “He is the only Jiadin that can penetrate the city. I would like to send him back to Ghala. He may be able to sabotage things that will delay the departure of the tribes. Time is our enemy now.”
“That is the first intelligent suggestion I have heard from you, General,” smirked Zygor. “I do not need anyone for this trip anyway. I will test out the stamina this fruit delivers by feeding some to the horses hauling the wagons.”
Zygor spun and left the tent with Winus right behind him. He extracted four fruit from the wagons and fed them to the horses. He climbed up on the seat and started the wagon moving. Brakas moved to join Zygor as the wagon started to leave and Winus grabbed him by the arm to detain him.
“You are not going,” Winus declared. “I am sending you back into Ghala.”
“Not a chance,” growled Brakas as he watched the wagon leave the camp. “I am too close to being discovered there. I have completed my assignment with fantastic results. Besides, I want to be here when Grulak arrives. I am sure I will be promoted for this.”
Winus frowned at Brakas’s refusal, but realized that there was little he could do to force the spy to return to Ghala.
“Where is Zygor’s tent?” asked Brakas. “I need to catch up on my sleep.”
Chapter 34
To Battle
The wagons rolled across the Vandegar Plains and approached the Vandegar Temple. The Jiadin soldiers followed the path of the incoming fruit with ravenous eyes. Zygor snarled as the soldiers began following the wagons and he kept the shipment of fruit moving until he spotted Grulak’s elite troops. He halted the wagon and spryly jumped down from the seat.
“This fruit is not to be touched,” Zygor shouted. “Take the horses and feed them, but guard this shipment with your lives. If a single fruit is taken, you shall forfeit your lives.”
Zygor sprinted into the temple and bounded up the long flights of stairs to the platform at the top, where he knew he would find Veltar. Indeed, Veltar and Grulak stood at the edge of the platform gazing down at the commotion in the Jiadin camp.
“I hope your have brought me the head of Rejji as well as that load of food,” snapped Veltar as he whirled towards Zygor.
“Not the head,” smirked Zygor as he came to a halt in front of Veltar, “but something even better.”
“Nothing could be better than the elimination of that fool,” spat Veltar. “Tell me what it is that should please me so.”
“I have located Rejji,” began Zygor, “and also the free tribes. They are building a city where Ghala once stood. They also have great quantities of food. Probably enough to feed our armies.”
“Rejji and the tribes have joined forces?” growled Veltar. “You think this is good news?”
“That is the good news,” nodded Zygor, “but there is also bad news. Several large tribes are preparing to leave within the week. They are defecting to Khadora and plan to be instrumental in Grulak’s defeat. They must be stopped.”
“Ghala is a long way from Khadora,” interjected Grulak. “We will crush those defecting tribes on our way to Ghala.”
“If you can find them,” declared Veltar. “I do not think they would be foolish enough to head for this temple on their way westward. Did you order Winus to block the exit from the city, Zygor?”
“Winus is incompetent,” spat Zygor. “He could not block a dog from biting his tender parts. Besides, he has less than five hundred men. How could he stop large tribes from leaving the city?”
“And whose fault is the low number of Winus’s men?” charged Grulak. “I have heard the reports of your carelessness with my men.”
“Enough,” shouted Veltar. “Shut up both of you. We need a way to stop those tribes from leaving.”
“I brought that solution with me,” smirked Zygor. “Those two wagons contain a fruit that supplies unlimited energy and strength. The defecting tribes were planning on using it to flee Ghala. I have deprived them of it. With the fruit, our elite forces can be at the gates of Ghala before they try to leave.”
“Magical fruit?” questioned Veltar. “How do we know it is not poisonous fruit delivered to make our elite forces incapable of attacking Ghala?”
“I wondered about that too,” nodded Zygor. “I fed it to the horses hauling the wagon. It was amazing. They did not tire the whole trip. The first night when I became drowsy myself, I also ate one. I have not slept in days and I feel full of energy. We should get the army moving immediately and trap all of our enemies in Ghala before they split up.”
“It will take a day for this massive army to break camp,” frowned Grulak.
“We cannot spare a day,” stated Zygor. “We know where they are now, but if some tribes defect, they may all defect. We should strike while we can.”
“Take whatever forces are ready now and march towards Ghala,” ordered Veltar. “All they have to do is contain the enemy in Ghala long enough for the rest of the army to arrive. I will go with you to make sure that nothing happens to allow Rejji to escape once again.”
“How much fruit did you bring?” queried Grulak.
“There should be enough for a thousand men and their horses,” replied Zygor. “It is all they had.”
“Then the elite shall have it,” decided Grulak. “The rest of my most loyal followers will have to do without it, but the elite are good enough to contain the enemy while they catch up.”
“Zygor, Grulak will order the rest of the army to make ready to leave tomorrow. You should get some rest and travel with them. Make sure they keep up a fast pace. With only five thousand troops to contain the enemy, it is important that the bulk of the army arrive as soon as possible. I want this portion of the plan completed so we can move on to Khadora.”
Zygor nodded as he watched the men below trying to pull the horses away from the wagons. The scene played through his mind as he entered the temple and sought a place to sleep. He wondered why the horses would use their new strength to stubbornly refuse to eat. Only as his eyes closed, did it register that they were not using their strength to refuse, but were already fast asleep, a sleep so deep that they did not care about nurturing their own bodies. Alarm raced through his body as he struggled to get up and warn Veltar of the devastating counter effect of the fruit, but his body refused to obey. As his mouth opened to shout an alarm, his vision blackened and he succumbed to unconsciousness.
***
The leaders of the free tribes milled about in the empty warehouse. Laughter and shouts of bravado hid the nervousness and anxiety that filled the building. The leaders boasted of the easy task before them, while secretly wondering how many of their men would never return from their mission. Sunlight flooded the room as the door to the warehouse opened and Wyant and Rejji entered. The room immediately fell to silence. The door swung closed and Rejji and Wyant stopped, facing the gathered leaders.