Chapter III:
Against Lapulia
The Magic Tower
It was nearly a month before the fleet came within sight of the Magic Tower of Lapulia. They had resupplied their ships once again in Kulneth, which, before the Catastrophy, was some twenty leagues west of Dalta City - which was not a port city at all in those days, nor was it named, as it is in our day, for the father of Dalia who was, in more recent antiquity, its conqueror. The men of Kulneth knew even less of the elves than the men of Inklas, and feared them more. However so much they were affected by the sight of the Immortals, nothing could shake them from their steadfast insistence that it would be folly to sail with such a force into the waters of Lapulia.
Nonetheless, they willingly sold them whatever the needed for the voyage.
The seas were calm and the skies were clear when they began their approach. Looking into the south they could see the great rocks which served as walls for the city. But the first sign of habitation they beheld was the Magic Tower itself. It first appeared over the rocks as a tiny spire, rising into the sky. One might have thought it to be a twig for its girth. But as they drew nearer, and as their perceptions began to make sense of what they saw, they realized that it was not slender at all, but rather still a long way off. The tower was so unbelievably tall that it compelled an eye not accustomed to such marvels to judge it to be close and slender, rather than high and thick.
With the exception of the very mountains of the earth, it was and is the highest thing upon the face of the world. From ten thousand furnaces and and from a hundred thousand chimneys there rose the smoke of Lapulia, which men say makes the lives of its people short and sickly. But a longer life they would not choose, even were they able, for the power of the Magi was with them, and they had and have nothing to fear from any race of men or elves.
The skies that had been calm faded to gray, and the seas grew rough with the rising of the wind, which blew hot from the south now, slowing their approach. Dalia stood with Amro upon the deck of the ship, looking out with open jaw at the city of Magic. A great beam of light struck the ship from atop the tower, blinding them both for a moment before it moved to the next ship. Pelas saw it coming and shielded his eye ere it could hurt his eyes. But little else could he do to defend his fleet from the gaze of Lapulia's Tower. One by one the light moved, slowly and deliberately looking upon each and every vessel. A long wailing sound rose from the city and bright lights flared up around the rocky land. The whole city was awake, and prepared for their coming.
Captain Proud
'Go away!' the old man shouted, as the pounding continued.
'Captain Proud, sir,' a nervous voice moaned, 'You are summoned to the Tower.'
'What did you say!?' Proud said, leaping from his bed and rushing from his chamber. He unlocked the latch, turned the knob and opened the door just wide to see his visitor's eyes through the crack.
'I said that you are summoned to the Tower.'
'No,' Captain Proud moaned, backing away from the door. 'What do they want with me?'
'You are to report to the docks, I am told, sir,' the voice replied.
'To the docks?' the Captain said, nervously. 'You mean, they have summoned me to the docks?'
'Yes, sir, that is correct.'
'Fool!' Captain Proud hollered, quickly opening the door so that he could berate the messenger more efficiently. 'Don't you know that to be summoned TO the Tower can only mean one of two things: Death, or a Pupilship? And I am far too old for the latter!'
The messenger turned white and looked for a moment as though he would faint. His distress was interrupted by Captain Proud's booming voice. 'What is your name, child?' he demanded in a demeaning tone.
'Careful,' the younger man replied.
'Careful indeed!' the captain laughed. 'Were your parents intoxicated at your announcement?'
'I cannot say,' Careful replied humbly. 'I am sorry, sir, I meant not to frighten you.'
'Think nothing of it, child,' Captain Proud said as he began to gather his clothing together. He pulled up a pair of trousers over his nightshirt, which he subsequently pulled over his head and cast onto the floor. His apartment was not overly large, but it was much more spacious than the barracks in which the sailors were housed. There was a small table in the room, which served as both kitchen and dining hall. He threw his sleeping clothes in a heap upon the table. As he kicked his slippers from his feet he upset a small basked of fruit that was laid upon the center of the table, sending apples and grapes rolling across the floor. In an instant his wife was at the door, holding her nightgown close to her.
'What is the meaning of this?' she demanded of him.
'It is nothing,' Captain Proud said sharply. 'Get back to bed!'
'You are sweating, and you have your boots mixed up,' she grumbled softly.
'Curses!' he said, shoving the young man from his house and bolting the door. 'I have to go to the docks; can't you hear the alarm?'
She listened for a moment and then nodded, saying, 'But you are not on duty! It sounds for other men.'
Proud shook his head and growled, 'Yet there is a messenger at the door from the Tower.' He corrected his boots and buckled his pants, tucking a bright white shirt into his belt. He threw a deep blue coat over his shoulders and hung a sword across his back. 'Now where is my Firesling?' He began to rummage around, digging through his pile of clothing.
'It is on the wall,' his wife pointed.
There, hanging beneath an old spear, was a small weapon such as only the Lapulians possess. The weapon itself was a small polished tube about twice the girth of a man's fingers. There was a smoke-stained wooden handle at the end and a lever at the top, which could be pulled back and released. In that age, it was only the commanders of the military who were permitted to bear such armaments. He carefully removed the weapon from the wall and hung it at his right side. He also took a small leather sack full of tiny iron balls and a small leather-wrapped ceramic jar filled with Fire-powder. He looked once more at his wife and nodded, leaving her alone in the dark apartment.
'My apologies, sir,' Careful said as he followed hard upon his commander's heels. Both men marched at a strict pace. 'I did not know that you were asleep; it is not yet fully dark, and the alarm has been sounding now for half an hour.'
'When you reach my age, child,' Proud began, 'and when you have worked as hard as I have these past twenty years, then you will understand why one might decide, during his leave, to turn in early.'
'Understood, sir,' Careful said.
When they reached the docks Proud found his crew waiting for him on the deck of his warship. His coming was announced when he stepped aboard, 'Hail Captain Proud! Servant of the Magi!'
He answered this greeting by saying, as was customary, 'Hail, servants of the Magi.'
As soon as he had spoken his men scattered, each hurrying to his post. The ship began to move away from the docks. Just then, the captain noticed a strange figure wearing a dark cloak and hood. 'What is the meaning of this?' he said irritably. 'Why is HE here?'
'Careful,' said Careful.
Captain Proud looked at him for a moment. 'You are telling me to be careful?' He laughed and looked at the sky. 'There are no gods!' he cried out. 'And this man here is proof of it!'
'I am sorry, sir,' Careful said, 'It is just that, well, they say you should never offend one of…' he cut off, not wanting to say the name.
'And you think I have lived long enough for my hair to gray and thin without knowing this? Do you really think they would give a man such as I command of a warship if we did not understand the order of things? And who rules over who?'
'Forgive me, sir,' Careful replied.
Captain Proud walked away from him, marching over to the cloaked figure with murder in his eyes, but with military control in his step, sway and posture. 'Hail, Master,' he said politely, though falsely. Proud had never met a man who liked these dark lords of the Magic Tower.
'I am Thann of the Black Adder,' the man said coldly. 'There is a great host of warships sailing into our waters. The sailors are not all of them human, from what we can discern.'
'What do you mean? They cannot be dwarves. From whence do they sail?'
'They call themselves elves; they are immortals from the north,' Thann said.
'Elves?' the captain said with great surprise. 'What are you talking about?'
With something akin to patience, the Adder replied:
'We are not blind in any land, Captain Proud,' he began, 'We have been expecting such an invasion for many years now. But we could not discern the hour or day of its arrival. Nonetheless, it is here. The lands of the Far North are inhabited by the Elves; Immortals who rule and reign over several rich kingdoms. They are mighty in battle, wise and swift - they will not fall easy. But they must fall. It has been foretold by the servants of the Tower, that these men will conquer us, if we do not sink them into the depths or drive them back into the north.
Captain Proud interrupted him, waving his arms as he spoke, 'This is all nonsense! Foretold? Are we mystics now? That we listen to prophecies?'
Finally Thann sighed, the first sign that he, like the frustrated Captain, was a mere man. Proud calmed himself slightly when he saw this sign of human frailty in the otherwise sinister looking Mage.
The Black Adder were effectively the lords and masters of Lapulia. Their chief and master was the High Mage, who was also known simply as the Magi. No man ever knew who he was, unless, upon his death, it was deemed useful to reveal his identity. This was sometimes done to give honor to certain important families, whose loyalty would prove useful to the Tower. Other times the identity of the Mage was concealed. It puts me at no small peril to write this, but this very thing has been done no less than twenty times simply to hide the fact that the office of Magi was held, for a time, by a woman. It had been decided that the office of Magi should not be denied to whomever was deemed most capable. Since men and women partake of reason in equal measure, it is only natural that at times this should be a woman rather than a man. Some might suggest, of course, that one is more rational than the other, but this would be a mistake, for to speak is to reason - and in that sense one must conclude that, contrary to prejudice, women, in speaking more, are the more rational of the genders.
At any rate, the Black Adder refused to make this ruse known to either the people of Lapulia or to the enemies or allies of the Magic Tower. It was thought to be for the best, and there were times and circumstances when this was probably the case.
The rank of an individual Adder was known only to those within their own order. Thus, one could never quite be certain of how important or powerful the particular member might be. There was even some remote chance that the man to whom Captain Proud spoke was the Magi himself. With shudder the captain pushed this remote possibility from his mind.
'Shall I tell you all the secrets of the Magi?' Thann asked, or shall I tell you what you are to do?'
'Forgive me, my lord,' Proud said with a bow, 'What is the will of the Tower?'
'Send them away,' Thann said quickly. 'But if they do not leave - and it has been thrice foretold that they shall not - then sink them one and all.'
The Magic Tower fixed its beam of light upon the Fatewind, shining upon Lord Pelas himself, who shut his eyes so that he would not appear to shrink away from the attention. He felt the warmth upon his face and imagined that it was the very power of heaven pouring into him.
The Eighteenth, which was the name of Captain Proud's warship (I will have more to say regarding the methods of naming that are utilized by the Lapulians in another work), followed the light, its dark red sails flapping in the wind. A green flag was raised above the masts and the strong voice of Captain Proud flew across the water.
He said, 'Hail travelers! You have entered waters protected by the Tower of Lapulia! Turn aside and let us take council together, lest the Watchers of the Tower think that you have come to vex the land of Dominas and its people.'
Pelas raised his arm in agreement, and ordered the oarsmen to bring the ship around, so that they might receive the Lapulians. When the ships were close enough, the Lapulain sailors lowered planks across and bound them in place with ropes. Four Lapulian sailors stepped lightly across the slender wooden bridge, all dressed in blue tunics and black trousers, each with two short-swords hung at their waists. They were followed by Captain Proud and Thann, who stood just behind him with his cloak darkening all but his mouth and chin. The seamen walked with a fixed pace, but the Black Adder seemed to glide across the deck, his steps so even and precise that his head did not lift or rise with his gait, even with all the motion of the ship. Pelas looked warily at the dark figure, but kept his nerve when he addressed Captain Proud.
'Hail, friend,' he began, 'I trust that the Tower of Lapulia will accept our apologies, if in any way our fleet has inconvenienced or alarmed the citizens and lords of the Magic City.'
'It has not come to that,' Captain Proud stated firmly. 'But a fleet of this size cannot pass unchecked or without permission. The safety of many souls falls into our hands, and we must hold fast to our duty.'
Pelas was frustrated by his answer, but retained his composure. 'Then let us speak no further of these matters. Be at ease, for we bear no ill will toward the people of the Magic City.'
'That I appreciate well enough,' Captain Proud replied. 'My name is Proud, and I am captain over the Eighteenth Warship. In the name of the city of Lapulia I must ask you to turn about and return to the North. These waters, as I said, are protected by the Tower, and we will not risk the safety of our people until this fleet; a fleet of war by appearances, returns to the North.'
'I am Lord Pelas of Sunlan, lord of Ilvas and son of Lord Parganas,' Pelas replied proudly.
Proud looked confused at his words. Never having heard of those places or persons, he knew not what to make of his bold declaration concerning his identity. 'We come,' Pelas continued, 'to make war indeed, but not against Lapulia or its neighbors, but against the great Serpent of the sea.'
This statement almost forced a laugh from Captain Proud's mouth. Even the Lapulians do not dare face that monster,' he said.
Thann stepped forward, coming to stand beside Captain Proud. He was several inches shorter than the captain, but the mystery that shadowed him made his presence all the greater than Proud's.
He spoke quietly and without emotion.
'We know you, Lord Pelas, Aedanla's son. Your coming and your mission is no mystery to the Tower.'
Captain Proud gasped, but the look he received from the Black Adder restored his composure in an instant. 'You seek not only the Beast of the Sea, but also that of the earth and the air. But you shall slay neither, and you will perish in the waters. It has been foretold.'
Pelas found himself trembling ever so slightly, not knowing what to make of the strange man's words. He had spoken his mother's name, which even the elves of Sunlan did not know ere the coming of the elves of Ilvas. How could this man, who certainly had never set foot in Sunlan, much less in Alwan, know the name of the Queen of Bel Albor? And he also said that his failure was foretold. Filled with fear, Pelas stepped back from the dark man, looking to Bralohi like a lost child. Bralohi stood still like a statue and nodded at his master, passion in his eyes.
The confidence of his servant reminded him of his ambitions. 'Foretold? We shall see. The son of Parganas is not one to shrink from danger; even if that danger be brought to him by Fate herself. For I am Fate. And my deeds are Fateful. We come into these waters not as enemies, but we shall leave, and leave of our own accord and in the direction of our own choosing, whether you will be friends or foes to us. Fate has brought us hither, and Fate will deliver us from your TOWER,' and he spoke this last word with such contempt that the Black Adder stepped back in shock. For there were none among the Lapulians who would dare speak of the Tower or its masters with such contempt.
Regaining his composure, the Adder hissed, 'Our fleet bars the way, you shall not pass us as a living soul.'
Thann, followed by Captain Proud and then, at last, by his guards, returned to the Eighteenth warship and lifted the bridge from the Fatewind. Turning slowly about, they sailed east toward their fleet. Several flags of different colors and patterns were raised. A red flag signifying war, a blue flag signifying patience and a white flag with a black ring in the center, demonstrating the formation the fleet should assume. Thus the warships of Lapulia were commanded not to attack until the elves drew first blood, and to move into the southern path of the Sunlan fleet. This they did swiftly and with great precision.
'That is remarkable,' Bralohi whistled as he watched them take their positions. 'These are a people who can fight at sea.'
'Indeed,' Pelas said. 'But our sailors are as experienced as they. Moreover, our captains have, most of them, more experience than any of our foes can possibly hope to attain. For the career of an Immortal never reaches its peak, and our talents are never exhausted.'
Bralohi nodded, but doubted what he had heard.
Sol, who was, of all the high elves, most knowledgeable concerning the mortals, had long argued that the elves should not trust in their long lives to bring them an increase in either strength, wisdom or skill. 'Many an elf has fallen to the blade of one who, to us, is a mere infant. But how can such a thing be? Unless there is some level of ability that cannot be surpassed and some height of strength that cannot be exceeded. It is not as though our ancient ones can lift more weight than a strong-hearted Essene or sail with greater adeptness than a clever Knariss.'
These words weighed heavily upon him, but he was resolved to fight with his all for Lord Pelas, who alone, he thought, might someday bring the rule of the elves into the south. The lords of the north, Parganas and Ijjan alike, were too content in their rich palaces. An elf who had the courage to take upon himself the rule of the southern world, and to make an end to his human rivals; that is where the future of the immortals lay. 'For there will come a day,' he thought to himself, 'when these mortals will not be content with their lot, and the gentle golden palace of Sunlan and the teetering stone house of Parganas will not endure their fury. 'Elves live slowly,' Sol had also said. 'When our passions are excited, we can war for centuries, but the fury of a mortal, who knows that tomorrow he shall die, is swifter than any elf can comprehend.'
Fire Water
Lord Pelas refused every attempt his companions made to dissuade him from making an assault against the warships of Lapulia. In the end he sided with the council of Oblis and Cheru - even Ginat pleaded against him. His orders were shouted from ship to ship until every captain knew what he must do. At first light, Primsol and his brother Duesol, the sons of Sol, along with Rudjan, prince of Sunlan, made the first attack. They sailed quickly and skillfully into the enemy fleet casting harpoons and firing arrows at their foes. From the deck of Duesol's warship a volley of flame-lit arrows struck the side of a Lapulian vessel, quickly burning through the hull and spreading across the deck.
Primsol and Rudjan each sailed alongside a Lapulian ship and fired their ballistas, each armed with a long harpoon, into the hull of their enemies, showering the sailors with arrows all the while. When the ships came close enough one to the other, the elves began to swing across the waters onto the Lapulian ships. Soon the other elves joined in, each charging after a different warship, hoping to make as quick an end of the entire fleet as Duesol had made of his first foe.
After nearly a dozen warships had been sunk, a horn blared. It began low, sounding like an ordinary ram's horn, but as each moment passed it's volume increased, until it filled the ears of every man and elf on the waters. It lasted much longer than any man's lungs could have managed. The noise was almost deafening, and Pelas could not hear his own orders, though he shouted with all the bombast he could manage.
Cheru, seeing his lips moving, just covered his ears and shook his head.
The noise cut off so abruptly, and all else was so quiet in comparison, that for a moment Pelas thought the sound had actually destroyed his ears, rendering him deaf. The moment of horror passed, however, as a dozen dull thuds echoed across the water from the Magic Tower.
'What is that now, a drum?' Pelas asked in frustration. But it was not, as was the horn, merely empty noise. Within a few seconds there was a harsh whistle in the air as a dozen iron balls, each the size of a man's skull, flew passed the Fatewind and battered the warship of Duesol, shattering its mainmast and piercing its hull.
Every elf stood frozen in horror as the ship began to break apart, filling with water faster than they could ever have expected. They had very little time to consider these events, however, as another volley of iron balls flew into one of Sol's vessels, sinking it within a few minutes. After another ship was demolished, Ghastin shouted from the deck of the Dadiiron, much to the disbelief of his companions, 'They come from the Tower! From the Tower itself!'
Sure enough, another volley of iron balls shattered the vessel of Rudjan, sending the prince flailing through the air as the deck was split into a hundred pieces. Pelas ran to the edge of the ship, staring at the Tower helplessly. His mind was racing, it seemed, but he could not understand his own thoughts. He felt as though he were searching for some thought or some course of action that would make an end of this disaster, but he came up blank. In that moment of horror he scarcely could recall his own name.
As the ships of Sunlan vanished beneath the waves, a new cry of terror arose among the elves. The Lapulian navy had begun its counterattack. The Eighteenth pulled up alongside one of the Knariss vessels and, at the command of Captain Proud, hatches opened from its side spilling flame out upon the deck of their enemy as though they were pouring water from a pitcher. The ship and its crew burned up in a great blaze, their anguished screams filling the air. Soon the sea was littered with the burning wrecks of Sunlan warships, as the Lapulian fleets executed their strategy.
Through all these dangers Falruvis sailed skillfully and courageously. When first the Tower fired upon the elves, he turned his ship around and rushed to the side of Duesol's wreck. There he pulled the son of Sol from the water along with a great many others, moving away just in time to avoid another volley of iron balls from the Tower. One of these scraped the mainmast, but left only a few scratches as it flew past the ship into the water, sinking to the bottom of the sea never to be seen again.
Dalia watched in amazement as the battle raged. Amro had warned her to stay out of the way, but the sight of the Tower and the power of the Lapulians held her in awe. She huddled near Falruvis' cabin in a place where the sailors would not likely need to walk.
Falruvis took the helm himself and evaded another volley, deftly cutting through the water and bringing the ship into the heart of the battle. 'Fire the ship!' he shouted, ordering his archers to prepare their bows as they were approached by another Lapulian vessel. 'Now!' he screamed. Twenty flaming shafts flew skillfully from the deck, five striking sailors, four the sails, and the rest the deck and the hull.
In a short time, despite the panicked efforts of the Lapulian sailors, the ship was beyond help. The sailors cast their lot with the sharks and abandoned their vessel to the flames.
For every ship the elves managed to burn, however, the Lapulians burned three. Their weaponry proved superior in every regard.
Except…
Dalia looked up at the Tower with wide eyes. She rose from her hiding place and ran to the end of the deck, looking out into the northwest, where the greater portion of the Sunlan fleet yet remained. 'Bring them in toward the city! Into the battle, now!'
Amro, who was struggling to restring his bow, froze when he saw her rushing about on the deck. Thinking she had gone mad with fear he dropped the bow and rushed to her side. 'Dalele!' he shouted with a worried voice.
When Ghastin heard her name shouted he leapt from the aftcastle and la
nded with a thud upon the deck. 'What is it?' he demanded of his brother. Amro just pointed at Dalia as she rushed about the ship frantically. She was trying to climb up to the helm to speak with Falruvis.
The two caught her ere she reached the top of the stair. 'What is it, Dalele?' Ghastin said impatiently. They held her arms fast.
'Release me at once, fools!' she cried. 'Look at the Tower! It has not once fired upon a ship within three bowshots of their own warships.'
Amro made to pull her back down the stairs, but Ghastin stopped him. 'Amro, she speaks the truth. So long as our ships remain aloof, they will be easy prey for the Magi.'
'Falruvis!' Amro shouted, after a moment of thought. 'We must signal Pelas! The Tower has not fired once upon their own ships; we must bring in the fleet.'
'But the flames!' Falruvis replied. 'These ships breathe fire like fell Thaeton of legend. It is death by iron or death by flame; we would do nought but travel from the one doom to the other.'
At that moment Dalele cupped her hand to her mouth and pointed off the port side of the Dadiiron. About a stone's throw over the water there sailed a Lapulian warship, sending flames upon the deck of Sunlan ship. 'They have no weapons on their starboard side,' Falruvis realized. 'Dalele!' he said with awe.
A great number of their ships were destroyed before Falruvis was able to signal the other captains, directing them to exploit the vulnerability that Dalia had discovered. Falruvis knew that all of these efforts had worked when at last the Tower fell silent, being unable to target the elves without risking the ships of Lapulia.
Not every Lapulian ship bore that same defect. It was clear that the larger ships could spout fire from either the starboard or the port side. The Eighteenth could send fire from the bow and stern as well, and was therefore unapproachable to the elves, except by bow and arrow.
Primsol, the son of Sol, attempted to make an end of Captain Proud in this way, but he was struck in the face by an iron ball that had been sent ripping through the air by the Lapulian's Firesling.
Whatever else might happen that day, Captain Proud was not going to let some 'womanish' foreigner poke him with an arrow.
Primsol died that instant, his body crashing lifelessly to the deck.
When the Tower ceased firing, Lord Pelas regained his composure and took command once more of the fleet. With all their allies gathered together they sailed around the Lapulians, some ships baiting them while others assailed them from their undefended sides. So while the Lapulians poured out flames toward on foe, another came behind them and attacked them with arrows and harpoons.
Several of the Lapulian ships exploded with a great roar when struck by the flaming arrows of the elves. Moreover, some of the Lapulian warships, seeming to have expended their fire, turned to arrows and boarding parties even as did the elves. In these contests the elves and the Knariss had the advantage, for they were generally more skilled than the Lapulian sailors, who were unaccustomed to fighting hand to hand while at sea.
'These are not men but devils!' Captain Proud cursed as he looked upon the horrors of the battle. Some forty-six warships had been utterly destroyed, while another twelve were damaged beyond aid. Never in all his days had he seen an enemy so fierce and so mighty. 'Send for the Nineteenth and the Twentieth!' he shouted after one of his sailors. Careful, the man who had woken him with the news of the coming of the elves, turned to look at him. 'Yes sir!' he said, turning on the spot and heading toward the mast upon which was fixed the signal flags of the Lapulian navy. But before he could make any alteration to them, Thann, the Black Adder, appeared, seemingly from out of the empty air. 'No,' he said imperiously. 'It is enough.'
'What do you mean?' Proud shouted, halting Careful's flight with a raised hand. The younger man stopped and turned to face the two older men. Thann held up his white hand toward the Tower for several moments, and then, seeing a light flicker atop the structure in answer, lowered his attention back to the deck of the Eighteenth.
'There will be no need for further fighting,' he said. 'They have learned to fear us.' Thann turned and made his way toward the Captain's cabin - which would normally be reserved for Proud himself.
'We are to let them pass, then? And we are to let them go unpunished for their deeds?'
Thann turned quickly and returned to face the captain; anger in his eyes.
'Since when were you made the High Mage? Since when has all the wisdom of the Magic City been entrusted to you? How dare you?'
'I am sorry, my lord. I just,' and then he sighed, falling into silence.
Thann seemed to soften, if such a thing is possible for a Black Adder. He said, 'Let them leave; our revenge shall come in time. You and I shall not see it, but the Tower has seen it already, and shall yet stand to see it again when in time it comes.'
Captain Proud did not even attempt to understand that riddle.
He did, however, ask just one thing more. 'Why? You said that they must be destroyed.'
Thann answered coldly, 'That is what you needed to believe.'