Stealth Fighters

The Changeling girl Ant goes undercover into Gelden's hideout to search for the Losasidhe King and Queen.

15.

Stealth Fighters

 

 “You’ve failed me, Tolthe, but I will overlook it as you killed the Faesidhe girl Moleya Thantendrayl.   A damned shame that she had to die, for she would have made a marvelous consort - but our mission is too important.”     Gelden stood in the middle of an immaculately clean wizard’s study, while a handful of servants rushed around boxing up the contents of the room and hurrying off with them.

“So we’re leaving?”   Ant asked the wizard, careful to keep her mind focused on the thoughts she’d extracted from Tolthe hours before.

“I’m leaving, but you aren’t going with me,”   Gelden replied, and Ant sensed him scan her mind as he said this.   Ant forced thoughts of surprise, confusion and a bit of fear into the front of her mind, certain he’d read this.

“Staying?   But-“

“There is no time for arguments, Tolthe!   I have a rendezvous to keep.”

“A rendezvous with whom, master?”

“Who do you think, you idiot?    With the airship that the Practical Magician and Princess stole!”

“But how-“

Gelden sighed, growing very impatient, “Since when do I have to explain my ways to you, Tolthe?   Do you not remember the gate to Windhaven?    I will take that and then I’ll use a Placement spell to jump over to the Queen Eioldth.    It will be anchored within sight of Windhaven… at least it had better be, or there will be hell to pay.”

“It sounds dangerous, master,”   Ant risked saying, hoping for more details for Sophia, who she knew would be watching through the Brooch.

“It isn’t dangerous for me!    The Gate has remained constantly stable for months and the Placement spell so far has not been affected as the teleportation spells have.    Your concern for my well-being is admirable, Tolthe, but it will not change my decision.   I will dispel the gate after I have entered through it, so no one can follow me.  You will stay behind with the others to monitor Eiolmoel and Synthaeia until I am confident that it is safe to execute them.   I am putting you in charge of the security for the exterior courtyard.”

“Yes, master,”  Ant responded as she knew Tolthe would have.

“It will be perhaps a week before we get rid of Eiolmoel and Synthaeia.    I hope to have them executed and their bodies disposed of before Muld and the princess return to complete their final task, but I need them alive at least until they agree to it, for they will blanch at it, of this I am certain.”

Ant had not been able to learn from Tolthe’s memories what the third task Gelden had for Muld and Syndi, but she knew she had to be cautious in her attempt to find out.

“I’d be nervous too if I were given that job,”  She said off-handedly.

Gelden sneered, “You wouldn’t even get close to Eleazar!   His damned Drow wife and her family would see right through you, Tolthe.    You may have managed to kill Moleya, but Eleazar is a Paladin and no fool.   It is not certain that even Muld and Princess Synthaeia will be smart enough to find a way to do it.”

Ant struggled not to show any emotion or let the knowledge stay on the unguarded front part of her mind where Gelden could read it.    He was planning on having Muld and Syndi execute King Eleazar!    It didn’t surprise her, for he burned with hatred for the man who had -in his way of thinking- destroyed the Faesidhe kingdom.

“What if they fail, master?”   She asked Gelden.

“Then we think of another scheme.   But we will have a secure base of operation and an airship to aid us.     I hope that even a failed attempt will inspire the Faesidhe living in suppression in the great forest and that they will favor any advances we make to them for their assistance.”

At that moment one of the servants in the room approached the wizard and told him that all the essential equipment had been moved.

“Good!”   Gelden turned to Tolthe, “I am leaving now, Tolthe, remember what I have told you.    Memthe, Larren and Tucando are in charge of guarding the royals and they will brief you on what to do.   Farewell!”

The wizard turned and without another word, rushed out of the room, escorted by his servants.

Ant hesitated, unsure what to do.   She could strike the wizard and perhaps catch him off guard enough to kill him, but the three men that Gelden had named were guarding Syndi’s parents and they might kill them before they could be rescued.

For their sakes, she had to let the wizard go.

 

“I hope you got all that,”  She said in Tolthe’s voice to Sophia, who (she hoped!) was watching.    Ant paused a moment, then asked a servant in the hall where the three Faesidhe in charge of guarding the royals were.

“I’ll send word to them that you want to meet with them,”  The servant replied, cautiously not divulging where they were.   But Ant scanned the man’s mind and saw a dungeon-like basement complex under the building and learned that it was well guarded and had magic protecting it as well.

She’d have to take her time with this.

She nodded and told the servant she’d wait for Memthe, Larren and Tucando’s response. Ant then sat down in a chair in Gelden’s study to wait, wondering what Muld and Syndi were doing at that moment.

 

***

 

A loud pounding on their cabin door brought Muld and Syndi both awake with a start, sitting up wild-eyed and dazed for a moment until they remembered their surroundings.

“Wake up in there!”   It was Legech’s voice and as usual he sounded aggravated.  

Muld leaped from bed and rushed to the door, opening it cautiously, for who knew what the Faesidhe captain wanted.

“Be on deck in five minutes,”   Legech snapped at him, “My master has arrived and awaits you.”

“Your master?”

“Don’t be stupid, magician!    The Wizard of Windhaven!   Now hurry up!”

“Does he have my parents with him?”   Syndi called from behind Muld, but Legech had stormed off and did not hear the question.

*Be cautious, sweetheart* Muld warned telepathically.

Syndi nodded straightening her clothing and hair, anxious to find out.

Within the allotted time they were on the deck and were ushered into place as if they were in a receiving line to greet a king.

Behind them, Legech’s men assembled, also in a straight line,  including the two impostors who wore the skins of Oilos and Freyic.   They didn’t acknowledge them, but their eyes briefly met as Muld and Syndi passed in front of them.

Moments later the door to the pilot’s cabin opened and out strode a tall, lanky Faesidhe Elf with wild blonde hair and intense eyes of a blue tint.   He wore a grey wizard’s robe, leaving no doubt to his identity.

Legech and his men seemed frightened of him and bowed respectfully, though the wizard arrogantly ignored them.

He came directly up to Muld and Syndi, surveyed them for a moment, then crossed his arms in front of him.  

“I am Gelden, the Wizard of Windhaven,”  He said proudly as if his title was that of an all-powerful king.

Muld and Syndi bowed slightly, unsure what exactly to do or say.

“I will not waste time with trivialities; you have done quite well thus far.”    Gelden turned and gestured to the east, where the sun was minutes away from rising, “When the sun rises, you will clearly see the floating city of Windhaven, where I have labored under the pirate Hobnail for many long days.   I told you that my sister has been held captive by Hobnail to insure my compliance with his wishes.”

Muld nodded, already anticipating what the wizard was going to say next.

“I received word yesterday from one of Hobnail’s former lieutenants that my sister had been executed by a rival lieutenant!   A lieutenant that has seized control of Windhaven!   Now I want to extract revenge!   Not only on this lieutenant, but on the pirate haven as well!    I want to take Windhaven, expel and execute the pirates and make it my base, and this is part of the task I have for the two of you.”

Muld knew propaganda when he heard it and doubted that the wizard even had a sister that had been killed.   He was about to send this telepathically to Syndi, but felt a strange sensation in his head.   It was hard to describe or pinpoint exactly; it was the sensation of a presence lurking there, like a peeping tom looking in the window to his thoughts.    It wasn’t the familiar mind of Syndi, so he forced his mind to clear of thoughts, though he wasn’t sure it would work.    If Gelden was a telepath, he might have already read his mind and knew his innermost thoughts.

He had to break the wizard’s concentration.

“Master Gelden, exactly how are we supposed to help you take this city?   We’re certainly not warriors, nor are we battle ready wizards.”

Gelden smiled smugly, “Master Muld, you were able to cripple Hobnail’s forces, more-or-less singlehandedly, and I know that you have no love of the pirates.     Your wit and ingenuity is what I’m relying upon… as well as your ability to pilot this vessel.”

“What about Syndi?”

“She is a sorceress, is she not?    She used fire against one of Hobnail’s ships quite effectively, so she can do the same against the forces marshaled against us in protection of their base.”

“Yes, but wouldn’t that also destroy or damage your city?” 

“She shall be very precise in her casting.”

“Can one ship take this floating city?”

“With my brilliant leadership and understanding of the defenses, it can indeed.     You both shall help me do this… remember that I still have the king and queen as hostages.”

“I want to see them!”   Syndi blurted out.

Gelden laughed, “My dear princess, I would not risk their lives bringing them with me for this assault.     Your parents are safe and secure and you will get to speak to them following the successful completion of this task.”

“How many tasks remain?”   She asked him.

“After this one, only one more task, then your parents will be set free.”

“What is that last task?”  Syndi demanded.

“Ah, not yet, princess!   You must focus on completing this task first.”    Gelden gestured to one of his men, who rushed forward with a rolled up map, which he spread out on the flat surface of the railing around the pilot cabin.

“This is a map that I compiled of the defenses and key points of the city of Windhaven.     Study this well, Master Muld, and you too, princess.   There are two pirate vessels docked in Windhaven now - which is a great advantage to us, as usually there are four or five.     Both of these ships are older wind-driven vessels, but they have large crews and powerful catapults.”

Gelden then pointed to the four corners of the city.    “The city is square in shape and at each corner of the city there are large towers with four catapults mounted at right angles to each other that protect most of the city from attack.    In the center of the city is the main keep, called ‘the Captain’s Keep’ which has catapults facing each direction on the roof.    There are 24 catapults total.”

Gelden outlined a section of the map with his finger, “This area is the docking area and it is very well covered by catapults at all sides as well as those on the docked ships.     The underside of the city is solid rock and cannot be penetrated.    The other three sides of the city have thick walls surrounding it with smaller ballista up and down the walls.”

The wizard straightened up, folded his arms and with raised eyebrows looked at Muld and Syndi.

“Now I want your strategy for taking this city.   It would seem to be very difficult to take it from any side by ship, due to the catapults.”

Syndi turned to Muld, hoping he had an idea, and she was not disappointed.

“Can Windhaven change altitudes?”

“Yes, but due to its size and weight, it is slow to rise up.”

“Then the best strategy is to come down directly from above, after first dropping rocks from a greater height, down upon each catapult to disable them.”

Gelden smiled as if to say that he had thought of that very same idea, but knew of the problems with the plan, which he now was going to share with Muld.

But Muld cut him off by saying, “You are thinking that it is impossible to position this airship so that we can fire upon the city from directly above it.   We have to be to one side of it for the trajectory of the catapults = or cannons, in the case of this ship- to fall on target.   You are right -catapults or cannons can’t fire straight down.     But I have another way.”

Gelden’s smile faded, replaced by a curious expression, “Go on…”

Muld took a deep breath, “Well, the key to my strategy is to come directly from above, not from an angle.   The city’s catapults can’t fire directly upward; all of their shots arc upward and forward.    If we were high enough above them, nothing could hit us, but we have to drop something straight down upon them.   We could drop small stones from the sides of the ship, but these would not do enough damage to be worth the effort.”

Muld mimicked Gelden by folding his arms, “Therefore we should use this ship’s cargo doors.”

“Cargo doors?”   Gelden questioned.

“The Queen Eioldth has large hatches in the bottom of the hull that open up.     That is so it could hover low over a docking platform and supplies could be sent up into the hold.    There are four separate hatches.    We could place heavy objects on top of these hatches, with someone looking through another of the hatches to gauge the distance and position.    Once the hatch with the objects resting on top of them was in position over a catapult, the hatch would be opened and gravity would take the objects on top of the hatch falling with force upon the catapults below.    Then the hatch would be closed, more heavy items would be pulled in place and the next catapult in Windhaven would be targeted and destroyed until all were wiped out.”

Gelden looked mildly surprised and repressed an excited expression, only nodding as if it were only a fair plan.

“That is a novel plan, Master Muld.    But the catapults are only part of the problem.    The pirates will have to be eliminated and for that we’ll have to engage them hand to hand… unless you have a solution for that.”

Muld shrugged, “There are too many variables to plan a strategy for that.   How many pirates do you think will be in Windhaven?”

“The number varies as each ship comes and goes.     There are probably a hundred people living permanently in the city "-mostly serving wenches, w****s and slaves who work for the pirates.    Hobnail’s ‘palace’ has probably 20 people there, but I don’t know how many remain now that he is gone.   Most of them were women, as he didn’t trust men to be left behind when they’d sail out on a raid.   The few men there were all castrated so they’d not mate with any of his w****s.”

Syndi and Muld looked disgusted at the information, which amused Gelden.    

“These are pirates, Master Muld!”  

“Fifteen of us against 100 or more are not good odds, sir.”

“So come up with some ingenious alternative, Master Muld, to even up the odds!”   Gelden snapped back.

“There is nothing I could come up with so quickly… you are wanting to attack today, correct?”

“Indeed, I am!    Which brings me back to your first idea about dropping heavy items on top of them - where will we find something that will work?”

“I hope the cargo hold of this ship has supplies -any heavy object dropped from a great height will do the trick.”

“Well, you had better be right, magician, for the sun is nearly up and the time for strategy has passed.   I’ll have my men check the hold and move items over the cargo hatches.   You will have the responsibility of moving this ship into the correct height to carry out your plan.    I’m also putting on your shoulders the targeting of the catapults.     Once that is accomplished, we’ll drop down and storm the city; perhaps our spell casters can win the day for us.   You and Princess Syndi will assist in the attack.   Once we have won the day, I will allow the princess to speak to her parents.”

Muld and Syndi nodded, knowing that there was no room for debate.

“Good!    Then take this ship upward, Master Muld, at once.    Rojin, you and Tolb are in charge of positioning cargo over the hatches to drop on the catapults.   Move quickly, as I want to begin in half an hour!”

“Yes, master,”   The two elves said with a bow, hurrying off to do his bidding.     The wizard did not see Oilos and Freyic slip away and follow Rojin and Tolb, for Gelden was busy instructing Legech on his plan for the assault on the city after the catapults were disabled.

Muld, however, saw them leave and hoped whatever they had planned would help them before the battle began.

 

***

 

“Don’t move or cry out and we’ll spare your lives,”   Amala whispered to the surprised Rojin, holding the point of her sword against his neck, while Carn and Alvis (wearing the form of Oilos and Freyic) grabbed Tolb from behind. 

“Two more prisoners,”   Mage Keith grumbled as they pushed the two Faesidhe into their makeshift holding area.

“Muld came up with a plan to attack the city,”  Alvis told his companions, outlining the scheme.

“That is ingenious,” Drake commented after hearing about the plan, “Now we’ll need to take the form of these two prisoners -I’d suggest Mage Keith and I are given their forms after we read their memories- two wizards will help when we take over the ship.”

“Why bother?”   Allea asked, “Since we need to destroy the pirates as well, why not just assist in the raid on Windhaven?    Let the Faesidhe forces of Gelden do their share, then we can take care of the rest.”

“That’s a good idea, sweetheart, but Gelden’s forces still will be outnumbered, so the Faesidhe may not defeat the pirates.”

“Well, if they are getting defeated, then we could go to their assistance.”

“That sounds reasonable to me,”  Drake answered.

“Well I don’t like it at all!”  Amala said, “Keith, Drake, Carn and Alvis will have to participate in the attack when they wear the forms of the captured Faesidhe men.    They’ll face all the danger while we women just stay here waiting.”

“We’ll be fine, love,” Carn assured her, “We all have our Autocasters on, and from a strategic standpoint, it is best to have some reserve forces to assist if things go poorly.”

Amala sighed, crossing her arms in frustration, “Well, I still don’t like it!”

“We’ll monitor them, child, and rush in as soon as needed,”  Zeatt assured her niece.

“Alright, but we need to make sure we can get off the ship quickly when the time comes.”

“Don’t worry, dear girl, all will go well,” Drake said, “Now let’s get the cargo in place and concentrate on taking the forms of our newest prisoners, before Gelden suspects something.

That ended the discussion and they hurried to make things ready.