Chapter 26: The Battle

Will Berin, Glavino and the Shuiku army be able to thwart the might of the battle-hardened King Labar and the Bacana horde?

The Battle

Berin stood on the hilltop alongside the Shuiku general. The man was taller than him, taller than most of the Shuiku, peering down the valley towards their destiny. Behind him was Glavino, beaming with pride.

Glavino had told Berin the rest of the story of their escape from the Keturah on Presa.

“We managed to board a larger vessel heading across the waters with some refugees. Rini was brilliant at keeping the oars under control. By night he was able to guide us. I am uncertain how he did so.”

“I know how. By the stars.”

“Is that so? Good boy. Anyway, we reached Shuiku on the eastern side of Xie. I know not where the others walked.”

“Whereas I landed on the western side. How did you find me?”

“We searched for veros until we heard an Orguein spy was to be lynched that day. It had to be you. We hurried to Xie and forthwith came with the sword to save not only your life but seemingly the lives of the Shuiku as well.”

“Very humorous, Glavino. You might be truthful with that statement.”

“I certainly hope so.”

Both men were dressed in the unique Shuiku armour, with metallic armour underneath a smock reaching from shoulders to knees.

“This feels strangely comfortable,” said Glavino.

“Somewhat, though the smock opens my, umm, private area, defenseless. I feel like a woman, wearing it under this.”

“But the armour makes you look like a mighty warrior.”

“What did you say?” asked the interpreter as he stepped forth.

“Berin was just complaining…”

“Shut it, Glavino. I was just commenting on the smock.”

“Ah, yes, makes one feel manly.”

“Yes, of course.”

Glavino sniggered. Berin glanced in his direction. Glavino stopped, though it was hard to stifle the joy welling from his belly.

The armour was made of strong metal, much like the metal of Skarbor. If required, Berin knew it would save him from a number of body blows.

Below, in the valley, spread the full force of the Keturah army. They were chanting, clearly primed for battle, confident of their victory. In front, leading them for the first time in a fully-fledged battle was their ruthless king, Labar.

“Why is he named Labar the Luster?” the Shuiku interpreter, whose name was Shaodeng, had asked Berin and Glavino the day before. The two proceeded to tell the story of Labar’s ascension to power.

“Labar’s father, Kenan, had amassed a large quantity of weapons, because he wanted to protect himself from his brothers. He was the youngest, but in their unusual manner, somehow Kenan had gained kingship.”

“Yes, the Bacana princes are subjected to a series of contests, from which the future king is determined.” Glavino added. Berin looked twice at Glavino. This was a man who struggled with simple conversation except with close friends. Here he was, articulating himself rather well. Perhaps he had received a tip or two about storytelling from Grasio.

“The nations around the Bacana were concerned about the recruitment of weapons that they summoned the ‘Council of Defense’. Our elder then sought for peace with Kenan. Kenan was aghast at his own behaviour, not realising the effect this would have on neighbouring lands. He thus halted work on armaments and stored them away.

“Little did Kenan know his son would use such weapons to plot against him.”

“Why?” Shaodeng asked, along with a few of the Shuiku soldiers who had gathered around the tent with intrigue.

“It is believed Labar has always had a heart for the ladies,’ said Berin. ‘This perhaps has made him so zealous to overthrow lands.”

“I think you are oversimplifying Labar,’ piped in Glavino. ‘Do not forget his mother, Abimael, was the daughter of the wicked King Xedon.”

“Of course, how could one forget? Surely Xedon and his invasions of the Islands had an influence on his daughter. Perhaps she did pass this on to Labar.”

Shaodeng looked puzzled, “So the Luster name is merely in regards to a lust for power?”

“Perhaps, as Glavino said. Still, I believe he has an appetite for many women. There was a rumour spread around earlier that Labar was rather friendly with his mother. I suppose he could not control his manly desires. Like father, like son.”

“What do you mean?”

“Kenan was a righteous man, a very fair and upright leader of the Bacana. However, he was found in bed with a servant girl, or so that is what the rumours say. Apparently Abimael discovered him and was grief-stricken. She went to Labar for comfort. Labar immediately said he would deal with this, as it was a male issue…”

Glavino burst in with the punchline, “And two weeks later Kenan was found, dead, with a sword thrust through his heart.”

“That is disgusting!” said Shaodeng.

“Not as dreadful as lynching someone,” said Berin.

“I think a sword is worse.”

“Fine, but the thought of one’s own neck breaking…”

“Anyway, no one could prove it was Labar who did the deed,’ continued Glavino. ‘Perhaps no one wanted to die like Kenan, so mouths remained closed. I think Kenan deserved it, especially because he was sleeping with another woman.”

“Do you think he deserved death?” asked Shaodeng.

“Yes. Anyone who cannot control his manly parts should be put to death,’ Glavino muttered.

Is he referring to me? Does he think I bedded Sceala? Oh for the love of the gods, let him not think that!

Now, as they faced the Bacana army, armoured and primed, Berin released a low whistle. He was not fearful, for it was as though he knew the fate of this vero.

Glavino turned to Berin, ‘I think you should have killed the innkeeper.”

Glavino briefly told the story of the innkeeper’s dealings with Erinu. Meanwhile, Berin thought of Sceala. He had no right to desire her. He was glad he never did any deed, though wanting to made his stomach churn.

But we stopped ourselves. It was not perfect, but we did not relinquish to our desires.

“That is filthy!’ exclaimed Shaodeng as Glavino finished the story of the innkeeper and Erinu’s ordeal. ‘Why, Berin, did you not kill him?”

Berin did not respond at first, still deep in his own thoughts.

“Berin?”

“What?”

“The innkeeper. Why did you not kill him?”

“Perhaps for someone like him, living with the guilt and shame would be far worse than a quick death. Were we not telling a tale? Let us return to this. I feel sick thinking of what Erinu experienced.”

Glavino continued.

“Since Kenan’s death, Labar saw off his brothers and took the kingship of the Keturah, with his mother as his advisor.”

“And now, that very same man stands before us,” finished Berin.

Shaodeng whistled through pursed lips.

“Yes, look at him, complete in his royal armour. You can almost see the golden leopard stretched across his chest. If your eyes are squinted, that is.”

“He is ready to attack yet another army.”

This vile man was the source of his children’s ordeals, especially of Erinu’s ordeal. It grated not only at his mind but also at his soul.

Glavino read Berin’s mind. “Do you think Erinu will ever trust another soul again? Trust enough to be intimate?”

“She will have to regain her innocence. That is the only way. I have failed her in that.”

“You keep saying that, Berin, but you have not. Your task now as her loving father is to bring her peace. It is the least one can do for her.”

“You are correct, I suppose.”

“Of course I am.”

“The Bacana are unaware of the one weapon set to alter the course of their invasions,” said the interpreter, staring at the sword.

“They think this attack will be swift.”

“Like all the other attacks. They annihilated the Manas Hu and us Vergarans. They took over the Midran Passage and Hawr and Presa in little time.”

“And they think because the Shuiku are a loose horde of tribes; we are no match for a united, battle-hardened unit.”

“But this weapon would ensure peace.”

The Shuiku general held aloft the Aleutian sword, provided by Berin and Glavino. When combined with the sheath, held by the heroic Berin, peace would come. Or so they hoped.

“Will it work?” asked Glavino.

“Of course it will work,’ said Berin. ‘It must work. What else do we have?”

“Berin is correct, Glavino. Here is a veracious army, ready to slaughter all who stand in their path. Their motives are impure. All they desire is more land, more humans to control, to force them to pay taxes and work their newly gained land. But on this wondrous morn, this is the vero when all this will end. The Bacana army will be no more.”

Berin and Glavino murmured in agreement.

The Shuiku general stood atop a rock jutting like a ramp out of the earth. The soldiers behind him gathered in silence, ready to hear the powerful words of the general as he turned to face them.

“Citizens of Shuiku, enemies of Keturah, listen to me!’ bellowed the general. Then, turning and pointing with the sword, ‘You, the Keturah, have shaken the earth and its foundation. But no more. You shall not overtake another land. Your lust for power finishes here. We, the Shuiku, hold a weapon that shall wipe your army off this valley and into oblivion. It shall murder you. We will strip your armour like vultures with a carcass.

“You will cease to exist. Your king, Labar, will crawl like an animal, begging for mercy. You see, we have the sword and sheath of Aleutian. It will finish you, defeat you, annihilate you! Shuiku, on the ready!”

The Shuiku soldiers readied to sprint down the incline towards the Keturah army. The Keturah army primed themselves in typical formation, the first row single-kneeling, the second standing with swords level with their shoulders.

Berin was puzzled.

“Wait a moment. We sheath the sword for peace to occur, am I not correct?”

No one could understand him, for Shaodeng had fled the battlefield. He was not a military man. No one would listen to him.

“The Shuiku had misinterpreted the prophecy, Glavino!”

“They have indeed. What are we to do?”

The nasal sound of a crumhorn was heard from behind him. That was the cue to attack. As the Shuiku charged down the hill, Aleutian’s sword leading the horde, Berin dropped to the ground. The sheath fell, clanging against the rocks. Berin’s mind raced back in the cave when he first landed on Shuiku. Why would they rush? Peace would not come through attack! He knew they had to sheath the sword. War was not the answer. The prophecy’s way was the opposite. But the general had the sword and he was more than halfway across the sloping field.

Glavino, however, reacted differently. He zealously ran past Berin, collecting the fallen sheath. Off he sprinted in the direction of the ensuing battle. Seeing Glavino run without fear prompted Berin to rise and give chase.

My integrity nor my manhood would never forgive me if I allow Glavino to rush into a battle while I lay there in fear!

Neither had a weapon of worth, though Berin had been handed a knife earlier by the Shuiku general. He removed it from his belt, hearing it clink against Juolo’s beaded necklace. He suspected the knife would not effectively defend him.

Berin clambered after Glavino, all the while keeping a close eye on the general. It was a lost cause; the colour of beet-red soon overwhelmed him.

How can the sword be resheathed now?

Berin wondered this as he gained on Glavino. They were both suddenly entrenched in the thickest part of the battle. A Keturah soldier rose to attack Glavino. Berin stabbed him from behind. Throwing the knife to Glavino, Berin collected the soldier’s sword and swung it round to behead an oncoming opponent.

The battle intensified as Berin and Glavino, fighting together, thwarted constant attacks. It was clear the Keturah were the capable, battle-hardened soldiers. Shuiku soldiers were falling to their death in their tens and hundreds.

“Behind you, Glavino!”

“I see him!”

Glavino sliced the Keturah soldier above the neck, blood splurging like a reddened waterfall. The soldier dropped to the ground, cursing in his native tongue. Glavino pushed him over, allowing his body to become part of the mosaic of bodies.

“Have no fear, Glavino is here!”

“I do not fear, Glavino!”

It seemed like a royal kind of destiny possessed Berin.

“We must find the general.”

“And the sword of Aleutian.”

“And return it back to its prophetic place.”

“Exactly. Do you see him?”

“Not yet. We will.”

Berin believed with fervour this was the reason for his birth. Fighting with renewed passion, he and Glavino foiled attack upon attack until they were close to the general.

“There he is, facing away from us! Quick, another soldier is coming!”

Berin thwarted yet another charge. He closed in on the general, hoping to clasp hold of him, but more importantly, the sword.

Suddenly, a heavy-set Keturah soldier rushed from behind the general and smote him, his head bounding across the blood-stained ground. The sword of Aleutian dropped as the general’s twitching hand released hold. Berin rushed, stabbing the giant of a man between the shoulder blades. Picking up the sword, he turned to Glavino, who was directly behind him. Glavino launched the sheath into the air towards Berin, who caught it neatly in his adunai and guided the sword into its sheath, metal abrading against metal until the sword was completely covered and inside its resting place.

At that moment a piercing shriek rang throughout the valley. It was so high pitched that all on the battlefield fell to the bloodied ground, clutching their ears to deaden the noise. Only the shielding of the ears did nothing. The sound invaded the mind, sweeping through every cortex. It overpowered the cries of despair as every man writhed in pain.

“Peace!” cried Berin in Vergaran. Immediately the sound halted, at least for him anyway. He could see all the soldiers, including Glavino, writhing in pure agony, as though an evil spirit possessed them.

Berin grabbed Glavino.

“Cry ‘peace’ so the gods may hear you!”

Glavino must not have heard so Berin repeated his command. This time, Glavino shrieked, “Peace!” in a pitch close to the noise. Glavino immediately ceased the uncontrollable shaking of his body. Berin grasped him by the collar and lifted him to his feet.

“Look, Glavino, no one is fighting. They are all possessed by the noise.”

“This is certainly one method to bring peace,’ moaned Glavino, shaking his head rapidly, and then leaning to the side as though removing seawater from his ears. ‘The gods are rather intelligent.”

As each soldier, Keturah or Shuiku, cried for peace and mercy they returned to normality. Peace from the sound became more important than fighting. War was halted, for the searing pain was too great to bear.

“It must be this. If one cries in absolute agony, it is a true, binding commitment.”

“Like a covenant commitment?”

“Something like that, yes.”

“With whom, Berin?”

“The gods.”

“You really think they are behind this?”

“This is not human. It must be something supernatural.”

“It must be. I thought you did not believe in the…” Glavino allowed his voice to trail away. Berin simply nodded his head.

Soon both armies were dropping their weapons. They were shaking hands the ancient way, declaring the Keturah would fight no more, and the Shuiku would return the favour by not killing them. Only their king, Labar, refused to cry out for peace.

“Look at the evil king!”

He writhed in agony, desperately trying to hold his sword and shield and attack any Shuiku soldier, while attempting to deal with the piercing noise inside his head.

“Look at the king! He looks rather foolish!”

The Shuiku soldiers nearby laughed. The Keturah men scowled.

Soon the sound overwhelmed Labar as he threw himself to the ground, banging his head against the rocks. The Shuiku, amongst their giggles, chained him and led him away like an overanxious puppy that desperately wanted to kill the insect buzzing around its head.

There would be no more suffering. The Age of Peace had begun.

“Hand over your weapons,” said the Shuiku soldiers.

“Can we trust you?” one of the Keturah men asked.

“You will have to. Or you will perish.”

“By your sword?”

“No, by the gods.”

The Keturah army quickly handed their weapons over to the Shuiku, who then rounded them up and walked them back to the coast. The boats that brought over the bloodstained army, now manned by Shuiku sailsmen, began taking the prisoners, if they can be named so, back across the Sonid Sea. The Shuiku general-in-second, who rapidly became the new general, sailed aboard one of the vessels to Porto Cerro and onto Hawr, where they corralled the second wave of Keturah soldiers awaiting news of the battle. Using any vessel to be found, the Shuiku forces returned the now-shamed Keturah men across the Pachuca Ocean, back towards Orguein territory. The new Shuiku general returned the Aleutian sword and sheath to the Hawr people, who were delighted to have such a spiritual object returned to their care.

Meanwhile, Berin and Glavino rapidly became heroes amongst the Shuiku people.

“You are the champions from Vergara!”

“The Vergaran victors!”

They were lavished with gifts and offers. Rini and Erinu were greatly relieved to have their father with them again, especially after they heard the battle had begun.

“We thought you were going to die!” said Erinu through moist eyes.

“Oh darlings, I would never let that happen.”

Shaodeng lifted Berin and Glavino’s arms in front of a cheering crowd.

“Our victors, our heroes!”

“Hurrah!”

“We must offer you a gift. The people want you to become the new generals. Our judges will give you land in the opulent wine regions.”

“That sounds exciting, Berin!”

“We cannot.”

“Why not?”

“Juolo.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I am sorry, Shaodeng. We are sorry. This is all so grand, but I must find my wife. I have to find my wife.”

“Where is she?”

“North of here. We believe she is in Zoar.”

“How can we help?”

“I know not.”

Glavino butted in.

“Of course they can help. Berin, I love you like a brother. But travelling only with you this whole time is getting rather laborious.”

Berin laughed.

“Where did you hear that word?”

“I learn things, Berin.”

“So you have, Glavino. So you have.”

“Anyway, it would be good if we had a group of men to accompany us. It would make things easier if we had many men to help find Juolo. Who knows what lies north?”

And so with a contingency of fifty Shuiku men captivated by Berin and Glavino’s newfound fame, including Shaodeng and his fellow colleague, the four Vergarans prepared to ride north on horseback.

Destination: Zoar. Target: Juolo.