Chapter 14
The Mountain Beast
Outside Utica, Kingdom of Hannibal
Tobias wasted no time getting them as far away from the city of the Sons of the Mountain as possible. He was so focused on moving on that he did not notice the change that had come over Tellus at first. It was nothing too dramatic. She just seemed more restless than before, like she could not relax. Shoshanna had exhausted herself manipulating Barthak and the other Sons of the Mountain, so it was not for some time until her powers had recovered enough to speak to Tellus mind-to-mind again.
"There is something calling to her," Shoshanna explained. "It was what brought her to this land in the first place. She was making her way there when you captured her. While she was wearing the chains she could not feel the call, but it has come back stronger. We are not far now, I don't think."
"Does she know what it is?" Tobias asked.
"No."
"Is it dangerous?"
"She doesn't seem to think so."
Tobias found himself thinking about how Tellus was supposed to be a living calamity. It could be through no fault of her own and whatever was calling her would use her powers and turn them to disastrous ends.
"You're still trusting the words of people who lied to you, who you chose to turn against at the cost of everything you had?" Shoshanna asked.
It was frustrating at times that he could conceal nothing from her.
"Do you think the word of the seers was for nothing?" he asked.
He stopped himself before asking her what she could see. As she reminded him before, it was not lawful for him, and she did not seem to have much confidence in her visions anyway.
"It doesn't seem like she'll rest until we go to this place," he said. "What do you think?"
"I don't sense any danger," Shoshanna replied. "Perhaps as we get closer, I can see more clearly. So long as we proceed careful—"
Her words were cut short. Tobias looked over his shoulder and said, "Shoshanna? Are you alright? Have you seen something?"
"It... it's not about that... Something else... Something... closer... The city... Stay away from... the city..."
By this point, they were close enough to Utica for Tobias to see the flames and plumes of smoke rising in the distance.
"Don't," Shoshanna said.
"What?"
"I know what you're thinking. Don't go."
"I have to," Tobias said. "It's my duty as a knight."
"You're not a knight anymore, Tobiyah ben Yishak. You're a fugitive from the Queen's justice. Besides, you know what kind of people live in that city. Let them burn."
He could understand her reasons for being bitter, but even so, he could not turn a blind eye to the city's plight.
"Please get off," he said. "Take Tellus and wait for me here. If I'm not back by morning, go on ahead. Go west. Take a ship and get as far away from this kingdom as you can."
"You know that I can stop you."
"Please don't."
Would she respect his wishes or would she seize control of him again? He would fight her for it if it came to that, no matter the consequences.
As he was bracing himself for a battle of wills, he felt Shoshanna get off his horse's back. She walked around to the side and without saying anything, held out her hands to take Tellus. As Tobias picked up Tellus to hand her over to Shoshanna, it seemed to dawn on her that something was amiss. She tried clutching at Tobias, but he gently pried her hands off him.
"I have to go," he told her. "I'll be back soon."
Tellus struggled against Shoshanna, but she held her fast.
"I warned you, Tobiyah ben Yishak," Shoshanna said. "Remember that."
She hugged Tellus close and put a hand on her cheek, apparently using her powers to calm the girl.
"Take care of Tellus," he said. "The Lord be with you."
"And also with you, you damn fool."
Tobias spurred his horse and made his way toward the city. Only the Mountain Devils would launch a raid like this. There was no telling the numbers. Sometimes it would only be a hundred or two—which was bad enough—, but other times it could be upward of a thousand. It was during one of these larger raids that Tobias' father lost his life.
Even if the Mountain Devils' numbers were relatively few, the garrison would have its hands full fighting them, stemming the spread of the fires and evacuating the townsfolk to safety. Tobias could not make much difference, but anything he could do would help.
Rather than throw himself right into the fray, he went around the main battle line in a bid to root out any that managed to slip through. Most of the Mountain Devils' forces would be attacking en masse, but others would break off to wreak havoc where defenses were lighter. The garrison could scarcely afford to send men after them, and there would not be many townsfolk who could put up much of a fight, so rooting them out was how Tobias could serve best.
It did not take long for him to come upon a group of four trying to break down the door to a house. He skewered one with a javelin and cut down another as he charged past them. He then sprang off his horse to engage the other two on foot. One was armed with a stone ax and the other with a bone club. They attacked him together, coming at him from the left and right. Tobias went for the one with the ax first, lopping off its arm, then cutting across the chest of the second. He went back to run through the disarmed ax wielder and recovered his javelin before mounting his horse and looking for the next challenge.
As he made his way to a broader thoroughfare, he found an overturned cart assailed by six or seven Mountain Devils. The cart was the sort used for transporting slaves, a cage on wheels, but from inside the cage there was a bestial growling as the Mountain Devils gleefully jabbed their spears between the bars.
Tobias took down one with a javelin, then another, drawing the Mountain Devils' attention to him. Because two more were armed with spears, he dismounted lest they leave him without a ride, even though it was dangerous to go against spear wielders armed with a sword.
Rather than have the spear wielders keep him at a distance, the three Mountain Devils armed with shorter weapons moved in first. Facing these three was much like the two from before. He picked one, who was wielding a rusty sword that once belonged to a Hannibal footsoldier, and managed to break the brittle blade with a solid hit and followed through by taking the Mountain Devil's head. Another armed with a club sprang at him, only to have its belly opened up for its trouble. Tobias did not have a chance to go for the third when the two spear wielders joined in. He dodged a thrust from one and more narrowly a thrust from the other before a second club wielder rushed at him. He kicked the club wielder back, then caught one of the spears on a second thrust, wresting it out of the grip of its owner. He turned the spear on the other spear wielder, the cut down the first and drew out the spear to pin down the club wielder.
With the Mountain Devils taken care of, Tobias heard a voice from the cage.
"Human! Human! Do you still live?"
Though the voice spoke the tongue of Hannibal, it clearly did not belong to any human.
"Who's there?" Tobias asked.
"Release me from these chains!" the voice demanded.
Tobias approached the cage and saw a large Catman struggling against his bonds. There were three others who seemed to already be dead. Besides seeing the slaves out here in the west on a few occasions, he had never really had much interaction with Catmen before. He knew they were dangerous, more beast than man, but this one seemed more intelligent than most. That of course could mean that he was all the more dangerous.
"Why should I do that?" Tobias asked.
"That you would speak to me at all proves you are not like most men," the Catman said. "Your foe is these beasts. I do not wish to die and if you do not wish to die either, then two are stronger than one. Release me."
It was certainly a risk, but Tobias could use all the help he could get. If this Catman was as intelligent as he seemed, perhaps he would know better than to act against his own interests. Surely most people would say he was mad for negotiating with a beast, but in dire times, even the maddest of schemes can seem reasonable.
If I set you free, you will not turn your claws on any human," Tobias told the Catman. "You'll only fight the Mountain Devils. Do this and I'll defend you against any human who would raise a hand to you. Betray my trust and I'll cut you down myself. Do we understand each other?"
"So be it," the Catman replied. "Now make haste. More are coming."
Tobias hopped down and went over to the nearby body of a soldier. He did not have the keys to the chains, but another one a little farther off did. As Tobias took the keys off the dead soldier, he could hear the squawking warcries of the Mountain Devils. They were coming closer, just as the Catman said. He had to hurry.
When he returned to the cart, the Catman was agitatedly struggling against his chains.
"They are close," he growled. "What are you waiting for?"
"I have your word?" Tobias asked. "You won't attack any humans?"
"There is no time!"
"Your word," Tobias insisted.
The Catman took a deep breath to calm himself and then replied with all due gravity and sincerity, "On my honor."
Why Tobias expected a beastman to know about a man's word and honor was a mystery, but he believed the Catman meant what he said. He went into the cage and began unlocking the Catman's shackles.
"Hold still," he said.
The Catman held his instincts in check and waited patiently while Tobias worked on the locks, all the while keeping a wary eye out in the direction of the Mountain Devils' cries. Once his wrists were free, he rolled over and planted his forepaws on the ground, ready to spring up the moment he could use his legs. When Tobias unlocked the last shackle, the Catman leapt up out of the cage. Tobias braced himself for treachery when the Catman reappeared and extended his paw to him.
"Come along, human," he said. "They are coming."
Tobias accepted the Catman's paw and the Catman helped him up out of the cage. Once Tobias was back on his feet, the Catman went over to one of the dead soldiers and took up his sword. He tested its weight and balance before setting himself against the southwest.
"Prepare yourself, human," he said.
"Have you ever fought the Mountain Devils before?" Tobias asked.
"No, but they must pay for the blood of my brothers."
"If they're anything like the Forest Devils, they'll rely on their numbers to overwhelm us. They'll try to separate us. Stay close. You protect my back and I'll protect yours."
What was he doing, trusting his back to beastman? The Catman himself found the situation no less ridiculous.
"You truly are no ordinary human," he said. "Your name?"
"I'm Tobias. And you?"
"I am called Tym'r."
"Tym'r..."
The Mountain Devils they had been hearing came pouring out around the corner, at least ten of the smaller ones and one of the big ones armed with a stone axe already well-bloodied. One of the small ones with a bow loosed an arrow in their direction. Tobias responded by sheathing his sword and taking his own bow from his horse's saddle. He quickly nocked an arrow and drew back the string. Unlike the Mountain Devil's arrow, which missed the mark wildly, he managed to hit the Mountain Devil archer in the shoulder. Not a mortal wound, but it would not be loosing any more arrows at them.
The remaining Mountain Devils charged at them full-tilt. Tobias was able to loose three more arrows before he had to abandon his bow and draw his sword again, just in time to cut down a Mountain Devil that sprang at him. Tym'r went right into the fray, cutting through three in quick succession, forcing Tobias to join in as well, lest either one of them be left unprotected.
The big Mountain Devil went for Tobias, very nearly taking his head with a heavy swing of its axe. One of the small ones with a spear made a thrust at him while he was unbalanced, but he managed to dodge the spear and cut it in two as he righted himself.
Tym'r took advantage of the opening made by the big one's swing and slashed across its side. When it turned to confront him, Tobias kicked away the small Mountain Devil and slashed open the tendons in the back of the big one's knee. It howled as its leg gave out and buckled under it.
Tym'r tried taking its head, only for his blade to get stuck halfway. The big one was far from dead yet and moved to swing its axe when Tobias lunged forward and buried his sword in its heart. Still it did not die. It reached out with its large hand in an apparent bid to crush Tobias' skull, but he pulled back before it could grab him. His sword went with him, opening up a gushing bloody wound in the big one's chest that hastened its demise. It made one last effort to raise its axe before the last of its strength left and it slumped over in death.
Seeing this, the remaining two smaller ones ran away screeching. Tym'r abandoned his sword and bounded after them on all fours He caught up to one and while he was mauling it, Tobias went back to his bow, nocked an arrow and loosed it at the other. Again, he did not strike a mortal blow, but he did lame it, making it easy prey for Tym'r when he was done with the first one.
Tobias went to the corpse of the big Mountain Devil and wrenched free Tym'r's sword. He quickly recovered what arrows he could and finished off any Mountain Devils that were not quite dead yet. When Tym'r went back to him, Tobias offered him his sword.
As Tym'r accepted the blade, he chuckled to himself and said, "You are perhaps the first human to give a Ral'gha a weapon of his own accord. You fought well, Tobias."
"As did you, Tym'r. You didn't learn to handle a blade like that working in the mines."
"Come along," he said. "There is much more blood to be spilled."
Tobias decided to let the evasion pass. There were more pressing concerns. He imagined that Tym'r had a beast's sense of smell and could guide them to more Mountain Devils. They came across a quartet trying to break down the door to a house, much like the first group Tobias encountered, and when they were dispatched, Tym'r's head whipped around sharply. His fur was standing up and a low growl rumbled deep in his throat. Tobias turned to see it as it clambered on top of a roof not far from them. It dwarfed the big Mountain Devil they fought earlier and its body was bristling with javelins and arrows that did nothing stop it.
While there were big and small Mountain Devils just as their counterparts in the forest, this was a breed found only in the mountains, the great Mountain Devil. The Mountain Beast that killed Tobias' father was one such creature. Tobias knew better than to entertain any delusions about his chances if he faced that monster. Still, he could not leave it to roam free.
"We need to try to lead it off," Tobias said. "How well do you run?"
"Well enough to catch prey that is close," Tym'r replied. "I have brought down larger beasts than this, though. We can take it."
Before Tobias could object, Tym'r made this loud snarling growl—not quite what you would call a roar—to draw the great Mountain Devil's attention. The Mountain Devil replied with a fearsome roar of its own, then leapt from the rooftop and landed heavily on the ground not far from where they stood.
Tobias had not even fully formed his first plan and he was having to throw it out to come up with something else. He whistled for his horse, snatching up one of the Mountain Devil's spears as he hurried over to mount it.
He called back to Tym'r, saying, "Keep moving! Stay out of reach of its arms!"
"Then how am I supposed to reach it with mine!?" Tym'r snapped back angrily.
"We have to wear it down if we want to have any chance!"
"Find your courage, human! If you will not fight, then I will bring down this beast myself!"
Tobias could think of a few choice curses for the stubborn and reckless Catman, but if Tym'r was attacking the Mountain Devil directly, perhaps he could distract it and Tobias could find and opening to exploit. Or perhaps they would both get themselves killed.
The Mountain Devil spear Tobias had taken was about the same length and weight as his javelins. He was a little concerned the balance of it would hamper his throw, but more than that, he doubted even a well-aimed throw would do much good. The great Mountain Devil's hide was so thick that lance thrusts that probably cost men's lives were barely enough to pierce it, much less do any effective damage. What could he hope to do?
The Mountain Devil wielded a wicked-looking club that had bits of broken bone, jagged shards of rock and rusty metal all fused together. It may not have been as effective as a solid iron head, but it was certainly intimidating. The Mountain Devil seemed to know that striking the ground would break the club's attachments, so it mainly relied on wide, sweeping swings. This made it all the more difficult to approach for a head-on attack, but those wide swings left large openings that you could take advantage of if you were bold enough. Tym'r was that bold, but when he swung at the Mountain Devil, his blade harmlessly bounced off its hide. Piercing attacks appeared to be the only thing that could work, but what could they use short of a ballista to bring this monster down?
Tym'r ducked under the Mountain Devil's next swing and Tobias decided to test his luck by throwing the spear he had taken up. As he feared, it was too poorly made to do anything, even draw the Mountain Devil's notice, but then his attention turned to the javelins sticking out of its body and he came up with a new plan that might be their only hope.
He dismounted from his horse and crept up on the Mountain Devil from behind. It was so preoccupied fighting Tym'r that it paid no heed to him. Because it was not making any big movements, it was relatively easy for Tobias to get close enough to take hold of one of the javelins in its back and drive it in further. The Mountain Devil reared up and howled in pain. That howl was cut short as it grunted from an attack of Tym'r's own, though Tobias could not see what he did.
The Mountain Devil dropped its club and tried reaching for Tobias and Tym'r both at the same time. Tobias went around to another javelin and drove it in as well. This one was close to the spine, but not so close as to cripple the beast. Rather, it did serve to force the Mountain Devil down on one knee.
Tym'r wasted no time making use of this opportunity. At some point, he had picked up the stone axe of the big one from before and came charging at this even bigger one, throwing all of his weight into a swing that would have split the skull of most any other creature, but against the great Mountain Devil, the stone head shattered. Undeterred, he then took the shaft of the axe and drove it into the Mountain Devil's eye.
The Mountain Devil made this horrific shrieking as it batted Tym'r away. Tobias tried twisting the javelin in its back, but the javelin broke off in his hands. Luckily for him, the Mountain Devil was more concerned with trying to pull the axe shaft out of its eye than with him, so he tried pushing in another javelin. He hoped this one might reach a lung, but it did not.
Meanwhile, Tym'r had recovered and though he struggled with the weight of it, he took the Mountain Devil's club and delivered a blow that laid it out, even as it was still trying to dislodge the axe shaft. Unable to lift the club for a second hit, Tym'r then tried clawing at the Mountain Devil's neck. The hide was too thick, though.
Before the Mountain Devil could get back up again, Tobias pulled out a javelin from its arm and thrust it into the Mountain Devil's neck. There was a spurt of blood that became a gushing fountain when he pulled the javelin out. Now, by the time the Mountain Devil could recover from that blow to the head, it would already be too late.
Taking no chances, Tym'r took up another javelin and made a thrust to the heart. If that did not finish the job, nothing would.
As the two of them were appreciating their handiwork, there was the clop of horse hooves on the pavestones. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by a group of knights. Tobias quickly moved between Tym'r and the knights.
"Remember your word, Tym'r," he said in a low voice.
"That will depend on what happens next," Tym'r replied.
"Is it dead?" one of the knights asked of the Mountain Devil.
"You don't see it moving, do you?" one of his comrades said.
"You there!" a third voice said to Tobias. "You did this? Lance and squadron."
Tobias knew that voice. It was Captain Bomilcar. What was he doing out here in Utica? Tobias could imagine what. Captain Bomilcar was probably looking for him. How could he deceive the man who raised him? He would be found out the moment he opened his mouth, but he could not remain silent.
"Sir, Sir Hamilcar's lance, Sixth Squadron," he said, trying in vain to disguise his voice.
Of course it did not work.
"Tobias? Is that you?"
"Tobias?" one of the other knights asked. "As in Commander Tobias?"
The other knights all trained their weapons on him, but Captain Bomilcar raised his hand for them to hold.
"I have orders to bring you in, boy," the Captain said. "The Queen would have you answer for what happened in Hanno. Did you do it? Did you kill those men? Did you set the Witch free? Where is she now?"
"She's not here," Tobias said.
Captain Bomilcar clearly noted how most of his questions were left unanswered, but rather than press him further, he looked to the dead Mountain Devil and asked him, "Did you do that?"
Tobias glanced to Tym'r and replied, "We did that."
Captain Bomilcar cast a suspicious eye at Tym'r but then asked in turn, "Do you know what that thing is?"
"A great Mountain Devil," Tobias replied. "I was never stationed here in Utica, so I'd never seen one before, only heard the stories."
"That's not just any great Mountain Devil, Tobias," Captain Bomilcar said. He pointed to the body with his sword. "See that scar on its right breast? Your father gave it that scar. That right there is the Mountain Beast itself."
Tobias felt a weight in his stomach as he turned back to look at the Mountain Devil. That was the creature that killed his father? And he fought it without even knowing?
"Here I thought I might avenge Desiderius," Captain Bomilcar said, "but it's better this way. He would have been proud."
There was a hint of a smile on his face, the kind Tobias used to see on occasion whenever he did something to earn his adoptive father's praise, but it soon faded.
"You've done this city a service, Tobias, but it doesn't change my orders. Will you surrender yourself to the Queen's justice?"
"Is it justice I'll find?" Tobias asked.
"The Queen's justice is whatever she says it is. You should know that. It might go better for you if you hand over the Witch of your own accord."
"She's already well out of Her Majesty's hands," Tobias lied.
Of course, Captain Bomilcar saw right through it.
"She's not far," he said, "but it'll be more trouble if we have to go looking for her. I tell you what, Tobias, out of respect for what you did here tonight, I'll give you one last chance. Return here at dawn with the Witch and come peaceably. If you don't, my men will find you and I'll personally drag you back to the palace in chains. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
Captain Bomilcar gave him a look that told Tobias he could tell the difference between "Yes, I understand," and "Yes, I will do what you say."
"You have until dawn," he said.
One of the knights asked him, "Sir, are you quite sure? We have him right here."
"The mission's not complete without the Witch," Captain Bomilcar said. "Surely we can afford to give a fellow knight of our order one last chance to redeem at least a part of his honor."
"As you say, sir," the knight replied reluctantly.
The knights lowered their weapons. Though they ought to be bound by Captain Bomilcar's orders, it would only take one to see an advantage in claiming credit for capturing the rogue Lord Commander. Tobias had no intention of pressing his luck by staying a moment longer.
"Come along, Tym'r," he said as he started to return to his horse.
"Where are you taking that thing?" Captain Bomilcar asked, referring to Tym'r.
"He fought for this city as well," Tobias said. "I'm sure you can overlook one stray beastman that went missing in all the chaos."
"If his claws find one of our brothers in arms, the blood will be on your head."
Tobias simply nodded. He mounted his horse and then rode away, keeping himself between Tym'r and the knights. Of course he had no intention of surrendering himself or the Witch and a part of him felt guilty for putting Captain Bomilcar in such a position, but it could not be helped. All he could do was make the most of the time he was given and hopefully elude his pursuers' grasp.