The emperor stood with sword drawn, shouting orders. He refused to leave the field. He was forming his men into a tight circle protecting the rift machine, so others could return to this valley from Kelewan. He looked and saw that soldiers were now rushing forth from the rift in greater numbers Soon there would be enough of them to destroy the King’s small force.
A faint trembling could be felt beneath his feet, then one of the Tsurani lords pointed behind the Emperor Ichindar saw hundreds of horsemen erupting from the trees to the north. The northern cavalry units were the first to answer Lyam’s call. The Emperor directed newly arriving soldiers to the north line to meet the new threat.
A shout from the left caused him to turn. A tall warrior, clad in white and gold, was cutting a swath through the Tsurani guards, heading straight for the Light of Heaven. All the Tsurani lords rushed to cut him off. A clan Force Leader stood nearby. He raced to the Emperor and shouted, “Your Majesty, you must leave. We can hold only a short while. If you are lost, the Empire is without a heart, and the gods will turn their faces from us.”
The Emperor tried to push past him, as the gold-and-white giant cut down another Tsurani lord. The officer said, “May heaven understand,” and struck Ichindar across the back of the head with the flat of his sword. The Emperor crumpled to the ground, and the Force Leader shouted for soldiers to carry him through the rift. “The Emperor is overcome! Take him to safety!” Without question the soldiers picked up the supreme ruler and conveyed him to the machine.
A Strike Leader rushed to the Force Leader’s side, shouting, “Sir, all our lords have been killed!” The Force Leader saw that the tall warrior was being forced back by the sheer number of Tsurani soldiers intercepting him, but not until after he had butchered every senior Warchief who had accompanied the Emperor. A quick glance informed the Force Leader the Emperor was near safety, as the guards carrying Ichindar disappeared from view at the far side of the rift. More soldiers came streaming through from the near side of the rift. Seeing no more time to waste, the Force Leader said, “I will act as Force Commander! You are acting Subcommander. More men to the north!” The man rushed off to place more men along the north line as the cavalry from the North Pass bore down in a mad gallop.
The attackers from the north hit the Tsurani position with a thunderous crash. The hastily erected shield wall wavered, but finally held. The Force Commander looked about and prayed they could hold until sufficient reinforcements arrived.
Pug and his three companions could see the northern elements of the Kingdom army hit the shield wall. Spears shattered and horses fell, while screaming men were trampled underfoot. The wall still held, and the Kingdom forces withdrew to re-form for another charge. Lyam’s command was being pushed back, and he ordered a withdrawal, so that he could coordinate his attack with the one from the north. The elves and dwarves under Tomas were among the Tsurani, to the west, and were causing them the most difficulty, though they also were being slowly repulsed.
As the horsemen pulled back, the Tsurani’s attention was turned to the elves and dwarves. Those behind the north and south shield positions left their posts to lend support to their comrades on the west flank.
Seeing this, Meecham observed, “If the elves don’t withdraw, the Tsurani will overwhelm them.” As if he had been heard, the four observers could see the western confrontation broken off Elves and dwarves retreated under cover of elven bowmen.
Kulgan said to Pug, “This respite serves to strengthen the Tsurani.” They could see the flood of Tsurani soldiers coming through the rift. “If Lyam does not reach the machine after the next charge, the Tsurani will gain in strength as we weaken.”
Pug said, “He can bottle them up only if he can station bowmen at the entrance to the rift. A steady stream of bowfire through it should keep them back long enough to erect some sort of barrier. Then we might be able to render it inoperative.”
Laurie said, “Can’t it be destroyed? The other way is fraught with risk.”
Pug sat quietly for a moment. “I don’t know if my powers are sufficient to destroy the rift. But I think it is time to try.”
As he started to spur his horse, a voice behind rang out: “No!”
They all turned and saw a brown-clad figure standing, staff in hand, where no one had been a moment earlier. “Even your powers are not equal to the task, Great One.”
“Macros!” Kulgan exclaimed.
Macros smiled a bitter smile. “As I foretold, I am here when the need is greatest, the hour most grave.”
Pug said, “What is to be done?”