Battle for the Rhydin Steppe

Xenograg rides with the Rellugai shamans, Amaltea at his side. Xenograg’s bodyguard is tasked with the safety of the shamans as well as his wife’s and his own. The shamans are armed but their primary weapons are otherworldly. Xenograg is also armed with Rellugai horse bow, Eldicorean sword, and Eldicorean mail armor; but his primary weapon is sorcery—battle magic. Xenograg the Sorcerer is in his element. He takes no pleasure in killing the enemy but neither does he shrink from it.

The first enemy charge has two prongs, seeking to encircle the smaller Rellugai host. Xenograg sits on his horse with his eyes closed. Suddenly, one galloping prong inexplicably rides into a swath of sandy ground (very rare for this area of the steppe). Scores of horses break legs or otherwise throw their riders. This attack force is thrown into utter confusion. The Rellugai see this and turn to face the remaining prong. Both hosts of horse archers battle each other at the gallop. Arrows bring down men and horses with every passing moment as each warrior fires at will.

Xenograg continues to sit on his horse, eyes half-closed but with a small smirk on his lips.

Amaltea has the reins of his horse, and leads the shamans’ party away from direct danger but close enough to affect the battle. The Rellugai shamans must first overpower the enemy shamans in psychic combat. Xenograg is psychically attacked by the enemy’s chief shaman and must defend himself. He scries out his assailant and counterattacks mercilessly. The man screams as Xenograg immolates him from a quarter-mile away.

Xenograg turns from his psychic duel just as the Rellugai warriors begin a renewed charge. The usurper khan has been located, and Samuj throws everything in that direction. The Rellugai are exposing their flank and rear to the enemy with this maneuver. Victory or defeat is minutes away. Xenograg extends his arms up and out, and pulls with every bit of his mental strength.

“Move, damn you…,” he growls. Begrudgingly, the air does.

All archers constantly adjust their aim for the wind. This day’s wind has been steadily out of the southwest with but minor variances. The Rellugai charge is roughly towards the northwest. The flanking enemy is shooting with the wind at their backs, and plans to use it to fullest effect. Xenograg would prefer to aid the Rellugai, but the better tactic is cancelling the enemy advantage.

The enemy flankers are shooting at will, but those in the main force are in close rhythm with each other. Xenograg attempts to time his release with theirs. He is close enough with his timing. In the seconds the arrows are in the air, the wind gusts and shifts violently towards the southeast. Instead of landing in the heart of the Rellugai host, the volley falls harmlessly to its rear. The strike that should have crippled the Rellugai charge—and cause—is swatted from the air as if by the gods. The enemy’s morale wavers as the earth and sky side with the Rellugai. The shamans on both sides are awed by this as much as the warriors.

The Rellugai drive home their charge with bow, lance, and saber. Xenograg prepares to guard their still-exposed flank when he feels a hard blow to his back. He turns to Amaltea, and her eyes are wide with shock.

“Xeno, an arrow is hanging in your cloak!” she says. “It did not penetrate your armor.”

“Hail Vinyamar’s fine work,” is his smiling reply. Then the second arrow strikes true. Pain! The smile drains from his face as he continues to look upon hers.

“Xeno!” screams Amaltea, her gaze dropping from his eyes. Xenograg finds he cannot move or even breathe. His vision tunnels and then goes black.

“Don’t you die on me, Xeno!” yells Amaltea. He is still conscious, just dilation-blind. He is still unable to answer her. He feels his wife’s hands on him, then nothing more.

Xenograg awakens in a fit of racking, painful coughing. He is prone. The coughing eventually subsides, and Xenograg slowly recovers his breath.

“Where am I?” he asks aloud in general.

“You are in Eldicor, Sweetie,” comes Amaltea’s tired voice.

“What happened?”

“You were shot in the back with an arrow. I teleported us to Eldicor. Teleperien has healed you but not completely. She said she has to rest before finishing the work.” That strikes Xenograg as strange.

“I was that bad, I guess.”

“Don’t try to get up, Xeno. You are still hurt.”

“After that coughing, I have no interest in moving.”

“Oh, Xeno…,” Amaltea sighs in frustration and anxiety.

“I know, Love. I know,” he replies. Yet another brush with death for him. Xenograg does not fear it, but he would dearly regret leaving Amaltea and the children behind.

A great fatigue comes over him, and he yields to it. Sleep is medicine.

(continues in “Bey of Xenodar“)