living men surrounded by the bodies of well over 100,000 men and almost as many dead war marks. The heat from the sun was gone and the cold, damp, night air was descending upon the scene. Zenak shivered a bit and then called as many captains left alive that he could find.
âThe town of Gaston lies some forty karns off the road from Balbania and next to the River Volski. Am I right?â Zenak asked
âForty-three karns,â corrected a young captain.
âGood. Get our comrades buried and leave our enemies for the animals and the bugs. When we are finished weâll go to Gaston and take a well-needed day of play and rest,â Zenak said. âAfter that we will ride back to Balbania. Habor, send a rider back toward Balbania and tell the generals we have won without them. Tell them to disperse their men back to their homes,â Zenak continued.
The job of burying 20,000 men was not as ponderous as it seemed for there were approximately 25,000 men left alive. Each man, including Zenak, carried a shovel on his saddle. So with 25,000 shovels digging and with the prospect of rich ale and loose women filling their minds, the marksmen had their comrades buried in time to arrive in Gaston before midnight for the greatÂest debauchery the town ever experienced.
Chapter 7
For many years Vokar had worked on his magic, but only in the few days that Zenak had been at the Volski battlefield had Vokar discovered his full potential. He realized, to his evil joy, that with just a few more weeksâ work he could control entire towns and probably entire nations. He felt he had more power than all of Soci herself. Because of this great confidence, Vokar prepared to take over Deparne, for he was certain that the mercenaries he had hired had overcome Zenak. Vokar, for a time, could have been described as a happy man. His step was a little brisker. His eyes were a little warmer and the night before the battle he surprised his priests by joining them at dinner, something he never did. At the dinner, again to their surprise, he told some hilarious stories of his early priesthood days, and he laughed louder than the rest of his followers. But that happiness was not to last long, for when he went to sleep on the night after the great battle at the Volski, he discovered the truth of his plot.
He had not been asleep for very long when a vision came to him. It was Tabilo riding on a war mark and laughing in the loud and spirited way he had. The more he laughed, however, the smaller he shrank until he had reduced himself into a small droplet of blood. Rising swiftly out of the blood came Zenak holding Tabiloâs sullen head by his hair. Zenakâs eyes were fierce and enraged and he kept repeating, âVokar, your head shall be mine when I return.â Vokar awoke with a start. Cold sweat broke out all over his body and his hands trembled as he fumbled to get out of his bed. For a moment he stood quietly shaking, trying to compose himself. Once he had calmed down somewhat, he rushed to Maraâs room, which was on the other side of the large palace. His nerves were on end when he broke into Maraâs room without his usual courtesy of knocking first.
âWho goes there?â Mara demanded as she kicked a screaming lady-in-waiting out of her bed and tried to cover her pulsating body with one of her sheets.
âVokar,â replied the priest nervously. âLight a candle. I canât see a thing.â
Mara lit the candle next to her bed and stared at Vokar intently. She was angry, for the young lady-in-waiting had not finished her nightly chores on the queen.
âZenak has won and marches back with revenge in his heart. Get that wench out of here.â Mara motioned the lady-in-waiting out of the room. The young girl left through a private door in the queenâs chamber.
âHow do you know this?â Mara asked Vokar.
âI saw it in a dream,â Vokar replied
âIn a dream? How do you
âThe town of Gaston lies some forty karns off the road from Balbania and next to the River Volski. Am I right?â Zenak asked
âForty-three karns,â corrected a young captain.
âGood. Get our comrades buried and leave our enemies for the animals and the bugs. When we are finished weâll go to Gaston and take a well-needed day of play and rest,â Zenak said. âAfter that we will ride back to Balbania. Habor, send a rider back toward Balbania and tell the generals we have won without them. Tell them to disperse their men back to their homes,â Zenak continued.
The job of burying 20,000 men was not as ponderous as it seemed for there were approximately 25,000 men left alive. Each man, including Zenak, carried a shovel on his saddle. So with 25,000 shovels digging and with the prospect of rich ale and loose women filling their minds, the marksmen had their comrades buried in time to arrive in Gaston before midnight for the greatÂest debauchery the town ever experienced.
Chapter 7
For many years Vokar had worked on his magic, but only in the few days that Zenak had been at the Volski battlefield had Vokar discovered his full potential. He realized, to his evil joy, that with just a few more weeksâ work he could control entire towns and probably entire nations. He felt he had more power than all of Soci herself. Because of this great confidence, Vokar prepared to take over Deparne, for he was certain that the mercenaries he had hired had overcome Zenak. Vokar, for a time, could have been described as a happy man. His step was a little brisker. His eyes were a little warmer and the night before the battle he surprised his priests by joining them at dinner, something he never did. At the dinner, again to their surprise, he told some hilarious stories of his early priesthood days, and he laughed louder than the rest of his followers. But that happiness was not to last long, for when he went to sleep on the night after the great battle at the Volski, he discovered the truth of his plot.
He had not been asleep for very long when a vision came to him. It was Tabilo riding on a war mark and laughing in the loud and spirited way he had. The more he laughed, however, the smaller he shrank until he had reduced himself into a small droplet of blood. Rising swiftly out of the blood came Zenak holding Tabiloâs sullen head by his hair. Zenakâs eyes were fierce and enraged and he kept repeating, âVokar, your head shall be mine when I return.â Vokar awoke with a start. Cold sweat broke out all over his body and his hands trembled as he fumbled to get out of his bed. For a moment he stood quietly shaking, trying to compose himself. Once he had calmed down somewhat, he rushed to Maraâs room, which was on the other side of the large palace. His nerves were on end when he broke into Maraâs room without his usual courtesy of knocking first.
âWho goes there?â Mara demanded as she kicked a screaming lady-in-waiting out of her bed and tried to cover her pulsating body with one of her sheets.
âVokar,â replied the priest nervously. âLight a candle. I canât see a thing.â
Mara lit the candle next to her bed and stared at Vokar intently. She was angry, for the young lady-in-waiting had not finished her nightly chores on the queen.
âZenak has won and marches back with revenge in his heart. Get that wench out of here.â Mara motioned the lady-in-waiting out of the room. The young girl left through a private door in the queenâs chamber.
âHow do you know this?â Mara asked Vokar.
âI saw it in a dream,â Vokar replied
âIn a dream? How do you
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