Wizard's Blood [Part Two] (49 page)

‘
Who will be going with you? You’ve already indicated you intend to lead this attack. I’d have thought the last little adventure would have taught you some caution.” Vaen didn’t like the fact Jolan was constantly being involved in the actual attacks against the enemy. She’d rather he remained a leader that stayed well out of danger.

Jolan went down the list. “Asari and Luzoke both want to come. The three mages we selected during the testing, and of course, Tishe.” Jolan said her name carefully. He didn’t like the idea, but she had already made it clear she was going. She was better at the task ahead than the rest of them.

“
Tishe can’t go deep into a war zone. She’s too young,” Vaen said, earning herself a nasty look from the young mage.

“
It’s not like we are going into the contested area. Portals will take us close, and then we will be approaching the area. She can protect herself against the poison as well as any of us, probably better. The risk is low and the rewards great. Besides, I doubt any of us are capable of stopping her.”

Vaen looked at Jolan and Tishe. She sighed and waved her hand. “Do what you must, but think this out carefully. This will be the second time that both of you will be the middle of a dangerous altercation. If anything goes awry, I want you headed back to the portal immediately.”

* * * *

Wizard Pilot Rend scanned the distance for his first view of the gathering army. He’d been making this run every morning for the past three days, ever since the gathering force was first detected. Command was concerned about the group. They’d thought they’d learned by now that large gatherings like the one forming on the perimeter of the captured lands were likely to be attacked. So what were they up to?

He carried no gas bombs on this mission. The reduction in weight yielded a bit more altitude at takeoff, which translated into more distance. He was already bleeding off altitude, saving the batteries. He wanted to go over a bit lower, and get a better look at what the army below was doing. He might even fly well beyond the gathering forces and see if any surprises were lurking farther inland.

As he approached the perimeter, he was surprised to see a large force making it’s way into the countryside headed toward the river. They hadn’t reached the trees yet, so they couldn’t hide their number as they had learned to do. The army was clearly on the move. Rend made a few adjustments of his heading so he could pass more closely over the advancing troops. He’d need details when he returned to Kimlelm to report.

Jolan and Tishe watched as the plane banked slightly and turned their way. He could see this was a reconnaissance mission. The plane was flying higher than he had hoped, and wasn’t carrying any of the deadly canisters. He debated letting the plane pass. Giving away their intent would be unwise, and if the plane got away the pilot would pass the word. Tishe was confident however, and insisted the plane was low enough for her to hit. Watching the final heading change and noting the propeller was not turning convinced Jolan. The pilot was shedding altitude as he turned, and was coming in a bit lower than the fly-bys usually did. He was almost as low as the gliders on bombing missions.

“
Let’s do it!” he said loudly, so the others could hear. Then he turned his attention to the first of the piles of rocks that had been set up for him. Tishe was already tracking the plane and preparing to fling the first load.

When he thought the plane was near enough, Jolan grabbed the hundred pound rock pile. Taking a hint from one of the mages he’d watched on the ships a while back, he extended his right arm to guide his desired direction, and flung them with all the magic he could draw. The rocks seemed to simply disappear from the ground where they’d been lying, but he could see a hint of them as they flew high into the air toward the approaching glider. More rocks had been flung by the other mages, but Tishe was still waiting.

Jolan knew his rocks were going to miss. He could tell now that he was off to one side a bit, and could see some of the other rocks falling short. He grabbed the next pile and was preparing to fling them when Tishe threw her first pile. He waited to see how she would do. It seemed a long wait, but then he could see the glider wobble and bounce. She’d hit! So far it didn’t look like the plane was in great distress, but he was certain the pilot would be very concerned and trying to understand what had just happened.

Jolan flung his second pile, and realized Tishe had done the same. Dragons, but the girl was fast. This time something broke off the right wing when the rocks struck, causing the plane to bank sharply to the right. That took the plane inland toward the waiting army. Jolan expected to see the propeller start to turn as the pilot fought to gain altitude and control. That didn’t seem to be happening. Perhaps they had damaged the propeller as well.

The pilot had managed to turn the plane back toward the river, but had lost a bit more altitude. Three piles of rocks flew into the air at the wounded glider. It rocked under the impact of the stones, and for a moment Jolan thought it might roll over onto its back. Unless the pilot could get the propeller working, Jolan doubted he would make it back across the river. Unfortunately, he seemed to have enough control and altitude to make it back into the Ale’ald controlled territory.

As the glider drifted past off to their left, Asari and his team of riflemen opened fire. Jolan had hoped to bring the plane down without using rifle fire, but he was more concerned at the moment that the pilot might escape to warn others. Most of the riflemen were using the lever guns, pumping the levers and firing as quickly as they could get a proper bead on the moving plane. Asari still had his single shot, and seemed to be carefully tracking the plane before firing.

Someone must have connected, because suddenly the left wing of the glider dipped sharply, causing the glider to turn back in their direction while the nose dropped toward the ground. Rapidly the glider lost altitude as it made ever tighter circles and spun uncontrolled toward the rocky plain below.

The men had already scattered, and when the plane smashed into the ground, no one was close enough to be hurt by flying debris. Since there were no poison canisters and the plane didn’t have any propellant, the only real danger was from the batteries which were wired to a high voltage and contained dangerous chemicals that might be leaking. The glider caught the lowered left wing first, which caused the plane to flip and roll across the ground, shedding parts and mangling the cockpit as it bounced and crashed its way to a final rest. Parts were scattered over several hundred feet, and Jolan wondered how much would be recognizable. He also expected the pilot wouldn’t be telling them much. Had the man been alive, some kind of shield would have limited damage to the cockpit area at least, and that didn’t seem to have happened.

Cautiously the men approached the downed aircraft. Jolan had warned them about the acid from the batteries, so they allowed him to take the lead. He walked past the scattered junk that had once been a minor miracle, and looked into the badly battered cockpit. He’d been right. The pilot was dead. Most of one side of his head was missing, splattered across the inside of the cockpit, the result of a gun shot that had taken the man as he flew by. The loss was significant, but they still accomplished a major feat. They’d downed one of the dreaded vehicles. Now that they knew it could be done, they’d keep at it. The enemy would be concerned when this plane didn’t return, and would have to be a bit more careful in the future.

As Jolan pointed to items he wanted brought with them, he took time for a preliminary assessment of the vehicle. Up close it looked far cruder than it appeared from the air. It was definitely a copy of an Earth design, but it was certainly far less efficient than its Earthly counterpart. The super smooth and carefully shaped exterior was only partially copied. The hardened cloth was a lot rougher than the glassed surface Jolan was used to, which would mean more drag. Still, Ale’ald had performed a minor miracle. They had learned a great deal, and from what he’d seen already he knew they must have benefited greatly from the manufacturing savvy of captured Kimlelm. Clever use of materials and inspired use of technology and magic had been used here. He wished Shyar could have a look. The skills that had made this vehicle were far superior to those that had made the first rifles he’d seen from Ale’ald. In addition, the resources that had gone into creating the vehicles must have been enormous, but the investment had already paid off handsomely for Ale’ald. Without them it was far less likely they would have had a foothold in Seret as they now did.

Jolan still didn’t understand how the glider operated, or how they managed to get as much capability out of it as they had. He’d run some numbers the past week and, with lead-acid batteries, they shouldn’t have been able to launch it, let alone fly for the distances they had managed. Magic had to be involved in some way he didn’t understand. Hopefully they would know more when he and Buris could examine the remains in detail back at the College. Jolan also wondered if there were a few pilots and engineers missing somewhere on Earth. Simple drawings would probably not have sufficed to create the vehicle and train pilots. He wondered if a few unsuspecting individuals had been exposed to the same kind of mind wrenching Cheurt had tried on him. Even though the technique was limited on Earth, with the power crystals to support the spells and a total lack of concern as to the final state of the selected “donor”, he was certain Ryltas had probably gathered some of the required knowledge for this project in that manner.

There was only so much they could collect and take with them in the little time they could remain here. They took a number of pictures in case they might have missed something, and then headed off. The enemy would be alerted by now, since the glider was late returning. Jolan was certain they would keep a close watch on the aircraft’s progress from the ground, and an alert would have been issued even before the glider was supposed to land back at its base. They were about done when Asari tapped him on the shoulder. Jolan looked up and into the distance where Asari was pointing. He could see a second glider approaching, this one with the distinctive bumps on the wings indicating it carried a pair of the gas weapons.

Everyone else was already alerted. He’d been too preoccupied with the remains of the vehicle. The teams were already forming up, and the support mages were ready to shield the troops from the gas once it was released. There was no time to run now. They’d have to deal with the second glider, then worry about getting out of the area.

The glider passed over them, off to one side a couple of hundred yards, and made for the thickest grouping of men on the ground. Jolan watched as the canister separated from the wing and dropped toward the ground. It struck close to some of the troops, but also close to one of the many mages mixed in among them. Also as soon as it struck, a shield was wrapped around the area, trapping the gas and remains of the smashed canister. As Jolan watched, the mage who’d erected the shields burned the inside with an intense blast of energy, destroying the deadly compound.

Wizard Pilot Presa made the turn. She dropped the first canister, but couldn’t see what happened to it. Her attention was distracted by what had to be the remains of a glider on the ground. Somehow they’d managed to bring down the observation plane. That was why it was late. She’d been ordered off the airfield here in Seret when the plane hadn’t appeared on schedule. Approaching the area directly over the downed glider, she made the decision to drop the canister here. If the pilot was alive, better they didn’t have a chance to question him. It was more likely Rend was dead, and the canister might avenge his death by taking a few of the men below along with him.

She had already spread her shield as wide as she dared, ensuring the full structure of the plane was protected. She didn’t know how they had managed it. Probably a lucky shot with one of their coppered projectiles she’d heard about. It made her rear end pucker to think about it, but what were the chances they’d get lucky twice? She intended only to make the one pass and then speed for home. This needed to be reported immediately.

Presa was reaching for the release when the first object struck the aircraft. She was surprised by the impacts, and the amount of reaction from the plane. She was reassured when the plane continued on, seemingly undamaged. Then another object struck the front end, just outside the hardened window. Her window was not nearly so large as the picture she’d seen of the plane on which this design was based, and not nearly as strong. She winced when the object struck. It bounced away, and she saw what appeared to be a rock the size of a kickball tumbling away toward the ground. Rocks, for Dragon’s sake!

Another series of thumps came from below and she turned away from her intended track. She reacted without thinking, and turned back away from the river, heading inland toward the enemy troops. Quickly she corrected, but now she’d have to fly over the enemy that was attacking the plane once again. She quickly dropped the canister, knowing she was currently over an area free of enemy soldiers, but she didn’t know if the rocks could burst the container while it was still attached to the plane. She didn’t think the gas could get to her, but why take a chance. It fell well away from the troops below and burst, the gases burned away by a blast of
Firewrap
before they could spread more than a few feet.

Seeing an opportunity to fly between the two groups and maybe avoid some of the attacks, she turned sharply toward the river. She was just straightening the glider when she sensed something flash by outside mere inches away. Releasing a nervous breath she thought she might be clear when something caught her peripheral vision off to the right and a bit above her. More rocks! This time they were falling from above and she was flying right into the swarm. She tried to turn and had the plane in a forty-five degree bank, knowing she was losing precious altitude by all the maneuvering but seeing no other choice. As nimble as she was, her reactions had been too slow. A foot size chuck of granite came directly at her, smashing through the windshield and smacking her a glancing blow. The rock had only been falling at fifteen miles an hour, but she’d been doing almost seventy when she’d run into it. That was enough to give the rock killing force.