The Chaos Balance

CIII

The light breeze from the north carried the faint odors of charcoal, smoke, dust, and burned meat to the two officers at the head of the column headed southward through the Grass Hills.

The two glanced back over the short line of riders straggling southward. The once-white uniforms were smudged with charcoal, some with blood. Nearly twoscore walking wounded limped before the three wagons that brought up the rear.

“His Mightiness will not be pleased,” said Azarphi. A long fresh burn covered his left cheek, and his eyebrows had been burned to stubble. Like the others, he wore a uniform that appeared gray, spotted liberally with dark splotches of charcoal, dirt, and dark red-maroon streaks.

“No,” answered the majer, his voice flat, as he glanced at the dusty road that led to Syadtar. “No doubt, I will face the Archers of the Rational Stars.” He shrugged, and started to blot his forehead, then stopped as the back of his hand touched the burn at his temple. “There is no point in remaining. We do not receive supplies, and the locals have removed almost everything we could forage for. They will not stand and fight. We cannot tell how or when the barbarians will strike. The men cannot sleep for fear of being burned where they lie. Their new fireballs are far worse than the last. They burn through earthen walls and seek out the roof timbers, and the flame clings to everything.”

“It is not the barbarians.”

“It does not matter. We have no corrals left, and no wood to build more. If we stay, what is to prevent them from killing more mounts? Then we would have no way at all to leave. The Grass Hills are too dry, and Syadtar is too far, for lancers on foot, and we have but a handful of wagons left.” Piataphi glanced back toward the trails of smoke that twisted into the morning sky.

“His Mightiness will send all the lancers, and the white mages to burn them to cinders. He must. For the sake of Cyad.”

“He may. The thought does not particularly console me at the moment.” Piataphi turned his eyes to the long dusty road southward, ignoring the smoke that still circled into the western sky behind them.