Part Twelve

"But," Hideoshi inquired, wrinkling his brow, "weren't the Valashian soldiers captured and imprisoned?"
Galen nodded, still panting, with short and sporadic breath.
"Yeah, but those civilians-remember those women that spat on us yesterday?"
"I'd rather not-"
"Never mind then, but these Valashians are a mean, craven, knavish bunch!"
"Say!" Exclaimed Takashi. "Snow's falling, and the fire's fizzling out!"
Galen grunted, "Good."
Several more hours passed. Still the Karician army tramped up the road onto the plain before the city, until a bloody glow streaked the black eastern sky, colouring the Karician ranks.
Then, a roaring wave of a shout, the shout of one hundred thousand unified voices, rose and collapsed.
The center of the Karician lines parted, and a runner raced through the center, bearing a green flag.
"A truce!" Whispered the soldiers stationed on the walls of Valash.
The officers of the companies stationed nearest to the gate began to shout, "Open the gate!" When Nevsky shrieked. A shriek that stilled the entire plateau.
"The sky! The sky! Look at the sky!"
Everyone raised their eyes. Soaring above the city was a Fairy, a Mazovian. Six times he circled the city, before dropping something that gleamed like an iridescent glass star, then vanishing.
The star-like object hurtled down, dazzling all with its brilliant colours before it disappeared behind some roofs and crashed, shattering like glass. Everyone was turning back to what they were doing before, when a 'whoosh' sounded, buildings began collapsing, and an enormous fire billowed forth.
Soon, a terrible sight unfolded before the soldiers. As several buildings collapsed, they saw, tumbling or rolling towards the flames, as though they were being sucked into a. maelstrom, soldiers and civilians.
"What weapon could do that?" Takashi gasped.
Buildings had ceased to collapse, but the flames waxed in strength, leaping upwards, crackling as more structures and rubble succumbed to the heat. Still an overbearing wind of unnatural force blew near the center of Valash, bearing everything not rooted in the earth towards the golden-white center of the flames.
Suddenly, a crash thudded nearby. Wheeling round, Hideoshi cried, grasping his forehead, "The cunning villains! Now the Karicians are ramming the gate!"
"If only," he thought, "if I'd resisted that urge to look back! But, there's nothing to do now except-I must-"
"Fire!" Shouted the officers on the walls. "Don't look behind you! The Fairies will take care of it!"
Hideoshi mechanically took up his bow, fitted an arrow, drew back the taut string with his numbed hands, aimed at a Karician soldier, then released the string. Around him, Takashi, Galen, and many other soldiers did likewise. Cannons flashed, thundering as their cannonballs and shells crashed into the mass of Karicians below. Creaking, the great scorpions of the Karicians fired back at the base of the walls of Valash, chipping away at the stone.
For several hours this continued, until the Karician force withdrew to the far side of the plateau. A low murmur could be heard, and orange campefires seen, but nothing else could be discerned from the city of Valash.
Hideoshi had sat down, when he heard Nevsky say," Hideoshi?"
"Yes," he yawned.
"How can you kill people-I mean, I know it's your duty, but-without it bothering you?"
"I-don't really think about it. That is, I try not to."
"I've never killed anyone,so-"
"-You mean that you didn't-" Hideoshi began shouting but checked himself after looking into Nevsky's eyes.
"You don't belong here," said Hideoshi. "Maybe you should try to get assigned back with the cooks and stable-boys."
"You don't mean I'm not good enough, do you?" Nevsky said, trying to suppress the tears welling up in his eyes.
"No. You're too good. It's natural to be reluctant to kill another man."
"Then, why doesn't killing affect you?"
"Nevsky," said Hideoshi, "don't believe those fellows that say killing doesn't affect them. It does. But, with practice, time, or a strong sense of duty-never mind! I can't explain it!"
"May I sit beside you?"
Hideoshi nodded.
Nevsky brushed away a heap of snow before sitting next to Hideoshi. Before them, amid unscathed buildings, were smouldering heaps of blackened rubble. Lone pillars or empty shells of buildings stood among the rubble, their charred corners a mute testimony to the ravages they had undergone. Several Fairies searched among the ruins for the victims, while shocked Valashians wandered among the ashes in. bewilderment.
Hideoshi and Nevsky stared without speaking, until Hideoshi felt a shadow fall upon him. He turned round, then started.
"It is only I," said Lord Anomijah, who stood beside them.
"I," Hideoshi said, "did not expect to have the honour of meeting you again."
"Say!" Cried Galen as he strode towards them, "why have you been watching Hideoshi and Takashi?"
Takashi, who had almost dozed off nearby, started.
"Us! Are you sure?" Hideoshi said.
"Sure! Yesterday night, when you all were asleep, he sneaked in and stared at you two. When we were getting ready for the siege he spied on you. And, during the battle we just had, he watched you. I saw him!"
"I am guilty," confessed Lord Anomijah, whose eyes danced in a somber face.
"Why then, sir," Hideoshi said, "do you take such an interest in my brother and I?"
"I would keep my reasons to myself."
"But don't we have the right to know why? It can look suspicious."
"What is your family name?"
Hideoshi nearly jumped when confronted with this unexpected question, but steadied himself.
"Varri."
"Thank you."
"Why did you want to know, sir?"
"I have my own reasons."
"Will that always be your-"
Whistles screeched, while officers shouted, "Third Company to report to the tower in the center of the city at once!"