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The thirty-foot-tall gates of Ildakar weighed innumerable tons. They were primarily an architectural flourish, kept open only during times of complete peace and security. “We could have left through the merchants’ door,” Nicci said, glancing at the much smaller entrance at the bottom of the great gates.
“But far less impressive,” Nathan said, “and this is a time when we need to impress them. We are not skulking about like mice, ready to scurry back into a hole. This is Ildakar, and I want to show General Utros that we are worthy of its reputation. We’re not afraid.”
When the doors swung wide with ponderous majesty, Nicci gazed across the expansive plain. Countless enemy soldiers waited for them at a safe distance from the wall, having retreated to give the emissaries freedom to leave the city without fear of a surprise ambush.
Nathan stroked his cleanly shaven chin. “I’ve studied General Utros a great deal, and he is an honorable, respected man. He’ll abide by the terms he offered.” His lips quirked in a smile. “I’m anxious to meet a man who stepped right out of the history scrolls. I have many questions about the Midwar, about Iron Fang, about his unique battle tactics that brought him victory after victory.” Before stepping forward, he looked through the gate at the giant army waiting for them. “But I suppose that discussion will have to wait until such time as his troops aren’t trying to tear down the city and destroy us all.”
“We’ll inform the general how the world has changed since he and all his people were turned to stone.” Nicci lifted her chin. “Once he knows the full story, and his changed situation, if he’s such a great commander he may embrace the new D’Haran Empire. If he devotes his military genius to the service of Lord Rahl, then Utros will have a true purpose to serve, and we will have an incomparable ally.”
Nathan chuckled. “Or they could be too angry to listen to reason, knowing they’ve been stone for centuries and have lost everything from their past.”
“That’s also a possibility,” Nicci said.
Nathan’s expression darkened. “I have no doubt Utros will be greatly disturbed to learn what happened to the Empress Majel. She was his lover and … it didn’t end well for her.”
Bannon hurried up behind them, anxious, his long ginger hair bound with a strip of leather. He wore a loose brown Ildakaran shirt, dark trousers, fresh boots. “I’m coming with you, too. I’ll protect you if the general’s soldiers try any treachery.”
At another time, Nicci would have scoffed at the young man’s offer, but Bannon had proven his bravery before, although his exuberance and naïveté could sometimes be problematic. Still, his presence would not gain them any additional safety.
As gently as he could, Nathan replied, “The two of us will be sufficient, my boy. We’re counting on you to protect the city of Ildakar if we should fail.”
Though Bannon obviously didn’t believe him, he stepped back with a solemn nod. The duma members and curious citizens of Ildakar gathered around watching, hopeful, but letting Nicci and Nathan take the risks.
When the doors had opened to their full extent, she and Nathan set off beyond the city walls and headed toward the battlefield. Nicci looked ahead at the swarms of soldiers separated into ordered regiments. Tens of thousands of soldiers lined themselves up like an honor guard, creating a clear path to the general’s command headquarters.
The two of them walked side by side at a confident pace. Lining the path, the ancient warriors stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Some held new makeshift banners that fluttered in the breezes, displaying Kurgan’s flame symbol. The enemy soldiers stared straight ahead with implacable expressions, as if they had become statues again. Nicci assessed their helmets, their leather vests covered with metal plates, round bosses, flared shoulder plates. Each face had a dusty gray complexion, indicating that not all of the stone spell had faded away. She knew these men would be tough to kill.
When the first one, Ulrich, had accidentally awakened, she wished the duma had spent more time studying his hardened skin to discover weaknesses, but the nobles had been eager to throw him into the combat arena. It was just another one of the duma’s demonstrably bad decisions.
Nathan muttered, “These look like very worthy fighters.”
“Our only concern is General Utros. If we can change his mind, then we won’t need to worry about the rest of his army.”
The two reluctant emissaries walked along the clear path, not hurrying. Nicci found the eerie silence of the gigantic army noteworthy. The army camps of the Imperial Order had been a ruckus of constant activity—chopping wood and grinding steel, clanging practice swords, the screams of captives, the coarse laughter of gambling men, shouted orders from lieutenants and captains. The army of Utros seemed ominously subdued.
They approached a wooden building constructed of rough-hewn logs decorated with paints, makeshift fabric banners, scavenged materials, since the army’s possessions and equipment had deteriorated over the centuries.
Four guards stood outside the door of the headquarters, and a tall, weathered man whom Nicci recognized as First Commander Enoch emerged from the structure. “The general is ready to see you,” Enoch said.
Nicci replied, “We’re eager to resolve this matter, so he can take his army and be on his way.”
The battle-scarred veteran looked from Nathan to Nicci. “You are the leaders of Ildakar? The wizard commander and the sovrena?”
Nathan chuckled. “No, not at all. The city’s leadership has changed since your last encounter.”
“We are visitors to Ildakar, but your siege has trapped us here,” Nicci said in a crisp voice. “We’ve come to speak for the city, as neutral representatives.” She looked past Enoch into the headquarters. “Are we supposed to discuss terms with you, or with General Utros himself?”
Enoch gestured them inside. With the wind blowing their hair around them, Nicci and Nathan entered the crude but sturdy structure, which was lit by open windows. Pungent smoke wafted from braziers on either side of the main room.
General Utros sat stiff-backed in a sturdy wooden chair at a table. He was a substantial man with broad shoulders and a powerful chest. He had a neatly trimmed gray-brown beard, except for a waxy patch on his left cheek, where a smooth scar showed the remnants of a serious burn.
On a rough bench beside him sat two striking women in gossamer gowns that clung to their curves. They were obviously twins, their heads entirely shaved, their skin painted. Nicci could sense the gift emanating from them and realized the twins were sorceresses.
She and Nathan stopped before the table and pointedly waited for the general to speak first. Utros remained in his chair, but gave them his full attention. “I command the army that will conquer Ildakar. Your fate depends on how reasonable the city can be.”
Nicci ignored the twin women and spoke only to the general. “We’ve heard that you are a wise man, General Utros. Let us see you prove your wisdom. Do you even know what’s happened to you and your army? How much time has passed? What was the fate of Emperor Kurgan and Empress Majel?”
The general seemed angry, leaning forward slightly. “I have heard wildly impossible stories.”
Nathan intervened, speaking in a conciliatory voice. “Now, we haven’t even finished introductions yet! This is the sorceress Nicci, and I am the wizard Nathan Rahl. I was once a powerful prophet, too, but prophecy is entirely gone now.” He sighed and brushed down the front of his white robes. “I’m not sure you knew that. So much has changed in the world.…” He gestured, acknowledging the two sorceresses. “As you will come to see, the underpinnings of magic are fundamentally altered. Before we begin, let me tell you about the state of the world. There’s much you need to know before you can make a wise decision on what to do with your army.”
Utros frowned with a mixture of skepticism and anger.
Nathan placed his hands together and spoke as if he were lecturing to gathered students. “Over the centuries I’ve fancied myself something of a historian, so I can fill in the gaps
for you. And yes, I know much about you, General Utros. Your exploits are legendary. As you’ve probably guessed, your entire army was petrified by a spell from Ildakar. Your ranks stood as stone figures exposed to the elements for fifteen hundred years.” He paused to let the number sink in. “I’m afraid everything you knew is gone, General. Kurgan’s empire is dust.”
The two smooth-skinned sorceresses muttered to each other. Utros grew stern and troubled, leaning forward in his sturdy chair. “So we have heard, but the idea is preposterous. We’ve seen no proof.”
“What more proof do you need?” Nicci interrupted in a firm voice. “Where are your tents? Your camp? Your supplies? Everything disintegrated with the passage of time. Centuries have gone by, and history has left you behind. All that you knew has changed.” She hardened her expression. “Surely you realize your bodies have a lingering infusion of stone, because the spell hasn’t entirely worn off. Accept what you know is true.”
As Utros growled, Nathan intervened again, folding his hands together with a small, polite bow. “If I may, Sorceress? Your own conquests are legendary, General. Speaking as a scholar, I’m impressed to talk with such an imposing personage. You are seen as a seminal figure in military history, until you and your army disappeared. Now we know what happened to you. Nevertheless, your battlefield tactics and your conquests have been studied for more than a thousand years.”
Utros remained determined. “I’m not interested in your flattery, Wizard. I conquered those lands for my emperor. I serve Iron Fang, and he ordered me to seize Ildakar. I intend to do so. I would never betray him.”
Nicci scoffed. “Oh? Now that’s an interesting comment, considering you took his wife as your lover. Wasn’t that a betrayal?”
Utros shot to his feet, looming before them in his half-stone body. “That was different! Majel loved me.” His eyes flicked back and forth, a gray gaze that struck Nicci, then went back to Nathan. “How can you even know this? It is impossible.”
