Chapter 21: Breaking the Stalemate

"I heard about what happened," Malefor said, his shadow-body taking shape in the gloom of the tent. "About the assassins."

"And I've got a good idea who sent them," Cynder snarled.

"You suspect Gaul?" Malefor said-more of a statement than a question.

"He's got good reason to want to get rid of me," Cynder answered. "I wouldn't put it past him to use underhand means to get back at me."

"For removing the crony he had in charge of the operation, no doubt," Malefor said. Cynder realised with a tinge of resentment that he was reading her mind like an unfurled scroll-all her inner thoughts and feelings laid bare for his gaze. But there was nothing she could do-Malefor was her master and it was not her place to question him.

"And perhaps for other reasons too," Malefor mused.

"Other reasons?" she asked.

"He suspects that I plan to replace him with you," Malefor explained as he paced around Cynder, shooting glances at her occasionally as if he was looking for something. Cynder simply bore his probing gaze, keeping her face emotionless.

"That he is now an expendable asset. And his suspicions are correctly placed," Malefor continued.

Cynder smirked.

"You have achieved in a day what his best commanders had failed to do for months," Malefor said. "You have proven yourself his superior in more ways than one-something he can't stand."

"When can we be rid of that hateful Ape, my Lord?" Cynder asked, her voice full of savage glee at the thoughts of what she would do to Gaul. Her inner conscience recoiled and tried to push the murderous thoughts from her mind. But she couldn't manage it-it was her mind but something else altogether more evil and cruel was in control.

"Soon," Malefor said. "But until then, I believe the mountain-fortress may not be the safest lodging for you."

"Then where?" Cynder asked, remembering the only territory that Malefor controlled was around the mountain.

"A palace in the skies-a fortress in fact," Malefor said. "After this battle, I will show you. For now, focus on taking the volcano and the forges within."

There was a scuffling noise outside and Cynder turned just as Malefor's shadow-body dissipated. Two Apes dragged one of their scrawny-looking comrades through the door.

"Not another deserter," Cynder groaned exasperatedly, referring to the Apes soldiers who'd run away to avoid having to go to battle. It had become more prevalent and it was beginning to irk her greatly. "I already gave the order that all deserters were to be executed."

"But this one wasn't trying to run away from a battle," one Ape grunted, shaking his head. "He was trying to sneak into one."

Cynder studied the 'deserter' closely. It was Barty! "Bart?" she asked incredulously. "What are you doing?"

"I want to fight," Barty said, shrugging off the Apes holding him. "But they won't let me because of my leg. I won't stand by and watch like a whelp from the sidelines as everybody I know gets killed down there."

Cynder sighed. "You don't need to prove yourself to anyone," she said. "You've already shown more courage than those able-bodies Apes who run away from battle rather than fighting. Just abandon this crazy plan that's going to get you killed."

"At least let me help," Barty said. "If you won't let me serve on the frontlines then maybe I could help some other way."

"I'm listening," Cynder said. She didn't have the heart to say no to a friend who'd been there for her for all those dark years.

"The Manweersmalls," Barty began. "I think I have a way to defeat them."

Cynder simply nodded. She doubted he had anything. She'd already considered every possibility. The Manweersmalls simply had too good a defensive position.

"I've found out how they're navigating the tunnels," Barty said. "They have these metal railways going all over the place. They have vehicles that can ride the tracks-they don't need to worry about where they're going at all-the tracks all lead back to their main holdout."

Cynder considered the idea. It would explain how the Manweersmalls had been able to outmaneuver and outfight the Apes in the tunnels. But something didn't make sense.

"But how can you be certain?" Cynder asked. "That these tracks lead towards their holdout? Surely they would not be so foolish to neglect to consider and enemy following them?"

"The tunnels go deep," Barty said. "So deep that an army would take at least days to get there and in that time its numbers could be whittled down by hit and run attacks until it posed no threat." He added sheepishly, "Also, I've been down there..."

Cynder gave him a startled look. "You've been down there? How?"

"When my unit's commander found out about my limp, he took me out of combat duty. You know me-with nothing to do I got terribly bored so I took to scavenging the shore for interesting leftover pieces of machinery and I stumbled upon the wreckage of a Manweersmall vehicle. Bit of reverse engineering with some of my own add-ons and I had a fully-functional train! I had to hide it, though. If my commander had found out I'd been sneaking into battle, he'd have sent me home."

"So you've seen the Manweersmalls' holdout?" Cynder asked, excitement rising.

"Been there, done that," Barty said. "They're so sure no one can get to them that it's virtually unfortified. An army a third of the size of ours wouldn't have trouble taking it."

"Your train... How big is it?" Cynder asked.

"Well it wasn't anything to write home about previously but with all the modifications I've made to it, it's huge! Come on, I'll show you!"

Cynder followed as Barty scurried off. His childlike excitement brought back fond memories of their time together when she was younger. Some people never seemed to grow up, she thought. Lucky him.

Cynder stopped dead in her tracks when she caught sight of Barty's machine. How did anyone not notice something like that. Sitting low on the rails was a hulking steel behemoth-a monstrous locomotive. It's oversized boiler belched thick, sooty smoke as Barty clambered into the cabin and started it up.

"Meet Steam," Barty said. "She may be big but she's the fastest thing on the rails-courtesy of her massive engine."

Cynder circled the train, sizing it up. Barty's innovation never ceased to amaze her. He had built this out of scrap? Impressive. But it didn't look as though it could hold the troops needed to take the main holdout. Suddenly an idea came to her.

"How many minecarts do you think she can tow?" Cynder asked.

"Minecarts? Why on earth..." Barty said. "Oh wait, I get it! Maybe between five to eight."

"You know what to do," Cynder said to one of the Apes who'd followed them. "Tell Commander Albus to get his Apes to salvage some minecarts."

"I'll prepare a strike force. You can lead them to the holdout but you're to stay out of combat at all costs," Cynder told Barty sternly.

"What?! But I want to fight! It's no fair Albus is out there risking his neck and I'm stuck safe in Steam's cabin waiting out the battle. Please, Cynder."

"Barty, you're my best friend. Were something to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself," Cynder said, trying to reason with him.

"But... But..." Barty was about to say more but Cynder cut him off. Realizing he wouldn't listen to concern, she opted for a more pragmatic approach. "If something did happen to you, who would be able to lead the rest of the troops down there? Nobody else knows the way. That's why I need to make sure nothing happens to you. If you fall, this battle's as good as lost."

It sounded heartless but it seemed to make sense to the small Ape. Grudgingly, he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll stay away from the worst of the fighting."

"Good," Cynder said. "What you've done has helped the war effort more than you could possibly know. Losing the forges below the volcano will be a crippling strike against our enemies. And a great victory for us."