Chapter 36
Glinda and her father marched with the troops into the fallen city. It was eerily silent and Lord Upland ordered the troops to come to a complete halt.
"I do not like it sir," his second in command, Colonel George, said.
"Nor do I," the General told him.
"We're out in the open and there is no sign of Fiyero. Let's head toward the castle and see what we can find there," Glinda said.
"I miss the days of shields and spears. We have no protection. Dismount and march as quickly and as quietly as possible," Lord Upland ordered the men. The horses would provide the cover they needed but it was not the best way to do business as the troops needed the transportation. They made their way to the gates, which had obviously been worked on, the originals damaged.
"Glinda dear, I think it might be time for a bubble," her father said. She nodded and quickly created a bubble and floated up above the wall.
"There you are. We've been waiting," Elphaba said which caused the blonde to practically fall down out of the sky. The green-skinned woman was atop her broom keeping just below the top of the wall, avoiding being a sniper's target.
"Open the gates," Elphaba called down. The gates were quickly opened and all the Gillikin troops ushered inside. Once the gates were closed, the men set off to find their counterparts while Lord Upland, Glinda, and Colonel George, followed Elphaba, who leaned heavily on her broom, into the royal tent.
"General Tulak, I am very pleased to see you," Glinda smiled and pulled the older gentleman into a hug.
"I am pleased to see you as well Queen Glinda," he smiled.
"Lord Upland, General of Gillikin's special forces unit," the man extended a hand and everyone gladly introduced themselves.
"Your troops could not have come at a better time," Fiyero beamed.
"I imagine so. From what Glinda tells me you went into battle outgunned and outmanned," the General replied.
"Yes well that shouldn't be a problem anymore. I have spoken with our weapons expert and he thinks if we could bring one of those cannons home he could duplicate it," the Vinkun continued to smile.
"That is excellent news for everyone. Now what is the status of the Munchkin Empire?" Lord Upland got to the point.
"We have Ozkan in custody. He refuses to give us the name of his second-in-command and despite our best efforts, it seems as though the entire city is empty," Besim spoke up.
"Odd as Ozkan obviously chose this as his base. You don't think they've gone underground? Or perhaps escaped to the next city?" Upland wondered.
"We found no evidence of any tunnel system and the nearest town is at least fifty miles away. A large caravan of people would be noticeable but we haven't bumped into any civilians either," Tulak said.
"Where did they all go?" Colonel George wanted to know.
"We have no answer to that unless he emptied the city to use as a military base," Fiyero suggested.
"I can make fifty miles in very little time on my broom. I can make a sweep and then head back here and report," Elphaba told them.
"In your condition? I think not," Fiyero said.
"He's right Elphie. You should be resting," Glinda told her.
"I'm on the mend, really. If I gain a little more strength, I can cast a healing spell on myself and be good as new but we need to know where all the Munchkins went and I'm the fastest thing we've got," the Queen argued.
"Second fastest," Hikmet spoke up, "and I'll not let you go alone." Elphaba smiled. It had been good to see the Eagle again. He reminded her of the good times in her childhood.
"Then it's settled. You two go while you still have good nighttime left and when you get back, we'll have a plan to high-tail it back to the Emerald City," Lord Upland smiled. Fiyero tried to object but he'd been overruled. Glinda was going to throw her hand in the ring for objecting but her father stopped her. Quickly the two friends took to the skies.
The moon was full and did not offer them anywhere to hide in the sky but Elphaba figured they were safe about fifty feet off the ground. They soared through the air not saying anything and seeing just as much. Hikmet signaled he needed a break and headed for the trees which stood in patches not far from the road. It could be dangerous but Elphaba figured with her looks, any Munchkin would be scared straight.
"It's odd your Highness," the Eagle said upon landing on the highest branch. His eyes were not as sharp at night but the full moon helped quite a bit.
"Incredibly so. You don't think Ozkan had everyone killed do you?" It seemed like an outrageous thought but she had listened to what Fiyero and the troops had found.
"No. As crazy as he is, Ozkan knows without people, he has no troops and no fight. Still I wonder," Hikmet shook his head and once again took to the sky. They'd already covered over half the trip and their destination was close.
"When we get there, I'll use a little transformation spell and we'll try to blend in," she told him. He nodded and as they covered the last part of the journey, they ducked into the last clump of trees. Quickly, Elphaba transformed her broom into a horse and Hikmet into a falcon. She then changed her skin color and outward appearance to that of a man and the two rode to the city gates.
"Who goes there?" A guard shouted.
"A simple traveler, nothing more. The Great Munchkin Ozkan has fallen and his city with him. I come here looking for shelter," she replied.
"He has fallen? Are you sure?" The man asked.
"As sure as I can be. Ozian troops hold the castle. They have called for anyone who wishes to surrender and they promise no harm to them," Elphaba said.
"Great Oz," the guard said, dropping his weapon. She was unsure of what to do next and froze.
"Come, you must tell the Councilman everything you know," he said. She nodded and was quickly led to the Councilman's home where she explained everything she knew, making sure that they wouldn't suspect who she was or thought she was a spy. The Councilman listened intently and then said,
"Surrender is our best option. Can you lead us back to the castle?" He asked. It seemed all too easy but Elphaba agreed to it. She promised to meet them outside the gate when they were ready. Immediately she headed for the gate and once away from prying eyes, she changed Hikmet back into an Eagle.
"Fly as fast as you can and tell Fiyero we're coming," she said.
"And if I'm not back in time?" He asked.
"Do what you can. Signal me when you're coming in and I'll change you back," she smiled. He nodded and took to the skies.
To Be Continued…