Chapter 7: Reticulation of Misinformation

"My lord," began Sergeant Dricoi saluting, "you are ready to leave?" Returning the salute, Xander nodded and mounted his krus. Waiting for the others, disguised as usual he said,
"Proceed, Sergeant. I have no wish to waste more time." Xander was surprised and pleased at the small size of the entourage; only ten Ankylan riders including Dricoi. {Maybe things are starting to go our way for a change} he ventured. Dricoi signalled and they began to canter.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Willow resumed the mind-link again, now that they were out of their camp. {Dawn} thought Willow, {is this still the direction you sense Buffy went?}
{Definitely} she answered. {She was right here where we are now.} They could see the MistWall to the south, hundreds, perhaps thousands of feet high, like a mountain range, dulling all light in that direction. {That thing is huge} thought Dawn, {seeing it on the map is one thing, but wow!}

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After halting for a quick meal a few hours later, Anya sent the thought {Xander, if we keep going in this direction, I'm not letting you go into Seshni territory. They'll kill you, and then I'll be really unhappy and die an old spinster.}
{Er, what?} thought Willow.
{Don't worry, Anya, I won't-} began Xander, but Spike cut in.
{Give it a rest, you can't see 'em yet, but there are quite a few unsavoury looking characters waiting ahead.} Spike's superior vampiric vision was rarely wrong. Anya thought,
{Xander, see if the sarge knows who they are.}
{The sarge?}, he thought back questioningly. "Sergeant," said Xander, catching Dricoi's attention, "there are troops ahead of us. Do you know who they are?" Dricoi seemed startled by the question.
"My lord, I see no", he started as the soldiers came into view. "Forgive me, my lord. Those are Lord General Mart-Jik's troops."
{But I thought Mart-Jik's camp was over a hundred miles northwest of here} informed Willow.
{It is} returned Xander. {Be careful. I'll take care of this.}

Xander rode to the forefront of the riders and saw that there were twenty Ankylan soldiers; no real need to worry. Sergeant Dricoi rode up next to him as they reached the soldiers, who were all mounted. Their sergeant saluted Dricoi who said, "This is Lord General Ver-Tal of Metash." With his introduction over, Xander rode forward and addressed the soldiers.
{Something's wrong!} Spike sent the urgent thought to Dawn. Xander was speaking.
"Sergeant, why do I find you so far from-". Dawn watched as Dricoi suddenly backhanded Xander with the hilt of his sword, toppling him from his saddle.
"Xander!" she screamed in unison with Anya.
"Seize them!" commanded one of the Ankylans.
"Dawn! Move! Now!" shouted Spike as he grabbed her animal's reins. She could see Dricoi clubbing a groggy Xander across the back of the head.
"No," screamed Anya as she rode for Xander. The soldiers were riding towards her as Willow shouted,
"Anya, don't!" Dozens more riders were appearing from behind natural inclines in the land. Willow turned and shouted, "Spike! Get Dawn away! We'll find you later. Go!" as soldiers swarmed over Anya. Two attacked Dawn but were savagely cut down by Spike. She Abruptly felt her animal moving away from the mayhem.
"Come on, Bit!" he shouted, "Hold on tight!"
"No," Dawn insisted, "we have to go back, we can't leave them!" An arrow shot between them, and they heard a shout of,
"Let none escape!" As Dawn clutched her reins, she looked back and saw Willow throwing balls of energy at dozens of soldiers. Abruptly, she dropped, a cudgel smashing the back of her head. "Follow them! Follow them!" came another roar from behind as they galloped at full pace.
"Spike, no!" shouted Dawn. "We have to help them!"
"There's more than a hundred of them, Dawn!" he shouted back. "Besides, Red can take care of herself. We'll find them again, but now we have to go!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They rode south at a murderous pace, an occasional arrow whistling past, chased by two-dozen riders. Dawn suddenly heard a wail of unimaginable horror, and saw that the area in which they had been ambushed was darker than before. "Willow," Dawn whispered as Spike urged the animals for more speed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

{A Dread!} thought Dricoi in horror as the soldier screamed. {What have I done?} The soldier's terrible wailing came to an abrupt end, and the demon lord incinerated its limp body in its clawed grip. Everywhere soldiers were screaming in terror. "Arrows! Arrows!" he ordered. The beast turned his fiery gaze on him, where the fallen Chaos General lay at his feet. It bellowed an ear-shattering roar of fury and began moving toward him. For the first time in his life, Dricoi was paralysed by fear. It reached for him, to consume his soul.

In a flash of sparks, several arrows struck the creature in the chest, and it screamed in rage. Steel could not kill a Dread, but it could cause it pain. The creature shot a ball of fire from its talons, consuming the archers in flames, who never had time to scream. Once again the monsters' gaze was back upon Dricoi, but he had recovered from his paralysis. It again reached for him, but he swung at it with his long bastard sword, causing the thing to recoil. He swung again and it bellowed. He knew he was only buying time. It reached again once more, and knocked the sword from his grip. It was closing its talons around him when it was struck by an intense azure light, sending it stumbling back, screeching in pain and anger. It made to move when the immensely powerful beam, sending the gigantic demon tumbling, again hit it. Dricoi turned to see his saviour. {A Blue Mage!} he realised, amazed, at the sight of the cloaked figure, only a rimming of blue at the hood breaking the unrelieved black of his garb.

This time the energy remained on the Dread when it fell, locking it in place. It struggled and writhed as the Blue Mage grunted with exertion. The Dread ceased moving as it began to decrease in size, dumbfounding the on- looking soldiers. Smaller it became, until it was smaller than any of the soldiers. The light glowed brighter shifting in the beasts form was visible. When the brilliant light dispelled, a small flame-haired Vantal laid upon the dusty ground. "A Vantal!" exclaimed one of the soldiers as he moved to it, his spear raised.
"No!" shouted the Mage, "you will not harm it!" He looked around and asked, "Who is in command here?" Dricoi stepped forward and said,
"I am, Mage. 'Captain Dricoi'. I thank you for my life." The Mage waved away the thanks.
"Unnecessary, Captain." He looked at the Chaos General at Dricoi's feet. "Others?" Dricoi nodded.
"There is another taken. Two are escaped," reported Dricoi.
"They must be found," said the black-cloaked Mage heatedly, as he walked over to the little form of the former dread. "Indeed, it now seems a Vantal," he said with almost a gleam in his eye. "Is the other?"
"No, Mage. It appears a Brairto, but I have never seen one outside of a painting. The Mage rubbed his chin.
"A Brairto, eh? A Wish-mistress. Strange indeed. The power of the wish is long gone from Ri'Oth. Captain, you must recover the other two." Dricoi nodded, but asked
"What did you do, Mage?" indicating the still Dread.
"I forced and bound it into its most recently assumed form. It is harmless until released," said the Mage, who added "I should not have been able to do so, not even with the 'Sapphire Light', but the Dread's rage was its own undoing. So unlike a Dread, they are normally the coldest creatures imaginable. What caused its fury, Captain?"
"I believe our attack on its comrades did, Blue Mage, particularly the Chaos General. Mage, if, - could..."
"Could Deetai have tamed the Dreads?" the Mage finished. "For all our sakes, I hope not. I however doubt it." He walked over to the Chaos General, and held up his limp hand. There was a flash of energy, and now a faint blue aura enveloped the giant. "He shall not awaken until we reach Arth Demm."
"Arth Demm! Asked Dricoi incredulously, eyes widening. "I know the capture of a Chaos General is a great blow, but I thought we would be taking him to Shuibol in east Seshni, or perhaps Yetlush just inside Ka'ad."
"No, you and I shall be bringing them to Arth Demm." He moved back to the Dread. "It may be coincidence that this one had taken the form of a Vantal. I will not know for sure until the others are brought to me. Captain?"
"Yes, Mage. I will send others, but the wounded need to be tended."
"I'll see to them. Just send as many able bodied soldiers as you can. They must be found."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Spike!" exhaled Dawn, "I can't keep going like this. I have to stop." They were syill galloping as fast as their mounts could carry them towards the dense mist, their disguises gone.
"Just hold on a minute longer, Little Bit!" he shouted back. "Almost there!" Their pursuers hadn't become any less determined. Running wouldn't work. "Now, Niblet," said Spike as they entered the MistWall. They dismounted. "Stay close to me, Dawn," he whispered, "and don't make a sound."

The riders halted. "They rode into the MistWall!" muttered one amazed Ankylan.
"Then they are as good as dead," said another. "Nothing leaves the MistWall. Let's go." They turned around and left at a canter, sparing the animals.
"Spike," said Dawn, but he quickly put his hand around her mouth and whispered,
"Not yet, Niblet." They were silent.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"The Brairto awakens, Blue Mage," said a soldier to the Mage. He motioned for a soldier to lead him to her. The Brairto was standing, groggily shaking her head. Several soldiers guarded her.
"What is your name?" asked the Mage. The Brairto responded in an outraged tone.
"How dare you attack us? We serve Lord General Ver-Tal. Take us all to Colonel Sash immediately!"
"Ver-Tal?" asked the Mage. He seemed to decide something. The Brairto made a swinging movement of her arm, bringing several the guards to level their weapons at her. She looked confused. "I have sealed your magics," said the Mage. "I am aware that the Brairto possessed many abilities outside of 'The Power Of The Wish'. I suspect that the seal shall be released in due time, but we shall see. Guards," he said to the soldiers, "stand down." They sheathed their weapons He left, before the stunned Brairto could ask anymore questions.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Captain, have your men returned, yet?" Dricoi was looking over a ridge, and indicated the Blue Mage should do likewise.
"They come, now, Mage," answered Dricoi. Saluting, fist on heart, Dricoi addressed the sergeant. "Report, sergeant."
"The other two are dead, Captain."
"What?" shouted the fuming Mage. "I told you not to harm them!" The sergeant quickly said nervously.
"We did not, Mage. They entered the MistWall, sealing their own fate. We could not stop them." The Mage turned to Dricoi.
"Captain, have your men patrol the MistWall as far along its edge as you are able, searching for two Vantals."
"Mage," began a shocked Dricoi, "they have entered the MistWall."
"And they will leave it," said the Mage with finality."Do as I say. I believe these are who I seek." Dricoi seemed confused.
"Vantals, Mage? They appeared Ankylan to me." The Mage nodded,
"I know, Captain. It was an illusion cast by the Brairto. Give the order to patrol as far as Buntine Springs if necessary." Dricoi gave the orders to his sergeants, who shifted at the mention of two Vantals, who must be recovered alive. He instructed that no less than forty soldiers were ever to be together.
"Captain," said a sergeant, "groups that numerous will be very conspicuous. We would be inviting attack from the forces at Chaono Lane."
"Don't be concerned, sergeant," replied Dricoi. "There will be little activity from Chaono Lake. Now go," he ordered.

"Mage," began Dricoi, "you said that you now believe these to be those you seek. Why?"
"The Brairto, Captain. She told me she served General Ver- Tal," answered the Mage.
"That is true, Mage. The Chaos General we have captured is Ver- Tal of Metash. The Blue Mage shook his hooded head.
"I know it for a fact that Ver-Tal of Metash was over two thousand miles away in northern Modalstiar, when I left Arth Demm. No, Captain Dricoi, this is not Ver-Tal.
"Then who, Mage?" he asked incredulously. "Why would a Chaos General lie about who he was?"
"Because he is not a Chaos General," answered the Mage as he walked toward the comatose, antlered giant.
"Another illusion? But you have sealed the Braito's powers, and I have seen this one in battle, Mage. He displayed the strength and ferocity of a Chaos General, and the abilities of Deetai's chosen," stated the puzzled captain.
"I believe you, Captain. But I have a question; what colour are a Chaos General's eyes?" Dricoi frowned and thought for a moment.
"Violet, I believe, Blue Mage."
"You're correct, Captain," he replied as he knelt beside the giant. He reached and pulled open one of his eyelids.
"Silver!" blurted Dricoi stunned. "I – I never noticed."
"Few would, and even if you did, who would dare question a Chaos General?"
"Then what...?"
"I believe him to be a Lustre Warrior; a long extinct race resembling the Chaos Soldiers, but infinitely more powerful. Aside from each other, they were the gods' greatest enemies, refusing alliance with any but themselves. They were finally annihilated by Glorificus long ago. It is by somehow utilising their form as a template that Deetai molds his chosen Chaos Soldiers into the bastardised Chaos Generals."
"It was you who incapacitated him after I knocked him from his saddle, wasn't it?" The Mage nodded, smiling. "I knew that two hits from a hilt wouldn't keep his like down. But we were supposed to have the Gold Mage from Pritoh here to cage him. It is very fortunate that you were here, for I doubt that a Gold Mage could have stopped a dread."
"An astute observation," said the Mage. "I met with the Gold Mage en route here, and I sent him back to Pritoh." He looked around. "Order your men, Captain. We must be going."