Refuge: Book 3: The Legions Read online

  Refuge: Book 3

  The Legions

  A Book of Military Fantasy

  by

  Doug Dandridge

  Paul wasn’t really sure how he felt about the dragons. They were beautiful creatures to be sure, with their gold and silver scales. And damned intimidating as well. There were only a few ways to kill his kind, and he wanted to live a long time. Dragons possessed two of the killing methods. They could burn his body to ash, and they could eat him. Both methods would destroy his body, and that would be the end of his immortality on this mortal plane.

  The big Gold looked him over as he approached, with calm golden brown eyes. The woman seated on its back rendered a salute, her long reddish brown hair coming out from under her helmet and blowing in the wind. If she can bloody well get used to the things, then so can I, thought the Brit. Can’t let a bird show me up.

  Paul moved into place, standing about five meters from the Polish woman, the immortal Izabella Kozlowski. She was also in full armor, though of lighter construction than his own, a long sword and shield attached to her back. Now she’s a right good looking one, he thought of the blond hair, blue eyed woman who was said to be almost four hundred years old. But I like an older woman, he thought with a smile, knowing that she would be young and beautiful for centuries to come, as long as she didn’t get eaten by a dragon as well, or burned to death.

  Oh, crap, he thought as the dragon flapped its wings and reared up on its hind feet. Two human troopers were holding on to the rear legs, some of the paratrooper contingent from Earth who were along for what could amount to a suicide mission. They were doing this kind of thing on Earth, thought the big Brit, who had been too large for the para regiment, and had never learned to jump. Until coming here, and training over the winter for just such a contingency. Well, maybe not this exact thing, he thought. The paratroopers, mostly Americans, with a smattering of Germans and a few Brits, had not jumped from a dragon or battlehawk during their training on Earth. Their transport was more staid and stable, aircraft that all were familiar with.

  The dragon grabbed him with its right claw, the woman with its left. It tensed its rear legs and jumped into the air, wings flapping with a booming sound. In moments it was high in the sky, heading toward the fortress. Other dragons rose along with it, thirty of the beasts. The larger carried four warriors each, the smaller two, for a total strength eighty-four paratroopers, about what one drop plane would have transported on Earth. Eighty battlehawks would also be in the air, each hauling one trooper to the drop zone. It would be up to them to take the gates to the fortress and its keep, along with one follow up stick of another eighty, if all the hawks made it back from the first wave.

  The ground passed below, visible in the faint light of the largest moon, a quarter full, but still brighter than a full Luna on Earth. The camp fires of the Legion were visible in the distance, surrounding the fortress, which itself was lit with torch light and glow globes. It seemed to come toward them slowly, or really they toward it. But also too fast. Paul would have preferred it take longer, so he could gather his thoughts before jumping into what could be hell.

  [Go] yelled the voice in his mind as they were almost over the fortress. Too far away as far as Paul was concerned, but he also knew that was the illusion of the jump. He took the order seriously and let the dragon drop him from its claws, looking back to see the two human paratroopers let go of their claws and fall. He turned his attention back to his own drop, counting to five, then pulling his ripcord. The US Army issue parachute opened above him, and in a second he was jerked into the sky, then floated. It was a steerable chute, the latest of airborne technologies, and he could control his drop and fly where he wanted, even pulling into a hover when needed. Some of the human commanders had wanted to use the levitation of magic, but the Elves had pointed out that levitation could be picked up and tracked by a skilled mage, and there were many such mages in the fortress.

  The Brit watched the fort get closer, his eyes focused on the outer walls where sentries walked their posts. Those sentries should have been watching the skies as well as the ground outside the fort. A demonstration was in progress that attracted their attention, as ranks of legionaries formed up and marched, as if they were about to attack the walls. Engineers worked at engines, while pots of projectiles flamed behind them. The Ellala in the fort had to feel secure in their ability to repel any such attack, but they also had to know that the Earth people could pull tricks on them that they had never heard of. Like they were about to do at this moment.

  The outer wall of the fort passed beneath Paul’s boots, and he pulled on his cord to change his trajectory toward the inner keep, where the garrison could shelter if the outer fort fell. Taking the courtyard meant nothing if the keep held out. So it had been decided to take them both at the same time. The four immortals and twenty troopers would try to take the gate to the keep, while a full company of paratroops would take the outer courtyard and open that gate. Or at least that was the way it was hoped it would go.

  The Brit pulled his right riser, then his left, and aimed for the top of the tower to the left of the gate. The roof came up fast. Paul was wishing it would come faster as two Ellala looked his way. The one with the pike shouted, then set the spear to take the Immortal when he landed. The one with the bow pulled an arrow to his ear and released. The shaft sped into Paul’s chest and bounced from the armor. The immortal pulled on both risers and slowed, then dropped straight down, while the pikeman screamed and charged forward.

  Paul’s feet hit the roof and he pulled the quick release tabs that attached his parachute pack to him. His next move was to pull the bastard sword from the sheath on his back, while his left hand grabbed at the ax haft that was attached to his left side. The pike head hit his chest and slid away. The immortals were all encased in the best armor that could be found, it thought to be more important to protect them so they could do what they did best, fight. It actually saved more lives to protect those with the best ability to take damage.

  Another arrow hit his shoulder, and Paul roared as he struck the pike away with his sword, then swung the ax in to cave in the shoulder of the spearman. The archer was drawing another arrow when Levine landed behind him. A swing of the ancient immortal’s sword and the archer was headed for his afterlife, to reward or punishment. More paratroopers came in to land, while Izabella Kozlowski came down on the other tower with a dozen more paratroops. Gregor Babich yelled in frustration as he missed the top of that tower and fell onto the roof of the keep, forty meters below the tops of the towers.

  Guess we’ll have to do without him, thought Paul as he ran toward the stairway coming up from the wall, where dozens of Ellala swordsmen were swarming. Just hope he makes it OK. Then he was standing over the landing to the stairway, and his sword and ax rose and fell in a rhythm of destruction that dropped an Elf every couple of seconds to his death.

  He glanced to the side, looking down into the outer court, where the other paratroopers had landed. There were bodies on the ground, both human and Elf. The humans were getting the worst of it in the melee, men who had only been practicing the sword for less than a year, against beings who had been using a blade for centuries. Arrows were coming down from the walls to take more of the humans. But even as he watched the humans were clumping together into groups of a half dozen, then a dozen, then fifty, sixty, forming a tortoise formation. Now the arrows were glancing from the shields or sticking to them, while the men under the protection of that cover thrust with their short swords and killed all the Elves that came at them.

  Then his attention was captured by the Ellala who continued to swarm up toward him. A quartet of paratroopers had by now put together short pikes
from sections they had carried and were thrusting into the enemy, while others were firing heavy crossbows into the Ellala on the walls and in the courtyard. And then the Ellala on the wall backed away, and Paul wondered what was going on. The glowing staffs of mages appeared among the press and moved forward, and the Brit knew another deadly aspect had been added to the fight.

  Dedication

  This novel is dedicated to writer Harry Turtledove. Your vision of the Legions traveling to a dimension of magic and battling for their lives was my inspiration for this novel. Your stories have entertained me immensely through the years.

  Contact me at [email protected]

  Follow my Blog at http://dougdandridge.com

  Follow me at @BrotherofCats

  Copyright © 2013 Doug Dandridge

  All rights reserved.

  Please respect the hard work of this author. If you found this book for free on a pirate site, please visit Amazon and buy a copy of your own. I feel that I charge a reasonable price for this work.

  For more information on the Exodus Universe, visit http://dougdandridge.net for maps, sketches and other details of this work.

  Acknowledgements: I would like to thank all of my fans, especially those who sent emails or commented on blogs about how much they enjoyed the first two books of this series. Your kind words gave me the impetus to continue through the not so kind words left in some reviews.

  Books by Doug Dandridge

  Doug Dandridge’s Author Page at Amazon

  Science Fiction

  The Exodus Series

  Exodus: Empires at War: Book 1

  Exodus: Empires at War: Book 2

  Exodus: Empires at War: Book 3: The Rising Storm.

  The Deep Dark Well Series

  The Deep Dark Well

  To Well and Back

  Deeper and Darker (coming Winter 2014)

  Others

  The Shadows of the Multiverse

  Diamonds in the Sand

  The Scorpion

  Afterlife

  We Are Death, Come for You

  Fantasy

  The Refuge Series

  Refuge: The Arrival: Book 1

  Refuge: The Arrival: Book 2

  Doppelganger: A Novel of Refuge

  Others

  The Hunger

  Daemon

  Aura

  Sign up for my Newsletter at Mailchimp to receive news about upcoming projects, releases and promotions. Also be sure to check out my website, http://dougdandridge.net toward the end of each month for a free short story about Exodus, featuring the backgrounds of characters and the Empire.

  Cast of Characters

  Half Lich Emperor Ellandra Mashara. Four thousand year old Emperor of the Death worshiping Empire of Ellala’lysana. Nearing the end of his race’s natural lifespan, he has embarked upon an attempt to become undead in order to “live” forever.

  Archduke Millosa Jakara. Archduke and Death Priest. Ruler of the Archduchy of Krashnagorda.

  Grand Marshall Ellessa Ellisandra. Commander of Ellala’lysana Field Army.

  General The Duke Lissandan Migilladara. Current Commander of the Imperial Army.

  General Jossianli Melisardra. Commander of the Dragon Corps.

  Jakisanda Millistara. High Priest of Bothar.

  General Mishoriana Yaldigas. Commander of the fortress of Magalakar.

  Field Marshal Magarisa Lansadrana. Commander of the Army of the City of Kalishanashan.

  Count Gerrasa Mashara. Chief of the Secret Police.

  Kingdom of Lianardas

  King Ellidron Kjanara. King of the Kingdom of Lianardas and lifelong enemy of Ellala’lysana.

  Princess Lissindra Kjanara. Daughter of Ellidron and High Priestess of the Gods of Life.

  High Commander Fenris Hallanta. Commander of elite border patrol cavalry regiment of the Kingdom.

  Other Allies

  Garios na Gonron. High War Priest of the Kingdom Under the Mountain.

  Chieftain Girison Tortural. Village chieftain of the Gimikran people, Priest of Life, and a leader of resistance to the Gods of Death.

  Killiastofa Valdaris. Conyastaya High Priest of Yanon.

  The Human Immortals

  Brigadier General Kurt von Mannerheim. Ex Wehrmacht officer, Captain of Panzergrenadiers. Born 1912. Seriously wounded by fire at the battle of Kursk and recovered with no apparent injuries. Has not aged since the apparent age of thirty. Prophesized Leader of the forces of light.

  Brigadier General Ismael Levine. The Wandering Jew of legend. Born Year 43 BC under the Roman Empire. The oldest know human Immortal.

  Colonel Paul Mason-Smyth. Former Major, British Army of the Rhine (BAOR).

  Colonel Jacquelyn Smith. Former First Lieutenant U S Army.

  Colonel Izabella Kozlowski. Four hundred year old Polish Immortal.

  Colonel Gregor Babich. Former Russian Army officer.

  Army of the Alliance

  Lieutenant General Zachary Taylor. Commanding officer of the Alliance. Highest ranking NATO officer to be transported to Refuge.

  Major General Walter Delgado. Commanding General of the First Legion.

  Major General Walther Wittman. Commanding General Second Legion, and acting Corps Commander..

  Brigadier General James Harris. Army Chief of Logistics and former Intelligence Officer.

  Lt. Colonel Antwoine McGurk. Commanding Officer of First Cavalry Regiment (Light).

  Captain Jessica Stuart. Dragon Rider and Flight Leader, First Air Wing.

  Lieutenant Kevin Karst. Former Raptor Pilot and Captain Stuart’s wingman.

  First Lieutenant Salvadore Maritoni. Telepath and Headquarters Com Chief.

  Captain Paul Baurieth. Former Special Forces Sergeant and Warpriest of Arathonia.

  Colonel Cliff Jackson. Former Senior NCO, U S 3rd Armored Division, Current Siegemaster.

  Hauptman/Major Franz Sturgil. Company Commander of Heavy Cavalry.

  Warrant Officer Three Dirk Winslow. Bard and leader of The Tarantulas.

  Peter Steiner, Wolfgang and Reinhold Schrenker. Warrant Officer Bards, The Tarantulas.

  Captain Beate Terbourg. Priestess of Yanon, God of Healing.

  High Priestess of Life Lt. Colonel Leinora Glassandora. Conyastaya Priestess of Arathonia.

  Prince Harrakihn kil Marizom, Mo'orican Commander of the First Cavalry Brigade.

  Private Dieter Klausman. Legionnaire and one of the Protected.

  Private Karl Gruber. Legionnaire and Dieter’s partner.

  Colonel Glarum na Turon. CO of Dwarven Engineer Brigade.

  Major Dolf Klausmier. Delgado's aide.

  Colonel Baron Karl von Hasslehoff. First Wing Commander, former Luftwaffe pilot.

  Lt. Colonel Joshua Franklin. Leader of naval dive bomber squadron.

  Commodore Steffan Hauser. Commander of Alliance River Fleet.

  The German Civilians

  Dr. Vogel Kreigel, Biologist, Geneticist and creator of the Neowolves (New Wolves).

  Earnst Grueber. Ex-Krupp Engineer and the man called the Wizard.

  The Mages

  Stephan Neigal. Schizophrenic on Earth. Firemage on Refuge.

  Katherine Heidle. Schizophrenic on Earth. Weathermage on Refuge.

  Marcus Strom. Schizophrenic on Earth. Naturemage on Refuge.

  James Drake. Exchange student from London, Doctoral candidate in Physics and Schizophrenic. Firemage.

  The French

  Field Marshal Charles Guiscard. Head of French/Dekefini Army.

  King Gragagan Klasark of the Dekifin.

  Major Francois Roy. French Officer

  Magratha: Seer of the Grogatha peoples, officer of the Resistance, and former servant of the Emperor.

  Chapter One

  “Dress up those lines,” yelled the voice of the Sergeant.

  Dieter Klausman wanted to swear under his breath. He was afraid that if he did he wouldn’t be right with God, so he kept his peace and instead said a quick prayer. Being rig
ht with God was important at this time. If he wasn’t he risked the special protection that God gave him in this place and time.

  Sweat dripped down his face. The helmet on his head, of marvelous Dwarven construction which made it lighter than regular steel, still seemed inordinately heavy. Much heavier than the Kevlar helmet he had worn in the German Army, and a different shape, what the Americans called a football helmet. And he couldn’t wipe his face with his hands, occupied as they were with the large rectangular shield on his left arm and the long spear he carried in his right.

  His eyes were locked on the growing mass of Ellalla and Grogatha who stood ahead. He tried to use the native terms, Ellalla for the Elvish creatures, Grogatha for the ugly squat muscular ones. But the names the Earth born used among themselves seemed to fit the brain much more easily. Elves and Orcs were what they seemed. And there were literally tens of thousands of them arrayed on the hill that the humans and their allies marched toward. All of them wore armor. All of them were armed. And all of them looked like they would like to do nothing better than hack Dieter’s life from his body.

  “There sure are a lot of them,” said Karl Gruber, the man standing to the left of Dieter. “Looks like a hell of a lot more than we have. And they have cavalry.”

  “Quiet in the ranks,” yelled the sergeant from his place to the right most of the squad. “Save your energy for the fight.”

  Dieter tried to swallow, his heart beating hard in his chest. But his throat was too dry. Water sloshed in one of his canteens, but he couldn’t get it now.

  “Look smart, men,” said one of the officers from the rear. “They fear what they see. Believe it.”