Chapter 36 – UDS day 36

I stood shoulder to shoulder with Wesley, just beyond the gates of our village. My eyes widened as a sight unfolded before me, one I had never thought I would witness after the earth had been systemized. A resonating sound, rhythmic, making the ground under my feet vibrate, echoed through the village. Someone had unearthed a snare drum, and its rolling beat reverberated in our chests. Row after row of our brave fighters emerged through the gates, as they marched towards the road that led to the cracked and ruined highway. It was a sight that made my heart flutter, filling me with pride and a sense of purpose.

In the forefront of our small army, a flag waved proudly in the warm breeze. Someone, I don’t know who, had embroidered a flag for our army that evoked memories of the world from before, but also evoked an image of who we were becoming. Stitched onto its fabric was a symbol every one of us would recognize. A circle of white stars adorned a field of vibrant blue, each star represented one of our villages. Beyond the blue expanse, two bold bars stretched outward. The top bar, pure and white, represented our desire to live in peace. The bottom bar, a vivid shade of red, represented our unyielding determination to defend our land, even with our own blood. There was an undeniable defiance in the emblem, a reflection of not only who we used to be, but who we were becoming.

As the multitude of warriors, mages, archers, healers, and an assortment of other classes marched forth, armed and armored for the impending battle, I couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline. I was one of them. Together, we were prepared to face whatever challenges Armadon would unleash upon us.

John Thompson approached us, riding one of the few horses we had managed to acquire for our army's use. Horses were a valuable asset in our post-System world, but our villages had prioritized survival over capturing and taming more of them. Now, with new captain's bars adorning his collar, John was now our official commander.

As he dismounted, his eyes surveyed the marching army with a mix of pride and determination. "You won't believe what happened," John began, a sense of excitement evident in his voice. "I accepted the quest to lead the army against Armadon, and in doing so, I reached level six."

Intrigued, I tore my gaze away from the passing adventurers. "That's impressive! So, what class did you gain when you hit level six?"

A smile graced John's face. "I became a knight captain. I guess I don’t need to tell you, I accepted it."

My eyebrows raised in admiration. "That's incredible, John. I guess that’s Knight-Captain Thompson. I'm glad you accepted the quest. Does the knight captain class come with any unique abilities?"

John nodded, his eyes shining with newfound purpose. "Absolutely. Commanding Presence. It grants a powerful boost to the primary combat statistics of everyone within its range."

After crossing under an intersecting highway’s bridge, our army continued its march towards the outskirts of Henderson Manor. The anticipation in the air was palpable, as fighters checked and rechecked their gear, doing whatever was necessary to manage their frayed nerves. As we neared the village, however, a sight caught our attention, causing a ripple of concern to spread through our ranks.

Smoke billowed in the distance, rising just to the north of the village's center. The plumes curled into the sky, darkening the horizon with an ominous presence. Conversations dwindled as everyone's eyes fixated on the source of the smoke.

Wesley, now by my side, furrowed his brow. "Something's not right," he muttered, voicing the unease that had settled over us all. "That smoke... It can only mean trouble."

Knight-Captain Thompson rode up, his voice echoing across the command. "Hold up here, folks. Group leaders, gather round!"

Wesley and I joined the other leaders as we approached Knight-Captain Thompson. Although I wasn't a leader myself, I was eager to listen and learn.

Knight-Captain Thompson looked at each of us, his eyes filled with determination. "We've reached a critical moment, my friends. The smoke ahead mean that the Armadon is closing in on the Henderson Manor. There are likely several hundred people within the village walls. If Armadon gets inside, it’ll be a massacre."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "We have two objectives. The first is to connect with the Squire’s defenders. The second objective is to defeat that damned monster. To do that, we need a solid plan that plays to our strengths and exploits the creature's vulnerabilities."

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Wesley spoke up. "The Armadon's tough armor poses a significant challenge. We need to draw its focus away from the squire’s fighters. We should put our shield wall between it and Henderson Manor’s fighters. That should protect the people. Our ranged attacks, both magical and mundane, should aim for any weak points.”

A mage from Lake Village interjected with enthusiasm. "If our warriors can keep the beast off us, our casters can coordinate our spells. With any luck, we’ll even be able to create opportunities for our melee fighters to exploit.”

A fighter I didn’t recognize who was dressed in leather armor, said, “If we’re to do this, we need to keep communication lines open between various groups. Combat is confusing enough, I’d like to take some scouts and wardens and use them as runners.”

A paladin from Fort Point chimed in, "Our frontline warriors on the shield wall will likely take the brunt of the Armadon's assaults. I suggest dedicated healers to groups within the shield wall to ensure our fighters don’t die."

Knight-Captain Thompson listened attentively, nodding in agreement with each leader's contribution. "These are some solid ideas, folks. We need to work together, stay flexible, and watch each other's backs out there. Clear communication and coordination will be our secret weapons."

With the plan beginning to come together, Knight-Captain Thompson wrapped up the meeting. "I believe in all of you and the courage of our warriors. We're in this together. Send all your fighters with shields to Wesley, here. He’ll be in command of the shield wall.”

He assigned the scouts and wardens to a leader from Lake Village and the mages to Sarah, from our group.

“He’s young, but I’ve fought by his side, and he’s as steady as they come, so Cade Taylor will command the ranged attackers.”

I was startled by my name coming from John’s lips. I found more than a dozen pair of more experienced eyes on me. I gripped my rifle until my knuckles turned white. I could see skepticism in some of the other’s eyes. I waited for the inevitable protest, that I was too young, too inexperienced. But it never came.

When the group leaders dispersed, Wesley placed a hand on my shoulder, offering me a smile, “You’ll do great, Cade. John wouldn’t ask this of you if you weren’t ready.”

I wasn’t sure if I agreed with Wesley, even though this was what I’d been aiming for; to show others my ability to lead. But now that it was time to put my ambition to the ultimate test, I felt fear. What if I failed?

Whether I was ready or not, within a few minutes a group made up of archers, rangers and others with the ranged weapons flocked around me. I could see the skepticism on some of their faces. And as I returned the looks, I might not have been the youngest person in the group of two dozen, but it was a close thing.

Wesley came over to me on his way to those who would be forming the shield wall, he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You'll do great, Cade. John wouldn't ask this of you if you weren't ready," he said with a warm smile. His words gave me a much-needed boost of confidence as he headed over to the fighters who would form our shield wall.

Taking a deep breath, I addressed the group of archers, rangers, and other ranged fighters. "Hey, everyone! I know some of you might be wondering why John, I mean, Knight-Captain Thompson is crazy enough to trust me with this leadership gig, but I promise you, I'm as prepared as possible to lead you. I promise I’ll give everything I’ve got to face what has got to be the toughest challenge any of us have yet faced. Together, we've got what it takes to take down that Armadon!"

Several archers exchanged glances, their expressions still skeptical. I could sense their doubts, so I decided to strike up a conversation to break the ice and build some camaraderie.

I turned to a young archer from Fort Point, who had an impressive quiver of arrows slung across her back. "Hey, Tammy, how many arrows do you think it'll take to bring down an Armadon?" I asked, forcing excitement into my voice.

Tammy smirked and lifted her bow. "Well, Cade, let's just say we'll need to empty our quivers and then some! That thing's bigger than a house, but we've got the skills to bring it down. We'll rain arrows on that beast until it begs for mercy!"

As I made my way through the group, striking up a conversation with people, they seemed to loosen up, their skepticism slowly melting away as they started chatting among themselves. I realized that connecting with them on a personal level was just as important as outlining the strategy. They needed to see that I believed in them. How else could I ask them to believe in me?

As the conversation continued, I tried to get a sense of their insights and ideas, making mental notes of the strengths and specialties of each individual. They shared their experiences and offered suggestions, fostering a sense of unity with the two dozen ranged fighters.

Just as we were about to delve further into our plans, Knight-Captain Thompson rode past our group, signaling an end to the various war councils happening within each specialized group. "Alright, everyone! Let's put our plans into action. Remember, we're a team, and we've got each other's backs. Stay sharp, stay focused, and let's make those Armadon scales crack!"

As our little army started again toward Henderson Manor, we fell into place behind the melee fighters who would form the shield wall. Our plan was simple enough. Once they’d engaged the Armadon, we would attack from range, targeting the monster’s weak spots. The mages fell in behind us, their strategy not much different than ours.

Wesley fell back from the melee fighters until he fell into step beside me. He clapped me on the back, his voice filled with pride. "You're doing a great job, Cade. Keep that fire burning, and together, we'll bring that Armadon down."

I nodded, my eagerness renewed. Even though I’d led our adventuring team in the absence of Wesley or Sarah, this felt different. Like I was taking a huge step forward in my journey as a leader. I still wasn’t sure if I was up to the task, to make the tough decisions and adapt to the unpredictably of battle. Still, each step brought me closer to finding out what kind of leader I would become.