“Mattatron is an especially unique relic compared to the other Astral Weapons. While the others are intended for destruction, the royal zweihander’s purpose is to protect. It has only a singular function—to spread. It’s a deceptively simple power, but when combined with The Monarch’s Wings, it creates an unstoppable bulwark. None can break it. None can pierce it. None shall get past its invulnerable aegis.”

Arch Magus Virgil, Ruler of Augurium

———

The Knight

“The hour is at hand,” King Ascalon decrees. “Soon, The Magnus Murus will be within sight. This is the last chance we will have to prepare for the siege.”

The top ranks of the knight orders have all gathered together in the war tent to host one final rally before the inevitable invasion. Ascalon is situated next to Sarathiel and The Knight, while the other captains occupy the surrounding seats. Although there are familiar faces, such as Simon and Surasha, the remaining officers are foreign. The Knight has read about them briefly in the library, but their prowess is not yet well documented due to their recency as captains.

“My scouts have done the best they can, but honestly, the situation’s lookin’ pretty rough,” Dismas—captain of The Order of the Dominions—groans. He is dressed lightly with black chain-mail covering his chest while a blank mask obscures his face, darkened also like his armor and embedded with three blades. “We couldn’t get too close due to the detection sorcery they have surrounding the fortress, but we were able to get a nice look at the mean bastard acting as its guard dog.”

He stands up and places a wraith-like figure on a map diagramming The Magnus Murus. "Nokron. It's that specter Nokron."

"Shit..." Sarathiel grunts. "Deranged Libevich may be, at least we know how to handle her. We don't know anything about Nokron except that he's Xeros's ambassador. I've heard some rumors, but they're just, well, rumors."

"Be that as it may, we need any bit of information we can muster," Ascalon says. "Perhaps it will help us discern his true ability."

"Fair. Well, he's called a specter for a reason. He seems to disappear into the shadows wherever he goes, and his presence feels...off. Like he's a corpse given life. I don't think anyone's ever seen his face behind that creepy mask of his."

"Yeah, living corpse is a good description of him," Dismas joins. "The creepy bastard looked like he was only a second away from fading out of existence entirely. Not only that, but apparently he can materialize wherever he wants. I saw him teleport directly onto the top of the fortress and skewer one of his men for no reason. Don't know why he did, but he's a sick fucker that's for sure."

"Teleport? You mean like what Lorelai does?" Surasha asks.

"No...it's a bit different. His is more long range, but to what end I don't know. It did look like he was twitching, though, so maybe it's draining or something."

Dismas suddenly gasps out loud and flops into his seat. He brings his hands up to his face and groans as a sudden realization enters his brain. "Shit, now that I think about it, it looked like there was some kind of container on his back. There was something connecting it with his mask; maybe whatever's in there is what's fueling his power."

"Well, at least we have something," Ascalon beams. "His power is finite. If we can tear into the container, then hopefully we'll be able to cripple his ability."

"But who's going to deal with him?" Surasha says. "We need Sarathiel to breach the fortress; Lorelai will be off to the side as our main tactician; and Ascalon's going to be busy shielding us from the wall's defenses."

Suddenly, an energetic fist hits the table (softly) as a boisterous laugh escapes the lips of a new captain. Long, pink hair flows behind her and sparkling emerald eyes spring to life from her joyous face. A massive greatbow is affixed onto her back while giant arrows, which appear more akin to steel rods, casually rest by her side. The female knight is the spitting image of Dariel, although older and more vibrant, and her skin has the same olive tone as he does. Donning a burly, yet slender, figure, the captain of The Order of the Cherubims excitedly waves her hand at the puzzled attendees.

"I'll do it!" she exclaims. "I can become a Throne just like Lorelai if I slay a general in one-on-one combat right? This is perfect!"

"Like Lorelai? What about m-" Sarathiel begins.

"Um, Deborah, isn't your order meant for long-ranged artillery?" Surasha interrupts, dumbfounded by the proposition. "I'm pretty sure Nokron, who can apparently teleport, is the worst match-up for you."

"I can also fight close-combat as well, you know? It’s not hard, I just treat the arrows as if they’re small, little spears.”

"While I do appreciate the enthusiasm," Ascalon gently rejects. "Your talents are, indeed, more suitable for distant barrages. If we must have someone intercept Nokron, I would rather it be Cain or Abel. It is good to have aspirations, but I cannot let you recklessly jeopardize your safety in the pursuit of higher titles."

The twin knights stir awkwardly in their seats as Deborah glares at them.

Cain, the captain of The Order of the Powers, has a muted ferocity that envelops his being, threatening to engulf all that are near within his blazing spirit with armor baring streaks of red and orange. He is the fifth.

Abel, the captain of The Order of the Principalities, has an elegant grace to him unlike his brother. His aura is gentle and welcoming, akin to a flowing spring amidst a dew-stained forest whilst baring gentle streams of blue and white. He is the sixth.

"Abel's probably the better pick for this one," Cain sighs. "I'd personally love to become a Throne, but agile types piss me off, and something tells me that Nokron is the type of guy who likes to annoy his enemies. I don't have the patience for that, so I'll relent just this once."

"Haha, that sounds about right," Abel chuckles. "Although, I do believe that we're underestimating Nokron just a little bit. He is a general after all. Would you be comfortable sending any of us captains alone to intercept Libevich, Ascalon?"

"...No, I definitely would not," Ascalon murmurs. "Safety should be our number one priority. I wanted to offer the possibility of a promotion since the nation hasn't had such an opportunity for a while, but this is no simple skirmish. This is an invasion with everything we cherish on the line. We cannot afford to be reckless, so I apologize Deborah, but you'll have to wait for another opportunity in the future."

"Aw, don't look at me like that," she says, slightly embarrassed at her spoiled behavior. "It's my fault, honestly. I got a bit too hot-headed, but I know just how important this campaign is."

"If you want to have some partial glory, at the very least, how about we engage Nokron together?" Abel offers. "I'd feel much more comfortable clashing with Nokron knowing that such a capable marksman is covering my rear."

"Heh, I'll have to take you up on that offer then. Is that ok Ascalon?"

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Hmm, I don't see any problem with it," he says. "But the final decision will have to go to Lorelai. What do you say, dear?"

"It depends," The Knight states. "Nokron's prowess is still uncertain. Although we can make assumptions based off of Dismas's reports and rumors, we still do not truly know the full extent of his ability. Likewise, I am not very familiar with Deborah's or Abel's capacity since...well, you all already know."

"Trust me, I'm pretty strong," Deborah says smugly.

"...Perhaps, but strength comes in many forms. I cannot be complacent or reckless when I am the one responsible for the lives of everyone here.

"I also do not know how Nokron will react to the sudden invasion. Will he bunker down within his fortress, or will he rush out to engage? Given the nature of fortress sieges, the former is the more likely result, but nothing is set into stone. We will change and adapt once we reach that point."

The Knight gets up from its seat and walks around the war table, analyzing the map and terrain of the fortress.

"Right now, our deployment is relatively simple in nature, albeit powerful with an army of our size. The Magnus Murus is surrounded by vast and steep mountains on both sides, so our wingless knights must break through the fortress if we are to have our entire force invade the Nox capital. Ascalon, do you need to be anywhere specific to use your power?"

"Not exactly, but the best location will probably be near the center," he remarks.

"Great, I was planning to have you positioned there anyway along with Sarathiel.” Two figures are placed at the north and south points of the fortress while a crude replica of Sarathiel is set at the fortress gates. "The Powers and The Principalities will charge at the top and bottom sections of the walls respectively, while Sarathiel attempts to breach through the middle. Once he does, each order will split into two forces: one trickling through the opening; the other will scale the walls and invade from above.

“Ideally, we should be able to spread the fortress's defenses thin since we are invading through three separate positions. How we will engage Nokron will differ based on how he chooses to react to the invasion.

"If Nokron does come out to engage, then Deborah will have to support whoever he chooses to engage, Cain included, but having Deborah bombard from far away should lessen the burden."

"Damn..." Cain sighs. "Well, I'll do what I have to do."

“If it is any consolation, he will most likely choose to engage Sarathiel since he will be the one leading the charge.”

“Eh, that does make me feel a bit better. I doubt anything can stop that big lug once he gets going. Besides Lorelai of course.”

“You’re damn right!” Sarathiel chuckles. “As if I’d let some ghost-like bastard get the better of me.”

"Moving on." The Knight takes a figure carved in the shape of a bow and places it towards the back of the advance. "Unfortunately, Deborah must stay in the rear. Although you may be trained in close-combat with the bow, the knights of your order are not. You, as captain, must be there to direct them. Unlike the regular knights on foot, the ranged division must be given more thorough orders due to their role of providing supporting fire."

"Um...yeah, that's fair," Deborah mutters.

"I would prefer to not take chances and have all of you engage him at once, but we need the other captains to take advantage of the confusion and capture the rest of the fortress while Nokron is preoccupied. Surasha, Simon, and Dismas do not have the same level of physical prowess as the three of you do since they are responsible for more supporting roles, so at least one combat-based captain must lead the charge within the fortress. Surasha and Simon are both capable of healing and protecting, so it does not matter who goes with who."

"And what if Nokron stays within the fortress?" Ascalon asks.

"Then the situation will become complicated," The Knight states. "Breaching the castle will be easier, but Deborah will be unable to support the other knight orders while they're inside. If that happens, then Cain will have to join forces with Abel and proceed with the takeover more slowly. A defensive general is trickier to deal with than an offensive one, and the enemy will have intimate knowledge of the fortress's structure. We will be at a disadvantage; attempting to speed through in such an event will only result in larger casualties.

"Why don't I just destroy the entire place?" Sarathiel questions. "If I topple the whole thing then Nokron won't have a fortress to defend."

"How will the wingless knights get past the rubble?"

"Uh..."

"They cannot without wasting time we do not have. It will only slow our invasion, and we cannot risk destroying precious documents and intel inside that may provide insight into the Nox's state of affairs. This is why your only job is to breach through the gates. You're strong, Sarathiel, but too strong. If you fight within the halls, the entire fortress will come crumbling down—our own knights with it."

"...I see," Sarathiel murmurs dejectedly.

"Am I allowed to join the invading force?" Ascalon says with a slight, childish tone, almost as if asking for permission. "No matter what Nokron's ability may be, I'm confident that he will never be able to harm my body."

"Are you sure? Whatever it is that you’lll use to shield the others, it must require an enormous amount of aura to use."

"Don't worry, I shall have more than enough to help out with the assault. If serving at the forefront will prevent the death of even a singular knight, then I shall do so with pride."

"I understand. Just...be safe," The Knight whispers with genuine concern.

"What do you want me to do?" Dismas interrupts, twirling a small dirk on his fingers. "My knights aren't really suitable for sieges in the first place. Sure, they can hold their own, but I doubt they'll be of any use when cramped together."

"Oh? How so? Your order will have the most important role in this siege, in both scenarios."

"Wha?"

"The biggest danger that the knights shall face once inside is not the Caelum soldiers within, but the layout and architecture of The Magnus Murus itself. Hidden passageways; traps; maze-like halls; these are the core advantages that come with defending a fortress. Although it may sound daunting, it is not without its counters. The members of your order specialize in scouting and reconnaissance, so they shall be essential in guiding the other knights through a safe route, disarming traps, and keeping watch over incoming ambushes. This raid would not be possible without them."

"Huh...never thought about it that way." Dismas blushes. "I'll make sure that those lazy sods of mine don't slack off with their duty."

"Then that shall cover the majority of our plan of attack. Are there any other questions?"

'Um, what about me?" a new voice chimes in. Unlike the others, his body is small in both height and build, even shorter than Dariel who is average for the common Polus citizen. Crystal-like armor, white as snow, is fitted onto his figure while a gleaming rapier shines right next to him. The captain of The Order of The Seraph appears to bear an air of weakness, but a suffocating pressure exuding from his aura hints otherwise—as befitting of the first. "The Seraph can't really make use of their wings inside of the fortress, and we're usually more suited for open, aerial combat anyway."

"Ah, I shall take over from here," Ascalon says solemnly while rising up from his seat. He grabs a figure with miniature wings and moves it across the rocky mountains covering the sides of the fortress. "Joshua, your order will fly over the mountains while Nokron is preoccupied with our assault. Flank the fortress from the back and prevent any messengers or dispatchments from escaping towards the capital. We must not let The Grand General know of our invasion; your order shall essentially serve to cut down any stragglers and to lock the Caelum soldiers within the fortress."

"Lock them within the fortress? you mean...oh. Oh. I see..."

Grief is reflected upon Ascalon's eyes. He knows what must be said, but the tightness within his throat refuses to soften nonetheless. "It is unfortunate, but everyone within must perish. We cannot house prisoners due to the importance of our speed. We cannot allow survivors or else they may regroup with other Nox legions. They must die."

Silence. A somber atmosphere fills the room and the other captains are unable to utter a single word.

Ascalon is shouldering all of the responsibility. All of the weight. Someone must do it, but The Knight can't help but feel solemn at the sight of his increasing burden.

However, his visage is different from before. Instead of being consumed by guilt, conviction settles into his gaze. Necessity—a King must be resolute, and though he takes no pleasure in what must be done, he does not cower from it.

"We are different Ascalon," The Knight consoles, gently wrapping its hand within his. "We will send them off without pain. Without suffering."

"....Yes," he sighs. "It is inevitable, but the least we can do is show them a warrior's respect in the end."

He turns to face the other captains. It's time. No more delaying.

"Everyone, do you swear to the astral heavens above that you are prepared, in both body and soul, for this crusade?”

They all nod and raise their weapons high into the air.

"We swear. May the celestial Mother above bear witness to our oath."

"Then the time is now. May the blessing of the Stars above be with us."