Everyone on the tower had a split-second decision to make. There was no way to stop the attack, only protect those that could be the target. Miraculously, all of the people on the tower dove to protect the intended targets.

Silver swooped in and just as the Spy Master was about to be taken defending the Horned One, the Commander made the noble sacrifice. She’d seen so many battles and she’d stopped fighting amongst the regulars and had been fighting with her strategic intellect for nearly a dozen years. She knew that the loss of the Horned One was one that the legion could not sustain. So as the dreaded mouth clenched around her and pierced her breast plate, she felt no regrets.

She saved the Horned One and all of them watched from the tower and the legion watched from below as Silver swooped up with the commander breaking in its jaw.

Two of the prepared Ballistae turned and traced the flight path of Silver and fired before it could clear the back of the fort. In an act of vengeance for Dame Albrekt, both Ballistae struck true as they hit the great flying beast’s flanks and sent it tumbling to its demise into the inside walls of Skydagger Keep.

There was an immediate cheer as the beast splatted into the walls and looked to die from the massive gashes. Spy Master Kita motioned to one of her informants that she spotted down in the courtyard. Ingrid made her way over to the beast’s location. She acted quickly to drive her hand axe down on it’s head.

The Commander lay there, looking as though she had also crashed into the wall with the beast. Ingrid reached down to check her vitals. She flinched as the Commander slowly reached up to grab her hand. “Tell Marshal Kupta... he is in command. We hold... until the last refugee escapes.”

Ingrid’s eyes were wide as she looked at the mangled and smashed face of her commander. She was shocked that Dame Albrekt could even speak. Moments later though, the Commander smiled grimly, and then the life left her eyes as she stared up at Ingrid.

Ingrid trembled as if she could feel the spirit of the Commander move through her grasp and she let go. She walked out to signal to the high tower to Kita.

Kita saw Ingrid walk out alone and deflated. There was little chance the Commander could have survived, but now the legion had to take up the mantle and move forward. Ingrid had no way to pass on the words of the Commander yet, but she obviously started to move that way to give it.

Contingencies were already in place with Marshal Kupta already starting to heft the colored command flags to start to give signals to various units down on the walls and at the gate.

The siege was fierce as the Broken sent their army against the walls of the keep time and time again. The first wave crashed into the defenses and with the help of the various siege cannons defending the walls, it was repulsed with ease.

As the day went on though, the numbers, unlimited endurance, and tenacity of the Broken started to take its toll on the defenders. Some of the surviving refugees tried their best to stay behind and help the beleaguered defenders, but Quartermaster McKellum knew that those brave souls would be needed in the Eastern Kingdoms if the defenses failed. He and his escorts worked on pulling those refugees back and sent them out the hidden passaged below the keep to the east with a message of hope and of necessity.

As the first night came to an end, no one on the walls or in the command tower said it, but they could all run the numbers. The casualties were light that day, but the arrayed Broken horde was vast still. To complicate the matters, the toxic mists had started to seep in and cause marks of corruption upon some legionnaires.

The grim meeting amongst the command staff that night was quiet as they looked over a map of the grounds and addressed where to place the freshest troops and those that needed some rest. They all knew that none of them would really get to rest as the undead even now probed the walls during the night.

Ingrid arrived with Johanas Parnov, both carrying a stretcher with a sheet over the top of it, the indentation of a body obvious on it.

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They both came into the room and lowered the stretcher and nodded with respect. Ingrid came up and quietly delivered Kita the last words of Dame Albrekt.

Kita, McKellum, Kupta and Graf Zardani watched in silence as Johanas spoke. “I have dressed the body as best I can. I would not pull the cloth from her face.” He nodded and left the staff there.

Graf Zardani, lore keeper since before Ettenmark Fields, took the largest and brightest candle and moved it over to sit next to the stretcher. He went back and grabbed the tome of lore for the legion and laid it out on a small lap podium next to it and prepared to write.

Marshal, now Commander, Kupta spoke up after clearing his throat and rubbing his long, pointy beard, “Albrekt and I did not always agree on how to best serve the men, but she always knew how to best serve the legion. I will do my best to stand up to her ideals and to consider the larger picture as she did.”

Graf Zardani jotted down the notes and then looked up from the great book, “Dame Albrekt was promoted to Commander of the remnants of the legion after the previous Commander, Jace Targin was killed in the battle of Ettenmark Fields. She became the 43rd Commander of the Legion since its created by the old Emperor. She led with distinction, always keeping all elements in mind when deciding on the missions that we would carry out. When we arrived at East Lake, after the valiant sacrifices by our allies to hold the Broken in the siege of Westlake, she ordered a brutal march to the North to get ahead of the enemy horde. When she encountered an old friend and commander of the garrison at Fort Calisco, she showed a rare moment of compassion and emotion to her friend. She steadfastly helped hold the Fort for long enough that we could help the civilian refugees trapped in the fort time to escape with us to the North. She fell to the Broken steed, Silver, valiantly protecting the Horned One, our Chosen and that which connects us to the Gods.”

They all bent their heads in silence and respect until the calls of the injured outside grew, reminded of their desperate situation.

“Ach, we’re going to need a new Marshal now with Kupta becoming the Commander.” McKellum practically spat out.

“A decision that can wait for another night.” Commander Kupta nodded and the rest accepted his judgement and his need to focus on the task of the defense and tending to the men and women now.

The next day saw the Broken horde break through the gate and challenge the defenses prepared inside by Melislav during the previous days. Fortunately, a valiant cavalry assault pushed back the enemy and allowed the time for a new temporary gate to be put into place. This wasn’t done without sacrifice as some of the best of the legion fought beyond the gates with no way back in after the defenses were rebuilt.

That night, McKellum again brought up the need for a new Marshal and Kupta again rubbed his long beard in contemplation. “You’re right. We do need a new Marshal, but we don’t need one here at the Keep.”

McKellum blanched at that, “Ach, what do ye mean?” He said in his heavy and hard to understand northern accent.

“The Legion must live on.” Graf spoke up with a finger lifted in the air, understanding Kupta’s tone.

McKellum frowned and opened his mouth to speak and then closed it as he had no objections.

Kupta then continued, “I believe we would be best suited picking Elaina. She’s gruff, she has suffered, but she also has a way with words and understands what must be done in the field of battle. She’ll serve us best in recruiting new people for the legion.” He looked around for the assessments of the rest of the group. Slowly, one by one, Graf nodded, McKellum nodded, and Kita nodded.

Early the next morning, a runner gathered up Elaina and brought her to the command post.

“I’m ready. I’ve made peace with this place.” Elaina said as she saw the grim faces of the command staff fall upon her as she entered the chamber. “Let me take the Ember Wolves out one last time.”

None of them spoke as they looked between each other and then Graf Zardani simply walked up to Elaina and handed her the Records of the Legion. “You’re not leading a valiant final stand. At least not yet. Your time has come to leave the field of battle and to handle a more significant duty.”

Elaina looked confused through her one good eye as she took the book and tucked it under her arm. It was a very hefty book, thick with the histories of the legion. “I didn’t expect it to be so heavy.” She said as she glanced at it and back to Graf.

Commander Kupta stepped forward and offered to shake Elaina’s hand. “You’re the new Marshal. Your mission is to head into the Eastern Kingdoms and to find new recruits to swell the Legion’s ledgers and prepare for the fight against whatever of these enemies break through our lines here.”

She nods and shakes the presented hand, but she says nothing. There are no heartfelt words, it was no longer Elaina’s way. She would need years to heal the traumas of war before she could give words to her men that would inspire again.

Elaina looked back over her shoulder as she made her way out with the refugees through the secret passages. There at her side were the only two that the legion could spare to send with her, Sverina and Freriya. The three of them would make the new back bone of the Legion. They would be the ones to document the new struggles. Freriya carried the book in a grand satchel while Sverina soldiered forth into the lands previously yet untouched by the Broken.

The three women would find new challenges and difficulties. But those were stories for another time.