Chapter 7 - Training on the wall
A’dal entered the mess hall, clapping his hands to gather our attention. Behind him were twenty other elves who were all similarly fit, but with an assortment of weapons, axes, spears, swords, bows and halberds. Another four were just behind, in white robes. “Well come on then, up we go and to the wall. I have a surprise for you all.” And with that we were on our feet for the merciless instructor. “Form up into three lines and once we exit the coliseum, our pace will quicken.” Refreshed from the meal and full of vigor, we proceeded outwards, the elves in front of us providing an example.
At first once our boots hit the cobblestone streets we came to a slow jog, well slow being a term loosely based on our newly reforged bodies. Through a district I had dubbed the market district I could see activity as outworlders were setting up shops, the smithies were at full production it seemed as we passed. Humans and outworlders both hammering on anvils, churning out arrows by the hundreds. The walls loomed ever closer as we continued to the outer area just before, finding them full of residential dwellings and thick walled barracks spaced between. Our pace sped up as we raced through the streets, now a light sprint, between the sparser houses leading up to the wall proper there were trenches being dug in the road, with a few wooden bridges already constructed over them, over these we ran and came upon a walkway leading to the wall.
It was a switchback staircase leading upwards we took. Feet pounding on the stone, I still marveled at how it seemed made out of one piece. The steps themselves were rough to keep your feet steady. The same was true as we came atop the wall. I marveled at my first glance at the plains outside, a clear expanse for at least a mile, only broken in the distance by a sparse treeline of what seemed like maples and evergreens, yet inherently different of which only grew more condensed further in. Between crenelations the grass below waved in the air, which started whispering to me, I forced myself not to give in and examine the feeling. We spread out on the wall, enough for four of us comfortably along its width. Turning my head I saw the layout of our home for the foreseeable future. There was a distinct delineation from the districts I could see, while closer to the wall there were trenches being dug up and some already being outfitted with spikes. Toward the left I saw the large iron-bound gates wide open as men and women carried logs inside, some even pulling large carts together with larger loads.
To the left, a similar scene at identical gates, altogether there were hundreds of men and women moving quickly creating a thin stream from the forests to the industrious humans skinning and treating the wood. The keep in the center still towered over us all, even atop the wall which had to be ten maybe twelve yards up, it stood with a domineering aura. That is what we must protect, at all costs. Interspersed on the wall by quarters were squat towers with open roofs. Turning around, the elves had arrayed themselves in front of us. A’dal surveying our reactions. Seemingly satisfied he waved to the plains in front of us and the wall below us.
“This will be the grounds you and your fellow humans will make your stand. But I’m not going to go into that. First to understand what your role is, I believe you must first experience the trials others will face. So in that vein we have prepared for you a testing ground. These are my fellow wood elves that will be helping me prepare you.” Nodding to the left and right of himself, three of them turned towards the plains and started chanting. At first nothing happened, then the grounds shook and the air took on a haze.
Slowly at first dirt humanoids started appearing, stumps for arms pulling themselves from the ground with black stones for eyes. They stood and shook, leaving loose debris over the grasslands, which were also going through a change. The grasses were melding together in knots, multiplying as they went. Becoming tall thin figures with long arms and fingers, the blades of grass creating them becoming solid and wicked claws. They went on multiplying until they numbered in the hundreds, until finally they stood before the walls as an army of nature stood before us.
A’dal stood there smirking when he opened his stupid wood elf mouth. “That's right! You're going to fight them! Those of you capable of magic are encouraged to do so, although there are only a few of you so far.” With that a ramp covering the walls before us began to build and form from the earth, the summoned army started marching forward. “No time like the present! Your peers will have had similar training by the first wave but this is more realistic. No time to prepare! Good luck!” With that the elves moved to either side and we were left dumbfounded as the army slowly trudged forward.
Looking at my peers I saw the same confusion, but if we did nothing the slaughter would only be guaranteed. “Fuck this,” I shouted. “Heavier armored people come to the front!” I rattled off instruction, my experience with chaos coming to the fore. “Ranged to the back, step up on the inside wall to get clearance! Leather directly behind! Hurry Hurry! Chainmail stays in reserve to switch out with the frontline. Leather and ranged, we get no breaks! Reserve your strength and only strike when it counts!” Surprisingly they scrambled to obey, I looked desperately for Lucas, finding him four rows down. “Lucas! Take control of the left while I take the right. Wheres that fucking tank with the axe?”
“Oi! Mate!” Looking over at the sound I saw him at the end of my side, I cursed loudly.
“Get your big ass over in the center, and make sure nothing gets through! And take the guy with the heavy two hander with you!” Seeing as how they were both together, I figured it couldn't hurt to shore up the center. I looked down and saw the army steadily plodding up the ramp, already halfway up despite their slow speed. “Ranged! I know there's only like six of you with bows! Pick off those on the sides, make sure we don't get flanked!”
“There's eight of us, sir!” A trill female voice answered, and upon laying eyes on her I saw she was the smallest of our number.
“Sir? Who the fuck is sir?”
“You sir!”
Was I really in charge right now? Just because I was the first to react? Well, I don’t really trust anyone else besides myself anyway so all the better, right? “Three to a flank, the other two pick off areas that look to be breaching the line! Fire at will!” With that, a few seconds later arrows started soaring from above our heads into the summoned beings about to crest the wall. Looking up and down the line I grimaced, not at all confident on how I set things up but it was too late now, the lines were finished setting and people were settling their stances.
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“We don’t know what to expect, but prepare for the worst! Stay steadfast people! We got this!” The army started cresting the wall, earth men in the front had arrows sticking out of them and I looked on in consternation until one arrow found an earth man’s head and went down. Before the lines clashed I bellowed “AIM FOR THEIR FUCKING HEADS!” Then they were upon us.
I lunged forward between two clad in leather and mail both , extending my reach so my blade could pierce the damn body of dirt in front of me in the head. As soon as my blade was through the body crumbled into bits of rock and dirt. Then the clash between the two lines clanged in thumps and the clanging armor. The line held the initial onslaught if barely, men and women in the front went down with wounds, the quicker leather wearers attacking in a flurry until a chainmail wearer in reserve could replace them after another dragged the wounded back.
I fought furiously diving between frontline men to deal killing blows. Up and down the line the same scene played out while I focused on what was in front of me, the structure of our defense was given, we could only survive. Back and forth we met the enemy, constantly our lines were strained and almost breached. The dirt elementals swung their arms without regard for themselves, crushing blows landing amongst the men and women on the line, we dispatched them steadily until the beings made of grass entered the fray. Slowly at first, with the quicker leather wearers targeting the sharp clawed grass elementals from the get go they arrived and were dealt with swiftly. More and more of their number started appearing within their number. Sharp strikes started ripping mail and sending rivulets dinging onto the stone. It was time.
Sending word down the line in a series of bellows, instructions I had already sent were prepared, to switch the line out with fresh troops, much time had passed and despite our reforged bodies, the front line was failing to defend themselves well, sluggish in their responses. Cycling my power I took the gamble of using power I never controlled. Relying on my new passive ability and burgeoning understanding, I raised my left hand pulling the deep red from my core. Straight above upon my palm a small fire blossomed but I felt no burning, I pushed more energy through, quickly starting to drain my reserves and cut it off once it reached a height everyone in the back could see. A collective shout went through the ranks and the chain and leather equipped front line stepped back.
Weakness flushed through my limbs as I stepped forward in place with the other light leather spellblades. I cycled wind through my limbs and sped up, weakness forgotten in a rush of elemental fury. We charged forward as the line changed, only fifteen seconds we charged and made ground, attacking ruthlessly, buying space for those behind us. Screams were heard up and down the small line over the din as injuries mounted, another shout told of the line setting and ready, I was not saved from this as I took minor wounds on my thigh and arm. I could feel my energy wane, but even then I used the rest in my meridians to push a gust of wind forward disrupting the elemental’s line as much as I could, but instead of setting my feet I let the pushback speed my way backwards and up, floating like a leaf back behind the line, while lessening the effect of the push, I felt it was worth it.
While in the air briefly I tried to take in as much as possible, I saw the enemy numbers had dwindled by more than three quarters, only a bit more than twice our number left. The plate wearer and the man wielding the giant broadsword hadn’t switched out, instead opting to stay, dings and rent armor visible. The flanks held up in admirable fashion, the archers doing their utmost to make sure we weren’t overcome. Even as I fell lightly to the ground I saw their marksmanship in action, elementals going down. As I landed I saw the amount of wounded behind the line and took a closer look at the state of affairs, which were precarious. A familiar wave of weakness washed over me and I felt my knees buckle, but I stood fast.
A man with a raking claw wound in his shoulder stood by me, bearded and breathing heavily. I looked him over and motioned to him, “gather those that can still fight, the enemy remains but are on the backfoot. We must push forward.” I looked towards the line, and the motions of the leather-armed part of our force was haggard. “Five minutes” I strode down the line bellowing, “Chain hold that line, half the leather, with me and on the inside!” Quickly I filtered through, going to the back. “Archers! Release your last volleys, your blades are needed!” and with that I moved to the center to be met by Lucas and a few others. The bearded man brought another seven from who were on the front lines before as the eight archers approached us but now with blades in hand. In total we made twenty-six with the others holding our small line or critically wounded.
“We must move quickly! Or all will be for nothing! On me, spellblades we may be injured but we must continue! Outside, double rows. We pierce them like a spear! Do as much damage as possible!” And I was the damn head of the spear, I wasn't one to shirk from a task, in fact I made it a point in the past that if you weren't willing to do the job, you weren't able to lead. “We start from the left.” As we passed we saw the chain wearers becoming tired quickly without the massed support of fresh leathers. In some places heavy leather wearers were in the front. If we kept on like this it would be a pyrrhic victory, “set yourselves! We go on three! ONE! Blades were steadied in front of them. TWO! Backfoots were drawn ready to charge forward. THREE! And we went, I cycled my energy only pulling trickles to speed my momentum until we hit the line, and I unleashed a wave of fire, small but billowing forth, setting the grass elementals alight three rows in front of me.
We took them unprepared. I dodged and danced as well as I could without sacrificing those to the side and behind me. We carved through their ranks, dozens falling, those who were shooting arrows before hacking and slashed with ferocity, while tired they seemed eager to prove themselves, their reserves fuller than most. I grunted as an earth elemental hit my shoulder, though the armor saved me, I knew I would have a beautiful bruise instead of cracked bones, a grass elemental slashed and almost took my eye. A hand behind me steadied me as we continued, forward into the fray of elementals. We went through and took the pressure off the front lines as we made our way to the right cuts and damage gathering on our armor like a winter frost.
As we finished our sally leaving destruction in our wake, our bodies injured but spirit high, I was surprised to hear a shout from the damn plate wearer “MATES, LETS FINISH THEM OFF!” Cursing I motioned the turn, taking minor injuries as we continued through, back into the fray we stood as the vanguard, defending and giving rest to those behind, and suddenly, sooner than expected we were joined by the main line. Together as a whole we tore the enemy apart in a resurgence of morale. Merciless and unrelenting we went forward, injuries mounted upon our bodies but adrenaline and the end of the fight in sight, we persevered.
Finally as the weary humans went forward only few elementals remained and were dissolved by the summoners. Looking around blearily we saw the elves come forth, the white robed wood elves healing the most wounded. Falling to the ground where we stood we laid there staring up at the foreign sky. A bloom of soft white energy moved through us, slightly recovering our energy, but we did not move. I noticed the weakness from battle fading steadily and felt grateful, but I was really starting to hate that A’dal.
Think of the devil and he shall speak, “Well wasn’t that something? You’ll all be happy to know that skirmish was only an hour and forty-five minutes long! You faced a total of 870 attackers! That's right, a force of ten to one! Rest up and I’ll give you a breakdown of how you did after your final instructors get done with you at dinner. Proceed to the same mess hall afterwards as before, we eat as a team. And a team you proved to be today!”
Seriously the dude can go fuck himself.