So it was that Arkan and Jehair set up a position in the outpost they'd seen before. A barricade was put in place of the gate, and the openings shored up. Red did a complete examination of the place, and many places had to be patched. Nevertheless, it was well made and sturdy, and Arkan rapidly arranged for the villages to take positions on the wall. The village also saw the walls rebuilt and the setting up of new torches. Everyone was now scurrying this way and that making preparations.
Jaina took time to set runes of her own alongside Jehair. You could see them painting on walls with a runic script. Jaina's was done with blue paint with a faint sparkling look. Jehair's, on the other hand, was made from natural paint. The kind that Rusara had taught him to make from berries and other things.
Bows were taken out and strung, spears readied, and jerkins donned. Shields were dusted off and practiced clumsily. Those who did not have spears grabbed axes or clubs. Arkan knew how to use a spear quite well, though no shield was with him. Lamech and Jehair were posted at the gate, and Massacre and Felix kept up at the village to protect it.
As the bells and barricades were erected, William played music to purify the location. There wasn't a lot of evil energy here, but he dispersed it. Lamech, however, took an interest. He kept looking at William from afar as if wrestling with some inner doubt. Red was holding her two-handed sword as if in practice, checking her footwork. Vow, meanwhile, seemed to be talking with Felix, who viewed her with unusual interest.
"I don't mean to be overly familiar," said Lamech. "But have you ever met someone with six fingers on their right hand?"
"Not again," said Red.
"I don't usually pay attention to hands," said William. "Why do you ask?"
"A six-fingered man murdered my Father," said Lamech.
"How many people have you murdered?" asked William. It didn't seem to him justifiable for Lamech to seek revenge in these circumstances.
"It's more an excuse than a goal," said Lamech. "I just look into the matter when I have spare time. It helped me focus when I was rising up the ranks."
"You've been working with a Haldrenian agent. One who is part of the largest criminal organization in Harlenor," said William. "And your opponent has a unique quality that can be verified at once.
"Why are you asking me a question you already know the answer to? If you were looking, you would have found him."
"...Just making conversation," said Lamech.
Making conversation?
William looked up into his glowing yellow eyes, astonished and dazed. Why exactly was Lamech seeking out his company? They had virtually nothing in common, and by all accounts, he had gotten on fine with Tavish.
"Aren't you supposed to be making speeches about his evil or something?" asked Red. "And aren't you, Lamech, supposed to be mocking him as the self-righteous twit he is?"
"Would it help the situation?" asked William, surprised she was asking.
"And how exactly is mocking him going to help my plans when they require me to survive the night with his help?" asked Lamech.
"You guys are oddballs in your profession, aren't you?" asked Vow.
"I could throw you off a building right now," said Lamech with a smile. "You are not nearly no necessary."
Vow shuddered. "Erm, I'm good."
"You'd waste your efforts," said William, considering things in Lamech's terms. "The buildings here aren't nearly tall enough for a fall like that to kill someone. And I'd just heal her anyway.
"You'd be causing friction for nothing."
"Not necessarily," said Lamech. "If you drop someone headfirst, you need a lot less height for it to be lethal. With a broken ankle, you can survive for a while. A broken head is more or less a death sentence. Especially if you have a hard surface like cobblestones at the bottom.
"The ground here isn't as good as that. But you've still got a decent amount of stones. Also, even if she survived, you've got the undead out here. So even a minor injury would be potentially lethal if you were alone."
"Yes, but she's not alone," said William, deciding this had gone on long enough. "And if you try it, I will kill you. My profession is nothing if I do not follow my code."
"A fair point," said Lamech.
"There is something seriously wrong with you," said Vow. "Felix, why is your Paladin master best friends with a Blackguard?"
"My Master is like this with everyone," said Felix.
"Fine," said Vow. "So, how are those cards working out?"
"What is your connection with this woman?" asked William.
"We met before Duke Vanion purchased my freedom," said Felix. "We were on the same slave ship."
William paused. "I see.
"I need to write my notes on everything I've seen."
"If you release those publically-" began Vow.
"The civil war will be terrible and my death short," said William sadly. "And no, I'm not letting you read them."
"I wasn't going to ask," said Red. "I've got enough to do turning this place defensible.
"What I wouldn't do for some catapults."
Very few appreciated just how much editing went into these documents. Every volume had to be practically rewritten. First, William had to check other sources to revise them and ensure everything was clear. And then Father and Rusara had to read them and have them censored.
So many things would have to be removed to prevent damaging them politically. William had several copies of the actual volumes in several vaults. He hoped to release them later.
But he did not think he would ever release this.
Not in his lifetime.
He remembered all he had seen as he gazed out in the fading light at the blackened and terrible land of Blackfear. And he pondered ominous and terrible events which he thought he'd soon discover. But, looking out, he realized things were probably far bleaker than they appeared.
And yet, in that bleak and terrible nature, there was a kind of awful beauty. Majestic artistry is created by no one hand. Seamlessly weaved together into a tapestry of mankind's sins. The sun dipped lower on the horizon, bathing the land in dim, orange light. Then, it seemed to cut through the daze for a moment, and they were showered in red and terrible light.
Lamech was there by the gates, seeming for a moment a living shadow of darkness.
Then the light faded, and all was dark.
"It's beautiful," said Jaina, coming up beside him.
"Yes," said William. "Yes, it is."
So it was that a song began. It rang in melancholy and terrible malice, resounding through the woods and trees. The wheat rustled with it, and it seemed for a moment soft and kind before becoming terrible. Then, men screamed beneath it, and William heard a sharp ringing.
Yet raising his harp, he strummed his hands against it, and the magic was unleashed. Back and forth the spells went, contesting one another. The music of valiant defenders against the unending ravenous hunger of the undead. Of friends who fought together and allied with their allies. Torches were lit in the challenge, illuminating the darkness beyond. And before them was revealed the phantom of a beautiful elven woman. Her face was of pale beauty and sad for a moment before it turned cruel.
And into the light came much ravenous undead, rushing toward them from all sides. Arrows were loosed into them, claiming many as others scaled up to be hit and hacked with hatchets. The ringing of bells and the flare of torches were everywhere, and the music flowed about them.
Jehair moved along the wall, cutting down those who got up. Lamech was at the barricade, hewing down many. Arkan was calling orders to his men and sending them wherever needed. One man was born down and torn down. Fenus was hewing with an axe while Felix and several other men were slashed with torches.
Jaina was casting fire.
On it went.
As the night pressed on, Arkan rotated some men to replace the tired ones. Water was handed out soon, and the front lines had to begin alternating. Lamech went wherever he was needed and hacked and slashed brutally. The music of William's harp resounded with the Singing Sword as the peasants fought on.
Yet the labor was hard. William's hands began to ache with his playing, his hands shaking. The singing of his enemy was painful to him. It was all he could do to draw that pain into himself and spare others. But he felt that only a small portion of their full strength had been mustered.
At last, just as things seemed bleak, the sun began to rise again. It appeared orange in the distance as somewhere, a rooster crowed. What they saw were piles of corpses that were unending around them. They were hardly able to get out from beside the walls. The land became greener, slightly more alive, but the labor during the day was terrible.
Here the villagers who had not fought came down to move the bodies.
William came down, exhausted.
"Where the hell were you?" asked Lamech.
"Playing music to contest the will of undeath itself is not like hacking up villagers, Lamech!" shouted William angrily. "If I'd stopped playing there that undead would have Sylvar's will behind them. Then you'd face an organized army much stronger than this."
"Enough, gentlemen," said Arkan. "We can't afford to lose any valuable assets. In this land, they might come back to life." Laughter.
"So, who was this elf witch anyway?" asked Lamech.
"An ancient opponent with a long vendetta with humanity," said Jehair. "Anoa and her knew ages of hatred for one another and cost eachother many friends and loved ones. They took one another's lives several times and cursed one another. Each time one reached a point of triumph, the other snatched it away and burnt it to ashes out of spite.
"Every attempt at mediation between the two was refused. When offered peace, the other paid them back with blood. The result was an escalating series of horrors that led to this and many scenes like it.
"Did you know that Blackfear was initially supposed to be the capital of humanity?
"It was held in sacred trust for ages to return to them. And they turned it into this rather than accept a gift.
Stolen story; please report.
"They must have hated us very much."
She sounded bitter and perhaps she was right to. The elven golden age was long ago and had never been regained in any world.
But no one was in the mood to ask. And pick it up they did, finally finding the materials for Arkan's original plan. Bells and wards were set and arrows retrieved, and William spent most of the day trying to focus.
Men came from all over, wanting to join up in the fight. But Arkan politely refused additional volunteers. Instead, Red was dispatched to have them fortify the village during the day, and they were put to work there. Walls were repaired, fences strengthened, and new weapons fashioned. You could also see men drilling with spears, preparing for some future conflict.
Arkan had plans for this place. Perhaps as an outpost to move illegal goods?
"Smuggling," said Felix quietly, guessing William's mind as they ate together. "A safe and secure road through Blackfear, combined with local support, benefits Arkan. If all goes well, he can move goods easily."
"It makes sense," said William. "But we cannot leave these people.
"For the moment, our interests are one and the same."
"He knows Jehair well," said Felix.
"Everyone knows Jehair well," said William. "There's no point in speculating yet. Don't repeat that to anyone, not even Jaina."
"I wasn't going to," said Felix. "But she's guessed as much as well."
During the next night, William did fight. He stood on the walls with Jaina, deciding he would not win the next match. And it was good that he did because, this time, the undead were far better organized.
The first assault was covered by waves of arrows that shot over the wall, catching several men. Others saw them on shields or ducked under cover in time. Arkan had priests waiting in the read to tend to the injured and get them back into the fray. By the time the ropes were thrown onto the wall. William healed those wounded and tried to cover them with their shield. Next, a ram was brought in, made of pure stone, and dozens of undead rushed to the barricade and threw themselves into it. Three were cleaved down by Lamech in the first wave. Arkan speared two, while Red got three huge ones. Finally, arrows were launched into the midst of the creatures, and many fell. You could see Vow firing a crossbow from the walls while Jaina cast fire.
The sound of William's music resounded throughout the walls. And as it played, the undead was slowed, and some turned back. They fought to try and get past those still charging, and many died in the chaos.
The next wave ran into the wards, and so the fight began. William ran to the gate and leaped down to join the fray and cut down a rotting corpse with one stroke. Another blow cleaved a skeleton down while a burst of flame burned a zombie. Jaina was at work now. Parrying a rusted sword, William smashed the skeleton with his shield.
Then Lamech came into view, wielding his white sword to cleave down all around him. He fought like a berserker, without mercy, and loved the blood he spilled. He was so struck with such fury that he often cleaved down three undead with one swing. Another swing cleaved two more. Red cleaved down one, then another. With a swing, she another with her two-handed strokes, hair flowing about her. The motion sent her ample bosom bouncing as she licked her pouty lips in hunger. William was so distracted he didn't notice the skeleton coming at him from behind. Turning, he saw a blade heading for his throat-
The skeleton exploded as a firebolt hit it head-on. Looking up, he saw Jaina above. Nodding to her, he turned to go back into the fray. Red's strikes were rapid, and she kept to the barricades, but she was keeping up. On her face was a wide smile.
Her fighting technique was similar to Mother's.
Yet quite different.
"They're on the walls!" cried someone. "To arms!"
William looked up to see ropes and steel ladders shoved onto the walls and undead surging up them. Peasants hacked the creatures as they came or pushed the ladders down with forked sticks. Others fired arrows down into the midst of the oncoming ranks. All while the runes glowed all the brighter. Jehair was up there, her scythe spinning and always in the thick of the fighting. The bodies of the undead fell in pieces around her as her brown hair flowed about her like autumn leaves in the wind.
Jaina's fire continued to be cast.
Yet the undead were tireless and without fear. Some will press them to preserve their lives. William had a skeleton block his sword with a shield, and as he cleaved it down, he saw Felix have his sword parried. A moment later, the undead fell. The undead seemed to be waking, somehow, gaining greater ability to defend themselves. With each moment, they became ever more dangerous. Soon Lamech was forced back to the barricades by them trying to hem him in, leaving him a trail of corpses behind. They were now side by side, as spears were jabbing down.
On it went.
The flames were burning low. The runes began to burn brighter than ever and then to fade as the darkness closed in. More wood was put to flame as William's body ached. A spear bounced off his pauldron, and a mace numbed his shield arm. A strike to an iron collar jarred his wrist. Red began to sweat while the arrows began to run low. Men began to throw stones instead, while Jaina's cloak was torn by a knife. Only Jehair was tireless.
By now, they were out of firewood; they were tired and miserable. Arkan called off some men to rest who could no longer fight, and they threw themselves on the ground in despair. William fought on, sustained by holy power. So did Lamech and Felix dart this way and that in the shadows. Stones rained down, but fewer than before, as several throwers had been killed.
Night fell, and morale was verging on collapse by the second day. By the time the assault had ended, no one had spoken. They were soaked in sweat and blood, and several men had been killed. William walked among the wounded and healed them while others stood guard. All around the fort were the bodies of who knew how many undead. Their forms were rotting into the earth as they spoke, falling to dust as dark magic faded. Yet some remained, their skeletons newer.
These Arkan used as fuel to burn bonfires and ordered the arrows fired to be retrieved.
William strongly suspected morale was going to collapse. The peasants had been reluctant to do this before. Now they had made their stand and narrowly lived, losing friends. What more could they do? One could hardly blame them for wanting to give up.
The next assault would be worse.
"We have more experience now," said Arkan. "And we haven't suffered serious casualties.
"We need only not waver, and we'll deal the undead another serious defeat tomorrow."
"The undead were tireless tonight," said Fenus. "Tomorrow, they will come in greater numbers. And they may bring more powerful creatures.
"Isn't this enough, good master?"
"No it is not," said Arkan. "This victory might be an irritation, but it will be dismissed as an isolated incident. They do not value these lesser undead enough to mourn the loss.
"They must suffer enough casualties for this to be a setback. Only then will you be taken seriously." Felix gave William a look that said that it was something more than that. Could Arkan be trying to weaken the undead for some later operation? A siege of Blackfear might make sense.
But what strength did Arkan have for such an assault? Of course, these people could hold ground. But they could never assault a fortified position. Let alone one where Neral Dinis resided.
"We might attract more attention if taken seriously," said Fenus, who was no fool. He'd killed several undead during the fighting as well.
"You'll attract their attention eventually anyway, Fenus," said Jehair. "If they know the people of Blackfear to be formidable fighters. They will hesitate before wiping you out. Keep your head down too long, and you will only be baring your neck for an axe.
"Besides, every undead you slay will help with the harvests later. You know as well as I do what these foul creatures do to the lands they walk on."
Why was she in such support of this? She did not love Neral Dinis, but these undead were not his.
And before now, Jehair had tried to avoid confrontations or followed William's lead. So why was she steering Blackfear into a large-scale fight with the undead? She had to know these people couldn't win a full-scale war. And Jehair would never be so heartless as to use them as disposable pawns.
This was set up for some other business.
For what? Jehair seemed to know everyone, so anyone could be involved.
"General," said Red. "Four people are coming this way down the road."
William hurried up and saw them. All four, one orange-haired with ram horns and very large, another in white robes. Then you had a huge black man with curly hair that covered much of his brow and a beautiful auburn haired girl. "I know them.
"They are Oresa, Ictargo, Urus, and Cadas. Mercenaries from afar. They did excellent work for my cousin Vorn."
"I'll speak with them," said Arkan. "We may be able to get their help."
And he went out to do so.
William looked red and reflected that she was a very beautiful woman. Her body was very toned, and the red hair...
No.
He'd noticed things like that a lot lately, and he wasn't sure he liked it. It kept hitting him with the various women he met, and it was distracting. His throat had nearly gotten cut because of it this time.
"Why do they call you Red Safara?" asked William. "Why are you named after a love goddess?"
"Because I am her," said Red Safara. "I am one of Safara, the Consumers priestesses. As we advance in power, we become more and more her aspect.
"Her worship came to Spirtana after the death of our Goddess Tamar. In her name, I consume the energies of those I slay. And through me, she consumes them."
"Ah, yes, the more violent aspect she represents," said William. "How far in her service are you?
Red crossed her arms in a huff. William guessed this meant 'not very' and dropped the subject.
Isamu and company soon joined the army. It turned out Ham Hawkthorne had pointed them to the battle while wandering drunk. And they proved to be exactly what was needed to shore things up. So another battle was fought in much the same form as those before. Ictargo and Cadas took a position in the barricades. They fought with a fury and power comparable to anyone. Isamu struck with wild and untamed strokes that drove the undead before him. While Cadas' gauntletted fists slew many.
Oresa played the role of healer, tending to the injured. Though more quickly than William could, much to his satisfaction. Urus took place on the wall, and his bow sang under the dim stars. Many undead were cast from the walls by him.
William, Red, and Lamech went wherever they were needed. And they needed many places, usually on opposite sides. They hacked and cut and drove the enemy back time and again. But, each time, the undead suffered worse losses, and the villagers were hardened.
But the enemy always came back in greater numbers.
So the skirmishes went on for five more days. And on the seventh day, everyone was exhausted. They had the men to keep fighting and the weapons to keep fighting. Birds were singing, and flowers were growing by the wall. Oresa and William could heal, and they had the men to win.
Yet it did not matter.
The villagers had done far more than anyone had expected or wanted to. And they were spent and could go no further. Their fields were not being tended, and they needed to be trained soldiers. Arkan saw this at once. And as another day dawned, and William stood with a bloodied sword, Arkan had had enough.
"Break camp and return to the village," said Arkan. "We've won as many skirmishes as we can here."
"You call that a skirmish?" asked Ictargo.
"Yes, these were major battles," said Oresa. "Weren't they?"
"Hardly," said Lamech. "We've only just gotten the attention of our enemy. "This is a minor loss, nothing more. They'll have shifted reserves in a few days to replace the ones we killed here."
"We've killed hundreds of undead in each battle," said Arkan. "Perhaps even a thousand in some.
"But a single undead is worth a tenth of what a motivated soldier is, even untrained. With our defensive advantage, we could hold. Another assault like that, and we'll cave. If we must fight, it ought to be in the village.
"No, the real achievement is in human will. We have proven that we can fight and win battles and deal them minor defeats. One minor loss for them is a major victory for us. If every village in Blackfear were to deal them a string of minor defeats, that would add up very quickly. It would cost them enough to cause problems and draw off forces from other domains.
"So you now have something to bargain with, Fenus. And I think they will be in less haste to prey on your people.
"Indeed, our victory here should at least satisfy the House Gabriel philosophy. Pushing it any further will see us killed."
"House Gabriel philosophy?" asked Oresa, blinking with big eyes.
"My Father," said William. "Believes that when facing an enemy you can't defeat, you should injure them in a limited battle. Once you have that, negotiate. If you cave without a fight, they will not respect you.
"If you fight to the bitter end, you'll be destroyed.
"On the other hand, if you make enough trouble to be a problem when crossed, they'll leave you alone."
"An attitude I can respect," said Urus.
"What are you doing?!" said Isamu. "We've had it all our way this whole battle! We should be pressing the attack, not running like a bunch of cowards!"
"This is pathetic," said Red. "We should keep fighting.
"We could hold out here for weeks and bleed these undead white. I don't care how many tombs they have beneath the surface. We'd emptied a few of them. Let's empty a few more."
"It's not your home that will starve if your fields aren't taken care of," said Fenus, crossing his arms. "And you were late to this battle anyway, Isamu. You came in last of us and have not seen any of your friends die."
This was enough to silence Isamu. And so the battle ended, with the ground that had been taken restored. Yet all the plants seemed healthier. Many reported the crop were growing better and fuller than ever.
"What are you going to write about this?" asked Arkan as he and Jehair sat across from William. Jehair was meditating.
"I shall summarize events," said William. "And make a note of all relevant accomplishments. However, since I could never publish this without treason-"
"We'll never get a chance to read it," laughed Arkan. "Well, perhaps someday. How did I do, Jehair?"
"You fought at the front and commanded well," said Jehair, not opening her eyes. "Do it again with every other village; we might get out of this alive."
"I take your point," said Arkan. "Still, I'll make soldiers of these men yet. And this village could be fortified into a real base. If nothing else, they have been hardened. They would resist if the village were attacked tonight, not fall like wheat.
"Once the men here are better trained, there is real hope.
"What will you do, Isamu? I could use someone of your talents."
"What I've been doing," said Isamu. "And no thanks.
"I don't do long-term contracts. It usually means I have to do something I don't want."
Then someone halted. William looked around and realized there was a major absence.
"Where's Lamech?" asked William.
"Gone to betray us, I expect," said Urus.
"Are you actually surprised?" asked Jaina, raising an eyebrow as she patched her cloak.
"Not at all," said William.
Lamech seemed to have a knack for betrayal and already had connections here. If he were to bring Neral Dinis down here or some other enemy...
William sighed, put the matter from his mind, and went to bed.