We gave chase to the enemy as they continued to retreat further into their territory. They were not given time to rest, recover, or even catch their breath for a sufficient amount of time before we were pushing them forward again. The pursuit carried on for about a day and a half before we finally drove them into the fortress that was our ultimate target.
The fortress itself was worthy of awe, even as an invading party. Its walls were four times the height of a man and almost perfectly smooth with ditches dug all around the perimeter. Circular stone towers stretched up into the sky even higher than that, making sure they had a perfect view of the territory around them in any direction. Regal statues of warriors were placed upon the gatehouse, looking down over any potential battle-to-be with unflinching gazes as they stood in eternal vigil. It was almost a shame that we had to burn it to the ground.
We quickly surrounded the fort to make sure that no one was slipping away amid the siege. Our camp was erected with haste as the dwarven engineers that accompanied us began the process of setting up the equipment we would need to push into the city. Everything from the more complex catapults, battering rams and ballista, to the simplicity of a ladder.
It would be a few days before we could begin in earnest, and in that time the shadows would move against us. The first signs were small. Fires would occasionally start around the camp but were quickly extinguished as it was thought that it was simply an error that caused them. That was soon disproven as something more sinister took place shortly after.
Soldiers were falling violently ill, some of them even vomiting blood. No natural disease could take over so quickly and with such virulence. Poison quickly became the culprit, but we still did not know how it was being spread. I ordered all supplies, food and water to be under constant watch at all hours of the day. This helped stop new cases from appearing as frequently, but for those who had already been afflicted, it was too late. The only thing I could do was get their permission to bring them back after they finally succumbed.
To say that I was enraged was an understatement. I had seen far too many people die from poison in one lifetime, and witnessing it again brought all those memories back to the surface. My focus was now entirely on finding the ones responsible and making sure they paid the price for this attack.
The monsters and soldiers scoured the surrounding area as well as the camp for anything or anyone who didn’t belong. For hours nothing turned up, and I could only fume as I was forced to bring more soldiers back from the grave. As I was stalking through the camp looking for any sign of tampering, something unexpected happened.
Lilith practically leapt out of my shadow, fur raised and snarling at seemingly empty space as she put herself between me and whatever it was she was growling at. Confused, I tried to get a look around her when she darted forward, snapping and biting at the air. I was about to tell her to stop when one her bites was met with a spray of blood and a shrill scream.
As if they were simply dropped into existence, a goblin appeared with their arm firmly locked inside of Lilith’s jaws. Whatever magic was being used to conceal their presence apparently required concentration, and that was thoroughly broken as Lilith began to shack her head side to side, tossing the short wretch around like a ragdoll.
“Lilith, hold them still!” The way she obeyed this command was to give one last toss of the head to slam them into the ground, stunning them. I rushed over and immediately took possession of whatever they had on their person.
They wore a satchel and a short blade on their hips, both of which I removed with haste. I tossed the sword aside and started to investigate the satchel. Before I even opened it, I could smell a powerful stink that made my nose scrunch up. This was obviously how Lilith was able to find them even while they were invisible.
Inside the bag was a variety of roots, powders, and vials, all of which were probably poison. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was the elves who supplied the goblin with these things, but that was just my own opinion on the matter. The satchel was about half full, which was a disconcerting situation.
I brough it back over to the goblin who was still struggling in Lilith’s jaws and kneeled down over his head. “Where did you put the rest of this? Tell me and you can keep your life.” Even though he still had bleary eyes from being slammed around so much, he mustered enough coherency to spit in my direction.
Closing my eyes, I let out a slow sigh. “Very well then. Lilith, enjoy your new toy.”
The command was met with renewed vigor in her thrashing of the goblin as well as a new wave of screams from the poisoner. Lilith had her fun for a while, but eventually she gripped the back of his neck and gave one final shake which resulted in an audible snap of a spine. After the goblin lay still, I got to work locating where the rest of the poisons were used.
Lilith proved her worth once again. After getting the scent of the bag of poisons she followed it around the camp, eventually ending up locating two of our supply tents that had been affected by the substances. It hurt to lose those supplies, but they were disposed of safely.
More measures were put into place to prevent this situation from arising again. The implementation of sealed containers, bells or other noisy objects being placed on any tent entrances, and guard monsters with keen senses of smell patrolling for odd scents with no apparent source.
The dwarven advisors that came along with us tried to reassure me that while invisibility was a very potent magical skill, it was also very rare as it took a special kind of focus to maintain it. I wasn’t going to take any chances, so the new defenses would remain. With the situation now resolved, we could get back to the siege preparations.
With the completion of the catapults, we were able to begin the process of battering down the walls and emplacements with barrages of stone boulders. The dwarves, being more naturally attuned to the earth, were able to summon forth unlimited ammo for the equipment by utilizing magic to tear forth from the ground a roughly spherical stone to be lobbed at the enemy. It was a back-and-forth exchange of ranged attacks for nearly two days straight before we moved on to the next step in the process.
The battering ram was completed and prepared for deployment. It was a sturdy piece of equipment designed to take a beating, and with the addition of a few harnesses, could be attached to several of the resurrected creatures for expedient movement. The troops were organized and prepared for an assault. Even with the recent poisonings, morale was high as the troops seemed eager to finish what they started in the field.
After an initial bombardment to soften them up, the order to charge was given. Soldiers rushed the walls with ladders while the ram was pushed into position. Arrows and magic came raining down from the walls, spreading chaos wherever they landed. Return fire from our side only managed to suppress the defense for a few moments before the attacks began anew.
I was doing my best to assist by directing the monsters to support the troops, or at the very least distract the enemy. Those monsters that were capable of climbing vertical surfaces attempted to scale the walls at several points but were repelled by magical attacks or even just simple boulders that were tossed onto them as they tried to make their way up. Hawks and owls would swoop low over the walls to distract the archers, but then a bright flash of light would turn several of them to dust.
It was quite surprising just how effective the walls were. This being my first siege everything was a learning experience. Luckily, I had the expertise of my officers and the dwarves to fall back on as they seemed to have a better idea of how to proceed through this adversity.
Suppressing the enemy atop the walls while some select troops rushed forward to bring the equipment into useful range was the plan. I watched as the ballistae fired what was essentially spears at the defenders atop the wall. Whenever a shot connected, the giant arrow was rammed through armor and flesh before emerging from the back of the unfortunate victim's body. The impact from the shot would often throw said person from the walls where they would fall to the ground below.
The battering ram reached the front gate just as the ladders got to the ditch and were propped up against the walls. With these being the most immediate threat, the defenders focused a lot of their fire on those who were trying to use them. Our troops were doing their best to shield themselves or their companions as arrows and magic poured over the walls on top of them.
The dead did not mind the arrows so much, some going as far as ignoring them entirely even as they hit their bones or slipped through their ribs. Magic on the other hand was of a greater concern. Large boulders could pulverize an individual regardless of their current relationship with life. The bright lights that would occasionally flash from the ramparts often led to many panicked soldiers doing whatever they could to avoid its painful glow. Those mages that cast the lights were targeted as often as was permitted in an effort to reduce the threat to our army at large.
This siege was like trying to grind stones into dust by hand, a slow and painful process. I could do nothing but wince and glare as I saw soldiers, good men dying while fighting for a better future. It annoyed me that I wasn’t to participate in the battle as it was too risky to allow the command structure of the army to get involved directly. The only thing I could do was continue to drive the monsters and animals up the walls in a relentless wave.
It may very well have been an inevitability, but a few of the soldiers who were climbing the ladders managed to reach the top of the walls. They were immediately set upon by the enemy soldiers, and some of them fell before their blades, but the distraction they caused was enough for a few of my monsters to make it up as well.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
A group of giant spiders crawled over the fortifications and began to sink their fangs into the defenders. The enemy soldiers were soon swarmed as more monsters and our undead soldiers were able to make it up to the wall. Bodies were thrown from the ramparts as the beasts rampaged until they encountered another mage who cast their light upon them, forcing the creatures into a sort of standoff where they tried to attack but were pushed back by the burning of the light.
Meanwhile the steady hammering of the battering ram upon the gate continued. With the distraction on the walls taking some of the attention away from the soldiers operating the siege engine, they could put more effort into breaking through the thick wood gate that stood in their path. With every crash of the large, blunted ram upon the wood a little more of it splintered away. A clear divot was beginning to form on the surface, and the soldiers drove forward with the intent of making it bigger.
With one more heavy swing of the ram a hole was busted into the gate. There must have been enemies that could be seen through the gap because arrows and spears were both finding their way into that small opening. While a small exchange of attacks was being made between the two sides, soldiers wielding axes started to hack away at the edges of the breach, doing what they could to widen the hole.
Whatever was holding the gate closed must have been broken because the gate was suddenly thrown open. Our soldiers rushed in, but quickly became jammed into the tight space as the defenders weren’t going to allow them to simply walk in unopposed. A pushing match ensued at that point as both sides tried to force the other into submission. Weapons, fists, and bodies were all thrown about trying to gain whatever little bit of leverage they could.
This back and forth push on all fronts lasted a little over an hour before eventually the enemy on the walls collapsed under the weight of the monsters being sent at them. With most of their mages having been killed in the fighting as priority targets, this left them with little to truly threaten the creatures and undead troops with. The enemy fell in droves as they were ripped and hacked apart, eventually being forced to give up their position and fall back to the inner keep.
A cheer went out that could be heard for miles. Our flags were raised from the top of the enemy's walls, signaling our takeover of the fortress. In the aftermath of the battle, the walls were pockmarked with holes, small fires burned all around, and bodies littered the streets. We had suffered more casualties this time, but that was to be expected in a siege.
When I finally set foot inside the walls of the fortress, I was surprised to see that they did not provide the same level of decoration on the inside as the outside. Most of the buildings were squat, square, and unadorned. My best guess was that it didn’t really matter what the inside looked like considering that the job of the fortress itself was to keep people out. Many of these unassuming buildings had holes in them from bombardments, and rubble was strewn across the streets as we passed by on the way to the inner keep.
It took some time to pull the rats out of their little hole, but with a couple of large monsters banging on the doors, they came down soon enough. The last stand of the defenders was a bloody one as they fought tooth and nail against us. They too fell until the last few were overwhelmed and taken injured, but alive.
Amongst those who were taken was the fort commander, who had a grave injury but was still alive for the moment. I called for medical assistance with him, specifically from Liliana as I trusted her to help regardless of any personal opinions. Perhaps we might be able to get some information from him.
Liliana arrived several minutes later, just as the commander was teetering on the edge of the abyss. The simple bandages that were applied to him were only there to keep him from dying faster, but now that she was here, we could make use of some healing magic to extend his life, for now.
She quickly stooped down to the short cot that the commander was laying on, removed her talisman, which she paused for a moment to look at, before finally calling upon the healing magic provided by her god. I could understand that after everything that has happened, everything that she has learned, that she might be a little less willing to use what her god had provided her. However, her desire to be an example of good ultimately led her to choose the path that would save the most lives.
After a minute of the soft warm glow flowing from the talisman, the light slowly tapered off before ceasing completely. The commander had made a full recovery thanks to Liliana, but he also quickly found himself with his hands tied behind his back and sat down in the chair. Now that we had more time, I was going to squeeze whatever I could out of him.
Standing just opposite the elf, he glared at me from his seat, though I could see just a hint of fear seeping through. I would have to attribute that to my armor’s current style. Bones wouldn’t win me any dates, but the fear of my enemies was a good substitute.
“So, commander, do you concede the fact that you have lost this battle?”
“That is the only thing I will concede to you, monster.” He certainly had quite a lot of bark to him even if his teeth were already pulled.
“I suppose monstrosity is a matter of perspective. To me, your leaders are the embodiment of evil, and you can blame them for the suffering you and your men have had to endure.”
“If you’re trying to convince me of something then you can save your breath.”
“No. I’m done trying to convince you people that what you have been doing is wrong. But that does beg the question, do you know what they are doing? Do you know that your champion and church are sanctioning the deaths of thousands of humans every year?”
“Must have been a good reason for it.” He scoffed a little bit. “Well, don’t even need a good reason, just an adequate one in my opinion.”
“And there’s the evil. That callous disregard for life born out of a misguided sense of superiority.”
He spat at my feet, a favored insult as of late. “Nothing misguided about it. So what if some humans die? You barely live longer than our children and spend most of your lives flailing around in the mud. If your deaths can be of use to those who can make better use of it than your miserable little lives, then you should be honored that you can contribute to the betterment of society.”
My gauntleted fist quickly found itself colliding with his nose in a straight punch. He nearly tipped over his chair before coming back down with a loud clack of the wooden legs. Still reeling from the blow, he tried to blink away the pain while I growled out my next words at him.
“It’s that exact attitude that has taken so many lives. My family was happy to simply live and work the land so long as they were left out of the bullshit that was your ‘society’. But you couldn’t just leave us alone, couldn’t just let us be happy. You had to take, and take, and take some more until you stole everything from them including their minds. Now it’s our turn to take something back, and in the end everyone like you will be nothing more than bad memory.”
He didn’t say anything in response as he spit again, not so much in disrespect as to simply clear his mouth of the blood that had filled it. The man, and I hesitated to even think of him as such, repulsed me on a deep level. It was so bad that I had forgotten the original purpose of this conversation, and at this point I doubted I would be able to carry out the likely futile interrogation attempt. I had to remove myself and let someone else take over from this point forward.
I turned to leave the room and pass off the duties to another, but arrogant bastard just couldn’t let it go. “Well, now I know you’re lying.” That made me pause in my exit as he continued to speak. “Their minds were stolen? Ha! That’s a joke. What value could there possibly be in stealing an animal’s mind?” I could feel my face contort in a snarl as my fists clenched in a white knuckled grip. “They were probably a pair of inbred swine whose worth could barely be carved out of their hides let alone what empty thoughts pervaded their heads.”
My rage had rooted me in place. I wanted to be rid of him but could not bring myself to move from that spot as he continued to spit foul words. “No, swine is too generous, because a swine has value at least. Guess that would make your father a mangy dog that could only be put down.” I could feel my teeth grinding together as what little holding my self-restraint in check was eroding quickly. “And if your father is a dog, then your mother must have been a truly desperate whore to-”
I moved without thinking, right hand finding the handle of my blade as I drew it with a savage roar. Steel cut through the air with a whistle as I turned, and with one smooth motion, cleaved his head from his body.
The room fell silent as everyone watched the severed head bounced off his lap before falling to the floor with a dull thud. No amount of healing could reverse that, but I was far from done. Once his soul had exited his body, I reached for it with the intent of ripping it to shreds before sending it to the Lord of Light in pieces. Just before I could grab hold of it, my body froze in an awkward, outstretched position.
An angry voice filled my head with its presence. That is a step too far! What are you thinking?!
That he deserves it! He was a remorseless, arrogant bastard who insulted myself, my family, and the whole of humanity!
Enough! You will step back from all of this and realize you have lost your path.
There is no path! None of them regret anything that they’ve done! They’ll just keep destroying families, lives, and they won’t stop until we make them!
There was a pause for a second before they replied. Could you say that to Liliana?
Until that point it had not occurred to me that Liliana was still in the room as all this happened. When I finally did look for her, I saw her standing still as a statue, hand over her mouth as she stared at the decapitated head of the commander with a horrified look in her eyes. My rage tapered a bit at the sight of her, but it was still potent. Stubbornness kept me from outright acknowledging my pocket god’s point, but they could feel that I understood well enough.
No more. You will hand over command to the officers until such a time as you are mentally fit to continue.
What? I need to be present for this, you can’t just cut me out!
No, what you need is to not execute prisoners and try to destroy their very being. Until you are in complete control of yourself once more, I will enforce this decision.
You can’t just-
I have spoken! The intensity of that last line was enough to make me flinch, and to add even more finality to it, they severed the connection as I felt the last of my freedom leave me. I had been frozen before; I had even had words put into my mouth, but to feel all the control of my body be surrendered was a terrifying sensation.
With no prompt from myself, I turned to the officers and gave orders that were not my own. “Captain, you will be in command until such at time as I am fit to proceed.”
“Uhm,” He cast a glance at the severed head for a brief moment before returning to me. “Yes sir. I’ll continue with the plan as it has been laid out.”
“Good.” Thankfully my pocket god decided to keep the conversation short before marching me out of the room. It was frustrating, but there was nothing I could do.
I was walked to a bedroom where I was made to sit. Only once I was in the seat did I feel control return to me, and I immediately went for the door again before freezing and returning to the seat. Now it wasn’t just frustrating, but embarrassing as well, being forcefully seated. I hadn’t been forced into a chair since I was a child.
It seemed I was allowed to move, so long as it wasn’t in the direction of the door. Now I was steadily getting angrier as I could do nothing but pace around the room and stew in my own rage. I couldn’t just let it go, not after everything that I've been through, everything that they’ve done. To ask me to not be angry at the people who killed my family and felt no remorse for it was impossible.
Despite my protests, I was being rendered impotent in my quest for revenge and justice. If I was to rejoin that effort, I needed to show that I was in control of myself again, but I didn’t know how to do that in a way that wouldn’t be seen as a lie by the god in my head. It seemed I would be sitting here for a while.