I went along the back lines looking for familiar faces. During the first stage of this assualt they should have been on medical duty again, and considering that most of the fire from the walls was directed toward Soro, their workload should be relatively light all things considered. In fact, from the looks of things most of the injured being carried away from the walls were the slaves that had spent the last few weeks strapped to a pole in the bitter cold. Frostbite and malnutrition would probably be the leading problems that would need attention at the moment.
Finally, I managed to spy Ulthises as he was carrying a particularly frozen Trelnval upon his shoulders. I quickly jogged over to meet him, and he caught sight of me just before I made it to his side.
“Oh, there you are James. I have to say, after seeing what that giant, Soro, did, I’m damn glad that you managed to convince him to join our side. Is he alright, though?”
“He’ll be fine, just a little tired. Durdan is going to send some people to look after him until he can get up and make it back to camp. However, I came here looking for you and the rest of our group. Do you think that the medics would be unhappy if I want you to join me to enter the city?”
“Actually, from what little I heard during my back and forth, the medics are being moved up as well.”
“Really?” I asked with an inquisitive tilt of my head.
Ulthises nodded. “Yeah. Apparently, it would be more difficult to have the injured constantly being dragged over the walls, so they are going to take a more active approach and move their supplies just inside the breach. The healers are even going to leave the tents and seek out injuries that can be treated quickly so the soldiers can return to the fight. I guess Durdan is really wanting to keep the pressure up now that we’re this close to winning.”
“Probably. I just hope that he doesn’t get overzealous. There have been many cases of people tripping at the finish line because they lost their focus.” It was hard to imagine Durdan making a mistake like that, but crazier things have happened.
“True, but I trust the general to see us through this. He has never been one to act on impulse, and I see no reason for that to change now.”
We can only hope. True to his word, it appeared that the medics and healers were in the process of packing what they needed for an expedition beyond the walls. A skeleton crew would be left behind to care for those that were already here or in the process of being moved here. Most of the packing involved stuffing crystals into satchels or bags as there would be a massive need for them in the hours to come.
Velshi was present, of course, and directing the flow of the packing while checking on the last few patients to come into the tent in case someone needed urgent care before she left. She spied me as she moved from station to station and waved me over. As soon as I was in conversation distance, she began to speak.
“There you are, James. If I can be frank with you, I can hardly believe that bit of madness we all witnessed actually worked.” She shook her head as if trying to clear the haze of a dream from her eyes. “Regardless, are you apprised of the current situation?”
“I got the rundown on the way over. You’re heading over the walls, right?”
She nodded. “Yes, we have orders to move up with the troops. I won’t lie, it will probably get violent, even for us. Everyone is required to carry a weapon. What about you? Are you going to join us?”
As much as I thought that my presence might be a boon to their efforts, I couldn’t join them this time. “Sorry but... I have a personal score to settle.”
Velshi’s face lit up a bit in recognition of what I meant. “I see. I do not believe I have the right to stop you, nor do I think I could convince you otherwise. All I can say is that I hope you don’t lose sight of who you are now when you confront your past.”
Well, she is my therapist. “You don’t have to worry too much. My friends will be there to keep me levelheaded. Besides, I don’t have to string up the bastard personally, but I would like to get a few hits in before tossing him to the wolves.” Sure, it might be satisfying to do it myself, but it would also be fun to watch him seethe as he was forced to walk up to the gallows as well. Then, I could smile and wave at him just before they pulled the lever.
Fantasies aside, I decided to help them pack their supplies at the very least while I waited for the rest of my group to return from their current outing. Kala wasn’t here with Velshi right now, evidently out on an errand or in another tent. I hoped it was the former so I wouldn’t have to go searching for her.
Slowly, familiar faces entered the camp one after the other, carrying the last few wounded out of the open field with them. They appeared to be in good health, except that Otar had an arrow that had pierced clean through his forearm. I could only blink and stare in surprise as he deposited a fellow soldier onto a bed, seemingly unphased by the projectile lodged into his body.
“Doesn’t that hurt?” I asked him as he finished setting the patient on a cot.
“Oh, hey James, didn’t see you there. Yeah, it stings quite a bit, and I can’t twist my arm all that much with it inside, but it was a clean pierce and I’ve had worse before. Besides, I’ve got you here to help patch me up.” He adopted a smart-ass grin which prompted me to roll my eyes. I broke the back of the arrow and then pulled it smoothly out of him before grabbing a crystal and healing the small hole it left behind.
After flexing his arm to test things, he gave a thumbs up to show that it was all good. Satisfied that things were now under control, and with most of my friend group now here, I just needed to find Kala as she was not coming to this tent. Starting my search, I went through two other tents and actually found Silia first. Figuring that she might know where her daughter is, I approached her.
“Excuse me, Silia, would you happen to know where Kala is?”
She turned away from her work to regard me with a somewhat cold gaze that I had become used to. It was still a great improvement from the hostility of our first introduction. Perhaps one day she may even regard me with something akin to warmth.
“She went to fetch more bandages and water. It shouldn’t be long until she returns. Why do you need her?”
“I’m planning on ending things, or at least being there when they do. Knowing her, she wouldn’t want to be anywhere else and asking her to do otherwise would be both futile, and a strain on our relationship.”
Silia was silent for a moment before closing her eyes and releasing a long exhale. “I hate how I cannot refute that aspect of my daughter. She couldn’t have just found a normal man to bond with? It seems you are both insistent on jumping straight into the pits the moment the opportunity presents itself. It is infuriating to me that I cannot do anything to convince her to not take such a risk. Things were much simpler when she was still a child, and I could exert my authority over her as a parent. She has become a willful woman, but I suppose that is my own fault as I nurtured that aspect of her so she would not end up a lady easily forced into an act of submission.”
Her gaze met mine with a steely glare. “I assume you already know what it is I am about to request of you?”
I nodded. “It is my highest priority, over any other desire of mine.”
She nodded back to me, though more in a resigned manner than anything else. “Then there is nothing else I can do, save praying endlessly to the gods to make sure nothing happens to her. The pains of being a parent.” She sighed dejectedly as she rubbed her eyes for a moment. “Kala should return in a few minutes. I’m certain you can wait that long for her.”
It was true that there was still fighting in the breach, so it wasn’t like we would be able to get far even if we left now. I took the opportunity to double-check my equipment and make sure that we had enough crystals with us in case someone got injured. Frankly, I was thankful that Yol’vastume was a military town and had a stockpile of crystals that was so vast that we would be hard-pressed to run out. These shining minerals had saved countless lives thus far, and our death toll may very well have been doubled had we not acquired them.
My contemplations on the matters of casualties were interrupted when Kala entered the tent carrying a cumbersome combination of a water bucket and many rolls of white bandages. I quickly stepped over to help relieve her of at least half her load by taking the bucket from her. She looked somewhat surprised by my sudden appearance, but quickly recovered and thanked me for the help. Once we got the supplies where they were needed, she struck up a conversation with me.
“So, can I assume that we are all together again for a reason? Is it because the medics are moving beyond the walls?”
“No, but it is something similar. I want to be a part of the group that raids the castle. Alathos, that little rat, is hiding up there. Dragging him off his damn throne would be the perfect way to end this whole thing. I figured that all of you would like to be present for that at the very least.” Not to mention that Kala would be beyond pissed if I left her out.
“Well, it’s nice to know that you’re finally learning that I’m not one to be left behind at times like this. Or, perhaps, you’re just afraid of the consequences of trying to.” She fixed me with a probing stare as she managed to guess the underlying reason for me accepting her presence during this raid. Of course, I did my best to hide that from her, but I think she still knew better.
I quickly changed the subject. “So, are you ready to leave now?”
She quirked a brow at me and smirked a bit but went along with my change in topic. “I’ll need a weapon first, but yes, I can leave at any time.”
“And what about the rest of you?” I asked the group.
“Been ready for anything since this morning,” Otar stated confidently.
“I mean, you made it so I’m basically always armed,” Jorn said with a slight chuckle while changing his prosthetic to the spike.
“You’d think any of us would be unprepared on this day of all days?” Hargon queried.
“Yeah, and here I thought you were all about having faith in your friends? Don’t tell me that was just a load of shite you spew and don’t actually believe it?” Velian poked and prodded at me in a bit of lighthearted banter.
“Oh ho, I bet he does.” Ulthises tried to get in on the fun, but I had a counter.
“You bet on anything,” I clapped back at him.
“Oh come on! Can’t you retort to anyone else?” His shoulders slumped as he was singled out again.
“Nah, you just make it too easy, and it’s always fun to see your reaction.” Ulthises huffed and folded his arms, pouting a bit as he was snubbed again. There were a few chuckles that went around, but they died out quickly as we got back on subject. “Alright, so everyone seems to be prepared. Well then, let’s get in there and say hello to Alathos.”
With a round of enthusiastic agreement, we left the tent, only making a quick stop for Kala to pick up a spear before we started our march toward the breach. There were a few bodies scattered about the battlefield that had yet to be recovered. Despite our recent success, people were still going to die every second until this finally ended. I offered quiet sympathies to the dead in passing, regretting only that they would not be able to see the world they fought to create. Well, if their beliefs are true, then they may very well experience it in another life.
Theology aside, we were approaching the earthen ramp that our mages had formed to allow easier access into the city. Upon cresting the artificial hill and laying eyes upon the city for the first time in months, my chest tightened with anxiety as my heart started beating faster. The breach had been mostly cleared of Thrainian soldiers, the fighting instead spreading out across the city. Fires dotted the scenery at seemingly random intervals as the black smoke reached high into the sky. Who started the fires and how bad they may have been were unknown, but I hoped that someone would put them out at the first available moment to keep the destruction at a minimum.
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From atop the walls, I could see several locations where fighting was intense in the streets. The narrow straights with little room to maneuver made it an effective ground to defend against the onslaught of the coalition. Magic was flying overhead and crashing down with vicious effect into the masses of our friendly troops. It was only at the very front that we had a decisive advantage as the might of the Ulgor and Droln shock troops crashed against the shield walls and hastily constructed barriers, ripping them to pieces. It was a bloody sight with bodies piling up in the streets on both sides.
A part of me was disturbed at the sight, not just because of the loss of life, but because of the average civilian who was uninvolved and caught between two warring powers. I can still remember the first day I visited this city. It had looked like it was so full of life. There was something interesting around every corner as people filled the streets to the brim. If it wasn’t for the leadership, then it may have been a fantastic city to live in.
Now was not the time to be thinking about ‘what ifs’, though. We had to get down there and help in whatever way we could. “Let’s go.”
We made our way along the wall toward one of the many sets of stairs that connected to the ground. Once we were down in the midst of the chaos, the already grim situation seemed that much worse. A lot of it was the smell. The smoke that lingered in the air combined with the slightly metallic tang of blood and nauseating scent of burnt flesh set all my senses on edge. The sounds of clanging metal and howls of the dying rang out in the distance from seemingly all around us. I had a feeling that no matter what way we chose to go, there would be conflict there. Fortunately, I didn’t have to make such a decision as our goal was clearly visible to all; the castle.
Cutting through alleys we moved toward the main street which would provide the most direct path to the castle. While it may have been the quickest, it also appeared to be the most defended. There were signs of heavy combat all along the street as blood ran through the gutters in rivers while broken and maimed bodies lined the street. One unfortunate individual had half their body crushed by a large stone, leaving a bloody smear on the ground with only a few bits of viscera remaining of what was once their upper body.
Trying not to observe the carnage for too long, we pressed forward and eventually ran into the back end of the coalition lines who were currently pushing against the Thrainian defenders. They were being held at a crossroad, the Thrainians employing a concaved formation from which to launch attacks at three different angles. They basically inviting anyone to step into the kill zone, and I saw that the coalition soldiers were hesitant to oblige. It was a standoff, with both sides simply tossing largely ineffective ranged attacks at the other.
Even if we could eventually break through, it was a less than ideal situation that needed to be remedied as soon as possible. I hated situations like this, where I’m forced to quickly come up with a plan while people are fighting and dying. Crisis management is not my strong suit.
My mind raced as I tried to piece together something resembling a plan. The occasional cries of pain or death from the front distracted me more often than I would care for. It also didn’t help that my indecisiveness also drew the attention of my party as they seemed just as uncomfortable sitting still as I was.
“We are going to help them, right?” Hargon asked.
“Do you have a plan?” Jorn followed up Hargon’s question with one of his own.
“I’m thinking! Just... just give me a minute.” The pressure felt like it was mounting by the second and I was on the verge of bursting.
Simply charging in with the rest of the troops would be asking for death, and even for me it would be a pointless sacrifice. My eyes scanned side to side as I tried to find some weakness in the formation of the Thrainians. Alleyways? No, they would have those protected as well, and they are even narrower than the street. Go around and flank? Not likely to yield results in a timely manner, and we might just end up walking into another roadblock.
I felt like pulling my hair out, because not only would my ideas not work effectively, but they were probably already considered by the officers in charge of this assault and discarded just the same. I needed something different, a new perspective on the situation.
Wait, perspective... My eyes slowly went upwards as I looked at the buildings surrounding us and then back down at the soldiers. Everyone’s focus was on what was right in front of them. It was then that Dart’s words emerged from the depth of my memories, ‘few people tend to look up without cause.’
The metaphorical lightbulb was smashed over my head hard and fast as I took off in search of individuals who could help me pull off my plan. There were a few surprised sounds from my companions, but they simply followed behind me, already used to my antics and the way I like to move without fully explaining. They would get the explanation as well, but I’d like to give it to one of the officers as well just to save time.
It took a bit of searching, but eventually I found someone near the backlines that seemed to be giving commands. I rushed up and got the officer’s attention, and after a brief flash of panic crossed his face at my Thrainian like appearance, he then recognized who I was and began to flounder out a greeting.
“Lord James! Or great champion, I'm not sure-”
“Less formalities please, we’re in the middle of a war! I need to requisition the use of a few of your troops to break this stalemate.”
“What? I...” He seemed to be weighing my unofficial rank versus his own. It was doubtless that he wished to simply refuse and maintain his authority over the situation, but I was an unknown factor, so he decided to play it safe.
“Might I hear your plan before I agree?” he cautiously asked.
“Of course. It’s simple, but effective. I plan on diverting a few mages and archers onto the roofs of the nearby buildings as discretely as possible. If we can launch a sudden surprise attack from an angle that they don’t expect, then it may provide an opening that we could exploit.” That’s why crystals are a popular means of defense. Mages can’t defend against an attack they don’t see coming.
The officer looked at the buildings as if seeing them for the first time. He took a moment to consider things from this new perspective before coming to the same conclusion I had. “Very well. I can agree that it has a high likelihood of success. What do you need specifically?”
I was glad that he accepted my proposal. “One or two mages that can control the earth would make ascending to the top of the buildings easier. Other than that, any archers or fire mages that you can spare. We just need people who can cause as much damage as they can in a single attack.”
He nodded in acknowledgment. “I’ll order as many as we can afford to gather before you.”
Now we played the waiting game again as he sent out a few runners to grab the requested troops from the masses. I tempered my expectations of the results as we already had a limited supply of mages and taking too many might see the front-line collapse. Even so, it was rather disappointing to find a little under three dozen soldiers had arrived, which included the five mages. I tried not to get discouraged as I thought of every single mage as something akin to artillery. Even one of them can cause a lot of damage if their talents were used properly.
Standing up straight, I tried my best to project an air of confidence. “Alright everyone, listen up!” I walked everyone through my idea, including specific orders for the mages and archers. It would be a synchronized attack that would be launched once everyone was in position on top of the closest houses. There were four that we had access to on our side of the streets with good sightlines on the Thrainian formation. This would rely on subtlety and surprise, so after drilling that into their skull's multiple times, I felt confident enough to put the plan into motion.
They split into teams as they moved down the alleyways to scale the buildings out of sight of the Thrainians. The earth mages assisted by creating an elevator out of a chunk of earth which allowed them to reach the rooftops quickly. I’ll admit that the slanted rooftops weren’t the best ground to be fighting upon, especially with a thin layer of snow upon them, but that just might make the attack angle even more unexpected.
After everyone had enough time to get into position, I gave the nod to the officer who then commanded a horn to be blown. With the signal given, the attack group emerged from hiding and began to rain down destruction upon the enemy lines. A few streams of fire were targeted at the frontlines to disrupt their formation and throw them into a panic while the archers sighted and fired upon as many of the mages as they could find. The initial results were promising as there were many shocked and tortured howls as the fire consumed the unaware soldiers.
Seeking to make the most of the momentary chaos in the enemy lines, I quickly found myself at the head of the coalition forces, sword drawn and shouting a command. “Push them back!”
That was all that was needed for a war cry to split the air as hundreds of voices rose to the challenge. We surged forth, splitting to engage each of the Thrainian formations at the crossroads. I led the charge towards the center formation as it was the furthest from our surprise attack and was the least affected by it. Our allies would need every advantage they could when dealing with them.
I was in a mad dash to make it to the small gap in the formation created by one of the unexpected fireballs. Of course, they tried to defend their vulnerability, and I suddenly had several spears pointed at me. Not slowing down for their pointy sticks, I swept my sword in a wide arc in front of me, batting aside two of the most dangerous ones from my path. The rest of the spears ended up cutting me on the forearm, my thigh, and glancing of the chainmail on my shoulder.
With my adrenaline pumping, those little scratches were hardly even registered as I began to rampage. I swung my sword with a vicious drive, being rewarded with the clack and clangs of the blade on armor. Where blade failed, my body sufficed as I drove my weight into a soldier, sending him toppling down to the ground where I stepped on his helmeted head just for the added impact before pushing forward once again.
I was not alone in my charge as friends and allies followed me into the gap. I saw Jorn jabbing his spiked prosthetic into the chest of a soldier, puncturing the armor through sheer application of force. Otar was right next to his brother, acting as a barrier by fending off any attack while Jorn did some damage with his specialized tools.
It always surprised me how fast Ulthises could move when it came time for it. His serpentine movements cut a path through the crowd as he jabbed at people with his spear and smashed them with his thick tail. That heavy appendage, when whipped at full speed, could even dent armor and was more than enough to knock a soldier off his feet.
Hargon, Velian, and Kala were fighting as a unit, attacking from three distinct heights which effectively created an unblockable combination. I noticed a few Thrainians attempting to get a flank on the trio, so I immediately pivoted and dashed back toward them. With a lunge I intercepted the flanking enemies, alerting my friends while engaging the soldiers in combat.
I opened with a thrust with my sword that managed to slip between the gap in the neck armor. The effectiveness of my attack was known as the man released a bloody gurgling sound as I retracted the blade. My attack left me open to his ally's retaliation though, and the biting pain of a sword in my leg and an axe in my shoulder forced me down to my knees with a growl of pain. The axe broke through the chain, but it only resulted in a shallow wound that may have fractured a bone.
There was no way for me to attack from my awkward position, but as I braced for a follow-up attack, the soldier on the left had his helmet folded in on itself by a war-hammer. Hargon had caught up with me and swiftly came to my aid before grabbing me by the collar of my shirt and dragging me away. Kala and Velian dealt with the last one as Velian dashed in close and used his low center of gravity to grab the soldier's leg and shove him off balance. Kala took the opening and was able to close the distance which allowed her to place an accurate thrust into the visor of their opponent, ending the fight.
After we were firmly inside a friendly formation, Hargon took a moment to assess my condition. “Are you alright? Can you move?”
“I’ll live,” I answered with a grunt. “Just give me a second.”
It took a moment for me to fish one of the crystals I had brought out of its bag. Once it was in hand, I drained it dry to fuel my recovery as my skin crawled with the sensation of being magically stitched together. After a minute I was back on my feet and ready to go again.
The fight wasn’t waiting for me, though, and the coalition soldiers were attacking with a fervor born from years of pent-up frustrations. Some of them were taking brutal measures to ensure that their target was going to die. The Droln specifically were only stopping just short of ripping limbs off with the way they were breaking any opponent they got their hands on.
It wasn’t just the largest amongst us either as even the Nactren swarmed any who happened to lose their footing, slipping blades of various sizes and styles into the gaps of the armor. A few of those knives I saw may have even been kitchen blades. This army really did personify the saying ‘throw everything but the kitchen sink at them.’
There was no time to stand and watch, though, so I rallied myself once more and charged into the fray with my friends at my back. Slashing, stabbing, punching, kicking, anything and everything was on the table, and no one limited their options. Sometimes I could afford to spare a life, simply leaving them with a concussion or broken bone that would put them out of the fight.
Other times I wasn’t so lucky, and I had to go for the kill in defense of another. The most notable was a water mage who was impaling people on icicles that formed suddenly from the snow on the ground. There was no time to hesitate or struggle with him, and I ended up snapping his neck with a quick jerk after catching him from behind. The feeling of his bones giving way beneath my fingers sent a shiver up my spine. I tried to not let it linger on my mind and simply focused on our inevitable goal.
At this point the kill zone that had been set up had been effectively broken. The Thrainians were once more in retreat as they fled towards the inner keep and castle. The sight of the enemy routing sent a victorious cry through our ranks as we sent them packing with the sounds of mocking words chasing their steps. The coalition forces cleaned up what was left in the streets as they collected themselves once again. However, something I had not expected began once I found myself in the middle of the formation.
People were looking toward me, excited by my presence as I looked around slightly nervous and confused. After a moment my self-awareness was increased when they began to chant and celebrate.
“The champion is with us!”
“The gods are with us!”
“The Thrainians don’t stand a chance!”
“Follow the champion to victory!”
I felt like hiding. I just wanted to end the stalemate and help the army advance, not become the commander of this force. Even so, everyone looked at me expectingly, leaving me few options but to play along, at least in part.
Clearing my throat so my voice would not crack at the worst time, I tried to get everyone back on track. “The enemy is retreating, their spirit broken, now is the time to finish it! Follow your officers and let's dig this filth out of their hiding hole. For a better world!”
“A BETTER WORLD!”
I released a quiet sigh of relief as they assumed their formations once more and looked to their superiors for orders. I may have stolen a little from Durdan during my short speech, but I don’t think he will mind. We had more important things to worry about, and as I looked up at the road in front of me, I couldn’t help but feel the anticipation build as the castle loomed in the distance.