Honestly, I didn’t know exactly what the reaction would be to Soro. If Durdan’s small escort was a good indicator, then most would be struck with awe at the sight of him, but fear would also be a concern. With thousands of individuals in the mix, someone was bound to display hostility no matter how much we tried preparing them for it.
And prepare we did as Durdan asked Soro and I to wait while he rode ahead to inform the rest of the army of our imminent arrival. I was once again alone with Soro. His unchanging demeanor lasted for a while, but it eventually showed signs of cracking as he let out a slow exhale. It could have meant many things: boredom, exasperation, annoyance. However, I had a feeling that beneath his stony exterior, he was feeling nervous about the upcoming battle.
It would do no good to simply call him out on it, so instead I tried to sympathize. “I think I’m starting to feel the pressure,” I began, drawing Soro’s attention. “Honestly, I’ve spent months thinking about this moment, and all the preparations and trials that I’ve gone through have led to this moment. After all of that, everything gained and lost, if I don’t get it right when it truly counts, then it feels like all of it will have meant nothing. You ever feel like that?”
Looking up at him, his face was as impassive as ever. Whatever little twitches that I could see in his features were obscure in their meaning, but his eyes told a different story. I could see in them a kind of understanding, different from the cold dismissal where he knows what I’m talking about but just doesn’t care. He didn’t verbally reply to me, but I got a contemplative grunt at the very least.
The tension between us felt lessened by the looming attack, somewhat allowing for a feeling of normalcy to exist between us. No matter what you think about the person next to you, you’re all brothers in arms on the battlefield. Our time of introspection and silence came to an end when Durdan returned. The army was ready, the ranks formed, and the decisive battle poised to happen.
We followed him as he led the way out of the woods. It was a short trip, barely even ten minutes before we emerged from the sparce cover of the winter woods and into the open field where we could see the coalition army organized into their columns and ready to strike. Naturally, every head turned in our direction as their eyes locked onto Soro. A dull murmur built within the ranks as we got closer, some people slowly edging away from the path that we were taking.
I was trying to keep an eye out for anyone who might panic and do something stupid. Many people gripped their weapons tighter, and a few spears were angled more in Soro’s direction, but it appeared Durdan did a good enough job of preparing his troops, or threatening them, so no one made any move to attack.
Soro looked at the city ahead of us and glowered at it, mumbling under his breath just loud enough for me to hear. “They took our nest.”
Fulvrist used to be a Sevathen nest? I guess that would explain all the crystals I saw the last time I was there.
On approach, I saw a familiar group of individuals and smiled a bit as my friends were there to greet me. They were torn between looking at me and keeping an eye on Soro. Even my presence next to the big guy couldn’t alleviate all their nervousness.
Kala was first to break away from the group to approach me. She only hesitated a little bit as she got closer to Soro, and I had to admit that even I was anxious to have her around him despite his current cooperative status. My defensiveness of her made even the remote possibility that Soro would harm Kala just to fuck with me seem like an active threat.
Kala quickly wrapped me in a hug which I returned. While we embraced, Jorn took the initiative to start talking. “You know, despite everything that I’ve seen while in your company, I was still somewhat skeptical. I honestly feel like I’m in a dream right now.”
“You and me both, brother,” Otar chimed in. “I’d never thought that I’d feel like a child again, but this thing is certainly making me feel small.”
Soro let out an aggravated hiss. “If you do not cease speaking of me in such a disrespectful manner, you won’t live to regret it.”
It was certainly uncommon to see Otar afraid, but he did pale a bit when Soro threatened him. “Erm, s-sorry.”
I sighed and tried to defuse the situation. “Soro, please play nice and don’t threaten to kill people.” Soro turned his nose up at my request but decided to remain quiet at least. “Everyone else, this is Soro, and he’s here to help, so treat him with respect like you would a fellow soldier.”
Hargon cleared his throat as he tried just that. “It is nice to meet you, Soro. I hope that your time in our company is pleasant.” Ever the kind soul, Hargon’s attempt at friendliness hit the same stone wall as the rest of us as he received only a grunt in acknowledgment.
I turned to the last two of the group expecting them to have something to say as well but furrowed my brow when I saw Velian reluctantly handing coins to Ulthises. “Seriously?” I began. “You had a bet whether I was telling the truth?”
Ulthises was quick to respond and waved a hand to dismiss the allegation. “No, no, it wasn’t a bet on if you were telling the truth. We both know that you aren’t the type to make up stories for no reason.”
“Yeah,” Velian chimed in with a groan in his voice. “This cheeky bastard wanted to bet on if you would be successful in convincing Soro to go along with your plan.”
I crossed my arms, looking disappointedly at Velian. “And you didn’t think I could do it? Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. He was hiding away for centuries, right? There was certainly a non-zero chance that you wouldn’t be able to convince him to leave whatever hole he was hiding in.”
True, but it’s the principle that matters. “Sure, but I would like my friends to be supportive of me and not make bets about my success chance behind my back.” It was an admonishment of the both of them, really. It just didn’t sit right with me.
After both of them looked sufficiently ashamed, I let up on the pair. Kala nuzzled into me to get my attention. “I’m glad you made it back alright,” she whispered into my ear.
I smiled and rubbed her back. “Hey, I told you it wasn’t terribly dangerous. I was just having a conversation.”
“Yes, but what you consider to be dangerous, and what everyone else considers to be dangerous are often two different things.”
Oof, the accuracy, the accuracy hurts. Despite the scathing criticism of my butchered survival instincts, I couldn’t help the slight chuckle that escaped me. As nice as it was to catch up and talk with everyone, we were in the middle of preparing for a siege, so I had to cut our little reunion short.
Separating myself from Kala, I offered some words in parting. “I’ll see you all soon, hopefully after one of those towers is nothing but rubble.” They offered me encouraging nods and smiles as we assumed our roles for the battle.
Turning away from our allies and towards the walls, I could see rapid movements from the Thrainians atop the walls in response to Soro’s emergence. I can imagine that the panic from both foot soldier and officer alike was consuming them. No one expected this, which meant that hopefully they would be disorganized when we did begin the attack.
Soro slithered into position between two columns of troops at Durdan’s direction. Once there, he waited as Durdan continued onward to the front to give a rousing speech to inspire the troops. Taking a deep breath, he projected his voice as loud as he could make it.
“Soldiers! We stand now on the precipice of history. It is in this moment that the future will be written, and stories will be told of our actions for generations to come. We have at our side now such a figure, immortalized in tales beyond our time, who has emerged from the hidden corners of the world to assist us. I see in your eyes the uncertainty and nervousness you all feel, but be not afraid, for he is our salvation and the key to our dreams. He will open the door to the beating heart of the Thrainian’s corruption, and then, we shall tear it out! Now is our chance to create the world we desire, a better world!”
The response was a clamorous roar from a crowd thousands strong. Every soldier hoisted their weapons high, shouting a challenge to the cowards hiding atop the walls and behind their captives. If the Thrainians weren’t nervous before, they certainly are now.
In the middle of the shouting, Soro leaned down a little closer to me. “You told me they had magical defenses in the form of a crystal, but how large of one am I to deal with?”
“Hard to say exactly. No one has seen this specific one in person, but if I use the last one I saw as a reference, it would be safe to assume that it is about half your size.” For the first time in all my interactions with him, he looked a little unsure. “You can handle that, right?”
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He made a rumbling sound in his throat. “It has been a long time since I last called upon such power. I can only hope that I remember how.”
For the love of everything good, and the sake of my sanity, please don’t have some kind of magical arthritis. I would have prayed that he wasn’t so rusty that he couldn’t pull this off, but the gods of this world are assholes, so I refrained. That wasn’t even to take into account that one of them likely pulled the strings that started this war in the first place. Never tell your enemy what you are planning to do.
Formations shuffled around as the soldiers assumed their positions just outside the range of enemy weaponry. Durdan returned to us and immediately engaged Soro in strategy. “How close do you need to be to attack the tower?”
Soro considered for a second before replying. “I could attack it from here, but it would be better to be closer as it would take less energy to do so.”
Durdan nodded. “Very well. Maintain your position between these two formations and we will escort you into optimal attack range.” Next, he turned to me. “James, you stay with Soro in case he needs something or encounters a problem. I want to hear about any issues the moment they arise and not a second later, understood?”
“Yes, I’ll be sure to find you if anything changes.”
“Good. The order to march will be given via horn. Simply follow along with the other soldiers and hopefully everything will go as smooth as possible.”
After giving us the rundown, Durdan returned to his position deeper in the ranks of the soldiers to assume command. It was only a handful of minutes later that a bellowing horn sounded out over the battlefield, signaling the soldiers to begin their march forward. The steady and synchronized sound of boots on the ground resonated in the very earth as we kept pace with the movements. Nobody rushed or attempted to close the distance in a hurry. I assumed they were waiting to launch into a burst of movement once we got within range of the Thrainian defenses.
My guess turned out to be right on the money as the moment the sky started falling with all manner of unpleasantness a second horn was blown to command a charge. The front lines surged forth as the maddened war cries of those rushing headfirst into a kill zone resounded across the field. Siege engines exchanged fire, though like usual the ones heading toward the city were swatted out of the sky by all manner of magical defenses while the attacks from the city landed with deadly impunity.
It was no real surprise that most of the defender's attacks were aimed at Soro as he presented the most danger and the largest target. Our plan thankfully accounted for that, and the predictability of the enemy's attacks allowed our mages to deflect them with few problems. No defense is perfect, though, and occasionally a projectile would slip through. Things like arrows and even blasts of fire did very little against Soro, most simply bouncing off his scales or doing no more damage than a splinter would. However, a ballista bolt did manage to bypass the protection and pierce into his flank, drawing a hiss from him.
“Soro, are you alright?” I called up to him while keeping pace with his movements.
“It will take more than that little twig to bring me down.” While it was true that the wound was bleeding, in the grand scheme of things it was likely a minor inconvenience, a flesh wound at most.
We did not slow down in the slightest, which was a slight problem for me. I had to duck and dodge arrows that fell around me. They weren’t aiming at me; it was just a consequence of being in close proximity to their main target. I really need to invest in a shield if I’m going to be doing any more running around in the line of fire.
Thankfully Soro came to a halt about a hundred yards away from the tower that was our target. “This distance will do. Keep everyone between me and the target out of my way and give me some time to prepare.”
I did as he asked and ran to inform the officers in charge of nearby formations and told them to clear a path between Soro and the tower. They obeyed quickly and relayed the orders to the soldiers with a combination of verbal shouts and trumpeting horns. Any stray people in the line of fire quickly moved to a different area to assist in the assault there as I returned to Soro’s side.
When I looked back to him, I was a little surprised to see that he was glowing a bloody red beneath his scales. I had seen it before when we first met, but this was different as the glow was not as muted and was slowly getting brighter. There was a look of concentration on his face as he prepared his spell, summoning what was likely a vast quantity of magic to his command.
The Thrainians saw it too, and the panic from them was now visible as all attacks shifted to target Soro. This was a poor move that seemed to be made out of desperation. Now that they weren’t being suppressed by the Thrainians fire, the coalition soldiers moved within the defensive fields around the city and began to attack the defenders on the walls with more mundane projectiles like arrows. The Thrainian’s bad decision resulted in fewer attacks being made against Soro due to the defenders having to seek cover or be hit as a result.
It was too late for them to do anything regardless. Soro suddenly focused all his attention on the tower. His pupils dilated to slits, his breath came in deep inhales, and then, with a burst of light, he began his attack.
The earth rumbled beneath our feet as the ground began to split and fracture in a straight line between Soro and his target. From the sundered earth an eruption of great force suddenly happened, and a massive stone spire, nearly the size of the tower itself, shot out of the ground and toward the fortifications, showering the area in stones. This spire was thrust forth like a lance, intent on burying itself in the smooth stones of the city walls.
It moved at terrifying speeds for something so large, but as it got closer, it encountered the city's magical defenses as it suddenly crashed against an invisible wall. The tip of the spire crumbled upon contact, but more replaced it soon enough as the two great powers warred against one another in a battle of attrition. The heat of the battle around this struggle seemed to dull as almost everyone had their eyes on this clash of titanic forces. The only sound that could be heard was the grinding of stones on the imperceptible wall of magic.
While it was impossible to tell how well the crystal inside the tower was holding up, it was very clear that Soro was straining to keep this attack going. His jaw was locked, face contorted into a labored sneer of effort as the muscles in his body flared and shook the longer it went on. I could only stare in stunned silence, unable to think of anything I could do or say to help. Speaking out might have broken his concentration though, so it was good that I was at a loss for words.
Another concerning development occurred when I noticed that the bloody glow from beneath Soro’s scales were starting to dim. Dread started to rise within me as the grinding motions of the spire were beginning to slow. Soro’s breaths became labored, and his entire body was wracked with tremors.
Just when I thought he might give in to the pressure, his eyes, which had been drooping towards the ground, suddenly regained their steel. Rising to full height, Soro’s maw parted as he bared his fangs, releasing a sound that was somewhere between a hiss and a roar. The stone spire started gaining ground, inches at a time, as it pushed against the barrier. Then, the tension snapped, and the stalemate that felt like it was going on forever ended abruptly.
The spire surged forward, breaking through the invisible barrier and ramming into the side of the tower. The smooth stones of the tower buckled under the onslaught, cracking and breaking into a thousand pieces as Soro’s attack not only destroyed the tower but gutted it entirely. With a rumbling crash the tower began to collapse on itself, folding like a Jenga tower that had the wrong block pulled from it. Each of the heavy stones that made up its surface came cascading downward in a shower of rock and dust.
Soldiers, Thrainian and coalition alike, scattered in the wake of the collapsing structure and plums of dust billowed outward as the tower met its end in a heap on the ground. The battlefield was deathly silent for a handful of seconds as the shock of what we had all bore witness to had yet to settle. It felt like everyone took a collective breath before the silence was sundered with a collective roar of celebration from the coalition soldiers.
After the soldiers had recovered from their shock, morale was at an all-time high. The order to charge was immediately given as they swarmed the walls with ladders and magic, creating earthen ramps that allowed access to the defender's lofty heights. The Thrainians were still somewhat shellshocked by the collapse of the tower and the resulting dust cloud that it created as they mounted a less than effective defense to try and stop the attackers.
I left the soldiers to do what they did best as my concern was focused on Soro at the moment. After his display of power, the giant serpent was gasping and seemed to be unsteady as his upper body swayed side to side like he was in the middle of a personal gale. Eventually, his body seemed to give as he slumped to the side, collapsing in the dirt with a loud thud.
I rushed to his head to check his condition. He was still breathing at least, but other than that I had no idea how bad his situation was. Placing a hand just above his eye, I tried to see if he could talk.
“Hey, you alright?”
He rumbled deeply in his throat as he managed to growl out a few words. “Don’t... touch me.”
Alright, he’s fine. “Are you going to be down for a while, or do you think you can move?”
He let out an exasperated huff. “Does it look like I can move right now? I haven’t used magic like that in centuries.”
I nodded. “Alright, I’ll see if I can’t get some soldiers assigned to keep you safe until you can move again. The moment you can, please head back toward the camp as I doubt you’re in any condition to fight.”
He grumbled an affirmation, so I left him to recover while I sought out guards for his person. I figured the most efficient way to do that would be to meet with Durdan and have him assign those most suited for the job. Jogging to the backline, I saw the general upon his horse and seemingly giving half a dozen different commands to a dozen different people at the same time.
The moment he saw me he stopped all other conversations and started to address me. “James, does Soro still live? I saw him collapse and feared the worst.”
“He’s fine for now, just exhausted. However, he can’t move, and considering how close he is to the walls, I thought it best to ask for some protection for him if you can spare it.”
“Of course. I’ll order for a detachment of soldiers and a few mages to stand guard over him until he has recovered. It would be poor manners to allow the hero of this battle to perish due to neglect.” He proceeded to send a runner with those orders to find an appropriate group of defenders.
Satisfied that Soro would not be left to the mercy of chance, I looked back toward the battlefield. Coalition soldiers were now fighting atop the walls, slowly creating a more stable foothold for an attack deeper into the city. The defenders were either retreating, or being cut down as the slaves being held captive on the walls were freed with every step of the coalition's advance.
I found a grin on my face as I watched this all unfold from a distance, but quickly got moving again. There was still work to be done as we had to bring this battle to a close. I went to go find my friends so we could end this together, at long last.