The Deadtide army had forced its way through East Ridge Forest and was out onto the meadow lands of the Kingdom Faregent. Nothing in their way but a few farmsteads, a few hamlets until the linchpin in the kingdom, the city of Ralynn and its formidable defenses.
The Deadtide soldiers marched in squares, a hundred soldiers to a square. The goblins were less ordered and ran in scruffy bands between the squares. The huge battering ram was protected in the center of the army. Max could make out the huge covered wagon even from this distance.
“We are too few to attack the army on its rear,” Fineblade said. “Their rearguard is formidable, and we will be little more than an irritation. But I can’t see us getting around them and to the gates of Ralynn City before they get there.”
“So we wait until they attack Ralynn City and then make our move,” Elderon said.
Max nodded. “But we need Ralynn City to know we are here. We must coordinate our attacks.”
“But how?” Fineblade said.
Jahrod looked up at Max and started shaking his head. “No, Max, it’s too dangerous.”
“No,” Anita said also. “Jahrod is right. Max, you can’t go alone.”
Fineblade was stunned that they thought Max would even suggest going up against the army alone. But then Max confirmed what the others feared.
“It’ll be fine. I can go alone. In fact, I must go alone. I will be quicker, quieter, and more easily hidden. I can sneak through the army without fear.”
“But what if they have Detect Invisibility wards?” Anita said. “They know you crept into their lines before to destroy their dark shard. They will be expecting you to try again.”
“I won’t be going near their dark shard this time. That will have to wait until later. And I can use my Dark Movement to get through their lines quickly. I would leave behind any who goes with me.”
Max set off. Jahrod and Anita insisting on going with him to protect against any rearguard pickets. Once down on the meadowlands and within half a league of the army, Max bid farewell to his friends. He pulled up his Hood of Sneaking, activated his Sneak ability, and moved towards the rear of the Deadtide army.
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> Max activates Sneak ability.
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Max moved swiftly alongside the army. The Deadtide soldiers marched in squares at a fearsome pace. Max didn’t want to get too close to the Deadtide soldiers. Their dark eyes and slime-filled mouths were too fearsome and repulsive. But Max was forced closer than he would like by the small bands of goblins that dashed about on the army’s flanks, sweeping the area and checking for enemies.
By the time Max reached the head of the army, it was already forming up into attack lines a half league out from Ralynn City. Groups of goblins with heavy ladders sat at the side of each square of soldiers. They waited while the rest of the army formed up at the rear.
The gleaming city walls looked bare. No banners fluttering there, no guards to be seen on the high walk. Max looked closely at the gaps between the battlements on the top of the wall. No hint of any defenders at all. The stillness betrayed the readiness of the city. The stillness suggested not unpreparedness but a city well prepared and with an organized defense, waiting for the enemy to tread too close. There was no way a large army could approach this close to Ralynn City without being seen. Max knew the city was on high alert.
As Max headed out across the meadowlands ahead of the army’s front ranks, he saw the leader of the Deadtide army, Gaius Deadtide. He was marching along the front of a line of Deadtide troops accompanied by a group of officers. All looked bedraggled, darkness making them look tired. Max moved across the front of the Deadtide army only a couple of hundred feet from the front rank. He moved close enough to Gaius to hear him talking with his officers. Maybe he could learn something of the tactics Gaius would employ, but there was little option for the Deadtide army.
The gate was a clear weak point in the city walls, and the large battering ram covered with thick armored hide was lined up and ready to be moved in place to start beating down the heavy timber doors. While that was going on, the city walls would be attacked by the soldiers with the long sturdy ladders. The large groups of goblins with a ladder each were clearly the shock troops ready to scale the ladders and attack the defenders on top of the walls.
Max crept as close to Gaius Deadtide as he dared. He listened, but there was only silence. Gaius inspected the troops without a word.
Max moved away from the front line, and he was soon in the wide-open space between the attacking Deadtide army and the walls of the city. It would take him the best part of an hour to walk to the gates, half an hour at a steady run. He activated his Dark Movement ability and raced forward in a huge leap, cutting the distance in half.
Janet appeared when he moved.
“I can feel you use the ability, Max,” she said. “Be careful.”
“I checked; I have no penalty for using it. I won’t summon a dark creature.”
“If you overuse it you still might, and if you try and travel too far, too fast, too soon, you might find it difficult to return to normal movement. You might find yourself trapped like me, and then how do we get home?”
Max ran towards the city the last few yards, thinking of Janet’s words. Home? It was an idea he hadn’t ever really known. He had no home. It was strange, but as he approached Ralynn City, he felt as if this was in some ways a return home. Eveirea was starting to feel like home to him now, and the one place he’d spent the most time was here in Ralynn City, in his rooms in the castle.
Max reached the city gate. He deactivated his Sneak ability and stood in full view of the defenders.
An arrow was aimed at him from a loophole in the side of the gatehouse. A harsh voice barked at him from behind the gate.
Stolen story; please report.
“Who goes there?”
“I am Max Lightfoot. I bring news from Master Mage Elderon. Let me in. I must speak with the king.”
A thick knotted rope dropped down from the high walk above the gate. Max grabbed hold. He climbed up easily and was at the top in a flash. Once at the top, several rough hands pulled him over and pushed his back to the battlements. He found himself faced with a group of tough-looking city guards with swords in hand, all pointed at him. He saw the crossbows, bowstrings drawn, thick bolts on the launch table and pointing at his chest.
“Peace, Ralynn guards.” Max held up his hands. A sergeant barked orders for Max to be taken under guard to the castle in the center of the city.
The city was quiet. Houses and businesses were locked and boarded. Only guards and civilian militia walked the streets. The guards wore their uniforms, the militia with strips of blue cloth on their upper arms to identify them as Ralynn militia.
At the castle, Max saw Princess Shree in a high tower looking out at the city. When she spotted Max, she dashed away from the window.
Inside the castle, Max was escorted to a war room where King Glyn and his advisors were looking at a map table and scrolls containing the latest reports.
Princess Shree rushed in and threw her arms around Max.
“I knew you’d be back to save us, Max,” she said.
The king was in no mood for frivolities. He scarcely looked up from his reports and map.
“Max Lightfoot. What brings you to the city?”
“Good news, sire,” Max said with a bow. “We have met with a company of elves from Deepwood. They are positioned behind the Deadtide army. They are ready to coordinate their attacks with your defense.”
The king covered his maps and walked to Max. “And how do they propose to do that?”
“Let the Deadtide army come. Hold the defense. Once the army is engaged on Ralynn City walls, the elven company and my party will attack the Deadtide army’s rear. They will be trapped.”
“My scouts have observed the army,” King Glynn said in a somber mood. “They are formidable. How can a company of elves and a small party of adventurers hope to defeat them?”
“They will not expect it, and they are driven by the power of a dark shard. I will eliminate the source of their power. They will fold.”
A roar in the distance went up. All knew what that meant, but only when a runner came bringing the news did they know for sure. The breathless boy bringing the news spoke through heaving breaths.
The Deadtide army was attacking the city gate.
Max went to the castle walls and looked over the city and down to the meadowlands. The battering ram was only a few hundred yards away from the city gate when Max finally spotted it, hidden partially by the dust thrown up by hundreds of marching soldiers. Ladder troops were rushing the walls, yipping and yakking goblins hurrying to be first up the ladders.
“I would give you my sword and fight alongside you, sire,” Max said to the king, “but I must go and tell the elves and my party to engage.”
Princess Shree took Max’s arm. “It’s too dangerous. Look at that army. You will never get past them. Stay here where it’s safe.”
Max enjoyed her ardor, but he shook his head. “Nowhere will be safe if I do not go. I will make it through, and I will make it back to your city.”
The king looked at Max, perhaps suspicious that he was more interested in his royal daughter than the city’s defense.
“Go, Max Lightfoot. I hope your efforts bring success.”
Max ran through the city to the city walls. The battering ram was attacking the gate. Dust falling from the inside of the gate with each hammering attack. Beams as thick as tree trucks lay across the heavy double doors, and they were visibly flexing. Max ran up a stone stairway to the high walk, and he heard the trunk cracking.
At the high walk, a ladder landed against the stone, and a moment later, goblins were leaping over the battlements.
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> Max attacks Goblin.
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> Goblin takes moderate damage.
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> Bonus Lightning damage.
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The goblin turned on Max. Snarling, spitting, it lashed out with its brown steel sword.
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> Goblin attacks Max.
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Max leapt backwards, the wildly swinging sword grazing his padded tunic but didn’t do any damage.
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> Attack dodged; no damage done.
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Max stepped towards the goblin, sword raised.
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> Max attacks Goblin.
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> Goblin takes minor damage.
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> Bonus Lightning damage.
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> Goblin has been defeated.
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Max saw the Ralynn City guards along the high walk fend off another wave of goblins. While some guards attacked with swords, others used long poles to push the ladders away from the walls.
Max looked along the city walls. The Deadtide army and their goblin allies were attacking a wide front. Away to the left side was a clear section of wall. Max ran along the high walk, dodging attacking goblins and staying clear of the defenders. He got to the quiet section of wall. The defenders there watching their fellows defending the attack, eager to get involved but under orders not to leave their section of wall undefended.
Max pulled up his hood and climbed over the battlements. He climbed down the wall, fingers and toes finding purchase in the tiniest of cracks between the huge stones of the city walls.
He dropped to the ground and ran back to where his friends and elven allies were waiting. After a few minutes of breathless running, he chose to cut some time off his trip.
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> Max activates Dark Movement.
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He dashed forward a few thousand yards before returning to normal movement, taking care not to spend too long using the Dark Movement ability. The sounds of battle faded. When Max reached the edge of the ridge, his friends were waiting impatiently.
“We were about to go,” Fineblade said.
Max leaned on his knees and caught his breath. “The city is waiting for our aid.”
Anita cast a Revive spell on Max, and he found he could breathe easily, and fatigue had left him. Fineblade had already given his orders, and the elves were on the march. They moved fast over the meadowlands while staying low. The whole company suddenly became very difficult to spot as they moved through the meadows. Max could only catch glimpses of movement out of the corner of his eye, a flutter of a cloak here and a glint of steel there, but when he focused on a point, he could see nothing but swaying grass.
“They have activated their Wilderness Lore,” Anita said. “It will let them remain hidden until they are close enough to the Deadtide army to attack.”
Max led his party behind the elves. The sounds of battle grew as they advanced. The elven company came to a halt, stood up, and raised their bows. A short line of elves against the mass of the Deadtide army.
Darius Fineblade drew his sword. He held it aloft and then pointed forward.
The elven longbows sang as they released volley after volley towards the Deadtide army. Before the first volley fell on the Deadtide army, the elves were notching their sixth arrows. They moved fast, with skill and precision, the line of elves shooting dozens of arrows at a time. The arrows arched through the sky. And fell on the army.
Elderon cast Far Sight and showed Fineblade and the party the effect the arrows were having on the army. The elven arrows were defeating dozens of attackers at a time, and it was starting to spread confusion and panic.
“They don’t know who’s attacking them,” Max said, pointing at the army in Elderon’s Far Sight spell.
Then a shriek went up on the flanks of the Deadtide army. Max looked to the sound. A giant lizard came charging from the army’s right flank, another peeled off the army’s left flank. The beasts were tall, ten feet tall at least. They were black with long bony tails that whipped around behind. The huge heads were filled with long, heavy teeth. Small arms ended with long curved claws like scimitar swords. The beasts were carrying a number of goblins holding onto a cargo net secured across the lizard’s back. They wielded crossbows and spears. The lizards advanced in a pincer move towards the small group of elves and Max’s little party.
“I guess they know we’re here,” Max said as he studied the incoming attack.
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> Name: Giant Lizard
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> Status: Attacking
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> Attack: Tooth and Claw
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> Threat level: Deadly
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“Maintain your attack on the Deadtide army, Captain,” Max said. “We’ll handle this.”