Chapter 9
“We should have never started that war with the elves.” Standing atop the recently built rampart, of the massive 35 foot wall, Shin had begun his nightly guard duty. It was extremely cold, and dark, on the windy wall. Standing next to the fire from the torches, the man did his best to feel a small amount of warmth, and not fall asleep on his shift. Standing at attention, he let his mind begin to wander.
Terrified of the horrible punishment for being found sleeping, he never let his mind get too far away from him though. Just enough to help pass the time. "Lately everything has only gotten worse. The city is starving. Theft, murder, rape, all of them have gone through the roof. This used to be a nice place to live, before this nightmare descended onto us. The city was not small. Having a population of over 200,000 when our problems began. However, our former city lord made a horrible decision that has come to haunt us all.
It began when we were visited by a messenger from a coalition of cities in the region for human supremacy. Our society was less than tolerant and accepting of other types of humanoid creatures already, and we soon found out that were not alone in this, as the messenger announced the creation of the P.H.P or, “Pure Humanity Project.” We were told that other races wanted to enslave us, and had been parasitizing off of the hard work of civilizations from the beginning of time. They were quick to show their extreme hatred of elves in particular.
They claimed that we don’t have as many opportunities as in the past because of the free elves in the city. That the elves were debased and wanted to exterminate us. This idea received an avid audience as we had been neighbors with the elves for hundreds of years and many have had loved ones killed or injured in the forest, from the infrequent skirmishes over the years ,and border disputes. This, and the occasional poor bastard trying to gather magical herbs, or were sold some scam treasure map, leading into the cave of some man eating creature, in the forest. It didn’t even matter if the elves were really the culprits at this point, as if it happened in the forest, it was always blamed on the elves. This soon gave rise to anger and the idea of striking back, as well as a whole host of laws targeted towards non humans.
Homes, businesses, weapons, horses, clothes, food, nothing could be owned by non-humans, after the laws passed. The things that were taken, were then redistributed, to their supposed rightful owners, AKA, humanity. At the time it was an exceedingly popular law in the cities. After all, the non-humans only made up around 15% of the total population. Soon after, their properties and rights, were all taken away.
Those who didn’t run away or, couldn’t, as they had essentially nothing left, were then arrested for any micro infraction that could be thought of, and sold off to the highest bidder as slaves. We also began harassing the elves in the nearby dark forest saying that they were hoarding the treasures of the forest which belonged to humanity. We began re-drawing territorial maps, claiming the forest was ours in its entirety, as well as the majority of other non-human territories.
Using these maps we began to hunt in the forest for meat and fur’s, and claimed sovereign rights. We soon began to dig for minerals and had even taken a silver mine from the elves. However, we soon pushed our luck too far when one of our slave traders figured that if the forest can be used to hunt beasts and search for minerals, then we can also use it to capture elf slaves as well. After all each elf was worth its weight in gold. The traders were able to take two trips in total and captured a total of 12 slaves.
Elf slaves sold for quite a lot due to them living for so long, and almost all of them were beautiful beyond compare. The man was happy as a lark, until the elves made a statement. "Return the stolen elves!" "Return the mine you have taken." "Compensate us for the game you have stolen from us, the minerals you stole from us and the damage to the forest and pay us 1 million gold pieces and the head of the slave trader." "Do this along with a public apology from your king within two weeks or we will unleash hell to you.”
Looking back, I wish we would have listened to that warning but we were just too prideful. We believed that with the elves smaller numbers and our pure human blood there was nothing to fear. We were wrong. After the time mentioned in the message passed, nothing happened, and we all laughed at the backward and pitiful elves.
Then, a few weeks later, we noticed our crops beginning to mysteriously wither and die. People who went into the dark forest did not seem to return. Supplies and livestock disappeared. However, it was not confirmed to be elves, until sometime later, when a small village, close to the forest border, was found completely destroyed, except a single person. This small child had hidden in a sack of rotting potatoes and vegetables, and was able to trick the elves tracking, life magic. He recanted an elven raiding party destroying their village. This marked the beginning of the war.
Since the beginning of the war, 3 years ago, we haven’t had a single decent crop harvest. It’s as if the earth itself is punishing us. If it weren’t for our ability to borrow food from far away cities and the alliance we would have been destroyed long ago. However, even this won’t last forever. The last time we borrowed from the alliance wasn’t met with smiles and handshakes.
I don’t know the details but I know the city master changed. Along with the city master change everything became harsher, and our taxes and fines went up insanely. Along with new rules and laws the city had an influx of unknown people, and…. Things, which came to the city saying they were working under the city lord. They had all the right badges and papers so we had to let them in, and now I’m working with a good amount of them."
His eyes began to droop as the constant overwork, began getting to him. Walking to the left side arrow tower of the massive wall, he continued. "This wall was created once the new lord had spotted a massive herd of long necks. Usually the herds don’t even get to an eighth of the size of this massive herd so the city was ecstatic when we herd of it. The new lord even decreed that meat will be given to all. So at least for a while the whole city will have food to eat. With so many long necks the only place we could find that could work as a pen was the, “ancients” cave that was almost a mile deep, and half that length high. The cave itself was an entry to an old dwarven city. However, something happened to it and now it’s a tomb. I don’t like getting close to it, but the new lord was adamant that they were to come here."
"Looking behind him, to the massive swinging door of the wall, eight massive cave trolls were chained, pulling and pushing it open and closed." "Sitting in the dirt as they picked the hole in their face where there noise used to be. They were night blue, with a bald head, and scales over their body. They looked like a mix between an elephant, and a man, with scales, and horrible jagged teeth.
Perfectly content to play in the dirt forever, they only wore a dirty loincloth. However, with their tough, thick skin, like an elephant's, arrows and swords would only get stuck in their thick skin and scales. So, I suppose they have no need for cloths or armor. Their similarity with elephants only becomes stronger when you see their feet. Most are around nine to ten feet tall; however, they are not even the biggest of our defenders.
Lumbering earth Golems standing around 11 to 12 feet tall are constantly patrolling the front of the gates. Made by alchemists and earthen sorcerers these Golems are literally massive moving boulders but due to their costs, we only have around a dozen here. However, even if someone was stupid enough to try and break in here, we also have the entire 9th cavalry unit here. Around 2000 soldiers and their horses. Along with 500 heavy infantry units guarding the wall, and everyone’s pride and joy in the city, the 1st airborne division of 250 griffins and their riders.
All of this along with the ballista’s and catapults on the wall and it would take a massive army to take this fort down. I still don’t understand the reason for the amount of military units that needed to be stationed here. We have almost half of our cities forces seized up here and for what? In case the elves come? They might be good at sneak attacks and destroying crops, but there is no way they could pull off a siege of a fort this size."
Almost as if chanting hex magic, rumbling began to sound all around the fort. The walls began to shake as he tried to keep his footing atop the rampart. Looking towards the darkness he wasn’t able to see anything however, the rumbling was getting worse. It felt like a million elephants were all stampeding at the same time. “Enemy attack! Ring the bells!” Looking to his side if saw a guard running to the nearest bell and ringing it however, because of the rumbling, the bell was almost drowned out. Nevertheless, the bell rang, Clang, Clang, Clang, Boom!!!
He felt a massive shockwave, as he saw the top of the wooden wall to the side of him with the bell and the soldiers turn into splinters and red mist. The shockwave pushed him back several feet. However, Once he got to his feet and looked to see what happened to the soldiers and bell, he was met with a massive hole in the rampart and wall.
Nothing was left. Turning to the front to see if he could see anything, he tried to wipe his face off from the dust, splinters, and blood, but it was at this moment that he realized, his right arm was completely gone. "Damn, who did we piss off this time?" Falling to his knees, he tried to keep pressure on his arm, by wrapping his shirt with a piece of shredded wood, making a temporary tunicate.
Looking up, he finally got the chance to see what had just demolished the wall and soldiers. Massive, unbelievably massive, eagle like birds, soaring across the sky. In each of their talons were massive boulders, the size of carriages. They were wrapped in rope and then tied into a handle, where the birds gripped them. He watched as a Roc spotted a group of guards coming out of the tower a few hundred feet from him and attempted to man the catapult.
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The roc darted up in the sky, and then shot forward, ripping the wind apart as it got closer to the wall ,until it was close enough to know its shot would be fatal. Quickly turning to its side as it whipped the massive boulder, now rocketing towards the men. The next second, he heard another boom like what he felt earlier and saw an entire catapult, and group of soldiers along with a massive part of the wall, completely disappear. Pink mist and wood shards was all that’s left in its wake.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Looking behind the wall here heard a series of booms and saw 4 massive giants being carried over the battlefield in the talons of the rocs as they suddenly released them where the 8 cave trolls were sitting, creating massive booms, and craters, where they landed.
The trolls were terrified at first but quickly began to attack the new threats as soon as their handler released their chains with a staff and began to usher them forward with his whip. The trolls took the chains in their hands and began to swing it towards the giants as a make shift weapon.
Standing on the wall he could see their difference in height, as even the massive cave trolls, only came up to a little past the giant’s knees. Half way up its thighs. It was at this time he realized that the massive fort wall he was standing on was like a neighbor’s fence to these giants. With their height, it would be simple to grab the top with their arms, and pull themselves over. "How could we possibly fight against this?" "We are just ants in their way!"
The giant’s that were dropped looked to have golden skin and black and brown hair. They were dressed in steel plate armor, and massive steel spiked boots. Their entire legs were encased in steel armor with chainmail and gambeson underneath. Two of them, carried massive, two handed war hammers, and poleaxes, with the remaining two carrying tower shields, and long swords. The last one carried a huge steel mace. The giants looked at the trolls and seemed to be saying something, but the trolls didn’t look like they understood, and their masters whip soon had them attacking the intruders.
The giants looked almost saddened at the sight of the trolls but soon grew infuriated at the attack. The closest giant had a massive war hammer, and once attacked, he picked it up with both hands and swung overhand downwards, hitting the trolls head, and flattening it like an accordion. Only leaving a pile of goop and blood. The cave troll was no more. The remaining cave trolls were stunned, but quickly put up a defensive formation with their human master in the back, controlling them. It was apparent he wanted to defend the gate lever until the whole camp arrived.
After the cave trolls were placed in formation the sound of the 9th cavalry units war trumpet begin to sound and Hundreds of horses and their riders were lined up farther in the back of the fort. The cavalry began to drive towards the giants who had infiltrated the fort. Lining up as the horn blew, the horses began to trot and then run as they picked up speed.
The two giants with tower shields walked to the front to protect the other giants fighting with the trolls. The cavalry began to pick up speed until a massive roar sounded out. Looking towards the sky a massive white dragon soon descended!! Flying twice as fast as the rocs it rocketed towards the defending giants when a Massive giant jumped off and slammed into the ground producing a massive boom and a crater easily twice as big as the previous ones.
This giant looked different than the others as he was taller and much bulkier. He stood near 20 feet tall and was much bulkier. He was completely covered in steel plate armor, chainmail and gambeson. Almost no part of him was unarmored. On the back of his legs where the plate grieves could not cover, was covered in steel mail, and gambeson. Creating almost a foot of different types of armor, sandwiched together that one would need to get through, before he could be injured.
This juggernaut was carrying a two handed poleaxe, and despite being so big, and carrying so much armor, moved frighteningly fast. This giant also had multiple spikes, coming out from his steel boots, and had his elbows armored in plate that formed into a spike. He seemed to be carrying multiple pouches on his back and the side of his waist. The dragon that he had jumped from continued to fly towards the cavalry, wanting to get close enough to use its breath weapon.
Roar!! Frostfire took the lead as anom got his footing, and advanced towards the forward raid team, fighting the cave trolls and being advanced upon by the cavalry. The enemy was attempting a pincer maneuver. Unless they got the gate open, or completely smashed through it, they will soon be in a lot of trouble.
The two giants fighting the cave trolls, were doing fine, but they needed more time. Continuing to walk towards the defending giants, right now, it’s anom's job to protect them. Going slightly ahead of the tower shield carrying giants, he yelled out, Stin, ven, Frigar! The giants behind him put down their weapons and pulled out their slings. As anom reached into his back pouch, and grabbed a handful of ammo.
"Trite sold me an absolute ton of these, so I’m excited to finally see how they work out." Thinking to himself, anom was excited to finally use his new weapons. To a giant his size, these were nothing but metal marbles. However, to these humans, they are 15, or 20 lb cannon balls. He had given a ton of these, to the other giants as well. But, they don’t seem to have as much strength as he does, so they prefer to only put three or four in a sling, and rocket them towards the enemy.
Grabbing the handful of cannonballs he took a pitchers stance, and hold, wind up, and, whoosh!! Whipping his arm forward he could see the dust around him getting pushed away from the pressure and speed of the cannonballs. Looking towards the enemy he can see their faces through their visors in deep fear and denial. Some look like they are going to cry. Others look to be on the verge of passing out. None of it does any good though, as the cannonballs tear through the group, like the propeller of a plane shredding through a flock of birds.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Dozens and dozens of smaller booms hit the ground, when the balls touched down. Pink mist and body parts fly everywhere. Nothing was left, except body parts, twisted metal, and broken bones. However, the worst had yet to pass. Immediately following the initial strike, most of the cannonballs had yet to use up all their energy, and continued to roll through horses, armor, people and anything else in their way. Each of the balls left a massive path of carnage, in highly visible lines. Some going through as many as nine or ten horses and people. For a split second, the battlefield went completely still. A dropped pen could be heard across the entire field.
The humans almost couldn’t accept the reality of what had just happened. In a split second hundreds of cavalrymen had died. That was, until the survivors who were severely wounded, began to cry out in pain, and anguish. This did not last long though, as frostfire had arrived, and began to breath cold death down upon the survivors. Many were quickly frozen into sculptures. This was Quickly followed by two more rounds of cannonballs, courtesy of the sling wielding giants behind him. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Frostfire even began to make a game out of the enemy’s destruction. He would descend and pick up riders and horses in each hand. Flying up until he felt he was high enough, and then tossed them down, towards the enemy formation. Archers were firing arrows at him in the hundreds and the few sorcerers they had, tried to hit him with fireballs, but ultimately they were doing negligible damage, as they could not catch him.
Things quickly turned dangerous after anom released that hell storm onto the cavalry. He was placed on the top of the enemies kill list. Scree!!! Suddenly, he began to hear a strange sound that he hadn't heard before. It almost sounded as if it were a roar and a bird’s call scrambled together. Looking above, he was hit with a hammer on his helmet, as the creature flew by with a knight on it's back.
He didn’t take too much damage but his head felt like a ringing bell. Looking closer at the bird, he could make out the body of a big, ten foot lion with an eagle’s head, talons and a fifty foot wingspan. Griffins! Looking above, he soon realized that griffins were everywhere. Multiple griffins were attacking each roc in the sky, and he had somehow received the honor of getting to fight the commander. Judging from his equipment, coat of arms, and multiple bodyguards.
"My name is commander Gaven freeborn." "I am commander of the 1st airborne division of the alliance." "I was given the command of the 1st griffon division to provide defensive support joining the 9th cavalry and the 500 heavy infantry atop the wall in defense of the wall and the strategic material inside." "The enemy has taken the initiative to raid our camp with a surprise attack." "In the short time that I have seen the enemy in combat, I am positive this will be the hardest fight this fort will ever have."
"That monstrosity of a giant covered in ridiculously thick armor had hand tossed around 40 cannonballs into the charge of the 9th division cavalry and decimated hundreds of men and their horses at once." "I have always been at the head of my class throughout my life." "I have blood ties going back to the strongest human emperors and warriors." "In my family, due to the purity of our blood, when we are toddlers we can already swing a sword and outrun teenagers and adults."
"Along with my natural gifts my family is wealthy and I was introduced into magic at a young age." "At five, I could summon a thunderbolt." "At ten, I could smash apart a big tree with my bear hands and gravity magic." "Now at thirty, I have finally reached the height at which I can begin to pay back my clan and family with political power and the wealth I have been collecting." "Everything was going to plan. Until today."
Staring at the monstrous giants, Commander Gaven steeled his will and body, getting ready for battle. "Damn you giant Bastards." "Looking to the 9th cavalry division in disarray he noticed the commander seemed to be taken out from the first strike." "Lucky bastard!" "Looking towards one of his lieutenants he ordered, give the order for next in line to assume command, and have them retreat back, reform the line, spread out, divide into two and pincer these big bastards!"
Snapping to attention, the Lieutenant replied. "Yes sir!" Grabbing a combination of multiple flags he began to wave them towards the receiver on the cavalry’s side. Soon like a blob of fish they began to retreat back. After retreating they began to form in line leaving a lot of space in between each horse while dividing into two. After a slight delay the new commander again had the horn blown and the new charge began.
Watching as the commander in the air took charge, anom thought of grabbing another handful of cannonballs, but if he did toss them out, their rocs are still in the air fighting them at the same time and he would rather not kill them too. So there was not much he could do at the moment. Except to wait, until he tries to attack again and take his revenge. Until then he is going to bring hell to the cavalry and anything else he could see. Looking back, most of the cave trolls are dead. However, one of our guys seems injured.
He could see blood coming out of his helmet, and he seems to have a big chunk taken out of his arm. On the other side it looks like there are 3 trolls left and their handler has a new missing arm, ha! "Teach that bastard to enslave lesser giants, even if they are incredibly dumb." Taking his poleaxe he began to walk towards the incoming cavalry. He hasn’t ever really had the opportunity to fully test my body in combat and he has always wondered how strong he really was. "This is the perfect opportunity!"