Duchy of Daele, Aethera.

They were now surrounded. After days of no activity from the other side of the river the Warchief has committed to encircling the city. The Duke knew it was an inevitability and such has abandoned the outer walls and districts in favor of consolidating his forces closer to the heart of the city.

Dylan's explosion was a blessing it seemed, it kept the horde of soldiers and monsters on guard and slow to rush them, giving them enough time to fallback across the estuaries and fortify them as well as demolishing the bridges in their retreat.

But it was only delaying the inevitable. They would all die, it was only a matter of how long they drag it out and how many of the Warchief's forces they can bleed before their time on this world comes to a bloody end.

A boom sounded in one of the outer quarters. The Duke may have abandoned the outer districts, but that didn't mean he left it free for the turncoats and beasts to occupy without contest. Barrels of blackpowder were placed about in the abandoned buildings. They didn't have much, the dwarves were quite stingy when it came to sharing their works and discoveries, but it was enough to take a few chunks out of the enemy forces and keep them extra cautious when advancing.

That was all they could do, buy as much time as possible and hope for a miracle, and bleed the beasts for every inch they could! As another boom sounded though, the Duke's gaze fell upon the darkened waterway nearby. The Warchief would need to bring either magic to cross the water or dedicate a significant amount of manpower to construct a bridge. Magnus didn't worry much about the latter, his archers and the handful of ballistae could make any such undertaking costly.

Magic however is what worried Magnus. The Warchief hadn't used magic to any significant degree in the siege. He wasn't sure if he was fearful of it and chose not to use it, which the Duke found unlikely, or if he was merely bidding his time to use it.

If only the Duke had been more prudent and invested more in the city's magical capabilities then they might be able to turn this siege or at least make it more costly for the Warchief. Even getting some mages specialized in teleportation would've been a great boon! But his worries were on commerce and raids from river pirates and corsairs from the sea to focus on throwing the city's wealth at magic casters.

A regret that has damned them, Magnus thought bitterly. Fortunately the watergates were locked and sealed. It was policy that in the event of a siege for them to be shut, not only to prevent the enemy from using them to slip spies and saboteurs in, but to keep smugglers and thieves from absconding with their supplies and fleeing via the water!

At least his investments in that hadn't failed them yet, the Duke thought as he made his rounds around the makeshift battlements. While it wasn't an impossibility for enemy armies to breach this far into the city, the defenses were comparably lighter than the outer wall and districts.

There were few stone battlements, most were sturdy lumber fortifications that acted more as guard posts during times of peace. The district they were in was where the middle class would live and work, craftsmen and other basic artisans plied their trade, potions and remedies, better metalworking than the basic craftmanship done in the outer districts. Just north across a canal would be where the upper class of the city stayed, and where the entire city had made shelter. Past that across yet another canal was the harbor district.

The Duke made his way north towards the harbor district. It was here that the meat of his forces and defenses were invested, this was where the main estuaries converged and flowed into the sea. It was here that most of the fighting SHOULD be as well. But even with hostile sails that blanketed the horizon they had yet to make any move in trying to take the well defended harbor.

Which struck the Duke as odd as the Warchief hasn't been one to shy away from throwing bodies at him. Yet when it came to the port it was strangely untouched. The few ships that didn't fall during the initial battle at sea were scuttled out of spite and now the harbor sat empty save for some fishing vessels that were left abandoned by their owners as they sought shelter deeper into the city. The Duke watched the bobbing enemy ships as a salty breeze blew through.

"Why haven't you attacked yet, beast?"

His answer came soon however as cries came from the towers that watched over the harbor sounded out. The Duke didn't have to wait long to see what the calls were about though as the sea itself came alive with flesh and scale!

The Warchief had the very creatures of the depths under his whip as slimy and scaled creatures burst from the sea with drowned calls and guttural roars. Blind and translucent fishmen shambled forth across the quay, accompanied by the screeching songs of sirens and the lumbering sight of the great bottom dwelling crustaceans that called the dark home.

These creatures of the depths were immediately met with force and fury as ballistae and arrows rained down on them. The sirens were targeted first with good reason. Many sailors fell to their enchanting call when out at sea, and even some during the fight would wander closer to the creatures in an enchanted daze, only to be met with a maw of needle teeth or great claw.

The Duke pulled his sword from its sheath and charged into the fray, normally his own Delta Guard would accompany him into battle, but with how few of them remained during the fighting and Dylan's "help" he sent them to help guard the Duchess and the rest of the inhabitants at the cathedral.

Of course it mattered little in terms of quality, it was those that came from the harbor that made much of his honor guard. It was here that fighting pits and the hardiest sailors would be scooped up and taken for training. It were these same men that he fought side by side as ballistae bolts embedded themselves into the sides of monstrous crustaceans and tore through lines of the drowned monsters.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

The Duke brought his sword to bear on one of the translucent creatures, he could see the unnatural organs through its thin rubbery skin even before his blade sliced it open. Another came at him that reminded him of the angler fish of the depths, a florescent bobble on its head bouncing around as it charged him with a maw of sharp needle teeth.

As he sent its head flying from its shoulders the Duke was knocked down and he quickly found himself in a grapple for his life as a siren held onto him with unnatural strength. Her features would normally be quite beautiful, if she were trying to lure him into the water where she would then drown him. But now her striking features distorted into the true face of the she-beast.

Long black hair plastered itself onto her pale boney body, and black bloodshot eyes glared down at him with malice and hate. Her mouth opened wide and revealed rows of shark-like teeth as she snapped at his throat.

It took all his strength just to keep the jagged teeth a breadth away from ending him. He saw his sword nearby and decided to take a gamble. He rolled the two of them until it was now her that was under him. But he knew that would not last, given her strength he needed to act quickly. As she leaned her head back to prepare for another lunge at him, he let go of her and grabbed the hilt and blade of his sword and brought it up and through the siren's neck.

He fell back as her ear-piercing death rattle disoriented him and a few others nearby. Her blood splattered across his face and a few deep cuts along his cheek was all she had to show for her attack fortunately. Even the creatures of the deep would find little purchase in getting through his armor.

He staggered up and gazed down at the woman. Moments before she had been something that every sailor feared. Now, she looked like any other girl that you would see. Blond hair smattered with blood latched onto her frozen striking features. Beautiful body that any man would love to have beside him and any woman would kill to have.

No one knew where they came from. Whether they were born sirens or were cursed by the gods was something of frequent discussion, both in the taverns nearby as well as in noble company. Either way, the Duke felt a measure of pity as he looked down on the once beautiful woman.

But pity didn't win battles, it got you killed. So the Duke pushed it down with the other emotions that he would have to reckon with once the fighting was done. He charged what appeared to be a man covered in barnacles, coral, and seaweed. He wielded a waterlogged boarding axe that slashed the air at the Duke and a few of his men.

His blade easily cut through both the axe as well as the barnacled flesh of the seaman. Another mystery dredged up from the depths, the Duke thought as he cleaved through another that looked more coral than man. Many such creatures origins were a mystery. Some ancestor that was lost to darkness and barbarism? Those that were cursed by the gods for petty and fickle reasons? The damned that were lost at sea risen to fight the living?

The Duke and many others didn't know, but what he did know was that now they needed to die. He slew another of the translucent creatures and he and his men began to push the drowned tide back into the sea. Though it was costly, it would do much for morale to actually push the enemy out.

As a barbed arrow buried itself into the eye socket of a siren the Duke was called from the battle as a boy with barely a stubble on his chin ran up to him during a brief pause in the battle.

"Sire!"

"What is it boy?" The Duke asked hurriedly, though he knew it would be bad news a small part of him hoped he was wrong.

"The watergates are under attack!"

Damnit, the Duke thought. If these creatures can force open the watergates then there won't by any more retreats and their only solid means of defense against the troops moving through the city would be turned against them!

The Duke looked back at the harbor. If he committed he can clear and secure it. But if the watergates fell then they would be cut off from reinforcements and be on their own. While it would be nice to have a victory, it wasn't worth it if it meant a more damning defeat.

Cursing he called over one of his troops and ordered a evacuation. The man, who just seconds ago had a faint smile on his face at the thought of winning the battle, looked at the Duke with dismay.

"B-b-but sire!"

"I know! But if we don't secure the watergates then it won't matter! Would you rather cast them into the sea only for them to drag you into one of the canals or waterways while you're on leave?!"

The man looked at his brothers in arms that were pushing the tide back. Then at the dead that littered the cobblestones all around them. He glared at the monsters on the frontline as he brought a horn to his lips and sounded out three short bursts.

The signal to reverse course out at sea. But it still worked when calling for retreat. The men closest to the Duke heeded the call and worked to pack up any supplies as they moved to reposition. But the men at the frontline were in no hurry to leave. It wasn't a fighting retreat, they were still pushing the monsters towards the water! The thought of victory driving them onwards.

"FALL BACK!" He called.

But it fell on deaf ears. He wasn't sure if they were willingly ignoring his command or simply failed to hear over the sound of battle. He called one of his men over and was going to order him to inform them that they were LEAVING!

But then the Duke looked at the frontline with a realization of dread. They weren't winning the battle. They were being lured closer to the water!

"RUN!"

But it was too late as dozens of gargantuan crustaceans and foul dwellers of the deep rose from the frothing water in a single charge. Within moments his frontline of men were decimated as claws, fangs and tentacles shredded and crushed hundreds of men.

The harbor was lost. Too many men were lost. Magnus cursed as his men simply abandoned what couldn't be easily carried as the tide of sea beasts rolled forwards once more. It didn't matter if the watergates were breached now. These creatures would make the canals and waterways their home and hunting grounds for the rest of the siege.

Ballistae were abandoned, some of his men took a quick moment to sabotage them before sprinting towards the line of fleeing men. Magnus fled with them back towards the craftsman district.

From there he called a full retreat. Their last bastion would be in the central district. Where the entire population would live and die as one. Him and his men quickly transported their dwindling supplies over the bridges.

Whether the watergates were breached or they simply exploited the lack of resistance the creatures were quick to make the waterways theirs as men were snapped and snatched up by giant slimy eels and clawed crustaceans as they made across the bridge. The Duke slashed and sliced at these horrors to buy his men more time.

He heard a horn call from nearby, but it wasn't one of theirs. He looked towards the call and saw greenskins marching into the district! Not the rabble that were thrown at them nor the traitorous men. But the meat and pride of the Warchief!

The brawny orcs roared with challenge and bloodlust as they spotted the fleeing men and charged towards them. If they had faced them just before the disaster at the harbor then they could hold their ground in the face of such barbarity.

But now, now it was a slaughter. Men felled as they hurried to flee across the bridge to safety. Torsos cleaved in twain by brutish battleaxes. Composite bows twanged as orcish arrows found their marks into the backs of the fleeing men. While they were commonly used during the worg riding orcs lightning raids from the plains, they did just as well in the close quarters of the city.

The Duke stabbed into the carapace of a giant sea louse before rushing towards the gates that led into the central district. He could hear calls of hurry from the defenders and the cries of death and despair behind him as his men continued to be butchered by these savages.

As he crossed the gates he had to make a heavy decision. The orcs would easily outrun the men that have yet to make it to the gates, and if they reached the gates before it closed then they would easily overpower them before they could shut and secure it.

With a heavy heart he ordered the gates closed. The portcullis fell with a rattle and a shake as a last few men who were quick enough to make it over fell onto the stone ground in brief relief. Those that remained trapped on the other side weren't so lucky.

The Duke watched as his men called and pleaded and cursed him as they were cut down by the tide of beasts and greenskins. Once the slaughter was done the greenskins jeered, mocked, and taunted them before retreating back across the bridge. They even took the corpses of the dead with them! The savages!

He shuddered at the dark thought of what they would be used for. Reagents for some foul orcish magic? Food for them and their worgs? He didn't know. But he couldn't afford to dwell on that now.

He had the last stand of his people to plan for.