The crashing sound of stone on stone awoke Mino from his restless sleep. Images of burning bodies and the screams of the death had begun to visit his dreams more and more the past month.

Alarm bells rang in the distance. Rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes, Mino looked out from the window. It was still well before morning, but the lanterns from nearly a thousand ships lit up the night’s sky nonetheless.

Six weeks since the siege had begun. Six weeks without a single proper night of sleep.

Finally fully awake, Mino holstered his sword and left his room. On the way towards the city walls, more and more crashes could be heard. The walls of Eresath were as strong as diamond, but even boulders larger than a man’s body launched by trebuchets would eventually cause cracks in them.

For now, it was not the boulders Mino worried about. It was the men on the walls. They understood fighting, knew what it was to combat a man one-on-one. But this waiting and watching while their city was hailed with something they couldn’t fight back against, that unnerved them. Made them restless.

Soon enough, the Sealers joined him on the walls. With burst of light, seals were thrown against the incoming boulders. Most of them simply stopped in the air and fell downwards onto the shore, others were sent back by the more powerful Sealers amongst them.

Unfortunately, the Warbringer has brought many Sealers as well and the boulders they sent back were dropped harmlessly into the ocean. Mino had seen them during the day, hauling the rocks back up to reuse them until they found their intended target.

During attacks like this, Mino felt more than useless. Being an Enhancer, he was anxious to go out and meet them. But the sheer numbers the Warbringer had brought was reason enough to stay safe within the walls.

Where had he found all these troops? There were hundreds of Talented among them. How long had he been preparing this?

The sounding of a horn came from the western walls. Without a second thought he enhanced his legs and jumped down the wall onto the courtyard, sprinting across it to the other side. There was nothing beyond the eastern walls but the docks and the sea, but on the western side the city itself stretched far and wide.

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The Order only occupied a small part of Eresath, but was the most heavily fortified nonetheless with the high walls surrounding their living quarters and training grounds. If the horns were sounding from the west, it would mean the Warbringer’s ground troops had made a move.

With a powerful jump, Mino launched himself up onto the western wall and looked out over the city. In the distance, on the outer walls of the city, the fights had begun.

“Keep the Sealers on the eastern wall,” he commanded loudly in particular. He knew his orders would be executed. “Inform master Tikras that the outer western walls are under assault. Those who can follow, with me.”

Without waiting for an answer, he jumped down into the city. The fall was a long one and when he landed, a good three dozen thuds could be heard besides him. With a quick glance, he noticed Bashaa as one of the Enhancers who had followed him.

“Stay here, Bashaa,” he instructed. “You lack the experience for real combat.”

Bashaa gave him a weird look. “How do you expect me to experience real battle if you keep me away from it?” he asked.

Mino sighed, knowing arguing now would only delay them. He would have to keep an eye on him. With a burst of energy, he launched himself westwards towards the walls. The others followed him, albeit not as fast as him. The only one barely able to keep up was, to his surprise, Bashaa.

“You haven’t trained with me since the siege started,” Bashaa said with a grin. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve been lazing about.”

Without breaking stride, Bashaa drew his sword. It was not yet the sword a fully trained Enhancer would receive one he was deemed ready, but it looked just as lethal in his hands.

Mino nodded whilst drawing his own blade. The makran hilt felt comfortable in his hand, the metal singing against the rushing wind as he sped forward.

Ten second and they would reach the wall.

Six weeks without decent sleep.

Nine seconds.

Six weeks without news from the outside world.

Eight.

Who was this Warbringer?

Seven.

Where had he gathered all those Talented?

Six.

What was his purpose here?

Five.

The ending of the Order?

Four.

The last resistance on the walls was cut down.

Three.

He let the thrill of the approaching fight fill him.

Two.

The enemy had finally noticed them, nocking arrows.

One.

Arrows were let go, whistling through the night’s sky. They would not hit Mino. Nothing could hit him. He screamed as his sword found its first victim in a long time.