image [https://i.imgur.com/TLSpwgd.jpg]

Both sides knew victory revolved around the siege tower. If it remained, we wouldn’t outlast the orcs’ assault. The blasted thing used wooden pegs, so Mineral Mutation offered no answers.

As Captain Jourdaine marshaled troops to hold the wall, I shouted to Yula, who directed archer fire. “Could Vegetable Mutation affect the siege tower? Can you warp it to fall apart?”

The huntress shook her head and called back. “Ees deadwood. No good for my magic.”

Fin shook Crater in his fist. “Suppose I we wraggle our way into the top floor. We could set the Siege Hammer to it. Maggie’s using it to dent orcs. A misspent task, if ye ask me.”

Going into the tower amounted to sheer suicide. We’d be Stunned and Grappled in moments. Even if we used the siege hammer and trident together, it would take many minutes to inflict enough structural damage, and the orcs would never allow us to do this.

I looked for weaknesses in the structure but saw none. The two punctures in its side made me wonder why there weren’t more. I’d given Corporal Turan four Boulder Bullets. It seemed unlikely that she would have missed. I shouted to the corporal. “Did you use all the magic bullets?”

Corporal Turan returned two bullets. “They only make through-and-throughs. They’re not big enough to cause significant structural damage. I didn’t want to waste the last two, and I got caught up in the battle.”

The tower showed 564/600 structural points. I’d already learned that slings couldn’t make vertical shots. Even if the corporal launched them upwards to maximize hang time, she’d more likely hit the wall or a settlement building than the siege tower.

The pike crew had made no headway into the siege tower, but Fin’s description of Maggie denting orcs with the siege hammer gave me an idea. I cradled the two-inch bullets in my palm. “Fin, our problem is these are going through the tower. Can you smack Crater into them to change their shape?”

Fin peered at the bullets and frowned. “I don’t need Crater for something so simple. Ye can practically reshape lead with an eggshell. I can give ye animal shapes if yer in the mood.”

“We need bullets with more surface area. Can you make this long and thin?”

Fin placed the bullet on the wall’s flagstone surface and gingerly tapped it with Crater. He rolled it ninety degrees and repeated the process until he made an oval solid, about an inch thick and seven inches long. “Any further, and I’ll squish her. ‘Tis a wee nugget. And lead isn’t stout.”

“No. This is perfect. Do the other one and bring it to me. Without waiting for an answer, I pushed through Alpha and Bravo toward Sea Gate Tower, where the rear of our defenders stood. After loading the oblong bullet into my sling, I gently swung it. It felt good and not too clumsy to spoil my aim.

Over the roar of combat, I faced my old nemesis—math and its ugly cousin, physics.

Falling objects accelerated 32 feet per second squared on planet Earth. It meant nothing in a Miros-centric universe where moons sling-shotted around one another, but it indicated what to expect.

I aimed upward to maximize its hang time. The misshapen missile only needed a gentle toss to launch into a destructive weapon. But people didn’t use slings to launch objects in lazy, parabolic arcs.

After taking a deep breath, I swung and released the bullet. Shortly after I let the lead fly, I opened the game’s interface, slowing the world and giving me access to the in-game clock. Two seconds elapsed as the oblong bullet arced upward, growing into a thick pillar a foot and a half thick and almost ten feet long. It awkwardly tumbled, clearing the siege tower and landing in the moat with an earth-shaking thud and cloud of dust. The granite on the moat’s edge shattered at the impact.

The wooden structure shook but hadn’t lost a single structure point. I’d literally missed the broadside of a barn.

Hundreds of chanting orcs below saw my plans and launched arrows at me, but Avoid Ammo deflected them.

Fin stood, peered over the wall at the noise, and admired the bent metal log. “One thing’s for sure. We won’t need to buy lead for a while.”

“Is the other bullet ready?”

“Aye. Right here, Guv.” Fin held another stretched bullet between his fingers. When he motioned to toss it, I held up my hands.

“Don’t throw it! Just in case.” I pointed to the Avoid Ammo spell bubble surrounding me.

Fin placed the last Boulder Bullet in my palm. “Let’s hope ye have better aim with this one.”

“Thanks for that.” I took a deep breath as Avoid Ammo drained my mana reserves and tuned out the surrounding tumult. Aiming upward, I launched the second bullet using a gentler swing than the first.

Even without the interface slowing down time, I could see the lead nugget expand. The trajectory sent it upward. At its zenith, it looked like an oversized watermelon. Smaller than its predecessor, the bullet hit the tower at a steep descent.

The missile produced another through-and-through, from its roof to the heavy rollers at its base, but it grew as it fell. Four tons of heavy metal crashed through the structure’s innards. The spiral stairway crammed with orcs shattered and collapsed into a bloody pile of lumber. The tower shuddered and keeled over, falling parallel to the moat.

Cheers along the wall hailed the structure’s demise.

Orcs dispersed from the scene as a hail of sling stones and arrows rained on them from all angles.

Yula and her officers studied their withdrawal.

Fin peered between the wall’s crenelations. “Good shot, Guv. She broke apart like a hot sandstone in ice water!”

His metaphor escaped me, but I nodded in agreement.

People dropped clay pots onto the siege tower. They burst into flames, and the fleeing orcs made no efforts to douse them. It seemed a waste of lumber, for we could salvage much of it, but it made for a suitable pyre for the dead inside.

The battle’s tension dissipated into waves of relief as invaders withdrew. Enemies able to move under their own power flowed into the forest, veering toward the riverside road they’d made days ago. Many avoided the command tents.

Over the next half hour, most of the invaders had left Hawkhurst Meadow, leaving behind a strewn wreckage of disassembled barricades, unused siege resources, and abandoned supplies.

Drums boomed and rattled in the distance.

The game sent me a notification that I’d completed another campaign.

Campaign completed

Orc Siege

Reward received

55 glory points

Of the two thousand attackers, most of the enemy survived but fled the scene, and it explained why I’d received only half of the possible 100 glory point reward. Applied Knowledge tripled the amount, bringing me to 387/500 glory points toward my third rank in command. Considering the day’s accomplishments, missing it dampened none of my spirits.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

My experience point gains were also meager. Active campaigns dispersed experience points, so this wasn’t surprising. I’d attained only 215 experience. While I’d capsized the dreadnought alone, most of its passengers survived.

It stunned me not to see Yula pursuing her nemesis, Emperor Veegor. She sat cross-legged atop the hoardings. Her watchful stare reminded me of Beaker. “Are we giving chase?”

The huntress nodded toward the imperial tent. “Not smart to corner aneemal. Waiting ees best.”

The Eagle Eyes let me follow events in the imperial camp. Groups and individuals quarreled, amounting to little more than yelling, gestures, and shoving. The cost of waging a second unsuccessful siege had come due, and there seemed to be disagreement about who should pay it.

Thaxter dismissed his pike team, saluted when he saw me, and followed his troops to ground level.

Sets of drums thumped in the distance.

Corporal Turan spoke while I peered into the lenses.

I couldn’t understand her words between the burning siege tower, chatter, and taunts. I cupped my ear to show that I couldn’t hear her.

Corporal Turan grinned. “It’s the drums, sir. They’re playing the triple boom signal. It’s a retreat! But that’s not all. Drums from the base camp are signaling another attack.”

“Isn’t that bad?”

“Not at all. This means that the leadership has split with the emperor. Both drums played at once—throughout the retreat. The army stands no chance to rally—especially under the mixed orders.”

I turned to Yula to gauge her reaction. She climbed down from her perch atop the hoardings, moving with a purpose.

Captain Jourdain greeted her. “Congratulations, commander, on a well-fought victory.”

Yula nodded, but her expression looked distant.

I ignored the awkward silence and spoke to the captain. “You and Iris need to know you’ll be fishing orcs from Otter Lake along the shore. They’ll be in no condition to fight. You should let them leave with the rest.”

Yula strode to the nearest tower. “Eet ees time to deal with Veegor. I face him now.”

The captain faced the orc. “Is Corporal Turan’s assessment of the drums correct? Has there been a revolt against him?”

“Veegor flees Arweald and fails to crush Hawkhurst.” The answer didn’t quite satisfy me, but before I could ask for more, Yula tore off the colored sash that signified her officer status. She pressed it into Captain Jourdain’s palm. “I bow to Commander Jourdain’s Greatness. May he rule with iron feest.”

Jaws dropped at the unceremonious promotion.

“I go now. Eet ees time to corner him like wounded aneemal.” Yula ducked into the tower stairs.

“Yula, wait…” I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Hawkhurst’s population dropped by one. Yula’s renouncement of her citizenship startled me. Losing a founding member made me feel like I’d somehow lost my footing.

Seeing the town’s population made me realize we’d suffered no casualties. Merciful Touch had been enough to keep everyone alive.

Without knowing how to respond, I followed. If I wanted to destroy the relic, our best chances were to fight together. “Let’s assemble a crew of warriors with Reverb. We’ll destroy him faster that way.”

“Veegor will not reesk using spell. Enough time has passed. Yula of ze Stone Ring Clan must face destiny now.”

Mugsy appeared at her feet in a puff of green smoke and dutifully followed her down the stairs. He stopped to sniff at blood splatters made during the battle, and the lack of bodies meant Fertilizer had already passed through.

I stammered at Commander Jourdain. “Well-earned, Commander. I’m going to go with Yula now. You can handle the mop-up?”

Jourdain nodded dumbly and peered at the emperor’s tent. “Yes, sir, Governor. I’ll see to a building-by-building sweep of the settlement. Are you sure you want to go now? It’s going to be pretty hot out there.”

It felt foolish to do so, but I hurried down the stairs after Yula. A governor following a non-citizen out of town after such a pivotal event seemed wrong, but Yula and I still had business to finish.

The castle’s courtyard hosted many reunions. People left the manor and met with their loved ones, hugging one another.

Iris reunited with Lloyd and her baby while Ida looked on.

I waved to the lieutenant governor. “Ida! I’m going with Yula to catch the emperor. Don’t let people leave the castle until Captain—I mean, Commander Jourdain gives the clear signal. Okay?”

News of my leaving didn’t impress her. Ida nodded at the instructions and waved to me as if it meant nothing more than another one of Apache’s silly adventures. Nothing in Hawkhurst seemed more pressing than fawning over Iris’s baby.

Some citizens had already turned to practical matters. We passed Fin and Ally examining the fallen mirrors and their frames, determining which had sustained the least damage. Using them for gongs meant new alert signals, dinner bells, guard signals, or chimes to announce the end of the work shift.

Bernard caught up with us while Yula and I waited for the drawbridges to lower and the portcullis to raise. “Guv, ye looking for help? Blane and I still got our tails up.”

Blane showed his weapon to me. “Aye. I got stuck in the back with Charlie Company and barely wetted me axe!”

I looked at Yula, but she only stared at the portcullis rising, willing it to move faster. Her days of making personnel decisions were over.

“Commander Jourdain will need patrols to clear the forest. With Yula and I gone, no one in the militia knows these woods as well as you.”

Blane’s eyes widened when he spotted the missing ribbon on Yula’s equipment. “Commander Jourdain, eh? Okay, then. Commander, it is.”

Bernard chewed his lip. “Aye. There’s sense to that. By the looks of Yula watching that gate, you two will move too fleet for us to keep up anyhoo.”

I placed my hands on their shoulders. “Thanks, guys. But this is a two-person job. Jourdain needs help in clearing structures.”

Bernard grinned and thumbed toward his brother. “But what if wee Blane here is afraid to leave the castle’s shadow? He showed not a whit of mettle when the orcs landed.”

Yula stooped, passing beneath the portcullis before it finished clearing to escape the noise.

Blane smacked his brother’s shoulder. “I told ye I couldn’t reach the front with your arse in me way.”

“Quench your temper, brother. Let’s get patrol orders from the new commander. We’ll get a short route. Without me, ye’d be roamin’ hither and yon looking for someone to tote you back home.”

“What do ye mean, ye slag nugget? You’re the one grumbling about being ‘pure done in’ after nay more than a half of day’s daunder.”

I caught up with Yula, leaving the pair squabbling about each other’s shortcomings. They hadn’t noticed our sudden departure.

We drew our weapons after clearing the barbican. I summoned Jasper to get a better vantage of the meadow and extra mobility. Most of the fighting occurred west of us, but we passed orc artifacts littering the ground. Yula remained on foot, gathering Redbone arrows when possible. She vowed to use them against the emperor, and I saw no reason to object. If she wanted to kill Veegor herself, I wouldn’t begrudge her. The huntress didn’t covet the relic and wouldn’t object to me destroying it.

Burn marks from shattered pots of alchemical fire pockmarked the ground beyond the walls. Black patches from Glowing Coals punctuated the surface.

The stench of burned leather and flesh mixed with charred wood and grass. The corpses consumed by quicklime made a terrible smell, but steering clear of the white powder spared us from the worst of it.

Away from the carnage, I smelled a rain incoming, and the clouds looked like the weather would sweep away the worst of the quicklime by morning.

The settlement would take care of the cleanup. Destroying the relic remained my primary goal.

Yula and I passed the disassembled palisade and over the earthworks. Hawkhurst Meadow proved less treacherous than the battlefield, letting me focus on the contest.

Facing Uproar represented only a loose thread. With the emperor routed, Uproar could flee in any direction. I wanted to rid myself of a player who might bear grievances. I didn’t need an archenemy going into the endgame.

Knocking him out of the contest would give me at least one kill to my name. Fabulosa dealing Tardee his final blow had ushered in a long succession of almost kills for me. Killing him wouldn’t earn me a bounty, but I wanted my name on the scoreboard. I deserved some bragging rights in the battle royale.

Red blips disappeared beyond the town’s radar. The only way to predict Uproar’s next move required goading him into a conversation. I opened the group chat.

Apache Good news, Fab. Your arrows did the trick. Thanks a ton.

Fabulosa Did they? You’ll have to tell me all about it. How goes the war?

Apache Swimmingly is a good adjective, eh Uproar?

Fabulosa Is he there?

Apache He’s a no-show to battle, of course, but he’s somewhere around. Uproar had a lot to say before battle, but not so much afterward. He summoned a galleon crewed by five centuries of orcs.

Audigger I wondered what he was talking about when he mentioned a magic ship. I worried it had something to do with air travel.

Bircht Is that 500 orcs? You fought 500 orcs?

Audigger What? How?

Apache I didn’t so much as fight them, but I let the waters do the heavy lifting.

Fabulosa How many experience points were they worth?

Apache Not much. Experience rewards change during active campaigns.

Fabulosa A battle like that sounds like something Crimson might highlight on their show.

Apache Uproar traveled all the way here to play a trump card that I defeated in just a few minutes.

Uproar Yeah, you keep laughing, governor. I want you to remember that when we crush your castle tonight.

Apache Crush my castle? How? Your army’s in tatters, and your emperor is fleeing for his life. Do you have bigger boats tucked in your inventory or something?

I hoped for another response but got none. What made Uproar think the emperor could rally his troops? Their base camp looked like a tornado hit it.

We approached the imperial tent with caution. Orcs lingered about—some looted or picked through abandoned supplies. Many soldiers recognized me and pointed, while others hastened away. They knew better than to tangle with Hawkhurst’s chief.

Yula kneeled over a fallen orc.

“Zees ees Fireball damage. Look—burns everywhere.” She pointed to another corpse. “And here ees Ingite Weapon. Burns deeper zan usual.”

“Are you saying the emperor did this?”

Yula nodded to a body whose throat had been cut. “Zees is Redbone signifier.”

“What’s that?”

“Coin counter. Not fighter, but travels weeth army. Zees means Redbones have turned against Veegor.”

“Ah! So you’re saying he’s no longer the emperor?”

Yula clenched her fist so hard it shook. “Veegor ees finally like Yula. He has lost his mountain.”