Settlement Eight (1)

Templar Andor tried to stay as vigilant as possible during night watch. He was standing near two of his fellow squadron mates, all of them staring blank eyed into the darkness. They stood on an elevated platform that resembled a makeshift watchtower made out of gnarling dark wood. It didn't look that stable, but it did its job. The defenses surrounding their camp were far from secure. Everything had been built in a hurry, put together with old rotting Greatwood and leftover rope. Over the months, the workers had added to the fortifications. Every day that passed the camp looked to be more and more permanent.

Andor was currently stationed at Settlement Eight. It didn't have a fancy name just yet, but it was on track to be the largest settlement in the Greatwoods. He was now a part of the most ambitious of the Bellona family's plans. Settlement Eight was built nearly thirty kilometers away from the Line, the farthest settlement from civilization. The settlement was large: there were a total of four wooden buildings each around fifteen meters long and ten meters wide. The soldiers barracks, the workers quarters, a storage unit, and the mess hall. They all surrounded a small dirt courtyard which housed some tables and chairs. The entire settlement had a wooden wall surrounding it. It wasn't fairly tall or secure, but it did its job dissuading any vagabond Nomals from approaching. A large wooden gate stood by Andor's watch tower. Two more towers were equally spaced out along the settlement's perimeter. At the gate, three rotting Nomal corpses were nailed. The smell was repulsive. It didn't help that Andor stood right above them.

To the east of a camp was a large cave system where they harvested epsum on a near daily basis. The current storage unit was nearly completely full of it. Andor was part of one of the four squadrons that were stationed there. A total of forty eight soldiers called Settlement Eight their home. At least for the next three weeks.

Andor sighed.

He had arrived a whole month and a week ago. Companies would take turns holding the settlement for a period of two months. Each new company would bring supplies and the old would take epsum and some of the workers back to the Line. It was a system that worked, for now. Andor was part of the third company that had been stationed here. The purpose of Settlement Eight was simple: act as the buffer between the largest discovered cave system and Fort Bellona. It was far too risky and time consuming to send an excursion this far into the Greatwoods to mine epsum continuously. So why not create a settlement nearby it?

In all honestly, Andor hated the settlement. He was homesick, constantly on edge, and tired. Luckily, they didn't have to deal with many Nomal. Seeing the size of the settlement, most went their own ways. They had only been raided once by a small clan of Nomal, approximately thirteen in number. They had left the safety of their walls to meet them in fear of their walls being damaged. One soldier died and two were wounded. All the Nomal were killed. Three still hung on their gate. Andor wondered the point of the walls if they weren't going to hide behind them.

In his hand, he fiddled with an old piece of parchment. It was small, just the size of his palm, and wrinkled around the edges. It was his most valuable possession. On the parchment was a poorly drawn family. A small boy smiled happily while holding the hands of his parents. Every time Andor looked at the drawing, it gave him strength and purpose. He just needed to survive another three weeks. Then he would be home to see his family for the New Year. That fantasy kept him going every day.

He leaned on the railing of his watch tower, hand on bow. The forest surrounding them was dense and greatly obscured visibility. The fact that nearly no moonlight could find its way through the thick foliage didn't help either. Only the few torches that had placed on the wall illuminated their immediate surroundings. There were bushes all around that could hind potential enemies. The thick trunks of the Greatwoods could easily conceal multiple assailants. Andor never new if there were figures lurking in the shadows. Sometimes he swore there were. He hated how exposed they were. The light from their settlement was a beacon to any Nomal within a kilometer radius. They were sitting ducks. The measly walls did little to reduce his anxiety. He just hoped it would be as quiet as it had been for the past two weeks.

Another thirty minutes passed. It was soon approaching time to wake up the next shift. He was about to call out to his comrades when he saw something move from the corner of his eye. He immediately turned and lifted his bow, his heart rate spiking. He saw nothing. But he could feel something was wrong. That gut feeling was something he seldom ignored. He continued to scan the trees, looking for even a hint of movement. Nothing. But then a figure emerged from the darkness.

The man was tall and muscular. He wore a mahogany animal hide that covered his legs up to his knees. A similar hide was draped over his shoulders, revealing a muscular torso. Scars covered every part of his exposed body. His bare feet gripped onto the damp forest floor. He had a one handed axe hanging from his belt. He held two swords of different types in either hand. They were rusting at its edges with chips in the old iron. One was curved, one was not. Ash was smeared over his pale face which only made his large onyx eyes pop. He stood still twenty meters from the gate.

Andor's hands instinctively gripped his bow harder. He informed to his comrades of the Nomal. They turned and their eyes narrowed. This Nomal was showing some incredibly unusual behavior. Andor had knocked an arrow but didn't bother pulling the string. He couldn't afford to waste arrows when they were already running low. He prayed the Nomal would leave on his own so he could save ammunition. But the Nomal didn't leave.

It was as if the forest came to a standstill. The usual chirping of crickets and other night bugs was gone. The flapping of many nocturnal bird's wings couldn't be heard. Silence itself swallowed the settlement. Andor refused to breath.

Please Fa, may the Nomal leave.

But Fa never answered his prayer. Andor's worst fears began to come true.

Slowly, more Nomal began to appear near the edges of the settlement. One, two, three. Suddenly there were dozens of Nomal all standing silently side by side, staring at Andor. Andor's heart shrunk in his chest. It was unusual to see Nomals gather in groups larger than thirty. Large clans could potential grow to fifty. But in front of him, what seemed to be a hundred eyes stared at him from the darkness. Andor signaled non verbally to one of his squadron mates. His eyes were wide in shock, but he quickly listened to Andor and climbed down towards the settlement. His figure could be seen running to the barracks. This was no drill. And Andor was sure this was something their captain would want to see. He continued to observe the situation, anxiety rising with every minute. There was no end to the silent figures beyond the settlement walls. They had yet to approach, but they had yet to move. Andor didn't know what to do. They didn't have the numbers to attack the Nomal outright. Soon, the sounds of waking soldiers could be heard. Grunting, shouts, and the sound of soldiers quickly dressing up for battle filled the Greatwoods. Andor willed them to get ready faster. He had no clue as to when they would attack.

While the commotion from within the settlement penetrated the quiet of the night, another sound began to come from deep in the forest. Cain craned his neck to identify its source. It seemed to be coming from directly in front of him, behind the many eyes that stared right at his person. The sound got louder and louder, more and more recognizable. The sounds of grunting men and women began to echo between the trees. Almost as if they were carrying something heavy. Soon, the origin of the loud sound came into view. Andor's eyes widened.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Approximately two dozen Nomal carried a large wooden contraption. Barely fitting between the large Greatwood trees, it was a crudely built triangular prism. The prism was approximately eight meters in length, two in height. Within it, the trunk of a Greatwood was hung by two ropes. Andor recognized the contraption. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was impossible.

Fa help us.

The Nomal were carrying a primitive battering ram. A fucking siege weapon. The trunk within the contraption could be swung by the Nomal to beat at their settlement's gate. He had never heard of Nomal using siege weapons. Their very culture didn't allow it. But to create one on their own? Andor had never felt such primal fear before. He needed to warn his comrades. He needed to warn the other settlements. He needed to warn the Bellona. The Nomal carried the battering ram and stopped by the other savages. They never put the siege weapon down. Behind them, a figure approached. Andor could immediately tell he was different from the others.

This Nomal was taller than the rest. Over two meters in height, he had long lanky limbs and a wide frame. But what stood out the most what he was wearing. It was armor. A Nomal was wearing armor. Andor soon saw that it wasn't typical bronze, iron, or elion armor. No, it was made of old bone. He could see the bones were held together by what seemed to be thin ropes wrapped all across his armor. What seemed to be large rib cage covered his own, melting into an impossibly large spine in the back. A myriad of small unidentifiable bones covered his core. What seemed to be multiple human femurs were wrapped around his legs, the bones of someone's feet acting as a foot guard. His arms were similarly encased in more bone. His hands were enveloped by the remains of dead human hands. On his face was an intact skull. It shielded his entire face. His cold dark eyes sat behind the sockets. His mouth was open between the jaws of his helmet. His long braids fell from the back of the skull. They clattered with the wind. Andor soon realized that human teeth were braided into them. He held menacing elion blade. It had a serrated edge and was longer than Andor's torso. Hung from the Nomal's belt were human tongues skewered onto a bronze ring.

Every one of Andor's instincts told him to run. Damn his squadron and the settlement, if he ever wanted to see him family again, he had to run. But he couldn't abandon the others. Any hope of leaving the situation alive evaporated with the appearance of the armored Nomal. He waltzed from behind the battering ram, the crowd of Nomal opening a path. His every stride was perverse, a night creature summoned from the very depths of the darkest cave walking free on Fa's earth. He radiated a vexatious aura, one that would make cats hiss and dogs hide in fear. It took him everything he had not to shudder at the man's presence.

He walked up towards the gate, breaching the invisible barrier that the other Nomal respected. He stopped a little past ten meters from the gate staring directly at Andor. Behind him, the scurrying of boots on grass could be heard. It wasn't long before his captain climbed the watch tower to join him. It took the captain a couple seconds to truly absorb the scene. He had been briefed by the man Andor had sent earlier but didn't want to believe it. The captain's eyes widened, then narrowed. Andor could hear his captain grit his teeth. Out of habit, Andor saluted his superior. His was awkward, his eyes darting between the man in front of him and the monster below. The captain wasn't used to seeing such panic in Templar Andor's eyes.

"Novice Georan, bring every arrow we have from storage. All squadrons, assemble in semicircle formation and block off the entrance. Swords and shields front row, spears behind. Novice Georan, also wake the workers. Tell them to get ready to fight."

The young soldier below nodded and immediately ran into the settlement.

"Be ready my soldiers. May Fa bless us all."

The other soldiers couldn't see what was going on beyond the walls, but they all moved without hesitation. Captain Bellamy was a calm man. But even he failed to find the unease in his voice. He tried his best to mask it to the best of his abilities. He couldn't let the sentiment spread through his soldiers. A commander had a role to perform.

"Templar Andor, be ready for a potential raid. Target the man in the armor. If not, the Nomal on the battering ram. You're our best archer. I pray to Fa that you find your mark."

Andor was glad to be receiving orders. He didn't want to think. He decided to trust his captain with his entire being.

"Yes sir."

Captain Belamy and Templar Andor turned back to the Nomal. The armored Nomal cocked his head at the sudden commotion. He then smiled. It chilled both soldiers to the bone. And to their surprise, the Nomal spoke in broken English.

"I ... will ... feast on... your ... flesh."

Every hair on Andor's body stood on its end. Then everything devolved into chaos. The Nomal spoke a word in the old tongue, and the Nomal suddenly rushed forwards. Those carrying the battering ram ran right past the armored Nomal who seemed to be the leader of the attacking force. Before Andor could even process what was happening, he subconsciously had let an arrow loose. It dived straight towards the armored Nomal's head. And much to his surprise, the Nomal dodged last second. The arrow hit another rushing Nomal in the shoulder. It didn't even slow him down. Andor cursed and knocked another arrow, aiming this time for the leader's chest. The Nomal once again dodged effortlessly to the side. This arrow harmlessly embedded itself in the floor.

Two out of fifteen arrows spent.

During those few moments, the Nomal siege machine had reached the gate. The Nomal immediately began swinging the tree trunk into the gate. Its initial swing crushed the corpses of their kind, sending a mist of putrid blood into the air. The Nomal were unfazed. The blare of wood crashing into wood soon rang through the settlement. The gate shuddered with each strike, showering the soldiers in dust and splinters. Andor began letting arrows fly into the growing Nomal mass, every arrow striking an enemy. But it was like throwing pebbles into a lake. A few fell, but most ignored the projectiles embedded in their bodies. Those who weren't operating the battering ram were attempting to scale the wall.

Oh Fa.

There was no way for them to stop the Nomal. Andor didn't have nearly enough arrows. Even with the extra dozen Novice Georan brought, he had run out of ammunition within two minutes. Each second, the gate came closer to falling. And the Nomal were halfway up the wooden walls, finding weak bark in the rotting wood to create handholds. Andor knew the moment the Nomal scaled the walls, they would be surrounded from all sides. Captain Bellamy knew it too. Andor could see the idea forming in Captain Bellamy's head. He just wished it wasn't the one Andor thought it was. Captain Bellamy then cried out to his company.

"Open the gate! Don't let them climb the walls. Open the gate!"

His soldiers stared at him in horror.

"There's no time! If they scale the walls, we die with blades in our backs! I would rather die with a blade through my chest! Rally comrades! We are the protectors of the east! We are the blood that runs through the Line's veins! We are Fa blessed! Open the gate!"

He turned to Templar Andor with madness in his once stern eyes. He spoke in a low whisper.

"Escape during the commotion. Go to the barracks. It sits by the western perimeter of the wall. There is a ladder behind the building on its northern face. Use it to scale the wall and run. Run as fast as you can. Settlement Four is not too far. Perhaps a day's travel. You must warn the others. No matter what you must get word out. The Nomal are building a horde once more. And their leader is different from those of the past. This horde master must be stopped."

The confused soldiers looked up at the two men in fear. They had yet to open the gate. They didn't want to listen to their commander. They couldn't could they? Let the savages into their walls?

Andor began to argue when Captain Bellamy grabbed his armor, hooking his fingers into his elion breastplate.

"You must! There is no time. Our lives mean nothing in the face of the lives of every man, woman, and child on the continent. Now go!"

He shoved Andor towards the ladder leading back to the ground. The anger in his captain's voice shook him out of his stupor. Andor began climbing down the watch tower. He looked up at Captain Bellamy's silhouette bathed by the orange glow of nearby torches. The expression on his face was one of acceptance. But then it morphed into utter rage. Captain Bellamy turned back to his men.

"Open the gates! We are Fa blessed! Fulfill his will, fulfill your duty. Kill as many as you can! I will meet you all in Fa's grand halls! He will accept us as the protectors of the many! He will honor the sacrifice of the brave! We are Fa blessed!"

The soldiers rallied to his cries. They began praying. As Andor began sprinting towards the barracks, abandoning the comrades he had spent the last two years fighting with, he gave one last look at his company. The gates had finally opened, and the cries of dying men became his entire world.