Not a lot of drants use bows, they prefer the more direct attack of attempting to hack you to bits with their swords and scimitars, or stabbing you with their spears, so I joined the crowd trying to get a look at what we were facing. The torches didn’t illuminate a very big area but what little light they provided showed that the ground was covered in drants. They had reached the walls.

I yanked my head back behind the safety of the walls as a few arrows started coming for us out of the darkness. Hey, I said not a lot of them use bows, not that none of them do. A couple of them hit their intended targets but most flew over our heads or fell short and bounced off the wall. Officers shouted out that our own archers were to start firing at will. It made sense, when there are that many drants attacking you’re bound to hit one, even if it is too dark to see much.

Dozens of arrows began to pour into the drants in front of my section of the wall and screams and grunts followed every so often. I sat down with my back against the outer wall just to make sure that none of the rare drantish arrows found me. I also figured my legs could use a rest. I assumed I’d be on them a lot today. Delik Slin slid down beside me, grinning. “About to get exciting now, huh?”

“Yeah.” I said, without much enthusiasm. I had been a lot more excited at the idea of fighting off a horde of drants than I turned out to be when they actually showed up.

“Cheer up, Dirk. I will not let them hurt you.” He laughed.

I couldn’t help but chuckle myself. “You’re a great friend, and I appreciate the sentiment, there’s just so many of them.”

“Were you expecting them to challenge one of us to honorable single combat?” He would not stop grinning.

“No.” I admitted. “Not exactly. But I was hoping you and I could fight some small groups of drants with plenty of time to rest in between them.”

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He shook his head. “You appear to be crazy, but it is a nice dream.”

While we had been talking the engineers had started dumping oil on some the drants who were getting close to the top of the wall and then dropping torches on them to set them on fire so now there was the smell of smoke, and things burning, in the air and a lot more screaming.

I listened for a while, forcing myself not to shudder. I was not going to feel sorry for the drants who were trying to destroy my city, even if burning to death is an awful way to go. I turned to Delik Slin. “How long do you think the oil will last?”

“Ten minutes. Perhaps fifteen. Then the fun starts and we will get some good exercise.” His eyes lit up and I realized I could see him better. Dawn had arrived. I stood and looked out over the wall. Normally, it’s farms and woodlands are far as you can see. Now, I mostly just saw drants. I ducked back down before I accidentally attracted an arrow to my head. I like it just the way it is.

“How are you doing?” I asked Delik Slin as I moved my scabbard around, trying to get comfortable. I figured chatting would help pass the time.

He looked at me seriously, the grin gone for the moment. “I am well, just amazed by the turn my life has taken in the past few months. I had thought my life had gotten a bit boring before this all started. I was hoping meeting you in Tarn would stir things up a bit. Bring some excitement back.” He chuckled again. “I must be more cautious what I wish for in the future. I think I will focus on a long life with a wife and children to care for.”

“Yes, that would be nice.” I thought of Jade for a few moments, then shook my head.

“I apologize, Dirk. That was thoughtless of me.”

I waved it off. “It probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway. I don’t even know if she even loved me at all. I could have just always been an assignment to her.”

He shook his head. “Her actions prove that was not the case, my friend.”

I don’t know what I would have said to that because our local officer started yelling that the drants were coming and to get our lazy asses up and weapons out. We both stood and unsheathed our swords. Delik Slin started stretching, careful not to hit me, or any of the other defenders, with his blade. “Bows away, gentlemen!” Our leader shouted. “It’s time for some close work! Let’s give them a warm welcome!”

The men around us yelled and shouted as swords were drawn, helmets set on heads and bows were unstrung.