Caltrops

The weary soldier roared while thrusting his bleeding spear deep into the chest of a lunging beast. The iron spearhead chipped between the ribs and then punctured the heart of the howling Bitzer. The two opponents vented their anger through hateful eyes while ignoring the spurting blood.

On the side, another leather-clad man struck his sword towards a Bitzer trying to take advantage of the struggle to burst through the narrow gap. The sword missed the head and cleaved the shoulder of the agile beast.

Before it could claw the flesh of the man, another sword punctured its gullet from a stumbling soldier.

The previous striker recovered his senses and then delivered the fatal blow across the neck of the writhing demon. Cursing loudly, he dragged the carcass away leaving a red trail on the slushy snow melting with warm puddles of blood.

A companion caked with blood and grime slipped to the forefront to renew against the unrelenting charge of the Bitzers.

"Captain, have the men shoot a volley at the Bitzers at the end of the bridge. Don't let them think about escaping. The soldiers at the rear of the wagon can rotate and handle the trickling beasts."

"Do as Apprentice Chu commands!"

A deep shout ordered as the muscular man jabbed a spear downwards into a Bitzer clambering up the wagon. The pile of dead or writhing bodies at the front of the wagon allowed the demon beast passage to scale the heights.

If not for the iron rails, the flood of demons would have already engulfed the defenders occupying the top of the cage.

The Captain and Vice Captain both stood at the front of the cage, coordinating between each other as they fended off the Bitzers whose claws rattled the rails. Beside them, Chu and the crossbowmen switched and scrambled around for shooting positions.

The limited space above the cage had led to innovative methods. A soldier held a horizontal lance while standing on the stone wall, jamming the wagon. Behind him, his protected companion leaned over the river with one hand clutching the rails and a crossbow in the other.

The fierce skirmish continued, as the Bitzers persistently pushed forward through the narrow opening on the opposite end.

"These bastards have a nasty habit of fighting until the end. They kill until either they or their foe claim victory."

The Captain huffed while gritting his teeth. He dried the slippery shaft of the spear with his torn cloak, unconscious of the fact the material was soaked in blood. Using the same cloth, he wiped the rivulets of perspiration dripping from his bearded face.

As if to dispute the knowledge of an experienced officer from the north, a howl resonated from the forest. The vehement disparity of the bellowing command snuffed the vociferous battle in an instant. The persistent Bitzers mirrored their advance and retreated swiftly.

Ignorant of the puzzled faces of the confused opponents, the surviving score of demon beasts disappeared into the forest. Chu looked at the Captain who removed the helmet revealing his soaked matted hair. The man only answered him with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

***

"Ming, help the unconquerable soldiers handle the collection and disposal of the halfstones. We must always take into account the common travelers who frequent this road. As learned men in service to the Empire, we have a duty to protect them from unnecessary harm."

Chu flattered while continuing,

"Captain, have a small scouting party venture to the edge of the woods. I feel safer in securing the wagons and the dead while knowing crossbow men sit on the branches overlooking the ground. We also need a small team to gather firewood to warm the bones of the injured men and horses. The chill can kill us."

Chu requested while sipping a bowl of hot water. He stood near one of the small smoking fires, on the unsullied side of the bridge. Next, to him, the Captain sat, inquisitively running his fingers over a tetrahedral iron shape not more than four inches in size.

He tossed the metallic device on the ground while raising an eyebrow. No matter how many times he repeated this in the past hour, a sharpened end always pointed upwards.

"This caltrop thing is rather ingenious. I swear I have never seen anything like this ever. We can scatter this all over the North Pass to deter and wound demon beasts."

"A great suggestion, but it has its flaws, Captain. A caltrop cannot distinguish between friend and foe. I used it on the bridge knowing two very important points. The first is that the narrow bridge offered a concentrated site to lay this trap. The second, and I daresay the most important, is that I can retrieve all of them so leaving none to wound a horse, companion, or traveler."

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The reply from the apprentice caused the Captain to sink in thought. He now understood why the boy was adamant for the soldiers to carefully prod the snow to retrieve this deadly invention.

He shuddered at the thought of infantry using this on the open field against charging cavalry. The disastrous outcome of crippled horses could single-handedly decimate the economy of a country. He turned towards his vice-captain.

"Status?"

"Twenty-five men lost, sir, six severely injured. We have sixteen able-bodied riders with ten guards from the wagons. The quartermaster is dead, his assistant has assumed the position.

Luckily, the Bitzers focused their attention on us, rather than the horses, so we have ample mounts. Some require treatment from wounds and time to recover from fording the cold river."

"Clear the bridge first to recover all the caltrops for the boy. Let's follow his recommendations for now. Prepare to make camp here. If not for the intervention of the apprentice, we would have been wiped out completely."

The intense battle tasted similar to those encountered in the hellish Pass.

Night.

Chu warmed himself inside the wagon, wrapped inside a few layers of furs. He wrinkled his nose at the persistent bloody smell emanating from his body despite washing and scrubbing thoroughly with hot water.

Miki entered the restored hide covered cage carrying two bowls of hot soup. She handed one over to him under the dim light from the oil lamp.

"The Captain has set up a log barricade across the middle of the bridge with two large bonfires blazing on either end. He also has a group of five scouts tending to a row of bonfires at the edge of the forest. The watchers high on the branches rotate to fuel the firewood on the ground."

"Nothing less from a man who has lived his entire life to slay demon beasts. I take it he has also set up a rearguard in the event the Bitzers decided to launch a counterattack by ridiculously circling the source of this river somewhere in the north?"

"U-huh, he does have a few bonfires and men guarding the perimeter on this side of the river."

Chu nodded in reply. Wrinkling his brow, he recalled the events of the battle.

His prototype iron cage with its easily transformed tower performed admirably against a speed type demon beast as he coined it. The metal caltrops he designed and ordered from the blacksmith also worked well. The drawbacks, however, were also easily apparent.

A strength type beast, even a wild one such as a Snow Bear could rip this mobile fortress apart. The most blatant shortcoming lay in the zero protection offered to the horses.

Left stranded, far from civilization, he could only wait for death. The latch raised on the small cage door as Ming entered while slurping on a bowl.

"We finally finished gutting the last of those dead Bitzers. I just came from the quartermaster's wagon after sharing a hot bucket bath with Vice-Captain Nobb and a few soldiers. Forty-two left-eyed and fifty-three right-eyed halfstones. I generously cleaned and stored them inside two wooden chests which I buried myself. Tomorrow, Nobb reckons that the Captain will press forward to the far end of the woods so I will retrieve them then."

"Where is Dyna?"

"She is outside tending to the wounds on the wolves. She says a little healing powder and potions will have them ready by tomorrow since the injuries don't appear serious. Lucy is up on the cage, taking the first watch."

"Ok but Miki and I will book the rest of the shifts for the night. You and Lucy need some much-deserved rest."

Chu replied to the boy. He processed the new information before talking.

"The Captain probably made the right decision under the circumstances and the known information. The food supplies and the uncertain winter weather forced his hand in continuing west. With less than a week hard ride from Karst as compared to a month return journey, the choice is obvious. He also must think that the recent victory scattered the remaining Bitzers."

"I agree since from our map, we will travel over an open plain until the first farms and the village before Karst. We don't need a full week to encounter houses or the village to provide us with defenses."

Miki said.

Ming nodded while blowing the steam from the hot soup. He decided to add his input into the conversation.

"I think we should keep as close as possible to the cavalry since they would definitely ride hard. We should wait until we clear the woods with them before lagging to create our potions."

Seeing the nodding heads, he continued.

"By the way, Miki, when you wake up tomorrow, can you look a bit disheveled and tired? I boasted to the men while bathing that I would celebrate my Bitzer kills with you tonight..."

***

North of the woods lay a neglected cave once occupied by unscrupulous men. The natural feature tunneled into a little hill with short passageways opening into three roomy caverns.

Unlit torches hung from chipped holes in the walls while the contents of small broken chests lay scattered in the floor. Eerie darkness now engulfed everything.

A large Bitzer led a pack of less than twenty of its kind towards the pitch-black opening of the cave under the faint light from the stars. Howling a mournful tune, two similarly large Bitzers responded by exiting the cave.

The three large Bitzers growled and snarled together when another howl sounded from the plains in the distant northwest.

A horde of around a hundred Bitzers streamed towards them from the shadows while led by another large Bitzer. Unlike the smaller pack, this larger horde pranced aggressively and reeked of blood.

The leader of this horde joined the three companions and then snapped at the leader of the smaller returning pack. It turned towards the excited horde and issued a howl.

One by one, the smaller Bitzers trotted forward to deposit the burden from between their tired jaws. Paying tribute, the horde mingled with the smaller brethren and then separated naturally into their original packs of ten or so Bitzers.

The blood-stained stragglers who lost their companions, engaged in fighting with smaller packs or strays to form their own.

The four larger Bitzers circled the pile of tribute. Occupying four directions, they cracked the large bone and savored the contents before continuing by choosing another one from the heap.

These four Bitzers belonged to the leading pack which led the entire horde across the mountains into the lands of milk and honey. Presently, they have developed into features similar to their leader who guided them here.

The crunching and slurping continued outside the cave but did not prevent the four from neglecting their duty as guards. Time and again the red demonic eyes filled with fearful anticipation scanned the entrance.

Inside the bowels of the last cave, surrounded by hellish darkness, a red spark wormed across a wet, membrane looking cocoon, constantly oozing blood. The hollow thump of a heartbeat sounded, as a single red eye, the size of a fist flashed open from within...