The second trench line opened up under the infantry as they resumed their advance. Men in armor cried out as they fell into the trench, and were impaled upon the wooden spikes below. Worse, according to Whiterazor, was that the troops had dumped the contents of every chamber pot in the fort in that trench, and had been doing so since the druids dug it. Needless to say, it was not a wholesome place to be.
This time without the fire and smoke getting in the way, the druids managed to create ramps and bridges, so that those who were still alive could make their way out of the trenches. Almost five hundred fell into the trench, by my estimate, and roughly half that number climbed out, with only a fraction of them being still in fighting shape. If we had an infinite number of trenches, then the battle could be won with them alone. Unfortunately, we only had one more.
The twang of bowstrings caught my attention. The remaining cavalry fit to ride, some two hundred of the five hundred that had tried to shoot the gap in the first trench, had come within bowshot of the walls. Horses stumbled as arrows hit home. After all, the archers weren’t shooting at the riders, but the horses. They were bigger targets, and without them the cavalry were just lightly-armored skirmishers, and not nearly the same kind of threat.
In the distance, I saw fireballs erupt where I knew the enemy camp to be. And the army saw it, too. They knew that what remained of their supplies was likely gone. When the second round of fireballs exploded in the camp, it made clear to everyone that the army’s only hope of survival was to take the fort, and the supplies inside. And they had to do it fast, or they would starve outside my walls.
Desperation was a powerful tool, when used appropriately. It could drive people to make decisions and choices that they never would have considered in their right mind. And it made people question their loyalties at the worst possible moment. It was that desperation that would be the key to victory.
The surviving cavalry faltered, and then bolted, scattering into smaller bands as they raced for the countryside. I was likely to have an uptick in bandits and raiders in the near future, it seemed. But that was a problem for tomorrow.
The main body of the army advanced, more slowly this time. They were under fire from the trebuchets, but they took their time advancing, wary of more trenches. The front ranks prodded the earth in front of them with their spears as they advanced, and, by so doing, found the cover of the final trench.
Mages launched fireballs to blow open the trench. I heard the roars of angry beings soon after. Unlike the last trenches, these ones already had a sloped ramp, leading up to the enemy’s side of the trench. The reason, of course, was because from the trenches came an army of the living dead! They looked like zombies, but they were moving far too quickly for the normal type.
“Captain, I do not recall stationing a necromancer here. I especially do not remember paying for all the gems it would take to reanimate this many undead. Where did these creatures come from?”
“Ah, they’re some of the undead that live in the Strafsack Hills, in the ruins of the old Sky Kingdom. Some of the scouts volunteered to run and lead the undead on a chase, luring them into the pit. The scouts slipped out of the trenches, and then some mages put up a wall of force around the ramps while the covers were laid. By the time the wall failed, the pits were covered, and any of the zombies’ senses that still worked told them that the nearest living thing was in the opposite direction from the ramp.”
“Clever,” I nodded, as the screams of the mortals reached the walls. Already, some of the dead were beginning to rise up, and join the assault on their former friends. “Then, I take it these are the infectious type of zombies that live in those ruined lands?”
“Aye. They’ll probably all get destroyed, including any that turn, but they’ll still do a number on the army, yeah?”
“Yes, but we can’t take it for granted that they’ll be destroyed. We’ll have to organize hunts afterwards, just to be sure. Still, better that the enemy wastes lives and magic on the undead than on our walls. No, I agree wholeheartedly. This was an excellent idea, Whiterazor.”
Three flashes of white light caught my eye. In the midst of the army there were now three golden, glowing forms spreading pure white wings as they took to the air. As one, they lifted their hands up to the sky, and called down a firestorm that immolated the zombies along with the front ranks, destroying the lot of them.
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Melinda’s Spellcraft Check: 1d20+39 = 52 (Success)
I smiled, and not just because the angels were finally forced to reveal themselves. That fire storm spell would certainly be enough to destroy the undead, as well as burn the bodies of any infected too badly for the creature to be reanimated. However, that wasn’t a problem, considering what else I knew. “That was high-level magic. Necessary, since they needed to cover such a wide expanse, but they can’t have too many of those kinds of spells ready.”
“Then those zombies have already proved their usefulness.”
“Indeed. But now it is time for me to enter the fray. Signal the ships. Unleash hell upon the army, and carve the very meaning of fear deep within their souls. My companions and I will crush their champions, and, with them, their hopes.”
“My favorite part. Pierce their hearts, your Majesty!”
I laughed as I took to the air, and saw that my companions were with me. Not just Fartooth and the sisters, but Sanvi as well. When I raised an eyebrow at her, she just smiled. “It is time to announce myself openly, as they are already committed to this course.”
Our flight was marked, of course, and the angels flew towards us, their weapons at the ready. However, they did not launch spells or let arrows fly. Not yet. Other than what looked like a Bless spell from the one on the left, they hadn’t used any magic, yet. It looked like they wanted to exchange some insults before the fight actually started.
That was fine. In fact, I was perfectly happy to let some insults fly, myself. That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to have my blade at the ready though, just in case they started getting stupid ideas about trying to cheap shot me. I mean, that kind of ‘surprise’ only works on people who are too pure to see it coming, and I was anything but pure, at this point.
I decided to get the first word in, once they were close enough to be heard. “So, the angels finally tired of hiding behind the weakling mortals, letting them get slaughtered in droves, and actually stepped up to put their own feathers on the line? Damn, I had a bet with the Captain that you would still be cowering in your mortal guises until the real fireworks started. You damn birdbrains just cost me twenty gold!”
My taunt had the desired effect of pissing off the angels, as the one in the center, holding a greatsword easily as tall as I was, that glowed with brilliant light and searing flame, snarled at me. “Insolent swine! I had thought to offer you the mercy of a quick and painless judgement, should you repent for your crimes. Though the events of Tormfall rocked the heavens, there are still those in the forces of the righteous who were against the True’s attempted takeover of the mortal realm, so I could grant you that much mercy, at least.”
She paused, and shook her head. “But now, I see that you are totally unrepentant. Alas, that a rare Twice-born should have fallen into such a state. And yet, it seems that the female Twice-born have a tendency to such depravity. If only we were allowed to hunt them down and cast them back into the wheel before they reached their full potential! But for those laws, so much could have been saved!”
“Hah!” I laughed, mocking her righteous diatribe. “Perhaps if the so-called forces of ‘good’ were more interested in actually doing good, instead of just appearing good, then maybe you would have fewer Twice-born standing up to call you on your bullshit! We weren’t sent from one world’s cycle of reincarnation to another’s, just sit there, look pretty, and uphold the status quo! You ignore the problems of this world, because you’re too busy trying to be ‘right’. At least the dark gods are honest about what they are, instead of being hypocrites on top of everything else like the ‘good’ gods!”
The angel grit her teeth, seething. “Bold claims from a woman who lays with the dogs! Was that how you recruited the goblins and orcs to your side, whore of Auril?”
“That wolf was a better lover than any man I’ve known in this life or the last. And no, I didn’t sleep with the goblins and orcs to bring them to my side. I kicked their asses until they knew that I was far stronger than they could ever be. Sure, I enjoyed a few of them, from time to time, but that was only after they’d given me their loyalty.”
I paused, and then said, “But are you really one to talk about sex and morality, angel tits? Are you not one of Zadkiel’s whores? One of the ones he picked up after he got tired of raping his daughters? To go with the actual dog archons he was shagging? Did you get them checked? Zadkiel doesn’t seem the type to care about such things, but you should definitely make sure they didn’t give you fleas. That’s one thing about winter wolves, you see. They live in the ice and cold, which kills fleas before they can be a problem. But your hound sisters didn’t spend all their time in the cold, like Frostmane did.”
“Enough!” the angel cried out, her eyes glowing with flame. “I no longer wish to trade fruitless words with you, vile heathen! You are beyond saving, and there is nothing more that needs be said.” Her eyes softened as they turned to my fallen archon companion. “Sanvi, what have they done to you? Why do you stand with the ones who killed your sons and your sister-wives? Why have you betrayed our Husband and Master?”
“Oh, dear ‘sister’,” Sanvi said, with more disgust and contempt than I thought it was possible to put into a simple word. “They didn’t do anything to me, except support me through my change. My father forced me to serve him. Forced me to give him sons, which he raised as tools. I was glad when I learned they had died! My ‘master’ kept those cursed bracers and collar on me, but he did not rob me of my mind. Thankfully, the power of my rebirth was enough to burn away the old chains that bound me. Now, I AM FREE!”
The angel shook her head, sadly. “Then you are truly lost. I will give you the mercy of death, so that your soul can atone in the next life. May Torm have mercy on your soul.”
“Fuck Torm, fuck Zadkiel, and fuck you, too, Haziel! My soul is bound to Melinda Rymedancer, Twice-born servant of Auril, and Queen of Frostreach. Rise or fall, I stand by her, and may the infinite Abyss take Torm, and all his lackeys!”
That outburst shocked everyone who heard it, not just the angels. Finally, the one she called Haziel nodded. “So be it, then. Prepare yourselves, heretics!” And, as she spoke, the three angels cast spells upon themselves, readying for battle.
With a smile on my face, I said, “Bring it, bitches.”