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Year 163 – Fall – Quintus Mensis – 15th day
Avem, town of House Valmai, land of the Vale
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The cold wind of the night struck their drenched clothing. The steel of their armour should have inflicted them with hypothermia, yet because of their anger, their blood was boiling.
Bjarne – “They were waiting for us. As we were crossing the river, had they seen us from the wall, they should have rallied toward their boat, giving us time to escape. But that’s not what happened . . . THEY WERE WAITING!”
Egmond – “I know.”
Bjarne – “They couldn’t have known. Someone told them!”
Ludger – “They could have seen us building the raft. They could have predicted we’d do it during a new moon.”
Bjarne – “I don’t believe it.”
Egmond – “Ludger is right. We’ll think about it later. As of now, we need to focus on the upcoming siege.”
Bjarne – “With what army? They killed 300 of our own and injured twice as much! We already had 800 wounded. We have barely 2,000 left to fight.”
Egmond – “Atilos, Mundric, and Varok are in the south with more than 400 men. We cannot leave them alone. Either we take the initiative or we let House Valmai take it. We must attack.”
Bjarne – “Don’t you want to know who betrayed us?”
Egmond – “Do not fill your thoughts before a battle, Bjarne. Only think of your blade and your enemy.”
Trygve – “Egmond is right. If we take the wall, the city will fall within a day. We’ll find what went wrong afterward. Let’s not blame each other for now.”
Bjarne – “How many rafts do we have left?”
Egmond – “We brought back eight rafts and left the rest south.”
Trygve – “It’s enough to link the bridge to the island. It will work, Bjarne. Have faith.”
Bjarne – “Or so you say . . .”
Ludger – “Do not disrespect the gods nor your people, Bjarne.”
Egmond – “Lanaya, at the first ray of sunlight, either you blow up their fort or you lead the charge.”
Lanaya – “Then we’ll blow up that fort. Am I right, Nelis?”
Nelis didn’t respond.
Lanaya – “Nelis?”
Nelis – “We’ll blow it up.”
Egmond – “That’s what I want to hear. Those we fought in the south seemed inexperienced. I think they were conscripts. Do not fear, my friend. Today is the day we reclaim our ancestral land.”
The Kalator army was geared up, awaiting orders. Seeing their enemy standing in formation, the Vale had sent a third of their army to the northern fort. The rest of them were on the main wall of the town and in the southern fort. As Vatra was heading toward the northern fort, Ethen saw her, grabbed her by the arm, and brought her to an alley on the side of a house.
Ethen – “You should have left!”
Vatra – “I’m not leaving you.”
Ethen – “Then stay in the southern fort with General Arnold.”
Vatra – “There’s no way I’m waiting in the southern fort. Their army is gearing up!”
Ethen – “They intend to attack from both sides, and the south has no siege engine. You’ll be at less risk over there.”
Vatra – “Why don’t you propose that to another soldier. I’m sure they’ll be glad.”
Ethen – “I’ll fight more freely if you’re not taking part in the battle.”
Vatra – “You’re saying I’m a weakness?”
Ethen – “No, I’m saying you’re reminding me too much of my sister, and I don’t intend to lose her a second time.”
Vatra – “Well, guess what? I’m not her, and I don’t intend to die.”
Ethen closed his eyes and breathed slowly.
Ethen – “Then you’ll stay close to me, so I can help you.”
She gave him a smirk of pride and success.
Vatra – “You won’t regret it!”
Ethen – “I already do . . .”
The two of them joined the soldiers posted in the northern fort. The Kalator war council had gathered near the trebuchet. The six barrels of black powder were attached together with tight ropes.
Egmond – “Trygve, Amund, Bjarne, once that barrel is launched, we’ll start the assault.”
Nelis had prepared the trebuchet and was waiting for the wind to go down before releasing the lever when Lanaya placed her hand on his left shoulder. Nelis then took a deep breath.
Nelis – “Do you remember the night where our ship got ravaged by the sea?”
Lanaya – “It will work.”
Nelis – “What if it doesn’t?”
Lanaya – “I know you hate to do it, but this time, you’ll have to trust my blessing.”
With desolation in his eyes, Nelis agreed. The two of them remained silent for a short while when the wind rested.
Lanaya – “Now’s the time.”
Nelis – “I know.”
Nelis pulled the lever of the trebuchet and the counterweight fell down. The barrels flew in the air toward the northern fort of Avem, like a meteor erupting out of a volcano.
Vatra – “Are they not attacking?”
The Eagle – “I have a bad feeling about this. JUDEC!”
Judec – “Yes, my Eagle.”
The Eagle – “Go see if the southern fort is being assaulted.”
Judec – “Yes, my Eagle!”
Judec ran outside the fort.
Vatra – “ANOTHER ROCK’S COMING.”
The Eagle – “TAKE COVER!”
The Valmai soldiers then crouched next to the wall of the fort as the projectile was closing by. Vatra was looking at the sky when the barrel passed right above her. Quickly, she looked behind her when a burst of light blinded her. A strident sound of thunder and cracking wood reverberated through her head as a wind stronger than any storm pushed her away. She received a strong hit to the head and fell unconscious.
What happened? Is it the end?
A strange voice – “Your trial has yet to be . . . Vatra . . .”
Who are you?
Ethen – “VATRA! WAKE UP!”
Vatra opened her eyes and saw Ethen pushing a large wooden trunk to the side. The fort had disappeared, and a large cloud of dust was hovering in the air. Around her, the many remains of the fort had crumbled, crushing most of the soldiers inside. The water of the river was flowing through and between the remains. She raised her hand and saw they were stained with blood.
Tinnitus was ringing in her head. She looked at her leg and saw the upper half of another soldier. His legs were nowhere to be found. Ethen grabbed her by the shoulder and raised her up.
Ethen – “VATRA! THEY ARE COMING!”
As the sound was coming back, Vatra looked to the north and saw the Kalator army charging toward them. The drawbridge and the northern gate had been broken apart. What used to be their shield from the Kalator were now nothing more than a field of ruins. The House Krain soldiers were joining the injured Valmai soldiers at the broken gate. Between them and the Kalator was a single bridge and a pile of shattered wood.
Vatra touched the back of her head, but luckily for her, it wasn’t bleeding. Some soldiers had survived the cataclysm, but most of them were laying on the ground, lifeless. Morgan was moving the remains of the fort to the side, clearing a path toward the town. The injured soldiers retreated behind their allies.
Ethen – “WE CAN’T LET THEM ENTER THE TOWN, OR IT WILL BE A MASSACRE!”
The Kalator were carrying a large raft ahead of them. As the Valmai archers rained arrows upon them, the Kalator advanced. When they reached the end of the bridge, they pushed over the large raft. As it fell onto the shattered remains, a single deep sound of the splashing water reverberated, revealing the Kalator soldiers as they walked through the ruins, eager to finally step within Avem.
Thorkel – “WE SHOULD BUILD A WALL NEXT TO THE MAIN CASTLE!”
Ethen – “WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! ALIGN THE SPEARS! HOLD THE LINE!”
The Frey soldiers had barely made a formation to the east side of the remains when steel began to clash. The Valmai soldiers were holding through the west side of the entrance.
The Kalator were trying to force their way through, but the wrecked wood was encumbering their path. And as the tips of their spears were clashing, they were being pressured by the Valmai arrows and could barely gain any ground.
Trygve – “IF THIS KEEPS GOING, OUR SOLDIERS WILL GET BUTCHERED.”
Egmond – “NO! LOOK! IT’S OUR CHANCE! THEY USED UP THEIR SUPPLIES LAST NIGHT!”
He pointed toward the wall. The militia was running down to join their army instead of launching arrows one after the others.
Thorkel – “WHY AREN’T OUR ARCHERS STORMING THEM?”
Militia – “WE DON’T HAVE ANY ARROWS LEFT!”
Thorkel – “WE NEED TO RETREAT!”
Ethen – “IF WE DO, THE CITIZENS WILL GET SLAUGHTERED!”
Judec – “I’M BACK, MY EAGLE!”
Ethen – “HOW’S THE SOUTHERN WALL?”
Judec – “GENERAL ARNOLD IS FENDING OFF THEIR ASSAULT!”
Ethen – “BRING EVERY CITIZEN YOU CAN FIND! BRING ANYTHING YOU CAN FIND! BARRELS, CHAIRS, TABLES! YOU NEED TO SEAL THIS PLACE WHILE WE TRY TO PUSH THEM OUT OF TOWN!”
Judec – “YES, MY EAGLE!”
Thorkel – “THAT’S SUICIDAL!”
Ethen – “IF WE DON’T, THE TOWN IS LOST!”
Thorkel – “WE CAN STILL LEAVE IT AND GO TO ROCK EDEN!”
Ethen – “THEY HAVE ANOTHER ARMY IN THE SOUTH. IT WOULD BE A SLAUGHTER!”
Ethen – “MORGAN!”
The giant used his foot to push his foe as he pulled his halberd out of a corpse before looking toward his commander.
Ethen – “WE NEED TO PUSH THEM OUT OF TOWN!”
Morgan – “FORWARD!!!”
Followed by the militia, Morgan was forcing carnage between the two armies. In the midst of battle, corpses from each side were piling up like the high tide of a river when the wicked warrior showed up.
Thorkel – “THE WITCH! KILL THE WITCH!”
Using their many rafts, the Kalator were moving toward the eastern gate to take control of the shipyard of Avem. The south had been defended. General Arnold and his men were coming through the main road when they saw tens of women bringing tables and barrels.
Judec – “COME ON! FASTER! THIS BREACH WON’T SEAL ITSELF!”
General Arnold – “WHAT’S HAPPENING?”
Judec – “THE FORT IS GONE, AND THEY ARE MOVING TO THE SHIPYARD! THEY’LL TAKE THE BOATS!”
General Arnold – “WE’LL TAKE BACK THE SHIPYARDS!”
One after the other, the Krain soldiers were falling under the strike of the inhuman daemon wielding a spear when the Rock Eden soldiers arrived as reinforcement from the south.
Thorkel – “FALL BACK!”
Ethen – “NO! DO NOT FALTER! FIGHT UNTIL YOUR BONES BREAK! SHOW THEM THE STRENGTH OF YOUR WILL!”
General Arnold – “TO THE EAST! FOLLOW ME!”
Thorkel – “TO THE EAST! RETREAT!”
As the Krain soldiers retreated, the Kalator entered the town like a swarm of enraged hyenas. The citizens scattered away when a voice of hope shrilled through the wind.
Lord Valmai – “TO THE CASTLE!”
Judec looked at Lord Valmai, Lord Krain, Marcus and the old priest, who were coming out of the castle and heading his way. Judec looked back at the invaders; there were so many of them. His brothers were being butchered on the front line. Without thinking, Judec joined them.
Meanwhile, Lanaya was killing the Valmai men one after the other.
Lanaya – “AVEM IS OURS!”
The Eagle – “DON’T LET THEM PASS!”
The civilians were scattered, running in fear, tailed by the northern folks. As they entered their homes, they grabbed their working tools, their boiling water, their brooms, anything at hand, each in the hope of fending off the invaders. They were running toward the castle, wishing to find hope.
The Eagle – “DON’T FALTER!”
Judec – “WE’LL GET MASSACRED IF WE STAY HERE!”
The Eagle – “WE’LL GET MASSACRED IF WE TURN OUR BACK!”
Morgan – “THEN I’LL GIVE YOU THE TIME TO LEAVE!”
The Eagle – “HOW?!”
The seven-foot giant grabbed a dead corpse and charged toward the witch. Lanaya crouched and thrust her spear toward him, but he impaled the dead corpse inside the spear and bashed her in his charge. Lanaya went rolling a few steps further, pushing two soldiers in her flight. She raised her head to notice the giant beheading three men in one swipe as he released a war cry and charged her again.
The Eagle – “RETREAT! PROTECT THE CIVILIANS!”
She pulled out her spear and thrust it in the giant’s belly, but the Bear of Vale grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her on the incoming Kalator with such strength that nine of them fell on their backs. Morgan pulled the spear out of his wounded belly and used both his halberd and the spear to cleave all his nearby foes. Like pigs at the slaughterhouse, mercy didn’t show up.
Morgan – “IRA ARCUM! LAY YOUR EYES UPON ME! WITNESS MY FINAL FEAT!”
The Kalator were being overwhelmed by terror as their companions were being dismembered. Lanaya got up and took a sword off the ground.
The giant cleaved his halberd toward her. Holding her blade with both hands, she stopped the hit. Morgan then lunged with the spear, but Lanaya dodged to the side.
Further away, the Valmai forces were regrouping near the castle.
The Eagle – “DERFEL!”
Derfel – “YES, MY EAGLE?”
The Eagle – “TAKE 20 MEN AND RUN ACROSS THE TOWN. BRING ALL OF THOSE YOU FIND BACK TO THE CASTLE!”
Derfel – “YES, MY EAGLE!”
The Eagle – “IF YOU DON’T COME BACK IN A QUARTER-HOUR, WE’LL ASSUME YOU’RE DEAD!”
Derfel – “YES, MY EAGLE!”
The Eagle – “MY LORD! BRING THEM TO THE ARMOURY! THERE ARE SPEARS! WE NEED OUR PEOPLE TO FIGHT WITH ALL THEIR MIGHT, OR AVEM WILL FALL!”
Lord Valmai – “GO SAVE OUR MEN ON THE WALL! BRING THEM BACK! I’LL GATHER OUR FORCES!”
Ethen ordered 20 of his men to stay near the castle and left to the wall with the others. Hundreds had entered the castle, but with the refugees, there wasn’t enough space.
Lord Krain – “THE TOWN IS LOST! WE MUST REACH THE SHIPYARD AND ESCAPE WHILE WE CAN!”
Lord Valmai – “YOUR COWARDNESS IS A DISDAIN!”
Lord Krain – “HOW CAN WE KEEP THE TOWN THEN?”
Lord Valmai – “JUDEC! BUILD A BARRICADE BETWEEN THE TEMPLE AND THE NORTHEAST OF TOWN! THE STREETS ARE NARROW! BARRICADE ALL THE STREETS LEADING TO THE EASTERN GATE!”
Judec – “YES, MY LORD!”
Lord Krain – “WHAT ABOUT THE CASTLE? YOU’LL SEAL THE FRONT DOOR?”
Lord Valmai – “THERE’S A DOOR IN THE CASTLE WALL LEADING TO THE BARRACK! IF WE HOLD THE NORTHEAST, WE CAN HOLD THE TOWN!”
As they were clashing steel with the Kalator, the Silver Lining was coming their way.
Jurren – “IT’S THEIR LORD, NELIS! TAKE HIM DOWN!”
Upon seeing the two lords, Jurren turned toward Nelis.
Nelis – “I KNOW!”
But he suddenly faltered as he looked over his shoulder.
Seeing his distress, Nelis turned as well and saw the ravage of the giant monstrosity. The Kalator soldiers were frozen in fear as Lanaya tried to fend off Morgan in a meadow of corpses.
Nelis – “SHE NEEDS OUR HELP! LANAYA NEEDS OUR HELP!”
Lanaya was breathing heavily. She tried to strike Morgan again, but as her blade and his halberd clashed, her blade shattered. She rolled to the side and grabbed another sword. Dodging Morgan’s strike one after the other, her sweat poured into her eyes, leaving her with a scorching stinging pain. She took a few steps back as she regained her focus. Further ahead, she saw Jurren and the rest of her band.
Jurren – “EGON, PETRA, TOMOS, JOWRIK! COME WITH ME!”
Lanaya – “NO!”
Lanaya tried to engage Morgan, yet again, but Morgan threw Lanaya’s spear toward her before running toward the incoming fighters. He jumped toward them and cleaved his halberd with all his might, releasing a war cry worthy of a bear. Even with their plated armour, their chain mail, their gambesons, their flesh and their bones, the halberd shredded Egon in half and kept its momentum as it crashed in Petra’s waist, severely wounding her and throwing her to the ground. Jurren struck the giant’s halberd with a war hammer, shattering the steel edge of Morgan’s weapon. Fearing for the life of their wounded companions, Jowrik and Tomos dragged Petra out of combat.
Aberfa released an arrow which pierced threw Morgan’s mail coif and landed in his jaw. The giant struck Jurren with his broken halberd and landed a deep wound in his right shoulder. Using his foot, Morgan kicked Jurren to the ground, and as he turned to face the wicked warrior, she struck his waist a second time with her spear. Using his broken halberd, Morgan hit Lanaya’s head, knocking her back to the ground.
The giant was breathing heavily. He dropped his broken halberd and pulled Lanaya’s spear off his waist before aligning it toward his stunned opponent to kill her.
Morgan – “FOR IRA ARCUM!”
He raised the spear above his head to lend the final blow when a strident sound reached his ears. In the blink of an eye, a polished rock drenched in blood flew ahead of him. A tremendous pain was soaring in his left shoulder as Morgan saw his arm fall off to the ground. Out of a war cry, Morgan pushed the spear with his remaining right arm to finish his foe, but Lanaya grabbed it with both of her hands, preventing her own death.
Two more Kalator men came to finish the giant, but Morgan pulled the spear away and killed them one after the other before looking back at his prey, yet the warrior wasn’t there anymore. Morgan turned around while cleaving the spear. Lanaya was trying to slip away when the hit reached her, breaking the side of her armour and pushing her back to the ground.
His vision was getting blurry as his blood flowed out. He looked ahead and saw a man crouched on the ground holding a large hollow chunk of metal. The man inserted another polished stone inside the hole. The giant rose up to add the weight of his own body into his final blow. As he was about to send Lanaya into an eternal sleep, Nelis made a spark with his limestone gauntlets.
A polished stone the size of a fist erupted out of the hollow cylinder and burst through Morgan’s chest. As his spine shattered, the Bear of Vale fell. The giant was looking at the sky while falling into the realm of the forgotten. As his head reached the ground, his vision became blurry. His sight couldn’t perceive the sun anymore under the feet of the soldiers swarming Avem.
The Silver Lining then broke into a house and placed their wounded inside of it.
Lanaya – “It’s all my fault!”
Nelis – “It’s not; they’ve chosen to fight for you and accept the risk that came with it.”
Jowrik – “NELIS! I’M LOSING HER!”
Nelis – “Place her on the table. Tally, take care of Jurren.”
Tally – “Tomos, press there! Owen, help me take off Jurren’s armour.”
Nelis used his dagger to cut the leather strap holding Petra’s armour and threw it on the ground. He took a mixture of aloe and salt and spread it inside the girl’s open waist. Using a small harpoon attached to a thin thread of linen, he sewed her flesh together. Petra was barely conscious, and her skin was pale.
Jowrik – “Tell me she’ll survive.”
Nelis – “She has lost a lot of blood, but she’s lucky. The wound shouldn’t be lethal.”
Jowrik grabbed Petra and placed her on the abandoned bed before lying next to her with his eyes full of tears. As he spoke to her, he caressed the back of her head.
Nelis – “Lanaya, are you alright?”
Lanaya – “I’m fine.”
Nelis – “Tally, how’s Jurren doing?”
Tally – “He’ll survive.”
Jurren whispered some incomprehensible mumbling.
Nelis – “He doesn’t sound fine either.”
Tally – “It’s the blood loss.”
Nelis – “Owen, boil some water. Tally, cut some ephedra and white willow barks.”
Tally – “Why ephedra? It’s a stimulant, don’t they need to rest?”
Nelis – “We’ve stopped their bleeding, but their blood loss is severe. Such anaemia may lead to heart failure. Ephedra will stimulate their heart and fight their anaemia. They need to produce blood. The white willow bark will prevent inflammation. They’ll rest when they have more blood. Now help me prepare it.”
Tally – “Understood.”
Tomos opened the door from outside.
Tomos – “House Valmai is fortifying their position in the northeast of town, but they will soon fall. What do we do?”
Lanaya – “All of you stay here. I’m going to find Egmond.”
Nelis – “Be careful.”
Lanaya walked outside and looked at the northern wall. The Kalator were still clashing with House Valmai and pushed them further away in the street. On the main road, the Kalator were pushing through the temple, hoping to breach in the Valmai’s defences. Many layers of barricades had been built and breached, yet a more tangible defence of nearly four feet high was now occupying the many narrow streets further behind the temple.
As she looked down the main road, she saw a child run toward the castle, chased by three Kalator.
Judec – “OPEN THE GATE!”
The child was running with all his might when one of the three men threw his spear like a javelin. The edge pierced his leg, and the child fell to the ground. Many of the Valmai militia rushed out of the castle to protect him. Seeing their charge, the three Kalator left them and ran back into the western suburb of Avem. The Valmai men broke the spear and carried the wounded child inside their castle. Their door was now open; so many Kalator charged toward the opening from the various streets.
Judec – “CLOSE THE DOOR!”
House Valmai didn’t have any arrows left, but they had bricks from both the wall and the jail’s stairway. They also had the tools from the kitchen and were not ready to give up. As the door was about to fully close, four Kalator soldiers rammed the door with their bodies, nearly opening it again. The Valmai men on the wall then threw rocks and bricks at them. The volley of bricks came crashing on them like a torrent of anger.
Judec – “STOP! DON’T WASTE ANY MORE ROCKS!”
Jaws were broken, ribs were severed, and their moans of pain resonated through the road. No Kalator came to help them. As Lanaya walked down the main road, tens of Kalator were regrouping on the western side of the road. Most of them seemed too tired to keep fighting. The Valmai forces had barricaded themselves, and some sort of standstill had been reached. It was as if Lanaya was stepping into the eye of a hurricane. She thought of helping the four agonizing men on the main road, but her whole body was hurting.
At the southern gate, Amund was opening the drawbridge. Lanaya then heard the sound of clashing steel. It was coming from a house near a side alley. She ran towards it. The door was broken. She entered and saw two Kalator killing a man who was holding a kitchen knife. She left the house and kept walking. By the time Lanaya rejoined the main road, the sound of clashing steel had left the town. A strange silence cut by the sporadic moaning of pain was in order. Lanaya looked south and saw Atilos, Varok, and Mundric crossing the drawbridge, followed by hundreds of Kalator. Amund was with them.
Lanaya – “Amund!”
The few generals looked at her.
Lanaya – “Where’s Egmond?!”
Amund – “In the temple! He’ll want to see you.”
Lanaya – “We need a cessation before the night.”
Amund – “Tell your point to Egmond, not me.”
Varok – “Trygve and Bjarne are still fighting!”
Atilos – “Let’s use the wall to reach the eastern gate.”
Amund – “Follow me!”
Lanaya turned around and walked through the many back alleys to join her band. As she was walking, she saw a girl about 16 years of age run from a house, and two men were chasing her. Lanaya swiftly ran to her and pierced her from the back. As she was dying, Lanaya whispered in her ear.
Lanaya – “I’m sorry, but it’s for your own good.”
She then lay her corpse to the ground and waited for her pulse to stop before slowly pulling her spear out. She passed her temporary home and looked through the window’s corner. Nelis and the others seemed fine. Lanaya took a deep breath and walked to Egon’s corpse. His body was split in half, and his guts were spilling out. She pulled her own helmet off and wiped the sweat off her face, but her hands were even dirtier. She wiped it again with her forearm. Pain grasped her heart. She crouched and raised his helmet. His eyes were still open. She wanted to cry, yet she swallowed her tears.
Lanaya – “I’m so sorry . . . I failed you, and I’m so . . . so sorry.”
Her nose was runny. The sweat of her hair was streaming down her face. Lanaya wiped her face again, but her hands were filled with blood. She didn’t know where to wipe them, so she scraped the dust on the ground. Once her hands were slightly drier, she wiped her face, leaving a line of dirt stretching across her cheek and nose. She then looked at Egon again and closed his eyes, leaving a subtle trace of blood on his face.
Lanaya – “May your soul be at peace.”
Lanaya kept on looking at his corpse for a short while. She then walked up to the giant’s corpse and violently stomped on his head multiple times, crushing his skull to pieces, before releasing a scream filled with anger. She put her helmet back on and carefully grabbed Egon’s upper body. She placed it on his lower body and carried both back to the house where her companions were. When she arrived, she placed Egon next to the wall. She looked around for a shield and placed it on his body to cover up the guts and blood. She then grabbed his pouch, his ring, his belt, his dagger, and his sword. Lanaya opened the door to the house; her men were sitting on the ground.
Nelis – “Are you fine? We heard you scream.”
Lanaya – “I’m fine. How’s Petra?”
Nelis – “She’s strong; she’ll survive.”
Lanaya – “And Jurren?”
Nelis – “He’ll survive. How’s the battle? Did we win?”
Lanaya – “No, House Valmai is still barricaded.”
She walked to a table and dropped Egon’s personal trinkets and his equipment.
Lanaya – “We’ll bury him later today. I’ll be going for now; stay here. If House Valmai tries something, don’t risk your life. We’ve done our part already. We’re sellswords, after all.”
Nelis walked to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Under her visor, Lanaya was crying in silence. Nelis whispered.
Nelis – “Don’t overdo it.”
Had they been alone, she would have pressed him against her, but she refrained herself. Instead, she nodded and left the house. When she entered the temple, she saw a priest attached to a chair, gagged with cloth.
Lanaya – “Who is he?”
Egmond – “The priest of Avem.”
Lanaya – “You want him alive?”
Egmond – “I do not kill priests. It brings bad omens, but you wouldn’t know that since you disrespect the gods, usurping their name and tarnishing your soul through witchcraft.”
The priest looked at her with grief. Lanaya looked back at Egmond.
Lanaya – “Aren’t you the one who hired my band?”
Egmond – “I have, for my people. I’m willing to pay the price of such heresy, but I won’t kill him.”
Lanaya – “And now that you took the temple, why are you not fighting with your men?”
Egmond – “I’m praying.”
Lanaya – “You think a prayer will help your people take the eastern gate? Or the castle?”
Egmond – “You truly have no respect for the gods.”
Lanaya walked to the altar of Aya and pulled her helmet off. There was some clean water near it. She pulled her gloves off and washed her hands and hair with the water.
Lanaya – “I have respect for myself and for those who I deemed worthy. This is but a pool of water. It doesn’t dictate the will of Aya, nor does it dictate mine.”
Ahead of the small water source were the statues of the 12 angels of vertu.
Akaya – Angel of Bravery and Valor
Fahaya – Angel of Temperance and Restraint
Talaya – Angel of Liberality and Charity
Izhephaya – Angel of Magnificence and Greatness
Tzvikaya – Angel of Magnanimity and Nobility
Lanaya – Angel of Ambition and Pride
Shaya – Angel of Patience and Serenity
Azalëaya – Angel of Fellowship and Harmony
Dalaya – Angel of Honesty and Candidness
Aleighaya – Angel of Radiance and Joy
Araya – Angel of Modesty and Humility
Thaya – Angel of Justice and Honour
She looked at the sculpture of the sixth angel of Aya, the sculpture of herself. Her wings were wide open, and her head was proudly looking toward the horizon.
Egmond – “I heard you fought the preacher of Ira Arcum. Are you wounded?”
Without looking at him, she answered.
Lanaya – “I’m surprised to hear you care.”
Egmond – “Well, as surprising as it might be, I do.”
Lanaya – “Only minor bruises.”
Egmond – “I’m glad to hear.”
Lanaya – “We need to talk to Lord Valmai.”
Egmond – “We?”
Lanaya – “You must negotiate their surrender.”
Egmond – “How? We’ve run out of arrows as well. They still control their food storage, and their conscripts are showing a phenomenal determination.”
Lanaya – “So, you’ll just wait for the night? It’ll be a massacre on both sides. How many lives will you let drown in your pride? Offer them something. Pull back your army and allow them to breathe so that they can surrender.”
Egmond – “Lanaya, you have a good heart, but you know nothing of the history of the Vale. When the Union took the Vale, they needed settlers to occupy our lands. They paid those who had run out of luck in life and gave them new lives within the Vale as new residents of Avem. Those people won’t give up Avem. We’ll have to take it from them the same way they took it from us.”
Lanaya – “Then we must prepare for the night.”
Egmond – “The night will be agitated. If the eastern gates and the shipyard fall within our hands, their only escape route will be the southern bridge. I want you and your men to stay in the southern fort. If they try to escape during the night, it will be your duty to hold until we arrive.”
Lanaya – “They slept less than four hours last night. Send someone else.”
Egmond – “I think you didn’t hear me well. It wasn’t a request, but an order.”
Lanaya looked at him with disgust in her eyes.
Egmond – “Is there a problem, milady?”
Lanaya – “As you command.”
She grabbed her gloves, put her helmet on, and walked outside the temple before heading back to the Silver Lining.
The west of Avem had fallen. The south of Avem was being contested, but the eastern gate had yet to fall and the northeast remained within the hand of House Valmai. The Eagle of Vale had taken back the northern wall and was now trying to take back the shipyard when the Kalator reinforcements arrived from the south.
As Atilos and the others arrived at the wall, they saw Bjarne and Trygve in the shipyard. They were in a melee with the forces of House Valmai and were losing ground.
Seeing them arrive, Thorkel blew in his war horn to gather the attention of the Eagle of Vale. Ethen stepped back and looked behind him.
General Thorkel – “RETREAT TO THE GATE!”
Ethen grabbed the shoulder of one of his soldiers next to him.
The Eagle – “WE’RE RETREATING!”
The soldier looked at him and stepped away from the melee. Shocked not to find Vatra, Ethen looked to his left and right and saw she had tripped on the leg of a dead corpse and fallen on her back. A Kalator was about to strike her with his blade. He wouldn’t reach her in time. Panicking, Ethen threw his sword at the Kalator attacking her and charged him with his shield.
The blade struck the man’s left arm and fell to the ground. The Kalator turned toward Ethen and cleaved his blade toward his leg. Using his shield, Ethen slammed the sword to the ground and tackled the Kalator, who stumbled and fell on his back. Without finishing off his opponent, Ethen grabbed Vatra by the shoulder and pulled her up before taking his blade from the ground.
Seeing their retreat, the remaining Kalator within the beach chased them until they reached the gate. As Ethen and Vatra crossed the gate, Judec and more soldiers of House Valmai pushed the door closed. Behind them, 200 militia were holding the barricade against the assault of the Kalator forces.
Up the wall, both armies were fighting at the edge of the stairway.
General Arnold – “General! We’ll hold them! Your lord enquires your presence.”
The Eagle – “What? We don’t have the time!”
General Arnold – “We’ll hold them!”
The Eagle grabbed Vatra by the shoulder.
The Eagle – “Follow me.”
The streets and alleys were filled with residents of Avem. Tears were falling down their faces as they began to lose hope, gnawed by despair and sorrow. It wasn’t the first time she had seen a town fall, yet she didn’t want to believe the sight ahead of her. She felt powerless and exhausted, but she didn’t want to give up just yet.
As the two of them reached the barrack, Marcus gave them a sign to follow him. In the passage between the castle and the barrack, the two lords of House Krain and House Valmai were arguing with one another. Ethen gave Vatra a sign to wait further away as he joined the lords.
Lord Krain – “What are we waiting for? We must escape now.”
Lord Valmai – “There are not enough ships. I won’t let half a thousand of my people behind, and neither will you!”
The Eagle – “It doesn’t matter. We’ve lost the shipyard, and we are barely holding the eastern gate. The Kalator will take the ships away, so there’s nowhere to run. We must fight back!”
Lord Krain – “Then we are doomed.”
The Eagle – “No, there is a path to victory.”
Lord Valmai – “Talk.”
The Eagle – “Half of their army is wounded. The other half is tired. If we can stall this until nightfall, then we’ll have a chance.”
Lord Krain – “A chance? Nine hundred against 2,000? I know you aren’t a scholar, but can’t you see it doesn’t add up?!”
The Eagle – “Training wins duals and skirmishes, but when you’ve been fighting for hours, when your bones are hurting and when your muscles want to give up, what makes a man rise where others would fall isn’t the faith of a deity or the fear of his demise, but a single sliver of hope. In the darkest of nights, when despair is all you see, the simple flicker of a candle is enough to cast the shadow away. Our people need hope, and we’ll give it to them!”
Lord Krain – “Hope alone won’t take back Avem! It won’t make a conscript into a fighter!”
Lord Valmai – “No, but it will free them from their fear.”
Lord Krain – “And how do you intend to achieve this miraculous feat? Pardon me for doubting, but all we’ve been doing is losing ground, and now we are trapped!”
The Eagle – “We’ll take back the temple and keep control of the eastern gate. My lord, I will need you to join my side to lead the charge toward the temple with Derfel and the militia.”
Lord Valmai – “Then I shall do it.”
The Eagle – “Once you have taken the temple, we’ll hoist the flag of Avem and ring the bell to signal our victory to the Kalator forces. They’ll believe we launched a large assault, so they’ll forsake their siege on the eastern gate. They’ve stolen the ships already, but what matters to us is we’ll stop the hostilities. We’ll push the barricade forward and solidify our position. Our goal is the night because that’s where we’ll win!”
Lord Valmai – “Ethen, I’ll carry the flag.”
A short moment later, the Eagle, Vatra, and Lord Valmai walked toward the northwest barricade. Spears were being shattered between the Kalator and the Valmai lines. Behind the barricade, hundreds of conscripts were taken in despair when they saw the banner depicting the golden Eagle of Vale carried by their lord with the Eagle of Vale by his side.
The Eagle – “MEN OF THE VALE! SHEPHERDS, SMITHS, AND COBBLERS! YOU WHO HAVE MADE THIS TOWN FROM THE DIRT! UPON THIS RED DAY! I DEMAND YOU TO FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU HOLD DEAR! FOR AVEM!”
As they reached the barricade, Ethen passed between the barricade and fought his way through the Kalator ranks, followed by Lord Valmai and Vatra.
Derfel – “JOIN THEM! FOR AVEM!”
Both armies were tired, and their movements were heavy, yet warm blood filled with hope was crawling its way within the resident of Avem. A sense of duty gave them a new strength as they pushed their way through the Kalator ranks, forcing them to retreat.
Lord Valmai – “We can do it!”
The Eagle – “TO THE TEMPLE!”
As they reached the backdoor, Ethen kicked it open and saw the Kalator lord further into the temple. Seeing them arrive, Egmond took his war horn and blew in it before pulling his blade from his scabbards.
As the Valmai army entered the main room of the temple, the large doors opened, and the Kalator soldiers entered the temple as Lord Egmond led the charge.
As the two armies collided, a gruesome melee emerged in the temple. In the clustered space, the fight quickly turned to a brawl. Bones were splintered, spears were shattered, and as the blood flew, the floor turned slippery.
As he was fighting, Lord Egmond faced Lord Valmai. In an upward strike, Lord Egmond struck Rulfus Valmai’s arm before kicking him to the ground. As he was about to deliver the final blow, the Eagle stepped in the way and pulled his lord behind.
Lord Valmai – “THE FLAG!”
The Eagle – “STAND BACK!”
As Ethen was clashing with Egmond, Vatra slipped to the side and grabbed the flag. As she raised it, she thrust it onto Egmond’s waist, forcing him to retreat. As the Valmai militia pushed through the temple, they reached a path to the stairway.
The Eagle – “BRING THE FLAG! WE’LL PUSH THEM OUT!”
Vatra ran over the slippery ground and up the stairway. As she reached the second floor, she ran toward the tower, but her boots drenched in blood made her slip to the ground. She quickly got up and ran to the ladder.
As she was climbing, the sound of clashing steel became more and more distant. Arriving at the top, she saw Avem in ruins. Corpses were filling the street, and from that height, the clashing army appeared like a grim painting of horror. She looked to the side of the large copper bell. There was a hook attached to a rope. Vatra untied the flag from Lord Valmai’s spear and tied it to the hook before hoisting the golden Eagle of Vale.
When it was flying in the wind, she grabbed a large wooden hammer hanging to the side and knocked the temple bell. A loud and powerful ring reverberated across town. She kept hitting it again and again until a ray of hope caught her attention. The Kalator were leaving the eastern gate as Ethen had predicted.
She kept knocking on the temple bell for another 10 times before getting down and joining Ethen. As she arrived, the front door of the temple was being barricaded, and Ethen looked at her with a gleam of hope in his eyes.
When the Kalator army reached the main road, the barricade was even larger, and the residents of Avem aligned themselves within the barricade, ready to defend what was left of their homes.
Mundric – “What happened?”
Egmond – “I underestimated them, but we won’t make the same mistake twice. Where’s Bjarne?”
Amund – “He brought all the ships south. He’s going around the town, and we’ll dock them northwest.”
Atilos – “We should finish them while we can.”
Egmond – “No. Our men are tired. I saw soldiers get pushed back by conscripts. Build a barricade for us as well. Gather all the arrows you can find from the corpses. Prepare for the night and try to rest a bit. Eat as well. Gather the wounded up north. They cannot escape, and we’ll need more arrows to take them out from those barricades. Prepare for the night.”
Atilos – “It will be done, my lord.”
Amund – “Are you wounded, Egmond?”
Egmond – “It’s a light wound. I’ll be fine.”
Amund – “Then I’ll prepare the barricade.”
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