Tower of Ancients

by Jaeger Mitchells

  “Shields up! Don’t let them get any lucky kills!” I heard Sentinel yell. He stood at the center of his formation while Stalker was no-where to be seen. Slayer was busy on the wall doing some killing along with Calina. Alright then, it was now or never.

  “Open the gate!” I yelled as the three of us took up our positions. Thick deadlocks and bolts slid to the sides and gave way under the weight from the other side. The doors burst open, letting in dozens of enemy soldiers.

  Harlan finally activated his first dual machines from inside. The massive, heavy balls shot outward at sharp angles, narrowly missing the walls and spread fifty feet out as they went. Hundreds of bodies dropped, cut in half by the incredibly sharp and durable—whatever it was they managed to attach to the balls.

  The second machine finally activated sending over fifty explosive arrows deep into the throng. Some exploded early, others as they slammed into the enemy soldiers, while some did so after the fuse had burned out.

  The explosion wasn’t big, it was more like the popping of corn over hot flame than a single, coherent blast. Still, it was damn effective. The enemy halted for the second time and almost lost morale from what I could see. I glanced over at Dimas and nodded at Minotaur. Letting out a battle cry, he stomped past the machines and over the corpses, swinging his battle axes and roaring in defiance.

  “He looks kind of scary. I have to give him that,” I laughed as he plummeted headfirst into the fresh few rows that managed to gather in front of the gate, impaling them with his horns and crushed the two axes from either side into the helpless infantry. Body parts and even halves flew in all directions as he slashed, swinging the weapons in circles and moving the assailants back. It was one fine and scary show to watch.

  “I’ll take the archers. Can you take the skeletons?”

  Dimas nodded and unsheathed his massive broadsword, grabbed it with both hands, and darted into the throng of soldiers, cutting down anything he came across. I grinned at the carnage caused by the two. They really were forces of nature.

  “Close them up!” I yelled as I passed and slashed my way through the enemy formation. “Make sure you heal the Minotaur!”

  The flames had long since dissipated from the trio’s attack, but charred bodies, smoke, and stench still lingered in the air and would do so until the first rain. At least the mess was about a hundred feet out and not right up against the wall.

  By the point I was a couple of strides out, I lost what little overview I had and plowed into the formation of archers. Heads rolled and limbs flew in all directions as my Mithrill blade danced. Suddenly, the formation of archers withdrew to the sides and started running away from me.

  Overtaken by bloodlust, I failed to notice that the ground started trembling as a mass of cavalry charged right at me. Hundreds of horses bred and equipped for battle, armored from head to toe and the finest riders the King had to offer. They were the damned Dragoon unit, Lefrand’s personal cavalry. Just where the hell had they popped up from?

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Hundreds of javelins flew my way. It was an understatement to say I was caught off guard by their appearance. Firstly, I never saw them, secondly, it’s like they had been cloaked and waiting nearby to strike.

  My body moved on instinct and dove for cover into a pile of corpses. I grabbed the two nearest bodies and threw one in the direction of the Dragoons, followed by the other, then grabbed two more and held them in front of me.

  Nausea came over me as the whistling sound of the projectiles came ever closer, thunked against the corpses, and in the end, threw me back under the impacts of hundreds more that slammed into the two bodies in front of me. Over thirty of the nasty things got through and embedded themselves in my arms, legs, and chest.

  The world spun around me as the cavalry came ever closer. Time stood still as I stood there, waiting for the mass of horses to trample me. The javelins had done too much damage in a short amount of time for me to be able to heal up. It’s funny how I’ve witnessed them doing this many times till now and still managed to fall for the same trap.

  I pushed myself up and pulled a javelin out of my chest, pulled back my arm, and hurled it at the nearest Dragoon. They were barely three hundred feet away so there was no way to deflect the projectile as it struck the lead horses’ head. It was dead before hitting the ground. I grinned, at least glad I managed to kill one of them, but something unexpected happened. The horse behind stumbled, then crashed into the horse to his side, after which another one fell over and resulted in a full-on shit show.

  I couldn’t believe my eyes so I closed them for a second and opened them again. Their whole right flank caved in and trampled each other. What was too far behind managed to veer off, but the horses bred to be Dragoon mounts were much larger, bulkier, and wider than ordinary horses, especially with all the armor on.

  Dimas crashed right into me as the first row of the black stallions trampled the spot where I stood a moment ago. Arrows exploded amongst the chargers, but they didn’t do much to deter them, mostly just damaging the armor and wounding some of them.

  “Shit, this was close,” Dimas cursed as he pushed off anew and darted straight for Minotaur who had managed to clear a fifty-foot area around him and the gate. No single soldier dared to approach the beast and arrows just dinged off his tough skin. There were a couple of cuts and bruises in places, but that was about it.

  “Yeah, tell me about it,” I wheezed as he held me strangely across his back as the javelins still sticking from my body didn’t give him much perch. He landed next to the creature and hurled me over the palisade walls. Sylvana cast a wind spell that absorbed my fall and started pulling the large things out of my chest, one by one.

  A sudden explosion rang out from beyond the wall and shook the ground I lay on. The wall threatened to give way as it swayed behind me. Pieces of metal, soil, rock, and dead soldiers peppered the palisade and managed to pass over it.

  “What was—that?” I whispered, trying to breathe steadily. More than one javelin had managed to puncture my lungs, but being what I was, it hadn’t choked me to death from the inside.

  “We gathered all the bombs and materials we could and decided to take out those dark horse cavalry.”

  “Heh, I knew you were smart,” I chuckled, then launched into a coughing fit as she pulled a projectile from just under my neck. The wound started healing slowly just like most of the others.

  “Yeah, leave that for later. We’re about to be overrun. The palisade is almost destroyed in a couple of places but we’re holding out. You sure did a number on the archers, though.”

  “Nearly not good enough,” I laughed as she pulled the last javelin from my body. “I need fresh blood.”

  She nodded. The two Elves that belonged to the coven knelt beside me. I had totally forgotten about them ever since Sylvana and Helena joined up. I was such an idiot.

  The first, a young woman with long, blonde hair and blue eyes leaned in, nodded and looked away. I sank my hungry fangs into her neck and drained her with a speed I didn’t know was possible. Thick, red liquid streamed down her neck and my chin as I spilled more than I should, but Sylvana was there again, using wind magic to gather it all in a flask.

  The young woman pulled away once she was about to pass out and the young man, an almost identical copy of her knelt in her stead. I pushed him away, not wanting more at the moment. I had my fill as Elven blood was much stronger and had a great healing factor.

  “Thanks, Saleema,” I muttered as her brother Saleen helped her stand. “Any more aces up our sleeves?” I added turning to face Sylvana. She shook her head.

  “Not that we know off. It’s all hand to hand now. I just hope that--.”

  A portion of the wall exploded, blowing the archers and infantry manning the walkway into smithereens. A gaping hole, at least ten food wide appeared just to my left. I pushed myself up and charged the hole without a second thought. The shield infantry gathered behind me and formed a thick wall
just as they were joined by the lancers and spearmen holding fifteen-foot long deadly weapons that would keep anyone at bay from a good distance.

  Sentinel was first in line, the idiot. I couldn’t reprimand him now, no way so I did the only thing I could

  “Don’t let them through no matter what! Even if you lose a limb, hold the line!”

  It wasn’t the right thing to say, sure, but they needed to know that countless lives were at stake and what better way to do so by giving them the truth?

  Dimas’ Coven finally acted. I couldn’t blame them. Why throw their lives away if there was no real need? Ordinary Hybrids were much ‘cheaper’ and easier to procure in any case. And after Mervan came to visit, I’d have him send some soldiers over.

  I found myself running past the Minotaur who positioned himself closer to the gap, but he was just one defender. The gate would fall much easier if he wasn’t there defending it, so I did what had to be done and joined him there.

  A countless wave of soldiers charged me, hungry for my life. From the two opponents defending the wall, they deemed me less dangerous. I would prove them wrong. Focusing on defending, I kept lunging from left to right, cutting them off as they tried to pass by me. Dozens of soldiers lay dead within the first seconds, forming small piles to either side.

  I got an idea which I turned into reality moments after, targeting anything near the two heaps of bodies. If I managed to create a large enough wall to either side they wouldn’t be able to charge even if I left.

  The three dozen or so Dimas and Anya’s ‘children’ were pure death and menace. They were killing in groups of three, darting in between the soldiers and leaving only corpses in their wake. Or parts of them

  “What’s the situation?” I yelled. “How many more do we have to kill?”

  “We’re just getting started!” Sylvana yelled back. “I think they’re barely down by a fifth or a quarter at best!”

  “Shit,” I cursed under my breath as a stray ax found my sword arm and dented the armor deep into my flesh. I slashed out and cut both arms off at the elbows, leaving the soldier to his screams as he thrashed around on the ground. Another soldier stepped in and stabbed through his visor, killing the poor sob. What a way to go out by your own people, but one could also see it as mercy if nothing else.

  “What are the Dragoons up to?” I yelled again. I had no time to look around or I’d pay the price with my life. There were hundreds, or even thousands left to take the place of those who already fell before them to my sword.

  “They’ve retreated and joined up with the ordinary cavalry!” my Elven warrior yelled back. Good. It was now time to finally take things a little more seriously.

  “Signal Stalker!”

  She didn’t reply, but I was sure she heard my order. A white bolt of magic flew up into the air, exploding in tiny particles that showered the palisade. The soldiers were taken off guard by the action and pulled back a couple of paces, unsure of what was about to happen. No one was able to prepare them for what came next.

  Five hundred of my own cavalry stormed from the woods, the horses high on Vampire blood and fearless. They barely had half a mile to catch up to the melee brawl. Dimas’ children retreated along with their father. Minotaur kept on fighting, but I knew they wouldn’t be as stupid to come near him.

  The enemy cavalry started moving, but they needed yet to make speed and in the end, what the hell were they trying to pull off? Trample their own archers and soldiers? As soon as they started, the cavalry veered off and returned to their master’s side, seeing the futility in their endeavor.

  I could feel Sarga’s evil stare from up ahead, but she wasn’t able to do anything to me from this distance. Nothing I could defend against after all. The sacrifices and immolators had cost her too much magical power. Even the skeletons she turned were smashed to bits by Dimas’ broadsword with ease.

  The ground started trembling anew as Stalker, at the head of his unit, plowed into the enemy from their flank. The inverted V formation allowed them to attack both the infantry and the archers at the same time, wreaking havoc and destruction on the enemy.

  A second signal went off and the doors opened wide, letting every single able-bodied man or woman out. We weren’t many, but the enemy was totally overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do. The Vampire Lords and Lady weren’t joining the fight, and from what I could see, their officers lingered nearby for some reason.

  Stalker’s cavalry passed right through the enemy center when the melee broke out. I could see Dredge scream and pace around, even killing a couple of his own men, and then it happened. He jumped up on his horse and spurred it on right at us. Ferdinand and Sarga joined him. I grinned as this was a great chance to finally get my hands on new Bloodline skills. If I managed to kill either of the three, that is.

  “Dimas! The two assholes are joining in! I’ll take the midget while you take the old guy!”

  I had no idea where Dimas was, but his voice drowned out the screams of the dying and wounded momentarily.

  “Consider him dead!”

  I grinned. Dimas was frightening as an ally, but even more so as an enemy. I just hoped he’d stay loyal until we got rid of Lefrand.

  A battle horn drowned everything out the next moment as the enemy camp called for a retreat. Thousands of enemy archers and infantry who hadn’t been on the receiving end turned their tails and started running.

  “Don’t give chase!” I yelled. “Do not chase the enemy!”

  “Do not chase them! Pull back!” Dimas roared, his voice much louder than mine.

  Stalker’s cavalry was just finished plowing through the enemy formation and was circling back. I just hoped they would make it in time before the Lords arrived. Who knew what Sarga had in store for us, and me especially?

  I walked back through the hole in the palisade and observed our situation. There didn’t seem to be many dead aside from the archers that kept being picked off by enemy projectiles. They formed up in lines and I was furious to see that their numbers had been halved. The swordsmen were down by a quarter, while the spearmen hadn’t suffered bigger casualties, only a couple from what I could see. The cavalry, however, wasn’t quite decimated, but they had lost a good number of horses and men.

  Stalker was badly wounded as a broken off spear sat lodged in his side. Slayer and Calina were barely standing while they bled from multiple wounds. Sentinel wasn’t wounded at all from what I could see, but I knew he was out there at the thickest of it when they charged during the cavalry run. What a lucky bastard.

  “What now?” he asked as the most senior among my troops.

  “Now it’s our turn to kill the leaders or die trying. We’re going to face the Lords and the Lady.”

  “That’s stupid! Why would we do that?” Slayer yelled as he limped up to me. “We can hold them out in here!”

  I shook my head knowingly.

  “No, we can’t. The palisade is as good as gone. Unless the leadership is killed, they won’t stop attacking. We need to kill at least one of them to force the rest to go back. Lefrand will probably kill them even if they survive.”

  “What about that Bone Witch?” Anya asked as she and Dimas stopped right in front of me.

  “I hoped the three of you could try and take her on. She’s a real monster when things get going.”

  Anya nodded and finally unbuttoned the cowl around her body. The loose dress dropped along with it revealing her real outfit. Black studded leather pants and chest armor hugged her body perfectly. It wasn’t quite what I’d become used to seeing the sisters wear, but it was intriguing. Her arms and head were bare, but that’s about it. Despite radiating pure power, I had no idea if it would be enough for her to stand up to Sarga.

  “Show-off,” Sylvana mumbled. “I had no idea you had such a great figure.”

  “Oh, that’s usually only for my husband to see. See, he gets jealous pretty quickly,” she laughed. Dimas looked away, embarrassed.

  “Hey, if it’s
any consolation, my dear is running around half-naked all the time,” I jabbed.

  “Bah! Just forget it already! My claws are itching for a fight!”

  “Sylvana? Helena? Will you help Anya?”

  “I will under one condition,” Helena replied first. “If we can, we’re allowed to kill her.”

  I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. She’d chosen for herself after all. I offered her a life along my side, yet she decided on one with Lefrand.

  “Try not to. I want to deal with her myself, but don’t you dare get hurt holding back. I’ll have my hands full with Dredge.”

  “Deal!” Helena winked, offering me her hand. I kissed it instead, which took her aback.

  “What about me?” Sylvana whispered as she leaned in.

  “You get one on the lips, my lady.”

  She planted a kiss which I returned passionately. After all, who knew if we’d have the chance again?

  “Stay safe, all of you. Now let’s end this shit.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  We didn’t bother with theatrics so none of us rode a horse. Instead, we took our sweet time getting there on foot, letting the three wait for us. Corpses littered the field, both in one piece, multiple pieces, and molten together with their equipment. It was a gruesome sight and stench for as far as one could see.

  A still twitching dragoon grabbed for my ankle, baring his slightly sharper and elongated teeth at me. My sword moved almost on its own, decapitating the fool. He should have remained silent and motionless instead of drawing my attention and dying. Who knows, he might have lived longer if he hadn’t.

  Dredge stepped forward, eager to start. He had always been a trouble-maker, actively seeking out fights he couldn’t win, but that’s what made him dangerous: he always went up against stronger opponents.

  The 7th ranked Vampire Lord didn’t have much strength when it came to raw power, but the nasty little shit was faster than any other Lord which made him exceptionally dangerous. That was also his Bloodline, well, one of the two. He always bragged there was a second, but no one witnessed it and lived to speak about the second power. I was going to be his first and the last.