I was forced to make all my observation on the run, so to speak, as Stel’s pace allowed no time for gawking. We would need to maintain a very rigorous schedule if we were to reach the other side before dusk and my brief reunion with Jessah, short as it had been, only put that much more pressure on us.
As we made our way quickly across the isthmus, the narrow strip of traversable land between the steep mountains and the sea began to widen. Before long, we could no longer see from one side to the other, and a few dense copses of trees began to dot the landscape—perfect places for someone or something to hide in. Recognizing the potential threat, we did not venture near any of the wooded areas, keeping strictly to the road the entire way.
When the sun was high overhead, we stopped for a short break beside the road. Although the path was generally well-traveled during the day, as it was the only way into Lorida for any travelers and merchants from the mainland, we had yet to encounter any other people on the road. As we sat down, Broda was the first to comment on the odd situation.
“Do you think they know something we don’t?” She said, gesturing at the empty road.
“I have been wondering the same thing all day,” Stel replied. “If there had been any known dangers, I would have expected the guards to warn us before allowing us to cross. I can only hope that it is simply an odd coincidence.”
“Because that always works out so well,” I added dryly.
Broda’s rough laugh in response was an accurate summation of all of our thoughts on the matter. After a quick lunch spent mostly in silence, we resumed our march towards The Citadel, and thanks to Stel’s unrelenting pace, we glimpsed the high walls of the fortress well before the sky began to darken.
The fortifications facing us appeared nearly identical to their counterparts at the other end of the isthmus. However, even as we approached from the far side, I could see that the barrier facing outwards was even more imposing. As we crossed into the great fortress itself, the full extent of those perimeter defenses became apparent.
The outward-facing walls of The Citadel were practically dripping with ballistae and siege weapons designed to repel any attack. Those positions were supported by numerous emplacements where archers and other soldiers could add their efforts to the defenses. Stacks of missiles, rocks, and barrels of flammable liquids lay positioned around the interior, ready to be deployed against anything foolish enough to assault the formidable garrison. As if that were not enough, the fields outside the walls were littered with obstacles designed to impede the progress of any attacker. I was more than certain that for each of those obstacles I could see, many more had been cleverly concealed within the contours of the terrain.
Above all of this, inside the ring of walls and deadly machines rose a large central keep, itself clearly equipped with even more defensive weaponry. Despite its armaments, the key purpose of the central keep was obviously command. From the high vantage of its upper level, the commander of The Citadel could observe the entire battlefield as it lay before them, issuing orders instantly in response to any enemy maneuvers. Taken together, The Citadel’s defenses would likely never be breached by anything short of an overwhelming attack.
Unsurprisingly, the fortress’ interior was dominated by military facilities. Multiple barracks and a large armory took up most of the space, with a sizeable tavern sandwiched in between two of the barracks. I thought the tavern would be our destination, until Stel informed me that it was restricted to the soldiers of The Citadel as a place for them to relax. Our destination was the small inn across the courtyard that offered comfort to the various travelers and merchant caravans passing through on their way in or out of Lorida.
“I don’t see any wagons,” Venna lamented as we approached the inn.
Crossing beyond the outer gates of The Citadel, we would be leaving the relatively sheltered lands of Lorida. For the first time, we’d be subjected to threats that were potentially well beyond our capabilities. It had been a simple matter for all of us to agree to try and attach ourselves to one of the well-protected merchant caravans that plied their trade traveling the wild roads between the great cities of the mainland.
We hoped we might be able to sign on as additional security, possibly earning a few coins in the bargain. Even if we could not, it had long been the custom for such caravans to allow fellow travelers to seek safety in joining up with them on the hazardous roads of the continent. Not only was the practice considered a courtesy, but also a gesture of goodwill to a potential customer. After all, those fellow travelers would probably need to purchase a few items along the way. Although the merchants might allow someone to journey alongside them, that didn’t include providing food and shelter… at least not for free. The fact that one of those caravans wasn’t already waiting to depart meant that we might incur quite a significant delay before we’d be able to proceed any further on our quest.
As we walked slowly towards the inn, the sharp echo of a horn sounded from the outer wall. All eyes turned towards the sound as additional alarms began to ring out all along the perimeter.
“Enemies approach, all hands man the wall!” A commanding voice called out from above.
I thought Stel would lead us quickly into the inn so that we could get out of the soldiers’ way, but instead, he joined them in running for the ramparts.
“When they say ‘all hands’, they truly mean it,” Venna said, noting my confusion. “Anyone sufficiently able-bodied is expected to contribute to the defenses when The Citadel is under attack.”
We rushed up the nearest stone staircase and climbed to the top of the thick, stone wall. Reaching the parapets, I nocked an arrow and prepared to draw before peering over the battlements. Catching my first glimpse of the approaching enemies, I found myself momentarily taken aback in horror.
Charging heedlessly across the field before me was a horde of… things. I had mistaken the first one I’d seen for a centaur, but with the upper body of an orc. However, looking across the field, I soon realized that no two of the creatures were alike. There were other half humanoid beasts similar to the orc centaur, but many more seemed to be nothing more than a mismatched conglomeration of various beast and humanoid parts. One had a stag’s impressive antlers jutting from its wolf head, with most of the rest of its body resembling a well-formed human. Next to him was an odd combination of a halfling standing upright on what appeared to be a boar’s hind legs. The entire field was seething with creatures seemingly conjured from out of a nightmare.
“Beastkin!” A voice called out.
I had never heard the term before, but it seemed an accurate description for the motley horde now charging at the wall. Drawing back on my bow, I let my first arrow fly.
My shaft did not fly out alone. Bolts and arrows flew from atop the wall, impacting beastkin all across the open field. Many were taken down in our first volley, but it seemed that most of the hits only served to enrage the creatures even further. The beastkin tore heedlessly over and through the obstacles, losing some of their number in the process, but gaining precious ground and closing in on the foot of the wall.
As they drew closer, I could see that many of the beastkin were armed—at least those who possessed hands and were able to grasp weapons. Some few even stopped to return fire with their own bows. Though they did arm themselves and had packs and bags slung over their shoulders, none of them wore anything that would be considered clothing. Somehow, this fact lent an even more disconcerting effect to the approaching horde.
When the first beastkin reached the foot of the wall, they did not attempt to climb up it. Instead, they lifted the next one up, creating a ladder of sorts made of their own bodies. At first, the tactic seemed foolish, as we simply slaughtered them as they began climbing on top of each other. But soon, the beastkin managed to form so many of these ladders and in so many different locations that it became difficult for us to bring them all down before they could reach the top of the wall. As the scaffold of beastkin, both dead and alive,
grew ever higher in front of our position, rough hands grasped me by the arm, and a spear was thrust into my hands.
“This will serve you better now,” a soldier said sternly as he set himself for the coming assault on our position.
I had not used a spear before, but I mimicked his stance and prepared myself for the battle to come. Then, the first beastkin leapt over the battlements and landed in front of me. It had the head of a bear, but its short stature and broad chest reminded me of a dwarf. In its paw-like hands it gripped a battle axe, but before it could unleash the vicious weapon, I thrust the point of my spear forward, running it through the creature’s heart. It’s health bar immediately dropped to near zero, and the beastkin fell backwards, tumbling over the wall.
For what felt like hours, but in reality, was probably only tens of minutes, we continued to fight the beastkin off the top of the wall. In the scant seconds I had between individual fights, I could see similar battles being waged all across the top of the wall. Everywhere I could glimpse, soldiers and civilians stood side-by-side and repelled the beastkin as they continued pouring over the battlements.
Abruptly, a horn rang out, this time from the central keep. The soldier next to me, the same one who had handed me my bloody spear, yanked me backwards, away from the edge of the wall and down the stairs leading to the interior of the fortress. I assumed that the battle for the wall had been lost and the horn was the signal announcing our retreat to the central keep. But then the soldier threw me to the ground at the foot of the stairs, and I felt an intense rush of heat wash over my body. When the heat finally abated enough for me to dare to uncover my face, I looked up for a moment, and the true meaning of the horn’s signal became obvious.
The entire top of the wall was packed with the charred corpses of beastkin, locked in place where the flames had devoured them. The smoking stones of the battlements still radiated with the intense heat of the conflagration that had engulfed them mere seconds before. What I had thought was a retreat was instead the signal to clear the way for some fearsome weapon to be unleashed upon the enemy. I couldn’t help but wonder if The Citadel’s commander had permitted the wall to be breached for just that purpose.
Another horn rang out, this time apparently announcing the all-clear. As the soldiers began to return to whatever they had been doing prior to the attack, I attempted to return my spear to the officer who had given it to me.
“Thank you for this,” I said. “I hadn’t used one before, but even so, you were right—it was far better than my bow, under the circumstances.”
The grizzled veteran refused my attempt to return the weapon.
“First time using a spear, and it was to defend the walls of The Citadel?” He replied. “I’ll not take that back from you then; it’s yours. You’ve more than earned it. Anyone questions you, just tell them Drill Master Evans said you can keep it. If they don’t like it, they can take it up with me.”
“Thank you, Drill Master,” I replied. “It was my honor.”
With that, the officer turned around sharply and headed off to resume his duties once more. After such an intense fight, I knew that I had notifications to check, but they could wait for later. First, I had to find my friends.
The search took longer than I thought it would, and the heavy commotion and activity after the battle made finding each other almost impossible. After failing to locate anyone, I simply headed back to the inn, hoping we would reunite there. Luckily, my companions had the same idea and one by one, they all trickled into the common room.
“I thought that was going to be a close one for a minute there,” Khorim said as we all took our seats around one of the larger tables.
“Yes, it did look that way, but only because we were unaware of the overall plan,” Stel replied.
“I suspected as much. What did you find out?” I asked.
“It’s a new weapon they have devised,” Stel explained. “They actually orchestrated this entire attack for the sole purpose of testing it.”
“What do you mean they orchestrated the attack?” Broda asked incredulously.
“The soldiers from The Citadel scout the area from here halfway to Oróna.” Stel explained. “Both to maintain an awareness of any threats to the fortress and to aid in keeping the roads safe enough for trade and commerce.”
“Apparently, they noticed a large tribe of beastkin and lured them towards The Citadel, hoping to provoke them into attacking it. They could have easily repelled the creatures, but instead let them gain the tops of the walls so that they could test this new weapon.”
I suddenly realized that I hadn’t noticed any of the siege weapons firing during the entire attack. The combined power of those machines would have decimated the beastkin long before they reached the foot of the walls, but that would not have allowed the commander to test his new weapon. Most of the battle had been a ruse, designed to bring about the circumstances necessary for a true test of the improved defenses. I was both impressed and a little irritated at being used as an unwitting pawn.
“I was not able to see exactly what happened. Do we know anything about how this new weapon works?” Venna inquired.
“I did not see it either,” Stel replied. “But I was with a group of soldiers who discussed it among themselves before remembering that I was there. That is how I managed to find out what little I know.”
“Apparently, it is some sort of mechanical device that is able to spray the entire top and outside of the wall with oil very rapidly. Before the enemy has a chance to respond, the liquid is ignited. The results, well, you’ve seen them for yourselves.”
Impressive. The engineering involved must have been rather intricate, or perhaps it was done with magic. I certainly did not know enough about the magic of the world to rule out either possibility. Regardless of the method used, the results were undeniable—The Citadel had found a method of virtually ensuring that no enemy could ever overcome its defenses, even if it managed to take the outer walls.
Having maintained a brisk march all day and then fighting the pitched battle atop The Citadel’s fortifications, we were exhausted. So, after a quick dinner, we all retired to our rooms for the night. Rather than lean my new spear against the wall, I tried fitting it inside my backpack. Despite its size, it slid inside easily, vanishing into the magical space inside the enchanted bag.
The spear had proven to be a useful weapon, and I wanted to keep it, but I did not want to carry the cumbersome weapon at all times. With it tucked away in my backpack, I would be free to carry my bow as my primary weapon while keeping the spear to use as circumstances might require.
After stripping off my filthy armor, I threw my nightdress over my head and curled up in bed. I was thoroughly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to drift off to sleep, but I had one more task before I would allow myself that luxury. Pulling up my notifications, I let the messages start to scroll.
Experience gained – You have gained 385 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 385 XP.
Experience gained – You have gained 77 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 77 XP.
Unlocked skill discovered! You have discovered the Pole Arms skill tree and the Spear sub-skill.
Experience gained – You have gained 1 XP.
. . .
Experience gained – You have gained 1 XP.
Quest completed – You have completed the optional quest Defend The Citadel. For participating in a successful defense of The Citadel, you have been rewarded 1100 XP. Note, This Quest is non-repeatable.
I was glad for all the XP I had received, but was puzzled by the incredible number of rewards of just a single point. Then it hit me—I had received 385 points for each beastkin I had slain, or directly helped to kill. For those killed by my companions, I had gotten 77 points, a 1/5 share of the XP. The single points were for the rest of the beastkin slain in the entire battle. Apparently, as an active combatant,
I had been granted pro-rated Experience for every kill made across the entire battlefield, and while a single point might not be anything to get excited about, they certainly did add up in a battle involving hundreds of combatants.
Once the almost endless scroll of notifications finally stopped, I pulled up my character sheet to see what the final total amounted to.
Dreya Dae
Human Female
Level - 10
32524/34200
Health 190/190 Aura 430/430 Endurance 190/190
Class – Warden – Wardens gain a 10%, bonus to skills associated with nature or which have natural effects
Specialization – Protector
Mastery –
STR - 21
CON - 19
DEX - 22
INT - 20
WIS - 16 (+1)
CHA - 25 (+1)
Abilities
Ignore Armor – Your next arrow will ignore a portion of the target’s armor. Cost – 20 Aura. – 25%
Stun – Your next arrow has a chance to stun its target on hit. Cost - 20 Aura. – 23%
Block – You may attempt to use your bow to parry a single melee attack. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 20%
Swarm – Your next arrow duplicates itself in flight. Cost - 20 Endurance and 20 Aura. – 31%
Flurry – Perform three rapid strikes with a bladed weapon. Cost-30 Endurance. – 21%
Parry – Chance for your blades to block next melee attack targeted at you. Cost – 20 Endurance. – 20%
Hamstring – The next arrow fired has a chance to cripple your opponent. Cost – 20 Aura. – 22%
Hilt Bash – Stun your opponent with a successful hilt strike from your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 20%
Blood Price – Your arrow inflicts a damage-over-time bleed effect. Cost – 30 Aura. – 23%
Blind – Your next arrow has a chance to inflict blindness on a successful hit. Cost – 30 Aura. – 22%
Achilles Strike – Cripple your target with a slash of your bladed weapon. Cost – 30 Endurance. – 20%
Second Skin Omnibus Page 46
