“I’ve got this thing distracted!” he called.
Ferran pressed on. He ducked under the tongue and reached his target. Sure enough, there was a thin patch of bare flesh between the plates of the creature’s neck and armoured skull.
He placed the tip of his tourmaline blade at the point. Muttering a prayer to Niveren, he gripped the hilt with both hands and thrust downwards. The magical blade pierced the flesh like a knife cutting through butter. The beast roared in agony, and then its legs gave out.
“Hold on!” Ferran shouted, before grabbing the wound he had made.
Cheers sounded from the walls as the defenders watched the gargantuan collapse with an impact that shook the ground like an earthquake.
As the dust cleared, Ferran reached into his tunic and pulled out one of the vials. He spotted Faramond running towards him.
“Get Sophia and get out of here,” Ferran shouted. “I have to banish this wretched creature.”
He plunged the vial into the wound and focused his magic. Using a telekinesis spell, he broke the vial. For a moment, nothing happened, giving him time to leap off of the gargantuan’s crippled body. He landed in a crouch, only to find himself surrounded by snarling goblins. Looking around, he spotted Faramond and Sophia slide from the body and fall into a similar predicament. Slowly, he stood up and readied his sword. A goblin lunged at him with an iron-tipped spear, Ferran easily batted it aside and countered with a thrust of his own.
Then the vial broke, unleashing the magic that had been contained within.
A portal to the Void ripped open, sucking the gargantuan in from the inside. The beast roared again as it was pulled into the vortex. Ferran planted his sword into the ground to anchor himself in place. He pulled out another vial and hurled it at the goblins. Again, he used his magic to shatter the vial. Instantly, another portal opened and sucked the goblins towards it. The Fell Beasts tried to flee, but the magic was too powerful. Dozens were sucked back into the Void from whence they came. Once the magic had been spent, the two portals imploded in a flash of blinding light. Ferran lowered the arm he had been shielding his eyes with. The goblins had gone, and the way back to the wall was now clear. Looking to his right, he saw Faramond engaged in a sword fight with a Sarpi. Sophia ran over and skidded to a halt next to her husband, and helped him back onto his feet.
“One down. Two to go,” she said breathlessly.
The other gargantuans had now fully breached the outer wall and were taking up position to begin smashing the inner wall. The defenders rained arrows, stones and whatever else they could find upon the beasts.
“We’ll never stop them all,” Ferran replied tiredly. “We need to get back to the wall. Fritin needs to order a retreat whilst he still can.”
Sophia called to Faramond who had just finished impaling the Sarpi warrior on the end of his sword.
“Go! I’m right behind you,” he bellowed.
Sophia reached the base of the wall first. The stonework had been damaged by the gargantuan’s attack, but legionaries still manned it. She called up to them and a rope was thrown down. Behind her, Sarpi warriors were swarming through the breached outer wall and gaining fast. Only the sharp shooting of the legion archers was keeping them at bay.
Quickly, one after the other they began the arduous climb to the battlements. Sarpi arrows clattered off of the stonework, shredding their nerves as they climbed. Finally, Sophia reached the top and strong legion arms helped her over the side. Ferran was next and finally Faramond.
Once they were all back on the battlements, Ferran led the way towards the second gargantuan. As they ran the defenders cheered them. The slaying of one of the great beasts had restored to them some courage. As he ran, Ferran knew that the odds of succeeding in taking down another were slim. Unlike the first, the second gargantuan was being protected by goblins which were riding upon its back. Undead swarmed around its massive feet and N’gist mages were covering it with a magical shield. The beast raised its huge head and slammed it against the wall with devastating force.
A large crack appeared in the stonework. Another blow and the wall would fall. A horn sounded from the spot where the third beast was, its mournful tone warning that it too was battering at the wall.
Ferran slowed his run and stopped. Sweat dripped into his eyes and his limbs felt rubbery.
“It’s no use,” he muttered under his breath.
The scene before him filled him with dread. The enemy was too many, the defenders too few. Goblins were scaling ladders that they had managed to latch onto the walls. Legion swords flashed in the fading sunlight as they cut into the monsters. Bodies of men, legionary and tribesman alike, lined the walls, the courtyard below, and every spare scrap of ground.
A loud crash came from the wall ahead, and the panicked screams of men carried on the air. The enemy was through.
Ferran closed his eyes. The Watchers would fall. And along with it, the realm.
32.
Yepert wandered in a daze. His face was covered in dirt and grime. All around him was death. The cries of wounded men filled the air, and blood covered the stones of the courtyard. A man in plate armour pushed passed him, sending him crashing onto the ground. The world spun. Where was he? How did he get outside? His mind reeled with confusion. The legionary ran on without a backwards glance. Other soldiers were now running past him; panic was all around.
He cried out as someone grabbed hold of his cloak and pulled him out of harm’s way. Bleary eyed, he looked up to see Hannah, a look of determination on her tear-streaked face. She dragged him around a corner and into an alley that ran between two barracks buildings. Another cloaked figure was sat there.
“Luxon?” Yepert croaked.
Hannah moved him so that he lay next to his friend.
“Where have you been, Yepert?” Hannah sobbed. “Why are you outside? You were supposed to stay in the keep until we came for you.” She hugged him tightly.
“I don’t know. I … I … don’t know how I got outside … Last thing I remember, I was inside and then …”
He cried out and held his head as a sharp pain lanced through his skull.
Say another word and you die, whispered a voice in his head.
Yepert cried out again and shut his mouth. The pain was too much to bear.
“The walls have fallen! Run for your lives!” cried a fleeing soldier.
Hannah hurried to the end of the alley and peeked around the corner. A huge hole was in the wall, and a massive creature was in the breach. Goblins, pucks and undead swarmed through. A cohort of legionaries formed a shield wall before them, and the bloodletting continued with a new desperate savagery. More warriors rushed into the fray whilst others fled for their lives. At the front of those running and riding to save his own skin was Commander Fritin. He bellowed at his men to get out of the way.
“Coward,” Hannah snarled.
She hesitated. The fortress would soon be lost, but how could she get them all out? Luxon was still drifting in and out of consciousness, and Yepert was a babbling mess. She longed to see a friendly face.
Suddenly, the sky filled with a deafening roar. It was a roar that shook the very foundations of the fortress, a roar so loud that attackers and defenders alike paused the slaughter.
Hannah gripped the stone tightly and cried out.
Coming fast out of the sky were three massive creatures. Their wings were held tight against their castle-sized bodies as they dove through the clouds. Each of the creatures was a different size. One was smaller than the others, another bigger, and both were dark coloured. The one leading them, however, was massive, its silver scales glinting in the fading light of day.
“Umbaroth,” she whispered in awe. Luxon had told her tales of the king of the dragons. She hurried over to Luxon and knelt before him.
“Luxon, wake up! Umbaroth has come, he is here to save us,” she cried, tears of hope streaming from her tired eyes.
Upon hearing the name of his old friend Luxo
n stirred.
“Impossible …” he muttered before closing his eyes again.
Hannah laughed with joy. Perhaps all was not lost.
* * *
Ferran grunted as his tourmaline blade cleaved a goblin’s head from its shoulders. Sophia ducked a spear point, before stabbing with her daggers, and Faramond roared as he brought his sword down in a two-handed thrust into the foe before him. The three of them had managed to get off the wall, but now they and a few dozen legionaries and tribal warriors were surrounded by enemies. Fighting back to back, they were making some progress through the snarling goblins.
A roar boomed from the sky above, making both men and monsters alike flinch. For a brief moment, the battle seemed to pause as every combatant stared in awe at the three dragons diving towards the fortress.
“It cannot be …” Ferran uttered in stunned disbelief.
He recognised the powerful visage of Umbaroth, but it was the smallest of the three dragons that took him most by surprise. It was the dragon he had liberated from Stormglade.
As one, the dragons opened their cavernous mouths and poured fire upon Danon’s ranks. In an instant, the dragon fire swept over the goblins that were swarming around them. The fire vaporised the beasts and carved a hole through which Ferran and the other survivors could flee. Faramond held his sword high into the air in salute to the dragons and whooped.
“Let’s move!” Ferran ordered.
They broke into a sprint towards the keep, the last line of defence. The dragons circled high overhead and delivered another deadly salvo of fire, this time concentrated on one of the gargantuans. The gargantuan roared in pain as the fire struck and melted the mighty beast’s armour. Ferran watched as the dragons were forced to shy away from their attack as the N’gist launched a volley of magical attacks.
He caught up with Sophia and Faramond.
“They are buying us time to escape. Even with three of them, it won’t be enough to stop the enemy. Danon seems to have learnt his lesson from his defeat at Eclin.”
“Damn the N’gist to the Void,” Faramond spat.
“Let’s get to the keep. We need to get Hannah and the others before we leave,” Sophia said.
Ferran nodded in agreement.
* * *
Danon watched the dragons fall from the sky. The Sarpi general at his side cowered upon seeing them. Danon snarled.
“So, Umbaroth returns from his exile. Drakis has failed me,” he muttered darkly.
He clenched his hands into fists, before striding towards the battle raging before him. Looking up, he tracked the movements of the dragons. His N’gist followers were doing well to stave off the flying serpents, but whilst they were distracted in doing so, too many of the enemy were escaping. He had wanted to crush the men of the tribes and the legion utterly.
Not taking his eyes off of the dragons, he clambered over the rubble of the outer wall. He narrowed his eyes at one of the black dragons. He would show the king of dragons that to challenge him would cost the lives of his kin. He shouted to his N’gist, who gathered around their master. Raising his hands high into the air he channelled his dark power. The air around him became icy cold and a dark shadow seemed to engulf him. Uttering a foul incantation, the shadow spread from his body to envelope his followers. He could feel their power feeding his own.
Far above the world, a piece of rock that had orbited the planet below for millennia changed direction. The rock began to fall. It struck Esperia’s atmosphere, turning a brilliant fiery white. It fell at supersonic speed, towards the battle raging far below.
* * *
A sound like thunder signalled the rock’s arrival. Ferran looked up just in time to see the meteor smash with full force into the bigger of the two black dragons. The impact sheared the mighty beast in two, sending its two halves tumbling to the ground. Fear gripped his Ferran’s heart.
The once mighty beast’s carcass smashed into the ground, creating a small earthquake as it did do. Witnessing the slaying of the dragon broke the defenders’ resolve. What discipline there had been was now replaced with abject terror as everyman fought for their own survival.
As the defenders turned and fled, many were cut down by the now charging Sarpi, or ripped apart by the monsters at Danon’s dark command. Umbaroth and the other dragon broke off their attacks and flew back into the clouds.
Ferran, Sophia and Faramond fled down the main road to the gate leading to the lands of Delfinnia. Halfway up the road, Sophia slowed and called for the others to stop. The witch hunter pointed to a narrow alley which lay close to the keep. Some of the legionaries had ran inside the stone tower, thinking that they could mount one last defence. Ferran knew better. Against the numbers they faced, they didn’t stand a chance.
“It’s Hannah and the boys,” Sophia said. They ran over to the alley. Hannah cried out in relief.
“Praise Niveren you’re still alive,” she sobbed, hugging Sophia tightly.
“Are they alright?” Faramond asked as he watched the approaching slaughter.
“No. Luxon is barely conscious. The Void sickness … I cannot heal it. Yepert is hurt too, I think he has a concussion.”
“We need to leave. Now. Faramond help me,” Ferran said reaching down and hauling Luxon to his feet.
He draped one of the wizard’s arms over his shoulder. Faramond did the same with Yepert. Together, they moved back out onto the main street. Behind them, the enemy had set about setting fire to the legion’s barracks. Acrid black smoke began to obscure their vision as they headed towards the gate. Rounding a corner, the gatehouse came into view. A small group of legionaries was ushering survivors through it and urging them to scatter into the countryside. If they all fled together it would be easy for Danon’s forces to hunt them down like rabbits.
“Are there any more survivors?” asked a bloodied legionary, the captain of the small group. The desire to flee and save his own skin was evident in his eyes.
“We saw some men run to the keep,” Sophia replied.
The legionary shook his head. “Crazy fools. They are only prolonging their deaths.”
“Aren’t we all?” muttered Faramond.
Dark rings of exhaustion were under the king’s eyes. Ferran pitied him. He had been a king for only a few hours and yet he had ruled over the doom of his people. How many Keenlance warriors had survived? A thousand? A hundred? None?
The captain ushered them through the gate before ordering his men to seal it behind them. The heavy iron portcullis slammed shut with a thud.
“It won’t hold them for long,” the captain said, “but it should buy us a few moments. Good luck.” He then joined his men in taking off their steel cuirasses and helmets. The armour would only slow them down.
Sophia and Hannah led the way up the road, whilst Ferran and Faramond brought up the rear. Luxon’s feet dragged on the ground and Yepert was barely able to walk.
“We’ll never get away fast enough,” Hannah said.
As if in answer to her statement a shadow covered them. Umbaroth flew low above them and landed on the road ahead. The smaller dragon, meanwhile, circled above.
“Do not be afraid. Come. We will take you to safety,” the silver dragon said, its powerful voice shaking the very air.
They hurried over to the huge dragon, who carefully picked them up one by one and placed them onto its back. When it was Luxon’s turn to be lifted, the dragon hesitated. It lowered its head closer to the barely conscious young man.
“Forgive me, my friend,” Umbaroth said softly. “I should never have left you.” He raised his head and focused his huge eyes on Ferran and the others.
“What is wrong with him?”
“Void sickness,” Ferran replied. “The worst case I have ever witnessed. If he doesn’t get help soon he will die.”
Umbaroth nodded his head in understanding. With surprising gentleness, he scooped Luxon up with his talons.
An explosion came from down the road. The gate, the final
obstacle to Danon, had been destroyed. Pouring through the breach came the Fell Beasts, and close behind them marched the Sarpi. Upon seeing the dragon, the enemy broke into a charge, but Umbaroth flapped his massive wings and took to the sky.
Climbing high, Ferran was able to see carnage unfolding in the Watchers from above. The enemy looked like ants swarming over a carcass. At the sight he uttered a silent prayer to Niveren. A wave of tiredness came over him. His arms trembled and his head ached. He rolled onto his back and closed his eyes. The rhythm of the mighty dragon’s wings flapping was soothing. It wasn’t long before sleep took him.
33.
A familiar smell stirred Ferran from his slumber. Groggily, he opened his eyes and found himself sat on grass underneath a tall birch tree. With the approaching winter, the trees leaves were turning a darkish red and falling softly like rain onto the ground below. He looked up at the sound of feet crunching through dead leaves. Sophia approached, a tired smile on her face. Her long dark hair was toussled, but the dirt and grime that had covered her face was gone. In her hands she carried a bowl of steaming hot soup.
“I didn’t have the heart to wake you,” she said gently. She knelt down in front of her husband and stroked his cheek softly before handing him the bowl.
“Where are we?” Ferran asked. He sniffed the soup: mutton and onions. His stomach growled in anticipation of its hunger being sated.
“Somewhere in the Westerlands, I think. I saw a river to the east. We can’t be far from Ridderford.”
Ferran whistled in surprise. They had travelled over four hundred miles in less than a day. Having a dragon as a friend certainly cut down on travelling time. He sipped the soup, savouring its taste as it touched his tongue, and the warm sensation as it moved to his stomach.
War for the Sundered Crown (The Sundered Crown Saga Book 2) Page 24
