Hoshmaniah's Hold

by Cyle Young

  His back wrenched. Grimacing, he turned to investigate.

  “Father!” Fohn squealed with delight. Or was it relief. Tears swam in her sea-green eyes. Maycel stood behind his little sister. Sandy locks shaded his eyes. He stared into the dirt, his expression fragile and withdrawn.

  Hoshminiah slunk to embrace them both. Relief overtook him. How could he be mad at a time like this? With a flip of his finger, he lifted Maycel’s head. “What’s wrong son?”

  “I’m sorry, father.” The boy’s lip quivered.

  “I’m just glad I found you.” He was careful not to be too hard on the ten-cycle-old smaller version of himself. Hoshminiah stared into his son’s eyes. “Thanks for looking out for your sister. You’re a good brother.”

  A quick rub of the boy’s head brought a sly smile.

  “Now, let’s get back to your mother. We need to collect our things and get to the castle.”

  “Before the Lisin come?” Fohn’s soft voice a stark reminder of the approaching battle.

  “Yes, my sweet. Before the Lisin arrive.”

  Taking both their hands, Hoshminiah started back in the direction of his house.

  Maycel mumbled under his breath, “I hate the Lisin.”

  Me too. He was tired of the battles, sieges, and the relentless onslaught of the swamp monsters. His children deserved better. Life shouldn’t have to be lived in fear of the next attack. Why couldn’t the Army of the Southern Reaches just attack Lisia and end these conflicts—once and for all.

  5

  Never trust a Lisin on a horse

  Kethian Proverb

  The streets had filled with evacuees. It had never taken Hoshminiah this long to gather his family and return to the castle. He’d have to answer for the delay upon his return. The general would be cross.

  A few more minutes and they would be on their way.

  Arms folded, Sizanne waited on the porch. She stirred when they approached. Taking hold of a large satchel, she slung it over her shoulder and trod to greet them. She smiled at him. The look of relief on her face refreshed his spirit.

  He loved her and the children so much. Protecting them was his first priority, and it served him well to remember it. Life would be futile without the joy they brought him.

  After his beautiful wife embraced the children, he plunged his hand into her hair, pulling her close. His passion overrode the immediacy of the evacuation. He planted a searing kiss on her dry lips. There would be no time for affection during the siege. This one had to last. Sizanne maneuvered in close, the urgency of her kiss felt as though she poured her whole soul into it.

  This kiss was worth being late for.

  Fohn giggled, and Hoshminiah broke off the affection. Wiping his lips, he winked at his sweet little blonde princess.

  She blushed and distant bells rang from the cities edge.

  Hoshminiah’s stomach dropped. He swoop his arm around Maycel and hoisted him up to one shoulder. “We have to go. Now.”

  “But our clothes.” Sizanne stepped toward the house.

  He grabbed her arm firmly. She wheeled around, wide-eyed and taken aback.

  “There’s no time.” Hoshminiah already had Fohn over his other shoulder.

  “But—”

  Bells blasted their terrifying tune.

  “We have to run.” Hoshminiah pivoted and sprinted toward the drawbridge. How did they arrive so fast? It took hours for the Lisin to arrive from the outpost. Surely, he hadn’t been gone that long. He needed to get his family across the bridge before they sealed the castle.

  Fohn and Maycel bounced on his shoulders with every step. They squealed in delight, not understanding the gravity of the situation. If he didn’t get them back before the Lisin reached the moat, they’d all be slaughtered in the street. Sizanne ran next to him, dodging evacuees along the street to the castle.

  There were too many. His men would never be able to get this many across before the Lisin army arrived. Many would die, but not his family—they would make it.

  He couldn’t let anything happen to them.

  The drawbridge drew closer. He gasped for breath with each approaching step. His children’s extra weight made the trip difficult. It’d been years since he’d run carrying heavy training sacks. That was a drill for a new recruit, not an established vet.

  Only half of his men had returned. He wasn’t late. Something was wrong. The Lisin shouldn’t have arrived yet.

  Yergon, Hoshminiah’s second-in-command, removed Fohn and Maycel from his shoulders. The wardsman ushered them across the bridge to safety. With a fleeting look, Hoshminiah acknowledged their departure. Sizanne kissed him just above his stubble line, her lips cold as ice against his flushed cheeks.

  “I love you.” He whispered into her ear.

  Dozens of screams broke out down the main road. His feet instinctively maneuvered him away, before she could respond. Swift footfalls carried him toward the noise. He didn’t look back. Sizanne and the children were safe, now he had to protect the citizens.

  6

  A man’s sword is his most loyal ally

  Kethian Proverb

  Sizanne reached out for her husband, but her arms grasped only air. Hoshminiah rushed into the city to investigate the screaming. She wanted so badly to tell him she loved him too. Every time he went into battle, she never knew if he would return. The life of a military wife was dreadful at times like these. When he returned, she would make sure to find him and tell him how much she loved and cherished him.

  A sea of stampeding evacuees engulfed Hoshminiah. They flooded the bridge, pushing past in a hurry. It was time to join the children, before the citizens trampled her.

  She found Yergun kneeling underneath the castle parapet. He corralled Maycel and Fohn in his arms, shielding them from the terrified herd of Askadanians.

  “Thank you, Yergun.”

  The wardsman nodded. “You’re welcome.” His sun-stained forehead creased when he leaned in. “The commander?”

  “The main road.” Sizanne placed a comforting hand on each of children’s shoulders. She gave each a wink. Everything felt different about this attack, but she had to keep her vigor—for the children’s sake.

  Before she could look up, Yergun had crossed the drawbridge. He plunged headlong into the crowd. It swallowed him as completely as her husband.

  “Come on.” She nudged the little ones shoulders. “Let’s go stow our belongings in your father’s barracks.”

  “Mother?” Maycel walked just ahead of her.

  “Yes, dear.”

  “Will the other families be there?” Her son looked at his sister. She smirked.

  They should be there, all of the wardsmen’s families stayed at the barracks during a siege. “I believe so.”

  “Good.” Maycel smiled at Fohn, and she returned his gesture with a large one of her own. “Koldin and Weiver will be there. We haven’t seen them in months.”

  Oh to be a child. All they could think about was playing with their friends. They didn’t worry about the siege, the Lisin army, or the destruction of Askadan. How wonderful it would be to cast all of her worry and anxiety away. But she would never be able too, not with Hoshminiah outside the castle wall.

  Sizanne prayed silently on the way through the narrow castle corridors. Ol protect Hoshminiah, make him strong, keep him safe, and bring him back to me.

  “Sizanne.”

  Someone called her name. She looked about. Yergun’s wife, Wara, approached holding their new baby in her arms. A knapsack slung over her arm. They hadn’t had much time to pack either.

  “Do you have your vigor, Wara?”

  The younger woman with long sable hair feigned a smile. “I’ve had better days.” Her eyes puffy from lack of sleep. It wasn’t easy having a new baby, especially during an invasion.

  Shouts rose from the top of the walls. “Lisin! Raise the bridge.”

  The two women looked at each other, eyes wide as dinner plates. They needed no words to expre
ss their concern.

  The shouts continued.

  “Yergun—” Wara’s mouth froze open.

  Yergun, Hoshminiah, and the other wardsmen were still in the city. If those soldiers raised the bridge, anyone left outside of the castle would be slaughtered.

  “Take my children to the barracks.” Sizanne darted toward a wooden staircase adjacent to the nearest section of wall. Hastened footfalls carried her farther away by the sil. She yelled over her shoulder. “I have to stop them from raising that bridge.”

  7

  A coward’s home is filled with laughter while a brave man’s home is filled with tears

  Kethian Proverb

  Hoshminiah pushed through the evacuees. He dodged and shoved his way near to the central temple of Ol. How did the Lisin arrive so quickly? They needed more time.

  Screams intensified on the other side of the large jasper building. The line of evacuees narrowed to a slow trickle, but each citizen who ran past looked as though they’d stared death in the face.

  Something terrifying was on the other side of the temple. He drew his sword.

  Yergun caught up to him. Running stride for stride, they pressed on. Whatever it was, they’d face it together. His second was a brave warrior. Together they’d hold their ground.

  Sounds of metal clashing against metal greeted them when they turned the corner. Bodies were everywhere. A mixture of fallen Lisin, citizens, and wardsmen were strewn about the temple courtyard. There were too many to count. Half a dozen wardsmen battled a float of Lisin warriors. His men had quelled the slaughter—for now.

  He surged forward to reinforce his troops. Yergun joined him. They needed to kill these Lisin and assess the threat, before any of the monsters reached the drawbridge.

  The first Lisin never saw Hoshminiah coming. Its attention was focused on one of the other wardsmen. That mistake cost the ugly beast its life. He slipped his iron blade under its arm, plunging the weapon into the Lisin’s heart.

  Instant death.

  Removing his sword, he engaged another Lisin. This one more prepared than the last. The lizard-like creature snarled. It blocked his first strike before countering with a thrust of its spear. Hoshminiah dodged to the side. He countered with a low strike aimed at the creature’s naturally armored claws. A successful strike would cut it down to size.

  The Lisin hopped over his blade. It hissed and spun around, jabbing at him with the spear. The warrior reeked of festering swamp water. This was closer than he ever wanted to be to one of their kind.

  Hoshminiah ducked the attack. He pitched forward and buried his weapon hilt-deep into the green flesh of the monster’s belly. Purple blood poured over his hands, making his grip difficult. The Lisin collapsed on his shoulder. Its hot breath blasted his neck and death calls rattled in its fleshy dewlap of a neck.

  He buckled under the weight.

  While he engaged, his men dispatched the rest of the float.

  Hoshminiah rotated his shoulders, allowing the Lisin to fall to the street. Time to find out what’s going on.

  “Report?” One of his men had to know the status of the skirmish.

  His men were winded. The fighting had been intense. Some of them bent over, resting with their hands on their knees. Others gasped for breath. They wouldn’t be able to keep up this pace.

  “Sir.” Jagson, one of his winded men, broke the silence. “Horses.”

  “Horses?” What was he talking about? What did horses have to do with anything? He needed to get to the bottom of this.

  “The Lisin. They rode in on horses.”

  This must be a mistake. Lisin don’t ride horses. They’d never survive in the swamp. He couldn’t believe it. This must be incorrect information. His face must’ve agreed, because Jagson adamantly continued.

  “I saw it with my own eyes.” The younger wardsman pointed to the outskirts of Askadan. “They rode in slaughtering everyone in their path.”

  “Where are the horses now?” Their mounts were nowhere to be found.

  One of the other wardsman interjected. “We did as you trained us. We took their mounts out first.”

  Hoshminiah faked a grin. “Good.” But this news had shaken him to the core. If the Lisin could ride horses, Askadan would never be safe.

  More screams erupted to the North. The wardsmen all moved to engage.

  “No.” Hoshminiah knew they only had one objective now. “To the bridge.”

  “But sir—“ Jagson threw his hands in the air.

  “—The city is lost. We must secure the castle—now.”

  Hoshminiah pivoted and sprinted in the direction of the castle. They needed to get back to raise the bridge. It was Askadan’s only remaining hope for survival.

  8

  Death’s merchant is war

  Kethian Proverb

  Hoshminiah had never seen such a sight.

  Streets emptied evacuees onto the drawbridge like tributaries into the mighty river Ufrate. Hundreds of Askadanians flowed across the thick hornwood bridge. The support ropes stretched taught, waiting to close the only access to the castle.

  Soldiers shouted from the gatehouse parapets. “Clear the bridge!” They waved their hands frantically. “Get off of the bridge.”

  They were trying to raise the drawbridge. That was his order to give. What were they thinking? All these people would be massacred in the street. Cutting off their path to the castle was a death sentence. He needed to do something fast.

  He looked to his second and pointed to the gate. “Yergun, take two men and help get the evacuees into the castle.” Raising his sword, he peeled off to create a barrier behind the remaining citizens. “The rest of you, form a line with me. We must protect the people.”

  Yergun wouldn’t be happy with the orders, but at least he would obey. Someone had to clear up the chaos. It might as well be the wardsman who recently had a baby. Yergun was a good fighter. They could use his strong sword, but his wife needed him to help raise their child. If anything went wrong—

  Every distant shriek revealed the Lisin approach. They’d arrive soon, and there wasn’t enough time to get all the evacuees across. Another fight brewed.

  Hoshminiah steadied his breath. Thoughts of his family helped calm his mind. He fought for them. They provided all the motivation a man could ever need.

  His troops fidgeted beside him. They formed an uneasy line of warriors. Only around half of them remained. He hoped for the safety of the others, but he knew better. If they weren’t standing with him, they probably weren’t able to ever stand again. This attack had been costly.

  If he survived this onslaught, he’d have many funeral pyres to light.

  The gatehouse soldiers continued their annoying chant. He’d deal with them harshly when this battle was over. A woman’s scream interrupted their misguided orders. It sounded like Sizanne, but his mind was probably playing tricks on him. She would be holed up in the barracks with the other wardsmen’s families.

  The clop of horse hooves approached. The Lisin had arrived. A float of Lisin rider’s slowly approached on horseback. He counted as quick as he could.

  Sixteen.

  They had a chance. His men could hold them off, at least long enough to finish the evacuation.

  The front most warrior carried a black standard. Lisin markings were painted in white on the dark cloth. A bone-colored python slithered over its neck, shoulders, and free arm. Without question, he was their leader. His forked tongue darted in and out of his mouth.

  It was a terrifying scene, but he’d lead his men bravely. They had to succeed. The people needed more time.

  Hoshminiah quickly surveyed the evacuation. Yergun had been able to speed things up. It wouldn’t be long now.

  “Hold until they attack. We need to buy as much time as we can.” They’d never drilled this scenario before. His men would have to adapt.

  The Lisin leader looked to one of his men. He spoke in chirps and squeaks. The warrior responded by raising a horn. It b
lew two short blasts, followed by two long ones.

  The sky went silent.

  Was that the order to attack? Why weren’t they engaging?

  Another horn replied the same tune. This one blasted its noise from south of the bridge.

  They couldn’t engage two groups at once, not if they wanted to protect the bridge. He didn’t have enough men. How was he going to protect the castle?

  The time for thinking was over. The Lisin riders charged.

  “Fall back.” Hoshminiah turned to run. “Use the people to confuse them.”

  It seemed like a cowardly tactic, but they had no other choice. They couldn’t withstand a cavalry charge and have enough men left to secure the bridge against another assault. If they mixed in with the evacuees still crossing the bridge, they could confuse the riders.

  He’d worry about the morality of his decision later. They had a city to save. He pushed into the mass of Askadanians and maneuvered himself into position to counter the charge. Cries rang out from the crowd. Many would die, because he had no better option.

  His men followed his lead, and just in time. The Lisin riders slammed into the mass of people. Swords and axes danced a disturbing rhythm of hacks and slashes. Bodies fell, some trampled under hooves while others succumbed to the offensive.

  But his plan worked. The Lisin rider’s attacked the closest person, without regard for their fighting ability. It was a mistake. Hoshminiah and his men counter-attacked from the fleeing mob. He slashed the closest horses neck, spilling blood into the street. The horse dropped to its side, pinning its rider to the cobblestone below.

  Hoshminiah leaped forward. He snapped a perfectly aimed strike under the creatures chin. Its fight was over.

  Within moments they’d struck down all of the horses.