She thought that it was Echolus trying to lead his wizards and warlocks, but Megan didn't have a chance to check as the woman watched the mass of the enemy turn towards the school. Magic didn't attack them right away. First, there was a wave of arrows. She heard wizards scream that had been too slow to prepare magic shields to deflect the simple projectiles.
"Shields," the girl cried out reminding everyone too late, though her class had also been led by Fordenna. Air shields and the green shields of force that those without strength in air were able to make could be seen glimmering all along the walls as arrows continued to assault the school's defenders for several minutes.
Megan felt more than saw the attention of the enemy appear to split as it turned on the advancing wizard hunters. Her breath caught in her throat as the woman felt the stone she had given Torva in the middle of a rather insignificant looking number of hunters as they faced the sea of monsters. They had no walls to hide behind as they faced an enemy that seemed to be created from those cast off by the emperor and his chosen people.
Worry nearly distracted her as she realized that the enemy numbered enough to split its attention between both forces. The enemy's crude magic was used to attack and test the wall of the school now. More magic was fed into their defense by the wizards and the enemy spell remained ineffective against it for the moment, but the enemy wasn't through with them yet. Trolls and armored viles had reached the outer perimeter. Hammers struck their blows and claws stronger than steel began to try tearing away the magic protecting the stone in front of them. More arrows continued to rain onto the wizards and the soldiers guarding them.
It was early enough into the battle that the wizards were fresh. No one fell that Megan could see, but her attention continued to split between the enemy before her and her beloved Torva somewhere in the chaos east of the school.
Yelon moved closer to Torva as the wizard hunters closed cautiously on the more numerous multitudes of enemy creatures facing them. He spoke low in the hopes that only his cousin would hear his words, but the man had to ask, "If the enemy comes from the orcs and trolls, do you think we can trust their kind among our hunters?"
"Do we have a choice?" Torva replied without committing himself to an answer. He trusted Gock and Bocha, but the squad leader could hardly say the same for those outside of his squad.
The hunter leader was a little taller than his cousin, though still short of six feet. Despite his height, the man could only partly see what was coming towards them. Torva's magic allowed him to feel the movement and guess at the number of enemies coming towards the wizard hunters. With less than three hundred to meet this army, he knew that they would be outnumbered at least six to one if he added the force weathering the storm behind the school's walls.
Thousands of orcs, trolls, goblins and more had swept from the west to destroy the western barracks in a matter of minutes. The second garrison's headquarters had been lightly manned with the draw on their numbers for the war. Lord Devolus led hundreds of their men in Litsarin right now, but their order had taken significant losses over the last year even under the direction of the powerful lord and his brother. The combination of those two things meant that the force of wizard hunters left in Ensolus was at an all time low since Torva had joined the organization. Most of their number that remained had taken up residence in the east barracks concentrating their power there since it was closer to the emperor's spire.
Feeling the destruction of their secondary base only added to the tension and worry the man felt facing the vast force arrayed against them. If those not human or elf among them turned against the hunters, those poor odds would be getting even worse.
The clouds of arrows had done little to break them, but they had really just been a cover for the approaching creatures as they closed on the smaller force. Neither side had horses or other ways to moved around the cave city so he was surprised that whoever led this revolution knew enough to use their archers to keep the magic users pinned down and committed to their defenses long enough to bring the front lines together.
"We should have gone to Sanctuary already," his younger cousin grumbled as the sounds of swords and shields came to their ears as the two armies met in battle.
Torva felt a surge of magic as the glow from fire spells and light attacked the enemy. Though called wizard hunters, much of their force was made up of soldiers drawn from the empire's several armies. It was a position of prestige and the income was better than being a regular soldier. Their main job was to shield the casters among them. Armor coated in black that could absorb elemental magic was still strong against the physical blows of iron and steel, but the enemy had armor as well. The problem was he couldn't tell if they had any of the rare armor the wizard hunters used to protect them from warlock magic.
"Shoot fireballs over their heads! Aim for the mass beyond our front line," he ordered loud enough that other squads around them even chose to follow Torva's order to his men. It was the common first strike between forces with magic, so it wasn't surprising to see dozens of fireballs arcing through the air added to those of his four warlocks. Wave after wave was sent towards the soldiers slightly ahead of their frontline.
The wizard hunter closed his eyes trying to use his other ability to see through his magic sense. He could feel the enemy soldiers falter slightly as they attacked. While those engaged with his frontline would hardly be affected and thus continued to be a handful for the hunters' soldiers, those just behind the line had taken enough damage to disrupt the steady flow of troops towards them.
As the battle joined, the force of wizard hunters stalled. Soldiers with their black shields and weapons fought against the goblins and orcs that had been along this side of their army. Their line spread out curving to do their best to keep from being flanked. Warlocks and wizards from the forward squads drew back as more soldiers reinforced the front line with more bodies wielding shields. Some spread outward towards the edges as more and more of the enemy tried to engulf them with their greater numbers, but the hunters were well trained.
Magic spells arced over the heads of the wizard hunter front line continually doing damage as mainly fire lobbed into the enemy killing some but mostly distracting the creatures. If they had been any of the elemental eating armor in this army, few fighting here had been so lucky as to receive it apparently. Their shields could still be raised to mitigate much of the damage, however, so those not in immediate contact with the front line fighters did their best to cover themselves with their shields over their heads and those struggling with the soldiers.
Spearmen in the second line thrust past the front shield wall picking off those who were too close. Their attention distracted by the fire and shields held over head caused the enemy to take damage falling under the feet of those pressing in from behind. Fighters in the front couldn't step back without stumbling over their fellows. They weren't trained to the degree that the wizard hunters were and so the ability of fewer soldiers paired with magic held their line against the greater force. Stopped cold, the hunters were even able to push back slightly.
Enemy troops at the front were hampered by those pushing in from behind sometimes leaving them nowhere to move to avoid an attack, while those just behind wished to get out of the area being struck by magic spells. They faltered and, for a fleeting moment, Torva thought that the hunters might be able to hold and even win. Magic from the school held the others at bay while the wizards and apprentices did their best to attack those outside their gates.
That was when the enemy's true power came to bear. Smaller orcs and goblins were shoved aside until, even in the midst of the hunters' brigade, Torva was able to see dozens of trolls and armored viles pushing their way to the front. While the school might be dangerous and was likely the focus of this part of their attack, the hunters couldn't be ignored. Veritable tanks, both of the larger races were resistant to many kinds of spells. Fire did little to the monsters in their armor. Armored viles didn't even need much of the metal coveri
ngs that other creatures used. They had thick, natural armor plating anyway. Long claws served as weapons in combat that could slice through many kinds of metal armor as well. Little more than beasts in appearance, the viles were massive and powerful.
Striking the hunters' line, Torva could barely see the men being knocked aside. More frightening was those soldiers thrown into the air like rag dolls being tossed away by a worrying dog. Several men were tossed back far enough that they cleared their comrades closest to them to land among the warlocks dozens of steps away.
"Use spears of light and dark. We must stop those creatures from breaking our line completely," he called out for his men and the other warlocks closest to them. All of the warlocks could tell that this was the breaking point. The battle would be won or lost depending on whether they could stop these beasts that were normally on their side. These were the monsters that had harassed and slaughtered the armies of man in the north for generations.
Torva fired his bolts of darkness almost immediately as his words faded into the din of combat. His men joined him as did a few others. Those that couldn't hear him either figured it out seeing their attacks or decided the same. With these brutes battering their men, the warlocks knew that they must be taken down quickly before their shield wall was decimated.
Minutes passed and the hunters continued to fight. Spears took down several of the armor crushing monsters, but when Yelon suddenly shoved him from the side, Torva was stunned to suddenly see an armored vile looming to his left. The monster had barely missed connecting with the elf's head. Only his cousin's quick reflexes had saved the squad leader from a shattered head, if it would have even remained attached at all.
He turned to face the armored vile. Another soldier who had been just in front of him slowly toppled onto the ground. Helmet pierced by two of the claws, the man's head inside of it had been punctured. Blood and gore leaked from beneath the helmet to pour down the man's back and armor.
With no time to watch the ill fated man's fall, Torva released three black spears into the beast with his left hand as he tried to guide them towards the soft spots between the plates of its natural armor. His sword prepared to thrust or defend depending on how he succeeded with the spears.
Two of the magical spears struck the heavy armor. It was part of the vile's body, but there was no real sign of blood. Hard as boiled leather, the thick armor showed no real sign of being damaged; but the third spear had gone for the soft spot on the front of its neck. Fur covered, the pelt was no more resistant to his magic than the fur of a dog. The black spear entered the neck on a sharp angle from the much shorter man as the beast lunged for him again. A thick plated skull stopped the force of the magical weapon, but the brain hidden from his sight was a soft organ similar to any natural creature's. With a spear driven through its brain, the vile's eyes rolled back and its mouth opened slightly as thought disappeared with its death.
Dancing back from the hundreds of pounds toppling towards him, Torva ignored the dead creature as he looked for more. He could see others struggling to fight other foes in their midst. Orcs and goblins often filled the holes wreaking their own version of havoc as they followed the larger creatures. Man and elf did their best to avoid being crushed while forming into smaller multi-man teams. Orcs and trolls in black armor continued to fight their brethren, since allegiance to the hunters held most in line.
Torva watched the first orc to turn on one of the warlocks and knew that it was as Yelon had feared. The first wasn't the last. Stabbed in the back literally by their comrades, the hunters' defense began to falter as several of their men died to supposedly friendly hands. His eyes went to Gock and Bocha.
The second of his trolls swung a heavy bastard sword blocking the attack of one of the enemy trolls. He heard a snarl of words in one of the beast languages that their kind rarely spoke among men and elves. It was a language of the western part of the city designed to hide their thoughts from those who had held dominion over them, but it had always been the emperor who truly made the beasts cower and serve without question. His magic had bound the lesser races in the old world and his power had continued to keep that service through the centuries since coming to Alus as well.
The emperor was gone now and not only men like General Corven were discontent with the status quo. Who commanded these creatures now? Torva wondered as he fought.
A black blade aimed for his head. It was an orc that he didn't know. Quick retribution was exacted as the squad leader removed its head from its shoulders with a retaliatory sweep of his sword's metal.
"Watch yourselves. We have traitors among us siding with the beasts!" he warned his men.
He spotted another man attacked from behind only ten feet away. Bocha was closer than he and the troll demonstrated that his faith wasn't misplaced as his metal wrapped club swung down onto the helmeted head of the traitor. Nearly driving the metal helmet into the orc's chest, it collapsed under its power dying as the traitor's knees buckled from the blow.
Torva moved to catch the man who had been stabbed from behind. He had still been standing, but the blade had gone deep. The pain and blood loss caused him to stumble. Turning the soldier to face him; the elf's question of his well being stopped before it could be asked. Human, his face was drained of color save for the blood coming from his mouth. The man choked on his own blood and his breathing stopped almost as soon as the squad leader caught him.
Laying the body down, Torva turned angry. He didn't know what to say or what order he could give. When their very own, which had given oaths of service to the hunters, turned on the men that they had served beside for years, the elf wondered who he could trust. Some teams were an even mix of orcs and trolls paired with humans and elves. Only Bocha and Gock currently remained in his squad that weren't human or elf.
This battle would be lost, he feared, if only because the hunters could no longer trust the very creatures in their midst.
Holdy used his magic to shield an area around twelve feet wide and ten feet high. Megan and many of his classmates stood on the wall behind his shield using their magic to either strengthen the wall as it continued to take blow after blow or did their best to attack the monsters below them. Wondering once more if it was time to slip away to Sanctuary, the apprentice did as he was told for now.
He had moved most of his belongings to his future home as had many of the other students and teachers who had chosen to follow Lesolas and the others who had brought others of a like mind together. Though there were a few things that he might wish to grab before leaving for good, if they had to leave without them, Holdy could live with that as well. The boy guessed that was true for most of them now.
Maya stood close and the girl remained frightened. She wasn't made for battle. Even their teacher Megan didn't seem like she would stand in defense for too long. Their lives were on the line which made the need outweigh their natural fear and longing for peace, but it was a fight that no longer felt necessary to those hoping for sanctuary.
Even so, the younger girl asked her teacher, "Do we continue to stay and fight? There are so many. We could just leave them the city and go. As long as my family can escape through the tunnel, it doesn't matter."
Maya's parents weren't rich and lived in the human quarter similarly to his mother, but her mother was a servant to one of the lords in a spire south of the emperor's and her father worked in a warehouse for a merchant. Neither had talents that were overly necessary to Lesolas and the other wizards choosing Sanctuary, but the girl could have taken them with her even so. Anyone going had been allowed to take family. Some of those who wished to join them in Southwall had been ferried there by portals already. Her parents had chosen to remain so far. They knew of the tunnel in case it became dangerous and they needed to flee.
"We should at least try to hold the school for now," Megan said directing her voice towards the girl and students around her. Fordenna and another handful of students were close by but further along the wall doing similar work to
those around him. "If we cast a portal up here in the open or try to retreat from the wall, Echolus or one of the other grand masters might decide to destroy us even though they might believe that they still need us."
"The monsters might kill us and the grand masters might kill us? Why are we still here if you believe that?" the younger girl nearly whined.
Megan didn't answer immediately. It was a question that she asked herself often also, but her excuses for the continued charade had begun to sound flimsy to her as well.
As the women questioned what to do, they continued to defend the wall and watch the enemy. There were warlocks among them. It was obvious if only because of the way that the hunters' barracks had been destroyed. Little other magic had been leveled at the school beyond the first wave of attacks, which made Holdy wonder what the enemy's casters were waiting for now. Could they be waiting for the wizards to falter? More than half of those living in the school right now were apprentices. They could be waiting for the lesser trained children to give up and flee or perhaps hoped that they would use themselves up before they had to make a final push to destroy the school.
"Turless, can you maintain the shield a moment?" the boy asked. Something felt wrong to him.
Megan noted the exchange and asked, "What is it, Holdy?"
"I'm not certain. It may be nothing, but something feels wrong."
"A lot feels wrong," Turless complained before his friend chanted a joining spell.
Grunting acknowledgement, though the sound likely was lost in the din of the battle going on around them; Holdy immediately knelt to place his right hand on the stone beneath their feet. Chanting a new spell, the apprentice used his magic to reach down into the wall. He could feel the scraping of armored vile claws and siege hammers used by powerful trolls. They continued to work at the defense erected by the wizards to protect their wall.
The wall was beginning to take damage, but overall it was still quite minimal. Magic continued to hold the beasts off, but that was part of what was bugging him, Holdy thought. It was so straightforward, yet the attack seemed rather simple and even weak. He had felt their magic. What had struck the barracks had been powerful; a spell that likely required not only a number of wizards but some that knew greater magic.
Battle Mage Broken Empire Page 39
