“Oh no, that is Tiga’s unit,” Sexton said.
“What is that?” Arkyn asked.
“Tiga received permission to take her unit outside the wall this morning. She went out along with a Skalish unit to drill.”
Arkyn held his spyglass up and looked. “Damn! They are cut off. At least the Menegar cavalry unit broke off its attack, perhaps they can get away. May the Almighty watch over you and your men, Tiga.”
After a moment of digesting the turn of events about Tiga the group at the perch turned their attention to the Menegar at their door.
“They are lined up in their pent columns all around the city, sir,” Sexton said. “We are completely surrounded.”
“The Beko are arranged among the Menegar, and not separately. I think that is a tactical mistake,” Rackam said.
“No sign of any wizards as of yet,” Sexton said.
Before anyone could make another comment a loud boom resounded that could be heard for miles. It was the signal for the Menegar to attack. The Menegar and the Beko giants rushed the city walls and the Beko reached them first. They put their backs to the wall and cupped their hands, and the Menegar ran up to the Beko, put their foot into the hands of the Beko, and the Beko hurled the Menegar up on to the top of the wall. It was faster than ladders. Sometimes the men on the wall would stab the Menegar and kill them before they landed but most of the Menegar landed on their feet and started fighting immediately.
The King and the generals could only watch as the fighting became fierce along the walls. So far, their spotters had not seen any place where the Menegar had gotten past the walls, but at several points they were massing on the walls and making formations.
“Sir, the southwest section of the wall is teeming with Menegar, they almost outnumber our men,” Sexton said.
“Send reinforcements at once,” Rackam said.
Sexton jotted a note and gave it to a runner who placed it in the message basket and lowered it. Sexton didn’t have to wait long to see a surge of Avish soldiers climb onto the wall and after a fifteen-minute battle kill off the large group of Menegar on the southwest wall.
Reports soon came up from the message baskets. Most were reports of losses at different sections of the wall and reports that they were holding, which wasn’t a surprise to Sexton because he could see that. The report that caught his eye was that despite arrow attacks and attacks using boiling oil, the Beko could not be driven off the walls. Sexton racked his brain for an answer to that problem, but he couldn’t think of a solution.
“Sir, efforts to drive off the Beko with arrows and boiling oil have not been effective,” Sexton said.
“I am not surprised,” Rackam said. “Their skin is thick and tough, and the rumor is they don’t feel pain, or their tolerance for it is so high they may as well not feel it. The only thing that will get through their armor and tough hide is a ballista bolt. We brought two ballistae with us. They are assembled and are on moveable stands. They are in the west tower. Have them brought out and used against the Beko. Ask General Gustafson if the Skalish have any as well.”
“Yes sir.”
Sexton sent an order out to deploy the ballistae. He ran over to the other side of the tower.
“General Gustafson, General Rackam suggests you deploy ballistae against the Beko if you have them.”
“Good thought, we have six, one right here on the tower,” Gustafson replied. “I’ll issue the orders at once.”
After a moment the Avish ballistae were brought out. A crew of six manned each one. One was positioned to aim at the closest Beko, and the men strained to load the massive bolt caster, then pulled the release and the bolt buried itself into the Beko’s chest. The Beko fell, but another one came to take it’s place almost immediately. The crew prepared to fire on the new Beko as the crew manning the other ballista took aim on a Beko in another position. Both launched their bolts at the same time and took out two more Beko. Again, the fallen Beko were replaced almost instantly. The captain of one of the crews sent a message via a runner off to Sexton and turned to continue launching bolts at the Beko.
Sexton received the message moments later. “Sir, the ballistae are effective against the Beko but the fallen Beko are being replaced almost immediately.”
“Yes, I would guess that there are 300 Beko lining the walls and another 4,000 or 5,000 out there hurling spears at the men on the walls. We don’t have enough ballista bolts for all the Beko, but we can slow them down.”
“At least the ramparts are offering some protection against the spears and arrows,” Sexton said.
“A little bit of a silver lining in this hellish mess,” Rackam replied. “Report.”
Sexton searched through a growing pile of messages. “Sir, a group of thirty Menegar breached the wall but the roving rear guard took care of them. The wall where the thirty Menegar broke through was reinforced.”
“That should not have happened this early in the conflict,” Rackam said. “I am concerned.”
Sexton relayed the rest of the notable messages to Rackam and he sent down several orders. Sexton went back to scanning the south and west points of the wall and the enemy beyond. In the south, he noticed a commotion among the enemy ranks. The Menegar and Beko troops started chanting. It was a deep chant, but Sexton couldn’t quite make out what the enemy troops were saying. It sounded like “Yo-har.” He saw that the Menegar troops were making a space. He trained his spyglass on the strange activity and saw that several robed and hooded creatures were forming a line in the empty space. The robes were blood red with runes and sigils in black all over them in no discernable pattern. Each robe was different. The chanting became louder and it was clear the enemy soldiers were repeating the word “Aryogar”. The robed figures formed a line and out of the crowd of Menegar soldiers Sexton saw the biggest creature he had ever beheld emerge. The chanting became frenzied. Sexton assumed the big creature must have been this Aryogar fellow.
The chanting stopped abruptly, and Sexton could see that Aryogar was saying something because his hood didn’t cover his prodigious mouth. He raised his arm to point straight out and the other hooded creatures did as well. Suddenly a low boom sounded, and it was so loud it hurt Sexton’s ears. The ground started shaking and the tower started swaying back and forth like it would topple if Sexton leaned the wrong way. Sexton regained his balance and trained his spyglass back on the hooded creatures. What he saw sent shivers all over his body. The hooded figures, with Aryogar in their center, began to rise into the air. They floated up to about 20 span. Sexton was able to shout at the general and King Arkyn and point toward what Sexton now knew to be wizards. The general and King Arkyn stood transfixed as the wizards continued their chanting. They flew together to form a semi-circle, with Aryogar at a point furthest from them. The wizard’s chanting ceased, and another boom sounded, again shaking the ground and the tower. The two wizards on the opposite points of the semi-circle shot a continuous beam of green light towards the outer wall and their beams hit the same point. As those two held their spell, the wizards beside them shot out a green light as well and hit the same point. Two more shot spells at the wall, and two more after that, until all fifty of the hooded mages were holding a spell of a green beam of light aimed at the same place in the wall.
The wall still holds, even withstanding the power of fifty wizards. The walls of Trellheim will become the stuff of legend, and this will be the finest hour of my reign as King of Skal.
King Arkyn was right to have pride in his walls, but he didn’t know the power that Aryogar possessed. Aryogar held up both hands and bellowed out something unintelligible to the defenders of Trellheim. A swath of light three spans thick emitted from him and sped toward the wall. When that powerful beam struck the wall, the wall exploded, with pieces of it tearing those closest to the wall, Menegar and Avish, into bloody ribbons.
The men on the tower were astounded. None of them had ever seen that kind of power wielded before. General Rackam recovered f
irst.
“Sexton blow the signal to retreat to the inner wall,” he said. Sexton immediately picked up the bugle and blew the signal. As the Menegar horde gathered themselves to rush in the breech the Avish responded to the retreat order and made as orderly of a retreat to the inner wall as they could. General Gustafson ordered the Skalish troops to retreat to the inner wall as well, before King Arkyn could say anything. Arkyn nodded his head in approval after the order was given.
The fighting was heavy as the Menegar poured into the outer city and pursued the retreating Avish. The Avish formed a line of defense to cover the retreat, but it looked like the Avish were being overwhelmed. Rackam had Sexton signal for more men to join the defense of the retreat. Sexton did, but in the mass confusion there wasn’t much of a response.
“Damn it, they are going to pick off half our force if more men don’t cover the retreat,” Rackam said.
“Sir, I believe we have our own problems to worry about,” Sexton said pointing south.
The wizards had begun flying around and attacking the Avish and Skalish troops. Several archers on the walls were staying on them valiantly and attempting to shoot the wizards down. Some were successful in shooting the wizards out of the air, but many of the wizards remained in the theatre of battle, and they were doing real damage.
That wasn’t what Sexton was referring to. What he saw that put them in danger’s path was Aryogar flying right toward them. Sexton jumped to action and after he told King Arkyn and General Rackam to climb off the tower, he went to the north corner to where the ballista was and took a bolt and loaded it onto the ballista. He cranked the wheel that was used to cock the steel cable into firing position. While he was doing that Aryogar approached and stopped seven span from the tower. He threw his hood off and revealed himself to be the ugliest Beko any of the men on the tower could have imagined. Aryogar laughed and as Arkyn stuck his foot down the hatch that led into the tower, the wizard readied his spell. As he launched the green beam of power at the tower Sexton finished cocking the ballista and launched the bolt at Aryogar. The bolt hit just as he was releasing his spell. The bolt hit Aryogar in the arm and he screamed in anguish. The spell didn’t hit the tower dead center, but it did hit on the west side and that part of the tower blew up into fragments, and when Sexton could see again, he could see half the tower was gone. Rackam’s body was ripped in half, and King Arkyn, long be his reign, had a hole the size of a large melon in his chest. Gustafson was unhurt and began weeping uncontrollably for the loss of his King.
“General Gustafson,” Sexton said. “Please pull yourself together. Our countryman’s lives hang in the balance if you can’t get the troops in order.”
“You are quite right Sexton,” Gustafson said. “There will be time for morning later.”
Gustafson quickly recovered and started issuing orders to the Avish and the Skalish. Sexton looked around for Aryogar, but he had retreated. After about two hours of fierce fighting all the surviving Avish and Skalish troops were behind the first wall. Once the gates were secure orders were passed down for positioning on the inner wall. Within thirty minutes the Avish and Skalish forces were fully prepared to defend against another Menegar attack. One did not come. Sexton thought it might have something to do with Aryogar’s injury.
That evening the jarls of Skal and the royal officials gathered in the throne room. Their purpose was to ensconce the new ruler of Skal. It was Skalish law that in war time if a king died his heir must be made king in less than 24 hours.
King Arkyn laid in state with his wound hidden. He gripped his mighty sword Impaler in one hand and a large amethyst in his other hand. He wore his crown. One of the Jarls remarked that it was sad that Queen Astrid couldn’t see him one last time, but another said it would be better to remember him as hale and whole.
After the proper respects were paid to Arkyn, the Lord of Heraldry, Sven Ubenhowse brought forth the name of the next ruler of Skal. He opened the seal of Arkyn and saw for the first time who he selected. He twitched a little but that is the only outward sign he made.
“For only the seventh time in the history of Skal, a queen is named as the high monarch. King Arkyn writes that his selection is strong, and she will be the greatest Queen in Skal’s history. He says she will lead us to victory against the Menegar horde, and in peace she will cause Skal to prosper and grow. She is Lady Torvee Eriks. Queen Torvee, come forward and claim your crown.”
Torvee was standing by Siggy. She was in complete shock. She found herself on the dais by Sven, but she didn’t know how she got there. There was a ceremonial queen’s crown, and when they placed it on her head, she thought that she would have to get another one made, after the war. Once the crown was placed on her head, she sat on the throne. All the men in the room bowed to her. “Long live Queen Torvee,” they said. “Long be your reign!”
I can’t believe the first thing I am thinking of is that Winn would have married a queen either way. His loss.
Chapter 25: Strike Back
October 10, 850 A.A.
Tiga laid stretched out on her stomach with her elbows propping up her torso so that she could look out of her spyglass. She was at the overlook on Crystal Mountain watching the fighting at Trellheim. She couldn’t see much from that vantage point, but she knew things were going bad because of the smoke spewing up from the outskirts of the fortress town. She had sent scouts to get as close as possible to the fighting and they were to report back at sundown. The sun was disappearing beyond the horizon now. Visibility was getting worse and finally Tiga gave up watching. She got up off the freezing ground and walked toward her horse.
“Back to the mine,” she told the eight soldiers that accompanied her. She thought the number ridiculous but her lieutenants and Vennon insisted on more than that. Eight was a compromise. Still, she was annoyed that her lieutenants and Vennon thought her to be so vulnerable to need that many guards. She could take care of herself.
Darkness had fallen and she made it back to the mine entrance just as the last scout reported in. She dismounted and a soldier took her horse. The scouts, her lieutenants, Vennon, and some of his men were waiting in a room carved in the side of the adit. She entered the room and everyone stood. She gave a signal and they all sat back down around a large circular table. There were lamps on the walls of the room and a lamp burning brightly on the center of the table.
“Please introduce yourselves before you give your report,” Tiga said. “Please report by lowest rank up to highest. Corporal Saket, you are up first.”
“Ma’am,” Saket said, tilting her head at Tiga. “I am Corporal Gena Saket. I was stationed north of the city. I didn’t see much, ma’am. There was heavy fighting going on once I reached my post. It lasted for several hours. I reckon at about 3:00 pm the bastards stopped fighting and started chanting something I couldn’t make out. A loud boom resounded that shook the earth, but I didn’t see where it came from. After the boom they let out a collective yell and raced around the city toward the south. All was quiet for a while until I heard shouts from inside the outer wall of the city. The last thing I saw was smoke coming from the city.”
“Revington, report,” Tiga said.
“My report matches Sakat’s, ma’am. I was stationed west of the city and I don’t have anything additional to report.”
“Pilson, do you have anything to add?” Tiga asked.
“No ma’am. I was stationed east of the city and saw what Saket saw.”
“Lieutenant Bell, you were in the south, where I think all of the action was,” Tiga said. “What did you see?”
“Ma’am, I have more to report. At the time that Saket said the enemy started chanting, robed wizards started lining up in the middle of the battlefield. I say wizards because they took off and flew in the air and destroyed a section of the outer wall with their spells. Pandemonium ensued once that happened. The Avish and Skallish troops tried to retreat to the inner wall in an orderly fashion, but the Menegar and the Beko giants rushed
through the breach in the wall and hacked the rear guard down. Many of our forces were lost.”
“That is hard news,” Tiga said. “After one day we have already lost the outer wall and the greater part of the city.”
“That isn’t the worst of it, ma’am.” Bell said.
“I shudder to think of what could be worse, but out with it,” Tiga said.
“There was a huge wizard,” began Bell. “I believe it was his name they were chanting. He was by far the most powerful of all the wizards. He flew toward the high tower and blew half of it away. Someone shot a ballista bolt in his shoulder and he was hurt, but I saw King Arkyn on that tower before it was attacked. After the attack, they carried several bodies covered in linen off that tower. I believe one of the bodies they carried off was the King’s. I say that because I could see what was left of the tower after the attack, and the King was not among those few who were moving around.”
Tiga felt like she was kicked in the gut. She didn’t know her uncle well growing up but during the time in Trellheim she had gotten to know him and love him, for he certainly loved her. She could feel tears coming, but she forced them down and addressed the group.
“I want revenge on this giant wizard. We know that the wizards are camped separately from the rest of the Menegar and Beko camps. I want the scouts to go and surveil the wizard’s camp now. Find out how heavy the guard is and where the giant is camping. He is wounded so tonight would be a good night to attack him.”
“Yes ma’am,” said the scouts and they hurried out into the night.
“Captain Vaux,” Vennon said. “May I talk to you in private?”
“Commander Vennon what you have to say to me you can say in front of my lieutenants.”
“Very well. Tiga, attacking wizards is madness. Please don’t let your grief cloud your judgement.”
“Vennon now is the perfect time to strike them. Don’t let fear cloud your judgement.”
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