Elias shoots a darkhound point-blank in the face before drawing another arrow and shouting, “Fire at will! Send these creatures back to the Eleven Hells!”
I take a step back from the wall and almost bump into Zara. She hasn’t used any magic yet, but that is according to plan. The mages have to conserve their energy until absolutely necessary. Elias ordered her to be here on the wall in case a quick shield is needed.
Mumbling an apology, I slip my hatchet back into my belt and pick my bow back up. I begin shooting as fast as I can at the monsters, trying desperately to drive them back.
As I fire something in the darkness catches my eye. The mind slaves begin moving forward as one, using the darkhounds as a distraction so that they can get close. I notice that many of them raise their crossbows and take aim at us up on top of the wall, even as they run.
“Take cover!” I shout, but it is too late. They launch their crossbows and bolts begin thudding into our defenses.
Screams of pain fill the air as more men fall off the wall and into the waiting jaws of the darkhounds. Elias, Zara and I manage to duck behind a wooden barrier made from a table just as the bolts begin to strike our position. We wait for several seconds before emerging from our cover, peeking back out to engage the enemy.
The wall is still filled with defenders, but the crossbows had taken their toll. Several of our Nightingales and militia have been killed or wounded by the deadly bolts, while others continue to be harried by the demons.
“Ignore the darkhounds,” Elias shouts, drawing another arrow and firing in one swift motion. One of the bewitched Nightingales pitches forward with an arrow in the eye. “They are a distraction! Concentrate on the enemy Nightingales!”
Our side begins attacking with renewed focus.
Just as the night when the inn was attacked, the mind slaves show absolutely no fear of death. They make no move to dodge our arrows or retreat. Many of them die while they reload their crossbows, and by the time they are ready to return fire, more than a quarter of them are down.
“Take cover!” I shout again as they fire at us again. This time, fewer of our men die from their shooting.
While crouching behind cover, something grabs my foot and nearly pulls me over the side of the wall. I look down and see the snarling muzzle of a darkhound digging its teeth into my boot. I cry out, grabbing the wall for support, but the creature’s weight is incredible. I feel my fingers begin to slip as it pulls me off of our perch.
Strong arms grab my shoulders as Elias struggles to pull me back, but even his strength is not enough to keep me from falling over the side.
This is it, I think to myself, utterly panicked. I’m going to die!
Something slams into the side of the beast’s head, spraying my face with dark blood. I instantly feel the pressure on my boot release and I am able to scramble back from the edge. Blinking furiously, I look up to see Zara holding my hatchet, looking as stunned as I feel. The blade drips with darkhound blood, its handle clutched tightly in both her hands.
She must have pulled it from my belt while I was hanging from the ledge, I realize, pushing myself up to my feet.
She hands it back to me and lets out a nervous laugh. “That’s six, ranger.”
I force a smile and put the hatchet away. “Thanks, mage. I guess I owe you... again.”
“Let’s just concentrate on not getting killed tonight,” she says, obviously trying to act tough. Despite her bravado, I can tell that she is quite shaken.
“You got it," I reply, reaching down and picking up my bow.
I begin shooting again, trying to ensure that every shot counts. With Elias by my side, and other defenders firing along the wall, the enemy Nightingales begin dropping like flies.
For a moment it feels as if we are about to push the invaders back. They’ve thrown their strength against us and we’ve made them pay dearly for it. Our side is not without casualties, but it is nothing in comparison to the sheer number of dead darkhounds and Nightingales in the road in front of us. For a brief instant, I let myself feel a little bit of hope.
Then, with a roar, that hope is taken away from me.
As the darkhounds and crossbows continue to pressure us, the thick ranks of gorgons begin to surge forward like an unstoppable tide of glowing eyes and jagged armor. Their collective battle cry fills the air and chills me to the bone.
They push past their mindflayed servants and begin quickly closing the gap between them and our outer defenses. The archers begin concentrating fire on them, but the gorgons in the front lift up their hands and produce flickering shields of garish green energy. As the shields go up they emit a strange popping sound, the way kindling snaps in a fire, and our arrows bounce harmlessly off of them, rendering our efforts to kill them useless.
It reminds me of the radiant magic that mages use, only the harsh green light feels more nefarious than the warm blue that I am accustomed to seeing.
Cursing, I turn and look at Zara. “It’s time,” I declare loudly so that she can hear me over the sounds of battle.
She nods, then waves her hands to get the attention of another mage standing on the wall far to the left of us. Clutching her talisman, she begins mumbling in some ancient language and her entire body seems to glow with an otherworldly light. Then, in a matter of seconds, azure magefyre leaps from her fingertips and lances through the air to the ground just in front of the gorgons. The other mage to our left does the same.
The pitch-soaked earth ignites with a great whoosh, engulfing a large portion of the road and several of the nearby houses, effectively cutting off Moloch and his gorgons from the wall. Several of the charging demons are caught up in the blaze, their battle cries switching into high-pitched wails of agony.
Those of us on the wall let out a cheer as we watch the monsters burn.
I look to my right and see Zara grow dimmer, the source energy seeping out of her body. She looks more fatigued than she did before, but determined, her hand still clutching her talisman as she watches the twisting flames below.
However, our cheers quickly turn into gasps of horror as a wave of infernal green light surges from beyond the wall of fire, snuffing out the flames and creating a gap wide enough for a few of them to get through. Instead of demons pouring through the fiery divide, though, I see a long metal tube being pushed through on wheels, its middle hollowed out like the gaping maw of an angry dragon.
“What in the Eleven Hells is that?” I hear somebody shout. Several of our comrades voice similar concerns.
Whatever it is, it cannot be good.
My vision is obscured as I am forced to duck behind cover to avoid being skewered by a slew of crossbow bolts. When I look back up, my mouth drops open in disbelief.
Three gorgons now stand behind the great metal cylinder, and appear to be channeling their green magic into it by placing their hands its side. Deep inside the tube I can see a glowing emerald light pulsing within, and I suddenly realize what they intend to do.
They’re going to shoot at us with that thing!
Before I even have a chance to shout for everyone to evacuate the wall, the strange weapon erupts, belching blinding green light directly at the center of our fortifications. For an instant time seems to stand still, all sound completely vanishing. Then, there is an explosion unlike anything I have ever seen before.
I get knocked back by the concussion, feeling a searing heat on my face akin to the most painful sunburn I have ever received. By the time I pick myself back up, it is as if my ears have been stuffed with cotton, my eyes partially blinded and my brain disoriented.
Blinking away the temporary blindness, I try to focus on the spot the gorgons had shot that terrible weapon. Where there used to be a wall and a half-dozen defenders there is only a gaping, smoking hole.
My stomach sinks.
The wall has been breached.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Zara
I watch in abject terror as the entire enemy horde begins
rushing toward the hole in the wall. What in the name of the Light is that magic the gorgons are wielding? I never read about that in any of my books!
Shaking my head, I pull myself up and grab my talisman. Now is not the time for pondering, I think to myself determinedly. It is the time for action.
A handful of darkhounds manage to jump through the smoking crater where the wall once stood. They gleefully begin tearing into the stunned and confused defenders.
Clearing my thoughts, I fill myself with a large amount of source energy, pushing myself to my limits as I descend the makeshift stairs and step in front of the gaping hole. Muttering the words of power, I thrust my hands in front of me and begin channeling the source energy into threads of radiant magic.
A shield of crystal blue energy blossoms in front of me, spreading out from a point in the open air and blooming outward like a flower, effectively plugging the gap and preventing any more demons from getting through. Deep down I know that I won’t be able to hold this forever, but it should give our defenders the time they need to prepare themselves for a full-scale attack.
I only hope that it doesn't take them too long to shake themselves off.
As the remaining demons and bewitched men reach my shield they begin throwing themselves against it, trying to find a weak spot they can exploit in order to get through. This spell, however, is a smaller version of what was used to create the Arc of Radiance. Unless my strength gives out, there is no way they will be able to penetrate it.
Grunting with the exertion of keeping the shield up, I watch as the archers abandon the wall and begin to form up behind me, looking more than a little rattled at the demon’s awesome display of power. Soldiers shout and clamor behind me as they fight off the handful of darkhounds that had managed to get through.
Someone speaks words of encouragement in my ear but I barely hear them. It is everything I can do to keep my radiant magic from faltering.
Finally, just when I think that I can hold it no longer, someone tells me that they are ready and that I can lower the shield. I recognize it as Owyn’s voice. Dropping the spell without hesitation, I nearly pass out as the source energy seeps out of me, draining from my flesh like water being squeezed from a sponge.
A strong arm wraps around my shoulders, and Owyn pulls me away from the crater just as the demons begin to pour through. Dazed from the effects of the spell, feeling like an insect caught before a mighty avalanche, I somehow manage to take a few faltering steps so that we can get to safety. Even in my delirious state, I can hear the titanic clash as the two sides collide with one another, weapons connecting with metal and exposed bodies.
“Are you alright?” I hear him say, sounding like he is speaking from far away.
I groggily nod as everything slowly comes back into focus around me.
“You did it,” I say. Light, why does my voice sound so funny?
“What?” He asks, looking genuinely confused.
“You finally managed to save my life.”
He stares at me for a moment, looking completely bewildered, then grins and shakes his head. I manage to give him a weak smile.
“I still have to save you a few more times before we are even.”
“The night isn’t over yet.” I stand with only a little difficulty and take a deep breath. My talisman is still clutched firmly in my hand, and I can feel the source energy pulsing within, waiting to be seized.
Together we watch the carnage unfold in front of us, the area beside the smoking crater turning into a literal bloodbath before our very eyes. Farmers and rebels fight valiantly to hold back the advancing R’Laar, even as more and more of them pour in from the other side. Luckily, because of the bottleneck of the wall, the enemy army is only able to send so many in at a time.
Even so, the might of the demons is a force to be reckoned with, and we watch as the defenders of Forest Hill die off one by one.
“This isn’t working,” Owyn growls, clearly frustrated. He draws an arrow and aims, but lowers it just as quickly. “I can’t even get a clear shot.”
“We’re going to have to fall back,” I reply, scanning the battle for any sign of Jarrus, the elderly mage who had helped me light the wall of fire.
He is nowhere to be seen.
Elias breaks away from the melee and staggers toward our position. He has a nasty gash on the side of his head, but otherwise he looks unharmed. The short sword and the knife he his wielding are both slick with dark demonic blood.
“Zara!” He shouts, eyes as hard and calculating as they’ve ever been. “Head up the hill to our fallback position. Alert the other mages. The outer wall is lost.”
I nod and turn to run up the road. Owyn moves to follow me, but he is stopped by a harsh command from his master. “Owyn,” he barks. “I need you down here. Find a spot on one of these rooftops and shoot as many of these bastards as you can. Take my arrows.” He tosses his quiver at him. “Go, now!”
I begin running as fast as I can.
The ‘fallback position’ is nothing more than a barricade made from old wagons and furniture piled a little further up the road. General Barus is stationed there with several more of my colleagues, as well as another contingent of Nightingale soldiers.
“What’s going on down there?” He asks from atop his horse. Despite everyone’s insistence and his recent wounds, he is outfitted in battle armor and holds a drawn sword in his good hand.
“The wall has fallen,” I say, panting. “They have some sort of magical machine that they’ve used to blow a hole right through it.”
Barus curses bitterly, then leans over his horse and spits on the ground. The reserve defenders eye each other nervously. I can tell what they are all thinking. The wall was not supposed to fall this quickly... this certainly does not bode well for the rest of the night.
“Nothing can be done about that now,” he grunts, turning his horse around to regard his men. “In just a few minutes our boys are going to be coming back up this hill. They’re going to have an army on their heels, so be prepared to give them Hells. Remember, that bloody red demon stole many of our brothers. Make them pay!”
No cheers fill the night, only resolute nods and a few muttered prayers.
I cast my eyes about and locate the five remaining mages clustered off to the side of the barricade. I rush over to join them.
“Where is Jarrus?” Willus asks when I arrive.
I shake my head gravely and he squeezes his eyes shut, muttering a curse under his breath.
The others glance at one another anxiously. Each one of them looks pale and frightened in the glow of the moon. These are scholars, not warriors.
“We need to take up our positions,” I find myself saying. Everyone looks at me, surprised to see an initiate taking charge. Not caring about the ramifications, I press on. “The R’Laar are through the wall, and our allies below cannot hold them forever. Any minute now, they are going to coming charging up that hill. We need to be ready.”
A couple of them nod at my words, but the rest of them look unconvinced. I begin to let my temper get the best of me.
“You are all mages of Tarsys,” I say, my voice urgent. “You are the best and brightest that the kingdom has to offer. Without your aid, the people here have no chance of surviving. We need to take a stand. Now!”
Emboldened by my words, Willus finally speaks up. “You heard the initiate,” he shouts at them. “Get in position! Be ready to pull in source energy at a moment’s notice.”
Our little group of mages disperses, leaving me alone with the elder magic-user. He looks at me and his hard expression softens. “You are full of surprises, Zara Dennell. Your courage and bull-headedness continue to astound me.”
“Thank you, Magus?” I cannot tell if it is a compliment or a criticism.
“The point is,” he continues, “without your tendency to act first and ask questions later, everyone in this Light-forsaken town would likely be dead already. You should be proud of what you accomplish
ed.”
I nod, setting my jaw. "I'll be proud when we manage to send these demons back to the abyss."
He smiles faintly. "That sounds like a plan. Let's go."
With that we part, each heading to our predetermined locations. My spot is near a tree off to the side of the road, a little way down from where Barus and the Nightingales are stationed behind the barricade. Down the hill, I can hear the sounds of battle approaching, steel ringing and men screaming in the darkness. It does not sound like things are going well for our side.
Clutching my talisman, I wait in nervous anticipation until I can see haggard-looking militiamen running up the road, fleeing a losing fight by the outer wall. They filter up in gradually growing numbers, eventually becoming a flood of bloodied soldiers. Most of them look as if they have been through the Eleven Hells themselves.
In truth, I note to myself, that is exactly what they have been through.
It is not long before I spot Elias and Owyn, running with snapping darkhounds close on their heels. They barely manage to make it behind the barricade, the shadowlings backing off as they are pelted with arrows.
The mages, including myself, are hidden from the demons' view, dispersed along either side of the road among trees and buildings. When the rest of Moloch’s army begins making its way up the hill, they pass right in between us without noticing our presence. Even so, I cannot help but hold my breath as I watch the gorgons and mind slaves march by, weapons brandished.
My eyes flick upward as I wait for the signal. It should be coming any second now...
The demons stop just before the barricade and begin forming up ranks. The gorgons in front hefting large shields of strange green magic, blocking any attempt for the defenders to shoot arrows at them. The scholar in me is mesmerized by the alien magic, but the rational part of me is terrified of what it can do.
From a hidden location across the road, I catch a glimpse of brilliant white sparks being shot into the air. They erupt heavenward and arc over our two opposing armies like a meteor shower, winking out as they slowly descend toward the ground. Upon seeing them, I immediately begin filling myself with source energy.
Ranger's Oath Page 22
