Vale, Amy.
Oh bless the learned at Patci
Oh bless the farmers at Fen
Oh bless the soldiers at Wali
Oh bless the dead at Heroes grave
And above all bless me.
______ Viesh's drinking slur at Bea zi
Arc eight; Hold out
Rider
We could see the enemy army in the distance. A sea of intimidation that blackened the horizon with black helmets matching their armors. "Must be ten thousand of them," Jakesean snickered. "Calvary alone,"
"How did you count them?" I asked peering out of the improvised barricade beside him. They had us among the archers and mages since Jakesean is a mage and I could shoot arrows. Lord Natt had said the plan was to hold us back in the expectation of a plain battle but now stuck here and lacking hands, we'd have to provide long distance attack with his archers and mages.
The enemy troops stopped some ways away from the mouth of the pass, and after nervous minutes on our side, a rider broke out from them approaching us. "A messenger?" My silver haired friend scoffed, "they'd demand our surrender wouldn't they?"
"Lord Natt would probably spit in their eyes for that too!" Another boy, just like us, young noble prodigies, laughed. He's called Mace.
"Shut it you two!" Gera snapped. I glanced at her at the other side of Jakesean since the boy knelt betwen us. Gera is a fierce redhead girl a year older than me with freckled face and blue eyes. Like all nobles she was beautiful, though not quite on Celestine's level. She scowled at me as she noticed my gaze but I just smiled to ruffle her before looking back before me. The truth was, I appreciated the fact that it seems not all girls just get instantly attracted to me. Girls like her are interesting and I wouldn't change anything about them. Cause while there's an undeniable appeal to girls throwing themselves at you, it becomes boring at times.
Though Gera's reason for disliking me was slightly different from the usual. She didn't think I was a scary freak or anything like that unlike most others, at least it doesn't seem so. The redhead is just the alpha of this young noble group and instinctively felt I threatened her power but not in an overwhelming way at that. To her I'm just queen Viktora's nephew; she couldn't order me around or subdue me but probably doesn't have to obey me. Besides I am from Fen castle city, this is her turf, I should go find followers of mine and leave hers alone.
The thought of following me didn't cross her mind though.... At that thought I considered making her my follower. I have countless ways of making that possible, from mind control to just the old fashioned way of subdueing people, or even bribe. It was something to think about; I'd always planned on making a villain like party that'll follow me in the future after all. Still, I'd have to see her fighting prowers to decide if she's worth my time and effort.
If I'm going to create a villainous party I'd only want every member of it to be exceptionally op. You got to be realistic you know? Though that decision should not be taking in haste.
The rider rode over in a steady gait. "Halt there!" A man wearing black robes on our side said. He was standing before the barricade just behind the spearmen behind it. The rider drew to a halt just outside the valley. He was a dark haired leathery faced middle aged man wearing a black tunic and blue cape.
"I am Wesley Chormbie!" the rider bellowed, "I come with the priest's mercy on my tongue,"
"We don't want the priest's mercy," the black robed mage scoffed.
"Hear it either way. The priest gives you one chance to surrender, lay down your weapons and your life will be spared. Life's too costly to waste in a hopeless strife,"
"To other men," a powerful voice suddenly cut in. We turned to see lord Natt and his entourage walk over. The lord of Wali was fully armored in purple leather and armor. He went on coldly. "Wali men has already sold our lives a long time ago so don't pity us good men, you should be the ones turning back. You'll get nothing in the Coldfire region except the cold and flames. The cold would kill you, the flames only faster... You should fear what the winter queen holds Chormbie, the high priest should,"
"Death it is?" Wesley Chormbie questioned snidely, glaring at Natt. "Have it your way Natt. Though I will have you know that you too should fear what the winter queen does not possess. We won't show pity when you are all squelimg like boiling rats!"
"And we won't chase you when you flee with your tails between your legs!" lord Natt retorted.
"Excuse me," the rider sneered and went away.
Lord Natt watch him return to the enemy camp with grim silence. Finally he spoke. "Get ready for war. They won't hold back. We just have to hold this pass till the queen give us relief. For honor!"
"For honor!" At the chorus the lord started giving out instructions.
Kuas the commander of the archers and mages turned to us with his gray eyes and said, "if anyone is in need this the time to take a leak. I'll advice you to do so too so you don't wet your breeches in the heat of battle and die because you were distracted."
I took the chance. I rose up and went towards the rear of the valley, where the tents were set and urinated against the cliff wall. Jakesean fell on beside me. "I reckon the high priest is here with em," he said as his piss splashed against the stone.
"Oh," I glanced at him. "Why would you say that?"
"Because where ever the high priest goes, Chormbie goes; he's the sage,"
"Makes sense,"
"Yeah, though I wonder what it means for us. Still what a perfect way for a breakout campaign, this are the kind of wars told in legends eh?"
I couldn't disagree, though if the storyline has its way, we'd truly become legends people talk about in songs. When the men Of wali and, hopefully, Saint the winter queen's nephew held Crane pass till the last man; 'Oh Saint had miraculously survived, they'll go on. scholars believe he fled, what cowardly Highvoid! His end or lack thereof is one of kings but who'll give him respect?'
,,,,,,,,,,
The enemy came at us like men inspired. A section of archers half our true numbers matched forward. It was standard war formation really. Among them were priests and mages who would offer them defense and fiercer firepower. "Draw! Fire!" Kuas ororderd immediately the enemies matched into our bow range.
I pulled my bow and fired lazily above, the sky immediately blackened with hundreds of arrows before falling down towards the enemies.
"Mages! Fire!"
Magic flew in the air, from fire to water, to Jakesean's thunder, and energies of deferent colors. The attacks landed with the sound of explosives. The enemy's cries of despair filled the air then they fired back at us. Our sky blackened this time around as thousands of arrows fell. The priests among us quickly raised defensive shields, especially on us the noble prodigies. Arrows deflected off the shields but that was the idea; the real use of the arrows was to conceal the kind of magic attacks that will follow.
Just as I thought that, the magic attacks landed. I looked up. Blue, yellow and purple lights danced atop the dome barrier surrounding me and the other young prodigies but couldn't harm us. The other archers and mages weren't that fortunate though as the priests protecting them were not as powerful as the ones protecting us. Some of the shields collapsed under heavy fire, the spells instantly hitting those under it, killing them, and injuring some.
We returned fire.
This time I concentrated on mind blitzing some of the enemies I perceived as priests to take off the mages protection. The enemy weathered the attacks again and struck back just like before. That's how we went back and forth till the advancing unit were spent and the priest had no choice but to call for retreat.
We didn't relax though, though we breathed in relief as we got ready for the next wave of their attacks as they seek, undiscouraged, to take the pass.