by Ink Bamboo
“Good,” said the prince. “With this, my father won’t have any option but to recognize my ability to succeed the throne.”
The results were as expected. Most of the traps the rebels had set were now revealed, presenting no further danger for him and his troops. With this, the prince felt entitled to gloat.
Furthermore, sending his troops to clear the way in small groups was extremely effective in depleting the resources the rebels had. He knew they couldn’t possibly have an abundance of arrows in their possession. With the state of their kingdom, not even the black markets would be able to supply too many of them.
“Your genius knows no bounds,” complimented Johan.
Commodities like iron and steel were always in short supply. Therefore, it would be extremely hard for the rebels to accrue more than the royal family themselves could. All of this was within his calculations.
“It’s time. Johan, get ready.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Looking past the slaves, the mercenaries, and the rest of the cannon fodder, the prince turned to look at the core of his army. They were disciplined and ready. Unlike those at the front, they had been in the army long enough to march with clear heads on their own.
Fortunately for the prince, no threats were needed to secure their cooperation. These were forces loyal to the crown. As such, their equipment reflected the superior value of their lives, offering protection those on the rebel side could only dream about.
Eagerly, they looked at their enemies, ready to draw blood and claim glory for themselves.
Sensing their hunger and desires, the prince was happy to oblige, “All troops, charge!”
Assuming an arrow-like formation, Nyx’s army charged through the path the first two waves of soldiers had opened. Leading the attack was a group carrying four battering rams. Now that the path had been opened, they marched without worries, trusting their full-body armors to provide them protection from whatever projectiles the rebels’ side still had available.
On the other side of the battlefield, the rebels continued shooting arrows in synchrony with Arkus’s commands. The apparent success Nyx’s forces had achieved up to that point didn’t seem to affect them at all. In fact, being inside the fort was enough to bring calm to their hearts. This was because of the surprise that awaited their opponents. The unmistakable horde of black-cloaked figures was already near the gates, ready to be unleashed.
Therefore, it was no surprise for them when they heard Arkus’s next order.
“Morgan.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Get our ‘volunteers’ ready, it’s time to open the gates.”
Morgan immediately departed, jumping off the wall to pass the message to Jan and the eight figures waiting beside him. Men, women, and even a young man — they were those who had been selected to be part of their plan. After the events of the past few days, this group had finally decided in which order they would carry out their mission. The scrapes and bruises in more than one of their faces was evidence enough of that.
“Old man, is your side ready?” Morgan asked.
“Who are you calling old?” replied Jan, cracking a devious smile from side to side of his face. “Would an old man have thought of a plan like this?”
“Only one as sickening as yourself,” replied Morgan, recalling the pits full of bodies his men had been ordered to mix amongst the normal pitfalls. “Captain Arkus has ordered your deployment.”
“Very well, kiddo. I know the plan, it was me who made it after all.”
Morgan simply smirked at Jan’s witty remark, turning his back to go and ready himself for once the gates were opened. He wasn’t willing to stay with their group any longer. All this time, he had been consciously trying to suppress himself from gazing behind the old man and his entourage. Nearly three hundred cloaked figures were waiting motionlessly behind them, giving an eerie feeling that brought up an instinctive rejection from the very bottom of his soul.
“Good,” said Jan, watching as Morgan took his leave. Turning back to look at the group of eight standing behind him, he smiled. “Grom will be the first and Zaros will be the last. Since this is the order you established yourselves, I hope you can respect it.”
“Yes, sir!” answered the group behind him. Even if their loyalty was questionable, Jan was convinced they all had their reasons for wanting to take part in this task. Merits, glory, revenge — all of them ensured they wanted to see this mission succeed. Therefore, he was sure they wouldn’t risk doing anything that could cause their mission to go awry.
Jan glanced at each of them, confirming their determination once last time before passing the rosewood box sealing the dark marble to the first amongst their group. Grom, a tall and burly middle-aged man received it with care, using his right hand to open the box and clench the object contained within in a firm grasp.
“It’s cold,” he remarked.
Whether the sensation came from the rising feeling of dread inside him or the marble, the man couldn’t say, but that wouldn’t be enough to dissuade him from going ahead. He had already made his mind.
“It’s time,” said Jan. After taking a step back he faced the eight of them from an equal distance. “We already discussed this once before, our victory now lies on your hands.”
Seven of the eight took turns looking at each other, their heads nodding in a display of mutual understanding before Grom stepped forward. His eyes were fixed on the door of the fortress and what would soon become his personal playground. Feeling the sensation of endless power coming from the object in his hand, he was sure he could achieve his desires, no matter how twisted they may be.
Jan and the rest waited behind him, their demeanor solemn as the middle-aged man channeled his aura into their tool of war. A black glow engulfed the man’s right hand while his eyes took the same color as the eerie light. His energy flowed in a nigh-instinctual manner as a single word left his lips…
“Obey.”
Chapter 22
Turning tides.
The prince looked at the troops marching towards the fortress. Waves of soldiers were removing whatever remained of the barricades, carefully avoiding the pitfalls those in the first and second wave had been ‘generous’ enough to reveal. It opened a clear path for the group carrying the battering rams to advance forward.
Among them was a group of heavily armored soldiers. Unlike those before them, their shields carried a gleam boasting superior quality. It was a clear display of the importance the kingdom placed upon their lives compared to those who had opened their path.
They were a group of elites who served the royal family directly. Their deployment was a miracle given how most of the army had been sent away. Under normal circumstances, they would have been ordered to stay behind protecting the king.
Even the prince was surprised his father had entrusted him with command over them. It was enough to make him slightly nervous about his performance during this battle. Any loss to their numbers would warrant a price he wasn’t able to pay.
Fortunately for him, the charge had been led by those of a disposable nature. After the first few waves of projectiles, the rebels had begun to act far more conservatively with their remaining arrows. So far, none of those elites had been injured. Clearly a sign of the rebels dwindling strength.
Dwindling, however, didn’t mean non-existent.
“Help me!”
“Please, my lord, save us!”
The screams of the injured were ignored as the prince continued ordering the troops forward. As the commander of this army, his place was at the back, safe from most assassination attempts. It was a measure taken specifically to counter Arkus. Even the old commander would have to pay a considerable price to make his way through all these troops. Taking the prince’s life on his own would not be an option.
“It’s time, Johan.”
“Yes, my lord, I’ll get them ready.”
Seeing the death of their companions, some of the surviving
soldiers belonging to the first and second wave hesitated, thinking twice about their role in this battle. They were conscripted against their will, after all. The promise of monetary reward was useless to them if they couldn’t return alive.
When a few of them turned around to flee, however, they caught notice of the archers on their own side drawing their bows taut. Following their aim, they quickly realized these arrows weren’t meant to kill their opponents. Instead, they were meant as a deterrence to those who had thoughts of fleeing.
“May Vita have mercy on our souls.”
Dissuaded by the prince’s ruthlessness, the soldiers turned around. They had no option but to keep following the troops carrying the battering rams as they got ready to break into the fortress and kill those they blamed for their own fates. It was the only thing they could do. Misdirected rage was the only coping mechanism available to them at the moment.
“Ruthless brat.”
Watching above the walls, Arkus frowned at what he saw. The prince’s lack of morals was far beyond what he had expected. It further convinced him that joining the rebels had been the right choice to make.
“It’s about time for you to experience despair. It’s a lesson you’ve had coming your way for a long time.”
Arkus knew there was no going back at this point. Those who would have to die for him to achieve his goals had no option but to do so now. Even those in Nyx’s military — his former brothers in arms — were no exception. They had made their choice when they decided to stay back and serve both the prince and his father.
There were still some familiar faces amongst their ranks, yes. People he cared about. But none of them were as important as the fate of the kingdom. As such, much in the way they had decided to stay, he had decided to give up on them.
“I hope it’s all worth it.”
Even now, Arkus could only hope Richard wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes his brother had incurred. Even corruption would be tolerated, so long as the populace was getting by. If push came to shove, however, Arkus wasn’t sure what he himself would be driven to do.
No wonder those bastards from the Church of Death have so many people on their side, thought Arkus. The grim desires surging from the bottom of his heart were feeding a part of himself he usually kept restrained. Only through a clean slate can you ensure a better future.
“Commander,” said one of the soldiers to his side. “We are running low on arrows.”
“Don’t worry,” answered Arkus. “Just keep doing as I say.”
He was already convinced of his own side’s triumph. Hidden behind the gates of this fortress was the most lethal weapon he had ever seen in his life. Not made of iron or steel, but flesh. Even now, he found it unreasonable to think about soldiers who didn’t need food or water. Soldiers who wouldn’t cower from man nor beast. Soldiers who would never fear death.
They were the reason his side had opted not to protect the fortress, allowing the prince and his troops to advance so freely. It was simply a trap. They were drawing them in so their escape would be impossible. Only after Nyx’s army was fully committed to their attack, would they be able to ensure everything ended in one fell swoop.
After several tests, the council had confirmed the undead raised by the black marble were on average at the lower tiers of rank 1. With almost three hundred of them on their side, Arkus and the rest of the council were convinced of what the results of this battle would be. A troop of that standard would be found nowhere outside the mainland. Having eight ‘volunteers’ ready to summon even more of them during the battle was simply the council’s way of insuring their absolute victory.
“In any case, they are about to discover our present.”
Arkus saw the group of elites carrying the siege equipment had finally reached the gates. It was time. They were ready to release their attack on their last blockade.
*Crash!*
Four simultaneous thundering collisions echoed across the battlefield, boosting the morale of the troops on Nyx’s side. The group of elites carrying each battering ram had released the gigantic war machine’s full weight on the gates of the fortress. Even the archers standing on the walls felt the impact of such an attack. Worried, they turned to look at Magnus, who simply waved away their concerns.
“Keep shooting, focus on targeting those at the back.”
“But commander, wouldn’t it be better to kill those closer to us?” asked a less experienced archer.
“Just do as I say,” ordered Arkus, not bothering to explain.
*Crash!*
A second group of hits landed on the gates, revealing more cracks on its surface. With the synchronous attacks of Nyx’s elite force, the gigantic structure had no way to hold any further. It wouldn’t be long until Nyx’s troops attempted to swarm inside the fortress, taking back what originally belonged to them.
“Once more!” ordered the prince, raising his sword in excitement. Seeing his elites endure the volleys of arrows without casualties, he was about to break out in laughter. This victory was coming to his hands far easier than he expected. With this, his name would be forever remembered as a victor.
Only Johan looked concerned about the rebels’ lack of resistance. His years of experience told him there was something sketchy about their tactics in this fight. This didn’t look like something a seasoned commander like Arkus would plan. Not unless it was a trap.
In the past, the rebels had always confronted their troops outside the fortress, using it only as a place to rest and regroup. If not because of the damage his words might cause to the troops’ morale, he would have suggested the prince to be more mindful of his orders. Unfortunately, his hesitation proved him to be too late.
*Crash!*
Before he could say anything, a third wave of hits landed on the damaged gates, breaking them open and sending them crashing into the ground. The resulting impact transmitted a strong vibration through the ground, felt across the battlefield. Along with it, a cloud of dust rose into the air, faintly revealing a massive group of silhouettes hidden behind the door in preparation.
“Was this your plan, Arkus?” taunted the prince. “If you were planning on a melee, you should have sent your troops out to fight from the beginning, it would have saved both of us some time!”
“Insolent brat,” roared Arkus, “I’ve always considered you a fool. Now, you have proved me right!”
Arkus’s thunderous voice ended as the curtain of dust started to settle, unveiling what had been hidden in plain sight. Hundreds of cloaked figures were standing in wait, weapons ready on their hands. Even before the elites had dropped the battering rams they were moving, all of them shot forwards in synchrony, weapons aiming at the throats of their enemies.
*Clang!*
Relying on his instincts, one of Nyx’s soldiers parried the first attack with his shield, readying his other hand to counter. Unfortunately for him, this wasn’t a one-on-one fight. Using the opening, two other cloaked figures assaulted him with their swords, rapidly causing his death.
“Push forward!” ordered the prince, noticing the daze of his troops. From behind his army, he had a view of everything happening ahead of him. If they fought at the funnel created by the door, they would be throwing away their numerical advantage.
“Dammit!” he yelled, looking at a few elites fall. He hadn’t expected the rebel troops to take the initiative. Having their gates destroyed should have affected their morale, causing them to hesitate before launching their assault. That opening should have been enough for his troops to push forward and keep their momentum.
“This doesn’t make sense,” muttered Johan, looking at the prince. “My lord, forgive my lowly self for saying this, but I fear those rebels might have laid a trap. Those troops are a higher calibre than the reports of previous attacks stated.”
“Those idiots were just caught by surprise,” replied the prince, dismissing his subordinate’s concern as he returned his gaze to the battlefield. “We underestimated the
se bastards’ courage.”
Back on the battlefield, another soldier faced off against one of the cloaked figures. Confident that his armor would be enough to block his opponent’s rusted blade, the man kept running forward.
“Move, maggot!” he roared, unleashing his sword in a vertical cut towards his opponent. “Do not block my path!”
With his attack, the cloaked figure fell to the ground, collapsing as it twitched in a sickening manner. “Garbage,” he muttered, swinging his sword to wipe the excess blood covering its surface. “Who’s next?”
As he looked for his next target, the soldier locked gazes with another cloaked figure. That’s when he noticed it. White eyes devoid of any life and will. That was a look he was far too familiar with, but this was the first time he had seen it in someone ‘alive’.
“What the…”
As the soldier momentarily lost his focus, he felt his instincts warning him about imminent danger. Before he could react, however, a blade attempted to cleave his torso from behind, throwing him into the ground as it skated off his armor.
Rolling on the floor, he saw the weapon responsible for delivering the attack. It was a rusted blade that seemed to have been exposed to the elements without care. Apparently, the dull edge on its side had saved him from having his armor cut along with his body.
Following the hand holding the weapon, he saw something that made his spine shiver in fear. It was the same look he had seen in the other cloaked soldier, but this time he could see the owner of the gaze. With the hood of his cloak removed, he realized the identity of the one who had delivered that attack.
“Unde—”
Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t going to receive a chance to ponder it any further. The ‘target’ he had previously locked gazes with was now next to him, his blade sinking in his heart. With it, there was no more chance for him to fight back.
Similar scenes were happening simultaneously across the battlefield. Troops on both sides were taking each other’s lives, dwindling away the numbers of the living. The lack of regards for their own integrity made the cloaked troops a ferocious opponent. There was no middle ground with them. Fighting with them would only end in victory or death.