by Pedro Urvi
“Let’s trust they do, trust in the Mage’s power as well,” Gerart said. “We have no option. If Silanda falls, the Noceans will lay waste the Kingdom from the south, and they’ll reach Rilentor.”
Another huge wooden missile hit the wall, which took the impact undaunted.
“How many men do we have left?” Gerart asked. There was worry in his voice.
“Some four thousand who can still fight, just enough to defend the wall,” Longor said. “We’ve suffered great losses during these last weeks. If we lose a thousand men more we won’t be able to defend the whole length, and they’ll overrun us.”
“We should evacuate the wounded,” Urien said. “If they can’t use a weapon, they should be taken to the capital.”
“That would be the most sensible thing. Let it be done. You take charge of the logistics, Urien, and make them leave as soon as possible.”
“Very well, your Highness,” the old man replied, and went slowly down the stairs, indifferent to the devastating missiles falling around him.
Lomar raised his head to take a good look at the siege machines. Catapults and ballistae had been punishing the fortress from the first day and they had not been moved. On the walls the four guards on watch crouched behind the ruined battlements, alert, praying they were not hit by any of the gigantic missiles. The enemy army was lined up behind the machines; Lomar calculated that there were more than eighteen thousand men.
“Soon it’ll be the turn of those vain damsels, the Invincibles of the Ice,” Longor said.
“I see them,” said Gerart. “They’re unmistakable. Ten thousand men dressed all in white: winged helmet, breast-plate and cape. Even their shields are white.”
“They’re said to be invincible, never defeated in battle,” Longor joked. “The best heavy infantry of the continent, but I think they’re no more than ugly albino walruses, nothing there to fear.”
Gerart smiled. “It might be so. I’ve heard rumors of their feats too, but here the situation is different; this isn’t combat in the open field, man to man. In this case there’s a high wall to climb and take, and they still haven’t done it. I don’t doubt they’re great fighters, but first they have to get up here and then we’ll defeat them, as we’ve defeated all the tides of soldiers they’ve sent us so far.” There was a flash of self-confidence in his eyes.
“The men are scared, your Highness,” Lomar said. “They don’t trust their strength in the face of the Invincibles of the Ice. Despair and uncertainty are infecting their spirits like a contagious illness.”
“Our good soldiers worry too much,” Longor joked. “I still maintain that they’re no more than a bunch of ugly tavern wenches of dubious reputation, nothing to worry about.”
“Let no-one lose hope!” cried the Prince. “We’re still here! They haven’t defeated us yet and nor will they! We’ll defeat them for Rogdon!”
Lomar turned back to the enemy, and something caught his attention.
“Your Highness, look, the two siege towers… they’re moving, advancing…” he muttered.
“It can’t be,” Gerart said, his eyes wide with surprise. “They haven’t used them since the first day for fear of our burning oil.”
“I can see them too,” Longor said.” They’re moving.”
“The catapults and ballistae have stopped and the two towers are moving closer. What are they scheming now?” Gerart wondered.
“Nothing good,” said Lomar. “But if the siege towers are coming, the army will be behind them. We have to get ready.”
“Soldiers! Every one to their posts!” cried Gerart.
Several of the guards on the stairs ran to relay the orders to the officers of the depleted army who were sheltering under the Great Tower and the buildings beside it, out of reach of the enemy.
Soon, quickly and in good order, the wall was once again filled with soldiers of Rogdon, who watched the advance of the Norghanians from the ruined battlements with little hope. Gerart saw the two siege towers advancing towards the eastern and western sections of the wall. He sent Longor to deal with the eastern part and he made his way to the western sector, leaving Lomar in charge of the great cauldron of oil above the gate.
Lomar looked out at the advancing Army, feeling his heart sink. This time they were sending the Invincibles of the Ice. The ten thousand men in white advanced behind the two enormous towers. He sighed and looked around. He could sense the fear in the frightened eyes of the men around him, of all the men along the wall… They knew what was coming; they knew this was the final assault. They were sending the best of the Norghanian Army, their elite, together with their two most powerful assault machines. Everything would be finally decided today, and the men of Rogdon were just beginning to realize the fact.
Lomar swallowed and felt the relief in his parched throat. Today is the day we either live or die. My heart and my courage shrink at the advance of such an impressive enemy. Somehow, in this crucial moment, after seeing so many of our men die in battle, dying in the midst of this carnage doesn’t seem such a glorious end. It’s true that I’m where I always wanted to be, seeking glory in the field of honor, for Rogdon and for the King. But after witnessing so much death and suffering on these walls I regret having wished for glory and fame in such a frivolous way. I’m proud to be here, to be fighting for my kingdom, and that’s the reason I should have followed, to save my nation, my brothers in arms, the helpless peasants, women and children, from the invading army. Those are noble ideals to pursue, not personal glory, not battle and meaningless bloodshed that serve only to attain empty glory. How wrong are the reasons which guide us in our ignorance, how much stupidity and vain glory there is in the dreams of our youth? Now I see it clearly.
As he reflected on his reasons for joining the army and the Royal Lancers, the face of his good friend Kendas came to mind. What had become of him? Where would he be now, the enterprising peasant turned Lancer? He had not the slightest doubt that his friend was still alive, and hoped he was in much more favorable circumstances than his own.
Don’t let anything stop you, Royal Lancer, ride swiftly as the wind, leave all your enemies behind. Fly on the back of your mount, Kendas, fly, and may evil never catch up with you.
The white tide came up to within two hundred paces of the wall, and unease surfaced among the soldiers of Rogdon. For a moment Lomar thought that several of the men would give in to fear and despair and run away from the wall. While he was pondering on how devastating that would be for general morale, he heard Prince Gerart’s voice thundering:
“Soldiers of Rogdon! Today we’ll show the world the true mettle of our hearts!”
He turned his back to the enemy to address his men. “Today we’ll show the invaders that the men of Rogdon don’t know fear, that their spirits are unbreakable! Today we’ll deliver death and destruction on the invader, we won’t fall back a single step, and no enemy of Rogdon will ever set foot upon our nation. Our duty is to defend the Kingdom from invaders and that’s what we’ll do. Not one, not even one will enter this fortress unless it’s feet first! We’ll defend our land to our last breath!”
The men above the walls listened attentively to the Prince’s speech, their bodies straight, their chests swelling, their chins raised high, their spirits recovering their lost strength and eroded trust.
“Men of Rogdon, today we’ll finish off the invaders. Their blood will bathe our walls, they shall all die, to the very last of them!”
A lone “Hurrah!” was heard on the wall.
Several more followed, timidly at first, then gaining intensity.
After a few moments the whole wall burst into cheers and shouting.
The soldiers, heartened by this speech, cheered while the enemy advanced like an unstoppable force that would reduce the wall to rubble.
With the enemy a hundred paces away, Prince Gerart drew his sword and raised his arm:
“It’s time for death to fall on the enemies of our nation!”
T
wo thousand bows were raised among the four thousand defenders.
“Send them to hell!” cried Gerart, bringing his arm down in the signal to attack.
The sky above the pass turned black as two thousand arrows flew towards the white attackers.
Immediately, as if they made up a single organism, the ten thousand Invincibles of the Ice lifted their round shields to protect themselves.
The Rogdonian arrows carried death to the invaders, but most of them hit the shields. As they advanced toward the wall in an orderly manner without breaking formation, the defenders went on launching volley after volley against the enemy. Success was scant, though, as the arrows bounced off the sea of shields.
The enemy reached the wall, and as on all previous occasions, ladders and hooks appeared on the damaged battlements. The first Norghanians began to climb the wall while the defenders kept firing on them as they climbed, with shields covering their heads. Ropes were cut and ladders overthrown, but almost immediately they were replaced by new ones and the Invincibles of the Ice climbing them were impervious to the fierce Rogdonian defense. When the first of them reached the top of the wall, the fight turned fiercer. Bows were replaced by swords and the fight turned brutal, with complete desperation.
It made Lomar cringe to see how formidable those soldiers were. Their fame was certainly well-deserved, their ferocity and swordsmanship superb. Everyone who managed to set his foot on the wall easily killed several Rogdonians before falling pierced through, outnumbered. One of them came to stand in front of Lomar a couple of steps away, an Invincible of the Ice… He was not as big and strong as the others they had been fighting against lately. This one was smaller and looked nimbler. But what really worried Lomar was that self-assured look: resolute and lethal.
Lomar stepped forward to confront him. The Norghanian half-closed his eyes and glanced at him with cool confidence. Lomar thrust quickly, and the Invincible deflected it with a skill that left him feeling seriously worried. He attacked again, but the warrior blocked his attack and countered like lightning. In a desperate attempt to evade the enemy’s sword Lomar tripped and fell. This man was a master swordsman whose movements were agile, balanced and fast: nothing to do with the huge brutal warriors with axes they had been fighting so far.
The Norghanian was stepping forward to finish the kill when two Rogdonian comrades in arms intercepted him, Lomar took advantage of this move to get back on his feet and joined in the fray. The first soldier fell with his neck severed by a single stroke. The second was blocked by the Invincible and stabbed through the heart with a master-thrust. Lomar took advantage of this and delivered a lightning stroke that went through his enemy’s stomach. The soldier freed the sword and shook his head at Lomar, showing his reproach for that treacherous move. Lomar was ready to finish him when he saw another Invincible reaching the wall. Without thinking, he delivered a savage kick which made the man fall on to the attacking wave of soldiers. Then he went back to the wounded Norghanian, who withstood three more attacks before falling dead.
These Invincibles are unique fighters. The rumors were true, they’re going to cut us to pieces.
Feeling his heart sink at this horrible prospect, he went to help his comrades.
The fight above the walls became fiercer amid cries and the sound of metal on metal.
The Invincibles of the Ice were easily managing to kill the Rogdonian soldiers in single combat, so the defenders grouped together in threes to confront them. Each Norghanian who reached the top of the wall was set on by three defenders who threw themselves on him and brought him down with savage thrusts and strokes. Lomar was fighting above the gate beside the veteran Jonas on his right and Elis the archer on his left. A new enemy appeared near the great cauldron and the three lunged on him with no time to think or react. Even so, the invader wounded Jonas in the left shoulder before he died.
A massive impact told Lomar a battering ram had reached the gate. Looking down, he was able to confirm the fact.
“The cauldron! Swing the cauldron!” he yelled at his two comrades.
The three hurried to the enormous container filled with boiling oil, and Lomar pushed the lever to topple it.
The oil rained down over the ram, burning all the men around it.
“Incendiary arrows!” Lomar cried to the men waiting by the cauldron.
At once twenty archers raised their heads above the gate and a volley of burning arrows flew against the ram. The siege machine began to burn, with the men around it going up in flames as they screamed in desperation. The Invincibles of the Ice, as cold as their name, killed their own burning comrades to spare them the horrible suffering.
Lomar watched the scene and his spirits rose. Soon the whole battering ram would have gone up in smoke and the gate would hold. He had done his duty.
Suddenly something completely unexpected happened.
The men at the back of the ram parted to create a path in the center of the swarm of warriors. At the end of this corridor, about two hundred paces away, Lomar could make out two giant rectangular shields, apparently metallic, which completely hid the bearers. This caught his attention immediately. What on earth was this?
The two shields parted two hand-spans, and to Lomar’s overwhelming surprise a white bolt shot along the open corridor towards the burning ram.
What the…?
The bolt reached the ram and covered it with a layer of frost, putting out the flames which were consuming the robust wooden structure as it did so. The battering ram was soon covered with ice and the fire totally extinguished.
Damn!
That could only mean one thing: the Norghanians had brought their famed Ice Mages.
“Archers, shoot at the shields! Shoot!” he ordered with the hope of hitting the Mage who was hidden beneath them.
The defenders’ arrows struck the enormous shields. These parted and the bolt was seen again, this time aimed at them, the archers above the gate.
“Look out!” Lomar cried when he realized what was happening.
But it was already too late.
The bolt hit the first archers, who were still shooting, and on contact with the ice they were frozen alive on the spot. The bolt swept the battlements around the cauldron, freezing everything it came in contact with: human, metal or granite. The unwary archers died without a word, their bodies frozen as though the coldest winter ever seen had come upon them without warning.
The bolt reached Lomar, who jumped backwards, dragging Jonas and Elis with him as he fell. Lying there on the floor they avoided the bolt, seeing it pass over their heads not a hand’s-breadth above them.
“This is getting nasty!” Lomar cried. “Really nasty…”
Count Longor was defending the eastern section of the wall like the master swordsman he was. He dispatched the Invincible he was fighting against and went for the next, who was climbing one of the ladders. Those soldiers were very skilled with the sword, almost as good as he was, but not quite. He grinned and blocked his enemy, who had tried to surprise him with a back-stroke, but Longor saw it, deflected it and stabbed him in the heart. The sword went through the white breast-plate and the scaled armor like butter.
He looked around; he was losing men at tremendous speed, his soldiers were not half as skilled as those Norghanians. But if that was worrisome, the giant siege tower coming closer at a steady pace was even more so. It would soon be on top of their position; it was less than twenty paces away. For some reason the upper level of the structure remained closed, and there were no archers to be seen there.
“Bring me some jars of oil, quick!” he ordered his men, and ran to cut the rope of a hook which had just dug itself into the wall.
Three jars of oil were placed on the eastern wall, where the siege machine was heading.
“Come closer, precious, come to papa’s loving arms, I’ll show you what excitement means,” he said coaxingly. “I’ll burn you with my ardent love until there’s not a splinter of you left that isn’t burnt to a
crisp.”
Another Invincible of the Ice reached the top and the Count ordered:
“Four of you! Attack, at once!”
The men obeyed as one and the Norghanian fell, outnumbered, but immediately two new enemies climbed the battlements and the four brave defenders died, widely outclassed by their enemy’s skill. In their heroic defense they killed one of the Norghanians and wounded the other. Longor sighed. The poor men: courage aplenty, but little dexterity. Today many men of Rogdon would die. He walked to the Invincible and with two strokes of his decorated sword, the first a feint and the second lethal, he cut his throat cleanly.
Fortunately, he did have the dexterity required and would defend the eastern section to the last man.
Prince Gerart shouted orders left and right above the western section. His men were being decimated and the screams and thunder of the battle were deafening. With the help of two of his men, Gerart managed to finish off an Invincible who had killed four Rogdonian defenders.
They’re tearing us apart. I’m an excellent swordsman, not far short of a master in the art of the sword, trained since I was three with the best instructors in the whole continent, and yet I can barely manage these devilish soldiers. Their fame is well-earned. Now I see this, I’m not surprised they’ve never been beaten by any opponent. I have no idea how we’re going to be able to defeat them!
“Reinforcements! More reinforcements up here!” he ordered, noticing that the defending line above the wall was about to collapse.
The last reinforcements the Rogdonians could count on ran up the stairs and helped contain the assault of the Invincibles of the Ice by sheer numbers, courage and desperate fury. But Gerart knew it would not be enough. At the foot of the wall he could see the icy white sea of Invincibles waiting to climb, and in front of it the massive tower, less than ten paces from where he stood.
I can’t fail my father. I have to stop them, I can’t let them take the fortress. Never!
He saw his men fighting with what little faith and courage they had left as they felt the foul breath of death on their faces. They were fighting for Rogdon, for their families, for their land.