She looked at Sergeant Miles, feeling a sudden rush of affection. The sergeant hadn’t treated her differently from anyone else, even after she’d killed Shadye. But then, she had been brought to Farrakhan. No other fifth-year student would be offered such a chance. She still wasn’t sure if it was a honor or a chance to commit suicide. But at least she might be able to make a difference.
It’s not fair, she thought. The bitterness surprised her, even though she knew it was irrational. Why couldn’t my stepfather have been like you?
She pushed the thought aside. “Thank you.”
Sergeant Miles glanced at her, his face unreadable. “For what?”
“For ... for being you,” Emily said, finally. She wasn’t sure how to answer. “For being kind to me.”
“You’re welcome,” Sergeant Miles said. He nodded towards the horizon. The sun was starting to rise above the distant mountains. “It won’t be long now.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
DAWN BROKE LIKE A THUNDERCLAP.
Emily rose to her feet, despite herself, as she heard the enemy army start to roar. The sound grew rapidly, a howling that echoed over the city and tore at her soul. No one would be asleep now, she was sure, unless they’d drunk gallons of potion. The entire city was awake. She glanced behind her when she heard Gaius and the other apprentices stepping onto the roof, then looked back at the orcs. They were moving, charging the city’s walls.
“Here they come,” Casper said.
“I still can’t see the necromancer,” Cat said. He walked up and stood next to Emily. “Can you?”
Emily shook her head, mutely, as she heard trumpets blare from the walls. The archers stood up and fired, launching a swarm of arrows into the enemy mass. Hundreds of orcs staggered and fell to the ground, some knocked down by their fellows, but hundreds more kept coming, trampling over their former comrades as they moved. Behind them, she saw enemy archers lifting their bows and returning fire, launching arrow after arrow into the battlements. A defender, struck by an arrow, tottered backwards and plummeted off the wall to his death. Others kept their heads down as they clutched their swords, preparing to fight to the death. There would be no room to retreat in such tight confines.
She shuddered, feeling sick, as the orcs approached the walls, bringing up shields and ladders. No human army could take such a battering, could it? But the orcs just soaked up the losses and kept coming. Arrows rained down on them, their shields providing minimal protection as they reached the walls. Behind them, their own archers kept hurling arrows into the city. Emily had to fight to keep from flinching when an arrow struck the protective wards around the watchtower and shattered. It would have killed Casper if the wards hadn’t been there.
The noise grew louder as the orcs swarmed against the walls, shoving their ladders into place. They moved with terrifying speed for such ungainly brutes, clambering up the ladders as if they were monkeys. The defenders moved to stop them, hacking away with swords and spears as heads popped up, shoving them back to fall to their deaths. But there were countless orcs, pushing harder and harder against the battlements. It was only a matter of time before they gained a lodgement and started forcing their way into the city.
“They’re hitting the north and south walls,” Master Grave commented. He was peering down at a chat parchment. “And they’re moving forces into position to hit the east wall.”
“Watch the west too,” Sergeant Miles advised. “They may be waiting for us to commit our reserves before striking the other two walls.”
Emily nodded as another wave of arrows slammed down; some glancing off the protective wards, others falling down to strike the streets below. Hardly anyone would be moving about now, she suspected. The city-fathers had established some protective canopies, but nowhere near enough to move men around without risk. There was no way for the enemy to know what they’d hit, yet merely shooting arrows at random would hamper the defenders. And they knew it too.
And if they do manage to hit us on all four sides, she thought, they’re almost bound to have a breakthrough.
The fighting along the wall grew nastier as more and more orcs forced their way onto the battlements. She watched the defenders counterattack, rushing the orcs and forcing them back over the walls. Bodies fell everywhere as the orcs fought savagely, sometimes sacrificing their own lives just to get at the defenders. The lines wavered, holding desperately. More and more ladders were being slammed against the walls.
“We should do something,” Casper said. “I could hex them ...”
“You’re being held in reserve,” Sergeant Miles told him. “These are just the opening moves.”
Emily gritted her teeth. There were so many dead orcs below the walls that their fellows were clambering over them, piling the bodies up against the walls so they could scramble up and into the city. They just kept coming! The defenders were starting to weaken, their reserves already being moved into position. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine the walls holding out for much longer ...
“Ah,” Sergeant Miles said.
She turned and followed his gaze. The second line of orcs — and twisted humans — was advancing, pushing a colossal framework with them. She couldn’t help thinking it looked like a giant piece of scaffolding before realizing that that was exactly what it was. It was so huge that it took her several moments to realize that there were actually three frameworks, kicking up dust as they slowly rolled forward on giant wooden wheels. Orcs swarmed over them, some clutching swords while others carried bows and arrows. The latter were shooting arrows with commendable speed, aiming at the defenders along the walls. Behind the frameworks, a dozen giant catapults were being moved into position. A moment later, the first stone was hurled against the defenses.
“Siege engines,” Sergeant Miles said.
Emily heard Casper curse as the first stone crashed against the battlements and fell to the ground far below. The impact alone wasn’t enough to do real damage, but what about a dozen impacts? Other stones were falling right across the city! The enemy’s aim wasn’t very good, yet it hardly mattered. Farrakhan was a huge target. She saw a building shudder under the impact of two stones in quick succession, the inhabitants running out in disarray. The city hadn’t been designed to resist heavy bombardment.
A low boom echoed over the city, followed rapidly by two more. One of the giant frameworks collapsed, dozens of orcs jumping free or falling to their deaths a moment before the wreckage hit the ground. Emily stared, then looked down. Sir Roger’s men had moved their cannons into position and opened fire. The round shot wasn’t anything like as destructive as modern artillery, but it was more than enough to bring down the siege engine before it reached its target. Two more cannonballs were fired, seconds later. The second framework crashed to the ground, even as the third was rushed forward and slammed into place along the walls. A horde of orcs clambered up and over the defenses, running forward to secure the battlements before the defenders could react. Behind them, Emily saw thousands more running to take advantage of the breach.
“Get into a circle,” Master Grave ordered. “I ... wait ...”
Emily stared, torn between relief and horror as balefire licked the battlements. The framework caught fire, the entire edifice collapsing seconds later. She heard orcs screaming in pain as they burned to death, trapped inside their armor. They were monsters, bent on killing and eating the entire population, but she couldn’t help a stab of sympathy. The balefire vanished a moment later, leaving the battlements scorched and pitted. It wasn’t clear if the sorcerer — Master Bone, she thought — had managed to avoid burning any of the defenders. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“They’re still coming,” Casper breathed.
Emily turned to look at him. He was pale and sweating, yet grimly determined to hold his place in the line. He’d never seen war before, she reminded herself. None of them had, not really. She hadn’t, either. She and Cat had been at Whitehall, when Shadye attacked, but had any of the
others? She hadn’t met them before, but that proved nothing. They might not have shared any classes with a mere first-year student.
“Their master considers them disposable,” she reminded him. She’d seen the breeding pits, back when she’d traveled into the Blighted Lands. Orcs bred at terrifying speed. The necromancer could replace his losses within a year, if he wished. “He doesn’t care how many of them get killed.”
She forced herself to watch as the orcs swarmed forward, time and time again. The defenders were holding the lines, barely, but every time a group of orcs made it to the battlements they had to be forced back. She wondered, grimly, just how long supplies of gunpowder and arrows would hold out. The cannoneers were firing cannonballs into the mass of orcs, but it was difficult to see just how badly they were hurting the enemy. She had a nasty feeling that the orcs had picked up the cannonballs, loaded them into their catapults and fired them back into the city.
“I feel helpless,” Casper muttered. “Surely there’s something we can do?”
“Don’t worry,” Gaius said, darkly. “There’ll be a chance for you to get blood on your sword soon enough.”
Emily was inclined to agree with Casper. Hundreds of men were already dead, fighting to keep the orcs out of their city. She had enough power to make a difference, surely? And yet, she knew their role. They had to stay in reserve until the necromancer and his servants made an appearance.
And then try to stop him, she thought. If we can.
She honestly wasn’t sure how. The nuke-spell would work, she assumed, but it would also destroy the city. There was no way the city would survive a nuclear blast. And anyone who survived the blast would probably get radiation poisoning and die slowly. The living would envy the dead. But without the nuke-spell, the only real option was to force the necromancer to burn power until he drained himself dry ...
Which could leave most of us dead, she thought, morbidly. And the city in ruins.
The sun beat down on them as the fighting continued. It was growing hotter and hotter, but the orcs didn’t seem troubled by the heat. They just kept coming, swarming over the battlements and trying to seize a gatehouse. Emily tensed, expecting to be called to share her power, but General Pollack merely directed his reserves to reinforce the defenders before it was too late. She forced herself to relax, probing the haze with her senses. There were sparks and flashes of power, but nothing she could localize.
“Ah,” Sergeant Miles said. He jabbed a finger southwards. “What do you see?”
Emily followed his gaze. More giant frameworks were being pushed forward, but this time they were escorted by a number of twisted humans. Magic crackled around them, powerful magic. Shadye had had allies, she knew, yet it was still a shock to realize that there were magicians willing to serve necromancers. And yet, what choice did they have? Born and raised in the Blighted Lands, they would have been enslaved as soon as their talents manifested.
Another series of low booms echoed out over the city as the cannoneers opened fire again, targeting the siege engines. This time, the cannonballs slammed into powerful wards and punched right through, sending two frameworks crashing to the ground. Emily resisted the urge to giggle as Casper and Gaius gasped in shock. The wards would have been effective against spells, breaking down the spellware used to throw objects, but there was literally nothing but momentum powering the cannonballs. She’d been right! The cannoneers fired a second time, trying to bring down the remaining frameworks. This time, the cannonballs struck solid wards and glanced off.
“Shit,” Sergeant Miles muttered.
Emily nodded in grim agreement. The necromancer — or whoever was in command — was no slouch. There was no way he could have known what he was facing, but he’d managed to come up with a counter and deploy it quickly enough to save the remaining frameworks before it was too late. And the frameworks were picking up speed, countless orcs moving up behind them to be ready to scramble up as soon as they were in position. The defenders, already hard-pressed, might not be able to stop them before it was too late.
Magic flared over the battlements as the twisted humans started casting spells towards the defenders. Emily gritted her teeth. She could feel their repulsive magic, even from a distance. It reminded her of some of the maddened magicians she’d met in the past, only worse. Their magic was leaking out in all directions. They’d kill themselves, sooner rather than later, as they lost control, but they’d take countless others with them.
The necromancer wasn’t interested in sending them to school, she thought, numbly. There was no shortage of horror stories about what happened to magicians who tried to learn on their own, stories she knew to be true. He just taught them enough to be dangerous.
“Get into a circle,” Master Grave ordered. “It’s time to show our hand.”
Emily shared a glance with Casper as the apprentices sat down on the floor, forming a circle with Master Grave in the center. They hadn’t practiced since the duel. She had no idea if Casper had overcome his problems or not. But there was no time to worry about it now. The battle would be lost if the enemy managed to get a large force over the walls.
Those damnable frameworks change everything, she thought, grimly. If they get one propped up against the wall, they won’t need to claim a gatehouse.
“Focus your power on me,” Master Grave ordered, as they joined hands. “Let me cast the spell.”
Emily closed her eyes, centering herself and allowing the magic to flow. She was suddenly very aware of the other five apprentices ... and Master Grave’s looming presence in the center, the spell already taking shape around him. The sheer complexity almost made her pull back, before she reminded herself — sharply — that she’d handled more complex spells back in Old Whitehall. Master Grave’s spell was far from supremely complex.
And he’s holding it in place with the power of his mind, she thought. It was impressive as hell, particularly with five apprentices instead of masters. All he needs is the power.
She braced herself and pushed harder, trying to blend her magic into the circle. The others were doing the same; Casper seemed enthusiastic, while Gaius hovered constantly on the edge of pulling back and abandoning the circle. That was odd, but she supposed Gaius had his own problems with rituals. Few magicians welcomed them, whatever their goal. It left them far too vulnerable.
“Keep the magic flowing,” Master Grave ordered. The spellwork grew and grew again, mushrooming into something far more complex — and dangerous. “And push on my command.”
He paused. “Push!”
Emily saw the blaze of light, even through her closed eyes. It was so bright she almost flinched back. Only the steady presence of Cat, beside her, kept her from letting go and falling out of the circle. The magic flared brightly, then flashed over her head and into the distance. There was a thunderous roar, followed by a small earthquake. The circle broke up a moment later, leaving her feeling suddenly drained, almost powerless. She rolled over, peering into the distance. The frameworks had been struck so hard that they had disintegrated. She reached out with her senses and realized that the haze had been dispelled ...
Not quite dispelled, she thought, as she probed where the haze had been. But we can see further now.
She gritted her teeth as she sensed the necromancer, standing well to the rear. His presence was a tight knot of magic, blazing so brightly that she was impressed the haze had managed to hide it. She could taste naked madness in his magic, yet the madness was under tight control. How did he do it? He should have been completely insane after a decade of practicing necromancy. Shadye hadn’t been a necromancer for anything like so long.
“I can sense him,” Casper said. He caught her arm. “You killed one of those?”
“Two of those,” Emily said.
Her mind raced. Mother Holly had meant well, yet she’d gone off the rails far quicker than Shadye or any other necromancer. Had there been a reason for that? Had her genuine lack of self-centeredness condemned her to madne
ss? Shadye had certainly been self-centerd enough to keep himself together. And yet, she knew she could be wrong. Maybe she just hadn’t been strong enough to keep functioning when magic was slowly burning through her mind.
And I cheated, she thought, tasting the tight knot of magic. It was hard to escape the sense the necromancer was looking back at her, even though the masters had cast all sorts of protective wards over the city. This one might be harder to kill.
“Don’t look too closely,” Sergeant Miles warned. “You don’t want him to catch your mind.”
Emily nodded, pulling back. The haze was pressing in again, although this time it was too weak to hide the necromancer. Or perhaps that was only because she knew where he was ... she stumbled, slightly, as her tired legs threatened to give out completely. The ritual had drained all of the apprentices and one of the masters. They’d be in trouble if the necromancer decided to march into the city.
She forced herself to remain upright, unhooking her canteen from her belt and taking a long swig. The water tasted warm, despite the spells she’d cast on the canteen. But it was welcome, very welcome. She watched the enemy retreat in confusion, grimly aware of the necromancer’s presence. He could no more abandon the city than the defenders could. The first round might have come to an end, but the second was about to begin.
“They’re regrouping,” Master Grave said. He’d recovered quickly from the ritual. Emily would have been impressed, if she hadn’t known that the apprentices had provided most of the power. “And ...”
Emily sensed it too. A sleet of magic, raw magic, so powerful that it was clearly visible, even though the haze. The necromancer ... she turned, just in time to see a streak of white light shoot over the enemy lines and slam straight into the gatehouse. The explosion was so bright that she covered her eyes, fighting to remain upright as the ground shook.
And when she uncovered her eyes, the gatehouse was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Four
11- The Sergeant's Apprentice Page 23