Before long, the city walls came into sight. The drawbridge had been raised and the archers atop the wall perfectly spaced. On this side of the moat was fifty paces of grassland with scattered trees and gardens. The moat was perhaps one hundred paces across with a solid bridge crossing three quarters of it, with the final quarter being reliant on the drawbridge.
General Jak’ho kept the army out of catapult range and spread out across the width of the city. The controlling necromancers brought the undead to the front. Sylestra dismounted and called to Zaydok with the magical whistle. A short time later the wyvern landed next to her.
“Send the undead when ready, General Jak’ho. I’ll open the drawbridge once you reduce the archers.” Sylestra climbed onto the back of Zaydok once General Jak’ho had acknowledged her order. As she took flight, the throng of undead soldiers charged forward.
From her lofty height, Sylestra watched on as streams of arrows rained down upon the undead. She smiled to herself knowing that most of those arrows were being wasted; zombies and skeletons felt no pain and they could be laden with arrows and still march forward.
The first line of the animated army reached the moat and continued to walk on, eventually disappearing from view as they became fully submerged. A short while later, they walked upon the far banks of the moat and started scratching away at the wall. As more approached the wall they began to climb on top of one another.
Archers continued to fire down at them with minimal result and some of the stacks of undead were halfway up the wall by the time the Ta’zu archers came into range and started firing off the Bunnmoss tipped arrows. This was Sylestra’s cue.
At once she cast a spell of protection about her and Zaydok; a dirty grey outline of their forms protruded outward, growing in size until it was beyond arm’s reach. The protective layer imitated their movements ensuring that they were always fully protected.
The archers along the wall began to drop to the ground or run for cover giving Sylestra an opening to fly down to the inside of the gate. Many orcs noticed her descent and ran away, but some stayed near the gate and hurled their spears at her. The projectiles hit her barrier, turned to ash and were blown away by the wind.
Sylestra pulled a vial from her belt and drank its contents as Zaydok touched the ground and let out his poisonous breath. Orc warriors all around began to cough and splutter as they fell to the ground in convulsions. Sylestra unbuckled herself and jumped down lightly from Zaydok’s back. Orcs charged in at them but Sylestra paid them no heed as Zaydok began striking them with his tail, snapping at them with his powerful maws and letting out the occasional poisonous breath.
Knowing her spell of protection wouldn’t last and that Zaydok was tiring and his poisonous breath limited, Sylestra ran over to the drawbridge mechanism, unlocked it and began turning the large wheel to slowly lower the bridge. Occasionally an orc would get past her wyvern and Sylestra would have to stop lowering the bridge while she dealt with them.
Taking much longer than she anticipated, Sylestra strengthened the spell of protection on both her and Zaydok. While she was casting the spell on Zaydok a large group of archers lined up and prepared to shoot. She looked back at the drawbridge and realised they wouldn’t have enough time as it was still only halfway down.
A bunch of zombies and skeletons started pouring in from either side of the half-lowered drawbridge. She took command of a group of them with a spell and force of will, and instructed them to continue lowering the bridge. She grabbed a wand from her belt, ran over to Zaydok and pointed it at the archers who had just fired their bows. The arrows all turned to ash but it did weaken Zaydok’s shield considerably. Sylestra uttered the release word and watched as a stream of green gas hurtled toward the archers and began to form a thick cloud about them. Not waiting to watch them all collapse she climbed up on Zaydok’s back, strapped herself in and instructed him to take flight.
Once again high up in the sky, Sylestra had a good view of the action. The bridge continued to be lowered and the undead flooded in through the increasing gap. Some zombies and skeletons had also made it to the top of the walls and were killing anything that moved. Things looked good until Sylestra noticed further back in the city a mass of charging worg riders.
The worg riders hit the front line of the undead army with a fury, shattering bones and severing rotten heads. Orcs were pulled from their mounts and lost in a sea of undead but the worgs continued to tear through the ranks, eventually being weighed down and killed but doing devastating damage beforehand.
Sylestra swooped down near her archers and ordered them to line up at the moat and shoot their arrows over the wall. The archers obeyed at once and Sylestra flew up high to witness the result.
The air became full of whistling arrows which rained down upon orc, worg rider and undead alike. Zombies would fall over as they were pounded by arrows only to rise moments later with the projectiles sticking out in all directions. Arrows would get tangled up among the bones of the skeletons but they would still fight on. Meanwhile the barrage was killing many of the Black Skull orcs and their worgs.
“Fire again!” screamed Sylestra. “And again and again.”
The archers wasted no time in launching a second and third barrage and the undead army began to win out once more. Orc shamans made an appearance and started launching fireballs, lightning bolts and all sorts of spells at the undead.
Flaming zombies would keep on walking and seeking more victims until the fire eventually weakened them too much to continue. Skeletons were smashed to bits by powerful lightning bolts and magically summoned hammers. One clever shaman was even using a spell Sylestra knew to be called the lightning axe wheel. She had seen O’tukka use it many years ago and enquired about it then as it had so impressed her.
It used four battle axes of lightning joined at the handle forming a perfect wheel and was hurled spinning at a tremendous speed at the target. The axe wheels would continue to chop through everything in their path, sending off small bolts of lightning each time they made contact with something until their magic was all used up. Sylestra had to admire its effectiveness and wished that Nefari had a similar spell.
As much as she admired it, she could not allow it and so she swooped down at the offending shaman and had Zaydok pick him up in his mighty claws. The shaman evidently had his protection in place but it didn’t prevent him being picked up by a mighty wyvern. Zaydok flew high into the sky and released the shaman. His screams ended abruptly once he hit the ground.
The spell casting from the shamans eased up a bit once they noticed the wyvern’s swoop. They maintained one eye on the sky at all times to make sure they did not share the same fate. However the undead army alone, even with the aid of the archers, would not win out and so she flew back to General Jak’ho and ordered him to send in the worg riders.
Moments later worg riders began emerging from among the outer city and charging for the now lowered drawbridge. The archers gave them plenty of room and the necromancers ordered the undead to make a path through. From above it looked like the parting of a great sea and when the two masses of worg riders met it was like rock being smashed upon rock.
* * *
Pilk awoke to a horn blow and opened his eyes suddenly. He was lying flat on his back on a hard wooden floor in what appeared to be a large open room. Orcs stood by the many large windows holding great bows in their hands and taking aim.
His memory came flooding back to him like a tidal wave and his hands instinctually went to his chest. A blood soaked bandage was covering his wound. It was at this point that he began to notice the throbbing pain.
“You foolish man!” shouted Mistress Cali, startling him as she came into view. “What on Ka’ton were you thinking?” Her eyes were red and her cheeks were flushed. Despite the harsh tone of her voice, Pilk knew she was only releasing her worry and frustration.
“We needed the gates kept open for the worgs. I had to buy them some time.” Pilk’s dry throat let out a vo
ice that was weak and croaky.
“Who would have ever thought that Master Pilk would risk his life for orcs?” asked Mistress Cali with a nervous chuckle, receiving a few curious glances from the orcs in the room. Master Pilk also chuckled at the rhetorical question but it soon turned into a harsh cough. “Just lie still you foolish wizard! You’re still badly hurt. The only reason you’re alive at all is because of that potion you carry on your belt.”
“How goes the battle?” asked Pilk once he had stopped coughing.
“It goes well thanks to you, Master Pilk,” came a shrill voice that Pilk instantly recognised. “The Raziyans have once again retreated. Their numbers are quickly dwindling while our casualties are reasonably light. Your brave act made sure all the worg riders made it through and that made all the difference.”
“The Raziyan cavalry?” asked Pilk
“Are no longer a threat — if they ever were. Evidently horses are not overly fond of our worgs and many of their riders were thrown before the worg riders even got to them.” O’tukka turned toward some nearby orcs. “Fetch a stretcher and carry Master Pilk to the healers. He is to be given priority as we need him at full health before the next attack.” Two orcs ran down the stairs at once to do as instructed and O’tukka followed soon after.
“Can you believe all this?” asked Mistress Cali after the great shaman had left.
“If you told me a few weeks ago that I’d be fighting with orcs against humans and that those orcs would care about my well-being, I would have had you locked up in an insane asylum — permanently,” replied Pilk.
“I would have let you.” Master Pilk and Mistress Cali shared a tension-relieving chuckle. A little while later the two orcs returned with a stretcher and carried Pilk away.
* * *
“We’re killing too many,” said General Krak’too as Great Shaman O’tukka approached. “If we keep this up, they’ll run away and we’ll be left with very few prisoners.”
“You still care about prisoners when in two days’ time we’ll be free of the fierce one for good?” asked O’tukka.
“Two days is a long time for something to go wrong. I don’t want to give the fierce one any reason to be suspicious. I want him to continue viewing me as the diligent and loyal general. Just look at how quickly your supreme mistress caught on. She will no doubt be thinking of every way possible to stop us from closing the Gate. Our advantage with her is that she is still a long way away with an enemy tribe between her and the Gate. If the fierce one finds out, he’ll be upon us in a matter of hours,” explained Krak’too as he led O’tukka away from a group of nearby warriors.
“I understand,” said O’tukka. “So how would you like us to get more captives?”
“I think it’s time to let them into the city,” said Krak’too with a twinkle in his eye.
* * *
The fight to the walls of the citadel had been hard won. The warriors of the Black Skull were well trained and had continually retreated back to the next defensive line in the city all the way to the citadel. The effectiveness of Sylestra’s worg riders had decreased dramatically as they fought amongst tall buildings filled with archers and crossbow orcs.
With the aid of the necromancers who continually raised the fallen warriors of both tribes they had eventually forced their way through, but many defenders were able to make it beyond the massive wooden gates before they slammed shut.
It was late in the afternoon however, and Sylestra knew her warriors would be exhausted after their march and subsequent battle while many of the defenders would still be fresh. She held little doubt that her army could penetrate the walls of the citadel and capture the Castle but it would come at a great cost.
“Time to call it a day, General Jak’ho,” she said as Zaydok landed lightly down beside him.
“We could take the Castle before nightfall, supreme mistress,” objected General Jak’ho.
Sylestra glared at him from the back of her mighty wyvern and the fierce looking general stepped back.
“Ken’thor is not our target!” screamed Sylestra. “First thing in the morning we march for Gnash,” she added in a quieter, but still stern voice.
“We’ll leave all these warriors at our back, supreme mistress,” replied General Jak’ho nervously with his head lowered.
“They will not be quick to pursue, general. They could not beat us behind their walls and they know it, so why would they follow and attempt to fight us in the open? Our army needs to rest and our necromancers need to restore their mana. Gnash will be even more difficult than this city,” explained Sylestra.
“As you bid, supreme mistress. I will see it done.” General Jak’ho stood confident and erect once more.
“I return to Chakun now general. I will see to it that you are reinforced and I will meet you along the road to Gnash tomorrow morning.” General Jak’ho nodded his understanding and Sylestra commanded Zaydok to take flight.
* * *
The sky was red as the sun shone its last few rays upon Heperi when the Raziyans charged again. They covered themselves as best they could with their wooden shields while the arrows continued to rain down upon them. The return fire from their archers had the defenders ducking for cover but did very little damage. The remaining wizards used the brief respite to launch their most devastating spells at one spot in the wall. A fireball weakened it and the ensuing lightning bolts, magic missiles, sonic bursts and wind blasts totally destroyed and cleared a large section of wall.
“They’re learning,” said O’tukka to no one in particular. Master Tayer shot him a curious glance but said nothing. “Slowly, but they are learning.”
Archers near the wall breach concentrated their fire on the area as Black Skull warriors flocked to aid the sorely pressed defenders who were still trying to regain their feet after the unexpected blast. O’tukka signalled across the road to Master Pilk who had been healed enough for him to take part in the battle but was still a bit weak on his feet.
The gates formed and were instantly strengthened by the supporting wizards. O’tukka’s really didn’t need much strengthening but it was more a precaution in case the Raziyan wizards tried closing it. They had positioned them differently this time; Master Pilk’s was just forward of the wizards and O’tukka’s was behind them. The wizards without some form of teleportation spell were massacred as the worg riders charged through them.
Once they had dealt with the spell casters, the worg riders harassed the attackers near the wall breach to give the defenders a reprieve. A moment later General Krak’too’s voice boomed over the battlefield ordering the defenders to fall back. O’tukka formed a gate near the worg riders and Master Pilk appeared straight after. With all the surviving worg riders safely behind the walls again, all six magic users cast an assortment of devastating spells around the breach which stopped the Raziyan charge in its tracks.
“Follow me,” ordered O’tukka as he turned to follow the other retreating orcs. Behind a load-bearing wall against the outer eastern wall of the house was a ladder leading up to the rooftop. O’tukka waited for the orcs in front to climb up and then followed after.
On top of the roof he waited for Masters Tayer and Ferendo to scale the ladder before he lifted it up and threw it down off the roof hard. As it hit, the ladder broke into many pieces. He led the wizards over a number of ramps set up from rooftop to rooftop, sending each ramp crashing to the ground as they crossed. Across the road the other wizards were being led in a similar way by an orc, only they were falling further behind after having to wait for Master Pilk. This scene continued right along the western edge of the city as the archers hurried to the next defensible position.
Finally they discovered another ladder and descended it into another stripped room. This room had no west-facing windows, only north and south, looking over a street on both sides. O’tukka briefly explained to the wizards what he wanted done and sent them to the south-facing windows while he walked to the northern edge of the room. Down in
the street orcs were scurrying about taking up their positions.
A ground trembling war cry broke the eerie silence as the Raziyan’s charged through the wide city streets. That war cry soon turned into many cries of pain as spiked walls popped up in the midst of the men. Non-lethal spells like sonic bursts or wind blasts buffeted the Raziyans that made it beyond those walls. While they were down on the ground or distracted by the spells, orcs materialised as if from nowhere and charged in, hitting the men with the flats of their weapons. More orcs followed them in and began dragging away the unconscious Raziyans.
By the time the attackers broke down the blocking walls, their comrades had all been carted off and the street was deserted. Their confused expressions soon shifted to that of panic when dozens of worg riders appeared from around the corner and charged their position.
Not being able to retreat as their fellow soldiers banked up behind them, the Raziyans raised their shields and prepared to confront the charge. Just moments before the clash, devastating spells were hurled at the front line by O’tukka and the wizards on the other side of the street, shattering the front line defences.
Archers launched their arrows into the crowded streets from the safety of the buildings causing fear and confusion, allowing the worg riders to charge through the throng with few casualties. When the worg riders neared the end of the street they turned around and came back at great speed, knocking down many more soldiers.
By the time the worg riders had run back to the city centre, the orc warriors returned and barrelled down the street in tight formation, finishing off the scattered remnants. Once they had reached the end of the street the retreat was on in full. The orcs didn’t pursue them beyond the temporary walls but any remaining in the city were swiftly captured, disarmed and taken to the City Hall.
The Gate - An Ancient Connection Page 27