“Arrows aren't going to stop those towers,” Asher kept his voice low.
Reyna agreed, taking note for the first time that the clear sky was now spontaneously filling with grey clouds. The siege towers had broken off now, with four of the eight moving south of the main gates, while the other four took the north of the gates. One of them was heading directly for the spot in which they stood.
“Shouldn't King Rengar be giving some kind of speech?” Reyna asked, remembering the encouraging words Lord Marshal Horvarth had offered at the battle of West Fellion.
Asher laughed silently to himself. “I guarantee you, by the time those towers reach the wall, King Rengar won't be anywhere near here.”
More runners jogged past them and the sound of Ned Fennick’s voice broke out over the wall. “Spread yourselves among the Velians!” he shouted, directing the dozens of Graycoats along the ramparts.
The elf tensed, unsure if Asher was going to finish the fight he had started the previous day. Had it not been for the thousands of enemies marching towards them, the princess was confident the commanding Graycoat would have been flung over the wall by now.
“READY!” General Falcor shouted, his order repeated down the line.
Reyna nocked an arrow of her own, along with Nathaniel and Asher. Faylen had been stripped of her weapons during the arduous journey out of the pit, leaving her without a bow and with what any elf would call a blunt, human sword. Still, in the hands of Faylen, it would suffice to cut her enemies down and keep them down.
“FIRST LINE! AIM FOR THE BEASTS!” General Falcor pointed at the trolls pushing the towers. “SECOND LINE! AIM HIGH!”
“Reyna,” Asher called, his eyes fixed down the length of his arrow. “Aim for the edges. Pin the door in place.”
The princess let some of the tension out of the bowstring and examined the siege towers. The ranger was right; if her aim was true, the arrows would penetrate the platform that dropped down onto the battlements and pin them to the framework of the tower itself. It wouldn't hold forever, but it would give them a better chance to prepare for whatever jumped out.
The siege towers continued to roll over the land and through the lower city that sat in the field outside the main gates. The Darkakin moved with them, ready to climb the towers and storm the battlements. Worryingly, the golden soldiers of Namdhor pushed through the mob of savages in lines carrying the largest ladders Reyna had ever seen. The drums were constant in the background, a beat that had the Darkakin marching onwards with savage glee. They were within range of her bow now, but the Velians had a little longer to wait.
The anticipation was agony.
This was the third battle the princess had been a part of and it was easily the largest. Seeing the strength of her friends helped Reyna to keep her nerve and pull back on the bowstring. Her aim was always true.
“FIRST LINE! FIRE!” Falcor bellowed.
Several thousand arrows were released into the approaching army below, with most finding their mark in the thick skin of the trolls. The beasts looked up and roared in defiance, their horned tusks as big as any man’s arm. Those that were dropped were quickly replaced by more at the point of a spear.
Reyna fired her first arrow into the siege tower and relished in the power of her bow. The arrow sunk into the wood with ease and pinned the door to the frame. A second arrow mirrored the first, pinning the other side.
“SECOND LINE! FIRE!” Falcor’s orders had the row of archers behind Reyna replacing those beside her. Their arrows flew high into the air, but they were clustered together and aimed to come down on the towers.
Movement from Hadavad turned Reyna’s head. The mage jumped up onto the wall of the battlements and raised her staff high into the air. The spell that left her lips was lost in the sound of more arrows being nocked, but its design was clear to see. Every arrow arching through the sky was instantly set alight.
“They mean to burn the towers,” Faylen observed.
Reyna could only hope it would work. The siege towers were closing in on the wall and the storm clouds Tai’garn was conjuring were still taking shape.
“What?” Nathaniel voiced the question on everyone’s mind when the flaming arrows were suddenly extinguished mid-flight. Every arrow found its mark in the towers, but without a flame, they were useless to stop their progress. “The wind?” The knight looked up at the gathering storm clouds.
“No,” Faylen replied. “They were lit with magic, they could only be extinguished with magic…”
Asher lowered his bow and pressed against the wall. “Alidyr…”
“Or Thallan,” Nathaniel said. “We have both to contend with now.”
Faylen sheathed her sword and held her hands out. “I can still summon fire enough to burn this one,” she said, gesturing to the nearest tower.
“Don't,” Asher warned. The ranger put his hands on Faylen’s wrists and lowered them. “They’ll be looking for magic. We shouldn't offer them a target.”
Reyna agreed, noticing that several of the Velian soldiers were backing away. She couldn't disagree with them, it was dangerous to be around herself and the others. They had become targets of great value in this war. Should Thallan or Alidyr learn of their whereabouts on the battlements, enemy forces would be re-directed to challenge them.
“FIRST LINE!” General Falcor shouted again. “BRING THOSE BEASTS DOWN!”
Reyna leant her bow to the first line of archers this time. The arrow flew from her bow with audibly more power and found its target before any other. The troll’s head exploded in a fountain of red gore, leaving nothing but a pair of thick tusks to fall to the ground. From their angle on the battlements, Reyna could only target two of the other trolls pushing the towers. Both died from her deadly aim, only the furthest siege tower was backed up by a giant, who ran across the battlefield and slammed into the tower, pushing it forwards with some speed.
Up close, the giants were almost as hideous as the trolls, with scabby, bent ears that ended in points and bald heads crowned with small horns. They were twice the size of the trolls and at least the height of a dozen men. Their heads were easily as big as any man, with mouths of jagged teeth that looked strong enough to tear a person in half. Thick arms ended in four-fingered hands with most wielding the better part of a tree for a weapon. The giant pushing the siege tower to their right was coated with arrows, but the monster’s armour of shields had kept most of its body from harm.
“Bring the giant down!” Ned Fennick yelled from somewhere behind the line of archers.
Reyna couldn't get a clear shot that would see the giant brought down, but the elf did have a shot of its hand. The arrow launched from her bow with magical speed and force until it sunk into the giant’s knuckle, severing one of its fingers. It didn't kill the monster, but it slowed the siege tower down enough for the Graycoats to position themselves at the point where it would meet the wall.
Nathaniel broke free of their ranks and faced the six Graycoats stationed behind them, waiting for the siege tower. “We’ve got this one,” he told them. “Go and help them!” The knight pointed down the line, to the next tower along. The Graycoats hesitated, unsure what to do with an order from Nathaniel.
“You heard him!” Lord Marshal Horvarth barked from atop the king’s platform.
“BRACE!” Falcor warned, moments before the next catapult unleashed its fireball on the gate. The entire wall shook and the magical shield protecting the gate flared.
There was a lot of movement on the platform proceeding the king’s departure. An entourage of knights moved soldiers aside and escorted Rengar down the steps and along the rampart. Reyna caught his eye and did everything she could to make sure the the king of Velia knew how she felt about a ruler who left his soldiers to fight alone. It wasn't enough to give the king pause, however, and he fled the wall with all haste.
“FOR KING AND COUNTRY!” General Falcor cried. “FOR YOUR FAMILIES! YOU WILL HOLD THIS WALL!”
The towers were
only feet away now and the second line of archers fired their arrows at will. Reyna stepped back, giving herself more room to fire her bow on the closest siege tower. Nathaniel and Asher replaced their bows and drew swords, lining up next to Faylen. Glaide had already left to join Tauren on the northern side of the wall and Doran was yet to show himself.
“READY…” the general had drawn his own sword now.
Reyna didn't have to wait with Adellum’s bow in her hands. The princess nocked arrow after arrow and let loose into the top of the adjacent siege tower. The howling of the Darkakin inside was quickly replaced with screams of surprise and pain. The back of the tower burst open as the savages were hit by the enchanted arrows and sent flying through the wall. Some were already dead when they landed on the ground, but some survived long enough to yell until the impact finished them off.
The walls shook again when the towers finally came to a halt. The sound of stone shattering under the weight of the falling doors found Reyna’s ears, and the towers created small bridges for the Darkakin to invade. All but one. The siege tower in front of them remained intact. The savages on the other side beat against the panel but her arrows held it in place.
“Listen,” Asher said, turning to the Velian soldiers. “Whatever comes out of that tower, you look them in the eyes and let them know that this is your home, and you won't be giving it up without a fight. You protect the man beside you and keep your swords up. We’ll face Darkakin before any man from the north. They’re everything you’ve heard. Savages, cannibals… but they’re disorganised in battle. Remember your training and you’ll all see home again.”
The Velians nodded along, some even gritting their teeth in determination, while others nudged the shoulder of the man next to them and nodded their silent agreement to watch their back. The ranger certainly inspired and Reyna wished it had been Asher who spoke to the army, not Falcor.
Fighting had broken out in every direction. Swords clashing with their familiar tune became the background hum of the battle, drowning out the chanting beyond the wall. Reyna looked down the line, her elven eyes quickly finding Tauren who had already thrown himself into the fray. The princess focused her attention on the tower in front of her and decided the Darkakin needed a few more arrows to remind the savages what was waiting for them on the battlement. She released three more arrows, killing five of the wicked men before the panel gave way and dropped onto the wall and crushed the stone.
The sights, sounds, and even smells that emerged from the top of the tower were overwhelming, especially to an elf. Adding to the attack on her senses, the Darkakin screamed and howled in their dash across the small bridge. Asher would have been the first to draw blood, had Reyna not fired another arrow into the mob. The might of her arrow pushed the first Darkakin back into the crowd behind him, creating a ripple effect that forced many off either side of the bridge. Those that did make it found the point of the ranger’s broadsword.
There was no more talking now. Only the clash of steel and the sound of blood hitting the floor in large volumes. The rhythmic sound of the catapults’ attack on the gates was a countdown in the background. At some point, that countdown would reach its inevitable end and the gates would be vulnerable, then the battle would change again, as it had with the arrival of the siege towers.
Reyna couldn't think of the next problem when faced with the charging horde of Darkakin. A swipe of her bow put the first on his back and a kick forced the second into another, giving Nathaniel the perfect opportunity to cleave the savage’s head off. The next foe jumped into the air, hoping to bring his weight down on the elf, but her reflexes were too fast. The arrow that left her bow passed clean through the Darkakin on its journey into the sky, leaving her to catch the body and use the corpse to shield herself against the axe coming at her head. The Darkakin’s weapon became stuck in the dead man’s armour, opening him up for Nathaniel to drive his sword high into the savage's ribcage. Elf and man nodded at each other before spinning away to tackle their next enemy.
The Velian soldiers had spread out, wisely giving Asher the room he required to execute his own training. The ranger’s two-handed sword rotated in every direction, covering every angle to parry his enemies and counter-attack with deadly precision. More than once, he resorted to a barbaric style in order to deal with those who found a way inside his sword arm. The ranger’s spiked pommel was always enough to knock any Darkakin back, if not put them down for good. Nathaniel danced around Asher, catching any who wished to overrun him. The knight parried and attacked in tandem with the ranger, defending him and killing those who slipped by.
Faylen dashed side-to-side, evading every slash and bringing her own sword up to cut her enemies open. The Darkakin dropped around her in quick succession, but it soon became clear that the savages had targeted her. The Darkakin cut their way through four of the Velian soldiers and pressed the attack, pushing Faylen back, towards an edge that would see her fall back into the city.
With no room to wield her bow anymore, Reyna fixed it to her back and pulled her scimitar clean from its scabbard. Using the dead bodies of two piled Darkakin, the princess jumped into the air and came down, sword first, into her mentor’s attackers. Faylen side-stepped, allowing Reyna’s skewered victim to slide of the sword and fall into the city. Unfortunately, for the rest of the Darkakin, the elves didn't stop there, but intertwined their combat styles to create a whirlwind of steel. In the time it would take most to lift their sword, Reyna and Faylen had dispatched them all.
Asher growled at the front of the battlements and lifted his broadsword horizontally against a Darkakin’s chest. One quick blow to the head, using his deadly pommel, disoriented the savage enough for him to force the man over the edge and back into the field. Nathaniel rolled across the floor and sprung up with his sword driving into the belly of one who sought to strike the ranger from behind.
It never ended. The flow of armoured savages was that of a waterfall, a force of nature that couldn't be stopped. Elven stamina would keep her and Faylen on their feet, but how long could the men last?
“Horvarth!” Ned Fennick yelled over the cries of death.
Reyna swivelled to face the king’s platform and saw that it was now under attack from the Darkakin. The Lord Marshall defied his years and held his own beside the few Graycoats who remained by his side. Fennick scrambled to reach the platform, fighting his way past Reyna and the others. The princess didn't want to see the leader of the Graycoats fall, but she knew better than to prioritise an individual in a moment such as this. Everyone with a sword in their hand was valuable, equal in their ability to defend Velia.
A flash of light and a handful of Darkakin flying through the air reminded Reyna that there were those among them that could not be considered equal. Hadavad mirrored that of a dancer, only every flick, twist, and spin of her staff saw her enemies burnt, frozen, and broken. The mage’s spells flew into the dawn, taking any out foolish enough to get in her way. It was an unmistakable display of magic, one that could no doubt be seen across the battle.
“Hadavad!” Reyna cried, desperate to warn her.
The princess’ warnings went unheard as Ned Fennick climbed the steps, shouting to his commander as he did. The Graycoats rallied around the Lord Marshal, but there was nothing they could do to stop the fireball hurtling towards them. Reyna saw it first, noticing that its trajectory was different to those that had struck the gates. She cried out for Hadavad again and again but the mage was fighting for her life.
“Reyna!” Nathaniel was too far away to stop the princess from running onto the king’s platform.
The fireball roared through the sky, promising an explosive death, but Reyna could feel her connection to magic just sitting dormant under her skin, itching to be unleashed. The elf slid on her knees across the platform, ducking under the swipe of a stray Darkakin, and came to rest on one knee. Her hands flew out and projected enough magical force to condense the air and form a shield around them all. The fireball cam
e down on her shield with more force than the princess had expected, but still, she held. The fire enveloped the shield, blocking out the stormy clouds overhead. A blast of cold air ran over the back of her neck when Hadavad cast a destructive spell, slicing a Darkakin in half.
Then another struck her shield. Then another. And another. Every one wore her down until the heat from the projectiles found a way into the bubble, creating a furnace. The last fireball impacted directly on top of the bubble and shattered the spell in an explosion of brilliant light. Reyna blinked hard to be rid of the ash and debris that floated onto her face. It took another moment to realise that she was on her back several feet from where she had been standing.
“Reyna…” Hadavad crawled over the platform with blood running down her forehead.
Ned Fennick was already getting to his hands and knees, attempting to wake the Lord Marshal, but when Reyna attempted to move, her head became heavy and the clouds above began to spin.
“Reyna!” Nathaniel cried from close by. It was the last thing she heard before oblivion swallowed her up.
King Merkaris Tion looked on in awe at the spectacle before him. Velia’s famous wall of kings was being overrun, its green fields were hidden beneath an ocean of its enemies, and he was yet to lose a single man in battle. The Darkakin were a mindless mob of murderers and killers who needed only to be pointed in the right direction. It was only a matter of time before the realm of Alborn collapsed under the might of Valanis and he, the king of the north, would be given lordship over all mankind.
Relic of the Gods: (Echoes of Fate Book 3) Page 30