The orc army, Richard thought.
As he watched, the blob dimmed slightly. Through the goggles Telsa had given him, he could just make out a glow over the hills. The intensity of the glow increased slightly.
“Looks like the fire’s taking hold,” said Telsa.
Concern for the rest of their raiders washed over Richard. “We need to get back there to help the others. Garis should’ve teleported us there instead of here.”
Master Garis turned from the guard to face Richard.
“I teleported us exactly where we need to be. Master Diamass is no fool, and neither is the dwarf or your other wizard scouts. As soon as they saw the swamp burning, you can bet your last keg of beer they started hightailing it back here. We’d just get in the way if we tried to go back there now.”
The marine in Richard hated the thought of standing around doing nothing, but the gnome’s logic won out. He walked over to a convenient log and sat down. Telsa joined him. Surprisingly, Myers did as well.
Telsa pointed at the weapons in Richard’s hands. “What are those for?”
Richard took a closer look at the weapons. One of the swords had a handle large enough to grip with both hands. The other sword was a standard longsword. The handles of both weapons were embedded with a blue gem. He handed the longsword to Telsa and the bastard sword to his brother.
“They’re magic,” Richard explained. “That’s why they cut through the Dragars’ armor you were wearing, Telsa. I think these swords would’ve been useful fighting that mud golem.”
Telsa lifted the longsword and inspected it in the moonlight. “Uh…, thanks…. I think.”
Myers, on the other hand, didn’t say anything. He just pulled the normal sword from the scabbard at his waist and dropped it onto the ground. He placed his new magic sword in the empty scabbard. Telsa dropped her normal sword to the ground as well but continued to hold the magic sword.
“Maybe you should keep this, Rick.”
Richard held up the dagger. It had a blue gem in the handle as well. “No. I’ve got this. It reminds me of the knife Sergeant Hendricks made for me. I’ll be better off with it than that sword. Besides, most of my sword training has been with short swords. I like to get in close. A longsword would just get in my way.”
Telsa didn’t seem fully convinced, but she did slide her new sword into her empty scabbard. “I don’t suppose either one of you remembered to pick up my rifle?”
“Oh,” said Myers. “Sorry. I dropped it when it ran out of ammo. I was a little busy at the time.”
“Too bad,” said Telsa. “I’ve still got plenty of replacement batteries, but I’ve got nothing to put them in.”
As it turned out, when the others returned, Telsa found out Tam’s riot gun was useless as well. The ex-mercenary had used all of the ammo for her riot gun during their raid. Tam still carried it slung over her shoulder, but without ammo, it was only useful as a club.
Once everyone was mounted, Lieutenant Rirely got the raiding party moving back toward Cantonsburg. As they rode, Jerad filled in Richard and his team on the results of the raid. While the natural gas fire they’d started hadn’t been explosive, it had spread rapidly both under and above ground. Based upon Jerad’s observation, the raid had been a huge success. A large part of the orc army bivouacked in the swamp was trapped in the multiple fires. Those who hadn’t died were scattered to the four winds. Additionally, at least a third of the siege equipment appeared to have been destroyed or damaged.
“And the good news,” said Lieutenant Rirely, “is that we didn’t have any deaths in our team. What few wounds my men received have been healed by Wizard Scout Shepard.”
“Rick,” Richard said. “Call me, Rick.”
“All right, Rick. All in all, it was a successful raid. I’m hopeful it’ll take at least a week for the orcs to rally their forces. That should be enough time for King Hamerstine to arrive with his relief forces.”
Richard leaned back in his saddle and relaxed. For once, things seemed to be going their way.
Chapter 26 – The Assault
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Tam looked between the battlements of the city wall at the plain below. “Those orcs are better organized than the lieutenant thought. How’d they get their equipment repaired and moved here so quickly?”
“Does it matter?” asked Telsa. “It’s here.”
Richard eyed the mass of forces arrayed before the main gate. The armored formations of orcs, humans, trolls, and a variety of other races flashed in the morning sun. Groups of ogres and trolls were toiling away at battering rams, assault towers, and catapults. The siege equipment was heavy, but the large creatures were able to push it steadily forward nonetheless. Hundreds of Power readings on Richard’s passive scan confirmed the presence of an unusually high number of mages, shamans, and magic items.
Tia and Matthew leaned against the wall’s battlement as they watched the approaching army. The teenagers were both dressed in leather armor and metal helms. Each carried a sword and dagger. Neither Matthew nor Tia seemed very concerned with the enemy forces before them. Richard had a feeling they didn’t fully comprehend the danger. Although they’d both fought in several space engagements, neither had experienced large-scale ground combat.
Unlike his teen charges, Richard was very cognizant of their danger. Consequently, he’d ordered Tia and Matthew to stick close to him. Myers had backed him up. In fact, his brother refused to move farther than a few meters from Diane Deloris’s son. Richard thought it strange. He wondered what the empress had promised his ex-TAC officer as a reward for returning her son home in one piece.
Matthew took a bite out of a sandwich he’d gotten from a kind cook who was passing them out to the soldiers on the wall. “Captain Kelvoy says they don’t have enough siege equipment to breach these walls. You guys destroyed a lot of it during your raid.”
“You know, Rick,” said Tia. “We’re still peeved at you for leaving us behind. We’re not children. We’re soldiers, the same as you.”
Four days since the raid, Richard thought Tia shouldn’t still be holding a grudge. For some reason, she blamed him for their confinement during the raid more than either Jerad or Myers.
Richard sighed. Tia’s more like Liz than I think she realizes. She’ll get over it, but it may take a few more days.
The smell of Matthew’s sandwich wafted into Richard’s nose. It smelled good. His stomach rumbled loudly in response.
Both Tia and Matthew laughed. Tam and Telsa smiled as well. Myers didn’t.
Tearing his sandwich in half, Matthew held out the larger part to Richard. “Here, Rick. You can have some of mine. I’m not all that hungry.”
Although he was initially tempted to take the teenager up on his offer, Richard shook his head. “No. Even if I ate it, my self-heal would see it as an injury. I’d be right back where I was in a few minutes. Rations are in short supply. There are a lot of people in the city who are hungry. I don’t need the food. You do. I’d recommend eating while you can.”
With a shrug of his shoulders, Matthew went back to eating and watching the orc army. Tia whispered in the teenager’s ear. Both Matthew and Tia laughed.
Captain Kelvoy and Lieutenant Rirely walked up along with Emerald and Chancee.
The ranger hefted her bow and point in the direction of a large wooden tower covered with metal plates. Several dozen ogres were struggling to push the heavy piece of siege equipment up a small hill. “I don’t understand their thinking. I’ve been besieged before. They don’t have enough equipment to breach our walls. Why bother moving what little equipment they’ve got? Surely their commander’s smart enough to realize he should wait for more?”
Captain Kelvoy laughed. “Perhaps you give them too much credit. While an attack now would cause us some headaches, it’d be nothing we couldn’t handle. Besides, we’ll destroy what equipment they do have soon enough. They’re fools.”
“I don’t know, sir,” said Lieutenant Rire
ly. “I’ve fought orcs most of my military career. They’re lazy sometimes when it comes to preparations, but they’re not stupid. The colonel’s concerned they may have something in the works we don’t know about.”
“Well,” said Emerald. “At least the morale of our defenders is good. That was an added bonus from our raid.”
Richard nodded his head in agreement. He had a feeling the dwarf was more relieved than either the captain or the lieutenant suspected. The Oracle had hinted the dwarf would need to form a Circle. Although he and Myers had worked with Emerald over the last few days trying to help her create a Circle, they’d had no luck. He wasn’t sure whether it was because they were failing to do their part, or the dwarf wasn’t trying to form the Circle correctly. Whatever the reason, Emerald hadn’t been able to form even a small Circle, much less one encompassing the entire city.
Come to think of it, Richard thought. I’m also glad the city’s morale is good. Even six wizard scouts can’t take on an entire army without help.
Richard noticed Trinity, Jerad, and Colonel Dandridge walking along the battlements above the city gates. The colonel stopped every so often and talked to the soldiers. More often than not, the soldiers would laugh at something the colonel said.
“He’s a good leader,” said Tam. “He seems to care about his troops.”
“Yes, he is,” agreed Captain Kelvoy. “Our soldiers have grown quite fond of him in the last few days.”
Something at the edge of Richard’s passive scan drew his attention. It was more of a tickle than an actual sensation. He concentrated harder but noticed nothing suspicious. On a hunch, he did his best to filter out the army deployed before the city and focused on the sky above it. He extended his passive scan out farther. When he did, he detected a couple of energy sources high in the sky about twenty kilometers out.
Richard pointed into the air at the eleven o’clock position. “I’m picking up something with my passive scan. It’s pretty far out. Does anyone else sense anything?”
Three lines of Power stretched out from Tam, Telsa, and Myers as they sent active scans in the direction indicated by Richard.
Humph, Richard thought. If I had a larger Power reserve, I could use active scans more instead of always relying on my passive scan.
Before Richard could complain further, Myers dropped his scan and yelled to the soldiers around them. “Take cover! Those are fighter-shuttles.”
Richard didn’t bother sending out an active scan of his own. Myers was a wizard scout. If he said they were fighters, then they were fighters. Even as he looked, he noticed two white dots on the horizon. They were growing steadily larger. As they drew closer, he made out long streams of green gas trailing behind them.
Jerad and Trinity came running up, trailing Colonel Dandridge.
“Something’s going down,” said Trinity. “Look at the orcs.”
When Richard looked, he saw what the wizard scout meant. Orcs were double-timing into attack formation. The trolls and ogres appeared to be redoubling their efforts to advance the bulky siege equipment into positions nearer the city wall.
“Sound the alarm,” shouted Colonel Dandridge. “Archers! Magic users! Prepare to take out those siege engines.”
Alarm bells began ringing from the watchtowers above the main gates. Other bells took up the warning inside the city proper.
“Matt! Tia!” Richard shouted. “Get your heads down below the wall.”
No sooner had Richard spoken than a formation of human mercenaries near the front of the orc army released a volley of arrows. Myers grabbed both teenagers and forcefully pulled them below the edge of the protective stonework. Richard and the others ducked down also as several hundred arrows and crossbow bolts took flight in their direction.
Most of the defenders on the wall found safety behind the thick battlements, but a few of the arrows found their marks. Richard heard several cries of anguish from soldiers who were either too slow or just plain unlucky.
“Archers, return fire,” ordered Captain Kelvoy.
Two hundred-plus arrows left the city wall heading for a massed formation of orcs running toward the wall. It was obvious a full attack was in progress. Most of the defender’s arrows glanced off invisible barriers of magic, but enough found their mark to slow down the orc’s initial rush.
The voice of Colonel Dandridge sounded over the battle cries of the attackers. Richard assumed some type of amplification spell had been cast on the colonel.
“Magic users, take out those siege engines,” ordered the colonel.
A dozen priests and mages were gathered on the wall above the city’s main gate. They responded to the colonel’s orders. Richard’s passive scan picked up links from the magic users attaching themselves to the strongest mage in their group. The other magic users began funneling Power to her. He glanced at the gate in time to see the mage finish her spell and push outward with her hands.
A large ball of blue energy shot out and streaked into the ground ten meters in front of a tall, wooden tower being rolled toward the wall nearest the main gate. Over a hundred armored orcs were positioned all along stairs leading up to a platform on top of the tower. A raised ramp at the edge of the platform was at the same level as the top of the city’s wall. A dozen orcs and two ogres in plate mail carrying large battle-axes were poised to cross the ramp as soon as it lowered.
Suddenly, the ground in front of the tower cracked open where the spell had hit. The cracks widened to reveal a void beneath the surface. The void was at least twenty meters deep. The ground around and above the hole collapsed inward. The wooden tower slowly leaned forward until it started toppling into the dark pit created by the mage’s spell. Dozens of orcs on the tower’s platform and stairs began jumping to safety. Some made it, but most were caught under an avalanche of logs and metal plating as the tower broke apart and crashed to the bottom of the void.
Cheers from the city’s defenders erupted up and down the length of the wall. Both Tia and Matthew began struggling to free themselves from Myers’s grip.
“Let go!” said Tia. “I can’t see.”
“Yeah,” said Matthew. “What’s happening?”
Tia slipped from Myers’s grasp, but Richard caught her before she could get her head above the protection of the battlements.
“Stay down,” Richard ordered.
Jerad shouted a warning. “Incoming. The shuttles are beginning an attack run.”
Richard sensed balls of energy leave the two fighters and streak toward the main gate. From the frequency of the energy, he assumed they were magic-based missiles of some type. A moment later he knew he was right.
Just as the leader of the mages defending the gate was about to release a second spell, the incoming balls of magic hit the magic users’ defensive shield. The shield absorbed the explosions of the first five missiles. The next two shattered the shield. An eighth missile hit in the middle of the mages. Richard sensed the life forces of several of the magic users disappear as the explosion rippled outward. Two more missiles slammed into the wall at the same point. The remaining blips on Richard’s passive scan marking the position of the magic users disappeared completely.
Pieces of stonework were thrown high into the air. Richard dove on top of Tia. His brother did the same for Matthew. Various-sized chunks of granite rained down on the entire length of the wall. A piece of stone the size of Richard’s head hit his left leg. He heard the crack of snapping bones. A white-hot flash of pain shot up his leg.
“Arrgh,” Richard groaned as he rolled off Tia while trying his best not to damage his leg any further. He felt Power from his self-healing reserve wrapping around his injury. The pain subsided slightly, but he knew it would be several seconds before he could walk.
This time it was the attackers who cheered. A glance told Richard at least two meters of the stonework above the main gate had been destroyed. Dozens of the city’s soldiers, dead and dying, were scattered along the wall. The body of a female in dented plat
e-mail lay near Richard. As he watched, a stream of red liquid rushed out between the openings in the fallen knight’s visor. Richard’s passive scan picked up a lessening of the woman’s life force. Then it was gone completely. As her life force disappeared from his passive scan, Richard noticed a shimmer around the dead soldier as if something was escaping her body. In less than a second, the mysterious aura was gone, making him wonder if he’d truly seen anything.
The twang of a nearby bow drew Richard’s attention. It was Chancee. The ranger began firing her bow as fast as she could pull arrows from her quiver. Emerald was doing the same with her crossbow. Before Richard could stop her, Tia jumped up and grabbed a crossbow from a fallen soldier. She joined the dwarf at the battlements and began firing at the oncoming attackers.
With a surprising show of strength, Matthew broke free from Myers. He grabbed a nearby shield and stood near Tia, doing his best to block return fire from the orcs below. Richard had a feeling his brother had let the teenager break free on purpose. Why, he wasn’t sure.
The sound of splintering wood gave him his answer. The orcs had manhandled a massive battering ram to the front of the main gate. Even from his prone position, Richard could tell by the vibrations running through the wall that the reinforced wood of the gate was giving way to the ram’s blows.
Myers reached down and pulled Richard into a standing position. Since his leg was still broke, Richard had to hold onto the stonework to remain upright.
His brother pulled his bastard sword out of its scabbard. “Can you walk?”
Richard shook his head. “Not yet. Give me about ten seconds.”
Wizard Rebellion (Intergalactic Wizard Scout Chronicles Book 5) Page 26