A Lich's Love (Death Knight Series Book 5)

by Michael Chatfield

  The Guardians pushed through the Drafeng and into the open ground. The purple-summoned people of Dena stayed behind, creating a rear guard.

  They were slowly being destroyed, turning into purple flames that burned out of existence. Drafeng who had been hit by the Guardians’ attacks showed purple lines, as if an infection on their bodies. Those who had died to the Guardians burned with purple flames, their fellows avoiding their bodies as they turned into ash.

  The Guardians helped one another, carrying the wounded with them as they rushed the walls. There was just two or three hundred of them.

  The gates were opened and the bridge lowered as they rushed into the city in a flood.

  “Time we met our guests,” Jaclu said.

  Dion nodded. The last of the judges fell as the ranged forces from the three armies retreated into their formations, holding steady. The battlefield fell silent once again.

  ***

  Cecilia looked at Ascen, looking at the familiar Guardian Tower and its purple flames. She never thought that she would see it reclaimed from the Church of Light.

  She continued to ride in toward the city.

  It wasn’t long until she was in the command center of Ascen. Guardians who Anthony had overseen the trials of and those who had gone through their own trials with the Guardian Flames were sparse. Most of them were out with the Army of Light. They had headed out the day before, heading to the north, south, and west to finish off the remaining doorways.

  Cecilia looked at the map before her, showing Dena. Ilsal and Epan were cleared of doorways. Their armies roamed the land as they sent much-needed supplies to Selenus and Radal through their merchant navy.

  The Deepwood had been cleared. Two of the United Armies had been broken down and spread out to cover the south of the main continent. The beast kin had been mobilized through their clan spirits. Moving from Bracegar, they had gone south as the Combined Armies moved east and west. They had met up in Skalafell, looking to push the Drafeng to the east and into the sea. The Army of Light now fell under the command of the Guardians; they headed out from Ascen to the west, where they would clear the Drafeng, opening the routes from the harbors to the rest of the main continent. Then they would board the ships there to reinforce Ilsal and Epan’s allied army to fight the Drafeng on Cheon. Cecilia’s Combined Army was split into three forces: One with Tommie that was headed to Shivernsin and the surrounding fortresses to reinforce them. Another that was headed to the west to join the old Army of Light and head to Cheon. And the third force that was assisting at Skalafell.

  “How are our supplies looking?” she asked.

  “With the Drafeng doorways being closed, our supply lines are able to keep supporting the armies, but the reserves of Radal and Selenus are limited. It is the growing season and most crops have been destroyed by the Drafeng,” Guardian Clem reported.

  “All free cities need to focus on growing food. Have mages support their efforts. Send the newly trained United Army to the west. The fighting at Cheon has only become more fierce in the last couple of days. We need to be able to support the main continent. I will order the elves to open their granaries and move to the southern lands to cultivate food. That way, the allied army can support their own force instead of having to support everyone.”

  An aide ran off to pass on her orders and she looked to the Guardian beside her.

  “How are the Combined Armies and Army of Light?”

  “Unstable would be the best way to put it,” Donna, the beast kin woman, said, her black jaguar fur scarred in places from a storied past.

  “Are they reliable?”

  “In short, kind of. With the Guardian chains, it is hard for them to go against our orders. Still, they are figuring out ways to escape. We have a lot of deserters. As per Claire’s orders, we have been letting them go.”

  “Did she say why to let them go?” Cecilia asked.

  “Forcing them into battle, they’re going to be a greater hinderance than a help. With them spread over the lands, although they aren’t helping against the war directly, they still need to carry out their punishment, which will mean they need to help the people of Dena, to look out for others instead of themselves and they can’t harm people of Dena. It will stabilize our rear and help deal with any Drafeng who have been able to avoid our armies,” Donna said.

  “Okay, so other than those losses, are the forces jelling well?”

  “Of course, there is the tension between the different groups. Though they have to fight beside one another day in and out, it makes it hard for them to hold onto their old anger for too long,” Donna said.

  “So many people have died because of these two armies.” Cecilia took a deep breath, looking into the distance.

  Is it wrong of me to be happy that even with the blood on their hands, it has given us an effective military we can use against the Drafeng?

  Chapter: Friends at the Gates; Enemy on the Horizon

  Anthony looked down at Shivernsin. He saw a familiar set of jade armor on the walls. He swooped down, holding onto the top of Tommie’s Gnominator. Tommie had his eyes firmly shut and his mouth pressed into a white line.

  Anthony reached the wall. The Shivernsin defenders were a bit startled, lowering their weapons as Anthony set Tommie down and folded his wings into his back.

  The leaders with General Fysher, who was wearing his jade armor, were discussing their tactics for the coming battle. General Gheta looked better, stronger.

  “A new clan spirit,” Anthony said as he glanced at Gheta.

  She bowed her head to Anthony and General Fysher looked at him with an awkward look on his face, not sure what to do.

  “How are our defenses?” Anthony asked.

  “You must be Anthony.” A dwarf held out his hand.

  Anthony saw the stone hammer on the man’s hip.

  “You must be Logan Icearm,” Anthony said respectfully. “That hammer has a storied history.”

  “I heard that you stood with Tairlyn Stone Hammer.”

  “Aye, I did, and shared plenty of drinks and adventures,” Anthony said with a light chuckle, thinking of all the mischief the two of them had gotten themselves into.

  “The Combined Armies are being pushed up into the fortresses. They have a small defense force. Most of them were moved to the south to fight in the plains. The Guardians are going with them to assist. We have also sent out gnome engineers and goblin grenadiers to increase the effective ranged and mounted weaponry located there.”

  Logan took Anthony to the map. Tommie had recovered; although he was still pale, determination forced him to recover and he stepped up beside Anthony.

  They saw the Stoha Mountain range that ran from the north to the south. At the most northerly point, there was the large basin that the Drafeng had appeared in previously and now appeared in once again.

  The mountains on either side were nearly impassible, and only a small force would be able to cross them.

  The valleys ran from north to south; side passes were blocked with the fortresses on the east and west. Shivernsin was a large stone hill that acted as a plug for one of the larger valleys. Behind it, two valleys cut to the east and west. Once past Shivernsin, the entire main continent would be open to the Drafeng.

  The fortresses made a rough U-shape among the mountains, with Shivernsin acting as the plug at the base of the U.

  “In the small passes to the east and the west, only five or ten Drafeng can fit across. They shouldn’t have a problem holding.” Logan pointed to where there was a series of red wooden pieces on the map. “That is where the Drafeng are.”

  Anthony looked at the line. “Are they advancing one group ahead of the other?”

  “One group will move forward and then the others. It is odd. They’re not moving as quickly as we expected,” Logan said.

  “They’re putting down conversion towers. With it, it can increase their combat capabilities and weaken any magic we use,” Anthony said. “What is the current plan?�
��

  “We hold our positions, clear the other doorways, wait for our forces to gather and then clear out the pass.”

  “They have limited numbers, but they can use the power of Dena to create more,” Anthony said.

  “They might have in the past, but we haven’t been sitting on our thumbs.” Logan grinned.

  Anthony looked at him in question, kind of hard to do with just a skull but people get it.

  “Well, we didn’t just increase the size of Shivernsin—we made a formation that covers the Stoha Mountains. It restricts the flow of mana in the area and cuts the Drafeng off. But it also cuts us off,” Logan said.

  “Is that why you have focused on machines, explosives, and non-magical fighting styles?” Tommie asked.

  “That is right, Guardian Tommie,” Logan said with a slight smile.

  “Riders coming in!” someone yelled.

  Anthony and the others looked out across the wall to see a group of people mounted upon wolves moving across the snowy terrain.

  Anthony’s eye sockets took on a golden hue.

  “Well, looks like we just beat Aila.” Anthony turned to Logan. “Where is Claire?”

  ***

  Anthony found her in the command room.

  “I agree with Watcher Cecilia’s plan. I want regular updates on what is happening in Cheon.”

  The Guardian moved away as Anthony knocked on the door.

  She tensed up, trying to hide her apprehension. If we are to raise the Guardians, then I... She steeled herself as he walked over, that playful light in his eyes.

  She could see how tired he was. She had heard about all that he had been doing: landing in towns, villages, camps, and cities across the main continent to give them Guardian Flames and secure their rear and organize the people.

  She wanted to reach out and hug him, but she felt annoyed at him, as if he wanted her to hurt him.

  “I’m back.” Anthony moved forward.

  “I have a lot of work to do, Anthony,” she said, distancing herself.

  Anthony tilted his head to the side as if sensing something.

  She tensed up, appearing to look at the map but watching him out of the corner of her eye.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine. Just have a lot to do. I hear there are riders approaching.” She changed the subject, hoping to move it somewhere neutral.

  “Looks like Aila and the dark elves,” Anthony said.

  “Okay, well, you’ll want to greet them. I still have a lot to coordinate.”

  “Are you sure that everything is okay?” Anthony’s voice dropped as he walked closer, putting his hand on her back.

  She flinched from his touch. As she did, her heart hurt. She didn’t want to hurt him, or make him feel bad, but she just couldn’t act as though nothing was going on. It was tearing her apart.

  “Nothing is fine, but having you here makes it bearable.” Claire turned to look at him and he looked into her eyes.

  Even when they had changed into their current forms, Anthony didn’t care. Claire was scared when he had arrived, but seeing that love in his eyes, she felt safe. The world might collapse, but seeing that look in his eyes gave her the strength to take it all on.

  He must’ve sensed her emotions and he brought her into a hug.

  He held her for some time. She felt self-conscious as the others in the command center looked away.

  A commander shouldn’t be acting like this! She tensed up before a smile appeared on her face. She circled her arms around him, indulging in his embrace for a few seconds.

  “No matter what, we’ll make it through this,” Anthony whispered into her ear.

  Chapter: New Arrivals

  The gates creaked open ahead of the dark elves. The great massive wooden doors revealed the interior of the walls. Units of soldiers moved from one place to another; supplies were organized. Siege and long-range weaponry were checked.

  Shivernsin was alive with activity. A small gnome stood to the side of the gate, wearing a large fur coat.

  A smile appeared on Aila’s face, seeing this little gnome.

  She rode forward on Ryan but Ramona overtook them, with her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she charged Tommie.

  Tommie laughed as she came to a stop, sending up snow.

  He patted her head and gave her scratches before pulling out some treats. She happily took them down as Aila arrived.

  “Been keeping well?” She dismounted onto unsteady feet. She had been riding for days and it had taken its toll.

  The rest of the dark elves filed through the gates. The people of Shivernsin organized them, sending them into the stronghold or off to report to the different commanders for their orders.

  The two of them hugged briefly.

  “Clearing doorways in the south, now up here to contain and then push back the Drafeng. I heard how things went in the Underdark,” Tommie said.

  “Yeah, I was able to bring the majority with me. I just hope that the others aren’t discovered and can hide,” Aila said. “I heard about your father. Any word?”

  “Nothing so far. The Deepwood is a big place and there are a lot of people who have fled or been displaced by the Drafeng.”

  Aila looked at Tommie. He had changed, grown up. There was more confidence in his actions, and more lines on his face from the constant fighting.

  “Where is he?” Aila asked.

  “Roaming around somewh—”

  There was a great big thud, with dust rising up from the ground.

  Anthony stood up from his mini-crater and dusted himself off, and walked out as if nothing had happened.

  “Same old,” Aila muttered.

  “Pretty much. I heard that he was dropping out of the sky in different places to put down the flames to save time. Started calling him the Dusty Comet.” Tommie grinned with the side of his mouth.

  Aila snorted as the “Dusty Comet” walked over.

  “So, how have things been, Aila?”

  He reached out his hand and she tapped his fist with hers, dislodging some dust.

  “We made good time, though we left behind more than I’d like.” Aila sighed.

  “Can’t change everyone’s minds. Everyone has their own path to follow.”

  “Do you know when the Drafeng will reach Shivernsin?”

  “At their current rate, it should be another two days,” Tommie said.

  “What about Cheon?”

  “Cheon is a bit of a mess,” Anthony muttered.

  ***

  “Scouts report that another group of Drafeng reinforcements have arrived,” a messenger reported.

  General Axion of the Island Alliance’s First Army grunted. He pulled his cloak tighter around him against the howling wind and seawater that came with it, pulling at his clothes and making the torches flicker in the room. “What of our own reinforcements?”

  “They will be arriving tomorrow,” a colonel reported.

  Axion opened his mouth to speak as a horn called out from along the wall.

  “Looks like they want to go for another round! Man the defenses!”

  The room turned into action as the tired men and women checked their gear, pulling on their helmets and dropping their waterproof cloaks.

  Axion took firm strides as he undid his cloak. His guards pulled it from him and passed him his helmet. He pulled it on and did up the straps, his face hidden from the world.

  Mages came out from the cover they had been hiding under; balls of light formed from spells appeared in the sky above the wall.

  The darkness was lifted as cannon coverings were removed and run forward into their positions. Archers strung their bows and took off the canvas coverings protecting their arrows.

  The rain came down at them from the side. The sea was stirred up and angry as it crashed against the black rocks of Cheon’s shore.

  Soldiers and sailors who had been brought to shore left their covered barracks with grim faces, taking up their positio
ns.

  Axion made it to one of the towers overlooking the battlefield. He pulled out a telescope from his hip and surveyed the area.

  The chaotic beasts’ crystal defenses glowed slightly in the darkness. The chaotic beasts, although ugly as demons, didn’t leak out chaotic power like the Drafeng did. It made them harder to see in the night light.

  “Batteries are ready! Archers are awaiting orders.” A colonel walked up beside Axion.

  “Thank you, Margrave,” Axion said to the snake kin colonel.

  “With their constant attacks, there’s no time for proper beauty rest.” She sighed.

  Axion snorted slightly and he surveyed the battlefield again.

  Then, from the darkness, the wave of chaotic beasts appeared.

  “Fire!” he yelled, looking at the horde entering into the cannons’ range.

  They used the chain fire technique. With two cannon crews working together, the first would fire their cannon; the second waited thirty seconds and then fired themselves, keeping up their rate of fire to one cannon round every thirty seconds instead of every minute.

  This way, they kept pressure on the Drafeng and they didn’t waste their shots, hitting the same place as the crew beside them.

  The chaotic beasts were spread out, making it harder to inflict the kind of casualties that they had achieved when the Drafeng reinforcements appeared at first.

  “Have the archers and the melee types hold in position. Get the mages to engage once they reach the three-kilometer mark.” Axion closed his telescope and put it away.

  Cannons blazed with magical light and the power of gunpowder; cannonballs landed among the chaotic beasts, cutting down tens of them and leaving a cratered battlefield behind.

  Axion checked his timepiece as the chaotic beasts reached the halfway mark.

  “Twenty minutes and they’re still coming.” Axion looked beyond the chaotic beasts and at the crystal fortress behind them. “What is their plan?” he muttered.

  “Are they capable of planning?” Margrave asked.

  “Don’t let their chaotic beasts fool you. The Drafeng aren’t stupid,” Axion said.