●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Eryc●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Looking through the spyglass, I see yet another brewing cluster of clouds in the distance, most likely to be lethal for us, if the storm hits full force. Those damn korupt can’t feel the cold, nor nearly the touch of fire; if we lost any men to the elements, we wouldn’t have enough blades or bodies to hold our position, if any korupt even bothered attacking. I shout down as I continue to survey the clouds, “Sergeant, we might need winter gear broken out of storage, and extra firewood or coals on standby. Inform Commander Varren there’s another snowstorm on its way, by the looks of it.” “Yessir.”, came the reply from below the walkway.
In the meantime, I needed a quick break down in the kitchen and mess hall. I hope they have a soup or stew, a warming meal for the frigid cold that permeated the air. A brief walk down a few half-frozen mud streets lead me to the mess hall, already crowded with a few dozen other citizens and soldiers. The chill was only dulled by the halls central fire and the pipes that fed from it into the floor, and into the ceiling, helped only by the body heat of a few dozen people.
Upon reaching the serving lines, I found my hopes were partially realized, as only a small cup of soup was given to compliment a chunk of chicken. Luckily, it wasn’t the usual thin broth, but instead in nice tomato bisque, as the cooks were able to save a few rounds of tomato rations. I took an extra meal for my watch partner and headed over to the general supply depot to pick up a bit of lantern oil for the night, or else risk going blind in the darkness.
Walking between the kitchens supply depot, and the walls, I heard the faint sound of children playing; throwing snowballs and running in the fields just north of here, where it was marginally safer than to the south, or even here, in the walls. I place my partner’s meal on the small table, and finish mine off quickly, as I then started pouring oil into the separate lanterns. We split up, taking lanterns to different ends of our sector, getting the work done quicker than usual. Upon getting back, his meal was gone.
“Where’d my food go? Hey, Eryc, ya’ see my meal anywhere?” I turn the corner onto the scene, where I recalled leaving his soup and chicken. Instead, all there was left were crumbs and a flabbergasted officer Bolta. Immediately, we started searching for the missing food, finding no trace. The only thing around was the faint howling wind outside, and the clanging of the nearby open archer port. Bolta started, “I’ll just go down and get-” he cut off his sentence, pausing in place. I looked up from sharpening my sword, and promptly stopped my maintenance, as he put a finger over his lips, pointing to the frame of the archer port, where a dark mass was huddled on the ledge. I lit a lantern, and we edged closer, swords drawn at the alber that was gorging itself on Bolta’s missing supper. I saw the anger spread over his face, as he rushed and pushed it over the ledge before it even realized we were there.
I faint thud followed it soon after, and a bit of a laugh between the two of us. He goes to shut the port, “I’ll go down and report it, and get some food. You stay here and make sure there’s no more.” As he turned to do so, we both froze; we heard the faintest, yet eerily iconic sounds of footsteps on the roof above, as if something were trying its hardest to sneak and failing horribly. All I could hear was this and the muffled noises of everyone else below, in the town, as well as my own heartbeat and breathing. I raised my sword slowly, and went to signal Bolta to do the same, only to catch a glimpse of his legs as he was ripped back outside, through the same port that the alber had been pushed out of earlier.
I large hand reached through, gripping the window wall, and crashed its large bulk into the hallway. The giant mongrol heaved, a foul fog forming from its hot breath in the cold. Its pale-yellow eyes scanned its new surroundings, piercing the darkness created from the chilly wind blowing out the lanterns. It took a few steps forward, its eyes locking onto me, as it formed a roguish, fanged snarl. It brought down a large halberd which nearly missed me and shattered the small table, and spilling lantern oil across the corridor. Multiple pairs of blue eyes lit up the corridor, crashing through the ceiling, and up through the archer ports with much more stealth than their large friend.
I slowly edge backwards, reaching for the alarm bell along the wall as the mongrol swings down again, and the albers break into a swift sprint. I finally feel the rope, and pull hard and rapidly, breaking the silence, and enraging the creatures before me even further. I cut a few of the smaller ones down, only for the mongrol to swing wide, shattering the halberd blade against the wall. With only a dull wooden pole left, it caught me off guard, launching me against the wall and knocking both the wind out of me and my sword from my grip. I unsheathed a dagger from my belt, and threw it into the mongrols eye, freeing me just as several of my comrades came up the steps to meet the korupt forces head on.
That mongrol was still very much alive, pursuing me down the corridor, which was now ablaze from the lantern oil and barbaric destruction the korupt brought with them. I slam a stairway access door shut behind me and latch it, leaning against it with heavy breathing. I yell for help, and with some luck, I hear a few soldiers coming my way. They were too late. As they reached the foot of the stairway, they looked up at me, and the door splintered violently, as a large, clawed hand reached through and around, digging into my chest.
It slowly tears across me, tightening the grip, slowly crushing me and the door. I gasp for help feebly, only for the soldiers at the bottom to raise their crossbows, and open fire. The bolts tear into me, and through the door, into the mongrol on the other side, sending us both crashing forwards, down the stairs. All I could see in the fading black were the soldiers continuing to fire upwards, while other streamed past, to the front lines.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Rynaults●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
From cold to colder, the sweat breaks over my brow as I’m jolted from the delicacy of sleep. The source of my rude awakening wasn’t the usual sounds of soldiers around fires, or citizens in the market, but instead, something more…. heated……. literally. I flew my shutters open, seeing civilians running due northeast, as soldiers filed the other way, with several sections of the walls ablaze. As if I were drunk, I struggle to get my uniform, armor, and weapon belt on before begrudgingly going into the cold, with the wind shutting the door behind me.
Reality settled in as the screams of panic and confusion infected the air, and a fireball erupted from the southern wall, filling the air with a foul vibration. I didn’t dare interrupt the retreat; instead, I drew my weapon and started to the south, inspecting the damage to the buildings, and finally the wall as I went. Through the gaping wound in the south wall, human-like, beastly figures charged through, clashing with soldiers, and slaughtering those who couldn’t defend themselves.
I ran into commandant Martin, who sent us and the remnants of the vanguard to the southwest corner, as he went southeast in our attempt to pincer the central thrust into town. It was working for a while, until the hordes of korupt began flowing like water over the walls themselves, and simply jumping down onto us. I got the attention of a few others, and we charged up onto the battlements, clearing the albers as we went and could study the town in greater detail from above. We saw the problem; a heavily armored mongrol was bashing in the wall and buildings with a handheld battering ram. We looked back and forth between on another in our group, discussing our plan of attack.
We split our small forces, leaving me and one other on the wall, sprinting to a position right above the bastard. We both drew out daggers, and leapt from the ledge, cutting deep into the way-points of the armor as we fell. I caught his neck by chance, and was able to hold on and dig deeper, repeatedly stabbing into the soft flesh. It let out a deep howl of pain and surprise, reaching up to swipe me away, only for me to dodge and land on the crimson tainted snow, joining the remaining force. The last in our group go in with their claymores and cut deep into each leg, bringing it to its knees, then to lying on the ground.
We reformed into a shield wall, finally ready to counterattack these monsters, barley any time to catch our breath. Only then, a dark, slate grey mist swept over the ground, through the streets, and between our ranks. More of the korupt emerged from the dark miasma, crashing hard into our ranks. It felt as if I had become heavier as the impact shook me to the bone. We killed several before the vengeful nature of the korupt’s renewed assault overtook and began to degrade our lines. I collapsed to the ground, as the blade of an enraged alber struck down upon me, and the mist thickened and advanced, like a blanket over the crumbling defenses. ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Tristyl●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
The last of the civilian-filled wagons passed the gate; this was probably the quickest and most successful evacuation the army had performed, as if it were something to be proud of. I heard the distinct callout, “Commandant!” over all the shouting and chaos, and I scanned for Martin, for an update on our status. Instead, merely a runner from the southeast approached our position, out of breath, and barley walking straight. The lines were nonexistent behind him; the korupt were freely roaming the streets. The runner glanced back, and upon seeing literal death at his heels, he renewed his sprint, reaching the ladder in record time.
As he finished his climb, we had to cut the ladder away, and sealed the north gate, to contain the threat from breaking out after the wagons. “M-Martin”, he gasped dryly, “Your Commandant now, miss Tristyl, Martin is dead.” We carried him up from the ledge and into the gatehouse, which was crowded with officers trying to plan the next phase of action, and survivors both injured and in a somewhat fit to fight condition. The remaining higher officers all seemed as shock as I was; we were all silent until we drew up a table, and laid out a map of the town, with other runners bringing reports in consistently.
One of them hesitantly started, “Well, commandant, the southern and eastern portions of the town are completely engulfed, and the west side is barely being held. We’ve only held this long by completely closing and sealing the access stairways and cutting all ladders”. I read a few of the hastily drawn reports, many of which repeated the same message in separate parts. One of our third lieutenants stumbled in, “Where are the survivors, from the southeast, where’s my son?”, he asked shakily. One of the medykal officers in the back pipped up, “He’s with the critically wounded, over in the northeast corner. Which brings up the situation of what to do with such survivors, commandant.”
I didn’t like my initial thoughts, but given the reports and the primary duties of my rank, I had little choice, despite all senses of humanity in me saying no. “We don’t have long before they surround the entire town, since they can’t storm clean through now”, I gestured towards the gate below. “I want the lightly wounded ready to move north; see if we can improvise a way down the wall on the other side from here. The critically wounded; the ones unable to barely move or maintain consciousness, are to…… are to be left. Though I’d prefer if a few brave comrades would put them out their misery before the korupt arrive.”
The meeting room was filled with an eerie, stunned silence, as many stared blankly at the ground. The medykal officer snapped out of the trance and attempted to make his way out for the orders, only for the third lieutenant to block him abruptly with his sword across the doorway. He swung sharply, missing as the officer dropped to the floor, and several others went to apprehend the lieutenant. “My son is with them; I won’t let You-I won’t let you kill my son! Please commandant, at least let him go with us if we are to fall back.” I contemplated his request for a moment, as he bolted through the others, managing to touch his blade ever so lightly against my neck. “No. My first duty in a situation as futile as our own, is to preserve those that are still alive, but more importantly, to save as many as possible. If we take them, we slow everyone down, and risk the lives of even those in good health. I cannot allow that risk, or your continued hostilities.”
I lightly pushed the cold steel away from my neck, as he had unknowingly loosened his grip. I slid my hand down to the handle, ripping it from his grip, and pushing back over my leg that I had whipped behind him, tripping him with ease. I buried the sword deep into the wood, only inches from his head, “I cannot know your pain, as I never had a family outside my brothers and sisters in arms, but there is no way in Almeria’s name that your concerns are going to cost this entire unit. Not when I still draw breath. Continue as planned; I want the lightly wounded evacuated, and the third lieutenant to be given his weapon and kept under close watch; he’ll be going to the front with us. Put his desperation and anger to use against the korupt, not us.”
“You, boy get back on your feet, and send that report off, and have the unit split into two groups; one covering the east corridor, and one to cover the northwest corridor.” He made a quick bow, and sped off, out of the room. I handed out the plan we had drawn up to be passed around the room, “Take notes, and get to your positions. We need only last as long as possible for the wounded and civilians to escape. Tell your men to pray and make their peace; I suggest the same to you.”
“Yes commandant.”, came the grim salute in unison.
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