Chapter 21: Assault on the Eastern Wall

The Crafter Base towered atop a steep plateau, with its eastern wall carved along the cliff edge, creating a natural stronghold with formidable and imposing defences.

Two guards manned the lookout tower, their silhouettes barely visible under the dim glow of a full moon.

“Did you see anything unusual?” one guard asked, his tone more out of routine than genuine curiosity.

“Nothing as usual,” his companion replied, stifling a yawn. “Boring as it seems.” He reclined indolently on the parapet, his voice tinged with frustration. “Why were we assigned the night shift again

Before his partner could reply, a figure emerged from the shadows, greeting the duo with a casual wave. “Speak of the devil,” the bored guard mumbled. The newcomer, a recent recruit, exhibited a cheerful demeanour in sharp contrast to his fatigued colleagues.

“I’m tired,” the bored guard admitted. “I’ll leave for my break now that you’re here. Do you mind?”

"No, proceed. I can continue for a few more hours," the other replied. The trio adhered to protocol, with the guards rotating in groups of three. This ensured that two remained on duty while one took a break.

The recruit, curious and energetic, peeked over the edge of the wall, staring into the abyss below. “It sure is steep and deep. Can’t even see what’s down there.”

The veteran’s warning came swiftly. “Don’t stare too long, or you might fall. The floor’s slippery at night.”

Startled, the recruit quickly stepped back. “Noted,” he said, resuming his post with renewed focus.

Deep beneath the eastern wall, shrouded shadows, an extraordinary event unfolded A group of goblins laboured tirelessly, assembling a primitive catapult system. Utilizing salvaged timber and magic, they intended to launch themselves and enchanted projectiles over the towering edge. Their actions went unnoticed until a goblin, fumbling with supplies, accidentally started a small fire. The faint glow caught the attention of the veteran guard.

Squinting into the darkness, he muttered, “What’s that?” To confirm his suspicions, he cast a detection spell. Before he could act further, the attack began.

One of the leading goblins at the spot noticed this mess up and kicked the gobline underling hard enough for him to roll over. "you fool!!! Someone douce the fire quickly..." I spoke in a low, growling, commanding tone. Others, along with the lead goblin, hurriedly began to extinguish the flames Although only a few seconds had passed for this debacle to take place it was enough to draw the attention of the guards stationed just above them. The goblin leader's mind began to rush but the plan had not yet failed only the timing was off. "never mind that, sound the signal..." Worried he might lose the advantage of surprise he rushed to order his men to fire in unison.

The goblin horns were sounded, but due to the terrain, the noise failed to alert the defenders. Only the guard who noticed was barely able to react. The catapults fired in unison, launching their forces and projectiles at the eastern wall. The attack commenced abruptly and with great force, surprising the defenders. A volley of magical explosives struck the fortifications, causing the Eastern side of the plateau to tremble.

The veteran guard shouted to the recruit, “Hurry, sound the alarm! We’re under attack--” His warning was cut short as a projectile struck the tower, crushing him beneath the rubble.

The recruit stood frozen in shock, his mind reeling as the eastern wall erupted into chaos. Screams of his comrades jolted him back to reality. Many suffered a similar fate as the guard who was crushed right in front of him. "I barely Knew the Guy.." he thought, his eyes still in shock. A stray projectile just like before but on a smaller side came hurling at him. Fortunately for the new soldier, he swiftly regained his composure and returned to his senses. The delay of even one second would have led to a similar fate, had he not dodged the incoming boulder in time.

However, the bolder smashed the alarm bell in full force decimating it completely. "Darn it the signal post is compromised. What should I do?" as thoughts ran in his head he saw the state the wall was in from his vantage point and it was grim. "if this keeps up..." he cut his monologue short. His was a distant memory, yet he somehow recalled a straightforward but potent spell that might prove effective. Despite his panic, he focused his energy and cast the spell, using every ounce of mana in his body to enhance it.

"Fire..." he mumbled, and the spell was cast. He was left unconscious, drained of all energy but still alive. Shortly after, a fireball was seen flying towards the inner sections of the base in mid-air. Witnesses described the trajectory as resembling a firework. Upon reaching its destination, the projectile exploded, producing a loud noise akin to a firecracker but on a much larger scale. The base was now on full alert.

Amid the chaos, five goblins slipped through the shadows, avoiding combat. Their leader had given clear instructions: “Cause chaos and keep the enemy distracted. We’re here to retrieve the artefact, not fight. You have forty-five minutes. Anyone left behind will be abandoned.”

Now, under the cover of the attack, they moved swiftly, their objective clear.

Inside the base, the commander was deep in his office, reviewing military reports over a late-night meal. The silence shattered as a guard burst into the room, panic etched on his face.

“What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself Soldier!” the commander barked, slamming his hand on the desk.

“Sir, we’re under attack!” the guard blurted, his voice trembling.

The commander immediately straightened. “Which side? How many?”

“The eastern wall, sir. Numbers are unknown, but the situation is dire. The enemy seems to have breached the eastern walled fortification.”

Without hesitation, the commander stood and issued orders to mobilize the remaining forces. One of his officers, stood by his side, attentively observing the events as they transpired. " Inform the knight captains to act independently until the main force is assembled. All units! We must set a welcome party for these unannounced intruders."

The assisting officer accepted the commands and rushed to inform his men and the others.

Meanwhile, amidst chaos at the eastern wall, Alderic and his two confidants infiltrated in complete silence As they marched, making soundless steps in the chaos of the battle, one of the men chuckled and spoke up, Thanks to some goblin friends, we managed to get inside easily..." Alderic listened to his chatter and interjected mid-course, "Stop blabbering and focus on the task at hand."

Simultaneously, in the royal capital of Serpentonia, Prime Minister Foust strode swiftly through the imperial courtyard. The chief of intelligence trailed behind, wringing his hands nerves.

“You should have informed me sooner,” Foust snapped. “How did we? No, rather you miss this? I hope the Emperor is not aware of this yet and his summons are about a completely different matter altogether.” Their conversation ended as both of them approached the gate to the Imperial Court hall. They entered the grand court chamber, where the emperor sat on a huge tall throne placed on an elevation that made everyone in the room look like minor plebians, surrounded by nobles. Foust’s unease grew as he realized this was no private audience. Bowing low, he addressed the emperor.

“Good evening, Your Majesty. My apologies for the late hour. For what do we owe your presence.”

The emperor’s expression remained unreadable. “Nothing much you see our Imperial Court seems to have some concerns regarding the recent developments and I wanted you and the Bureau Chief to clear any unease from their Grins. But by looking at your face I presume you have to say something to me as well? What could it Be? Speak your mind, Prime Minister."

Foust cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, the matter I wish to discuss isn't suitable for this setting. Perhaps we could address my concerns later." The ministers were somewhat uncouth, yet he delivered them in a tone as polite as possible to avoid sounding out of place.

 "Don't worry I am fully aware speak your mind freely." the emperor gave a meaninged response only the Foust and the Bureau chief Knew what the emperor was trying to tell but the rest of them were clueless and did not pay attention to what was spoken. "Very well then. Here is my detailed report on the successful recovery of the initial intelligence and stolen assets from our espionage operations in Helvetia. "However," he paused momentarily, "before we proceed, Your Highness, I would like to discuss a matter of concern. It appears we have a traitor among us."

The room erupted into murmurs as nobles exchanged glances, their whispers filling the chamber. The emperor raised his hand, and a heavy silence fell. The air felt thinner, but no one realized it was not just the atmosphere; it was the mana of everyone in the chamber, irrespective of their status, being drawn towards the emperor's fist.

It took some time for the effects to become apparent. First, the weaker members of the group began to feel it, followed by those who were stronger. In the end, Foust and the Bureau Chief remained composed, the others, including most of the guards, succumbed to mana exhaustion. This oppressive force pressed down on everyone present, forcing them to the floor.

Foust trembled but continued. “Your Highness please give us some time. We will find out who is behind this." as soon as Foust spoke his mind the emperor began to cancel the spell and the atmosphere was back to normal. "Worry not, I only wanted the room to be quiet that's why I raised the Spell. It was getting noisy. As far as the investigation goes I know you can deliver what is needed from you foust." he gave a rather evil smile as he spoke those words. But due to the distance, nobody not even Foust could notice that expression.

Moments after the room was cleared and only the emperor was left alone inside the room dim lights still glowing and illuminating the outlines of the room. "So you found what you were looking for?" the Emperor asked to a shadowy figure. The figure only gave a grinning nod and left his presence leaving the room in a fading silence.

***