NOVEL NEXT 75. On The Horizon
Several days had passed since Tucker had met the Thirtieth platoon, and the scouts had now reported that the Avalon Empire's army would be at their gates by sunrise. The tension surrounding the fortress city was undeniable. Yet in the darkness of the night, Tucker stood on the bastion's wall, overlooking the open field with eyes filled with sadness.
He sat on the cold stone bricks that made the merlons and rested his legs on the crenels. The alternating high and low sections of the wall were a staple in the city's defense, and oddly enough, Tucker felt a peaceful sensation as he gazed upon the fortress. The forges were still ablaze with the mighty hammering of the blacksmiths, who refused to let the flame die out.
Tucker took a swig from his water canteen and sighed. There wasn't much left for them to do besides wait. The Thirty-First were resting on the ground level except for a handful of soldiers who were keeping watch. He stared at the sky, watching as his companion soared through the air. Gale's ethereal form had slightly changed in the past few days and became more refined with brown feathers and glowing green eyes.
Was it because his companion had spent a longer time in this plane, or was there some other reason? Tucker gazed at Gale as his familiar landed on his shoulders. Parts of his spirit's growth was their bond, and according to "Elementary Wind Techniques For Simpletons," it extended beyond that but differed per contract.
"Ha… I should have read the contract," Tucker muttered.
Maybe this all happened for a reason, and that's why he was here now. Tucker stared at the men resting beside the makeshift barricades. They had secured the perimeter around the gate with obstacles and piled countless stone blocks behind the gates. There was no way for the Empire to break through, even with a battering ram. That being said, there was also no way for them to open the gates without removing all the blocks.
He examined the cannon to the side and the magic crystals in the crates. They were fully supplied with everything they needed to fire, with no remorse. It was crazy to think that a quiet night like this would be their last before the battle starts. The sky was clear, and the moon was nearly beyond the horizon, with thousands of stars following suit.
"How does it look, Captain?" Luka asked.
Tucker glanced to the side and met Luka's eyes. He smirked and then stared in the direction the Empire was approaching from. "It's calm for now, but judging by their current pace, they'll be here by sunrise."
"I don't suppose we could offer them a chance to surrender?"
"Could you imagine how pissed they would be if we did that?" Tucker grinned and gazed at the soldiers who were keeping watch. "How's the morale?"
"Pretty good. They feel invincible with us around."
"Then it seems we didn't train them hard enough."
"Ha! We both know that's a damn lie." Luka leaned against the stone wall. "But honestly… I think we did good, really good this time."
Tucker watched as the corner of Luka's lips slightly curled up. "I suppose so." He tightly clenched his fists, focusing on the horizon once more. The words he wanted to say were on the tip of his tongue, but he was hesitating. It bothered him not knowing what to say; however, with no one else to ask, he forced them out. "Do you think they'll survive?"
Luka dropped his gaze to the floor, crossing his arms as he thought about the question. He then spoke in a voice just above a whisper. "I don't know."
"I see…" Tucker forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. It was pointless to ask Luka to begin with. His friend was never one to lie, and the glimmer of reassurance he was looking for wasn't there. But maybe this was what he needed. A splash of realism.
"But we'll try our damn best to keep them alive." Luka held out his fist, causing Tucker to laugh. The sincerity behind his friend's gaze was something he had never seen before, but just enough to convince him.
"We will." Tucker tapped Luka's fist as the sun rose in the distance.
Both of them gazed beyond the walls and towards the clear plains of the grassland. There was a small hill that was hundreds of meters away from the fortress and by using aura to enhance their vision. They could see a single silhouette of a man on horseback. The crimson flag fluttering in the air bore the symbol of three silver swords crossing one another. Unlike the one Tucker had seen before with the black shield and white bear insignia, this one had a crown holding the swords together.
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The sound of horns erupted one after another, shaking the very ground they stood on. Thousands of soldiers on horseback emerged from the hill, carrying flags with different sigils attached. From right to left, Tucker could identify each one. From Viscounts to Marquesses, an assortment of nobles had answered the Empire's call—each name bearing a legacy etched in blood.
"They're here." Tucker's voice echoed with the wind, projecting throughout the area as the Thirty-First rose from their positions.
"Get your asses to the walls!" Ray yelled while ushering the first and third groups forward.
"Look alive, you've been waiting for this god damn moment your entire lives!" Eric shouted.
"Sir, yes, sir!"
The Thirty-First rushed up the wall in an orderly manner and spread out through the bastion while manning the cannons and ballistas. Their iron plates scraped against each other as their metal helmets with wide brims blocked the sunlight from entering their eyes. They all had a javelin or two on their backs and their swords hanging at their waist. In one hand, they held a shield with a wide top and slightly curved contour that formed a triangular shape. The other rested on the hilt of their weapons. From what Tucker remembered discussing with Eric, a few of the men were proficient with a bow, so instead of giving them javelins, they were fitted with bows instead.
"Captain Welford." Brian approached the Thirty-First and stood beside Tucker.
"Captain Morgan." Tucker stood from where he sat and shook Brian's hand. "Pleasure to see you on this fine morning."
"Indeed, and it seems we have some unwanted guests." Brian glared at the row of cavalry that stretched beyond the horizon. "Ones that don't know when to leave."
"Then we'll have to teach them a harsh lesson. Am I right lads?" Tucker looked over his shoulder at his men.
"Hurrah!"
The energy radiating from Tucker's soldiers caused Brian to raise a brow in admiration before grinning. "Your men are well trained."
Tucker glanced at the thirtieth platoon's position, noticing that they were fully assembled. "Yours as well."
"What do you think of their numbers?" Brian asked.
"It's a tremendous amount of men they gathered to attack our bastion."
"Do you think we'll stand a chance?"
"Of course. We just have to kill five men each."
Brian grinned at Tucker's confidence. "We'll have to see what they plan to do with their siege equipment."
"Indeed." Tucker nodded as both of them stared at the Empire's forces. From afar, a group of soldiers rode forth while bearing the Empire's flag. Their horses galloped in unison as the beasts' hooves hit the cold dirt floor. Clouds of dust drifted in the air as a man wearing a full suit of armor with gold engravings pushed forward, the red plume on the top of their helmet dancing in the wind.
Once he was a couple of hundred meters before their cannons, a voice entered Tucker's ears. One that made him wince, as a ringing sound soon followed. He glanced at the soldiers at the top of the wall. Not a single one of them seemed to be fazed. It was then that everything seemed to clear.
[ Surrender now, and your lives will be spared. ]
Tucker stared at the knight who rode out. In his hand was a great sword that rested on his shoulders. The knights behind him all bore the same crest and armor as him. Yet the main difference was the overwhelming amount of aura the leader unleashed. It felt like something was pressing down on his body. An unknown force caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand.
There wasn't anything for them to do. Right now, they just needed to wait for Carl's response. But before Tucker could utter a single word. A cannon erupted from the first bastion. The deafening explosion shook the ground as smoke rose from the barrel. Tucker focused on the knights that had sallied forth, waiting for the smoke to clear as he signaled for the weapons on the seventh bastion to take aim.
"It seems like the Commander gave his response," Tucker said as the men behind him laughed.
"Do you think we killed him?" Luka asked.
"No, that'd be far too easy." Tucker locked onto the knights as the smoke cleared. A shimmer of red aura shielded the knights on their mounts. The area around the crimson aura was torn from the sheer blast, but not a single scratch was seen on the Empire's general.
[ You'll regret this. ]
The voice left a chill down Tucker's spine as the enemy's general rode back towards his army. After the initial cannon fire, that should have been it. The Empire would now need to set up its equipment and prepare its forces for the assault.
But…
For some reason, Tucker felt a subtle tremor on the top of the walls. A tremor that didn't make sense considering how far the Empire's forces were. His eyes scanned the horizon, and instantly, he knew something was wrong. The hundreds of cavalrymen positioned on the hill had parted, forming a large opening through the center.
There was no way the Empire wouldn't build siege towers to attack their walls. It would be suicidal otherwise. So what the hell were they planning? Tucker focused on the opening as a handful of shadows loomed in the dust clouds. After a second, the handful of shadows became a dozen, then a hundred, until finally it reached the thousands. Their forms were like dolls, something inhuman and bizarre. The lumps of stone that formed their bodies were non-uniform. Yet the glowing red eyes caused Tucker to roar at the top of his lungs. "Battle stations!"
The day began not with the morning bells, but with the drums of war.