NOVEL NEXT 89. A Silent Dawn
"What do you mean the doors are open?" the empire officer asked.
"It's exactly as I said, sir, the doors were left open," the soldier replied. "One of the scouts reported it this morning."
The officer stood in the command tent and gazed towards the main street. Their forces had cleared the surrounding buildings, and only a few more sectors were left before they launched their attack on the inner gates. The cold air pricked his skin, and dark clouds blocked the warmth from the sun. Soon, it would rain, and the countless droplets would smolder the embers of the cascading buildings.
"Have you confirmed the sighting yourself?" The officer raised a brow and stared at the young man. He watched as the soldier firmly nodded his head before slowly exhaling. "Very well. We'll scour the building and recover the fallen."
The officer walked out of the tent while holding his steel helmet. He donned the headgear and gazed upon the rows of soldiers awaiting his command. Each one was armed to the teeth, well-trained, and beyond that. Disciplined.
They rested their right hand on the hilt of their swords, large rectangular shields braced firmly before them. The Empire's emblem, faded and worn, was etched into the center of their steel shoulder pads. Dull from the battles they had fought before. Blood dripped along their blades, dying it in a thick grease before seeping into their sheaths. The air hung heavy with the pungent tang of iron and earth, yet none of them uttered a word.
The officer nodded his head in approval. "Listen here, we've been told that our foes have left the storage building in the dead of night. Our goal is to clear out the building and to recover our fallen comrades. Are there any questions?"
"No, sir!" they replied.
"Good, then let's move!" The officer swung his arm towards the storage building and in an instant, a hundred soldiers moved out in unison with the Empire's standard fluttering in the wind.
Their metallic boots scraped against the stone bricks, leaving faint scratch marks on the path. The officer led his men down the main street with their shields raised. They scanned the broken windows of the nearby buildings. If there were still enemies lying in wait, this would be the perfect spot to ambush them. But not a single soul was in sight.
"Sir, do you really think they just left?" a soldier asked.
"It's possible." The officer's stern voice echoed against the hollow walls. "It doesn't seem like anyone is left, but we'll know once we reach that blasted building."
The men stopped several meters before the fortified building. From afar, it looked like nothing more than a slaughterhouse. They checked the exterior for any suspicious signs, such as wires, explosives, oil, and so on. Yet nothing came up. The metal shutters remained sealed, and the reinforced doors stood wide open. At a glance, everything seemed fine, but they wouldn't know for sure until they entered the building.
The officer narrowed his eyes, reinforcing his vision with aura to peer into the darkness of the storage building. He clicked his tongue, hardly able to see the inside except for a few fallen bodies wearing the Empire's uniform. His eyes drifted to the scout resting to the side. Nothing seemed suspicious about the individual, and judging by the fact that the scout was unarmed meant that they had already checked the building.
"Was there anything out of the ordinary?" the officer asked.
The scout with brown hair and hazel eyes shook his head. "Not that I recall, sir."
"Where is your partner? You scouts normally travel in pairs."
The scout slowly clenched his fists and tightly closed his eyes. He fought back the urge to hurl and spoke in a voice on the verge of breaking. "I'm sorry. We saw one of our friends among the dead. He couldn't bring himself to go again, so he went back."
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"I see. In that case, it should be fine." The officer nodded as the scout led the way into the storage building.
The sound of something dripping entered their ears from a distance. Echoing through the walls of the stone compound. His eyes could hardly adjust to the darkness, yet glimpses of light pierced through the cracks of the shutters. Something about the situation felt off. He watched as the scout halted just beyond the center of the room. There were crates stacked along the edge and roughly twenty corpses scattered throughout the area.
However, a chill crept down the officer's spine. He approached the scout and examined the bloodstains on the floor. Something had dragged the streaks of crimson slightly to the side. The pools of blood didn't match the bodies, and as the thought crossed his mind. His heart stopped.
The scout pivoted on his heel, placing one leg behind him. Before the officer could even move a muscle, Tucker grabbed him by his chest plate and slammed his body into the ground. A sickening crunch erupted as the officer's neck snapped against the cold floor.
A gasp escaped the lips of the soldiers, but before they could summon their aura, a series of gleams caught their attention. The Kingdom's soldiers emerged from the platforms above, raining down a volley of arrows on the unexpected soldiers. Each one met its mark, piercing through the valuable gaps of the Empire's armor. Screams filled the area and as some rushed to escape, Brian slammed the doors behind them closed with Wilfred. Fear nearly took over. They backed away from the knight while raising their shields.
The smell of blood hung heavily in the air. A wave of dread spread across the Empire's forces. They were slowly backing towards the center with their auras enveloping their bodies. However, right as they drew close to the corpses lying on the bloodstained ground. Blood gushed out of their chests and trickled down the corner of their mouths. The bodies rose and cut down the Empire's forces, one after another. An orchestra of carnage took over. Iron met steel in a thunderous clash, yet none of the Everheart soldiers made a sound.
No screams or battle cries were heard, only the swinging of their blades that was drowned out by the cries of the Empire's soldiers, and before they knew it. All that remained was a stillness. One followed by ragged breaths and the metallic clang of swords. Tucker watched the final wisps of air leave their foes. Their lifeless bodies left on the stone ground.
"Is anyone injured?" Tucker asked.
No one said a word, and upon seeing this, Tucker nodded. He gazed at one of the bodies on the ground while drawing the sword from a nearby corpse. In an instant, he plunged the blade through the soldier's heart. A cry followed by a squirm drew the attention of the Everheart soldiers, yet Tucker's hand remained still. Surprise flickered across their faces at the sudden burst of life, but soon their gazes turned cold. Not a shred of hesitation was in their leader's body, and without wasting a second, they mimicked Tucker's actions. Driving their blades through the other bodies.
The sound of flesh being torn rang in Tucker's ears. They had bought themselves time, but soon their foes would realize something was amiss. He stared at Brian before channeling a surge of spirit essence within the palm of his hand. Brian met Tucker's gaze and soon nodded. He cracked the door open and soon felt a gust of wind rush out.
"Is that your spirit leaving?" Brian asked.
"Yeah, might as well have Gale search for the others," Tucker replied.
"Do you think your companion will find them?"
"I would be lying if I said yes, but who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky." Tucker took off the Empire's uniform and tossed it on the floor. He grabbed onto the Everheart Kingdom's runic armor that Jones held out and fastened it to his body. "We'll continue as planned and put up the banners after an hour or two."
Brian smirked while sealing the doors. "You think the Empire's forces will realize where we are in an hour?"
"If we're unlucky, but it's mostly so our comrades know where to go."
"It'll paint a target on our backs." Brian pointed out.
"It would, but while the Empire is focused on clearing buildings. This'll be our forces' only salvation."
"And what should we do with the corpses?"
Tucker glanced at the dead bodies. They had dragged the first set into the basement of the storage building. However, odds of them fitting another hundred would be slim. "For now, we'll have the men loot whatever seems valuable. Then dump them outside."
"After the hour?" Brian asked.
"After the hour," Tucker replied.
The Everheart soldiers dragged the bodies to the side, searching for anything that seemed remotely useful. Armor and weapons were gathered, carefully arranged to the side. Food reserves, potions, and the works were laid in the center. From a rough estimate, Tucker knew they had enough food and water to last them for a month. But they would be dead long before then. The only thing they could do was stall for god knows how long.
They needed to win all their upcoming skirmishes.
But even if they did, what would be the point?
Tucker looked behind him, staring at the countless skeletons that loomed in his shadow. Each one whispered a name he failed to remember, yet would never forget. There were untold lives resting on his shoulder, but no matter how much he tried. It felt like everything was slowly slipping through his fingertips. The burden of constantly performing was taking its toll. But he had to push forward because if a single crack appeared, a single sign of weakness, they would crumble.