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“Same thing.” Roth took off his helmet and wiggled his fuzzy ears. Blood had splattered his armor.
Despite his helmet, Kalen had somehow gotten blood in his silver hair on one side, and he had to reassure Rhys that it certainly wasn’t his. All had red smeared on them, and their mounts sweated from the exertion. Several soldiers came with stolen horses they snatched from stables since plenty of horses had been injured too badly to continue. Someone said if the fires grew any worse, they could let the smoke drive out King Taven.
“He might not even be here,” Kalen grumbled.
“It’s hard to tell if he’ll fight or run considering his cowardly betrayal,” said Oriel. “If he’s here. I want him.”
He’d spoken with Aspen the day before about how King Taven should die. Oriel had thought about hanging him with his intestines after some other things. King Taven had raped Aspen in the Hall and didn’t deserve a quick death. Aspen had his own idea about how he should die if possible, and Oriel had agreed.
A Commander approached and said they had taken prisoners.
“They’re to be kept alive for now,” siad Kalen. “Oriel will look through them later and see if he can find someone to settle a score with. Gather citizens somewhere away from here, but keep them together. Don’t let anyone sneak off.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As more joined them, people replaced helmets. Kalen and Oriel called out orders, and lords relayed them. Longbows were brought from the ships and handed out.
As one, they started to move toward the wall blocking off the Castle. The cannons would be pretty useless once they got too close, but the men would be a huge problem.
It seemed King Taven and his men weren’t above destroying parts of their own city. The cannons fired, and a few nearby businesses and homes had holes blown through the walls. Debris from a few skittered out into the streets, and someone’s mount in the front lines neighed as a chunk of stone from a wall nearly hit it.
As they drew closer, more fired as arrows flew. Magic came from both sides, and their longbowmen rushed forward to use some of the buildings as shields. Oriel shifted his grip on his longbow and nocked an arrow, although he didn’t pull back to conserve his strength.
Someone on the wall fell back with an arrow in their eye. The ground forces started focusing on those manning the cannons, and with everyone so close together, it was too easy to hit someone. A child probably could have made a kill as long as they could draw the bow.
Fliers went forth, and Oriel’s line drew closer. Their bowmen fired plain and magic arrows. A cannon fired, and a Knight and his mount went to Elira in the next moment. Oriel aimed his longbow, aimed, pulled back, and released. The man who had lit the cannon with his fire fell back after the arrow drove itself into his cheek.
Roth ducked in time to avoid a blast of green energy and sent out lightning. Some of the men on the wall started to panic. They were outnumbered, and the wall wouldn’t protect them forever.
Discord broke out as some screamed to hold their position. Oriel’s side took advantage to hurry forward as they kept attacking. Oriel’s horse screamed as an arrow hit its eye. It reared, and another hit its neck. Oriel knew he had to ditch it or risk being trapped under its weight when it fell. He jumped, and an arrow nearly missed his leg by an inch. Roth thrust out his hand, and Oriel grabbed it.
Roth’s stolen mount would be slower with two, but they didn’t have far to go. Everyone was crowding in, and men with hastily built ladders rushed forward.
The first went up, and the first soldier that tried his luck was hit with energy and knocked off. Another ignored his scream and started climbing. A second went up as the enemy was further thinned. Oriel took someone out with a fireball when they tried to hit the second ladder with an axe. Fliers swooped down to help.
“Now,” said Roth.
They dismounted and ran for another ladder that was placed. Two soldiers barreled up ahead of them. More ladders thunked on the stonework, and some of the enemy started to retreat. Roth made it onto the wall, ducked, and swung his sword for someone who thought they’d do better in leather armor. Blood spurted as the man’s knee buckled.
“Please-mercy-”
Oriel drove his sword into the soldier’s throat and cut off his desperate pleas. His wide eyes meant nothing, and if given the chance, he’d have done the same to Roth or anyone.
Roth straightened, spun, and ran another man through as Oriel threw a fireball toward a clump. An arrow from the Castle yard nearly took him out, and Roth yanked him down.
More soldiers poured up the wall, and some made it over only to die seconds later from an arrow. Kalen had to duck as soon as he got up there, and so did Rhys. Oriel dared to peek over the crenellation to see swarms of men with longbows. Most of them had on light armor so they could run and move with better ease. Oriel sent a fireball into a cluster and made them scatter.
Roth popped up and treated a few to lightning, although they had to keep lowering their heads. Magic and arrows flew thick and fast, and a soldier near Oriel started screaming as an arrow drove itself into his chest.
“I want to go home. I want to go home. Elira-”
Another enemy arrow shut him up. Oriel blocked out the screams and pleas from those who were hit as he sent out more fire. Someone shouted to stay down on the ladder since the walkway was getting too crowded, and they were making the same mistake as the enemy had earlier. With them being clustered so close, it made it far easier for an arrow to find a mark.
Those who were near the stairs rushed down. More screams rose, but the longbowmen had to retreat or switch to swords as the numbers kept coming. Oriel and Roth made their way along the wall at a crouch.
The yard looked like a bloodbath when they went down the steps. Soldiers came from the Castle itself, and Oriel sent a fireball toward a window when he saw an arrow poke out. The Castle itself wasn’t made for battle, but they were improvising, and King Taven wasn’t ready to give up.
Chapter Twenty-Six
