Chapter 10: Collapse
I saw the sun rise over the mountains. Such a beautiful sight it was. The first gleams of light pierced through the fading darkness and soon illuminated the sky. Such a glorious sight…
I had drifted from the town hall to the peak and stayed there the entire night. I could not rest, for my mind was filled with thoughts that would not let me rest. I do not tire because lack of sleep but tire from these thoughts. These thoughts that continually repeat within my mind.
I did not open the journal that Socrates had left me. I could not bring myself to open it. The journal rested in my hand and I could only observe the embedded seal upon the cover. But between these covers were the words written by my father. Between these covers…could be the answers I have searched for…and yet I could not open it.
I set the journal aside and took in a deep breath. The sun had yet to warm the cold air. The sky had brightened to a lighter shade of blue. The morning would soon bring the slumbering village into full routine. If I were to stay on the peak, that would be negligence to my duties. Negligence was something I couldn't afford. Not in these troubled times.
I raised myself off the ground and stood to take in the full view before I left. I suddenly heard rustling sounds behind me and I turned to see what was causing the noise. It was Banquo lumbering with his gigantic axe strapped on his back.
"Orias! I thought I'd find you here, boy. You're wanted in town. That human commander that brought in wants to see you. He said he's been looking around the whole town just trying to find you."
I nodded in reply. Banquo lugged himself upon a smoothed out rock and rested his axe on his side.
"Did you hear what I said, Orias?"
"I heard it perfectly clear."
There was an uneasy silence for a while until Banquo grunted and looked out toward the horizon.
"Well…I don't see why that human commander wasted his time trying to find you by himself. All he needed was to ask any one of us and we could have told him. You're up here practically every morning. For reasons beyond my understanding however. I don't see what's so special up here that you can't do down there, Orias."
I chuckled and took a few steps towards the edge of the peak's cliff. Banquo gave me confused looks. He probably thought I was going to jump off but I merely took in another deep breath.
"Well for one…I always feel that the air is fresher here."
"Heh…air is air to me. Be it up here or sniffing it down there, it's all the same."
"I guess that is the difference between you and me. If you can't share my views on the air then how about the view itself?"
Banquo took a minute to look out and observe the vast greenery of the forests and the never ending sky. He had straightened out his beard and smiled.
"Yes, I must say it's quite the view--What the…what was that?" Banquo started and looked more intently.
I heard an explosion ring out. I was trying to find its source but a second explosion eruption interrupted my focus.
"Damn it! The sons of bitches!" Banquo yelled as he quickly grabbed his axe and ran down the path.
As he tried awkwardly to run down the slanted path, I quickly caught up with him.
"What is it? What was that explosion?" I asked.
"Sappers! They gave them sappers to work for them! Those greedy sons of bitches, every last one of them!" Banquo yelled in fury.
It did not take long for me to understand what had just happened. The Undead must have employed some goblin sappers to blow the rock walls. It would not take them long before they reach the first gate.
"I did not expect the bastards to push through so early! Sappers! It would take enough of them to blow through the rock wall but they'll be crossing through the passes. Sure enough, they'll be passing through."
Banquo and I quickened our paces until the town was soon in sight. Banquo banged on one door to the next, awakening its inhabitants. I was contemplating on how quickly we can bring up a first line of defense.
"Banquo! Are the cannon systems still working?"
Banquo stopped at a workshop that the dwarves worked in and banged at the door.
"It should be working! I'll have Agnar activate it at the first gate. That is if I can find him."
Banquo banged on the door again. Menteith and Anteus arrived at the workshop a few moments afterward.
"What's going on! Things are exploding all over the place and neither I nor my boys are causing it! You mind explainin' things, Orias?" Menteith ranted.
Banquo continued to knock furiously on the door but gave up after a few more tries. I heard him curse under his breath and took his axe in hand.
"Damn it! Agnar's not in the workshop and we got no way to activate the cannon system until we find him." Banquo confirmed.
Menteith nodded and he gave a sign of inspiration.
"I'll track down him down by myself, brother. But it might be time we put those to good use right about now." Menteith said with a gleam in his eye.
Banquo groaned and looked away, trying to avoid my gaze. There was obviously something I was not informed of.
"What does he mean by 'those'?" I asked Banquo, who gave me a sheepish look.
"Remember when I mentioned…that I got everything on the list you gave me? Well…we, actually it was just Menteith here, bought some other…assets."
"I don't care what they are right now. If they can help us fend off the Undead, I'll forgive it."
Banquo cleared his throat and gave a nod to Menteith. Menteith laughed joyfully and started for the storage sites.
"I'll need the rifleman and the archers at the ready by the first gates battlements. Bring all that you can find--"
"And rally my soldiers to aid you." Anteus concluded.
Banquo nodded and set off in the other direction. Anteus followed me to the storage sites, where Menteith was already busily shuffling through wooden crates.
"So…this is your storage site?" Anteus asked as he observed the humongous cave with a large cache of supplies within it.
"Yes, a few of the excavation projects supplied by the dwarves. They hit a gold vein a while back and supplied a steady income to us to buy supplies from the goblin merchants. They also discovered an underground fresh water spring, which is not too far from here. The caves provide a shelter for the supplies we store and acts as a fall back shelter…"
I trailed off at my last sentence. Bringing mention of a last resort at a critical time was not appropriate. Much less to bring pessimistic viewings of the caves as they have provided us much fortunate benefits.
"AH! Found it! This should get the bastards running!" Menteith exclaimed.
He pried open a wooden crate and shifted away the hay covering the merchandise. What the merchandise was…less than surprising.
"Goblin rockets…" I said resolutely.
Menteith nodded and took one of the rockets out to observe the quality.
"Ah…one look and I couldn't keep away. Not to mention it was a hell of a bargain. How could I pass it up? Ha ha ha! Blow them all to bits I say."
"What do you plan on doing with the rockets?"
Menteith laid down the rocket that he was holding and looked back at me.
"Set'em up on the gyrocopters and bomb them with an air strike." Menteith replied affirmatively.
"The passes are narrow and flying at a very low altitude. Are you sure your pilots can handle it?"
"Let me tell you, Orias…none of them fly sober. And yet they keep coming back before the happy hour ends. I say they'll make it. Aside from that we've got nothing to lose at this point. How many are they now? What are our odds, lad? For every one of us there are a hundred more of them. For every one ours dead adds one more in their favor. They've trampled on everything living on Lordaeron. I say, what have we got to lose?"
He brings a surmountable point. I nodded in consent and he tapped his rifle twice with his hand as if in acceptance.
"I'll have Agnar set'em up to the gyrocopters, once we find him that is. You'll have the cannon system before then and I'll have some of the boys bring up some mortars. Shell them down until we have the copters set up. I have no doubt you'll keep them at bay till then."
Menteith soon left the cave and I left afterwards. The wave of the Undead will be relentless and will not cede until they have reached the Central Town. We have failed at our first attempt to ward them away. We must stop them here. They will not set foot in the town. I will not let them pass further.
The archers and rifle were already rallied at the top of the battlements of the first gate. A list of dwarves and men lined the rows. A regimen of knights waited on the grounds of the gate. All were adorned in their worn armor and carried their weathered weapons.
I soon joined the archers and the riflemen at the top. Banquo was among the fray of rifleman. I had yet to see so much as a ghoul or raised skeleton warrior beyond the path. Nevertheless, this brought little comfort and I proceeded to use discretion.
"Have the rifleman line at the front and the archers behind. Call out their marks at my signal. How goes the query on the cannon system?" I asked Banquo.
"Not to worry. They'll be up--right now." Banquo pointed to the end pillars of that stand side by the gate.
Two hemispheres emerged from the top of the pillars and from the hemispheres opened a metallic doorway unveiling the cannons. Slowly creaking into position, the cannons faced the direction of the path.
"So we have our artillery support…"
"And we got more men to back you this time, Orias. You have our faith in progress. In times such as these, that's all we can really count on. That and something sharp and heavy at your side."
I smirked and Banquo laughed. In times such as these…moments like these will soon pass and chaos will soon replace them.
A sudden mass of almost skittering like sounds came from the path. The archers and riflemen drew tighter to their weapons of choice. They soon came into plain sight. A horrendous sight it was to stare into the face of death. But when you behold such a sight, you should never blink or turn your gaze.
A mass of beastly ghouls sped quickly away from the ranks and was first to approach the mark.
"Sixty five degrees and 240 breadths. Fire at unison toward the center and expand fire." I told Banquo as he relayed the orders to the men operating the cannons.
It was not a moment sooner did the cannons erupt a mass of force and flame towards the oncoming Undead. The explosions shook the earth and blew clouds of dust around the area. Yet they still cam by the masses, such is the strength and horror of the Undead.
"Have the archers stand ready and fire a volley on my signal."
"Archers ready!" Banquo shouted at the top of his lungs.
The archers drew back their creaking bows and aimed skyward. I let my hand fall and the archers soon let loose a hail of arrows upon the clusters of Undead. The arrows had ripped through the ghouls' rotting flesh and many ran aground but more stepped ever closer to the gate.
"Second volley and have the rifleman line the battlement."
"Archers stand ready! Riflemen ready your guns! Remember to shoot to kill and conserve ammo! Archers on second volley!" Banquo relayed.
A line of dwarves cocked their guns and took aim at the nearest target they could find. The archers let loose a second hail of arrows, arrows greeting even more of the oncoming ghouls. After repeated arrow and cannon barrage the ghoul offensive had ceased suddenly and the few remaining ghouls that were about to approach firing range of the cannons soon retreated.
"They making a run for it already!" Banquo exclaimed.
I shook my head in disagreement and observed the battlefield once more. There were among the upturned dirt and rubble, scattered or blown body parts of the ghouls. Too many were already killed, they had also observed this. A sudden loud growling came from the path.
"What the hell was that?" Banquo said as he scanned the battlefield.
"There sending in abominations since the ghouls were not getting close enough." I answered him.
"Son of a--then we'll blow the bastards up before they even make their way here! Lumbering bastards can't…what!"
The abominations had made their presence known. There was more now than there were at the outpost, much more. I took a count of eighteen that were waddling in a line toward the gate.
"Damn it! Fire the cannons! Don't let them get anywhere near the gate!" Banquo shouted to the cannon operators who were dumbfounded at the sight but soon resumed their work after being ordered to.
A concentrated effort of cannon fire had blew chunks off the first abominations in the line but served to do nothing for the others as the first few were taking the brunt of the blows. I could see Banquo already breathing heavily in frustration and pounded the battlement wall.
"Once they get too close for the cannons to fire, arrows and guns will mean nothing." Banquo said grimly.
"Then we'll have to rely on other means of defense." I walked to the other side of the battlement that was facing towards the Central Town and Banquo followed.
"Hey! Chief! You ain't gotta a little bit of ale on ya would'ya? Something to calm the nerves perhaps?" A mortar team dwarf shouted from the ground.
"HA! You get us out of this mess; I'll get you a round of ale on me!" Banquo retorted.
The mortar team dwarf laughed and set to work. There were four mortars set behind the gate. Four mortars are all we can manage but it will prove sufficient.
"Have them create a wall of artillery barrages once they get close."
"Aye, but ain't that cutting it close, Orias? You're practically firing at the gate at that range."
"We have no choice in the matter. Once they reach the gate, they'll have the rest of their army push through. With our rifleman and archers preoccupied with the abominations, they will only have the cannon fire to contend and that alone will not stop them."
"If it bears down to that I'll hack away at them myself if I have to. But we'll do it your way."
The abominations had pulled through the cannons minimum range and were only moments away from reaching the gate. Eight have managed to pull through the cannon barrage, while the other ten were nothing more than bloody rotten masses that stained the canyon walls.
"Start the artillery barrage, Banquo."
Banquo gave the signal to the mortar teams below and they soon started firing. The mortar shells flew high above us and upon landing, met with an abomination. The abominations that were hit groaned in pain and fell to the ground. The artillery barrage had taken out three more of the abominations but the five that had remained unscathed from both the cannons and the mortars charged steadily forward.
"Fire everything you can! We'll have to bring them down with arrows and guns now."
Banquo grimaced but carried out the order. The rifleman let loose shells upon the abominations that were almost in point blank range. I had grabbed my own bow and joined the other archers in attempt to bring down the abominations. The rifleman had only managed to blow off small chunks of flesh off the abominations and the archers' arrows merely stuck out like pins on them. However one of the riflemen managed to blind one of the abominations sending it on a confused rage. The blinded abomination was now thrashing away at a rock wall instead of advancing. This fortunate event was short lived as the other four had reached the gate and started to bang against it at full force. It shook the battlements and some of the archers almost lost their footing.
"Riley! Bring some support beams and supplies from the town! Fortify the gate and bring up some ammo and arrows to us! NOW!" Banquo shouted at the beleaguered archer below.
Riley had taken some riders with him back to the town to collect what Banquo inquired.
The abominations had continued to pound against the gate. The cannons had resumed fire as did the mortar teams. As I predicted, the Undead had sent the rest of their forces en masse. This time, they not only bring their ghouls but their raised skeletal warriors as well. One of the things that disgusted me most about the Undead was their sacrilege they continue to commit upon our fallen warriors, converting them to their twisted purposes.
The cannon fire suppressed them for a time but they were soon at the gate as well.
The support beams and supplies had reached us by a pack of tired horses. The men on the ground quickly went to work to set up the beams and the ammunition and arrows were brought up to us. It was at this time, we were starting to see our first losses. Skeletal archers had reached the gates and were retaliating upon our own archers. A few of our own caught an arrow in between their necks and fell dead.
"Shields! Raise shields! Protect yourselves from their arrows!" I ordered and the order could come at no time sooner.
A few of the archers laid down their bows and took bucklers and kite shields that they carried on their backs and raised them up, protecting the other archers and rifleman. However the rifleman had to withdraw from the front of the battlement. Overhead arrow fire was the only option to attack without taking losses. The skeletal archers arrows can only reach so high to hit at deadly force. While our archer's arrows remain effective to the extent of our range.
The rapping against the gate was deafening. The abominations did not cease their continued efforts against the gate and skeletal warriors alongside the ghouls were continually chipping away. The gate is strong but I do not know how much longer it can withstand such duress.
The support beams were already creaking under the pressure. The knights that stood behind the gate started to grow restless. Their horses were riled by the sounds of the battle and the continual creaking of the beams.
"It'll hold…it has to hold…bastards couldn't tear it down like this if they tried!" Banquo yelled at the top his lungs.
The battlement shook once more as the abominations rammed into the gate. Some of the archers again lost their footing and had to rebalance themselves before firing another volley.
"How long do you think it'll hold, Banquo?"
"With all that time, money, and effort we spent on erecting these gates? It isn't going to collapse anytime soon. But…I can't really say how much more it can take. They'll keep bashing away at it until it opens. Persistent sons of bitches, the whole lot of them."
Banquo looked out toward the battlefield again and grinded his axe against the stone floor. I looked out toward the Central Town and the second gate.
"Ugh…if we don't get help soon…this gate is lost."
"I wouldn't despair just yet."
"And why would you say--WAH!"
Banquo ducked for cover as a gyrocopter swiftly and narrowly passes by him. Several other gyrocopters followed suit and explosions soon erupted in front of the gate. Agnar and Menteith had pulled through on their promise.
The remaining abominations were chunks of meat by the time the smoke cleared. The ghouls and skeletal warriors that were chipping at the gate were no more. The remains of the invading Undead had retreated. We had won.
Cheers soon roared as the sight of victory was clear. The men raised their bows in triumph and the dwarves set off a few rounds in the air in joy. Banquo wiped sweat off his brow and took out a satchel of water. He was already tired and sat on the far side of the battlement wall. He offered satchel to me after he took a quick swig of it. I gladly accepted.
"Who knew? Who knew they would come through?" Banquo laughed awkwardly.
I looked down on him as he shook his head and continued to laugh. I couldn't see what was so funny but joined him.
"Is it over, Orias? Did we finally win?" Banquo asked me grimly expecting the worst possible answer.
I looked back upon the battlefield and onward toward the trail which was now desolate. Yet for some reason, it did not feel as desolate as it seemed. They were not far; I could almost sense their presence beyond the trail. They only stopped to gather themselves for the next attack. This is far from over.
"I would like to say this was over Banquo. How much I would like to say that this is all over…"