Chapter 35: Breakthrough

Considering the Eorzean Alliance's lateness in their arrival, even if it was just a day, they wasted no time getting straight to work. For the troops' part this merely meant getting to know their positions and maintain readiness. For the engineers it meant having all of the cannons assembled and hauled into position – many of whom were keepers of the moon and duskwights, likely a deliberate choice because they could work better through the night. Most of the guns were bound for the upper levels, though, so she did not see much of them.

Well, I suppose the higher ups know better on where to place them…

H'aerindu yawned as she stripped down to a shirt and underwear, preparing to do as a seeker would and embark for a new day with a quick shut-eye… when someone touched down on the roof outside, followed quickly by another.

"So you're this Aauron they were talking about!"

It was Heustienne, shouting as she dogged the steps of the one who came before. H'aerindu blinked at the severe tone she was using while addressing the other – rich with anger and incredulity. "I have no business with you, begone." The voice of Aauron replied, sounding both tired and exasperated at the other dragoon.

"Perhaps not, but I do!" Heustienne hissed, "Why are you even here?"

"This comes from you, of all people?"

"Don't you try to this on me, crimson dragoon! You're supposed to be retired from front line duty, not gallivanting onto a battlefield when the mood hits you!"

"You call what I do gallivanting?" Aauron growled back at her, "That you even have the audacity to ask me that question tells me you know nothing of what happened at Falcon's Rest! If you did…" The dragoon paused, implying a shake of his head, "I will not diverge from my chosen path, not until that monster is dead."

"W-wait!" Heustienne called out to him, though her sail had lost some of its wind in the face of his heated response, "You're not planning to use that technique again, do you?! You mustn't, you have lost so much!"

"Do not follow me."

With that one demand he walked away from the other dragoon, and proceeded to knock on the window to her room. H'aerindu wore a frown as she approached the window and opened it, pointedly folding her arms as he stepped inside. "Do you have something to tell me, Aauron?"

"Not as of yet." Aauron said sullenly, "Maybe when the time comes…"

"That technique she was referring to…" H'aerindu narrowed her eyes, "Does it have anything to do with what the Ascian spoke of about a sacrifice?"

"… I'll see you later."

Aauron said no more as he left the room, leaving her with none of the answers about his past or that power he possessed. All she could surmise was that its every use required him to give up something in return, and she was growing worried as to exactly what it was. H'aerindu thought to follow him and force the issue, but decided to let it go.

Too tired.

So she instead closed the window and went to bed.

It felt like she had only just closed her eyes when bells all over started sounding off in unison, signaling that the enemy's ready for another go. H'aerindu stretched in her bed in a very cat-like act of pandiculation, clawing on the bed sheets and yawning deeply. Once it passed she climbed out of bed and got herself ready.

Or as ready as a mere three hours of sleep could make her.

"Suppose I can't blame that on anyone else but the enemy…" H'aerindu muttered as she put on her clothes, and spent another minute straightening and adjusting them while listening to the bells continued to sound.

Alongside a rising choir of distant voices.

"Oh well, I'll make do."

The door proceeded to fly open as a shock of white bolted into the room. "H'aerindu, are you…" Miana stopped, looking at her, "What, you're up already?"

"What did you expect me to be doing?" H'aerindu started asking, but stopped herself when the lalafell adopted a thoughtful look that promised her nothing good, "… Don't answer that, please. I don't want to know."

Miana deflated like a balloon, "Anyway, are you ready to go?"

The miqo'te felt her jacket still needed a bit more adjustment around her chest, but attending to it in front of the horn dog of a lalafell would only add fuel to the fire. So she refrained and nodded, "Yeah, just about. And the others?"

"Aauron has already left." The lalafell reported with a roll of her eyes, like talking about the men in their company was beneath her – earning her a pointed look of reproach from the brunette. "Gimli, Still Water and Augustus on the other hand are down in the lobby."

So he's still miffed about what happened during dark, huh?

"Then let's not keep them waiting, shall we?" H'aerindu suppressed the near-overwhelming urge to sigh and replied, waiting for the lalafell to respond and turn away ere she made that final adjustment and followed her down.

Down in the lobby Gimli and Still Water appeared to be in the middle of some recounting while Augustus stood leaning against a wall in complete silence, until they looked to the stairs and found the descending females. "Good morning, Warrior of Light." Augustus nodded his head, "Have you had a good night's sleep? I can't imagine you had much time."

"Three hours. Was worth it, though, considering all the lives saved." H'aerindu replied with a stellar smile, "Anyway, are you guys ready to get to work?"

"So where are we headed first today?" Gimli asked.

She was about to respond when a commotion erupted outside, where someone ran past shouting at the fearful crowd about a monstrous battering ram approaching the gate. Pretty much making the decision for them.

OoOoO

To think such a day would come. If someone had approached and told him he would be fighting on some other world against a force of pure evil just two months ago, he would have dismissed the clearly confused fellow as a lunatic, yet here he was after discovering not even two weeks ago that one of the Sultana's favorite books turned out to be much less of a complete fantasy story than anyone could have guessed.

Chaos ensued among the governments as the situation became clear.

Some of it good as many among the syndicate salivated at the potential of new markets to expand their trading networks, and some of it bad.

The most significant of which was a powerful new hostile force that very clearly intended to conquer them given the chance. So powerful, in fact, that the Eorzean Alliance could not simply stand on the sidelines and leave it all the Warrior of Light.

And after much deliberation, the time has finally come.

To prevent an enemy breakthrough, the Eorzean Alliance now stepped onto the plate. And considering the battlefield in question it was a natural choice to have Raubahn lead the reinforcements with Lucia of Ishgard serving as his second, while all else took their place among the troops and local lords. "It is done." Raubahn said as he dismissed the last pre-battle missive, and returned his gaze to the magnificent view offered by Minas Tirith's carefully chosen command post, "All preparations have been made. Now all that remains is to fight it out."

"Good." Steward-Prince Boromir said, rolling the linkpearl provided to him in his empty palm before putting it in, "I pray it will be enough to hold them off. If not, we may stand to lose the lower level today at the earliest."

Raubahn frowned, "You seem to be taking that for a given."

"Considering the spread before us," Lucia invited herself into the conversation, her brows creased in thought, "the Steward-Prince's concern is not without reasoning. The battering ram now being shown to us is a threat, but it's not alone. For one the dragons who assailed this city yesterday were, by all accounts, of the smaller sort such as aevis' and wyverns. Now they bring mature dragons, whose strength and power far exceed those of their smaller brethren."

Then after a moment's pause she added, "As for the machines…"

With the sweep of a hand she gestured to the bulky mechanisms of war stomping at the forefront, surrounded by orc archers and smaller war machines.

Oppressors, seven of them.

Instead of being clustered around the battering ram, however, they were scattered across the front. "I cannot claim to be an expert in regards to goblin machines," Lucia said, "But their placements can only mean one thing."

"They mean to attempt multiple breakthroughs." Raubahn concluded.

Damrod decided to joint the conversation at that point, "You mean by those huge things? How pray tell are they supposed to do that?"

"Most likely by boring holes through the wall with the ample firepower they have." Boromir decided to answer for her, "I fought one such in Moria, so I know full well the threat they represent."

"Impossible…"

"Damrod." He interrupted before he could finish, taking one last look out the window before he walked to the map, "Mobilize our reserves. I want the interior defenses reinforced at each of these potential breakthrough spots and fortify the surrounding areas, and I want all non-combatants beside important personnel evacuated to the second level."

It was clear the man did not like this, but the sight of his superior's hands clenching on the table convinced him to still his complaint, "Yes, my lord. It will be done forthwith."

"Thank you, Damrod. Now go. We don't have much time left."

"Indeed." Lucia squinted her eyes, keenly observing the opposing army's advance, "The enemy is almost in range of our guns."

"Let them come a little closer." Raubahn told her.

Far below their position the orc army's forward echelons built up speed as thousands rushed toward the wall, their shields raised as the defenders rained arrows down on them. Once more the grounds before the wall was coated in fresh blood, but the orcs were undeterred as once more they prepared to raise ladders across the wall.

Raubahn counted down the seconds, and he finally in a moment of utmost suspense spoke the word that would end thousands, "Fire."

Aside from twelve of their number, all of the cannons were mounted on the second and third level to make proper use of the commanding field of fire. Lucia relayed his order to them, and her voice was promptly drowned out in the ear-splitting cacophony that followed as thirty-eight heavy cannons opened fire in near-unison, coughing out smoke and death in equal measure. The result of it was gratifying as the explosive rounds struck home among the massed formations, blowing apart whole battalions and throwing entire regiments into chaos.

For an instant it looked like the orcs might just break, but they had more steel in their veins than he thought they would.

They took their losses and after the initial shock continued their advance, and far more fervently than before. Evidently they had caught the orcs by surprise, but it seemed they have a certain understanding of a gun's limitations.

Must be because of their goblin allies.

Too bad accurate fire with heavy cannons over long ranges still remained rather sketchy. To begin with the Eorzean forays into gunpowder weapons came about in part to counter the Garleans, but their method of accurately tracking targets at great range still eluded them. So the Oppressors managed to wade on through without much difficulty.

One by one they closed in on the wall, powering their weapons.

"Reload and fire at will!" Raubahn demanded.

"Yes!" Lucia replied.

The only thing yet engaged was the enormous battering ram, slowly plodding forward while entire legions at its side shouted what he supposed was its name. "Grond!" They cried in uniform anticipation, and repeated:

"Grond!"

"Grond!"

"Grond!"

Intent on covering its advance, the mature dragons around it launched themselves at the ramparts surrounding the gate itself. The troops boggled at the beasts approaching them and in startled desperation released showers of arrows upon them that only accounted for a few, with the rest soon landing hard among the defenders.

Crushing more than a few unfortunates underfoot.

The rest were scattered before them, and slaughtered as the humongous dragons tore through them with their fangs and claws, and the occasional gout of flames.

Just moments passed and the ramparts already looked like a scene out of hell.

One of the cannons above managed to be articulated just enough to shoot at the battering ram, but only managed to score a glancing hit on one of its supports – though it blew up an adjacent platoon. Allowing the ponderous construct to close in nearly unopposed. "Our defenses on the upper levels are doing a serviceable job defending against the fiends coming from above!" Lucia reported icily while she observed the slaughter below, "General Aldynn, I take it you don't mind me sending our dragoons directly to the front line?"

"Do it."

Just moments after he said this the dragoons led by Heustienne appeared just overhead as they leapt from their prior positions and descended to the ramparts.

But it was too late.

The dravanian onslaught at the gate had annihilated every unit stationed there, and was now fanning out to the north and south in an attempt to take the outer wall in its entirety. An endeavor in which they would have succeeded if it was not for the initiative taken by adjacent front line units to reorient a portion of their forces. The mixed Eorzean and Gondorian force attempted to form a solid wall of resistance against the rampaging dragons.

Much to his frustration, it wasn't enough.

Faced with enemies none of them trained for, they looked set to be swept off the wall if not for the dragoons' timely intervention.

Even so, the dravanian tide was merely slowed.

Pushing them back was a tall order at this rate. And while they struggled just to hold the line, the ponderous siege engine grew closer with every passing minute. We need to obstruct it somehow… Raubahn frowned as he considered all the options, "Lucia, have our defensive positions to the north and south of the gate reinforced immediately."

"Understood."

"And…" He then added, "Where is the Warrior of Light now?"

"Right ahead of you, Flame General."

Raubahn looked to the side at the Steward-Prince, who peered down with a grim smile. Following his gaze he found the southern rampart where the half-mauled defenders split down the middle to let through a small party.

And their point was none other than her.

OoOoO

While she did not like to advertise herself, there was a certain value to having a positive rep with so many people out there. H'aerindu needed only say a few words to the officer in charge of this area to have her and the fellowship let through, though it led to heavy metaphorical weights being placed on her shoulders as the soldiers looked to her.

Such attention usually lead to unhealthy expectations.

Oh well, in for a gil…

Ahead of her the front line units parted, and laid bare the face of a mature dragon sporting a bloodied scar whose eyes shot wide at the sight of her.

Surprise gave away for anger, and it tried to expel a string of dravanian to its comrades.

H'aerindu did not let it as she closed in and sent it flying into its compatriots with an aether-reinforced fist to the face, breaking it and the neck completely. "Still Water!" She then called as she stepped aside to let the roegadyn through.

"Aha, yes!" Still Water charged through the opening, grinning from ear to ear.

This was a good moment to try out how well he understood his lesson, and boy did he deliver as the dragons forced to batter away their mauled comrade suddenly reeled at the projected image of a much bigger mortal waving a mountainous axe around. Distracting them as H'aerindu and Aauron swept in from the sides.

The loss of another two dragons allowed the line to push forward, which it did with great gusto.

The opposing horde was not about to just let them recapture lost ground, however. Enraged by the loss of their comrades the next dravanians in line rampaged with great vengeance. On top of that, additional ladders came coming up as the orcs sought to aid their dravanian allies.

Leaving the ladders to the troops, the fellowship continued their advance.

H'aerindu wouldn't give the orcs enough time to form a cohesive battle line, so she drove herself deep into their number, leaving many dead and broken on the pale masonry.

One of the dragons plowed through when the twentieth orc fell and snapped its jaws at her, attempting to catch her legs. Noticing it just in time, she jumped over its head, and sent her momentarily summoned spear into its neck before it could pull back, piercing the neck and hitting the stone below. Dismissing it right after, she went straight for her next target.

Despite their progress, however, the situation remained bad.

For up ahead the siege engine was slotting itself into the depressed gate section like a horizontally aligned tower, whereupon the trolls who were moving it took position at the back and pulled the effigy at its heart back.

For several heartfelt moments it was hoist back, and let go.

BAM—

The force with which the wolf-shaped battering ram struck the gate was great enough that it could be felt more than heard across the area. H'aerindu bit down a flash of irritation at how the resulting tremor made her ears twitch.

Whatever happens next, that battering ram needed to be put down quick!

Admittedly she had no knowledge on how strong the gate was, but there was no way it'll last long against something like this. Something even the dim-witted roegadyn noticed, which he made clear as he hacked down a dragon, sweat glistening on his brow; "Seven hells, that doesn't sound good!"

"Hey!" Miana blurted, "Can't you dragoons just jump in and break that thing?"

"Alas, we cannot." Heustienne reported with a hiss of palpable frustration, "There are too many enemies covering it."

"So we have no choice but to open a path by brute force," Gimli followed up "Is that it?"

"Then brute force it is." H'aerindu stated aloud, having reached a decision on what to do, just as what few survivors of the battle line they just dismantled regrouped with those next in line who with a roar coming from the largest dragon among them charged as one. "Everyone, we're going to double-time this and worry about exhaustion later! Put your backs into it; all-out wide-spectrum attack, starting with Still Water!"

"Right! Uh…" The roegadyn hesitated, "What does wide-spectrum mean?"

"Area attack!" Augustus grouched quickly as the tidal wave of fangs and jagged blades were only a dozen feet distant and closing fast, "It means area attack!"

"Got it!" Still Water hollered as he threw his weight around the dragon he felled and made a leaping lunge for their enemies with his axe held up high, "Take this on for size: Overpower!"

Everyone else converged as he did it, so their attacks would all coincide.

Aauron burst forward like a crimson bolt, his spear looking as if it replicated into the dozens as he struck, "Sonic thrust!"

"Ngh, full power!" Miana cried, "Holy!"

"Fire II!" Augustus followed up angrily as he cast forth a volatile fireball fit to burst.

H'aerindu blasted forward, and in the instant she came close to the enemy she unleashed the ball of light she had formed between her palms: "Elixir Field!"

The enemy only belatedly realized they were running into an overwhelming barrage, but it was too late for them to do anything as time slowed and their world turned white, before they all lost touch with the ground and were spectacularly blown away.

OoOoO

For a fleeting instant it was as though a second sun had been born as an extremely tumultuous eruption of energy leaped up on the outer wall, just south of the occupied gate. Boromir had to avert his eyes from the flash of light, and was elated as it passed and he looked down again to see that most of the orcs and dragons caught by that light had been wiped out.

Now unhindered, the line pressed forward and recaptured lost ground.

BAM—

Once more the battering ram struck, and he shuddered at how the gate buckled inward as it shook from the impact.

All he could do now was wait and pray.

OoOoO

An arrow bounced off of the stone right where Miana stood a second ago as she struggled to keep up with the moving battle line without getting trampled by everyone behind her. It was fortunate that her allies could practically push the enemy back by themselves, granting her enough ground to keep ahead of everyone else. She spared a moment to look behind her at all them Grand Company folks and local soldiers who could for now only offer support. "Keep looking ahead, lass!" Gimli advised tersely, "Looking back will only slow ye down."

"I'm doing it, darn it!"

The dwarf nodded and he resumed hacking down any of the enemies who managed to slip through the cracks.

Until the time came when they arrived at the depressed section.

Once and only once she had tried to look over the battlement and down at the contraption that was the reason for their haste, and pulled back as arrows were launched up at her. That battering ram was being fiercely guarded, and meanwhile the effigy was let go of again.

BAM—

Miana's teeth rattled as it hit, and she heard a tell-tale crack in the wood and metalwork below. The gate was starting to give away. Still, she dared not try to look down and see the handiwork for herself.

It wasn't necessary, though, as the thaumaturges that accompanied the battle line manned the full length of the depressed gate section after a quick shout of their leader. Followed by another shout that had them all channel.

Leaving the fellowship to rest for a bit as they took care of the rest.

Several seconds that felt like minutes passed before fully twenty fireballs were sent arcing over the battlement like a scattering of missiles.

As one they struck into the battering ram and in the ensuing explosion blasted it into cinders, sending its fire-belching effigy crashing into the soil to the collective and outspoken dismay of the enemy who had waited in anticipation for a breakthrough that was all but imminent. "That… that was too close." Miana heard someone mutter.

One of the lalafellin thaumaturges looked at her and shot a grin, giving her a thumbs-up.

Miana would have scoffed, but she was too relieved to care right now… when a burst of shadow appeared to her left.

There stood a man garbed in mask and shadow, leering at them as he held up a hand – palm down – and an unfathomable amount of power flared into existence that made her spirit tremble. Miana did not even have enough time to issue a warning, as someone grabbed her by the collar of her robe and threw her away just in time for everything to go dark.

OoOoO

Far above in the command post, everyone were holding their collective breaths… and released it all at once when the siege engine collapsed. "Looks like they did it." Damrod commented. No one answered him, glad they needed not worry about losing the lower level just yet. Until a flare of energy came that had Raubahn reeling in alarm.

His blood running cold as the gate section spectacularly came apart.

It was as if some gigantic hand reached for the gate, and lifted it entire from the soil before shattering it and sending the resulting debris into the city with the proverbial flick of a finger.

That, of course, included most of the people on it who were flung away like dolls. Powerless against the devastation that was set in motion, causing general panic to ensue as people scattered after a moment of pure horror. Just in time for the debris and people to crash into the city, crushing many homes and other buildings. Had it not been for the evacuation still ongoing, the number of people killed this instant would have been horrific beyond measure.

Many thoughts coursed through his head as clouds of dust rose from the decimated lower level.

About the soldiers caught in that disaster, about the Warrior of Light who he had lost sight of, and the massive gaping hole where a perfectly serviceable gate had stood till mere seconds ago. Raubahn took all these thoughts, and compartmentalized them. "Allocate teams to look for survivors!" He tersely told his second, only barely managing to lower his voice to just below a roar, "And tell Eynzahr to get ready!"

"Sir!"

Next to them, Damrod snapped out of his funk to address his similarly shocked lord, "Steward-Prince!"

"I know!" Boromir looked like he only distantly heard what him, but he tore to tear his gaze from the devastation long enough to shout at all present; "Commence a fighting retreat, starting with the northern wall and section! Have everyone withdraw to the southern section and consolidate it until the evacuation is complete! We're not leaving anyone to the enemy!"

A brief look to him followed after as Damrod scurried away, his face a mask of steep severity.

Raubahn understood the look and nodded crisply in response. The order he gave did not contradict his own. It just set the time frame available. So he turned back to Lucia, "Have all dragoons who made it join in the search."

"Heustienne has already volunteered, Flame General." Lucia replied.

"Then have her join them." Raubahn said, his gaze returning to the lower level as the armies outside lurched toward the sizable gap in the wall.

And straight into the teeth of their interior defenses.

OoOoO

Eynzahr has seen many wondrous things in his time, both before and after giving up his life as a pirate to serve under the Admiral who was the only person to ever best him in combat until he had his old hideout at Hullbreaker Isle fashioned into a proving ground, and challenged the Warrior of Light… who proceeded to beat the Maelstrom's elite blue and yellow. The memory of which still made him smile, and swear that he would get back at her.

But seeing a mighty gate come apart like that was something else…

Even he was dumbstruck as he watched the whole thing sail apart and scatter around the city, with cacophonous impacts soon following.

Momentarily he had worried that the unit he was in charge of was going to be crushed. So he was relieved when only a few of his people here were injured, as much of what came their way was just a drizzling rain of dust and pebbles.

Despite it all, he recovered remarkably quick considering the circumstances.

It only took an order from on high, and the noise of approaching multitudes past the shroud of dust thrown up by the gate's destruction. "All eyes forward!" Eynzahr barked, snapping everyone else out of their stupor, "Form up and man the guns! We're about to be neck-deep in critters and whatnot, and you will not give them an inch!"

Even those not of the Maelstrom hastened to do so.

"Ready!"

Eynzahr hissed to the extent the breath he exhaled held the consistency of steam as he came to stand not far behind the row of guns they had mounted in the courtyard. The batteries of Lominsan make were much too big to be mounted on the outer wall, so it was decided for fully seven of their number to be mounted in the courtyard, facing the gate. Backed up by a full regiment besides, may the seas have mercy on his enemies, for he would not.

He did not have to wait long to demonstrate just that.

So he raised a hand to signal readiness as shadows appeared in the dust… and a horde of monsters launched themselves forth. A veritable menagerie of trolls and syricta, diresaurs, vangobs, and various other goblin designs.

As one they charged out of the dust that enshrouded them, ready to rend flesh.

He was not going to let them if he could help it.

"Till the sea swallows all!" Eynzahr roared, his voice carrying over the din, "Fire, all guns!"

The entire fire and second lines of beasts proceeded to fade away like smoke amid the overlapping explosions that ensued as his cannoneers dumped the heavy ordnance of their thundering ship-to-ship cannons into the oncoming horde.

Even so the next monsters and machines in line threw themselves forward.

Normally enemies would call it quits after a barrage like that on open ground, but the beasts continued on like they were being driven into manic frenzy.

"Reload the guns!" Eynzahr ordered his cannoneers, "Archers fire!"

From way back behind him a shower of arrows came that lodged themselves by the dozen into the oncoming horde, felling two trolls and a damaged vangob. The diresaurs on the other hand just shrugged them off like it was out of style.

"Machinists, fire!"

Next to take the scene was a hundred gunners who with rifles and drones laid down a withering rain of fire that managed pop a diresaur's eye and sent it careening into an adjacent Blaster, and made another troll and syricta keel over.

Yet still they came.

"Fire at will!" Eynzahr shouted, "All else, forward!"

While the barrage of minor munitions continued to harry the approaching beasts, hundreds of troops from all participating nations passed the cannons to greet the monsters with a phalanx of blades and shields and spears. Gridanian lanchers and Ul'dahn gladiators, and their Gondorian equivalents alike met the enemy.

Still, mass was still a thing.

Three surviving diresaurs smashed themselves into the presenting shield wall like giant battering rams, followed closely by two trolls, one syricta, and several goblin machines. The most notable of which was a solitary Brawler that ignored the shield wall and released conjoined scarlet beams of power from its stubby arms that tore through one of the cannons and destroyed it.

Killing thirty people in the process.

It did not last long enough to make another shot, thankfully, as the first machinist platoon proceeded to take offense and riddled it with bullets.

Unfortunately that was the least of their worries as while his troops fought to put down the remaining monsters, orcs started pouring from the shroud of dust in the thousands. It turned out the monsters were just sacrificial pawns to screen their lesser allies. Eynzahr bit down and sneered at the sheer callousness of this move.

Even the Garleans treat their troops with more regard.

Not much more, granted, but still…

Disgusted, he looked to the cannons.

There was a matter of procedure to it that made them slow to load. Do it too fast and you risk having accidents that varied in severity. At worst you could have a premature detonation that would see the gun torn apart like an over-sized bomb.

Such improper treatment was best reserved for when you're forced to abandon them.

Undaunted by the battle, his cannoneers swabbed the barrels painstakingly, loaded the ammunition, angled the cannons so they wouldn't shoot through their allies. Then finally they inserted the friction primers. Whereupon they were finally ready for the next salvo, and announced their individual readiness to him.

"Heads up!" Eynzahr bellowed the warning so all could hear, "Fire!"

The roars of their heavy guns' second volley momentarily drowned out the countless howling throats as they made their fashion statement for the ruined gate heard, tearing through the masses of orcs who in the relatively confining courtyard couldn't avoid the cannonballs and the ensuing blasts even if they wanted to. One of them even turned the upper body of an offending diresaur that had ambled into its line of fire into a shower of gore.

It only brought a brief respite.

Not about to hang back and let themselves be volleyed, the attacking hordes pressed on. And while his soldiers were clearly stronger man to man, for every orc they killed, another three took its place and more besides.

As a result the troops were soon being pushed back, if only by sheer weight of numbers. Every attempt to regain lost ground stymied by the surviving heavies that thrashed and threw themselves into his regiment. Allowing their allies to gain even more ground, which they then used to start filtering through adjacent streets and alleys.

Eynzahr grit his teeth as he was forced to acknowledge that his troops are at their limit… when a horn and more besides were blown, followed by cries of dying orcs as the creatures were driven out from the northern section by a force unseen, toppling by the dozen as if struck by some fast-acting malady of sorts.

It took even him a moment to realize what was happening.

When he did, his frustration turned to roaring laughter. Eynzahr had little insight at what was going on elsewhere, but somewhere along the line, Pipin, adopted son of Raubahn, had marshaled every last lalafell who fought in the northern section and sent them barreling into the courtyard, flanking the orcs who were wholly unprepared for them.

As a rule, the orcs were used to fighting opponents that are the same size or larger than themselves, but the flanking all-lalafell army was neither of those things, and the orcs' momentum were literally taken away from underneath their feet as the diminutive ankle biters drove themselves deep into their ranks, swinging whatever weapons they had on hand as they went. Then for good measure magic followed as the thaumaturge guild weighed in, launching fireballs ahead of their more physically inclined brethren to prevent the orcs from forming cohesive battle lines.

It was complete refreshing madness.

Yet what stole the show completely was the small shadow that launched itself onto the back of a raging diresaur and plunged his blade into a gap in its thick scales at the neck. The wingless dragon tried to throw him off, but with a deep stab and a twist of the famed blade Tizona it crashed bonelessly into the ground.

Far as official debuts go, it wasn't bad at all.

Like some hero of old, Pipin Tarupin stood atop the fallen and victoriously thrust his bloodied blade into the sky. "Not bad!" Eynzahr commended as additional forces withdrawing from the northern section threw themselves into the battle, "Not bad at all!"

They might just be able to hold the line like this for a while.

"Storm Marshal!" His second approached him, a finger to her ear.

"Yes?"

"We have new orders!" The miqo'te said, "We are to hold until our allies in the north section are through, and then pull back!"

"How much time do we have?" Eynzahr grunted, and frowned as he got the estimated time and with it in mind did the math. Unless things go pear-shaped, they had time for six cannon volleys. Meaning in practical terms that their retreat would commence at the fifth… and have the guns loaded with grapeshot for the last before prepping them to blow.

Yeah, let's go with that…

While he stood pondering this, his cannon crews finished reloading and were waiting for his signal.

"Okay, heads up—!"

Eynzahr bellowed, starting his countdown. Twelve willing, they would get as many as possible out of here in one piece as reasonably possible.

"Fire!"

OoOoO

The rolling plains of Rohan slowly gave away as Strider led them toward the southern mountain on this crazy errand Elrond set out for them. Dagasi thought it madness to try and marshal ashkin to fight a war of the living. It all made her think of old Dotharl legends about a mountainous place where they can permanently put their souls at rest.

Frankly speaking, she was uneasy about it all.

"It weeps…"

"What does?" Dagasi asked.

Legolas had slowed his horse and gazed at the sky as if saddened, "The sky weeps. It is a bad omen."

"… It's raining."

The previously clear weather had given way to clouds, and a thickening deluge. Using such terminology was a bit on the nose to her, so she had a hard time keeping herself from scoffing even though he could see things with his eyes she couldn't.

"Yes." the elf said, and he sped back up, "It speaks of a terrible slaughter."

Dagasi frowned, "We know there's a battle going on now, but how does the weather play into it?"

"This world follows the great song." Strider spoke up for the first time in hours, "Elves are more in tune with it than we are, so they can see things where we cannot."

"Huh… So how long until we get wherever we need to go?"

The ranger hummed, "I have never traveled the path, though I know it. We should be at the entrance before night falls, at least."

Dagasi nodded, and they traveled in relative silence while the rain continued. All the while she watched the clouds travel eastward. If it wasn't already, this rain would soon grace the eastern fields and presumably wash away some of the blood.

OoOoO

H'aerindu twitched as cold water drizzled on her from on high, causing her to stir. Every limb of hers were aching as she pushed herself up from the prone position she had found herself in and took in the place around her. It appeared to be someone's humble abode, but she suspected the rubble around her wasn't an intended part of its décor.

Some parts of it were crumbled, including the entrance.

After her once-over of the place was completed… it all came back to her. They had just retaken the gate and destroyed the battering ram that came close to bringing it down.

Only for the nameless Ascian to show up.

Just barely acknowledging what was to come, she had grabbed Miana who was close enough that she wouldn't had survived what was coming and threw her away. It was all she had time for before she was sent flying.

Everything that followed was hazy.

H'aerindu surmised that she had just enough wherewithal to adjust her landing posture and reinforce her body, else she would have awoken with more than just a few bruises.

How long have I been out?

The city had gone mostly quiet and the daylight was fading, so a fair guess would be that much of the day has gone by since. Enough of it to leave her more than a little concerned before she suppressed the creeping sensation with a small effort of will.

Fretting was not going to help her any.

Not when she could ascertain the situation with her own eyes.

H'aerindu nodded to herself and she looked for a way out. With the door reduced to rubble – which possibly saved her life during her repose – that only left the hole above her. Seeing no other way, she took the wall nearest to it and climbed out quietly.

Ignoring the rain slowly growing into a storm all the while.

Covered by the fading light of day and howling winds, H'aerindu emerged onto the roof and inspected her surroundings. What she found in the streets below was a lot of orcs camping out, showcasing that the lower level has fallen.

More than that, she was in the northern section – far away from the entrance to the second level where some fighting was still going on but scaling down. For most else this would have been pretty bad, but she could just leap her way up to the second level where she supposed everyone else must be now. And she had a mind to do just that – feeling more than a little pang of regret at having been separated from the others, again – when she stopped herself just short of summoning her spear.

Looking back at the enemies below, she had a sudden epiphany.

So she dismissed the idea of returning to the others for the nonce. Instead she reached up for her linkpearl and ran a mental list of people to contact. H'aerindu decided on Augustus, and pinged him before speaking quietly, "Hey Augustus, are you there?"

"H'aerindu?" Augustus verbally jumped, almost shrieking, "Where are you?!"

The man sounded almost like a worried father.

"Inside a broken-down house on the lower level. It's where I wound up after what happened over at the gate. All things considered, I got off easy with some cuts and bruises, but what about you guys – are you alright?"

"Most people would have gotten more than a few broken bones from an experience like that, you know."

"I'm pretty hard to kill."

"Evidently." There was an explosive sigh, "In any case, we're fine – relatively speaking. Miana's unconscious and Still Water's got a fractured arm, but some helpful conjurers here are treating them as we speak."

"That's good." H'aerindu was relieved to hear that.

"Lost a lot of people, though. Almost everyone else who got to the gate died when it was destroyed, and seeing as no one managed to contact nor find you…"

The brunette closed her eyes as he trailed off. "In that case, you best hurry up and tell everyone I'm alright. It's not much, but it is something." She told him, lowering her voice a little bit more as an orc waddled past down below.

"Why me – aren't you coming back?"

"At first I was going to… but seeing where I am, I think I'll make up for lost time and cause a bit of a mayhem."

"What are you-"

"Good talk." H'aerindu said, "I'll see you later."

Ending the call right there, she frowned as she took in the area once more and spotted among the lazing orcs some walking grouch who was yelling orders – evidently quite done with the subordinates' collective laziness. It struck her in that moment how said superior had no insignia to indicate their rank, which would complicate finding other authority figures. Leaving her with only one option as she dropped off the ceiling, and in a literal heartbeat kicked tiles from the ground as she crouched and launched herself forward.

It did not even take a second.

H'aerindu closed the gap, passing everyone else with such speed that the orcs did not notice she was there till she was already past… and the head of their superior officer had been struck clean off of its shoulders.

Seeing their shortened leader collapse, utter bedlam ensued as the orcs around her recovered from their stupor and reacted vehemently to her presence. Some of them only shrieked out a mess of warnings and curses, but the rest threw themselves at their weapons. Causing a cacophony that was sure to be heard in nearby areas.

Which was exactly what she wanted.

If there are no orcs who bear identifiable insignia as proof of their station, she would have to give them the incentive to come out of the woodwork. H'aerindu smirked darkly as the newly rearmed orcs then charged at her, screaming.

Two of them died immediately as she smashed their faces in.

A third one tried to jump at her from behind, but a blindly swift spinning kick saw it drop with its head twisted at an odd angle.

Every death led to the racket getting worse, attracting more orcs and a few goblins to come see what was happening here. Upon seeing her slaughtering the orcs recklessly charging at her, most of them turned and ran, crying out for the alarm to be raised. Within minutes the entire occupying force in this part of the city was waking up.

"That should about do it…" She told herself after killing the last orc in this area that hadn't fled.

Just in time to see a tight formation led by another grim-faced orc appear on the far side, with more troops then trickling in from elsewhere.

H'aerindu did not even let them pause in shock at the dozens of dead orcs scattered across the street as she crossed the distance between them in an explosion of movement and crashed into the leading orc and subsequently his wall of subordinates with the force of a freight train, shattering the formation into a mess of flying bodies and broken iron.

Unlike before she did not kill them all this time, just enough to leave an impact.

After that she moved on to find her next target with every intention of cutting the enemy's officer corps down to size as much as she could before the dawn comes.

Author's notes: Sorry about the wait. Got a lot of stuff going on. You know how it goes.