Chapter 11: The Battle of Ostagar II
"The signal fire is lit!" Arl Bryland exclaimed, gazing at the top of the tower of Ishal.
"Yes," agreed Loghain, as he watched the tower, "It seems Alvar and the others have managed to take back the tower."
"Yes," nodded Bryland, 'despite your men doing a poor job at keeping the tower safe,' he said in his mind. Bryland remembered that Loghain was the one who placed guards in the tower of Ishal. He did not understand how did his men not notice a flanking tunnel being dug right under the tower. The Gwaren soldiers have shown extreme negligence, the consequences of which Alvar had to clean up. This 'mistake' could cost them the victory tonight.
"Sound the retreat," Loghain's words snapped Bryland from his musings.
"What?!" exclaimed Ser Cauthrien, a knight of Gwaren. She is the commander of the Gwaren fyrd and most trusted subordinate to Loghain.
"I said, sound the retreat!" Loghain repeated in annoyance.
"Loghain, are you out of your mind?" Bryland was dumbfounded, "Why?"
"Look at them, Leonas!" Loghain answered, watching the valley, "our frontlines are broken, the darkspawn horde is pouring endlessly from the Wilds. Our men will soon be overwhelmed by their numbers, if they are not already overwhelmed. I will not waste more men to a battle that cannot be won!"
"And what about the king? and of Alvar?" demanded Bryland.
Loghain was silent for a moment. He faced Bryland, his face was enigmatic, "Cailan…. knew the risks." he uttered. Then he turned to Cauthrien, "do it now!" he demanded sternly.
Cauthrien nodded with a grimace and spurred her horse around to face the cavalrymen behind her, "Move out! All of you!" she bellowed an order.
Bryland glanced to his left at Ser Alan, the two men shook their heads and exchanged crestfallen looks. Gritting his teeth, Bryland also spurred his horse around to withdraw. Ser Alan too followed the suit. The cavalry almost six thousand strong, turned around and began to march north, towards the Imperial Highway.
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Meanwhile in the valley below, the Fereldans are fighting hard against the darkspawn. The Fereldan ranks had broken apart the minute Cailan ordered to charge the darkspawn. Now, instead of a strong defensive front in a shield wall; the valley was a large melee with pockets of fighting all over. Archers still rained arrows at the darkspawn masses advancing from the woods. The darkspawn horde from the Woods were still pouring, it seemed there was no end to them. The Fereldans fight gallantly but after hours of fighting, they are getting weary. Many soldiers had formed small groups of their own and were fighting the darkspawn in their own defensive formations. But with the darkspawn horde only increasing in strength and without the arrival of the flanking cavalry charge, their morale is dropping greatly.
Meanwhile King Cailan and Duncan still stood ground, cleaving many darkspawn around them. They were assisted by a dozen Royal Guards and a dozen Grey Wardens as well. They had taken wounds but so far none were lethal. Duncan wielded a sword in each hand, killing every foe that approached him. Suddenly he felt some whispers and turned around. An ogre rushed at them, in great speed, kicking aside any Royal Guard and Grey Warden who stood in its way. It seemed to be making a beeline to where Cailan and Duncan stood. Duncan moved ahead to face the ogre. The ogre flailed at him, knocking him a few feet away. Cailan turned around to see the ogre but was too late.
The ogre lunged and grabbed Cailan in one arm. It brought Cailan close to its face and stared at him for a moment. Cailan returned the stare, his eyes slowly filling with fear and shock, not knowing what to anticipate next. The ogre gave out a deafening cry at Cailan and then tightening its grip on him, it crushed his body! Its hideous fingers crushed their way through his gilded armour, into his entrails.
The ogre's hand reddened with the royal blood and the ogre then slammed Cailan's lifeless body on the ground. It then tossed aside the body carelessly. Duncan stared in disbelief; the king of Ferelden was no more. He glanced at the bloodied pile which was once the son of King Maric. He turned back to the ogre who was now bellowing cries in the air like a celebration of some kind.
Duncan tightened his grip on both his swords. He got up to his feet and rushed towards the ogre. With a war cry on his lips, he lunged at the ogre with his fullest strength. The ogre was taken off guard and Duncan landed his swords at its chest. He pulled out one sword only to plunge it again into the great chest. He the pulled out the other sword and plunged it again. He twisted the blades as he stabbed. Then for a last strike, he wrenched the blade and plunged it across, into the neck of the ogre.
The ogre fell back with a death cry, Duncan wrenched his swords from the body. Although he slew the beast, he did not escape unscathed. He fell on his knees as soon as he tried to get up. It had taken a lot of his strength to slay the mighty ogre, because of which he had over exerted himself. This caused stress on the wounds, he had received during the battle. Blood flowed from these gashes as he sat kneeling on the ground.
Duncan grunted in pain, he glanced at Cailan's body which lay a few feet away in a pool of blood. He had avenged his king, but what use is it now. He looked over his left shoulder, to see Nelson lying on the ground. His armour was bloodied and a darkspawn axe was firmly planted on his head. His lieutenant was also gone. Duncan then looked over his right shoulder and saw a corpse of a Grey Warden soldier. The Grey Warden soldier who was the standard bearer for the battle had also fallen. Duncan remembered the young soldier had waved the Grey Warden flag on his command to signal the lighting of the tower of Ishal.
This reminded him of another thing, Duncan quickly raised his head and glanced at the tower of Ishal. The signal fire burned bright; how long had it been burning he did not know. 'There has been no cavalry charge yet. Or did Alvar and Alistair light the signal recently? If that is so, then Loghain's flanking charge would come soon,' he pondered. His pondering would soon end. Duncan looked ahead of him to see a hurlock berserker rushing towards him, carrying a large battleaxe. The hurlock raised the axe further in the air as it neared Duncan. The last thing Duncan would see was a battleaxe swinging across his neck. The hurlock cleaved Duncan's head off his shoulders and his headless body slumped on the ground.
Lord Braden of Denerim was also fighting the darkspawn alongside Cailan and Duncan. Only now did he notice the bodies of Cailan and Duncan. He stood in shock for a few moments as panic filled his mind and heart on seeing the corpses. "King Cailan has fallen! We are doomed!" he screamed.
"Flee for your lives!"
Many soldiers had already been routing, but now even the few brave men who were standing their ground too started losing their resolve. The Fereldans turned around and started to flee. The battle had turned in the favour of the darkspawn. The darkspawn already emboldened by the turning tide were further roused at the sight of Fereldan soldiers fleeing in disarray. They chased after them, cutting down any man they would catch.
Many soldiers had poor luck as they fell to the darkspawn blades to their backs. Lord Braden was also among them. A well-aimed spear launched from a hurlock pierced his armour through his back and emerged on the front.
Arl Gallagher Wulffe, who commanded the archers on the causeway, also gave the order to withdraw. The camp was in full chaos with the Fereldans in rout and the darkspawn chasing after them.
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Meanwhile in the topmost floor of tower of Ishal; Alvar, Alistair and the three remaining soldiers stood around casually. Suddenly the door burst open and a horde of darkspawn rushed in. This time it was Alvar and his men's turn to be taken by surprise. The archer was standing only a little distance from the door, which made him the first man to fall to this sudden attack.
"What in the…" Alvar's exclamation died as a genlock charged at him. Alvar dodged the blows and slashed across its neck. 'How did the darkspawn get here? And what has happened below?' Alvar brushed aside these thoughts as now was not the time to think, but to act. They must slay the darkspawn attacking or find some escape if they cannot.
Because of the surprise attack, Alvar and his men had no time to get into any defensive formations. To make the situation worse, the men were all standing away from each other when the spawn attacked. Due to which, each man was being surrounded by multiple darkspawn. Now there is only one thing in Alvar's mind, to kill every foe around him. He hacked and slashed at the darkspawn surrounding him. Along with well timed shield bashes, Alvar was able to hold on for some time.
With the darkspawn surrounding him on all sides, speed is vital. He was regularly turning around and attacking, hoping to not let any foe catch him in the back. While Alvar did kill many of his foes, some of them still managed to sneak in some strikes. His chainmail armour proved a blessing by absorbing most of the strikes. But in spite of that, some of the darkspawn struck hard enough to inflict wounds on him. Sometimes Alvar also grabbed some of his foes and pushed them at masses of darkspawn, causing disarray among their ranks and making them fall.
Alvar threw fleeting glances over the sea of darkspawn, the last two soldiers of his band had fallen. Alistair was a few feet away from him. He was holding on his own against a swarm of darkspawn surrounding him. Mayhap if Alvar and Alistair fought back-to-back, they would have a much better chance against the darkspawn. Deciding that, Alvar tried to make his way towards Alistair. He grabbed a hurlock ahead of him and pushed him at a bunch of darkspawn standing in way towards Alistair. Some of them fell, some of them were thrown off guard. Alvar then rushed towards Alistair. Some of the darkpawn tried to chase after him. Alvar grabbed another hurlock and turning around, he pushed the hurlock at the darkspawn chasing after him, causing them to tumble.
Alvar reached Alistair and the two men stood with their backs against one another. "Maker! How did so many darkspawn get here?!" exclaimed Alistair as he stabbed an advancing darkspawn.
"You tell me man," responded Alvar as he blocked a sword swing with his shield, and then cleaved the head of a darkspawn, "Didn't you say you can sense the darkspawn?!"
"Yes, but I… I don't know why… how," muttered Alistair as he slew a genlock.
Alvar cursed and pushed back a hurlock with a shield bash, "Never mind that, we shall worry later.
"Right now, we stay alive!" yelled Alvar, fighting back against the darkspawn.
For hours, the two men fought valiantly against the beastly hordes. Piles of bodies littered around them, as their blades sang a song of death. Alvar and Alistair are well trained and well equipped. Scores of darkspawn met their end at both their blades. Yet regardless of their valiance and the quality of their equipment, the two men were getting weary. They had been fighting for a very long time and have held their ground for so long which many men would have failed to accomplish.
When Alistair blocked a darkspawn axe and fought back another darkspawn. A hurlock swung a mace across his head. The sound of the crude mace impacting against the steel helmet was loud. The Grey Warden issue helmet saved his head but not his senses. Alistair was knocked and slumped on the ground, losing his consciousness. Alvar looked over his shoulder, to see his last ally laying still on the floor.
"Not you too!" yelled Alvar and lunged at the darkspawn who stood around the fallen Alistair. He slew those darkspawn including the one who bludgeoned Alistair. Alvar threw another fleeting glance around the room. He was the only human in the room, mayhap in the entire tower as well. He gazed at the door, the only entrance to the room was filled with darkspawn. Alvar noticed a pillar only a couple of meters behind him. There was one genlock between him and the pillar, Alvar rushed at the genlock and after slaying him, he got to the pillar.
Alvar stood with his back against the pillar. The pillar was wide enough and his back was secure. He now faced the beasts around him. Rage and desperation to keep his life filled Alvar. He would not fall to these monsters, he thought. Not when so much was left to do. He just cannot die like this, he felt.
He snarled at the darkspawn gathered around him. His bloodied sword and shield still ready in his hands. Mad with rage, Alvar was now more akin to a wild animal than the nobleman. More similar to the vicious beasts he is facing. The darkspawn assailed him and Alvar fought back desperately. Even with his fading strength, he slew dozens of darkspawn. A pile of bodies formed at his feet, hopefully discouraging the remaining beasts. The darkspawn slowed their assaults. Mayhap scared by the prowess of their foe.
Alvar was panting in exhaustion. He did not know how much more beating his chainmail could endure. "Maker… smite you heathen beasts!" he panted, "May you rot in the void!" he cursed, his hands were trembling with exhaustion. He tightened his grip on the sword hoping to stop the trembling. If the darkspawn saw the trembling; he thought, they may assume it as fear and get emboldened.
He grinned bleakly at the darkspawn host surrounding him. If he must die that day, then he will die with a sword in his hand. The darkspawn will pay a heavy price for his life. "Come to your deaths, you soulless bastards!" he bellowed a challenge.
The darkspawn resumed the assaults, Alvar fought them with what little strength still remained in him. His sword continued to claim many darkspawn lives. Then, while Alvar was defending from multiple attacks simultaneously, a genlock managed to bludgeon a pointed end of a club on the side of his waist. The chainmail reduced the damage but did not protect him fully. The pointed club pierced his armour and his skin.
Alvar cried out in pain and swung his sword at the genlock. The genlock fell on the ground, minus a head. The wound is serious and added with the exhaustion, Alvar's eyes were getting blurry. Just then, another darkspawn slashed at a thigh. Alvar cried out again and fell on his back. A hurlock approached him and raised a battleaxe, only to realise that the fight has not left Alvar. Alvar hacked the hurlock's legs and the hurlock fell to the ground.
Alvar felt he had reached his limit now; he had no more strength to continue fighting. He looked at the darkspawn shapes surrounding him. It seemed they were going to gloat before they deal the killing blow. He hoped they do not have a worse fate planned for him. Suddenly, Alvar then noticed a large shape descending on the tower. He narrowed his eyes, trying to discern the shape. The shape seemed like a giant dragon; and the next instant, all the darkspawn around him were in flames. The darkspawn scattered around flailing their arms wildly while being covered in flames.
Alvar then saw the dragon shape vanish and instead a womanly shape seemed to approach him. He could not discern any features or the clothing, he only saw a womanly shape. He thought his delirious mind was playing tricks on him. Or was he dead and his soul is being escorted to the fade by spirits and ultimately to the Maker's side. He then closed his eyes and lost his consciousness.
A/N: A few days ago, my story crossed 1000 hits. Thank you all for taking your time to read my story.
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