"No! No! No! Draw the string back, aim, aim again, and then fire! Don't
just fire at random! We don't have unlimited arrows, you know!" The
commander of the security forces shouted at a recruit.
"Captain, that's not necessary. They are recruits, go easy on them." Isaac told him.
"Isaac, I respect your experience, but we have a war to win here; we need everyone in their top form!"
"I don't disagree, Captain. You're merely pushing too hard. Try again, sir." Isaac told the archer. The archer nodded, knocked an arrow, aimed and fired. It hit the target bulls-eye dead in the center. "See, they can do it if they're not shouted nervous into it, Captain."
"Isaac, we have less than three hours before the attack; we can't afford to be soft now. We do what we must; I'm sorry, but please, let me do this my way."
"Very well, Captain; I did put you in charge, so do what you think is best for this town, but don't lose your compassion because of it."
"Understood, sir." The Captain responded. Isaac saluted the soldier, and walked back to his troop of men to train.
"All right, soldiers. Let's run through it again! Knock!" All fifty archers in Isaac's squad simultaneously picked up their bows, and placed an arrow on the string. "Aim!" The archer's composite bows pointed toward the bulls-eye targets in front of them. "Fire!" A flurry of speared projectiles flew through the air and each struck their target at nearly the same time. Most of the shots had hit the bulls-eye or the ring around the bulls-eye. Any remaining arrows were willy-nilly in the target. Isaac sighed in relief. At least the people of Imil were easy to teach; despite their stragglers, most could hit the targets where they needed to be hit. Still others could shoot a bowstring to save their lives. Isaac signaled for them to be at ease, and set forth to dislodge the arrows from the targets; despite their now dulled heads, it was the only option they had. Ammunition was not in ample supply, so shots they did make would have to count.
For each arrow he pulled, he imagined one centaur warrior who would never raise a sword in battle again. Isaac was torn by this thought; he abhorred death, and if there was thing he hated more than death itself, it was senseless death. Yet, the only choice he was left with time and time again was to kill; a fact of which he was never proud of. He never took pride in slaying many of the creatures who were corrupted by the Psynergy Stones, though he knew it had to have been done. He still cursed himself for every kill of a once benign creature of the wilds. Though this was true, he had no repentance for the demons he slew; Fenrirs, Hellhounds, Sirens, Nightmares, Chimeras, Undead, it didn't matter to him; demons were fair game. The thing that bothered him the most was the fact that he didn't know what the centaurs were; a product of nature twisted and corrupted by the Psynergy Stones, or a product of pure evil, like several of the types of demons he had come across before.
He then remembered Mayor Giles' remarks about the previous attack on Imil decades ago; no Psynergy Stones had existed anywhere outside of Vale at that time. He determined then that the centaurs were originally a warlike creation of nature, twisted by evil; and then possibly further corrupted by the Psynergy Stones. He plucked the final arrow from the last target and deposited them in a bin near the blacksmith's establishment. The arrowheads would be re-sharpened so the arrows could be reused in the upcoming siege. The people of Imil would need every shot their bows could muster to fend off the enemy and save their homes. While the outlook was grim, Isaac was sure to remember that the Imilians had several advantages; the element of surprise, fortification, skilled archers for defense, defense of their own hometown, and possibly most important, two Psynergy Adepts. Mia's power would undoubtedly keep the forces of defense alive, thanks to her Ply ability, and then there was himself; if things got really bad, he could summon Quake Sphere to shake up the enemy and use his own Cure abilities to heal if Mia grew too weary to continue. Isaac sighed, and turned into an alley way. He was headed to the inn to get some warm food; the warriors had eaten two hours ago, while he skipped lunch to help re-sharpen arrowheads and swords. He was alone in the alley when a familiar flash of light greeted him. Flint stood perched on a nearby barrel, and looked curiously at the fatigued Isaac.
"Quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into this time, eh, Isaac?" Flint inquired.
"You don't know the half of it, old friend." Isaac replied, turning toward the Djinn.
"I've seen everything that's gone on here; you're going to need help, and I've got it. I'm sure you're grateful." Flint remarked. Isaac glanced left and right, not spotting anything.
"I don't see anything, Flint."
"That's because they haven't arrived yet, Isaac. I've called for Djinni reinforcements. Ah, I sense some of them are arriving now." Flint turned, and several quick flashes of light flickered in and out, each leaving behind a new Djinn.
"Greetings, Isaac." Ground said.
"It's been awhile, warrior." Corona replied.
"It's good to see you, Isaac." Fizz entered.
"The winds of destiny have chosen to have our paths cross again." Zephyr interjected.
"I'm ready to fight." Bane stated.
"I am ready." Vine replied.
"Does someone need help?" Spritz inquired.
"I'm here, and awaiting orders." Forge exclaimed. Isaac stood dumbfounded at just the first wave of Djinni; these eight new Djinni plus Flint gave them that much more help. These little creatures didn't look like much in size, but their power within was unimaginable.
"Wow, I'm impressed, Flint! You've undoubtedly just saved the lives of lots of people just with these eight recruits."
"It's the least I could do. More are on their way, but I don't know if the rest will arrive in time to help. Regardless, you now have a few trump cards up YOUR sleeve."
"Speaking of which, do you happen to know what the Centaur's ace up their sleeve is?"
"Couldn't tell you, Isaac. Whatever it is, I can't find out what. Though, I'll try to look into it once more before the attack. Stay calm, Isaac, and keep your feelings focused; you'll need a keen mind to pull this off." Flint returned. The Djinn quickly bowed, and disappeared in his standard flash. Each of the other Djinni quickly followed suit. Filled with a renewed sense of confidence, Isaac pressed on to the inn. He entered the inn, only to see countless people at work and on the move; preparing beds, medical supplies, food, drink; you name it. The inn was large, wooden, and very similar to Mia's house. There were two fireplaces, both flaring brightly with iron pots hanging over them, beds all over the bottom floor, but with all the traffic, it was hard to make out much else. Isaac walked in, and one of the attendants quickly took note.
"Ah, Isaac. Mia's been looking for you; she says you weren't at lunch and she wants to speak with you."
"I wasn't."
"Well, you'll find her with the nurses on the second floor. They're preparing Antidotes and Elixirs for anything that might go wrong out there. Just make sure you knock before you enter the chamber; some of them are a tad irritable right now with nerves. Go on up."
"That's understandable. Thank you." Isaac climbed the stairs and rapped on the door at the top of the stairs.
"Who is it?!" A sharp voice sounded from within.
"It's Isaac; I believe Mia wanted a word with me earlier."
"Hang on." The voice replied. "She's coming." Soon the door opened, and Mia stepped onto the landing. She shut the door behind her and greeted Isaac.
"Mia, you wanted to speak to me?"
"Yes, come with me." Mia said, walking down the stairs past him. Isaac followed, and she led him out of the inn and onto the streets. The cobblestone paths had nearly frozen over; many areas were covered in a thin layer of ice, so they were forced to move carefully. As they walked side by side, Mia turned to him. "Isaac, I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"I remember reading that there was an escape tunnel built in the Mayor's house for exactly this kind of situation. I was thinking we might be able to retreat after all if things start looking too bad."
"But that's not it, is it, Mia?" He returned.
"No, it's not. I wanted to say thank you."
"For what?"
"Promising to help us, and me. You've inspired the people, inspired Justin and Megan, and even inspired me."
"Inspired you to do what?"
"To make a stand and defend our homes."
"I'd say you'd owe the Mayor more for that than me."
"You just wouldn't understand, Isaac." She smiled to him. "I don't know why I even tried."
"I don't either." He said, jokingly.
"There's something else, Isaac."
"What?"
"I wanted to thank you for always being there for me."
"If anyone deserves that thanks, it's you, Mia; not me."
"No, you've sworn to protect me; no one's ever done that before. It means a lot to me that I mean that much to you." Isaac staggered a step, his face blushed. "I'm glad that's correct, Isaac." He looked back at her, nervous grin on his face.
"Hit the nail on the head, Mia. How goes the preparation?"
"Well, all things considered, quite well. All the medicinal items we could muster and make are ready; it's just a matter of preparing food and getting ready for the wounded."
"I'll do my best to prevent any wounded from coming to you; there won't be many injuries from this warrior's brigade."
"Don't get overconfident, Isaac. The projected casualties don't look good, even with both of us factored in."
"I never did tell you; we have a secret weapon of our own."
"What is it?"
"Flint, Fizz!" Isaac shouted. A flash of gold light followed by a flash of blue light appeared near them. Flint rested on Isaac's right shoulder, while Fizz sat on his left.
"You rang, Isaac?" Flint asked.
"Indeed. Just wanted to show Mia some of our secret weapons."
"Showing off, eh, Isaac?" The Venus Djinn asked him. Before Isaac could reply, Fizz was already being wrapped in an embrace from Mia.
"Fizz, I missed you, little guy." She said, hugging the Mercury Djinn tightly.
"Lucky sucker." Flint mumbled. "Why can't you be as good-looking as her?" He asked Isaac.
"First of all, I'm a GUY, second of all, she's a GIRL. There are differences, Flint!"
"Hey, why are you getting snide with me for?! You know you're jealous, Isaac!" Flint jeered.
"Flint, shut it!" Fizz snapped back.
"Fine, fine. Jeez; does everyone have a grudge against me?!" Flint caved. After Mia stopped hugging Fizz, Isaac explained that the two were only the beginning, and several more awaited orders, while many more were on their way.
"That's great news; but none of the other villagers know, do they?" Mia asked after Isaac had concluded. He nodded, while Flint made a reply.
"No, none of them know about us; remember, we try to stay out of the sight of anyone who's not an Adept. Pardon us, but Fizz and I need to leave to check up on the arrivals of any new Djinni. Isaac, you'll be the first to know when new ones arrive." The two Djinni left in the same manner as they appeared; much like they always did.
"That Flint is a pistol, isn't he, Isaac?"
"You don't know the half of it."
"So, was he right?"
"Who, and about what?" Isaac responded, puzzled.
"Flint; was he right when he said you were jealous of Fizz?"
"Maybe, maybe not." Isaac replied, with a smirk. Mia smiled, and pushed him away; he slid several feet on the icy path before he crashed into a bank of shoveled snow; to add insult to injury, the snow on top of the nearby house fell onto the pile, burying Isaac in it. Isaac pulled himself out of the displaced snow, sputtered the snow out of his mouth, and marched back over to Mia, snow still on his shoulders and the top of his head. Mia began to laugh heavily at the sight of the snow-covered warrior. Isaac brushed the snow off his head and began laughing as well. They struggled to contain their laughter; Mia because Isaac still looked like the abominable snowman and Isaac because he found being buried in a rift of snow funny. The thought made Isaac smirk, so he grabbed Mia and shoved her into the snow bank, then he proceeded to bury her. Isaac burst out laughing as she reemerged much like he did. Isaac fell to the ground grasping his side and gasping for air; he hadn't seen something that funny in years.
"Oh, so you think you're a smart guy." Mia said, stifling her own laughter.
"Only when you're around, Mia." Isaac rasped out between fits of laughter. When he finally sat up, he was plastered in the face with a snowball, courtesy of Mia. More laughter, but Isaac was too warn out from laughing to retaliate with his own attack. Eventually he stood back up and brushed the snow from his face and body; the cold stung his skin, but he didn't care. Mia eventually stopped her laughing too.
"If only you could've seen your face, Isaac." Mia trailed, wiping tears from her eyes.
"When you pushed me into the floe or when you pelted me with that snowball?!"
"Both."
"You should've seen your face when I stuffed you into the snow pile. That was grand." Isaac replied, staring at her. Mia eventually returned the gaze after she had finally pushed the remaining snow from her robes. The two remained silent for moments, and eventually drew closer to one another. Their eyes closed as they came even closer, preparing to share love's embrace.
"Sir Isaac!" A voice called from down the alley. Isaac and Mia snapped back to reality and Isaac turned his head. Edward Giles was running down the path, just turning the corner as he looked. "Sir Isaac!" Isaac took a couple of steps out so he was in the open.
"Over here, Edward." He replied. Mia moved covertly out of sight, down another alleyway. The mayor of the town jogged up.
"I've been looking all over for you, Isaac!"
"What is it, Edward?"
"Isaac, we've sighted the centaurs, and they're heading this way. The siege will begin within the hour! We need you back up at the walls to lead!" Isaac's eyes flashed in realization; the siege was coming a little earlier than planned; no matter.
"I'll be up there shortly. Get the men to their positions."
"Shortly? What's going on?"
"I have something I need to take care of first, Edward. Don't worry, I'll be there momentarily. You just worry about getting back up there yourself."
"Okay, Isaac, but make it quick because we have very little time left." The mayor turned and jogged back toward the frontward defensive line, leaving Isaac alone. Mia soon withdrew from the shadows back to Isaac's side.
"They're here?"
"Yes."
"Isaac," Mia turned to him, fear in her eyes and voice. "Please be careful, Isaac; I don't want you getting killed out there."
"I will be, Mia."
"You'd better get going, Isaac." She replied, trying to remain calm.
"Not just yet." Isaac returned, pulling Mia into a warm and loving hug. "I love you, Mia. Don't forget that. I'll be back, I promise you that!" Isaac swore, holding her tightly. After he released her, he gave one final reassuring nod, and took off down the path where the mayor ran. The path was icy, but he kept his footing and dashed around the corner.
"Good luck, Isaac. . ." Mia said, sorrowfully.
********************
"Captain! Report!" Isaac shouted, clambering up the wooden ladder to the wooden platforms suspended on the wooden defense walls.
"Sir, there they are. It looks like they're getting ready to make an announcement. The archers are awaiting your orders, sir." Isaac peered over the defense wall; there was about 100 centaurs in a line formation, obviously going for the old fashioned frontal assault. Predictable. The troops were slowly moving closer in perfect formation.
"Stay down, and ready your bows, but hold your fire until I give the word." Isaac ordered. The archers complied, and each crouched to have the wall as shelter. The ultimatum was then sounded.
"Citizens of Imil! This is the army of the Ice Centaurs! Surrender to our forces immediately! You have no defense!" A voice from a bullhorn-like device sounded. Isaac grabbed his own bullhorn from the wall.
"Do you address us, Centaur?!"
"Of course. Do you surrender?!" The enemy centaur forces came closer. "If you do, we may show leniency and compassion!"
"Ready!" Isaac ordered.
"What was that?! Do you accept the terms of surrender?!" The enemy force drew closer.
"Knock!"
"This is your last chance! Surrender now or you all die!"
"OPEN FIRE!"
"Captain, that's not necessary. They are recruits, go easy on them." Isaac told him.
"Isaac, I respect your experience, but we have a war to win here; we need everyone in their top form!"
"I don't disagree, Captain. You're merely pushing too hard. Try again, sir." Isaac told the archer. The archer nodded, knocked an arrow, aimed and fired. It hit the target bulls-eye dead in the center. "See, they can do it if they're not shouted nervous into it, Captain."
"Isaac, we have less than three hours before the attack; we can't afford to be soft now. We do what we must; I'm sorry, but please, let me do this my way."
"Very well, Captain; I did put you in charge, so do what you think is best for this town, but don't lose your compassion because of it."
"Understood, sir." The Captain responded. Isaac saluted the soldier, and walked back to his troop of men to train.
"All right, soldiers. Let's run through it again! Knock!" All fifty archers in Isaac's squad simultaneously picked up their bows, and placed an arrow on the string. "Aim!" The archer's composite bows pointed toward the bulls-eye targets in front of them. "Fire!" A flurry of speared projectiles flew through the air and each struck their target at nearly the same time. Most of the shots had hit the bulls-eye or the ring around the bulls-eye. Any remaining arrows were willy-nilly in the target. Isaac sighed in relief. At least the people of Imil were easy to teach; despite their stragglers, most could hit the targets where they needed to be hit. Still others could shoot a bowstring to save their lives. Isaac signaled for them to be at ease, and set forth to dislodge the arrows from the targets; despite their now dulled heads, it was the only option they had. Ammunition was not in ample supply, so shots they did make would have to count.
For each arrow he pulled, he imagined one centaur warrior who would never raise a sword in battle again. Isaac was torn by this thought; he abhorred death, and if there was thing he hated more than death itself, it was senseless death. Yet, the only choice he was left with time and time again was to kill; a fact of which he was never proud of. He never took pride in slaying many of the creatures who were corrupted by the Psynergy Stones, though he knew it had to have been done. He still cursed himself for every kill of a once benign creature of the wilds. Though this was true, he had no repentance for the demons he slew; Fenrirs, Hellhounds, Sirens, Nightmares, Chimeras, Undead, it didn't matter to him; demons were fair game. The thing that bothered him the most was the fact that he didn't know what the centaurs were; a product of nature twisted and corrupted by the Psynergy Stones, or a product of pure evil, like several of the types of demons he had come across before.
He then remembered Mayor Giles' remarks about the previous attack on Imil decades ago; no Psynergy Stones had existed anywhere outside of Vale at that time. He determined then that the centaurs were originally a warlike creation of nature, twisted by evil; and then possibly further corrupted by the Psynergy Stones. He plucked the final arrow from the last target and deposited them in a bin near the blacksmith's establishment. The arrowheads would be re-sharpened so the arrows could be reused in the upcoming siege. The people of Imil would need every shot their bows could muster to fend off the enemy and save their homes. While the outlook was grim, Isaac was sure to remember that the Imilians had several advantages; the element of surprise, fortification, skilled archers for defense, defense of their own hometown, and possibly most important, two Psynergy Adepts. Mia's power would undoubtedly keep the forces of defense alive, thanks to her Ply ability, and then there was himself; if things got really bad, he could summon Quake Sphere to shake up the enemy and use his own Cure abilities to heal if Mia grew too weary to continue. Isaac sighed, and turned into an alley way. He was headed to the inn to get some warm food; the warriors had eaten two hours ago, while he skipped lunch to help re-sharpen arrowheads and swords. He was alone in the alley when a familiar flash of light greeted him. Flint stood perched on a nearby barrel, and looked curiously at the fatigued Isaac.
"Quite a pickle you've gotten yourself into this time, eh, Isaac?" Flint inquired.
"You don't know the half of it, old friend." Isaac replied, turning toward the Djinn.
"I've seen everything that's gone on here; you're going to need help, and I've got it. I'm sure you're grateful." Flint remarked. Isaac glanced left and right, not spotting anything.
"I don't see anything, Flint."
"That's because they haven't arrived yet, Isaac. I've called for Djinni reinforcements. Ah, I sense some of them are arriving now." Flint turned, and several quick flashes of light flickered in and out, each leaving behind a new Djinn.
"Greetings, Isaac." Ground said.
"It's been awhile, warrior." Corona replied.
"It's good to see you, Isaac." Fizz entered.
"The winds of destiny have chosen to have our paths cross again." Zephyr interjected.
"I'm ready to fight." Bane stated.
"I am ready." Vine replied.
"Does someone need help?" Spritz inquired.
"I'm here, and awaiting orders." Forge exclaimed. Isaac stood dumbfounded at just the first wave of Djinni; these eight new Djinni plus Flint gave them that much more help. These little creatures didn't look like much in size, but their power within was unimaginable.
"Wow, I'm impressed, Flint! You've undoubtedly just saved the lives of lots of people just with these eight recruits."
"It's the least I could do. More are on their way, but I don't know if the rest will arrive in time to help. Regardless, you now have a few trump cards up YOUR sleeve."
"Speaking of which, do you happen to know what the Centaur's ace up their sleeve is?"
"Couldn't tell you, Isaac. Whatever it is, I can't find out what. Though, I'll try to look into it once more before the attack. Stay calm, Isaac, and keep your feelings focused; you'll need a keen mind to pull this off." Flint returned. The Djinn quickly bowed, and disappeared in his standard flash. Each of the other Djinni quickly followed suit. Filled with a renewed sense of confidence, Isaac pressed on to the inn. He entered the inn, only to see countless people at work and on the move; preparing beds, medical supplies, food, drink; you name it. The inn was large, wooden, and very similar to Mia's house. There were two fireplaces, both flaring brightly with iron pots hanging over them, beds all over the bottom floor, but with all the traffic, it was hard to make out much else. Isaac walked in, and one of the attendants quickly took note.
"Ah, Isaac. Mia's been looking for you; she says you weren't at lunch and she wants to speak with you."
"I wasn't."
"Well, you'll find her with the nurses on the second floor. They're preparing Antidotes and Elixirs for anything that might go wrong out there. Just make sure you knock before you enter the chamber; some of them are a tad irritable right now with nerves. Go on up."
"That's understandable. Thank you." Isaac climbed the stairs and rapped on the door at the top of the stairs.
"Who is it?!" A sharp voice sounded from within.
"It's Isaac; I believe Mia wanted a word with me earlier."
"Hang on." The voice replied. "She's coming." Soon the door opened, and Mia stepped onto the landing. She shut the door behind her and greeted Isaac.
"Mia, you wanted to speak to me?"
"Yes, come with me." Mia said, walking down the stairs past him. Isaac followed, and she led him out of the inn and onto the streets. The cobblestone paths had nearly frozen over; many areas were covered in a thin layer of ice, so they were forced to move carefully. As they walked side by side, Mia turned to him. "Isaac, I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"I remember reading that there was an escape tunnel built in the Mayor's house for exactly this kind of situation. I was thinking we might be able to retreat after all if things start looking too bad."
"But that's not it, is it, Mia?" He returned.
"No, it's not. I wanted to say thank you."
"For what?"
"Promising to help us, and me. You've inspired the people, inspired Justin and Megan, and even inspired me."
"Inspired you to do what?"
"To make a stand and defend our homes."
"I'd say you'd owe the Mayor more for that than me."
"You just wouldn't understand, Isaac." She smiled to him. "I don't know why I even tried."
"I don't either." He said, jokingly.
"There's something else, Isaac."
"What?"
"I wanted to thank you for always being there for me."
"If anyone deserves that thanks, it's you, Mia; not me."
"No, you've sworn to protect me; no one's ever done that before. It means a lot to me that I mean that much to you." Isaac staggered a step, his face blushed. "I'm glad that's correct, Isaac." He looked back at her, nervous grin on his face.
"Hit the nail on the head, Mia. How goes the preparation?"
"Well, all things considered, quite well. All the medicinal items we could muster and make are ready; it's just a matter of preparing food and getting ready for the wounded."
"I'll do my best to prevent any wounded from coming to you; there won't be many injuries from this warrior's brigade."
"Don't get overconfident, Isaac. The projected casualties don't look good, even with both of us factored in."
"I never did tell you; we have a secret weapon of our own."
"What is it?"
"Flint, Fizz!" Isaac shouted. A flash of gold light followed by a flash of blue light appeared near them. Flint rested on Isaac's right shoulder, while Fizz sat on his left.
"You rang, Isaac?" Flint asked.
"Indeed. Just wanted to show Mia some of our secret weapons."
"Showing off, eh, Isaac?" The Venus Djinn asked him. Before Isaac could reply, Fizz was already being wrapped in an embrace from Mia.
"Fizz, I missed you, little guy." She said, hugging the Mercury Djinn tightly.
"Lucky sucker." Flint mumbled. "Why can't you be as good-looking as her?" He asked Isaac.
"First of all, I'm a GUY, second of all, she's a GIRL. There are differences, Flint!"
"Hey, why are you getting snide with me for?! You know you're jealous, Isaac!" Flint jeered.
"Flint, shut it!" Fizz snapped back.
"Fine, fine. Jeez; does everyone have a grudge against me?!" Flint caved. After Mia stopped hugging Fizz, Isaac explained that the two were only the beginning, and several more awaited orders, while many more were on their way.
"That's great news; but none of the other villagers know, do they?" Mia asked after Isaac had concluded. He nodded, while Flint made a reply.
"No, none of them know about us; remember, we try to stay out of the sight of anyone who's not an Adept. Pardon us, but Fizz and I need to leave to check up on the arrivals of any new Djinni. Isaac, you'll be the first to know when new ones arrive." The two Djinni left in the same manner as they appeared; much like they always did.
"That Flint is a pistol, isn't he, Isaac?"
"You don't know the half of it."
"So, was he right?"
"Who, and about what?" Isaac responded, puzzled.
"Flint; was he right when he said you were jealous of Fizz?"
"Maybe, maybe not." Isaac replied, with a smirk. Mia smiled, and pushed him away; he slid several feet on the icy path before he crashed into a bank of shoveled snow; to add insult to injury, the snow on top of the nearby house fell onto the pile, burying Isaac in it. Isaac pulled himself out of the displaced snow, sputtered the snow out of his mouth, and marched back over to Mia, snow still on his shoulders and the top of his head. Mia began to laugh heavily at the sight of the snow-covered warrior. Isaac brushed the snow off his head and began laughing as well. They struggled to contain their laughter; Mia because Isaac still looked like the abominable snowman and Isaac because he found being buried in a rift of snow funny. The thought made Isaac smirk, so he grabbed Mia and shoved her into the snow bank, then he proceeded to bury her. Isaac burst out laughing as she reemerged much like he did. Isaac fell to the ground grasping his side and gasping for air; he hadn't seen something that funny in years.
"Oh, so you think you're a smart guy." Mia said, stifling her own laughter.
"Only when you're around, Mia." Isaac rasped out between fits of laughter. When he finally sat up, he was plastered in the face with a snowball, courtesy of Mia. More laughter, but Isaac was too warn out from laughing to retaliate with his own attack. Eventually he stood back up and brushed the snow from his face and body; the cold stung his skin, but he didn't care. Mia eventually stopped her laughing too.
"If only you could've seen your face, Isaac." Mia trailed, wiping tears from her eyes.
"When you pushed me into the floe or when you pelted me with that snowball?!"
"Both."
"You should've seen your face when I stuffed you into the snow pile. That was grand." Isaac replied, staring at her. Mia eventually returned the gaze after she had finally pushed the remaining snow from her robes. The two remained silent for moments, and eventually drew closer to one another. Their eyes closed as they came even closer, preparing to share love's embrace.
"Sir Isaac!" A voice called from down the alley. Isaac and Mia snapped back to reality and Isaac turned his head. Edward Giles was running down the path, just turning the corner as he looked. "Sir Isaac!" Isaac took a couple of steps out so he was in the open.
"Over here, Edward." He replied. Mia moved covertly out of sight, down another alleyway. The mayor of the town jogged up.
"I've been looking all over for you, Isaac!"
"What is it, Edward?"
"Isaac, we've sighted the centaurs, and they're heading this way. The siege will begin within the hour! We need you back up at the walls to lead!" Isaac's eyes flashed in realization; the siege was coming a little earlier than planned; no matter.
"I'll be up there shortly. Get the men to their positions."
"Shortly? What's going on?"
"I have something I need to take care of first, Edward. Don't worry, I'll be there momentarily. You just worry about getting back up there yourself."
"Okay, Isaac, but make it quick because we have very little time left." The mayor turned and jogged back toward the frontward defensive line, leaving Isaac alone. Mia soon withdrew from the shadows back to Isaac's side.
"They're here?"
"Yes."
"Isaac," Mia turned to him, fear in her eyes and voice. "Please be careful, Isaac; I don't want you getting killed out there."
"I will be, Mia."
"You'd better get going, Isaac." She replied, trying to remain calm.
"Not just yet." Isaac returned, pulling Mia into a warm and loving hug. "I love you, Mia. Don't forget that. I'll be back, I promise you that!" Isaac swore, holding her tightly. After he released her, he gave one final reassuring nod, and took off down the path where the mayor ran. The path was icy, but he kept his footing and dashed around the corner.
"Good luck, Isaac. . ." Mia said, sorrowfully.
********************
"Captain! Report!" Isaac shouted, clambering up the wooden ladder to the wooden platforms suspended on the wooden defense walls.
"Sir, there they are. It looks like they're getting ready to make an announcement. The archers are awaiting your orders, sir." Isaac peered over the defense wall; there was about 100 centaurs in a line formation, obviously going for the old fashioned frontal assault. Predictable. The troops were slowly moving closer in perfect formation.
"Stay down, and ready your bows, but hold your fire until I give the word." Isaac ordered. The archers complied, and each crouched to have the wall as shelter. The ultimatum was then sounded.
"Citizens of Imil! This is the army of the Ice Centaurs! Surrender to our forces immediately! You have no defense!" A voice from a bullhorn-like device sounded. Isaac grabbed his own bullhorn from the wall.
"Do you address us, Centaur?!"
"Of course. Do you surrender?!" The enemy centaur forces came closer. "If you do, we may show leniency and compassion!"
"Ready!" Isaac ordered.
"What was that?! Do you accept the terms of surrender?!" The enemy force drew closer.
"Knock!"
"This is your last chance! Surrender now or you all die!"
"OPEN FIRE!"