The defenders of Imil rose from their hiding places, bowstrings drawn, and
unleashed a hail of fire upon the charging centaur horde. The marauding
centaur were thrown in disarray by the incoming barrage of arrow fire.
After the initial strike, almost two dozen lay dead, usually with a half a
dozen arrows in each carcass.
"Ready!" Isaac ordered, picking up his own composite bow. "Knock!" He complied to his own order, while others around him did as well. "Fire!" More arrows flew from the wooden barricades, causing about ten more casualties in the enemy ranks. The enemy centaur now closed within 30 yards of the defense wall; it wouldn't be long before they reached it. "Fire at will, all archers!" The archers broke their simultaneous actions and began firing at random targets at random rates. Arrows sped through air and flesh, wounding many, but slaying no more. "Pick your targets and stick to them!" Isaac shouted, over the battle cries around him. Now the enemy had began to batter at the walls; it wouldn't be long before they gave way. Desperate, Isaac dropped his bow and raised his hand. A sudden tremor from the ground below struck, sending most of the enemies reeling away from the walls in pain, back into the rain of arrows. Many more enemies fell, but still half of the forces remained. Isaac frowned; he knew this was the easy part; if they let any of them get away, the enemy would know that they were ready for them, and if they were annihilated, the enemy would surely come looking for them. He decided it would be better to catch the enemy more off guard by wiping out his entire first wave. He turned to the Captain. "Take no prisoners, got it?!"
"Yes, Sir!" The Captain of the guard replied, firing his arrow into the chest of a centaur armed with a mace. "Men, let none of them escape alive!" Various confirmations sounded amongst the ranks, following by the twangs of bowstrings being released. Isaac glanced down at the enemy; still 40 strong; this battle hadn't gone on for too long, but he knew this was as easy as it was ever going to get. The remaining 40 still continued to pound on the wooden walls, but to no avail. Isaac stood, puzzled at why the barricades had not given away.
"Captain? Why have the walls held up? They're made of wood!"
"Ironwood, to be more correct, Sir Isaac. Strong as steel, but taking the appearance of wood. A great fortification tool, I might add." The Captain replied.
"Excellent. Though I imagine it won't hold forever?"
"You got it. Keep them away from the walls, if you can, Sir Isaac." Isaac nodded, and stepped back over to the edge of the wall. He decided instead of wasting time with a weak Quake attack that he would attack with Quake Sphere to do more damage and make them get the idea faster. He raised his right arm, and a golden glow surrounded it, and it flashed into the ground below, causing a massive short-ranged earthquake that devastated the lines of the centaur. Beaten badly, the number of hostiles dropped to 15. "Let no one survive, men! That's an order!" Isaac shouted. The remaining centaur decided that their attack was folly at best and spun around to head for home. Of course, home took them through a flurry of arrows, not to mentioning the summoning range of the Ragnarok and Clay Spire Psynergies, which Isaac used to thin their lines. The centaur who ran the fastest was struck by the Ragnarok, while several of the other creatures died under the spikes of the Clay Spire. Isaac then turned his attention to the final surviving creature, and prepared to strike with a Ragnarok. As he summoned his spell, something stopped him from killing the last of the men, but he knew not what. Was it because his back was turned and he was unable to retaliate, or was it just because his conscience bothered him? It didn't matter. He raised his hand, and the giant sword of energy came hurling out of the sky. Isaac imagined the short-lived victory they would have, and the fact that surprise would remain on their side. He smiled at this fact, meaning many Imilian lives would be spared. Though, afterward, he focused his eyes. His target remained in motion, and there lie a huge crater in the ground where the sword had hit, but it was obvious now that he had missed. Out of the original 100 attackers, only one left, because of his incompetence.
"Damn it!" Isaac shouted, realizing that the enemy was so far out of range, he couldn't hope to hit him even if he had a telescope and a long- range crossbow. He banged his hand against the side wall of the town and swore under his breath several more times.
"What's wrong, Isaac? We wiped out almost all of them!" The Captain said.
"That's good, yes, but now that the one has gotten away, he's going to report back and tell the others that we're fortified in here!"
"So? They may back off if they know that."
"I doubt it, Captain. If anything, they'll be back, and next time they won't be so nice. They'll have long ranged weaponry and possibly siege weapons when they return. The odds, Captain, have considerably turned against us." Isaac sighed. He turned to the archers, who were celebrating the enemy retreat. "ATTENTION!" The archers stopped and stared at Isaac, and then snapped to order. "Well done, troops, but the war is far from over. This was target practice; stuff that actually shoots back will undoubtedly come next time. We will rotate on six hour guard shifts until then; when you're not on guard, you're in bed resting. If you're on rest, sleep with your bow next to you; be ready to move out on a moment's notice, got it?!"
"YES SIR!" The general cry sounded.
"Companies A and B, dismissed! C and D, you're on post. You've got six hours, A and B. Make them count in rest. Move it!" Isaac ordered, pointing his finger back toward the town." Companies A and B dashed off the palisade walls and charged for their homes and the inn. Companies C and D stared at Isaac, during the meanwhile. Finally, a man from company C stood and spoke.
"Sir, what will you be doing in the meantime?"
"I'm staying up here with you. It's only fair that I don't get first rest if all of you don't. Captain!" Isaac turned to the man.
"Sir?"
"You're dismissed. Stay with the other shift and warn me at the first sight of anything that vaguely resembles trouble, understood?"
"Sir!" The Captain saluted; Isaac returned the gesture of respect and the Captain took his leave from the palisade wall. Isaac smiled, but then returned to lookout duty.
*********************
The door to the inn swung open, and the Captain of the guard walked in, shivering from the cold. Heads turned, and all of the archers snapped to attention as he entered. He gestured for them to be at ease, and they quickly returned to what they had been doing. The Captain seated himself at an empty chair, while the activity at the table he joined ground to a halt. He turned to his fellow seatmates.
"You know, we're off duty; I could care less if you have something bad to say about me or Isaac."
"Sorry, sir. It's just we're not used to this kind of war environment."
"Yes, that's true; Imil has been a place for peace for many years, but the warrior spirit and skill still surges through our bloodlines. That's one reason why so many people have been able to pick up the composite bow and shoot it nearly flawlessly in less than 48 hours. Nonetheless, don't worry about fighting right now; it's more important that we can hold the fort for two more waves of assault." The Captain noted, removing his steel helmet. The man had brown hair that sat on his head, but still remained full and healthy. His eyes were a deep cerulean blue, and he had a face to make women swoon in love on sight. He was a tall, lean, yet muscular man; one who looked as though he was accustomed to using a sword rather than a bow. His armor was forged steel plate mail with several golden carvings upon it. There was a golden emblem of the sun on the front of the armor, with the shoulder blade covers the same tone. All of the other joints on the suit were also gold brimmed, and his helmet was solid steel, with golden linings brimming it. The back of the helmet had a pair golden wings of an eagle protruding a foot outwards and upwards, giving the warrior a look of a warrior angel. There was one semi-large view port in the front of the helmet, that would allow the enemy the view of his eyes.
"Dargon, what's up with Isaac? He seems more intent on protecting this place than any other outsider would normally be." One of the men asked him.
Now free from his Captain's Helmet, Dargon turned to face the man and give him an answer without a plate of metal to disturb his view. "I suspect he wants to protect this place for a number of reasons. First of all, Isaac strikes me as a person who hates to see anyone die. I think he understands all too well what death does to the people who outlive the deceased. Second, I'll bet he wants to protect the Mercury Lighthouse; I remember seeing him go in with Mia and a couple of other people almost a year ago. I think there's some kind of connection between him and the lighthouse. Lastly, . . ." Dargon counted as Mia approached.
"Captain, has Isaac returned from the lines, or is he still up there?" She asked him.
"He's up on the wall with companies C and D right now, Mia. And please, call me Dargon when I'm off duty."
"Sorry, Dargon. When will he be off?"
"In a little over five hours. He's taking the CD shift while I lead the AB shift."
"Thank you, Dargon." She politely returned, as she left the table. When Dargon was sure she was out of earshot, he continued.
"As I was saying, lastly, I think we just saw the third reason." Dargon said. Some mild snickers broke out from some of the younger males at the table, while a couple of others looked mildly dejected. Dargon smiled; Mia had been the object of drool for many of the young males in Imil for years now, himself included at one point. No one could ever mite out the courage to ask her to dinner or anything else, for that matter; she was always busy and was quite shy to boot. Mia had been difficult to approach, but he somehow knew that Isaac had made quite an impression on her. Dargon had gotten over his crush on Mia months before, and was actually happy that someone had finally gotten to her heart; especially a nice person like Isaac.
"So, Captain. . ."
"Dargon!"
"Right, sorry sir; Dargon, do you really think that's the reason he's defending us?"
"No. Well, it's part of it; the real deal is that Isaac hates death. I could see it in his eyes each time we slew a centaur; his eyes flashed with joy and angst every time one of the creatures fell. The joy came from the slaying of a minion of evil, while the angst came at the loss of another life. He feels compassion for everyone, including his enemies; he's a great man, no doubt about it. The main reason he's fighting for Imil, you ask? Well, each of the three reasons seems equally weighted to me. They should be the same for you, as well. Believe what you want, but I say he's here to protect everyone and the lighthouse." Dargon concluded, closing his eyes.
"That makes sense, I guess. There's nothing wrong with his explanation, right boys?" One of the men asked the other people at the table. The others nodded quietly, while some mumbled their confirmation.
"Waitress? Round of ales for the men here, my treat." Dargon signaled.
************************
Isaac yawned as he climbed down the ladder of the wall. His shift, now complete, was long, tense, and quite remarkably boring. Nothing had happened or even looked as though anything might've happened. Six long hours of patrolling the wall's perimeter, keeping his eyes fixated on the horizon. Isaac sighed, and thought maybe he should've made them four hour shifts instead of six. He was the last to descend the ladder and the feel of the cold snow crushing beneath his feet on solid ground quite relaxing. His tense shoulders dropped and loosened as he walked down the street. He needed some sleep; it had been a long day, and night had already fallen on the small town of Imil. As well, his stomach was gurgling for food; he hadn't eaten anything all day, even when he intended to get lunch before the siege. It was decided: food first, sleep second. Isaac pushed open the door of the inn and walked in slowly. He found an empty seat in the corner of the inn, where the light of the twin fireplaces scarcely reached. He sat quietly, closing his eyes and setting his mind free from the world. Eventually, soft music reached his ears over the light mumbling of the crowd. Someone had started playing the piano in the middle of the inn; and the music was nice. Isaac could feel himself drifting into a doze amidst the warm atmosphere of this small-town inn. His dozing was interrupted by a voice next to him.
"Sir, what may I get for you tonight?"
"Uh?" Isaac mumbled, waking up at his waitress. She was about his age, with light brown hair, nearly blonde, and green eyes. "Um, I don't know. What do you have?"
"Not much; most of the food has been picked over already. Though I'll do my best to see to your order."
"If you've got any roasted chicken left, that'd be nice."
"I do believe we have some of that left. Any specific type of meat you want?"
"No, just bring me whatever's available."
"What do you want to drink?"
"Water will be fine."
"Got it. Just a few moments, sir." She politely returned, leaving his table. Isaac shut his eyes again, enjoying his rest.
Meanwhile, the waitress walked to the other side of the inn, where the food and drink were being held after its preparation. "Mia, we need an order of roasted chicken and a flask of water."
"It's certainly been busy tonight. Well, it's better than tending to wounds; thank goodness no one was hurt during this part of the attack. How many orders?"
"Just one. The guy came in alone, no one with him. Nice guy, and he was kind of cute."
"Did he have brown hair and blue eyes?" Mia asked, suspiciously.
"Yes, he did. Cute little yellow scarf, too."
"Excuse me, but do you mind if I take the order out to him?" Mia requested.
"Why? Do you know him?" The other girl asked. Mia nodded.
"He's a friend of mine; I've known him for quite some time now."
"All right, Mia. Go ahead." She smiled, allowing Mia to move past with the tray of food. "Stay out of trouble." Mia glanced back with a smile. She moved past the crowds, between the overcrowded tables, and past the piano player. Finally, she spotted Isaac alone in a dark corner of the inn, arms folded, eyes closed. Perfect. She stealthily approached the dozing Isaac, carefully setting the tray on the table.
"Sir, your food is here." She said, smiling. Isaac stretched and yawned without opening his eyes.
"Thank you very much." He replied after stretching, but before he opened his eyes.
"You're quite welcome, Isaac." Mia said. Isaac's eyes snapped open, gazing at Mia.
"Very funny, Mia." Isaac returned, smile on his face. "It's good to see you."
"Likewise." Mia replied, pulling the other empty stool from the table out. She sat down next to Isaac, and looked at him. "You look exhausted, Isaac."
"I am; the battle wasn't too straining considering the monsters we've fought in the past, but the guard duty was murder. It wasn't hard, it was just boring; in fact, it was so boring that it depleted all of my energy. Aside from that, how was your day, Mia?"
"Not bad, considering yours." Mia replied. "I just wish the siege tomorrow will be as easy as today."
"Snowball's chance in the Mars Lighthouse. I don't think it's going to be easy at all next time. One of them got away and undoubtedly reported what happened to his superiors and they're preparing for heavy resistance tomorrow. I just wish that we could've stopped that last one." Isaac muttered, shaking his head.
"Don't worry so much, Isaac. I know whatever they throw at you, you'll be able to throw back." Mia whispered back, eyes full of confidence.
"Thanks Mia, but I can't do this alone; you know that."
"I'm sure if you had to, you could and would." Mia replied. "Though, if I had a wish, I'd wish that today's siege would've come five minutes later." Isaac's expression faltered slightly on the comment, though it was impossible to see exactly how it did in the scant light of the room. Isaac and Mia remained silent again, not breathing a word; nothing more needed to be said. Several minutes passed before anything happened.
"Sir Isaac!" Dargon shouted. Again, the two were snapped back to reality.
"What is it, Captain?" Isaac asked, noticing Dargon fully decked out in his plate mail armor, sword in hand.
"Sir, we can clearly see the smoke from enemy campfires. They are most certainly close, and therefore, we can accurately say that they will indeed attack in the next 12 to 18 hours."
"I figured as much, but thank you for keeping me informed, Captain. Get back to your post and keep me informed if anything else shows its face."
"Yes sir. You can count on me!" Dargon saluted, and left the inn promptly.
"You two seem to work well together." Mia remarked.
"Well, the Captain is a good man; I'm glad to say he's on our side. I just wish I knew his name."
"His name is Dargon."
"Ah, so he's the Dargon I've heard about, eh? I can see why he's so well known around here."
"Yes, but you're already giving him a run for his money in fame, I can tell you that much." Mia looked down at the table, and then turned to Isaac. "You know, you may want to eat your food before it turns ice-cold on you." Isaac realized she was right, and smiled sheepishly. He dug in like a swarm of locusts; the meat on the bones of the chicken quickly disappeared, torn off by the ravenous Isaac. In-between bites, Isaac chugged some of his water. He had finished his meal in less than seven minutes, and reclined back in his chair.
"Wow, that was great!" Isaac complimented, leaning back.
"I guess you were really hungry, huh, Isaac? I've only seen Garet tear apart a meal like that. I'm glad you liked it. It took me awhile to get the seasoning right."
"You cooked it?" Isaac asked, surprised. "I thought you were the healer on standby!"
"I was, but considering the battle came and went, not to mention they needed the help with the kitchen staff, I decided to volunteer here."
"That was nice of you, Mia! I had no idea that you could cook so well!"
"What, my soup wasn't good?" Mia joked, but before he could reply, she continued. "You probably couldn't taste it with that nasty fever you had."
"No, I couldn't."
"Speaking of fevers, you look like if you don't get some sleep you might get one. Here, let's go." Mia said, standing up. "Come on, Isaac, you can sleep at my place like when you were sick." Isaac followed Mia's lead and left the inn a few feet behind her. The night was very cold, and deathly frigid. Snow fell freely from the sky, coating the ground with more white powder.
"Jeez, does it snow all winter up here?" Isaac asked, catching up to Mia.
"Most of the time. A lot of the people here don't like the snow, but I rather enjoy it. I think it's very calming to watch and listen to."
"You listen to the snow?!" Isaac asked, completely puzzled.
"In complete silence, you can hear the snowflakes hitting the accumulated snow on the ground. Just sitting very still while watching the snow; sometimes you can hear the light crackle of the fresh snow reaching the ground. It's very relaxing." Mia replied.
"We never got a lot of snow in Vale; maybe once or twice a year. I never cared for it because I was the one who always had to shovel it."
"In Imil, we've pretty much stopped shoveling our snow. We do it to prevent huge piles, but in flurries like these, we ignore it." Isaac looked into the sky; it was snowing at a pretty good rate, yet Mia was calling it flurries. Isaac figured Imil must get a lot more snow when it got deeper into the winter. "Isaac, may I ask you something?"
"What is it, Mia?"
"Isaac, what will you do after the siege is over?" Mia asked, tone of sadness in her voice.
"I haven't thought about it, really." Isaac returned. "I'd probably think about leaving on my journey again, but. . ." He paused. "Now that I know fully know what I feel, I don't know what I'd do."
"Would you stay here with me, Justin, and Megan?" Mia asked.
"Mia, I. . ."
"What?"
"To be honest, I don't know if the town will even survive past the siege. I have some serious doubts that we won't be able to save the town. The centaur force is huge, and we have very little to draw from. Mia, I don't know much else but this:" He stopped walking; Mia followed suit a second later. "What I do know is what I've said before. I love you, and I will protect you with my life. That's all I know for sure right now, and right now nothing else matters to me. Everything else will be dealt with when it comes time to be dealt with." Isaac stated, deadly serious. Mia nodded, keeping her eyes fixated on him. "Nothing matters now but you, Mia." He restated, wrapping her into his arms.
"Isaac, I feel the same way about you. There's always been something about you." Mia replied. "I don't want to lose you out there."
"You won't; I promise you that." Isaac returned, heartfully. Now, under the darkened skies of Imil, nothing stopped love's embrace from sweeping the two away.
"Ready!" Isaac ordered, picking up his own composite bow. "Knock!" He complied to his own order, while others around him did as well. "Fire!" More arrows flew from the wooden barricades, causing about ten more casualties in the enemy ranks. The enemy centaur now closed within 30 yards of the defense wall; it wouldn't be long before they reached it. "Fire at will, all archers!" The archers broke their simultaneous actions and began firing at random targets at random rates. Arrows sped through air and flesh, wounding many, but slaying no more. "Pick your targets and stick to them!" Isaac shouted, over the battle cries around him. Now the enemy had began to batter at the walls; it wouldn't be long before they gave way. Desperate, Isaac dropped his bow and raised his hand. A sudden tremor from the ground below struck, sending most of the enemies reeling away from the walls in pain, back into the rain of arrows. Many more enemies fell, but still half of the forces remained. Isaac frowned; he knew this was the easy part; if they let any of them get away, the enemy would know that they were ready for them, and if they were annihilated, the enemy would surely come looking for them. He decided it would be better to catch the enemy more off guard by wiping out his entire first wave. He turned to the Captain. "Take no prisoners, got it?!"
"Yes, Sir!" The Captain of the guard replied, firing his arrow into the chest of a centaur armed with a mace. "Men, let none of them escape alive!" Various confirmations sounded amongst the ranks, following by the twangs of bowstrings being released. Isaac glanced down at the enemy; still 40 strong; this battle hadn't gone on for too long, but he knew this was as easy as it was ever going to get. The remaining 40 still continued to pound on the wooden walls, but to no avail. Isaac stood, puzzled at why the barricades had not given away.
"Captain? Why have the walls held up? They're made of wood!"
"Ironwood, to be more correct, Sir Isaac. Strong as steel, but taking the appearance of wood. A great fortification tool, I might add." The Captain replied.
"Excellent. Though I imagine it won't hold forever?"
"You got it. Keep them away from the walls, if you can, Sir Isaac." Isaac nodded, and stepped back over to the edge of the wall. He decided instead of wasting time with a weak Quake attack that he would attack with Quake Sphere to do more damage and make them get the idea faster. He raised his right arm, and a golden glow surrounded it, and it flashed into the ground below, causing a massive short-ranged earthquake that devastated the lines of the centaur. Beaten badly, the number of hostiles dropped to 15. "Let no one survive, men! That's an order!" Isaac shouted. The remaining centaur decided that their attack was folly at best and spun around to head for home. Of course, home took them through a flurry of arrows, not to mentioning the summoning range of the Ragnarok and Clay Spire Psynergies, which Isaac used to thin their lines. The centaur who ran the fastest was struck by the Ragnarok, while several of the other creatures died under the spikes of the Clay Spire. Isaac then turned his attention to the final surviving creature, and prepared to strike with a Ragnarok. As he summoned his spell, something stopped him from killing the last of the men, but he knew not what. Was it because his back was turned and he was unable to retaliate, or was it just because his conscience bothered him? It didn't matter. He raised his hand, and the giant sword of energy came hurling out of the sky. Isaac imagined the short-lived victory they would have, and the fact that surprise would remain on their side. He smiled at this fact, meaning many Imilian lives would be spared. Though, afterward, he focused his eyes. His target remained in motion, and there lie a huge crater in the ground where the sword had hit, but it was obvious now that he had missed. Out of the original 100 attackers, only one left, because of his incompetence.
"Damn it!" Isaac shouted, realizing that the enemy was so far out of range, he couldn't hope to hit him even if he had a telescope and a long- range crossbow. He banged his hand against the side wall of the town and swore under his breath several more times.
"What's wrong, Isaac? We wiped out almost all of them!" The Captain said.
"That's good, yes, but now that the one has gotten away, he's going to report back and tell the others that we're fortified in here!"
"So? They may back off if they know that."
"I doubt it, Captain. If anything, they'll be back, and next time they won't be so nice. They'll have long ranged weaponry and possibly siege weapons when they return. The odds, Captain, have considerably turned against us." Isaac sighed. He turned to the archers, who were celebrating the enemy retreat. "ATTENTION!" The archers stopped and stared at Isaac, and then snapped to order. "Well done, troops, but the war is far from over. This was target practice; stuff that actually shoots back will undoubtedly come next time. We will rotate on six hour guard shifts until then; when you're not on guard, you're in bed resting. If you're on rest, sleep with your bow next to you; be ready to move out on a moment's notice, got it?!"
"YES SIR!" The general cry sounded.
"Companies A and B, dismissed! C and D, you're on post. You've got six hours, A and B. Make them count in rest. Move it!" Isaac ordered, pointing his finger back toward the town." Companies A and B dashed off the palisade walls and charged for their homes and the inn. Companies C and D stared at Isaac, during the meanwhile. Finally, a man from company C stood and spoke.
"Sir, what will you be doing in the meantime?"
"I'm staying up here with you. It's only fair that I don't get first rest if all of you don't. Captain!" Isaac turned to the man.
"Sir?"
"You're dismissed. Stay with the other shift and warn me at the first sight of anything that vaguely resembles trouble, understood?"
"Sir!" The Captain saluted; Isaac returned the gesture of respect and the Captain took his leave from the palisade wall. Isaac smiled, but then returned to lookout duty.
*********************
The door to the inn swung open, and the Captain of the guard walked in, shivering from the cold. Heads turned, and all of the archers snapped to attention as he entered. He gestured for them to be at ease, and they quickly returned to what they had been doing. The Captain seated himself at an empty chair, while the activity at the table he joined ground to a halt. He turned to his fellow seatmates.
"You know, we're off duty; I could care less if you have something bad to say about me or Isaac."
"Sorry, sir. It's just we're not used to this kind of war environment."
"Yes, that's true; Imil has been a place for peace for many years, but the warrior spirit and skill still surges through our bloodlines. That's one reason why so many people have been able to pick up the composite bow and shoot it nearly flawlessly in less than 48 hours. Nonetheless, don't worry about fighting right now; it's more important that we can hold the fort for two more waves of assault." The Captain noted, removing his steel helmet. The man had brown hair that sat on his head, but still remained full and healthy. His eyes were a deep cerulean blue, and he had a face to make women swoon in love on sight. He was a tall, lean, yet muscular man; one who looked as though he was accustomed to using a sword rather than a bow. His armor was forged steel plate mail with several golden carvings upon it. There was a golden emblem of the sun on the front of the armor, with the shoulder blade covers the same tone. All of the other joints on the suit were also gold brimmed, and his helmet was solid steel, with golden linings brimming it. The back of the helmet had a pair golden wings of an eagle protruding a foot outwards and upwards, giving the warrior a look of a warrior angel. There was one semi-large view port in the front of the helmet, that would allow the enemy the view of his eyes.
"Dargon, what's up with Isaac? He seems more intent on protecting this place than any other outsider would normally be." One of the men asked him.
Now free from his Captain's Helmet, Dargon turned to face the man and give him an answer without a plate of metal to disturb his view. "I suspect he wants to protect this place for a number of reasons. First of all, Isaac strikes me as a person who hates to see anyone die. I think he understands all too well what death does to the people who outlive the deceased. Second, I'll bet he wants to protect the Mercury Lighthouse; I remember seeing him go in with Mia and a couple of other people almost a year ago. I think there's some kind of connection between him and the lighthouse. Lastly, . . ." Dargon counted as Mia approached.
"Captain, has Isaac returned from the lines, or is he still up there?" She asked him.
"He's up on the wall with companies C and D right now, Mia. And please, call me Dargon when I'm off duty."
"Sorry, Dargon. When will he be off?"
"In a little over five hours. He's taking the CD shift while I lead the AB shift."
"Thank you, Dargon." She politely returned, as she left the table. When Dargon was sure she was out of earshot, he continued.
"As I was saying, lastly, I think we just saw the third reason." Dargon said. Some mild snickers broke out from some of the younger males at the table, while a couple of others looked mildly dejected. Dargon smiled; Mia had been the object of drool for many of the young males in Imil for years now, himself included at one point. No one could ever mite out the courage to ask her to dinner or anything else, for that matter; she was always busy and was quite shy to boot. Mia had been difficult to approach, but he somehow knew that Isaac had made quite an impression on her. Dargon had gotten over his crush on Mia months before, and was actually happy that someone had finally gotten to her heart; especially a nice person like Isaac.
"So, Captain. . ."
"Dargon!"
"Right, sorry sir; Dargon, do you really think that's the reason he's defending us?"
"No. Well, it's part of it; the real deal is that Isaac hates death. I could see it in his eyes each time we slew a centaur; his eyes flashed with joy and angst every time one of the creatures fell. The joy came from the slaying of a minion of evil, while the angst came at the loss of another life. He feels compassion for everyone, including his enemies; he's a great man, no doubt about it. The main reason he's fighting for Imil, you ask? Well, each of the three reasons seems equally weighted to me. They should be the same for you, as well. Believe what you want, but I say he's here to protect everyone and the lighthouse." Dargon concluded, closing his eyes.
"That makes sense, I guess. There's nothing wrong with his explanation, right boys?" One of the men asked the other people at the table. The others nodded quietly, while some mumbled their confirmation.
"Waitress? Round of ales for the men here, my treat." Dargon signaled.
************************
Isaac yawned as he climbed down the ladder of the wall. His shift, now complete, was long, tense, and quite remarkably boring. Nothing had happened or even looked as though anything might've happened. Six long hours of patrolling the wall's perimeter, keeping his eyes fixated on the horizon. Isaac sighed, and thought maybe he should've made them four hour shifts instead of six. He was the last to descend the ladder and the feel of the cold snow crushing beneath his feet on solid ground quite relaxing. His tense shoulders dropped and loosened as he walked down the street. He needed some sleep; it had been a long day, and night had already fallen on the small town of Imil. As well, his stomach was gurgling for food; he hadn't eaten anything all day, even when he intended to get lunch before the siege. It was decided: food first, sleep second. Isaac pushed open the door of the inn and walked in slowly. He found an empty seat in the corner of the inn, where the light of the twin fireplaces scarcely reached. He sat quietly, closing his eyes and setting his mind free from the world. Eventually, soft music reached his ears over the light mumbling of the crowd. Someone had started playing the piano in the middle of the inn; and the music was nice. Isaac could feel himself drifting into a doze amidst the warm atmosphere of this small-town inn. His dozing was interrupted by a voice next to him.
"Sir, what may I get for you tonight?"
"Uh?" Isaac mumbled, waking up at his waitress. She was about his age, with light brown hair, nearly blonde, and green eyes. "Um, I don't know. What do you have?"
"Not much; most of the food has been picked over already. Though I'll do my best to see to your order."
"If you've got any roasted chicken left, that'd be nice."
"I do believe we have some of that left. Any specific type of meat you want?"
"No, just bring me whatever's available."
"What do you want to drink?"
"Water will be fine."
"Got it. Just a few moments, sir." She politely returned, leaving his table. Isaac shut his eyes again, enjoying his rest.
Meanwhile, the waitress walked to the other side of the inn, where the food and drink were being held after its preparation. "Mia, we need an order of roasted chicken and a flask of water."
"It's certainly been busy tonight. Well, it's better than tending to wounds; thank goodness no one was hurt during this part of the attack. How many orders?"
"Just one. The guy came in alone, no one with him. Nice guy, and he was kind of cute."
"Did he have brown hair and blue eyes?" Mia asked, suspiciously.
"Yes, he did. Cute little yellow scarf, too."
"Excuse me, but do you mind if I take the order out to him?" Mia requested.
"Why? Do you know him?" The other girl asked. Mia nodded.
"He's a friend of mine; I've known him for quite some time now."
"All right, Mia. Go ahead." She smiled, allowing Mia to move past with the tray of food. "Stay out of trouble." Mia glanced back with a smile. She moved past the crowds, between the overcrowded tables, and past the piano player. Finally, she spotted Isaac alone in a dark corner of the inn, arms folded, eyes closed. Perfect. She stealthily approached the dozing Isaac, carefully setting the tray on the table.
"Sir, your food is here." She said, smiling. Isaac stretched and yawned without opening his eyes.
"Thank you very much." He replied after stretching, but before he opened his eyes.
"You're quite welcome, Isaac." Mia said. Isaac's eyes snapped open, gazing at Mia.
"Very funny, Mia." Isaac returned, smile on his face. "It's good to see you."
"Likewise." Mia replied, pulling the other empty stool from the table out. She sat down next to Isaac, and looked at him. "You look exhausted, Isaac."
"I am; the battle wasn't too straining considering the monsters we've fought in the past, but the guard duty was murder. It wasn't hard, it was just boring; in fact, it was so boring that it depleted all of my energy. Aside from that, how was your day, Mia?"
"Not bad, considering yours." Mia replied. "I just wish the siege tomorrow will be as easy as today."
"Snowball's chance in the Mars Lighthouse. I don't think it's going to be easy at all next time. One of them got away and undoubtedly reported what happened to his superiors and they're preparing for heavy resistance tomorrow. I just wish that we could've stopped that last one." Isaac muttered, shaking his head.
"Don't worry so much, Isaac. I know whatever they throw at you, you'll be able to throw back." Mia whispered back, eyes full of confidence.
"Thanks Mia, but I can't do this alone; you know that."
"I'm sure if you had to, you could and would." Mia replied. "Though, if I had a wish, I'd wish that today's siege would've come five minutes later." Isaac's expression faltered slightly on the comment, though it was impossible to see exactly how it did in the scant light of the room. Isaac and Mia remained silent again, not breathing a word; nothing more needed to be said. Several minutes passed before anything happened.
"Sir Isaac!" Dargon shouted. Again, the two were snapped back to reality.
"What is it, Captain?" Isaac asked, noticing Dargon fully decked out in his plate mail armor, sword in hand.
"Sir, we can clearly see the smoke from enemy campfires. They are most certainly close, and therefore, we can accurately say that they will indeed attack in the next 12 to 18 hours."
"I figured as much, but thank you for keeping me informed, Captain. Get back to your post and keep me informed if anything else shows its face."
"Yes sir. You can count on me!" Dargon saluted, and left the inn promptly.
"You two seem to work well together." Mia remarked.
"Well, the Captain is a good man; I'm glad to say he's on our side. I just wish I knew his name."
"His name is Dargon."
"Ah, so he's the Dargon I've heard about, eh? I can see why he's so well known around here."
"Yes, but you're already giving him a run for his money in fame, I can tell you that much." Mia looked down at the table, and then turned to Isaac. "You know, you may want to eat your food before it turns ice-cold on you." Isaac realized she was right, and smiled sheepishly. He dug in like a swarm of locusts; the meat on the bones of the chicken quickly disappeared, torn off by the ravenous Isaac. In-between bites, Isaac chugged some of his water. He had finished his meal in less than seven minutes, and reclined back in his chair.
"Wow, that was great!" Isaac complimented, leaning back.
"I guess you were really hungry, huh, Isaac? I've only seen Garet tear apart a meal like that. I'm glad you liked it. It took me awhile to get the seasoning right."
"You cooked it?" Isaac asked, surprised. "I thought you were the healer on standby!"
"I was, but considering the battle came and went, not to mention they needed the help with the kitchen staff, I decided to volunteer here."
"That was nice of you, Mia! I had no idea that you could cook so well!"
"What, my soup wasn't good?" Mia joked, but before he could reply, she continued. "You probably couldn't taste it with that nasty fever you had."
"No, I couldn't."
"Speaking of fevers, you look like if you don't get some sleep you might get one. Here, let's go." Mia said, standing up. "Come on, Isaac, you can sleep at my place like when you were sick." Isaac followed Mia's lead and left the inn a few feet behind her. The night was very cold, and deathly frigid. Snow fell freely from the sky, coating the ground with more white powder.
"Jeez, does it snow all winter up here?" Isaac asked, catching up to Mia.
"Most of the time. A lot of the people here don't like the snow, but I rather enjoy it. I think it's very calming to watch and listen to."
"You listen to the snow?!" Isaac asked, completely puzzled.
"In complete silence, you can hear the snowflakes hitting the accumulated snow on the ground. Just sitting very still while watching the snow; sometimes you can hear the light crackle of the fresh snow reaching the ground. It's very relaxing." Mia replied.
"We never got a lot of snow in Vale; maybe once or twice a year. I never cared for it because I was the one who always had to shovel it."
"In Imil, we've pretty much stopped shoveling our snow. We do it to prevent huge piles, but in flurries like these, we ignore it." Isaac looked into the sky; it was snowing at a pretty good rate, yet Mia was calling it flurries. Isaac figured Imil must get a lot more snow when it got deeper into the winter. "Isaac, may I ask you something?"
"What is it, Mia?"
"Isaac, what will you do after the siege is over?" Mia asked, tone of sadness in her voice.
"I haven't thought about it, really." Isaac returned. "I'd probably think about leaving on my journey again, but. . ." He paused. "Now that I know fully know what I feel, I don't know what I'd do."
"Would you stay here with me, Justin, and Megan?" Mia asked.
"Mia, I. . ."
"What?"
"To be honest, I don't know if the town will even survive past the siege. I have some serious doubts that we won't be able to save the town. The centaur force is huge, and we have very little to draw from. Mia, I don't know much else but this:" He stopped walking; Mia followed suit a second later. "What I do know is what I've said before. I love you, and I will protect you with my life. That's all I know for sure right now, and right now nothing else matters to me. Everything else will be dealt with when it comes time to be dealt with." Isaac stated, deadly serious. Mia nodded, keeping her eyes fixated on him. "Nothing matters now but you, Mia." He restated, wrapping her into his arms.
"Isaac, I feel the same way about you. There's always been something about you." Mia replied. "I don't want to lose you out there."
"You won't; I promise you that." Isaac returned, heartfully. Now, under the darkened skies of Imil, nothing stopped love's embrace from sweeping the two away.