Chapter Forty Nine

Holding the Line

ELSA

The south entrance was the most vulnerable one that besiegers would attack, as Janus had said, but it was also decently fortified. Swynvort Tower had two bastions in the south to hold off potential enemies. The walls were sloping too to deflect cannon fire, though they looked a little weathered after so many decades and possibly centuries of existence. Swynvort was a fortress built ages ago, and Elsa didn't know if it would still hold up against modern military might. She hoped it would.

Nonetheless, the tower had all the essentials of defence. Embrasures and loopholes for defenders to fire from without great risk of being hit, and a single blockhouse located right in the centre of the tower's infrastructure. Arriving at the blockhouse with Deirdre and Maui, Elsa peered out of the thin slit of one of the embrasures.

Already outside were the enemies at the bottom of the small hill that Swynvort had been built upon. Instead of men in brown cloaks, Blue Wolves were formed up in column formations like a small army, a self-sustaining militia force capable of storming Swynvort and going about their business of slaughtering every sorcerer in sight. They looked like they were ready to begin charging up the hill one wave at a time until the defenders could no longer hold them off.

Behind the compact columns were artillery guns. From this distance, Elsa couldn't say for sure what types, but they looked like eight or nine pounders. They were wheeled up close, since there was no fear of repercussions. The League of Sorcerers wasn't an army, and didn't have any artillery weapons or ammunition to combat them.

"The CAST Force." Elsa said grimly. Hans must have gotten back to the Crimson Order quickly enough that the Blue Wolves were able to mobilise so fast. "Just like we predicted."

"How many?" Maui asked.

"Three columns. That means…three battalions, by the looks of it." Deirdre said, peering out from another slit. "Guns too, but no dedicated cavalry force. I'm no military tactician, but it looks like a small army capable of doing some serious damage."

"Alright." Maui swung his trademark fish hook into his hand, slapping it against his palm. "Time to go give them a warm welcome."

Elsa studied him for a brief moment. War had taken a toll on the demigod too. There had been a time when he was squeamish about seriously injuring his enemies but now it seemed those qualms were gone.

The reality that they were at war had set in at some point, and he had learnt to accept that it was a necessary evil. There was bound to be casualties in war, and he'd explained to Elsa before that he just chose to see it as doing what was necessary to prevent harm to the people he cared about. Even though Elsa didn't approve of taking lives herself, she couldn't argue with that. This was war, after all, and her kind were being hunted.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Elsa asked. "It's just you out there."

"I won't be alone." He gave her a reassuring grin. "You'll both be in here to watch my backs."

"We will." Elsa nodded, silently hoping that they really would be able to. "Be careful."

"How long do we hold them off before we retreat?" Deirdre looked uncertain. "It's literally just us three against an army of Blue Wolves. We won't last very long."

Deirdre was right. Three sorcerers, as powerful as they might be, wouldn't be able to stall a small army for very long. Elsa lamented the fact that there weren't more senior sorcerers around to aid them. Those that had been with the League long enough had their hands full with marshalling all the newer members, refugees and Stormtide escapees into coherent lines before they could be evacuated.

Tracy, one of their most powerful allies, was busy conjuring and holding open the Crossing Points. Her abilities would certainly serve devastating firepower here at the south wall, but obviously that wasn't an option. They just had to make do with what they had and pray that it was enough.

"As long as we can." Elsa said determinedly. "Maui, you're the one who's going to be fighting out there so you'll know when we can't hold on any longer. Give us the signal to fall back to the training hall."

He nodded, the grin having vanished from his face. Running a hand over his bald head, he drew in a deep breath. "I'll see you girls in a bit." With that, a bright flash of light had him shape-shifted into the form of a tiny cricket, small enough to fit through the nearest embrasure.

"You can't do it, can you?" Deirdre asked when he had gone, and it was just the two of them left.

Elsa inclined her head towards Deirdre on her right. "Can't do what?"

"Bring any more sorcerers into the fold." She gestured outside. "Throw any more of them into the heat of the action."

Sighing, Elsa shook her head. "You're right. I can't. I just can't."

"That's why you only wanted the three of us here." Deirdre went on. "You can't bear to see anyone else die."

"I know we can handle it here."

Deirdre snorted. "You and I both know that the three of us aren't going to cut it against the Blue Wolves' army."

"What would you have me do?" Elsa asked sharply, feeling exasperation claw at her. "Will's dead. Jordan's dead. Can you really blame me if I don't want to throw our younger League members against the Blue Wolves? Who would you have me recruit? Cova? Vonco? Holli?" She paused for breath. "You said it yourself, remember? How many more have to die before this is all over?"

"I know what I said." Deirdre snapped. "But this is different."

"How?"

"It's either a few lives we might lose here, or eight hundred." Deirdre spat. "It's just something ingrained in you, isn't it? You can't make the decision to let one or two die at the expense of the greater good."

"There is no greater good here. I'm just doing what I have to to make sure we get out of this alive."

Deirdre sighed and shook her head. "And what if we die here today?"

"We won't." Elsa rebutted sharply. "We can't."

"Easy to say now, but when the cannons start firing," Deidre motioned at the bottom of the hill. "It'll be a whole different story."

"We'll make it. We have to." Elsa said firmly in a tone that told Deirdre that it was the end of the discussion. She turned back to the embrasure in front of her and peered out of it. Maui as a cricket was too tiny to spot, but she guessed that he was approaching the enemy lines undetected. He would be the one to open the battle.

And then it began. A bright flash of light from far below the hill transformed Maui from a near-invisible cricket to a massive brown hawk, swooping down towards the nearest eight pounder gun behind the Blue Wolves' columns.

From this distance, Elsa couldn't hear the shouts, but her head supplied the sounds of an officer screaming for the gunners to re-aim. But they were too slow. Maui smashed into the first gun just as the gunners were about to launch the eight pound ball into him.

The whole mess exploded in a coruscation of fire, light, smoke and black powder raining down like a fountain. And that signalled the beginning of the siege.

Ranks from the nearest column broke off and turned about face to deal with the demigod, while the rest surged into motion, coming up the base of the hill. They began to deploy from column into line, though nowhere near the standard of professional soldiers from the Arendellian ranks. Their formations were ragged and disorderly to begin with, but there was no doubt that they were determined, and they were coming.

"And so it begins." Elsa heard Deirdre mutter as she launched the first ball of fire into the first ranks.

The cold swirled around Elsa's own hands and she directed her hands towards the centre of the advancing lines. As the ice gushed out and wrecked its carnage, she shut her eyes for a brief second and spared a prayer that they would indeed make it out alive. We have to. We can't afford to die. Not yet.

JANUS

Something thudded against the steel door for a moment, and Janus' mind supplied the mental image of a grenade coming to rest in front of the door. This is it, he told himself, fingers shifting their grip on the arrow fletching which he had nocked in anticipation. He chanced a glance right behind him, where Venetia was waiting.

She looked mildly nervous, the kind of face Janus recognised from a rookie in the field who had never really been in a full-on fight before. Suddenly, he felt very guilty. She was a thief, not a killer. Dragging this young woman into a fierce battle against seasoned bounty hunters, mercenaries and assassins. No, she could take care of herself. Her powers were an asset he needed on his side, and he would keep an eye out for her.

Her eyes met his, and he gave her a reassuring nod. She returned a steady one herself, trying to appear strong.

A grenade explosion rocked the nearby vicinity, and Janus could feel the ground thump and vibrate momentarily as the door was blown clean off its hinges and inwards.

"Get ready!" Janus shouted, raising his bow. Somewhere further behind were the Witch Hunters, positioned as the last line of defence to fortify their position and defend the tower against the incoming bounty hunters and assassins.

Out from the explosion came two vials, which arced wildly through the air and smashed on the floor about twenty feet away from Janus. Smoke rose and quickly engulfed the immediate surroundings in thick grey clouds. Narrowing his eyes, he pulled back the bowstring and waited.

A muzzle flash lit up from within the smoke, a pink-white flare from a rifle of some sort. The bullet whizzed straight past Janus, narrowly missing him.

"Venetia! Now!" He shouted.

Everything went silent. Not just from the lack of words, but a general cut off from all sounds in the air. Effectively, Janus felt like he was being shut in a vacuum. Venetia had unleashed her sorcery, eliminating all sound waves in the air to shock and disorient the attackers.

Out from the smoke emerged the first assassin, stumbling ever so slightly from the disorienting sudden disappearance of all sound. The man tried to shout something to someone else behind him, but as far as Janus could tell, no sound emerged from his mouth.

His finger released the bowstring, and the arrow whittled through the air without a sound. The man shouted, or would have, if any noise could escape his mouth. Instead, his mouth gaped open as he narrowly swung his body sideways, narrowly avoiding the arrow piercing his heart.

He broke into a run towards Janus, and the man behind him emerged from the now dissipating smoke and raised his rifle. Janus could see more movement from inside the smoke, signifying that the rest of the assassins and bounty hunters were already here.

"They're coming!" Janus shouted to the Witch Hunters, but no sound escaped his lips. It took him a moment to remember before the first assassin reached him, sword unsheathed and braced in front of him.

Venetia stayed behind him as he hurriedly tore his katana from his scabbard and parried a sideways cut from the first assassin. Steel would have screamed as blade impacted blade and ground against each other, but there was no sound due to Venetia's intervention.

Mercenaries, assassins and bounty hunters all had one thing in common. They relied heavily on their five senses to aid them in combat. With one of them taken away, they would be disoriented and at a distinct disadvantage. Luckily, Janus had a good mentor who'd trained him well.

Dropping his bow, he slammed his elbow against the assassin's head. Still slightly thrown off by the lack of the crunch, Janus spun. As the assassin reeled off balance, Janus plunged the point of his katana straight into the man's chest and he slumped, blood gurgling from his mouth.

Venetia put a frantic hand on his shoulder, and he could imagine her screaming at him. He turned to see why, and found the second assassin almost on top of him. Behind the second came the third, fourth and fifth, charging straight past Janus and Venetia.

The second man, a bounty hunter perhaps, had two pistols raised and triggered one after the other in succession. Janus didn't need to hear the reports from the cracks to know he had pulled it. The pink-white stabs of flashes were enough.

He pulled Venetia to the ground and rolled to his feet, clear of the lead balls that thudded against the corridor walls. The bounty hunter tossed both smoking pistols aside and came at him at a full charge.

With the brief second he could spare, Janus glanced over his shoulder. The third, fourth and fifth enemies were being met by Hansel and Gretel, who had their hands full. The two siblings were prepared for the lack of sound too, for they had been briefed on Janus' plan. The enemies though, weren't quite so informed. In spite of their superior numbers, they were at a clear disadvantage and at a moment's glance, it appeared that the Witch Hunters were doing very well and would hold down the fort.

Satisfied, Janus came up short as his assailant slashed a heavy cavalry sabre at him. Janus grabbed his wrist, and before the man could wriggle out of his grip like an eel, he slammed the hilt of his katana against the bone so hard that the man's sword flew out of his hand.

The bounty hunter attempted to shout in pain, but there was nothing but silence. He lashed out with a haymaker at Janus, who faded and stepped back. Clearly not keen on getting involved, Venetia scurried to the side as Janus was backed against the wall.

It was then that Janus got a closer look at his opponent's apparel. A brass knuckle duster rested upon his fist, and Janus ducked to the side just in time as the fist impacted the wall, sending old plaster and a bit of stone chips flying. Dropping his katana, Janus spun, weaving behind the man and wrapping both arms around the man's midsection with an iron grip.

The bounty hunter tried to twist free, swinging his arms round, but Janus kept his head low. Heaving, he lifted the man off his feet and threw his own weight backwards. The man went flailing over Janus' head and crashed heavily to the ground spine first.

As Janus' own body hit the ground with considerably less impact, he scrambled to his feet and dove for the bow which he'd abandoned a while ago. Picking it up, he nocked an arrow and sighted down the shaft just as the man sat up. He shot it straight into the bounty hunter's chest and the man went down again, this time like a limp rag doll.

He turned to find Hansel and Gretel finishing up with their three fellow assassins and bounty hunters. Venetia, on the other hand, was backed against the wall, looking slightly rattled and dazed.

"You alright?" He mouthed.

She nodded shakily. The threat was over for now, and with the mere raise of her wrist, the silence was lifted. Janus could hear the air particles moving around him clearer than ever before, and he took a deep breath, listening to the ambient sound. Being able to hear again was like music to his ears.

By now, both Hansel and Gretel had dealt with their three, and were moving forward to regroup with Janus and Venetia.

"Clear for now." Hansel said, his voice sounding incredibly foreign to Janus' ears. "There's still three more that we know of who haven't showed up."

"Most likely waiting for us to wear ourselves out before showing themselves." Gretel said. "Probably veterans."

"I'll handle the three." Janus' own voice sounded alien to his own ears too. "I need both of you to find Elsa at the south side of the tower. Tell her that we're almost done."

"Don't be stupid. Three assassins by yourself?" Hansel snickered. "These guys aren't your average brawlers. You got a death wish or something?"

Gretel shot him a look, and he piped down.

"I said I'll handle them." Janus repeated. "I'll still have Venetia here to help me. You two just get the message to Elsa and back her up any way you can."

"It's your funeral, my man." Hansel shrugged. "Whatever. As long as we're getting paid, right?"

"Quiet." Gretel hustled him further into the tower and they broke into a run.

Janus turned to Venetia as he picked up his katana from the ground. "You sure you're alright? You can head back to the queues and get out of here. I can take these last three guys on my own."

Rattled, the trademark snakiness was gone. Venetia drew in a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Then listen," Janus said, keeping his eye on the entrance where the door used to stand. Blinding daylight from the setting sun streamed into the tower, rendering the exterior of the tower almost invisible as compared to the dark passages of the tower. "I just need one last thing from you."

"What's that?"

"Shock and awe, and then you run like hell."

She thought for a second, looking down at her hands. "I think I can do that."

"Good," Janus' stepped over two dead bodies and positioned himself favourably in the corridor. A chilly wind blew in like a premonition. "They're coming."

A couple of seconds later, one of the final three assassins rolled through the entrance and threw a knife straight at Janus' leg. The knife would have sank into his bone if Janus hadn't moved like lightning, but the knife still nicked his skin, leaving an ugly tear on his pant leg.

Gritting his teeth, Janus resisted the urge to falter even as two more came through the gap in the entrance. One dressed in standard blacks like an assassin, the other with two bandoliers criss-crossing over his chest and a rifle that marked him as a bounty hunter from the far west.

Thankfully, he didn't have to cue Venetia, for she did her job at the right moment. She threw her hands out, and at the same time Janus dropped to the ground and covered his ears as best as he could. This time, no eerie silence which engulfed the premises. Instead, a thumping pulse blew out from Venetia at its epicentre, the sound wave vibrating through the air and hitting the two assassins and one bounty hunter.

"Run!" Janus shouted to Venetia as he charged towards the three opponents who were reeling from the impact of the sound wave and clutching their heads in agony. Sword and bow in hand, he met the closest one, driving his katana up through the ribs and into the heart.

The man went limp and Janus ripped his katana free in time to spin out of the orbit of the bounty hunter's swing. Janus whipped round, thrusting the point of his sword at the bounty hunter, who had evidently recovered enough from the pulse to attack.

The bounty hunter danced away, and the other assassin lunged simultaneously, dragging Janus to the ground. Both men hit the floor, and Janus twisted away, landing his boot against the side of the assassin's skull as he came up. The bounty hunter's rifle cracked a lower pitch than a common musket, and the lead ball found its mark in Janus' right leg.

Grunting, he dropped both bow and sword. He staggered and fell, blood splattering from the wound. A second later, both men were on top of him, one attempting to drive a knife straight down into his skull. Janus struggled, but the assassin who wielded the knife was strong. Perhaps too strong. It was a losing battle, slow as it might have been, as the knife gradually sank closer and closer towards Janus' flesh.

Another deafening pulse from Venetia shook the corridor, the sound wave striking the bounty hunter in the side and sending him careening and colliding with the wall. That only left the assassin, who was slightly dazed and suffering the effects from the second pulse that had thundered just inches away from his ear.

Janus took the opportunity to reach for the dagger sheathed in his forearm holster, and plunged it into the assassin's ribs. The man shrieked in pain and his grip on his own knife loosened. The point of the knife almost dropped onto Janus, but he shifted his head swiftly at the last second, resulting in the point getting wedged in between two cobblestones.

He grabbed the hilt of the assassin's knife, yanked it out of the ground, and stabbed the assassin in the side of his head. Quick and simple, it was over for the assassin.

Grunting in agony, Janus tried to get up, but white-hot pain lanced through his calf. He wobbled and his bullet-stabbed leg gave way beneath him. Before he could hit the ground again, Venetia propped him up, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I thought I told you to run." Janus managed through gritted teeth.

"If I had, you'd be dead."

Nodding in gratitude, he staggered forward and away from her. The bounty hunter who had been hurled against the wall was recovering, and he levelled his rifle to his shoulder, aiming at Janus.

With everything he had, Janus lunged forward, ignoring his protesting leg. Grabbing the rifle barrel, he pulled it upwards, and the shot hit the ceiling, causing bits of plaster to dislodge and crumble.

The pieces fell on both men who struggled with the rifle. The bounty hunter was the first to react, attempting to kick Janus' injured leg out from underneath him. But before he could succeed, Janus smashed his fist into the bounty hunter's nose, causing him to drop the rifle.

Then with his opponent stunned, Janus clung to the man and swung himself sideways, braced himself against the wall with his good leg and pushed off the wall as hard as he could. With arms wrapped around the man's neck, he pushed the bounty hunter off balance, both men falling.

As they fell, Janus unsheathed another small blade and swiped it across the bounty hunter's neck before he could react. When they did hit the ground, the fight was over. Blood began flowing from the dead man, and Janus staggered to his feet, this time without Venetia's help.

Venetia had been watching him fight, and she was evidently awed.

"Come on." He grunted, limping as fast as he could while leaving a trail of blood behind. Shrugging off her help, he led the way back into the deeper parts of the tower and away from the bodies strewn across the corridor. "We need to go."