Chapter 6: The Siege of Italica
How did it all go so wrong so fast? The question languished in the back of Pina's mind like a tumor even as she stabbed a bandit's shoulder as he readied to jump from his siege ladder. Blood splattered from the hairy man across the stone battlements, and he howled in a different language while clutching his injury.
Pina showed no mercy and delivered a punishing kick to his exposed face, sending him tumbling into his companions on the rungs below. Two legionaries raced over and slashed at the bindings until the ladder collapsed. Pina's stomach remained as hard as a stone despite this minor victory.
She stared out at the once bountiful farm fields surrounding Italica like a great lake, which now lay in ruins. In the aftermath of the battle at Alnus Hill, hundreds of scattered barbarian vassal troops and monsters now laid siege to the Imperial town in hopes of plunder or perhaps making themselves masters of it.
Pina arrived with Bozes and Beefeater a day before the siege began alongside a few dozen legionary survivors who escaped Alnus Hill. Of course, none of the Praetorians made it out, or her father. The princess's legs wobbled, and she almost dropped her spatha sword as tears filled her eyes.
"Princess!" A sharp voice cried.
Pina looked up just in time to see a drooling orc looming over her from another siege ladder. It snarled and jumped before she could raise her blade. Another man raced over and sliced it in half before cutting down a pig monster and bandit who came from another ladder. The man, in his late twenties, had blonde hair with a goatee, a small ponytail, and brown eyes. He stood taller than most of the legionaries at five foot eight and wore a muscle cuirass with shoulder tassels and a centurion helmet.
"Ahh, thank you, Norman." Pina muttered.
"Thank me by fighting!" He howled.
Nearby, Beefeater and Bozes led a group of bandaged legionaries against more attackers who came up two siege ladders. Archers shot arrows back and forth while a mob of armed townsfolk gathered around a makeshift barrier near the main gate. The gaunt men and women's hands trembled with whatever weapons they could find and jumped each time the gate pounded.
Pina lopped another pig monster's head off and looked down at a troll battering away at the wall. Behind it stood two adolescent girls. One had green hair and almost bird-like features, including talons for feet. However, Rory's eyes fixed themselves on the second.
She had long, flowing black hair with straight bangs above her crimson eyes, which met Pina's. She wore a black and red frill ribbon as a hair ornament. The girl wore a black dress with red frills, black stockings supported with garters, and red boots. A sadistic smile overtook the girl, who licked her lips while raising an oversized halberd to her shoulder, turning the princess paler than snow.
"Rory Mercury!" Pina shrieked.
Norman slapped a hand over her mouth and pulled Pina away.
"Do you want the men to break!? Their courage hangs by a thread!"
"You're right, Norman. Forgive me. Scorpio!" Pina cried.
A nearby siege weapon turned itself toward the troll before its crew shot a bolt into the monster's neck. It coughed up blood and then collapsed. A few defenders cheered until Rory stepped up in its place. The scoprio crew shot another bolt at her, but she knocked it aside with her halberd.
"Emroy comes for you, Princess Pina, and all your people." Rory said and hit the gate, breaking off a huge piece.
"Kill her!" Pina cried. Archers joined the scorpio as they pelted arrow and bolts at Rory, but to no effect. Even when the arrows struck, Rory did not slow down, and her skin just turned a little black.
"Oil!" Norman cried.
Three legionaries took the cauldron of boiling pitch oil and poured it over the gate tower. Rory blinked and looked up with wide eyes. She tried to jump back but was too late. Rory shrieked as the fiery liquid sheered her skin, which turned blacker than the oil and looked ready to melt off. Her siren companion pulled her away while the oil killed another two dozen assailants.
The attackers fell back, but no cheer came from Pina, for she knew they would return. Norman helped the princess down the stairs. Sweat soaked every inch of Pina, Norman, Bozes, and Beefeater. Their legionaries looked little better, with many still bearing injuries sustained at Alnus Hill. Still, they included their heads before Pina and saluted Norman.
They arrived at the paved streets where the townsfolk gathered alongside the wood and marble houses with red-tiled roofs and trees between them. They pleaded with their eyes, and Pina mustered the strength to stand tall with her sword raised.
"Italica will not fall! Before the gods, I swear!"
"Sadera!" Norman roared.
His legionaries echoed, and soon, the armed populace did so, too. Beefeater whipped up the crowds into a frenzy as she passed, but Bozes remained silent with her head facing the road. Norman took them to the town administrative villa, a fine estate with gardens and lavish furnishings alongside works of pottery and statues.
Pina tried to enjoy the warm bath chamber and soak away her fatigue, but the lament of her father and the others would not go away. Then there was Itami. The princess's face turned scarlet, and her stomach turned to stone once more the more she thought about how she had betrayed him.
"We did better than you think, Pina. Another troll is dead, and we might have even killed that demon, Mercury." Beefeater said.
She patted Pina's shoulder, trying to assure her, but the princess sighed and shook her head.
"A disciple of Emroy is not killed so easily, and she still has hundreds of men to our dozens. No help is coming either, all because of me." Pina started to tear up again.
"Yeah, all because of you." Bozes grumbled and gave Pina the cold shoulder. Beefeater blinked in disbelief and waded through the warm water over to her.
"What did you just say to the princess?!"
"You heard me!" Bozes snapped. "All of this is Pina's fault! She's the one who decided to go through the gate! She's the one who convinced Emperor Molt to commit to battle, and she's the one who forced me to leave Bruno!"
Bozes started to tear up and covered her eyes amid the steam. "Now I'll never see him again, and we're all going to die here!"
"How dare you! This is insubordination, Bozes, I'll have you-"
"She's right." Pina moaned.
Bozes and Beefeater turned to Pina, who cradled herself with both arms wrapped around her legs. She lay half submerged and soaked her face in the warm water. Bozes spoke the truth and nothing more. Her father and countless others lay dead because of her.
"My pride put us here. My pride doomed our empire-"
"Don't talk like that!" Beefeater raced over and took Pina by the shoulders. "We can win this siege! Once we get clean we'll devise a plan with Norman and emerge victorious-"
"Then what?" Pina said. Her blank and defeated expression remained.
"My father is still dead, and the Reich army still controls Alnus hill."
"What then? 'Humph', if we survive this, I'm going back to Bruno. I'm through with the Rose Order." Bozes said with her back facing them.
"Desertion! Treason-" Beefeater started.
"If that's what you want, Bozes." Pina said. "I'm sorry I took you away from him."
"Hmmm, well, we better win then." Bozes said.
After finishing their bath, the Rose Equites met with Norman in a furnished chamber. Norman was Italica's Praetor and joined Molt at Alnus Hill with the town's garrison. After the disastrous battle, he fell back to Italica with whatever men he could muster. Now, he took a deep breath and gazed at a map of the town, which lay on a table between them.
"Here's where things stand, princess. We used the last of our pitch today. If the gods are good, we killed Rory Mercury, but we cannot count on that. Our supply of arrows and scorpio bolts runs low too."
"So, are you saying it is hopeless, Praetor?" Pina asked.
Norman took a deep breath.
"We have to accept some hard facts, my princess. The chances we can hold back another assault are slim. There are no Imperial forces or allies in the area to relieve us either. We have only one option."
"What is that?" Beefeater asked.
Her eyes pierced Norman, who returned her fierce gaze and pointed to Alnus Hill on the map. "The invaders. Only they have the strength to break this siege and save us. If we send a runner to them tonight, then we might-"
"That's treason! You would consort with the very people who invaded the Empire and-" Beefeater started.
"That's a wonderful idea! Let's do it!" Bozes cried.
Pina could only watch as Bozes and Beefeater snapped at each other and looked ready to draw swords. Norman stepped between them and shouted louder. Pina considered their options. The idea of facing Itami again after what she did sunk her heart, but the sight of countless dead men, women, and children shattered it into little pieces.
Not only that, but even if they won, Pina imagined a far scarier sight. She saw herself facing Zorzal and having to explain how she got their father killed. Taking a deep breath, the princess stood up.
"Send a runner."
"Yes!" Bozes squealed.
Beefeater all but crumbled while Norman nodded. Pina struggled to sleep that night despite her fatigue. In the morning, she paced the villa's halls and saw Norman giving offerings to the god of war by placing coins before the idol.
"Come to give offerings?" Norman asked without turning to her. "Beefeater was here earlier, and now she's inspecting the troops.
Pina considered his words but groaned. The weight of all her misfortune bore down on the princess, who had to brace herself against one of the columns.
"What's the point? The gods have forsaken us. My father is dead, his legions decimated, invaders from beyond the gate will overtake us, but not before barbarians overrun Italica. All of this, because of me-"
"Enough of that!" Norman snapped.
He sprung up and grabbed Pina by the shoulders with fierce eyes piercing deep into the princess.
"Your brother lives! His legions live! Your nephews and niece live! We live, too! Where there is life, there is hope. The men and this town need their princess to have hope. As praetor of this town, I will not let it fall. Do you understand?"
A fire lit inside Pina, burning away her shame and doubt. Pina wanted to slap herself and stood tall before Norman, who smiled.
"That's more like it. Now, maybe you can knock some sense into Bozes. She's so forgone that she's started praying to the Invaders' god."
Norman gestured to Bozes. Pina sighed when she saw her kneeling with both hands clasped around one of the Aciemes Christograms. Pina came up and tried to take the cross, but Bozes jerked away and continued praying.
"Saint Petrona, pray for us. Saint Iulia, pray for us. Father, deliver us from evil, and let me see Bruno again." Bozes said.
"What are you doing?" Pina groaned.
"The only thing I have left, Pina. It's like you said, the gods have forsaken us. Bruno told me about his god, and he's the only hope I have now."
"Only hope-"
"I never wanted this life!" Bozes snapped, and Pina jumped. "You made me become one of your damn Rose Equities! Maybe Panche, Hamilton, and Beefeater wanted to join you, but did you notice just how many of your soldiers deserted you at the first chance?! I should have been one of them, but here I am-"
Bozes stopped, and her mouth dropped as Pina knelt down and clasped both hands together. They sat there for almost a minute before the princess turned to her.
"Go on. If the Aciemes god is with them, perhaps he can help us today."
Pina followed along in Bozes's prayer, and before they knew it, Norman, too, knelt beside them. Bozes smiled at them both before the door burst open, and Beefeater raced inside.
"They're back!"
Bozes and Norman turned to Pina, who stood up. With fire in her eyes, the princess drew her sword. Within the hour, she stood back on the battlements in her armor with Bozes, Beefeater, and Norman. They led their legionaries against the renewed assault.
Pina's arm ached, and sweat poured down her body. She hacked and stabbed at orcs, beasts, and men racing up the ladder with no regard for their own lives. Even as a legionary impaled a barbarian warrior beside her, the man laughed and thrust a knife into the legionary's throat.
Pina cut the attacker's head off and tried to help her soldier, but his blood poured down her hands. All across the battlement, the orcs and men laughed while chanting the name 'Emroy!'.
The princess started hyperventilating when she peered over the battlement and saw Rory emerge, fully recovered. Her sadistic smile chilled Pina again.
"You won't escape Emroy this time, princess. I, his envoy, will send you and everyone in Italica to him!"
Rory spun her halberd, then deflected a hail of arrows and a scoprio bolt before hacking away another chunk of the wooden gates. The mob of barbarians and monsters howled in delight while chanting 'Emroy' louder and louder. Bloodlust filled their eyes, with many even cutting themselves without flinching.
"Stand your ground!" Norman roared.
The praetor decapitated a pig monster before kicking his siege ladder back. The other legionaries followed his example, but the armed populace below waivered with each bit of gate cut away.
"Beefeater, Bozes, let's get down there and take command of the people. Norman, the walls are yours!"
"I've got this! Go!"
The three Rose Equites raced down and in front of their people and stood firm, spatha swords raised.
"Take heart! We can hold them! We can-" Pina stopped when the gate shattered before Rory's ax.
The demonic girl giggled and stepped in. Pina breathed faster and held hope that their messenger reached Itami. Then, her eyes went wide, and she almost dropped her blade. The green-haired siren girl grinned while holding the severed head of their messenger. Laughter erupted from across the barbarian horde. Pina fell to her knees and heard the spatha clunk beside her.
That was it. All hope fell apart around them. Bozes and Beefeater trembled, and the armed populace broke. Men and women fled in panic while Norman and the few remaining legionaries fought for their lives. Rory approached and licked her lips while staring into Pina's soul.
"Yes, that's it, princess. Fall into despair-"
A thunderous roar filled the air like an explosion. Rory jumped and looked around with her halberd raised. The other attackers did the same and started to panic.
"The Flame Dragon is coming!" One cried.
Pina, too, trembled, but not like her foes, for she knew that roar all too well. The ground started to shake in an earthquake, and more terror overtook Rory's horde. Bozes's eyes lit up when she and Pina saw Forest and Löwe soaring down from the clouds towards them. Below the dragons, over a hundred Reich knights on equoferri charged with couched lances.
Beefeater grimaced, but Bozes squealed. Pina never thought the sight of those who wiped out their army would bring her hope, but there they were. Many of Rory's warriors yelped and tried to flee until she hacked two apart with her halberd. The others gasped while Rory licked the dripping blood from her weapon.
"Form ranks, you ought to fear Emroy, not the invaders."
Pina staggered backward at Rory's display of brutality. The girl's malevolent grin only grew when she took in the approaching relief force. She pointed her halberd at Forest and laughed.
"I shall taste dragon blood today-"
"No!" Pina roared.
Somehow, the thought of Rory hurting Forest lit a fire in the princess's stomach, and she charged her. Beefeater and Bozes raced after Pina. All three attacked Rory from different directions in a coordinated assault but to no avail. The envoy of Emroy danced around, knocking away their sword blows before hurling them back with powerful kicks.
Pina gasped when a blow knocked all the wind out of her. She crumpled to the ground, barely able to draw breath. Yet even with her fading vision, she watched Itami's knights sweep over Rory's troops like a tidal wave. Halberdiers and pikemen came in from behind their knights and mopped up the survivors, but Rory's demeanor remained firm.
"All I see are lambs for the slaughter, but first, I shall sacrifice royal blood to Emroy." Rory spun her halberd again and raised it over Pina.
"Pina!" Beefeater and Bozes cried.
Pina braced herself for the end. Perhaps it was the best that her life be forfeit after everything she did. But a twinge of lament tore at her insides at the thought of never seeing Itami again. However, instead of feeling a blade, she felt the ground shake. Opening her eyes, Pina saw Forest blocking Rory's halberd with her claws.
The dragon snarled, and Rory giggled before hacking at her enormous body. Forest blocked the next two blows and then sent Rory flying into Itallica's walls with her tail. Forest growled but then whined as she licked Pina's face. The princess's now red face contorted into sheer terror, and she shook as Itami stepped down, armored up with his helmet on.
"If you wanted to visit Italica, all you had to do was ask." Despite everything that happened, his lax tone remained, and he rubbed the back of his helmet.
Bozes giggled, and Beefeater grumbled. Pina struggled to find words. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. That was until Rory emerged, covered in dust and black blood. She spat out a tooth before piercing Itami with her eyes.
"You look delicious!" She laughed and licked her remaining teeth.
"Hmm, sorry, but you look kind of insane. Plus, I'm saving myself for someone else."
Pina yelped.
"I'll devour you and spit out your bones!" Rory almost flew through the air and slammed her oversized halberd town at Itami. Pina jumped but then gawked when she saw his magicae sword holding back Rory's weapon.
Rory herself blinked in disbelief and started to groan as Itami pushed her back despite the envoy's efforts. Rory pulled back and lashed out with two more blows, but Itami knocked them away before delivering a punishing kick to Mercury's gut. The demonic creature masquerading as a teenage girl doubled over in pain, much like Pina.
She coughed up more black blood, and the grin vanished from her face. Instead, a feral rage overtook Rory Mercury. She screamed and charged Itami, unleashing a fury of halberd strikes mixed in with acrobatic movements. The dragon knight held back her assault with a solid defense. Each successful block fueled the fiery rage in Rory's eyes.
Forest let Itami fight on his own and howled in delight while wagging her tail. Pina's cheeks turned pink, and her eyes lit up in bright stars while watching him keep pace with Rory. The princess's heart threatened to burst from her chest after Itami slashed the envoy's arm with his sword and then impaled her stomach with a jagged root shot from his offhand.
Rory gasped, and black blood oozed out. She slashed away at the root, but it just grew back in Itami's hand. "Perhaps we can undo what you did to yourself. Perhaps we can save you-"
"Do I look like I want to be saved?! Emroy will give me the power to destroy you!"
Rory snarled and hurled herself at Itami again. Now, the dragon knight started to sweat and backed up from the weight and ferocity of Rory's renewed assault. Pina and the others covered their mouths, but Forest remained where she stood. The envoy's crazed smile appeared again, and she raised up her halberd for the decisive blow.
Then, the world slowed around them both. Forest, Pina, and the others saw it happen before Rory. Itami slashed upward, severing Rory's hands. She continued flying down even as her limbs and weapon fell behind her. In two swift motions, Itami impaled her with another root, then decapitated Rory Mercury.
Forest roared in delight while Itami shook the body off him. The corpse turned black and fell apart in a heap of decay until nothing remained.
Back on the wall, Norman fought with his back to the battlement. Blood and sweat soaked every inch of his body. Yet he still fought on, leaving an assortment of corpses around him until a kick hurled him onto his side. Norman scrambled to get back up, but the green-haired siren loomed over him with a curved blade in hand.
"Time to sacrifice you to Emroy!"
Two pig monsters joined her, and Norman struggled to find his weapon. The sense of hopelessness and terror flooding his body made the moment surreal. This could not be happening, yet it was. He was going to die here at that moment.
"Hold on!" A powerful voice roared.
"Ja, we do love bacon!"
Norman's mouth fell open when a brown dragon head snapped its jaws around one of the pig monsters. Not a moment later, a second took the other. Rory's siren companion jumped backward when Alra leaped off Löwe's saddle and slammed the bird girl backward.
They exchanged a few sword blows while Norman lay there in awe of the chivalric maiden and her prowess. Finally, Alra transformed into her lioness form and pounced upon the siren, killing her with a blow to the neck. Alra reverted back to her human form and showed her face to Norman, who turned a little red.
"Well, guten tag, handsome." She said with a growing smile.
"Hmm, I see Italica will not be her only conquest here." One of Löwe's heads snickered.
The legionaries threw down their weapons as Itami's knights and soldiers entered the town. Many locals raced inside their homes, undoubtedly anticipating a sack. But none came. Instead, the Reich forces just secured the walls and began searching among the dead. Bozes dropped her sword and raced toward one of the knights who dismounted.
"Bruno!" She wailed with tears in her eyes.
Burno caught and lifted the young woman into his arms. He almost ripped his helmet off as she kept sobbing.
"Forgive me! Forgive-"
Bruno cut her off with a passionate kiss, and the two remained locked together. Pina gulped and looked up at Itami, who was standing over her again. Beefeater muttered something under her breath and pouted as she handed her sword off to a Reich knight. Yet as she did so, he kissed her hand, and she turned a little scarlet.
"Pina." Itami said, and she braced herself. However, she went pink again as he pulled her into a hug and held her there. "I'm glad you're safe."
Author's note
Greetings, I hope you guys are enjoying so far. If you did not guess, the Reich Empire is based off the historical Holy Roman Empire, which was essentially medieval Germany and some other places. The world they are in is inspired by the real world and is my creation.
If you guys are interested in the world Itami comes from, I have written a novel set in the equivalent of Spain. The story is on my Wattpadd account under Fictionknight2 and is called Righteous Ambitions: A King's Journey. It is heavily inspired by anime like One Piece and Fairy Tail and also takes inspiration from history. If you are interested, please consider taking a look.
As for this story, it is already completely written so I am afraid I cannot take requests for characters.
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)