Chapter 10: That's a lot of enemies
"My people still reside in that city, the city of my ancestors. It may not be a grand utopia of endless people, blissful culture, or obscene grandeur, but alas, this city of Jule is my homeland and as its regent ruler it is my sworn duty to protect those of it whilst they still breath." Shenis spoke with bold gumption. While when his band reached the city and they saw the siege underway and felt powerless to intercede, he his moved stealthily around the perimeter of the wall, looking for a place to enter and taking out any roving patrol that stumbled upon them.
"My liege." The large wood cutter kneeled before his regent. "The city is mostly sacked and decimated at this point. My own family lay slaughtered within. These two with me are the only ones I have seen of our people not mauled to bits or dead." The mostly stoic and short tongued man found voice give his report. The man found tears beginning to form as the reality of his wife and two children meeting their end as he returned from his job right as the commotion broke out. He was becoming a wreck but was still a man of duty. "Lord Shenis." He tilted his head to meet the young Savoy's eyes. "I don't know how many people we can realistically save. But you have my axe." Burt arose to his feet, showing to the lord and his troop the full extent of his size which emboldened the small retinue. The axe wielder had tears dressing his cheeks and the man refused to wipe them away, somehow the salt of the tears dripping and hardening upon his face glistened like a ferocious war paint in the waxing moonlight that was coming upon the party now that the sun had set.
"You paid for my bow and these arrows." Somme spoke, "I'd be a thief if I ran to use them for other purposes. Just please use this archer wisely."
"I don't like this idea…" The Smith spoke. "I apologize for any offense taken Lord Shenis, but going back in there could mean the end for us all." The smith looked back to the city as he still heard the banging upon the gates of the keep door, showing that the hollow had not yet been breached. Hearing this meant that the military might of the still giant force would be pressing upon that single location as they sought to gain utter and total victory. Also…it was night.
"Hey smitty." Dalton called out as he recognized the man by his leather apron and hammer. "Look, its nighty night time. Right now the enemy is focused on the keep and nothing else. This mission is dangerous but the master wants to try and save some people. And I'll tell you, any lady we save will be piping hot and happy for your arms."
"It's not all about lust good Dalton." Highlight said as he slapped the mercenary on the back of the head. "There are people inside suffering and frightful. We must help."
Dax nodded. He did not like the idea of returning to a realm he already saw as lost, but understood that with it being night it would be safer to move and perhaps easier to sneak civilians out.
The group then listened closely as Shenis devised a plan of attack for the rescue mission. No matter what happened the group would be out of the city before the morning came. They were going to climb back up the rope that the trio dropped down from the wall as it was secure and provided a safer way back inside. Once atop the wall Highlight and Bryan were to guard to the rope and ensure that any soldiers that came across that spot were eliminated quietly to ensure their escape path didn't close behind them.
"Why do I have to stay at the wall? I can't protect lord Shenis from that far away." Highlight protested.
"Because loverboy your armor makes too much noise as you move." Dalton jested to the knight whose face went bright red at the "loverboy" comment. The rest of the group failed to notice the jest hidden in the truth and after a few huffy moments by the knight he understood that this was a mission of pace and stealth and with all the weight from the armor he carried, he was neither.
"The rest of us will move throughout the burrows pointing any we see back toward your position Highlight. Please you and Bryan make sure any who come are able to safely descend the wall and keep the rope intact." They both nodded in understanding. The group once inside was to make for the landing behind the keep and see if they could move hay bales to create a landing spot for any to drop from above. Normally the terrace opening from above would be nearly fatal for any drop due to the height but Shenis thought if they could move hay and other items below they might just provide an opportunity to drop absent certain death.
The plan was fully in motion and all were in position. Shenis, Dalton, took the forefront while the fighters grabbed any hay they could find and pack-muled it upon themselves to the landing behind the keep. Somme took to the rooftops to provide cover for their movements. Shenis had hoped to find my stragglers or survivors about but luck was not on their side.
A ruffle was heard from inside a house. Burt and Dax found a cart next to the house and proceeded to load the hay they collected onto it and move it forward as quietly as possible. Even though the cart was creating more noise than prior the ruckus from the war cries and pounding upon the door of the keep kept all attention. And luckily there was no sign of Dol soldiers.
Shenis was alarmed and puzzled and bewildered by the invasion from Dol, but he was not going to be lost in political thought amidst the need to focus in a hostile environment. The young lord signaled for the rustling inside the house to be investigated. Dalton kicked the door in quickly in case it was occupied by Dol regulars.
"SLIT!" A quick dull knife found itself lightly lodged into Dalton's shoulder. It was stuck in but went mostly through his leather spaulder, thus barely piercing skin on the seasoned mercenary.
"Was that supposed to hurt." He backed off assuming based on the depth and lack of power in the thrust that it was not soldier.
"Oh No! You aren't from that invading army." A soft voice low spoke as it then emerged from the house. "I'm sorry sir." Dalton gritted his teeth and plucked the knife from his shoulder. He then wiped his blood from the blade. And handed it back to the elder woman who emerged from the house.
"It's okay, he holds no grudge madam." Shenis spoke to the ashamed woman. She quickly noticed as she turned to the young master as to his identity and bowed in deference, further ashamed of her actioned and begged forgiveness. "Madam, no need to be pardoned, you merely sought to protect your honor and the honor of those with you. Jule is honored to have you as a subject." He explained with haste the reason for their being still in the city and the woman was very delighted. She called those in the house out of hiding.
"I gathered up all I could and we hid in our storeroom cellar below throughout most of the day." Shenis was full of joy as he counted in his head 23 people in all, mostly children, a few women, and one man who seemed most ashamed in himself to have been in hiding below.
"Madam you are a credit to our people." The young master then bowed before her, making her face change to a full blush of red in embarrassment. "Do you think there are other clusters like yours?" The woman and the others with her were not sure as the chaos of the day was quick and rapid and all who were taken unaware found death upon them as the streets of Jule were hewn with the stench of death and blood boiling in the genocide of the day.
"LOOK HERE A FEW MORE MORSELS!" further down the road a Dol fighter had made them. Quickly in a panic the civilians let our moans and light screams of fear as Shenis called for Somme to shoot him dead. The archer responded quickly, but was not in position to make a shot on the fighter. He bolted from the roof with an arrow knocked and as he touched down he took a deep breath to steady his hand as he prepared a killing shot. Then in a swift motion he loosed the arrow. The archer grinned as he saw it would hit his target straight on for a killing blow. As the arrow twisted and spun its way toward the target the archer couldn't help but notice that the target had made no attempt to close the gap on the party, or to flee for aide.
"BRUUUUGGGGG…!" A loud sound of a horn burst forth from the night as the arrow landed dead onward. The fighter fell to his back as the arrows grip took hold. While the army still had all eyes on the main keep, Shenis and the party knew they would have the might of the enemy upon them shortly.
"Go Madam! Go all of you! RUN!" the lord screamed as he pointed the civilians toward the location held by Highlight and Bryan. "RUN NOW! OR YOU'LL FALL!" the panicky subjects of the young master made haste and ran off toward the wall, they knew where exactly the knight was holding out and while fear gripped them they could smell a true respite from the fear of the day. With all haste they ran no longer with any attempt to conceal or quiet their movements.
Thundering feet were filling the nearest air of the party. While they heard the running of their subjects, and the slamming and war cries upon the keep, this other sound bellowed close. The sound of reinforcements.
"So much for in and out eh'." Dalton heckled as he readied his stance. "Big boys!" he called to Burt and Dax, who hearing the noise changes, decided to cease pushing the cart. "Best form up, let's see if you've got the stuff!" Dax smiled as he the party formed up. Somme quickly climbed back up on the nearest roof to gain a safer vision.
"What do you see archer?" The lord called as he readied to draw his rapier. The lord could tell the keep was not yet breached and thus he had no desire to abandon the people still inside. However, as the thunderous storm of boots advancing upon their position beckoned forth in greater might with each moment, the folly of their plight became all too relevant in the lord's mind. He gritted his teeth as Somme called down signaling that around 15 were in a first group, with some other torches headed their way from another direction.
"The keep is still intact, we must stand!" Shenis spoke to his small band, trying to rally strength for the five of them as an incoming horde was to descend upon them in multiple waves. The young baron drew his rapier and readied his stance. Dalton cracked his neck a few times and started rotating his arms for the attack.
The first of enemy rounded the corner to their position, Somme immediately shot a true arrow which was followed by a grunted howl, signaling to all that contact was made but not an immediate death. While the band was outnumbered, Shenis felt confident due to the layout of the civilian areas being compact and narrow, making flanking maneuvers quite difficult to muster.
"AIN'T NO DAY LIKE NOW!" Dalton laughed a tad as he hurled his sword forward much to the surprise of those around him. The sword struck true into the face of the nearest fighter Dalton sprinted forward and jumped into the man. In a swift motion he gripped his blade and kicked off shooting himself backward which dislodged the blade from the fighter's skull and sending his dead corpse backward into the encroaching enemy. Dalton immediately took off running toward the wall with full haste. Shenis and the others just glanced backward at the mercenary, both stunned at his daring prowess, and at him running. "HEY YOU MIGHT WANT TO RUN!" the mercenary called back as he took off toward the wall.
"We have to rescue those still inside!" the young lord called back while pointing his blade at the keep nearby.
"BOOM!" In that instant an explosion of engulfing fire erupted and consumed the keep. Shenis turned around in complete surprise at the realization that his goal was now a moot idea. Seeing the explosion the others quickly joined the retreat as the Dol soldiers were still tumbling over themselves from Dalton's maneuver and the darting shots by Somme. Shenis looked on in dismay as he could see in the distance people on fire leaping to their death from inside the keep. After another split second the lord shook off his state and joined the retreat.
"TO THE WALL QUICK!" he called to the troop. Somme released one final arrow into the crowd and then darted off in full haste. The men of Dol were finding their footing and making haste down the narrow passages, but luckily the Dol regulars were slower than the makeshift unit under Shenis. In full haste after a good ten minutes of sprinted running they found themselves back at the wall where Bryan and Highlight were helping the civilians safely down the rope.
"HUSTLE UP LOVERBOY!" Dalton hollered as he neared the spot. He could see that the civilians were not quick in their retreat and were taking too long. Highlight from the sheer sight of the torches following the small platoon found himself unphased by the upsetting nickname from the mercenary. Somme reached the wall top first as being on the roofs he was able to take a more direct route.
"I will buy you what time I can but we need to hurry people." Somme planted himself and began drawing forth his bow with purpose. Bryan, the priest, was already below helping the frail and the children reach the bottom safely while Highlight monitored the top. At this point less than half of the people they found had made it to the bottom. Prior to the call by Dalton the people were gliding down one at a time. Highlight soon forced them in mass on the rope as many as could fit on it and screamed for them to glide down rather than climb. The people feared rope burn and did not heed his demand though.
"My Lord! I can't get them to lower any quicker." Shenis was panting as he and Burt reached the top. The whole group were now atop the wall yet they were not in the slightest free from danger as the pacing of weapons and boots were still in sight and just below them as the Dol troops reached the stairs to the wall level. Shenis was frustrated but knew he did the right thing pointing the people to freedom. All were in agreement, even if it was a reluctant agreement that they had to hold their position until the people were down safely.
"Any more circus moves in your bag of tricks merc?" Dax jokingly said as the torches moved up the stairs and neared hand to hand combat. Somme loosed with full haste hitting with purpose.
"Eh, my only trick right now, is not dying." Dalton took a readied position for the nearing crash upon them. He and Highlight blocked the stairs from being passable. Shenis kept pushing the people along and Burt and Dax stood ready to keep the two at the front from being knocked over in the initial crash.
"THUD!" the deadlock of shield on shield, zero distance combat ensued. Grunts and groans and cursed were exchange between the two sides as the greater number of the Dol unit allowed them to apply greater pressure. Somme could no longer shoot at the frontline for fear of hitting his comrades and had to aim lower on the stairs. The sheer force from the Dol side began causing the footing of Highlight and Dalton to give way and be pushed backward. The wall standing area was a narrow thing to begin with and with each unit of measure given up the passage became tighter and tighter. Within a few moments Shenis found himself with Burt pushing into his back as they were simply being out muscled by the larger force. The lord in the moment turned and leaned into the fighter trying to provide extra weight into the push to keep his men upright and not be knocked over, which in a stalemate like this would mean certain death.
"CAN YOU PEOPLE MOVE ANY SLOWER!" Dalton yelled as he maneuvered his sword around the shield in front of him and landed a blow to the neck of the solider directly breathing into his face. The man fell hard to the ground but the gap in bodies and pressure was instantly swallowed up from the force upon them at the back of the growing body of Dol men advancing. Highlight couldn't get his lance into position for a thrust and after jostling for a few moments he simply proceeded to head-butt and bite the neck of the soldier sandwiched into him. Blood rained from his neck spraying and confusing the Dol soldiers behind and briefly instilling a small sense of fear in their eyes. Yet, while the resolve of those at the front was being shaken by the tenacity of the mercenary and knight, they had no ability to back off as those at the rear were pushing forward with all purpose. The front seemed a deathtrap, and while the group with Shenis had a strong resolve, they knew their strength would not endure much longer. All of them were waiting, hoping for a call saying…
"THE PEOPLE ARE DOWN! GET OUT THERE!" the voice of Bryan notifying that the people were all safely down.
"NOW! PUSH WITH EVERYTHING!" The young lord hollered. The men atop the wall post were joined by the archer and with all strength that could be mustered they shoved as one at the men of Dol. While in a direct matchup their strength was less than the grater numbers the sudden jolt was enough to knock them backwards, and some off the stairs completely, which provided an opening for the men to glide down the rope. Shenis grabbed the rope first and using just his boots to secure the rope he glided down in an instant. Somme grabbed on next and was on the rope before Shenis was even a few feet lower that the top. This was panic mode and all moved with haste. Dax and Burt threw their hammer and axe to the bottom then gripped on as they glided down as if the rope were an oiled steel pole. Both lacked gloves, and while Burt being a log cutter had more than a thick enough callous layer on his palms to avoid injury from the hasty move, Dax found his hand ripped right open from the drop. As they hit the bottom Burt noticed the profuse bleeding from the hands of the smith and he grabbed Dax' hammer for him. Highlight then dropped down with only Dalton left to reach the bottom.
"OH SHIT!" Dalton realized as he was halfway down that the rope was still intact and able to be used by the enemy soldiers. "HOLD ON BLUE EYES!"
"AHHHH!" Highlight who was still far from the bottom saw exactly what the mercenary was planning as he threw his sword toward the top of the wall directly at the rope. Dalton figured if he could just get lucky one more time and cut the rope at a height that made it too high for anyone to follow absent death or major injury then it would ensure safe retreat.
"RIP!" Dalton smiled as the blade connected just right to tear the rope enough under its tightened pressure. However as the tear became a complete cleave and the knight and mercenary felt the tension in the rope fail the joy from Dalton's face became terror as the two flailed toward the ground. Then with a loud thud against the ground first the knight hit bottom landing on his back, knocking the wind out of him. Followed quickly after by the mercenary landing….with his head hitting Highlight in the groin. The knight lay on the ground absent breath and now with paralyzing pain welling up inside him. His chest convulsed trying to find air as his eyes rampaged tears forth in agony. The young knight felt like he was dying as he was unable to move. Then a glint in the night light caught his eye. It was Dalton's sword which he haphazardly had thrown at the wall now coming to the ground. The knight lay helpless as he still trying to find air and paralyzed from the groin shot saw the blade swiveling and closing in on his head. Overcome with fear, Highlight closed his eyes.
"SHUNCK!" The blade connected and stuck hard. Highlight opened his eyes slowly after a moment to find that the sword had grazed his chin and stuck into the ground right next to him. Highlight now starting to find air in his lungs again let out an open mouth sigh of relieve.
"HEY Thanks for being a good cushion." The mercenary patted the knight on his chest as he sat up. "By the way…next time we do this, try not to piss all over me." Dalton shook his head wringing out liquid from his brow and hair. Highlight now regaining some feeling in his groin could tell he had relieved himself in fear. The mercenary cracked his neck and hobbled to his feet while Highlight lay on his back a few moments longer. Dalton grabbed his sword and then extended a hand to help the knight to his feet. The knight looked at the mercenary but still wasn't quite able to move from the shock of it all. "Big guys!" Dalton called to the fighters who were moving away with the people following Shenis who took to marching quickly into the forest to the southeast to escape by darkness from the enemy. "Our buddy here needs a hand getting going." Dax came over and Dalton helped hoist the heavy armored knight onto the smith's back.
"Just until you get your breath back." Dax spoke with a bit of heavy breathing from the added weight to carry. His hands were bleeding profusely from the rope burn but the weight of the knight was now a welcomed distraction as he hustled to keep pace with the others.
After a few hundred feet the knight felt enough of himself to walk much to the pleased relief of Dax who bucked the knight off and went to the priest for bandaging and healing upon his worn hands. Shenis made sure to give no opportunity for anyone from Dol to get a bright idea to follow or throw a barrage of arrows into the wood as he kept the people moving. He had decided before the raid that any they saved they would escort to Mitre, a smaller city to the Southeast of Jule. The ruling regent was long a close ally to the Savoy clan and Shenis believed this would be the best place to move his people, and more importantly try and figure out why Dol was on the warpath. Millions of things were on the young lord's mind, least of all were the company of cavalry that he left in Riserstead. He had just seen his home swallowed by flame, and his city laid waste, and his people slaughtered like rodents. "Perhaps we can rally a coalition in Mitre?" he thought aloud.
At the rear of the party was a familiar sight, Dalton and Highlight. Dalton seeing and feeling the danger of the day was done, sheathed his sword upon his back and lit up his pipe. Highlight was not wanting to be at the rear of the party but found the back was just where his limped pace from his bruised groin was just where he would have to be. He wasn't angry at the mercenary, but just not happy with the way the escape happened. Finally, as his limp slightly improved but still caused grimace with each step he had to ask. "How did you know that would work? How did you get so good with a sword to be able to throw it with such accuracy while rappelling down a rope?" Highlight asked the mercenary. "It was amazing! I mean really amazing."
"Yeah…about that…" Dalton paused for a second as if he was about to expound an amazing swordplay training regimen that afforded him the skill to produce such an accurate throw with a full sword. "IT WAS COMPLETELY A LUCKY THROW!"
"DAHHH!" Highlight was instantly floored in dumbfounded astonishment.
========Author's Note========
Lol hahha I hope that chapter's end gave you a chuckle. Yeah if we're trying to correlate this to FE stats lets just say Dalton has a very high LUCK stat.
Who is your favorite character so far? Yes I know Dalton tends to steal the scenes so far as he is the brash and bash archtype, but I hope the back and forth he has with Highlight is enjoyable. After all a brash and bash type is only as funny and cool as the people they get to communicate with right?