Ten of Swords (Draft Only)

Chapter 39

Only hours after night fell once again, the invaders were closing in on the middle walls. Their advance had sped up considerably when the light grew dim and the temperature dropped, just as the onset of day had slowed them down. It seemed that though the skeletons and demons were unaffected by temperature and light, the corpses moved slower during the day.

Legom and the followers of Miellena had stayed at the holdout. Though it was unlikely that the rebels' army would return to them, they each had their own reason for staying. Legom wanted to make sure his mother and stepfather were safe, and he was convinced he didn't have much more to give. He was not a skilled magic user, and even in general he took much longer to recover from exhaustion than most. Even after a long rest, he was still exhausted. As for the faithful, Miellena's truths emphasised defending the defenseless. That meant their place was with the forsaken, not those behind the middle wall who still had some measure of protection.

Tyvo wished Elise farewell, offering her a handshake and expressing that it was a pleasure to meet her. He hoped that she would return to the place of worship after the siege to learn more about the goddess and her own powers. Elise responded with a non-committal perhaps.

There wouldn't be much time to get to the nearest gate before it was closed. She couldn't stay to say goodbye to everyone. Her pack wasn't filled with much. Some herbs from Legom, a blanket, and the skull which she kept hidden from the others. Though the skull had been helpful, and may continue to offer aid, it wasn't a good look to be carrying it around. Not to mention she didn't particularly want a lot of people to know she had used it to cast magic. Even if she didn't end up using it again, she didn't want to lose it. She might not know where the rest of its body was, but she wanted to make sure it was buried properly.

Alone, it was possible to slip by the invading army. As they approached the gates, they condensed, leaving more room to avoid them. Elise wasn't unfamiliar with the shadows either. All she had to do was squeeze between the gaps and make it to a section of wall they weren't looking at, before following along it until she reached a gate. Speed and stealth would be essential to making it there in one peace.

It bothered her, knowing that she was truly alone now. So many years she had gone, always having someone familiar by her side. Even if she had not known Maeve long, she still knew her to some extent. Everyone she knew now was either at the holdout or some place unknown to her. It sat uneasily in her stomach, the knowledge that her loved ones were now beyond her reach and that she was also beyond theirs. If anything happened to her, they might never know.

She slipped in just as they were closing the gates. There wasn't enough time for them to check if she should be allowed to enter, as they needed to make sure everything was sealed before the undead arrived. The heavy wooden doors were dragged into place with a loud thud, followed by the jangling of chains as the portcullis was released, the metal frame slamming into the ground half a metre in front of the wooden doors.

Outside, what remained of the skeletons clambered over the barricades that stood between them and the gate, halting before an invisible line as the rest of the army caught up. A corridor opened up in the foul army. The torches had been lit again before nightfall came, and now they backlit the rancid invaders. Their light flicked and danced, making it seem as though there were perhaps ghosts among the damned. A massive figure walked between the two walls of undead, followed by a handful of mages in dark but high-quality cloaks. It was the first time anyone had seen the mages properly. They were not cultists or rebels, but rather they were dressed like wealthy students, with their robes embroidered in various rare colours, and their expensive crystal balls being of remarkable clarity.

Redrain and his mages came to stand before the army, and one of the casters lifted their crystal ball and summoned a spell which had no visible affect. The glowing of the other mages' foci suggested they were perhaps feeding into the spell, making it stronger. Then, Redrain cleared his throat, and everyone on the walls and inside the castle heard him as clearly as if her were standing right beside him.