Reine ripped open a slit in the carriage door. The outside was a mess. Arrows and gunfire were being shot back and forth between the royal knights and Duke Calon's advance forces.
She grabbed the shoulder of the nearest knight.
"What's going on?!"
"W-We've been ambushed by Duke Calon's men!"
"I can see that! Give me details on the situation!" she ordered. The soldier gawked at her stupidly—stuttering, visibly overwhelmed by the chaos.
Reine clicked her tongue, "What's the size of their attack force?!" she asked. Something exploded beside her. She ducked—right as bullets from a stray volley whizzed above her. A portion of the carriage frame was ripped apart by lead.
"T-The scouts estimated a force of one hundred closest to us. There are more battalions closing in on all four sides. They're going to have us surrounded!"
Reine's head was about to explode. "Then why the fuck are we stopped?! Get the carriage moving before they have us completely encircled!" she screamed, exasperated. Her expression must have been terrifying as the knight immediately ran off to convey her orders.
Reine shut the carriage door as a volley of arrows pelted the carriage.
I should have handpicked the knights myself.
A sizable portion of the most experienced royal knights perished during their initial expedition against Eden. The ones currently escorting them were selected from a handful of promising recruits by the royal knight captain. They apparently performed excellently during training. However, in a dire situation like this, their inexperience was on full display.
Reine shook her head, struggling to quell the emotions boiling in her chest. She already made enough blunders during her service to Her Highness. She could not fail here. No matter what, she vowed to bring Kobo to Fort Nyak.
The carriage began moving again. Reine examined the chaos unfold from the tiny carriage window. To the east, the royal knight's cavalries were locked in combat with the duke's advance force of one hundred. The royal knight infantry continued to advance with the moving carriage. A wall of shield was erected around the vehicle's flanks.
Arrows and bullets mercilessly rained from all sides. The carriage shook constantly from the blasts of lead. Luckily the vehicle was fortified with layers of steel, but even then, the structure's integrity was gradually being worn down.
The knight's numbers also slowly dwindled. Stray projectiles pierced through the gaps of the shield wall. Men suddenly collapsed in a spray of blood.
One of the knights fell into the path of the carriage. Reine winced. The man screamed. She could feel the crush of his bones beneath her seat as the carriage mercilessly trampled over him. They couldn't afford to stop here.
In the distance, the banners of House Raden beckoned. Duke Calon's battalions were getting dangerously close.
We have to break through from the front. There was a single battalion blocking their path towards Fort Nyak. Reine steeled her resolve.
"Your Highness, I'm heading to the vanguard," she declared.
"Do you want my help?" Kobo asked.
Reine shook her head, "Let me be the one to dirty my hands, Your Highness. Trust me. I'll be back in an instant." Kobo nodded as if expecting this outcome. She clasped her hands and whispered a solemn prayer.
"Be careful Reine."
Reine hopped out of the carriage. She immediately ordered the nearest infantries for protection. As she was surrounded by a wall of bodies and shields, she took out her summoning stone. The blue orb glistened opulently under the light leering through the forest canopies. Reine dug a hole with her hands and embedded the stone deep in the ground.
YOU ARE READING
A Distant Reverie
Fanfiction"Careful now. Try not to move too suddenly, alright?" Vesper Noir wakes up one day in a foreign land with gaps in his memories...and a sharp blade pressed against his throat. His assailant? A beautiful, self-proclaimed female pirate with a sweet voi...
