❝𝘼 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙠𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖❞

Chapter 22: All is lost

Edit on 2025.1.17: I added a song on the banner above, would recommend playing it while you read this chapter~and enjoy reading! 

Halt hung back a few steps behind the main force of Skandians as they ran to intercept the Temujai pouring over the walls, picking out the eastern riders with his arrows, his expression almost bored. He had already become used to the empty feeling inside him, the carelessness as he watched Skandians fall in front of him, not being able to do anything more for them. 

A young Skandian who probably shouldn't be in a battle like this ran through the throng, collecting the arrows of the Temujai and bringing it to him.

It was all only a mechanical motion. He felt nothing when at last, running too far into the battle, the boy was shot himself by one of the deadly Kaijin warriors. Dimly, he recognized that the boy would have grown to be a great warrior had he been given the chance, but the thought evaporated soon as merely a passing speculation that held small import.

When at last he ran out of the last batch of arrows that the boy had delivered, he drew his saxe knife and prepared to throw his own life into the fray, hoping only to take a few with him. Using his bow almost as a club, he cracked it on a man's head, winding him, than stabbed him quickly with the saxe before moving on, pushing through those who are already dead or were dying, and clubbed two more men before his bow finally broke into two. With a cry of rage, he cast the pieces aside and plunged his knife into one of the Temujai who had just appeared suddenly in front of him, as if out of nowhere.

"Watch out, Ranger!" A Skandian, surprisingly still clear-minded, shouted close behind him.

Halt swung around to see a Temujai who was uncharacteristically holding a very heavy battle-sword, and swinging it down straight for his head. With frightening clarity, Halt felt his body and mind being pulled back to the reality. The reality that he might die. The sounds around him, which had seemed muted somehow, roared up around him in a clamor, as if to offer him a farewell, the last sight and sound of the world around him.

Then instinct took over. Twisting violently to the right, he lifted his hand and began to stab the man with his saxe. Only his knife never found its mark.

With a short grunt, the man fell forward suddenly, his sword briefly grazing Halt's leg.

He hardly felt it.

There was only one thing he could see.

The grey shaft sticking up on the ground, holding the Temuj in place by his chest.

"Will," Halt whispered.

Ignoring the wild flame of pain running up his leg as the relief brought back to life all his senses, he turned around quickly and looked out over the walls.

There was a small group of men on horseback, shooting arrows up the backs of the as yet oblivious Temujai. Halt's eyes immediately picked up that mop of messy brown hair, even though there were many men in grey, then as his eyes traveled over the group, he saw also the bright blonde heads at the back.

A slow breath of relief escaped him. Alyss and Pauline were both still alive.

But the battle was yet to be won.

Turning, he managed to take another Temuj before his leg failed him and he collapsed to his knees. Even across the great distance, he seemed to hear the anxious cry of Will shrieking his name as he seemingly vanished behind the parapet.

Another Temuj strode towards him, a knife ready, but fortunately another grey shaft took care of that problem for him. But before he could even register this fact, something hard hit the back of his head, and his world went black.

>>>———>

A wave of panic threatened to nauseate Pauline, and she swayed precariously on her horse. Halt had just disappeared, and the heart-wrenching shout from her surrogate son Will had only served to confirm her fears.

They had only just arrived! Surely fate could not be so cruel as to steal him from me now after I have finally seen him alive and well!

"Lady Pauline," Alyss whispered beside her, leaning over and trying to steady her with a hand.

Pauline shook her head as she regained her balance, refusing to speak.

There was a clashing sound as a majority of the Temujai who had not yet scaled up the walls and over the battlements turned to face Will's little troop. At the same moment, an alarm rang out, passing through the battlements like electricity on a wire, and cries of despair from above them filled the air.

The word was that the gates of Hallasholm had fallen under the blows of the rams.

The capitol city of Skandia was falling.

"Hold together!" Will shouted desperately to his men, who were wavering, not a few of them considering the prospect of fleeing. "Split into two groups! We've gone over how to do this, follow my lead!" Swinging his horse around in a wide sweep, he directed the thirty men into what was roughly two ranks, and had them alternately shooting arrows at the oncoming Temujai.

Outwardly, Will's face was that of a calm and determined war captain, and none save only Alyss and maybe Pauline knew of the battle that he was fighting inside to not push his way through the enemy, use their ropes, and find Halt before it became too late. His arrows bit deep into the Temujai, carefully picking out the Kaijin from among them, while the others simply shot in mass sheets into that army. 

Part of his mind was bent on finishing everything quickly so that he could be once more at the side of his one-time mentor; part of him was hoping that Alyss, who was at that moment located behind him, was still safe; and while the physical part of him remained there fighting still to the last of his strength, a final part of him was given to hoping desperately that Alaric and Erak will be back before everything is over. 

But all was to little avail. The Temujai were too great in number, and for every volley of thirty, at least one from their side would fall, and the next time there would no longer be thirty. The wild battlecry's, horns, and drums of the Temujai came up and to their ears from inside the city as they pushed in from the other side as well.

They were fighting a hopeless, losing battle, and they all knew it. 

A/N: I'm back again! Please forgive me for stretching the battle so very long, but as I have said before, it's just the way I am to go into a lot of useless or even repetitive details, so just bear with me for now, I guess😆

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