Return to Jorgaldur Volume V: Reunion (2)

Fortress (V)

Some sort of electrified nets made of mana, dozens of thin needles also made of mana, or powerful rays were some of the defenses that the newly arrived flying losts faced.

The guardians had waited for them to come into range to attack them, and had brought down many enemies. However, it wasn't enough, there were too many.

There was a mana shield to protect against such attacks, but the alteration of the main shield to place it behind had interfered with its operation. They could only have one of the two active, and the main one was the most important.

Therefore, while the fortress's air defenses did what they could, the mages and warriors had to do the rest.

The mana shields erected by them protected the catapults, the ballistas, and those who had sheltered in their vicinity. They couldn't resist an attack from so many enemies for long, but luckily, they weren't arriving all at once.

In addition, they had another plan. The mana shields had left some gaps, among which were several guardians. They were warriors, who, although they had ranged attacks, were specialized in hand-to-hand combat. Since the arrival at the fortress, they had limited themselves to helping with the construction and handling of assault weapons. Now, they had the opportunity to fight.

A group of corrupted crows with horns rushed at them. Their number had been reduced thanks to the anti-air defenses, but they didn't hesitate to attack the most exposed living. Their aura was much more tempting than those hidden behind the mana barriers, which blurred it.

They found shields that blocked them, spears that pierced them, swords that cut them, or maces that crushed them. The Guardians of the North were experienced warriors, and were accustomed to fighting against the losts. Their enemies were beings driven by their instincts, despite their greatest virtue wasn't a direct clash.

The corrupted corvids were annihilated with relative ease, but soon more enemies arrived. By attacking them directly, they might not have exploited their greatest advantage, which was their mobility and ability to fly, but there were many of them. It was certainly impossible to win this battle, but they would hold out as long as they could.

If their corpses didn't disappear, the top of that tower would be covered in those of the winged losts. They had been fighting for over an hour, and had managed to hold their ground, but they were exhausted.

The mages had helped with their spells, while maintaining the barriers. However, their mana was running out.

As for the air defenses, they simply couldn't keep up. Even if they were all operational, it wouldn't have been easy to deal with such a large number of enemies. They had finished off many, but they were overwhelmed.

The catapults had managed to launch almost all the available purifying projectiles, but they had also reached their limit. It was impossible to fight off the enemies harassing them, protect their weapons, and supply mana for the shots. They had no reserves left, and the enemies near the city gate had scattered. The last few shots hadn't been very productive. As if that weren't enough, the main shield was quite weakened.

They had managed to eliminate a good number of enemies with ranged attacks thanks to the ballistas. The second one was a bit unstable. They didn't know if it was because of the improvised repairs, or if it had already been like that before. However, it was difficult to fail against so many enemies.

The problem was that there were too many, and even more had arrived. Taking the fortress had become a priority for Cahldor, and not just a sinister spectacle.

"Retreat! Throw down the remaining projectiles and enter!" Menxolor ordered.

They had done what they could, which had turned out even better than expected. There was nothing more they could do there.

The warriors launched their last skills against the losts which were harassing them. That way, they managed to finish off a few, and open a gap that allowed them to take refuge within the mana shields. The healers took advantage to heal them. It hadn't been easy to do so when they were surrounded.

Everyone retreated towards the stairs leading into the fortress, as the shields shrank in size. First, though, they pushed some catapult's projectiles to the edge of the wall, and let them fall.

The blast of purifying light opened a huge hole in the losts ranks that were attacking the shield. It took only a few seconds to fill it with more enemies, but there was no miasma left there. Although the shadow tried to get them out, those behind had also advanced, making it impossible.

It pushed the miasma to fill the gaps without corruption, but it couldn't prevent some from awakening. The chaos gave the defenders a little breath, but the attackers were still too many. Within minutes, they were attacking the shield again, as if nothing had happened.

The defenders gathered in the center of the fortress. Its structure was extremely solid, so their enemies couldn't easily get there. They would have to overcome numerous barriers, both magical and physical.

Now, they could rest, and regain their strength before the final battle.

A few minutes later, while they were resting, the commander and her aides arrived.

"The shield has fallen," she revealed what everyone already assumed.

"How long until they arrive?" one of her companions asked.

"It's difficult to say. Probably, more than half an hour. They're too stupid, so they'll have to destroy everything. There're also too many of them," she explained. "It has been an honor to fight by your side. It will be an honor to die alongside you."

"I hope our allies make it. We've given them all the time we can. We'll hold out until the last moment. It has been an honor," another joined in.

"We have three projectiles left. We can force them to explode and take a few more of them with us. We won't die without a fight. It has been an honor," a third joined in.

One after another, each of the guardians expressed what had to be their last words. There were no tears or hugs, but an unquenchable fighting spirit. This wasn't a senseless death, but a sacrifice to save their people. Now, everything depended on the other group.

"The inner wall has fallen. They'll arrive soon," the commander warned and stood up.

Everyone imitated her, thus preparing for their last battle.

"For the Guardians of the North!"

""""For the Guardians of the North!!!!""""