Kalendra: Hunt for the Nocturnus

Chapter 3: Arctic War Zone

(Viewpoint: Kjeldor. Kjeldor is an Ice-feather Aven ranger, a bird humanoid, who lives in the province of Arcten)

          It felt like eons. We watched the snow covered hills about half a mile from the western wall of Fort Alexandria as each torch and lantern at every goblin camp be squelched one by one. The fear of my comrades was palpable, but my own fear and my own stress weighed even heavier on subconscious than anything else. My commander, a white feathered aven with a deep scar over his right eye and a deep, aged voice, spoke, "The Throat Cutters will be upon us as soon as the sense the slightest lapse in our judgement, or the smallest moment we believe ourselves safe."
          I could almost see the fear inside each of the newer rangers, and some veterans, as the commander spoke of the goblin assassins we called Throat Cutters. They wait behind every shadow of every rock and tree on every hill around the fort, watching, waiting for the opportunity to initiate the attack. With crossbow at the ready and lantern light and spear at my side, I took the first patrol of the western wall. I had to. I was the only one who had been in a battle like this before, besides the commander, who had survived. The last time the fort was attacked it was in broad daylight. With siege weaponry and brute force by the enemy. Now the attack would most likely be a nighttime ambush.
          The sleet fell hard and fast, blown by the harsh northern wind. The white of the snow and the gray bricks of the fort were bland and average sights on watch, but I could feel something. . .unatural watching me. Like eyes piercing through my very being and right into the deepest parts of my soul. I turned around quickly and saw just that, the two red, glarring, googled eyes of a Throat Cutter. I was ready. I fired one quick shot from the hip right into its chest. The ear-piercing screech it pet out as it died awoke every man in the fort. The ambush had begun.
          The rangers roused quickly and many of us were already in flight before the Throat Cutters were ready to ambush us. Some of us weren't so lucky. I could hear the terrible squaks and cries of my fellow rangers being slaughtered on the wall below. Many of them never saw it coming. I reloaded and fired as many times as I could downward at the fiends to try and save some of my comrades but to no avail. Although, I killed many assassins.
          Just as quicky as the attack started, it ended as the Throat Cutters dispersed from the walls. Those in flight landed, and the commander shouted: "Tend to the wounded, sound the alarm, and rouse the men! The attack had begun!"
          The walls were soaked in the red blood of fallen Aven and the black blood of our enemies. I began to reload, but was stopped by the sight of a massive force charging down the hill. The debilitating war drums of the enemy sounded as their berserkers charged with massive seige trolls just behind. A storm of crossbow fire rained down upon the fiends, including that of my own. Many of the berserkers were felled before reaching the walls, but the trolls were much tougher. If we could not fell them, they would tear through the wall, the fort, and all of the aven inside. We had a suprise waiting for them. Spikes and pits hidden in the snow, just waiting for the foot of a troll to step down upon them. The wooden spike dug into their feet, legs and, stomachs. They bellowed and roared in pain as the fell back or bird on the spikes. We laughed at our enemies cries of pain.
          Our joy short-lived as the sky grew darker, even darker than it already was. A rain of arrows soared down upon us from the north we scrambled for cover but for most it was too late. I took cover beneath the wall along with a few other rangers from my group. The volleys continued repeatedly until seven waves of arrows had impacted the soil, stone, and flesh of the fallen. The remaining trolls and goblins arrived at the walls and began the onslaught. Our only option was retreat, but as we retreated a bright pale light engulfed everything. . .