Tales of the Vangen: The Black Ministry's Betrayal (Book 1)

Chapter 9: A Hitch in the Plan

They were a third of the way up the hill before the arrows fell upon them. Regis gripped his shield tightly as the first volley impacted against the formation. Wood and metal screamed. Men groaned and cursed around him. Boots squelched into the mud as guardsmen tried to stay upright.

Regis licked his lips and looked around. None dead in his group by the looks of it and none from the others as well. Libro's plan was holding shape it seemed, although these turtles of his looked more like hedgehogs now. A fine misting of arrows protruded from the shield tops, feathers quivering in the wind. Culter and Civis had stopped momentarily, but they were gaining traction soon enough. Libro's group was still hot on their heels, thank the gods.

"Keep going, men! Don't let some fucking arrows scare you now!" The Greenhorns surrounding Regis were less inclined to boast and stomp than the Centums, but they gave their best regardless. He'd have preferred fighting with his band, but after the recent dispute between those two gutternuts, the young Chronicler needed the Centum's more than he did. Besides, nothing made fresh men braver than fighting alongside a hardened Tribune.

Another volley of arrows rained down on the formation. Regis tensed up, felt the impact against his knuckles, and then spreading until his whole arm went numb. From somewhere in the group, he'd heard a man whimper. A sorrowful lot these Greenhorns were, Regis thought to himself. No doubt cropped from the latest batch of recruits back in Byzantia. In Danica, you'd get your arse whipped for whimpering on the battlefield, but sadly, this was not his homeland.

A scream ripped through the air from outside. Regis caught a glimpse of a shield slipping off of Culter's formation and thudding to the ground. Seconds later, a body appeared beneath rows of marching feet, trampled and broken with an arrow protruding from its neck.

"Damn it all," Regis swore. Someone must have panicked and lost their hold on the shield. Or perhaps the rebels were just that damned good with a bow. Either way, a guardsman had gone off to lay with Nido, that damned dead bitch of a Goddess. They needed to hurry before more felt inclined to meet her.

The arrows shifted focus then. What was once a torrent had now become a drizzle as the rebels focused on Culter's group. Arrows sank into wood or plinked off metal rims, but some found their mark. Slowly, painfully so, the first turtle was starting to lose its shell.a

Regis had to think of something and quickly. "Double time, you mewling bastards! Pump those fucking legs of yours. I don't care if you stamp this whole damn hill down. Move!" Whether they were afraid of the arrows or afraid of Regis, the Greenhorns were more than happy to oblige. They pounded up the hill, feet slapping in the mud as they charged.

They were near to the top when the ground began to shake. Regis lurched forward, unsteady hands grasping hold to keep him upright. "What in all the gods was that?" He peeked outside, and what he saw sent a chill down his spine.

Rocks, and lots of them too, came crashing down the hill at a deadly pace. They came in waves, skipping over the potholes and craters and gaining momentum. Regis had barely enough time to brace for impact. The first stone bounced up and crashed against his formation. The shield wall burst into fragments.

Regis flew off his feet. He tumbled into the mud, the light of day suddenly blinding as he rolled down. The earth shuddered as stones and bodies crashed around him, spraying wet and filth into the air.

The screaming was all around him. He pulled himself up, vision dark until he wiped the mud off his face. A stone came barreling by him, and he threw himself to the ground to dodge it. Greenhorns and Centums alike picked themselves up around him.

One guardsman came running up to him with an arm outstretched. He reached out, only for the hand to suddenly lurch away as a stone skipped past and caved in the man's head. Hot, wet blood and brain matter splashed over Regis. The body lurched, crumpled to the ground and tumbled down the hill.