The wayfarers war, p.22
The Wayfarers War, page 22
Brena picked up a handaxe off the belt of the felled soldier at her feet, his neck crooked at an unnatural angle. She waded in with the rage for her people bolstering her, splitting flesh in a whirlwind of steel and fury. Brena chopped like lumber into a woman’s skull, sending blood and brains flying. She hacked away at a shield until she met the flesh of an arm, and it dangled from a string of bloody gore. Brena Vasara, warrior caste of the Vouri, hewed, carved, punched, and kicked her foes, ignoring the minor wounds that began to slice her own flesh. She laughed wildly as adrenaline and fury fueled her assault and red clouded her vision.
Chapter thirty-two
Siege
Hata soared through the air. Dawn had come to the Ryk Lân, but the skies to the west were darkened by clouds of thick smoke and thousands of the flying creatures of Skaad. War had begun. Hata aimed her flight toward Keep Crystalia, praying to Teras that she would make it in time.
Queen Raine Stormfall stood on an elevated platform on the walls of Keep Crystalia. Thousands of her people stretched out around the entire circumference of the massive bulwark. More still were readying to defend the city of Aerion below. The creatures were carrying across immense chains to create a bridge to the edge of their island's capital city.
The ballistas were launched with a loud thundering sound, and their projectiles hit the flying creatures with great force, creating clouds of gore. However, the creatures seemed innumerable as they kept coming, swarming the skies like an army of locusts. Despite the intense onslaught from the massive arbalists, they held the massive chains with an iron grip, determined to achieve their objective at any cost. There was a moment of silence as the spikes fell from the air and crashed into the earth.
There was a stiffness in her people, looking out at the immeasurable mass of beasts seeking to slaughter them. They stood like statues awaiting their fate. The feeling pulled at Raine’s chest, constricting her breathing ability. I must be strong. I must shine so my people can rally against this doom. She lifted her brilliantly crafted sword, embedded with a substantial fire-infused ruby. It glinted in the morning light.
Raine inhaled deeply, then called out to the Himin-dvergar, “My brave and loyal people! Today, we face the greatest threat to our existence we have ever known! The Children of Skaad have come to our doorstep to destroy us, to smother Luminar’s light, and take away our freedom. They have brought a vast and terrible force that will not halt until the last of us lay dead.
“But we are not afraid. We are not weak. We are not alone. We are the Himin-dvergar, the children of the sun and the stars! We have built our fortress, where we can enjoy the beauty and the prosperity of the Ryk Lân. We have forged our weapons and machines where we have harnessed the power of the elemental gems gifted by the isles. We have trained our warriors, engineers, and pilots to show our enemies the skill and courage of the Himin-dvergar.
“I will stand at your side. I will fight at your side.” Raine lifted her sword higher, pressing the gem, igniting the sword in flame, and screaming the determination in her heart, “I will die at your side! For we are the Himin-dvergar, and we will not surrender. We will not fall. We will not fail!”
“We are the Himin-dvergar!” Her people resounded in answer, continuing the words passed down by their ancestors. “We will rise. We will shine. We will prevail. For the Queen! For the light of Luminar! For the Himin-dvergar!”
“Sound the call!” Raine ordered, and a dozen soldiers put gem-infused horns to their lips and blew.
The call was taken up across the entire wall, and down in the city below, a force of Himin-dvergar rallied out to meet the oncoming horde. Hundreds of rotor wings took to the skies, and the ballista renewed their reverberating thrumming shots.
The horde of creatures poured across the bridge of chains and met a battle line of heavy Himin-dvergar pikes. Like waves crashing into a cliffside wall, the creatures broke their bodies against her front line's pikes, heavy shields, and armor.
But even as they died, more Children filled the gaps and were relentless, clawing, biting, and tearing at the Himin-dvergar line with their fangs, horns, and talons. The winged beings swooped in with spears, skewering soldiers too busy looking ahead to worry about the skies.
The second wave of monsters crashed into the phalanx, impaling themselves on the sharp points of the pikes but slaughtering many of Raine’s people with the suicidal method.
The Himin-dvergar pushed back, trying to keep their formation intact, but slowly, they were cut down. Abruptly, the three quadrilateral shapes of the phalanxes on the front tightened. And through the opening in the line, charged battle-crazed men and women, Himin-dvergar berserkers, with flaming dual axes or ice-crusted hammers. They wore lighter armor and moved swiftly and with brutal ferocity, hacking and slashing at the beasts with their magic-infused weapons. Blood and gore splattered the battlefield as limbs and heads flew in the air, some burning with hot fire and others breaking apart in chunks of flesh and ice.
Raine looked to the sky. Another battle raged on. The snaking clouds of the flying Children of Skaad trailed after her outnumbered rotor wings. It almost looked like smoke trails chasing the flying contraptions, but she knew it was not.
Still, the rotor wings sailed through the clouds of enemies, their sharpened wing fronts slicing through bone and flesh. Blood burst across their wings and cockpits, covering pilots and engineers alike in the visceral fluids.
I should be up there with them, Raine thought as she surveyed the scene. In my own rotor wing, they need my help. She had no further time to ponder it as hundreds of the flying humanoids soared into the air directly before her. They had flown low under the wall and ascended upward, appearing at the lip and slicing and stabbing at Himin-dvergar manning the walls. Still more, flew higher, turned back, and dived toward the defenders.
“Defend the keep!” Raine bellowed and lifted her shield as one of the creatures lunged at her from the air. The bloodstone infused with her armor activated, its green and red mineral blazing to life as it strengthened her body. She slammed the shield into the creature as it reached her.
Bones snapped and limps crumpled against the metal as if the thing had flown head-first into the walls of Keep Crystalia itself.
Raine followed the blow through and flung the crumpled corpse aside. She got her bearings. The wall was in chaos. Many creatures had landed and were fighting in unison, with military precision, cutting her people down. Their blackened weapons and armor were smeared crimson with the blood of her people.
Raine felt a surge of anger and grief, and she cried out in wrath and rushed at one group of organized enemies, throwing herself into them. Her flaming sword seared through flesh and bone, a wing went tumbling away, and the creature shrieked, lashing out with a wicked black axe. Raine deflected it by lifting her knee, trusting in the craftsmanship of her armor. The axe bounced off painfully, the force behind the blow still formidable.
Raine struck out with her shield arm, smashing the edge of it into the creature's neck. Its throat crumpled behind the blow, and its mouth opened wordlessly as it clawed at its own neck and collapsed.
Something collided with her square in the back, and she stumbled forward, tripping on the enemy she had just felled. Raine rolled as another blow struck where she had been atop the creature a second beforehand. The head of a massive two-handed hammer thudded into its own ally's chest, concaving the ribcage inward.
Raine looked to see the foe, a large male of the flying species.
It effortlessly lifted the hammer, raising it above its head to deliver another strike. Even her armor would not hold up long under the punishment of that weapon.
There was a cry from nearby, and a handful of Himin-dvergar soldiers led by Finn Sunstrider appeared. “Protect Her Majesty the Queen!”
The hammer-wielding creature turned to meet them, lashing out with a mighty blow at Finn, who led the charge.
Finn Sunstrider seemed to speed up as the blow came in, and suddenly, he was sliding below the hammer's arc. Finn struck out with his two-handed axe, slashing through both knee joints of the creature.
It screamed and toppled, dropping the heavy hammer.
The other Himin-dvergar soldiers swarmed it and finished it quickly. Then Finn Sunstrider and his guards were around her, helping her to her feet while striking at any enemy who came too close.
“Are you alright, my Queen?” Finn asked, panting with exertion.
“I am. Thank you for coming to my aid.”
“You would have done the same.” Finn scanned the battlefield for a split second, then continued, “They are trying to destroy the ballista. Come with us, your majesty. Let’s put a stop to them.”
“Lead the way!” Raine fell into the company as they hacked their way through.
Gesche-fan Skaad aimed her body to cut off the flying machine. Curling her wings around her to hasten her fall, she dove through the sky toward it. As she came in at a high angle, she reached out with the tip of her spear as she shot past. It caught the Rykling in the front seat of the machine, slicing through its face, neck, and shoulders. Then, she was far below the contraption, opening her wings to halt mid-air. She twisted around to watch as the machine began to rotate on its axis and fall from the sky. It exploded into a crowd of enemies below, causing death and destruction.
Gesche-fan Skaad studied the battle below. Her ground forces had still not broken through the line of Rykling soldiers defending the city, nearly right where her bridge connected with the island. They were bristling with weapons and armor far more advanced than her own forces. Fucks, we need to take the lower island before we will ever conquer that fortress. She signaled to her hornblower, who was never far from her side, even amid battle. “Send in the smokers. They should be able to break that line.”
The Nyra woman let out a rapid succession of blasts, and not long after, Gesche-fan Skaad saw two dozen of the blue-flamed abominations stomping toward the front. They began to pick up the pace, uncaring of their own kin. Hounds and hulks were crushed under their log-like limbs as they thundered across the bridge.
She saw the battle line of Ryklings wavier in the chaos below; she saw them hesitate and even backstep away from this new threat. This is it. We have them.
Hata ripped through the metal planks of the bridge, exploding skyward. Children were flung from the safety of their bridge as they waited to cross. One of the massive burning creatures lost its balance and tumbled into the hole she had left in her wake. She arched back through the air, seeing more of the enormous creatures charging toward a line of Himin-dvergar. Summoning the power of the Sunstone in her armor, Hata burst down, and her feet fractured the stone street as she crashed to the ground in front of the Himin-dvergar defense.
A moment's pause of awe rippled through friend and enemy alike.
Then, the burning abominations were upon them.
Using the armor to control her wounded arm, Hata slammed her fist into her open palm, then lifted her hands to the sky, and a thick wall, hundreds of feet long, of rock, earth, and gemstone veins exploded before her. She closed her fists and pushed. The wall rumbled forward. Crushing both burning beasts and lesser Children alike.
A cheer erupted behind Hata as Himin-dvergar berserkers burst forward, cutting down any stranded enemies on this side of the wall.
She could hear the shrieks and cries as the Children retreated, sure that many were falling off the side of the floating island with each forward push of the wall.
Suddenly, there was a high-pitched sound, as if something was moving unnaturally fast through the air. There was an enormous impact and a pause as Hata looked with horror at the violet cracks snaking from an epicenter in her wall. A second later, the center of Hata’s wall exploded in violet fire.
The wall began to crumble as the hooded man, both fuming hands outstretched, soared directly for her.
Bryn Sparkheart wiped at his blood-covered goggles. He stared in awe over the side of the rotor wing as the auburn glowing Sky-lass pushed hundreds of the Skaad bastards into the abyss. “She’s doing it, Rorik! Our feckin’ Skylass has finally shown up!”
Rorik tilted the craft and looked where Bryn was pointing. He nodded, and Bryn could tell he was grinning behind his bandana-covered face.
Then, a horde of flying beasts was upon them. Bryn's heart pounded as he fired bolt after bolt from his crossbow, desperately trying to fend off the unrelenting onslaught of enemies. But no matter how many he took down, more just kept coming, and he wondered if they would ever make it out alive.
Bryn held on for dear life as Rorik's instincts kicked in, and he piloted with precision and grace. With a skill honed over years of practice, he expertly evaded the creature's attacks, darting and weaving through the air. His machine's wings sliced through the air with a whooshing sound as they twisted and turned, leaving trails of dead enemies in their wake. Bryn couldn’t help but be awed as Rorik remained focused, his skills fluid and deliberate, as he continued to outmaneuver the creatures and stay one step ahead of them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Bryn saw a burst of violet light below that streaked toward the Skylass’s countering amber glow. He reached out and tapped Rorik twice on his helmet and pointed.
Rorik nodded again and climbed momentarily before turning the craft back toward the battle below and into a screaming dive.
Bryn readied his new toys.
Saudett hovered mid-air in shock as Hata Vasara decimated the Children below. She is alive! What should I do? I must show myself to her. But what will she think? I am her enemy. Before she could contemplate further, Trije-fan Skaad counter-attacked. The wall exploded and then crumbled, and he tore through the air toward Hata. His violet light clashed with the warm orange light that Hata emanated. She truly is the Sunstone. As the two met, a violent shockwave of magical energy detonated outward from the epicenter of the two forces colliding.
Should I help that fucking bastard Trije-fan? Or let him die? Her eyes watched as the two lights shot apart and ascended into the sky. More explosions rained down on her Children on the bridge. Gesche-fan Skaad hissed in frustration and considered her next move.
Raine cut down the last creature crawling on the side of the massive ballista. She ground her teeth in fury and heartache for the unfortunate engineer in the gunner seat who had perished before their company could come to his aid. His body had been stabbed countless times as he lay limp in the chair. Then, the creatures began hacking at the controls, gears, and anything they could handle to disable the weapon. She did not know if they had succeeded or not.
A bang echoed through the air, and Raine twisted her head to see violet and amber light shining blindingly from the front line in the city below. “By Luminar’s light!” she shouted. “What is that?”
“It’s the Sunstone!” Someone called out from further down the wall. “She fights with us!”
There was a cheer, and her forces began to rally.
Thank you, Hata. Raine stepped down from the elevated step pad the ballista sat upon and turned her attention to the wall. Thank you for being here with me. “To me, Finn Sunstrider, they’re still attacking the other ballista! To me!” Raine Stormfall, Queen of the Himin-dvergar, charged down the wall, killing her enemies as she did so.
Hata caught both his wrists as he collided with her. She wrapped the earth around her legs to steady herself and halt him in his tracks. She called upon every reserve of strength left in the Sunstone to her aid.
His black teeth snarled at the unexpected stop. The violet energy snapped and crackled like lightning around him concurrently, fuming out of him like steaming clouds. His eyes glistened white under his hood. “Vile human,” he hissed. “You’re all repulsive. That human man in the Moreas Lân. He acted like he was one of the conceited Iban’mael Wayfarers. Now, that disgusting insect of a woman who licks at my father's feet. And you. The Sunstone, they call you? All you humans are nothing compared to my father!”
“Then you’ll enjoy this little human trick.” Hata gave her most father-like grimace and smashed her forehead into his face.
His head snapped back, and blood burst from his nose.
With lightning speed, Hata pulled his arms towards herself and launched a powerful kick, magically propelling her armor-booted foot right into her opponent's midsection. The impact was so intense that it almost felt like the ground shook momentarily. She released her grip on him.
The hooded man flew back, crashing into the ground and skidding across it. But he suddenly righted himself and shot up into the air with powerful thrusts of his wings, flying higher and higher.
A rotor wing swooped in above the renewed horde of Children who poured over the bridge. Hata saw a multitude of red-orange gemstones glint and fall from the craft. A second later, a score of explosions burst in amongst the horde of creatures, and their shrieks and screams echoed over the battlefield.
Thank Teras, that will give the Himin-dvergar time to regroup. Hata took a deep breath and leaped from the ground, flying after the hooded man.
When she approached, the hooded man turned mid-air and pointed his finger at her. Black-violet fire shot out from his finger in a sizzling line.
Hata veered, narrowly missing the string of unblockable energy.
He fired another, then another.
Hata had to change her course to fly at an angle, scarcely avoiding the malevolent spell each time. She looked to see him stop in mid-air and raise both hands above his head. Hata steered up in an arch toward him.
“Scua Ad Cliewen!” He screamed out as she neared. A sphere of violet flame grew to triple his size above his head. Then he hurled it at her.
Hata dodged it quickly and scoffed internally. Is that all you got? It was slow but picked up speed as it went. Hata turned her head as it soared by to follow its path and realized it was aimed directly at one of the ballista contraptions on the wall. “No!” She turned and flew after it, unsure what she could possibly do to stop it.
