Little update: A big thanks to those who are following this story so far! In case you are wondering, this is a self-written story (an amateur attempt I know) during the days when I was fascinated by the stuff about knights, castles, kingdoms and sorcery, you get what I mean. For those who wish to check out the previous chapters, here's the link! With that let the adventure continue!
Chapter 38
"How are things in Bresburg?" asked the Perisher.
"Perfect, my Lord. Your skeletal warriors have been instrumental in the triumph in Bresburg. Right now, we have more than fifty thousand of them in Bresburg, awaiting your command, my Lord."
The Perisher was glad to hear that. Things were proceeding smoothly and according to plan. Both of them continued to talk in the crystal tower as the Perisher instructed Ariton to launch an attack on Iglius at night.
"Rest assured, you'll have Iglius within two days." Ariton said, sounding confident.
However, the Perisher objected, "Taking over Iglius was not in my agenda. My idea was to extend the battle in Iglius up to a week or two, so that they will continue to send troops from the barracks in the castle to reinforce the fighting strength in Iglius. When they have exhausted their troops in the castle, I will bring another pack of skeletal soldiers and invade the castle via the north gate."
"So my attack will just be a red herring?" questioned Ariton.
"That's right."
Suddenly, they heard the familiar sound of the battle horn.
"Who could it be? Don't tell me they are attacking Bresburg?" asked the Perisher.
"Let's go to the top of the tower!" said Ariton as they raced up the spiral staircase.
There, they saw groups and groups of soldiers pouring into the small town of Bresburg from all corners. Momentarily stunned, it took a while before Ariton recovered from the unexpected sight. He rushed down the stairs and bolted out of the tower.
In Iglius, Selera and Edward had led the attack on Bresburg, in an attempt to claim the land back and banish Ariton and the Perisher back to the woods. It was Selera's decision to make the first move as she felt it was pointless to play the waiting game with the Perisher's forces. The skeletal warriors did not need food and water to stay alive, while the soldiers on her side needed them to survive. Playing the waiting game would therefore be a disadvantage to her side.
So she decided to take a risk and spring a surprise attack. With no commander to take charge, the skeletal warriors were in a state of disarray as they faced the incoming cavalry and footmen. The soldiers clashed head-on with the skeletal warriors and fought bravely against these lifeless creatures. Behind them was Selera, who was raining the battlefield with offensive spells. The spells led to a series of fires and whirlwinds which did considerable damage to the skeletal warriors located some distance away. Edward, who was riding alongside Selera, was busy casting protective spells to boost the soldiers' defence and fending off incoming skeletal warriors with his sword simultaneously.
Although they were technically better and more organised than the creatures made of scrap metal, Selera and the rest soon found the numbers overwhelming. Moreover, fatigue was another factor to take into consideration. Just when Selera was contemplating over the decision of retreating, the masses of skeletal warriors suddenly stopped fighting.
The winds swept the dust off the ground and it was misty all around. When the dust settled, a figure emerged in the middle of the skeletal warriors. It was Ariton. He stood still and stared at Selera in an arrogant manner.
"So you think you humans can defeat these creatures?"
"Aren't you a human, Ariton? Don't be too proud, the battle is not over yet."
"Same to you. So are we going to continue to fight?"
"Unless you hand over Bresburg, we will fight."
"Claim it back if you can!" taunted Ariton.
"Then we will fight! Weapon defecto!" roared Edward.
Immediately, Ariton's battleaxe flew out of his grasp and landed on the ground. Before he could react, Selera sent sparks flying towards his direction, forcing him to dodge away. The battleaxe laid on the ground, and as Edward's horse was galloping towards it, Ariton made a frantic dash for it. The two of them were closing in on each other and it made it difficult and dangerous for Selera to cast any spells.
Arriving at the weapon first, Edward's horse came to a halt and he bent down to reach for it. Instantaneously, Ariton made a desperate lunge and leapt towards the horse, forcing it to lose balance, and it sent Edward tumbling to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, he rushed forward and took the battleaxe from Edward's hands. He raised his weapon and went for the kill, but he was quickly taken down by Selera's horse.
"Attack!" commanded Ariton.
As the skeletal warriors fought, Ariton generated a smoke screen and got away from Selera's sight. By that time, Edward, who suffered small bruises and wounds on his knees, had gotten up and resumed battling the skeletal warriors.
Just then, Selera rode to his side and said, "We will need to retreat. It's too tiring and risky to fight late into the night. Go back and get the archers ready to cover our retreat. We don't want these creatures running into Iglius."
Edward nodded, and dashed back with the help of the 'Velocity boost' spell.
Exactly one hour later, Selera sounded the horn for the soldiers to retreat back to Iglius. As expected, the skeletal soldiers gave chase and took down some of the slower soldiers from behind. It didn't take long for Selera and the troops to reach Iglius, and she was heartened to see that the archers were all in position on the elevated platform that was newly-constructed.
When the last man entered the town, Edward shouted, "Fire!"
A rain of arrows came down and struck many of the skeletal warriors. The first row of archers moved back and allowed the second row to get into position. Once again, the command was given and the arrows were fired. This went on for a couple of rounds, and more and more skeletal warriors were taken down.
Just when Edward panicked over the lack of arrows, Ariton decided that it was enough. In the presence of two spellcasters, it was not practical to summon the battlefiends. Thus, he commanded the remaining creatures to return to Bresburg, much to Edward's relief.