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 39
When the intensity of the battle died down, Selera addressed the bulk of the soldiers.
"As you all can see, the threat to our city's sovereignty is real. The period of safety and security is all history. Now, we must fight to protect our land, to preserve our dignity, and to eliminate our enemies!"
The troops cheered unanimously to her speech.
"Alright, quieten down. This evening, we fought well. Very well, in fact. I hope in the subsequent battles or skirmishes that occur, all of you will show the same level of teamwork, enthusiasm, skill, and most importantly, endurance!"
"If that's the case, why did we retreat?" shouted one of them.
In response, Selera answered, "That's because it's dangerous to fight against them at night."
"Will they attack us soon?" asked another person.
"I can't tell. I hope not, though. Enough questions for the day. Take this time to get some rest. Tomorrow, we will launch another attack."
When the crowd dispersed, Selera turned around and saw Edward staring at her.
"Is there anything you want to tell me, Edward?"
"Why did you lie to them?"
Selera was unmoved by his accusation.
"You know Ariton and the skeletal warriors will return tonight, right? Why didn't you tell them?"
"What good would it do? We don't even have many arrows left. Am I supposed to tell them that losing Iglius was just a matter of time?"
"There must be something that we can do!" Edward insisted.
"Listen, the only thing we can do is to put up a good fight. We will leave the rest to you, the other four sons, wherever they are, and the Perisher to decide who the victor is and who the loser is."
"The rest?"
"Time will tell. Let nature takes its course. We can't force things."
Unconvinced, Edward walked away, thinking of what he ought to do in the next couple of hours to save Iglius.
Back at the tournament square in Bresburg, the Perisher was slightly discouraged by the inability of the forces to penetrate into Iglius.
When Ariton came, he muttered, "A few more batches of skeletal warriors have arrived moments ago. We will go all out tonight. I doubt the archers will continue to keep watch."
"No problem. Our current strength still outnumbers them."
"No more failures this time. I plan to start my advance to the castle in a week's time."
Ariton assured, "Yes, my Lord, I will do my best."
Ariton got a few hours of rest before gathering his troops for battle. Corpses and 'dead' skeletal warriors were scattered all over the ground as Ariton led the pack in their short march towards Iglius. The ground trembled with each step they took and it certainly created a sense of panic and urgency for the soldiers in Iglius.
Nearing the town, Ariton saw that there were no archers stationed on the platform. With the borders wide open, Ariton gave the signal for the skeletal warriors to charge.
"Muto silencio!" shouted Edward, who was at the edge of the town.
The sparks whizzed through the thin air and hit Ariton in a matter of seconds. Next, Edward scattered oil over the wooden platform, and then set it on fire. The blazing fire formed a defensive barrier between the skeletal warriors and the town, engendering problems for Ariton's forces. Within a few minutes, what looked like an easy battle for Ariton had transformed into a challenging one.
Just as he thought things could not get any worse, Selera emerged from the town and chanted with gusto, "Inferno destructo!"
The black sky lit up and rocks of fires smashed down heavily on the charging skeletal warriors. Unable to give commands and cast spells, Ariton gripped his battleaxe like a vice and surged forward with the rest of the skeletal warriors.
While Edward's attempts at disarming Ariton were unsuccessful, Selera's wide array of spells helped to delay the advance of Ariton and his forces into Iglius. By the time the skeletal warriors burst through the ring of fire and entered Iglius, the soldiers were ready to take them on.
The fight continued till the morning and it was a stalemate near the border of Iglius, with both sides failing to outdo each other. Worried about the length of the battle, Selera decided to call for reinforcements by requesting the King to send more soldiers to Iglius.
Moya, Rak and Malcolm, together with the invisible Maltov, finally reached the end of the long tunnel. Rak saw another lever and he used some strength to push it down. Immediately, the right side of the wall started to vibrate. Crack lines were formed on the wall, and to the trio's amazement, the cracked layers of wall shifted on its own and the result was a flight of steps. Moya was the first to ascend the stairs, followed by Malcolm, while Rak watched their back. The stairs led to a landing in an enclosed building.
"This place looks familiar!" exclaimed Moya.
Rak knew where this was, "It's the crystal tower."