Iron Blooded

Stone cracked beneath talons as the Sand Drakes began to climb.

Draxus and I called orders, reforming our columns into two lines that faced the outer wall and our new enemy. It was impossible to tell how many Outriders would come over that wall, but I knew that these moments would be crucial.

The squad manning the ballista loosed another projectile, this one stirring the wind as it whipped by only a dozen feet from us. There was a crash as the large bolt struck stone and bounced away into empty air.

Then the first of Sand Drakes appeared.

The first thing I saw was its scales. Deep crimson armored plates wound from head to barbed tail, forming a carapace that I doubted any normal weapon could pierce. Its bone eye ridges clicked together and golden slitted eyes regarded us with a sword of hunger.

One of my soldiers lunged forward, and I shouted at him to stay in formation. I was too slow. The soldier stepped forward and lifted his spear, face set in a snarl.

Faster than I would have imagined possible from a beast of its size, the Sand Drake twisted its head around and opened its jaws. Dozens of rows of needle-like teeth flashed in the torch light.

The soldier's head was ripped from his shoulders, blood spraying in an arc.

“Hold your ground!” shouted Draxus, shield braced. The Sand Drake climbed up and over the wall, its scaly forelegs gripping the ramparts. On its back sat an Ork in black armor wielding a spear.

I turned, cutting my sword through the air towards the creature. My archers, who had been waiting for the signal, rained arrows down upon our new foe. Most pinged off of the Drake’s heavy-scale armor, but two managed to find the thigh and arm of the Ork Rider.

He bellowed in rage, yanking on the reigns and forcing the Drake forward. The creature arched its back, and I saw what was coming moments before it happened.

“Down” I shouted, gripping Hade by the back of his neck and forcing him down. The Sand Drake’s tail slashed through the air where our heads had been only moments before. Most of my men had time to head my warning, but one, a Ceris soldier, hadn’t been so lucky.

His decapitated head bounced around across the stone and his corpse crumpled moments later. The Outrider gave a whooping war cry and urged his mount forward. The Sand Drake leaped forward, snapping at speer shafts and swords, and jerking his head from side to side, sending men flying.

“Steady,” I called to my line. “Drive it back. Don’t let it gain any ground.”

The Outrider raised his spear over his head and shouted something, laughing as he did so. I heard it before I saw it.

The scrape of claws on stone, the skittering of rocks bouncing down the wall. Another Sand Drake emerged from beyond the wall. This one had scales as red as blood. It snapped at Hade’s spear as the soldier tried to jab at its eyes. The wood snapped clean in half.

Draxus had already turned to face the new threat, reforming his men into a wedge formation. The second Outrider spurred forward his mount. I saw a man in Ceris blue get bitten in half as blood sprayed. A crossbowman who had been cranking back his bow was struck moments later by the tip of its barbed tail.

Entrails spilled across the ground. The man screamed, dropping to his knees. All the while the First outrider raised his spear over his head and laughed. Laughed at the bodies on the ground. At the destruction. At the cold inevitability with which my men drew together, huddled against the threat of a greater foe.

A spark of something caught in my chest and I turned my head.

“Give me a spear,” I growled. One of the soldiers, an older man with silver in his beard handed his over and drew the short sword at his waist. I nodded to him.

“When I give you the signal I want you to tell the men to Brace,” I told Hade, gripping the soldier by the shoulder.

His eyes were filled with concern as he glanced between me and the two Outriders that now pinned us between them on the wall.

“Ser William,” he started, but I turned away. There was no time for it now.

“Cover me,” I told the soldiers in front. “Don’t let him see me until I give the word.”

Wordlessly my men closed ranks, shields raised to block me from view. I heard the jaws of the Sand Drake snap, followed by the visceral scream of a man who had just lost his life. My hand was sweaty in my gauntlet. Every breath came made my ribs twinge with pain.

I walked between the shadow of my men and caught glimpses here and there of the Sand Drake we now faced. Behind I could hear Draxus shouting orders followed by the twang of bow strings. My friend was trying, and I’d have to trust him to hold his own side.

The wind shifted and the Outrider turned his head. I saw my moment clearly and stood. My men parted for me like the tide.

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I stepped forward, readjusting my grip on the spear shaft before twisting my body, one arm held out in front of me. The Outrider turned back, his dark eyes finding mine. I didn’t hesitate. I drew back my arm, and with all the strength I could muster, I hurled the shaft.

It flew through the air, turning once before it hit its mark. Not the Sand Drake, whose armor would have protected it from hard. The spear was intended for its rider. The Ork twisted in his saddle, bringing his own spear shaft across his body to send my projectile spinning to the stone.

He sneered, baring his tusks in triumph. That was when he spotted me. I had started running the moment the spear left my grip. Boots slapped stone, and my arms pumped at my sides.

My round shield was held in front of me like a battering ram. I had eyes for only one thing. The blue meter is in the corner of my screen. The Sand Drake reacted more quickly than its rider. It turned and arched its head back like a snake intending to strike. I dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the death bite of its powerful jaws.

Then the moment I had been waiting for came. The Drake shifted backward on its hind paws and arched its back. The whip through the night air was my only indication it was coming. I raised my shield at an angle and ducked my head.

The impact was enough to knock me sideways. The barbed tail had missed my face by mere inches. For all intents and purposes, I was lucky to be alive. My risk had paid off.

As the blue meter on my HUD flashed I braced my shield with my free hand and threw back my head.

“Hade!” I roared. “Brace!”

I had no time to look behind me to see if the soldier had followed my orders. I was closing in now and the Outrider lifted his spear back to strike. I drove my shield forward with the roar of a battle cry.

This time I was ready. Instead of releasing the power all at once as I had before, I instead concentrated on pushing the blast forward and outward. The blow struck like the sound of a giant gong.

A blue blast of energy slammed forth, knocking the Sand Drake back on its hind legs. The rider was blown backward, spear falling from his armored fist. I saw his beady black eyes widen as he realized his impending fate.

The Sand Drake had reared knocked back by my blast. It had been tipped off balance and began its inevitable tumble backward with an ear-piercing shriek. The Outrider tried to free himself from the saddle but his armored legs were pinned in place by leather straps.

I turned away as the Drake and its Rider tumbled back over the wall.

My men had dropped into low stances, shields braced over their heads as if anticipating a storm. It might have been comical if it wasn’t for the fact that several had been knocked completely off their feet.

I grimaced.

“My apologies,” I said. “I still don’t know how to control it.”

Hade helped a spearman to his feet and the man shot me an awed look. I recognized him as the young man who had stood with me on the wall only yesterday.

“What’s your name?” I asked him.

“Eric Ser William.” The boy blinked in confusion as I strode past.

“Eric,” I said absently as I watched the scene unfold before me. Draxus and his men had managed to lodge a spear shaft deep into the throat of the second Sand Drake. The creature was now choking violently, shaking its head from side to side in an attempt to dislodge it.

Even as I watched Draxus's men surrounded it, stabbing at its eyes and now unprotected throat. It was over in a few visceral moments. The second the Drake fell to the ground with glassy golden eyes, Draxus men surged forward.

Together they dragged the Ork from his saddle and put him to the sword. Eric came to stand beside me, watching the grisly work with grim determination.

I considered him as all around me the men took a moment of brief rest.

"How old are you?" I asked him,

"Eighteen Ser."

I arched a brow. Eric flushed and ducked his head.

"Seventeen Ser."

I nodded in approval.

"Younger than half the men here. And yet, you held your ground when we faced off against the odds. Not many could say the same, Eric. You should be proud."

The young man's ears turned red and he glanced down.

"Just doing my duty Ser William," he said.

My thoughts were interrupted by a blood-spattered Draxus. The giant nodded to me, wiping his blade with a cloth.

"We should strike now while the irons hot. I wouldn't be surprised if reinforcements were already on the way."

I glanced around at my soldiers.

"They won't be pleased to miss out on this much monster material. But I agree, we can't afford to delay. Finding Lord Blackthorne is our top priority.

Draxus tugged a hand through his hair, his expression weary. I could hardly blame him. the exhaustion of the past few days weighed on my mind even as I struggled to stay focused.

"That's the part I don't like," said Draxus, casting around us. His eyes came to rest on the corpses wearing the red and black of the Blackthorne house colors.

"Something forced Lord Blackthorne to make a tactical retreat."

"It could have been the outriders," I ventured squatting down next to the corpse of a soldier.

Draxus shook his head and pulled his helmet back on.

"You don't understand," he said, coming to stand beside me. The worry in his dark eyes was enough to cement my unease. I waited for him to go on, and after a moment he did.

"Lord Blackthorne doesn't retreat, not really. He's known for his bravery and prowess in battle - one of the many reasons the Crown Prince himself sought to elevate him to Spear of The King. It's an honor that can only ever be earned on the field of battle."

I frowned and rose to my feet, dusting off my hands.

"There is something else at play here," I said. "I've sensed it since we entered the city. But I'm in the dark. A man playing chess without being able to see the pieces."

I shook my head.

"We need to find Lord Blackthorne and tell him what it is we found. I have a feeling that this, all of it, goes so much deeper we realize."

Draxus nodded wearily and tucked the bloodied cloth back into his inventory. He sheathed his now clean blade and pulled something from his belt. It was a bascinet made of dark metal.

Hesitantly I reached out and took it, examining the piece.

Item: Helm of Aegis, Legendary. Deflects 1/3 of all magical damage dealt by the wearer

"It was a drop from the Raider Boss you defeated."

I arched a brow.

"You didn't think to tell me earlier when my helmet got all but smashed in?"

Draxus grinned. "You were busy."

"More like he wanted the loot for himself," muttered Hade under his breath.

Draxus snorted.

I turned the helmet over in my hands.

The dark metal was smooth and polished, enough to see the outline of my reflection. I stared at it, only seeing my own dark gaze staring back at me. For a moment, I thought I saw something shift in them. I blinked and it was gone.

I wiped the sweat from my eyes and hesitated a moment before pulling the new helmet over my head.

The inside was lightly padded, and the fit felt almost perfect. Beyond the tower to the right fire arrows lit the night, cutting through the darkness like a knife.

It was in that direction that Lord Blackthorne lay, and with him - the answers I needed.

"Ready the men," I said. "We take the tower."

I met his gaze.

"Together."

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