Winter 4986, 01 Ginmoth
Watch weeks. Both the best and worst days of every season -depending on when a Squire was asked. On the one hand, they had more freedom than any other time in their training, with only an hour of mandatory study time for their weakest subjects, and two hours of combat practice of their choice. On the other hand, they had to stand a six-hour watch every day, rotating shifts each week.
Six hours of standing at attention, occasionally breaking to walk around the walls. Staring into the surrounding forests and hoping something would attack just to give them something to do. At some point, a group of Paladins would take the last two years of Squires on patrol with them to the nearby towns, almost always killing some monster or other on the way, giving them some real experience.
Lily tried to stand a watch with Shon’s year while Zihler, Baradin, Kefir, and Rehlien were on patrol. But when she realized she wasn’t allowed to talk to them -and had to stay standing quietly for six hours- she abandoned them to spend time with the youngest year on break from their own watch rotation.
The seniors were all back now, and Kefir waved wearily as he approached in his half-plate to relieve Shon of his post. He was already resigned to misery at the prospect of afternoon watch and hadn’t even started yet.
Shon stifled a yawn, rolling stiff shoulders and shaking Ryuuko awake in the process. The Squires snapped to attention and exchanged salutes, Kefir taking up position on the north wall while Shon made for the stairs to the courtyard. He started unbuckling his armor as he walked, letting some of the straps dangle loosely until he could properly remove the cumbersome burden.
Ryuuko made a point of getting in the way while making it look like it was trying to help. Shon wasn't fooled. He could feel the little dragon's amusement. Picking up the pseudodragon by the base of the tail, Shon tried to drop it over the side of the steps. Ryuuko just glided in a circle around to land on Shon's helm, though the little dragon was light enough that it didn't stop Shon from taking the helm off and dumping the dragon once more over the edge.
“Done already?” Lily called from the sparring rings as Ryuuko circled again, resuming its perch in Shon's hair. She looked up with a broad smile, simultaneously slapping young Narvin on the calf with her staff as she did. The Squire hopped away on one foot, but Lily turned her back on him, rushing for the base of the stairs as Shon stepped down and made for the water barrel.
“Either I’m really good at this or…” Lily started,
“He is going easy on you.” Shon interrupted, plopping down on the bench beside the barrel and loosening his sword sheath. He pulled it over his head, pushing Ryuuko onto his shoulder. Lily puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.
She crossed her arms and huffed while Shon leaned the sword beside him and started removing his chest piece. “Maybe I should start hitting him harder...” Lily theorized. Shon just nodded, bending to remove his grieves. “You won’t go easy on me, will you?” she asked, squatting down to look up at him.
Before Shon could answer, Rerves patted Lily’s head, though briefly, “I’ll spare you, Lily. You should probably stay a little closer to your level for now…” he smiled down at her, but as she tried to comb her hair flat again he glanced at Shon with worry in his eyes.
“Yeah, Lily, then you can try me. I’m better than Rerves,” Thom said, sitting beside Shon but not bothering to remove his own armor. For him, it wasn't uncomfortable. Lily smiled her gratitude but looked to Shon for confirmation.
Finally slipping off the last bit of cumbersome armor, Shon sighed in relief, “Anyone better than you is fine at this point.” he stood, breaking the ice that had formed over the top of the water barrel and splashing his face with it. Behind him, Lily was warning Rerves not to go easy on her while he failed to assure her he would do no such thing. Rerves was a terrible liar.
A shadow passed over them and Ryuuko hissed loudly, taking flight. Shon and the other Squires squinted into the noon sun. Something wasn’t right… Beside them, Lily looked at each of them first, then up to the sky. She hissed like the pseudodragon. The bestial sound was enough to pull their attention from the sky, but Lily continued to stare. She seemed hardly conscious of her own animalistic reaction.
The clanging of steel bells started at the northwest and northeast parapets. The Paladins who'd left watch with the boys turned on their heels and ran back for the wall.
Major General Selibra exploded from the fortress doors, “Squad one, gates. Squad four, mount up. Squad three, north wall. Squad two, perimeter."
Master Daunas appeared from the smithy, Nangran right behind, “Squires three, get those arrows to the wall, Squires four, direct Squires one and two. Defensive detail, boys. Armor and swords. Double time.”
“What is it?” Lily asked, pulling on Shon’s arm as he flung his sword strap back over his head. From the other side of the north wall, a guttural battle cry sounded. The Paladins on the wall knocked arrows and let fly.
“Draken,” Rerves told her, grabbing her roughly by the arm and pulling her away from the wall. Paladins and Squires ran in neat, focused lines to their respective tasks. Kefir, Zihler, Baradin, and Rehlien sprinted down the wall stairs, retrieving bundles of arrows. Jawsh, Mika, and the two others of their year herded the first-year Squires to their barracks to dawn their armor while Shon, Rerves, and Thom rushed with Lily to the middle of the courtyard. There, they could run any orders issued by the officers and act as a last line of defense in case the wall or gates were breached.
The first portcullis of the gate dropped with a resounding clang making Lily jump. The first Squad of ten Paladins formed up outside the second -still open- portcullis, swords drawn and held at the ready. The second Squad spread out, taking up position on the east, west, and southern walls, bows ready and eyes alert. The third Squad formed a line along the northern wall, taking careful aim at the woods, and presumably, attackers. The fourth Squad poured from the stables and took position with Squad one, both prepared to leave the fortress and flank the attackers when ordered.
“Lily, get inside the fortress,” Rerves ordered, actually pushing her towards the doors.
Lily jerked away from him, spinning towards them and holding her staff tight, “I want to fight.”
“This isn’t a game.”
“Exactly,” Lily snapped, “I’m not going to hide in my room while you fight.”
“Lily, please,” Thom pled.
“You can’t make me.”
They were wasting time. Shon strode past Rerves and wrenched the staff from Lily’s hands. She growled, lunging for it, but Shon threw it out of reach.
Lily looked like she wanted to throttle him, but Shon silenced her with a glare, “Magic only and at long range. You want to fight? Then do it right. Know your strengths and admit your weaknesses.” Ryuuko hovered in the air between them, and Shon sent the little dragon a wordless order. It chirped and landed on Lily's shoulder, holding onto her ear for balance
“Shon!” Thom and Rerves yelled in unified horror.
“We’ll just waste time trying to stop her.” Shon snapped at them.
“Squires form up!” The senior Squires ordered. Thom and Rerves had to forcefully pull themselves away from Lily, who stood stubbornly in the courtyard; summoning a ball of fire in each hand and eyeing them threateningly.
Despite his words, Shon hesitated even longer, “If they breach, then run. Draken are larger and stronger than men, don’t try to fight them head-on.”
“If they breach, they burn.” Lily snarled, her eyes flashing crimson for a moment. Ryuuko hissed its agreement, waving its spiked tail threateningly. Turning away, Shon thought he heard her continue under her breath, “How dare they attack my Squires…”
Shon joined the formation with the others, filling in the gaps left by the third years still helping on the wall. “Cut the lines,” the Major General called from the wall and the third years drew their swords, running along the wall and cutting the ropes of crude grapples shot over the edge. At the same time, the Paladins continued firing arrows down at the unseen hordes.
“This is crazy…” Thom muttered in front of Shon.
“Lily should be inside.” Rerves spat.
But Thom shook his head, “Yeah, but I meant the draken. They don’t attack fortresses. They’re bandits. What could they possibly want here?”
“Squad one and four. Flank!” Selibra ordered. The portcullis was lifted slowly, huge chains clanking as those on the wall turned great wheels to lift the gate and let the Paladins march out. Splitting to the east and west, they would round the fortress, pinning the attackers against the north wall with nowhere to go but back to the forest or up to the waiting archers.
First one, then the other portcullis slammed shut behind them. Shon and the other Squires waited anxiously. How many were there? The largest clans on record were only about fifty strong. Had they somehow formed a coalition? And why?
A screech pierced the air, and the Squires covered their ears, feeling the call rattle their bones. Trees shook and birds took flight. Archers lifted their bows and fired into the sky. But the arrows only bounced off the hard scales of the massive beast that rose from beyond the wall.
At least as large as five horses, the monster was shaped like a bird, with a long neck and great taloned claws. Leathery wings like a bat blocked the sun and buffeted the Squires with snow blown up from the ground as it swept overhead with another blood-chilling screech.
“Wyvern!” Master Daunas shouted.
“Squad two!” Selibra ordered over the Weaponmaster, who tore down the stairs, jumping the last five steps to land in a crouch and sprint for the weapons rack, “Arrows and chains, get that thing out of the sky! Squad three, continue fire on the draken, Squires keep those lines from taking hold.”
It was the most organized chaos Shon had ever seen. But he had no time to marvel at the knights' efficiency as the wyvern circled overhead and dove towards them. Squires scattered, the youngest dropping their swords, as two taloned claws shot forward.
Thom managed to duck, dropping flat to the ground, Shon rolled to the side, dodging easily, but one outstretched claw clipped Rerves, who didn’t have the speed to escape in time. His armor took the brunt of the blow, but he hit the ground hard and rolled limply. Shon spun back to the wyvern as it buffeted the ground with great wings, gaining altitude again.
Behind the Squire's broken line, Lily roared. She leaned forward, throwing her handfuls of fire at the retreating wyvern. One missed, but the other hit the beast in the chest as it veered, shrieking again. The sparks from her fire illuminated a metallic band around the monster's neck and straps holding a saddle just in front of the wings. A rider? Someone had tamed that?
A javelin flew by as the wyvern banked right. It stuck in the wyvern's side, and Daunas pulled the line tied to its end tight. The wyvern jerked him forward, not slowed in the slightest. Still, the Weaponmaster managed to keep his feet, sliding along the ground and digging furrows through the snow and into the earth. Chains and metal nets filled the air as the Paladins from squad two swarmed to bring the beast down.
With a roar, the monster rose into the air and out of reach. Daunas continued to hold his line, dangling off the ground. But the wyvern scratched at its side and broke the javelin free, sending the Weaponmaster back to the courtyard and showering him in scarlet blood that steamed on the cold earth.
Lily was helping Rerves to his feet when the wyvern dove again, knocking Paladins from the wall with its outstretched wings. Shon sprinted towards them, knocking Lily and Rerves back to the ground as claws closed over their heads. A moment later, he was flying. The wyvern's talon caught his sword strap and pulled it and him into the air and across the courtyard. Leather snapped, and Shon fell, hitting the ground in a roll born of years of practice. His sword flung away to slam into the far wall.
“Ground it!” Master Daunas called to the Paladins again. He held a chain and bolus, swinging it over his head and letting loose at the monster's legs as it rose again into the sky. The wyvern tucked its wings and rolled in the air. Something on its back flashed black and the bolus dropped to the ground, cut in two.
Chains continued to fly, two making it over the wyvern's neck but were cut just as cleanly by the rider. Most fell far short of their mark, “Wait till it dives!” Daunas yelled, grabbing his own chain, lined with wicked-looking hooks.
Shon made for Lily and Rerves again. Rerves had gained his feet and tried to grab Lily but was forced back. Her radiant heat was melting the snow in a ten-foot radius and caused her golden hair to fly about her face as though in a windstorm. She held out her hand as the wyvern dove again, spreading taloned feet toward her.
Shon dipped, scooping up one of the juniors' fallen swords just as fire exploded in the wyverns' eyes. The beast screamed a cross between a roar and a screech, its head flailing wildly, as its momentum continued to carry it forward. Shon pushed Lily aside and swung the borrowed sword. It clanged off of the wyvern’s scaled foot without cutting but stuck anyway, ice erupting around the steel and entrapping the claw.
Ground it. Keep it from moving… it felt like his power was being pulled forcibly from him, feeding the ice that crawled up the monster's leg and down to the ground. It tripped, falling forward on its wings, its great reptilian head snapping at anything and anyone in reach. It caught Jawsh by the arm and flung him towards the tower like a ragdoll.
Lily spun, throwing her arm out again and sending another explosion of fire on the wyvern's face. Paladins threw their chains, and the rider, a woman wielding a black sword, couldn’t cut them all. Master Daunas jumped over the wyvern's thrashing tail as it swept two Paladins away and planted an ax with both hands deep in its flank. Shon was forced to dodge a wing, rolling under as it swung about wildly, trying to keep the fighters away from its body.
The woman atop the wyvern cursed, cutting first at the chains then at her own saddle, tying her to the flying mount. Jumping to her feet on its back, she sent her own fire, crackling and black, towards the entrapping ice. Shon felt it and flinched but knelt, placing his hands on the ground. He had to keep the wyvern grounded.
It felt like being at the tower again. Fire licked at his ice, and Lily stood just beyond the wyvern's neck, eyes glowing red and hair flying wildly as she continued to burn at the poor beast's face. Just as then, Shon pictured a path of ice, leading from his hands to the wyvern's trapped foot and up its leg over its back. Just as then, his magic formed to his image, shooting out his fingertips in spikes along the ground, thickening around the wyvern's ankle and shooting up its side.
The wyvern screeched, and the woman turned to Shon. Their eyes locked. Her irises swirled in shifting colors, going from green to red to blue in quick succession then settled on silver. They widened in what could only be described as recognition.
She laughed.
Ryuuko dove for her, its poison tail whipping forward. Still laughing, she dodged the attack, moving unnaturally fast, she grabbed Ryuuko by the tail and whipped it down to slam into the side of the wyvern.
Shon felt the hit and nearly collapsed from the pain and surprise. Get away! He shouted into the little dragon's mind. He could feel the dizzy disorientation from Ryuuko as it struggled to pull its tail from her grip before she could slam it down again. Or cut it in half.
Master Daunas left his ax embedded in the wyvern and stepped on it, driving it deeper as he strode up its back, drawing a sword and swinging for the woman. She fell away from him -the blade just missing her neck- and let go of the pseudodragon. Ryuuko rolled along the wyvern's side before it managed to claw its way onto four unsteady feet and spread its wings.
The woman lifted her black sword, but instead of engaging the Weaponmaster, she cut a circle in the air between them. Master Daunas stopped just before stepping into the star-filled blackness that had formed from her ring. The woman hesitated only a moment, looking at Lily before diving into the circle.
Daunas cut through the ring that had been a portal, disrupting the black ash as it fluttered down to the writhing wyvern's back. The Weaponmaster screamed, driving his sword through the monster's spine, instead.
Paladins descended on the body, avoiding its head completely, their swords glowing with holy light and cutting through the thick scales as though made of paper.
Shon stumbled to his feet. His vision swam, but he managed to focus on Ryuuko as it flew toward the wyvern's head. Toward Lily. The ground around her burned, and she lashed out with whips of fire from her fingertips, cutting across the doomed wyvern's face and filling the courtyard with the stench of burning flesh and scales.
The Squires stood well back from the beast and Lily, but three Paladins were attempting to approach her ring of fire. Swords drawn.
Shon pulled himself forward on exhausted legs, half running half limping past the knights. The supper-heated stones hissed beneath his feet, ice forming under his boots as his magic tried to shield him from Lily's fire.
Grabbing her by the shoulders, he flinched, feeling pain from her heat for the first time. His magic did it's best to compensate, and Shon forced her to turn, “Lily!” he called. She didn’t seem to recognize him. Her face twisted, and her hands came up as though she were going to fling fire at him too. Shon shook her, then reached up and grabbed her face with both hands, steam rising from where they touched, “It’s over, Lily. Stop!” she froze. Shon stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, “It's over…”
Lily collapsed, her body going limp and her fire dying to embers. Shon struggled to keep her from falling but could barely hold himself up and crumpled beside her. The last thing he remembered was Master Daunas’s face swimming in and out of focus above him, “I need a healer! Damn it boy, couldn’t you at least put your armor on first?”
***
Shaloon crashed into the wall of her room as she banished the portal in the same move. She scrambled around, breathing hard, and laughed. “He was right! They are back!” but she had failed. The Firewyrm had fought with the Paladins. And now Shaloon didn’t even have the wyvern…
Still giggling, she used the wall to help her climb to her feet. Even if Morndancer had been right, they still needed to retrieve the Firewyrm and secure the others. They were the key… the tether… they really were the greatest achievement of the Warlocks! Mad laughter rolled from her lips, and she didn’t bother to stifle it.
“We will try again. They won’t keep her under Paladin guard forever…”
***
