Year 217 Post-Collapse

  Dawn of the Bloody Day

  The first light of day revealed a battlefield scarred by the chaos of the previous night. Columns of smoke rose from the enemy camp, silent witnesses to Kael and his men’s nocturnal raid. But Revaris was not one to retreat.

  As soon as the first rays of sunlight touched the horizon, the war drums thundered, shattering the heavy silence that had fallen over Dornhal.

  Kael stood atop the ramparts, his eyes narrowed as he watched the enemy advance.

  “They’re coming,” murmured Lysara at his side.

  Below, Revaris’ army moved like a colossal beast. Infantrymen marched in tight ranks, their shields and spears at the ready. Behind them, archers positioned themselves, their quivers filled with freshly crafted arrows. Further back, trebuchets completed their preparations, loaded with incendiary projectiles.

  Darius, leaning against a watchtower, grinned as he watched the horde spread out. “Now this is serious. Looks like we're in for a real slaughter.”

  Kael ignored him and turned to his men stationed along the walls.

  “They outnumber us, but they don’t know this terrain like we do. Dornhal is no mere fortress—it’s a trap! We will make them pay for every step they take toward our walls.”

  A war cry erupted from the defenders.

  Kael took a deep breath. He knew not all of them would survive the day. But there was no other choice.

  The assault began with a volley of arrows. A black cloud rose from Revaris’ lines, darkening the sky before raining down on the ramparts.

  “Take cover!” Kael shouted, raising his shield.

  The impact of projectiles against stone and metal echoed through the air. Cries of pain rang out as several defenders collapsed, pierced through.

  But as soon as the first volley ended, Kael retaliated.

  “Archers! Fire!”

  Dornhal’s archers let loose their arrows in return. The soldiers of Revaris, gathered below, were cut down by the dozens. Men fell screaming, some trying to pull the burning shafts from their flesh.

  Then the trebuchets roared to life.

  Massive flaming projectiles were launched toward the fortress. The first struck a tower, reducing it to rubble. Another crashed into the northern wall, sending shards of stone and broken bodies flying in all directions.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  Kael gritted his teeth. They had to hold at all costs.

  The enemy battering rams finally reached the main gate. Heavy iron mauls slammed against the reinforced wood, each impact ringing like a death knell for the fortress.

  Darius, perched on the wall, glanced at Kael. “Do we let them in, or do we burn them now?”

  Kael didn’t answer immediately. He observed the dense mass of soldiers pressing against the gate.

  Then he nodded.

  “Light the oil.”

  Lysara, who had been waiting for this signal, dropped a torch onto the hidden barrels of oil along the walls.

  Instantly, a wave of flames erupted, engulfing the enemy ranks.

  The screams were horrific. Revaris’ soldiers, trapped in the narrow passage, burned alive, writhing in agony as their flesh melted away. The stench of charred bodies filled the air, a scent of death that sent shivers even through the defenders of Dornhal.

  But the enemy did not stop.

  Those who survived the flames charged forward, using the corpses of their fallen comrades to smother the fire beneath their boots.

  The breach was imminent.

  Kael drew his sword and descended from the ramparts. He knew the time had come for close combat.

  “Darius, Lysara, with me! We hold them at the entrance!”

  The gate shattered with a deafening crash.

  And all hell broke loose.

  The first enemies were met with a hail of spears and axes. Darius lunged into the fray with a roar, burying his axe in a soldier’s chest before stomping another into the ground.

  Kael dodged a blade, countering with a swift slash to his opponent’s throat. He spun, narrowly avoiding an arrow, then drove his sword into another attacker’s abdomen.

  Lysara, faster than the others, danced through the chaos, slitting throats and striking at the weak points in enemy armor.

  The battle grew fiercer.

  Kael felt exhaustion creeping into his muscles, but he could not afford to falter. He drove his blade into another foe, shoved one back with his shield.

  Then he saw Revaris.

  The enemy commander, clad in dark armor, cut through his own men with deadly precision. His eyes met Kael’s.

  A duel was inevitable.

  Revaris stepped forward, pushing aside his own soldiers with a mere gesture.

  “You have been cunning, Kael,” he said in a deep voice. “But this is where it ends.”

  Kael tightened his grip on his weapon.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Their swords clashed with a ringing crash.

  The battle around them seemed to fade as they engaged in a fierce duel.

  Kael parried a powerful blow, countered with a quick feint. Revaris narrowly dodged and retaliated with a series of precise strikes.

  The air vibrated with the intensity of their exchanges.

  But Kael was tiring.

  Revaris, more experienced, noticed the weakness and pressed his attack.

  A brutal strike sent Kael sprawling to the ground. He rolled just in time to avoid a blade that buried itself in the earth beside him.

  The fight seemed lost…

  But suddenly, a war horn echoed in the distance.

  Shouts of alarm rose from Revaris’ troops.

  Kael lifted his gaze and saw an army approaching on the horizon.

  Unknown banners fluttered in the wind.

  Someone had just joined the battle…

  But were they an ally or a new enemy?