The Union - Chapter 254 Defeat and Victory

Twenty riders accompanied Layfare. One of them was Shadow, now dressed in a new but weird attire. Tall dark hat with black coat. He prefered a cane rather than a sword.

It was his last pair, Shadow told Layfare whatever that meant. It doesn’t matter. They were but twenty riders, riding to the Hadean camp where thousands were prepared to sortie. There were bigger problems than Shadow’s weird clothes.

They zagged through the front of the trench. The two men at the front, Vanadians, carried poles tipped with a white cloth. Not that a symbol of peace would prevent the Hadeans from loosing bolts of death upon them. But it was a start. It was all they had.

Immediately they were stopped by a hundred angry Hadeans baring steel-tipped spears. They erupted from the portion of the trench they were hiding from. More soldiers popped their heads from the trenches, looking at them with arms prepared to strike.

“We come in peace!” Shouted Shadow as the Hadeans neared.

The plea somehow eased the Hadeans but the tension remained. Layfare could now see crossbowmen taking aims.

“Stop!” She shouted before it turned ugly and bloody. “Do not advance further”

“Princess Layfare?” One of the spearmen recognized her amidst bulging eyes. “Is that you? Is that really you?

“I want to speak with General Horis” Layfare said through cracking voice.

The Spearmen looked at one another. Some lowered their spears.

“You heard her” One of them, a man wearing the armor and symbol of a Centurion, shouted with a wave. Layfare heaved a sigh. Bloodshed was prevented. At least for now.

In a few moments General Horis arrived mounted on his horse. His armor was just a bit short of being full plate. His helm had a crest of golden horsehair. His aging saggy face peeked through his visor.

“Unhand her!” General Horis shouted to the Castonians and Vanadians. The spearmen again drew near and raised their weapons.

“No! I am safe.” Layfare slid off her horse. She was halfway between the two sides “I… They didn’t hurt me.”

“Good then” General Horis eyed the twenty riders. “I thank you for bringing her back here safe. The King has been worried.” He looked at his men. “Take the Princess and kill them all.”

Time seemed to slow as two Hadeans rushed to her side. The crossbowmen raised their crossbows, aiming for the kill. She looked back at Shadow and the rest. They were scared, she could see that. But in just a moment, they seemed to accept their end.

End. Deaths. Senseless deaths. What would killing them accomplish? They would die like Neil did. And the Union would annihilate every single one of the Hadeans if the riders and Shadow were killed.

She sprang and sprinted towards Shadow, putting herself in front of him. Three bolts had already been loosed, one finding the neck of a horse, the animal neighing to its death. She closed her eyes and awaited more bolts. None followed.

“Princess!” She heard General Horis shout “Get away”

Layfare looked around. The Hadeans were shaking at the thought that she was nearly hit. They might not be as strong as the Castonians but their loyalty rivaled.

She eyed Shadow, the man who abducted her. Somehow she was glad that he did. He provided a single nod.

Layfare took a step forward. She pointed at a spearman, the frontmost one.

“Who do you serve?” She asked.

The man looked around and then back at Layfare. “Hadea, Your Highness”

“Then you serve me. Lay down your arms” She didn’t let the man utter a reply and immediately adressed the others. “These people are my guests. Don’t dare point your weapons at them”

She took another step and met eyes with the General. His jaws were dropping. “Now General, by virtue of my rank I am taking command of all your men. And I order you to surrender.”

***

Arrows fell like rain in a bad storm, some fallin g useless while others hitting men to their deaths. The dead now littered the ground, the dying calling for help.

“Climb!” Corey shouted at his men scaling the ladders. The enemies flung stones and hot sand from above, killing some of the scalers. Some got through only to be cut down by the defenders. Corpses fell left and right.

“Ram it hard!” He shouted as he turned to the rammers. They had been ramming the gate for a long time now. It didn’t break. It didn’t even bulge. The enemies hurled something large and heavy, killing the eight rammers and dropping the ram. It doesn’t matter. More Hadeans were willing to pick the ram again. The assault would continue.

He looked above, to the calm Castonians defending the wooden walls of their camp. They barely bled at all. Well it was a foolish assault anyway. The Castonians outnumbered them. They only brought about twenty ladders and two rams. The only consolation was that the Castonians seemed to limit their use of ballistae and hellfire. The arrows also seemed to avoid Corey himself.

A crack sounded. Corey looked to the side. A ladder broke. The three scalers on it fell and were gifted arrows.

“We should retreat sire” a brave Canturion whispered to him. “We cannot make a breach and even if we could, the Castonians outnumber us.”

Corey’s ear rang hearing that. He cuffed the Centurion. “Retreat you say?! We will not go back unless I have my daughter! We will tear their walls with our hands if we have to. We will ram our heads against their gate if we have to. Nod if you understand!”

The Centurion nodded slowly and Corey released the man. The assault taxed them heavily. Casualties piled. After a while all the ladders had either been destroyed or taken by the enemies. The ramming continued although it resulted poorly, only a few splinters were broken from the gate. Corey’s army was stuck in the killing field. Retreat would save them from annihilation but he will have none of that. Layfare was waiting for him. His daughter was in peril. He will get her back.

He gripped his sword tighter and started hacking the wooden pallisades. His buffeted it with all his strength. The stakes incurred cuts and chops but his action did more damage to his sword. The blade was bent and Corey was panting. And yet his anger still burned.

The arrows stopped raining. It felt like sunlight after a viscious storm. His men, who were cowering earlier, popped their heads, curious as to what caused the enemies to give them respite. Corey was curious too.

And he he heard a march. The slow rythmic pounding of boots against the ground shook the sandy soil. He looked at the distance, to the east. Hadeans. The flag was that of Hadea.

He rejoiced, mumbling some low grunt of celebration.

“Reinforcements! General Horis is here!” He shouted.

His men yelled cries. Friends. Allies. The assault would resume.

But the one riding at the front wasn’t Horis. Corey couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his daughter. It was her. He couldn’t be mistaken.

“Lay!” Corey ran towards his daughter. She dismounted and met him with an embrace.

“You’re safe, thank the Omniscient. Where have you been? The enemies. The letter…No matter. Time shouldn’t be wasted. Go back to the camp. I will make them pay. I promise. Your father vows it”

Corey then saw that the men that Layfare brought didn’t have weapons. They didn’t even have armor. He creased his brows.

“What…”

“I came here to surrender” Layfare said. “You should too father. We have lost.”

“Lay” Corey’s chuckle was scattered until he realized what happened.

“Please” Layfare looked down. “Enough. I don’t want more deaths. We have bled enough”

Corey shook his head. “No” he uttered.

He looked back. The King of Castonia was on top of the wall, looking at them. Corey hated that look. He despised it beyond words.

He again gripped the hilt of his sword, harder this time. He wanted to slay that arrogant King with his own two hands. He wanted to make him pay for all the losses Hadea had suffered. His pride and anger wouldn’t be quenched.

But as he looked at his daughter, he didn’t saw Layfare at all. That little girl he wanted to protect with all his being was gone. Layfare had grown into someone who can think on her own. She didn’t want more deaths. Corey had seen how devastated she was when that lowly noble boy died. He didn’t want it repeated. Seeing that painful cry from her was too much. Layfare’s wish was peace. And as a father it was his duty to make her happy- even at the cost of his crown and pride.

Corey raised his sword, pointing at the King of Castonia. He threw it to the side. The blade hit the powdery ground. Hadea had lost the war.