Chapter 24 – The Invasion
Chapter 24 – The Invasion
Nine months had passed since the second ambush on the coastal road. During all this time, we raced against the clock and reaped great rewards. We managed to erect about ten secret towers, well-camouflaged high in the treetops. I also set traps with invisible horsehair wires across the most dangerous parts of the forest.
The only thing that still bugged me was the Muddy Swamp. For safety reasons, my father, Baron Arl, wouldn't let me set up anything too close to all that mud. So, as a precaution, I asked Master Balin to place a hidden tower right at the entrance of the swamp, in addition to scattering echo-tuned alarms in the four directions of the castle.
Now, there was nothing more to be done. Time had run out. The construction of the main gate with the Secret Helm was completed, and my new "toys" were finally delivered. There were twenty barrels filled to the brim. I prayed I wouldn't need to use any of it. After all, I still knew nothing about the dynamics of war in this world. My calculations indicated that the attack would come in a month, but the danger arrived much sooner.
We received the terrible news that the alarm at the furthest tower, the one right next to the swamp, had sounded. And it wasn't a faint signal. The gong echoed with tremendous force. Judging by the speed of their footsteps, the enemies would be at our gates in five to ten days at most.
Far from there, near the road bound for Tegumo, ten carriages disguised as a commercial convoy moved in a hurry along the roads. They were Baron Kenneth's men. The captain of that clandestine entourage pulled his horse's reins and ordered:
— Hurry up! We need to reach the eastern road to get to the main gate before Solano's main company shows up. You know your orders, don't you?
— Yes, sir! — the mercenaries replied, adjusting their swords beneath their clothes.
— Make sure there are no failures!
Several people climbed down from the wagons near the edge of the forest, staring at the leader:
— We will wait here in the woods for your fire signal — one of them said. — Inform Count Baxter. If you fail to open the gate from the inside, our trade agreement will be off.
— I am aware of that — the captain muttered. — Everything will go smoothly. There will be no failures.
***
Near the Muddy Swamp, the atmosphere was far more tense. A scout clad in dark armor ran toward the general's tent:
— Captain reporting, sir!
Count Baxter, Solano's commander, raised his eyes from the maps:
— Well, did you see anything suspicious? Any news on whether the enemy discovered our march through the mud?
— No, sir! There is no movement from the guards of Vance Fortress. And our super-heavy cavalry is managing to pass through the mud without issues. We had a few minor inconveniences due to the weight, but everything is on schedule!
— Excellent! — Baxter smiled maliciously. — Quicken the march. I want you to make the journey to the fort in five days!
The captain swallowed hard, worried:
— Sir, the soldiers are already exhausted from crossing the swamp on foot! Quickening the pace now could cause casualties. Furthermore, we need to feed the beasts of the super-heavy cavalry. If the monsters run out of food, they will rebel against the reins!
— Then do whatever it takes! — Baxter shouted, slamming his hand on the table. — We must arrive in the shortest time possible. I give you a maximum of seven days, and not an hour more!
***
At Vance Fortress, all the commanders already knew that enemy troops were approaching. But no one said anything to the general population or the common soldiers for fear that the information might leak.
Some secret movements began along the battlements. My father, Lord Arl, had already sent two secret messengers under the cover of night, but they didn't tell me where they were going. That left me quite frustrated. Since I couldn't do anything about it, my only option was to vent my frustration during the heavy training sessions with Katriny and my fencing instructor. Anxiety was growing by the second.
A few nights later, danger struck in the dark. Near the chains of the main gate, figures moved among the shadows:
— Hurry up! Go to the gate and lower the iron bar, or cut the ropes once and for all! — whispered the leader of the traitors.
— Number Two, inform the other units to act on my signal and disable the other gates.
— Number Three, check if we haven't been spotted by the guards.
— Move now! We have a short window of time. Soon the great shadow will appear, and that will be the perfect moment to attack.
Thanks to the echo tubes I installed in the guardhouses, the spies' conversations began leaking directly into the control post:
— Number Two reporting. We have entered and are ready to strike.
— Number Four reporting. Prepared.
— Number Seven reporting. All set.
— Excellent, now disable the signaling circuit and begin the attack!
Sometime later, the silence of the night was shattered by cries of pain, splintering wood, and small mechanical explosions inside the guardhouses. The alarm began to sound frantically in the watchtowers. Through the echo pipes, the desperation of the spies could be heard:
— Number Five reporting! We tried to cut the ropes with axes, but the blades bounced off! We can't sever the wires! We're trapped in the guardhouse!
— Number Two reporting! We tried to open the gate, but one of our men triggered a mechanism and was killed by an iron trap! The doors are locked from the outside, we're trapped!
— Number Four reporting! We're cornered! Half the group is dead! The doors are locked by automatic latches, and there is a super intricate clockwork mechanism here... the gears won't move no matter what!
— Number Seven reporting... We managed to steal the guard's standard key, but it doesn't work on the bronze drum! The surviving soldier, before dying, laughed in our faces and said we fell right into the young master's trap...
The captain of the traitors flew into a rage upon seeing his men's failure:
— How is this possible?! It's just cutting a damn rope! How couldn't they accomplish that? I'll have to handle it myself!
The alarms echoed through the castle. The agreement with Count Baxter stated that at least one of the bridges needed to drop for Solano's army to enter. The captain scaled the stone wall with great agility. Using his magic, he attempted to burn the ropes of the main gate:
— What the hell! Who enchanted these ropes against magic? And to make matters worse, they're reinforced!
Sweating nervously, the man poured a thick, acidic liquid over the cables. The hemp began to hiss and corrode.
— Finally! — he smiled.
A sharp snap was heard as the ropes parted. But instead of the great gate collapsing and opening the castle, a metallic sound echoed. Click-clack! A backup gear at the base of the bronze drum locked the axle directly into the stone. The man backed away, shocked:
— How did the gate not fall?! I've never heard of a mechanism that holds gates without the main ropes! What the hell did they do here?
Castle soldiers came running with torches and spears in hand:
— Alert the captains! We are under attack by saboteurs! Run to the casemates and protect the bridges and entrances as practiced in training! High alert for the north and west patrols, the main ropes have been severed!
Seeing that his plan had been uncovered and that the guards were fully organized, the traitor captain leaped off the wall and fled into the forest. Hours later, he met with the masked man from Thalia:
— Unfortunately, it wasn't possible... We apologize for the failure.
The masked man clenched his fists in rage:
— There are no excuses! It was a simple infiltration job!
— Don't you lie to me saying it was simple! — the captain yelled back. — Only a Grandmaster craftsman could assemble a piece so packed with tricks! All our units are locked in the dungeons or dead in the guardhouses! It's your fault for not warning us about the new defenses! Baron Kenneth will not take responsibility for this!
The masked man turned his back, cold:
— Then inform your baron that Plan B will be activated right now. Solano will march with everything we have. Kenneth will have fifteen days to assist us with soldiers in the rear. Otherwise, the next target of our monsters will be his province!
Unwilling to accept this, the captain ran off to warn his lord.
***
Monsters at Dawn
At Vance Fortress, the quiet of the night turned into a mad rush. My father burst into my room clad in his shining armor:
— Kaelen, my son, wake up! They are launching the attack. I need you and your mother, Lady Sylvia, to head to the underground shelter right now!
Without giving time for an answer, Lord Arl dashed out of the castle, mounted his horse, and led his battalion toward the walls to organize the defense.
I leaped out of bed and shook the panda sleeping in the corner:
— Katriny! The time has come! I need to know if the oak barrels were placed in the locations I ordered!
Still half-asleep and scratching her eyes, she grumbled:
— What do you mean, young master?... It's still a dark night under the moon of Aegis... Why are you talking about wooden barrels at this hour?
— Wake up, Katriny! The war has begun!
Her eyes went wide, and she sprang up in a single bound:
— It has already started?!
— Yes! And the barrels, are they positioned?
— Yes, the guards placed all of them in the gutters of the north wall three days ago, just as you requested!
— Great! We have to run to the top of the north tower right now. If my calculations are correct, the real attack will begin at dawn. What we experienced tonight was just the spies' appetizer.
***
When the twin suns rose into the sky, the sight at the treeline made my jaw drop. The ground beneath my feet vibrated faintly.
Emerging from the swamp, ten gigantic beasts were advancing. They resembled Brontosaurs, but were completely plated in metal and carried platforms packed with archers and catapults strapped to their necks. Flanking the giants came thirty more monsters resembling Stegosaurs, bearing catapults attached to their tails bristling with iron spikes. They had come prepared to destroy everything.
Where on earth did Solano get so many dinosaurs?! I thought, stunned.
— Young master... those aren't dinosaurs, whatever that means — Katriny whispered, looking frightened. — Those are Great Thunder-Lizards, common creatures from the forests and swamps of the south. It's normal to spot them around here.
— What do you mean? — I blinked, incredulous. — They managed to domesticate lizards of that size for war?
— It's not that difficult for beast tamers — she explained. — They've been used in battles in the past, but seeing this many in a single company is quite impressive...
Katriny then pointed to the sealed oak containers stored along the battlements:
— Young master, change the subject. Tell me once and for all: what is inside these twenty barrels? What kind of toy did you invent this time?
I flashed a sharp, clever smile, watching Solano's monsters take their first steps toward us.
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