Chapter 25 – How to Break Eggs and Paws
Chapter 25 – How to Break Eggs and Paws
The sight of those colossal beasts marching toward us was blood-curdling. The ground beneath Vance Fortress shook at a terrifying rhythm with every single step. You could see the fear etched onto the faces of the soldiers along the battlements; after all, if those monsters got too close, it would be an absolute massacre. At that height, Solano's archers would no longer be at a disadvantage against our walls, and their catapults would soon be reducing our gates to splinters.
Looking down at all of it from the top of the north tower, I could only manage a geeky story villain's chuckle:
— Katriny, let me know when they cross the first marker on the ground. Can you see the markings?
Still somewhat tense, the panda-monk sharpened her gaze:
— Not yet, young master. But I believe their infantry will move ahead first to test our defenses.
— Then let's wait.
The enemy army began to maneuver, coming to a halt and forming massive combat lines. A vast number of men had arrived. By my quick calculations, there were roughly four hundred infantrymen, not counting the remainder of the cavalry and the archers. It was an impressive force by local standards, yet entirely manageable. If they had come with five times that number, not even my scientific toys could save the day.
— Young master, five times that number is unrealistic — Katriny whispered, her eyes fixed on the field. — It would take an all-out war between empires to mobilize that many people.
— I didn't know. To me, those giant numbers were the norm...
— What on earth were you reading back in that old world of yours to think such an absurdity?
I let out a disguised laugh, changing the subject:
— Forget it. So... are they going to advance or not?
— Yes, it has begun. Their infantry is coming!
Hundreds of Solano's soldiers sprinted toward the walls, just like in any rustic medieval warfare. Many fell before even getting close, punished by our shower of arrows and standard traps, like cauldrons of boiling oil. Even so, the survivors managed to reach the walls and began raising siege ladders. So far, everything was going according to plan.
This war of attrition dragged on for three long hours. We suffered a few casualties, but it was clear that Count Baxter's losses were infinitely higher. Suddenly, the heavy blast of a horn echoed from the forest. It was the signal for the next line of attack, since their first attempt had completely flopped.
***
The Furious General
Back in Solano's rear guard, tempers were flaring:
— What on earth happened here?! — Count Baxter roared, furious. — Weren't Vance Fortress's gates supposed to collapse under the spies' attack? Explain yourselves right now!
The captain of the guard fell to his knees, breaking into a cold sweat:
— Commander, our intelligence failed miserably. A mysterious master craftsman completely modified the latches and gearwork of the gates. We didn't receive that information in time, and our sabotage was a fiasco!
— That damned Baron Kenneth of Thalia! — Baxter slammed his fist against the railing of his carriage. — I knew from the start that greedy noble couldn't be trusted. It will take him at least three days to bring his men. We must inflict devastating casualties on Gália now so we stand a chance of invading as soon as Thalia's reinforcements arrive. Advance with the heavy cavalry alongside the Great Thunder-Lizards! Fire the catapults!
— Yes, sir!
The captain sprinted to the middle of the formation and blew the horn twice, ordering the next phase of the slaughter.
***
Back on the north tower, Katriny pointed toward the treeline:
— Young master, they're coming! The Stegosaurus-type Thunder-Lizards are advancing alongside the cavalry, and they've brought large wooden shields for protection. What now?
— Now they receive my first gift — I replied, snapping my fingers. — Let me know when they get into range. I need a moment to concentrate.
— Right... Just a bit further... They're drawing close... NOW, young master! Go!
It had been quite a while since I'd performed such heavy mental exertion. I took a deep breath, activated my psychic abilities, and focused my mind on the first oak barrel. I used my Telekinesis—expanded through Spartan training—to locate all the other "Type 1" containers holding the poisoned caltrops.
I had requested this specific toy from Master Balin with the sole purpose of shredding heavy cavalry. The poison had been chosen by the dwarf himself: a concentrated blend of rustic herbs and swamp fish oil. On humans, the effect was lethal, but on creatures of that scale, it induced chronic pain and severe muscle paralysis.
I focused all my energy. Slowly, thousands of iron spikes began to levitate out of the barrels, clustering in the air like a dense swarm of buzzing insects above the north tower. Soldiers from both sides paused for a second, staring up at the sky in open-mouthed shock. With a swift motion of my hands, I launched the metallic cloud at full speed toward the horses and the Stegosaurs.
The result was a spectacle in itself, but what followed was pure tactical devastation. The lead horses stepped on the caltrops and collapsed to the ground, hurling their iron-clad riders directly onto the venomous spikes. But the most stunning sight was watching the larger monsters fall in a domino effect, just like a row of cards. Driven by their momentum, the Stegosaurs slammed into one another, and most of the rustic catapults they carried were crushed under the sheer weight of the beasts, which lay crouched on the dirt, howling in paralyzed agony.
I looked out at the field and chuckled quietly to myself:
— Good thing animal rights activists don't exist in this world, or I'd be in real trouble...
Katriny stared at me, her eyes wide with shock, unable to believe that a handful of pointed iron could wreak such colossal havoc. She reached out a paw to inspect one of the leftover spikes on the floor:
— Young master, what is this thing anyway?!
— Careful! It's poisoned, it could send you to the grave! — I warned, pulling her arm back. — That's called a caltrop. It's a simple and ingenious device to strip heavy targets of their mobility.
— Strip their mobility? You just completely wiped out their attacking initiative in one fell swoop! — she gasped, her mouth agape. — Do you realize this contraption completely changes siege tactics?
— I just hope my father, Lord Arl, doesn't scold me for wasting iron...
***
At the enemy front, the captain ran frantically to the commander's tent:
— Urgent report, Count Baxter! Our front line has collapsed! We've suffered over seventy percent losses in catapults and pack monsters. Several fallen knights were impaled and are convulsing from some kind of poisonous trap!
— What kind of sorcery is this?! — Baxter bellowed, slamming his fist onto the map table. — Our spies never mentioned that Baron Arl had the backing of such a powerful mage! These traps could only be the work of that mysterious master craftsman. Bring me a sample of that poisoned iron and order the cavalry to fall back! Have the Brontosaurus-type Great Thunder-Lizards advance immediately! Protect their necks and reach the towers at all costs!
The captain scrambled out and blew the horn once more, commanding the cavalry to retreat and shifting their strategy. The surviving soldiers began falling back in haste, many of them injured. Surviving knights spread panic among the ranks, claiming a hurricane of metal insects had flown from the north tower, turning the battlefield into hell.
***
Along the battlements of Vance Fortress, guard morale was through the roof. The defense was working flawlessly, and everyone celebrated the retreat of those initial monsters. Across the courtyard, rumors spread like wildfire about the "mysterious mage" who had summoned the rain of iron insects to save us.
Katriny wiped the sweat from her brow and looked out toward the horizon:
— Young master, it seems they're shifting their ranks...
— Yeah, I expected as much. I just hope they send the big guys soon. It'll make our job easier.
— What do you mean, Kaelen? If we disable the Brontosaurs, they lose all height advantage and the siege turns into a standard war of attrition. They'll be finished!
Solano's horn sounded once more from the woods. The immense Thunder-Lizards, their platforms packed with archers, began marching in our direction. Watching those behemoths approach was an utterly insane experience.
— Katriny, again. Tell me when they cross marker two on the ground. I need a longer period of concentration for these big boys...
— Understood, young master... They're still far... They're advancing with steady steps... Passed marker one... NOW, young master! Attack!
I activated my Telekinesis once more, targeting the "Type 2" barrels. I couldn't lift all fifteen at once, so I had to divide the effort into three consecutive waves. It would be extremely draining on my psychic mind, but enduring this exact pressure was why I had trained this body so relentlessly over the past four months.
An intense bluish glow began to envelop the oak containers. From inside them levitated thousands of tiny barbed harpoons with tips forged into an "M" shape. I poured all my mental strength into giving each one momentum and surgical precision.
The sky above the north tower was covered once more, but this time it didn't look like insects; it was a true vortex of silver needles flying with a life of their own, as though a hurricane were under my absolute command. With a thought, I unleashed the first wave. And the process repeated twice more, firing one wave right after the other.
Like magic, the "M"-shaped needles flew and embedded themselves deep into the thick hides of the immense Thunder-Lizards. The behemoths let out roars of chronic agony that echoed across the entire Province of Gália. The secret of that engineering was brutal: the more the Brontosaurs tried to walk or shake their necks in pain, the deeper the barbs dug into their muscles, tearing their flesh from the inside out.
Panic was absolute. The giants began rearing up and thrashing their necks uncontrollably, throwing down the wooden platforms and flinging nearly all of Solano's archers straight to their deaths on the stone ground below. The line of impenetrable monsters was completely obliterated. No healing spell could mend that level of ruin. Along the battlements, castle soldiers shouted in jubilation, banging their swords against their shields.
***
At the enemy command post, the captain collapsed to his knees before the general, pale as a ghost:
— Report... report from the front line, commander! The mage acted again! He launched a whirlwind of living needles at our Brontosaurs! We've lost eighty percent of the giant lizards! Most are down, and nearly all our elite archers were crushed in the fall!
Count Baxter felt his blood boil with rage, biting his lip until it bled. His eyes glared savagely toward the intact walls of Vance Fortress:
— Cursemore! Lord Arl saw through every step of our march through the swamp and set up a terrifying mechanical sorcery against my war beasts! Retreating now would destroy my entire military reputation in the Solano Empire! Infantry, close ranks! Protect the surviving beasts! We will force our way into the citadel through sheer force of steel before Baron Kenneth betrays us for good!
Baxter grabbed the captain by the collar, his eyes bloodshot with fury:
— Form an elite assault company immediately! Have the men scale straight toward that north tower! Find that cursed mysterious mage... and bring me his head on a silver platter! If that damned mage pulls off another move like that, we won't stand a chance of taking this fortress!
— Yes, my lord!... — the captain replied, his legs trembling with fear of the count, though in truth he feared the hellish scene on the battlefield even more.
***
Meanwhile, at the main command post of Vance Fortress, an officer ran enthusiastically toward the leader of the entourage:
— Lord Baron Arl! Count Baxter's attack initiative has been completely destroyed! You didn't tell us we had a mage of such magnitude on our side! He cast a sorcery that wiped out their entire super-heavy infantry at once!
Lord Arl kept gazing at the horizon with his stern, veteran warrior demeanor:
— It was no mage...
The officer blinked, confused:
— What do you mean, my lord? Only the great mages of the Holy Kingdom could make objects fly and cause such destruction!
Lord Arl remained silent for a few moments, merely glancing toward the north tower with a mixture of pride and worry gleaming in his eyes. He knew his son's sharp intelligence all too well.
***
The Cost of Exertion
At the top of the north tower, the atmosphere was one of utter exhaustion. As soon as the final "M"-shaped needle was launched, the adrenaline ebbed away. I felt my legs and hands trembling violently. A wave of staggering fatigue crashed over my psychic mind. My strength evaporated, and I collapsed onto the cold stone floor.
Katriny dropped her training armguards and rushed toward me, her eyes wide with worry:
— Young master!!! You pushed yourself too far!
She gathered me gently into her furry panda arms, tenderly cradling my head in her lap:
— Thanks, Katriny... — I whispered, feeling every single muscle in my frail body aching like never before. — I'm completely exhausted right now. My entire body is throbbing with chronic pain from the exertion... But we can't just sit here celebrating. We need to hide immediately. They'll definitely send reinforcements to hunt down the source of the attacks.
Katriny looked around, gauging our chances with her combat instincts:
— You're in no condition to walk or stand, Kaelen. And we're locked up here at the top. There are only two standard guards protecting this watchtower. I can carry you on my back, but we'd need a clear escape route to get out...
I let out a weak, self-deprecating laugh, feeling my nose begin to bleed slightly from the psychic strain. I looked toward the tower entrance:
— Then get ready, my loyal bear... We're going to have company very soon.
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