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Chapter II

The fall of Arx Lupus

-7-

S

erafin helped his friend up. All three armed themselves with daggers and swords. They left the armory taking with them extra weapons to distribute to the others. They crossed the corridor to the main exit. A few steps forward they saw the captain and the general leaving the control room. The general turned back.

“You three, get to the watchtower to the east and join the regiment. We were attacked by a trebuchet. The enemy is at least four hundred paces away."− Ordered the general.

"Since when the orcs attack with trebuchets?"− Goldeon asked his brother-in-law.

“I don't know. This is the first time they use war machines. We must send a regiment to attack in order to destroy it or they will demolish us."− the general suggested.

The captain shouted and ordered his garrison to split into two regiments.

“Fortdar, if you find Baltdeon, protect him. It is not with the others."− Said the worried father.

"Is my grandson one of the recruits you brought into this hell?"− The general asked, confused and irritated. He separated from his brother-in-law.

They hadn't planned the defense and it seemed to be improvised. It was late at night and there was no way to tell which direction the attack was coming from. To the west was the rock on which part of the fortress was built and it continued north for at least a thousand paces. The attack could only be launched from the north. In the east-side, there was the forest and there were no clearings useful for using a trebuchet.

“Captain, the attacks have stopped. Only two flaming stones were thrown with the same throw."− Said a paladin next to the captain.

The three recruits had reached the meeting point commanded by the general.

The general in the shelter behind the north-east tower rejoined the regiment. He gave orders to reach the pass to check who was attacking and the size of the enemy force.

Two peasants who could not fight took care of putting out the fire that was starting in the east wing of the fortress. The structure was born as a stately gned to withstand an attack with catapults and fireballs. The watchtower was hit by fire and only thanks to timely intervention was the collapse averted.

-8-

Balt found shelter at the foot of the shack he had just emerged from. He had seen the fireball swirl in the air and saw it shatter against the outer walls. He drew his sword to be ready for any eventuality. He noticed no movement. He did not know the village and did not know if it was safe to move there. He took some time to think. In the distance he could not even see the other paladins and his companions.

-9-

The general's regiment moved north along the forest. It moved slowly. The crossbows covered the movement of the other members of the regiment. Generally a regiment was composed of eight units but with the continuation of the battle in the outpost the general was forced to reduce the number to five; there were few men left at his disposal. The paladins were armed with Hombros long swords, heavy iron shields, and the armor protected most of the body and limbs. Some were also skilled crossbowmen. The movements were slow, due to the night limiting visibility and to reduce the sound of the trampling of the leaves and the creaking of the armor. Nothing moved. Not a step. A rustling. The regiment continued on the perimeter of the forest, always keeping its guard up. The path went around a cottage. The paladins split into two groups and encircled the building. Then they all found themselves on the opposite side. The trail branched east into the forest and widened to the north along the great rock face. When they reached the plain surrounded by uncultivated fields, they saw the recruit Helder emerge from the brush.

The land of the trail was marked with an arcane symbol that had left the marks of a magical burning. Five stones were completely black, as if they were burned from the inside. A paladin grabbed one and crumbled as soon as it was lifted.

“Recruit, run and get your captain and the general. They must see this too."− Ordered one of the five.

Helder ran along the path. He went around the watchtower and was joined by Balt who had seen him approaching from his hiding place. They ran alongside.

“What happened Helder? Who were we attacked by?"− Balt asked with decisive curiosity.

“You will never believe what I have seen. It's an incredible and frightening thing."− Helder said as he turned towards the fortress.

“MAGIC! Balt! Orcs have magic."− He answered, running out of breath.

They both arrived at the gates of the fortress where the other paladins were retreating. They were immediately spotted and stopped by the two superiors. The captain saw his son and breathed a sigh of relief. The general was also relieved at the sight of his nephew.

“Captain, General. The regiment awaits you in the north, where the path opens."− Helder warned his superiors in full voice even though he was short of breath.

-10-

The captain and the general stared at the arcane symbol stamped into the stone. The general took the second black stone and it too crumbled as soon as it was lifted. The circle was ten paces in diameter.

"Sir"− interrupted Helder.

"I saw everything."− Explained the rookie.

The general approached him and ordered him to continue.

“I was on patrol when I heard footsteps coming from the north. It was a troop of five orcs. Armed with axes and breastplates that I had never seen before."− He took a breath.

“They placed the five stones in a circle. One of them was reading a parchment and the stones became luminous; blue rays began to connect the five stones together, generating this circle and these strange symbols."− Helder explained.

“Suddenly a trebuchet appeared. It was not as big as that of men. It fits perfectly within the stone circle. He had already loaded the burning stones. The orcs released the release mechanism by attacking the east tower and then the stones began to lose their luster. The orcs re-entered the circle with the trebuchet and were sucked in with the last flashes of brightness from the stones."− Concluded the recruit.

The general began to look around restlessly. The captain stared at Balt, glad he was unharmed. His face, however, darkened. Some thoughts flooded his mind and he shook his head to avoid thinking about them. He did not want for a moment to believe the fairy tales his father had been telling him for a lifetime.

"Let's go back to the fortress."− He ordered.

The General decided to leave a patrol in the cottage near the branch of the paths. From there they could spot suspicious movements. The rest of the group immediately returned to the walls. They had to plan a defense strategy.

Balt stayed behind the group and was tempted to pick up that charred black stone. Serafin had stayed with him. He grabbed the stone. He lifted it off the ground and the black dust from the combustion began to slip through his fingers until it fell to the ground. In the palm of his hand remained a sphere the size of a peach pit of a glassy blue, almost transparent color. Serafin rubbed his eyes. Balt didn't hesitate. He picked up the other two stones and the same thing happened. Now he held three stones in his hand.

"They look like crystals."− Serafin said incredulously.

How is this possible? The captain's and the general's hands are completely pulverized."− He exclaimed.

He looked at him. He had no answer to give him, he was fascinated and incredulous by what he had seen and done. He now possessed three magical crystals that he knew nothing about.

“Promise me you'll keep the secret. You won't have to tell anyone. Neither my father nor my uncle, the general."− Balt asked in a worried and authoritative tone.

Serafin was his best friend and he didn't hesitate for a moment to promise to keep the secret. He stood by his side and together they returned to the fortress as per orders.

-11-

The Captain flanked by the general observed the forces at his disposal. An orderly kept the map of the outpost well explained.

We cannot turn a blind eye to this. These orcs have found the magic. And now things get complicated for us.”− Said the general in a firm voice.

The captain reflected.

"We must lure the enemies to a place favorable to us to surround them and attack them on several fronts."− He said as he searched the map for the right place.

“If they have magic we are vulnerable. Damn. They carried a trebuchet through that kind of magical portal four hundred paces from the fortress. The Ignis pass is half a day's walk from here. We would have noticed his arrival with the noise one of those war machines makes to be moved. They would have needed at least ten, fifteen orcs to move it. "− The general pronounced nervously.

All the paladins and recruits who had regrouped stood silently waiting for orders. The two surviving peasants arrived with all the reinforcement weapons present in the armory. They were distributed to all soldiers and also to recruits. With a second trip the peasants also distributed portions of food; dried meat and legumes. On the third journey they came out of the gate of the fortress with a cauldron from which the smell of soup of meat and legumes was dispersed.

“We need strength and vigor. I have given orders to deliver the remaining portions of food to you so that each of you is independent."− Explained the captain.

“In the past two months the attacks have tripled. The northern pass is now under the control of the orcs. The city of Ignis is a treasure trove of resources for our enemies. As if that weren't enough, they found the magic. What has never happened before today."− The general went on.

Young Helder asked for the floor. The captain looked at him and agreed to listen to him.

“Sir. If the orcs use those stones to create those portals they could reach the outpost in minutes and with a large number of units. What if they had prepared other circles with those magical stones?"− Asked the young hunter.

The captain approached his brother-in-law for an opinion and they both seemed to agree. The risk of this being possible was high. But they both knew they couldn't expose themselves in the search for the portals.

“Sir. When I was near the forest to the northeast, I had the feeling that I was being spied on. I tried to see who or what he was but the footsteps were running away and I considered it risky to chase him into the forest."− The young man went on.

The two commanders consulted again. The general then let out something aloud as he reasoned.

"The rebels of Campo Libero."− He whispered, shaking his head. It was the least of the problems at the time.

"We cannot disperse the Helder recruit forces."− Answered the captain.

The recruit nodded; he did not know of the existence of a rebel village, he had never heard of it. His superiors did not find it urgent to deal with a spy, and despite his curiosity, Helder asked no more questions.

-12-

After eating a second time to gain strength, all the paladins took their places in various hiding places to rest. The night was still up. In autumn, in the Hombros valleys, the sun set much earlier than in the other seasons. Helder climbed to the top of a watchtower which was unharmed by attacks. He had prepared his hunting bow which he never parted with. Serafin and Balt chose the dilapidated watchtower. The acrid smell of burning had vanished with the light north wind. Vlad was left alone and preferred to stay at the foot of a half-destroyed hut. On the other hand, Teroin, the youngest of the company, had not bonded very well with his companions. He was always thoughtful and preferred to stay close to the captain or other older paladins. He tried to study their behavior, thought, words and movements. He dreamed of becoming a powerful and recognized champion as his father had been. He lay down in the shelter of an overturned cart near a hut. Beside him, on the steps were two veteran paladins.

-13-

At the first light of dawn Helder woke swiftly, alert on the northern horizon. The tall trees of the forest to the east still shadowed the path to the pass. His presentiment became reality. He screamed with all the breath he was wearing until his lungs were empty.

"Magical portal to the northeast, at the beginning of the forest!"− He was screaming over and over again until he was completely out of the watchtower.

The captain, the general and the whole army jumped up. Some were already awake and were sharpening their swords even more. Balt and Serafin jumped and got ready in seconds. Teroin was already on his feet following the example of the paladins he had nearby. Vlad, on the other hand, got up very slowly. He noticed the small diary that he always carried with him fell into the bush on which he rested his head. He had jotted down many things before falling into a near-deep sleep. He felt refreshed and energized.

In the distance, the steels of Hombros' swords and the axes of the orcs could be heard in a harmonized concert of slashing and parrying. The shooters ran up to the watchtowers and loaded the crossbows. From the top of the tower they could see the enemy. An army of at least one hundred. The patrolling paladins to the north were halved, retreating furiously towards the fortress. The enemy army recovered without taking any casualties.

Captain... They come. An army of at least one hundred."− Shouted the lookout.

"All in your seats, as planned."− Ordered the captain who drew the broadsword with two hands.

The enemy army was advancing compactly. Orcs, some muscular armed with double-bladed axes, others more slender armed with short bows. What united them was their gray face, full of cocoons and wrinkles, wounded and without a human line. Ears with the tip curved down. They kept pace with a rhythm that seemed to shake the ground beneath their feet. They all wore raw iron plate armor. The legs remained uncovered.

“Aim for the legs. Their armor is short."− Suggested the commander of the crossbowmen.

The first wave of darts swooped down from the remaining turrets. The front rows were taken by surprise. Several wounded were left behind bleeding from their mighty thighs and calves. They reformed the front line. They advanced with shields for protection. The crossbows were reloaded with new darts. This time they impacted a wall of shields which, positioned on the ground, parried the attack while avoiding injuries. Helder had joined Balt and Serafin at the foot of the dilapidated tower. They remained together hidden inside. The enemy army proceeded with their shields raised to protect themselves from the attacks of the crossbowmen. The order to stop throwing darts was immediate. They all came down from the towers and drew their two-handed broadswords. Helder, taking advantage of a slit, began to unload the arrows of his bow against the first row that did not expect an attack from below. At least ten orcs were seriously injured in the legs. But all that wasn't enough, evidently. It was the turn of the enemy army. The bows possessed by the orcs were short and had a short range. They were built with very hard wood which counterbalanced the loss of range with a great penetration capacity. The first wave of arrows exploded against the armor of some paladins who were not well protected behind some rubble. The arrows pointed like ice crystals pierced their armor and severely wounded them.

The horn blew. What appeared to be the army commander ordered the charge. The enemy horde struck Hombros' troops. Still hidden inside the dilapidated tower, the three young men shouted the charge when a few orcs remained in the rear. The skirmish began. The thunder of blades crashing hard against each other echoed at the foot of the rocky shore. Some crossbowmen from the east tower of the fortress found shelter to be able to attack enemies who did not blend into the fray. Their contribution was essential in knocking out an orc who was about to strike General Fortdar from behind. Hombros' paladins managed to stand up to their enemies. The two-handed broadswords resisted ax blows and were capable of demolishing enemy iron armor with calibrated blows. Each soldier of Hombros had to have a good physical bearing and be of robust and possibly high tonnage, above the average of any citizen of the principality otherwise he would not have withstood the physical confrontation against those robust and powerful enemies.

Further south where there were half-ruined huts Vlad fought like a pro. He parried slashes and dodged ax blows. He managed to knock out a couple of enemies thanks to his skill and dexterity. With somersaults, after having prevented a bipedal from cutting off his arm, using one of the daggers he had collected in the armory, he wounded one of the largest orcs in the army in the inner thigh with repeated attacks. He fell to the ground in pain, unable to continue the fight.

At the root of the walls to the west of the fortress, besieged by the mass arrival of the orcs, Teroin fought alongside the captain, the general and a squad of veterans who stood up to well over twenty well-armed and armored orcs. These, unlike the first lines, had leather protections in legs too. The fighting in the shadow of the walls looked like a dance like at royal gala parties. The warriors exchanged enemies, now attacking, now defending. The one protected the other by blocking, threatening lunges. The blades screeched together and the concert continued cruel and merciless and with each round of attacks someone was injured in the arm, another fell to the ground and was finished with the blade stuck in the abdomen, penetrating armor and flesh.

-14-

From the ruined tower the three companions moved towards the forest dividing a part of the enemy troop. They had a hard time fighting against those strong and physically superior enemies. Helder could easily bear the brunt of the attacks. Although Serafin was tall, he was not large in build and blocking the blows of the axes tired him more than expected. Balt, on the other hand, lacked height and tried to use his smaller stature to hit opponents where they weren't protected. The forest was close and now they were facing one ogre each. The most ferocious was faced by Helder who had to protect himself from powerful attacks made with a weapon he had never seen. It was a kind of two-handed broadsword but instead of a single central blade tied to the hilt, it had a double blade like a crescent-shaped double ax with serrated edge. Whenever Helder parried a blow, his sword was in danger of getting caught between the teeth of that broadsword. Balt and Serafin tried to sow their opponents in the trees to catch their breath and think of a strategy that could help them get rid of the enemy. The two orcs running in search of their prey were attracted by the fight of Helder who managed to hit the arm with which the orc was holding the double-faced broadsword. The young hunter was now in danger. He would have to face three orcs. They surrounded him. Balt and Serafin realized that they had outlived their pursuers and by chance they were able to see that they had surrounded their friend. They pulled their daggers from their belts and reached a reasonable distance; they threw them at the two orcs, wounding them in the shoulder and thigh. Helder took advantage of this and plunged his blade into the enemy on the left, letting him fall to the ground. Pulling out the blade at speed thanks to a pirouette he whirled with the sword tearing with the fast blow the iron armor of the enemy on the right. he caught his breath. One lunge and the second orc was also on the ground, out of action. When he turned he found three swords in front of his face a breath away from his neck. Balt and Serafin had crossed blades to parry the blow inflicted by the ferocious orc against the hunter who had dropped his guard to attack the other two. Their arms were shaking and their swords still vibrated after locking the double-edged sword. Helder did not hesitate and took advantage of that moment to stab the enemy who was within walking distance of him. Balt released his grip and dropped the weapon to the ground. He was shocked. He was out of breath and knew he wouldn't have time to regain his strength. His companions were also catching their breath. Despite fatigue, the hunter decided to pick up the orc's broadsword to try it out. The effort was enormous, he managed to lift it trembling with fatigue.

"It weighs at least three times more than the two-handed greatswords of paladins."− He said making the weapon fall to the ground.

Then he turned to Balt and pointed out that the fortress needed their support to stand up to the rest of the enemy army. Balt replied.

“We have to go north. You said they came with another magical portal. We must find it and destroy it to prevent others from arriving."− He picked up his sword and skirted the side of the forest headed north, inviting his companions to follow him.

-15-

As they passed the farm they saw land that had overgrown weeds trampled on. They approached cautiously, hiding in the thick brush and saw a circle of stones in the middle of the ground that had burned the weeds and created a clean clearing. The magical symbols were clearly visible and had marked the ground. There were two orcs on guard. Helder did not wait, he prepared two arrows and with tenacious professionalism shot them one after the other, hitting the two orcs who remained on the ground, alive, but out of action. Serafin rushed at them to finish them off but Balt asked him not to kill them. The two guards moaned in pain and wondered in their unintelligible language why they hadn't been killed.

“They cannot defend themselves. It wouldn't be a fair death. We must respect the enemy so that he can respect us."− He approached the stone circle. They were still bright.

Balt guessed they were still active waiting for the soldiers to return. However, he decided to try and get one. He feared that touching the stone he would burn or feel some pain caused by the magic and instead the only thing that happened was the sudden fading of the magical glow of the portal. Balt ran around the circle to collect all five stones that marked the perimeter of the portal which was over thirty paces in diameter. He hid the stones in his travel bag.

The orcs had seen it all and would not miss the opportunity to report what they saw to their comrades when they returned. The three friends immediately ran at full speed to reach the fortress where the battle for control of the outpost was inexorable.

-16-

The Arx Lupus outpost was the bulwark guarding the northern border of the principality of Hombros. It was famous for its impregnable fortress built into the rock, for the training ground of the paladins, the strongest, most skilled and tenacious warriors of all known kingdoms. It was a real fortified citadel that could count on numerous farms and herds and a good number of citizens who populated it since before its restructuring and fortification.

For two years now, since the first orc attacks began, the outpost has become an inhospitable and dangerous place. Garrisoned by General Fortdar's garrison, life seemed to go smoothly and sporadic attacks from the north were easily repelled.

Despite the efforts, the attacks continued until they reached a weekly consistency that made it impossible to work in the fields and graze animals that were killed or stolen. Day after day the inhabitants abandoned their homes and their jobs to return to the capital in search of a life far from the guerrillas. There remained only a few peasants who had no family and who did not like the life of the big city. The battles in defense of the garrison had lasted for a long time, involving many soldiers and if at the beginning the attacks were sporadic and conducted by a few dozen orcs, in recent times the general had realized that the orcs were led by some force that made inexhaustible their number, their power and their will to penetrate within the borders of Hombros, as if they were desperate for something.

-17-

The orc army had been halved thanks to the fighting power of Hombros' paladins who, however, had suffered significant losses. The battle raged between the dilapidated huts that ended curling up on themselves when the blows of the sword and ax struck in the sodden wood of the walls. Prey and predators reversed roles, first chasing each other to swing, then fleeing to dodge them. The three recruits returning from the northern path proceeded at great speed in search of the captain or general to inform them of what they had seen but were anticipated by the thunder of a fireball that fell on the east wing of the fortress, already a victim of the previous attack, mortally wounding the crossbowmen who had stationed there to attack the enemies on the ground. The battle stopped for a few moments. The captain, the general, and Teroin looked up at the collapsing walls and lookout tower. The control room was completely submerged in debris from the collapsed buildings. Goldeon looked around to count the remaining enemies and to cherish the hope of seeing his son again. He knew in his heart that he had not been a good father but simply a master of arms. Deep down he loved his son who allowed him to see his wife in him and had to work hard so that the same fate as his mother was not written for him. He turned his gaze and saw him, accompanied by his companions.

The battle resumed and continued along with the explosions of the fireballs that had resumed demolishing the fortress.

They approached faster and faster, climbing over the lifeless and dying bodies of paladins and orcs. The three boys shouted at their commanders.

“The orcs. Fifty other orcs are coming with trebuchets."− They shouted frantically for the race.

They were attacked by two enemies from behind and only managed to dodge the blow because they were running.

The armored orcs still resisted, tireless, and fought with arrogance and desire to eliminate their opponents as they had been ordered to do. They did not speak to each other and when they did their language was incomprehensible. Randomly thrown consonants and gibberish that sounds like coughing and spitting phlegm. Among these were three orcs who were armed with the same double sword that Helder had seen. The three rushed to the clearing where the commanders and Teroin were fighting. Vlad was also approaching the clearing soon after, leaving behind several orc corpses. The clash with these three orcs was made difficult by the presence of at least ten other enemies who, unlike the first, were less powerful but more agile. The arrival of the three recruits to the rescue was providential. Finally the three could confront enemies within their reach and physically equal. Helder drew some daggers and targeted two orcs that had paralyzed in front of him. Then he finished them off with the sword that no longer had the edge. An unsharpened sword could not cut even a straw. The lunges, on the other hand, were still valid allies. Vlad's arrival reinvigorated the group that managed to attract the more agile orcs to them, leaving the armored ones to the commanders and a couple of surviving veterans. In the distance the fortress burned and the battle had moved south where tall pine trees bounded the clearing that had been transformed into a fighting arena. Goldeon after each dodged shot looked for his son with his eyes. He was proud of how he was fighting and knew that he did not like to fight and that he would never have chosen a military career if he had not been forced by government edict. He also knew that these were dark times for the principality and the orcs were nothing but the straw that would break the camel's back. The captain was a tall, mighty man, and when his opponent's double-handed broadsword smashed against his two-handed sword he did not stagger and did not retreat a step. The confrontation was concentrated in the demonstrations of strength leaving aside the technique and the art of the sword. Continuing with that type of combat it seemed that the two opponents wanted to challenge each other who would destroy the other's weapon first. Many swings were thrown and many more were dodged and parried until the captain's two-handed sword got stuck in the teeth of the greatsword held by the armored orc. Goldeon backed away until he was leaning with his back to the trunk of one of the pines that bordered the clearing. The orc with a strong movement turned his sword, disarming the captain.

Balt fought with his comrades against five other orcs, the unarmored ones, and he happened to catch a glimpse of his father fighting. After making a blow, he looked for him and saw him unarmed. With his shoulders pressed against the bark Goldeon managed to duck just before the greatsword cut off his head. So the ogre was busy removing the broadsword from the bark where it was violently stuck. The captain rolled until he reached the sword and with a lunge from below he mortally struck his opponent.

Fortdar and the other veterans were holding off the other two armored orcs who, with a series of attacks, led by uncontrolled anger, managed to bring down one of the veterans lifeless. They remained two on two until Goldeon arrived. The two orcs began swinging their swords trying to hit anything that came near them. It was not easy for the three paladins to join forces to attack. One of the veterans looked at his superiors as if to say goodbye and screamed at one of those crazy tops. The two-handed sword cut through the ogre's arm and he fell to the ground bleeding, letting his weapon fly. Fortdar gave him the coup de grace while the veteran was torn in the chest by the blade of the sword of the other orc who did not have time to extract the weapon from the chest of his victim; General Fortdar stabbed him in the back and pierced him.