CXnovel Chapter 225: Attack!
Chapter 225: Attack!
"You smell bad," Khaos stated bluntly.
The monk did not react to the insult. He simply looked up at the boy, his blind eyes seeming to pierce right through the wooden defenses.
"I have walked across three broken continents," the monk spoke. His voice was raspy, dry, and ancient. "I am Brother Silas of the Atrai Kingdom. And I have come to issue a warning."
Down in the square, the heavy wooden doors of the tavern burst open. Borum charged out into the dirt street. The massive Village Chief carried his heavy, double-bladed hunting axe. Throm the blacksmith and several other villagers followed closely behind him, their faces tense and ready for a fight.
"Atrai?" Borum rumbled loudly, stepping right to the front of the gates. "The golden kings of Atrai have ignored this valley for three hundred years. We pay no taxes to your crown. We follow no laws of your courts. Why is an Atrai monk standing at my gates?"
"Because your era of isolation is completely over, Chief Borum," Silas replied, his grip tightening on his wooden staff. "I am not here to fight you. I defected from my temple to bring you this message. Commander Vane is marching his army toward this valley right now. They intend to wipe your tribe off the map entirely."
Borum lowered his axe slightly. His jovial face hardened into stone. "Wipe us out? For what reason? We possess no gold. We possess no rare crops. We are simple hunters and farmers."
"You are the Fallen," Silas explained coldly. "The King of Atrai has decreed that all unmarked territories must be cleansed and absorbed into the empire. Commander Vane brings three thousand armored soldiers. But worse, he brings the Arcane Vanguard."
Throm stepped forward, gripping his iron mallet tightly. "We have fought mountain bandits and wild beasts! Let them come! We will break their skulls just the same!"
"You are fools," Silas shook his head, his brass rings chiming softly. "You do not understand what is marching toward you. The Arcane Vanguard wields magic. They throw fire that does not extinguish and summon lightning that shatters solid stone. Your iron axes will melt before you even get close enough to swing them."
The village men fell silent. Magic was a terrifying legend in the Nameless Valley, a power that belonged strictly to the outside world.
Borum looked up at Khaos, who was still casually eating his apple on the wall. Then, the Chief looked back at the monk. He did not doubt the blind man.
"Throm!" Borum bellowed, his voice echoing across the entire village. "Gather every single able-bodied man and woman! We do not run. This is our home. If they want this valley, they will have to bleed for every single inch of it!"
"Yes, Chief!" Throm roared, immediately running toward the armory.
"Old Man Higgins!" Borum shouted, pointing at the elderly farmer. "Take the youths to the eastern swamps! I want every single venomous viper, pit adder, and swamp cobra you can find! We will fill the trench with them! If they want to march on our gates, they will have to wade through poison!"
Khaos instantly perked up. He dropped his apple and jumped down from the wall, landing perfectly in the mud.
"I want to catch snakes, father!" Khaos yelled excitedly, his violet eyes shining. "I know exactly where the big green ones hide! I can put them in the tavern!"
"Absolutely not," Borum commanded firmly, pointing a massive finger at the boy. "This is not one of your games, Khaos. This is war. You will go to the cellar with your mother and you will stay there."
Elara ran out of their hut and scooped the struggling boy into her arms.
"But I want to help the snakes!" Khaos complained loudly, kicking his small legs.
"Hush, my little storm," Elara whispered, kissing his forehead tightly. "Your father needs to work. We must hide."
The village transformed into a frantic, highly organized machine. For the next twelve hours, the jovial atmosphere was completely replaced by grim determination. Men dug massive trenches directly in front of the palisade walls. Higgins and the youths returned with hundreds of furious, hissing serpents, dumping them entirely into the deep pits. Throm hammered iron spikes until his hands bled, lining the defensive walls with deadly barricades.
Borum stood at the front gates, sweating profusely in the humid night air. He looked at the heavily fortified traps. It was the best they could do.
Just before dawn, the thunderstorm returned. Heavy rain poured over the valley, turning the dirt roads into thick, slippery mud.
And with the rain, the Atrai army arrived.
They did not sneak in. They marched openly down the valley pass, their golden armor gleaming brightly even in the dark storm. Three thousand soldiers formed a perfectly disciplined shield wall. Behind them stood fifty men wearing deep crimson robes. The Arcane Vanguard.
Commander Vane rode to the front on a massive armored stallion. He looked at the crude wooden walls and the muddy trenches with absolute disgust.
"Chief Borum of the Nameless Valley!" Vane’s voice was magically amplified, booming over the sound of the thunder. "Your traps are pathetic. Lay down your weapons. Surrender the Fallen tribe, and we will grant you a swift, painless execution. Resist, and we will burn your families alive."
Borum stood on top of the palisade, his heavy axe resting on his broad shoulder. The rain washed over his thick beard.
"Come and claim it, Atrai dog!" Borum roared back. "Let us see if your golden armor protects you from the mud!"
Vane scoffed entirely. "Vanguard. Incinerate their defenses."
The fifty mages in crimson robes stepped forward in complete unison. They raised their hands toward the dark sky. The air crackled with terrifying energy.
"Fire!" the lead mage shouted.
Dozens of massive, blazing fireballs erupted from their palms, entirely ignoring the heavy rain. The magical flames sailed through the air and slammed violently into the ironwood gates and the palisade walls. The explosions were deafening. Men screamed as the sheer concussive force threw them off the barricades.
"Hold the line!" Borum bellowed, shielding his face from the intense heat. "Let them charge!"
Confident that the walls were broken, Vane drew his silver sword. "Infantry, advance! Slaughter them all!"