"Doprava! (Teleportation)"
The harmless fire had burned higher and higher, covering all around our world and so the world turned white. Then the white turned into lines, bending and twisting like the flames that gave birth to them.
Nyx couldn't see anyone. But the whole charade was coming to an end. The cross-dimensional lines righted and slowly vaporized into nothingness. The curtain of threads showed the world beyond.
"Ohf! The thrills!"
Someone announcing nonchalantly our arrival pulled me back to reality. My eyes fixed blankly turned back to the skybinders, only for a second later to turn around to see where we were.
A circular chamber, only there were no walls, just the simple three,... five... six stone arches holding up the ceiling. Nothing visible beyond them but sky.
"It felt strange, didn't it?" Jerry caught my attention, still by my side, but unaffected like me. "You're not alone. Some haven't done this before either." He pointed at a few of the wizards, sitting hunched, feeling sick. "Motion sickness." Jerry chuckles.
Among the braves, someone alien to Nyx standed to attention. "At least the tower is still up and functional. Now what?" the old man with the long beard and glasses spoke up.
Callahan, walking towards something that looks like stairs, jumps onto the wide railing. "The city looks intact." he says, smiling under his beard, but unseen by the other skybinders. Stepping down, he turns back to Dörk, temporary head of the entire operation. "You gathered us here, you're in charge." he says, crossing his hands over his chest.
The wizard in question nodded. "Sure." Clasping the bag over his shoulder mechanically, he takes it down the stairs.
"And watch it, if they don't keep their word about the pay, we're leaving. Got it?" Callahan frowns. Yes, make sure you get paid before you risk your life for strangers.
Dörk just pouted. "Half now and half later. If they still need us anyway." He rolled his eyes.
The band slowly made their way down the stairs, Jerry at the end of the line, motioning for me to follow.
One step down the staircase, but I turn, right up the railing. Up on it, I could see. What the other wizards talked about. The southern border town --Oght.
It's beautiful from up here. Beyond the walls, forests and mountains were visible, but to the far left, there was a wide plain was exposed.
"Nyx, please come along. " Jerry begged from the foot of the few stairs he walked, and then just kept going down not expecting an answer from myself.
Following the man down, the stairs spiraled and closed between the walls. Right within a few 5- 6 meters of each other there were hollow windows, allowing views of the city buildings, and as I walked further, I could see the wall and the woods beyond it.
I catch up with Jerry eventually. "You know, Callahan and I have been here before. We used to come to buy mushrooms for chalices. In fact, that's how we met." He tried to hold a conversation. "So... Are you up to something?"
The question sounded wrong, but I think Jerry was hinting at what will I doing in town? In response, I just shrug briefly. We're here as support, so what else was to do?
He just took a deep breath. "Well, we'll see where we stand." he says before stopping by a window. "The city still looks in good shape. We'll see what the general has in store for us." He adjusts the backpack on his back.
We both stop at the bottom of the stairs where the rest of the guys wait, coming to a wide room with two exits on the left and a broad doorway pointing toward the center of the tower.
On the way out, Dörk and the rest of the men were crowded together, talking to a few soldiers. Likewise dressed in red, covered over with chain armor, though they now had a body armor over their chests. "You have arrived well, the general will be pleased." spoke one at the head of the soldiers.
The now wizard in charge nodded. "We always work properly." he said, definitely trying to cast a good light on the men of the group in front of the soldiers. "So... How's it going?" At that, Callahan deadpanned, wondering about Dörk's level of casualness.
We all started walking down the road before the same soldier answered the question. "A week ago a frontal assault on the city began. It stopped only two days ago."
Along the road, I could see a destroyed house, where the damage started from the roof and spread through the front wall, stone boulders in the road. It wasn't the only one,down the path other homes badly damaged as we were moving through town.
"We're very sorry we were not present here." Callahan said. "We made haste, but our personal preparations had us in a hindrance."
The guard does not turn back, continuing to guide us on the roads of the city. "Save apologies to the general. He will be glad seeing you."
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The garrison was full, but no one stood still. Men carrying guns, some practiced spear-throwing or bow. And some were cooking the scraps left over from the campaign.
Some feeble foot soldier, bearing his hand in a sash, was stirring in a cauldron. "Thank the gods we still have some milk." he adds over the water, vegetables and bits of meat showing on the surface, now vanishing through the broth. "Okay, a little more boiling and it's ready..." he adds.
"Opening the gate!" a standard soldier in red spun on a wheel, opening the hard oak gate. From the other side entered a squad, followed by a mob of wizards. The Skybinders.
"Who are they?" one of the soldiers beside the cauldron asked, waiting for his share. The men looked a little strange from his perspective. All in blue, not so strange really, some wearing belts with vials of ammo, others with staffs? Because of the blue, everyone knew they weren't army.
Another just shrugs, cutting the line and pouring himself a bowl, withdrawing himself and sitting on a box. Even more dubiously, the escort led them toward the central building, making the soldiers losing site of them.
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".... in total 779, sir." an officer finished reporting. His colors were identical to the soldiers, but he was carrying a full set of quality armor.
Closing the register, the now so-called officer turned his gaze to the man seated across the desk. General Nowak, the man in charge of the 04th Brigade, had just lost an entire battalion. Had just lost his son.
A sharp inhale breaks the silence, followed by his word. "'That many were counted?" he now leaned back in his chair. "What about the survivors?"
"No sir, many were missing. I... just counted the survivors." he shook his head sadly. "Barely half the platoon, sir. Including the two 'stragglers' that accompanied them."
But Nowak was just grinding his teeth by now. From the start, the enemy had fought only with scouts, rangers and gorilla fighters. Sabotage, deaths and missing men, it was their work, or the work of the beasts that were sent to wreak havoc.
But a frontal attack, directly on the city, was horrific. The four companies outside the city were decimated.
Including Lip. My dear Lip...
The conversation ended with a knock at the door. "WHAT!?!" General Nowak, just for a second, lost his calm demeanor, letting loose at a poor blameless subaltern.
The door opened. "Sorry to interrupt, General, sir." one of his sergeants entered. "I'm here to report that the group of wizards scheduled to arrive is here."
On hearing the news the general could only sigh. "Ahh... too bad we couldn't make contact with them sooner, but whatever.... Lead them to the main hall. I'll be down in shortly." And the sergeant was gone.
Nowak glanced back at the officer. "Lenny, did you get anything on them?" the general asks, looking through drawers and various papers on the desk.
Right on cue, the man pulls a sheet out of the book. "You have arranged that there will be 15 wizards to assist the soldiers in whatsoever." Nowak stands up, his own armor clinking, and grabs on the paper.
15 wizards = 225 gold coins
Contract for two months
Of which:
-6 trained doctors/healers
-4 specialized alchemists
-2 combat support
-1 glyph specialist
-2 long range casters
The general just muttered. "They seemed kind of expensive before, but it doesn't really matter now. Right now, everyone's welcome." And then set foot for the meeting.
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Nyx just stared. Specifically at one of the shields attached to the hallway wall. The internal styling of the building looked like the prison back in Elth. But the metal piece that was made for the battle was flawless, sporting a lion's head molded in the metal.
"Nyx! Come on, come on." From the doorway, Dörk whispered to the sexy statue. "I need a number two. You're imposing, quick." His comment making the golem sneer a little proudly about himself.
Imposing? For? I wonder.
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"Long live Mr. General, sir!"
"Long live Mr. General, sir!"
"Long live Mr. General, sir!"
"Easy soldiers, we're on rest." the general waved to the three men who jumped from the gun, bowls still in their hands. This continued with the rest of the soldiers, from his office across the courtyard to the next building.
Slightly off down the hall, men in blue were hanging out chatting, either amongst themselves, or some with nearby soldiers. Ah, so these are the wizards.
"Pardon me." And the man in blue, a belt across his chest full of vials, turns to me. "The name is General Nowak. We were talking, with one called Dörk? He's here, yes?"
The wizard nods affirmatively. "Inside."
"Thank you." And Nowak makes his way to the meeting room. In the hallway, a few wizards were waiting, many acknowledging the general with a nod. The door creaked slightly, and inside was a single man... accompanied by a young lady?
She looked about my son's age. But her looks raised many curious questions. Pale, but an old pale? And eyes white as the full moon and lips like ashes. But the man Dörk rose from the table.
"General Nowak, the pleasure is all mine." he saluted respectfully. "I have seen the trouble in the city and I want to apologize on behalf of all my comrades for not being here sooner."
A sharp breath is released before Nowak replies. "Sad, but the timing of our correspondence didn't synch... No one is to blame."
Nowak continued to sit down across the wizard. "Well...I presume you and others have come, and you are agreed to the arranged payment?" the general asked
"Everyone has agreed and everyone is here." he nodded, continuing the conversation.
"And who is the young lady? Not part of your troupe of magicians surely." the general exclaims, following the woman's weapons. Four spears, daggers, light equipment...Definitely not a wizard. "I hope you don't expect me to throw another fifteen coins for her." The general raises an eyebrow.
Dörk shook his head. "No, no sir general. She's here for free, you know, for the experience!" The wizard offers a coquettish smile to which the girl turns, with little bugg, her gaze back to him. "But still alas I am entirely responsible for her safety. She's to stay to help around, and fight in the last case." he smiles. "Again, free of charge."
Now the general leaned on the arch of his hands. "No problem, we'll have time before anything else." and breathing heavily. "We'll need to regroup, redistribute and repair. If you can carry around things and being responsible, you're welcome to help. Thank you." He nods in respect for the girl's volunteerism, to which the girl gives one back.
"Oh yeah, she's mute. Sorry."
"Well... she wouldn't be the first to join the army, not at all."