“See? Perfectly peaceful, didn’t I tell you?” Daniel said just as he ducked under a swipe of a swinging flail. It passed over his head, brushed against the top of his helmet, its user snarling at the Healer who proceeded to turn his shield on its side. Edge facing the man clambering over the crenelation, Daniel then triggered a Shield Bash, punching forwards. Still half-gripping the ladder he had used to clamber upwards, the man flew backwards, pulling ladder and those behind him off the wall of the giant castle.
Daniel couldn’t help but grin a little, watching the man fall off the wall and take a bunch of others with him. “Love it when they do that. If you time it just right, they always just grab harder.”
“Great, but we don’t get their Mana stones that way,” Omrak said.
To punctuate his point, he reached over and grabbed his own opponent by the arm, pulling him over the wall and tossing him behind to the grounds below. The main flailed, falling the long thirty feet before he hit the courtyard.
Shouts from within indicated how unhappy those within the courtyard were with Omrak’s method of keeping Mana stones within the lobby, a point that Asin would have hissed to her friends. If she thought it would make a difference. And if she was not right then in the middle of leaping off a nearby crenelation to land on a flying harpy, her two knives threading themselves to the soft shoulder joints of the creature’s back. The two tumbled downwards, only for the Catkin to leap off the monster with a push of her legs to land, feet first, onto a new assailant to crush him down. A quick spin and stab ended him too.
“I would not call this peaceful,” Roland said, standing on the opposite side of the three, backed up by Johan on the other side and a watchful Lady Nyssa and Charles.
The pair were positioned at the top of the tower wall, keeping an eye on the party and launching the occasional attack when necessary. Charles much more often than the Mage of course, since the runners—Beginner Adventurers one and all—kept him amply supplied with arrows.
“They do these wall pushes twice a day at least,” Daniel said, standing around and eyeing the group.
He was positioned in the center of the wall with an impromptu healing station set up right behind him. The simple wooden shed that helped stop arrows from raining down on them—not that many could even make the angle—also helped to house the injured, conjured soldiers and Adventurers. As it was, the Adventuring team spread out across the wall were more of a force multiplier to the entire thing, rather than being expected to hold the wall by themselves.
“I know. I do live here, you know,” the prince said sarcastically. He shoved forwards with his sword, beheading another clamberer, the human face of their assailant looking surprised for a brief second before shutting down as he fell. “I’ve heard all the stories.”
“Stories aren’t reality,” Daniel replied.
“But this seems close enough.” Looking around, Roland nodded and raised his sword hand. It glowed for a second, filling with light and he stepped up to the wall’s edge. A quick swing down of his sword cut at the various individuals below, the shining light arcing outwards.
“What was that?” Daniel said, his surprise allowing one of the attackers to strike at him. He growled and bashed the poor fighter over the arm a couple of times before the mixed human-and-Beastkin Dungeon spawn fell off the side of the building, all the while his side smarting. Thankfully, his plate armor had taken the majority of the attack, but the energy transferred still hurt.
“Royal Cut,” Roland said, leaning on his sword a little with its point dug into the ground. A couple of other Adventurers were side-eyeing the prince for his casual use of a Legendary weapon as a prop, but no one said anything. Among other things, the weapon wasn’t likely to lose any durability over such a small thing.
“Never saw you use it before,” Daniel said.
For a moment, the group had a bit of a break and so they took the time to drink water, wrap wounds and rest while the NPCs took care of the fighting. Not that there was much going on, not with the prince’s latest attack taking out the line of ladders along the area they guarded.
“It’s not as useful in the Labyrinth,” Roland said. “It works off the number of individuals within close proximity and within my Aura.” He nodded to the various NPCs working the walls and added, “They count.”
“Oh, one of those Skills.” Daniel nodded.
He knew of them. It was how Nobles and the Royalty managed to keep their position at times, because Skills that allowed them to pull upon the greater populace gave them an advantage in some ways over plain commoners like him. It wasn’t foolproof of course, but it did make having a prince on the battlefield—like the First Prince—an important factor in engagements. Of course, it also meant that things like assassins and poisoners were important, which was why Healers like himself were so vital.
And what a revelation it was for the poor Adventurer, to understand the intricate checks and balances that kept everything running at a higher level. Push things out of whack too far—like, for example, a Gifted Healer who could handle any poison or injury if given time—and you suddenly caused the entire edifice to become unstable. For Nobles kept the Royalty in check, while the threat of massed uprisings and, yes, Adventurers leading them kept both Nobles and Royalty watching one another.
A deep rumbling, one that Daniel had been hearing for a while but now seemed much more pertinent, drew his attention back to the present. By the side, one of the Master Class teams was waving for their team even as another pair of Beginner Adventuring teams streamed up to their section of the wall.
The group jogged down the stairs, heading across the busy courtyard, Daniel catching snatches of conversation even as his Healing Aura (II) kept washing out, healing minor nicks and aches, helping everyone within.
“. . . saw it myself. Twice the size of the last one . . .”
“Siege Fireballs didn’t work on it . . .”
“I hate close-quarters fighting . . .”
“. . . hey, it’s that Healer. Think I could get a . . .”
“Going to lose someone . . .”
“Not the prince for sure.”
And then, the Master Class Adventurer was barking orders, sending them running. No time to listen, they had a job to do. And an oncoming problem that had to be solved the way all Adventuring problems got solved.
With a little steel and a lot of blood.
***
The massive siege tower that trundled up the slope—and how it did that, Daniel could only consider a matter of magic—was taller even than the walls it was meant to top. The top of the tower started showing up early, allowing the numerous Mages and Shamans stationed on top to cast their spells at the defenders. Of course, the ballista mounted on the towers fired back, but a simple shielding spell kept the tower mostly unharmed. Even inscrolled ballista bolts that punched through the Shield spell did little to the monster-hide-covered outer shell of the siege tower.
As for the Fireballs, Ice Storms and Wind Blades that the enemy Mages and Shamans cast, those were blocked or deflected by their own Mages. Daniel watched the entire proceedings with a tight-lipped grin, stuck as they were a short distance away in the middle of a tower, only able to catch glimpses through the arrow slits.
In fact, it was just the flicker of light and the howl of attacks that he mostly noticed, filling in the rest of the blanks from memory and imagination. After all, with his mediocre shooting skills, Charles would only allow him to fire from it once in a while when he had reloaded his crossbow.
“How much longer?” Roland said, shifting uncomfortably. The prince was stuck in nearly the center of the tower, protected via the crush of bodies of other Adventurers and unable to see much.
“Another five or six minutes I’d guess,” Johan said, his head cocked to the side as he listened.
“How can you tell? You haven’t looked up at all,” Roland grumped.
“The noise.”
“You can hear anything useful in all this?” Roland waved his hand around, almost knocking the head off the young fighter beside him. He had the courtesy to apologize, though the blushing female warrior who ducked her head and muttered under her breath was probably more embarrassed to be apologized to than anything else.
“It’s a very distinctive sound.”
“What is?”
“The approach of a siege tower,” Johan explained.
“And when did you hear that?” Roland queried.
“I’m an Arms Master.” Johan said, as if that explained it. And, to Daniel’s surprise, it seemed to for Roland quietened.
For all of a minute before the man started complaining again. Daniel finished cranking his crossbow, waited his turn and took another shot, tuning them all out. He kind of regretted the fact that he had his Healing Aura (II) up. It meant that the Master Adventurer had looked at them, and then decided to pack this tower as tight as he could to make full use of the Aura.
Not that the twenty minutes they were stuck together was going to make that much of a difference in anything but Stamina regeneration, but Adventurers were used to eking out every little advantage they could.
Eventually though, the damn siege tower arrived. The crash and rumble of the drawbridge that they were using to both hook and open the way between the sloping edge of the tower walls and the start of the siege tower locked into place, making everyone sway and stumble a little as it did so. An abrupt, cut-off scream indicated the death knell of some poor unfortunate, and all Daniel could hope was that it was an NPC. It should be, if everyone listened to orders.
Not that there was ever a guarantee, but Adventurers learnt better. Or died early.
And then the doors slammed open, letting in fresh air. Or, at least, air that was not the mixture of scores of sweaty, bloody, unwashed Adventurers, all of them reeking of excitement and fear in equal measure. The mass of Adventurers streamed out, led by the usual teams of Vanguards, Shield Warriors, Heavy Infantry and in one case, a Southerner Warrior to hit the wall, bowling over any in their way.
Leaving behind Daniel’s team, to bring up the rear. Where, with the prince, they would be “safe.”
***
“Who stealths an entire Siege Tower?” Omrak roared, his body wreathed in red aura as he held the doorway just inside the much smaller, much more angular siege tower that had appeared, just beside the bigger one. It’s drawbridge had dropped just as the team had arrived, forcing them to divert to hold off the sudden surprise attack, as Skirmishers and Siege Warriors appeared. Even in the short few minutes of the fight, the Northerner had picked up a dozen wounds, and Daniel was hard pressed to keep throwing his healing spells at him and hold his side of the bridge.
“Fall back, Healer. We need you casting!” Roland barked at Daniel.
For a second, Daniel hesitated, then chose to do what the prince said. He had automatically taken the position beside Omrak, old instincts kicking in and blocking off the prince. And then, the initial press had been too busy for him to back away, before he realized that perhaps keeping the prince safe was a good idea.
But chivalry was for another time.
His blond friend was staggering, looking the worse for wear, and Healer’s Mark alone was not enough. A quick series of Double Strikes drove Daniel’s most recent attacker back, and then he shifted backwards, opening up a gap that another Skirmisher tried to duck into…only to take an arrow to the knee, sending the courageous fool stumbling off the swaying wooden drawbridge to his doom.
Roland slipped into the newly vacated place without a word, his sword weaving its way through defenses even as Omrak shuffled over further to give the Prince room to work. Daniel, finishing his spell, slapped the Northerner on the back, Heal Medium Wounds washing over the man, stitching his body together.
Grinning, the Northerner put his shoulder down and charged forward, taking another pair of cuts before he released his Skill, Rage of the North into the center of the building. Built-up lightning arced, striking both the mages and archers above and those trying to climb up the internal staircase of the building. Then, showcasing his brains rather than just bravery, the Northerner stumbled back to rejoin his friends even as Daniel weaved another spell.
And then, the fight started again. Above, Daniel could see the quick flickering motion of a black tail and a short, flipping and spinning Catkin. Rather than let their opponents rain down attacks on them, the Catkin had bounded up the siege tower herself, proceeding to draw the attention of those there. Aided by the occasional shot by Charles, she managed to keep things clear, though she was forced to do her best to pile bodies on the trapdoor to ensure reinforcements did not arrive.
Long minutes, the group fought, another Beginner Adventuring team joining them in holding the guard. It seemed like the siege tower kept spawning more and more individuals—a fact that Daniel realized was only partly true. The opening beneath the tower allowed others to climb upwards, letting them reinforce the attack.
Eyes wide with understanding, Daniel called out from his post just behind the front-line fighters. “We need to take the damn siege tower down!”
“I’m open to ideas,” the Beginner Adventuring beside Daniel snapped. “My Alchemist has thrown every Fire Potion he has down the hatch, and none of it has caught. We’ve poured lamp oil down the sides, and well . . .”
He gestured, and Daniel had to agree. It had caught, but the flames weren’t doing much to the monster-hide-covered siege tower.
“I got this!” Lady Nyssa cried. “Just cover me.”
Glancing back, Daniel spotted the Mage moving forwards. Already, she was conjuring a Sonic Orb in her hand, one much larger than what she normally created. And rather than cast it away as she normally did after a few seconds, she kept channeling.
Realizing how vulnerable the woman was, Daniel scuttled backwards, putting shield in front of her. Long minutes of dealing with the occasional arrow and, in one case, a well-cast Mana Dart passed before she leaned over, her voice all too close to his ear, and whispered:
“On three.”
Shivering, Daniel nodded. Eyes flushed, he could not help but notice how close she was, how little her protective robes really did to hide her figure. Then, the countdown was over and he stepped aside, giving her space.
At the same time as she thrust her hands forward, sending the orb spinning through the air, Daniel roared, “BACK!”
The team scrambled out of the way, running over the drawbridge even as the tower began to tremble as the Sonic Orb struck. Rather than disappearing or expanding, it seemed to stick to the structure, shaking the thing over and over again. Each moment, the vibrations increased in size and speed to accompany an ever-increasing scream of tortured wood.
A last, protesting scream and the entire siege tower came apart, the bonds holding it together shattered by its own vibrations. Ears still pounding, Daniel spotted a last, backflipping figure fly through the air off the top of the tower, to land on a crenelation beside him, grinning to herself as she saw the destruction.
The falling tower collapsed, knocking against the massive siege tower. Flames having taken root in the center, the weakened structure started coming apart, with the team of other Adventurers running back, or in a few cases, just teleporting back into Warmount directly.
Shaking his head, ears ringing from the sheer volume of sound even through the defensive enchantments, Daniel could not help but ask Asin.
“What kept you?”
In answer, the Catkin held up her hand, one filled with dozens of Mana stones and snatched gold chains.
Beside him, Lady Nyssa choked on a giggle, before just laughing at the greedy antics of the Catkin. Soon enough, accompanying the cheers of the victorious group were other cheers. It seemed, Daniel had to admit, their first trip to Warmount as a team would be a rather profitable success.