Chapter 49: Falcon vs. Wolf [Free]

"What happened?" Dragunov asked Fridlund, the man in-charge in the wooden watchtower, as soon as he was out of his cabin. 

The sound of a tower bell rang in his ears repeatedly. Thrice. An indication of a threat. 

Everything was in chaos—children and mothers scrambling to get to safety, soldiers lining up in front of the camp and him, hurriedly taking on his leather armor after he heard the upsurge.

"The Aleshkovskys, sir, they are here," Fridlund replied. 

"How many of them have you sighted?"

"A hundred foot soldiers and a few archers on the trees."

"Go back to the watchtower and keep cover. You will be my eyes and ears," he said and dismissed the man with a wave. 

Dragunov managed to take a quick look at the surroundings. The swirling pandemonium was frightening. Soldiers went out from their tents, gathering weapons from the warehouse—swords, spears, axes, bows and the likes. They couldn't risk using their black powder handguns especially that the attackers were already closing in. 

The bonfire fixed on the center of the camp scorched more fiercely as if it was a snake with a vicious tongue, hissing and trying to strike everyone who came near. It smelled of a fresh day, smoldering under the sun. 

The doors of each cottage banged one by one as people slowly entered into their homes, frightened of the approaching battle. There were only a few women lining up with the soldiers. The most skilled ones were positioned in front of the entrance, carrying wooden shields and swords followed by the troops holding out spears and other sorts of blades.

The others responsible for artillery were scattered behind the eight feet tall fences, serving as their seer. The wooden barricades weren't made so tight so a normal sized arrow could pass through. There was no way in but through the front gate so the forces were mainly concentrated in the entrance.

Sounds of steel in preparation and roars of order ricocheted in the atmosphere. It was menace, madness and confusion. 

Dragunov could see Mr. Gadoury calling out the men. He strode towards them, holding the sword handle on his side, "Where's Thaddeus?" he asked him once they were face-to-face.

"He's still in the vault, sir."

"Call for him."

"But the—"

He didn't wait for Mr. Gadoury to finish his sentence. "I need him here now," he said. He could figure out a way to solve it later. For now, they needed him in the field.

Dragunov summoned his best assassins. He didn't want to risk them in the hands of a hundred foot soldiers but he had no choice. The Aleshkovskys already had the upper hand trapping them in the camp. He had to improvise to be one step ahead.

It was time for them to venture out into the open and start taking them down. They had his faith, except for the coachman. Those men were just ordered to disguise and guard the royal family. These spies were nimble and as stealthy as a spider, rescued from the worst parts of the country. Others he knew as a child. 

 "Wait," he said when they were about to leave, "Jai, bring ten with you. Take the rocks. Seline, Shalom and the others to the fences."

The assassins nodded and went on their way. 

The camp was like a huge rectangular box. Rock walls on the back and fences to the front. The walls were steep but wooden stairs were already built long before. It was useful as he had a number of archers stationed there, although not visible due to the trees covering the top. 

And of course, his spies. Since they were the only ones capable of climbing, they could go down the stacks of rocks with ease and circle the army just waiting outside.

Dragunov walked around, sending out orders to each one of them. They already knew their roles in defense so it wouldn't be that difficult for him to command the army. This was what they were prepared for. They placed their confidence in him. He promised them a future and this is his next step to reaching it.

After a few minutes of giving out directions, Thaddeus approached him, bowing his head down in shame, "I'm sorry, sir."

"You said you could do it."

"I tried."

"But you failed."

"The cloaking spell won't work if I don't focus my energy on a particular place. And with the vault, it would be hard to direct it to people trying to search around the camp."

Dragunov nodded. "It is done. There's no use grieving over things that have already happened," he said, "I need you to do something for me."

"What is it, sir?"

Dragunov told his plan to Thaddeus. It wasn't easy but he had to trust on his instincts. If he wanted to claim victory over a battle, he had to trust his comrades to win it for him. 

When he was done giving out his instructions, Thaddeus joined with Fridlund in the watchtower as requested by their commander. 

The stallions in the soldiers' camp neighed at the first sense of disorder. He called for a few scouts from the line, thirty, to ride with him. He knew they were at an advantage if he used majority of his soldiers for offense but the families left in the camp was his priority. And his brother. He couldn't leave him unprotected.

He scampered in front of his men, the fervor palpable in his eyes. Now was not the time to feel weak, "A few moments from now, the Aleshkovskyan army will be walking over these grounds. This is the time to protect your home, your families and most of all, bring justice to the victims of their greed. The camp will not fall today. Do you hear me?"

The soldiers unsheathed their swords and all cheered in unison, raising their blades. In a thousand strong men there wasn't a single sadness or expression of doubt. This was their freedom they were cheering. For years, they've waited. Patient for what is to happen and now that it is already here, they had to give their hearts out. This was what they were born to do. 

"So come with me and let's finish them!" Dragunov unsheathed his blade, wheeled the stallion around, and trotted toward the exit. 

The camp will not fall.

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Written and edited by ephemery.

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Allyria will hunt you down to the ends of Arde Terra and cast you out together with the Undying in the Islands of the Cursed. You've been warned.

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