Chapter Fourty-Five: The Enemy's Counter

The fortress braced itself for the inevitable retaliation. Garret, Thorne, and the soldiers who had returned from the sortie quickly reported to Elyra, outlining the enemy's movements and what they'd observed on the field. There was no time to rest; the enemy's horn blast had signaled a gathering storm, and they needed to be prepared.

Elyra stood in the war room, her mind racing as she studied the maps spread out before her. The enemy's formation had shifted after the sortie, and now they were massing their forces for a full-scale assault on the fortress. The main gates would likely be their primary target, but Elyra suspected they would also try to breach the walls at multiple points.

Garret pointed to a section of the map that showed the fortress's northern wall. "This area is vulnerable," he said. "The terrain there is rough, and it's difficult to defend. If they concentrate their forces there, they might be able to scale the walls."

"We'll need to reinforce it," Elyra said, nodding in agreement. "But we can't pull too many troops from the other sections. They could be using this as a feint to distract us from their real objective."

Thorne, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. "What about setting traps? We could lure them into thinking they've found a weak spot and then spring an ambush."

Elyra considered this. "It's risky, but it could work. We'll need to coordinate carefully. Thorne, you'll take charge of setting the traps. Make sure they're well-hidden and only trigger when we're ready."

Thorne grinned, the thought of turning the enemy's tactics against them clearly appealing to him. "I'll make sure they regret underestimating us."

Elyra then turned to Lyra, who had been working on reinforcing the wards with the other mages. "Lyra, we need the wards strengthened as much as possible. The enemy mages are going to hit us hard. If they break through, it could be catastrophic."

Lyra nodded, her expression resolute. "I'll do what I can. But I'll need more time. The wards took a lot of damage during the last attack."

"Take whatever you need," Elyra said. "But we can't afford to have them down when the enemy attacks."

With the plan in place, everyone dispersed to their tasks. Elyra remained in the war room, staring at the map, trying to anticipate the enemy's next move. They were facing a foe that was cunning and ruthless, and one wrong move could spell disaster.

As she pondered the situation, a thought struck her. The enemy had shown an uncanny ability to anticipate their actions, as if they were being fed information from within. Could there be a spy in their midst?

She dismissed the idea as quickly as it came. There was no time for suspicion, not now. They had to focus on the immediate threat. But the nagging doubt remained, buried deep in her mind.

The hours passed, and the fortress buzzed with activity as everyone prepared for the coming battle. Soldiers fortified the walls, set traps, and coordinated their defenses. The mages worked tirelessly to strengthen the wards, their energy visibly drained by the effort.

Finally, as the first light of dawn began to creep over the horizon, the enemy army moved.

Elyra stood atop the battlements, watching as the dark mass of soldiers advanced. The ground shook with the force of their march, a relentless tide of steel and flesh. From this distance, she could see their banners fluttering, the symbol of the ancient evil that had risen to challenge them.

"Here they come," Garret muttered beside her, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "This is it."

Elyra nodded, her eyes never leaving the approaching army. "Hold the line. We've survived this long—we can survive this too."

As the enemy drew closer, the tension in the air became palpable. The fortress walls were lined with archers, their arrows at the ready. Below, soldiers waited with bated breath, their weapons drawn, prepared to meet the enemy head-on.

Then, with a deafening roar, the enemy charged.

The first wave of soldiers crashed against the fortress walls like a tidal wave. Arrows flew from the battlements, striking down many of the attackers, but the sheer number of the enemy was overwhelming. They swarmed the walls, trying to scale them with ladders and grappling hooks, while others battered at the gates with massive rams.

Elyra shouted orders, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Repel the climbers! Don't let them reach the top!"

Garret was already leading a group of soldiers to push back the attackers, his sword flashing as he cut down any who managed to breach the defenses. Thorne's traps were triggered in rapid succession, sending enemy soldiers plummeting to the ground as hidden pits and tripwires caught them off guard.

But for every enemy they defeated, more seemed to take their place. The battle raged on, with neither side giving an inch. The fortress's defenders fought with everything they had, but the enemy's relentless assault was beginning to take its toll.

Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked the northern wall. Elyra's heart sank as she realized what had happened—the enemy mages had concentrated their efforts and finally succeeded in breaking through the wards.

"They've breached the north wall!" a soldier shouted, his voice filled with panic.

Elyra's mind raced. If the enemy broke through there, they could flood into the fortress and overwhelm them from within. They had to stop them, no matter the cost.

"Garret, take your men and reinforce the north wall!" she ordered. "I'll hold the main gate!"

Garret hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "We'll hold them off. Don't let them take the gate."

As Garret and his men rushed toward the northern wall, Elyra turned her attention to the gate. The enemy was making a concentrated push there as well, their rams striking the reinforced wood with bone-shaking force.

The gate wouldn't hold much longer. Elyra knew she had to act.

"Ready the oil!" she shouted to the soldiers above. "On my command, pour it on the rams!"

The soldiers scrambled to obey, positioning large cauldrons of boiling oil above the gate. Elyra waited until the enemy's rams were directly beneath them before giving the signal.

"Now!"

The oil poured down in a scalding wave, dousing the rams and the soldiers wielding them. Screams of pain filled the air as the enemy fell back, their assault momentarily halted.

But Elyra knew it was only a matter of time before they regrouped and tried again. They were determined, and their numbers were still overwhelming. The battle was far from over.

As the defenders prepared for the next wave, Elyra felt a sense of grim determination settle over her. They were outnumbered and outmatched, but they had something the enemy didn't—a cause worth fighting for, and a home worth defending.

And as long as they stood together, they would fight to the last. The fortress would not fall.

Not today.