Vol.8 Ch.217- The Calm Before The Storm.

"Knight Gallard, please give your full report now."

The middle-aged knight bowed deeply, then launched into his report, "The undead horde is two days marching distance from Curia. But with their current slow speed and the sheer amount of them, they will arrive later, maybe a day late."

"What are their numbers, Knight?" Prince Xander questioned.

The knight's voice trembled as he spoke, "Your Majesty…the enemy numbers are staggering. We estimate their ranks to be in the hundreds of thousands, with a total of well over a million undead—perhaps even close to two million."

Two million undead…we are greatly outnumbered.

The hushed tones of the people gathered began to rise before the younger-looking knight, standing alone, spoke out, "It's not just their numbers, My Lords, but the variants…"

"Explain, Knight…" Lord Vasquez said, trailing off.

"Knight Saulin, My Lord. The undead are not just composed of simple zombies and skeletons but many different types. We confirmed Dread Knights, Corpse Giants, and many different types of undead beasts and monsters leading the vanguard…"

The knight swallowed as his eyes darkened, "My Lords, we also confirmed that there are multiple Liches amongst the undead… over a dozen."

The worried whispers grew in volume drastically. Liches were amongst the most powerful of the undead, able to use magic and raise the fallen. I had seen their abilities firsthand in the dungeon, and they are a fearsome foe. Nothing short of complete destruction of a corpse will stop a Lich's ability, and the only way to end things is to slay the Lich itself.

The most pressing issue is…can a Lich raise another Lich? If so… things just took a turn for the worse.

"A dozen Liches? Gathered in a single place? That's just simply unheard of! Surely you are mistaken, Knight? How can you be so certain of this amount when we have never seen it happen?" Prince Leopold questioned, dumbfounded.

"While scouting, we were assaulted by various magical spells coming from the horde. There were so many, far too many for it to be a single mage, My Lord. The storm of spells claimed my partner's life and his Gryphon…"

Prince Leopold nodded his head in disappointment and crossed his arms. The atmosphere in the room was taking a turn for the worse. We were no longer just outnumbered; with the addition of powerful variants amongst the undead, such as Corpse Giants, massive amalgamations of the flesh that could easily smash their titanic bodies into the already weakened wall. And with the sheer amount of Liches to raise the undead and cast spells, we were not in a good place.

"Lord Vasquez, what are our troop numbers looking like?" Marshal Cloudsun asked.

"After the battle within the city, the garrison is at a measly ten thousand. With our combined forces of Baron Carbo, Baron Felix, and Count Gavia, we arrived here with fifty-five thousand troops. His Highness personally brought another eighty thousand along with Gryphon Knights," Lord Vasquez explained.

"And what of Her Highness, Princess Arene, and Laurena? How many troops will they be bringing?" Prince Leopold asked.

"They should be arriving with close to a hundred and eighty thousand, most of them being conscripted," Lord Vasquez added.

"Then we are fighting against such a large enemy force with not even half a million trained soldiers…" Prince Leopold murmured.

"The call to arms has been raised. The city of Curia has two hundred thousand able-bodied civilians who can assist with the defense of the city. Amongst the refugees, the numbers are smaller at fifty or so thousand, but amongst them are soldiers, mages, and adventurers," Sir Blackwood said.

"The Adventurer's Guild has also put out an emergency quest for all Adventurers. Roughly five hundred adventurers from the city and another hundred in surrounding posts have answered the call," he added.

"Still not nearly enough to make a dent in the disparity of our numbers. Even with the additional elites, we are vastly outmanned. Our only blessing is this will undoubtedly be a siege defense, correct? Surely, we are not to sally out and face the undead in the field," Marshal Cloudsun said.

"Yes, we are prepared to defend the city from within the walls. Marching an army outside will only see their numbers being added to the undead. Our original plan was to hold out for as long as possible as we sent in multiple elite teams to take out the Lich to end the battle. However, things will clearly be changing with our new information. We will host a strategy meeting upon the arrival of the princesses and their forces," Lord Vasquez said.

"Then our meeting is—"

Prince Xander was cut off as the door to the meeting room swung open. In came a short man. His bald head was covered completely in soot and dirt, and he wiped his hands off on his equally dirty apron as he climbed up and into a chair. Squeaks was so nonchalant about it all that it was almost like he belonged here in the first place and was just late.

He looked over at me and then scanned the room. "What? Was I that late?"

I just nodded. "Yes…we just about finished things before you came in."

Squeaks scratched his chin and shrugged. "Oh well, that makes my life a bit easier," he said.

Squeaks turned his attention to the young, sleepy Duke but opted instead for Prince Xander. "Your Highness, I request permission to build and maintain the city's extra siege equipment. The wall-mounted ballistas and catapults are in good condition, but the trebuchets must be built and properly fixed. Also, extra ammunition must be created by mages for the catapults, and we are working on more heads for the bolts. The wall-mounted catapults will use most of the rocks from the wall."

Prince Xander blinked a few times with a confused look. "…You are Squeaks, correct?"

"Yes, Your Highness," he answered.

"I understand a little more now," Prince Xander mumbled to himself.

Lord Vasquez smirked to himself as Prince Xander spoke, "I understand you are responsible for arming the civilians, and you have been vouched for by many. You are a trustworthy man, and Luminar appreciates your assistance. I shall leave these things to you and our engineers; please do as you see fit."

Squeaks gave a firm nod and sank back into his chair. Even through all the blackened soot on his face, I could tell the man was tired. He has been working tirelessly for days to achieve his goals.

"Then our meeting is adjourned for the day. Rest—" Prince Xander was about to announce before a guard opened the door.

"What is it?" Lord Vasquez questioned.

"Guildmaster Elora has arrived in the city with a large force. She is requesting an audience," the knight said.

Elora…that's the woman who knew King Maxwell, and we ran into her when we infiltrated the underground auction.

"Bring her here," Prince Xander ordered.

The meeting wasn't called off just yet as we waited some time for this Elora to arrive. Once she did, she bowed deeply at the entrance of the room and remained standing. And from the last time I had seen her, she had clearly changed. The gray in her brown hair had seemed to explode in numbers. She looked many years older than the last time we had met, and her attitude was standoffish at best and menacing at worst.

"Guildmaster Elora, what brings you here?" Prince Xander asked.

Her green eyes burned with anger as she said, "I've gathered a thousand adventurers from the capital to here. We will fight alongside Luminar in the coming battle, and if His Highness allows it, I will personally lead all the adventurers."

"Adventurers are your people. It would be better if they were led by one of their own, so I grant you permission. Please stay within the castle, Guildmaster," Prince Xander said.

"As you wish, Your Highness," Guildmaster Elora said with a short bow.

"Then we shall bring this meeting to an end…unless someone has something to add," Prince Xander said, eyeing the room.

No one said a word.

—

War God Vasquez's POV.

I put my glass down and looked up at the maid. "My Lord, a soldier of Tel'an'duth is requesting to speak with you; he says he is a big fan of yours…shall I turn him away?"

A fan? Of me? His humor hasn't aged nearly as well as he has.

"Let him in," I ordered.

"Yes…My Lord," the maid said, confused.

I was just having breakfast alone in an office when an armored Elf walked in. "Excuse me, My Lord," he said.

I sighed deeply. "No point in trying to change your voice, Your Majesty. Or pretend to be someone else."

The High Elf chuckled. "Have I been found out already?"

"You fooled me once many years ago but never again, Your Majesty," I said.

The High Elf took his helmet and face cover off and smiled brightly at me. Even thirty years later, the man looked exactly the same as he had always looked. Just with a few additional wrinkles.

"And please, I'm no longer Emperor, so just call me Thrandil now," he said, taking a seat across from the desk.

I poured the man a cup of the dark black liquid. The Jynx Beans made a refreshing but bitter beverage that I had grown to enjoy. I was glad the beans were becoming more prevalent in the kingdom these days… although trade would be difficult.

Perhaps I should purchase a stockpile…but the price has most likely already doubled.

Thrandil graciously took the cup and added a few cubes of sugar to it before taking a sip of the steaming liquid. He nodded to himself and smiled in satisfaction.

"So, care to explain to me why the former Emperor is pretending to be a soldier?" I asked.

"I'm not pretending. I really am just here to fight," Thrandil said with an innocent shrug.

I sighed again. "You know what I mean…allowing the Emperor, former or not, to fight in such a dangerous battle is asking for trouble. Is this some kind of trick?" I said pointedly.

Thrandil waved his hands in the air defensively while shaking his head. "No, no, you have the wrong idea. Plus, I sent a letter home. Those who needed to be informed are very aware of what I am doing, so Luminar will not be held accountable if something happens to me."

"How convenient…" I mumbled.

"I understand the hesitation, but I am truly here just to help," he said.

"Surely you don't think I should just believe your word and that you are just here to 'help'? You are the man who led a war for almost three hundred years against my people. And the last time we met, you tried to kill me while also pretending to be a common foot soldier," I said.

Thrandil waved a hand in the air and said, "Well…that is true, but that was then, and this is now. Would you even believe me if I told you I was here to help my family?"

"…Is it normal for a man to hide his identity and say it's for his family?" I questioned.

"Well, my grandson, the hero of the continent, did that, so why can't I?" he said.

…

What?

"Are you…are you truly insinuating that you are Kaladin's grandfather? What kind of game is this?" I demanded.

"There is no insinuating anything. I really am his blood relative," Thrandil insisted.

I sat back in my chair and mulled it over. The more I thought about it, the more plausible it all became. It would explain Kaladin's ability to use lightning magic and…

Come to think of it…I've seen his mother, and the two of them are definitely mother and son…there is a resemblance between Thrandil and Kaladin's mother I hadn't put together until now. Her origins are also dubious, and Thrandil has been alive for many centuries…having a secret child unknown to the world isn't out of the realm of possibility.

"Looks like you are starting to believe me," Thrandil said with a smirk.

"It's not impossible, but there are problems with your story. Why hasn't Kaladin ever mentioned you? Why didn't Tel'an'duth claim him when his identity became known?" I questioned.

Thrandil chuckled awkwardly while running a hand through his short blonde hair, "Well…let's just say we are not on the best of terms right now, and the last thing we need is another long battle of succession."

That makes sense, in a way.

"Is it even possible for a man who has so many children to be on good terms with them all?" I questioned.

Thrandil deflated slightly. "I imagine it is possible if the father was a good man. I always told myself I didn't have the luxury and that if my empire was safe, then so was my family."

I grunted at his words, not agreeing or disagreeing. I have no idea what it took to rule an empire during a war. I'm sure much had to be sacrificed for the sake of the people.

"Perhaps it's just an old man's wish," he said to himself with a weak smile.

"A wish for what? To be recognized by your family?" I asked.

"Perhaps. I heard you had a child recently, so surely you understand what I am talking about," he said.

"Well, I can understand that much, I suppose. Although mine is too young to be disappointed in me so soon," I said.

Thrandil chuckled to himself. "Yes, yes…the early years are some of the best."

I sipped my lukewarm drink and sighed. "So you are truly here just to assist us?"

Thrandil nodded after taking another sip, "Yes. I believe this battle will be important for the survival of our countries and family."

Good.

—

Kaladin Shadowheart's POV.

The next day and a half was spent in much the same way as the last. Preparations were made for the defense of the city, and the earth mages worked well into the night to finish on time. The Western portion of Curia's land had been completely altered from its original state. Deep trenches that could swallow men whole sprawled out for miles, and giant slopes sat in the middle.

Hundreds upon hundreds of spiked stone barricades lined the defenses. The road leading West had been reduced to rubble and impact craters from concentrated magic attacks. Mages capable of using water magic were sent out at nightfall to begin filling the trenches to turn into makeshift moats. We also increased the width of the closest trenches in hopes of stopping the Corpse Giants before reaching the wall, since if one of them made it to the weakened part, it would surely bring it down.

The following afternoon, the horns blazed, announcing the arrival of the royal princesses. They must have forced march through the night in order to reach the city with time to spare. The additional almost two hundred thousand troops flooded into the city and began setting up camp in the streets. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to meet with them as I had joined in the effort to relocate the refugees inside the city.

It was a long process, and there was not nearly enough room for all of them, but we had no choice. The undead may only be a day and a half away, but there was no telling if they would send an expeditionary force to attack. If the civilians were caught outside the walls, it would be a slaughter, taking unnecessary casualties.

The civilians and refugees who could fight had been issued weapons, mostly made by Squeaks and Padraic's efforts and what was brought with the two armies, and they were going through rough basic training. Of course, given our time constraints, it was as rudimentary as possible and more or less a way to get them comfortable with their weapons, which was all they had. Armor was in short supply, and we had neither the time nor the resources to arm them properly.

Most people had opted for planks of scrap wood as shields and used old clothes or whatever else they could get their hands on to fasten makeshift wooden armor. I even saw someone with a cooking pot strapped to their chest. It was a saddening sight, but it was all we could do now. For the most part, they will be sprinkled in with regular soldiers and guards.

Finally, after another exhausting day of work and completely expanding my mana reserves, I made time to see Lauren and Ren before bed. I was given their room location and promptly went there. Outside the door was a familiar face.

"Captain Fairchild, you've come as well?" I asked with a smile.

The old soldier smiled back and bowed to me. "It is my duty to protect their Royal Highnesses no matter where they go."

I chuckled and said, "I'm sure you had a heart attack when all three of the royal children were in the same city during a siege that decides the fate of everything."

Captain Fairchild sighed with a defeated look. "Yes…I'm afraid the three of them have never made my short time as there protector a simple matter. But I understand their situation and desires."

"You've only just become the new captain," I joked.

"Exactly…what unfortunate timing on my part," he said with a grin as he opened the door. "Please, I'm sure they would like to see you."

I nodded and walked into the room. It was one of the largest bedrooms in the entire castle, only second and third to the Dukes and Prince Xander, who arrived first. Even so, calling it a room was modest. In truth, a family of four or five could probably live comfortably here.

I waited at the door to see if either of them would greet me, but I was left standing in silence. The candles were lit despite the time, so I knew at least one had not yet gone to sleep. There were many doors to choose from, but only one had light seeping out from underneath.

I knocked on the door and was told to come in. Still in her fancy dress, Lauren was hunched over a desk, writing away at a stack of papers. After a few more strokes of her pen, she stopped and turned around. There wasn't much of a reaction from her at all, and she just got up from her seat and walked over to me.

She hugged me tightly around the waist and buried her head into my chest. It wasn't the usual, playful hug at all.

"Hi…" she mumbled.

There was no mischief in her voice. The usual teasing Lauren did seemed to have been left behind. Instead, the young princess simply sounded tired. Even though it wasn't possible, I swore I could feel the stress radiating off of her.

I hugged her tightly back and asked, "How are you holding up?"

She rubbed her face against my clothes and shuddered slightly. "Is it okay if I say it's not going well?"

I just nodded and rubbed her back. "I'm sure even princesses can have bad days."

"What about bad weeks?" she said, choking up.

"I think that's fine too."