Leading the Charge

The abominable army silently ringed the fortress city, inching closer toward the wall. As they got closer, Livie could hear the moment her strike team was discovered.

The shouting and screaming was music to Livie's ears. Eventually the inside of the city was lit up, bringing a warm glow to the top of the wall.

It was then she found that none of her allies were left at the top of the wall. Livie frowned. Unable to make out the words of the other humans, Livie turned to the tan colored wolf beside her.

"Spill it, Hadley, what are they saying?"

Hadley's eyes were closed as she strained her hearing. She coughed up a grey feather before beginning to speak. "One of our three managed to get over the wall. One human dead…and another scratched."

"And the Empress?"

"Seems to be fine." Hadley could only hear distress over the injured soldier. If the Empress were dead, surely there would be more chatter. Hadley coughed again and more feathers fell from her mouth.

Livie clicked her tongue. "You should not have eaten that bird whole..."

"You said to catch and kill the messenger. I did." Hadley defended herself. She patted her upset stomach as she burped again.

"So you did," Livie gave a small smile. The tan wolf had followed her orders. What more could she ask? She chuckled softly at how literally the words had been carried out.

Hadley cleared her throat and quirked a furry eyebrow at Livie. "Are you not upset that your plan failed and the Empress is alive?"

The slender leader shrugged her shoulders, seemingly undisturbed by the abominations' failure. "It was a long shot, of course, but if one of the troops was scratched by a claw, we may have saved ourselves a lot of trouble."

"My lady?" Hadley scratched her nose.

"As soon as the soldier transforms, panic will set in. If they go rabid and start injuring those around them, then others will turn also. Oblivion will be fighting an internal battle and we can sit back and watch..." Livie's face twisted into a terrible grin.

Her glee was short lived, as Hadley quickly disagreed. "They are taking the soldier to lock him up. They seem to have an idea of what will happen already...."

At this Livie tensed. "How could they possibly know that? Even we just found it out recently. None of our captives could have made it here before us to warn them..."

Everything suddenly clicked into place. The Emperor had not seemed surprised by their numbers. He had been far too calm, even if he had been expecting that an attack was coming.

There was only one reason that could be the case. Someone warned him.

Someone he trusted.

"We've been tricked..." Livie muttered. "He knows our secrets because has seen Renat! We move in now. No time to lose."

Hadley let out a single roar into the darkness and then fell silent. It was the signal. The army was on the move.

Rather than have all sides attack at once, Livie had instructed them to move in sequence. Once the first line of combatants drew the soldiers on the wall to a single point, other places would create holes which the other creatures could penetrate.

Divide and conquer.

The first wall of wolves and lizards took to the walls, climbing solely with the use of their claws. This group was better armed than the original trio.

Most of them were clad in armor with weapons cinched around their waists. They would be more ready to meet in combat, but there was a major problem.

The armor was made for humans. The larger creatures wore it awkwardly, unable to put the helmets over their furry or leathery heads.

And climbing with the swords at their sides made the weapons grate against the stone with each upward lunge. The result was a hideous incessant scraping sound that would have struck fear in even the most hardened soldier. The element of surprise was gone.

Yet no outcry came from the top of the wall. Were the humans really that terrified? Had they abandoned their post?

No.

The first drop landed inexplicably on a lizard's olive head. She wondered for a moment if it was going to rain again. Not that it would affect her as much as those on the ground. She was already more than halfway up the wall.

The second and third drip gave her pause. The liquid was oily, not watery. More oil was added until the wall became very slick.

The lizard laughed dryly. The people of oblivion had poured liquid down the walls to make them slippery? Such a waste! It was their claws, holding them in place, and they were not affected by the dripping ooze. It was obnoxious at best, but the lizard knew better than to be annoyed.

A few more body lengths of climbing and the lizard could see the top of the wall. That is when a head appeared with a torch in hand looking down at her.

The sudden ball of light was blinding. Come to think of it, none of the torches on this side of the wall were not lit.

It made the influx more than the lizard could bear. She pulled back her front claw to shield her eyes, cursing the soldier and swearing to take them out the first chance she got.

The liquids from her razor sharp talons dropped onto her vermilion tongue. She spat. The taste and stench were unpleasant. The oils had something caustic mixed in.

She tried to wipe it from her mouth, noting that she should not get too close to the fire lest she get singed.

That was when the grim realization hit her, the flame was not so the soldier could see her…it was to light her ablaze.

"Watch out! He's going to…"

In the next moment, a large whoosh of smolderingly hot air surged from Oblivion's west wall, nearly killing the single soldier at the top of the battlement. He had been warned not to look down when lighting the fuse, but his curiosity had nearly killed him.

The stones glowed with the molten oil, which flowed in lava-like rivers down the fortress. The man could feel his skin begin to burn as if from the sun as he finally came to his senses and fled. If he survived until morning, he would find that he had an inexplicable tan.

The acrid smell of charred flesh filled the air. Screams, hisses and howls filled the night, crying out in anguish before dying out and falling silent.

Those who had made the initial assault would never be able to do so again. When the fire was finally quelled, all that was left behind was fused stone resembling glass at the top half of the wall.

Anyone who wanted to breach from that side would find that digging their claws in there now would be nearly impossible.

Phase one was complete.

From the south, Livie saw the conflagration burst like the breath of a dragon from the west wall.

She wondered how the Empress had managed such an impressive feat. Was it science or magic?

The lithe leader narrowed her gaze, wondering who could survive such an inferno.

It wasn't long before the news reached her. At least a hundred of her army had died and others were badly wounded.

Any hope for a quick end had literally gone up in smoke.

The creatures nearest her seemed anxious by the demoralizing loss. Livie needed to act quickly or she might lose control.

"This is outrageous!" She screamed. "They think a little trick of fire will force us to give up? We have right on our side!"

A few of the creatures grunted in agreement. Others began to paw at the ground.

The young woman decided to up the ante. "Who has the might? Who has the power?"

"We do!" the creatures answered.

"Who can hold their own against magical creatures and emerge victorious?" Livie held out her arms to her audience.

"We can," they yelled.

"And who, mighty warriors, will make history by taking the only city to never be overcome?!"

"We will!" They roared.

Livie lowered her voice. "Then show the Empress she has met her match." Motioning to two abominations, the fearsome leader gave them simple instructions. "Repeat what you have heard at the east and north walls. We will attack in unison. Show no mercy."

The two creatures bowed and scattered to inform their respective companies. Livie allowed Hadley to order those from the south wall into proper positions.

With the tan wolf's help, Livie would honor her fiance's memory. She would show her brother and father her worth was more than just who she could marry. She would prevail.

As the moon made its appearance over the mountains, a smile grew on Livie's stunning face. Something about the glow made the wolves in particular seethe with power and rage.

Which was good, preferable even! For among other things...

On the north wall, Clyff was leading the charge.