"There it is..." I breathed quietly as I felt a huge burden leave my body. Our force found itself renewed and full of life once more. Yet as they ran towards the impressive line of high-perched fortifications. I just dropped to the ground and planted my blade into the ground.
Content to enjoy a brief moment of rest before my superior dropped down to my side. Unlike me, though, she kept her blade at the ready and exposed nothing. I had a feeling she wanted to speak to me about something. But for the moment, both of us seemed to be content with staring at our new home for the upcoming days, maybe even weeks.
As its name suggested, it was a long line of guns that stretched for several thoumans. It wasn't a single line either, it was a multi-storied fortress bristling with guns. I couldn't tell what kind, granted. But one emplacement did stand out.
A grand single-barreled weapon that stretched out high into the sky from its dome-like housing. An appropriately named weapon; mountain cracker. And, I was glad to have such a weapon here. Because if my own strength proved insufficient, this mighty weapon would cleanse all life before it.
One tremendous, earthquake causing shake at a time...
"I cannot see us getting our guns into position. So, I want you to help the men into the fort. Wounded first."
"Of course." I answered after a brief delay as I registered what had been spoken.
"And make sure you get rest what you can, Sister Vapooliar. We will have our hands full aiding the fort and spreading out looking for others."
"Is that a good idea? You know what is following us."
"All the more reason to ensure we get as many bodies as possible. We are stronger as one line, Sister."
"Yes." I nodded in agreement before I glanced back the way we came.
"Get to it, then, I will look around for beacons to light." she ordered just before she departed for the nearby mountain peaks at the rim of the vast plain. Then, as she had requested, I moved forward to commence with getting everyone to the fort. But, at first, I was slightly unsure of how to go about it.
My priorities were obvious, the guns and the wounded. We couldn't leave such a potent aid behind in the grass for the enemy. I had to get them at least to the bottom of the fort. But, of course, the men were my priority.
So I hovered about the vast force of stragglers before I came to a conclusion on how to go about this. It might seem strange, but perhaps emptying some of the wagons and carts would help? I understood the men were tired but the quicker we got the wounded in the better. Besides, it was clear many were wounded light enough to at least mount a gun and cover us once they were in.
"Start unloading the wagons and carts as much as you can. Make room for the wounded and I will take them up to the fort!" I order the men as I got started doing just that. Handing smaller items to those who could walk on their own and sending them off. Guiding up those who were in most need of rest.
"Secure as we can be..." one soldier answers wearily as he rattles the worn-down tail gate.
"Hold on, then. And you lot, make sure another wagon or cart is ready to go when I get back!" I say just as I begin the process of flying into the sky. Carefully, I balanced the wooden wagon and I slowly made my way through the air. And with a sigh of relief, I dropped it down onto the roof of the fort before I shot down to the others.
Repeating the process again and again until I was finished with the final one. Yet, as I let the last one down, I turned around and caught sight of a congestion. The men were just gathering at the main gate for some reason. So I went down to investigate.
"What's the problem?" I asked as I looked over to the tightly sealed fortifications.
"When they abandoned the fort, they locked it up tight." one man bitterly remarked before he smashed his weapon against the heavy metal door.
"Easily solvable." I remark as I fly over the defences and go into the gatehouse. Frowning initially before I figured it out and heard the satisfying clank and thud of moving metal. And, as if I had opened it myself, the hearts of the men let out their delight. Cheers and even tears could be heard as the rush of boots and armour filled the path up.
Thankfully, I did not have to open any further gates as the field doctors made a point of opening up the fort from the inside. Yet even with all the men that just came rushing in. Many were still out there in the open pulling the guns. Many were even starting to collapse from exhaustion.
So I dashed down to them and eased them away from the guns, "No, you lot head on to the fort, I'll handle this."
"We both will." Wing-Head Allyoceer added in the nick of time as she came back from having done her task. With the edges of the valley not lit up with grand pyres. Along with a system of bells that filled the land and sky equally.
"Well, at least the heretics know which way to go..." I joked awkwardly as I watched her join me in the labour.
"They know only how to march forward. But our allies know the sound of those bells. They will rally to us on their own or with our help." she explains as she casually picks up two smaller guns by their barrels. Meanwhile, I insisted on dragging the column which a work animal had been detached from.
"Is there a chance more of our sister Valkinvar will come?" I asked her as I made deceptively easy work of moving the guns forward.
"There is, if we can reach them or if they can reach us in time, however... Is a different story."
"You can count on me to guide them!"
"Yes, I intend to make a habit of that, Sister Vapooliar. Your insistence on getting all out will net us many a soldier."
"Just doing my part..." I mutter, slightly bashful at the perceived compliment.
"And we all will need to do more than that if we hope to last out here." she tells me before she goes over to drop her guns within the fort. I, however, left mine at the base of the mountain, within the confines of the lower defences.
"Odd, they made it through these walls..." I remark as I went to the gate of the much lesser fortifications at the mountain's base. But I soon discovered that they must've been left open by the last set of occupants. Were they offering shelter to some extent when they did so?
I suppose it didn't matter, but it was strange.
"We still have a lot of work to do, so come on!" my superior insisted before I chased after her until we made it to the guns again. And as we finished with our back and forth runs, I made a habit of picking up the one odd soldier who seemed have been left behind.
"What were you doing out there?" I asked them in a chastising manner.
"Forgive this old soldier... My body ain't like what it once was." he replied as he slowly moved ahead.
"You should've joined one of the wagons holding the wounded, then." I tell him as he stops and shows off his bearded face.
"Either way, it's good to have you back, Valkinvar."
"Tha-" I started to say before I grew suspicious of the man. Calling my sword to my grip and giving him only mere moments once I caught it in my grip.
"Battcomm Rohlant, Valkinvar. We were..." he tried to explain before he grasped the importance of silence on the subject.
"Oh, so you and the other two did make it back?" I recall as I suddenly remember leaving behind three ironcoats before I left for Suhurlodst. Or, rather, they expressed regret about their initial decision. And they wanted to join the war again.
"We did, though, I don't know what has become of either since then." he answers as he looks towards the inner entrances to the fort.
"You best get inside. I am sure the men will need your expertise, Battcomm." I tell him with a slight gesture. Yet, he stayed there, standing before me with a slight smile.
"We will not have a single night of good rest once I get myself within those walls!" he proudly declared before he almost seemed to fall in love with the mountain cracker.
"Ensure it is more so the heretics getting that." I joke back to him as I rejoin my superior. Landing next to her as she stared out across the vast expanse. It helped put into perspective how vast the area was. And made it a little surprising that we were done within the day.
But, I suppose that was Valkinvar for you.
"It will take us time to fill out our defences." she commented as she looked down towards the lower battlements. A drop that would surely splatter a normal man if he were to attempt a quick way down.
"Is it worth leaving the lower battlements insecure?" I ask her.
"We don't have much choice at the moment. The plan for such fortifications was to be fully in use in the event of an enemy breakthrough. But its garrison had been pulled out once the machines made it apparent it was little more than a tomb."
"If we stall the oncoming army, we may experience such a tomb."
"Then they'll dig it for us."
"I'd rather hope we can gather enough Valkinvar to fill out our ranks."
"An agreeable stance. I have lost my former wing, but I see no issue in remaking it with those of similar circumstances."
"You'd have to hold out hope for some wing-tips then, no?"
"Yes, but, for the moment, unofficial as it may be, I want you to fill in such a position." she tells me before I moved back at her words. It was quite a shocking thing to hear given my history.
"I don't deserve such an honour..." I try to tell her as she snapped off a piece of her helm. The small piece of artistic metal soon arrived into my grasp at her insistence. With one of her hands taking a firm hold of my shoulder.
"Sister Vapooliar, regardless of the circumstances that have led you here. You have more than proven yourself as a fighter and your mind is in the right place. Though we are soldiers of a greater army. The fact you made a point of ensuring I made it here is more than enough to convince me that you deserve the honour."
"But... I'm just a..."
"No, you are my First Wing-Tip. My second-in-command." she corrected as she smacked my shoulder and put some distance between us.
"Then... Then I will make sure we have a full wing!" I tell her with a firm nod.
"Yes, but not for the rest of this day. I want you to go inside and get some rest. And see if there's anything we can do to set up ourselves a residence."
"The officer's tower should be adequate, no?"
"Then go make sure it is." she tells me as she stops me from bringing my sword with me. And with a quick nod of her head, she reaffirmed what she had just said. And I went into the fort's interior. Making sure to memorise what I could as I stepped aside for men and other things on the move.
Though, the rabid searching some were displaying did make me think twice about our situation. When this place was abandoned, had supplies been left? Or was it all taken? Did we have to make a point of raiding the enemy from here on out just to make use of our own fortifications?
I suppose our recent efforts proved it was a viable tactic. The men could be safely secured behind these walls while we shipped in fresh supplies. Perhaps our various animals could even be reworked into a means to hunt? It wasn't the best of ideas to slaughter them for meat if we had to leave later on.
But, I suppose, if we were to fight our way out of this fort, we'd have bigger problems than no work animals. Something would've gone very wrong if we had to pull out of here. Though that was my job now more than ever at the moment. As the freshly made Wing-Tip Vapooliar.
I was uneasy about the appointment, to be honest. But I did not make a point of vocally ruminating on it. I kept it to myself and left it there. Even if my mind was torn two ways at the moment.
One part of me was happy to have finally received the recognition I craved so long ago. But the other half knew I did not deserve it at all. I failed my army before and had abandoned my country for several years... Every moment of time I wasted costed my homeland lives beyond measure.
Even now, with this chance to make up for it, I would still not match the debt I had accrued. Every life lost had to be paid back tenfold in two ways. By heretics slaughtered or brave, true believers saved. There was a lot that had to be done.
But, as Wing-Head Allyoceer had just told me, that was not my concern right now. So, Instead, I took the moment to enjoy the quiet that filled the officer's tower. And I dropped into a fine sofa covered in soft cushions and leaned back into it. Sighing before I quickly got up to light the gaunt fireplace at the centre base of the tower.
Yet, upon seeing the steps that lead up to the higher floors. I made a point of ascending up them until I could hear even the howling wind clearly. But, as I made it to the top and walked out onto the observation platform. I saw the enemy marching on us from the other side of the plains, just into the valley we had left.
"Let the siege begin." I remarked as I watched the invading army march closer.