It was a quick cleanup on the bandits as they weren't any kind of roaming mercenaries or even adventurers. It appeared that most, besides the mage, were just normal people who had looted and pillaged their way through innocent people amidst the chaos striking the kingdom. We spent some time talking with the refugees, and it was the same across the board.
Most of them were heavily injured, with lost limbs and grievous wounds. All of their fighters were either dead or out of commission, but even so, they continued to press on in hopes of reaching Curia in time. According to their "leader," who was just a crippled farmer, this was not the first or even third time they were attacked. The second to last battle left them with no capable fighters at all, and without us intervening, this would have been the nail in the coffin for them.
After hearing a few of their stories as Sylvia healed the injured, we realized that most of these people didn't even know each other. They were all different groups of people from different villages, and the only reason they came together was the raids and attacks from the white robes. Neighbor turned on neighbor in a brutal surprise attack that seemingly came out of nowhere. Entire villages were razed in a blink of an eye, or so they said.
There was a single family as well; they reported not white-robed people assaulting them, but a crazed monster. The mother, who had lost a hand to it, described it as a bloodthirsty beast with red eyes that teared people apart in the night. It was obvious that it was a blood-starved Vampire that had succumbed to madness even if she didn't say it outright on behalf of Sylvia being there. The fear in her eyes was clear as day.
Either way, it was worrisome just how far the tendrils of The Holy Kingdom had reached. It far surpassed any intelligence the kingdom had prior, that was for sure. The Vampires being used as slaughterers also went beyond what was originally speculated. At this point, the Holy Kingdom may have been moving in secret for years, even decades, subverting the intelligence groups of the kingdom the entire time. This made sense, considering a War God was among the traitors, who apparently had been planted during the three hundred-year war with Tel'an'duth.
But what was even more frightening was how they managed to convince seemingly normal people to commit such egregious acts against their fellow citizens. Sure, there were always zealots who would do anything upon request regardless of the consequences or who their faith targeted. But those types of people, no matter how terrifying and useful to their cause, must have made up a small percentage of believers in the Amon-Ra faith. And I doubt a group of dedicated, zealous followers could turn this many people.
What did these people have to gain by becoming murderers and bandits overnight? What tantalizing offer or holy promises did The Holy Kingdom supply to turn even the smallest communities in a far-off nation against one another?
Regardless, these answers would have to be sought later. We just didn't have the time to interrogate people. And it was almost guaranteed these farmers turned zealous bandits knew nothing of the grander plan The Holy Kingdom was orchestrating. If the Moon Mother is to be believed, then a far greater threat looms to the West.
—
After a few days, with the bare minimum amount of rest, we finally reached Curia. The city, which was once so vibrant and active with a million people, lay still; its ward barrier was disabled, exposing it completely from a distance. It was clear from the sky just how far the damage had reached. Entire sections of the city lay in ruin from fires while only stone buildings remained standing. The streets were empty, besides guards and soldiers patrolling; the market was left completely barren and torched.
The amount of refugees setting up camp outside the city walls was also visible. Their makeshift tents surrounded the city on all sides, and next to the largest section of the camp was the hole in the Western wall, which was also visible from the Gryphons' backs. And it was by no means a minor crack.
"No way…" Sylvia mumbled from behind me.
A large section of the wall had crumbled to the ground, leaving a hole large enough for an army to pour into. If there were an invading force outside Curia, the city would be overwhelmed in a matter of hours with such a large hole in the outer wall, that was for sure. Which only added to the building list of problems.
It seems that the Moon Mother was really on to something. If an endless supply of the undead poured out from the Iron Citadel and invaded Curia from the West, only the city's strong walls would keep it safe in time for reinforcements. But now that the largest obstacle was out of the way, I was reminded of what War God Vasquez mentioned: that the followers of Amon-Ra may be able to manipulate or even control monsters. If that was the case…then everything was going as planned for The Holy Kingdom.
As it stood, Curia would fall, and Luminar's days were numbered.
But that wasn't an option. The city had to remain standing even at the greatest of costs. The undead had to be stopped here, and they would be.
The Gryphons started their descent into a courtyard that quickly filled with curious city guards and soldiers. We dismounted, and the handlers quickly whispered the beasts away from us. I scanned the crowd of tired-looking men and women, but none of them approached us and kept a healthy distance.
That was, until it started to part and a small group of two people walked forward. One was a large, burly, balding Human man in full red painted plate armor with a golden Gryphon on his chest, and the other was a young boy with short pitch-black hair who couldn't be older than ten years old. He wore an extravagant black and gold outfit with a large black fur cape that dragged across the floor. He was adorned in fine golden jewelry as well, fit for a noble. The young boy looked at us and averted his eyes.
The burly man cleared his throat and bowed slightly. "It is an honor to be in the presence of the famed hero and Dragon Slayer. I am the new and currently acting governor-general of Curia, Sir Blackwood," he greeted with a gruff voice that matched his appearance.
Governor-general? That's an unusual rank. That means he isn't the lord of this land but simply acting as the governor of the city. That means…
Sir Blackwood motioned toward the young boy beside him and said, "This is my liege and Lord of Curia and its surrounding lands, Duke Nathaniel Godwin."
The boy put a hand to his chest and gave an awkward bow. "It—it's a pleasure to meet the Dragon Slayer in person—we apologize for not giving you a proper welcome but—but we hope you understand that—our circumstances," he squeaked in a high-pitched voice.
This was not part of the report. The Duke Godwin I was told about was a man in his late sixties, a strong warrior who fought at the tail end of the war. Also, there was supposed to be the eldest son, only a few years older than me, who was a promising replacement for his aging father and a middle daughter who wasn't considered weak by any means.
The youngest, Nathaniel, wasn't even mentioned…which means things went far worse in Curia than expected.
I bowed back to the boy. "It's good to meet you, Duke Godwin, and please don't mention it. It's a difficult time for everyone."
The boy's eyes darkened as he nodded weakly. Sir Blackwood clenched his jaw, and I sighed internally at the mess.
"My friends and family require a place to rest. In the meantime, the three of us must have a conversation. It's urgent," I said, handing them a sealed scroll with the royal family's wax crest.
—
"Thank you," I said to the butler, who put down a warm cup of tea for me.
"We've read the report that you gave us, but we have nothing to confirm its contents, unfortunately," Sir Blackwood said, standing tall next to the seated young Nathiel.
"Don't you have your own Gryphon riders?" I questioned.
Sir Blackwood shook his head. "No, many of the Gryphons fit for war were killed before the attack even started. A handler had poisoned their water. We only have a single Gryphon used by the Godwin family to send messages, and we've been using it to communicate with the capital, albeit slowly."
So, they even targeted their means of communication. That explains the lack of information.
"What is the current state of the city?" I asked.
"All the rebels have been stamped out, and the fires put out. We officially regained full control of Curia only five days ago after the last bastion of resistance was blown apart by our mages. And the outlying villages were secured just last night," Sir Blackwood informed me.
I looked to Nathaniel but decided to ask anyway, "And what of the previous Duke and his family?"
"They all died in an assassination. Lord Nathaniel is the last of his family and only escaped because he was not feeling well and did not attend that night's dinner," he said solemnly.
"…I see. I'm sorry for your loss," I said with a lowered head.
The boy weakly nodded his head, and with those questions answered, it was time to focus on the tasks at hand. "Baron Carbo, Baron Felix, Count Gavia, and War God Vasquez are marching toward Curia as we speak. They will arrive soon. I'm sure you've read everything, so what is the current state of the wall?"
Sir Blackwood clenched his jaw again and shook his head. "We have supplies to fix the wall but have not started the process yet. We currently lack manpower, and it will take months for the wall to return to its former state."
"Unfortunately, we don't have months, Sir Blackwood, but days. The undead are coming, and we cannot let Curia fall. I'm certain of it," I said seriously.
"I find it difficult to believe, but…I have no reason not to trust the words of Lord Vasquez and the Dragon Slayer," he remarked.
"Then, until further notice, put all available manpower into sealing the wall. Use the refugees and civilians if you must. A simple fix will have to do for the time being. Also, use the Gryphons we rode in on to scout the West. It's likely the forts along the border have already fallen, and the villages are being swept away as we speak," I said.
"Sir, we can't just use the people they've—"
"No matter how cruel it may seem, they won't be getting a say in the matter. I'll send someone to heal the injured and sick. But if we are to survive, we need everyone's cooperation until this is all over. Because if that wall is not sealed, there won't be anywhere left to turn to," I warned.
Sir Blackwood closed his eyes, and Nathaniel spoke up for the first time since his greeting, "Bu—but does that mean we have to let them in? What—what if there are traitors hiding in the camps?"
"That is a real threat, yes. If there are any more dangerous elements, things may take a turn for the absolute worse, but it's a risk we have to take, Duke Godwin. I brought strong fighters with me, more than capable of dispatching a few who would be traitors. I'll see to it that they join the guards and help keep the peace," I explained.
Nathaniel dipped his head, as did Sir Blackwood. "We will do what you ask of us, Sir Shadowheart. I'll start the preparations to repair the wall immediately," Sir Blackwood said with a short bow.
"Good. I also have another request; I would like to see the wards that protect the city. I assume they have been damaged and I have someone who may be able to help."
The two turned to each other with confused looks, and I just smiled.
—
"I can't fix that damn thing," Squeaks grumbled.
"Why not? I thought you were a Master Ruinsmith?" I asked.
Squeaks slowly looked at me and pointed a thick finger at the rubble. "There's nothing left to fix. I'm not a miracle worker, you bastard. Does it look like I can fix that pile of nothing? Fixing a single broken rune or two is one thing, but I would need an entire forge with all my tools to make something this large from scratch."
It was wishful thinking. I thought that maybe we could bring the wards back up that protected the city from weak monsters and hide it from view, but the damage was already done. A mage had apparently suicide-bombed the stone that held all the wards for the city, leaving it in ruins.
"What about the wall? Any Dwarven tips for that?" I asked him.
Squeaks shrugged. "Just plug the hole, I guess? Maybe I can make some iron brackets or supports to help, but that's all. I never specialized in stone masonry, let alone defenses of a city. Besides, my talents are best put elsewhere…" he said, turning around.
"You are the Lord of this city, right, young man? How many forges are still active?" Squeaks questioned.
The young boy looked hesitantly up to his guardian. "We don't have an exact number for you at the moment, but there should still be plenty. We can at least confirm the one at the guard barracks is still active."
Squeaks clicked his tongue. "Well, that will have to do. I can use that as a home base. I'll need every available forge working under my direction for this to work, and I won't be hearing any complaints."
"What do you have in mind, Squeaks?" I asked curiously.
Squeaks smirked as he rubbed the top of his bald head. "What I do best. Forging. Give me a few days, and I'll have a weapon in the hands of every capable person in the city."
"We don't have the materials to mass produce so many weapons, Sir…Squeaks?" Sir Blackwood said hesitantly.
"Sure you do. Every city this large has enough supplies. You probably even have a surplus," Squeaks snorted back.
"I—I fail to see where this information is coming from. We don't have such large stores of iron, and even if someone had a private stash, it wouldn't be enough," Sir Blackwood said hesitantly.
"Wrong. This city is full of available materials. I'll hire some adventurers and people to get to work on gathering stuff. Every single nail, pot, pan, broken bar, or old weapon made of metal will be put to use. I don't care if every home loses a door or ten and we have to rip the roofs off. Everything made of iron or steel will be stripped from this city and be put into weapons and, if we have the luxury, armor," Squeaks said proudly.
"You would…have us dismantle the city?" Sir Blackwood questioned with a concerned look.
"If that is what it takes, yes. The nails holding your door together won't be useful if everyone is a walking corpse. What do you say about that, Kaladin?" Squeaks asked me.
"Do what you must. Doors and homes can be replaced, but lives cannot. Duke Godwin, please give my companion the authority to hire anyone he needs. I'm sure the crown will compensate anyone affected, and Squeaks here is a most trustworthy man. He's the best we could ask for in this situation," I requested with a short bow.
Duke Godwin and Sir Blackwood exchanged worried glances, but eventually, Sir Blackwood nodded. "Th—then I give Sir Squeaks permission to…uh…wait, isn't he just stealing?"
"It's not theft, young Duke, but legal appropriation. And if you say it's okay, then it's okay to everyone," Squeaks chuckled.
"Ahh-properiation? I—yes…I trust the Dragon Slayer's judgment," the young noble said, slightly confused.
Squeaks rubbed his hands together. "Perfect, I'll get to work right away. Haha…my apprentice is going to learn the means of mass production!" he squeaked in excitement.
"I'll leave it to you," I told the Dwarf.
"Sir Shadowheart, will you be taking command of our troops and—"
I interrupted Sir Blackwood with a hand wave. "No, I won't be taking command of anything. I'm just a temporary liaison until War God Vasquez and his forces arrive. Outside of what I've requested, please continue as is. I've brought extra supplies for the city as well that I'll have deposited soon."
That's right, I have no intentions of taking command of any troops. I just need to make a few orders now to jump-start the process as quickly as possible.
"Then what will you be doing, Sir?" Sir Blackwood asked.
"I'll go with the scouting team at dawn, so please have them prepared. I have to see what we are facing with my own eyes."