"You did well organizing that, Kaladin. I believe the message has been sent to the populace," War God Vasquez said.
"Thank you. It's because you insisted on regular communication," I said.
"Yes, but won't people attempt to flee in the night?" Professor Garrison, his voice tinged with concern, questioned.
"They may, but we have enough manpower to man every section of the walls tonight. His Highness, Prince Xander will announce tomorrow that every able-bodied individual in the city is being conscripted. Running will result in execution after that," Vasquez said gruffly.
"I'm not sure we can stop the refugees outside the walls from running. There are far too many of them," Garrison said, shrugging.
"Perhaps. But information regarding the undead is already spreading. We even encountered lone monsters wandering the roads past Curia. Anyone who flees will have to do so on an empty stomach and contend with monsters. The odds are not in their favor," Vasquez said with a hand wave.
"For the time being, order the men to eat well and rest until nightfall. Set up guard rotations while you are at it. Work on repairing the wall and scouting the undead will start tomorrow morning. We pushed everyone hard in a forced march to reach the city, so they need their rest," he added.
Professor Garrison gave a quick salute and left to fulfill his orders. Vasquez gave him a moment to leave before turning to me to ask, "The undead. How far away are they?"
I shook my head. "The exact time is unknown, but we guess they will be here within the next two or three days. We couldn't afford to lose a Gryphon, so a proper scouting force is going to be needed as it was confirmed the undead have a Lich amongst their ranks."
Lord Vasquez shut his eyes tightly and let out a deep breath. "There is something I want to show you."
An old dusty tome appeared in the man's hand from thin air. He turned to a marked page and then gave it to me.
"This is a record from Brax dating over seven hundred years ago. A large force of undead broke free from the Iron Citadel and attacked the empire," Vasquez explained.
I was surprised to see a historical text from so long ago. I was under the impression that things like this weren't considered important in this world for some unknown reason, but it appeared I was wrong, or maybe this was just a unique case.
"Three hundred thousand undead led by a Lich and a Dullahan attacked…" I mumbled, reading off the pages.
"Indeed. There was no estimate on the death toll, but it must have been at least a hundred thousand deaths amongst civilians and soldiers," Vasquez said grimly.
"So this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Even so…there is one glaring issue with the incident seven hundred years ago and today," I said.
"So you already noticed? Yes…the scale is entirely different. Brax was quick to respond with the army before a major city was assaulted, and the undead were destroyed completely. However, in the report, only a single border fort was assaulted. While today…" he trailed off.
"Almost all of the border forts in the West are unresponsive, with at least a standing force of fifty thousand troops. For all of them to be dispatched so quickly, the undead must double or even triple that from seven hundred years ago," I said.
War God Vasquez simply nodded his head. "We will confirm this starting tomorrow. Also, I was told to tell you that Princess Arene and Laurena will be arriving alongside War God Taurus and her husband with their own troops," he said.
"The princesses are coming? And Lady Taurus? Won't that leave the capital completely undefended?" I said, somewhat surprised.
"This isn't a time for being cautious. We trusted in your words, Kaladin. You were completely right from the beginning. If this city falls, we will not have the numbers to stop the undead. The fate of this kingdom lies in defending Curia," he said firmly.
I was about to agree when we both turned to the rushed footsteps coming up from behind us. A lone castle guard sprinted toward us and saluted us quickly.
"What's the matter?" Vasquez questioned.
"S—My lords! A High Elf with an entourage of armed people is at the gate requesting an audience with Sir Shadowheart. He claims to be a prince of Tel'an'duth! We've held him at the gate on yours orders!" the guard announced.
Huh?
—
I rushed down to the Eastern gate of Curia, and sure enough, there was a familiar High Elf dressed in fancy gold and blue robes riding a horse. Alongside him were four people. Two of them were True Beastmen. The first was a fox with a long, scarred face with black and white fur. The second was a ginormous brown bear that dwarfed the average man in height and stature. His fur was so thick it fluffed out from underneath his tribal-like clothing and nearly covered his entire face.
Next was a woman with slightly pointed ears peeking out from her curly brown hair, and my gut told me she was a Wood Elf or at least a Half-Elf. On her back was a quiver with a silver bow resting on top of her horse. The last was just a middle-aged Human man wearing robes with a staff. But with my Dragon eye, their appearances told another story.
All of them were very strong. They were all as strong as a Sapphire adventurer, not that of a War God, making them on par with Praetorian Guards. I was told that Prince Leopold was an eccentric who employed people simply based on his whims…but he seemed to have a good eye for the strong.
"Prince Leopold? What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I've brought my vassals and have come to assist in the defense of this city," he announced proudly.
"…how did you even hear about this? And how did you get here so quickly?" I questioned, surprised.
The prince smirked and said, "A request from Princess Arene came, and as an ally of Luminar, I answered the call. We rushed all the way here the moment it came, exchanging horses at every stop."
That must have cost him a small fortune, but I suppose that is a prince for you…
"We won't turn away any assistance, but I'm not sure you are completely aware of the situation," I said.
Prince Leopold waved his hand. "We understand most of what is happening as we have already slain the undead on the way to Curia. And our decision will not change, Sir Shadowheart."
Leopold turned to his men and said, "We will be under their command for the time being. I request that you offer your services to our allies. And if you wish to flee, now is the time."
The group of four exchanged glances and then gave varying forms of agreement. It seemed as if none of them intended to take the prince up on his offer to flee.
"I'll help with any scouting," the Wood Elf said in a soft voice.
"Same here," the fox Beastmen said in a much higher-pitched voice than I anticipated.
"I'm a mage. I specialize in sound magic, but I can also use earth magic. So use me as you see fit," the Human mage said with a smile.
And the bear…well, he just grunted. Whatever that's supposed to mean.
"Bilac isn't much of a talker. Just put him on guard duty alone. He'll be fine," Prince Leopold said proudly.
"Yes…I'm sure he will be. Well, I will explain things to the Duke and War God Vasquez. Report to the main guard house in the city—everyone besides the mage. I'll be needing your skills immediately," I said.
The mage bowed slightly atop his horse. "As the Dragonslayer requests."
—
For the last few days, I, along with twenty other mages who happened to be in the city, have been hard at work. That number would soon increase drastically with the inclusion of over fifty earth mages, after the new forces got some much-needed rest.
"Building ditches and walls?" the Human mage questioned, looking out into the field.
"Yes. You are with me. We are building the valleys while the others build the hills. Also, I never caught your name," I asked.
"Tichus, Sir," he said, rolling up his sleeves to his robes. "Shall we?"
For the rest of the day, until sunset, our group started terraforming the Western side of Curia. Tichus was a valuable addition to the team, as not many of the currently present mages could dig enough dirt to make sizable pitfalls without completely running out of mana. It was far easier for them to move the already excavated dirt to build barriers or use it in defense of the city's wall. We also had a group of workers to assist wherever needed.
The goal was simple: to build deep trenches that would trap the waves of undead, forcing them to climb over one another. The tall dirt walls were also more of an annoyance than anything, but they were thick enough to hopefully force the undead to mindlessly climb over them, slowing their approach, even if just a little. If there were to be hundreds of thousands of them encroaching on the city, killing all of them was impossible, even more so with the Lich's ability to raise the dead again unless their bodies were completely destroyed.
Moats would also be deployed to drown a few hundred or so hopefully, or at the very least, keep them at the bottom. Personally, I wasn't sure if the undead could swim, and it seemed no one was sure either way.
As the sky darkened and another day ended, I turned around to look at the city. The entire place was glowing brightly with torch light from the refugee encampment to the walls. The gaping hole in the wall had been set with molds as countless people began pouring thick sludge into it.
The mortar was a mixture of stone, water, and ash, which would be a fine mixture under normal circumstances. However, in this world, magic existed, and the walls of a major city needed to be made of sturdier stuff, such as Dull Stone, which had anti-magic properties. A simple stone wall could be blasted away with magic in a blink of an eye.
It was recommended that some blood iron plates be used to reinforce the wall, but I hadn't heard any news of whether we had a sufficient supply of the red metal to do so. And the odds were that we did not.
Defending the wall from the Lich's magic will be a top priority. But if we can snipe it before the creature reaches the city…this may be over before it starts. Hopefully, the Gryphon Knights can dispatch it with a sneak attack.
"That's all for the day. Everyone get some food and return home!" I ordered.
Tichus hobbled over to me and wiped the dripping sweat from his face. "Ha…I haven't worked this hard in years…will we be doing this every day?"
"Until the undead reach us, yes," I said with a nod, handing him a clean rag.
Tichus nodded slowly and looked to the West. "Just how many are coming?" he mumbled to himself.
"Hundreds of thousands," I answered.
The middle-aged mage gave me a pensive look and asked, "Will we be enough?"
"We have no choice but to be."
—
"Are you even alive?" I asked the sleeping Dwarf.
"I—I've never made so many damn hammers in my life. I think I can forge them in my sleep, Kaladin. I'm dreaming about damn hammers now! I'm going to be called the hammer master for as long as I live…" Padraic grumbled.
Squeaks had been collecting the supplies needed to work the forges day and night as promised, and his apprentice was not exempt from his work. The number of weapons produced in just a handful of days was astounding, and with the supplies brought in with War God Vasquez's forces, every person in the city should have a weapon of their own by tomorrow.
"Well, practice makes perfect, but I need you up and moving. You are the last person to get ready. We have been 'invited' to breakfast with His Highness Prince Xander today," I told him.
Padraic let out a long-winded groan and rolled out from his bed. "Is this the part in the story where we get assassinated before the battle by the crazy prince to decide the fate of the kingdom?"
"Please don't joke about that…you know, if someone heard you say that, you may actually be executed," I said with a sigh.
Padraic slipped on a shirt and grinned at me, saying, "But you would save me, right?"
"I'd rather not be forced to, but obviously I would. Now, less entertaining made-up events and more getting ready. I'll see you in five minutes," I groaned.
I left his room and found Cerila outside waiting for me. She gave me a hug and a good morning, then asked,
I tilted my head.
Cerila scrunched her nose up and gazed down the hallway.
I just grinned and nodded.
If Prince Xander had been truly the war-mongering person he appeared to be, then siding with the Holy Kingdom to take over the nation would have been in his best interest. Yet, he didn't appear to know anything about the attacks that nearly claimed his father's life or the intended actions of the Holy Kingdom. And he seemed saddened and troubled by it as well, as a son would for his father.
I've long since theorized that Prince Xander has been putting on some kind of act to draw attention to himself. I'm not certain why he is doing it or what his goals are, but if the young man I met in Sandervile all those years ago was truly Prince Xander…then his current actions just didn't align with that image.
Forced…yes…what if it isn't necessarily an act…
—
Breakfast was a simple affair, all things considered. There wasn't some magnificent spread of food fit for royalty at all, but instead, it was something so plain and simple that people would have thought we were crazy eating buttered bread and a morning soup with such ornate tableware. And the amount of people was kept small.
It was essentially just my family, friends, and I, along with Prince Xander, Duke Godwin, and Lord Vasquez. It was also quiet for the most part, with only small talk breaking up the clanging of spoons and bowls. And, outside of the initial greeting, Prince Xander had yet to say a word to anyone. That was until the end.
Breaking the awkward silence of dishes being taken away, Prince Xander made a request, "If I may, I would like to speak with The Dragonslayer alone."
My family gave me worried looks, but I assured them it was nothing. People filed out of the room one by one until there were just the two of us. I can't recall the two of us ever having a one-on-one conversation before, and for some reason, it seemed like he intended to continue that way.
So I asked him, "What did you want to discuss exactly, Your Highness?"
Prince Xander folded his hands on the table and looked across it directly at me. He stared at me for a while before finally saying, "Thank you."
"…and what are you thanking me for exactly?" I questioned.
"Everything you've done now and everything you'll do in the future," he said while standing up and sliding the chair back under the table.
"That's…a rather vague response, Your Highness," I said, somewhat confused.
"Yes…I'm sure it is. Hopefully…one day, it will all make sense," he said more to himself than me.
He was about to leave through the opposite door when I called out to him, "Xander. What is it you want to do?"
The prince hesitated with the door half open. His face was blank, not showing a single sign of anger or anything for that matter. Until he turned his blue eyes to me again.
"I just want to make it a better place," he said softly before leaving.
"Make what a better place exactly…and for who…"I said with a sigh to an empty room.