Chapter 67: Retaliation
Evan returned with the report to Ezra.
"The surrounding area is very well lit, the wealth of Anticourt is considerable enough that they can buy so many. I see some people try to disable the lighting. Thankfully the surrounding buildings are too far away to be leapt from so they can't reach this easily, the court is spacious enough that they can't launch boulders to the wall from that far. They can only stone snipe milord."
"Thanks, Evan, but why are these things attacking anyway. We are so deep in the empire why would Arcanists attack here? Also bandits? What?"
"This is my fault milord. I saw Duke Terros make a deal with the Shadow Walkers. He wants to assassinate your father. I was noticed by the shadow walkers and barely escaped. Now they are trying to find me. "
"Terros? One of the dukes who had a dispute with father over the mines?"
"The very same milord," Evan replied.
"Tell me everything you heard."
Evan told him in detail of the things he spied upon. Ezra scrunched his eyebrows.
"No wonder he is trying to kill you, you heard him say that he's using magic cores for the trade. He's probably done a deal like this before. If searched this would easily become evidence against the Duke."
"I see, I did not think of that Lord Ezra."
"But you already delivered the message to Father, right?"
"Yes, I have."
"That's great, but they probably have a few eyes on you, some Shadow walkers may have identified you and reported where you were else they would not have attacked this place. In any case, we won't know for certain who it is with them having darkness for cloaks. let's wait for Galwell in the meantime."
"Yes, Milord."
Galwell returned with a few soldiers bearing the requested items.
"Are we going to use this for lighting, sire?" asked Galwell.
"No, just wait and see. Let's head out for now."
Ezra and party just headed out looking at the defensive line toward taking a beating. Orst just jumped on a soldier and threw some of them away effectively dividing the line.
"Evan, over there, make it 43 degrees and 50 minutes, the arc and angle won't let him see in this lighting."
"As you command milord."
Evan stood where Ezra directed him and let loose an arrow, the arrow brushed the cheek of Orst effectively stunning him for a bit.
Ezra directed Rycharde to change tactics and lead the archers to the rooftops.
"Galwell, you are good with a bow too right?" Ezra asked.
"Yes, milord,"
"Go with the archers to the rooftop, tell them to use fire arrows at the shadows, since their bodies are tangible we just need an area to target and the odds of killing one will rise. That will effectively hinder them from advancing. Your job is to direct them. I trust that Anticourt has no shortage of arrows."
Galwell did as he was told.
"Rycharde, ask for the specifics of the abilities of the knights from the Anticourt Captain. Let's see what we can do from there."
"Yes, milord."
Orst was now rampaging and killing regular soldiers. Lances and spears did not seem to damage the brute. The situation was looking dire. But fire arrows soon came down from the building's rooftops. The bandits retreated their advance.
With Galwell's direction, some of the arrows hit Shadow Walkers, this was the first instance this night that the Anticourt soldiers had successfully killed a Shadow Walker.
Victory cries resounded from the battlefield. As the arrows rained on the attackers, some of them landed on the mages of the other party, and they slowly backed away. Even Orst backed away.
He decided to dive again into the earth again.
Ezra saw his chance. "Evan, get those cauldrons, Rycharde with me."
Evan held a huge black caldron and Rycharde followed Ezra as Rycharde commanded a halt in the hail of arrows.
"I thought we were going to use it for lighting?" Evan said thoughtfully.
"No, we are not going to use them for lighting. We are going to use them to pour over the holes that knight is making. Their water mages will just put it out if we use it for lighting," Ezra replied.
Evan poured the oil on the hole that Orst made.
"Rycharde, [Fireball] now."
The oil burned inside the hole giving a nauseating smoke. A roar echoed from the inside of the hole. Orst popped up three meters from them. His left hand was charred and he had 2nd-degree burns.
He was roaring as he came out of the earth.
"He can't effectively cover the holes he makes as he goes up, because that would suffocate him," Ezra explained.
Cheers came from the side of the Anticourt Guard. This was the first time they had damaged the brute. Orst charged at Ezra's party. They backed away as the big knight chased chased them.
"Rycharde, tell the water mages, to flood the vicinity. Now. "
Rycharde followed the instruction but did not understand the purpose. Orst tried to launch stone bullets at the party but they dodged efficiently at Ezra's command.
Orst frustration could be seen he could not close the distance. Arrows flew from the rooftop to hinder Orsts advance.
Water came flooding the courtyard.
"Now freeze it," Ezra shouted.
He did not tell Rycharde anymore and just directly directed the water mages. It seemed that the knights had come to trust this toddler now. They found it odd but because the toddler's commands were effective they followed it, not minding the fact of his age. In their minds, anyone who could damage the brute was worthy to command them anyway.
"Jump when I tell you to, I can sense when the activation will happen," Ezra told the knights as they made Orst tail them around.
Orst was not cautious, he was angry. He was so furious that mere knights could damage him like this. In his eyes, only other viscounts could be worthy of a challenge. This was humiliation, but he could not charge rashly lest he is hit with the arrows. He heard the toddlers command and kept in mind, he too noticed when the spell would activate.
"Oswyn, Dynham, Phobos and Deimos, at the ready," Ezra shouted, he needed the strength of those knights to defeat the viscount. Just two could not kill the man.
"Jump now, as high as you can," Ezra commanded.
The two knights followed and they launched 20 meters in the air but Ezra's jump was higher than the two almost his head reaching their shoulder. The onlookers were shocked but they still focused on Orst as Orst jumped as well.
In an instant in a 75-meter radius, the block became ice. Reaching the peak of their jump Ezra threw a stone, he had gathered some before they went for Orst and put it in a little bag. The stone skidded a bit as Orst landed he stepped on it, he didn't notice that it was slowly making its way to his foot.
Ezra threw it in such a way that it was unnoticeable and would seem that it would move past him. He slipped making his huge frame fall down, and a hail of fire arrows rained on his earth armoured torso as Galwell commanded.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
earldennison
earldennison Hi readers,
Sorry for the really late release!
My schedule is crazy and I'm just shifting it, I'm gonna post a chapter around the same time tomorrow.
Please bear with me and I really do appreciate your power stones! Thanks again
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