Capítulo 466: Torture
Clyff received the order to attack with exuberant delight. As bloodlust completely filled his veins, the little bit of humanity left in him receded. His eyes dilated as his vision became red.
This was his moment.
Although he was overflowing with a desire for violence, Clyff was not stupid. He had seen the fireball on the west wall and was not going to suffer the same fate. He approached the wall and sniffed at the air for any hint of something flammable. His nose detected only cold stone and humans.
In fact there were many humans at the top of the wall. That would not be true if they were simply going to burn the enemy once again.
"Foolish. They must have used all the oil in Oblivion to make that defense," he mocked, nudging the lizard next to him. The scaly creature snorted, waving her talons with an evil grin.
Clyff had chosen the south wall for two reasons. One was that it was the furthest from Livie so she would be unable to counter his commands. The second reason was the oddity of this wall versus any of the others.
Large out juts on this side of the wall had holes in the bottom. Normally these holes would be used to lower anything that was too heavy to heave over the crenellations during the spring.
The holes were good for getting things out of Oblivion…
…but tonight they were going to let creatures in.
Since no armor adorned these warriors, their movements were silent except for their digging into the soft stone and mortar. The gentle scraping was little more than a gust of wind.
While Clyff fantasized about the torment he was about to cause, his paw came across an odorless, goopy substance. It was like the stone had turned to clay and come off on his hand.
The black wolf paused and examined the wet earth on his hand. How had the clay gotten there? One of the other abominations had mentioned people 'working' on the wall earlier in the afternoon. Could it be connected?
Something in his brain triggered, but his animalistic desire for revenge overcame his reason.
Clyff snarled at those nearest him on the wall. "Don't stop, Go on!"
Like a spark, the creatures bolted upward with blinding speed. Their paws and claws became coated with the thick muddy clay as they continued their ascent.
Finally they exited the wetted stone and found firmer footing...too firm.
Their claws came in contact with a second substance. This one smelled slightly sweet and had been undetectable due to the earthy clay below it.
All of a sudden, the squishy clay beneath their paws became warm and hardened almost instantly, plastering them to the wall like stone glue.
"I'm stuck!" one of the wolves exclaimed next to Clyff.
"Me too!" Another released a high-pitched whine.
A chorus of complaints rang out as the abominations began to struggle against the cement holding them in place. Frustration quickly gave way to animalistic panic.
Clyff snarled loudly to silence those around him. "Don't give those weaklings the satisfaction of your screams! We are not defeated!"
He looked upward. Even when the moon rose in a moment, they would be in shadow for at least a short time due to the rounded towers at the corners of the city.
As long as they remained quiet, any archers at the top of the wall would have a difficult time pinning them with arrows.
But Clyff did not feel like being quiet. His inhibition gone, he mocked those who held him in place.
"Is that all you have got? After the fire, I expected better! Enjoy your momentary respite; we will be free in a moment to rip you limb from limb."
Clyff wiggled the fingers of his pawed hands. Already the hardened plaster was beginning to crack and give way.
"Weak like the humans who made it."
He would enjoy seeing their faces when he emerged through the holes at the top of the wall. That moment would be very sweet and very soon.
That's when everything changed. Above him the holes, which had been about the length of his body, grew wider.
At first, Clyff thought magic might be involved, but he realized that it was just the triggering of an internal mechanism. When they grew to full width, they could easily fit one of the Duchess's boats within the chasm.
Although Oblivion was peaceful now, it was once a small fortress kingdom meant to repel enemy forces.
These holes were the machicolations from that time when defense was key. They may have been converted for other uses over the years, but their original purpose was for war.
And this was war.
The sound of grating metal creaked above the abominations' heads as something blocked the starlit void of the overhang. The mysterious shadow clicked into place with a screeching halt.
Likewise each of the machicolations had its own machine seal off access to the battlement. Then, out of the bottom of each hole, a sharp blade as long and thick as a man's body began to lower at a frightening pace.
The silver edges of the enormous stilettos caught the starlight in their sudden descent looking like comets streaking across the sky. Deadly comets.
The blades sliced through those directly in their path, not even allowing their victims a final scream.
Fortunately, Clyff had not placed himself beneath one of the chasms in case something unpleasant should be dumped…and something very unpleasant was indeed released.
The black wolf looked at the blade, which was only a little more than an arm's length away. His life was far too close to having been taken.
The wolf howled viscously. Writhing and pulling with his Herculean strength, he managed to free one of his hands and was only a moment or two from having a foot released as well.
After that, gravity could help him leverage his other two limbs, and he would unleash his vengeance at last.
The dangling blade beside him suddenly shivered as if coming to life. The massive chain, which attached the spear-like giant to the machicolations, groaned against a second pully. This one did not lift the metal dart up and down...
...it pulled side to side. As the pendulum began to swing, Clyff at last gave credit to the humans at the top of the wall. They were not stupid.
They were devious.
Before long, the swinging stilettos were slicing through the air, clanging against one another at the end of their deadly arcs. The ancient structures may have been created by architects long forgotten, but that did not make them any less effective.
By their hand, the south wall had been protected once more.
The lone survivor of the massacre was Clyff. By pressing his body as flat as he could against the wall, he was able to only lose his truncated black tail and the fur from his back.
Freeing himself in between swings, the enraged midnight creature bolted up the wall as fast as his powerful muscles would allow. Through the crenellations he surged, attacking the first soldier in his weak spot between the helmet and the chain mail.
His crusted nails ran into a leather strap under the man's chin, but the force of the swipe knocked the man in armor from his feet and nearly off the other side of the battlement.
In the next second he had taken down three more guards, tossing them aside like rag dolls. That was as far as he got before the Imperial troops were able to form a full line to surround him.
Spears poked at him despite his efforts to bat them aside. Blood streamed from a wound on his side, yet the rage within him would not subside. If anything, each and every cut made him burn hotter for the death of as many of the enemy as he could take.
As the moon rose above the mountains, a bloody battle of more than twenty soldiers to one wolf continued violently with almost no end in sight. Even wounded unto death, Clyff was unwilling to back down.
The black canine would take as many with him as he could to the reaper's door. Some he knocked out with his powerful punches and others he kicked as they were about to attack. The few he scratched were the most unfortunate, but none were willing to let the foul creature gain the upper hand.
At last, more of Clyff's fetid, purplish blood was spilled on the battlement than was left in him. His foot slipped on the slick surface, bringing him to his knees.
In his weakened state, Clyff succumbed to pressure of four soldiers as they pounced on him and forced him to the ground. This was the end, yet the black wolf refused to be captured.
He rolled over and threw his body on the closest guard wildly. Brandishing her sword, the woman hit the abomination directly in the heart.
In the second before the world went dark forever, Clyff's senses returned. The human inside of him was relieved to finally be released.
He died with a strange smile on his face. The power was wonderful, but the addiction to the rage?
That had been torture.
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