บท 264: Sabotage
Gerald finally opened his eyes towards the afternoon. His body was nicely chilled by the ice and the soreness in his body lessened. He had spent a few hours in meditation today already, but he didn't feel any discomfort from long sitting sessions.
Quite the opposite, his mind and body felt strangely liberated and calm, though he still stood up and stretched out of habit.
The Black Onyx members were left to their own devices when he went to rest, so they struck up a conversation with the other defenders and helped wherever they could.
Due to Gerald setting up a barrier of Thorns around their part of the wall, the attackers slowed their advance significantly.
In the beginning, Goblins cut and stabbed themselves on the sharp rocks before they managed to break them, or they piled corpses on top of it so they could climb over. Still, even with most danger gone, the obstacle was significant enough that less than half the defenders were required to keep them in check.
As such, many men left to help nearby where the attack was still going strong.
Warren and Blum held swords in their hands and were battling with Goblins just below the wall, while the girls were shooting at them from a distance.
Elly even learned a bit of healing magic and could use it to relieve fatigue from muscles in a short time. The warriors fighting at their side were quite glad to have her. At least they didn't need to waste potions.
Gerald looked at Warren, the poor guy he picked up from a cave… He was quite aggressive in his swings even though he trained in much more refined sword arts. His face wore a permanent angry frown as was to be expected since his family and friends were violated and killed right before his eyes.
His scrawny body was recovering well and some muscle definition was showing through the thin clothing he was wearing. He was quickly putting on weight, but that was the desired result since Gerald fed him with the best meat he could get his hands on.
He could afford to share, it was too much for just one person anyway.
He observed him for a while longer. Warren's movements were quick and full of aggression, but it seemed he had a good sense of danger too, as every attack aimed at him was either dodged or parried by his sword.
"Hmm, he somehow reminds me of a Berserker," Gerald murmured and became lost in his thoughts. "Maybe I should teach him Berserk Combat Arts? I think that would suit his style…"
"What's a Berserker?"
"Oh, it's a warrior class from legends where I come from. They were crazy warriors that fought in a fit of bloodlust rage, immune to pain or fatigue…" Gerald suddenly realized he spoke without thinking and quickly turned around to see who was he even talking to.
"Tabbris? What are you doing here, you bastard!" He mocked in a friendly tone, "Enjoying the scenery?"
"I came to see what madman is making a ruckus," Tabbris laughed back as they greeted each other. "But seriously, what are you doing here, I thought you didn't need money?"
"I don't," Gerald answered swiftly and pointed at the charred building near the wall with his thumb, "Those freaks tried to burn down my stuff so I came here to protect it."
"Haha, and here I thought you did it out of the goodness of your heart," Tabbris teased.
Gerald laughed and slapped his shoulder, "Fuck off! I'm not some saint. But why are you here, really?"
Tabbris shrugged. "The capital is surrounded and someone had to check out the situation. We got the news that someone was fighting against the horde alone so I decided to come and take a look."
He casually mentioned the other three sides which were engaged in exhausting combat for an entire day already. Many young and promising nobles were spread out on the walls to provide assistance and gather merit. It was always better to fight alongside commoners to get a better understanding of the situation as well as gain their respect.
And Tabbris ending up here was pure coincidence.
"So, that's it?" Gerald questioned, seemingly unconvinced by the desperate-sounding situation elsewhere. "People are having that much trouble fighting against these weaklings?"
Tabbris just shook his head and smiled grimly, "Weaklings for you maybe, you freak of nature. How many spells can you throw out now?"
"Not nearly enough," Gerald answered vaguely and then swiftly changed the topic, "Where is the army? These few soldiers here can't be it, right? Don't tell me Myrtana only has this handful of fighters?"
"Well, that's because this isn't even a quarter of what we have, it's just…" Tabbris' voice trailed off as he was seemingly contemplating something.
"Just what?" Gerald prodded.
"Oh, what the heck, I'll tell you. It's not like it's some great secret… Listen, my father, Razor Northendark, and three others are the generals that control the armies. Most of our army is currently here, in the capital, but the other three are having... difficulties," he said.
"We just received the news. They aren't sure if it's just bad luck, but many are suspecting sabotage," Tabbris spoke in a hushed voice.
"Sabotage?"
He nodded, "Yes, a lot of things keep going wrong. Horses escaping and wreaking havoc, fires erupting in the night, buildings collapsing for no apparent reason… Even a dam broke and flooded a barracks and ruined the equipment."
"You are kidding me!" Gerald exclaimed in disbelief. "And you got no perpetrators or clues?"
"None!" Tabbris confirmed, a bit frustrated. "And the worst thing is that it's happening basically everywhere at once. They increased their guard now, but it's going to be at least a week before any help will arrive, so…"
"Your hands are tied?" Gerald finished his sentence.
Tabbris made a helpless shrug. "Basically, yeah. My father will of course defend the city to the best of his abilities, and we still have a few tricks left, but it's not looking good. Hopefully you, and the rest of the warriors will be able to help us hold on until the reinforcements arrive."
Gerald didn't answer, and instead looked at the defenders still fighting with the beasts. Some were excited and full of energy, some looked grim and tense, and others appeared tired and already fed up with it.
That was normal. Not everybody was the same, and many couldn't stay under so much stress for long and remain unaffected. At least not without proper rest.
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