(15)

The battle stretched on throughout the evening, with only the sun forming a full retreat. Saurus inspected his left arm with concern, something wet was running down under his vambraces and pooling into his gauntlets, he guessed it to be blood even though he felt no pain. He and his remaining cavalry veered their mounts around for another charge. The battle was still raging in the centre of the marsh, however, the spiders seemed to be expended, the last few hundred seemingly throwing their last attempts against the wall of red shields.

Saurus and his cavalry had worked great at repelling any flanks the spiders had hoped to perform. It appeared to be his enemy’s greatest asset, to swarm and consume through numbers. After some cavalry charges, Saurus had felt comfortable enough to bring in his rearguard to fight—be it much later in the conflict when the battle was all but won. Much of the fighting was now reduced to small skirmishes. Captain Windermere raised his visor next to Saurus for the first time in the battle, his face was beet red and sweat covered him from brow to chin. He sucked in air greedily and gave a wide smile.

“The battle is won,” he announced heartily then paused, “Forgive me my Lord, but I thought you were leading us to a swift death charging the enemy like that…I wasn’t aware you were…well—” The words were hard to find. “—Druid.”

Saurus raised his own visor, not looking at his captain in the eyes. The yells and screams of his soldiers could be heard, far and distant.

“I wasn’t aware myself captain,” Saurus said flatly. “Not fully. My entire life I’ve told my captains to arrive to battle with his mind, not his heart. Today I betrayed that teaching. For that, I must apologise.”

“My lord, you saved countless lives in that charge,” Captain Windermere objected hotly, his stallion reared, and Windermere fought to control him.

“And the archers, in the trees. Could they really have been Tree Nymphs my Lord, I thought they were folk tales?”

“What else could they be.” Saurus smiled, tapping his mare into motion.

Saurus looked up at the large tower that erected from the town, flames were licking their way upwards, causing the tower to tilt slightly. In the early stages of the battle, he saw ‘flying spiders’ expel out from its peak, descending upon the army below, the abominations were spiders carrying themselves on the wings of giant bats. The sight was enough to make some of the rearguards flee in terror; but when the archers proved the monster’s vulnerability to arrows, the soldiers regained heart.

Then there was the ‘siege spider’s’. Enormous bulbous tarantulas that hurled boulders with their silk. Their enormous size and weight allowed them to spin and release boulders with alarming accuracy. Thankfully, the fire in the town seemed to force them out, where they could be shot with additional fire. One such abomination even broke down the main gate in its desperate attempt to flee.

“Father!” Alaric shouted when Saurus arrived at the town. The last of the spiders were dead or dying all around them. The army now took the time to patch up their immediate wounds and prepare the breach. The army saluted, some cheered, most were silent and anxious to finish this nightmare.

“High Magus,” Saurus replied, looking his son over. He was very aware of the eyes on him, the eyes that all asked the same question: ‘How did you manipulate the earth like that?’

“I trust you’re not injured,” Saurus asked.

Alaric reached up to touch his fathers’ leg as if to confirm he was truly alive; Saurus dismounted.

“Forgive me father, but just what were you thinking, charging off like that,” Alaric said, seemingly concerned but elated.

“I wasn’t,” replied Saurus noticing the intensity of his son’s eyes, the eyes crackled and burned with the diamond-infused Sphene Dust, and to Saurus, the eyes looked almost nonhuman. Saurus smiled at his son, grabbing his arms tightly—momentarily overwhelmed with parental emotion. Alaric must have sensed this because he quickly avoided the touching moment, knowing full well his father was still expected to act Lord Commander; he turned to face the town.

“She’s still inside father,” Alaric said, “We have to finish this.”

Saurus broke his grip to face the town. Getting inside wouldn’t be difficult now that one of the enemies had opened the main gate for them. Inside, the fires still burned with an undying presence, he would have to wait till the webbing was all burned up before he and his remaining army could enter safely. For the first time since leaving the capital…Saurus wished for rain.

As if the heavens were listening, and anxiously wanting to wash away the corrupted town: a cloud blew in from above, carried along by a vacant wind; a light rain began to fall. The first feminine moon was arching up from the horizon now, closely chased by her masculine counterpart by the time Saurus rounded around his soldiers. The walls of Wetbrook were tall but old, its mortared veins seemed more moss than stone.

“The Spider Queen resides inside,” Saurus told the immediate soldiers, that all looked inside the town reluctantly. “Keep a tight formation, never splitting into groups smaller than six.”

Saurus found he was almost whispering as if the Spider Queen had ears in surrounding stone…Perhaps she did. The soldiers entered Wetbrook quietly, intently watching the remains of charred buildings for movement. The searching was slow, the town silent, except for the pitter-patter of rain that accompanied their investigation. As the town began to divide into streets and alleyways, the soldiers broke apart, all maintaining ranks of at least six as ordered. Alaric stayed close to his father, letting the Sphene Dust enhance his vision.

“Everything’s gone,” he said, bright blue eyes glowing, “Consumed by fire or the spiders. Everything is gone.”

A wolf howled outside the wall, long and ominous. Saurus looked at the ground and caught his son’s reflection in a puddle of rainwater, he looked like a man just figuring out he has just messed something up.

“What is it, son,” Saurus asked brandishing his sword slowly. His son stood there a moment thinking, then snapped his eyes to the centre of town.

“Stay close to me father,” he said, then led Saurus forward with some haste as if following a scent. Saurus followed, feeling worried but not refusing. He did not want to interrupt his son’s sudden lapse.

The two of them arrived at the centre of town alone. Stretching before them was an open body of cobbled stone, undoubtedly where public announcements were made at one time. Facing them was the town hall, its walls were smooth and coloured red, behind the building was the enormous silk tower. A set of steps were inclined to reach the front doors of the hall, which were towering works of wood and metal. As Saurus followed his son to the base of the steps, he admired the intricacy designed stone pillars that held up the framework of the hall.

“Wait son,” Saurus said when his son went to take the first step upwards. His words seemed to echo around the hallowed grounds. Alaric turned, eyes wide with hunger.

“She’s inside father, alone. I can sense her.”

Saurus paused, taking the time to look over his sons’ shoulder at the wooden door. One was open slightly, darkness issued from within. He looked back at his son worryingly.

“Let me go first.” He ordered.