Chapter 8.4. Siege of Slother.
Lilith stood atop Slother’s western wall, gaze fixed upon vast expanse of blackened earth, stretching out before her. In the distance, a sea of torches bobbed and weaved like fireflies, trapped within swirling vortex, as fomorian army drew ever closer to demon stronghold.
– By gods, – minotaur Kragor muttered beside her, thick fingers tightening around hilt of massive axe, slung across burly back: – They number in thousands at least.
Lilith nodded grimly, counting ranks upon ranks marching beneath banners, bearing unfamiliar sigils.
– Aye, – she agreed quietly – mind racing as she tried to calculate odds, stacked against defenders: – And that’s just what we can see.
As if to punctuate her words, distant roar echoed across plain – followed swiftly by answering cries rising up from fomorian lines. Lilith’s keen ears could make out battle cries in tongue, she did not recognize, but meaning was clear enough regardless.
– They mean to attack soon, – she said flatly – turning towards minotaur, with grim determination etched upon pale features: – Get word to all captains that they should prepare their men – it won’t be long now, before horn sounds charge.
Kragor nodded, pounding fist against muscular chest in salute, before lumbering off along parapet. Lilith watched him go with heavy heart, knowing full well chances for any to survive coming storm were slim at best.
She turned back towards gathering darkness then, hand falling reflexively to hilt of sword, resting easily at hip. She had no illusions about outcome here today – too many forces beyond her control already in motion for mere mortal blade to hold sway against what approached.
But she would fight nonetheless. Not out some misguided sense duty or loyalty to demons, who cared naught for lives lost along way. No, Lilith knew reason far simpler than that:
– Because, – she whispered softly – words meant only for ears now straining above head: – I am what I am.
As dawn’s first light crept across horizon, fomorian army launched their assault upon Slother’s walls. Spells rained down like hail from both sides, casting flickering shadows as defenders scrambled to meet onslaught. Fire, ice, water, earth elemental spell, lightnings, petrification and spells, which caused poisoning, run down on both armies. Fomorians were killed by dozens, but still they pushed through. They used makeshift ladders to climb upon castle walls, where defenders met them with steal. Defenders dropped down huge rocks, breaking fomorian skulls and their ladders. Corpses started to pile up under the town walls.
Walls were dozen meter high and six meters wide, and protected by spells. Fomorians had no siege weapons, and their spells were too weak to breach town walls. All they could do was climb up the ladders, in hope to create a foothold.
– Hold! – bellowed demon commander over din, voice booming through chaos of battle, as he led charge along parapet: – Don’t let them breach outer wall!
Lilith fought alongside minotaur, she wove threads of power between strikes. Fomorians fell before her like wheat beneath scythe – bodies crumpling beneath her blows.
– For Slother! – demons cried, voices rising above clash of steel and screams of dying all around them.
– For glory! – screamed someone else.
But Lilith knew struggle was futile. Too many foes pressed forward, waves upon endless tide that crashed against crumbling defenses again and again.
For three long days and nights, battle raged outside Slother’s walls. Fomorian forces threw themselves against demon defenses with reckless abandon, determined to break through at any cost.
– Hold the line! – demon captain bellowed, voice hoarse from hours spent shouting orders above din of conflict: – Don’t let them gain foothold!
Lilith fought alongside minotaur, protecting her part of the wall. But even as defenders held fast, resolve slowly began to erode under relentless assault. Demons grew weary from days without sleep. Wounds left untended, while they scrambled to repair breaches in walls or reinforce sagging gates.
– By hell’s own flames, – one mercenary cursed, clutching shattered arm close to bloodied chest, as he stumbled back from fray: – When does it end?
Lilith knew there would be no respite until fomorian army broke off attack, or Slother fell beneath tide.
The defending soldiers of Slother struggled on, their bodies weary and battered from days of constant combat. The fomorian assault showed no signs of letting up, wave after relentless wave crashing against the town’s walls like an endless tide.
– Hold strong! – cried one sergeant, voice hoarse as he urged his men to maintain formation amidst chaos: – We cannot falter now!
But even as words left his lips, another defender fell – felled by fomorian spear that pierced gap between breastplate and helm. The soldier slumped forward, joining growing pile of corpses that littered blood-slicked parapet.
Lilith blocked an attack of fomorian, who climbed the ladder on her left and killed demon-soldier. Her counterattack sliced open his neck and he fell, futilely holding his wound. She kicked him and made her next opponent trip. As soon as he did, her sword cut his head in two. But more fomorians climbed the ladder and started creating foothold. Kragor roared and charged ahead, throwing aside enemies with his axe. Lilith covered his side, blocking a blow, which would have cut off minotaur’s leg. She casted Slow, which allowed other demons to get an upper hand. Kragor lifted up one of the fallen fomorians and threw him down. Heavy body in armor broke the ladder and four climbing fomorians fell down. They screamed downstairs. Their limbs broken by the fall.
– By the Nine Hells, – someone muttered, face pale beneath layer grime and sweat: – How long can we keep this up?
There were no answers – only grim determination etched upon every face, as they prepared once more to meet foe. Mages among ranks channeled what little strength remained into defensive wards, conjuring shimmering barriers that flared brightly against darkness above head. Lilith herself used Lightning, to blow away a fomorian mage, who was causing havoc among their ranks.
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