Siege of Bilgaragz, Part 4

As if the world had emerged in shadows, Livy remained unconscious. Yet, in her mind, restless thoughts seemed to disturb her abrupt slumber.

"Are you going to sleep now? Can’t you see the situation? This is no time to sleep, Livy. If you don’t want to lose more people, you’d better wake up. Your two companions are still fighting, and here you are, resting at a time like this," a voice whispered in her sleep.

"I’m lost. I’ve known that for a long time, but I didn’t want to admit it. I’m lost. This isn’t my home, and I can’t even remember why I left the north and abandoned my family and friends. I can’t even recall what they looked like or what brought me here," she thought, whispering back to her own mind.

"Maybe I’m just tired. The journey has been long, and so far, no memories have returned. When I try to think about my parents, it’s… painful. I only remember my mother’s face. I don’t remember anything about my father, but I must have one, I believe."

"My sister! I know I have a sister… But what’s her name? I keep having this dream… remembering her and my home. But everything seems lost. There was also a boy in those memories, but he doesn’t look like us. Where were we? My head hurts so much when I think about all this. What happened to him?"

"Your head hurts because you’re weak and don’t want to remember what really happened. You’re pretending the past doesn’t exist, heading south when your home is in the north. You should be ashamed of yourself. And you are, in fact…" a second voice echoed, sounding much like Livy’s own voice.

"Until you become stronger, until you stand up and face what lies ahead, you’ll never be able to go home. And you’ll never manage to keep people by your side because they will all die," the voice continued.

With a sudden wave of sorrow, Livy seemed unable to respond to these thoughts.

"Don’t be so harsh on yourself. Don’t let her take over your mind. You need to get up, but you must not let all this negativity consume you," said the first voice.

"The first step is to focus, Livy. Wake up, and don’t be intimidated by what’s out there. Just accept that you need to improve and that others are counting on you," it continued.

"Hmpf…" muttered the second voice, in an annoyed tone.

"When you face reality, Livy, I’ll be here. She might be good to you, but I know who you really are. My hand will always be on your shoulder, just like hers. But not to console you or treat you like a stupid child, as you wish, but to remind you that, at the first slip, it will be my turn," threatened the second voice.

Staring into the vast darkness, Livy began to notice a point of light, and her efforts to wake up finally seemed to take effect.

"I need to wake up, get up, and remember!" she reaffirmed herself.

When she opened her eyes again, her vision was blurry, but she realized she had already risen from the ground. In front of her lay a scene of a small massacre. Numerous people were fallen and injured, bodies torn apart and charred, and farther ahead, some shapes caught her attention.

Her vision wasn’t helping her understand the situation, as if she was fighting just to remain standing. A throbbing pain and nausea took over her body. It was then she noticed the blood trickling from her forehead, making it hard to see through her right eye.

Finally managing to focus on what was before her, Livy observed a small group of about half a dozen people. Among them were General Helik, her travel companion Ouros, and her new colleague Kairos. They all seemed focused on a figure that had jumped from the siege tower to the wall, abandoning the burning structure, which now added an even more intense tone to the imposing figure standing in front of them all.

Standing before that small group was a massive Grogna. Not as colossal as Ouros, but unlike her companion, his skin appeared to be armor. In his right hand, he wielded a well-crafted metal shield that spanned from his feet to his head. In his other hand, he carried a blade that must have been the size of Livy's entire body.

The general of that offensive stood atop the walls.

***

Amid fireballs soaring overhead, Kairos and Ouros fought against the formation of soldiers that had disembarked from the siege tower earlier. The first wave of soldiers, resembling slaves, seemed to have been almost completely obliterated, although, with the intensity of the battle, it was impossible to be certain.

Kairos fought alongside the group of combatants positioned on the left, where the enemy soldiers had landed, while Ouros was on the other side, closer to the front lines, taking advantage of his robust physique well-suited for defense.

Both fought for their lives and for the oath they had sworn to Helik earlier. Determined to prevail, they struck down their enemies, who began to fall one by one.

Helik was not directly engaged in combat but oversaw the situation from what served as the wall's entrance, where, below, there was a drawbridge. He coordinated his aides, who moved across the battlefield to spread orders and return with information from other fronts.

The number of enemies seemed to be decreasing significantly, but, to Helik’s surprise, apart from the siege towers that had advanced earlier, no others had made any moves. The towers already attached to the wall were being bombarded with flammable material; one was completely ablaze, while the other, near Kairos and Ouros, emitted dense smoke as the fire spread within it.

Helik tried to observe the distance, attempting to recognize someone among the enemy army but failed to identify anyone. His attention was drawn to a trio of figures behind the enemy lines, likely the leaders of that force, but from where he stood, it was impossible to determine who they were with certainty.

As Helik analyzed and coordinated the army's movements, the frontline combatants, along with Ouros and Kairos, began to show signs of exhaustion. The battle, now stretching over half an hour, had drained their energy. Initially, that group was composed of two hundred allied soldiers and a similar number of enemies. However, as time passed, only about 40 fighters remained in that sector.

The enemies fighting there did not form an extraordinary force. They were well-equipped but not impressively so. On the other hand, the defenders of Bilgaragz lacked the experience or resources to wipe them out easily. A significant portion of that division consisted of individuals like Ouros and Kairos—adventurers unaccustomed to wars, with little to no military organization. The allied vanguard was made up of city militiamen who, while maintaining some organization initially, were not numerous and soon fell, turning the battle into a chaotic, scattered skirmish with heavy losses on both sides.

In the midst of this chaotic scene, Kairos fought with fierce intensity, ignoring his injuries and surprising everyone with his speed, despite his robust appearance. At one point, he looked back and saw Livy casting spells against the siege tower. For a moment, she looked at him as well.

“Keep watching, there’s more!” he shouted, quickly turning and embedding his axe into the neck of an imperial soldier in front of him.

Though confident and formidable, Kairos fought as if on autopilot, guided purely by instinct. With each strike, he seemed to act mechanically: fight, strike, fight again, kill. However, in his mind, he was dissociated. As he faced his enemies, thoughts echoed incessantly, as if the battle no longer held any meaning beyond being a reflection of his own existence.

"How did I end up like this?"
"I came from the east, wandered, wandered, and wandered. I fought many people and killed many of them. I can’t look back because I know they’re waiting for me. At my first slip, I’ll join them, and that I cannot allow. After killing all these people, I can’t expect to go to the Etherium, but I need to live... at least to figure out what happened and take revenge on those bastards!" Kairos thought as he drove his axe into the side of an enemy's stomach.

He continued to fight relentlessly. The numbers dwindled more and more, fireballs streaked through the skies, but he remained there, as if nothing else but the battle mattered. Until, suddenly, his axe struck something that caused the blade to slide as though it had hit metal.
“Hm?” he reacted, looking at what he had struck.

As he raised his gaze, he saw a figure at least a meter taller than him, with skin that resembled a carapace, effortlessly deflecting his weapon. Before he could think further about what was standing before him, a crushing pressure hit his face, throwing him forward and forcing him away from this new enemy. The impact was excruciating, and the throbbing pain snapped him back to the reality of combat, pulling him out of the trance he had plunged into.

As he realized who was there, the flames and embers of the siege tower behind the figure illuminated the Grogna—the enemy general. His presence was oppressive, making the air heavier. Everyone present knew they were not facing an ordinary opponent.

Besides Kairos and Ouros, three other soldiers had survived the bloodbath of the previous battle, neither killed nor having fled. Upon seeing the general, they quickly analyzed him, until one of them smirked slightly.
“This one will fetch a hefty reward from the nobles!” he shouted, charging at the Grogna wielding a powerful halberd.

The others, though intimidated and hesitant, began advancing as well, driven by adrenaline and boiling blood. However, their assaults abruptly halted as they witnessed the brutal scene unfolding before them.

The enemy general, upon seeing the closest adventurer, blocked the attack with his weapon effortlessly. Before the attacker could recover and attempt another strike, the Grogna delivered a powerful shield bash, breaking the man’s nose and leaving him dazed. Disoriented, the adventurer lost his chance to react, and the general, seizing the opportunity, swung his massive weapon in a motion that began at the victim's collarbone. The blow was so devastating that it completely severed the man’s right arm, ending near his armpit.

Informed of the general’s appearance, Helik was quickly alerted and entered the scene, shouting to those still standing:
“Get out of there, now! I’ll face him!”

Ouros and Kairos hesitated for a moment, frozen as they saw Helik walking toward the enemy general. The other two adventurers, however, decided to flee immediately, running toward the destroyed tower on the right, the same one Helik had emerged from.

As they ran past Helik, a thunderous explosion reverberated through the battlefield. A catapult shot struck the area behind him, destroying everything and hurling the adventurers, along with the wall’s debris, into the city.

Helik stopped for a moment, feeling the impact of the destruction so close. He turned and realized he had narrowly avoided being swept away himself. He took a deep breath and commented reflectively:

“By the old and new gods, I give thanks for this opportunity...”

Regaining his composure, he turned his attention back to the enemy general. Pointing his claymore in the general's direction, he asked firmly:
“What have you come here for? Has the Third War truly begun? Wasn’t the truce supposed to last a few more years?”

The enemy general, however, responded only with a faint smirk. Completely ignoring Helik’s question, he declared in a deep, commanding voice:
“I am Mahzok, lieutenant of the 27th Army of the Nazenese Empire, and by order of Prince Hammu and Emperor Nazir, surrender the city of Bilgaragz.”

Helik allowed a slight smile to cross his face.

“I understand your answer.”