Chapter 19: The Battle of the Old Guard Tower

Their carriages rode for half a day to reach their destination. Greye called for them to halt a mile away from the guard tower. They were covered by a thicket of trees that stood upon a decent-sized hill.

Greye and Kaelyn hid among the bushes and observed the guard tower with spyglasses. “At least twenty people. Their levels range from 30 to 40,” she reported.

“Well-dressed and armed, not typical for bandits. I’d say they’re mercenaries, and not the cheap sort either,” he added.

The two rejoined the group at the base of the hill and reported back. “There’s a good chance we found our culprits,” Greye told them.

“They are our targets. I sense remnant draconic energy from here,” Parsifal informed him.

“Could we approach them on friendly terms?” Iris asked with hope in her voice.

Greye shook his head. “I know killers when I see them. They would cut us down before we even spoke a word to them.”

“Twenty people in a fortified location with fancy weapons, huh? Let’s wait for nightfall and ambush them. We’ll confuse and disorient them under the cover of night,” Vito recommended. “Kaelyn’s exploding arrows, Parsifal’s magic, and my special home-made explosives will definitely wake them up.”

“Home-made explosives, hmm? What kinds?” Delwyn suspiciously inquired.

“Smoke bombs, regular bombs, and concussion bombs,” he turned to Greye with a sly grin playing on his lips. “Father invested in that apothecary and alchemist, and they were very helpful in procuring some necessary supplies.”

“Save the ‘regular bombs’ for another time, I’d like to interrogate them while they can still breathe,” Greye instructed him.

“I can weaken my explosive arrows. They’ll get hit hard, but it shouldn’t kill them,” Kaelyn offered.

Greye smiled and nodded. “Good. They may have us outnumbered, but we have the element of surprise.” He was proud of the young adventurers. “I’d like to try a stealth approach first. We’ll save the ambush plan should they discover us.”

“What about the dragon?” Galien asked. “What did you mean by ‘remnant’ draconic energy?”

“It’s quite simple: the dragon fought near the guard tower,” Parsifal began. “Whether it escaped or the mercenaries forced it to flee, I can’t tell.”

“I’ll be certain to ask them later,” Iris angrily declared.

Vito prepared his equipment as the moon claimed the sky. He set small magic stones about to give his friends some light by which to work. They didn’t dare give their position away with a fire. Parsifal took his smoke and concussion bombs and put them in a small bag. He would use his magic to augment and fly them across great distances to their intended target.

He finished sharpening his broadsword and knife as Greye gave the silent order to move out. Iris gathered the stones into her satchel and allowed darkness to completely blanket their approach.

Few torches were illuminating the old guard tower. The walls and door to the inner courtyard were recently repaired, but signs of time and old conflicts remained. Two armed knights stood watch by the large gates. Kaelyn drew two poisoned arrows from her quiver and shot them from a distance.

Her arrows scraped their exposed skin as they flew by and struck the wooden gate. They were confused and alarmed until the poison took effect and rendered them unconscious. Kaelyn targeted two more guards as they patrolled along the wall.

Greye led the charge to the gate. Vito threw a grappling hook onto the wall, allowing him, Delwyn, and Iris to infiltrate first. Vito peeked over the ledge and made sure no one saw them. He climbed over and offered Iris a hand to help her over. Delwyn followed, then Kaelyn.

“Wear shorts next time,” Delwyn teased Iris. It took the priestess a second to blush and look away.

“I should have gone second,” Vito joked, earning a quick jab from Iris.

“Grow up, both of you,” Kaelyn derided her companions as she continued their mission.

“Hey! I am plenty grown up!” Delwyn hissed.

“You don’t age. I think you’re immortal,” Vito commented as he followed Kaelyn down a set of stairs. Iris eyed Delwyn with curiosity. The swordswoman shrugged and followed after them.

Vito quietly took out a guard with the bottom of his knife, clearing the way for Delwyn and Kaelyn to lift the wooden bar and open the gate for the rest of their party.

Parsifal casually walked in with Vito’s bombs levitating behind him. “Don’t bother with stealth, their mage already knows we’re here,” he told them.

“How?” Iris was confused and wondered if they had done something wrong.

“Security wards. I didn’t sense them until I walked through one. We have a fight on our hands.”

Iris sighed in defeat. “I didn’t sense anything,” she admitted.

“It’s not something the church teaches healing priestesses,” he explained. “If we survive, I’ll give you some lessons.” Parsifal unleashed Vito’s bombs onto the tower. They flew through windows and cracks in the walls to wake up the rest of the mercenaries.

A large group of mercenaries flooded out of the guard tower and into the courtyard. Kaelyn quickly released a magic arrow. It swiftly flew through the air and struck the ground near their enemies. The explosion was smaller than usual, but it did the job of stunning their opponents. Vito and Delwyn banked off to one side while Greye and Galien banked to the other. Iris and Parsifal stood at the front with Kaelyn behind them.

The dust settled, revealing a barrier protecting the mercenaries. “What’s this? A group of outcasts challenging us?” The mage sneered at them. “Soul of Dragon!” He held his ornate staff up and conjured a large dragon born of searing flames. Its flaming wings spread out, casting embers around the courtyard.

The dragon roared and breathed a stream of fire toward Parsifal. “Water Fortification!” Iris intercepted the attack with a wall of water. “What happened to the second dragon?!” she demanded.

The mage laughed at her. “Silence, priestess! Shouldn’t you be praying to the goddess or serving one of the Saintesses?”

“Aether Eruption,” Parsifal spoke calmly and tapped his staff to the ground. Cracks formed in the ground beneath the mercenaries. Arcane energy flared up and burst outward, shattering the mage’s barrier and scattering the group.

Vito and the other swordsmen acted fast and attacked the disoriented mercenaries. His cuts were shallow and directed at non-vital areas. Greye wanted them disarmed and defeated, not dead. He didn’t agree with such mercy, but it was his duty to obey the boss. They could still interrogate survivors, after all.