Assault on Tundra

Tundra’s base was nestled at the foot of a continuous rocky ridge that hugged its northern borders, Allegor explained. The scouts reported just five typhins guarding the oasis in the late afternoon towards sunset, all facing south. There appeared to be enough housing for up to perhaps thirty more if they really squeezed; but Tundra’s territories were too dispersed, Allegor argued, and their band too small to allocate more than fifteen total during the fall.

It was the peak season for gold demand, Caramine added. The brunt of the band would be actively selling their wares in villages all across the Aurum and beyond. If the oasis needed to be guarded at all times, then, more likely than not, any extra forces were sleeping in the bunks or preparing meals for the others.

The rest of the band was silent as we reached the end of the rundown. Finally, one of the elderly typhins, Razzel, spoke. “You have confirmed no one is guarding the north?”

“That appears to be the case. Carriages cannot scale the sheer rock face to the north, and any typhins who would need to climb down the southern face of that rock to the base would need to do so with their backs turned towards the enemy, carrying limited weapons. In other words, it would not be difficult for even a small force to notice and take out anyone who approaches from that end, as long as they are not predominantly occupied with the south.”

“So we keep them occupied,” Razzel said, completing Allegor’s thought.

“Exactly.”

“We will need a clear starting signal,” Caramine said. “I propose that we shoot a single arrow into their territory, from a clear and sufficiently distant vantage point, to kick off our battle.”

She looked at me.

“I have heard much about your archery skills,” she said.

“Caramine! Please, they are guests, they did not sign up for this!” Merlum cried.

“And they will also die of thirst if we do not succeed on this raid,” Tiana argued.

“I’ll do it,” I said.

Merlum started waving his arms around frantically. “Ray, truly, please, we have alternatives—”

“I want to be useful,” I pressed. Anything but this malaise of wasting away uselessly in a wagon.

Merlum stopped, crestfallen.

“We have two crossbows. Do you know how to use them?” Caramine continued. “I believe it would be easier given your injuries.”

“I do,” I confirmed.

The meeting ended and we returned to our carriages to prepare. Merlum gingerly handed me a crossbow, and I marvelled at its craftsmanship and its surprising lightness in my hands. Then, we set off, towards the south side of Tundra’s base.

The barest lining of purple still tinged the horizon when we got into position. I poked my head through the carriage’s sunroof, lined up my hands on the crossbow and peered through the glass towards the base. I saw five guards lining the border, exactly as the scouts informed us.

Wait. Was I supposed to aim at one of the guards? From this distance, that might as well be a crapshoot. But if I aimed at some other point, I couldn’t be confident that I wouldn’t hit anyone, either. I adjusted my leading hand on the forearm of the crossbow. It’s really small, I realized. That’s why it feels so light even though I’ve lost so much of my muscle. What if I was holding too much of it, so the cable would pass over my fingers and cut them off when I shoot? I began sweating profusely.

I heard a single bird call from several carriages to the right. I was taking too long. I have to shoot, anywhere, anything at all. Let’s just aim straight. That goes right between two typhins, right—wait, no, one of them was moving, moving towards another one and closing the gap between them—

“Give it to me,” I heard Merlum whisper in my ear.

“Huh?” I said.

“It’s ok,” he insisted.

I froze, but I already knew I couldn’t do this. I handed the crossbow to Merlum.

Merlum shot, the arrow going far higher and farther than I expected, until it struck the earth right outside one of Tundra’s cabins.

“Now, charge!” he screeched.

With one graceful movement, Merlum leapt out of our carriage and into the air, then unleashed a powerful slice of wind at the feet of Tundra’s defenses. He could use wind? The defending typhins from Tundra covered their feet with shields just before the gust ripped a gash in the desert surface.

“Curse of Gaia! A wind mage,” someone in Tundra cried. “Just our luck tonight.”

Another ten or so typhins burst out of the cabins, just as Caramine expected. “Not to worry, for wind only fuels the flames!” I heard one of them scream, dashing to a catapult with a torch.

A good lot of our forces were at the base now, fighting Tundra’s soldiers with swords and spears. Hearing the cry, a faction of Moonlight members broke away from the main area and rushed towards the catapults, intercepting members of Tundra and engaging them at the foot of the weapons.

A shadow flickered in the corner of my eye and, without thinking, I picked up the crossbow. But before I could do anything, a hiss emanated from the darkness, and blood darkened the surface of the desert. Several carriages behind me, I could see Razzel and a few others standing over a newly injured typhin. Lotus slid out of the carriage with rope, and together they began tying up the invader.

In the distance, a member of Tundra eventually fought off two typhins from Moonlight and reached a catapult. They loaded a big chunk of something onto the catapult and ignited it, but at the last possible moment, the strings of the catapult sprung in two, releasing their tension into the Tundra soldier’s face. Someone had thrown a knife or unleashed wind, and cut through the strings in two. The flaming payload rolled towards a dry brush, igniting it instantly.

By now, I saw at least six injured Tundra soldiers, while we still had a majority of Moonlight with the carriages. In the distance, a small green flag peaked over the northern rock ridge, and I knew Tiana and Allegor’s party had made it. With Tundra’s army stretched as thin as it was, there’s no way they would notice.

“He had flint and flammable oil,” Lotus whispered as she returned to the carriage, holding those items up to me.

“Who?” I asked.

“The typhin who tried to infiltrate us,” she specified. “They were going to burn our carriages.”

“Bastards,” I hissed.

Deep down, I already knew why. Based on Allegor’s analysis, Tundra was outnumbered by most bands, and survived by the remoteness and rarity of their wares, as well as the sheer willingness of their members to do anything for their band. Just like how deer, cornered by their hunters, become the second most lethal creature in the woods.

A blade of wind caught another typhin slithering towards our carriages and launched it into the air. Four fighters from Moonlight were ready to meet them as they fell to the ground, and again they bound the invaders’ hands and feet with rope. Another Tundra member taken out of commission.

Suddenly, a violent tremor rocked the earth. The horse started, kicking up clouds of sand, and Lotus and I clung onto the carriage frame for dear life.

In the distance, I saw a mushroom cloud of dirt go up around the rock ridge. Then I heard the screams.

I froze as the realization dawned upon me. The cliff face to the north of the oasis had been destroyed. No, more than that. The cliff face had been constructed, precisely so it could be destroyed. The rock of the redlands was not so easily shattered. The possibility of an assault on Tundra from the back was a facade made of clay, loosely assembled boulders, and temptingly stationed guards. Someone in Tundra noticed Allegor’s flag, and blew up the southern rock face.

But no one fighting was even remotely close to the cliff. Our scouts didn’t see any bombs, tents, or anything beside the ridge prior to combat that would suggest rigging. How could Tundra have possibly set up so many explosives, across a ridge so large, without anyone having noticed?

I loaded an arrow in the crossbow as the realization dawned on me, and I screamed:

“THEY’RE UNDERGROUND!”