Sunrise Gate

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A single tree overhead. My squad lies low in the dust of a ditch, looking onto the fields as the sun beats and tears the plains to bits. The tree provides enough shade to block direct light, but underneath it all the heat still burns. I watch the plains as they move slowly forward as the tide does - except they never recede back. They only move further and further forward, propelled towards Ebonhawke.

Has Zisa forsaken us? I think, Has she finally commanded these foul plains to swallow Ebonhawke whole? It can’t be possible. The ground. It bobs up and down as an army through a field. A thought runs through my mind, Am I watching an army? It can’t be, there is no one here but the five of us and dust. But I swear the grounds are moving… My eyes pierces through the fog in my mind and I see feet. No bodies. Feet. And then heads. And Arms. And arms and artillery.

“Look there!” I call to my men, “Who sees this?”

“What is it Mara?”

Mara? I think, What does he mean Mara? Whose Mara? I turn to him, but he’s gone. “Where is he!” I call to the rest, “We have a man MIA, on the defense!” No one moves. They lay, their eyes intense on the fields as if they were scouting. As if they never heard me. I look at the plains again, they have stopped moving. The feet now have a body, large and slender, furry but fierce. The claws come out. Sabres! I panic in my head, Ebonhawke needs to know they’ve come in force, “Alright, form up and listen up!,” I slowly turn to my men, unwilling to lose visual on the army, “Zerk I need you to get word to -” I stop. They’re not there. The dust where they were is untouched as if they never existed. But they did.

I hear a man scream as a beast, battle ready. Alvar. I find myself propelled forward, “Alvar! Alvar! Where are you!” I scream uncontrollably.

“Mara! Mara! We need to leave!” He cries.

“Where are  -” Mid shout I turn to see Zerk’s head sliced clean of the body. There is blood. A Sabre leaps for me, his hammer high over head. I reach for my greatsword to block but it is not there. Instead a shield is on my back, sword hung at my side. I slip sideways, the hammer missing, and draw sword and shield. The Sabre heaves his hammer from the ground but I slip in for a stab. Crisp and clean. How did I… I’m not that experienced with a sword. But his blood flows quickly. He falls to his knees, I bash with the shield - he falls flat. The fight is exhilarating, I’m breathing heavy, heart pounding. I notice the shield is in the shape of a black hawk, the boss made from its beak.

I look to the crowd and quickly realize fighting is impossible. There are hundreds - no thousands. Siege and warriors and archers and heavies and light weights. This is no scouting party. This is an invasion. “Alvar!” I cry, “Alvar we need to get word to Ebonhawke! It needs to raise the defenses!” Alvar is no where to be seen. Instead I hear another cry, a woman’s cry. Venessa. I search the crowd, running and dodging and blocking, I gain visual on Vanessa and she on me. Her back is to Ralof. “Vanessa! Get to Ebonhawke now! We’re being invaded!” I pause, seeing the crowd surge to us, as more and more notice the commotion we have caused to their army. I run to Ralof, looking at his face, something is on it. Claw marks... what happened to his cheek? The sight causes me to shiver but I shake it off, seeing Tzark now. “Tzark on us!” He runs to me and Ralof. More move in and we block and evade. “Tzark open your pack, we need the explosives.”

He opens the pack and shows it to me, but there is nothing inside. A Sabre falls on him. I dodge back, skidding to a stop. I watch Ralof brutally gutted. Alvar is gone. The Sabres close in, their claws drip blood, eyes thirsty. I drop my weapons and fall to my knees. I close my eyes.