Silver Cathedral Saga: Observer Chronicles, Book 1

Front Lines

Part Three - Deep Shadows

There were several battalions already on the battlefield before the city of Swansie.

A great deal of the King's army was destroyed. Even with all the people helping from Swansie, fighting, they simply could not compete. And this was when they found simple steel and arrows could not kill these Shadows.

It seemed only magick could kill them; as well as the combined efforts of magick and steel in unison. Many from other villages perished not knowing this, but king Almare had watchful eyes inside every populated location on Astora; people who kept an eye on the place and updated information to the king about anything suspicious. Though that did not save the thousands dead now.

They might have stood some chance if many of the Spell-casters and people on Astora were not picked off over the last four days or so. As nobody truly knew when they arrived.

There was a foul fear lurking in the warriors' minds.

Numbers plagued their consciousness as they looked out to the field, just waiting. For the Shadows to turn up...

Four battalions, each with forty soldiers, were spread around the front walls of the city of Swansie.

More Swansie people were inside with weapons; weapons that came from Adalas.

It made these Spell-casters look even more drawn and stretched.

A noise came to them. A plodding of thuds against the land led all their eyes to widen, and their minds to awaken from daydreaming of things they wished they didn't think so much of. Because it was all here, right now, in front of them.

Giant hordes of the Shadows came over a little ditch, and they could see the many numbers following behind now properly. The ground was brown, with only little patches of grass here and there on the Shrin Plains, the land before the city, as if life had been trampled out by the numbers that had gone before on this plain.

The darkness of their enemy went on for miles.

Soldiers hearts started pounding so hard, almost rhythmically, with the thuds of the Shadows. Some closed their eyelids, hoping it would help. But in the end, it did not. It could not.

Shadows stopped just before the city, staring at the humanoids as if to invite them to run away now, and let them sweep away the last home of Astora on its land.

Yet they did not. Courage inside them was real. For they knew if they were to run, the many thousands behind them in the city would be taken, killed, or something in-between.

The Battle-casters all on the ground, at the front, were all in much thicker armour than other casters; they were shielded by them; elemental archers: Fire-casters, Water-casters, Earth-casters. Beast-casters were at the very back and left with much room to spare because of the creatures they would turn into being bigger than anything else on the battle field. Or so they hoped.

Their enemy stood for another few brief moments before moving again, slowly now, not unlike before. They seemed to have moved quickly, quicker than humans in getting here; something they had not anticipated they could do until recently.

A voice shouted among the line of Astorians. A one who sounded familiar. A female. "We need to buy more time Astorians. They are not ready. Earth-casters, bring up a wall of rock between their line—and hold it until I say otherwise.

A rumbling erupted, and up came the rocks of brown and grey from beneath the earth.

They were thick and stood tall, like a wall, a prison, a fortress keeping out the enemy. There were thirty Earth-casters, and several had to summon the energy from the ground more than once, as the line was so great in width compared to their own.

Earth-casters were at their strongest on ground or land, naturally. The seas and skies never seemed to have agreed with them and made them temporarily week if they chose to travel or go those ways. The same was for Water-casters, only the sea fuelled them more than the land.

The one who spoke to the Spell-casters watched eagerly, hoping the next action would commence soon enough. This same person drew the sword from her hilt. All others following, like they mimicked the person.

"Get ready. This might be a shorter battle than we hoped," said the figure with frailty in her voice.

The rock wall still stood but started to crumble after just a minute or so. The Earth-casters focused harder to keep it together, but the stone shook and shook. The eyes of squinting signed the failure of the up keeping upon their enemies being kept at bay.

"I hope the king andEmatay hurries," said the same person at the front line not actually doinganything at the moment quietly. But then she shouted to those around herstraight after. "The odds are upon us. In a number that blackens the mind—aswell as our sight. But that will not stop our courage here today, Astorians."