Whispers of A Dead Empire

Chapter 108

We could sit inside these walls and hammer away at them. But we will take the fight to them. With Octavian residing over the second legion, that will remain inside. At least until the praetorians arrived to help. "Open the gates!" My voice boomed out across the lines, and the two soldiers that operated the gate slowly pushed it open. Revealing the plains that lie just outside. Beyond that was a grouping of a few large tree-like monsters withering the arrows. "First legion. Move forward!" I grit my teeth as the legion moved forward to meet the threat with me in the front, just like the last time.

"So the accursed come to meet their fate.." A man clad in wood adorned with streaks of gold stepped forward from the tree line. His face was adorned with a helm with a set of wooden horns that stretched out from the top and reached for the sky.

"You trespass upon Asteria, and you have rejected the treaties that have governed our interactions. You will find your absolution on the edge of my blade." Without an extra word, my legion rushed forward to meet those that would defile our lands.

"For Velcrest!" The frontman yelled, and the lumbering tree monsters rushed forward from the forest line. Another volley of arrows tore from the walls and slammed into the ground. A vast majority missed, but those that didn't punctured the wood that made up the monsters. A volley of various forms of magic tore through the air, leaving trails as they ventured forth. Magical barriers were erected at a moment's notice, shrugging away a vast part of the damage.

"For Asteria!" As one, my legion fractured into smaller portions as they surged forth like a vengeful tide and crashed into the small party of the outsiders. With a dull roar, the giant trees took a lumbering step and swung their giant root-like arms, cutting through a few of my unlucky soldiers. "Mages, focus down the trees. Warriors, on me!" I belted out orders and drew my sword. With a flick of my wrist, I pointed the blade towards the sky, brought the hilt to my lips, and gave it a kiss before I flourished it once more.

My soldiers listened to my orders without question and quickly organized themselves. Gouts of fire and darkness rushed forward at close range as spells were slung without hesitation. Chaos quickly spread across the battleground, yet I marched on. I completely trusted my troops. They knew what had to be done.

The ground trembled as the gigantic creatures lumbered their way across it, swinging their arms in rhythmic motions of death, trying to cut my troops down like chafe. From the forest line, a bunch of smaller humanoid trees broke through. Their wooden faces locked in a rictus of agony as they ran. The ground beneath them was twisted and churned as their roots attempted to bog them down.

The first one covered the ground faster than I thought and ran straight towards me. It swung a hand filled with gnarled branches towards my face. With but a flick of my wrist, I severed its hand before bringing my blade back through the rest of its body.

"Do not give in. Do not yield. Defend the motherland. Defend the princess." My words rolled from my tongue as I pushed forward. The surrounding darkness ebbed and flowed, tainting the already dead ground with its presence. It clung to my blade like a long-lost lover and dripped from it like the thickest of ambrosia. Each swing of my blade marked the end of all those that stood before me. My movements, though rough, still had the years of muscle memory that I had built.

A gregarious laugh filled the air, drowning out even the roars of the trees, followed shortly by the cracking of wood. Flint must be having fun. Good. Make them pay. I locked eyes with the man who had given me his speech. His face was obscured by his helm. He held a long slender sword that was crafted with inhuman perfection. Its hilt clad in the finest of golds, yet it seemed to thirst for more.

"You are an abomination of nature. I will purge you from this world." He yelled, yet the sounds of death that filled the air drowned his voice out.

"Do you think I chose this?" I yelled back, though I knew he couldn't understand me. "Do you think I want this?" I punctuated my words by cutting down another monster that tried to block my path. "I detest living like this." I blocked a wild swing and stepped to the side. The surrounding darkness formed dozens of small balls that shot out like a cannon towards the tree, tearing through its bark like wet paper.