Chronicles of Ilandri - Volume 1

A Futile Endeavour (Pt.2)

Now they were safely inside the tower the priority was to get to the escaping citizens. The tower doors would not keep the goblins out forever so they would be defending their retreat once more soon enough. Nathaniel led Martyn down into the tunnel, following the rest of the guard as they headed into the unknown. Martyn seemed entirely bewildered as they walked down this secret passage which had long slipped from the city's memory. He seemed far more dumbfounded again when they reached the dome chamber, to see that there were eight other passages leading off in other directions. They followed the rest of the men back the way Nathaniel had come earlier, towards the port. As if Martyn's bewilderment could not get anymore, he stopped dead for a moment as they emerged from the tunnel at the port. All of the citizens seemed to have made it safely across the bridge which spanned the Orin river.

The city guards were now beginning to cross the great bridge to meet them. The bridge was a huge marble construction, with stone abutments at each end and eight stone piers, which the arches of the bridge spanned between. At the centre of the bridge were four small round towers, used to support the two drawbridges which met at the middle. The drawbridges could be raised and lowered to allow large ships to pass beyond the bridge and head further up river. These drawbridges were of course made of wood and therefore could be burnt down to cover their retreat, once across the river. They were very solid, built of thick oak beams, but once covered with pitch and set ablaze they would burn in no time. The next crossing was forty miles upstream at a ford, giving them plenty of time to reach Othwyn.

Once on the bridge, Nathaniel began to instruct guardsmen to prepare the pitch. There were always several jars stored in the bridge towers, for this exact purpose. Although it would usually be to stop attackers from crossing the bridge to get to the city. From the bridge Nathaniel could see smoke rising up all across the city. It was a disheartening sight to see the city he loved so much, going to ruin and the hands of a goblin host. The army must be ransacking the city, burning as they went. If they could at least reach Othwyn they stood a chance of mustering an army to retake the city. After all Nathaniel held the keys to the tunnels and could launch an attack from within, giving them an advantage.

Nathaniel's plan was to fire the bridge once everyone was across and then make good their escape. There was a sudden commotion coming from the dock below as men began to charge out of the tunnel. He assumed the worst, that the tower had been breached and goblins were entering the passage. The doors had not held for as long as he had hoped. There was now a difficult decision to make. How many of his comrades would he be able to save before setting fire to the bridge. He wished the decision was not his to make but he would have to get it done to save those who had already crossed. As soon as he sighted the first goblin to emerge from the tunnel he would have to set it alight. "Get the torches ready," he instructed Martyn, who looked back at him with concern. He seemed to understand the weight of the decision Nathaniel had to make.

He knew the guardsmen in the tunnel would defend it to the last, but the more men they got across the bridge, the more there were to defend the people of the city. Nathaniel conducted men over the bridge, urging them to cross quickly. His eyes remained ever fixed on the tunnel exit, waiting and watching for the enemy to emerge. Guardsmen continued to pour out of the tunnel mouth, across the dock, up the steps and onto the bridge. Nathaniel felt all the hairs on his body stand bolt upright as he heard the shrill scream of goblins. In the next moment the first of them emerged from the tunnel, hacking and slashing at the guards who had turned to fight them off.

A single tear dropped from Nathaniel's eye as he reluctantly threw his torch onto the pitch soaked drawbridge. Martyn hesitated but he too followed suit, a look of desperation set deep into his face. The flames took hold almost instantly, cutting off the retreat of their fellow guards. They had been sacrificed to save the others and permit them to escape. These men were no cowards and would fight to the last, taking many goblins down with them. The impact on the huge host which had assembled however would be minimal. Rather than stay and watch his comrades slain, he and Martyn turned to lead the survivors onward. In this dire situation the city guard had been decimated, losing all of its leadership and most of its numbers. Nathaniel had taken up the responsibility of leading them now, as he was the one who knew of the passages to escape.