David Bishop and the Mystic of Creation T.C. Crawford (icecream ebook reader txt) 📖

If the enemy forces broke through these defenses, they would have to overcome a series of wooden, maze-like barriers filled with protruding spikes and barricades that narrowed down into a single, six-foot wide opening into the valley.

The men would fall back through the opening and again use the narrow doorway as a funnel, hoping it would slow the approaching army enough to render their overwhelming numbers useless.

So far, two of the three walls had been fully constructed, and the final wall and wooden barricades would be ready before the army reached their doorstep.

If all went according to plan, General Ryan felt they actually had a chance in surviving the coming siege, albeit a smaller chance than he would have liked.

When he was satisfied with the progress of their defenses, General Ryan made his way back down the winding valley road through the city and toward the castle of Ravenfell to meet with the others and give his report. He ran into General Owen along the way who had been tasked to check on the townspeople and their preparations for the pending exodus through the Southern Tunnel.

Ever since the watchmen had sounded the signal, the townsfolk had been in an uproar, rushing everywhere back and forth trying to deliver their final shipments to the keep before frantically packing their own belongings for their journey through the Southern Tunnel.

When the two Generals reached the castle gates, the large iron portcullis slowly rose and came to a grinding halt.

Inside the courtyard, Rex and Orin were waiting for them, eager to hear the news of their findings.

As they walked together through the main double doors and towards the war room, he told them of the progress that had been made since his last inspection and assured them the defenses would soon be completed.

“Those men are something else,” said General Ryan, speaking of the builders. “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Yeah, they are skilled with stone and mortar, having worked with it most of their lives here in the valley. I couldn’t be prouder of those men and I am sure they are happy to help with such an important task.” replied Rex, beaming with pride.

“How are the townsfolk faring? It seemed like the whole city was in an uproar since the sighting of the enemy forces” asked Rex as they made their way up the large stairway leading to the second floor.

“As good as can be expected, considering the circumstances. It seemed most of them were preparing for their journey through the Southern Tunnel and had already finished delivering their final cart of supplies to the storehouse.” replied General Owen.

General Owen was the head of Ravenfell’s army and had been promoted to his new rank back when Rex took control of the kingdom after his uncle’s defeat. He had served with Rex during the siege of Eldergate and had proved to be a loyal friend and a valuable asset to the kingdom.

“That’s good to hear. It won’t be long before the fight is brought to our doorstep. We need to ensure the people are ready and safe from harm before that day comes.” said Rex.

“Agreed. We will ensure they are ready; you can count on it!” replied General Owen.

They reached the war room where King Eldergate and several officers were awaiting their arrival with a series of finger foods to fend off the hunger while they finalized their plans for the coming battle.

They all stood as Rex and the others entered, showing their respect for the king of Ravenfell. When he seated, the rest followed, and they wasted no time in assessing the situation.

“We have a combined might of roughly twenty thousand strong, including roughly five hundred archers, fifty ballistae and catapult support each,” began one of the officers. “With the reports coming in from the men standing watch, the enemy has a force of several times that, and it’s still growing. Each hour more and more demons are pouring into the plains” he said somberly.

The room was silent, each knowing they were facing insurmountable odds, but nonetheless ready to fight to the death if fate required it.

The officer continued, “When the enemy strikes, their numbers won’t matter as much given the narrow pass up the mountain, let alone the pass through the rockface, if they get to it. My worry lies with the fact that their sheer advantage in numbers provides them with the opportunity to lay an endless siege on our fortifications, without worry of ever running low on men…or in this case…demons. Our biggest concern will be fatigue.” he said, looking around the room.

Everyone seemed to catch on to what he was saying. With such a huge disadvantage in numbers alone, even with their fortifications, their men would eventually tire and need to be replaced by fresh troops. Eventually, this cycle would begin to get strained as they lost more and more men, leaving less and less time for each successive wave to rest between fighting. If the battle waged on long enough, it would only be a matter of time before their fatigue would overcome them and sloppy mistakes would start being made. The kind of mistakes that lose a war.

“There is one thing that I can do that may help,” chimed in Orin, to which all heads turned his way. The old mage stood up and addressed the room of kings and generals with a confidence that only comes with age and vast experience.

“There’s an elixir that can be made, if done properly and mixed with the right level of skill, that can enhance a person’s ability to focus – giving them increased sensory stimulation that can last for hours on end.” he said, to which several officers immediately went into hushed conversations with their neighbors.

“But there’s a catch.” he continued, “Like all magic, there’s a price to pay. When the effects start to wear off, the fatigue that ensues comes tenfold – all of the exhaustion postponed over the duration of the