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

they each were taken from their cell and escorted to the cart that would take them back to the city, they all shared worried looks, wondering where Darryn was and if he had ultimately decided to abandon their cause.

They sped off down the railways to the city, the dark tunnels suddenly feeling very confining and miserable in light of their increasingly bleak situation.

Chapter XVI

It was early morning, and the mist was still hanging thick in the air over the Great Plains between the southern bend of the Draconian Mountains and the Outer Woods. The men of Ravenfell were waiting atop their great towers at the top of the mountain pass. All they could do was watch helplessly as the Great Plains continued to swell with endless masses of Demons preparing their march toward Ravenfell.

Their ranks looked like a great black flood, slowly taking over the green grasslands and flowing over the rolling hills like a great wave of death. Thousands of banners were reaching into the sky throughout their ranks, bearing the black Raven in front of a blood red circle – the insignia of the Southern Kingdom that General Krauss had adopted when he took over Eldergate and what remained of the Royal Guard.

Although the distance between the soldiers and the incoming army was still great, they could feel the vibration of hundreds of thousands of marching feet, pounding away on the ground as they made their way down the Great Road, and it left the men restless. They had prepared for this fight for several days now, anticipating its arrival, but the sight of such a vast army was unsettling and left the men chilled from more than just the cool mountain air.

Rex and Orin were standing together with the King and General Ryan on the first of the high walls to catch a glimpse of the enemy they would soon be facing.

“And so, it begins” said King Eldergate somberly, peering out across the vast plains at the enemy force.  He had a fierce look of determination mixed with overwhelming sadness for the countless lives he knew would soon be lost in the fighting.

“Aye. We are as ready as we will ever be,” said Rex, confident they had done everything they could in the two short weeks they had had to prepare since David’s departure. “Let’s just hope it is enough.” he said, peering out into the plains below at the marching army.

Their fortifications had been completed in the night, leaving the valley protected by a series of high stone walls with crenelations spaced evenly throughout. They would provide cover for their archers to rain fire from above and hopefully slow down the enemy advancement. Behind the fortified walls were a series of wooden barricades, cut to sharp points facing outward, that were set up in a way that would force the enemy to zigzag through the maze-like barriers before reaching the second, and eventually third, walls.

On top of the walls were ballistae to hold off the flying demons, and catapults to fire large tar-filled pots that would be lit and fired, exploding upon impact.

If the enemy forces were able to breach the final wall, they would be faced with the full combined might of the armies of Ravenfell and Eldergate that would be waiting for them should they get that far – and there was no doubt that they eventually would.

The last of the walls was about halfway through the narrow mountain pass, meaning the enemy would still be forced into smaller numbers as they faced off against the two armies, giving the defenders of Ravenfell a better chance at holding the enemy horde than they would have had in a more open setting.

“Orin how are we looking with the magical preparations?” asked Rex, looking over at the old mage.

“The barriers are in place along the outskirts of the valley and before each wall, as well as around the castle should we need to fall back. It won’t hold the ground forces forever, but it will hold them long enough to keep the flying ones at bay and from flying over our defenses. They won’t be able to attack from above, at least. The barrier won’t let them pass and from my experience with the flying demons, they aren’t very powerful – at least not powerful enough to break through my barriers.” said Orin confidently.

“The spell will help strengthen the physical defenses significantly, allowing them to withstand far more of a beating before giving way than they would have otherwise, however, the ground demons are strong, and they are relentless. I am sure they will have made siege equipment that will help them get through any obstacles we present them. It is only a matter of time before they are able to scale the walls or batter their way through. We will just have to focus on defeating as many enemies as we can while they concentrate on the walls. That will at least help even the odds once they eventually do get through.” finished the mage.

“Very good, Orin, thank you.” said Rex.

“Sir, we have our most skilled archers in place along the battlements and a sizeable number ready on top of the castle walls should we need to retreat to the castle for a final stand. We also have our most experienced fighters towards the front of the defenses, manning the tops of the walls as well as the head of our forces behind the walls. They will know what to do when the forces break through and will have the courage to face the enemy.” said General Ryan, finishing his report.

“Very well, thank you General” said King Eldergate, dismissing the General to get back to checking on his men and the defenses.

The three continued to watch as the enemy forces slowly made their way across the Great Plains. By this time, the mist had started to clear, and the true size of the enemy forces was even more visible.

They could now