They stayed where they were until midnight. Samantha’s theories regarding the Grand Elixir spiralled into a heated discussion on the implications of eternal life. Under a mask of amusement Victor was tossing up on whether to tell Sam that the end of her quest was right under her nose. He decided not to. The next stage of The Path would likely begin tomorrow, and answers were close at hand.
A loud crash suddenly echoed through the academy, and the floor rocked and the walls shook. What followed was silence, not only in Gretel’s dorm, but everywhere else, too. The four companions looked around. “What was that?” said Hansel.
A sharp and harrowing roar pierced through the silence, and sent shivers down their spines. “That sounded too large to be anything I’ve faced before!” said Sam.
A cold glimmer showed in Gretel’s eyes. “Oh no…” she murmured, and rushed outside.
The others followed. A full moon rained above the academy that night, but beyond the walls was a fiery haze that blanketed all of Central Haswhald. People were running all about, and many were making for the great hall at the centre of the academy. Victor searched for an officer. There was a man waving the students forward, and shouting at them to get to safety. “The city is under attack!” he told Victor. “An army of monsters! They’ve besieged the academy!”
There came another harrowing cry, and a dark creature soared overhead until its shadow blotted out the moon. It landed destructively upon one of the towers and spread its bat-like wings and shook its horned head. A great leathery tail curled around the tower like a snake.
Gretel raised her head and called: “It’s a Wyvern!”
Victor run up beside her. “It’s too big to be a Wyvern!”
“Well it’s not a god-damn canary!” she snapped.
Hansel stood between them and pointed to the wall. “Alright, whatever! We have to get to the wall and find Rodrick or Caesar!”
They raced down the curved road that led to the main entrance. The great wooden doors were shut and sealed, and a handful of officers waited before it with swords and spears, while other occupied the buildings on either side with bows. The doors splintered as they received a brutal thrashing from the other side. A crate full of weapons had been left near the garrison; Hansel took a sword, Victor grabbed a hatchet, Gretel a spear, and Sam a bow and quiver. Then they went up the stairs that took them to the top of the wall.
Caesar stood atop the wall like a general, constantly barking commands and moving his men. Part of his coat had been burned and when he turned around they saw of smear of blood over his right eye. “I’m afraid your rest has ended,” he told them.
“What happened?” Hansel asked. He noticed with horror the army of goblyns that crawled like ants towards the academy; among them was a large Fiend, similar to the one he had recently killed. “Sir, you’re bleeding!”
“Don’t worry about me!” Caesar replied. “We tried to cut them off before they entered the city but we were overwhelmed and were forced to pull back. Now it is vital that we stop them from breeching the outer wall, at least until all the students have safely retreated.”
“What about the Wyvern, sir?” Victor asked.
Caesar stared up at the black shape circling above. “That Fiend is the greater threat right now. Help me destroy it, and then report to Rodrick for further orders!”
A team of a dozen bowmen joined those who were already on the wall. Sam decided to join them. They used oil and torches to light their arrows before firing in volleys into the squabbling hoard below. The Fiend charged through the street on all fours at the gate; its fur was long and blood-stained and its twisted antlers swept any unsuspecting goblins into the air. Caesar urgently pointed at the wild beast. “The Fiend!” he called. “Shoot the Fiend! Don’t let it break through!”
The flaming arrows whizzed like deadly fireflies in the night, and they burned the Fiend, but few could penetrate its thick hide. It roared and moaned as it neared the gate. Caesar turned to Victor, Gretel and Hansel, and said: “Quickly! There is a ballista stored beneath the stairs. Take this key! Set it up and aim it at the gate!”
The followed the order without question, and ran down the stairs, unlocked the storeroom, and wheeled the heavy ballista out onto the road. “I didn’t even know we had one of these!” Victor exclaimed. The men on their side of the gate stepped aside. Victor loaded the heavy bolt and primed it for firing. They only awaited Caesar’s order.
The Fiend showed no sign of slowing down. A trail of smoke followed it. Caesar watched it approach from the top of the wall, and then called down to the ballista team. “Get ready! Hold!” He raised his arm. “Now! Fire!”
The gate exploded and the Fiend tumbled through, followed by a wave of screaming Goblyns. Victor released the bolt and it vaulted forward, hitting the Fiend point-plant and launching back into the street. There it lay motionless, and everyone – even the Goblyns – stared in amazement. The archers on the wall turned back and continued to rain arrows upon the enemy, and the attacking Goblyns met a second wall of swords, spears and axes. They were cut down within minutes.
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