The clash of armies was followed by a fierce roar of anger as the soldiers launched their attacks. An impenetrable wall of shields formed a perfect formation, and a thousand spears emerged to face humanity's enemies: a horde of skeletons and undead ghouls without reason or fear. The monsters attacked in chaotic fury against the precise ranks of mankind's army. Each side wore different colors, representing light and darkness, as bones clashed with silver and steel.
The army of darkness had sent its weakest troops first, to buy time while the mighty knights were summoned behind them. This made the warriors of the army of light uneasy, knowing that they would soon have to face such formidable foes. But the Army of Light was prepared. Priests, camouflaged among the front lines, began chanting prayers and incantations to ward off the evil. Incense and crosses were their weapons. The battle raged relentlessly, but it had reached a stalemate, with neither side able to gain ground. A change was needed if victory was to be achieved.
"Quite impressive to witness. But simply charging towards the main gate won't bring us victory."
"Please tell me you actually have a plan to enter the castle," I asked the Cardinal sarcastically.
"Sound the first trumpet. It is time for the Umbra Venatores to begin their attack," the priest said.
At the sound of the trumpet, the forest trees began to tremble. Huge oak trees fell one by one as a giant approached. A towering structure, ten stories high, rose and began to advance in a menacing straight line towards the castle, unstoppable. It was a medieval siege tower, its walls inscribed with runes, now powered by metal treads and diesel engines as it marched forward to attack. Behind the tower, the giant captain of the werewolf soldiers spoke to his troops in a thunderous voice.
"The siege vehicle is ready!
"Escort it to the castle walls! Then we will use it to infiltrate the interior and open the gates from within for the march of the army of light!"
"DEFEND THE TOWER WITH YOUR LIVES! THIS IS THE WILL OF OUR LORD!"
The group of werewolves howled in unison, a terrible warning to their enemies of their arrival. Then, with the speed of the true demons they were, they descended the mountain and reached the flanks of the Marching Tower in an unnatural time. Immediately, they began to climb its walls with ease, howling and roaring with faces so ferocious that even the cursed knights who came to stop the chariot hesitated.
Realising that something more was needed to stop the armoured siege tower, the forces of darkness called for a champion from their ranks. The castle gates opened briefly to let their elite knights through. The Dullahan rode out, galloping with a single purpose: to stop the impending doom. But as they closed in on the chariot, the werewolves leapt from the heights in fury. Their swords and hammers quickly shattered the knights' armour, their horses were devoured, and their spears and swords were taken as trophies and hung as decorations on the carriage they had set out to defeat.
In the distance, an earth golem was summoned to clash with the wolves' den, but as it approached at full speed, two of the wolves ran with a rope to tie its legs and make it stumble. After that, it was only a matter of cornering and killing the prey.
The Umbra Venatores showed a different kind of discipline. It was clear that they had fought beasts before. Despite their animal ferocity, their tactics were honed to perfection. These soldiers had spent countless generations honing their one and only profession, their effective strategies passed down from survivor to survivor. They were a tool made for a single purpose - and as such, they were the ideal weapon.
The way they carried out their orders at all costs made it hard not to draw parallels with the unfortunate fate of the Union, the army that had once stood against the dragons and had known nothing but defeat since its founding. Like them, their ferocity was undeniable, and their disregard for their own lives in the name of the mission was the same. And if things continued as they were, they would probably share the same tragic fate in the name of victory
Watching them for just a few minutes, I found myself smiling, remembering the old days of sorrow and misfortune. I couldn't help but feel excited to see a group truly giving their all in a fight where everything was stacked against them - the effort, the camaraderie between brothers-in-arms. It was with warriors like these that humanity once triumphed over dragons and evil.
But the other Inquisitors, the leaders of the Hunter Houses, did not move from their positions high on the mountain. Instead, they simply watched and assessed the progress being made. In part, I understood their reasons. They were the same as in the war against the dragons. They were almost like the elite hunters of the White Cloaks. All of them were saving their strength for the real battle later. So now the weak and the numerous were sacrificing themselves for them. It was cruel, it was cold, but it was effective - and in battle, little else mattered.
"Tamamo, prepare your spear. We're going in as well."
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"We'll help the werewolves open the gates," I said to the girl beside me.
"Are you sure? We haven't received any orders yet."
"The Umbra Venatores can do it themselves."
I looked towards the marching tower and watched as the werewolves fought with inhuman ferocity to protect it. Their synchronised roars still echoed in my ears and their disciplined, self-sacrificing movements brought a lump to my throat.
"But not without unnecessary casualties. I can't just stand here and watch."
"They remind me so much of how the Union used to fight during those terrible sieges."
"I just want a bit of excitement, and it looks like those guys over there are having a great time."
"Surely they won't complain if they get some help."
"Always wanting to carry the burden of everything..."
"Fine, I'll be right behind you. Just tell me what you need and I'll help," Tamamo said, resting her naginata on her shoulder as she followed me.
"!!!!!"
"Hey, wait! Where do you think you're going?"
"We're supposed to stay here! The Umbra Venatores will take care of opening the gates!"
"Besides, I'm supposed to support you - wait for me!" shouted Lucy Lecarde when she noticed that we had started to leave the mountain.
"'That's exactly why," I interrupted, pointing to the werewolves who were charging down at full speed to stop the cursed knights.
"Do you see them, Lucy? They're giving everything to this mission."
"If we can lighten their load even a little, shouldn't we?"
"Or are you telling me that the Lecarde House is so weak that they need others to do their work for them?"
"Are the Lecarde so afraid that they avoid fighting even though they are monster hunters?"
Lucy opened her mouth to protest, but said nothing. She clenched her fists and averted her eyes from the battle. Finally, she sighed in frustration.
"Fine, fine!"
"I understand! I'll help as much as I can, but don't expect me to be some heroic warrior!"
"This is my first time in a battle of this magnitude!"
As we approached the walking tower, a towering white-furred werewolf leapt down from his position and landed in front of us. His eyes shone intensely in the dim light of the battlefield, and his deep voice thundered over the chaos.
"Inquisitor! We cannot allow you to risk yourself on this mission!"
"The tower hasn't even reached the castle walls yet, stay behind the formation where you'll be safe!" Captain Tiberius warned us.
"Risk is part of our existence," I replied with a defiant smile.
"This is not my first battle and it won't be my last."
"Just an old wolf trying to relive past glories, lending a hand, we can't let God do all the work."
The werewolf watched me in silence for a moment, his eyes fixed on my head, then he glanced at Tamamo by my side, seemingly searching for something secret about us, or perhaps just our ears and tails. Finally, he nodded with an expression that mixed respect and acceptance.
"You have the look of one who has known the weight of duty and loss."
"Though we are of different species, fortunately our determination is the same."
"I understand why you want to do this, despite our motto, I too want most to return home, but our task is more important, remember that."
"All right, then fight as one of the pack, not as a spectator."
"But let me be clear: this tower is the heart of our mission."
"Its fall would mean the death of the Umbra Venatores clan, for that will only happen when each of us is nothing but dust."
"If you choose to join us, you will defend this tower with your life... for that is what we will do."
"I wouldn't expect anything less."
"Climb to the top of the tower, we need everyone to infiltrate the west wall," the white wolf said, pointing to the ladder inside the tower.
Climbing the ladder as the tower continued to advance, our weapons in hand, swaying from the enemy's attacks as we tried to destroy it, was quite an experience. Yet the werewolves inside didn't hesitate to help us climb, despite their demonic appearance, they knew how to hold back to let an ally pass. As we climbed, we could hear shouts and the clash of steel on our sides. It seemed that the struggle to clear the way for the tower, though difficult, was yielding results.
"All right, let's get started."
"Get ready boys, we're going in full force. Prepare your weapons!" The second-in-command, a huge grey-furred werewolf, said, his face bearing a scar where his eye used to be.
"Inquisitor!" The captain said, taking something from a nearby wall and throwing it into my hand.
A beautifully engraved silver musket, a sharp Damascus steel musket with a glowing glass bullet inside. The intention was clear: a deadly salute to what lay ahead. The other werewolves armed themselves with the same weapons, taken from the tower shelves, and began to form a volley line.
"Lucy, if you don't want to die, raise a double shield barrier, maximum power, count three seconds, then drop it." I said to the new girl.
The nervous girl seemed surprised by the immediate orders, but she quickly collected herself, picked up her grimoire and began to recite her spell. A few seconds later, a strong tremor shook the tower, and someone from below shouted that we had reached the wall. The werewolves howled for courage.
"Lower the bridge!" The white wolf shouted at the top of his lungs.
The cogwheels spun at full speed and the wall in front of us collapsed instantly to reveal a group of skeletal archers and mages attacking. Lucy stepped forward and used her magic to shield us from the attack. The cracks in the magical circle emanating from her left hand were visible, and her face showed the strain, but she managed to hold it for as long as she was asked. Then she lowered her book and magic herself.
"First line! FIRE!"
The werewolves in the first line immediately fired their muskets, a cloud of dust rose and the enemies fell in droves. Immediately after, they crouched down without waiting for a command to reload their weapons.
"Second line, FIRE!"
That was the signal for our team to fire. With the same determination, I fired my weapon alongside my comrades. A burst of gunfire wiped out the few survivors of the first attack and cleared a path to jump onto the castle walls.
"Charge! Open the gates for our lord!"
Like a pack hungry for death, the werewolves leapt to cross the bridge and take the ground gained in the attack. More skeletal soldiers appeared to stop them, but their resolve was stronger than their attacks. The captain joined them with his heavy hammer, and we followed behind to support the operation. But when we arrived and looked around, we noticed a small flaw in our plan: the machinery that opened the gate was in plain sight, right in front of us, on the other side of the castle wall, with a group of knights gathering to fight the intruding group.
