Chương 109: The Fallen Fortress

The middle of the bridge gave way. Ern, Karun, and the cart caught between them fell into the river together. The refugees who had hidden under the bridge to avoid the bombardment were swept away by the current too. For a moment, the soldiers on both sides forgot each other. They threw ropes, stripped off armor, and jumped into the water. Ern and Karun, who had eaten meat together on the day of the prisoner exchange, tied ropes around each other's waists.

"If you let go, we both die!"

"Then you don't let go!" On the collapsed bridge, hands moved before spears did. The second bombardment missed the bridge. A burning boulder punched through the roof of the supply warehouse in the neutral fortress. Civilians from both sides were together inside the fortress. Market goods, winter food, and families who had fled the war were gathered inside the narrow walls. The first fire caught on molly hay. Flames spread along the oil jars.

When the dry roots in the mandragora storage room took in the heat, acrid smoke filled the corridor. Marena poured water from the teapot onto pieces of cloth.

"Cover your mouths first." She tied wet cloth over the children's faces. A human child and a horned child were hiding under the same table.

"Hold hands."

"Where are you going?"

"To open the door." Marena was holding a cracked cup in both hands. She had brought it along to save some drinking water. When a child cried, she moved the cup to one hand and pushed the children forward one by one with the other. White molly fiber and red mandragora thread from the tent were tied around her wrist. They were the short threads left after she had twisted the proposal knot for Kichan. After sending the children toward Seria, Marena went back into the supply warehouse.

She said there was still one person who had not come out. The gatekeeper heard the signal that enemy troops were coming in. He closed the gate according to orders. The thick door stopped the enemy. It also stopped the refugees trying to escape.

"Open it!" The people inside pounded on the door. The gatekeeper looked at the demihuman warriors outside. If he opened the door, they would come in. If he kept it closed, the people inside would suffocate in the smoke. He stood with his hand on the latch and could not move. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Seria ran over and grabbed the latch.

"Open it."

"The enemy is coming in."

"People need to get out."

"My orders are to keep it closed."

"The person who gave that order would tell you to open it now." Seria wrapped a human child and a demihuman child in the same cloak. She put them both on Theor's back and sent him toward the underground storage room. Theor stopped the sword a human army soldier thrust at him with his bare hand.

"Move. You are hiding enemy refugees."

"They are refugees."

"Can you not see the horns?"

"I can see the fever too." The soldier's sword cut Theor's arm. Theor did not step back. With his good arm, he pushed the door and made a gap wide enough for one person to pass.

"This way. Send the children first." Marena came out of the supply warehouse supporting an elder. The smoke was so thick she could not see ahead, and the cup she was holding struck the wall, lengthening the crack. Seria took the elder from her.

"Now get out."

"There is one more inside." Marena put the wet cloth to her mouth again and turned back toward the flames. Seria spread the cloak once more, and Theor blocked the space between the sword and the door with his body. On the bridge, the two commanders met. Marten's horse caught on the broken railing and went down. As Marten pitched toward the river, Grad caught his arm and hauled him back up.

"Why did you come?"

"Because you could not stop the order."

"You failed too."

"That is why I came." Marten raised his sword toward his own cavalry.

"Cease fire! Pull back from the bridge!" Grad trampled the red flag into the ground.

"Take down the reinforcement signal and pull the people from the water first!" This time, the soldiers nearby heard them. The soldiers on both sides also saw the two commanders supporting each other. A mandragora medicine pouch fell from Marten's waist. From inside Grad's clothing, against his chest, came human-army cloth wrapped around molly leaves. The soldiers saw the two objects on the same ground and the two men supporting each other. But it was too late.

A third vibration rose from the demihuman leyline battery. The human army's catapult spell array had already loaded the next boulder. The two commanders shouted in different directions.

"Down!" The bombardment struck the watchtower of the neutral fortress. The stone wall collapsed inward. The flames crossed from the supply warehouse into the refugee zone. The beam above the gate broke, crushing the latch and Theor's good arm with it. Theor propped up the door with his broken arm and shoulder. Seria called people's names until no voice came out. The two commanders entered the fortress. One lifted collapsed stones, and the other told the remaining soldiers to send the children out first.

A human child held onto Grad's torn cloth. A demihuman child took the hand Marten held out. The remaining half of the watchtower tilted. Grad shoved Marten. Even as he was pushed, Marten did not let go of the other man's arm. Stone and fire poured down over the two men and the refugee zone. The fighting continued past noon. At that moment, the northern rock mountain opened again. Kichan's party came outside carrying catalysts, herbs, and several sacks of gold coins.

A column of smoke, thicker than usual, rose into the sky.

"Isn't that the border?" Kichan asked. Argaon did not answer. He grew into his true form. Just as he was about to spread his wings, a white owl with an emergency messenger mark flew unsteadily in from the border. It was a different bird, smaller than Seru. The owl fell chest-first into the snow in front of them. An arrow was stuck in its chest, and only the emergency mark remained on the document tube at its ankle. Kichan cradled the bird inside his coat and slung the material bag onto his back.

Argaon lowered his body to the snow.

"Everyone get on. Running will be too late." Riphiel tied the catalyst jars down with rope and fixed them to Argaon's back. Batu stepped on Argaon's foreleg and jumped up. Valkyrie spread its body wide between Kichan's chest and the owl to absorb the impact. Dust clung to the opening of the material bag and wrapped its body around the swaying strap. When Argaon drove his wings down, the black rock mountain dropped away beneath them.

A distance that had taken two days on foot took a little over three hours in flight. Then the smoke of the border filled their view.