RD 5 Ch 6

Two weeks later, our fortress was bustling with new guests and fresh food. Our bellies were filled, and spirits were high, but I knew that there was more that had to be done.

I turned to the quest that I had completed, only to find it replaced with another.

[Drive off the demons.]

My expression soured at that guidance. My eyes shifted to the massive army in front of us. It was one thing to hold out in this situation, quite another to emerge victorious. Either way, it wasn't as if I had much choice, especially if I wanted to return to any semblance of a normal life.

"My lord," Frank said, rushing up to join me.

I was overlooking the fortress from a different room than the one I had originally woken up inside. I had sealed off that room, full of temptingly beautiful women, and never returned. Something about that space felt wrong.

"Yes, Frank?" I said, turning to my man.

"The demon army stirs yet again," he reported.

"They have, on several occasions, managed to make us man the walls. Is this not just another attempt to exhaust us?" I asked.

"No, sir, this seems to be larger than that.” Frank hesitated. "But I cannot be sure about their intentions, nonetheless."

It wasn't Frank's fault that he didn't know, but I grew tired of the posturing and the prodding at our forces. I knew that was their strategy. If they could continue to make us use our resources and our energy to react, then eventually they would wear us down. A siege was not just pressure on physical resources, but morale as well.

I looked at the quest to drive off the demons, then back out at their stirring. "If their forces come within range, get the archers on the walls, but man no one else. Most of the men sleep in their armor still, correct?" I asked.

"Yes, sir." Frank reported.

"Walk the fort and make sure everyone has a weapon and armor with them. Only rouse the sleeping if our archers are able to fire on the demons." I instructed.

"But sir," Frank hesitated.

I waved his concern away. "We have some new guests that are full of energy and they came here to gain experience. What better chance to use them to test the army’s intentions?" I smiled to myself.

"Of course, lord," Frank bowed and slipped away.

I continued my vigil, unable to stop myself from constantly watching the field. The urgency I had woken up with several weeks ago still gnawed at the back of my mind. And the strangeness of the quests that kept appearing only made me question that urgency even more. Something wasn't right. I knew this as well as I knew that my name was Bran.

There were still gaps in my memory, as best as I tried to fake it in front of my men. I still did not recognize the women I had woken up among. And I had no idea what I was truly fighting for beyond protecting this fortress. 

Yet, regardless of those feelings, I could only accept my present situation and fight my way free of it. Thus far, I hadn't found any cause to believe that my failure here would mean anything other than my death, which was a sobering thought. And that feeling deepened when I looked out at the army of demons stirring and moving closer to the fort.

If we were going to send out our new men, I knew I should prepare to assist them. The last thing I wanted was for the men sent by the other kingdoms to die on their very first day fighting. That would reflect poorly and perhaps stop me from getting more reinforcements. 

I marched towards the wall, cupping my hand against the pommel of my sword. I kept my chest high and my head up as I walked through my men.

More than a few murmured and whispered, talking about me as I passed. Some spoke of the day I jumped down amongst the demons two weeks ago, others talked about the food that now filled their bellies. Though there were always the curmudgeons, most of them seemed significantly happier with me than on prior walks. It was no understatement to say that armies moved on their bellies, and that by giving them enough to eat, I had improved just about every aspect of the fort.

Enough of then gave me a respectful nod, others a relaxed salute. To most, I was a leader they’d follow off a cliff.

However, happy men did come with a downside. A cluster of rowdy men on the wall jostled and cheered for the demons to come closer, each promising another that he was going to slay the most demons. It was childish and foolish, as they stood up there bragging and boasting before they drew their first drop of demon blood. Perhaps, though, I could use their eagerness to my own advantage. 

I stepped up amongst their group. "You think you'll do the most? Not possible. I'm certain I will kill the most demons," I said, not facing them but standing nearby and striking a regal pose, hand still resting on my pommel and cape fluttering in the wind.

The men didn’t like that challenge.

"Yeah? Who the fuck are you?" One of them turned to me, put his foot up on the parapets, and spat in my direction. 

"Lord Bran Heroes," I said, ignoring the spit and fixing them with an easy smile. "I don't suppose you'd give me your name?" I asked. 

"Kalmian the Great," the man said, with no small amount of swagger. 

"Odd," I frowned and looked over the group. "I don't recognize that name." 

Kalmian scoffed, "Pretending not to know me won't get you anywhere." He was a wiry man, the kind that looked like he’d been in no small amount of scuffles and you had to watch out for tricks.

"Sorry to say, I'm not interested in going anywhere," I chuckled. "It seems to me my place is right here. You know, defending the rest of humanity from the demons."

"Bah. Count me in," he scoffed. "Your kingdom lost so painfully. Can you have the gall to say you're the ones upholding things for the rest of us? My people fought and died against an endless horde. I'll not have you sully their efforts with such disrespect."

I turned to the man, leveling a glare at him that caused him and the rest of his men to take a cowardly step backwards.

Satisfied, I turned back to the encroaching demon army. "How close do you think they're going to get today?”

“Demons are nothing but timid creatures. Count me in," Kalmian repeated.

I scoffed. Were these really the men sent to help me defend the fortress?

"They'll get as close as you let them, but the second we put up any resistance, I guarantee they'll run with their tails tucked between their legs." He continued on. At least he had some confidence.

I did my best to hide the grin that threatened to stretch across my face. This would be too easy. "If that's so, perhaps we need to teach them a lesson then, eh?" I could see Kalmian and the rest of his men grow excitable at the thought, which was just what I needed, especially as more men came to the wall and gathered by Frank. 

"We’re in too," A new group joined us.

I turned to them.

"You here to get a piece of the action?" Kalmian asked like he knew the large, barrel chested man.

"I can't let you get too far ahead of me in experience. Our liege would think me lazy if we came back home with such a difference." The new entrant grinned. "What do you say we have a contest? Whoever's group can slay the most before they run off with their tails tucked between their legs."

“Not a bad idea. If we slipped out the side and attacked the army from the hills over there," I pointed at the edge of the mountains where we could hide a decent-sized force before launching them into the side of the demon army, "we'd probably be able to scatter off at least a chunk from the front and lure them into the hills where numbers do them less good than individual strength.”

“What if they commit to the hills?” The big man at least had a decent head on his shoulders.

 “More demons is more experience," I said with a shrug.

Once again, I tried to hide my smile as the two men grew greedy with excitement, as if they thought the experience from demons was simply gold to be picked up from the ground after a merchant's cart had overturned.

Regardless of their feelings, however, the hills would make a fantastic point to hit and run. It was just making sure these men would run when I gave the order because to stay behind for another kill would be certain death for most of them. Their levels were certainly passable, it meant they had experience fighting, but I was unsure how much of that was against a demon or even another army.

"Will you bring any men?" The larger leader asked. In checking his level, I got his name Tarel. He looked like a blockhead, but it seemed he wasn’t that dumb after all.

"No. The walls need to stay manned. We need to keep the fort safe, should we scare them so much they run in the wrong direction." I gave a half hearted chuckle.

My words made both men laugh, far too filled with confidence.

I knew that it was risky to let them be so confident against a horde of demons, but for now, maybe it would help what I needed to accomplish. A higher level elite group could do some serious chipping away at the demons, and if I were to repel them, I needed to trim them down.

These two men, filled with bravado and a hunger to use the battlefield as a training ground were what I needed for a little offensive action.

"Come, follow me," I said, turning to the side and leading them out the side of the fort so that we could slip into the hills and strike the rousing demon army as we pleased.