“Yes. We can’t fight 10,000 orcs head-on, as that would be suicidal. We have to make use of the walls and strategies, which might include digging ditches and planting spikes.”
“I see.” She got to her feet, still looking at him.
“You have a good amount of oil. We can use it as explosives, burning down hundreds before they reach the wall.”
“Bringing them here would cause a cloud of abyss curse. Your plans will cause the lives of civilians to be lost.”
Sapphira elegantly crossed her legs as she sat on another bench, opposite him.
“We can’t meet them on a plain field, and we can’t attack their camp, so we must allow them to come if there is a chance of winning, and as for the abyss curse, it has no effect with a grand priestess around.”
Sapphira chuckled softly, marvelling at Asher’s calmness and authoritative tone even when he spoke to her. Men were usually soft-spoken, but Asher spoke like he was having a conversation with a casual woman.
This was an unusual experience for Sapphira.
“I am also a warrior. Along with my skills as a priestess, I have honed my battle instincts and style for eight decades. I do not stay behind in battles.”
Asher raised an eyebrow. Naturally, the position of a priest or priestess was behind all the troops; they were too fragile and were to be guarded; the same applied for mages.
“So you’re a battle priestess?”
“You’re mistaken, Lord Asher. I am a guardian priestess.”
“I see.”
Seeing Asher wasn’t planning on forcing her to do his bidding, Sapphira got to her feet. “Let’s go recruit people to help our men dig the ditches.”
Asher stood up.
………
Some hours later, Asher and Sapphira stood on the allure of Nimrim’s walls, overlooking the crowd of hundreds, most of them soldiers who were dutifully digging ditches. Some went to cut down trees to make wooden spikes.
They dug a 7 foot deep, 2-meter-wide ditch with a staggering length that was as long as the walls where the main gate stood! It took the soldiers and hired workers two days to complete the trap before barrels of oil were carried into the dig so as to make it even more lethal.
After the addition of the oil, it was covered with a cloth, and sand was used to hide it. None would know that there was a dreadful trap 200 yards away from Nimrim’s gates except for those who saw when it was being created.
On the third day, Asher sat inside a room writing letters that were for Alec. The merging of the infantry produced a new troop known as the Desolate Wolf, and their number was about 3000 strong. He was writing to Alec to march over to Nimrim with all 3000 strong while Eritrea would garrison in the stronghold with her troops.
The air had grown cold since yesterday, signifying that the abyss creatures were encroaching! People began to wear thick clothes while those that manned the walls were advised to regulate their battle force to keep their system in check.
After sealing the letter, Asher took it and put it inside the cylinder strapped to the back of his personal messenger falcon, which was much bigger than the ones used by the information department.
He had more than one messenger falcon, and these falcons had been specially trained to locate him.
They were smarter than the average messenger falcon, and these personal falcons were a step away from the gold rank!
“Go.” He opened the window while caressing the big bird. It looked outside, flapped its wings, and shot into the skies, disappearing in a few breaths.
Asher was certain that in not more than five minutes, Alec will receive the letter and will march his 3000 strong toward Nimrim. In about an hour max, their camp should be outside Nimrim’s walls.
Putting on his coat, he walked out of the room into the temple courtyard, where he found Sapphira training her with her sword.
Her swings were bizarre, unfathomable, and uniquely ethereal. It was unlike the knightly swordsmanship famous on the Tenaria continent. Hers was more of beauty.
This was Asher’s opinion.
All he saw was a sword dance that was quite entertaining, but aside from that, this couldn’t bring down a foe in battle.
All of a sudden, Sapphira paused and slashed her sword upward. A white misty force was released from the blade, and it cut down a bird, causing it to drop with a soft thud. Sapphira took one step, shot forward, and while moving at such great speed, she unleashed over twenty slashes, all with a great mastery of output!
It was as if the wind cushioned and embraced her. Her gown fluttered gracefully, and her wings joined together like a sharp, transparent blade.
With undeniable precision, the leaves of her flowers were chopped down, and the sound of her sword being sheathed back into the scabbard slithered into Asher’s ears.
“You’re awake.” She said, flapping her wings softly as she flew toward him.
“I have been awake.”
“I know. I saw you on your knees; do you serve deities?”
Asher did not ask how or when she saw him because he knew she was spying on him at one point, and since he was planning to make her a subordinate, he allowed her.
“I do not serve deities; I was meditating.”
“Oh.”
Her lips parted.
“Have you sent for reinforcements?”
“I have.”
Sapphira smiled, but her smile hung midway as a loud horn shook both her and Asher’s eardrums.
Rumble!
Dark clouds, like a raging tide, hid the radiant sunlight, casting a desolate shade on the town. A depressive aura descended almost instantly, causing great fright throughout the town.
Since they were on high ground, Asher and Sapphira could see the trees and bushes in the distance shaking. Something was coming.
No, an army was coming.
“The orcs… they’re coming. All of them!”
Sapphira’s violet pupils shook greatly.