“Bodies were of allied city council members and influentials.
Their deaths were unplanned and unfortunate.
Den Zollum is without chain of command.
Hold position.
Attempt to take charge and lead the defense of Den Zollum against the Great Foe.
The older sister will prove very useful.
Use her bond with the younger.
Victory is optional.
Your survival is a requirement.”
“Cornelia must be sent to HQ immediately.
Compliance is not optional.”
As the keeper finished conveying his master’s message, Dieter already felt his unease set in.
He had feared this was his benefactor’s aim from the start, and he hated how accurate his prediction had been.
Unlike with Rijen, these men and women would not be given a prior chance to escape.
He truly hated sieges with a passion.
‘I well and truly despise sieges,’ Richter said, as if sharing one mind.
‘Shall we ride back, Lord?
And what orders should I send out to our other local detachments?’ Dieter thought for a moment.
‘We will ride back soon enough.
The scouts will remain, as I will deal with the raveniers once inside.
The rest will follow us into the city using irregular intervals in between subgroups.
You will guide them to our temporary stay, as I will make my way into the upper city to initiate our coup.
The rest, including Lukk, are to be on stand by until called upon.’ He considered what he was about to say.
‘Lukk will enjoy temporary command in my absence.
But unless lacking real choice he is not to leave their stay under any circumstance, nor allow anyone else to.’
The small man nodded.
‘Yes, my Lord.
It shall be done as such.’ As Dieter was about to ready his horse, his keeper interrupted him, looking visibly uncomfortable as he did.
‘Lord, what of Cornelia?
My master has given explicit instructions, and her strategic importance is of no trifling matter.’ Irritated, Dieter snarled at him, ‘For now, nothing.
I have more important matters to tend to unfortunately.’ At least he was glad to see that the repulsive man had the smarts not to press him further on the subject.
And so they rode back to the fortress-city in silence.
As they strode into the city, Dieter was quick to notice the danger as they entered its busy streets.
His keeper immediately noticed it as well.
He could taste the fear that came from his companion as if it was his own.
Amongst the commonfolk, alongside the yelling and the laughing, it moved.
It saw.
‘The eyes of the raven have befallen us,’ stammered Richter, ‘We are safe no longer.’ Ravens stared at them, observing every minute movement.
Whole flocks silently watched them in harmony from the rooftops, their heads moving as if they were a single entity.
Their usual cackling was wholly absent, and their deadlike silence was deafening to their minds.
It was so unnatural that others had taken notice as well.
The streets grew increasingly quiet as the discomfort of its inhabitants grew like a cancer, until all eyes rested on them.
Seeing the grave danger they were soon to be in, he had to act fast.
‘We need to move,’ Dieter commanded quietly.
‘Follow me, quick!’ He ran his horse through the crowd, as quickly as he could.
Through the panicked screams of the inhabitants they ran.
Richter was following shortly behind him.
As the frantic residents jumped and pushed each other away only an unlucky few were struck, thrown aside by his mighty warhorse.
One young man landed in an unfortunate way, and Dieter heard a sickening crunch as the beast’s forehoof went down on him, followed by the anguished screams of those behind them shortly after.
He could not afford to look back.
He could not afford to care, or all of their lives would be forfeit.
He felt himself rapidly grow stronger, as the spreading panic of the city folk fueled his spiritual self.
Soon enough he would no longer need a horse.
Soon enough the city of Den Zollum would know fear like he did.
And it would be their own fear and despair that would lead them to their salvation.
If only he could find his way.
Getting lost again would prove to be the death of his keeper, as the population’s panic had partially made room for anger and defiance.
Ordinary men that they passed before were now trying to block their path with carts, barrels, and other makeshift barriers.
Still too fast for them, Dieter and Richter barely made it through.
‘Lord!
To the left!’ Richter yelled behind him.
Of course, the keeper’s sense of direction was immaculate.
‘You lead!’ Dieter yelled back.
They switched positions as Richter’s horse passed him by.
They slowed down slightly.
‘Don’t hesitate!
Move!’ He bellowed as he noticed Richter’s hesitation to rush through the crowds.
They steadily moved upwards through the city, avoiding all dead ends and barricades while maintaining their tempo.
As the walls of the second layer of the fortress-city came close, Richter yelled desperately at him.
‘Lord!
I can’t confidently guide us through the second level!
We need to think of something soon!’
‘Have faith!
Just keep going!’ He yelled in return.
The city’s alarm bells had begun to ring their deafening melody, as the entire city was plunged into chaos and panic.
But he needed more than simple panic.
He needed fear, terror, and above all, despair.
He needed to reach the inner city as fast as possible, to clip the wings of the raven-seers before they could scatter and hide from him within the vast city.
They arrived at the grey-white stairs to the second gate.
Clad in metallic silver, they stood prepared.
He counted approximately twenty men, lightly armoured but well equipped.
A handful of watchful eyes, crossbows in hand, lurked inside the city walls while observing them through small slivers in the protective stone.
The silvered-wooden gate had been lowered to prevent their further passage.
He knew he could break through with relative ease, but his keeper would surely die in a frontal confrontation.
He needed for them to feel fear, true fear, if he wanted to reach the interior in time.
His name and title would suffice.
As he commanded Richter to halt, he did so as well.
He allowed the soldiers to surround them, as they climbed down from their horses with his hands falsely raised.
Escape, nevermind victory, would seem impossible from their perspective.
As his enemies grew more confident, Dieter made a gesture towards one of the more unnerved guardsmen.
He brutally died seconds later, maimed and hacked at by his own nightmarish shadow, as their boastful confidence instantly died in their throats.
Then, he spoke the dreadful words, as blackened angel’s wings grew from his back.