Chapter 502: Southern Gate
The army of the valley tribes rushed into the remains of the southern gate. The portcullis had been destroyed by their battle mages and the gateway was open to their forces, save for the small forces of Houses Glaz and Veres. The Hollow Shade soldiers formed a semicircular blockade around the inner side of the gateway.
Valley warriors clashed against the soldiers and tried to force themselves through, while their battle mages launched spells at the Hollow Shaders from their backlines.
The air was hot and humid. The ground was slick with blood, sweat, and urine. Screams of dying men and women filled the ears. Mortals clashed with each other, slashing with blades, stabbing with spears, and hammering at anyone in the darkness. Few still held torches in their hands, but it did nothing to avail the chaotic nature of the clashing horde.
The soldiers could hardly breathe as they swung their weapons around haphazardly. Their training did little to protect them from the battle as they were squeezed together around the gateway.
House Gale swordmasters danced through the packed battle, slashing away at their enemies while trying to break through the enemy lines and reach the battle mages at the back. But the enemy seemed endless and for every one that fell, several more valley warriors rushed in to take their place.
Lady Gale found herself in the thick of battle. Her steel blade spun in quick arcs around her as she ran through the enemy, blocking enemy blades and spears, and slicing at exposed flesh underneath their armor. Her world was drowned out by a mist of blood and flickers of torchlight.
Life force energy flowed through her burning muscles as her limbs fell into rhythmic patterns she had practiced thousands of times before. Her mind raced with each moment, scarlet eyes dashing back and forth as she fought enemies on every side.
A sword slash to the leg. A spear thrust to the heart. An arrow to the wrist. Gale blocked every strike with breathless focus. She ducked low and slashed a woman’s waist in two when a man swung a hammer down at her head from behind. Gale shifted her weight to dodge, but she was a moment too slow and the hammer struck her shoulder.
Pain spiked across her arm as the shoulder pad collapsed from the strike. She rolled with the blow and slashed her sword across the man’s shins. He fell with a cry and one of his fellow warriors trampled over his head without even noticing.