By Hanny Morag
Without hesitating, the soldiers on the frontline charged towards the enemy while others followed. They didn’t wait for the speech to end since they were not ready to release anyone to the enemies. Swords began to clash with each other. Shields were broken, and blood began to flow like water running from a hilltop.
Civilians remained within the safe places in the city where no harm could come to them quickly. They knew it had already begun, and everyone’s fate depended on the outcome of the war. If the gate is breached, the enemies will make it into the city, and it’s just a matter of time before they find out about their locations and eliminate everyone.
Darkness came upon them on the battlefield. The only light source was the burning fires on woods and several ruined places caught with fire on the field. Prince Balin has killed over a hundred army all by himself since the battle started. He seems to possess an eternal strength. Several soldiers have fallen to the edge of the sword on both sides, but numbers and stature seem to play an important role.
Nacca has slain several enemies, just as Zarius, David, and Stephen. Victory seems inevitable as they kept pushing the enemies backward. It looks like what appeared scary is not something worthy of fear. However, the beginning of battle doesn’t always determine how it would end. The tides could change within seconds, and what seems achievable would disappear like it never existed.
Nabar began to move within his tunnel. He has intentions that no one imagined. Who would even pay attention to Nabar when there is something more important going on? No one. However, our perspective of importance can sometimes be wrong, and it could lead to a greater tragedy than the one we are struggling to avoid.
The enemy came up with a surprise no one saw coming. It was a game-changer for them and the beginning of tribulations for the soldiers of Hashmaim. Giant creatures came from the backline of the enemy war formation. Killing them was difficult because they could take so many cuts without falling. The soldiers of Hashmaim began to lose in a terrible way that they have to fall back to the city gate that afternoon. It was a choice they have to make, or they’d fall.
They retreated to the gate one after the other to regroup at the back of it and fight using a different tactic. Each man that was still alive tried everything possible to get to the gate before it closes. It was a difficult decision because things would worsen if the enemies succeeded in bringing down the gate, but they had to risk it or face a tragic end.
“Short the gate now,” David screamed as he ran towards it with the last set of soldiers trying to enter through it. The enemies pursued after them, but they made it there fast enough to escape death.
The gate of the city of Hashmaim was specially constructed not only to withstand several harsh conditions. It has several hidden weapons within it, which no commoner knew about except those responsible for keeping the gate safe. The only one who has escaped the fate that awaits intruders at the entrance is the rider that came in through a supernatural means to visit Nabar and the creature that flew over it.
Unknown to the enemies that the gate could become their doom, they followed blindly in their numbers, hoping to get into the city in a hurry, but they headed for the unknown without realizing it.
Words are powerful. This is why those with wisdom would always advise you to caution your promises and names when you are too excited. They always recommend both the old and young not be too quick to speak unkind words out of anger because the anger won’t last forever, but words would linger on far beyond the expected time. It doesn’t leave the heart immediately.
In the case of love, nothing is really hidden. Secrets that have been kept for decades could be exposed within seconds. During the times that Nabar and princess Esther spent together. She has revealed some secrets which she never imagined would turn out to be a source of trouble. Through her, Nabar got to know about the safe room where the royal family and individual people are kept during battles.
Nabar worked on every information he got from Esther. He made arrangements to use them against her and everyone in the city without her knowledge. This is one of the reasons he has worked on the secret tunnel without anyone knowing about it. Unlucky for everyone, that is the same place where the girl was kept. Nabar is already on the move, and no one is even aware of it.
“My prince, we can ambush them if some men can go through the Northern gate, and take them from the back,” Zarius told David to use the gate against the enemies. It was a brilliant war tactic because the enemies won’t see it coming, so they all agreed. It would divide the attention of the enemies and enable the soldiers of Hashmaim to fight them better, but there is a challenge. How long can they hold the gate for the chosen group of soldiers to circle round?
“Waste no time further; Prince Balin will go with you. Assemble some men and move immediately.” Nacca told Zarius. They swung into action with some selected soldiers and began to move towards the Northern gate as fast as possible. While they move, Nacca, David, and the rest of the soldiers started a battle to eliminate the enemies approaching the gate by using the secret weapons built on the gate.
“Wait for them to come a little closer,” said Stephen, who has more knowledge about the weapons present on the gate than David. He worked with some gatekeepers while David, Nacca, and some other soldiers prepared to ride out for another wave of war. They waited for the enemies to come within range.
The gate is embedded with over 500 arrows. They have a high impact strength of being able to pierce through walls of concrete. This is not something even the giants could survive. “Fireeeee.” Stephen gave the order as the giants have already walked into the trap. They were in perfect range. They began to fall one after the other as the arrow pierces through them. This gave enough distance between them and the soldiers behind the gate. The moment Stephen noticed all the arrows had been fired, he gave another order to open the gate and also gave a sign to Prince David to move against the enemies.
They went out once again after the enemies as the gate closes behind them. The soldiers have been able to gather some strength, so the battle began with the hope of victory being rekindled like a lamp whose fuel was replenished.
On the way to the Northern Gate, the attention of Zarius was drawn to a strange movement far underneath the ground through a tunnel whose end is not yet known to him.
It was the second day in the hideout. The women and children were still in safe conditions since no one has been able to make it through to their location. Worries took over the king’s heart. He saw himself as a coward for staying in the palace rather than fighting to protect the city. He began putting on his armor of war in preparation to participate in the battle, which has been on for two days.
Zarius gave attention to the movement underneath the ground. He felt it could be an animal since he could see the creature underground was moving on both hands and legs. Hence, he moved on without checking not because he couldn’t have stopped, but because it is essential to get to the right position at the back of the enemies as fast as possible else many soldiers would die, and the city might fall.
Princess Esther played a vital role in consoling the people with her at the hideout. She spoke words of hope, which assured most people that everything would be fine, even if it would take time.
Nabar has moved a great distance through the tunnel. He couldn’t move with speed because of the tunnel’s size. However, every second he spends under the ground brings doom closer to Hashmaim.
If he finds the girl, he will end the war by killing her, but a greater torment would begin not only for Hashmaim but also for every city whose fate is tied to the girl’s existence.
The king stepped out of the palace in two guards’ company after putting on his war armor. He grabbed his sword with a full determination never to turn back until the war is over. Like a true king that he is, he departed for the battlefield.
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