Till Death Do Us Part

27. I Do Not Fear the Darkness

Skylar and Zephyr stood at the top of the hill in front of a long line of soldiers. The morning air was crisp, and the cold wind was carrying the promise of upcoming autumn. From their position, they had a perfect view of the narrow passageway between mountains. They were fortunate enough that a natural border between their domain and the Blighted Lands made safeguarding much easier. Of course, several more minor crossings existed, but this one was the widest, so it was the main point the enemy army would storm.

The tension was hanging heavily in the air. The forest the army passed on their way here was tranquil, as if even nature held its breath for an upcoming battle. And though they hadn't seen any movements yet, Skylar felt her skin crawl and all her hair standing on ends. The soldiers behind her were shuffling nervously, repeatedly checking their weapons and shields.

From all the brutality of war, waiting for battle was the worst. The constant tension and uncertainty of what was coming might break the bravest men.

"Steady," Skylar ordered, her voice echoing through the ranks. "Keep the line. They will be here soon."

She looked over to the right and waved. A small mounted figure waved back - Colart hadn't spotted the enemy either. He was at the head of another battalion guarding the second biggest passage. They had to spread their forces to keep the incoming army from breaking further into their lands. Skylar didn't want to think what would have happened if they let those monsters get through and attack Gawyn's forces from behind.

And so, they waited. The sun was slowly rising over the mountains, painting everything in red, as if the rocks themselves were already covered in blood. And then, they've heard it—a steady rhythm of thousands of armoured feet hitting the ground.

Before they could see the army, a swirling cloud of darkness flew through the sky, covering the sun and engulfing the world in grey dusk. The soldiers shuffled nervously and muttered between themselves.

"Steady!" Skylar shouted and drew her sword.

And then they came, the black mass of marching figures. The most disturbing thing was the silence. There were no battle drums, no commands, no shouts. The only sound breaking the stillness was a dull thud of heavy feet. The army spilt from the narrow passage to the valley below – a slowly bulging pool of blackness.

Skylar turned Zephyr around to face her soldiers. They were pale, looking down the hill with fear in their eyes, muttering between themselves, their voices full of tension. She knew she would have to address them before the battle. She was never good with words, not as Rori was. But those were soldiers, the kind of people she understood best.

Skylar straightened and bellowed, "The enemy is approaching! This is the moment we've all feared. The Blighted Lands finally decided to make their move and try to seize our home. They're expecting us to bow our heads and accept the defeat."

The angry shouts raised, and soldiers stomped and slammed their swords against shields in protest.

Skylar grinned at them. "We will not bend the knee! We will show them that we will stand tall and not falter against their dark magic and awful monsters!" Loud shouts of approvals. "We will show them our magic and send them back to the hell they've crawled from!" The roar of the army echoed through the valley. 

"But to do that, I need each and every one of you to hold your position as long as you can. We are the shield for Lamyria! We are the only thing standing between the army of monsters and our beloved home! And we will stand strong!" 

The clamour of angry voices was deafening now. Soldiers hooted and slammed shields with their weapons, taunting the enemy and daring them to come.

Down in the ravine, a few figures in flowing dark robes came forward and raised their hands—the sorcerers. The air seemed to crackle with electricity, and a wave of cold air blew at their faces. The ear-splitting sound rolled through the hills like a rumble of thunder.