Shadow Slave

The river flowing through the city was truly vast, spanning more than two kilometers at its widest point — that width narrowed significantly as it flowed under the city wall, but it was still tremendous. A dozen ships could sail on it without touching sides.

It was dozens of meters deep, as well, its unceasing current carrying millions of tons of water into the sea every day — tens of millions, even, if not hundreds. The river alone gave birth to a thriving civilization, and its slumbering power was simply unfathomable.

And yet...

That river was disappearing in front of their eyes.

”What do you mean, they are diverting the river?”

Effie’s tone was incredulous.

When she heard Morgan’s explanation, her expression turned grave.

As it turned out, controlling great rivers was not unheard of in the history of human warfare.

Somewhere far upstream, hidden from view, the engineers of the Steel Horde — and its countless soldiers, an almost inexhaustible source of labor — must have been busy for quite a while. It was not clear when Azarax had decided to obliterate the river, but it had to have happened months ago, perhaps even immediately after the first few assaults failed.

The soldiers of his conquering army had spent months digging gargantuan trenches and artificial channels that led away from the main bed of the river, separated from its flow by walls of soil until the right time. They weren’t trying to stop the flow of water — that task was too titanic even for the great Steel Horde — instead, what they wanted to do was redirect the current, manipulating the river into changing direction and choosing a new path to the sea.

First, the last walls would be broken, and the channels would divert the river to a vast artificial lake. At the same time, the old bed would be blocked with mud and rock excavated during the creation of the lake. As a result, the lake would be filled with water, while the old riverbed would be drained. Eventually, new areas would be flooded by the river rushing toward the shore.

And the only vulnerability of the city defenses — the massive iron grate blocking the river, which was far weaker than the stone surrounding it — would be revealed, allowing the Steel Horde to launch a direct assault by walking across the dry riverbed. Instead of slamming into the unbreakable walls and trying to scale them, they would simply break through the grate and enter the city on foot.

Azarax had been preparing this plan for a while, and now, he was finally putting it in motion.

Effie glanced at her bandaged arm, then at the flowing water.

Her gaze was somber.

”How long do we have?”

Morgan retrieved her dagger, wiped its blade on her sleeve, and then absorbed it back into herself. Looking up from the muddy slope, she answered in a tone that echoed Effie’s own resigned dread.

”Not long. Hours... a day, at best — the point is to strike fast, before the opening is fortified by the Mason.”

And if Morgan had not noticed the anomalous change in the river, they would not have known that something was amiss until it became glaringly obvious. By then, it would have been too late to do anything — now, at least, they could hastily prepare for the battle, no matter how calamitous it promised to be.

The defenders of the city were just barely beginning to recover from the last assault on the city walls. The soldiers were tired, injured, their mental wounds yet to turn into scars. Their armor and weapons had not been repaired yet, new arrows had not been crafted, the siege weapons atop the wall were missing ammunition, and clay pots meant to be thrown down had not been filled with quicklime.

Most importantly, many Awakened warriors had not fully replenished their essence yet. Effie herself was wounded and bruised all over, missing much of her soul essence. The same went for Morgan and Kai, while Seishan was more or less out of commission...

Naturally, the Steel Horde was in the same exact state, but Azarax commanded too many soldiers to be thwarted by that. He had chosen the time to launch this devious attack well.

Effie grimaced.

’The Mason...’

Their only hope was the elderly Supreme who ruled the city. The old man could barricade the opening, making it far more difficult to breach... but his powers, while formidable, were not swift. He had to imbue his Will and essence into the stones gradually in the process of construction, and that took time — time that they did not have.

Time they had to buy, somehow, no matter how many lives it would cost.

Effie remained motionless for a moment, then turned to Kai.

”Go, inform the old man. And sound the call — we need to mobilize everyone and prepare for battle.”

With a nod, Kai turned around and shot into the sky, flying toward the distant palace. The entire city was an enormous fortress, and the Stone Palace was its main keep — a fortress in and of itself, stalwart and impregnable despite its ornate, graceful appearance. That was where the Mason and his descendants lived, and where the heart of the city was hidden.

Inside its spacious halls, there stood a stone throne... the very reason why Azarax and his terrifying horde were here, wishing to add another realm to his collection.

Effie sighed, then pulled her wounded arm out of the sling and bent her fingers tentatively.

The torn tendons had healed, and the shattered bones were mended... but just barely. They were still weak and brittle, unable to sustain her own dire strength, let alone weather devastating blows of a Supreme adversary.

But the enemy did not know that. The defenders of the city did not know that, either. So, Effie could still inspire them — inspire courage in her soldiers, while at the same time inspiring fear in the hearts of her foes.

A whirlwind of sparks spun in the air, slowly forming into a round shield.

She winced.

‘The healers won’t be happy with me, for sure...’