From grown men to children, throughout Freeport people panicked as the ground rumbled beneath their feet. To them, if the ground they walked was no longer safe then was there anything that could be considered safe? For many there could only be one explanation; the gods had come to punish them for their sins.

By the time the waves struck Freeport the tremors were not strong enough to knock down buildings, however, many people fled to the streets in fear. The torrent of people clambering over one another caused an unfortunate number to be trampled upon.

The merchants setting up their stalls could only watch helplessly as their wares were crushed underfoot by the mobs of waling people and frightened horses that had escaped the control of their owners.

The alarm bells signifying an attack was occurring that were previously ringing were now a distant memory. The city was in a state of chaos.

********

Who would ever believe an earth shake would occur in Freeport. Judging by the sounds outside people have no idea what is happening. Another reason for a stronger education system. Maybe if we weren’t at war this would be the perfect time to bring it up.

“An earth shake? Burton, I don’t recall any recordings of earth shakes in Freeport do you?”

“No Lady CeeCee I do not remember reading anything regarding earth shakes here. Thankfully this doesn’t appear to be very strong though. It should pass soon enough.”

“Is that so, I’ve never been in one before. Alan dear you’ve made it, come take a seat, it should be safe in this room.”

“Lady CeeCee yes I arrived just a moment ago, just before the shaking began.”

“Yes, this is quite odd indeed. Alan the others should be arriving soon, I’m glad you were able to make it with no issues.”

“Thank you Burton, I know we should wait for the rest of the council but have you also received a message from General Kurtis?”

“Yes, we both did. It appears there has been an attack on the western canal gate; however as of right now the situation appears to be under control.”

It looks like they received the same message as me, then I guess we won’t learn much from this meeting until either General Kurtis arrives or we receive a new message.

“Then do either of you know whether or not General Kurtis will be appearing before us?”

“I haven’t heard anything other than what was written in the message I received this morning, what about you Burton?”

“No, I haven’t either. What about your retainer Alan? The one who can shadow walk, does he have any news to share?”

“Sorry Burton, I haven’t heard from Randall for a few days now. If it is indeed an Elkian attack I fear he may have been captured while he was investigating.”

While the likelihood of Randall being captured is small because of his abilities I cannot think of any other reason for him to not appear with relevant information regarding this attack. I hate to believe it, but I may need to prepare for the fact that Randall is dead.

“That would be quite unfortunate. Should a man of his caliber fall to Elkia it would be a major loss to Freeport’s strength.”

“Randall would never betray his people Burton.”

“I never implied he would, I’m just saying he is very important and Elkia would most likely do whatever they can to get their hands on him. Speaking on that topic, what of the mage we have employed, I believe our plan should have been able to prevent this sort of an attack.”

“Unfortunately the last I heard he was still creating the trap we had devised. I am not sure of anything else at this…”

Wait, this earth shake, could it possibly be because of him? Collapsing the pit could be done with an earth shake. Could this earth shake be because of that? Is he powerful enough to create an earth shake? He might be, no he probably could. But if that’s the case who is attacking our western canal? The northern tribes? No that is unlikely; they would have no way of entering.

Then did Elkia send an advanced force ahead, perhaps traveling down a different path than we had anticipated? Ah, I still don’t know enough, if Randall were here I would be able to piece this together, but at the very least I’m certain Mr. Jayce is the cause of this earth shake and he has collapsed the pit.

“Alan, you seemed to trail off all of a sudden, is something wrong?”

“No Lady CeeCee I was just thinking, sorry, but I believe the earth shake was made from the mage we hired. I think he collapsed the pit.”

“Is, is that so? Do you think that will be a problem Burton?”

“Hmm…, the General is a well-educated man in command of a disciplined army, so I don’t believe there will be any issues. And if there are he should be able to hand them. No, I think it will be fine.”

Well educated? I wouldn’t consider General Kurtis well educated, perhaps more so than the normal citizen but I’ve always felt he is a bit lacking in that area. And disciplined is hardly how I would describe our army. Perhaps these people should leave the comforts of their daily lives more often and examine some of the things they preside over.

“Isaac, Lando, Esra you’ve made it, good we can begin now. Alan, please take a seat.”

“Burton I’m a little confused, what about the others? Are we starting before they come?”

“About that Alan, the others won’t be able to make it, please sit down, there is much to discuss.”

********

“Lady Eleanor, shall we make an exit to the garden?”

“No Gerard that shouldn’t be necessary, this is only a minor earth shake, it should be over soon. Still to think an earth shake happening here, how odd.”

I wonder what could have caused this here in the plains. In Asmuth, where earth shakes are not so rare they say they come from the Birac Mountains. Those mountains are nearly 700 miles away though. Could one have reached this far?

“My apologies, I forget you’ve experienced earth shakes before.”

“Yes, I think I was 12 or maybe 13 when I experienced one in Asmuth. I believe it was not much stronger than this one, oh how naïve I was then, thinking monsters in the ground were trying to escape. Thinking about it now, I can’t help but laugh at myself. Though I still don’t understand what they are, ah there you see it’s over. Check on the staff Gerard, I am sure there are many confused people right now.”

“Yes Lady Eleanor.”

Well it’s to be expected. Only people who have traveled out of the plains or those educated on it would know of earth shakes. Most people here have never ventured more than 50 miles of Freeport. Even those that have would have normally stopped at Penrith or Canrit, neither of those places would experience earth shakes either.

Hopefully it did not affect our tunnel. Mr. Jayce did say the tunnel walls were solidified so it should be fine, but it would be a very big problem if the tunnel has collapsed. I’m sure if it did he would be able to repair it, but it would definitely require a large amount of time and if it was spotted would make things very difficult for us.

Shall I have Gerard take a look? If the tunnel was found it would lead directly back to here. Perhaps we should have built false tunnels to misdirect any potential attackers. I hadn’t thought of it at the time but it would probably have been a good idea. No, maybe Mr. Jayce has another way of dealing with them?

So troubling. Unfortunately we do not know enough about why the alarm was signaled. If it’s Elkia then Lord Weston’s plan has failed and Mr. Jayce should be on his way back. But if it’s the warring tribes then we will need to consider whether to flee or wait.

What a mess. Sadly these are the issues one finds themselves in when they don’t have a large enough information network. My father was a charismatic man with many contacts and sources. I was never able to build relationships in the same way he was and though my husband knows many people most of them are low-level merchants with very little influence or power.

I can only blame my lack of initiative. Then again I wasn’t meant to inherit the family household. I wasn’t groomed and educated in these things as my late brother was. Well that’s just an excuse really; I’ve had ample time and opportunities.

Was I too complacent? Or was I just apathetic to the whole thing? I guess it doesn’t really matter now; still it would be nice to know what our situation is. When I make it to Asmuth it’s imperative I make the right contacts, being in the dark is quite frightening. Well then Mr. Jayce, how long do you intend to make us wait?

********

“It appears my brother has failed General, I apologize. Maybe I should go have a look. Though I’m sure he will be here soon. My brother can be a little relaxed at times but he will not lose to some Freeport mage.”

“No, there is no need Mr. Osborne, your spell to freeze this part of the river has helped us greatly.”

Magic really is something else. To think he was able to cast a spell that froze this entire section of the river. Trapped in mud or trapped in ice, why’d that bastard even get the chance to collapse that pit?

“So what will you do then? Will you remain on the boats or leave? This block of ice will take a very long time to melt, but once the river starts to flow again I will need to thaw it or there will be a massive flood.”

We can’t wait in the boats until that pit fills. We have no idea how long that will take. But the canal gate is the only major entryway into the city unless we march a mile to the south. The problem is our equipment. Unless…

“Mr. Osborne, does this ice extend past the canal gate?”

“Yes, it extends approximately 50 feet past that gate General.”

Hmm…, this may actually have worked out in our favor.

“Mr. Osborne let me ask you, what is the likelihood of the Elemental mage sending a rush of water in our direction?”

“Well I can’t say for certain that he wouldn’t, but I don’t believe he would. He shouldn’t know we’ve blocked this area with ice so sending a rush of water towards the city would cause massive flooding and a large number of casualties. I think the chances are low.”

“I see, and then just in case, if he did would you be able to prevent it?”

“Depending on the scale I could probably block it in some way. If it is too difficult to freeze I could probably direct it away from the gate temporarily.”

“Then as this pertains to magic can I rely on your help if that were to happen?”

“That is true, yes that shouldn’t be a problem then General.”

Yes, there may be a way to turn this situation into a golden opportunity. If we can attack the gate directly using the ogres we may be able to destroy it and march across the ice into the city. We’ll need to hit the wall hard though to disrupt those archers.

“Colonel, let’s start unloading these boats. Keep the minimum number of men in them to keep them functioning but the rest I want onshore and information. I want all catapults out and attacking that wall. And get these damn ogres under control. We’re marching on that gate.”

It’s certainly not how we planned it; magic really can make a mess of things. Is this what the king meant by conventional warfare becoming a thing of the past? Are there other mages like Mr. Osborne within Elkia I do not know of?

If that is the case, what is the point in having massive armies, or city walls? An absolute power that the normal man cannot hope to defeat. Is that what magic is?

********

A large lake was slowly starting to form from the gushing waters of the Crystal River. Jayce continued to stare at Philip from his pillar within the lake waiting for his next move, but neither of them wanted to be the first to strike.

“You’re not from the Northern Territories are you Jayce?”

“Does it matter where I’m from?”

“No, I guess you’re right it doesn’t matter, but I just can’t understand why you’re trying to protect a city you’re clearly not from.”

“I’ve told you already, there are people I wish to protect there. Tell me Philip Osborne, why has the Empire sent you to the Northern Territories?”

And awkward smile etched across Philips' face confirming Jayce’s suspicions.

“So you know about my family huh? Then you must be from the Empire as well, a deserter maybe? No you’re a bit too young for service I believe, but still a mage such as yourself, the Empire would not allow you to leave so easily. Who are you Jayce? If you’re a citizen of the Empire shouldn’t you be working with us?”

Jayce could not understand why an Osborne of the Empire was here. It was true, the Empire would never allow a mage to leave their service easily, but that didn’t really apply to his situation. But the same could be said about the Osborne’s. He also did not think the extremely nationalistic Osborne’s would ever abandon their posts in the Empire, so why were they here?

“Answer my question first, why has the Empire sent you here?”

“Truthfully I’ve given away too much already; I think it’s about time we, shit! [Rock Wall]”

Before Philip had finished talking 5 round stones approximately 2 feet in diameter raced towards him. Philip cast a [Rock Wall] to block the incoming stone balls but the moment they struck the wall they exploded sending him flying backward and tumbling on the ground.

The stones Jayce sent flying to Philip were actually filled with water that had been heated beyond the normal boiling point. The water, being unable to expand became highly pressurized that exploded out with scalding hot water and steam the moment it made contact with Philips wall.

“AAAAAHHH you bast.., what did, what did you do to me!? [Air Burst]”

Writhing in pain due to the burns inflicted by the steaming water Philip cast a burst of air to explode out in all directions. Jayce was too far to strike, but it stopped him from getting any closer allowing Philip to regain his senses.

Fighting against another mage 1 on 1 was rare in the Empire. As state resources, any injuries or loss of mages was considered a blow to the strength of the nation. Though Philip had been educated in mage combat almost all of his experience was in large open battlefields.

Although he had a cursory knowledge of elemental magic that told him Jayce had used some form of thermokinesis, he had never heard of superheating water to make it explode. He could only curse himself for not knowing enough about elemental magic.

With Philip injured and on the defensive Jayce quickly left his stone pillar and created a large disk of ice to stand on as he propelled himself through the water. It was the perfect opportunity to get closer. Philip could do nothing but continuously cast defensive spells as Jayce tried to overwhelm him with a barrage of ice spears.

“You traitorous son of a whore! [Mana Shield]”

A glowing green field of energy wrapped itself around Philip as the ice spears continued to rain down on him. Jayce was almost close enough to attempt what he had planned when the world suddenly turned white.

“[Mana Burst]!”

The force of the explosion blew Jayce 50 feet back into the shallow lake he had created. He had never experienced anything like it. A shockwave of energy exploded out in a brilliant white light blowing back anything within 100 feet.

The cold water shook him back to his senses. His ears were ringing and for a moment he had forgotten what he was doing. After realizing what had happened he immediately wrapped himself in a thick stone cocoon.

The shockwave from that spell had rattled his mind and made breathing laborious; he nearly vomited as he thought about what to do next. He was out of time. Continuing to battle like this would be too difficult.

Sinking back down into the ground Jayce began tunneling directly towards Philip. He could not get close to him above ground, so he would try below. As long as he could get within 25 feet of him he would do it.

Thermokinesis; most only think it applies to liquids. Such as changing water to ice, but the truth is it applies to all elements, the limiting factor was mana supply. Jayce had tried this before, that’s why he knew how close he needed to be. It would be a massive expenditure that would leave him nearly completely depleted for at least half a day.

When he was certain he was beneath Philip he began to channel his mana into the rocks in front of him. As his mana drained he felt a headache accosting him growing even more painful. The ground began to heat up filling the tunnel with steamy air as the water boiled off.

Philip could sense something was wrong but he wasn’t sure what it was. He cast one of his most powerful spells and had seen Jayce flying backward, there was no way he wasn’t injured, but he did not want to risk walking into a trap with so little mana left so he remained where he was.

It was the safe choice, but it was also a mistake. By the time he felt the rumbling beneath his feet it was already too late. A column of molten rock erupted from the ground completely engulfing him. He did not have enough mana left to cast [Mana Burst] or [Air Burst] all he could do was cast [Mana Shield] and hope he would be able to hang on.

But as his mana shield began fading he knew there was no hope he would survive. He was out of mana, had made too many mistakes, and he had taken his opponent too lightly. There would be no chance to learn from his mistakes. It was a lesson he had paid for with his life.

For the glory of the Empire, from the moment he took his first steps those words were spoken to him. It was a never-ending mantra reminding him of his duty to serve. It was the mantra his family lived and died by.

Perhaps he was in too much shock, but as streams of molten rock leaked through his shield burning his flesh, Philip did not make a sound. For the glory of the Empire! It continued to ring in his head. Everyone will someday die, but the Empire, the Empire will live forever!

Gain fame and become immortal! What a lie; Philip opened his eyes one last time before the shield completely collapsed. Everything he had been told was a lie. Today he would die on the plains of the Northern Territories. If there was one thing Philip had learned while he was here it was this. There is no glory in death.

********

After the earth shake struck, the northern Elkian forces were quick to regroup under the leadership of Colonel Dyer. Using nearly all of their combustible supplies the colonel ordered the wall to be completely covered and lit on fire.

The scene on the northern wall was a fiery hell. The massive amounts of thick viscous resins and pitch that covered the wall, embrasures, and towers currently on fire forced the guards to abandon the wall-walk behind the parapet leaving the wall and the bridge unprotected.

Without the rain of arrows firing out towards them, the ogres were able to easily bring forward the wooden platforms used to cover the gap left due to raising the drawbridge. While behind them the enormous battering rams were wheeled forward.

Each battering ram was a massive log nearly 30 feet in length that had been sharpened on one end and capped with steel. They were hung by a chain to a covered triangular frame on wheels that was pushed by four ogres.

Despite the heat from the flames, the ogres pushed on as though it did not affect them at all. They brought the ram flush to the drawbridge before pulling the massive log back and slamming it forward with all their might.

The drawbridge shook from the force of the blows and pieces of wood began to splinter off. Unable to man the walls due to the fire, the guards who would normally be attacking by dumping boiling water, tar, or boulders down the murder holes were no longer present.

Instead they stood behind the barricades, the last line of defense they would be able to put up, they could do nothing but wait until the city they grew up in and swore to protect was breached. Today every man present knew it would be their last.

Reinforcements had not arrived and there were less than 80 men remaining between the two gates. Despite this however not a single man had fled. This was their home. Many of them had families and loved ones here. If they were not willing to fight for their loved ones forget being called soldiers, could they even be called men?

Everyone here knew the fate of those taken by the barbarians. Males who were not killed while fighting would suffer castration and enslavement. Most would not survive the brutal procedure, and of those that did less than half would make the journey to the Northern Expanse where they would be used as combat partners and entertainment until they were killed.

The women would become the prizes of war. Some would not survive the initial series of assaults, but those who did could only be said to be alive in body. The barbarians did not capture women to make children with. This was because of the belief that the blood of the peoples of the plains was weak and making children with them would weaken the tribe.

Women who became pregnant were either killed or had their child forcibly aborted. To the barbarians of the Northern Expanse, the people of the plains were only good for one thing. It was entertainment. Once they lost their value there was no reason to keep them alive.

These men of Freeport were all that stood between the citizens and the hell that awaited them should they be captured. They were scared, scared at the prospect of losing their own lives, but no man here was willing to face their ancestors as a coward who fled from battle.

The rhythmic pounding on the other side of the drawbridge thundered in the guard's hearts. With each strike both the drawbridge and their legs grew weaker, death awaited them beyond the drawbridge, and with every strike it drew nearer.

Their morale was low, perhaps a motivating speech by their leader would help, however their captain was now dead and the newly promoted lieutenant was in charge. There would be no motivating speech; the situation could not get much worse.

“Archers ready your bows and nock your arrows! The enemy has brought the fight to us; let’s take as many of them with us as we can!”

Despite his best efforts, no one could take solace in the lieutenants' words. They would fulfill their duty, and they would die doing it. But whether they killed one or a dozen, in the end, they would still die, Freeport would be invaded, and their families still attacked. No matter how they looked at it, it was a pointless death.

As the wood from the drawbridge began to finally split the archers raised their bows and marked their target while the rest of the men pulled their shields tightly into formation while readying their pikes, creating what most would consider an intimidating wall.

With pikes of 15 feet long it was a defensive strategy that kept the enemy at a distance and allowed the archers to loose arrow after arrow upon the enemy. Although it was weak to attacks from behind, it was a great formation in defending their gates.

One last strike and it was over. The battering ram exploded through the drawbridge and a gaping hole was created. A loud inhuman roar erupted just outside of the walls. So terrifying was the sound that some of the guards dropped their pikes.

“Men, tonight we shall sit at the table of our ancestors with our heads held high. Whether they be humans, ogres, or some other foul beast captured by the Elkian’s and barbarians, no matter what comes through that hole to attack us we will face it head-on. Archers draw! The moment any head pokes through that hole we will put an arrow in it!”

With his best attempt at emulating his captain out of the way all the lieutenant could do now was ready himself for the battle ahead. Begging the gods for a miracle, pleading with the ancestors to give them strength and keep them safe. The lieutenant knew better, these were just things people did to make themselves feel better. But today, for the first time in his life, the lieutenant looked to the sky and sincerely began to pray.

********

If I walk quickly I should be able to make it to Freeport within 7 or 8 hours. If I hadn’t been so impulsive I would be able to use one of the warhorses the riders had. There’s no point in thinking about it now. But with this headache I don’t think I can make it.

If I had enough mana I could close off the flow of the water into the pit and travel down the river, but that’s not an option any longer. There’s no way around it, I can either begin walking back now or wait until my mana replenishes.

My body feels wrecked. It’s finally happened, I’ve finally killed someone. I thought I would feel worse, perhaps remorseful in some way. Maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet, but I’ve finally killed with my own hands. A platoon of soldiers and a fellow mage. A mage of the Empire at that.

He said he is here with his brother which is very worrisome. I don’t think his brother will be satisfied with a, “I had no choice, it was either me or him”. No, unfortunately I have made enemies with a very powerful and unreasonable family.

It’s just impossible. Am I really going to be fleeing from these people, from the Empire for the rest of my life? Is this perhaps some curse placed on me by my ancestors for running away and refusing to fight? How else can it be explained?

The Northern Territories are meant to be a wild land where the southern kingdoms are unable to reside. Throughout history it was only written about in legends, no kingdom has ever crossed the Kundar Mountains. Yet today, as I stand, seeking refuge from the Empire in the Northern Territories, the Empire has begun to do the impossible.

It’s hard to accept, but my fight with Philip Osborne shows the reality of it. Right now I am in fabled lands caught in a war instigated by the very Empire I’m fleeing from. Ah this is so tiring. I’m sorry Lady Eleanor; you’re going to need to hold on for just a little longer. I need to rest for now.