“Milord! This thief here has stolen me cow! I demand justice! I want the double the price that cattle can buy me in the markets!”

“Lord Adel, please! Do not listen to him! The only thing he does is to drink and drink. He blabbers and lies a lot! He’s just accusing me so he can repay his debts!”

The two farmers continued to argue amongst each other and further fuelling Ser Adel’s frustration. He clenched his fists and tried to breath out. He was already regretting his choices of governance within Nahrstadt. He should’ve copied Lord Klaus’ example of appointing some sort of conciliator to mediate these inane and inconsequential hearings. But chose not to.

I refuse to delegate something so important to other people! Listening to people’s concerns and fixing their problems should be the job of the leader. Since I’m the appointed Mayor of Nahrstadt. I’m sick and tired of those high lords sitting in their fancy chairs and doing jack shit! That smuggler in Tallerhof seemed to not care about his lands across the Grey Mountains! Those damn brettonians are slowly, but surely advancing their crippled hands across the Empire’s mountains! Yet the mayor of Tallerhof doesn’t seem to care! His advisors don’t and therefore he doesn’t. No! I refuse to be him! I will protect the people of Nahrstadt and stand up for their interest. No matter how stupid it is. The knight straightened his back and touched his chin and frowned. I’m pretty sure I just shaved this morning!

“You there, my good man! The accuser! Do you have any evidence?” He calmly said but it managed to quieten the two and the rest in court.

“What ya mean milord? I need evidence?”

The spectators in the court along with the defendant sniggered at that. “Yes, of course. You can’t just throw random accusations around.”

“Well…” He frantically pointed at the accused. “Toyne, here likes to come to me place and stare at me barn. It won’t surprise me if he was plottin’ to steal me animals!”

“If you don’t have evidence then this case in solved. You will now have to pay a fine for wasting everyone’s time.” He paused and let the peasant squirm in fear. “Please go to the bank and pay your fine. You should know it by now, if you don’t, it’s five silver marks.” Adel then noticed that the sun was high up in the sky and decided to call the morning session over.

He lumbered down from his throne and stripped his imperial cloak and went to the training yard. He picked up a wooden sword and yelled, “Who wants to spar with me! I promise I’ll hold back.”

One of the men stepped forward and he noticed that he was heavily armoured and noticed the Sigmarite ring upon his head. “You’re a warrior priest of Sigmar? You sure you want to spar with me with a sword?”

“No-no milord. I’m just practising, is all. Just an apprentice. I still haven’t memorised the chants and rituals in the book of Sigmar. And I’m not good with the warhammer. I’m more attuned to the sword.”

“A priest of Sigmar that’s not good with a warhammer. That’s interesting and new. What’s your name young man?” He inquisitively raised his eyebrows.

“Hansen, milord.”

“Well, pick up your sword and – “

“My lord! A raven from New Altdorf!” The raven master controlled his breathing and handed his liege the piece of paper.

What do those in New Altdorf want now? A new tax? Buildings that I need to build. The knight huffed in irritation and grabbed the missive and took care not to crush it immediately.

‘A fleet of a dozen ships has been spotted west of Nahrstadt by the watchtowers. By the time you have read this, they should be there within an hour.’ Klaus von Stanhelm, Lord Governor of the Empire’s Lustrian colonies.

Why did he message me himself when the coast guards could’ve done it? A power play? The mayor then scratched his chin and hummed in thought. It’s not a power play. Klaus is too earnest and dutiful for that. But now it means that this ‘pirate’ fleet is some sort of invasion? That could be the only reason for the Lord Governor to send this letter himself!

He guffawed in anticipation which got the rest of the state troops attention on him. “Men of the Empire! Some bloody pirates have grown bold! Instead of being snivelling cowards that they are, they’re coming in to attack this city! Your city! They will pillage and plunder it! Will you let them?!”

“No!” The state troops collectively yelled with all their might.

“They may enslave your wife and your children! Will you let them!” Adel shouted and was again rewarded with a furious roar of defiance.

“Then to your stations! Man the walls! Especially the sea wall!”

A huge group of men now ran in all directions with some running for their armour, some stayed frozen and prayed to Sigmar, but most ran out of the city’s barracks all prepared.

Ser Adel mounted a barded horse and raced towards the lighthouse where he was met with a squadron of troops. “Soldiers! Who’s your commanding officer?”

“That would be me, my lord. My name is Behn. A sergeant overseeing these men.” A young man with light blond hair came in front and went towards his lord.

“Well met Behn. It’s unfortunate that we meet in, soon to be difficult, times. I have just received a missive from one of New Altdorf’s coast watchtowers and they inform me that a pirate fleet is coming to this town. They number at around twelve ships.”

“Twelve… Twelve ships my lord? That’s a high number of ships to go raiding and plundering my lord.” He said with concern clouding his eyes and he unintentionally gulped.

“I don’t think they’re here to raid, sergeant. If they had then they would’ve taken a few ships. Less chance of being spotted by the coast guards. This… This may be more serious threat than the lizardmen siege that we endured eight years ago…”

“H-how so my lord?”

“They’re attacking us from the sea! There’s no wall in our sea except for the seawall extending along the bay’s edge and that tower.” Adel pointed upwards. “I’m afraid a few cannon shots at the seawall and that lighthouse may break it down along with the sea chain.” And my instincts are flaring up. They don’t flare up without good reason.

Sergeant Behn looked offended at that but wisely kept being polite. “Back when I was a labourer, my lord. I helped build the seawall and the lighthouse. They’ve been build using the Empire’s latest advancement in architecture. They’ve been layered with several feet of stone and their foundations is solid. That I can assure. I remember me and the lads shovelling dozens of feet of clay just to make a lot of bricks. That seawall and the lighthouse won’t fall my lord.” He said with determination brimming in his smile that it convinced the knight.

You forgot that a dwarf helped you.

“Then I’ll take your word for it, sergeant. Now inform your men and other squadrons along the seawall to take up positions.” He then heard familiar and heavy footsteps echoing in the background. “The men from the barracks should be here soon. I trust you to send them to appropriate locations.” He waited for a confirmation and climbed the spiralling staircase of the lighthouse.

As he climbed, he ignored the view of his city and the lush, fertile countryside and focused on the fleet steadily sailing their way. He squinted and tried to look at their sail for any insignia, but it was still blurry. He kept on looking until he was interrupted by a dwarf. “Jorek, what are you doing here?”

“Hey! Do-don’t be kicking me off the tower that I helped build, umgi!” The slightly drunk dwarf hiccupped and chided the human.

Adel smiled at him and nearly laughed. He’s always drunk every time I see him! I probably shouldn’t laugh, as that might prompt him to write my name down in his book of grudges. “I’m not kicking you out. I was just warning you. This place may be a battleground in a few minutes.”

The rotund dwarf flexed his biceps and lifted a pickaxe. “You underestimating me, umgi? I may not be a fighter, but I can at least hold myself and in a fight!”

“I’m sure you can but I actually never seen you fight. You’ve been busy looking at those useless artifacts and relics in that Chotec temple. In fact, please tell me why your busy with those dusty old tomes.”

“Don’t call ‘em that! Those tomes, if translated, may be the answer to making new weapons! Or something similar to that. Maybe I could be inspired at making some new machinery with what’s written in them!”

He’s making no sense whatsoever. But he’s no use in this lighthouse. “Jorek, you seem to be exceptionally skilled at organising gunnery fire. We’ve got dozens of great cannons dotting the harbour. My men should be setting them up as we speak. Can you help them?”

Jorek then grabbed his long beard in amusement and chuckled. “Helping umgi with their umgal!” He then roared in laughter and took a swig of unknown alcohol which made Adel scrunch his nose.

“Umgal?”

“Umgal! That roughly means ‘shoddy things’ in your reikspiel. Ever since we’ve seen how terrible your engineering are, we’ve started to call you umgi. Maker of shoddy things!” Jorek snorted then carefully walked down the stairs and used his pickaxe to steady himself. “Well whatever. I’ll help you. As long as I get my money to explore the deeper parts of Lustria!”

Ignoring his remark, he then kept on looking for an insignia until he spotted something. A red rose with two spears piercing it. What are they? They looked far too professional to be pirates. The fact that they have more than one ship means that they can’t be pirates… Perhaps a group professional privateers hired by someone… He scoffed and spat at the ground. This political intrigue is not my business. Let the smart ones back in New Altdorf figure it out. I’m too busy warding off every single enemy known to man over here!

Realising that his ageing eyes was starting to fail, he felt stupid for climbing the tower too quickly. I should’ve picked a spyglass. Damn! He sucked in air then shouted from the top of his lungs, “Someone get me a spyglass!” He looked satisfied to realise that at least half a dozen men heard him.

The ships menacingly maintained their speed and kept on sailing towards them. Adel started biting his teeth in excited anticipation. He was too focused on the bloody inevitable and completely ignored the person who brought him a spyglass. He hurriedly took it and realised that most of the people in the ships were humans, wearing poorly disguised imperial uniforms. Bloody traitors! You think I wouldn’t notice?! What are they trying to do out here? They could easily come here, and they would’ve been allowed to adventure here without us harassing them! Hells! That slimy treasurer guy hasn’t even proposed to tax the relics that the adventures got! Despite taking my men’s loot… He angrily huffed and stomped his feet. At least they were paid back in full. It’s rare to meet an honest merchant these days.

Nearly dropping his spyglass, he tried to steady the uncontrollable shaking in his hand and looked again. Large bald human-like beings stood in their dozens across the fleet. Nearly twice as tall as the other humans in those ships. He realised that they were wearing heavy armour that covered mainly their grotesque and obese bellies. That can’t be! Why are ogres working for them!? He slammed his clenched fist at the wall and dismissed the sharp pain in his knuckles. Those are definitely people with huge pockets full of gold! Considering that it takes a lot of money to convince an ogre to work for you. Let alone an entire army of them! And you have to try to not get eaten! He ran down the stairs and climbed into one of the raised platforms of the pier.

“Soldiers of the Empire! The enemy we face today are no ordinary pirates! We face an invading army! So, messengers mobilise the militia and evacuate the women and children towards the centre of the city! We need every man to do their duty to their homes, their family and the Empire!”

A group of people nodded at him and ran off to do their task. He then turned his glance towards the professional troops and gleefully smirked. Those are the faces of determined men. Hells! Those are the faces of men who look into the jaws of death and laugh! This’ll be a good battle!

Dozens of familiar cracks temporarily deafened him and noticed that a full barrage of great cannons has been fired. He spotted several geysers forming across the distance and saw several of their masts being blown away.

“Your doing it all wrong, umgi! Your supposed to clean the muzzle-barrel before loading it with gunpowder! Do you want this shoddy cannon to deform and blow up on you!” Jorek screamed at the inexperienced cannoneers, prompting them to further heed his instructions.

Tch! Johanne couldn’t even give me experienced cannoneers. What’s next? He’s going to give me a regiment full of cripples. He silently laughed at himself and noticed with growing terror as the enemy ships came closer.

“What are the people in the lighthouse and seawall doing! Why aren’t they raising the chains!” Few of his men surrounding him, cowered in fear and quickly backed away. “Someone, tell them to raise it now!”

Few anxious minutes went by and fortunately the chains started to rise up, but two ships managed to cross in a nick of time. Raising his spyglass, he realised that one of the ships had nearly half of the ogres, filling the upper deck and staring at them. The ship then started to steer towards their starboard.

“I want those two ships targeted! Aim for the middle! That’s where the gunpowder is usually stored!” The dwarf grimly ordered. “Quickly, you dunces! Let’s fire before they launch an entire broadside at us!”

Another imperial volley disabled one of the ships and stopping them dead in the sea. Unfortunately, the ogre infested ship still kept sailing towards them.

Adel’s heart started to beat with his eyes widening and breathing hard. “State troops to me! Militia provide us backup!” He then searched for the warrior priest and spotted him in the crowd. “You there Hansen! Were you trained to lead and give orders to groups of men?”

The young lad squirmed at that and reluctantly replied, “Y-yes milord. I have. But I still don’t know Sigmar’s holy rituals – “

“It’s not needed! Lead an entire company of militiamen, especially those – “The Mayor pointed at the group of peasants carrying an assortment of cutlasses and pistols, “Free company militia. I want them lining the seawall and the lighthouse. Firing at whatever foe comes there way. I want those protected at all cost! Am I understood?” He asked not expecting a ‘no’ as an answer.

“Y-yes, milord!” The trembling warrior priest turned to the pistol wielding militia and ordered them to follow him. He then pointed at Adel and immediately they started heeding his orders.

“Forget about the ship coming towards us! No matter how much we shoot that thing, it will still land and crash in the pier! So, target that floating pirate ship! Sink it!”

Barrage after barrage, shredded the galleon eventually exploding with a tremendous force that rippled the water around them and smashed a few cranes and windows. Jorek celebrated but his celebration was short lived. The dwarf saw some of the cannoneers pointing at the ships, stuck at the chains, and slammed his pickaxe down in the ground in utter rage. “You idiots! If you shoot that thing, it may break the sea chains! I helped build that and I’ll be putting your names in my grudge book! And it may allow ten more ships to swamp us!”

Hundreds of men ran towards the pier and formed a shield wall, with handgunners lining the roofs of the warehouses.

A huge disturbance in the air was felt by the men and suddenly a powerful gale blasted a couple of them to the ground. The enemy galleon sped up and kept on sailing without any deviation to its course and ultimately crashed at the pier, penetrating several docks at the process. Dozens of ramparts were then lowered, and monstrous humanoids staggered down their ships.

Shock with their mouths gaping in fear, caused Adel to scream, “Don’t just stare at them! Handgunners! Start shooting!”

Taken out of their shameful stupor, the handgunners twitched their forefingers in the trigger. Plumes of smoke erupted from their combined fire and dozens of the ogres stumbled back with a few of them dead. That’s it?

The ogres slowly reformed and stopped. They stared at their enemy without any expressions.

Seconds turned to minutes as they stared at each other, hoping the other side would break the pregnant silence. Finally, movement was seen in the enemy’s ships with hundreds of humans lifting metallic tubes and tossing them at the ogres.

Hang on a minute! They look like cannons! Bigger than great cannons!

With practiced ease the ogres took the cannons and pointed it at the swordsmen. They grinned, baring their large, yellow and disfigured teeth and fired. The recoil merely wombling their stomachs.

Large cannons balls smashed into the imperial ranks, several deep. Torsos, arms, limbs and heads were rapidly dispersed across the pier, in a terrible red shower. The survivors had their arms shaking and a few could barely hold their sword and shield. The swordsmen faltered and were close to retreating as their faces were replaced with fear.

Sensing the inevitable rout, the knight galloped his horse towards the pier and willed his horse to jump down the stairs. With his mount landing perfectly, he raced towards them and lifted his sabre through the air! “Soldiers! If you retreat now, your leaving your wives and children to those beasts! The gods only know what those ogres will do to them… Your all brave men! Your brave for your nation! Surely, you can be brave for your loved ones! Don’t fail them and stand your ground. Now reform up! I want shield formations!” He huffed in satisfaction to see them doing as they were ordered.

Another volley killed at least a dozen of the ogres, yet they continued charging and simply stepped over their dead comrades with mouths salivating.

The monstrous humanoids slung their cannon barrels to the side and swung it towards the survivors and caught hundreds of them. Their bones failing them and crunching with a resounding crack. Some of the imperials dodged and was able to nip at their exposed knee.

Adel charged his horse at an unsuspecting ogre raised his sabre and thrusted and successfully stabbed his neck. A few of the dying ogre’s comrades watched with anger and bellowed a roar and charged him. He reared his horse and push it forwards and managed to kick the ogre in his right, knocking him cold. Then one of them barged at the horse but the knight luckily jumped out of his stirrups and landed awkwardly to the ground.

“Ye killed ooour frend! Ye must pay an’ be eaten!” Drool started to drip from their jaws, but Adel just stood up and raised his sword and taunted them to come to him. The ogres looked at each other and snorted in amusement. “That puny teng wants to challenje us! Lets eat it!”

Both of them charged him. Adel stood and feinted a strike causing one of freaks to his right to flinch back. He avoided a punch coming from his left and struck back, which cut its arm. The brutish creature howled in pain and didn’t notice the knight unclipping his armour and jumping to his side. The sight of a human with a sword straight through his neck was the last thing he ever saw. The ogre’s cowardly friend looked shaken. He panicked and grabbed a snapped harbour crane and wielded it like a warhammer.

Adel wasted no time and charged at him and dodged the sluggish movement with ease and sliced the brute’s kidney.

The imperials died in their dozens and maybe hundreds. But many hundreds more came to replace them. This time with halberds and the last of the ogres were slain.

Blood of their comrades splattering their armour and banner, they stood with indomitable will and ran towards the beached galleon.

The snivelling traitors fought like rats cornered. Gunfire crackled with rancid smoke bursting out. Gallons of whale fat were thrown and hurriedly set on fire. Despite the heat and the barrage of bullets they had to endure; they gritted their teeth and continued to advance. Sometimes having to advance at the piles of their dead. Until the rest of them surrendered. “Kill the ogres! Leave none of them alive! But capture the humans alive! Especially the captain!” Adel violently manhandled his troops to ward off their bloodlust. “I said to capture humans alive! Do these midgets look like ogres to you? Or do you need your eyes checked?” He spat whilst pointing his bloodied sabre towards them, causing them to back off and tied them instead of gutting them.

He eagerly climbed the aftcastle and went straight towards the captain’s cabin. He lurched the door open and tensed up waiting for a fight. A fight he won’t receive as he saw the pungent odour coming out of the room. Stinks like piss. He entered it and saw the… The captain shivering in the corner and pointing his cutlass towards him. “Don’t come near me! Or I’ll gut you!”

“Oh, really now. You should check your breeches and we’ll see who’ll be gutting who.” Adel mocked and sneered. Men came to reinforce him and caused the poor excuse of a captain to surrender. “Make sure they all go down the dungeons. Those New Altdorf people can deal with them.” He ignored the looks of mutiny expressed by most of the people there and looked at the rest of the battle. His eyes bulged and he couldn’t resist rubbing his eyes.

The mayor ran and beckoned for one of the stableboys to grab him a horse and galloped towards the seawall.

“Hansen! What the fuck happened!? What happened to the chain!”

“Those gluttonous savages… Umm… They ate it, milord!” The Warrior Priest blushed as he hesitated to respond.

“They ate it? That’s absurd! How?”

“I don’t know how. But we heard some strange chanting. It vaguely sounded like reikspiel. I think they were praying to their heretical god. I think we heard something like ‘Great Maw’ yelled a few times. And few of them jumped down, as if they were possessed, with armour and floated. Then… They started eating it.”

Magic? It must be. Not only are they traitors, they’re also consorting with those who perform illegal and heinous magic.

A quick and muted fire of pistols stopped whatever he was going to say. A few ships landed and outpoured dozens more brutes, who were swiftly gunned down with cannon fire. Wait. Who’s shooting those. He craned his head towards where the cannons were firing from and saw a dwarf angrily yelling.

“Hansen watch out!” The knight jumped off his horse and tackled the young priest of Sigmar down to the ground. He was thankful that he shed his plate armour long ago. Both were unscathed but the warehouse behind them now had a hole. Not from the enemy. Jorek made a mistake and treated our ‘umgal’ as if it were dwarven organ guns. He snorted and took a quick look down. Looks like I found something to tease him when we go out drinking.

Pistol fire rattled every few seconds, but the bullets seemed to bounce off harmlessly from the ogres. He saw one of the unlucky sailors trapped underneath the pier surrounded by the beasts. He knew what was going to happen but with morbid curiosity he kept on staring as the sailor got his body ripped apart and quickly ate in a bloody orgy. May Morr guide your soul to his Garden.

Dozens of ogres were gunned downed by Jorek’s gunnery fire, but some still managed to climb up the seawall. A similar scenario happened but much, much worse. Unarmoured militia stood no chance. Hundreds seemed to fly with their shoulders twisted unnaturally. He saw the flag bearer starting to retreat but Adel came to him and grabbed the flag for him. Hoisting the flag of the Empire high and proud and steadily walking towards impending doom, as dozens of his militiamen fled, Adel closed his eyes and remembered his oath. An oath to protect the citizens of Nahrstadt and the people of the Empire. He will live upon this oath until his dying breath. I probably can take on two of them. But ten of them? Ave Sigmar!

“Ave Sigmar!” He charged and pierced an ogre straight through his shoulders, causing the ugly freak to fall down in pain, where it was quickly given mercy as the flag stabbed through its throat. He turned his attention at the ogre climbing the wall and did the same, but this time through its eyes. The militiamen saw this and crowded their mayor, even if it meant their death. “Ave Sigmar!” They all defiantly yelled. This wall must hold!

Blind with adrenaline and bloodlust, the militiamen and Adel didn’t see a dozen ships, bearing the imperial insignia, coming to Nahrstadt’s rescue.