Storms May Come – Chapter 7
Click here to read “Storms May Come” from the beginning.
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Mist rolled over the land, obscuring everything outside of the archers’ range. The Sirens had pulled the sea onto dry land, filling the air with humidity. The army would not be able to see us until they were fired upon by muskets and bows. We waited in a tense silence, ready to fire at a moment’s notice and not wanting to give away our position.
At long last, the first row of soldiers materialized from the haze. Fina lifted a hand and a barrage of arrows hissed through the air. Bodies dropped to the ground, their cries not heard from the distance of our fort. The thick air muffled all sounds.
We held off firing the muskets because they were louder. We planned to get off as many arrows as we could before the back of the army realized what was happening and stopped their forward progress.
Our archers continued to find their mark, as row after row of soldiers marched into view. Those who survived the first attempt ran desperately for the fort, but Fina and her shadows picked them off before they came within arms reach of the coquina walls.
There was a pause like the calm before a storm. The soldiers stopped appearing. Fina gave her cue for the muskets to be raised. They were on to us.
Roars punched through the silence and a swarm of troops charged at us. Musket fire rang out and arrows flew. The ground was littered with bodies, but I knew this was only a fraction of what we faced.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Firth waving. He pointed at something just inside the wall of mist. Rolling forward into view pushed by half a dozen men was a cannon.
Seeing that I had noticed, Firth turned his aim on the men shoving the massive weapon. The closest one dropped. His son, Julien, fired half a second later and the lead man on the other side lurched forward, clutching his chest. I watched as more cannons rolled forward while the pair re-loaded.
“Fina,” I yelled, gesturing at the cannons. “Have the Shadows target the cannons!”
She nodded, and with a few hand signals the Shadows began picking off the men trying to position and load the weapons. They seemed able to keep up until I noticed a flare of light from just within the barrier of fog.
A moment later, a boom reverberated through the air. A powerful cannonball rushed towards our wall. I watched in horror as it struck, bracing for impact.
And with barely a shudder, our wall of limestone absorbed the cannonball.
I blinked. Firth let out a deep booming laugh. A cheer rose up from within our walls. They would hold against cannon fire.
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After countless cannonballs embedded themselves into the coquina walls the soldiers seemed agitated that our defenses would not falter. For a fleeting moment, I was filled with pride until I heard Dreven’s poisonous voice yell, “Forward! We must close the distance to shatter their defenses!” My body ran hot with fury.
The army obliged, and the marching of soldiers and creak of cannon wheels filled the air. Musket shots rang out and the whistle of arrows joined the symphony as countless soldiers continued to fall.
Boom
Another cannonball hit the wall at a much closer distance; while no major damage was done a minor crack rippled and small shards crumbled to the ground. I locked eyes with Fina and she gave a quick nod, already knowing the Shadows’ next target. Soon the men manning that cannon met their demise, but more were pushing through the mist.
Just how many soldiers do they have? I thought to myself.
Suddenly a deafening roar could be heard coming from behind the village towards the sea, and cool mist was felt on my and all the villagers’ skin. Glancing behind me a ginormous wave was lifting high above the village. Soon it was over our heads and surging forward with a cool forceful wind whipping my hair. My mouth was agape and I could do nothing but watch as the wave, at least 100 feet tall, passed just over our heads and crashed into the army below.
Screams of terror and the sound of bodies colliding filled the air. The wave was so strong all the cannons in sight were swept away. The soldiers were completely scattered.
“Rally men! Rally to my voice; we will not let these wretched Sirens defeat us!” Dreven’s voice carried.
The soldiers’ numbers had dwindled, especially those on the front lines who were crushed by the weight of the water, and they were soaking wet struggling to get back into some sort of formation. But still, they met Dreven’s cry with various roars of agreement. I strained my eyes but still hadn’t seen Dreven yet. This time he would lose his head.
I motioned for the assault to continue and more arrows and musket rounds found their marks. I was shaken by the power of the Sirens, but ever thankful they were on our side. As if answering my thoughts, out of the corner of my eye I saw funnels of water forming, each containing a Siren, their eyes glimmering eerily in the moonlight. The funnels grew taller as they approached the edge of the wall.
One of the Sirens was so close to me I could see her ear-to-ear grin, rows of sharp teeth exposed, eyes hungry for death. Her eyes flickered at me and the smile grew wider, as if she sensed my unease and was amused by it.
The Siren began to motion with her hands, long taloned fingers flexing back and forth as a portion of the tunnel separated and grew larger. Her mouth stretched open as she began to sing; her voice carried immense power. The water orb she had created grew larger and larger as her voice grew louder until suddenly it lurched forward encapsulating a handful of soldiers. They looked confused and flailed around in the water until the Siren clenched her fists and let out a high-pitched screech. Their bodies were eviscerated when the orb imploded, creating a horrific sight of water, blood, and guts splashing everywhere.
I watched in absolute awe, as it dawned on me then that we had no concept of the power of the Sirens.
…
What do you think of the battle so far? Would you want the Sirens on your side? Check back in two weeks to see how the battle ends!
Thanks so much for reading!
-Clever & WTF
