Hope Sundered

Zordecai stood before the stone bridge leading to Wyndham’s western gate. Just under ten thousand Azrahteran soldiers stood at attention several yards behind him in rigid lines. With his hands on his hips and his wide stance planted, he swept his gaze across the top of the capital’s wall, noticing a line of people looking back at him.

“I am General Zordecai of the Azrahteran Empire,” he bellowed. “We claim this land in the name of our sovereign, Lord Aguliss the Thirteenth. We’re prepared to destroy this city and execute everyone inside unless you raise your gates and surrender now!”

Varzeth stood to his right. He too scanned the crenelated parapets, hoping to identify Wyndham’s key leaders. He recognized Losigalender as the intrepid governor from Chastin, but no one else stood out as an obvious authority figure.

No robes or decorated finery, no crowns adorning heads or sashes draped across shoulders. Varzeth was certain a ruler stood among them but from his vantage point, each man on the wall looked the same—dressed and ready for combat. He couldn’t help but respect them for it.

“They have no idea what’s about to happen,” Zordecai said to Varzeth. Hungry anticipation burned in his eyes.

“We should have brought lumber for ladders and scaffolds. We still don’t know if the spies are in place.”

Zordecai turned a hateful glare upon his lieutenant with all the burning intensity of the summer sun at its zenith. “Whose side are you on? Do you want the spies to fail?”

“Of course not, General.”

“Then show a little respect for your betters! We’re talking about elite soldiers hand-picked by the emperor himself! Don’t you think if they’d been captured, we’d see their bodies hanging from that wall?”

Varzeth repressed a sardonic grin behind clenched teeth. Of course not, General.

⸞ ⸎ ⸟

Lord Bel’ami stood at the center of the line atop the wall protecting his beloved home, the city of his ancestors. He looked down at the invading army, barely able to comprehend the size of the force spread across the field below. The icy wind coated his face with an ever-present sting as rapid plumes of breath betrayed the roiling anxiety churning within him.

“This is good,” Endari said with a nod, drawing incredulous stares from both Bel’ami and Losigalender.

“Either I didn’t hear you correctly, or we have very different views of how to use that word.”

“Allow me to elaborate, Sire. They don’t have any catapults, or battering rams, or ladders. Only soldiers. Thousands of them, I’ll grant you that, but a fair fight in hand-to-hand combat.”

“There’s nothing fair about being outnumbered, Captain.”

“We’re outnumbered for now, but we have a wall they can’t breach. And we have access to fresh water. We did well to store up as much food as possible, so with proper rationing I’m confident we can last well into spring.”

“But what then?”

Endari sighed. “Forgive me, Sire. I don’t have all the answers, but I’m no longer worried about the immediate slaughter of our people, so I’ll start with that.”

Bel’ami extended his gaze out over the rolling plain stretching to the western horizon. He imagined Chastin being just over the edge of that horizon, quiet and prosperous, nestled among the ancient trees, shouldered by the tranquil lake.

He pictured simple log homes, gardens, neat and tidy, golden fields hemmed in by towering pines. No doubt gorgeous before the Azrahterans arrived, though he was confident it was unrecognizable now.

“No, I’m sorry my friend,” he said. “This is all so overwhelming. I remember studying about the Nokri invasion and the Diorian civil war for hours, but none of those lessons seem helpful now. Just useless trivia when faced with the real thing. I’d always boast about how I would’ve done this or that in such scenarios, but now I feel…inadequate.”

Endari turned to look his patriarch in the eye. “My father always said life was like a duel. One move at a time, one decision after another. All we can do is confront the first problem facing us and try our best to solve it. Then we move on to the next one.

“We have an army at our doorstep, but they can’t get in. The next move is theirs, but we should be able to see it coming, and we won’t starve in the meantime. On the other hand, our enemy has to rely on a long supply chain. Time may prove to be our greatest ally.”

Bel’ami smiled his gratitude. “Speaking of allies, do you think Dioria and Seagate have answered our call for aid?”

Endari placed a comforting hand upon Bel’ami’s shoulder. “We’ll find out soon enough. Either way I’m with you, to the very end.”

In the depths of his soul, Wyndham’s young patriarch fought hard to resist the belief such an end was nearly upon them.

“See it coming,” Losigalender mumbled to himself.

“What?” Endari asked.

Losigalender turned to face the captain. “You said the next move was theirs, and we’d see it coming. You also pointed out they have no siege equipment, but Zordecai seems far too confident for his circumstances, so what are we missing?”

None of those assembled had an answer.