When hundreds of drums are pounded intensively by hundreds of drummers with hundreds of drumsticks at the same time with the force of heavy rain, a deafening sound like thunder will echo in the sky.
This was the order for the barbaric conquerors to line up. Their roars and drums were intertwined, sometimes like storms, sometimes like thunder, sometimes like wild beasts. The only thing that remained unchanged was the power and violence in them.
This should be a rare sight, but the soldiers stationed at Fengya Fortress have encountered it countless times in the past two weeks, and they should almost get used to it.
“Here they come again, they come again…”
But that's not the case. Every time the war drum sounds, some people tremble and some scream. They are obviously not used to it, let alone not accustomed to this.
The tired soldiers squatted against the wall with their legs folded, their dark armor already covered with silvery white frost.
They are hungry and cold, and food is becoming increasingly scarce. In recent days, it is even difficult to guarantee two meals a day.
The weapons outdoors were covered with ice, which made it harder for the soldiers to hold their hands that were numb from the cold wind.
But it doesn't matter if it's cold, they get together to keep each other warm. It doesn't matter if their stomachs are empty, as long as they are not so hungry that they can't stand up, they won't give up.
But now their spirits and wills are extremely exhausted. Almost all of them have red and swollen eyes, and their eyeballs are already filled with bloodshot eyes.
When the sound like thunder echoed over the fortress for a long time and finally dissipated...
Another increasingly despairing sound surrounded people's ears - the screams and screams coming from the crowded wounded soldiers camp.
"How close are these people to reaching their limit?"
A man in military uniform stood on the fortress tower, taking in the entire fortress. His deep frown conveyed his worry, and the expressions of the guards around him were equally gloomy.
Just worrying won't solve the problem.
He took out a leather bag from his waist and drank heavily from it.
This man never told anyone else what was in the bag, and of course no one dared to ask him about it. But after he finished drinking, the smell of alcohol would fill his mouth, and I believe everyone would know what it was.
"I guess it won't be long..."
He said to himself. This man understood better than anyone else that there was a pessimistic mood quietly spreading in the hearts of these soldiers.
Half a month has passed, and the situation in the fortress has only continued to deteriorate, with no sign of improvement.
Originally, he thought that these loyal and tenacious battlefield veterans would lose their will to fight only when supplies and inventories were exhausted, and when they ran out of ammunition and food.
However, some people have already escaped from the battle, and it will only be a matter of time before the morale of the army collapses.
He has been under a lot of pressure these days, as evidenced by the fact that the sparse hair on his head has decreased a lot, and gradually he can observe his scalp in the mirror.
Although he is no longer young, it is still too early for him to go bald at this age. After all, the eldest of his children is not yet an adult.
"How long has it been since I went back to see them?"
Thinking of his children, he couldn't help but ask himself this question. But he found that he couldn't answer. He had been here for too long and even forgot the exact time. So he started drinking again.
Phong Nang Fortress is a special place.
It's cold here all year round and you can't feel the changes of the four seasons.
When spring comes and flowers bloom in the interior, the howling cold wind is still raging here.
He looked up at the sun in the sky, which was covered by thick clouds and could only shine faintly. He thought that the wheat fields in his hometown should be harvesting now.
"General Brighton! Why are you still here!"
A lieutenant wearing heavy plate armor led a group of soldiers to the tower. He couldn't help but be shocked when he saw this man.
"The next wave of the orcs' offensive is about to begin. It's very dangerous here! Get the general out of here quickly!"
He immediately ordered the guards, but Brighton waved his hand to stop him and said:
"Let them stay here, I will go back myself."
These powerful and well-trained guards immediately carried out Brighton's order, and they all walked down the tower to join the battle preparations on the front line. They always obeyed the general's orders unconditionally, but the lieutenant did not.
Legal recognition.
"But how can you, General, not have any guards..."
"Sergeant Jade, when do you think I will be so weak that I need to be around like a baby waiting for a nurse?"
"Sorry, teacher."
Jed lowered his head and then walked directly in front of the man to block his path.
"you……!"
Just when Brayton wanted to scold him, he knelt down on one knee. He knew very well the temper of the person in front of him. What this person decided could not be easily changed by others.
"But at least let me escort you back to the command post."
"..."
Brayton bypassed him and walked to the spiral staircase down to the tower. Brayton did not express any opinion on Jed's request just now. Jed understood that this meant tacit approval, so he immediately got up and followed the general.
behind.
As they walked on the city wall, several flaming arrows would float in the air from time to time, the roar of artillery fire could still be heard in the distance, and the sky above the fortress was filled with smoke.
"This may be the only fireworks that can be seen in Fengya Fortress..."
Brighton held the skin bag in his hand, looked at the sea of fire on the outer wall of the fortress, and said these words full of irony.
"Teacher, you..."
Jed, who was following him, was a little stunned. He didn't quite understand why this calm and resolute man would say such a thing.
"The fireworks are like the lives of countless soldiers burning. They are beautiful and heroic."
Brayton continued, and these words made Jed couldn't help but look at the battlefield.
It's exactly what he said.
It was a beautiful sight of living lives burning, but in the end each one turned into ashes and disappeared.
"Is it painful? Jed."
"Of course, I want revenge - I will place the heads of those beasts in front of my brothers' tombstones."
"Very good, looks like me when I was young."
Faced with Jed's answer, Brayton was silent for a while, his eyes filled with exhaustion. Perhaps, he started to get tired of it a long time ago.
"Orcs are the enemy of us humans and our powerful opponents."
Brighton defined the race.
"The orcs will start to invade on a large scale every time this season. The reason seems to be because they lack food for the winter. And because this season happens to be when the crops are harvested, the orcs will start to plunder the border areas. Our Wind Fang Fortress
Since its establishment, it has successfully blocked the orcs for twenty years."
The two of them walked on the city wall, and from time to time the cold wind carried ashes from the front line and fell in front of them. "In the past twenty years, the orcs have launched more than 6,000 attacks, and they were all defeated by our army."
"Yes, General. According to incomplete statistics during this period, we killed more than 70,000 orcs of various species. At the same time, we also paid a... painful price."
At this point, Jed stopped and did not continue.
Naturally, there will also be a lot of sacrifices under the glorious data.
He looked towards the southwest corner of the fortress, where was the cemetery of the fortress. Those sleeping inside were all soldiers who could not be sent back to their hometown due to various special reasons. However, they were just a few of them - their tombstones also marked the area.
The cemetery is full.
"When will the reinforcements come?"
We were almost at the headquarters, and if we walked further, we would see the guard in charge. When we got there, Jed would also rush to the battlefield. So he asked the most practical question at the end, and Brighton was very straightforward about this question.
's answered.
"The Northern Army has sent three legions to support us. Judging from the recent distribution of locations, the first one to arrive for support should be the Golden Lion's Badafinger legion."
When it comes to the "Golden Lion", Brighton's mood is a bit complicated, but Jade is very excited.
"Golden lion? Is it really a golden lion? General."
"Yes, that's the golden lion."
Brydon affirmed.
"Great, General, why don't you tell everyone the news?"
"Because... if they were going to come, they should have... huh?!!"
Suddenly, Brighton felt a murderous aura in his instincts that had been honed through hundreds of battles!
"Jade, be careful!"
Jade was still in a state of excitement after learning the news, and was completely unaware of the terrifying murderous intention.
"General!!!"
When was it?
The sky has been obscured by flames. It is like a huge and magnificent fire cloud covering the sky. In the center of the fire cloud is a blazing, bright "sun", but there is obviously another sun on the other side of the sky.
Glowing.
This sun is hotter and a thousand times brighter than the tiny sun hanging in the distant sky, as if it is the one that truly gives light to the world.
However, this "sun" was very violent. It was only quiet for a while, and countless fireballs rolled down from it.
The entire fortress was boiling due to the high temperature, and the soldiers screamed in panic. They trampled around and lost order.
The soldiers on the city wall who were exposed to the fireball actually lost their traces in the world together with their iron armor.
At this time, no one noticed that the real target of these fireballs was actually the two people on that section of the city wall. They were surrounded by these fireballs.
"General!!!"
Jade looked at the figure desperately.
Jed was in free fall. He fell off the city wall. It was the person he admired the most who pushed him off the city wall.
"Take my things, otherwise I won't let you go."
Brayton laughed and cursed, and threw the leather bag he had been holding towards Jed.
Jed fell into a pile of thatch. After all, he was wearing a fine steel plate armor, so he was not seriously injured.
Except for the slight pain in his body, Jade was unharmed after falling from this low wall.
However, that person, that soldier—Major General Hoz Lemar Breton.
The supreme commander of Fengya Fortress... was devoured by countless fireballs.
"Oh! I was burned and I can't even find the ashes. Do I have to stay in this hellish place in the end?"
Brayton laughed at himself. Looking at the huge and blazing fireballs coming around him, he knew very well that he couldn't escape because the target of these things was him.
"I really... really want to take a sip of wine. I can't help it, that precious skin was just given to that brat Jade."
Brayton stood there with his arms open, as if he wanted to hug something. The flames had scorched his skin, his eyebrows were ignited, and his clothes were burning.
"After all, it's what you gave me, so I can't break it. It's just..."
The fireball enveloped him, and he lost all five senses. But in the end he clearly saw the appearance of his wife and children.
"Sorry, dad still can't go back and take a look..."
"General!!!"
Jade hugged the skin bag and wailed loudly at the disappearing figure on the wall.
However... there is nothing there.
Along with the death of the top commander of the fortress, the roars of joy from the beasts also came from under the fortress.