Book 5 - Chapter 49 - Southern Sanctuary (1/2)

Skycloud.

South Haven, also called the Southern Sanctuary.

It was the key most stronghold of Skycloud’s southern lands, situated in the center of its vast plains. Flat land extended hundreds of kilometers in every direction with hardly any ripple. This fortress erected at its heart rose like a glimmering mountain.

Sanctuary’s construction was unique. The stronghold itself was massive in scale with eleven sections from periphery to core. Its outer walls were short but each successive barrier grew higher and the spaces in between were as expansive as small towns. Passed the eleventh wall was the fortress center, and the stronghold’s highest point. Within was an expansive square capable of holding over ten thousand people.

Thus, the fortress was essentially a series of rings arranged from low to high. From a distance it looked like a layered pyramid, stately and firm.

It also was protected by powerful enchantments. When they were engaged a huge, tenacious shield encased everything.

No opportunity existed for a sneak attack, and its defenses were secondary only to Skycloud’s capitol. What enemies existed that could overcome such indomitable power? The glorious Sanctuary was a fortress erected during the time of the great war. More than twenty thousand soldiers were stationed behind its walls along with a fleet of airships, all responsible for the defense of Skycloud’s southern region.

It was impossible for such an installation to be easily overcome.

Repairs were underway to reconstruct Skycloud’s great wall, but while it was in the process the Elysian lands were not left defenseless. On one border was the expeditionary force, while to the south they were protected by the Sanctuary. Those forces together would make even the mightiest foes think twice before attempting to push into Skycloud. As present the expeditionary force had come to garrison Sanctuary and both the stronghold’s standard troops and Skycloud’s army had joined forces. What resulted was a spectacularly large array of fighters.

Alone they were formidable. Behind Sanctuary’s walls and enchantments they were even more insurmountable.

Explosive news had spread through the realm. The young mistress of the Polaris family, the traitor Dawn, would be burned alive within Sanctuary in three days’ time. It sent a collective shiver through Skycloud’s citizens.

It was not but six months ago that the Polaris family was one of Skycloud’s most powerful and respected families. It was the only family with the qualifications to count itself among the likes of the Cloudes. Less than a year after the War God’s demise, however, his brood had suffered an unprecedented decline. Now, they weren’t even considered a second-tier family.

What’s more, their most noble and cherished mistress was soon to be executed for the crime of treason. Her fate was sealed the moment she was cast as a traitor to her people. It was unthinkable that a family of a hundred years of dominance could be laid low in a single generation.

War was coming to Sanctuary, that much was known. It was not a trick or some underhanded plot. Skycloud held all the cards.

The wastelanders knew they were walking into the enemy’s hands, and Skycloud knew the barbarians would try and break passed their defenses. Indeed it was a clever decision to set the stage of their conflict in Sanctuary, but also there were obvious shortcomings. Wastelanders were like starving animals. Opening their doors to these monsters was like letting the wolves into the hen house. Every town, village and hamlet prepared for the worst.

From Skycloud City in the center, to key installations in every direction, they all gathered their soldiers and bolstered their defenses in case the wastelanders merely pretended to protect the south so that they could assault somewhere different.

Hammont Seacrest stood at Sanctuary’s highest point. From here he could see far out in every direction. Right now all he saw was a verdant expanse stretching to the horizon. He had the image in his mind that Sanctuary was like a legendary beast laying contentedly upon a blanket of green paradise.

He looked down at the successively larger rings spreading out below. He saw soldiers crawling along every building and down every street.

The troops had wasted no time in arranging their weapons and war machines for the coming battle. Towers had been erected both for offense and defense. Sanctuary was wholly prepared to face a threat anywhere it might appear. All of the many defensive towers constructed along Sanctuary’s eleven walls were manned and armed to the teeth. Every angle was defended and supported by nearby troops.

A defense like this was stronger than any warship. The wastelanders were dreaming if they thought they could punch through this array of towers.

Hammont lifted his eyes and looked to either side at the hundred or more airships. They hovered in the air nearby in smart formation. They were awaiting orders, ready to act at a moment’s notice. Sanctuary was wrapped up in it, so that an attack from any side would receive air support.

If the enemy broke passed the front lines they would be faced with the enchantments. If they got passed the enchantments they had wall upon wall to contend with. Win? Only in their most fanciful dreams! Even if they did, fighting through all those defenses was just their ticket to enter the real charnel house.

The Cloude family had galvanized a large portion of their men for the battle. Nearly two thousand demonhunters were deployed to the fortress, headed by Master Arcturus Cloude himself. They joined forces with the garrisoned troops and the expeditionary force.

Elite fighters as plentiful as the clouds. Crack soldiers as countless as raindrops.

This would be a battle on which they staked the very dignity of their realm.

Hammont could not conceive of a way that the vastly inferior wastelanders could win the day. Just as he was thinking, this a spotless white airships descended overhead.