159 Climb to Conquer (1/2)

\”Let's go!\” I ordered.

My legs ached in protest as I pushed them onward an uncomfortable heat spreading out from my knees to the muscles in my thighs.

\”Dean, slow down!\” Luca warned. \”Or they'll notice the sand you're kicking up.\”

It wasn't easy running up a steep sand dune while doing our best not to get noticed by the defenders on the oasis above. In fact, those of us who managed to speed up had to leave those who couldn't behind.

That meant the entirety of Ashley's squad wouldn't be there when the fighting started. It was a shame as I was really hoping a shield wall would make things less harrowing than the last time Luca and I tried this kind of stunt.

Edo and Shanks pulled ahead of the rest of us with Pike and Enna close on their heels. That meant us slowpoke humans were dead last in the race up the sand dune's southwestern slope.

I glanced to my right. A little ways above me and far to the right of us, a group of riders were climbing up the south-eastern slope. There were climbing parallel to Edo and Shanks.

I counted twenty riders with Al Sheridan at the front.

\”Hey, Luca,\” I don't think we have to worry about the enemy not noticing us anymore,\” I said wryly.

Luca was climbing the sand dune a little ahead of me now. He followed my line of sight and noticeably groaned when he saw the sand being kicked up by the swiftharts' hooves.

\”So much for a surprise attack,\” Luca grumbled. \”I didn't think there'd be another crazy bastard who would think up reckless plans as you do.\”

\”Don't compare me to him,\” I huffed as we continued our climb. \”We haven't been noticed yet, have we?\”

\”What's your point?\” Luca asked.

\”Maybe we can use them to our advantage,\” I reasoned.

A plan was forming inside my head at the same time as the enemy defenders above were taking notice of Al's riders.

\”Edo!\” I called.

Edo glanced over his shoulder at me. I pointed left. Then up. He got the picture.

My half-ogre team member veered to the left, leading our group up the side of the slope and as far from Al's riders as we could manage in the short time it took for the defenders to sound the alarm.

Shouts and yells of \”Enemies on the southern slope!\” reached our ears, but a quick glance up told me that my ploy was successful and that the enemies were focused only on Al's team.

It was very sloppy defensive tactics if you asked me. If I'd been in charge of these defenders, I'd have lookouts at intervals around all four corners of the oasis. Luckily, whoever was in charge hadn't played a dozen strategy games like I have.

My breath was slowly turning ragged as my lungs were beginning to protest at our fast pace. Still, I pushed myself onward because I didn't want my guys hitting the enemy's defenses without me to lead them.

But, instead of backing away, the swifthart riders increased their pace, abandoning subtlety in favor of reaching the summit.

I thought it was a good idea. The faster they climbed, the less the archers above could fire at them.

My team and I were now past the halfway point of the sand dune further west than where we started. It was here, on a bit of incline that leveled out like a ledge, where I ordered everyone to gather around me.

I glanced down below me. Although they managed to get out of the enemy's line of sight, Ashley's squad was far below us now. We couldn't expect them to arrive on time to support us. Not if we were going to beat Al Sheridan's group to the top.

\”Enna and Pike keep watch of the slope above us…\” I ordered right before I took a deep breath of cold night air. \”You see something moving up there, you dispatch it with an arrow…\”

I took in another gulp of air before I laid out the plan to the members present.

Edo and Shanks will tank the front,\” I said as I drew a circle on the sand and pointed to its southwest edge. \”Your job will be to clear out any barriers they'd set up there and then keep the attention of their defenders.\”

I drew a line that led from that dot on the southwest edge diagonally toward the front of the oasis.

\”I only got a brief glimpse of the top… most of it was obscured by the mana pool's weirdness,\” I admitted. \”But I did see the commander here.\”

My finger pressed down on the sand near the north edge of the circle.

\”He's surrounded by guards. Kobolds. Elves. A salamander or two… but we can take them.\” I pointed at myself and then at Luca. \”You and I will handle that.\”

My eyes turned toward Varda who looked the most winded out of all of us.

\”I've got a job for you,\” I said.