Those ingenious cocksuckers. Must’ve started right after Brinnock.
Jularra stared, unable to believe what she was seeing. As the assembled catapults were pushed out just enough to clear the tunnels, streams of Torgurian infantry tore out from behind them and spilled out into the valley.
The High Peak watchtower sounded their horns and flags to announce the siege ambush, though all on the city walls could see what was happening. The southern tower sounded their horns as well, announcing the incoming charge of Latham’s forces. The top of the gatehouse and nearby walls erupted into a frenzy of shouts and orders.
“Wait!” Jularra snapped, wanting to hear the signals being given down on the field.
To the south, the horn sounded for her forces to come to a quick march on their way to engaging Latham’s forces.
Good.
She turned her head and tried to make out the signals from the infantry to her front. The sounds were lost to her, but she watched as a group of Ridgerazers along the wall repositioned themselves to focus on the new threat.
Before she could dispatch someone to find out, the first catapult had already unleashed its projectile. It was too high for the outer wall and hurtled overhead, landing in a commercial area of the city behind her. Though she still couldn't hear the infantry’s orders below, she could see they were charging for the slopes of the northern mountains.
“Captain!” Jularra screamed at a nearby Bedrock. “Get down there and tell them to try and draw their infantry into the range of our archers. I’ll make sure our Ridgerazers focus on these catapults.”
“Right away, Your Majesty.”
Jularra shifted to examine the repositioned group of battle mages. She was able to make out Leona, Vylas, and Melcayro, along with the majority of her Ridgerazers. Abranni must be staying with the smaller group.
Jularra looked to the valley exit and saw no more catapults approaching from that position.
Must’ve just been decoys.
She felt a flush of humiliation at the deception
.
Jularra sprinted down the steps. As she emerged from the gatehouse onto the wall, she doubled over from yet more pains in her abdomen. She stumbled into a pair of archers.
Her vision narrowed into a foggy tunnel from the stab of agony. What's wrong with me? She winced and grabbed her stomach as she coiled up in a fetal position.
“Your Majesty! Are you all right?” one of the archers cried. Assuming the queen had been struck by something, the other archer yelled for assistance.
“The queen is injured! Get a doctor up here, now!”
“No!” the queen shouted. “No. I’m not wounded.”
Her vision started to clear, and the pain began to dissipate. She unfolded her cramped limbs as she tried to understand what had happened.
And then all sound left her ears.
She stretched her jaw. Nothing. She rubbed her face and shook her head in a violent jerk. Still nothing. The concerned archer leaned down into her field of vision. Jularra could see him speaking to her, but heard nothing.
The movement of those around Jularra slowed to crawl, then came to a complete stop. A boulder flying overhead halted in mid-air. Anything moving paused. Anything alive seemed to die.
Jularra stared in deaf confusion at the silent, still archer.
And then the archer began to drip away. Like melting butter sliding off its cooler core, the archer’s face fell away, revealing blackness. Darkness. Decay.
A void.
In place of the archer, the trappings of life spilled away to reveal the figure of the Voidwarden.
Jularra's peripheral vision showed the same thing happening to the frozen statues of every other person nearby, revealing additional copies of the Voidwarden. Each one of the horrific figures was turned in her direction, smiling.
A shiver of fear sliced through her, and Jularra started to panic. She could not catch her breath. Her mind screamed at her to get away from it. From her position on the ground, she pushed herself back, scraping her palms raw in a desperate attempt to crawl free. But in her terror, her mind had forgotten she was still on the narrow wall, and her next push took her off the edge. She tumbled back with a silent shriek, but caught the edge of the wall just in time.
She hung there, looking down past her feet, and then back up. Above her, one of the smiling Voidwarden clones slowly leaned out over the wall.
“You tried to hide something from me,” it boomed with a volume that filled the valley, though its mouth didn't move. Its voice slithered with annoyed humor.
“I don’t know if I’m surprised, Jularra,” it continued. “But I must say, I’m excited.”
One of Jularra’s hands slipped off, but she got another hold. The Voidwarden spoke again.
“Today is the day that you killed Acorilan.”
The smiling image of the Voidwarden above her dissipated and once again became the archer. The boulder that had been suspended overhead during the Voidwarden’s visit continued on its course, striking the top of the battlements.
“Your Majesty! Give me your hand!”
Jularra blinked a few times, then lifted her hand up to the archer. He grabbed hold and pulled her up.
As Jularra came to her feet, she saw that everyone else had been returned to their usual selves. Thank the Gift Gods.
“Vylas!” Jularra screamed.
Together with Leona, Vylas was overseeing the larger group of Ridgerazers, who were still launching attacks at the Torgurian catapults.
“Vylas!”
He turned in her direction. Jularra waved her arms urgently. One look at her face and Vylas started to weave through the forces on the wall as she made her way towards him.
“The Voidwarden knows!” she yelled over the noise of war.
“What?” Vylas shouted back.
“It just appeared to me!” She leaned in closer as he reached her. “The potion must have worn off. It said I tried to hide something. Told me I’ve killed Acorilan.”
Vylas leaned back to look Jularra in the eyes.
