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REMEMBERING MY LIFE Chapter 15 part 2 of 2

REMEMBERING MY LIFE Chapter 15 part 2 of 2

I looked at her, “think the city council would listen if I spoke to them?”

She smiled, “they will not leave.”

I shook my head, “and you want to stay.”

Ellie nodded, “this is where I want to live.”

I sighed and let her go, “then I have my work cut out for me.”

I went back to pick up the bag of supplies I had managed to buy before heading towards the door. I had a few ideas to slow or stop the orcs but needed a few things. It was two weeks before the swarm of orcs appeared, and I stood on the outer wall to watch them come. Every fifty paces were a pole with a barrel on top, they were set out a hundred paces from the wall.

The ground was covered out to a few hundred paces with small caltrops and traps. I watched with the guard commander as the orcs spread out but flowed towards us. They slowed when they hit the trip ropes and then the arrows began to fall. I lifted my rifle and started shooting and killed those that were leading the others.

It was a moment before they fell back but continued to spread out and more were still coming over the far rise. It was less than an hour before they started moving towards us again. I began killing them and once they were in range the arrows began again. They almost reached the barrels before pulling back and still more were flowing over the far rise.

While we waited, I reloaded the empty magazines and watched. The next attack had them almost reaching the walls before the guards I had stationed lit the fuses I had made. There was a flash that was like an explosion. Less than ten seconds later the barrels exploded and the lamp oil with liquid soap ignited as it spread onto the orcs.

They screamed and fled in panic as those caught by the flames were burned alive. It was hours before they attacked again, and I kept firing until they were to the wall when they finally pulled back. I looked at the guard commander as I started reloading magazines, “they will breach the wall next time.”

He nodded, “I am moving the extra supplies back and moving the horses up.”

The horses had been my idea to help the escaping guards flee through the other wall faster. Between the walls were more barrels on tall posts as well as more caltrops to slow the orcs. There were safe lanes the guards had learned to use. The commander turned to bark the order for oil to be spilled between the walls as the orcs started forming and milling around.

I glanced at Ellie as she slipped up beside me, “ready to do your spell?”

She grinned, “as soon as they start climbing the walls.”

It was not long before there was the roar from the orcs as they rushed towards the wall. There was still more flowing over the far rise as I began firing, they almost seemed to hesitate before everything sped up. They reached the wall, and I heard Ellie begin to chant as I kept firing. There was a huge boom and lightning exploded along the front of the wall and reached out into the army of orcs.

I spun and grabbed the large shoulder bag before pushing Ellie in front of me. The commander waited as more orcs pressed in and started climbing the wall. I ran down the stairs behind Ellie and watched her almost flow up and onto a horse before leaping into the saddle of my own. I followed as she rode for the inner wall tunnel and gate.

Inside we turned and swung down before running up the stairs. I could hear the horns signaling the soldiers to retreat before we reached the top of the wall. I was hoping they had managed to finish evacuating everyone across the bridge as I stopped between crenels. I dropped the large shoulder bag and started reloading my magazines with Ellie helping.

It was not long before I saw orcs coming over the other wall and began shooting. I went back and forth to cover the soldiers moving back through the gates. Others began firing arrows but slowly more orcs were spilling over the other wall. I grinned at Ellie, “time for our surprise.”

Orcs covered the other wall and seemed to spill out between the walls. This was more carefully planned, and Ellie murmured and made a throwing gesture. The wall exploded in flames and raced away in each direction as orcs screamed and were consumed. The fire did not spill down between the walls, so we were able to kill the milling orcs that had been trapped.

It was a while before the fire on the wall died and the orcs began climbing over again. We had killed thousands and they were still coming over the far rise as if there were an endless number. We killed them until they reached the inner wall and then fire arrows were shot into the ground to ignite the oil that had been spilled.

Fire spread quickly until the entire area between the walls was in flames. I had been worried the barrel on the tall poles would catch on fire but the retardant on the poles kept the poles from burning. We used arrows to kill the orcs on the outer wall while they waited for the fire to die. When it did the orcs poured down between the walls and rushed the inner wall.

It was a while before they broke through and the commander gave the order to fire the barrels. Wires ran from the inner walls to the barrels with a fuse and the fuse was lit. Each barrel exploded, sending flames and oil out and onto the orcs. It was not long before the area between the walls was completely in flames again.

I reloaded and looked at Ellie, “go to the bridge.”

Each of the houses on this side of the river had bricked up. They all had planks leading from roof to roof. Two of the three bridges had been collapsed so there was only one way across and it now and it had a thick wall and gate blocking the other side. After Ellie was gone I looked out at the rise and shook my head.

I glanced at the commander when he stepped to my side, “that was the last of the oil.”

He nodded and grinned, “the barrels of whisky are next.”

I nodded but knew even that was not going to stop the orcs. I was not sure how Ellie had gotten so much of the three liquids I needed for my ammo, but it was not going to be enough. I fired into the orcs crowded onto the other wall until the flames between the walls started to die. I reloaded again and waited until the orcs roared and rushed off the other wall before firing again.

They were starting to climb this wall when the commander ordered the catapults fired and barrels of whisky started crashing down into the orcs. Soon the area was in flames again and the orcs were fighting to pull back. The commander sighed, “the horses are ready for when they start climbing the wall.”

I nodded as I continued to empty magazines. I stopped and began to reload and started firing again as the fires died. The orcs flowed over the wall and down before rushing us. I kept firing and then looked up at a huge roar. A dragon was high above the city, and I watched as he banked and dove towards the area between the walls.

I turned to yell, “do not fire at the dragon!”

He raced above the level of the walls as a huge jet of flame consumed the orcs below him. He rose and twisted before starting to fly back and breathing flame on the outer wall and then came back beyond them. The men on the wall stared as the orcs fled in panic and I headed for the stairs.

The men guarding the gate hesitated before opening them and I raced out and ran towards the outer wall gates. They were open and burning as I ran through to see the dragon finally turning and flying towards the wall. I walked out and over the orc bodies that littered the ground. He dropped to the ground in front of me and I grinned, “well met dragon, I missed you.”

He grinned as he carefully walked towards me, “it is strange but I have missed your company also.”

I glanced at the running orcs and looked at the dragon, “have you eaten?”

He nodded, “a few deer.”

I smiled and turned to the gates to see guards and Ellie. She pushed past them and started towards me, and I turned to the dragon, “will you stay?”

He looked around and seemed to smile, “a few days. I am going farther to the west and into the Peak mountains. My mate is finally coming into season.”

I blinked as Ellie joined us, “mate? I did not see...”

He lifted his head and breathed out a large smoke ring, “dragon mates do not stay together. We are mated and can speak with each other at any time.”

I nodded and then gestured, “old lizard this is my mate, Ellie.”

She hit my shoulder, “old lizard.”

She bowed, “thank you for helping us with the orcs.”

He sniffed, “helping you? Were the pests bothering you?”

I grinned as she tried to find an answer, “only a tiny bit. How was the trip so far?”

He looked around before reaching down to rip an orc apart and swallowing, “not bad. The plains are always tasty. But the mountains and forest on this side seemed sparse. The ground worms I found were very tasty too.”

I grinned, “I hope you roasted them; I liked them that way.”

The dragon nodded, “roasted is always good.”

I turned towards the gate, “would you like to meet us by the cliff? I do not think you would fit through the gates.”

He grinned, “I wanted to talk to you about that female baron just beyond my territory.”

I was almost afraid to ask, “what about her?”

He snorted, “she is a brave thing. I ate one cow and she walked into my cave and told me off and demanded I pay the farmer.”

I grinned, “the old one tried to rob me and I had to kill him.”

The dragon started walking and I felling beside him as I grabbed Ellie’s hand, “this female baron was most reasonable. She suggested I visit the village over the pass and ask if they would like the remains of all the hero’s back.”

He chuckled, “it seems to have worked. I had a runner come to the cave to warn me about a stubborn prince that refused to go away. I paid him a visit as the female baron suggested and spoke to him at length while eating his horse. He was most polite and apologized for disturbing me.”

I laughed with Ellie as we reached the gate. The dragon just hoped and grabbed the wall as he climbed over and met us on the other side. The guards that had come out stood aside and stared as we went by and I cleared my throat, “I should warn you I made new weapons for some dwarfs beyond and to the south of the female Baron.”

The dragon snorted, “I noticed. Loud things that would wake the dead.”

I grinned, “I did not think about a silencer until later.”

We went through the other gate while he went over, and the commander stood aside with wide eyes as we walked down the street talking. Once across the bridge and through the other gate the dragon snorted as Little One and Charles both appeared in the street ahead. They almost seemed to ignore him as they stood and turned to walk back towards the cliff.

I glanced at Ellie and then the dragon, “have you had any more things fall through the hole?”

He shook his head, “it has been quiet since you came.”

We climbed to the cliff to the door into our home and I was right the dragon fit. I was almost sorry to see him leave a couple of days later. The orcs had not returned, and the city was busy burying all the bodies. Ellie slipped onto my lap that night as I stared into the fire remembering my old life. She caressed my face, “time to change our history.”

I shook myself and smiled at her, “what change would that be?”
She smiled, “children.”

The end


Written by nutbuster (D C)
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