Chapter 6.7 - Hearts and Minds

The walls of Ston had finally been breached. The northern gatehouse, the one with the least defense, had finally taken too many hits from a few rock golems, and cracked. Although the breach was small it was large enough for goblins and kobolds to come through. And with each hit it grew wider.

The soldiers of Ston were doing their best. From their tall walls they fired rifles and hurled spells. Archers on the other side of the walls lobbed fire arrows at the horde, but it wasn't enough.

The few mages on the front lines had switched from offense to defense, trying to use terramancy to fortify the walls and gatehouses. But it was only a matter of time. A human mage having spent the majority of his life inside the protection of walls had not prepared for when the world outside came through. Guards who spent their entire career guarding an peaceful wall were no match for this onslaught.

Within minutes it was chaos. And within an hour the city would be overrun.

***

Hui ran for her life.

Hui was a combat medic by trade. And although she was able to adequately defend herself in battle, she had been dropped off in Ston for 'training'. It seemed that her guild, and every other guild, had a habit of dropping off newly recruited healers and medics in Ston to train their medical arts. Although she had progressed as a healer in her time in Ston, she was lagging far behind in experience from combat. A good combat medic was a balance of both.

However now she ran. She had armed herself the day prior when she had learned of the siege of monsters at Ston, and now they had broken through. She was not on the front gate when it happened, instead she was a little ways off at a recovery tent where she renewed the stamina of those coming from the front.

But the enemy had broken through. She did not take the time to think, she just ran. And for good reason. She was level 16, with the last 8 levels being accomplished through healing others. Although her combat abilities could help her with most low level encounters, the monsters coming through were not low level. The few races that were (goblins, kobolds, trikes) were in such high numbers that it was not advisable to battle. So instead, Hui ran. She did not think of the wounded soldiers she left in the medical tent. There was nothning she could do to save those unable to run.

She did not head for the nearest guardpost, nor did she head for the adventurer's guild. She simply ran. And before she knew it she was entering the noble's district. Normally she would have been brushed aside, but the noble's district at the center of the city also served as the disaster safezone. It was smaller and the walls separating the noble's districts from the other districts were thick and well guarded. She had on her healer's sash so although there was a large crowd trying to gain admittance, when the guards saw her sash she was pulled through.

As she made her way to the recovery tents being setup in this district, she could see the gates to the noble districts shutting behind her. The guards were yelling some excuses about 'shelters at capacity' and 'return to your homes until the crisis has passed' and 'help is on the way'.

Hui paled. The citizens not being let in were the laborers, crafters, and merchants that inhabited the city. They were not suited for combat, and as the sounds of battle drew near, the sounds of the crowd pounding on the gates grew louder.

Hui was terrified but she could not look away. These evacuees were stuck between a wave of monsters and a shut iron gate.

It was then Hui saw them.

As the monsters came into view, and spotted the crowd of civilians, they ran faster. It was an easy meal for them. As the distance closed between the crowd of civilians and their impending death, the heavens cracked with thunder and explosions fell from the sky, halting the advancing monsters. Then Hui could make out the shapes of large birds diving towards the ground from an impossible height.

Within moments, Hui could see that the shapes were too large for birds, and humanoid in shape. They fell straight towards the earth.

Eight armed and armored soldiers rapidly slowed and landed on the ground in between the civilians in the street and the monsters making a barrier between them.

Their armor was white and gold. On each uniform was a large left shoulder pauldron ebrazoned with glowing words. Hui could only make out the one that was closest.

[Archangel 17 - Arnor]

[Haven Protectorate]

And with a graceful landing these soldiers took up formation and proceeded to destroy the encroaching monsters. Four wielded melee weapons of some type, while three were firing rounds rapidly from rifles, the last two were chanting spells.

It was then that a [message] spell was mass broadcast, as Hui doubted it was sent to her specifically.

[Citizens of Ston, The Haven Protectorate has come to your aid. Proceed to the noble quarters and we will ensure you are protected from the enemy advance.]

Hui watched as this small team of 8 personnel proceeded to fight off the entire horde of enemies with sword and spell. 8 armored soldiers fighting more effectively that the hundreds of Troops at the initial wall breach.

Hui saw as two other teams landed in the distance, at the other two gates to the noble district.

Then 4 individuals landed on the inside of the gate. The soldiers, weapons at the ready, did not know what to do with this force.

One addressed the crowd from beneath a white mask with golden eyes and a halo built into the masked helm he wore.

"I am the commander of the Archangels, who among you is in control of these forces?"

One of the guards came forward. "I am captain of the guard here in the noble district."

The armored soldier addressed him. "Very well captain. We are assuming control of defense operations. This has been approved by the Grand General of the Northern Kingdoms. Please open your gates to allow retreating civilians a place to go."

The Guard captain started to argue, but the feeling of terror that this person gave off was palpable.

"I assure you captain, no monster this weak will make it past my squads. I will remain here with one of my troops to oversee healing and recovery. My second in command will leave with another troop and begin rescue operations."

Two of the four troops seemed to glow for a bit and looked lighter on their feet, Hui seemed to feel they were less attached to the pull of the earth, and when they began to jump, it was high enough to go over walls and on top of roofs.

A small ship then landed, not from the sea, but out of the sky. Leaving the ship was another squad armed with rifles as tall as Hui. They began to take up positions around the entire wall of the noble district, and began firing spells and loud rounds at the creatures that came near.

Another team came out, and Hui watched as one marked [Witchdoctor - 1] ran up to the area where the wounded was gathered and began speaking to the cleric present.

"We are here to set up a facility for treatment, is this the only casualty collection point?"

With a bit of conversation, the group got to work, healing with the same skills as the strongest clerics in Ston. Most of the armored healers were smaller than the other forces, but they still gave off an air of power.

Hui had never seen such magnificence. These were heroes, like those of old fairytales, or maybe from the Grand General's private guard. But they were from an enemy nation.

But she had heard the rumors. Under those masks worn by these saviors, there were supposedly the faces of tyrannical and devious monsters. Hui could not help but feel conflicted as she watched this group jump into action to defend the last of the city, and render aid to those injured in battle. She had been told these bloodthirsty demons were only interested in invading their lands and eating their children.

So why were monsters assisting in their plight?

***