Charge!

---Katherine---

We managed to get everyone across a few hours before dawn. After a brief moment of rest, phase two of the attack was enacted. Lord Victor's stronghold sat at the top of the peak, and we were halfway there. There was one winding path that went all the way to the top, but there were also smaller trails that led directly up. These were likely formed by natural forces, which made them harder to climb. However, these trails were scattered all around the peak, which allowed us to approach the stronghold in all directions.

"Move quickly, but keep quiet! We don't want to alert the enemy." Lionel issued commands to his subordinates, who passed the orders down the line. Perhaps due to the presence of Lord Victor, the winds were stronger and the temperature was noticeably lower. We stood on the slope, watching as the troops fanned out and went in the directions they were assigned.

"Can't you just fly all of us up there?" Lucian asked Aaron. "It'll take forever for us to climb."

Aaron looked at his best friend. "Lucian, if it was as easy as you said, I would've flown our entire army up to the stronghold. But if you happen to fall off the side of the mountain, I can catch you. Probably."

Lucian muttered something under his breath, and Aaron punched him jokingly on the shoulder. I turned to Lionel. "Let's go. We need to get as far up as we can before the enemy spots us."

"You're right. Men, let's move." Lionel nodded towards his group of thirty personal guards, and they shifted into formation.

Lionel, Aaron, Rachel, Lucian, and I were going to fight our way in through the front gates, but we began climbing on the side behind the castle in order to avoid most of the fighting. We were the ones who will be fighting Lord Victor, so we couldn't spend our time being detained by enemy troops.

The slopes were sheer and difficult to scale, but at least they weren't completely vertical. At certain parts, it felt like I was hiking a steep hill rather than climbing a mountain. It wasn't snowing at the moment, but a layer of white covered the entire mountain, which added to the difficulty of the climb. Soon, everyone was using their weapons as hiking poles. I envied those who had spears, which were much more efficient than swords when it came to hiking.

A few pieces of rock hit me on the head, and I looked up. Aaron, who was climbing in front of me, had placed his foot on a spot with loosened rocks. "Aaron, be careful!" No sooner had I called out the warning did his foot slip. As his foot came bearing down on my head, I reached up and caught his boot-clad foot. Using all my might, I pushed Aaron's foot up until he found another spot to place his foot.

"Thanks, Kath. I would've fallen off and died," Aaron said gratefully, reaching down to give me a hand.

"No problem. We have to look out for each other." I gripped Aaron's hand and pulled myself up to the small ledge he was standing on. Dawn was breaking soon, but we still had a quarter of the way to go.

"How's everyone doing?" Lionel stopped climbing to check on us. Aaron and I flashed him a thumbs up. On the other side of Lionel, Rachel and Lucian called out affirmations. "Good. Let's keep going. Get as far up as we can before we have to fight."

Everyone nodded. We kept climbing the snowy slopes, feeling the cold wind nipping at our faces and fingers. Then we heard a commotion break out on the other side of the mountain. Shouting pierced the quiet morning air, and then there were the sounds of weapons clashing. We looked at each other gravely—the enemy had spotted our forces.

"Keep going! We have to reach the fortress as soon as possible!" Lionel shouted. His guards drew closer to us, and we increased our pace.

On the other side of the mountain, our troops clashed with Lord Victor's. I heard the screams of people falling off the side of the mountain and hoped it was mostly enemy soldiers. So far, no one had found us climbing from the back, but it wouldn't be long before they did.

'Boom! Boom! Boom!' Cannon shots were fired from the battlements. Arrows rained down from above. I gritted my teeth and followed closely behind Aaron, keeping an eye out for enemy soldiers. Lionel looked to the side as if he could see around the mountain to the front, where his soldiers were charging and fighting and dying. Knowing him, he was probably wishing he was with them right now, leading them into battle and fighting alongside them.

The trail we were climbing on merged with the winding path. Lord Victor's stronghold was right above our heads, but the sides of the mountain were now too sheer to climb. We had to fight our way up from the path.

Groups of our soldiers ran past us, brandishing their weapons and yelling battle cries, before disappearing around the bend and engaging in battle with the enemy. Lionel was the first to move, pulling out his sword as he sprinted along the path. Aaron and I exchanged a determined glance before following, with Lucian and Rachel closely behind.

I was not prepared for what I would see when we rounded the bend. Lord Victor's castle was even more formidable and awe-inspiring up close. With dawn's early light barely peeking over the snowy mountains, the castle's walls seemed as dark as night, glaring menacingly down.

Soldiers lined the walls and battlements, firing volleys of arrows and sporadic cannon shots. The once-white snow on the ground was now splotched with gray and red, and patches of the winter ground peeked through. Arrowheads, hilts of broken swords, and armor that failed to protect were scattered like weeds, strewn alongside bodies that have yet to become cold. All around, metal clashed on metal, and men cried out in agony as their lives were cut short. Arcs of blood flew through the air before splattering onto the snow. Enemy soldiers and monsters alike charged at our men, who pushed back valiantly. This was a battlefield. This was a real fight of life or death.

I looked up at the dark walls of the fortress, at the black flags fluttering in the wind and the merciless steel flying through the air. The portcullis loomed directly in front of us, barring our entry into the castle. It couldn't have been more than a hundred meters away, but it seemed far away and out of reach. We had to get there. We had to get inside, where Indigo was held captive. Where Lord Victor was waiting for us.

"Charge!" At Lionel's roar, I brandished Retribution and sprinted into the fray.