Under the Oak Tree

Vesmore felt eerily empty with the campaign party gone. Though five hundred Dristanian soldiers stood guard near the gates, the heart of the city was littered with abandoned tents, empty stables, and mounds of refuse.

Maxi's chest ached as she gazed down at the desolation from her window. This was not the first time she had watched her husband embark on a perilous journey, yet the grief she felt was the same each time. In fact, it only became more and more unbearable.

Pushing her sorrow aside, she moved from the window to the fireplace and extinguished the flames. Grabbing her bag, she stepped out of her room when she heard a familiar voice address her from behind.

"My lady, are those all your belongings?"

She turned to find Garrow, his uncovered eye fixed on the bag in her hand.

"I only need a few clothes," Maxi replied with a shrug. "I have already moved the medical tools and other provisions to the shared quarters."

"Then, we should make haste. The rest have started for the outskirts."

Without a word, Garrow reached out, took the bag from her, and slung it over his shoulder. Maxi's gaze swept across the snow blanketed street as she followed the young knight out of the guild house.ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ N(o)vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.nᴇt

In the wake of the campaign party's departure, Vesmore's defenses had been bolstered. The remaining soldiers were on high alert, strategically positioned near the city's outer walls. Lienna Moor Thorben's elite Dristanian troops rotated their shifts on the battlements. Meanwhile, Princess Agnes and her twenty knights, joined by Gabel and his eight subordinates, assumed scouting duties. The mages held their posts close to the walls, with Maxi's station near the northern tower.

"This way, my lady," Garrow said, leading her to the back of the building. "Your horse is saddled and ready."

A smile lit up Maxi's face when she saw Rem. Though she had left the mare's care to the knights since their arrival in Vesmore, she appeared to be robust and lively.

"I know I've neglected you," Maxi said, approaching the snorting horse with an apologetic look. "You forgive me, don't you?"

Rem stomped her foreleg and butted her nose against Maxi's shoulder. After a moment of soothing the disgruntled steed, Maxi nimbly climbed onto the saddle. Together with Garrow, they rode out of the city center, weaving through the dense rows of wooden houses.

After riding about ten minutes, a majestic castle emerged between the narrow alleyways. Maxi halted and dismounted, approaching the outer wall. The dozens of men digging along the structure raised their heads at her arrival.

"My lady," one of the men greeted, removing his hat when he recognized her. Maxi took a moment to note his familiar features. It was likely someone she had treated before.

"I see you are..fully recovered," seh remarked with a smile.

"Thanks to you, my lady," he replied heartily, driving his shovel into the ground.

A puzzled expression crossed her face as she surveyed the scene. "May I ask..what you are working on?"

"We are filling the drains connected to the moat to prevent enemies from sneaking in."

The voice came from Anette, at the bottom of a ditch, shoveling mud into a hole in the wall. Wiping away the sweat on her brow with the back of her hand, she glanced skyward. "One heavy rain could flood the entire city, but it's a risk we must take for now."

Maxi nodded with a grave expression. After all, she had once used the moat to sneak into the city herself.

Handing her reins to Garrow, she bagan rolling up her sleeves. "Let me help."

"I can handle this," Anette replied. She pointed her chin toward the wall. "Why don't you head up to the battlement? Alec and Dean are working on the defense weapons. I'm sure they'd appreciate some help."

Maxi craned her neck to view the temporary structure installed on the wall before hurrying toward it. Ascending the ladder to the battlement, she found the Godric brothers setting up a ballista. She made a beeline to them.

"I was told you needed help. What would you like me to do?"

"Max! Perfect timing!" Dean exclaimed, grinning. "We're replacing the drawstrings with wyvern tendons to enhance the crossbows. Could you fortify the prod with magic to bear the extra tension?"

Maxi assessed the crossbow. As Alec pulled the string, the prod curved alarmingly under the strain. She quickly drew a run onto the ballista and infused it with mana.

"That should do it."

"Great! Let's try it again."

Alec operated the winch at the end of the machine. "You always make me do the grunt work," he huffed.

Once the string was taut, Dean released an arrow. The sharp, whip-like crack echoed as the three-kevette projectile shot into the air. Maxi gasped in amazement as she watched it draw an impressive arc before vanishing over the hill.

"That'll take down a wyvern for sure!" Alec cried excitedly.

"We should strengthen the others, too."

The Godric brothers gathered their tools before rising. Together with Maxi, they modified the roughly thirty-two ballistae along the city walls, some of which needed significant repairs. Fixing them all took nearly half a day.

Late in the afternoon, Maxi ate lunch before heading to the construction site to help with the wall repairs. Vesmore had endured several battles by then, and many parts of the ramparts required attention.

She worked tirelessly, collecting stone and wood around the city and preparing meals for the laborers. By sunset, she was utterly drained. One positive about her exhaustion was that it granted her a reprieve from fretting over Riftan, allowing her to sleep through the night.

She continued to push herself the next day and the days after until word arrived from Midna. The undead army had been forced to retreat. However, her relief was short-lived; the message also warned that the monster army could strike Vesmore next, causing the city to go on high alert.

Lienna Moor Thorben responded swiftly, ordering the soldiers to heighten defenses. The mages hastened to restore the magical devices and mounted magic detectors on the walls. These instruments would sound the alarm should any dragonians approach. This tense environment was how Vesmore braced for a potential onslaught.

Yet, a week passed without any signs of a monster army. It was conceivable they had changed course for Ennismon instead. If so, Celric and Miriam were likely battling scores of undead at this very moment.

After gazing at the horizon past the parapet, Maxi sank in front of a brazier with a tired sigh. The exhaustion of the past few weeks, combined with gnawing anxiety, made it impossible for her to sleep.

As she rubbed her bleary eyes and leaned back against the chair, Sidina appeared.

"I'll take over now, Max."

"It's not yet sunset," Maxi replied.

Sidina wagged a finger. "You've been on duty since dawn. You'll collapse if you keep pushing yourself like this. Rest is crucial."

Maxi enviously regarded her friend's lively face for a moment, then got up with a sigh. Though she doubted sleep would come, she could at least lie down for a while.

"Then..I will take over in the morning."

"I don't want to see you until the sun is up.Try to rest even if you can't fall asleep."

With that, Sidina flicked her wrist as if shooting away a fruit fly. Maxi shook her head and left the watchtower. Outside, the sky was changing from gray to light purple. She stared over the dusk-infused plain before turning her attention to the dark ridge fo the Lexos Mountains rising loftily beyond.

The campaign party would be passing through the rugged valleys by now. The possbility of them facing monsters and conseqent losses gnawed at her.

Maxi quickly put a halt to her terrible imagination. It was not her job to wallow in pointless worry; it was to protect Vesmore at all costs.

She steeled her weakening resolve as she descended the stairs. At the shared quarters, she devoured oat porridge before collapsing into bed. But just as she settled, the distant blare of a horn pierced the air. She bolted upright and raced outside. Amid the chaos and confusion, she clambered up the wall for a clearer view. To the west, what initially looked like a snowstorm approached like a tidal wave.

But it was not snow. The white mass dominating the horizon was thousands and thousands of skeletons.

After staring at the field in horror, Maxi darted up the watchtower, where she activated the defensive magical devices. As she did, an overwhelming sensation of discord seized her. Staring out, her yes widened in disbelief. An army of giant skeletons, each nearly thirty kevettes tall, were advancing on Vesmore, their heavy footfalls shaking the very earth.