Chapter 194: Dog

As Dog inched closer and closer toward the wall, the sound of clashing blades and the ferocious yells and wounded screams of men in battle became louder and louder. 

Then, the mana signature behind the wall surged, and the combat stopped.

Dog had a reputation for brutality and ferocity amongst his comrades, but nevertheless he was filled with concern for his comrades who were likely fighting within the gatehouse. 

Now right up against the wall next to the door, he inched his head around the corner and peeked within.

The sight he saw within froze his blood cold.

The guardroom was completely destroyed, the table splintered and the crates and barrels broken and leaking their contents all over the room.

But this wasn't the reason that Dog had frozen, no, one man stood within the guardroom, surrounded by the dead.

If it were not for the distinctive tattoos that Scarecrow had all along his hands, Dog would not have been able to recognize the men who lay slain within, their limbs missing, and holes burned completely through their chests. The hand that he had recognized them as Nighthawks by lying to one aside, cast aside like some forgotten toy.

Surrounded by this horrific sight, standing with a shining sword drawn in the center of the gore covered guardroom, was the Emperor himself.

"Another rat who thinks me a fool! Come then, join your comrades in death!" The Emperor snarled, he had sensed the intruder's mana surging as he stood at the door.

With a loud snarl, Dog leapt into the room, melding into the shadows as he did so, knowing that engaging the Emperor as violently as possible was the only way he could ensure that his companions would make a clean getaway.

"Whirlpool! Let's go, Dog's distracting the enemy so we can get word to the Grand Marshal." Salmon hissed as he pulled the frozen Whirlpool away, Whirlpool could feel the enormously powerful waves of mana radiating from the guardroom, and he knew that Dog had just leapt into his certain death.

Within the guardroom  the Emperor stood with a twisted snarl on his face, his shining armor, studded with jewels and gilded all over was splattered with the blood of the Nighthawks.

His usual solemn and kindly expression had disappeared, and he had rushed ahead, leaving his men behind to come to the gatehouse.

Of course, he could have just as easily defeated all three of the invaders without even touching them, but he had been so enraged at the thought of them that he had drawn his sword and dismembered them by his own hand.,

How dare they! Did they think he was so foolish as to fall for the same trick again and again? 

One with the shadows in the room, Dog knew that he had to move fast, otherwise the Emperor would pin his position down by sensing his mana alone, and 

Dog channeled all his mana in one violent burst, as he burst out of the shadows, his arms covered in Darkness Element Mana, forming a pair of enormous claws that he used to slash out at the Emperor's back.

It was a futile effort, the Emperor turned smoothly, his shining sword cleanly slicing through the claws of darkness, cleaning Dog's arms in half, and then, taking his life.

But even as Dog lay bleeding on the floor of the guardroom, Salmon and Whirlpool had fled below, and had activated the device given to them as a last resort.

Beneath the gatehouse, within one of the many narrow corridors that lay within the great wall of Aznur, Whirlpool lifted the device to his mouth and began to speak. 

------

Back outside the gates, Tam and Anteris watched the device in Tam's hands, waiting for those on the other end to speak. Finally, the crackling stopped, and a voice could be heard.

"Grand Marshal. Forgive us, the mission has failed. The Emperor was lying in wait, we have had to withdraw. We will do what we can to sabotage them from within the wall, but the gate cannot be opened." Whirlpool's gruff voice came from the device, audible to all those waiting to rush into through the gates.

Tam sat completely still on his horse, his face completely expressionless, concealing the emotions that were raging within him.

He had grown overconfident over the course of this campaign, and now he had paid the price. Some of his best men had been sent within the Inner City, men who had been with him since the very beginning, when he had only been in command of fifty or so soldiers.

What had he been thinking? Those that had died within could have just as easily been his own son, who was amongst the ranks of the Nighthawks.

"What now, Grand Marshal?" Anteris asked, his voice gravely serious, he had realized how precious the Nighthawks were to Tam, and though he sent them on the most dangerous mission, they were still his most trusted men.

"Now, we take down the wall." Tam's expression shifted to one of seething anger, and he leapt of his horse and strode toward the wall, a bright blue aura coming into existence around him.

Tam drew his curved sword, and the unmistakable wings spread out behind him, as he launched himself into the sky.

The Last Hawk flew up, higher and higher, higher than he could ordinarily dare to when in combat with another of the Advanced Rank, he didn't need to worry about a counterattack or an opponent charging up their defense

The gathered Ursten troops gazed up in amazement as their commander grew smaller and smaller, fading from sight, a tiny blue dot shining in the evening sky.

Soon, it seemed as though Tam had disappeared, and in his place was another star in the night sky, shining bright blue amongst its silver neighbors.

Then, Tam dived, aiming for the scorched portion of the wall that Anteris had spent hours slamming attack after attack into.