273 Thunder

The spy's face was pulped. His head lolled to the side, bloody spit dripping down his mouth. He was bleeding all over but he wasn't dead. Omniscient. He cannot die yet.

The Vanadian soldier put the third nail on the table. It was the left pinky this time. The spy's fingers had needles sticking out where the nails used to be.

Edmund vomited, splashing his lunch upon the neat palace floor. Leopold was also shaken. But he was firm. His face was blank. He made it blank. The screams of agony was his doing. This torture was his plan. Necessity doesn't dull conscience.

I should stop. I should just let him be. He had enough.

"Do it again" Leopold said, pointing to the clean right hand of the spy. The Vanadian nodded and began working.

A crooked needle was inserted in between the nail and the finger. The spy screamed of course. He screamed and shook and screamed some more until he gasped for air after the needle was through.

Omniscient. I am a bloody madman, aren't I?

Leopold held his palm up before the Vanadian could insert another needle. He stepped closer. The smell of blood and piss was strong.

"Tell us everything you know. Do not make it difficult for both of us. What are you planning?"

The spy looked up. A smile was on his face. "All hail Ashkara"

Leopold snorted. "Again. Do the nails."

The Vanadian sliced a nail with a knife. The spy stiffed and quivered.

Leopold was getting tired of this. His stomach was revolting.

"Use the hellfire. Coat his hand and burn it."

The spy flinched to that. He followed the Vanadian with his eyes as the soldier took a cup of Hellfire. The Vanadian grabbed the spy's hand and drenched it in the liquid.

"Set it aflame. Make sure he doesn't burn throughout. We still need him to talk."

The Vanadian nodded to his command and took a candle. The flame was small but Hellfire thirsted for it.

"No!" The spy shouted. "I will talk. I will talk!"

"Then talk!" Leopold grabbed the candle himself. "Or your hand will burn and it will fall off your wrist! Imagine that. Imagine the pain, the agony while a part of you burns to grilled meat. So you better talk," He shoved it closer. "Now!"

"The ones attacking the villages were a bait to draw most of your men out of the city."

As expected, Leopold thought. Their true target is Holm.

"How many?"

"Three thousand."

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"He's lying" Edmund said

Leopold warned by grabbing the spy's wrist near the candle. "You see here boy, this man's the best merchant in the whole damn world. He would know if you're lying. You want to burn?"

"Alright, eight thousand! I swear that's what I know." The spy shouted in haste.

"That's a small number. We can defend Holm. It is idiotic for your General to think he can take Holm with eight thousand men."

"I know! I know how stupid it is to attack Holm with such a meager army. But the General seemed confident."

Leopold leaned to Edmund. "What do you think?"

"I think there is truth in his words."

"But eight thousand? We can defend right?"

"We have artillery. We can. Be at ease Leo. There's nothing to worry about."

Leopold leaned away. "I'll leave this man to your mercy. Do whatever you want with him. But you're wrong Ed." He began walking out of the room. "There would always be things to worry about."

***

Arthur couldn't believe that it was over. They had won. The Castonians, Vanadians and Borondians held the bulk of the Wismarine force while the Tulosans flanked on two sides. The charge crumpled the enemy line like carpet. The Wismarines began to rout. Only the elephants and the Falconheads remained- and they too were being slaughtered.

"Should we show mercy?" Ventil asked.

"I don't know. Should we?"

"I say we should. But there should also be executions."

"Then do it."

The Vice Duke provided a nod to that. He went to his men and instructed some things. Arthur wiped the sweat off his face. Or maybe it was tears? He had been trembling on top of his horse since the battle began. His guards didn't join the battle and he hand't done anything except watching and keeping his chin up for all to see.

"We have won," Said Grand Master Henry as he trotted his horse near Arthur. The Grand Master also looked filthy with battle.

"We have" Arthur said, shifting on his horse. "But there are too many dead. Is this normal?"

Henry grimaced to that. His grimed face contorted. "The Omniscient will give the dead some peace."

"So what now?" Arthur asked.

"We should divide our forces. Half would stay here to take care of the villagers and half would return to Holm with the captives. We..."

Henry stopped and looked to the side. Arthur noticed it too. A single Vanadian rider was galloping toward them. The man's face was a harbinger of dark news.

"What is it?" Arthur asked after the Vanadian halted.

He looked at Henry and then back at Arthur. "Your Highness, it's about Holm."

***

Leopold slumped against the merlon of the wall. The stones felt smooth against his back. He scratched Wasp behind the ear. The large dog seemed to like it.

"Lucky you. You are the royal hound or something. Well I envy you Wasp. Just a little. Your job is to defend William. Easy. Well not easy but... uncomplicated. As for me..." Leopold sighed. "Let's just say that I'm too old for this."

"I don't think talking to a dog will do your reputation good sire." Rupert said, standing tall in his splendid royal guard garments.

"But isn't he adorable?" Leopold again scratched the dog behind the ear. "He could maul a full grown man but he is a gentle beast. I wish all men were as loyal as dogs."

"That is impossible sire. Loyalty is revered because it is rare."

"I should stop you right there Rupert. I am in no mood to banter philosophy. Why are you here anyway?"

"I should ask you the same. Why are you here? I thought you decided to never leave Prince William's side until he wakes up."

Leopold looked down. "I cannot stay there, in that room. For now that is." He turned his head to Rupert. "The surgeons are cutting his arms as we speak. I failed. I promised that I would not let this happen but I failed. My son will become a cripple."

"I am sorry to hear that sire. But there was nothing you could have done to change it."

"Aye. His wounds are now dripping with pus. It was black. I saw it. They say that the rot will spread and he would die. Wismarine poison is a bitch. But that doesn't make it easier. My son is without arms. He is William Castonia, a great warrior feared by many. He will be mocked, I am sure of it. To that I can do something. I will slap any person who utters a mockery against him."

Leopold sighed and averted his attention elsewhere. He looked around. Many Vanadians were on guard duty today, half of the garrison of Holm. The engineers and artillery crew were also roused from their sleep. The Wismarines would have a hard time going through the defenses.

He rose and strode along the wall. Wasp and Rupert followed him. He smiled upon realizing that the Vanadians had steeled into real warriors now. They were not as good as the Castonians but the leap they did from relying on mercenaries in their borders to what he was seeing now was incredible.

"How are things going Prefect?" Leopold asked one of the officers. He wasn't sure if this one is a Prefect but he guessed.

"Good sire, I think. We have secured the northern, eastern and western walls. We have also scattered defenders in the south but I doubt the Wismarines would attack from there."

All of a sudden, Wasp barked facing the west. The ferocity of the hound was unnatural. Wasp was flashing his long canines but his tail was between his legs.

"What now boy?"

Wasp bit Leopold's trousers. The dog tugged him away. Leopold was almost downed by the strong pull. Several Vanadians pointed their spears at Wasp.

"No!" Leopold shouted. "Do not lay a finger on him or you'll hang!"

The Vanadians stepped back to that. Leopold stepped toward where Wasp was tugging him. They, along with Rupert, walked at least a couple hundred paces until Wasp let go of his trousers.

Leopold knelt and patted Wasp's head. "Why boy? What's wrong?"

Wasp just whimpered. Leopold felt dread to that. He looked around. It was peaceful. Everything was in order. But a beast's instincts were rarely wrong.

The wall shook, violent like a passing storm. Leopold was thrown. Everything was in daze. Shouts rang.

And then the a crashing sound banged loud. Dust and debris filled the air. It was thunder. It was brutal.

Leopold was shaking when it was over. He trembled more when he saw what happened. A portion of the wall was now rubbled. A gap of about a hundred armspans opened in the western wall. All the men on top a while ago were now buried under the piles of stones. Those who were still living were hanging for dear life.

"How..." Leopold gulped, staring at the rubbled wall. He shook his head. "No"