Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty-Three - Octagon

Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty-Three - Octagon

Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty-Three - Octagon

The towers base was another octagonal ring, but this one stuck out a little, with archways leading up to a crenellated terrace maybe ten metres off the ground that encircled the entire building. Thats where the docks started. They were a series of long platforms, connected together and with wooden trusses rising from below to hold them in place.

The plateau the tower was on had to be somewhat artificial, there was a wide space around the tower that didnt have any large stones on it, and those on the edge were cut into as if someone had just... sliced through the stones without any resistance.

There are the guards, Bastion said.

Five of them, Caprica said after pulling her head back from around the boulder we had crept up behind.

Six, Bastion said. Four by the entrance, two above. Theres one in the shadows of those crates. Might not be a guard, but its another set of eyes.

I looked out myself, grabbing my ears to hold them down so that only the top bit of my head would be poking out.

I spotted three guards near the entrance, with two more up on the top of the base, looking bored behind the crenelations. Finding the sixth took a bit of squinting, but he revealed himself when my eyes caught the motion of him scratching his nose. Just as Bastion said, he was half hidden behind a stack of crates.

They were all human. Or close enough to human that I couldnt tell them apart from this far out. For all I knew, they were catfolk like Calamity and I couldnt see their ears from way over where I was hidden.

The scouts might be able to take one or two out before theyre noticed, but I wouldnt gamble on any more than that, Bastion said. Im open to ideas.

We need to remove the ships from play as soon as possible, Caprica said. Whatever we do to reach the tower, we should have a team split off right away to sabotage their ships. We should probably avoid fire though, I didnt expect the docks to overhang the forest at all.

The docks, unfortunately, did. Though in Carpicas defence, it was on the other side of the rise as the one wed climbed on. I guessed that they needed the additional space for some of the larger, missing ships.

We dont want to destroy the docks themselves either, Amaryllis added. We can use them.

Good idea, Caprica said. So, clearing the docks is a priority.

Bastion considered that, then gestured up the length of the tower. We cant do that if we dont clear all the floors in the tower above the docks, or else someone could toss spells and stones down at us.

Didnt we plan on clearing it in any case? Caprica asked.

Well try, but to do something like that, I'd prefer to have four times as many soldiers at my side, he said. Ideally, well fulfil our primary mission objective and extract from there.

Right, of course, Caprica said with a nod. So, how do we move from here?

Bastions eyes narrowed as he thought, then he nodded. We have a few decently capable mages, including you, Miss Albatross. If they each pick a target and hit them all at once... itll be noisy, but some noise is better than someone outright sounding the alarm.

Im in, Amaryllis said.

After that, well grab those here who cant fly and move up to the space above the entrance, Bastion continued.

I am significantly less in, Amaryllis amended.

Itll be less guarded than the main entrance. Though I suspect the hostages will be kept below, Bastion said.

Because its easier to bring things down for them than up? Awen asked.

Alright, B, once youve secured the last prisoner, youre on sabotage duty, Bastion said. He gestured to the ships still moored in place. Go make those inoperable. Squads A and C, youre with me, were going to clear this floor, then work our way up. Squad D... thats Broccolis Bunch, youre working with Princess Caprica and her guards. Clear the bottom-most floors.

Got it! I said with a salute. I would have preferred squad B, for Broccoli, but I could live with being squad D.

We would need to come up with a cool name for our squad. The Destroyers? The Danger... somethings? Yeah! And we needed a uniform, or maybe just some pins, and of course we needed a secret handshake.

Broccoli? Amaryllis asked.

Oh, sorry, yes, I said. Were going down, right?

Yeah, Amaryllis said. I think Capricas in charge of our little squad?

The other sylph were moving out with alacrity, quickly following Bastions instructions with the kind of almost-janky motions Id come to expect from soldiers whod trained for the moment a thousand times before.

Carpica nodded. I suppose I do outrank everyone and I do have more training than most of you. She glanced at her two quiet guardsmen, a pair of sylph men whod barely spoken a word at all in the last couple of days. I just wish we were squad C, for Caprica, she muttered so low that I wouldnt have picked it out without extra ears.

So, howre we doing this? Calamity asked. He tugged a fresh arrow out and held it pinched in the same hand holding his bow.

We go in now, Caprica said. Bastions squadron will clear this floor, so well go down as soon as we can, then we clear every room we come across. Awen, Calamity, can you take the middle? Broccoli, Amaryllis, at the rear, and myself and my guards will take the front.

Got it, I said. I made sure Weedbane was folded up. It wouldnt be handy while deployed inside of a building unless the tower interior was much more spacious than I expected.

We moved in as a group through the large doorway into the tower, and I noticed something right away. The doorway was almost exactly as large as the corridor within. It was not spacious at all, with walls that were too close together and a ceiling that was a bit on the taller side. The frequent archways didnt help any since they squeezed the space in a little and had some space behind them where someone could conceivably stand.

This place is weird, I said as I glanced over the heads of my friends ahead of me. The corridor was dimly lit by lamps hanging from the wall and burning a bit of oil.

Its built for war, Caprica said. Narrow corridors mean that one or two trained soldiers can defend an entire passage on their own. If the pirates had time to prepare, this is going to be challenging.

Fortunately, the corridor ended in a large room with a much taller ceiling. The room was octagonal, with doors into rooms along the edges and eight more corridors leading outside. The path down was right in the centre, a big stairwell that probably rose up through the entirety of the tower.

Bastions squadron was already in the staircase, three sylph looking up, three looking down, while the rest of the squadron barged into each room, one at a time and checked it for pirates.

I saw them dragging one pirate out of what was obviously some sort of restroom. The man was screaming into the rope theyd tied over his mouth and he was walking awkwardly with his pants around his ankles.

I turned away before I saw something I shouldnt. Poor pirate, being caught on the toilet of all places was just embarrassing.

Well stop anyone from coming from above, Bastion said.

Thank you, Caprica replied as she passed. And the exterior?

The scouts will report it if anyone approaches, he said. Theyll be acting as runners between the squad leaders.

Understood. Good luck up there, she said.

And you, Princess, he said. Bastion gave her a rare smile and a quick salute.

Judging by the flush on Capricas cheeks, shed treasure that smile for a while. Alright, lets go!

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