David Mcintee - The Light of Heaven

A loud, dry, clattering was rising from all around as bricks, stones, and pieces of timber were tossed onto the line of debris.

Erak Brand shook his head. "You're out of your mind, Gabe. That's not going to be much of a wall. I hate to agree with that scum Crowe, but he has a point about that."

"It's not supposed to be a wall. It's supposed to be a line."

"They won't pay much attention to that."

Gabriella's mind was racing. "No… And I don't want them to. I want them to just think it's a little raised embankment."

"They'll just hop straight over it. You know that. It won't stop anyone for more than a second."

Gabriella nodded. "And they'll be much easier targets for archery practice when they do cross that line. Then there's a clear killing ground on all sides of the church. Anything that makes it past the wall is an arrow-magnet."

Erak looked back at the rubble dubiously, clearly trying to see some value in it and failing. "There's so much cloth and dry timber that your wall will go up like a tinderbox from the slightest — "

"That's the idea," she interrupted.

"What?"

"How many goblins are there who aren't afraid of fire? When that wall's piled nice and high with their dead, we fire it."

"A burning barrier? The timberwood and cloth will take fire, but how do we ignite it?"

"You could always dismantle the pipes for the gibbets," Crowe suggested with a smirk. "Lay them around the perimeter and pump the naphtha through them. Of course you'd have difficulty putting it all back together again afterwards."

"What sort of idiot would think that was a good idea?" Erak snapped. "Aside from how long it would take, there isn't that much piping in the system."

Crowe grinned. "Well, then you could always stuff the barrier with rags and blankets soaked in the naphtha. Maybe spirits from the inn and taverns. That should do the job." He winked at Gabriella. "Just like at the Huntress. Booze, lantern, roast gobboes all round."

Gabriella nodded. "That'll do to start and then corpse-fat will keep the flames going, and they'll be twice as reluctant to try coming through it."

Kurt Stoll was completely at a loss as to what was happening. He had slept for over an entire day, and when he finally did awaken, he found that his church was full of mercenaries and townspeople. It almost felt like being a proper Enlightened One again, the way his life had been before Warrigan came and introduced him to a type of fiery alcohol they served in Allantia.

He had drunk himself insensible that night and woken the next morning to find a grinning Warrigan and a smug tattooist.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood," Warrigan had said.

Stoll had been equal parts furious and terrified. He knew that, even under the influence of drink or drug, he would never have lost his faith. Warrigan had proved to him that he didn't have to lose his faith; he just had to do occasional favours, or his superiors would be given just enough suspicious information about him to make them look at him more closely. When they did, of course, they would find the linked circles of the Brotherhood, which Warrigan had had tattooed onto Stoll's shoulder blade.

That would be enough to send him to a gibbet.

So, Stoll had done the favours he was asked and he was half-sure that the last one had given himself away to Brand and DeZantez. Only half-sure, though, and they seemed to think he had been telling the truth about why he went to Warrigan's place.

Young Collin, who had disappeared from his cell, could have spilled the proverbial beans, of course, but Stoll doubted the knights would ever find his body; Stoll had buried it deep.

He had no idea what had happened afterwards, but he knew Warrigan was gone, and suddenly the town was under threat from goblins. That was something about which he could feel solidarity with the townspeople and the Swords. Goblins didn't discriminate on the basis of politics or faith.

Gabriella, Erak, and another man with a white ponytail and burned skin appeared in front of him, as he walked around his church, offering words of comfort.

"Enlightened One." As always, he expected one of the Knights to arrest or attack him, but Gabriella merely smiled. "We're planning the defence of town and I'd like to ask your help."

"I'll wield a sword or spear against those creatures, if that's what — "

"I'd like you to act as lookout, from the bell tower. From there you can direct what archery we'll have."

"Of course," Stoll agreed. Here was a chance to show his true loyalty.

"What about me?" Crowe asked, as the trio, now joined by Stoll, continued back out to the plaza. "I can head things up at the church, keep the naphtha brewing."

"Not under my roof." Stoll snapped tightly.

"Besides," Gabriella added, "I want you out there with me."

"What? Shoulder to shoulder, against the hordes of darkness? You've mistaken me for some other bloke."

"In front of me, where I can keep an eye on you. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want you at my back."

Crowe waved the insult away. "No offence taken. I wouldn't want me at my back either."

Erak nudged her and whispered. "We should lock him up."

"I know. But smuggling isn't as offensive as apostasy and treason. And he's a good enough fighter that we can use him."

As Gabriella outlined her strategy she found her confidence growing. Win or lose, they'd put up a good fight and she knew that Erak and Kannis and her men, would do likewise. She was proud of them all, and she hoped the Lord would be as proud.

Although everyone hoped the goblins would settle into a siege and allow time for reinforcements to arrive to defend Solnos, the creatures were impatient with hunger and bloodlust.

They came screaming and ululating like all the most depraved and demented souls from the deepest pits. Scrawny, yet strong and vicious, the horde swarmed through the streets driving fleeing humans back towards the marketplace and the church. Those people in town who didn't have defensible positions had been offered sanctuary earlier, which most had accepted. Some hadn't made it in time and now Kannis' mercenaries and the foot-soldiers of the Swords heard them screaming as they waited for the goblins to appear.

The goblins were audible streets away as they rushed towards the church and it wasn't long before the first of them rushed at the defenders and over the low walls of rubble. Their long and angular limbs moved twitchily as they ran, reminding Gabriella of the way spiders ran when they were shocked out of their hiding places. She couldn't help but shiver, even as, somewhere in the bell tower above, Stoll shouted: "To the East! Loose!"

The thrum and twang of bowstrings launched a rain of death that fell upon the rushing creatures. Spindly bodies fell but more goblins kept coming, rough hatchets and cleavers raised and ready.

Gabriella punched a goblin in the face, smashing half its fangs, and cut the throat of another. She caught the axe-haft of a third between her swords and twisted it out of the creature's grasp before kicking it between the legs in the hope that it was as vulnerable there as a human would be. It was and when it dropped, she rammed one sword through the back of its head.

More goblins hurled themselves forward and Gabriella stepped forward to meet them. She was, she thought, just getting into her stride.

Erak swung his longsword in a wide moulinet that bowled goblins over, left, right and centre. The longsword was still a natural extension of himself, and the mail and armour a uniform to be proud of. When he cut down his first goblin, he was relieved. Disembowelling a second was easier and by the third goblin to fall under his blade, he was enjoying himself. Defending the innocent against the evil was God's will, and was meant to be enjoyed.