The Paladin Order Reformed 18 Bloodshed

My squad and I stood silently in the treeline just outside the north section of Valdora awaiting the signal. One final time I repeated our orders and made sure that everyone knew their role.

"Jake you and Dontae will be providing support when we start the a.s.sault. I will be leading, Joseph, Mathew, you two will be on the vanguard with me. Rachel, you'll be the rearguard. Remember we want to stay in a tight formation while we're going through the town, it'll be chaos in there once the fire bolts start flying.

Speaking of, Dontae, keep a tight leash on your casting while we're in the town, I don't want another accidental discharge taking out a civilian. That goes for everyone, only engage with enemies that are armed, Dontae and I will [bind] the rest as we go.

Our job is to secure the gate and area around the wall for the main combat units so they can eliminate the archdemon commander housed in the governer's mansion. Everyone got it?"

Everyone nodded, a few swallowed nervously and stared at the walls past the outcropping of houses dotted haphazardly around it. I cast my prepared spells as the time for the a.s.sault drew closer, [Wind Plate], [Enhanced Sense], [Mental s.h.i.+eld], [Reaction Fortify], and temporarily (Group) [Light Refraction]. All explanatory, except for wind plate, it's just an invisible barrier of wind that can deflect the trajectory of projectiles, it helps protect my vital organs from being shot with an unseen arrow.

In our final moments before the battle, I kneeled and prayed. "G.o.d I ask that you would deliver us, please give us your victory now. Help us drive back the transgressors that have violated this holy land you've bestowed on us. Amen."

I checked my armor and weapons one final time then looked to my friends and smiled rea.s.suringly at their grim expressions. With this, they fortified themselves, each one giving a nod ready to execute our orders. We would do it and we would do it together.

We all stood in the treeline, standing defiantly against the meager breeze that blew at us in opposition. This would not be the only opposition we would face today, but h.e.l.l, let whatever come, we'd take it.

On that same wind in the distance rode a defiant chorus declaring our intentions and a promise.

"G.o.d as my witness, G.o.d as my might, evil ones I will smite."

With this familiar ballad came a bombardment of fireb.a.l.l.s, raining death and h.e.l.lfire down on the military positions reported after our resonance mission.

Drawing my sword and dagger I pulled up my hood and took a final look into my comrade's eyes, the fire in their eyes kindled the fire in mine. With the Paladin's Ballad and fire from the heavens, we started our a.s.sault.

We grouped up in our formation, walking quickly to the edge of Valdora. Dontae and I kept the invisibility spell up as long as we could, but when we entered the city through an alley we dropped it and I took notice of our surroundings.

We were in an alley that led to the main street, the alley was barely able to fit three people abreast, but Joseph and Mathew were so large that they had to walk behind me for there to be enough s.p.a.ce. I led us down the alleyway until there was a branch that ran parallel to the main road. I used [Clairvoyance] with my wisp in order to map a route to the main wall to bypa.s.s the main road.

That's where civilians and demon soldiers will be due to the confusion caused by the bombardment.

We made our way through the littler covered alleyways until the shadow of the outer wall encompa.s.sed us.

There was an exit from the alleyway that was next to the gate of the outer wall, casting [Light Refraction] I walked quietly to the mouth of the alley. Observing everything, I see the gate has been closed and there were two squads worth of demons guarding the gate, all in a frenzy, the one I a.s.sume to be the commander was yelling, trying to organize his men. I moved back, dropping the spell I motion for everyone to listen to me.

"Jake I want you to take out the commander." He nods with his bow ready. "Dontae after jake fires

I want you to cast [Light Scattershot] in the middle of them, then I'll cast a flash of blinding light." I looked at Joseph and Mathew and said. "After we cast, you two and I will rush the remaining demons, Dontae when we're done I want you to blow a hole through that gate, but only after we take care of anyone still alive. Everyone got it?" They nodded in determination, nerves steeled in antic.i.p.ation. I just grinned and we walked carefully to the mouth of the alley.

There were about 10 demons in a loose group around the gate, with a few on top of the wall itself, the commander was on the wall giving orders trying to organize his troops, but then he went quiet, unable to push words past the arrow stuck in his throat. The only sound was a gurgling choke. I heard Dontae mumble something for a few seconds, then a ball of light appeared in the middle of the group. Then an explosion of needles made of light shredded the loosely compact group effortlessly, then Instantly a blinding light enveloped everything where the ball was moments before.

Any demons that still lived were too disoriented to react when the brawn brothers and I rushed out and cut them down. Wasting no time I cast [Air Prepultion] which flung me in the air, landing on the cobblestone walls with a roll.

There were four demons on the wall, still stunned from their comrade's being slaughtered so quickly, but they drew their weapons and faced me.

"Wrong choice," I said in the demon tongue, hearing that in their own language turned their little resolve into fear.

There were two demons a few paces in front of me, I summoned my wisp above them. They both looked up but were surprised to see my dagger and sword in their stomaches when they looked down, they crumpled to the ground still wearing that surprise.

One of the demons in front of me put up his sword in a stance, while the other bolted for the governor's mansion. Before he got the chance, I threw my dagger and used [Wind alteration] for it to find its place through the back of his neck, as soon as my dagger left my hand I rushed the other demon.

He was only able to barely deflect my sword when it came down, I didn't waste any time, I used my empty left hand in a left hook hitting him squarely in the jaw. As my blow landed I ran my sword into his chest and kicked him off my sword and falling off the side of the wall.

There was an explosion under me at the gate before the felled foe even hit the ground. Dontae breached the gate, looking down at the corpses strewn carelessly on the bloodied ground made what I did finally catch up to me. It hit me like a flood, the smell, their expressions.

I leaned over the side of the wall puking, emptying my stomach of the meager meal I had this morning. When there was no more food to expend, I just kneeled over the edge retching an empty heave. Tears blurred my vision and snot ran down my face, but I shakily rose up and lifted my hand to the sky and released a fireball vertically into the air that sore high before dissipating.

I slumped to my knees trying to wipe off the non-existent blood still on my hands, I couldn't make the grimy feeling dissipate, no matter how many times I rubbed my hands on my pants.

When I was finally recovered enough to rise, I stumbled to the edge of the wall. While I stood there shaking I watched a platoon of fully armored soldiers quickly marching to the wall I stood on.

We did it, we finished our first mission without a problem. I wiped the spittle from my chin, looking down I see my squadmates staring at me with concerned eyes. I give them the most rea.s.suring grin I was able and lifted my fist up in victory. I listened to my squad's cries of victory as the sounds of armored soldiers got louder.