Fall of the Citadel

Whether by the marching of feet in the distance or just the passing of time, the body finally stirred. Just the eyes, staring out into the grey, stormy world which was he lucky to still be a part of. Then of course the other senses began to kick in. The leafy scent of a rain-sodden forest that filled his nostrils with a smell like Spring.

Where had it gone wrong? The army had set out to head off an attack rumoured to be made on the citadel, but they had not expected the attack to come so fiercely that the men were knocked from their feet in moments. Explosions of mortar had erupted all over the forest, one throwing the captain away from the battle. Strange that the explosion which was designed to kill him had actually saved his life.

Those feet continued behind him. He wished that he could move to see who they were, where they were. As he tried to turn his head, a shadow loomed over him. He was caught. This is it, this really will be the end.

Until a voice spoke his name. 'Ulius! Bless the Gods! But you must be hurt. Here.'

There came the sound of rustling, a search amongst clothing for something...what? A bottle touched his lips, and then a sweet liquid; malty, sticky; Genoma. A concoction brewed by the mages of the citadel to replenish vitality.

As his vision cleared, he recognised the face of his saviour. A soldier in the third rank. But the name escaped him, he was ashamed to say. Well, never mind his shame, his welfare was of far greater concern.

He got to his feet, slowly. Partly from the pain and partly because he did not want to alert those marching feet. And now he could turn to look at them. They were some way off and could not see him. But he saw them well enough. Scavengers, come to raid the spoils of war, no doubt. They were trailing their wagons of goods, their horses behind them.

No, not horses. No, it couldn't be! Unicorns! It can't be. Unicorns don't exist in the wild any more, they have all been hunted for their fur and horns. The only unicorns alive are in capitivity, there are some in Ulius' own town at the citadel.

That was when the overcast sky cleared and the truth shook him. After his army had been scattered, wounded, killed, the battle had moved to the citadel. The citadel which must now be ravaged, ravaged by war and now ravaged by these scavengers.

His home destroyed, his people dead. He and the soldier whose name he can't remember are all that remain.

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