A serrated dagger pierced the gap beneath the steel pauldron and bit deep into the muscle of Captain Alden. He hissed through his teeth as blood flowed down his arm and soaked his tunic. The mercenary twisted the hilt to maximize the damage, but Alden stepped inside the guard and slammed his heavy shield into the face of the attacker. The assassin dropped the weapon and fell backward over the battlements.
Alden ripped the dagger from his shoulder and threw it onto the metal grating. He leaned against the parapet and gasped for air. The battle for the central gatehouse had dragged on for six grueling hours without a single pause in the violence. The golden energy of the absolute ward had vanished long ago and left the Ashguard infantry to defend the walls with bare steel.
Ten thousand mor
