Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 58: Sergeant

The Cidade dos escravos guards spotted the approaching group and their formation tightened. A burly sergeant with a scarred face shouted order, positioning his men with spears levelled. “How the hell did they get inside the walls?!” sergeant yelled out in surprised confusion, his voice cut through the air, his surprise at seeing Luz’s group inside the city walls evident in his tone. His men shifted nervously behind their barricade, spears wavering as they tried to form a cohesive defence against the approaching commander. “Leo, Sol– flank right,” Luz ordered without breaking stride. “Cassandra, shield up. Darm, prepare a wide-area suppression spell.” His amber gaze never left the Cidade dos escravos sergeant’s face, studying the man’s movements and calculating weakness in their formation.

Leo and Sol flanked right, jumping over the barricade. Cassandra’s shield stops an arrow flying right at her. Amelia grabs Supervivente’s arm and drags him to take cover behind the corner of a building. Luz’s amber eyes tracked Leo and Sol’s flanking manoeuvre with approval, his armoured form continuing its relentless advance toward the guards. The arrow Cassandra deflected clattered harmlessly against the shield, and he noted Amelia’s position behind cover with a flicker of something akin to concern. “Darm, hit them with a disorienting spell,” he commanded sharply. “Target the sergeant– break their command structure.” Darm nodded, raising his hands to cast as Luz drew his sword with a sound of black steel sliding against leather.

Luz charged the barricade directly, his intention clear: overwhelm the guard’s position before they could organize a proper defence. Behind him, Supervivente gripped his tattered robes nervously. “I can help,” he offered in his hoarse voice. “Hold your strength for the gate,” Amelia said softly. Darm’s spell disorientated the guards making it easier for Leo and Sol to take out two guards simultaneously. Cassandra stopped another arrow, behind her Lua loaded her crossbow and shot one of the archers behind the barricade. Luz’s amber gaze flicked toward Amelia’s position behind cover, her soft command to conserve strength registering despite the battle raging around him.

A flicker of something protective crossed Luz’s features before the cold mark of command slammed back into place. “Good advice,” he called back over his shoulder, his voice carrying authority even midst the clash of steel and shouts of guards. “Leo, Sol– focus on the sergeant. Take him down and this formation collapses.” His sword sliced through a guard’s spear in a single fluid motion, the black blade drinking the man’s life force. Behind him, Darm’s disorienting spell continued to confuse the remaining guards while Cassandra and Lua picked off archers one by one. The western gate loomed ahead– just fifty yards away through the chaos of combat.

The sergeant recovers from the disorientation spell quicker than the rest and starts shouting out orders as he draws his sword. Cassandra and Lua follow Luz through the gap in the barricade. Lua continues firing from her crossbow and Cassandra cuts down any guards that closes in on them. The sergeant’s recovery from the disorientation spell was faster than Luz anticipated, and his amber eyes narrowed with annoyance. The man’s shouted orders began to rally the remaining guards, forcing Luz to adjust his tactics on the fly. “Cassandra, with me,” he commanded, his sword moving in a deadly dance against two more guards who tried to block their path. “Lua, keep picking off their archers– do not let them get a clear shot at any of us.”

Luz’s armoured boots pounded across the cobblestones as he closed the distance to the sergeant, black steel flashing in the sunlight. Behind them, Supervivente watched from behind covers with wide eyes, his hoarse breathing betraying his age and fear. As Luz neared the sergeant, their swords clashed. The clash of black steel against silver steel echoed across the street, sparks flying as Luz’s sword met the sergeants in a test of skill and strength. Luz moved with practiced precision; his amber eyes locked on his opponent’s every move while his armoured form pivoted to avoid a counterattack. Leo and Sol kept taking down guard after guard on the right side of Luz and Lua and Cassandra moved with practically precision on the left side.

Luz’s movements were fluid and deadly, each strike calculated to disarm or disable rather than kill outright. He parried another swing, his voice carrying command even amidst the physical exertion. “Cassandra, watch our rear– do not let any of these cowards circle behind us.” The sergeant’s sword continued clashing against Luz’s black blade, the sound sharp and metallic in the narrow street. Sweat beaded on the sergeant’s forehead as he struggled to keep pace with Luz’s relentless attacks. His breathing grew heavier with each parry, his movements becoming more desperate. “Hold your ground!” the sergeant shouted to his remaining guards, but his voice lacked conviction.

The disorienting spell had clearly taken its toll on morale. Luz’s amber eyes remained focused, calculating angles and weaknesses in the man’s defence. “You fight well for someone who tortures old men,” he taunted between strikes. “But your heart is not in it.” Beside him, Leo and Sol moved like shadows through the remaining guards, their daggers finding vulnerabilities in armour and flesh. Cassandra’s shield continued to deflect arrows and cut down guards while Lua’s crossbow bolts found targets with deadly accuracy. By the time Luz cut off the sergeant’s head, all the other guards were dead. The sergeant’s headless corpse crumpled to the cobblestone, dark blood pooling beneath his body.

Luz stood over him for a moment, the black sword still dripping crimson onto the street. His breathing was steady despite the physical exertion, his amber eyes scanning the battlefield with practiced efficiency. “Leo, Sol– check for survivors,” he commanded sharply. His gaze flicked toward Amelia and Supervivente hiding spot behind the buildings. “You can come out now. The immediate threat is neutralized.” He sheathed his sword with a sound of black stele sliding against leather. Amelia moved to stand beside Luz. “Good job,” she said softly. Supervivente joined her. The looked ahead at the western gate, which was probably also guarded. “If you can get me close, I can open the gate and let the army in,” Supervivente said quickly.