The Horrors of War

Aurei and her friends learn of the extent of the damage done by the Imperial invasion.

29.

The Horrors of War

 

Unfortunately for the battle weary group, it was not as simple as Thorm had hoped.   The Autumn Maid arrived a few minutes later, from its place of concealment behind several high hilltops, several miles away.  

The captives were brought on-board as well as most of the plunder that the army had obediently left behind.  

 

But this took some time and it became plain that there would be no easy way to determine the rightful owners of the plunder, nor whether the stolen items came from Aegoppa or Southgate.

 

They arrived in Aegoppa in mid-afternoon, a few hours after the retreating Imperial army had passed through again.

 

The sight was very hard to behold, for the once beautiful city with its trademark white stone buildings that had been built in an open, airy style more characteristic of buildings in the warmer south, had been burned and vandalized.   The three gates of Aegoppa had been totally destroyed, along with large sections of the great wall, apparently by some sort of arcane spell.

 

The people of the town were desolate and ragged, but were overjoyed to receive their captive citizens back home, and the news of the King’s victory over the army as well as the final defeat of the Necromancer’s Guild, helped to give them some hope for renewal.  The daughters and niece of the duke were received with great compassion by the nobles of the town.  

The Duke lay grievously injured from bravely trying to defend his wife (who was killed) and the young ladies from the hands of the soldiers.

 

Zeatt immediately went to the Duke’s bedside and cast a healing spell upon him, and though his wounds were magical and had resisted the healing spells of the clerics in the city, the Reverend mother wielded powerful restorative magic and he awoke an hour later with a start, to find his daughters and niece around him.  

Zeatt left the family to weep and heal emotionally together and joined the others in offering aid where they could in the rubble of the city.

 

Aurei, Eleazar, Khord and Pectros used the giant strength that their magic belts gave them, to join with Lute in clearing away rubble for the rest of the day.   Queen Eioldth assisted with her ghostly hand, which she used as a huge shovel and to hold large, heavy things in place as they worked with the men of the city in partially rebuilding the collapsed walls.  

 

 

Sir Beotur, Sir Davit, Sir Aeric and Sir Alvis helped carpenters fashion makeshift gates that were rather coarse but sturdy and the giant strength enhanced crew put them in place. 

 

Thorm and Siris repaired armor and weapons as well as helping Sophia, who made many trips back and forth to Flux to get healing potions and balms and a small assortment of magical tools to help speed the removal of rubble.

 

The Drow girl also joined her mother, Alis and Rori in caring for the many injured and giving comfort to the orphans and widows.   Later in the day Siris, Eioldth and Aurei joined them in this task, and all were so moved by the multitude of heartbreaking stories that their eyes were swollen from crying by day’s end.

 

Aurei vowed she would send aid and craftsmen to help rebuild the city and Eioldth desired to also make the same vow, but King’s Reach suffered even greater devastation and she glumly knew there would be little help available for the people.  

They all saw scenes of horror and suffering that they would never forget.