Under the Oak Tree

"Shouldn't we head outside?" Dean murmured anxiously.

Maxi stood to open the shutters. All along the wall, soldiers fired flame arrows through the crenels. Soon, the pitch-black sky was the color of ash, and enormous rocks rained down on the fainter shield like comets.

A sigh of relief escaped Maxi as she watched the rocks thrown by unseen monsters deflect off the barrier.

"I-It seems...Master Calto's shield is still in place."

"It should stay up until noon. At least that's what Master Calto said," Anette chimed in as she jotted down formulas on a piece of parchment. "And once the shield is down, the mages will cast barriers above the ramparts. All we have to worry about is creating this golem."

Maxi turned to her friend with a grim expression. "Won't they be short on hands?"

"They will have to bear it for now. This golem is our priority," Anette replied brusquely. She retrieved a fresh sheet of parchment and continued working.

Maxi tried to concentrate on the rune before her, but the muffled thuds from outside, combined with her curiosity, made it hard to sit still. Was staying cooped up in the workroom truly the best course of action?

"I've finished my part."

Alec, having swiftly finished designing the golem's core, held out his hand for a new task.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Maxi quickly scanned the desk. Realizing they had completed all the formulas she had given them, she hastened to finish the one she was working on.

"P-Please give me a moment. I'm almost done with this one."

"Take your time. We wouldn't want you to make a mistake in your haste."

"I assure you, there are no mistakes."

After quickly reviewing the complex symbols, Maxi rolled up the parchment and passed it to Alec. She then grabbed a new piece and began work on the formula for the golem's inner circuit. She could not afford distractions. It was vital that she finished the rune as quickly as possible.

As the sounds of war echoed outside, Maxi furiously etched ancient symbols onto the large parchment. After what felt like an eternity, a distant horn blared. It was a military signal. One long blast meant an enemy sighting, two short blasts meant to attack, and one long followed by two short meant to halt.

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This horn sounded three times. An unsettling quiet blanketed the city. For a moment, Maxi clung to a futile hope that the monsters had given up on Vesmore. However, the call to reorganize shattered that hope, and the clamor of battle resumed.

Maxi focused on her work, trying to shake off her disappointment. Even if the monsters left now, it was only a brief reprieve. The undead would inevitably target another city, making the barrier around the Lexos Mountains useless. And without the Invoked Sanctuary, the dragon would quickly regain its powers. The realization hit her hard.

The current campaign party was only half the size of the old one from six years ago. They were already struggling against dragonians capable of powerful magic. They would stand no chance if the dragon regained its full power now.

With newfound determination, Maxi thought of Riftan. For his sake, they had to defeat the monster army. She did not want her husband to face even more hardship when he was already fighting an arduous battle of his own.

She scribbled formula after formula until her eyes were red. As she worked, two junior mages entered the workroom. They apparently had come to assist on Calto's orders.

Maxi instructed them to gather the required components for the magical device - stone slabs, magic stones, and several tools - and had them copy the diagrams Anette had organized. She intended to create several golems at once using the copies.

After what felt like forever, Anette rubbed her tired eyes and tapped Maxi's shoulder. "You should take a quick nap. I can handle things here."

Maxi looked up, realizing night had descended again. She had been at it since dawn, working almost twenty hours straight.

"Just look at your writing. It's a mess," Anette said, clicking her tongue as she surveyed Maxi's barely legible formulas. "Take a breather so you can work with a clear head."

Maxi stifled a sigh and rose from her seat. Though she doubted she could fall to sleep, her head felt terribly foggy, and she knew she had lost focus. After downing some porridge brought by the sentries, she laid down in a corner, willing sleep to come.

The siege continued for days. The soldiers grew tired as the undead army repeated a cycle of attack and retreat tactics around the city. Maxi realized the monsters were trying to chip away at Vesmore's defenses. The sporadic clashes meant the coalition was forced to guard the walls around the clock, ultimately leading to wearied soldiers and greater injuries.

With the mages struggling with mana depletion, the Infirmary lacked healers. When the number of casualties rose to eighty over a few days, even the commanding officers began rushing Maxi.

"The magical devices will only last until tomorrow. If the golems aren't ready, we must use the magic stones for them," Princess Agnes announced as she strode into the workroom.

Maxi, engraving a rune onto a palm-sized piece of obsidian, looked up in embarrassment.

Dristan's princess, who had entered the room behind Agnes, chimed in. "I knew relying on unproven magic was a mistake. We should stop wasting time and bolster the magical devices instead."

"W-We are almost finished," Maxi stammered. "The golems should be ready by morning, so please bear with us for a bit longer."

She could hear the doubt in her wavering voice.

Princess Lienna cast a dubious eye over the chaotic spread of magic stones, stone slabs, and stacks of parchment on the desk. "How many golems will we have by the morrow?"

"F-Four."

The princess let out an incredulous laugh. "You intend to defend the city from thousands of monsters with just four golems?"

"W-We will make more once we activate the first lot!"

The princess looked poised for a retort but held back, perhaps deciding the debate was pointless. Turning on her heel, she said, "Very well. We shall wait until tomorrow. If your magic proves useless, we will take the remaining magic stones for the magical devices."

After glaring and credulously at the self-important woman and watching her disappear down the stairs, Maxi turned to Princess Agnes.

Agnes gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry for rushing you, but the soldiers are losing morale. If we lose the barriers, most of the men will stop fighting, and the city will fall in a matter of minutes. We need those golems."

Maxi, ready to defend her efforts, caught sight of Agnes' haggard face. Everyone had been guarding the walls for days without proper rest. It was only natural that they felt anxious.

"Don't worry," Maxi assured gently. "They will be ready before daybreak."

Once Princess Agnes left the workroom, Maxi promptly returned to her task. By dawn, she had completed four golem figures.

Rubbing ointment onto her sore, inflamed fingers, She gazed down at the palm-sized figures. Even though they were a product of her own hands, she found it difficult to believe that such crude constructions could turn into golems.

What would happen if they did not function as they wanted? What if the golems became uncontrollable? A myriad of fears looped in her mind. After obsessively checking for mistakes, she squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped each figure in a thick woolen cloth.

"Alec, Dean, place the golems outside the west gate," she instructed, handing a figure to each. "Anette and I will cover the east gate."

"Y-you want us to go out of the city by ourselves?"

"Dristan's calvary has agreed to escort you, and Master Calto will also be there to keep you safe."

Exchanging a terror stricken look, the twins soon departed with determined expressions. Maxi and Anette wished them luck and followed suit to the east gate.

Upon nearing it, they were met with a group of armed soldiers. Maxi broke into a run toward them but halted when she heard a heated exchange.

"Sir Riftan tasked me with protecting her ladyship!" Garrow raged at Gabel. "On what grounds are you barring me from this mission?

"My men and I can safeguard her ladyship! I need you to remain-"

"I will not stand for this! I did not complain when I was excluded from the Dragon Campaign, but I refuse to comply this time!" Garrow snarled, his shoulders heaving in anger.

Maxi froze in place. She had never seen the young knight so angry.

After scratching the back of his head irritably, Gabel shifted tactics to persuasion, "You are not ready. Once you've adjusted to your narrowed vision-"

"Are you saying I am unreliable?" Garrow retorted, his face growing grim. "I can still fight with one eye. There is nothing you can say that will stop me from escorting her ladyship!"

"Goddammit! Being under that person's command has only made you bullheaded!" Gabel spat. Then, with a resigned sigh, he said, "Fine. Do as you please."

He then turned away in anger. When he caught sight of Maxi, who was rooted rather awkwardly to the spot, he came running toward her.

"My lady, you're here."

Maxi let out a nervous laugh. "I-It has been a while, Sir Gabel. A-Are you...well? And unharmed, I hope?”

Gabel had been stationed on the north wall near the basilica, so she had not seen him for quite some time. He broke into a gentle smile as if attempting to lighten the tense atmosphere.

"As you can see, I've not a scratch on me. Have you finished all your preparations, my lady?"

"Y-Yes."

"Good. Then, let us make haste."

The Knights promptly signaled to the sentries above the gate, and Maxi stepped forward as the portcullis moved up. The drawbridge slowly came down with a great clanking of chains. With quivering eyes, she took in the thousands of monsters camped over the bridge. Even at a distance, she could almost feel their chilling breaths.

"You're absolutely certain the magical devices are still working?" Anette asked in a hushed voice.

Maxi tried her best to sound calm. "They should continue to work for the next few hours."

She willed her rigid legs to walk out of the city. Although she had Garrow, Gabel, and five of his direct subordinates protecting her from all sides, she felt as terrified as a baby bird leaving the safety of its nest for the first time.

As if sensing her terror, Gabel said gently, "Don't be afraid, my lady. We will protect you."

Maxi squeezed her eyes shut and crossed the drawbridge onto the snow-covered slope littered with thousands of arrows.