Beyond the Hadrian’s wall

Ep 3

**Ghoul Fortress**

Siwon tried to sleep since hours already, but his eyes seemed too stoned. His heart thumped hard in his chest and his guts churned in anticipation.  His fighter’s instinct telling him something going to happen tonight. Something sinister, he could felt it in his bones making the tall man shifted anxiously in his bunker.

Peeking from his opened window, Siwon looked up to the sky. Moonless night. Clouds blocked the moon making ground dark. Swiping his sweating eyebrows with the back of his hand, Siwon ‘tsk-ed’ at the humid air. The night was too quiet. Just like minutes of calm before the storm.

‘My God, please guide me in my oblivion.’ Siwon prayed. Unable to retain his own irrational fear, Siwon reached out for his armour and headed out.

**

“Have you see anything soldier?” Siwon asked one of his watchers.

The soldier automatically rose from his stool, greeting his commander. “Nothing Sir. It is too dark tonight, we barely see the ground.”

Siwon threw his gaze ahead. From the top of his fortress, he should be able to see hundred meters away, but tonight, as his soldier said, he barely sees anything.

The fortress itself equipped with several layers of defence system. The wall of the fortress, which considered the last and the strong most protection, made of 30 feet tall and 10 feet thick bricks. Right on the top of the sturdy wall; stations several sharp shooters of the notorious arrow squad. They trained to shoot enemies from far away, just in case the enemies managed to surpass their other defences.

Surrounding the fortress laid the second line of defence. When they built the fortress, the Romans also dug a sewer. The 5 meters depth and 5 meters wide pit filled with sharpen sticks and flammable oil.  No enemies ever succeeded to across the sewer from the day it made, over 10 years ago until now.

The last, but not least, Romans also spare a vast field stretched in front of their fortress. On the normal day, the field used as a ranch or feeding field for their herds, but during war time, the field used as a battle field, counterfeiting enemies from entering their fortress.

Knowing all these safety measurement taken for the safety of the fortress doesn’t even shade any of Siwon’s anxiety away. His fighter’s instinct still convinced that their enemies were watching them in the dark, waiting for the perfect moment to strike on them.

Suddenly, Siwon saw silhouettes of cattle and lambs moving away from the field in front of the fortress. Alarmed, Siwon’s hunch told him something must have disturbs herd making them restless in the middle of the night.

He decided to follow his instinct.

“Soldier, get all your commanders here. Alarms your comrades to get ready for a battle, but make sure to do it quietly. I have a hunch our enemy is watching and waiting to ambush in the dark.”

“Yes Sir!”

**

Less than 10 minutes later, about 1 thousand well equipped Romans waiting anxiously behind the wall of their fortress. The archers readied at their posts, aiming their arrow towards the dark of the night.

Siwon still planted at his spot, at the top of the fortress.

“Well, Siwon, don’t tell me you woke us up in the middle of this peaceful night just to wait for the sun raises.” Maximus mocking voice heard from behind.

Siwon ignored the sting he felt in his heart at that remark. “Fortune favours the prepared, Maximus. I rather died prepared than killed unknowingly in my sleep.”

“If you say so Commander, hope this is not one of your paranoid thought though.”

As Maximus finished his sentence, an arrow came out of nowhere scratched his cheek, missed his throat by an inch. Surprised, both Siwon and Maximus crouched down, seeking for protection behind the wall.

“Charge!”

A loud screech from beneath heard. Arrows and rocks started to attack the fortress. Well prepared, upon their commander’s order, the Romans’ archers’ squad fired their torched arrows.

Fierce fire lit surrounding their fortress, revealing hundreds of angry armed salvagers.    

*

**Morning after**

“Well done Sir!”

Siwon nodded acknowledging. Wiping the blood from the corner of his eye, he continued scouting his fortress.

It was a fierce battle. Both parties refused to back up and fought with all their might until dawn. Around 30 or so opposing side’s warriors laid lifeless on the battle field and some of them burnt in the pit.  His own troops also wounded but none of them killed, thanks to Siwon’s effective strategy and readiness. If only Siwon ignored his instinct last night, he and his troops will be slain in their sleep.

As the salvagers, Siwon was surprise with the level of preparedness shown by them. They weren’t normal rebelling villagers that his troops usually accounted. The salvagers they battled just now were a well organised military unit. With a person acting as a commander giving out orders, the attackers were well equipped with battle appliances. These offences just declared a war against the Rome, it wasn’t a simple rebellion anymore.

“They will come back.” Siwon said out of nowhere, making his subordinates alarmed. “They won’t rest until we leave their land.”  

As an answer for Siwon's prediction, as he  finished his sentence, a soldier shouted from the top of the fortress. “Commander Siwon, Sir! I think you need to see this!” Siwon studied his disturbed subordinate face for a split of second before hurriedly climbed the staircases.  

**

“God. Help us.”

The scene in front of his fortress caught Siwon’s breath in his wind pipe. Not less than a thousand attackers swarming their sewers, approaching their fortress by minutes. Siwon’s head raced calculating his next move. He has no time to light the sewer. They already torched them last night, leaving the sewer dried of oil.

They have no other choice. They have to face the army on land, in front of the fortress. This will be a head on battle.

“ Soldiers, fold in!” He raised his voice.

“Archers, take whatever left with you and guard your post! Once they get into the pit, shower them down!”  Without looking back, he assured that his soldiers were following his orders with the sounds of the scurried footsteps.

“Riders, mount your horses. Be readied at the gate. Charge at my command.”

“Yes Sir!”

“Maximus! Lead your men. You are going to be our last barricade if they’ll ever get through our archers and riders. Don’t let them enter the fortress!”

“Yes Sir!”

Hearing no sarcastic comeback from Maximus this time, Siwon felt a little bit relief. Even though the middle age man always argued him with almost everything, but currently they were all in a battle mode. They were all in these together, as Romans.

“Listen up my fellow Romans!” without averting his gaze from his closing enemy in front, he shouts out for his comrades. “We live for this time to come. We trained for this time to come!”

Unison ‘Huargh’ from his back conforming that his troops could hear him well. Siwon put on his metal hat and tightened it. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards the intruders.

“We came here upon the command of our great emperor to free these salvagers from ignorance and to spread civilization to them! But these we got!”

“Huargh!”

“This is an act of mutiny against Emperor of Rome!”

“Huargh!”

“For Rome!” Siwon held his word high. The rebellion started to climb the sewer.

“For Rome!” his soldiers roared back.

“Charge!”

Tbc***

*Aouthors' Note*

Hi, this is Umie. First of all, deep bowed for anyone who subscribed to this story, I start writing this last year but unable to continue my project, as my life take a toll on me. I almost lost my muse in this one, but seeing great response from u all and also my aspiration when i started to write this,  i decided to continue BTHW.

Please be patient (and friendly) with me, i'll try to finish this one anyhow. Please continue to support this too, bacause your support is like an air for the writer to keep on breathing.

TQ, and hope to see u again in my next chap.

Kiss kiss