Whispers of a Dead Empire

Chapter 159

as I hit close to chapter 200 in my backlogs, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the future of Asteria, and this novel. I know that some of you were growing frustrated with what was perceived as a shift in focus to a more family oriented novel. That wasn't the end goal and it's been addressed. On that same note, I have finally settled on Asteria's tech level. 

 Steam punk with a touch of war world 1. There will be no automatic machine guns, or nuclear weapons, But as you have more than likely guessed, there will be steam tanks, trains, and other fun stuff in that same style setting. There will also be no hand waved magitech. Just because I have magic, a dream and ducktape doesn't mean anything. It will be rooted in reality, and capped at the absolute most 1850s. Also no masses of undead teaming with m16s and apaches, no matter how cool that sounds. Instead I have something cooler in mind :)

Also consider subbing to my patreon <3. The support really helps.

A few days had passed since I had completed my plan. The legion had been shifted around and now encompassed the city's outskirts. Amari was already leading assassination groups to take out as many forward observers as we could. While taking them out would limit the accuracy of the bombardment, I knew they would result in a blind fire.

Which was the most preferable outcome. At least with the mages in the squads, we could redirect some of the fire. A mage's shield would be strong enough to deflect a glancing hit. But straight, accurate bombardment would shred us before we even considered getting close enough. But we have moved far past large unit tactics, which should ease the burden of this assault.

Perhaps I should instruct them to build trenches and settle in, as we could easily expect a full counterattack within the coming days. That way, we could funnel a horde into choke points while shielding our troops from bombardment. The other option we could explore would be building tunnels that cut through the kill zone. They would shield troops, allow us to defend as needed, and expand steadily.

Both options were good. But we would best be suited for a gradual expansion as we slowly cut off the long-range bombardment. With the tunnel system in play, we could quickly move troops around undetected, though it risked sappers destroying the tunnel. I strummed my fingers against my arm as I stared across no-man's-land. There were so many variables at play here that, at some point, I felt like I wasn't sure what the best option was. When we were living, it was much easier to predict what would happen.

We were all creatures of habit at the end of the day. I could run circles around most other commanders, but now that we were undead, everything was predictable yet uncertain. I pulled my gaze away from the Kill zone, spun around, and walked back toward the encampment. Within the next few hours, we should get the signal from Amari, and once we do, we can advance.

A few hours had passed, and the sun had set in the sky. Not even the ambient moonlight could chase away the darkness, which was good. Nighttime was the best time for an operation like this. "Warmaster, the other mercenaries are ready when you are." Gunther's familiar voice floated through the darkness, but I didn't bother to turn my head to him. It's not like it would matter in any way.

"They will need to hold their position for a moment longer. Once we cross into no-man's-land, the bombardment will start. Once their artillery is silenced, they will be free to fight as they please." I crossed my hands behind my back as I stared at the sky, waiting for the signal.

"You have been very vague on what to expect from this long-range bombardment. A lot of the troops are doubting the truth to your words."

"To be expected. But let me let you in on a little secret, Gunther. We wage war far differently here than where you come from. The kill zones that protect our vital cities staved off hordes far larger than the ones we fought. The only reason we fell was betrayal and being drowned in bodies. But perhaps seeing first hand will change your mind." I shrugged off his words, not really concerned with what they thought. Darkness swirled around us as the seconds marched by. Gunther remained silent as we waited, which was no bother for me. The silence was golden; in the fleeting moments, I got it.

Suddenly, a slight flare of light traveled up the sky, exploding into a wide firework. Once I saw it, I knew it was the signal. I could hear dozens of footsteps break through the silence without having to utter a single word. I stood my ground as I watched the undead spill across the kill zone. Each was grouped in tight squads of four, with a mage near the center that cast a light blue shield around them.

"Gunther, a word of advice, when you cross into no-man's-land, and you hear whistling, I wouldn't worry about it," I told him as I counted the seconds to the inevitable first blast.

"And if I don't?"

"You won't have anything to worry about then." It was a harsh statement, but it was true nonetheless. But as the words left my mouth, a brilliant explosion lit up the night sky, shattering earth and sending rubble flying through the air.

The surrounding ground trembled as another explosion rocked the earth and then another. Each shot was wide and inaccurate and thankfully missed all the troops, but I knew that luck wouldn't hold. But surprise was on our side. Once the elite forces broke through the Kill zones, we could hunt down the mage batteries and crack an opening into the defenses for the greater legion to exploit.

"Are you ready, Gunther?" I asked as I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword. I could feel the familiar pulses of power coursing through me as my blood boiled.

"Are you really about to dive into that? Do you have a death wish?" The man stammered out, clearly in shock at what I was about to do.

"I can not die, until the task given to me by the Empress is complete. There is nothing in this world that will sway me from my task." I told him as I took a step forward. "Do you wish to come, or will you remain behind until the artillery is silenced?"

"I think I will remain here for now." He grew quiet, and I didn't spare him another glance. It's not his fault that he was scared. This method of war broke many good men.

"So be it," I told him as I took another step forward, and my foot passed into the venerable grounds of no-man's-land. My blood boiled as I took another large step forward. I would never ask my men to do something if I wouldn't do it myself. I have always led from the front, in life and now even in death. The men needed a hero, and I have donned that mantel time and time again, and there was nothing that would stop my duty.

Another explosion shook the surrounding earth, blowing dirt and stone around me in a shower of debris as I closed the distance to the enemy's fortifications. I shut my mind off to the wanton destruction that rained around me and even to the squads that couldn't deflect the magic artillery. All I could do was move further into hell.

The rain of fire was slowly trickling into non-existence as more batteries were silenced as troops poured into the first line of trenches and structures. The distant sound of artillery strikes mixed with the sound of swords crashing into each other and magic tearing apart reality as forces clashed.

Chaos raged around me as I marched forward, my eyes set on the forward operating post of the outer city defenses. Once we slay whoever was commanding this contingent force, our army could take it and make it our own. But I couldn't justify doing a blind bombardment of the city. We neither had the time nor the resources to rebuild it. However, the information within that building would serve us well and make the urban warfare that would occur a little less of a nightmare.

I brought my sword out with a flick of my wrist and cut through a soldier who marched out to meet me. His armor bore the defaced symbol of my country and filled me with such bottomless rage. I am the arbiter of the Empress's wraith and the bearer of her will. The death of all these traitors would serve as a recompense for those still loyal. I would sever them from this unlife. Perhaps, in their true death, they could find penance for the destruction they wrought on these lands.