"Assault of the Gate of Storms..." Part Two

The Imperial Combined Arms Special Forces, Fifth Ready Group at Tigers Pass

In the early hours of the morn, the Fifth Special Forces Group had captured the Gates of Tigers Pass. On the previous day, while merchants and wagoner's and tradesmen and travelers walked beneath the Gate's arches, specially trained troops disguised as locals and merchants infiltrated the Valley and assembled at various inns that were safe houses of Imperial Intelligence. In the early hours of the morn, these troops stealthily-and in some cases openly-made their way to the fortified barracks and gatehouse.

The sentries were swallowed by the gloom of predawn, and those who were still sleeping in the barracks were kissed by the assasins blade. The one Battle Mage set as a ward against a magical attack from thieves and bandits never realized who the sentry sidling next to him was as he stood his post upon the bell tower. At first, he assumed it was the Captain of the Guard, that bloody bastard thinks he's tough shit sneaking on us, he won't catch me sleeping at my post, he thought derisively. As his head was pulled back and a blade sliced across his neck and broke his carotid, in the depths of his dying mind he cursed the day he signed up for this madness.

From atop the Battle Mage's post, the Special Forces sergeant looked out at the receding gloom. The gurgling body received barely a glance. To the east, the sun began to rise.

"Sergeant," Sword First Class Mikl Elona spoke in the soft tones of a man who knew that today's bloodshed had just begun. "All the sentries and the barracks have been neutralized. "Captain Skrive orders send the signal."

The Sergeant stared out at the dawns early light, and he remembered watching the rising sun of his childhood on the Sea of Grass as he stood at the entrance of his family's tent. He grunted, banishing the memory to the depths of his past.

"Send the signal," brusquely, he gave the order.

Behind the Sergeant, Mikl about faced and strode to their attached Magi Communications Operator in the Gatehouse. The Combined Arms Special Forces branch of the Imperial military was still too new to have their own in house support. Instead, they had to recruit and conscript heavily from the regular military, as well as having the needed specialists and technicians "detached" from their parent units for specialty work with the C.A.S.F. Usually, that would be the last time the regulars would ever see of their personnel. Since these specialty skills were in demand throughout the Imperial military, this caused much gnashing of teeth as the affected units suddenly found themselves losing a trained Magi Combat Medic, or even a Golem Engineer. Strangely, there were not any complaints or a hint of a veiled threat in reply to the C.A.S.F.'s carefully worded-and respectful, Mikl added, don't forget respectful-requests for personnel. Mikl gave a snort in derision as he thought about that strange reaction from the regular forces. Maybe Lord Captain Commander Sa'Lorna's backing had something to do about it. Not a bad officer, Mikl thought of the Commanding General of Imperial Army, East Front, for a regular. Inside the Gatehouse, the broken bodies of scarlet uniformed guards still lay where they fell, each with a cross bolt in the neck. Without saying a word, Mikl just nodded to the Mage.

Immediately the Mage spoke into his mana powered Communications Stone. "Centaur," he used the general's call sign, "de Gate is ours."

Before the Gates of Tigers Pass, Invisibility cloaks were discarded as the Battle Mage's powered the devices off, and the Imperial Army was revealed in all its battle glory.

Lord Captain Commander Sa'Lorna peered through the eyepiece of his looking glass as the Gate slowly opened outwards, revealing the battling forms of lightly armored special forces troopers and the scarlet uniformed Sargressa cavalryman atop horses. He frowned; the fighting will not go unnoticed by observers within the Valley, and from the Fortress for that matter.

"Sir," one of his staff officers said, "Griffin reports that a change of shift cavalry patrol is engaging them."

That patrol must've been on their way to the barracks, which means their shift had just ended, and their relief is still about somewhere. From somewhere within the Valley, an alarm bell tolled. Immediately, others answered from all across the Valley and Fortress.

The movement orders had already been given, and so the general watched as his first units entered the Gate, thus reinforcing Skrive and his troopers.

In the Fortress overlooking the Valley, looking out the great arched window of her bedchambers, Lady Lena Sargressa smiled as she watched the Gates of Tigers Pass open before its scheduled time. Faintly, she could hear clash of steel upon steel and the screams of dying man and horses.

"It has begun..."she whispered.

Mkel suddenly dove beneath his opponent's defense, and landed before the forelegs of his enemy's steed. Realizing too late that he had fallen for a feint, the Sargressa cavalry officer tried to knee his horse forward to crush the trooper underfoot. With a great effort, Mkel swung his blade against the forelegs of the charging animal. Screaming, the horse crashed down, while the Sargressa cavalry officer leapt off, barely in time. While the Sargressa officer was still recovering, Mkel pulled out a throwing knife from his sleeve, and-with an inaudible crack-he threw it. The hilt of Mkel's knife sprouted from the Sargressa officer's eye, and he toppled backwards.

From beyond the open Gate, he spotted a Battle Golem charging at the head of a group of Imperial dragoons. Not a moment too soon, Mkel thought, just as hilt butt was slammed against his head.

Like lightning, the Golem bowled into the fray, spearing a Sargressa cavalryman and slashing another in half at the waist. All eight scythe-like legs thundered against the pavement as its two blade arms moved in a dance of death. Towering over both friend and foe, the Golem's emotionless movements and eyeless gaze struck fear in all. Immediately behind the Battle Golem, the men of Aleph Company, Third Banner, Fifth Regiment, arrived in a thunder of hooves.

Lord Captain Ilse Sa'llorn brought his sword down on the Sargressa cavalryman standing over a downed Special Forces trooper. It cleaved through metal and bone and brain, and then with barely a grunt he wrenched his sword free. Dismounting from his charger, he turned to the trooper.

"Here," he said, offering him a hand.

"Thank you sir," Mkel grinned as he was pulled to his feet, "he almost had me."

"Our work here is done," Ilse Sa'llorn said just as the last of the Sargressa cavalry patrol was cut down by the great blades of a Lesser Golem.

"No, sir," Mkel respectfully disagreed, wiping a bit of brain matter from his cheek, "our works only begun."

Looking out into the great Valley, Ilse realized that the trooper spoke the truth. Already, in the villages and towns, scarlet armored formations were assembling at designated points, and a column of cavalry was leaving the city for the Gates. Spotting his grizzled First Bannerman wiping his blade on the uniform of a dead Sargressa cavalryman, Ilse signaled him. Nodding, the First Bannerman of Aleph Company began to chivvy his troops into order. Bellows from the platoon Banners and Fileleaders carried out the officer's orders. "Always first," Ilse whispered his company's motto.

Streaming beneath the Gates arches, the first units of the Imperial Army, Eastern Frontier, entered into the Valley of Sargressa.