Part Five

A great mass of soldiers rushed forward, swords unsheathed. Still the bombardment of the troops by the Valashians continued, toppling columns of soldiers or tossing them into the air with clumps of snow. A slight drizzle of snow began falling, sprinkling city, men, and weapons.
Galen, who was running alongside Hideoshi, said, "I've heard that our consuls Evanduor and Varrus called upon the Fairies of the South to aid us. They'll be here any day."
"Emperor Dietrich and the rest of the Southern Fairies would not want to be involved in this war if they can help it!" Said Hideoshi.
"Why not?"
"Because this is an indirect attack upon their kinsman."
"But the Mazovians are heartless killers! Haven't you heard about the slave labour camps they've got? About how they've tried to erase the history of this world and supplant it with their own? And they practice forbidden powers! How can Emperor Dietrich and his people not help us? Surely they don't like these things!"
"They don't," replied Hideoshi."But you seem to forget the history of Arret yourself! Don't you remember that when some of the Fairy people began to use forbidden power, that it divided fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, cousins, and other relatives? Many still live, on both sides. For them to fight each other, at least on the Southern Fairies' side, would shatter dreams of winning the Mazovians back, and would pierce their hearts with a sorrow that would endure to the end of the world."
Suddenly, Nevsky shouted from behind the two, "Don't run into the wall, Hideoshi and Galen!"
Hideoshi and Galen halted abruptly, scarcely avoiding a head-on collision with the wall. Their fellow soldiers rushed through the breach nearby, shouting and brandishing weapons.
"Nevsky," said Hideoshi, noticing that the former's pale face and trembling hands. "Do Not freak out now! It will get you killed! Stick with us!"
"Okay," Nevsky mumbled.
The three charged through the breach, to find themselves in mass chaos. Arrows whistled through the sky to land clattering on stone streets,or to pierce a soldier's body. Steel stuck against steel, man strove against man. From many-storied houses and buildings townspeople hurled down chunks of stone while shouting derogatory terms at the attackers. A wild urge to survive seized Galen and Hideoshi, who plunged into the fray, scarce realising what they did, acting upon instinct or months of training drilled into their subconciousness. They fought like this for some time, until they stumbled into a quiet street, having overcome their latest advisaries. Huddled in an arched stone doorway nearby, was Nevsky.
"What are you doing?" Screamed Hideoshi and Galen.
"I-I," quivered Nevsky, "can't take it."
"Stop that now, or we'll leave you here by yourself!"
Nevsky flinched, but suddenly, he straightened up, and looked into the room behind him. "I wonder what's in this room," he said.
The three crept through the arched doorway, swords drawn, into the house. Though dim within, they could see that they were in the entrance hall of a lordly house. Four columns stood in the hall, from which a vaulted, gothic ceiling sprang out and up into points, before curving back down. Though large gaps of paint flaked off of the ceiling years before, gold stars in a deep blue background remained in patches. Between the four columns were four round windows in vivid, gem-like glass. A great door, flanked by the columns and windows, was in the middle of the wall opposite the three.
"I never saw anything like this," whispered Nevsky while gazing round him.
"Nor I," said Hideoshi.
Galen said nothing, but he strode up to the door, grapsed its iron handle, and slowly creaked it ajar. After peeping through the crack, he whispered, "Come on with me! There's a stairway in here, leading straight down!"
"No!" Said Hideoshi. "There's no telling what's down there!"
"But there's light at the bottom! Lots of light!"
Hideoshi and Nevsky started forward, when loud cries and shouts suddenly began to sound. Rapidly, Hideoshi noticed a staircase to the right, going up.
"Let's go upstairs and see what's going on!" He said.
They clambered quickly up the stairs and dashed at once to the nearest window. On the streets below, people, both defenders and besiegers of Valash were running, screaming in panic, "A Thunderbird!"
"I never heard of a thunderbird," yawned Galen.
"They're a legendary-" Hideoshi began saying when Nevsky pointed wildly, screaming, "Look to the northwest!"
Hideoshi and Galen looked towards the northwest. There, above the white clouds, was an enormous creature of ashen grey nigh unto black, like the clouds of a great thunderstorm in midsummer. Its eyes and beak were a glossy, dead black, glittering with malice, while of all birds it looked like a cross between a condor and an eagle, but was far larger. Lightning shot from and pulsed round his body, while thunder rumbled.
"He's coming nearer," Nevsky whispered.
Hideoshi nodded, while Galen said, "Look, when he passed over those roofs, patches of snow melted!".
The Thunderbird soared over Valash like a vulture over a carcass. Each time his shadow passed over, people screamed and cowed in terror. Pandemonium reigned. Suddenly, a crossbow from a beseiging soldier twanged, shooting straight into the breast of the Thunderbird. A frightful, eerie shriek arose from the Bird, but he was only slightly wounded.
Now, his smouldering wrath was fully kindled, and screeching in anger, the Thunderbird dove down upon the city, crashing into the residential section, reducing a whole street to rubble. No one came forward to confront the beast, for he shot bolts of lightning around him, knocking out some, vaporizing others, killing many.
Hideoshi watched tensely, a feeling growing within that he must do something.
"I'm going to try to wound that thunderbird," he said grimly. "I don't know if I can kill it, so stay here.".
He began to walk away, but Galen called out, "Naw! I'm a grown soldier, and I'm coming too!".
"Me too!" Chimed Nevsky. "You stuck by me and I ought to repay it."
Hideoshi smiled gravely, a feeling of dread foreboding descending upon him.
"Okay then," he said.