At dusk, Falcon surveyed his ragtag army of refugees. A few soldiers had remained among the patients, their wounds healed unnaturally fast, mostly likely due to Sebastian’s care. The rest were farmers, blacksmiths, and apprentices Sebastian had convinced to shelter in the hospital. The most skilled, Falcon appointed to seal and guard windows and doors, while the rest he set on guard against an unexpected breach. Women and children huddled together in the main ward room, and the smaller weapons in the store room were distributed among the able bodied housewives and farm girls. The governor’s agent was still arguing with Father Mattias about Sebastian’s vision, but Falcon noted the agent wasn’t showing any interest in leaving the safety of the hospital, either.

  Satisfied with his preparations, Falcon looked at the sky. Ogres waited to attack in the darkness, and the deepening hues of the sunset told him they didn’t have much time. The blood-red sunset seemed almost as ominous as his lingering memory of Sebastian’s vision and Sebastian’s continued absence made him nervous. The part of the vision that had the shadow of death resting on the young priest was still unclear, and he’d feel better if the seer was nearby when it happened.

  “I’m sorry, Father.” Falcon was actually less than sorry about interrupting the whining city official. “But have you seen Father Alexander? He went into the city and it’s nearly dark.”

  Father Mattias looked both relieved to be free from the burdensome man and concerned about Sebastian. “He’ll be here, Sir Peregrine. That much is clear.”

  Falcon grunted his dissatisfaction with that answer. Of course Sebastian would be there. The question was when and what kind of hell he’d need to go through to get there. He shifted his axe in his grip and jerked his head toward the hospital ward. “I think you and the governor’s representative had better head inside. If you can keep the women and children comfortable, I’ll see to the fighting men.” He didn’t actually believe the governor’s man would be any help in either case, but he needed the fool out of his way.

  The hospitaller’s expression showed that he was quite aware of Falcon’s motivation. “Every man to the ministry God has given him, Sir Peregrine. We’re quite blessed God saw fit to leave you here with us.”

  “And the ogres will regret the wounds they gave me that left me here to face them again.” Falcon nodded decisively. He narrowed his gaze at the governor’s man. “Where is your master? Didn’t you tell him the hospital will be the only place guaranteed safety by nightfall?”

  “The governor is assured that the palace is secure.” The man sniffed arrogantly.

  “But you’re not, or you would be with him.” Falcon laughed. “Go with Father Mattias to aid the women and children or come with me to face the ogres, but either way stay out of the way of men doing God’s work. Neither of us have time to deal with your nonsense.”

  The governor’s man looked at the axe still in Falcon’s hand and decided to scramble after Father Mattias. Falcon shook his head. Not that he expected or even wanted anything different. He had ogres to fight and a seer to look after and wouldn’t have time to monitor a minor government official.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Cries in the distance summoned him back to his post at the front doors. He went the long way, encouraging the men at the other stations as he made the rounds. Part of him itched to join the battle on the frontlines, to defend both the city and the honor of the absent Knights of the North Star. The roar of battle and the thunder of battering rams at the walls reminded him that Sebastian’s vision had already declared the city forfeit and his fellow Knights of the North Star had already forfeited their honor themselves.

  By the time he reached his post, the cries outside rose to mingled shouts of victory and groans of defeat. Smoke and dust rose with a rumble that shook the very ground they stood on even as deep in the city as the hospital. Screams echoed in the streets as people who had failed to heed Sebastian’s warning now fled before the ravaging hordes of ogres.

  The hospital had a wide vestibule between the main entrance and the hospital ward room. Falcon had ordered the main doors to the outside barricaded and the most skilled fighting men stationed in the vestibule as the first line of defense when the ogres breached the barricade. They could afford to admit refugees only as long as the ogres’ attention was elsewhere. Once the battle reached the hospital walls, allowing anyone through the lines would be risky.

  “Take courage, men. God has promised the ogres will not get past us tonight,” Falcon addressed the men posted with him. “Take heart in this fact no matter how grim the battle may seem.” Regardless of the victory foretold, the shadow of death resting on Sebastian did not portend an easy battle for any of them.

  The knights nodded grimly as the noise of battle filled the streets outside and the first blows of attack sounded on the heavy oak doors. The locked doors seemed to only further drive the ogres' determination to breach them, and Falcon knew it wouldn’t be long before they were faced with real fighting.

  The doors groaned under the weight of the battering ram, and Falcon took both his sword and axe in hand. He flexed carefully to loosen his arms. A cramp while wielding such heavy weapons would be fatal… except for Sebastian’s promise of his victorious survival. It was honestly a bit odd going into a battle he could not lose. Going into battle knowing he could not die was surreal. The knowledge stole some of his accustomed apprehension, while replacing it with a strong dose of confidence.

  God, help me remember the vision comes from You. He swung both weapons in lazy circles as the beam holding the doors closed strained against another impact. Keep my confidence always in You and not Sebastian’s visions. If his suspicion was correct, this was unlikely to be the first of Sebastian’s visions he encountered.

  “Ready.” The beam creaked and one of the doors began to show cracks. Falcon took a defensive stance. “Make sure none who get past me reach the ward doors.”

  The dark haired knight beside him nodded. The man was not much smaller than Falcon himself and armed with a brutal looking billhook with a hook, spear, and rear spike.

  A splintering crack from the door drew Falcon’s full attention back to the ogres. The blade of a large battle axe was wedged tightly through thick wood. It rocked back and forth for a moment as its owner struggled to free it, then came down again, taking a large chunk of the door with it.

  The next blow of the battering ram took the door with it. In a moment, the ogres were upon them and Falcon’s full attention was on making sure no ogres made it past him alive. He’d grown somewhat inured to their hideous appearance–with heavy brows, bulbous noses, huge ears, and scar-puckered faces–but their sheer size always took him by surprise when they were up close. Falcon himself was broader and taller than the vast majority of men, and yet the ogres still made him feel like David facing Goliath. Most of the time the contest was decided only by Falcon’s superior cunning, agility, and intelligence–and the same divine protection that had favored young David.