Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 81: Assault(1)

"MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! ON THE WALL NOW!" Jarza's voice echoed across the city walls, a command that sent a ripple of urgency through the defenders. Alpheo gazed the scene before him, his eyes taking in the chaos. Men armed with spears and shields rushed to their positions atop the walls, their gazes fixed on the distant enemy forces gathering for the impending assault, some were gulping nervously other were fidgeting in fear. Meanwhile, children and women darted through the city, ferrying arrows and small stones to bolster the defenders' supplies.The first to be shot and the latter to be thrown.

'This one is to be a brutal day' , he thought as he eyes the enemey's formation.The prince of Oizen had constructed battering rams and assembled ladders, clear indications of their intent to breach the city's defenses. "They will try to assault the walls using the ladders, while battering the gate with their ram," Alpheo mused, his gaze fixed on the enemy formations taking shape in the distance. "And once the gate falls, the city goes with it."

Two tense days had passed since they received the letter confirming the enemy's advance. Now, as the enemy completed their preparations, Alpheo knew they would concentrate their forces on the gate, their primary entry point into the city. Despite this, he remained vigilant, ensuring that all sections of the wall were adequately defended in case of any unexpected maneuvers.The last thing he wanted was for everhting to be a rouse and before they realize the attack was one of the other gate.

While most of the defenders manned the walls, Alpheo had allocated two hundred of their forces to serve as reserves, ready to reinforce any weak points as needed and also exchange position with the men on the front once they get tired. Supplies of arrows, stones, and chopped wood were meticulously stocked, ensuring that the defenders had everything they needed to repel the enemy onslaught.

With the city bracing for the impending assault, Alpheo knew that every ounce of preparation could make the difference between victory and defeat.Everything had been done and the fate of the city was in the hands of the god.Or at least so most people thought, Alpheo was the exception he didnot know if something existed in the sky or deep in the dirt, but he did not think that the numerous gods of this lands actually existed.

"At least it's not going to rain," Alpheo muttered to himself, his gaze drifting upwards with a hint of relief. He despised the discomfort that rain brought, especially during a tense situation like this. His attention shifted to the other gates, where each of his trusted companions was tasked with a command. Jarza would oversee the defense of the front gate, while Egil and Laedio were stationed at the eastern and western walls, respectively. Asag was in charge of the reinforcement units, ready to move wherever needed. Meanwhile, Clio was given authority over the infantry positioned on a wall adjacent to the gate—a position that offered action without excessive risk, as the enemy would likely use ladders for their assault.

Approaching Jarza, Alpheo conveyed his instructions with clarity. "Make sure to let the ram enter in action before proceeding. We want it to be thoroughly destroyed. If we destroy it, the enemy will lose any chance of gaining the city."

Jarza nodded in understanding, his gaze shifting to the imposing gate and its strategically positioned towers. "Understood," he replied, his attention fully focused on the task at hand. As Alpheo began to walk away, Jarza called out to him, a note of concern in his voice. "Hey, Alpheo, make sure to stay out of harm's way."

Alpheo smiled reassuringly, raising a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry about me," he replied confidently. Despite holding one of the most important roles in the defense, he knew it was also one of the safest. Positioned within the towers guarding the gate, he would be shielded from the initial enemy assault. To reach him, the enemy would have to breach the gate itself—an obstacle that would prove daunting, to say the least.

For the moment ,however Alpheo choose not to not stay inside any of the two towers, he preferred to stay on top of the wall and gaze onward, and there it finally arrived. Dozens of men holding horns, gave the signal

—WUNNNN-

The men started moving ,Alpheo could not see their face, but he knew that if his men were getting nervous , then the enemy peasants must have been shitting themselves. That was what they were, peasants . The prince had no time to drill his men, which meant that apart from the hundreds of elite of the nobles and the prince, the entire army was made of undisciplined levies .

If there was one thing that Alpheo desired was to meet the prince.He wanted to know the face of the crazy son of a bitch, but unfortunately he would never have such opportunity. His gaze fell on the enemy's banner, as many as the clouds in the sky, fluttering in the win they danced in the breeze, liked leaves in the winds .

''SLINGERS'' Jarza shouted as he raised his hand, and one hundred , man put the stones on their slings and started building the cinetic energy for the throw . There was no order given by the commander, as soon as they thought they were on range, they started to rain down stones. Dozens of stones hurled in the skies, cutting the air with their body. Soon some men fell to the ground, the stones hitting the head of some and the shoulders of others. Confusion rippled through the ranks of the enemy before they realized what was happening.

''RAISE SHIELDS'' Officers shouted as they made the motion, copied by their men.The shields given to the man were a cumbersome thing , rectangular shaped and big enough to cover their torso.The men raised them diagonally to their heads, as that was the part of the body they had to protect. The shields, bulky and cumbersome, offered protection against the hail of stones. Officers barked orders, urging their men to advance while shielding themselves from the incoming projectiles. The air filled with the sound of stones colliding with wood

-Smash-Smash-Smash-

The relentless barrage of stones rained down upon the enemy lines, most deflected by hastily raised shields, but a few finding their mark, inflicting painful wounds upon the unfortunate few who were struck. The cries of the injured pierced the air, their agony serving as a grim reminder of the brutality of war. Yet, despite their suffering, the wounded remained a small minority, their injuries unable to deter the resolve of the advancing army.

Alpheo's gaze remained fixed upon the enemy's progress, his expression unreadable as he assessed the situation with a cool detachment. While the mass of men moving forward held little interest for him, his attention was drawn to the battering ram steadily advancing towards the city's defenses. It was this looming threat that occupied his thoughts, the potential breach of their walls a far greater concern than the mere foot soldiers approaching.

As the enemy forces closed in on the second moat, Alpheo knew it was time for the archers to shine. With the enemy now within range, both sides unleashed a storm of arrows upon each other. The defenders, positioned high upon the walls, had the advantage of elevation and cover, while the attackers, lacking such protection apart from few wooden shuffles , were sitting ducks and were left vulnerable to the deadly rain of projectiles.

Jarza's archers targeted the advancing infantry, aiming to thin their ranks and disrupt their formation. The narrow path created by the enemy's makeshift bridge provided a prime opportunity for the defenders to concentrate their fire, picking off their foes with deadly accuracy, as they could not march all at once, . With each volley of arrows, the defenders exacted a toll upon the enemy's forces that succeded in raising the nerves of the enemy's army.

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