Ansen Rivider, Month 11, Day 19, Year A.F 652. City of Aster, Kingdom of Rosalia.
The sounds of marching was right behind me as I rode my horse forward. The city of Aster comes into view, along with it came the wall defending it.
A man came up beside me, "Duke Vincent has sent them an offer of surrender."
I look to the voice to see Athon in all his royal glory, his air that of royalty and his presence remarkable. He could've made an excellent king, if only he wasnt born under such circumstances.
"That's great, maybe they'll surrender and we can avoid bloodshed." I said to him with the sweetest smile I could muster.
He looks to me like I'm an idiot, something I can understand.
Why am I doing this again? Oh right, father asked me to. After all, it's easier to leave a bait than find where the rats are. It's easier if he shows a weakness than guessing any unpredictable moves.
I then turn my horse back as I smile to him, "Cmon, then. The quicker we end this, the quicker we could start having you throned."
His fond shake of his head was a typical reaction.
We enter the tent at the same time a messenger leaves, bearing what seemed to be an offer of surrender.
I look at the Duke and smiled. "Was that it? The terms of surrender?"
He nods back to me, his expression was in thought as he took up plans for the battle ahead.
Athan then sat as he immediately got to the point, "Since rejection is more than obvious, how do we take those walls?"
"Dont be so negative, maybe they'll accept?" I said to him in a joking tone.
Duke Dunsten chuckles before looking up from his thoughts, "We'll try the easiest tactics."
Athan rests his chin on his hand, "So we just take down their walls with a barrage of fireballs like always." He stood back up, his expression grave, "Let's just end this."
Duke Dunsten nods as he stood, "Send word, prepare all the knights we ride once at their refusal."
Andrew Allister
"Sir! We received an offer of surrender." A guard runs up behind me as I look at the army before me. Their number look almost insurmountable with the men I have with me.
"I see. Where are the messengers?" I reply as I try to gauge their strength.
"I sent them to a military office." He replies to me as he gestured for me to follow.
I smile at him, "Let them wait."
He tries to reply until realizations dawn on him. He gives me a nod of understanding as he left, "I'll try to have them comfortable, Sir."
"Good, Lets see how much time this can buy us."
Ansen Rivider
"How much longer is this going to take!?" The frustrated shout came from Athan.
A shout I can sympathize with as I feel the heat bear down upon me. Exchanging the cool morning breeze with an afternoon sun.
It's quite annoying that despite their obvious attempt to buy time. Duke Dunsten seems to be adamant on waiting for their reply.
"I'll ask Duke Dunsten to start the battle." Ansen spoke as he turned.
Though before he could continue, a messenger comes alone, bearing with him a message. Ansen grunts in disgruntlement and I merely sigh in relief. Hopefully we could have the battle start.
We follow the messengers back to the tent, to see him bowing his head as he spoke, "Sir, they seem to deliberate on their answer."
Duke Dunsten smashes his hand on the table, "For three hours? They were deliberating for three hours?" He points outside, "Get out and tell them, either they give their answer now or we shall take this as a rejection of our mercy."
I sit back at the table as Viller asks, "Why even bother waiting? We've been here for so long that any action could be justified."
He looks back, "Perhaps," He stood up, "Then we wait for half an hour, then we strike."
The three of us stood up. I look at the others to see their excited expressions becoming more than apparent. I only sigh as I lean back in my chair. Let's hope we win this.
Andrew Allister
I look out to the grass clearing as I lean back under the shade. The sounds of hooves and footsteps were noticeable. The vibration of the wall was apparent as thousands of knights galloped in my direction.
"Raise up your shields!" I order to everyone around me as I stood up. The officers hear this and do the same.
Before long, the clanking of metal moving washed over the wall as hundreds of shields were raised up.
"Bows Drawn!" The shouts echo through the wall. The sounds of hundred bow tensing as the knight grows closer. I wait for a moment as they near the most effective range and shout "FIRE!"
Hundreds of arrows fly towards them. The accuracy of these trained longbowmen showed itself as hundreds of knights fell, while a few sections remain unscathed from magic.
These enchanted arrows are quite a boon to my army.
The horses do panic as a hundred more fall from the obstacles the dead made. I smile a bit before the knight spurs their horses faster, not minding the dead, their hands forward as they summon fireballs.
"Fireballs! Incoming!" I shout to them as the shields ready themselves against the incoming salvo.
The following explosions shook the walls slightly, because of the distance between. Though countless fireballs explode on our walls. Yet the shields hold.
Those counterfeit ancient human shields from Eriva were truly worth it. Though the knights remain relentless, I raise my hand as I shout once more, "FIRE!"
The knights spread themselves, trying to avoid the rains of arrows. Unfortunately for them, these longbowmen are more than capable of predicting their movement and with. Since I trained them to.
Another storm of arrows rains down on them as they try their best to avoid the storm of arrows. They spur their horses forward, inching closer.
Another storm of arrows weren't able to stop them and now they're too spread apart for it to be an obstacle.
The sounds of galloping grows closer and their hands pushed forward before the salvo of more than a thousand fireballs appear before our view.
The light show would have been beautiful if it weren't so deadly. I then walk behind my men, their shield walls up as I raise my own brand of magic.
"BRACE YOURSELVES!" I shout to them as I raise my hand.
All longbowmen duck behind the shield bearers who all brace themselves, into ground
Water spews forth from my hand as it evaporates immediately from the intense heat the knight's barrage of fireballs emanated.
Unfortunately, I could only use magic to avoid my death. The others weren't so lucky.
The walls nearly buckle under the strings of explosions all around the walls, with enough power to shakes wall's foundation. The front crumbles to dust smoke.
The explosion disoriented most men, their shields holding. while it threw some back, injuring themselves, leaving them incapacitated.
Those who were unfortunate were situated where the power was most concentrated. With such power, the shield buckled, disintegrating their shields, taking with them the longbowmen behind them.
Everyone was in a panic as I try to order them, hoping to put them back to order, "BOWS DRAW!"
The longbowmen try to aim, trying to ignore the pained cries and groans. Though as the men draw their bows, those who volunteered take the wounded to the second wall.
"FIRE!" Another order comes out as another storm of arrows manifests itself.
The moment the rain of arrows struck, I ordered their retreat. "RETREAT TO THE SECOND LINE!"
The orderly was more than apparent from the enemies' view. But it doesn't matter, I don't want to risk the only soldiers I have.
And besides, they won't be able to hold against a barrage of fireballs this close in range. The only thing we could do now is hope the walls could do it's job.
Another barrage of fireballs shakes the walls. I inspect it for cracks, but it's holding on fairly well. I follow the men down the wall as the remaining soldiers peer through cover.
They organize in groups as they draw their bows, prepared to once more release a salvo.
A soldier shouts from the wall, "Four hundred meters!"
The longbowmen draw and fired, their accuracy honed by countless training once more showed its usefulness as the messenger returns with a shouts, "Critical Hit!"
A barrage of fireballs tries to fire back, only for it to slam to the city, missing the longbowmen. These walls are too high for such powerful projectile to even matter.
So once they realize that, they'll go with the next best option.
The gates creak under pressure as the sounds of melting steel and burning wood were wafting into the air. Giving everyone around me the sense of dread.
Though as the gate blasts open.
I smile.