The stillness of dawn shrouded the fortress when the first alarm sounded. I was wakened by clashing bells, which made their rhythmic way through the stone walls like the beat of a living creature. Setting the sword to my side, I ran forth to the courtyard, my heart thudding within my breast.
Soldiers were already assembling, their faces sternly resolute. Chris was giving out orders, his voice steady and soft despite the urgency. I joined him in scanning the horizon to find any sign of the enemy.
"Galarcia has marched faster than estimated," he said, gazing at the far-off hills. "Their army has been spotted by the western ridge. They advance.".
In a trice, Lord Alder strode in, his face etched with lines of decision. "We've secured our defenses to the west," he stated, "but we'll need reinforcement for them to take off some of the pressure. This may just be the beginning of the siege."
I nodded, in a rush of adrenalin my heart racing fast. "We should split our armies so that they can lie unprotected on one side - Blackwood Legion could just attack that way")
Chris studies the map, his brow furrowed with deep concentration as his mind wonders through possibilities. "We'll put archers on the eastern walls, enough to deter any surprise attack. Isla and her scouts are there, near them-they will give us notice immediately.".
We put our plan into place, and it was then that we ourselves began to move pretty quickly to gear up our troops. In the courtyard, men were putting on armor, arming themselves, and preparing for the very simple battle ahead. There was no time for fear or for hesitation: every moment counted.
As the sun climbed higher, the dark outlines of Galarcia's soldiers became visible once more. Their armor left glints of doom as the light danced across it. They moved in formation, disciplined and relentless. Lead at the front would be siege engines: massive constructions to batter our walls asunder.
I stood on the wall, my heart hammering in my chest as I looked out over the horde below. The siege engines laid before us filled me with a chilling fear. If they made it into our defenses, there'd be no holding them back.
I stood silent for a moment. Then Chris joined me, his face etched with determination. "We'll hold them here, Chloe. This is our home. They're not going to take it from us.".
I grasped my sword, the weight keeping me on earth. "We will give them all we have."
Galarcia's first wave of soldiers starts to march forward. Our archers release a volley of arrows at them, and the sky is filled with the dark clouds of the arrows flying toward the enemy. Screams fill the air as they get hit by arrows, yet Galarcia's force moves forward, unyielding.
The fight was savage, as both sides pulled hard. The clangor of steels and the wails of fighting filled the air. Our warriors stood firm, their morale unbroken.
But Galerica's men don't give up: they came and came, as if never-ending. As fast as we toppled a soldier, two others were there in his place. The approaching engines could soon reach our walls, pounding against them with every mighty crash.
When we thought at last we should melt to the ground, A shout blustered over from the east; I turned again to look, and as my heart leapt me up, I saw that the Eastern Tribes came charging on, banners streaming free. They had kept their word.
We fought on with new strength, friends and allies. And finally the tide of the battle changed; I felt a shiver of hope.
But as the sun set and plunged into the horizon, bringing long shadows over the battlefield, I knew it was just the beginning. It had started-the siege-and Galarcia would not ever rest if they were to take everything that belonged to us. We in for the fight of our lives-and we meet it with every ounce of strength we possessed.