General Augustus rode to the front of his vast army, his eyes fixed on the city that he had sworn to conquer.
He expected to see fear and despair on the faces of the defenders, but instead he saw determination and defiance.
They had dug deep trenches, laid traps, and stationed skilled archers and mages on the walls. They were ready to fight.
"Sir, the enemy has fortified their position well. They have anticipated our attack and prepared accordingly. They will not give up easily." Captain Lucius, a loyal and brave officer under General Augustus, reported with a salute.
General Augustus nodded, his expression grim. "I see. They are more resilient than I thought. But we have the numbers and the power."
"We will break their will and crush their spirit. Captain Lucius, order the troops to advance slowly and carefully. Send 20,000 of our soldiers to probe their defenses and find any weak spots."
"Yes, sir." Captain Lucius saluted and relayed the command.
The army moved forward, cautiously and steadily, towards the city.
The defenders, led by Commander Alex and Mayor Eldric, watched the approaching army from the safety of the city walls.
They knew they were outnumbered, but they had magical cannons that could wipe out the enemy in an instant.
"Archer!" Commander Alex shouts to his soldier and the mercenary.
"Take aim, wait for my command!"
The archers, a mix of skilled soldiers and hired mercenaries, drew their bows in unison. The tension on the city walls was palpable as they aimed at the approaching army.
"Steady... steady," he whispered to the archers, waiting for the optimal moment to release a barrage of arrows.
As the enemy comes within range of the archers, Commander Alex yells. "Fire!"
"Shield!"
"Argh!"
"Take Cover!"
The arrows flew through the air, raining down on the enemy soldiers. Some of them managed to dodge or block the projectiles, but many others fell to the ground, wounded or dead. The archers quickly reloaded and fired again, trying to thin out the enemy ranks.
General Augustus saw the carnage and smirked. He had expected the private army from the noble to be wiped out, the reason he had sent them in the first place was to gauge the enemy archer range and to make them waste their arrows on those cannon fodder. He had a bigger plan in mind, one that would ensure his victory.
'Not bad, these Pinnacle Republic soldiers. They have some fight in them.' He thought, admiring the resilience of the defenders led by Commander Alex and Mayor Eldric. But he knew it was futile. They were doomed to fall under his might. He raised his hand and gave the order.
"Tell the engineer to make a trebuchet, send some of our soldiers to find a stone boulder, I want to finish it tonight."
As the sun set, the engineer and his team worked tirelessly to construct a trebuchet, a powerful siege weapon that could hurl massive stones over long distances.
They used wood, metal, rope, and leather to assemble the device, following the instructions of General Augustus. They also scoured the nearby hills for suitable boulders, dragging them back to the camp with the help of horses and carts.
Meanwhile, the defenders of the city were not idle. They knew that the enemy would not give up after the first assault, and that they had to prepare for a more devastating attack.
The night was tense and restless, as both sides waited for the dawn. The only sounds were the occasional cries of the wounded, the clanging of metal, and the crackling of fire.
The next morning, General Augustus gave the signal to launch the trebuchet. "Begin the siege!"
The engineer pulled the lever, releasing the counterweight and catapulting the boulder into the air. The stone flew over the heads of the soldiers, over the trenches and traps, and towards the city wall.
The defenders saw the incoming projectile and braced themselves. They knew they had to act fast, or the wall would be breached.
The boulder smashed into the wall with a loud thud, sending cracks and debris flying. The defenders felt the impact and the tremor, but they did not panic. They had anticipated this possibility and had a countermeasure ready.
"Fire the cannons!" Commander Alex ordered.
The mages who manned the cannons nodded and activated their magic. The cannons, which were hidden behind the wall, emerged and aimed at the enemy camp.
They fired a volley of bright beams that pierced the air and hit the trebuchet, the tents, the carts, and the soldiers.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
The enemy camp was thrown into chaos and confusion. The trebuchet was destroyed, the supplies were burned, and the soldiers were killed or injured. General Augustus watched in horror and fury as his plan was foiled.
"How did they…? What are those…?" He muttered, unable to comprehend the power of the cannons.
He realized that he had underestimated the defenders and their technology.
"Retreat!" He had to retreat and regroup, or he would lose everything.
"Sound the horn! Retreat! Retreat!" He shouted, hoping that his men would hear him over the noise and follow his order.
The defenders cheered and celebrated as they saw the enemy flee. They had repelled the attack and defended their city. They had proven their courage and strength.
They thanked Commander Alex and Mayor Eldric for their leadership and wisdom. They also thanked the mages for their skill and innovation. They had worked together as a team and had achieved a great victory.
They knew that the war was not over, and that General Augustus would come back.
They raised their flags and their voices, chanting their republic.
"Pinnacle! Pinnacle! Pinnacle!"
Mayor Eldric sends a message to his cousin Duke Graham, they win the first siege, and he asks him to prepare to lead a rebellion against the Verdant Glades Kingdom.
"Although they were defeated in their first siege against us, they still have a huge number of soldiers, it's better for us to send some scouts to find out their next strategy."