The wind howled through the trees as the first ranks of the Xavarian vanguard marched toward the walls of Eagle's Reach. Kayl stood on the ramparts, watching as their crimson banners waved in the distance, a sea of armored soldiers marching with brutal precision. The air was heavy with tension, every breath thick with the weight of what was coming.
Behind him, his archers stood ready, their bows drawn, arrows nocked. The soldiers on the ground below prepared for the worst. Their defenses had been fortified, the walls reinforced, and the troops summoned, but the Xavarians were a force unlike any they had faced before.
Rael stepped up beside him, his eyes locked on the advancing enemy. "They're moving faster than I expected. We may have only hours before they reach us."
Kayl's jaw tightened. He could feel the thrum of energy pulsing through his mind, the system humming in the background. It was a reminder of the power he held, and the responsibility that came with it. He had summoned more soldiers, planned the defense meticulously, but now, standing on the brink of the clash, doubt gnawed at him.
"They'll test us first," Tessa said from his other side, her bow at the ready. "We'll hold them at the gates for as long as we can."
Kayl nodded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "We'll hold the line."
The First Strike
The battle began with the whistle of arrows slicing through the air. Kayl's archers loosed their first volley from the walls, a deadly rain that fell upon the Xavarian front ranks. Soldiers crumpled to the ground, their shields not fast enough to block the sharp points that pierced armor and flesh.
The Xavarians pressed forward without pause, the first wave advancing with shield walls raised, their formation unyielding. More arrows flew from the archers perched in the trees around the settlement, thinning their numbers further, but the enemy soldiers kept coming.
"Steady," Kayl called out, his voice cutting through the noise.
The Xavarians finally reached the gates, their front lines smashing against the defenses with the force of a battering ram. The wooden gates groaned under the assault, but Kayl's spearmen were ready. Spears thrust through the gaps in the walls, piercing the advancing soldiers who got too close, but the Xavarians quickly regrouped.
Another crash as the battering ram hit the gate.
"They're pushing hard already," Rael muttered as he watched the gates buckle under the pressure. "They'll be through soon."
"We can't let them breach this early," Kayl said, eyes narrowing.
A sudden flare of movement from the right caught his attention—just beyond the treeline, a group of Xavarian scouts had broken off, attempting to flank the settlement through the cover of the trees.
"Tessa!" Kayl barked, pointing toward the threat. "Take your archers and cut them off."
Tessa was already moving before the order had fully left his mouth. She sprinted down the length of the wall, shouting commands to the archers to shift position and target the scouts. Within moments, the sound of arrows flying through the air echoed through the forest, and the scouts fell in rapid succession.
But even as they eliminated the flankers, the battering ram slammed into the gate again, harder this time, sending a tremor through the entire structure.
"They'll be through any minute!" Rael shouted, his grip tightening on his sword.
Kayl's mind raced. They had to buy more time.
Spearmen to the Gates
"Spearmen, ready!" Kayl shouted, his voice carrying across the battlefield.
The spearmen assembled quickly, forming a phalanx behind the weakening gates. Kayl's heart pounded as the ram struck again, the wood splintering. They weren't ready for a full breach this early in the fight. The Xavarians were relentless, and the strength of their assault was more brutal than he had anticipated.
The next blow came, and with it, the gates exploded inward, shards of wood flying as the Xavarian soldiers poured through the breach. The first wave of Eagle's Reach's spearmen surged forward to meet them, spears thrusting into the advancing enemy soldiers. The clash was violent, the sound of steel against steel ringing out as the two sides collided in a brutal melee.
Kayl watched as the spearmen struggled to hold the line, their shields buckling under the relentless assault. The Xavarians, though fewer in number than the empire's full force, were still overwhelming. They fought with deadly efficiency, each movement precise, each blow calculated to break through the defenses.
A Shifting Tide
For a brief moment, it seemed like they might hold. Kayl's soldiers were holding the breach, their spears cutting down the advancing Xavarians as they fought to push through the narrow opening in the gate.
But then the second wave hit.
More Xavarian soldiers surged forward, pushing through the breach with renewed force. The spearmen began to fall back, unable to hold against the sheer weight of the enemy's numbers. Kayl's stomach dropped as he saw the tide turning before his eyes.
"They're breaking through!" Rael shouted, his sword flashing as he moved to join the fight at the gates.
"Send in the knights!" Kayl ordered, his voice tinged with desperation.
The Knights of Eagle's Reach moved forward, their armor gleaming in the dim light as they charged toward the breach. Mounted on their powerful warhorses, they crashed into the Xavarian lines like a hammer, scattering the soldiers who had broken through the gates.
For a moment, it seemed like the tide was turning. The knights cut down the Xavarians with brutal efficiency, their lances and swords flashing in the early morning light. But even as they fought, more enemy soldiers poured in from the breach, and the Xavarians were relentless.
Kayl could see it happening—the knights were slowing, overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies. For every Xavarian they cut down, two more took their place.
"We need to pull back!" Tessa shouted from the wall, her bow still firing arrows into the crowd.
Kayl's mind raced. If they didn't do something soon, the Xavarians would overrun them completely. They couldn't afford to retreat, but if they didn't, they risked losing the settlement altogether.
"Fall back!" Kayl ordered, his heart heavy with the decision. "Regroup at the inner walls!"