Chapter 22: The Siege

Kurgren and Ekon, along with their surviving infantry, quickly meets up with Ardent, Ignatz and the rest who finished their holdout points.

It was a large cistern, five-hundred feet long in a slope built by people upon Leona's founding to drain away rainwater.

Ekon quickly ask the rest for status update.

"Me and Erhardt manage to held them off for two hours, and killing at least two-hundred, until they brought thirty soldiers with hand mortars and gas grenades." Ignatz said.

"My group managed to hold them off with our phalanx, thanks to the aid of the others in the rafters dropping stone, grenades, or shooting them with muskets. That is until they pulled out twelve-pounder cannons." Ardent follows.

"My group of musket and crossbow infantry managed to take down about a hundred or so when they breach through the door and charge the corridor. But we withdraw when we were out of ammo while they still outnumber us." Solaina said.

And Delilah.

"Me and Louise manage to stop most of them with our magic trap and some spell, one of which was a poisonous cloud that choked at least three-hundreds of them, but we were still outnumbered. But we have half our chi and mana left."

They then tally their losses. Where they now have two-hundred men and women in fighting condition while the enemy have about seven-hundred left. Including Ardent's group taking out three of the five twelve pounders.

Soloman then enters the room and joins them.

"Good. Then let's prepare our defences. Here we will stop the Leona army."

The hundred muskets, crossbow, and mage infantry, including Solaina, Louise and Delilah, quickly went into position. Moving atop the walls created by the mages and behind its walls, where four cauldrons of boiling water lay. And aim their weapon

The heavy infantry division, consisting of Ardent and Ekon with twenty men and women wearing chainmail hauberks with shields and spears, quickly form a phalanx at the gate, which funnel shape, from narrow entrance to widening exit, meant only one person can enter yet all defenders can attack.

The rest, including Kurgren, Ignatz, Erhardt and Soloman, quickly forms behind the heavy infantry or went to the base to get more ammo and grenades.

A few tense minutes pass, the enemy delayed by the traps they set to cover they escape most likely inflicting losses, until they hear the familiar beats of the drum.

Then from the four entrances at the bottom emerge the remaining army, all having tired but angry look under their nasal helmet, with about ten bombardiers and one cannon.

And, before the army could get in formation, the captain bellows the order.

"MUSKETS AND CROSSBOW! FIRE!"

A symphony of booms then echoes the chamber and the soldiers fell, the survivors quickly moving to formation.

Then a captain orders them to concentrate on the cannoneers and bombardiers.

They then quickly fire at the bombardiers, killing half of them before the shield infantry blocks them and they quickly advance to the wall, followed by killing most of the cannon crew.

And the remaining army, now in formation with shieldsmen in the front and muskets at the back, quickly advances towards them.

It was then, when the melee nears the gate, where the water is poured.

The army below cries in pain as the hot water scalds their skin. The remaining wetting the floor and causing them to slip, the few that made it through getting skewered by spears.

An hour then past as the assault continues. The army losing many of their soldiers while they only suffered few losses, most from a stray shot hitting them or popping out of cover at the wrong time.

Then, when one of their muskets struck someone who looked like an officer, the troops began to waver. Then ran back to the tunnels as fast as they could upon taking more losses, while quarrels and bullets stuck their backs.

And the remaining rebels shouts in triumph.

But yet, in one of the tunnels, lord Brundol looks the battle in disgust. It seems he had underestimated them.

He then calls for his trusted mages, who wears dark robes etched with letters of Fernilohs; the language of devils, and orders them to use their trump card.

"Open the portals. And summon the demons."

The mages nodded and took out their slaves, beginning the incantation in Fernilohs. Black and white essence formed a sigil, the slaves screamed as the daemon mages ripped out their essence. And finished it by slitting one of the slave's throat and one of them slitting their wrist. And when both bloods touched the sigil sparks flew. And a demon portal opens.

The group then began to cheer when they hear drums beating again.

Yet the beats were different, slower with longer intervals, like how an arena would introduce a deadly beast or the undefeated champion.

And the defender tremble in fear as it came.

From the tunnels charged out, by estimates, a million sharukhs, the simplest demon made by hell and summon by daemon mages.

They are red-skinned creatures made as cannon fodders who lack any hair, whose height barely reaches an average Elf's waist, with claws as long and sharp as daggers and completely black eyes with the strength, durability and intelligence of a toddler. But compensated in numbers.

They charge towards them, their screeching nearly deafening everyone as their claws clacked against the floor, like a torrential storm bouncing off stone, as all gunners, mages and crossbows fire while the reserve quickly aid and refill and reheat the cauldron.

They easily killed many of them, due to them nearly filling out the corridor, with the mage now casting their more powerful spells, from fireballs that incinerated hundreds of them to balls of ice that freeze them to statues before being stampeded by the brethren and pressurized blades of green wind or blue water that cuts them down like wheat before a scythe. While cauldrons of boiling water and grenades killed those who came near.

And yet, even inflicting so much damage that the bodies began partially block the entrance, they still came with a handful of them reaching the walls and gate where they were swiftly impaled. For its known the demons are like the sea.

Always crashing against the rock, never stopping, till it crumbles and breaks.

And by the end, where the tunnels are slightly blocked by the corpses, all of them ran out of ammo and spell, while the spears became too blunt or too heavy with the corpses to use where Soloman quickly blows the horn to retreat.

And so everyone quickly ran, a mage using his final spell to seal the entrance, as the demon quickly pile on top of each other to climb the wall.

They ran as fast as they could, the entrance to the base now nearing, when a majority of shahrukh's reach over the walls and charge.

They then reach and quickly open the gate, only forty-five infantry and five mages were grabbed and overwhelmed by the beasts and ripped apart.

It was then, where everyone was in, their final escape trap was triggered.

Large barrels of fine powder rained down and covered the area. Where a crossbowman fires a quarrel with a burning rag and quickly close the door.

They then heard a loud explosion as the dust explodes.

Kurgren sat down, the repeated pounding on the barred double doors keeping him on edge. When Soloman bellows an order.

"Everyone! Take anything important and evacuate to the portal. Anything that can't be taken must be destroyed!"

And so Kurgren helps the remaining soldiers grab their items, including his pack, and burn everything else.

A few seconds past when everyone regrouped, all holding their personal items alongside the books, light lab equipment's and the Obrilon, at the lab.

They were then led to the lab where they were guided to an illusion wall, with some covers and enters it which a portal opens with Wolfgang going through.

"GET IN!" He bellows.

Everyone then quickly goes through the portal, some aiding those who are carrying heavier items, when they hear a loud blast.

The gates have been breached.

The remaining fifty now picks up the pace as five of the heavy infantry brace for when the door breaks. Hoping that the soldier will not notice the portal.

And, as almost everyone but Ardent's group, Soloman, Wolfgang, Ignatz, Ekon, Delilah, a few soldiers and five of the heavy infantry, reaches the other side the door blew open as a figure comes in.

The five door guards quickly charge. But four were swiftly beheaded while the last is knocked unconscious by a powerful sleep spell, as the figure came into view.

It was lord Brundol alongside two mages wearing robes with symbols of Fernilohs.

He then cast a spell which dispelled the illusion.

Brundol looks towards them in anger, his gray eyes alight with fury, with an iron cuirass over his short robe and gauntlets over his gloves with a bastard sword in his right hand.

Soloman then pulls out his weapons, tossing the bag holding the Obrilon to Kurgren, and yells.

"ALL OF YOU GO! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!"

He then charged towards them and attack.

The mages quickly began to cast their spells, but Soloman quickly stabs one through his throat before he could cast, and quickly shoots down the other and attack Brundol.

Brundol then swings his blade towards Soloman. Only to be parried with his shield.

Bryan hopped back and cast a spell but Soloman quickly counters by stabbing his palm.

Soloman quickly fend off Bryan and the incoming soldiers, to the astonishment of Kurgren and the group, with the way he fought leading to the realization.

He wasn't a common thief; he was a soldier.

It was nearly Ardent's turn next, followed by Kurgren and the rest of their group, Wolfgang, when they saw they saw fight turn for the worst.

Brundol quickly parries his rapier with his gauntlet, followed by activating a rune that causes a grey aura to surround his blade, and swings his blade to his forearm.

Soloman then screamed in pain as his hand goes limps and drops his rapier, his arm broken, followed by Brundol knocking his down with a kick and his palm glows with red chi.

"NO!" A soldier suddenly yells and pulls out her dagger and charge towards Bryan. Quickly dodging the rest trying to stop her and ignoring their yells to not do it.

She quickly swings the blade to his forearm. Only for him to parry it aside and slash at her head.

A loud crack rang out as the soldier hits the ground and her helmet flies off. Revealing a familiar redhead.

"Sofia. No," Soloman whispers in terror as more Leona soldiers enter and Brundol walks towards her.

Bryan, cupping her cheeks, looks into her eyes. She herself too dazed to resist.

"My my. What bright and beautiful eyes. And such red hair. You'll fetch a handsome price."

All the remaining soldiers quickly runs through the portal. While Ekon quickly restrained Ardent.

Soloman then gets up and quickly kills both men with his katar. Then charges towards Brundol.

"YOU WILL NOT LAY A DAMN FINGER ON HER!"

Another two Leona infantry quickly enters the room and fires. But Soloman quickly blocks one with his shield and ignores the second one hitting his broken arm.

Brundol turns and parries his katar. Only to receive a headbutt to his nose, dropping his sword, followed by Soloman striking to his head.

But Brundol grabs the blade with his left hand with ease and smirks.

"Did you really think you could hit me at the state your in."

Soloman smiles.

"No. But I was hoping you would do that."

The katar then begins to vibrate as Brundol realized what he meant, the dagger was enchanted to explode with an activation on its rune, and Soloman quickly knees him in the groin, letting go of his katar, and rolls away as the katar explodes. Knocking Brundol down as shrapnel flew, a few cutting into Soloman.

The Leona soldiers then backs away in shock as Soloman, and Ardent's group and the four, began to smile in relief. When Brundol suddenly gets up, unscathed, with a scowl.

"That hurt like a bitch. But I applaud you for that attempt."

They then looked to his intact left hand and horror dawns on them.

It is made of silver. It's the broken lord Bryan.

He then looks to the soldiers.

"What are waiting for. ATTACK!"

The soldiers quickly poured in and aim towards them.

It was then where everyone else quickly ran to the portal, while dragging those too stubborn to leave Soloman and Sofia behind, which closes when Kurgren, the last one, enters as the muskets fire. Followed by the portal closing and the gateway self-destructs.

Bryan then looks to his soldiers with disgust before sighing, trying to look on the bright side. And orders.

"Take Solomon, the half-Elf, and the soldier. And bring them back to my castle. Afterwards I will deal with all of you."

The remaining soldiers quickly obeys, the mage casting sleep on Sofia and Soloman, and carries them back to the castle.