35 Air Raid

It had been a quiet day on the walls of Neverwinter. Or at least it had been before a small group of flying Devilbeasts were spotted. It was a small group, only four of them. Nevertheless, the alarm was sounded and soon all of the guards went on full alert.

The Devilbeasts were high up in the sky and it was unlikely that the guns the soldiers carried would be able to hit them. Fortunately, this is where the new weapon came into play. Knowing of this weakness in their defenses, the wise king Roland had developed anti-aircraft guns. Now, a significant number of them have been produced and are now defending the city.

As the Devilbeasts approached the city, the air was soon filled with bullets. The Devilbeasts had been allowed to come well within range of the guns. Most of the bullets missed as it was quite difficult to hit a moving target in the air at such a distance. However, there were a few that hit. The lead Devilbeast was hit immediately and took two shots. Its rider was also shot dead. Then, another Devilbeast was downed. At this point, the remaining Devilbeasts began to retreat. They were only a scouting party and finding such heavy opposition, they immediately decided that they needed to escape and bring this news back to base.

Unfortunately for the demons, that was not to be. The soldiers continued to fire at the retreating demons and both of them fell. Their bodies would later be collected for study. After the destruction of all of the demons, the defenders rose up in cheering as they successfully defended their home.

Roland was immediately informed about what happened. After he learned that the attack had been totally defeated, he was glad that the preparations he made paid off. The anti-aircraft guns had proven their effectiveness in the battle. Yet, he knew that he needed to do more. While the guns were effective at defending the city, he could not defend everywhere at once. Air forces were highly mobile and could strike anywhere. If he tried to defend every inch of the kingdom it would only leave every area insufficiently defended. Static defense could only go so far. He needed his own air power. Roland further reminded himself to get started on designing aircraft.

While everyone was glad that they had defeated the demons, Roland knew that this was only the beginning. There would surely be another attack coming soon, especially once the enemy found out they lost the first group. The defenders were placed on high alert.

Two days later, the second attack came. This time, there was a much larger force. Twenty Devilbeasts and their riders were coming toward the city. They were spotted and the defenders immediately took their positions.

Michael was a soldier in the First Army. He had originally been an ordinary infantry man but now he had a new position. He was an operator for an anti-aircraft gun. Now, it was his time to shine.

He watched as the flying Devilbeasts continued to approach. They were still far away and out of range. He waited for the signal to begin firing. Finally, the commander gave the command. It was the moment that he was waiting for. He looked through the scope and lined up the lead Devilbeast in his sights. He held down the trigger and his gun began spitting out bullets at a rapid rate.

The air filled with bullets, many of them zooming past the Devilbeasts. Then, the first one was struck. It exploded into a cloud of blood and guts. Michael liked to think that it was his shot that killed it. Of course, there was no way for anyone to know who it was since there were so many crews firing. Several more Devilbeasts went down as the army continued to fire. The remaining Devilbeasts began to fly higher, trying to gain altitude to avoid the guns.

Michael saw the Devilbeasts adjusting their trajectory and he adjusted his gun and increased the angle. The guns were still able to hit the Devilbeasts even when they traveled up higher. After taking more casualties, the Devilbeasts went on an all out attack. They swooped down toward the defenders.

Michael continued firing and several more Devilbeasts went down. Through his scope, he saw a Mad Demon riding the Devilbeast. Its arm had swelled up, preparing to launch its spear. Michael quickly moved his gun to aim at it. Then, the demon launched its spear. A moment later, Michael felt a jolt as something impacted the barrier on the anti-aircraft gun. He deduced that it was the spear and he was glad that there was a shield to protect him. The Devilbeast and the demon that threw the spear at him was close now. Michael aimed and fired. The demon and the Devilbeast were blown apart.

Along the rest of the wall, the Devilbeasts had gotten closer. One of them threw a spear which struck one soldier in the shoulder. The soldiers around him had their rifles out firing at the Devilbeast. The massed rifle fire was able to kill the Devilbeast which had gotten quite close.

Michael saw what had happened and realized that the soldier hit was his friend George. They had often gone drinking together and George was his gambling buddy. He suddenly remembered the time where they had earned big in dice two months ago. A spike of worry struck Michael. However, Michael looked a bit closer and it seemed that the injury wasn't lethal. Although ordinarily it would be quite severe and crippling, Miss Nana would definitely be able to take care of it without complications.

Even though Michael knew his friend would be fine, rage spread through him as focused his anger at the demons. He continued to shoot at the Devilbeasts and the demons riding them. He was fueled by the desire to punish the demons for what they did as well as the desire to protect his friends, family, and his home.

The remaining Devilbeasts were soon taken out. The battle was over and fortunately nobody died. Neverwinter had survived the battle. The victory was great and the soldiers relished in it. However, the true battles still awaited.