V Spearhead - 2
Blaring trumpets, the sounds of war. The castle invites the nobles inside, while the commoners to fend for their selves. Knights, gathered at each corner of the castle walls. For every hole protruded forth a cannon, readied to fire at a moment's notice. The capital, and the castle. A fortress deemed best in all of the continent. "Yet how so will his army siege my castle?" King Rafferty stood at the front wall's battlement. Facing the city, the people from below, yelling what seemed to him, profanities.
The knights shuddered staring at them. If they were not knights, if their families weren't barons or of some lower achieved title. Will they have, like the people at the bottom of the steep castle walls; yelling for help, prying their hands on the stone bricks, in that desperate attempt to get notice of the king?
The king looked at them, "Now must not be the time to have sympathy of lower folk. Remember, the duke, our main objective, will come. And we must wait and hold out till then. Men?"
"Yes, my liege!" They yelled in unison.
---
Down on the streets of the capital. Swarming street by street at rapid pace. Dashing left and right, swerving corner to corner, avoiding passerbyes and the occasional part of the destroyed wall. Soon, the western half of the city was full of trucks and German influence. And not even one knight tried to stop them. They were simply;
unstopable.
Stopping at a clear section of road, away from the castle's sights, Friedrich stopped his truck, letting the soldiers at the back get off. A figure ran towards Friedrich's driver door, stopping. He rolled down the window, "What is it, Jeane?"
She rested her head on the cold iron door. Looking up at Friedrich. "What do we do sir Friedrick?"
"Focus on securing the people first," His eyes darted from left to right, then landed on some empty field of grass, a thought came on his mind. "Tell the tanks to move somewhere far away from the castle, but where it's still possible to shoot the castle from."
"Yes, sir." Jeane pushed herself away the door and ran swiftly away.
The trucks were being emptied of soldiers darting towards the nearest citizens, entering the houses and clearing it of people. They were scared, confused, and bewildered by the way they treated them. Not killing them, nor threatening thme of any serious thing. They were just put in trucks and out they came to the grass fields where as they got off the trucks; a nice tray of hot food awaited them, as well as a small yet humble tent.
Recieving a radio call; the tank's radio operator clicked it open. "This is Tiger-1-1!"
"Tiger 1-1," Jeane introduced herself with a serious tone. "Move to somewhere far from the castle. A street. A field. Just that that place is still possible to shoot a shot from."
"Copy that, Colonel ma'am Jeane. We will relay forward."
The radio call dropped, and at a moment's notice, the five tanks started to move forward. For every creeping tank, where it's heavy weight and it's tracks made the paved ground crumble, a platoon laid between it's two sides. Defending it against some suprise attack.
A radio came in and out came a radio tank operator's voice. "This is Tiger 1-1! We have stationed ourselves as the command said. We are awaiting orders to fire at the castle." Before even the call was made, each of the five tanks had their barrels already pointed at the castle wall. Like small ants, the knights atop of it stood miniscule and weak-looking.
"Wait until we have secured every innocent we can secure." A masculine voice, it wasn't Jeane. It was Heduc. And in the background, there was that faint yet most energetic sound of children.
"I give it thirty minutes. After the next tick. Fire."
"Yes, sir Colonel Heduc." The radio line cut.
---
Hierd sat on the bridge's chair, he was getting bored. Even though there was an invasion happening, it all seemed so peaceful and really, boring, in the warship's bridge. After a sigh, he looked at Jack, who was snoring loudly and almost so, proudly.
A slap.
"Gah!" Jack cried, waking up with drool coming out of his mouth.
"Tidy yourself please." Hierd retracted his hand and from out his pocket, a new, clean towel.
"Dank'e kindly, lord." He grabbed it and swiftly wiped down the drool, after, he nonchalantly gestured to give the towel back. Hierd replied with a semi-disgusted face.
"Keep it."
"Aye, lord." He fixed himself on his seat. "What's dee' occassion?"
"I've asked already for assistance taking over the dock." He looked at the dock, a couple soldiers were already stationed there. "As you can see. However, it is still not safe. We wait for a signal, then we proceed forward."
"Alright, lawd."
( * )
"His army has these iron behomoths, capable of leveling our city walls were it just butter." Breevil said. "Our cannons can do damage plenty, to that, I wish to put our cannons on the streets."
"That is stupid, captain." An older gentlemen cried out. "We go to the roads, the people will tackle us, we go to the roads and those men in brown'll shoot at us. We can stay only in the castle."
"Excuse me, naval commander, but as I said before; those iron behomoths, can level our city walls, what makes you believe they can't do that to the walls of the king's castle? We must get behind them, get our cannons out to the roads and suprise them with a barrage of our cannons."
The naval commander frowned a little. "We lose men if we go outside, we are waiting for the duke's men to come to the castle, until then, losing more is losing too much. Already, our- my navy... Has gone. Partly I am to blame. The admirals gone, I am the only living superior naval officer. And, I cannot let a loss extend to an amount this big. And I surely am not doing something as daring and stupendous as to surrendering our knights for you to move the cannons outside."
The war room was silent.
"The duke." The king introduced his appearance on the table. "Is our only chance." -He looked at Breevil- "You may do that, your idea. The cannons."
"My Liege!?" The naval commander stood up and yelled. "You musn't! You ought to think, our men are precious, with each mage comes a better advantage!"
"Commander!" The king raged in want of silence. "This is my want. May Breevil's battle win, we have a chance to something better. Waiting in my castle has it's defects. You, commander of the navy, know that they have those... Iron behomoths, and we do not have anything to combat them with except our cannons."
The king's gaze landed on Breevil, "Go."
"Yes, my liege, I thank you kindly." He bowed and marched towards the door.
*BOOM!*
The whole room let up with shock at the shriek from outside. A multitude of clammorous talk went by; 'Did they shoot at the wall!?'
'Have the knights started to fire the cannons!?'
All were but speculations, but as the barrage of militant officers, nobles-alike, went to the nearest windows to see the outside light; they saw a trail of black smoke an ash that clouded the skies with it's massiveness. And under it, the glimmer of light, this white metal.
"Their warships are docking our port!" Breevil cried out, pointing through the black smog for the ones who have yet to see, to observe the docking.
Hierd's army was making a move, several times so, whilst the king and his lackeys have yet to make half a move. Breevil stood there for a good second, but understanding the gravity of his situation, he stormed off, making to the door, kicking it open and came dashing out for the exit.
He and a couple of his knights made to the castle's door. In the castle's courtyard, the mass amount of knights stumbling about to see the where the noise came from was overwhelming. The mix of white and grey armor. And men with pikes and swords. "Everyone!" He yelled out to the top of his voice. "To my men and to the knights! We shall storm outside with our cannons! And we shall give them the taste of our Krimvaldian soul!"
"Yes, sir!" The knights hurried about for the cannons. Racing upwards the stairs in the castle walls, grabbing them off from the walls and pulling the heavy weights down a pulley down. The horses were running through, the men were pulling muscles, and soon, the gate was lifted.
Seeing the gates lift and the drawbridge lowered, the citizens had balled out their cries harder than before. Yelling to get inside the castle and that because they were being invaded, even if they weren't nobles, they should be allowed entry. But the knights simply looked at them as if they were not of the same speicies.
"Excuse us! Citizens of the capital! We need leeway!"
"Let us in first then we can negotiate!" One yelled out in rage
"Yeah!" The crowd followed suit in agreement.
Breevil immidiately unsheathed his white blade. And thrusting it into the audience, shooing them away as he swayed his blade left and right. The crowd was silent and was horrified at the actions of the knights. But they could not retaliate in fear of losing their lives over something this stupid and trivial. The pride of a noble. They scoffed at the idea.
---
From the docks, Hierd ran for the wooden pier. Jumping down from the warship to the wooden boards. He stretched his arms and spine, and his energy felt overflowing, raring to do something, anything.
A platoon of soldiers marched over to Hierd, bowing a little. There was a second lieutenant, the commander of the platoon, and came to him. "My lord, sir Heduc has secured the civilians in the grass fields. But we have yet to take over the castle in the middle of the castle."
"Do not worry, it shall be ours by the end. Maybe even without a single death." He sighed. "Now, take me to Heduc's camp."
"Yes, lord."
A truck came and stopped to let Hierd on, but before he could enter and sit down a soldier came out from some crevice, running to Hierd. "Lord!" Hierd stopped in his tracks and looked at the man, he was panting like a dog and on his hand, a luger.
"My lord, the knights are advancing with cannons, sir Friedrick wishes to shoot the tanks now. But, there are civilians still near the castle."
Hierd took a second to think. "How much, approximately are there?"
"Sir, three hundred or so, sir."
"Three hundred." He frowned a little. "And to the campsite at the fields, how many citizens?"
"Counting up to a a thousand and counting, sir."
"I see no problem. Give them iron."
"Sir?"
"Give th- shoot the tanks." He looked rather disapointed.
( * )
Upon hearing the radioed in command. The tank barrels were loaded with ammo. With five tanks aimed at the front portion of the castle, it will surely collapse without any delay. "Ready to fire?" The tank commander questioned.
"Primed, sir."
In a moment, the commander's finger pressed the button, it; leaving the barrel at a speed unimaginable. Exiting;
BOOM!
The recoil had the tank move back, and everyone inside a little jolt, yet it was rather quiet in there. A second after, the entire front of the castle wall blew out, almost as if it were applied with the brittleness of cake. Rubble and all kinds of rock ran and exploded outwards and to the crowd, crushing them horrifically as they screamed for salvation under the mass rubbled area.
After a few more moments in tragic silence. A distant yet screaming boom.
CLANK
"What was that!?" Tiger 1-1's tank commander blurted out.
There was clammor outside where the platoon of soldiers guarded the tank. And as he opened his cupola to see a better view of things. Looking at the tank's front he saw a dent. Then to the road below the tank. "A cannonball!?"
An alarm rang in all the men's heads. The radio operator immidiately went and dialed for Friedrick. "This is Tiger 1-1, we have been shot by a cannonball, I repeat a cannonball! We are retreating further back."
"I am sending reinforcements, Tiger 1-1!" Friedrick replied at the other side.
"Copy, sir."
The line cut.
From the distant road, where it seemed to have curved over a hill, men dressed in white sheets. The mage battalion's knights charged!
Fireballs and whips of air flew any which way, and blades of water made hell of the wooden buildings surrounding. The soldiers immidiately fired back after the first round of magic attack, and already a few were injured. "Grenade!" One yelled, the boom and the shock of fragmentation followed second.
Their attack declined in strength for every knight shot. But for every cannon shot, they regained some power back. A truck pulled in on the street and out came reinforcements sent by Friedrick. Mortars. Without a second thought, the soldiers set it up and lined the sights. Then after all was set, the soldier dropped the bomb inside the barrel, flying off a second after.
BOOM!
The road caved and pavement was scattered everywhere. And so were the bodies of knights and pools of blood. The tank operator, seeing the happening scenario; "Aim low at the ground! We're shooting back, then charging!"
"Yes sir!" The tank's loader pushed in a new tank round from the storage, sealing it inside the barrel. "Ready!"
-40°-
-30°-
-20°- The knights saw the tank barrel going down, and with brief fright, they ran.
-10°-
-5°-
Came the lowest angle possible, the barrel's ominous lowering and the darkness inside that iron cylinder, a hissing sound. It fired!
The road blasted, and body parts of knights flew in every which way, the buildings adjacent the road blasted tumbled and rocked, the wooden poles falling down; came down too the wooden houses. The road was blocked, and the two sides parted. The platoon did a head count.
The second lieutenant came out to introduce the conclusion. "We have ten injured men and one gravely injured! Everyone! Put the injured in the truck! Come, come now!" With a jolt of action, the soldiers did exactly such. And as fast the knights came, the soldiers left.
---
"Tiger 1-1 was attacked by knights with cannons, the other tank commanders have been notified of the situtation and are being extra vigiliant of their surroundings, sir."
"Thank you for the update." Hierd drank a bit of the water he was given, it had a distinct taste of ground. And was quite cold, did it come from a well?
He looked around him, the soldiers were busying themselves with their tasks. Mostly he saw them guarding the citizens from going outside of their respective places. There were so many tents set up and so many trays of food lined up for the citizens that it looked like fest of some sorts. Heduc appeared from the distance, he was quite dirty and carried a shovel. He walked up to Hierd; "My lord, it's good to have you here."
"What of the citizens, how are they faring up?"
"They were not as scared as first they were brought here, in all actuality, lord, they are quite confused by our actions and most are grateful."
"That's good." He took another sip, this time he regretted it. "Their fortress walls have fallen and our taking over the city is swift indeed. Yet the knights have yet to release some grand finale."
"Grand finale?"
"A hail mary."
"'Hail mary' lord?"
Hierd chuckled a little. "Sorry, sorry; just some things that I used to say back in my country."
"Ah, I see my lord." He let the shovel fall to the ground; grabbing a seat and sat close to Hierd. "But what do you mean lord, grand finale? Do you expect something, lord?"
"Yes. It's too queer, I expected more retailiation."
A ring. It came from one of the telephones. "A call? You should grab it Heduc."
Heduc stood up, grabbed and held it to his ear; "This is Major Heduc."
"This is Adelheid, sir Heduc; you are in control of the fields, and is where the lord is? If so, please relay that we are seeing activity by sea, about three kilometers away."
"Activity?" Hierd's hearing of this caused him to grab the phone off Heduc's hand.
"Warships?" Hierd questioned. "I think you can deal with that, Adelheid."
"Oh, my lord." Shocked by the immidiate change of voice. "Well, unfortunately, they aren't warships."
---
"Then what are they?" Hierd questioned from over the phone.
Adelheid walked up near the glass of the bridge. His hot breath making it blur a little.
From the far horizon, where the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea seem to converge. There he saw, a black outline, not big, not small. Not floating on the water; but was higher.
"Lord, Dragoons." Adelheid shivered as he said that.
Red beasts with carnivorous faces. Snarling, their teeth sharp and bright yellow. Knights operated them, riding them likes horses. A saddle and a leash. A squadron of fifteen dragoons, raring to fire mass amounts of firey hail.
---
"Hmm." Hierd relayed his concern with a monotonous 'hmm.' Then looked at Heduc, who seemed more shocked than he was when Hierd told him of the Dragoons."
"I haven't put any anti air guns on the ground, only on the ships..." Hierd thought. "I don't think dragoons can fuck with my guns. If push comes to shove, I can have the tanks become as Anti-air. Though the K-3s do have anti-air capabilities, so those three should have no qualms dealing with flying dragoons. Unless of course..."
"They spew out fire balls, correct?" Hierd questioned to Adelheid.
"Yes, sir. They have been used to destroy cities in seconds. But I never knew Krimvald had such power in their arsenal, unless of course, Krimvald has made negotiations with other countries in the continent that do."
"This is concerning, however, they are animals. Like horses, they have flesh behind their scales. Use the anti-air guns on your ships, tell this to Jack and Gelmund. Waste away the ammo, and don't let them close the gap. Copy that, Adelheid?"
"Yes, lord. I do."
The line was cut.
"It looks like they had a grand finale after all." Hierd smiled a little at his own comment.
( * )
A scurry on the deck. Sailors ran for the guns and the turrets were being prepped to fire skyward. The fireballs these dragoons could spew out from their mouths were no joke, being able to melt stone from the heat it caused, a more deadlier effect than that of a normal fireball.
Then, after that prep time given; all three captains yelled; "Fire!"
Without even a second's delay. All three ships had roared out hell to the heavens.
The skies were full of the barrage of bullets, yellow streaks of fire haad made the skies almost cry in pain. A wall of bullets coming from the sea, the knight riders immidiately saw the incoming hot projectiles. Splitting their V-formation into two echelons.
"What is that!?" One of the knights exclaimed in fear.
"I do not know, but we need to stray away from it's fire!" The leading rider. The captain, yelled out.
A sharp right, then a sharp left. Barely avoiding the bullets, with some grazing the dragoons. If one were to hit the wings, they'd fall right into the ocean depths. Knowing this, the riders performed a downward sweep. As fast as the dragoons could go, they went down, down to the waters. With ultimately some getting shot and dying.
Then just meters off the waters, the riders pulled back their leashes turning a sharp down to a sharp straight. The guns fired away at the sea, as splashes of water made fountains, and at some times, the gun fire made blood trinkle out of the dragoons.
The captain looked around. "Three dead, four injured, eight good. Twelve enough."
"Everyone! Fire at those iron ships!"
The sailors were terrified as they stared at the fire froth out of the dragoons' mouths. Nearing, nearing ever so. The sailors had now optimal range to fire accurately, but the quickly opening mouth of the dragoons made them duck.
Nothing, for the seconds they ducked, nothing happened. They looked up from their posts, and saw the dragoons had fled skyward. They stood up and saw Gelmund's ship at the far distance, hearing the applaud roar from them; they knew what happened. And they too rejoiced.
The captain was still alive, however was in a dire situation, his dragoon was about to falter, and he was shot in the arm, so he too was to falter anytime soon. Before they two could fall. He looked to the dragoon riders around him who still were alive.
"Six dragoons left. Hope to God they land at the castle." He grinned slightly then looked at his dragoon. "It's been a short time's living, partner."
"Everyone!" He yelled, his voice evidently weak and in pain. "To the castle! Protect the king!"
They looked at their captain. Crying slightly, then after; "Yes, captain!"
The captain closed his eyes, and soon, the two went downward to the cold harsh waters.
The three warships kept on the fire up until the dragoons had reached the castle's highest tower.
---
"We are safe, lord." Adelheid relayed the words of captain Jack and Gelmund. "But they were an awful difficulty, we almost lost Jack's ship."
"I see." Hierd sat on a wooden stool inside a cool and large tent, with an apple to his side. "But now, the remaining dragoons are at the castle, correct? Meaning, to siege them upfront would be a little tragic." He sighed a little.
"This connundrum of ours can be solved;" Hierd continued, his eyes now looking at the grassy field full of people. "By blowing up the castle into pieces."
"Lord, are you sure about this?"
"No." He chuckled a little. "The princess back home would be mad. So I'll suggest something else, but would be a little time consuming."
"An indirect siege, letting them starve to death, am I right, lord?"
"Exactly. It is safe and doesn't require anything else but just waiting with large guns at bay."
"But, the dragoons. If they really did come from another country, our siege would fall at the sight of a different army approaching some place else."
"Then let us strengthen our army, Adelheid."
"What do you mean by that, lord?"
"I mean. Of the countless people in that field, comes the countless soldiers we are in need of." Hierd smiled. "You three, aim at the castle. Even if one of the dragoons left the castle at night or by day. Shoot it at a moment's notice. The mass of the army will retreat back to Unchean; but don't worry. There'll still be the tanks and two company's worth of soldiers here."
"I copy that, lord. Safe travels."
"Safe voyage." Hierd cut the line.
A distant clammor. He jumped up, walking to the door, pushed the two flaps of fabric away. The makeshift streets created by the walking of soldiers and citizens was full of guns and mortars rushing west. Trucks and one tank was also in this wild parade. He saw Heduc from one corner, talking with another soldier and went to him. "What's happening!?"
"Lord, we do not know, but there is an army right behind us."
"An army!?"
"Two brigade's worth of an army."
"It seems that Adelheid's fucking theory was in fact true. Shit!"
"Did Friedrick tell the advance?"
"Yes, lord. And currently the soldiers are digging trenches. And wheeling in the Pak40s."
"Good. Good..." Hierd ran towards his tent and once inside, he leaped to the radio. There was a brief silence of familiar radio hum before; "This is Adelheid."
"I need a K-3 down here. Your assumption was correct. There's an army at west. And we need one of you to bombard the shore."
"Yes, lord. I shall tell captain Jack of the circumstances."
"Thank you." He dropped the line as swiftly as it was called in. Then ran outside, he saw a truck nearing him. "Stop!" He yelled out, with his hand up. Driver stopped, noticing it was the lord, he pulled open the passenger door. Hierd got inside.
"Go fast ahead, I want to see this army for myself."
Already, from where he sat, he saw truly two brigades. With hundreds of soldiers, spears and pikes. The flags of a country he knew not. And the war cries of men, brave knights clad in red armor. This red armor, it reminded him of a samurai's.
---
"The duke brings wonders for us." The king laughed. "Thank the duke! For we now will survive!"
He raised his wine-filled cup high up to the air;
"Rejoice!"