Chapter Nine: Assault

One week Later

The Dwarves were well known for their love of gold, beer, and making things they also were well know to hold live in massive mountain fortresses they call Clan Holds. To make these 'Clan Holds' these spent their whole lives digging and mining to make massive hollow areas to live this in of itself was a huge testament to their knowledge of geometry and structural integrity. Since the vast majority of non clan members were not allowed within these strongholds very few knew how they managed to make them without the mountain caving in. There were tales of massive pillars and beams stretching from top to bottom and machines of unknown purpose that used magic to keep gravity itself from working like it should.

The dwarves Alexandros had hired however were not those dwarves. These dwarves lived in a mining settlement governed by humans not to far from Ardenafast. They were most likely migrants or descendants of migrants that came from one of those holds. Just like humans; dwarves would migrate for work, security, or maybe even religious freedom. Even so far from their homelands they lost none of the determination that allowed them to create such cities in the first place.

Some forty dwarves had been hired by Alexandros to work as laborers in my camp. I stood watching these forty dwarves dig away at the tunnel they had spent a week creating. The prospect of money motivated these stubby sub-humans more than any knight or mercenary. Was it greed? Was money even what motivated them? Some men in the Imperial place had taken pride in working each and everyday to the best of their abilities. Maybe it was that.

In a little over a week forty dwarves with help from a few hundred local serfs had dug two massive tunnels that stretched from the encampment into somewhere in Ardenafast. One of the tunnels lead somewhere into the courtyard of the castle while the other one lead into the basement. When the time came a stream of hand picked men would swarm the castle while the bulk of the defenders were busy defending the wooden palisade that made up the first wall. This was the plan. This was how they would win.

Boom, Boom, Boom

The thumping of stone against stone was hard to ignore. The three trebuchets and their crews had been hard at work launching their missiles day and night without rest. The trebuchets were smaller than one might expect if they were besieging a castle. That was on purpose however. They weren't meant to destroy walls like most others instead they were meant to get lucky and pick off some defenders. The stones they threw were wrapped in animal fats and oil then lit on fire. Lucky shots would start fires to any wooden structures or tents with anyhow the fires would spread. Even if they didn't cause any real damage or kill anyone the psychological effect was still profound. 

"Nikolas. Tomorrow we will assault the castle. It will be bloody and it will be costly so if you have a god I suggest you pray to it." 

"I Will." Did Nikolas have a religion? That would be a good thing to learn.

"Good. You will lead the assault into the basement. Try not to get yourself killed." I didn't wait for Nikolas to question me. Eventually he would learn to just accept my orders.

 The Next Day 

The two teams were assembled and ready. Each were hand picked by Adonis and Alexandros for this task all were experienced and battle hardened. The first team was lead by Adonis and me and was composed of fifty men mainly from the calvary under Adonis's command. The second team was also made up of fifty men under the command of Nikolas although I had Alexandros accompanying him as an advisor to help him. We were all clad in thick plate armor to increase our protection. All of us had some form of shorter melee weapon like maces, axes, or short swords since great weapons and polearms would be a hinderance in the close quarters combat that was expected. Besides Adonis; who still carried the bland greatsword he had always carried.

A second wave of the same makeup was also prepared to follow a hour after we went in. I wasn't aware of the commanders for that wave but Simon had picked them so I was confident they would be capable.

Lord Simon was preparing the army just in front of the camp currently. He was going to lead the bulk of the army in the attack on the palisade as the distraction for our plan. Lord Simon had the most important part of the operation. He had to make the assault believable without costing us to many men. 

 Two Hours Later

The horn sounded across the camp signaling the start of the attack. The anxiety of the nearby knight practically oozed off of them and into the air. Each and every one of them knew the hell they would be charging into any moment. 

"Men! Tonight we dive into the hell of Ardenafast. Tonight we quench the fires of that hell. Tonight we win glory. Tonight we Win fame. Tonight we win Fortune. We have fought these men before. and We have beaten them before!"

The two hundred men of the first and second waves erupt in a cheer. They steel their nerves and prepare for the comings storm. Less than a minute later a second horn is sounded signaling to us to enter the tunnels and face hell.