Autumn, 1331

The sun arose slowly, leisurely, illuminating the sky first in a deep purple, then red, then gradually to a yellowish blue of a cheerily bright morning. Birds began chirping and flowers opened up. Then the idyllic dawn was shattered by the long wail of a soaring stone that rose up to a scream before it slammed into a portion of Kolyma’s walls.

Immediately dozens of projectiles followed, smashing into the parapet with earth-shaking force and punching a large hole. Tassurian crews manning five dozen mangonels and onagers lining the Kane Orchard Knob in two rows continued loading and firing their siege engines at a rate of one shot a minute, creating an incessant volley of fire that pummeled the Auxian defenses. Even worse however was on Hillsman Hill behind them; five massive trebuchets flung three-ton superheated stones that tore down large sections of Kolyma’s protective parapet, flinging wood and stone and unfortunate soldiers into the sky.

Jolted by the shaking, Colonel Martin Cunningham looked up to see a streaming projectile smash into a watchtower nearby, obliterating the spire in a flaming explosion. He raised his sword and ran towards his troops sprawled in their bivouacs.“Grab your weapons and keep alive! The Other Men are coming!”

Sergeant Olgenthtope quickly brought up the company commanders. “You heard the commander, grab your weapons and head towards your sector! Battle’s beginning!”

Gamely the Auxian batteries replied, the defender's catapults throwing their own stone payloads, as well as ballistas with their deadly accurate bolts and rude bombards with its demoralizing far reaching explosive balls. Soon, the air was screaming with projectiles sailing past each other in the air before exploding in a shower of flame or slamming into the ground with earth-shattering force.

Pacidel was directing his batteries to fire towards the walls of the canal embankment when an Auxian shell slammed into the ground nearby, throwing him to the ground and toppling the couillard beside him. For a second the world turned upside down, then blackness. A minute later the captain found himself sprawled among the burning stones, covered in dirt. As Pacidel got up, he saw a dozen more Auxian projectiles descend around him. A trebuchet nearby was hit directly by a large flaming stone, the structure literally exploding into a ball of fiery splinters that ripped flesh from bone, tearing its unfortunate crew to pieces.

The Tassurian batteries were suffering heavily. Not good. Pacidel could only hope his fire was repaying the favor to the Auxians.

Lord De Trobliand silently watched the duel from his position high up on a sturdy oak within the Ardean Forest. All around him Morgan’s Scouts had also taken to the trees, patiently waiting for the coming infantry assault.

On the walls of Kolyma, Harrison clung desperately to a corbel, trying to find some source of stability as he felt the parapet shake, most of his comrades doing the same while a few unfortunates were flung off the parapet by the vibrations.

The same roar woke up Lisa, Woden, Rabia and the rest of the Stanton Militia on the left of the line, all of whom quickly got up from their beddings and readied their weapons.

“Bastards won’t even let us get a full night’s sleep” Lisa muttered as she buckled on her helm.

In the Courtyard of Castle Kalderna, Mera’s head perked up before he even opened his eyes. He blinked a few times, got up and yawned lazily. Logan, lying nearby on his back, had woken with a start and immediately leaped to his feet.

“Tassurians are attacking.” Mera muttered.

“Yah.” Logan looked around, hearing the screaming projectiles in the distance before beginning to dress in his armor. “We should get you prepared for battle.”

“No hurry.” Mera replied idly as he stared at the barrages in the distance. “The Men of the Snows will take their time.”

“What do you mean?”

“We took out Gremenal.” Mera yawned. “Before my people left they destroyed most of the trolls and combat engineers and specialized strike teams before we did. Your party killed most of the Hunter Killers. The Third Army is half a day's march away. Anhake will wait before committing.”

“And if you are wrong?”

The dragon shrugged. “Then I will be rested. No use exhausting myself before the fight.”

***

Meanwhile the long-distance exchange continued unabated.

Miles across the plain, the human artillery were indeed suffering from the effects of the duel. Even with greater protection, one by one Hunt's siege engines were knocked out or fell silent upon their redoubts and bastions. Encouraged, the Tassurian siege engines began redirecting their focus on the walls.

Now the footsoldiers began taking the blows, the stone walls thundering and shaking from hits, while wooden palisades and mantlets cracked, splintered and sometimes exploded, throwing bodies like rag dolls.

Standing in reserve, Martin watched as another Northern projectile landed nearby, throwing a shower of pebbles and dust ricocheting off his helm. All around him, clad in battered and battle-worn armor, tattered and blood-stained flags waving beside them, the last remnants of the Royal Army proudly stood with their swords and spears and crossbows, firm in the upcoming battle to the death.

The Caldern City Cemetery lay in front of Nathan’s position, a small necropolis. While far too many of the Tassurian projectiles hit his lines crouched under the Northeastern castle curtain, most went low, deflected by the optical illusions created by the maze of mantlets , palisades, parapets and trenches. The missed projectiles landed in the cemetery, treating up large chunks of the ground in the cemetery, throwing up massive plumes of debris and showering defenders and attackers alike with dirt, wood stone and bone. The impact broke apart the tombs, shattering the mausoleums and digging up the old dead to mix with the living and the freshly dead. Old marble and brick markers from the wealthiest families of the city were demolished in an instant.

“Can't even let those gone rest in peace.” Cutler muttered as he surveyed the destruction ahead.

Mitha laughed. “Better to desecrate the old dead than to add to them.”

Sheltered in shallow trenches and palisades in front of the great siege engines, Viller and his comrades were not so fortunate. Shots that went low tore through the rudimentary defenses, sowing death and destruction wherever they landed. Already the footman was covered in dirt and the blood and viscera of his comrades, and he watched as another stone smashed into his brigade nearby, sending an uncomfortably familiar arm landing in front of him. The troops fixed ranks without comment. There were only so many munitions the defenders had prepared, Viller reassured himself, and once the bombardment ended, the real fighting would begin.

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The Clash - Rock the Casbah

From  Chickenzaur!