Heart of the Castle

Chapter 525 War Burns the City, Death God's Scythe

The sky was clear and clear, as translucent as a perfect blue crystal. Flandara's golden face overlooked the mortal world from the top of the sky, like majestic and ruthless eyes, watching the cruel war that was coming.A group of big crows passed through the air like sharp black arrows, and accompanied by hoarse and strange cries, they circled endlessly over the camp of the Northern Allied Forces.

The soldiers of the Northern Allied Forces lined up neatly and walked out of the camp. In front of each team was a tall and burly banner officer in heavy armor, holding a banner with a family crest in his hand. As a guide, hundreds of such flags were flying in the air, and none of them stayed in the camp.The shrill sound of the horn shook the air, one after another.The marching drums played a slow and heavy rhythm, "Boom, boom, boom!" It seemed to smash fear into the bottom of people's hearts.Regardless of the outcome, as more and more fighters emerge from the camp, the Allied forces of the North are ready to go all in—or desperate.

The formation formed by tens of thousands of people is quite thick. From a distance, it looks like a huge fist stretching out slowly and firmly. past.Griffin riders form the most powerful thumb on this giant hand. There are more than 500 of them in total, equipped with high-quality heavy armor and two-handed swords.Willpus, in fiery red armor, rode a steed in front of the formation, and behind him were Knights of Dragonson, Knight of Dickway, Sir Chiravala, Baron Hughes, and others. Under the direct subordinates of the Griffin Lord, more than a dozen flags, such as Flame Wheel, Steel Fist, and Burning Volcano, were raised high in the hands of the flag officer, fluttering in the wind.

The Chinese army had the largest number of troops and the most complicated composition. The Temple of Storms, the Temple of Earth, and almost all the troops of the northern lords were assembled here. The cold wind blew past, and the flags immediately rolled into a colorful sea.The wolf's head banner of Lord Cedric the White Wolf is on top of all the banners. This elderly lord who once served as the guardian of the north is riding on a surprisingly tall white steed, holding a weighted sword across his hand. Long-handled battle axes, dozens of northern lords.On his head was a helmet imitating the shape of a wolf's head, and even the face shield had been put down, revealing only two eyes burning with the desire to fight.

Hundreds of alchemy marksmen and sniper archers trotted forward to enter the battle position, their quiveres dangling at their waists. Due to a probing attack a few days ago, they found a lot of places outside the city that were good enough to cover their bodies. It all came in handy at once.The leader of the long-range troops—Sir Grace, the sniper archer, followed behind in a gray-green cloak, squatting down behind the shelter made up of stones, stakes, and bushes.

Then there was a sound of heavy objects rubbing against the ground, and a group of strange wooden movable bunkers were pushed out from the camp. The length of these movable bunkers was about ten meters, and the width was enough to cover four heavily armed soldiers. The speed of movement is slow and clumsy, and it looks like wooden boats turned upside down.

In fact, these bunkers were rebuilt from boats collected from the Oath River, supported by a solid wooden frame underneath, with six wooden wheels on each side of the frame, which were pushed forward by manpower.Several layers of untanned raw animal skins were covered on the wooden boat to strengthen the defense, and drops of blood that had not completely solidified dripped from the edges of the animal skins from time to time.

The troops marching forward under the cover of the ship shields are the elite of the Northern Allied Forces, including hundreds of pikemen and the battle-tested Ice Wall defenders. Under each ship shield is a euphorbia warrior as the leader. They pushed the heavy ship shield with their shoulders and arms, and there was a thunderous sound from under the ship shield, rolling over tree roots, stones and snow, like a group of huge beetles moving slowly and firmly towards Firmeyer advances through the north gate.

Because it had already been warned by Regent Raul Adams.The guards on the side of the royal capital have been ready to fight since dawn. They have prepared countless weapons for defense on the north wall, including bows and arrows, spears, and large cans of fire oil. There are crossbows piled up under the crenel. Ammunition for carts and catapults, as well as other strategic materials packed in oak barrels.The defenders are even more manned. Just near the north gate, two thousand-man teams have been arranged, and two teams of the same number are stationed in the barracks behind the city wall, ready to defend in case of casualties among the defenders. Substitute at any time.

However, they still felt nervous and terrified, so that they became exhausted prematurely. Many soldiers of the King's Guard Army watched the negotiations on the small hill with trepidation, when the burst of light that represented the activation of the trap suddenly appeared , Some people even felt a burst of boredom in the chest, and then a dull pain.

"Get ready, the enemy is coming!" A sergeant major with a half-face helmet on his head and a kite-shaped shield in his hand said in a loud voice that almost roared, "Everyone is in position, adjust the angle of the ballista and catapult Aim at the bottom, and then load the ammunition; the crossbowmen and archers are ready to suppress the opponent's long-range troops, don't be afraid, since the day it was built, the glorious capital of Fermeyer has never fallen!."

The pep talk wasn't a success, because the sergeant major himself was so disturbed that his voice seemed a little out of tune.His soldiers were even more silent. They just looked out of the city with pale eyes, staring at the northern coalition camp a few kilometers away.

The dispute between the leaders of the northern coalition forces didn't last long, but for the defenders at the top of Firmeyer, it was a torment.They almost counted their own breaths to calculate the time. Since there was no reaction in the coalition camp within a few minutes after the trap was launched, many defenders breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that after the Griffon Lord's accident, the northern coalition forces It has become a mass of loose sand, and there is no longer any desire to attack.

Not only the ordinary soldiers of the King's Guard Army have this idea, even many sergeants and commanders have the same idea in their hearts. It can also be called a crazy behavior.This was not only because of Firmeyer's solid city defenses and abundant defensive strength, but also because the act of attacking the royal capital obviously violated the majesty of His Majesty the King, and it was no different from raising the flag of rebellion.

Moreover, after losing the soul figure who can unite people's hearts-the Griffin Lord, hundreds of Lords of the Northern Alliance Army will inevitably compete for power, and even fall apart...

The loud and shrill sound of military horns sounded suddenly, "Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo—" the voice is unruly, like the chilling wind from the extreme northern wilderness; When several marching drums sounded at the same time, it seemed that even the ground under their feet was trembling.Under the horrified eyes of the defenders of the royal capital, teams of soldiers from the Northern Allied Forces left the camp under the guidance of the flags, and slowly formed a thick lineup like giant steel fists facing Firmeyer.

"My merciful Father God, they really want to attack the capital!" A sergeant major said in a changed voice.

"Crazy, these people are crazy!" Another sergeant major's face turned pale, "Do they think they can pry open the gate of Glory City with an army of more than 1 people?"

"Shut up, all of you!" Sir Lathander, the deputy commander of the royal guards, roared in a stern voice, and staggered up the city wall.He was hit by an arrow in his knee during the last battle, which almost knocked over his kneecap. Although he has been treated by the priest of Guangyao Cathedral, he still needs a walking stick to walk around.

Of course, in order to reward Sir Lathander for his heroic efforts, Grand Duke Raul handed over to him the position of deputy commander left by Lord Kissinger after his death, and at the same time made him responsible for commanding all the troops guarding the north gate of the capital.These troops include four thousand-man guards of the Royal Capital and more than 100 noble knights of the Royal Capital. According to the usual comparison of the strengths of the two sides attacking and defending the city, the Northern Allied Forces do not even want to gain the slightest advantage, or even be defeated. It is not uncommon for the royal guards to be wiped out under the city walls.

However, Sir Lathander did not feel relaxed at all. He may be the commander in the capital who knows the strength of the coalition forces in the north the most.When he took over the deputy commander's scepter from Grand Duke Raul, and his colleagues all showed envious expressions, his face turned extremely pale.

"What are you still doing there? Are those northern soldiers here to chat?" Sir Lathander's roar fell like a steel knife, cutting through the stiff atmosphere in the city. Sound the horn, sound the alarm, and prepare for battle!"

The herald standing beside him woke up like a dream, and hurriedly picked up the military horn that was slung across his shoulders, brought it to his mouth, and began to play it with all his might. "Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-" the sound of the horn rang through the sky above Firmeyer, and then the alarm bell rang for a long time. The wild and hasty voice seemed to be wailing for something.

The sound of the horn means that the battle is approaching, and the soldiers on the north gate of the capital immediately acted. The archers on the watchtower loaded the crossbows with arrows, and the soldiers took the spears and battle axes They were all placed in the most accessible position; the soldiers in charge of operating the catapults and ballistas hurriedly ran towards the war machines, looking outside the city while running.

"Look, what are those northerners doing?" a voice from the rebuilt watchtower shouted.

"Gods, who can tell me, what exactly are they launching?" A sergeant major also called out.

"Looks like a ship? How ridiculous, those northerners are pushing the ship on their heads." Another sergeant major let out a rude laugh, and then more voices joined in.

"It's really a ship!"

"Do people in the north understand that ships are meant to sail on water?"

"It's so cold and windy there all day long, I'm afraid even your brains are frozen?"

Among the bursts of laughter, only Ser Lathander felt the cold sweat rolling down his back. He rubbed his eyes and leaned his body out of the crenelation of the city wall as much as possible.When he saw the thick raw animal skins on those boats, he quickly discovered the true function of this thing by experience.

"God of War Balud, those things are... simple siege vehicles!" Sir Losander blurted out in shock, and then he raised his crutches and lashed at the soldiers beside him as if crazy. "Attack me, attack violently!" He waved his crutches and roared loudly as he ordered, "Shoot with a ballista! Hit with a catapult! Burn with a rocket! Never let those things come near the city gate, absolutely not!"

Regarding Sir Lathander's fierce reaction, many soldiers of the King's Guard Army did not take it seriously at first, not to mention that the fourth regiment led by the deputy commander was almost completely wiped out in the night attack a few days ago. His prestige is far from being established in the hearts of soldiers.However, although they behaved more casually, these soldiers always remembered their duties. With the sound of creaking friction, several ballistas and catapults on the city wall began to adjust their angles.Hundreds of rockets were put on the bowstring before this, and following the command of the sergeant major, they rushed down the city like countless meteors and shot towards the movable ship shields launched by the northern coalition forces.

The ship shield is just a temporary mobile shelter, but the protective effect is unexpectedly powerful. The untanned raw animal hides are quite damp. After the rockets are shot up, they have no effect except for a foul-smelling blue smoke. up.The rain of arrows shot down from the top of the city did not stop, and in the blink of an eye, the front ship shield turned into a large hedgehog, but it did not pose any threat to the soldiers below.

Ballistas and catapults then fired, with somewhat better results than rockets from crossbows and longbows, but only to a limited extent.A few thick crossbow arrows like short spears penetrated deeply into the ship shield, pierced through several layers of animal skins, and then nailed to the thick oak bottom of the ship; A stone the size of a fist can easily smash through a head wearing a helmet, but for those ship shields wrapped in animal skins, they just smashed some small and shallow pits.

Watching the ship shield continue to move forward slowly and firmly, those laughing voices stopped, and now every defender saw the threat of these mobile bunkers.If the defenders at the top of the city cannot use long-range attacks to weaken the besieging northern coalition forces, then the balance of strength between the two sides will easily be overturned.

Unlike the northern warriors who have always been known for their tenacity and tenacity, the King's Capital Guard is a poor unit known as the "Master's Knights". Whether it is the soldiers' individual combat effectiveness, combat experience, or battlefield discipline, they are far behind by more than 01:30 points.It can even be said unabashedly that without Firmeyer's high walls and fortifications as an advantage, even with three times more manpower, the King's Capital Guard Army would not be able to defeat the Northern Alliance Army in a fair contest.

"They're still moving, they're still moving!" A royal noble knight wailed, "What should we do? How can we deal with these indestructible things?"

"Thank you for helping the Allied forces of the North to break the morale of the defenders, please shut up now!" Ser Lathander warned sharply, "Since the rockets can't ignite them, and the ballista and stone rain can't stop them, then put Replace the catapults with big stones and smash them!" He ordered loudly, "Use the biggest stones, no matter how strong those things are made, I don't believe that they can withstand hundreds of kilograms of boulders falling from the sky!"

Can the ship shield withstand the boulders from the catapult?No one can answer this question, because when the soldiers at the top of the city were dragging their catapults desperately, trying to put the boulders up as ammunition, hundreds of flying arrows swept across the top of the city like a silver-white hurricane .

At least hundreds of soldiers fell to the ground with arrows, and the screams rose to the sky.A silver alloy armor-piercing arrow hit a catapult with incomparable precision, and immediately blasted it into a pile of broken wood and iron sheets.The boulder that was just put on it was also thrown into the air.

Shocked noises erupted from the top of the city, and anyone who still had the strength to move their bodies fled in all directions. However, after all, the distance was limited. Hundreds of kilograms of boulders slammed into the ground, and the fragments and dust that shot out were suffocating. A wounded man who was unable to escape in time was smashed to pieces by the huge boulder, blood and minced flesh splashed out, and one drop even landed on the face of Sir Lathander who was more than ten meters away.

Although Sir Lathander has experienced many battles, such a tragic scene is rarely seen after all. That arrow destroyed a catapult, as if it had hit his heart, making him pale to the point of no return. color.

Another rain of arrows fell. This time, the soldiers of the King's Guard Army on the top of the city had already made preparations, and they all hid in the crenels of the city wall or other blind spots. Only a few guys who were not cautious enough were injured.But the heavy ballista and catapults couldn't be concealed, that terrifying silver light appeared again, and this time the silver alloy armor-piercing arrow hit a ballista.Accompanied by an ear-piercing sound of rubbing, the ballista not only fell to pieces and collapsed on the ground, but the arrows shot out also pierced through the chest of an unlucky guy hiding behind the crenel.

"This can't be done...no way." Sir Lathander said anxiously, "We must find a way to deal with those mobile bunkers. If the north gate of the king's capital is breached, we will not be able to defeat those terrifying northern borders in street fighting warrior!"

The words of the deputy commander of the King's Capital Guard were undoubtedly correct, but the guards at the top of the city didn't even have a chance to straighten up under the rain of arrows.

The only counterattacks were made by the crossbowmen on the watchtower.After the two watchtowers originally built of wood were burned by rockets, the regent Grand Duke Raul ordered them to be rebuilt with stones. His approach was secretly ridiculed by many people, but this time it proved that Raul Grand Duke's correctness.Surprisingly strong and resistant to burning, watchtowers provide reliable cover.There were more than a dozen crossbowmen on each tower counterattacking non-stop. Crossbow arrows and sharp arrows criss-crossed in the air. There were muffled groans coming from below the city. It was obvious that the coalition forces in the north had also started to suffer casualties.

(End of this chapter)