Chapter 13: Siege of Surdana.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Suzaku groaned and opened his eyes. He found himself inside a tent with the distant sound of battle ringing. He was in a bed with bandages across his chest. Fast asleep in a chair next to him was Euphemia. She looked as though she hadn't left his side in hours. She was however dressed for battle. A light silver steel plate was upon her chest and she wore mail. At her side was a bejeweled dagger in a black leather sheath. He pushed himself up, grunting slightly as pain lanced across his chest. Euphemia stirred and looked up at him, eyes brightening.
"Suzaku," she whispered.
"My lady," he said bowing his head in respect.
She smiled softly.
"What's happened?" Suzaku asked.
"You've been out for four days, the seige on the city has already begun." Euphemia replied. "We haven't made much progress."
"They refused to surrender?" Suzaku asked.
Euphemia nodded.
"Well look who's awake," said Lyold in a sing song voice as he stepped into the tent followed by Ceicle and Mareil. Suzaku hardly recognized Lyold with a small mace at his side, a mail shirt, and plate armor. Suzaku mentally slapped himself. He'd nearly forgotten, Lyold was an Earl. Ceicle and Mareil both wore light mail with some basic plates over the vitals and had ponyards belted to their waists.
"What's happened?" Euphemia asked rising from her chair.
"You want the good news or the bad news?" Lyold asked.
"What's the good news?" Suzaku asked.
"We got another siege tower to the walls," Lyold replied.
"And what's the bad news?" Euphemia asked.
"It caught fire," Mareil deadpanned.
"Yes the second one today," Lyold noted. "And our artillery has been having trouble with the walls and gates. We can't seem to do more than blow small chunks out of the walls, though they certainly raise hell for the enemy footmen."
Suzaku struggled out of his bed. "I've got to get out there." He said immedatly.
Euphemia, Ceicle, and Mareil looked alarmed at his statment.
"You haven't recovered yet though!" Euphemia said.
"Go out there and you'll be killed!" Ceicle added.
"It doesn't matter," Suzaku said standing up chest twanging with pain. "Lyold where's my gear?"
"I've got your armor in my tent but your swords," Lyold said nodding to a table in the corner. Lying upon it where Suzaku's Longswords. Without hesitating he moved over to the table and grabbed his sword. He pulled on a simple leather vest to cover his chest before following Lyold out of the tent. Euphemia, Ceicle, and Mareil however followed them.
"Suzaku!" Euphemia protested.
They passed through the camp, it was filled with soldiers who were either resting or being treated for their wounds. Some seemed to brighten as they watched them pass and a few of those resting picked up there weapons.
They arrived outside Lyold's tent and Lyold opened the flap to let them in. Inside, amdist Lyold's vast collection of usual scientifci crap, was Suzaku's Armor, repaired and with a new mail set. Suzaku set to work putting the armor on, the cold mail settling over his skin. He then got to work on the plates noting Euphemia looking at him crossly.
"You're pushing yourself to hard," she stated crossing her arms.
"If you don't we me to go and fight. Than order me not to," Suzaku replied setting his helm on his head.
Euphemia paused silent.
"Order me not to fight and try to save as many of our soldiers as possible," Suzaku restated turning to her; armor now fully on, he set his swords in place.
Euphemia sighed.
"If you must... Then go. But come back," She said defeated.
Suzaku bowed.
"I promise my Lady," he said before moving out of the tent.
He made his way through the camp hardly noticing a throng of Soldiers following him now. After a few minutes he reached the seige line to find Cornelia, General's Skar and Darlton, Colonel Mustang, and Guliford standing around a square table upon which was map of the city. Suzaku noted Gulifords leg had a small splint on it. He saluted as he approached them.
"Sir Kuruugi, reporting for service Princess Cornelia." He stated.
Cornelia glanced at him. "You're well enough to fight?"
"I am," he replied.
Cornelia nodded. "The Surdanain's are preventing us from hitting the gates with artillery and archers, if they are disposed of the gate will be ours."
"I'll take care of them," Suzaku replied.
"Becarefull, we've confirmed that they have the elite Spartan's on the walls," Guliford added.
Suzaku held back a shiver. Spartans, the fiercest warriors in all of Surdana. Many said they weren't even human but demons bound to the mortal world.
"I'll handle them," Suzaku stated uneasy.
"Also we have reports of a possible spell caster amongst them. You know what to do if you find he or she," Skar said pointedly.
Suzaku nodded..
"Then good luck, whatever higher powers there are be with you." Cornelia said and Suzaku saluted again before taking his leave.
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"Hold your positions!" Smerinov shouted hammering down a Britannian soldier with his axe.
Chaos reigned on the walls were the Britannian's had landed seige towers or Ladders. Men struggled here and there with their weapons clashing. Slain warriors lay here and there in pools of their own blood, all mangeled limbs, blank eyes, and guts slipping through the larger wounds. Setsuna nearly gaged as he looked at them.
He shook off his discomfort however and rejoined the battle sword ringing as it clashed against his next opponent. The britannian attempt to feint him but Setsuna side stepped the attack and jabbed his saber into the soldiers flank. The mail took most of the blow at first but Setsuna's blow was more than powerfull enough to penetrate the flesh and rip into the mans rib cage. Setsuna yanked out his sword noticing the point was badly scracthed and cracked from the blow. He shoved the dying man to the ground and moved to his next enemy.
Before he could land a single strike however a massive figure in olive green full plate sank a broad sword into the soldiers chest. A second Britannian tried to avenge his commerade but his sword landed on the green warriors sheild which was then slammed into his face, breaking his nose. The green warrior yanked his sword out of the slain Britannian and emotionlessly cut the throat of the wounded Britannian.
The Spartan then turned and gave Setsuna a quick nod before moving to attack another Britannian. The Spartans had arrived less than a week before the battle had been joined with nearly four hundred soldiers. Small as the force was it was devestatingly effective. At night the spartans would slip out of the city and kill Britannians. The enemy couldn't even have a good nights sleep anymore.
"Here comes another wave!" Teira called from down the wall as he fired his cross bow.
Setsuna turned and saw a large company of Britannian's charging towards the walls heedless of arrow or artillery fire, a figure in white armor at their head.
"It's you again," Setsuna muttered.
The Britannian's reached the wall and threw up ladders or clambered into already present seige towers. Surdanain soldiers and their allies rushed to try and slow the acsent, dropping rocks down the ladders, pushing ladders over, throwing pots of oil at the seige towers. Still only so many Britannians could be stopped by these means.
Setsuna watched as the white knight jumped onto the wall longswords drawn. With deft sword work he disarmed two Surdanain soldiers in second and killed a third. Setsuna moved to attack the white knight but the Spartan beat him to him.
The Spartan hammered a heavy blow at the white knight who was barely able to block with his swords. The Spartan then made a thrust with his sheild which the white knight ducked making a retalitory blow the Spartans knee cap. The sword however skated across the green plates leaving only a thin scratch. Then the Spartan struck back slashing at his opponent methodically, trying to either disarm him or plain old kill him. The white knight however kept pace but Setsuna could see sweat pouring down the knights face as he struggled to stay alive.
Suddenly a yell from a Britannian soldier snapped Setsuna back to himself and he side stepped the warriors charge. The Britannian slipped on some blood and, with a cry of terror, went flying off the wall into the city streets. Setsuna averted his gaze and tried not to listen as the soldier hit the streets with heavy crunch.
He glanced back at the Spartan and the white knight and saw to his amazement that the white knight was still alive. The Spartan however made a heavy slash at the knight, a blow powerfull enough to remove an arm! ... And missed completely. His sword struck the stones and with a desperate stroke the britannian knight made furious stabbed to the spartans left shoulder. The sword sank through the black mail under layer and penetrate the flesh. The Sword emerged out the other end grizzly with blood. The white knight yanked his sword out and slashed at the Spartan's right arm. The sword skipped at first on the armor then cut through the small patch of exposed chain mail.
The Spartan stumbled forward and white knight pushed past him running for the nearest tower. Setsuna moved to stop him but another Britannian soldier jumped up to face him! Gritting his teeth he rejoined the fighting.
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Suzaku panted heavily as he clambered up the tower, swords in hand. When he reached the top he found a large ballista firing upon the lines of the warriors of Britannia. The soldiers manning it hardly noticed as he rushed towards them knocking one to the ground with a bash to back of his head with the pommel of his sword. The other two soldiers turned to face him drawing their swords but he defelected their strokes and quickly cut them both down.
The ballista he quickly set to work on, grabing a bucket of tar and splashing it all over the weapon. Then he grabbed a torch from its wall bracket and threw it upon the weapon. Within a matter of second the entire war engine was a blaze. Satisfied he slipped down the stairs and emerged on another section of wall were the fighting was still waxing hot. He rushed across the section avioding a fight as much as possible.
Then suddenly a small knot of soldiers in front of him were blown apart as a cannon ball slammed into the walls and sent them flying. He ducked down and ran for the next tower as a second artillery shell crashed behind him blowing apart another section of wall defenders. The Britannian forces were finally starting to gain momentum in their attack.
He swept through the next tower with the same ease as he had the last one and the Britannian assault increased in ferocity. The walls were rapidly over whelmed by Britannian forces. Suzaku knew that once the walls were in their hands the city would capitulate and they could learn the truth about this supposed spell weaver. Even if the Black Knights didn't show they would be discredited for failing to defend Surdana.
As he clambered up the staircase into the third tower panting with exhaustion he heard the sound of the door below him close shut. He glanced back but continued upwards. He reached the ballista chamber, only to find one young woman with red hair waiting for him. She was wearing light plate armor that only covered her vitals. In her hands she held a hand-a-half sword of gracefull design. Her emerald eyes cut him to the bone as she glared at him.
"You really aren't to bright, Knight of Britannia," she said coldly.
Suzaku raised his swords trying to return her glare with one of his own but the intesity was hardly equal.
"Stand aside Miss," he said threateningly. "This is for the greater good."
"You call this the greater good?" She shot back raising her sword.
"It's a nessecity!" Suzaku snapped.
"Like hell it is!" She snarled charging forward! Their swords clashed with a ring of steel and the whine of metal straining to hold against the intense pressure. They surged against one another for amoment before breaking apart! The woman swung at his legs but he backstepped just in time and slashed at the woman's stomach. She parried however and made a heavy stab at him which he knocked aside and moved in with his second longsword to attack.
What he got was the woman's left hook to his face. He stumbled back breifly thrown of balance and the woman charged him a feirce war cry wailing. He blocked her blow and slashed at her left side but feinted and knicked her on the hip hard enough to draw blood. She'd been saved from a serious injury by a last moment side step but she still loosed a curse as Suzaku drew first blood. She hacked at him striking his armor and knocking the wind out of him. In to close to make effective use of his swords he tried to sweep her legs her stance held firm.
The woman then pulled back and made another heavy slash at him which he deflected. She swung her sword back and made another furious slash at Suzaku going for his neck. Suzaku ducked however and the blade skated over his helmet in a spray of sparks. Then he head butted the woman in the stomach and he felted his helmet slam into metal and flesh. His head felt like it would be split open by the impact force but it was enough.
The woman was thrown to the floor from the force of his blow and her sword was sent clattering across the stone floor. She turned over and tried to crawl over to her sword but Suzaku got to it first and kicked it down the stone steps. She turned over again and pushed herself up pulling a dagger from her boot only to to have it swated from her hands by Suzaku's swords. She glared at him as he leveled his swords inches from her chest.
"Surrender, there is no more need for further violence," Suzaku said in an even voice despite his heaving chest.
Her glare remained fixed. Then she lifted up her head.
"ARHORK!!!" She cried out in as loud a yell as she could muster.
Suzaku frowned confused but he didn't lower his sword.
THUD.
A massive concussion of air rocked the tower. Outside Suzaku could hear cries of alarm and fear as well as shouts of joy and relief.
THUD!
The tower shook again and Suzaku glanced up as the ceiling shook. Something heavy landed on the roof of the tower there came the sound of tiles and bits of wood and stone being ripped away. Peices of the roof collapsed down upon the tower and then a massive section collapsed to reveal the snarling head of a dragon. Suzaku raised his eyes in alarm stepping back from the woman keepping his swords raised.
The dragon roared loudly and smashed apart the tower walls sending Suzaku to the stone floor. The young woman clambered up onto the dragon and Suzaku's alarm grew more.
"A Dragon Rider?" He whispered incerdulous.
"You were fools to pick a fight with us," the woman commented raising a hand hand and muttering words in a strange langauge Suzaku couldn't recognize. The woman's sword flew into her hands and she raised it. "Now you're going to pay."
The dragon lashed out with it's jaws and Suzaku ducked down nearly dropping his swords. He rolled out of the way and rose to his feet swords raised but fear gripping him. He made a desperate slash at the dragons neck but his first longsword snapped clean in half as soon as it touched the dragons scales. He stumbled back, thrown to the floor as the Dragon Rider rose up in her saddle.
"Now you're going to get it!" She snapped.
Suddenly there came cries of alarm and battle cries.
"The gate is down! The gate is down!" Some one shouted amongst the turmoil.
The Dragon rider cursed and threw a glance in the direction before she turned back to Suzaku.
"This isn't over," she said before her dragon lifted off and flew off.
Suzaku pushed himself to his feet and picked up his broken sword.
"No, it isn't." He muttered.
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"Get all riflemen and archers to target the dragon!" Cornelia shouted watching as the dragon descended towards them.
"My lady we don't have enough time to assemble them to fire off a descent volley!" Darlton replied.
"We should withdraw," Mustang muttered. "We can't fight a dragon rider."
"It's still flesh and blood! It down!" Cornelia snapped.
"We have to press the attack!" Skar interjected. "We're through the gates if we can secure the city the Dragon won't dare attack us for risk of attacking the citizens."
"You'd use them as sheilds!?" Mustang said in horror.
"This is war Colonel! Victory is the only thing that matters!" Skar shot back.
Before anyone could stop him Skar mounted his horse and drew his sword and waved it in the air.
"All units! Advance!" He proclaimed before riding forward.
A great press of the Britannian soldiers rushed forward behind him to join the fight. The dragon passed right over them heading straight towards the camp!
"Where the hell are our archers!??" Cornelia demanded.
As if on cue several dozen archers and riflemen rushed forwards and pointed their weapons skyward. At their head was, suprisingly, Lyold holding one of his own creations.
"Fire!" He shouted and the small group fired off a shower of arrows and musket balls. The majority of the arrows fell short of the mark and those that did reach the dragon either missed or bounced off the creatures scales. The musket rounds however hit home and the dragon roared in agony. It's blood red armored scales cracking under the barage and droplets of blood spraying out.
The dragon however didn't stop it's attack and flew right over their heads and barred down on the artillery.
"Reload!" Lyold ordered but it hardly mattered.
A jet of flames issued from the dragons maw as it straffed over the cannons and trebuchets. The engineers manning the weapons turned and fled as their weapons were set a blaze. The dragon completed it's pass and flew back towards the city leaving the ruined Britannian artillery shattered in its wake.
Cornelia cursed furious. Lyold sighed and walked over to join them. "I'm afraid that was roughly two thirds of our seige equipment. And we'd already lost a good amount."
"How much weaponry do we have left?" Cornelia growled.
"My guess? Around one eighth." Lyold said dismally. "There goes the most of several weeks worth of my time."
"Atleast the dragon won't be a problem now," Mustang muttered.
"And how, pray tell, do you figure that?" Cornelia growled.
"We didn't kill it, but we hurt it," Mustang replied. "Its rider won't risk further harm to it until it's recovered enough to fight again."
"Then I guess Skar has a head start on us," Darlton muttered.
Cornelia sighed and nodded.
"Round up all our remaining forces and order them to move into the city, the keep will fall by nightfall." She ordered.
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"So all the peices have been laid bare," Zero muttered upon his black steed.
"What do you order your majesty?" Orange asked sitting on his horse beside Zero.
It seemed as though behind his mask Zero smiled. "Its been many years my friend. You need hardly call me such."
"Old habits die hard," Orange replied smirking.
Zero nodded and straighted.
"Begin phase two of the plan," he ordered.
Orange nodded.
"Artillery!!" Orange called.
All along the gorge that the black knights had hidden themselves in the mortar Rhakshata had constructed were ready and the Black Knights covered the ears of their horses. They were no longer a milita of motly armed warriors but all wore black mail covered by breast plates of black steel lined with gold paint, black helms they wore sheilding them increasingly. Swords were at their sides instead of knives and daggers Kallen who now rode upon a black steed like the rest of Zero's guards held a black lance in her automail tightly.
"Commence fire!!" Orange ordered.
The mortars opened fire and flamming death reigned down on the Britannian's charging towards Surdana. Two more volleys fired out before Zero drew his katanna. The violet blade flashed in the late day sun.
"Follow me!" Zero called before riding forward. With a great many yells and battle cries the Black Knights surged forth from the gorge weapons ready for battle, blood and glory!
Ranger24: And thats the chapter. One big question right now though. Where the frak is everybody?!!? Anyways read and review.