The Tale Of A General
Chapter 3: Diversions
" Form up! Form up!" Yelled Lance, running across the walls of the Western District. The enemy had catipults set up just in range to take down their walls, he couldn't let this happen.
The military formation called for a row tactic, where archers were equipped with certain ranged bows. On every twenty or so yard mark, they would fire arrows as planned.
Lance unsheathed his sword and readied a Hylian shield. "I want our catapults stocked at the ready!" He barked as the men did what they were told. Catapults rose behind the walls, being stocked with what was known as "Hylian Fire." It would catch a blaze, but water would only spread the fire. " Infantry! Await my command! Hold the gates until they make their first assault!"
" Lance!" Came Links voice from behind. Link shook Lances hand breifly and soluted him. " You will have to hold the gates here. Hold it for as long as possible. I received word from a scout that the enemy is focusing their attack of this one section of the wall. If You can keep the attention here, my calvalry can ride up behind them and slaughter them. When this happens I want you to charge out of the gate, understood?"
Lance bowed, "Yes General." He then turned towards the enemy in the distance, realizing the size of their force. "I wonder how they got past the gorons mines without anyone noticing them…" Then his eyes widened with fear, "Messanger! Send for a messanger! Tell them that it is my order to send riders to Kakariko village at once and check on the posts there!"
Suddenly fire balls rose into the air, colliding with the walls. Several archers were knocked from the tops of the wall as many fought to only keep standing. Lance raised his sword, "Fire catapults! Take down their seige machines!"
Several hours of bombardment went by until it suddenly stopped. Lance rose to his feet quickly. "I want all infantry at the tops of the walls now! Get your arses moving! Stat!"
Shouts were heard throughout the entire Western district of the castletown as soldiers moved out of the shelters of the homes there and filled up the tops of the wall. Lance squinted in the afternoon sun, and saw that the barbaric tribes dressed in black armour had begun a charge holding tall ladders to reach the tops of the walls.
"Fire arrows!" Barked Lance, and hundreds of arrows came flying over the walls, taking out hundreds of the barbarians. It didn't take long for them to set up their ladders and the battle began.
Lance ducked a swing from an oversized axe, stepping on it and stabbing the man in the stomach. He then proceded in taking off his head. " Hold the walls! Don't let them spill over the tops!" Suddenly he was knocked to the ground by a war hammer. He blocked a down swing with his shield, then rolled to the side to dodge the next swing. He was about to be clobbered when a blade sunk through the back of the mans back, all Lance could see was the emblem of the triforce burned into the blade.
As the barbarian fell Lance's eyes widened at the sight. The princess herself had come to fight!
" Princess Zelda! I..."
" Do not say another word Lance. I can fight for my country just as well as any. I've brought the guard from the castle to help push back their ranks! I'll hold them off here, you take down their ladders!" Zelda turned to block an attack from a woman barbarian and continued to brutally stab her to the ground, her bodygaurds circling and protecting her at the same time.
Lance pulled several free men from the walls and proceded in taking down the ladders. The tribes retreated a bit, letting the Hylian Legion know that they had won a small victory for the moment. But the moment didn't last long as the enemy had begun pulling a ram towards the gates.
Zelda rushed to the center of the gates, puzzled as to what to do, she looked around at the formation and shook her head, "I want all infantry from the walls now! Finish your business and move to the gate! Archers stay on the top of the wall! Take down whoevers carrying that ram!"
Soon the ram reached the gate, and began bombarding it immensly. Legions struggled, holding the gates in place, but at the same time being knocked back by the force of the ram.
Suddenly, the gates broke, and the barbarians flooded in, killing as they entered.
Zelda raised her sword and pointed it at the invading enemy, smiling as she did so. Lance and the Legion infantry charged into the gates with war cry's sounding like that of lions taking their prey.
Everyone looked around them as they heard a horn in the distance. Lance fought his way back to the tops of the walls and saw that Link had successfully routed the enemy troops behind the catapults and had began making his way towards the city. The enemy retreated from the walls and ran south, Links calvalry soon running them down and killing them.
But, unknown the the legion, and her body gaurds, a figure swooped in and put a cloth over Zeldas mouth, knocking her out, and quickly leaving as it came. The gaurds ran after it, chasing it until they could no longer. It escaped out of the walls and into the Eastern province of Hyrule.
"WHAT?!" Came Artemis' voice as he received news of the princesses kidnapping. "What do you mean kidnapped?!"
"Sir a dark figured swooped in and grabbed the princess, we don't know who or what it was. All we know, is that it escaped into Eldin province." Said the Legion messager.
Lance and Link walked in, hearing the news and having troubled looks on their faces. Artemis walked back and forth, glancing at the throne, as if looking to Zelda for guidance.
Link pulled of his shield and set it against the throne, looking up with a wide eyed expression on his face. Artemis and Lance looked at him with troubled faces. "It's obvious that whoever kidnapped the princess used the battle on the western gates to distract us while they grab the princess." Explained Link, wiping the blood and sweat from his brow.
Lance agreed," I sent riders to Kakariko village just before the battle began, they haven't returned yet." He bowed to Link.
The hero sighed, again he would not be able to go home. He had been gone for two years, fighting on a campaign that only lead the nation to nowhere, defending their borders from the tribes that circled Hyrule. "We wait one more day for the riders to return, if no word, then Lance and I will go ourselves."
Link turned and laid his hand on Artemis' shoulder, "Don't worry, the princess will be safe. Send out riders to Eldin province, and have them search the land thoroughly. That is all."
Everyone bowed.
And so the sun set on a bloody day in Hyrule onl;y the princess, but the weilder of the triforce of wisdom was kidnapped and taken hostage.
Read on to see what happens next ;D RnR!