1st September – 3873bc
"I still don't understand why you bought these Archers along, Elodie." I say, looking back at the unit of Archers who accompany us to Lyon. I believe they are useless, as Elodie and I are both immortal. We can't be harmed (well, we can, but it won't kill us). I suppose the Archers are here, just as guards.
"I told you, Napoleon, I feel very… strange. I feel like something bad is happening, but I can't explain it. I bought these Archers along just in case." She says, looking at me with genuine concern in her eyes. I shrug her off. She's probably just making a drama. Some dirt got on her long, red dress and she freaked.
We climb up the large hill which has a rich source of copper. This was the main reason for Lyon's founding. When we gain this copper, we can begin to trade incense with the Chinese. This will definitely improve our relations. The road, that is still being constructed, that will connect Paris to Beijing will also improve relations. However, the road is very costly in maintenance. Not only the road itself, but the workers demanded better pay, and so did the protecting division of spearmen. It will all be paid back when Paris and Beijing make a city connection.
"What's that smell?" Elodie asks, sniffing the air around us. It smells lightly like… fire. Elodie and I share the same look of terror and confusion. "No, it can't be…"
As we reach the top of the hill, we look down on the settlement. Many different houses of Lyon are on fire, the smoke painting a deathly picture in the clear skies. Citizens can be spotted running and screaming, many evacuating to the neighbouring hills. Miniature figures fight in the streets of Lyon.
"Sir? What do we do?" An Archer asks me desperately. I look down at my citizens fleeing. A sad pain hits my heart.
"Men… prepare to fire." I tell them, sternly. Elodies' jaw drops open.
"Napoleon, are you serious? This could endanger our citizen's lives!" Elodie says, pulling me aside. I shake her off.
"Elodie, our citizen's lives are already in danger. In fact, if we don't fire upon the city, our spearmen will lose this battle. They need all the help they can get." I tell Elodie, in a frustrated tone. She nods in agreement.
"Alright. Fine. Go ahead." She says, through her gritted teeth.
"Men! Take aim!" I yell at the archers. They take aim, aiming for the south of the city, where the invaders are. The yells of battle are still raging on. One more second lost, one more innocent citizen's life gone. "Fire!"
A rain of arrows fire down upon the invaders. At least 10 barbarians collapse, with long arrows still stuck in their backs.
After a long, 30 minutes of arrows raining down on the murdering barbarians, the spearmen make a final push, which drives the force back to the bottom of the hill. With only 5 barbarians left, they flee. However, they begin to flee in our direction.
The archers spend little time on them.
Elodie and I rush down to the city, or at least what's left of it. The burning shacks made of wood and straw, burn extremely easily. And the close proximities do not help. Many citizens, who were taking refuge on the top of the other hill, begin to stumble down. Their ordinary clothes are blackened with soot.
Elodie begins to have a heated discussion with the leader of the spearman division, but I head further into the city. Many workers sit in the central square, watching their hard work burn all around them. They take notice of me, and quickly stand up and make themselves look presentable. It doesn't really work.
But then again, anyone covered in soot from head to toe wouldn't look that presentable either.
"We should get the water from that nearby river, and use our clay pots to throw the water on the fire. This should effectively stop the burning." I tell them. They nod, as if they just received orders (which they technically did).
"We shall head back to our houses, on the north side of Lyon, near the river. We will fill our clay pots with water, and throw it on the fire. Correct?" He asks me. I nod in confirmation. They dash off.
It's a long and sweaty 5 hours before the fire has been dealt with. It effectively destroyed 80% of Lyon, but with the hard work and determination showed by those workers today, they should have this city rebuilt in no time.
"Napoleon, we should report back to Paris and inform our citizens of the Battle of Lyon. It was hard fought for, but hard won. This day will go down in history." Elodie informs me. "We'll set off for Paris at dawn."