Things didn't go well. The Basidian military had moved in near Edinmire, which was fine. Two weeks later, the Templar soldiers had been driven all the way back and out of wolf territory, which was fine. Edinmire then declared themselves an independent city state, and informed both sides that they would not be allowing soldiers to cross from their own borders to the other side. This was not taken well by either side. A 'delegation' was sent the same day that the borders were closed from the wolves, requesting open borders. Keiren was adamant, and did not give in, even when threatened with invasion. The might of the Basitin military as their protectorate was enough to cause the wolf clans to relent, and accept this unfortunate turn of Fate.
The Templars were not so kind.
Upon learning that Edinmire had closed their borders, and that they had the military to back it up, the Templars began gathering their forces: legions of armored soldiers, catapults, mangonels, and ballistae, setting them up just beyond the city limits. For several days, nothing happened. Forces poured in, and the army beyond the walls grew to over fourteen thousand.
And on April third, the hammer fell.
It began at dawn, first when the trumpets sounded, then the drums beat, and the synchronized stomping of fourteen thousand marching soldiers began. Keiren, Trace, Natani, Keith, Zen, Richard, Madelyn, Telk, and Jade Adelaide stood on the north side of the wall, watching as the wall of soldiers slowly approached the city. Outnumbered, but not outmatched, seven thousand stood strong, ready to defend their home. Civilians had evacuated the city, including Maeve, who had been smuggled to the Legacy Estate two nights prior by Flora. Every man who could hold a shield had been mustered, and though they faced tough odds, they knew that they had several advantages. Jade raised her arm, sword held high, and people ducked down, covering their ears. With a shout, she signaled for the defense to begin, and on that day, a shot rang out that would be heard around the world. They called them muskets, and sixty of them were fired at once, tearing the front lines of the Templar army.
As the smoke cleared, heads were lifted, and the stomping of boots had come to a halt as a dozen lay dead from the volley. Edinmire had shown their hand. They had superior weapons, they were in a defensive position, and they were ready to hold the line. There was suddenly a great roar, a shout that shook the foundations of the earth itself, and the formation broke, soldiers surging forward, rushing toward the walls. Behind the front lines, catapults sprang to life, the rocks flying through the air, impacting the wall and battering it. Shouts came from within the city, and a volley of arrows flew blindly over the wall, puncturing the first wave of soldiers, but more came. For every soldier who fell, another took their place, and the walls slowly cracked beneath a barrage of stone.
The towers fired bolt after bolt, and from their high vantage point, they had a clear view of the battlefield, and targeted the Templar siege weapons where they could. Only three towers were able to fire, but it was more than enough to cause issues for the attacking forces. They did not hold forever though, and soon ladders were being rushed forward, crossbow bolts fired back up at the walls, and the defenders were pressed back.
"Swords!" Keiren shouted as the first ladders were hoisted up to the walls, soldiers shouting and waving their own weapons. They held their own for a moment, pushing the first few soldiers down, but more came, and with every ladder that latched onto the wall, more soldiers poured over. The walls were quickly overrun with Templars, but the defenders fought on. The ground was becoming soaked with blood, and there was no end in sight to the fighting.
Trace fought beside Keith and Natani. He dared to use magic this time, but only for shields, the black scar of a right hand a constant reminder of what would happen if he lost control again. His sword felt heavy in his hand, and when his magic began to fail him, he fell back, suffering several nasty cuts. Keith and Natani covered for him where he fell short. Keith lacked magic, but his armor deflected many blows, and his sword was a blur against the Templars. He earned dozens of scars that day. Natani's daggers flew across the ramparts, and her illusions caused confusion among the attacking forces, giving her an advantage when she lashed out, but even still, she fought against thousands, taking an arrow directly to the side when she was distracted.
Zen, Keiren and Richard stayed close together, their blades became stained with blood. Lacking defensive magic, they became heavily wounded, and eventually were pushed off of the walls, and down to the streets below, where the Basitin soldiers constantly bolstered their ranks. As far back as they fell, they pressed forward time and time again, the assaulting forces pushed back to the walls and even cleared from them at a few points, though never for long. Swords clashed and arrows flew, but they fought ever on, pushing back and being pushed back.
Still up on the walls, Madelyn fought beside Telk. Her speed and his agility cleared anywhere they moved to with ease, but they paled in comparison to King Jade Adelaide, who wielded a claymore in her left hand, striking down anyone who dared venture within her reach, but it was her other hand that caused fear. She would run from ladder to ladder, lifting them off of the walls, and tossing them down onto the men below, and when there was no ladder nearby, she would often hurl Templars back down off the wall. Though arrows pierced her, blades cut her, and a Templar ballista bolt caught the edge of her shoulder, she did not slow down. She rallied the soldiers, and seeing their King fighting off so many foes, their morale soared.
The fighting went on and on. For the entire morning, nothing shifted. The walls held, and the defenders kept those climbing up mostly at bay. But then the Templar war casters came forward. Already occupied with so many other soldiers, no one was able to stop them as bolts of magic careened into the damaged walls, exploding with fire and smoke. With a loud crack, the wall began to crumble, the outer shell of the city was breached.
And the fight turned to a bloodbath.
As the smoke cleared, swords were drawn, pikes were shifted, bows were aimed, and fear was swallowed. The Templars surged into the city, and the ground became stained red, as Basitin defenders held the line with sword and shield. Slowly, they were pushed back and the Templars swelled within the walls, as they also still climbed over in some places. Thousands lay dead beyond the walls already, but thousands more came forth, a relentless horde with one singular purpose: total annihilation.
Pushed off of the walls, even King Adelaide was forced to fall back, though it took everything the Templars had to do so. On the ground, the fighting grew bloodier and more intense, as melee combat became everything. From high above, the towers picked off anyone they could, but there were so many of them. Fire was tossed into the city by the mages, and Edinmire began to burn behind the defenders.
As noon came and passed, Keiren raised his sword, and with a shout, rallied many soldiers to him. Trace, Keith, Zen, Natani, Richard, Madelyn, Telk, and even King Adelaide rushed to his side, and behind them, hundreds of soldiers of every race stood. Keiren, with all the might of Edinmire at his command, shouted again, and rushed forward toward the breach. Though he was wounded and battered, this was his city, and he would not let it fall. Suddenly faced with a counter-attack by the most powerful, most dangerous, and most fearsome soldiers Edinmire had to offer, the morale of the Templars broke, and, flustered, they were swept over. Pushed back all the way to the edge of the city, many of them turned and fled, running back to the protection of the main body of soldiers. The tide of battle had turned, and many of the attackers realized that this was not a battle they could win, especially when Keiren did not stop at the edge of the wall. He lead the charge beyond the city, crashing into the Templar's main forces with the ferocity of a dragon. His blade gleamed in the afternoon light, and with every stroke, it signaled the death of another.
Slowly, the Templars withdrew, and retreated beyond the reach of Edinmire's weapons, and beyond the reach of Keiren. Standing upon the remains of a battlefield, he lifted high a fallen Templar banner. Caked in blood and mud, he flipped it upside down, and stuck it into the ground, before stabbing his sword through the crest upon it. A victorious shout came from the defenders. Though the city burned, though they were injured and battered, though their assailants escaped, they emerged victorious. They endured a storm that would have broken anyone else. They kept the city safe, and this solidified them as a power in the world stage. The Templars had lost seven thousand that day, and Edinmire lost three thousand. Though the death toll was high, victory was theirs that day. When the next attack would come, they would be ready, hardened by battle, forged in the heart of war, and unbreakable in their resolve.
Edinmire would not fall today.