Hello my beauties! I'm back again with another chapter for Blood Born! I see we hit the 200 mark, and then some. As such, there is a pool to go with this chapter with three unique options. It will start, and dictate an event that occurs during the siege. You may also all place an event you prefer in the comments. If it's good, and others like it just quote it in your comments until the poll ends. But each event is tailored and will actually change how the story flows till the end of volume one, and will have far reaching actions. hehehe.
I also noticed how much everyone loves my little Saphiria, the jump in logic that I will kill her off was interesting to see. I won't say what I have planned. I want you all to fear the worst, or think the best. It's a surprise; shhhh..
But I digress, thank you all for the continued support of my story. I cannot believe I've reached this mile mark, it astounds and humbles me. So once again, I dedicate this chapter and all that follow to you, the readers. I know it isn't done often, and even if it is I don't care. You all make it worth the time and effort I place into my writing. Couldn't do it without you all.
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Rage
The night had passed with relative boredom. I sighed as the sun slowly crested the horizon. I had waited all night for someone to try to breach the walls at night. It was depressing that no one had done so, my hands all but itched to rip into flesh.
Instead what greeted my eyes were the enemy army making a more stable camp, and expanding along the first wall to enclose us.
I growled when I saw that, the siege had turned into the literal meaning; they wanted to starve us out.
We had provisions to last a few months at least, maybe. My people could go without for a few days, though it would cut our reserves and combat potential. I could be wrong as well, they may very well be consolidating their position and prepping for a full out assault.
If that were the case, there would be no way to hold this wall. A method to retain this wall with minimal losses was growing bleaker by the second.
Cruelty wouldn't be able to use another fear wave like before for days, she'd drained her essence to the breaking point holding it all, then releasing it. The Red Pridelings were all but spent, a dozen remained able to fight properly at this time. Most were still in the healing tent that had been erected. Some would be up by tomorrow at the least.
"You, find Envy and have her move the healers and the worst patients that can't move to the third wall. I want them ready in two hours." The cat I'd forced the orders onto saluted, odd gesture with his hand over his heart, and took off.
My instincts told me we had all become prey, that I was prey, to a larger Predator. I had no choice but to acknowledge this feeling, regardless of the fact I did not agree.
I still had my own tricks to play. But judging by the enemies movements they would not assault the walls anytime soon. I told Forge, who had returned to the wall, to talk over and keep everyone on alert. Rotating the soldiers out every two hours to allow them to rest, while not truly being allowed to let down their guard.
I was beginning to hate micro managing all of this. Thinking through so many, while I had been trained; bred to do so was annoying.
I made my way from the second wall, I needed to check on my 'Master' and ensure that Envy was moving the medical personnel away from the second wall. When we fell back, I needed to make sure all the hidden surprises were able to go off with minimal friendly fire.
They were still in the process, River was making sure the most recovered of the injured Red Guard (A.N calling them this from now on.) that could walk and move somewhat were carrying the more severe injured toward the third wall.
They would manage on their own from with that. Making my way through the third gate, I contemplated how to make it more defensible, shy of having a full week however to manage the undertaking with Anvil however, it was not possible.
I growled in frustration, would this be where I died? Overwhelmed by numbers? It was a Berserkers pride to die in battle, to fall before the might of someone strong enough to withstand our ferocity, our rage, but to be bogged down by numerical overwhelming force would bring myself, and my Pride nothing but shame.
There would be no reprieve, there would be no help. It would not be like with the Tiger who earned respect by fighting me alone. I would find a way to endure, to survive, to win. Tenacity, a founding principle of any strategic person, general, what have you; it was this fundamental force that led many to victory.
I'd driven many to there deaths with the fear bomb, these beast men did not rely on true military planning, just sheer numbers and strength. I would think of a way to crush them beneath my boot. It was there, I had to think of it more.
Fredrick was useless in this regard, he was a Beast man himself, and while that should give me insight, the cats were among the weakest tribe. How they had held this fort was simply because of the Draconians that built it to be so defendable, and the attacks being only a small force from singular tribes. This, was war. It was glorious, and beautiful; but it was not what they would survive alone.
I shook myself from my thoughts as I entered the meeting hall. I saw Saphiria standing by one of the Berserkers I had left as a guard for Fredrick. One of only two, circumstance however required them on the wall.
I growled at the nearness between Saphiria, and the Berserker. He took a few steps away and averted his gaze. "Get the other, go to the wall. Forge will tell you what needs doing from there."
He nodded, and left with his partner. snorting lightly, I turned toward Saphira, and placed her onto my shoulder. "Where are they?" I asked, she told me they were in a side room helping to place the children in a more secure location.
When I arrived, I was met by the sound of countless crying, and begging for 'parents' the term was odd for me, Saphiria had explained this term to be before, but it was a foreign concept. Berserkers did not have parents, we had our surviving brothers and sisters. No one else.
When I arrived at Fredricks location, he was currently struggling with two cubs, I ignored his plight and began reporting. I informed him of the events from the first night till now. He paled a small fraction, but kept up a front in front of the children he was watching over. I still smelled his fear.
"Do what has to be done, Rage, I kept the Civilians here under your advisement. Show me you can keep them alive." I growled lightly at him.
"I still believe we should have used them as cannon fodder, Master, it would make the soldiers hate their enemy more after seeing their loved ones cut down before them." I saw one of the adults near by flinch and begin to glare at me. Weakling, I thought.
Fredrick just looked at me with a sad expression. Shaking his head, he dismissed me to go about what needed doing. I felt my eye slowly twitch at that. But I left, Saphiria asking me to let her down so she could help. I did not like the idea of her being around so many cats while we were under attack by several other tribes, including the tiger once again.
But Hellen was nearby, she may personally despise me, but she seemed to have grown fond of my pet. The frightening woman would keep her safe. Setting her down, I patted her head and told her to be good.
Then I proceeded back to the second gate. I disliked being away for so long. We would hold...
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Panther
Hmmm, Uram wanted me to find weakness, I had slipped in during the night. Staying near the ceiling of the keep itself as I looked down. I learned much from listening, about the fact civilians were still present, it would give us a chance to wipe out the traitorous cat clan in it's entirety. I also learned the name of the creatures aiding in the defense, and what they were called as a people. 'Pridelings' the name was foreign to this one, but perhaps another would know? It didn't matter at the moment. But I gathered as much intel as I could.
The obvious weakness was the Cat clans paramor, and wife. But to get her, I do not yet know how. That was when I saw the silver one arrive, this 'Rage' that led the Pridelings. I heard him tell the other two like him to go to the wall, and then he...picked up a Tiger, another traitor now doubt, but it was but a child. He carried her on his shoulder. A weakness? It might be, it would need further investigating.
Tonight, I would slip away form the walls and report my findings to Uram. All of them, and move according to his will from there. Patience, a virtue of any of my clan. We were silent hunters, perhaps soon I would be allowed to hunt again.
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Forge
The two sent by Rage had arrived, and I put them on the far left flank where the most Red Guard had been taken from action. A few more Berserkers would aid. But each of us, those still able to fight, were beginning to lose control. We all had a soft underlining of red in our eyes, and Rage's own were growing closer into the red haze.
We would have to cut loose, relieve it somehow. But we would hold back our anger as long as we could, until he allowed us, and directed us at a target for it all.
The enemies movements confused me as well, they had begun to encircle Tridant, and no doubt had a reason. But what that was, no one could guess. Perhaps Rage could, but he seemed to be contemplating it himself as he left. He still seemed to be doing so when he returned.
He informed me of our Masters orders, frustratingly simple. Hold, defend, keep the weakling civilians alive. I agreed with Rage on his point of view, better to have them die before the soldiers eyes to make them fight harder. But judging from how the ranks of enemies reacted once they were forced to cut down their own allies who were fleeing in fear, perhaps it was a good idea to keep them back.
The cats were more level headed I believed, and we had been training them; however one never knew what would occur.
"We won't hold this wall, Rage." I said as soon as he arrived.
"I know, it will fall tonight in all likelihood." Wonderful, Rage expected it sooner. "Have our brothers and sisters, all of them, move the cats back. Each to have bows. I want a constant stream of arrows as they retreat when the wall falls. Curse will unleash his hounds to buy more time."
I nodded at that, those hounds of his were deadly, and wonderful sacrificial pawns. It helped more that the stronger they were, the more likely they simply returned to the abyss, and could be re-summoned by Curse later.
I nodded, and left to do my task; casting one last look at Rage as I did. He liked planned to be the last to retreat, he prefered fighting more. But we needed him. I'd ensure he made it to the third wall.
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Uram
Night was beginning to take over. That wall was going to be ours tonight. The Panther had returned, and told me what he knew, good. We had a base knowledge of our foe. I had informed him to return in the confusion that would follow, and look for a chance to take the wife, Hellen, I knew that the beasts were under Fredricks control. He'd be forced to make them stop, he loved his wife to much.
I rotated my neck, feeling the bones crack and pop before joining the front ranks with the main force of my bears. That gate was coming down, and it's metal fucking cover.
I led the charge personally this time, and when I reached the gate, I could hear the battle above as my men took the wall itself. I, along with three of the grizzly strain of bear, lifted the metal covering of the door, and opened the gate to find how to raise it. We did, and climbed the ramp without being stopped.
It made me wonder a moment why my men were screaming in pain, and dying. Then I saw a retreating mass, and a sea of arrows. I grunted as a few struck me, before a wall of bodies formed before me.
The cowards had fallen back! Rather than stay and fight they were falling back to the third wall, while firing arrow after arrow at us.
I saw a few of the wolfs, and other canine tribes rush forward, avoiding the arrow hail. Perhaps a hundred actually made it, and that was when I saw the line of people before the retreating mass. No more than a few dozen, some with red colored armor. They cut down the ones that arrived with careless abandon. These were those Pridelings, I growled and tried to move forward, but no sooner had we than a bear to my left stepped on something, and a metal spike went through his body, impaling him....
I roared in anger, and tried to relay commands to have my bears stop their advance, we needed the foxes, they could find the traps quicker. God damnit! That silver haired bastard would pay for this!
I saw them enter the third gate, a steady stream as they turned and entered it in a rush. The last one through that gate was the silver haired leader. I heard a roar, and then chaos ensued as the hounds, dear god, they were demon Hellhounds, were unleashed upon our ranks. They poured out through the buildings on either side of the main path leading to the third gate, hundreds of Hellhounds, and several dozen of the two head ones.
They dove into my people with reckless abandon, slaughtering the foxes hunting for traps first, dragging them into darkness before I heard the screams. No, no NO! "Kill those hounds! Take them down!"
It took hours, and cost me several hundred men, but in the end we had slaughtered the last of the hounds, but there was at least a quarter of a mile from this wall to the third. The foxes were dead, and there had to be more traps. My numbers could swallow the losses, but our weakest had already been slaughtered. What remained were war veterans. nine thousand men, dead already. Growling at the numbers, we could swallow them, but the thought that a mere thousand or so enemies could do that was mind numbing.
I readied my sword, and rotated my shoulders, and sent forth a platoon of dogs. They had the best chance of surviving the traps, and triggering them without massive losses. For this, they would all burn! Every man, woman, and child would burn.
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Here you are my lovelies, I know it's not as long as I wanted it; however it sets up the main portion of the siege. In the next chapter, watch as Rage let's lose a massive amount of trapps, and damage. I am also putting the poll up, as I said. Please vote on it, I know not everyone does. The winning one will be implemented , depending on which it is, during the next chapter or the end of the siege itself. Which will be in two chapters.
Doesn't the suspense before Rage, and Urams clash just kill you? I know it does me, I want to write it so bad. I have fun planned for it.
But I rambled, as always, much love and cookies for all! As always, please; Rate, follow, favorite, and comment.