Aranea made the warrior beside her duck low to the ground, preventing her from exposing even an inch of her muzzle from the trenches. She was done with losing her soldiers to the enemy’s snipers or artillery shells.
They have been working with the regular forces for less than two weeks, digging trenches and advancing toward the gigantic walls in the distance at a snail’s pace, yet it already felt like a year to her. Her ears hurt from the constant working of the artillery, her power armor was covered in dirt cuts and slashes, the result of digging through the ground and disarming the mines. In short, the wolf hag was every bit as miserable as the rest of the besiegers.
The Moon City was a towering monument to might, built way taller than any other Soultaker’s settlements that Aranea was aware of. The town was surrounded by two massive walls that weathered the non-stopping shelling of the attackers. The outer wall had breaches in it that were tirelessly patched up by the defenders. Broken turrets and defensive weapons were visible even from here, along with rows of soldiers taking cover in anticipation of the next artillery barrage.
This town was built through the joint efforts of the Bento Tribe and the Soultakers. According to the video feeds from drones, the place bore the marks of both nations, from the utility and serenity of soultakers to the massive and sturdy metal buildings of bentos. It was here that Geldi studied to become a medic, and it was here that King first held his council before moving on to a safer location. Bentos and soultakers intended to go all out to keep the invaders out.
The wall behind the first one was far superior in quality, the majority of artillery and troops on it were intact. The city itself loomed over the battlefield like a dark giant, all lights vanquished from its streets to hide the position of the defensive installations from the drones that directed the missile strikes.
The Reclaimers surrounded the city, not allowing anything to come in or out. Day and night, the crawlers and the artillery were unleashing their arsenals at the walls, aiming to knock them down. The foes responded in kind, unleashing the fury of the gifted laser turrets of the Bento Tribe and countless heavy weapons of the Soultakers. Both sides employed force shields, both sides had to punch through the shields before they could hope to deal any real damage to the opposition, resulting in the uneasy stalemate.
And on the ground before the city, the soldiers worked, building a network of tunnels and trenches to bring the short-ranged artillery closer, along with tanks to add their rage to the small apocalypse happening all around them. The blue wyrm authorized the usage of small portable force shields that could withstand an occasional shell or two, and it did save a lot of lives, Aranea was willing to give him that. The problem was, the shells never came alone, the enemies were dropping concentrated fire on them without hesitation.
This was why the last kilometer of the preparation for the assault had to be made by the new breeds, the regular soldiers would have died in droves here. The new breeds were fast enough to charge in the open, dig themselves makeshift shelters, and work from there before the portable shields became overloaded with incoming munition. Then they had to survive, allowing the crawlers and foes to speak with each other through the main guns. After that, rebuild what was destroyed, expand and secure trenches, and make a new leap. Day after day, night after night.
Even during rotations, when Aranea and her pack returned back to the crawler for rest, she still cried out in her dreams, hurrying up her troops and dragging away the wounded from the craters made by shells and energy weapons. When Yuki accidentally dropped a metal plate with food, Kaleb jumped from his place, dragging Kate and another wolfkin under the table. The smell of gunpowder, burning flesh, and ozone on the battlefield was driving people mad. A few soldiers had to be apprehended because of their mental breakdowns. Everyone was on edge.
If this was a modern-day war in which soldiers had to move a hundred meters or slightly more per day, then Aranea decided that she hated it even more than the usual war. At least before she saw who she was killing and who was attempting to kill her. Here, it was like the Spirits’ wrath was raining down on them, taking lives at random.
Begrudgingly, the wolf hag gave Ivar some credit. The blue wyrm trained the army further during the battle for Belaz and other engagements, drilling them into an excellent warmachine working in unison. He or his officers would contact the wolfkins if they noticed the soldiers becoming overly eager or exposed. On his command, the artillery supported the troops at the most dangerous positions, silencing the enemy for a time. Nothing evaded his gaze, according to the rumors, the blue wyrm hadn't gotten a lick of sleep since the siege’s start, and his voice was still as fresh as ever.
"It’s starting." Aranea whispered to her own pack, quickly glancing at her HUD to confirm their locations and status.
Keyl, lying face down on the ground, gave Aranea a thumbs up, showing that everything was fine with him as well. The stupid moron asked for permission to accompany her pack, declaring that it was the least the Ice Fang order could do. At least he agreed to ditch his white power armor, taking a black power armor meant for a wolf hag instead. It took some adjustments. Unlike his kin, Keyl never kept his helmet open, and he still carried this ridiculous blade on his back, but now he was all but undistinguished from other wolfkins.
Aranea felt the ground shake. On her HUD, she saw the image of warlord Alpha walking across the trenches, approaching the cannon's range. She was clad in full power armor, her crimson top knot gave the impression of a fire pillar burning atop the helmet. The warlord spread her arms, demonstrating her gigantic claws to the defenders.
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"You have fought well, defenders of the Moon City," Alpha said, her voice cutting through the plains, sounding like a working chainsaw. "Feel proud. But now the time has come to make the right decision. Today we will take this city! You know, just as well as we do. You are outnumbered ten to one, your walls are weakened, and our might knows no limits. Do not throw your lives away, throw away your weapons instead and live on. You will not be harmed, and each of you, be you bento, soultaker, or mercenary, will be treated with dignity. Your families will live under the state’s rule, so why fight? Why throw away your lives needlessly when you can see your children grow, your nations come up from the ruins, and your people live happily? Surrender and live, or we will make you bend the knee."
A figure rose on the wall—a giant made of steel—and its metal frame rivaled Alpha’s bulk with ease. Instead of one arm, the cyborg had a long cannon whose barrel touched the ground. Four lenses flashed, focusing on the warlord.
"Why fight?" A stern female voice boomed from the speakers in the elder’s jaw. "To live freely. To see how our children mold the future based on their own desires, instead of serving as your thralls, Alpha of the Reclaimers. Your people may be happy living under the Dynast’s boot, and all the best to them. But we want to be free! For this goal we meet your host today, for this goal we will deny you this city. A day will come when our children will inherit these lands, and on this day, they will still have their freedom! You are denied, Alpha. Leave and take your troops with you. Leave us in peace or face our wrath."
"We will bring the peace to you instead," Alpha raised her arm, pointing at the wall. Seeing her movement, the cannons opened fire at her. The warlord’s thundering roar silenced the defenders for a moment. "All forces! Reclaim the city for humanity!"
The shields came into existence above the trenches, all hidden generators activating at once, shielding the troops that poured out of the trenches. Aranea led her own troops toward the breach in the wall before her. Two hundred meters. Can’t be too hard, right?
A shell fell to her left, piercing through the shield and bathing Aranea in a searing flame. Her power armor endured, the armor closed on its own, saving her lungs. Three of her soldiers were less lucky, their lives were taken away in an instant. Kate nearly suffered an injury too but was saved by Kaleb, who jerked her and another soldier closer to himself.
The soldiers charged on. A warrior caught a laser beam in her stomach, and Keyl grabbed the woman, carrying her on to the breach. That's right, you can stay and be trampled or killed by a shell. The only way to survive is to get inside the city, away from the enemies’ weapons. The crawlers retaliated by unleashing everything they had. Death rained upon the wall, shells and energy beams pierced the defensive shield of the Moon City. Pieces of rubble the size of tanks started falling from the skies, along with rivers of molten stone and dead bodies. Ignore the screams, lead on. Aranea and Keyl were the first to reach the breach and were greeted by a gigantic form of a heavy assault team member.
Aranea reacted faster than ever before, taking aim with her newly rebuilt rail gun and firing. The cyborg’s arm with the machine gun snapped in two, like a tree branch in the wind. The shockwave that followed after the rail gun’s shot threw several soultakers off their legs. Before any of the enemies could reform their ranks, the pack opened fire. Missiles, laser beams, and armor piercing shards collided with a cyborg, forcing it back, wreathed in flame. His allies fared worse, the wolfkins simply shot away the upper tip of the makeshift barricade, killing all and any behind it.
The cyborg landed five steps away from the breach, its lower jaw hanging, sparks coming from the torn arm. The heavy team member refused to retreat any further, opening fire from his remaining arm and allowing wires from his chest to pierce two warriors, lifting their dead bodies up. Its rapid fire took the life of a scout and tore a chunk of flesh from Sly’s shoulder.
Aranea recognized his intent right away: keep them back, keep them in the breach at all costs, so the turrets on the second wall can take aim and fire. Understanding brought clarity. Looking through the cameras of her soldiers, Aranea took aim and fired the rail gun twice straight through the rubble, throwing her own soldiers aside with a shockwave.
Her first shot crashed into the cyborg’s knee, her second shot pierced through the brain case, evaporating its contents. Keyl gave the wounded warrior to Sly and jumped forward, the first to enter the breach and step inside the fortress. Thankfully, the ice fang agreed to use ranged weapons instead of trying to swing his blade. He fired a shardgun twice, injuring one soultaker and missing the other. Keyl cursed, taking aim again, but a blindingly red beam felled the foe before Keyl could shoot.
"Not used to the shardguns, eh, ice boy?" Yuki laughed, landing next to him and throwing a grenade at the armored vehicle nearby. "They are only good at a close distance. Don’t try to snipe anyone with them without practice."
"Thank you for the tip, kind lady." Keyl curtly answered and fired at the foe who tried to take aim at Yuki.
"Piss off, ice boy! I already have a mate!"
"I would never dare to…"
"Cut the chatter!" Aranea snapped at them, lifting a paw to her helmet. "Captain Ivar! We got through the first wall, but we are sitting ducks out here! The shelling failed to damage the integrity of the second wall!"
"Everything is going as planned, warlord," Aranea frowned upon hearing this title. Ivar, of all people, should know that Alpha refused to accept her. "Proceed to your objective."
Is he mad or trying to get us killed again?! A thought flashed in Aranea’s head, before she shouted for her pack to move out. The territory between the first and second walls was made flat and covered with concrete, ensuring that any attacker who got through the first wall would be wide open for the weapons on the second wall. Worse, the second wall had several balconies and armored bunkers all over its length, ensuring that there would be no safe zone for the attackers to hide in. Except for heavily guarded main gates, the only way in was through thick armored doors at the base of the second wall—the doors that were closed shut!
Seeing that the other packs also came through the breaches, Aranea led her own pack to the designated door, firing at any foes that were standing between her and her troops. Madness! If the briefing is to be believed, these doors are meant to endure MOABs!