Several days later.
The system of forts and patrols created by the Freinos family played a vital role in securing their distant areas and, usually, it was enough to stop all the monsters and secure the trade. Just their geographical location was enough to be a hard bone for any potential enemies. A good garrison with supplies could easily hold for half a year against a much stronger enemy. But, right now, that trait played against their own owners, whose forces gathered in front of the walls.
Standing in front of the 5-meter stone-made walls, Aurelia raised her hand, ordering mages to send another row of spells. Following the magic bombardment, groups of knights moved out in the enemy’s direction. It was the last important fort that they needed to conquer to return control to their hands. Besides, she knew that the naga chief and many naga elites and shamans were there.
The fort was built near the edge of the cliff and defenders just needed to protect one side.
Even though the 6th special has easily surrounded the fort, blocking any contact with the fort, the battle promised to be violent.
As if to prove her assumptions, she saw how many knights flew off the walls as soon as they climbed at them. Nagas’ physical prowess just couldn’t be underestimated, especially the strength of the elites who were gathered here to protect their chief and nobles.
Aurelia nodded to herself and released a sigh as she turned and looked at her adjutant.
“Tell mages to help our guys over there.” Her adjutant saluted, and several moments later, many spells appeared on the battlefield, starting another bombardment.
Noticing how fire, ice, wind, and earth elemental spells massacred at the walls, killing many nagas, Aurelia just took a magic book and sat in her chair, reading.
She knew it was just the start of the siege and the most decisive battle of this war, so there was no actual need to hurry. The longer the siege continued, the weaker would nagas become. Constant storms, bombarding, and a potential shortage of supplies would do enough to weaken the enemy. There was no actual need for her to sacrifice the lives of her people.
So, while her mages and several groups of knights were busy, she preferred to spend this time reading one of her magic books.
However, unlike their commander, that looked calm, her subordinates were thrilled and impatient to join the battle. The row of easy sieges that followed their squad journey on their way to this fort raised their appetite and right now, they just couldn’t wait for the order to finish this war as soon as possible.
The time continued to flow, and there were no changes in the siege's flow. Attackers continued to attack while nagas continued to defend at the walls. Everything seemed as if it would go as usual when something extraordinary started happening all over the walls.
Several groups of unique-looking nagas appeared out of nowhere and quickly stormed their way to the edges of the walls before jumping at the approaching knights in front of the walls.
Just that action surprised many knights, but quickly returning to their senses, dozens of knights jumped at them, only to end up dead moments later.
It turned out these nagas were masters in using tridents and knew how to use them to get rid of their opponents.
So, there was nothing strange that there were dozens of dead bodies left behind each such master.
Soon, everyone on the battlefield already knew about them when nagas on the walls and those trident masters roared uniquely.
The roar was so strong that battles stopped for a short period when Aurelia put her book away with an irritated expression on her face.
It pissed her that nagas challenged her squad for the ritual duel right when she started reading her book and pissed her, even more, when she remembered what nagas did to their prisoners, totally not respecting their war laws and customs. And now, they expected their enemy would respect theirs?
What a joke.
Anyway, she, as the commander of the 6th special, needed to decide what to do next.
As if to prove that, her adjutant appeared with an urgent report with the content she already knew about.
“Commander, nagas sent us the challenge for the ritual duel, inviting our best 100 warriors to fight against their 100 elites.” Aurelia nodded, releasing a sigh when she heard him. It looked like her knowledge about nagas turned out to be true.
“Your orders commander.” Aurelia dashed her glance at dozens of nagas that challenged her squad before touching her chin.
“Order our formation to prepare advanced spells, and tell a group of 100 knights to move out a bit, buying some time.” She said with a sly flame at her eyes.
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“It will be done, commander.” said the adjutant before disappearing from her sight.
Many nagas and humans were waiting with impatient expressions on their faces when naga opponents appeared on the battlefield. They thought that right now they would see many interesting duels when magic spells appeared, aiming at those nagas, eradicating them in moments.
While the nagas were still shocked, group captains started crying new orders when a certain signal resounded across the battlefield as another bombarding started.
Unlike before, mages totally made this bombarding of fire-orientated spells and quickly many nagas died.
The combined attack of 1000 mages’ formation quickly cleared half of the enemy forces at the walls, opening the path for the knights.
Soon, the whole 1st row of hundreds of knights moved out, aiming at certain locations at the walls while mages at the formation started preparing for another bombarding.
In such a way, one of the most important sieges started!
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At the same time as the 6th special was busy fighting with nagas at their main fort, there was another siege happening at the absolutely different frontier.
Just a glance was enough to see that battles were happening all over the walls and it seemed as if nagas were slowly pushing humans back with each passing moment, capturing more towers and wall sections.
At the top of one of the northern walls, a group captain was commanding a group of hundreds of knights.
Right now, he was covered in thick blood and his sword, together with his throat, continued to work, crying and killing with each moment.
“Hold your ground, you bastards, you know what will happen if you run.” cried the captain so loud that all 40 surviving members of his group heard him.
“Hold your ground boys, the help is on the way. Show them what the knights, serving the Roland family, can do!” He cried, using the same phrase he has already used for the eighth time. Few of his subordinates smiled and laughed when they heard him and cried, jumping at the enemy.
Even though he raised their battle spirit, it was futile in the long term. His group was already fighting for many hours and all of them, including him, were exhausted and a glance at their slow movements was enough to see that. They urgently needed help, or their section of the wall would inevitably end in the enemy’s hands.
Soon, their momentum was extinguished, and the captain saw how his few subordinates started falling one by one when he failed to dodge naga’s attack and was sent back to the ground.
Just as that naga approached him, raising his trident, ready to kill him, the captain clenched his fist, preparing to make his last attack to take the enemy with him, when a certain flash passed in front of his eyes.
Moments later, that naga fell back with a wound in his heart while the flash continued to move forward, killing many.
Still deep in shock, the captain stood up, following the flash with his glance when many battle cries resounded behind him.
That was it!
The reinforcements have arrived, and the captain started laughing as hundreds of fresh knights appeared, joining the battle and following the flash.
Raising his sword, the captain also followed the fresh troops and recapturing their section of the wall.
At the same time as her knights joined the battle, Astra finished another naga before stopping and wiping thick blood from her rapier. She released a tired sigh before turning and analyzing the situation at this section of this wall.
It was already her 15th sortie to the fallen or near to fallen sections of the walls. In short, the situation was drastic.
It turned out that the naga commander was very experienced, had many elite warriors, and knew how to exhaust his opponents. Just his commanding skills when nagas attacked from four flanks almost at the same time were a good example of his abilities. Besides, his forces continued to attack them both during the day and during the night, giving them no time for rest. That’s why several days since the start of the siege, not only Astra, but all high-ranking officers had blood on their uniform or armor. They had to join the battles to boost morale and reverse the battles.
Right now, such tactics worked, but with each new day, their numbers decreased and units got exhausted. In short, their battle capabilities decreased with each passing day, and only reinforcements from the south could save them all.
A half an hour later, when she and her forces finished dealing with nagas here, one of her surviving adjutants appeared with an urgent report.
“Commander, the east walls are at risk of falling, reserve force has already been sent, led by one of the high-ranking officers, but he ended up dead and right now the violent battle is happening there.” The adjutant seemed to want to add something more when Astra stopped him by raising her rapier.
“Enough, I get it. Tell my personal guard to move out in that direction. I will meet them there.”
“Are you sure, commander? Many officers wouldn’t like such decision.” Astra just growled at his words.
“This is the battle of instincts. When we show our weakness to the enemy, he will increase the pressure twice or three times more than now, sending all his forces at once. We need to buy as much time as possible and prolong that moment as long as we can,” said Astra. “Just tell them my words if they try to create problems for you.”
The adjutant saluted to her words before disappearing to fulfill his duty.
Finishing with that, Astra released another sigh before inhaling deep and moving out towards the east, killing any nagas she met along the walls.
...
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At the same time, on another frontier.
Stella raised her sword, wiping the blood from her sword before throwing her glance at the incoming nagas that appeared from the water.
Right now, their island was under enemy attack.
With each new moment, more nagas appeared from the water, following the big turtles that aimed at her subordinates with their fast water currents that appeared from their mouths.
In short, the combination of many physically powerful warriors and bombarding turtles was very hard for the 3500 armed group garrison.
Just as she was busy thinking about their next plan of action when one of her adjutants appeared with an urgent report.
“The west walls were breached.” Cried the man, holding his wound, left by the trident. At first, Stella didn’t react to his words, but moments later she released a tired sigh before taking a certain object and igniting it.
Several moments later, a unique signal resounded across the battlefield and moments later a longhorn signal resounded across the battlefield.
As soon as knights, mages, scouts, and others heard it, they started retreating one by one towards the 2nd layer of defense where fresh groups were already ready with their raised weapons in the enemy direction.
Stella and her group were among the last ones to retreat to the 2nd layer while nagas hurried their turtles and most of their forces inside, preparing for the next storm.
The next phase of the siege was about to begin!