By the time the Lakson artisans and scholars arrived in Bahoz, the Rhazgord army had gathered outside the walls of the Bahem capital. The siege camp was set up and the warriors were already tired from the journey.
As Rhazgord advanced, no envoys were sent by Bahem. This was a clear sign that the King of Bahem had no intention of surrendering. Clearly the king knew that Rhazgord could not contain his rage and understood that if he did not defend his city, it would be burned to the ground like Laxia. But instead of giving in to fear, he decided to defend his country and his people with unexpected courage.
In siege warfare, the attacking side was always at a disadvantage. If Valerius had time, he could have besieged the city for days, waiting until his supplies ran out. But he had to act fast. So he built a few catapults and pounded the city walls through the night. But Bahem's thick stone walls proved impervious to catapult blows. Neither the walls collapsed nor the resistance of the people was broken. The only option now was to attack directly.
At dawn, the massive Rhazgord army, with their shields raised, marched in perfect symmetry towards the city walls. Among the soldiers were warriors carrying long ladders. Under the protection of shields, these warriors made their way, dodging the rain of arrows from Bahem archers. When the Rhazgord warriors were close enough to the city walls, the troops at the front quickly leaned their ladders against the walls. The most dangerous moment of the battle had begun.
While some warriors tried to climb the walls using ladders and thrown hooks, the bulk of the army was still waiting behind. This was only the beginning. Bahem's fate would be shaped by the outcome of this attack.
With difficulty, the troops led by Corvus managed to reach the top of Bahem's walls. In the chaos of battle, the warriors climbed up the stairs, trying to break through the enemy defenses in the face of death. As soon as Corvus set his feet on the stones of the ramparts, he charged forward, releasing all the Lightstone energy within him.
As he tore through his enemies like a piece of paper, an insurmountable obstacle suddenly appeared in front of him. This warrior, whom he could not knock down with his first blow, was no ordinary man. The man radiated Lightstone energy and wore heavy armor. He was a head taller than Corvus, big and muscular. In his hand he held a war hammer whose destructive power was frighteningly great.
The giant warrior began to advance towards Corvus, striking relentlessly with the hammer. With each thrust, his heavy weapon sailed down like a shadow in the air, shattering the stone pavement and tossing the warriors around him. Corvus had nowhere to retreat as Rhazgord warriors climbed the ramparts behind him. When the man swung his huge hammer with deadly speed, Corvus ducked at the last moment to avoid the attack. The hammer struck two Rhazgord warriors just behind Corvus, throwing them over the ramparts to their certain deaths. Anticipating the next attack, Corvus avoided the blow, this time leaping into the air. Landing on the ground, he brought his twin swords down on his opponent with all his might.
But with great effort the warrior defended the attack by raising his hammer. The force of both collided in the air, sparks flying as metal rubbed against metal. Before Corvus could make his next move, the ramparts suddenly shook. This unexpected tremor threw the giant warrior off balance. Corvus took the opportunity to quickly slide himself between his opponent's legs and get behind him. His sharp eyes spotted the open spots at the joints of the armor.
His twin swords landed like lightning behind the man's knees.
With a deep roar, the man fell to his knees. He could no longer move, no longer parry the next attack. A Rhazgord warrior, coming ahead of him, swung his heavy axe swiftly. With the blow of the axe, the giant warrior's life ended on the spot.
Corvus regulated his breathing and looked to the spot where the trembling had come from to see why the walls were shaking. The battle raged on, but there was something there, something powerful enough to move the walls. It was Valerius Tiamat. He stood in front of the massive gates of the city. In his hands, two big Lightstones glowed. But as he prepared for his second blow, he drained them of every last drop of energy. In the blink of an eye, the Lightstones darkened and crumbled to dust in his palms.
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Valerius took a few steps back. Turning his body slightly, he concentrated all his strength in one spot and delivered his next blow. Most of the soldiers who had been supporting him behind the door were thrown back by the force of this single blow. Even though they were holding the gate with all their might, they were still trying to understand how one man could have such a power of destruction.
Meanwhile, the Bahem archers and warriors on the top of the rampart were throwing everything they could to stop Valerius. Arrows, spears, stones and boiling oil rained down on him. But nothing was working. The Lightstone energy that surrounded Valerius' body prevented any attack that came close to him from even touching his skin. He didn't stand in front of the walls, he rose up like a harbinger of disaster. On his fifth blow, the door swung open, almost groaning in pain.
The thick planks and chains were crushed by Valerius' blows, the supports that sealed the door shattered. At that moment, the warriors, led by Corvus and the other Sharazirs, had gained the upper hand on the walls. The fate of the city was now sealed.
Valerius drew his double-handed sword from its point and turned to the Bahem soldiers in front of him. There was terror in the eyes of the men as they stared at him in fear. They had already realized that their weapons were useless in the face of a force they could not understand.
And Valerius rushed forward to cover the city in blood. Behind him, waiting for the gates to open, the Rhazgord warriors charged into the city with war cries. The gates opened, the walls fell, and the Rhazgord army plunged like a knife into the heart of Bahem. The Rhazgord warriors, already vastly superior in numbers and experience, showed not the slightest mercy to their now completely defenseless enemy.
Unlike the relatively orderly and controlled surrender of the city of Laxia, this time it was a scene of utter destruction and terror. The Rhazgord warriors unleashed their rage and the savagery of battle, advancing like barbarians. They showed not the slightest mercy to their enemies who stood before them and begged. Swords, spears and axes slashed relentlessly, screams filled the streets.
The civilians they captured were dragged out of their homes and taken to the city square. In the streets, another rivalry was taking place. The warriors of the Rhazgord were racing each other for glory, vying to be the first to reach the king's palace and capture it.
Corvus was oblivious to all this. Once he was sure that his warriors had fulfilled their mission, he turned his attention to the civilians gathered in the square. As he had done with Laxon, he made them an offer. This time, however, things were much more difficult. The people of Bahem were more stubborn. They had seen how their own people had fought for the city and they wanted to believe that their blood had not been in vain. No matter how much Corvus tried, only twenty people accepted his offer.
This was enough to test his patience. In anger, he decided to resort to a harsher method. He started threatening the people. He ordered them to point the finger at artisans and scholars, making it clear that anyone who hid or lied would be severely punished. Corvus was not happy with this method. But it was effective. Soon, even more people rallied behind him than in the city of Laxon. Sometimes leaving no choice was the most powerful persuasion.
When Corvus was finished, the event that would spell the end of the city took place. The palace of Bahem was engulfed in flames and a huge fire spread through the streets of the city. Driven by the wind, the fire was moving even faster than in Laxia.
By the time the Rhazgord army had completely left the city, the people had not even had a chance to run to the unburnt buildings and gather what they would need for the difficult days ahead. While the Rhazgord warriors gathered the lifeless bodies of their comrades who had lost their lives in battle, the people of the city could do nothing but watch in misery as their city was reduced to ashes.
The Rhazgord army stayed a little longer this time. Unlike Laxia, the Bahem army held out to the end. Although victory was certain, the Rhazgord army did not come out of this battle without casualties. The wounded were quickly treated and the fallen warriors were given a traditional funeral. As night fell, huge funeral pyres rose in the center of the camp. The warriors sang hymns to say goodbye to their comrades for the last time, and the Rhazgord warriors stood tall and watched the send-off as the flames rose like giant pillars cutting through the darkness. When the sun rose the next day, the Rhazgord army was already moving its massive body.
The wounded warriors, along with the few thousand soldiers who had been left behind to ensure their safety, regretted that they could not follow the army, but their mission was now complete. They would stay here for another day, then return to Bahoz, the nearest Rhazgord city, to recuperate. Most of them knew that they would not be fully recovered until the next battle. But this was not a shame for them, but a badge of honor. They couldn't wait to show their wounds to their families like medals of war, to boast of their victory.
After several days of advance, the Rhazgord army was close to their next objective. The capital of Galir was now only a few hours away. But just as the army was about to reach their objective, Iskat scouts, speeding ahead of them, carried extraordinary news. The flag of another country was flying over the Galir capital. Smoke billowed from the city and clouds of soot could be seen rising into the sky on the horizon.