The Citadel

The morning was dark. The smoke from the fires darkened the sky. General Basile's host of ten-thousand men had arrived at their enemies largest fort on the eastern side of the continent. Only twenty kilometers away on a great hill lay the Avi'non Citadel. For ninety years no human force had been able to even get this far. All other attempts were stopped at the earlier forts, but the General Basile was brutal and his supply lines were strong. Each fort that had laid in his path had been burned to the ground, and no survivors were allowed to flee. They couldn't outrun us, we are the Empires greatest force General Basile's pride. We are the Gods Heavy Calvary.



Darrius awoke groggy in the smoke covered morning. "Darrius are you ready. today is the day!" said a man covered in a shining plate armor, only his helmet missing.



"Filips what are you asking for, of course I'm ready we've been waiting a fortnight for this" Darrius said quickly getting up reaching for his own plate armor.



"let me help you can't have you stressing to get that armor on yourself" Filips laughed.



"God I wish we still had squires, this war has been going on too long. The two men remained silent as Filips helped Darrius put all but his helmet on. They then proceeded to get up and walk over towards a large tent. Within a great many men walked some careering bread and old vegetables, some going to get theirs. Both Darrius and Filips joined the line waiting to get there food.



"attention, attention" A loud voice called, all the men eating or no turned their heads to see a large man upon a great horse "The General sees an opening eat swiftly and get your equipment we will meet upon the near hill in twenty minutes." The man and his horse then left towards the direction of the near hill. Seconds passed before the information settled with the hearts of the men. At once they all scrambled dropping their food full or half eaten upon the ground they had sat upon. Darrius and Filip joined the rush of men. They joined the other four men at their tent. They took and sheathed their swords and slammed their helmets upon their head. The direction they now ran was towards their horses. Two great grey horses thin in build, with armor being quickly applied by servants, awaited their masters. As soon as the armor was fastened the servants helped the two knights upon their steeds and handed them their lances. They then joined other riders on their way to the near hill.



"Its finally time" Filips said sternly before turning to Darrius "What do you think we will encounter."



Darrius chuckled "as long as we don't run into those snake things I don't care what beasts await us inside or out."



Their horses joined the others in formation a large square of horses made up of one-hundred men and their captain. Beside them on both side another group, and behind them another. Darrius could not see an end to their force, and knowing that he smiled wickedly to himself. Their Captain yelled so all his men could hear "today humanity wins, when this fortress falls our enemy's capital will lie open to us. We will slaughter any monster that attempts to stop our victory. First we start with this fort, then those in the wild, finally those in their capital. Our enemy will rule the day they destroyed Philander's Wall, and our children's children will sing songs about our victory here!" The captain turned back around his speech done, and now all then men each group sat facing a massive stone wall, and within it another wall. Then sounded a dull horn its source a grand distance away. Then like shooting stars souring through the sky fire balls sored towards the citadel crashing within the inner wall. minutes passed before another volley twenty flaming stones crashed once again into the fortress. This time a light shone from the cities interior and smoke began to rise from the city. The assault did not stop another twenty flaming stones were launched at the citadel, but this time there was a response. The sound of a bow loosing its arrow echoed throughout the air. The horse men turned their head amazed as a large cloud of smoke suddenly appeared behind their infantry. Then another appeared farther away.



"What the fuck was that!" Darrius yelled.



"We underestimated our foe" Filips said "they have giants within those walls." Volleys passed from both side, but as frightening as the giant's arrows they seemed to do very little. Then the horse men noticed they only heard the sound of a single bow, and only a single smoke cloud appeared. The smoke within the citadel had increased and a bright orange glow shined from under the black smoke.



"This is taking so long" Darrius complained "did we not bring a ram to just break in."



Filips turned his head to stare at his companion "you complain too much. Trust the General's judgment he is the will of the emperor, thus the will of God." Filips turned back to watch the smoke continue to rise.



"All men prepare our enemies gate opens!" The captain yelled. Both Darrius and Filips raised themselves to get as good a look as possible. Darrius's grip upon his lance tightened and his breath grew heavy. Around him he heard men say their prayers, but Darrius did not. Minutes passed the trebuchets did not stop firing. Darrius could not see the enemy as they left their fortress to stare down humanities infantry. Simultaneously the calvary captains blew horns, and the horses of the forwardmost group began to move. Darrius yelled a war cry as his time came and he whipped the reins. The host of horse men like a wave ran down then hill towards their enemy. Darrius lowered his lance, and like a great tide the host crashed upon the monsters before them. However they did not crash upon a soft beach, but upon a cliff face. Darrius closed his eyes and he heard a minotaur yell its booming voice shaking Darrius's very bones. Darrius's right arm then had a sudden pain his eyes shot open to witness his lance was imbedded within the breast of a female centaur. The heavy lance easily penetrated her thin breastplate. As she was dragged along with him time slowed down and Darrius looked into her eyes. He saw no fear no anger, in fact he could not make out how she felt from her eyes, but instead what came out of them. First he noticed a thin crimson line of blood leaking from her eyes, but then he saw tears. In her gasping breath a word came through her blood filled mouth "Davet." As she said this her body finally slipped of Darrius's lance, but as he pulled his horse around to charge back in he stopped. The monsters laid dead upon the ground all but one; a massive black minotaur stood tall apparently unharmed. Darrius in shock did not charge the creature like everyone else his eyes were laid upon a single human figure. Their armor pristine, and a red cloak was upon their back. A bright red plume upon their head did not move seemingly unaffected by the wind. The figure drew their sword, but they seemed to share some words with the minotaur. The man turned around and a servant behind him handed him a spear. Sword in his right hand spear in his left he lowered himself ready to strike. The minotaur gripped it's axe in both hands gritting its teeth in rage.



The human exploded forward the minotaur's axe swing over him. His sword sliced at the back of the minotaur's knee, but it seemed he missed the creature did not fall. The man increased range between them as they had another stare down. Once again the man sprinted forward, but did not move to dodge instead thrust the spear forward towards the minotaur's chest. The minotaur's axe swung up and they hit each other at the same time. The spear went straight into the minotaur's heart, but the helmet of the man was off his face covered with blood, but he did not move. Even as the minotaur's corpse fell to the ground the man sheathed his sword and turned around walking back towards the Main camp. The battle was ended any monster still inside the citadel would be cooked. Now the survivors of Gods Heavy Cavalry must find their dead and recoup because the war was still not over.