The Raid

The Serian strike team approached the city under the cover of dawn. A large bastion stood before them. It was one of the few fortresses on the outskirts of the city. The cool dusk air kept everyone alert, even though they had awoke fairly early on. Few had brought spears or guns - except for a team of halberdiers, everyone was wielding bows, crossbows, and swords.

Asta scaled the wall alongside Aeneas's personal team towards the cannons, where the gunpowder was being stored. The fortress walls itself were too tight to properly scale using picks, but the curtain wall that connected the fort to the others had been been less maintained.

"I'm in." A voice said from the top, as he dropped down a rope to the rest of the team below. The group stealthily continued onward, garrotting and choking Empyrean guards they saw along the way. Asta looked out at the other fortress tower that sat upon the other side. From a distance, he could see the light of the tower temporarily flicker, before it went dark. It was said to be an old Celestial code brought in by previous Sigilites. Three flickers. Asta nodded to Aeneas, and entered the blockhouse.

Empyrean soldiers lazily hung about the room. Most of the Empyrean troops were focused on extinguishing the few pockets of resistance in east Eldingenau as well as the last citadel in the north. The few soldiers here seemed to be reservists, or otherwise second rate. The Serian strike team cut through them all the same.

"Plunder time." Asta said as he looked at the various stored food and equipment. There was enough material here to keep the Empyrean army supplied for weeks. Asta quickly stole an slice of apple pie (still warm) and ate it. The delicious pie slice warmed his belly.

"Don't overeat everybody, we want to get back on track as soon as possible." Aeneas unsheathed his blade. "There will be punishments for slovenly behavior! And no drinking!"

"Yes sir!" Everyone said, though with a slightly stuffed mouth as everyone washed off their snack with a glass of milk, water, or juice - anything non-alcoholic.

"Empyreans eat good. Where do they get all these luxuries?" One of the Serian soldiers looked at the Empyrean food stack as they lit a match. "Their wine looks good too..."

"No drinking on the job trooper." Aeneas said, as he looked at the soldier setting the food alight.

"Of course not, sir." He watched as the food burned. "Still, it is a shame..."

Several Serian soldiers waited just at the fortress's gate. One of the soldiers grabbed his trusty bow, and shot a bodkin arrow right through the throat of one of the Empyrean soldiers on duty. The other panicked and reached for his horn. A second arrow struck his skull, entering right below the helmet.

"Nice shot." Jason said as he looked at the first Empyrean soldier.

"Thanks." The soldier replied back. "There's plenty more where that came from." He nocked another arrow.

"Great to see you two bonding, but can we move on now?" Hanna asked, slinging her crossbow onto her back. "Gate's about to open." She picked up her battleaxe and hoisted it onto her shoulder.

"Here it comes." Eliza looked at the massive gate door as it slowly opened up. The Serian strike team rushed into the hold. The few Empyrean soldiers on duty were caught off guard, and rapidly overpowered. Asta and Jason came climbing back off the walls.

"Nice to see everyone still alive." Jason grinned at Asta and Aeneas. "How's the other team doing then?"

"The other team has infiltrated the munitions storage. Gunpowder, mage supplies, and weapons storage should be exploding in a few minutes." Aeneas said. "Alright. We sabotage the wall gears, and then quickly leave." Aeneas stared at the city. "Only way to go from here is deeper."

~~*~~

An Empyrean soldier walked along the outer walls of Eldingenau. The first layer of wall that surrounded the city had been handily captured yesterday, and the massive holes in the wall now formed additional route for logistical chains to pass through. He checked the route list again. Odd, the carts that were inside should now be passing out of Eldingenau so they could return home for more supplies. The sun was beginning to rise, and yet, no carts emerged. Perhaps they had taken a different route? The holes in the wall were hardly the most efficient route for carts to pass through, and he found it likely that they had rerouted themselves towards the gates in the south, where a set of forts guarded the gates leading out. He lit the fire signal.

No response.

"Commander, sir." The soldier ran down to his commander, who was enjoying himself some beer. "Commander."

"What now?" He took a sip of beer. "What asinine question do you have for me now, tightass?

"Sir! I ask of the outbound shipment of our supplies, sir!" The Empyrean soldier stated. "The wagons were meant to be leaving before sunrise, and yet clearly, we can see the sun is rising.

"Probably asleep or something still. Hell if I know."

"Respectfully sir, I disagree." The soldier said. "We ensure that our shipments are being properly delivered, and properly removed for the sake of our siege. Sir."

"Dyeus above, you're starting to sound like that one girl...what's her name? That magic girl, uh..." He took another swig of beer as the Empyrean soldier winced at the sound of the officer mentioning Lord Dyeus.

"The bastard Dyeus has been defeated my lord, there are no gods above us, but Lady Regina."

"Loosen up lad." The officer took a third swig as he placed his hand on his forehead. "You know what? If that's what makes you so desperate, why not go and check up on the supply cart situation? And send a man to the forts too. I'll even let you have my horse. Just bring her back safely."

"Thank you sir," the soldier replied as he looked down at the officer with contempt. "I will fulfill m duty." It's people like you the Empyrean has to exterminate, the soldier wanted to say, but he turned around and left the castle.

~~*~~

"The sun's rising." Aeneas turned to Asta. "We should get leaving before we get spotted."

"Yes uncle - I mean, sir. I'll just get finished up with rigging the explosives here."

"Then hurry! We have to move!" Aeneas watched as several soldiers rushed back and forth, bringing the explosive all into one corner, alongside the corpses of the Empyrean garrison they had killed. "Come on, come on..." Aeneas leapt down and began to help the other soldiers, as the carts and the munitions were all gathered in one spot.

The door opened.

"Hail Regina!" An Empyrean trooper burst in from the back door, holding a wheellock musket. "Commander, I request that the current scrolls recording the outbound shipment of..." He trailed off.

"Yes, soldier? How may I help you?" Aeneas asked, his heart pounding out of his chest. A few other Empyrean soldiers ran in from behind him.

"Commander, what is this?" The soldier asked as he removed his helmet visor.

"We are uh, fulfilling our orders. We have orders from the General himself-"

"That's strange." The Empyrean soldier asked, as his comrades dithered behind him. "I never received any notes about am outbound munitions transfer."

"Recent orders trooper." Noticing the fact that the Empyrean soldier didn't seem to recognize him as an enemy, Aeneas straightened up. "Now move aside, I have a job to be doing here-"

"Dyeus above, these things are heavy." A Serian soldier shouted from the cart storage. "General, I've just finished piling the munitions! We ready to blow these Empyrean bastards to the roof?"

Aeneas was silent. The Empyrean soldier was silent.

"General?" The soldier emerged from the room as the Empyrean soldier drew his musket, and fired it towards the Serian soldiers. Aeneas jumped out of the way.

"Intruders, intruders!" The Empyrean solder ducked behind the door as the Serians fired back. He put his lips to the war horn, and blew it.

~~*~~

Hundreds of Empyrean soldiers who were not currently engaged at the final holdouts rudely awoke from their late slumber as they heard the alarm horn from their armory.

"Fall back, fall back!" Jason yelled as Serians fell back from the arquebus fire. "We have to get out of here now!" The Serians had been flushed out into the streets between the curtain walls, and were desperately putting on a brave fighting retreat. But they were too few in number to adequately defend against the overwhelming lines of fire the Empyrean soldiers were spewing out.

The strike team beelined for the empty fortress, hoping to reach the gate in time. Asta could sense hundreds of eyes peering at him in the morning sun. On the walls, from the rear, and from the sides.

"Out, out!" Aeneas yelled. His heart sank as he heard the sound of hooves running parallel to them. The strike team stopped as the horses ran past them and blocked off the only exit within their vicinity. Several Empyrean cavalrymen dismounted and formed a phalanx at the entrance. Others stayed mounted at the rear. The strike team looked around them as a band of Empyrean soldiers surrounded the team.

"This can't be it..." Hanna said, fidgeting her fingers. A heavily armored man, flanked by several knights rode up to the strike team and dismounted. He removed his helmet, and looked around.

"Impressive." Dayan, the man in question, nodded. "Really impressive. I have to give my condolences to the Serian leader here." He gestured out to Aeneas. "I apologize to you, commander. A man of your caliber should not be serving an empire that would throw you to the wolves like this."

"A man of your caliber on the other hand, seems perfectly suited to leading a genocidal army such as yours, general." Aeneas said with a grimace. Dayan laughed.

"Do spare me the moral crusading general. Remember that you are not the only ones we hold at swordtip." The pikemen lurched closer, thousands of pikes aimed right at the faces of the now few dozen survivors. "Well general, I believe this is the end of the line for you. You can surrender, or you can face death." Aeneas looked back at his soldiers, and then at the four youths.

"I'd..." I'd rather die than surrender to you! His mind wanted to shout, but then he recalled the promise he had made to Kaleia. "I'd...I would..." Dayan laughed as Aeneas faltered. He drew his blade as the Empyrean cannons now began to tilt towards them. The Empyrean arquebusiers' fingers tightened over the triggers.

Before they could fire, a bugle horn could be heard in the distance. A Serian banner appeared over the hill as a distant rumble could be heard. Another banner appeared, this time one with a white unicorn over a red banner. And another.

"The regent must have changed her mind." Eliza turned to Aeneas.

"No. I believe it was him."