268 Siege of Holm 2

Western Wall

"We should not be here sire."

Rupert had been complaining for a while now and Leopold's irritation was starting to show. He breathed deeply, quelling his annoyance.

"Sire we should go back."

"We are needed here." Leopold said stiffly, perhaps a little too harsh. He turned to the Rupert, one of his oldest friends if that word describes their bond aptly. "The Vanadians need guidance."

"There are officers for that more refined than us in giving orders."

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"And are there any of these officers that can match my position? My blood? I mispoke Rupert. It is not guidance that I bring but courage- a sooth to their worries. People believe in royals. They will not worry or at least would be too ashamed to run now that the father of their King is watching them."

The Wismarines were advancing slowly on the western wall, locking their shields. It was probably the right move. The western wall had the least number of ballistae and catapults at fifteen in all. William must have thought that the longer eastern wall required more defenders.

The ballistae loosed their bolts when the Wismarines reached the marked position. Bolts taller than a full grown men barreled to the enemies, impaling bodies behind shields. And then the catapults booed their torsion. Flaming Hellfire pots flew, tumbling and rolling in the air, until exploding into the enemy ranks. The devastation they caused was gut-wrenching. Burning men screamed and ran until they fell to the ground, still in flames. But the Wismarines resumed their advance amidst the sight of their burning comrades.

The ballista and catapult crews again creaked the weapons. The Vanadians were efficient and each man in the crew knew his purpose. Leopold heard an nearby engineer mumbling while scribbling on his notes. "Fifteen clicks, sixty-three degrees."

"Aye" The three other men replied as they adjusted the aim of the catapult.

"Where would that hit?" Leopold asked.

The engineer looked up. "Those funny-looking Wismarines at three hundred sixty something paces."

Leopold turned a look. He squinted. His heart soon raced.

Falconheads. The Wismarines had those fanatics in their ranks. Leopold had heard about Falconheads from Timothy's letters. He described those men or things in detail. Timothy spoke in great worry about them.

Leopold ran to the officer in charge of the artillery, Rupert following him. The officer was directing a group of engineers when Leopold butted in.

"Prioritize those things" Leopold gripped the officer's shoulder and pointed at the group of a couple hundred Falconheads. "Do not let them get near the wall. Do you understand?"

The officer was in a daze but nodded afterward. "Of course sire."

"Do it now! The rocks, boiling water, and Hellfire pots too. You don't understand what those things are. Those..."

The Falconheads bolted toward the wall. They were inhumanly fast. They cried in an eerie sound strange to Leopold's ears. Every hair on his body seemed to stand.

Drugged. They were all drugged. All semblance of self preservation was lost in them. Their strength and speed stretched to the limit. Trained, armored and drugged fanatics. Omniscient guide us.

The Vanadians loosed arrows. The artillery crew focused on the Falconheads. But most of the Falconheads just avoided the arrows, bolts and pots. They skirted like lithe dancers. Some were hit and some burned. But most resumed the mad dash.

The Falconheads threw grapples on the walls. The Vanadians were trying to cut the ropes but it didn't take the Falconheads long to ascend the five-armspans high walls of Holm. They were upon them in a moment.

Damn you Edmund. Damn this useless wall. Beauty my arse! Leopold silently cursed.

A single Falconhead landed near Leopold, kneeling on one knee. It cocked its head slowly toward him, showing its bird-shaped helm. The several Vanadians around pointed their spears but Leopold could feel their fear.

The Falconhead rose without noise. A poleaxe was on its back. It redirected a spear thrust from a Vanadian with its weapon, movements quick and smooth. The Vanadian tumbled and slid on the stone floor. The Falconhead hammered its poleaxe on the Vanadian's neck. The strike cut the mail and almost severed the head. The axe was bloody when the Falconhead yanked it out.

The Falconhead again looked at Leopold. Rupert drew his sword, prepared to defend. The three other Vanadians were sweating but kept their spears pointed at the thing.

The Falconhead leapt toward him. Rupert parried the strike but the old royal guard was pushed back. The Falconhead swung again but was stopped by the stabs of the three Vanadians. It regarded the Vanadians with annoyance. It dashed at the poor lads, hitting one in the chest. The other two were fighting for their lives.

Leopold took a step back while Rupert dashed at the Falconhead. Rupert stabbed his sword at the Falconhead's underarm. It bit in between the armor, burying half of the blade.

The cornered Vanadians struck back, slamming the spears where in the unprotected parts of the Falconhead. The thing screamed in that eerie sound again. And then it died.

Leopold was shaking. It killed two Vanadians despite being surrounded. He looked around. Many of the Vanadians were fighting and dying to the things. The Falconheads seemed to target the artillery crew and officers.

The western wall was in chaos and the rest of the Wismarines below were advancing without the opposition from the artillery. In a moment they were ramming the thin gate and scaling the walls with ladders.

"Get reinforcements from the northern wall!" He shouted to Rupert.

"Me? How about..."

"I can't leave! Look at them Rupert" He pointed at the Vanadians. Many were casting occasional glances at Leopold "I am the only thing that prevents a rout. Go. Edmund knows you. Edmund trusts you. Go!"

Reluctance was written over Rupert's face. But soon the royal guard left. For the first time Leopold was without his most trusted guard. He was alone.

And yet he steeled his being. He took a flag of Vanadis planted on the wall. He raised it high. He stayed, Wismarine arrows whizzing around. Some Vanadians moved to defend him. Some men died in doing so. And Leopold stayed.

"My knees are aching" He shouted. "My hair is white. I am an old man. I am a frail man. Shame to the man who runs before I do!"

Nobody replied but he felt that his words reached them. The Vanadians were fighting in small packets across the wall. Many couldn't hear him. Those that did probably thought of him as a mad rambling old man. He didn't care.

"Do not fear! You should be more afraid of me. I am Leopold Castonia and I will hang every deserting bastard I will see. Flee or you'll die. Stay and you'll live."

His presence probably helped. The Vanadians stayed despite the punishment of the Falconheads and the other Wismarines. They wouldn't rout for now.

But below another disaster loomed. The gate was being rammed. It would break soon. Leopold looked for and grabbed an officer by the collar.

"You have the walls. If a single man routs, I will hang you for treason later."

"But sire, treason is.."

"Treason! It is treason to fail one's duty. Mark my words. I will hang you if you fail."

The officer gulped and nodded. Leopold left after and descended down the stairs.

The gate was bent when he looked at it. Chips of the wall fell with every hit of the ram. A cohort of Vanadians were stationed around the gate. Their spears and shields were ready but they were afraid.

"You know who I am." Leopold's voice boomed. "I am the King's father. You lads will not be defending the gate. No, that thing is done for. You will defend me! They will ram through the gate soon and I will stay here. If you let me die the King will have all your heads. Do you understand!?"

"Yes sire" Came the scattered answer from them.

It was enough for Leopold. He took his position at the back and awaited for the eventual fall of the gate.

It soon did. Wismarines came pouring in, tugging two armored elephants. The two sides clashed. Blood flowed from the dead and wounded.

The Wismarines pushed with vigor. The elephants mauled left and right. They were more terrifying up close. The Vanadians stayed but were being pushed back. Leopold grew anxious. If the western wall falls, thousands of Wismarines would hit William in the eastern wall and Edmund in the northern wall. He must not let the western wall fall.

The sound of a fast march sounded from behind. Leopold turned his head and saw Rupert ahead of two cohorts. They arrived just in time to reinforce the western wall.

Their arrival boosted the morale. The Vanadian side was now pushing the Wismarines back. The two elephants died, wailing a long cry before going down. The carnage on top of the wall had also eased. They were holding.

"What took you so long?" Leopold asked Rupert.

"The distance sire. It's a long run from here to the northern wall and back."

Leopold finally sighed. His body had been trembling since the start of the assault.

"And how is the northern wall?"

"Holding sire. They Wismarines were scant there. Highness Edmund is sending half of his men here. These lads are just the fastest bunch."

"Good. We'll need them."

More reinforcements arrived and the assault lasted until sundown. The Wismarines finally retreated, leaving thousands dead on both sides. It was a victory for now.

"We held" Rupert said.

"Not until the enemies were all wiped out. This is just the beginning." He eyed the mangled corpses that line the the gate. Half were Wismarines and half were Vanadians. He turned to Rupert. "They will come back tomorrow. And the day after that. And after that, until they capture the city. They will not stop."

Leopold shook his head upon seeing the gate. It was beyond repair.

"And that busted gate would make our lives piss poor for the next few days."