The Lloyd loads the massive bolt. Arrows speed overhead. He waits for men to start carrying a ladder within bow range and then picks them off of with some arrows. He drops his bow and returns to the ballista, only to quickly fires at a wheeled catapult which shatters, crushing some men nearby. The ratio of men is 3:1 in their favor. The organization is horrible. Soldiers need to be doing multiple things all at once in multiple places. He understands that this is required to survive this major assault and win this battle. “Isn’t life cruel”, mutters Lloyd.
Narr’s men push the catapult along the field. Their position furthest from the major fight and therefore the most exposed. Narr gets ready to fire. He calculates the range, aims and finally let rocks fly, resulting in a disarmed if not wrecked ballista, men screaming and a whole lot of unfriendly attention drawn to his location. A quick orderly retreat commences as men counterattack against him.
Lloyd struggles to get the man out from under the wrecked ballista as his part of the recovery, archery and machinery teams. Another man called Danem lifts the large pieces of wreckage on top of him while his dragged out. He slides out and Danem takes him to be worked on, while Lloyd relives a man managing a ballista only to have the man fire arrows at targets.
Narr has his men ram the blockade with wooden rams after being reassigned to the front of the battle. Archers behind shoot those on the wall. ladders are brought forward by pawns, set against the walls and pushed down as soldiers climb only to fall to their death. “Glad I’m not there”, he mutters as his men run and try to knock down the doors.
News is past that a part of our defenses have been breached. The main gate. Also that many swords are needed from those away from the main fight. Regular towns folk are given swords and sent to hack at trained men. Lloyd tries to pick of targets with his bow but doesn’t risk freeing those in peril as they are sure to already be killed in the next seconds. Men reach the top of the wall and charge at Lloyd. He jumps right, simultaneously drawing his sword and striking left and hearing a scream and a thump. Other men engage with him after he has the split second of preparation. He parries, swings left in an attempting to repeat the previous incident. The other man parries while a second man strikes. Lloyd jumps backwards while this time swinging right. He hits the unsuspecting second man, who falls on the other man whom both fall of the wall to their death. Breathing heavily Lloyd collapses for a few seconds and then returns to shooting only to find four arrows left in his quiver. He heads to the ballista and finds 3 bolts left. With supplies cut off he decides to try and hold this position.
The army is slowly pushed back his as men strike blindly at an opponent only to cut men all around him, good are men sent up to secure the walls only to be thrown down. Narr decides to retreat as they underestimated him his group of men retreat but the other companies fight on. Other leaders see what his doing and decide that there has been enough fighting and now that they realize what they’re up against and they retreat. They burn the wood parts of the gate leaving them undefended for the next assault.
Lloyd smells smoke and feels heat. He looks and sees the gate. He rushes down to the bottom and see people carrying water the put the fire out. Lloyd mentally curses them and goes to help out. Hope seems down but it isn’t out. Afterwards he fills his quiver and grabs more ballista ammunition and makes sure he’s ready for any assault during night or morning.
Narr waits for the signal indicating they march towards a non-burnt gate. The they lay up ladders below the view of most on the wall. They sneakily climb but stop before the top they sneak behind nearby men and decapitate them. Once Narr believes they’re clear they open the gates and make as much noise as possible.
Lloyd hears shouts and steel clanging at the east gate. Backup is requested but anticipates something else and stays. His area at the main gate was the most unprotected having it burnt, but now there’s only twelve men protecting it (not including the water boy Jeffrey) meaning it’s a critically weak spot in the defense. Lloyd sees light shadows in the dark and askes someone to call for backup.
Narr retreats as men appear to repel the assault. Too many men are here so they’re job is done. Narr turns his back. Narr stumbles after a metre of running. He mutters the words “pain, ankle, help” and another arrow protrudes from his neck and he falls.
The backup arrives after 12 are slaughtered (including water boy Jeffrey). Lloyd hacks at movement under the trapdoor and ladders he ducks at the slightest noise and won’t stop he’s not in control of his mad enraged frenzy and doesn’t care who he kills. He is then attacked from behind by a man. Lloyd slashes downwards, performing a killing blow. Three men with bows in front of him form a triangle formation in front of him one standing two kneeling they fire consecutively and send the stunned man flying backwards of the wall onto the leading commander of the opposition. Two disfigured men on the ground in living hell.
