Summoning America

Chapter 90: Trial by Fire (2)

Author's Note: I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day Weekend. Recently, there has been some misinformation being spread around about my story. If you've heard of any "leaks" or "rumors", do know that I release no such information pertaining to future plot. If you are unsure of what's canon, please ask me. If it's not directly in the story or directly from me, then it is NOT canon/official.

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Exteris, Sonal Kingdom

The ground trembled as if a great earthquake had struck, but there was nothing natural about this calamity. Whistles of death permeated the atmosphere as Gra Valkan shells rained down upon the hastily abandoned position. Sections of wall, already ruined from the bombings prior, were further destroyed, annihilating the surviving sections and reducing them to mere rubble. Surviving buildings, initially meant to be used to garrison forces, were wiped out.

The brief attack lasted minutes. As the captured Gra Valkan revealed, only three volleys struck Arocles' position. The moment the third round of shells impacted their fortifications, Arocles opened a hatch connected to the surface. A periscope poked out of the ground, scouting the horizon.

Having calculated the time between the first three volleys, Arocles patiently waited until he was certain a fourth volley was not en route. The few minutes he sacrificed were precious, but he didn't want to risk any of his forces. Ready to deploy, he ordered his men out of the tunnel network.

Hastily, they set up their armaments, hunkering down by the numerous piles of rubble that dotted the broken wall. Miraculously, the keep still stood, suffering damage no further than light scratches from shrapnel. He ordered Harrow's men up there immediately and positioned himself – along with a team of manacomm operators – atop a surviving rampart, so he could see the battlefield and provide orders as necessary.

By the time he reached the position, he was able to see a rolling cloud of dust and smoke fast approaching. He grumbled, heart beating anxiously as he steeled himself for combat. He reached out for his manacomm, "All units, hold your fire! Wait for my command!"

Hoping to ambush the tide of vehicles like he did their advance scouts, he waited for the machines to come closer. Heeding the Americans' warning on Gra Valkan technological superiority, he knew that the only way to truly injure them was to negate their primary advantage: range. Using binoculars, he kept his eyes on the vehicles. They were organized into an armored spearhead, with a small wedge-shaped group of Wilder heavy tanks leading the formation.

Arocles' mouth twisted in slight frustration. He was taught that this was a common formation used by armored units, and excelled in breaching static defenses. The best way to counter this type of assault was to pick away at the corners of the formation, but without access to tanks, Arocles could not do that. He couldn't defeat the enemy outright here, but he could, however, slow them down. An idea flashed into his mind. "All mages, begin excavating the dirt fifty meters away from the INSIDE of the wall. Create a ditch to trap the tanks."

The mages began their work, evident by the blue glow that now encompassed their positions. Seeing that such phenomena would likely make them a priority target, Arocles issued the order for his men to begin engaging the enemy. "All cannons, aim for softer targets and fire!"

Hidden by rubble and tarp, the Sonalian forces unleashed their firepower. A combination of anachronistic cannonballs and Muan High Explosive shells rained down upon the Gra Valkans. Compensating for their lack of power, the cannonballs were aimed at the light vehicles near the center and rear of the formation, while the Muan shells were aimed at the Shafer light tanks and Hound medium tanks. The projectiles inflicted catastrophic damage on their intended targets, but failed to pierce the armor of the larger Wilders, which shrugged off the explosions and pushed onward.