Alcingeria

Chapter Fifty Five: Queen Yuka's Plan

Chapter Fifty Five Queen Yuka's Plan:

Wednesday July 7th 1690

Everyone who hadn't loaded their weapons did so before we took off running through the streets, not bothering to explain to the baffled law enforcement what was happening.

"We can't risk attacking them head-on," Gerald told us. "Find cover wherever you can and use your pistols!"

The chaos was worse over here as citizens either bunkered down in their homes or ran off to find safety. They made way for us, thankfully, because we couldn't afford to be slowed down. They were up the hill from us when we came around a corner to the right, out of accurate range. Regardless, I took a shot. It missed horribly, spinning out of sight. The people had cleared out of the area on the hill by the looks of it, because it was pretty well empty.

Robert and Don cracked off their shots and ran to the cover of a nearby alley. I was going to follow them, but two rapid shots from the gunmen on the hill caused me to rear back and take cover in an alley on the other side of the street.

"They're on us!" Cried Edwin as he fell in next to me.

The others found shelter nearby as the bullets from the hill arrived in crackling barrages. The projectiles ricocheted across the cobblestones and tore through wooden walls.

"Their weapons are more accurate than ours, but not by much." Edwin remarked. "We need to get closer. The longer we stay here, the longer they have an advantage."

I nodded and followed him through to the other side of the alley. We would only have cover for a few more houses before they stopped and the little court-like area that fed into the main gate began. If we could get the others up to the other side of it and launch an attack from both sides at the same time, we might stand a chance.

We made it the length of two houses before they figured out what we were trying to do. A few of them came around the corner, but we had been watching it carefully and managed to dive behind the stone pillars supporting the entranceway to a large building. The bullets could be heard as they hit the stone on the other side and careened to the side. Thankfully none of them penetrated. Edwin and I both leaned out from around our respective corners and got shots off. One of us came close enough to cause him to flinch and run back around the corner to reload. Two more remained and nearly tore Edwin to pieces as he got back behind cover.

"This isn't going well!" He spat through a mouthful of paper cartridge as he reloaded his pistol.

"I'm starting to think we're a little out of our league here!"

I forced my hands to stop shaking as I loaded. I tried to calm myself down and tried to focus on the actions themselves, where my hands had to go, what I had to do, things I'd done a thousand times.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, firing whenever we could. After we made about four shots each, Edwin's tone fell.

"Oh, no."

I caught his eye, which was staring at twin lines of at least two dozen horsemen gathering at the bottom of the hill. Each was armed with a musket short musket and a sword.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Edwin yelled, waving his arms frantically. He couldn't be heard over the officer, who appeared to be firing up his troops. "Go! Get out of there!"

"Those must be law enforcement officers from the outer regions of the city," I said, catching sight of their familiar uniforms. "That can't be all of them, more have to be coming!"