A Kaskian Story: Leaon, the Kings General

Chapter Thirteen

"Release the catapults!" Kerd shouted, his order being echoed by the commanders making its way back to Leaon.

"You heard him! Fire!" Leaon shouted.

Coils creaked as the switch was pulled, releasing the tension on a dozen catapults, sending boulders flying through the air and out of the fog. Seconds passed as the stones lobbed towards their target. The soldiers roared in celebration as the first one smashed into the walls of Loson, decimating it and the building behind it. Then came another a few feet away, as with the first, it tore into the barrier creating a small pathway for the Kaskian army to squeeze through. Over and over, boulders rained down from the sky, pummeling into the defense of the unaware city. Slowly the opening in the wall became larger, the rocks creating enough space for the soldiers to enter freely.

Once he was satisfied with the openings in the defenses, Kerd gave the signal to cease fire of the catapults and gave the order for the soldiers to charge. In the brief lull between the launching of the boulders and the assault of the army, cries of agony could be heard coming from the city of Loson as the citizens struggled to process their situation.

Kerd led the charge on Loson, followed closely by Reshmi and Garneth, both eager to face the enemies of Kaskia. The General was the first to run past the destroyed wall, grabbing the first person he saw, snapping their neck before pushing to the next. The Felein did not care if they had a weapon or not, he killed mercilessly, making sure no one would be able to stand against them. Reshmi followed her leaders example, sinking her blades deep in the chest of anyone within reach before moving to the next, her hair swaying across her face as she grinned each time her daggers pierced flesh. Garneth was less ruthless than the other two, choosing to incapacitate anyone without a weapon and killing only those who posed a threat.

Within minutes, the Kaskian army had secured the east side of the city and moved west towards their three targets. Loson Guard came running towards the Kaskian soldiers, attempting to stop the invasion. Kerd watched the protectors fight, gauging their abilities compared to that of his own soldiers. The General grinned as he saw them out match the Kaskian soldiers as Leaon had told him. A dozen of the Loson Guard managed to push back three dozen of his own men.

Kerd whistled for a squad of archers' attention and pointed to a nearby roof, then to the Loson Guard that were holding back their advances. The General signaled for the group to fall back and regroup, leading the guard to fall into his trap. Once within range, the archer let loose their arrows, slaughtering everyone in their sight. Renewed motivation, the soldiers roared a battle cry for their General before pressing further into the city.

Reshmi led a squad into a house, a home that erupted in screams of terror and agony. Moments later, she exited the building, covered in blood with a torch in her hand. She looked in Kerd's direction, receiving a nod of approval. With a blood-splattered grin and a twinkle in her eye, Reshmi tossed the torch behind her into the residence, setting the place on fire before moving on to another house.

Both human and Felein soldiers followed Reshmi's example, destroying homes and killing innocents of the city. Kerd watched proudly from the rooftops as his army decimated Loson. Kerd took a long deep breath, taking in the smell of wood burning as smoke filled the early morning sky above the city. The sun was rising behind him, slowly lighting the destruction they had wrought on Premus.

Kerd ran along the rooftop towards the barracks in the distance. He had tasked his regiment with taking over the barracks, knowing that it would hold the most resistance of the three targets. As he ran a few paces behind his soldiers, Kerd saw Loson archers climbing onto the roof from the other side of the street, trying to get behind his men. Kerd quickly changed direction and jumped across the cobblestone street, catching the roof with one paw and pulled himself up.