All Adventure Begins with Tragedy

Chapter XI: SIEGE!!!

"Report!"

"Sir! Trebuchets are ready for attack, the infiltrator squad is set up inside. The posed as a group of men wanting to join the Hammerite army. All six are inside and ready for the attack. The rest of our army is prepared to defend against a counter-attack. We are ready!" The boy reported.

"Good, thank you," I dismissed him. Then I turned to Jonathan, Ethan, Rachel, Arthur, William (the leader of the newest squad) and Adalayde. That was all the squad leaders excluding Luke. Adalayde wasn't a squad leader, but she still hung around us, mostly because she technically outranked us. With out her we would be considered rebels and would be fighting two enemy's.

"So, should we begin then?" I questioned the leaders.

"I think that would be best," Jonathan observed wryly.

"Any objections?" Everyone shook their head "no"

"Good then. PREPARE TO FIRE!" I yelled at the men.

We had three trebuchets built and loaded. It had taken a bit of work, but in twenty four hours with forty two men working, we were able to get it done. The men operating them prepared to fire. We had calculated the angle hopefully correctly. The amo was simply boulders we had found in a nearby river. For extra munitions we had balls made of dried tar and grass to set on fire and fling at the fort.

"FIRE!"

The first volley of armaments sped across the gap between us and the walls and smashed into them. One boulder actually made it over and thunder into the turf crushing half a hut. The other two crumbled the large stone walls.

"Reload!"

The giant stones were attached to the weapons of destruction.

"Aim!"

Slight adjustments were made. This time we were aiming for the tower in the center.

"All adjusted?"

"Yes sir!"

"Ready!.... wait for it.... FIRE!!"

The second volley flew over the walls and dealt their damage. One landed half way up the tower and created a giant hole. The other two narrowly missed, wreaking havoc in the small self- sustaining settlement.

"All right men! Let's give 'em something to really deal with! Load the fire charges!"

The rounds were loaded and the mechanisms of war were re-aimed at the thatched roofs below.

"Sir! There's some one on top of the tower!" One of the men yelled.

"Snipers!" Another yelled.

"Shoot! Wait- there's someone else!" I looked closer.

The man holding the bow was suddenly ejected from his perch from someone behind him. A figure stood erect and then.... jumped off the tower. A few of the men gasped, but then a large sheet appeared over the figure's head and he glided over the wall and on to the ground. Seconds later five more figures did the same.

"Gods of the sky! What is that!?"

"Is that Luke's squad?"

"They are defying the true one!"

"Maybe they have help from some winged beasts?"

I knew of course what they were.
"Parachutes..." I breathed the word, "But how the harr did Luke know what that is?" I mused.

Parachutes were cloths used by the ancients to slow falls and to guide themselves. Apparently they used air resistance or something.

I don't know... look, we may be a smarter species, but I can't just know this stuff unless I paid attention in school. Which I didn't. Shut up.