Samurai: Asai Kyou

Task #5

Kyou stared at the army he was leading. His forces had been significantly injured by that attack on Imagawa-san's fortress despite the men who joined him after Imagawa-san's death. However, he still had enough men to offer aid to his ally, Mitsunari-kun.

Just days ago, he'd received word that the Mistunari clan was under attack. The new lord didn't have enough troops to fight Oda-san and all his allies. So Kyou was going to give him some help. Breaking from his musing, Kyou grinned, reveling in the fresh smell of rain and the wind in his hair. The light rains from last night had wet the grass, and it sparkled greenly in the noon sun as Kyou thought through his plan once again.

Oda's main ally was on Kyou's borders. Since he'd been harassing Kyou's vassals anyway, Kyou was happy to give them a little taste of his own medicine. He planned to attack the main city to force him back home to defend his clan. If the daimyo came back to the city, Oda would lose half his defending army.

The siege of the city behind him had begun days ago. Already, the walls were beginning to show wear, which was unusual in a siege. But with the new siege equipment he'd managed to get from the Dutch, Kyou was in the lead with this battle.

Turning to his men, he spoke quietly to avoid allowing the wind to carry his voice to the waiting defenders. "Remember the plan? We sneak into the city, create confusion, and open the gates."

The men nodded.

"Alright. Then I'll sound the signal for the others to begin a renewed attack on the walls." Kyou pulled his miniature cornu, which had been his father's, from his belt and blew it long and loud. The sound echoed around the valley where the castle was situated.

A booming roar went up from below where his men were encamped, and then a stream of men rushed from their camp toward the walls. Kyou could see the defenders scrambling to get into position. Their archers lined up along the walls, but their attempts to shoot his men down failed as they held their shields over their heads and charged in rank with the front line holding their shields in front to protect from arrows that direction.

The defenders still didn't seem to know what to do with Kyou's fighting method. He'd learned the strategies and techniques from reading old texts on the Roman Empire and their legions' methods of defending themselves while attacking. His foot soldiers had adapted remarkably well, and they'd been able to smash through the initial defensive lines as the defenders came out to meet them. By now, everyone in the city had realized they couldn't beat Kyou's forces in a direct confrontation. His arquebusiers had seen to that. By now, the city's defenders and inhabitants had hunkered down inside the walls, hoping to pick off the invading army before they died of starvation.

All in all, this fight was not going in the defenders' favor. Kyou just had to wonder how long it would take—or if—the daimyo and his men would show up to offer reinforcements to his failing defenses in the city. Really, it was the man's own fault this happened... Kyou thought. I gave him fair warning. The arrogant fool even sent a message to attack if I dare. Baka! He deserves this...

***

Their footsteps echoed quietly through the stone tunnel as the once raging river barely trickled into the city beside them. The tunnel's sides were slick with water and algae, but Kyou and his men had opened a spot to go in earlier in the day before the next attack had started. They had spent the whole morning damming up the river so it would be unable to flow into the tunnel. Most of the water was gone by now, and the river was just a stream. The water lapped at their feet, soaking their boots as they plodded on through. Just a few more feet, and they would have to face whatever guards were stationed at the entrance to the city.