The Devil's Country

The Battle of Medford Keep

Far away in the eastern kingdom there is a man named Peyton Kyros. He is a great war general, and he prepares a final siege before enemy reinforcements arrive.

(Peyton's perspective)

I watch the kingdom from the far. I know it'll be my time soon. To lead my troops through that gate and take Medford Keep.

"Sir, we should wait til dawn." The war commander advisor says.

"No, we must strike now!" I exclaimed. "We wait, they get reinforcements from their allies. They have about two-hundred left in there. We have a thousand. Our allies are off attacking the kingdom of Merton. We attack now we have our best chance. Right now we are just wasting time."

"Yes sir, my apologies." The advisor responded.

"Everyone, Stick to the shadows! Have no torches lit, but have your shields equipped. Archers stay behind until you hear the first cry! Then move forward and rain hell on their heads!" I yelled, for all to hear. "So it begins."

I got off my horse, and the soldiers broke ranks all sticking to shadows and away from fires. They won't expect a thing. Ladder people in the front. Soldiers in the back with shields up above their heads. We are about one-hundred feet away. I could see the men on the walls. We were surely coming from all directions. This keep is too big for only two-hundred people, and this place will serve a great vantage point for us to win this dreadful war. We can all see the great wall watching over the land from here. Seven of the eight gates of the wall are sealed shut. The other one is far north. That's what I heard at least. I realized we were about fifteen feet away from the wall. I raise my hand and signaled to wait at the end of the tree line. It was time. I pointed to the wall, and the siege of Medford Keep began. Our men with ladders set the ladders all across the Keep. A batting ram went to the gate about twenty feet away from me in attempt to knock it down. Men started to climb the wall shouting words in the common language. It is very difficult to understand with arrows swooshing through the air. I waited for ten people to go up, and they all fell and died. It was my time to go up. I put my shield in my left hand and climbed the ladder all the way up. Right before I got up the ladder, I got hit in the back from an arrow. My archers weren't shooting high enough. The arrow pierced my armor, and I fell from the ladder. The drop was terrible looking up at the archers on the wall. I had to turn my body and use my shield as a break for my fall. I did that but one of the arrows went through my shield upon impact of the dirt ground. I ordered one of my troops to pry my arrow out of me. He did, and I then ordered him to leave his shield and sword and run to the back command to tell the archer's commander to aim higher.

"Men! Everyone don't go up the ladder. Stay down here and shields up for protection!" I ordered. Men around me repeated that command, and they put their shields over their heads for safety. The batting ram only had a few more hits before we'd be in the Keep. I heard the arrows stop a for a while. That's when I knew it was time to charge. I commanded the men to climb the ladders. This time, I was the second one to climb. Arrows started soaring over my head. There was even more arrows hitting my shield. I heard a loud bang to my right as the batting ram gets through the door. I hear the morale shouts louder. I knew then that this Keep was ours. The man in front of me was done climbing the ladder. He didn't die. That was great for me because that means I can fight with him. I climb the wall and see my troops on the walls attacking enemy soldiers and archers. The man who climbed the ladder first fell to his knees to an enemy soldier. He cut off the man's head. I quickly grabbed my sword and slashed his side. He winced, but he must of suffered minimal injuries. He took a jab at me, and I blocked it with my shield. The soldier jabbed at me again, but this time he hit my breastplate. His spear got stuck in my armor, and I took my sword and I shoved it through him without ease. He fell to the dark grey brick floor. I grabbed the spear and tore it out of me.