The Revolution Came

Chapter 4: Battle of Herodia

As the battle at Cheverton and St. Ezekiel raged on, Cody led his men through the thick underbrush surrounding Fort Herodia. Rain pattered against the leaves, masking their approach. He knew that if the British reinforcements from the fort reached the front, the revolution would be crushed before it even had a chance to begin.

Failure was not an option.

He raised a fist, signaling his men to halt. Just ahead, a British supply caravan, laden with gunpowder, rolled toward the fort.

"Stay down and keep silent," Cody whispered, watching the guards march alongside the wagon.

Turning to Mey, he handed him a folded flag and a pistol. "Mey, when this battle is over, I want you to replace the British flag with ours, to show the militias that the Revolution has begun."

Mey gave a firm nod, tucking the flag into his belt as the revolutionaries crept closer. Their hats were covered in leaves, blending them into the landscape. Step by step, they reached the outer walls of the fort, pressing against the cold stone.

Then-

"I saw something!" a British sentry called out.

The revolutionaries froze, their breath hitching. Cody watched as the soldiers scanned the darkness. One wrong move, and they’d be discovered.

Inside the fort, a British officer’s voice carried over the din.

"When that gunpowder caravan arrives, we march to St. Ezekiel and Cheverton to put down this pathetic rebellion!" Commander Groyal barked, met with tired groans from the troops.

That was all Cody needed to hear.

The sentry stepped closer to their hiding spot, musket raised. The revolutionaries acted fast, silently climbing atop each other, grabbing the unsuspecting soldier, and yanking him down. But the struggle was loud, and within seconds-

"INTRUDERS! SOUND THE ALARM!"

The fort exploded into chaos.

Cody fired the first shot, and his men followed with a deafening volley. A British officer lunged at him with a saber, but Cody sidestepped, shoving him into a stack of barrels. Grabbing a torch from a fallen soldier, he hurled it into the gunpowder caravan.

The fire caught instantly.

"GET CLEAR!" he roared as he drew his pistol and fired into the burning cart.

BOOM!

The explosion tore through the fort’s entrance, sending wood and stone flying. The walls trembled from the blast, and British soldiers stumbled, dazed. Cody’s revolutionaries surged forward, storming through the shattered gate.

"MOVE! TAKE THE FORT!"

Mey rushed to the top of the battlements as the battle raged below. He tore down the British flag, unfurling the revolution’s banner and raising it high.

For the first time, their rebellion had taken root.

_________________________

The air was thick with smoke and the scent of gunpowder as revolutionaries scaled the fort's walls, their battle cries piercing through the chaos. Musket fire cracked through the stormy night, and the sound of steel clashing against steel echoed within the fort’s crumbling defenses.

Commander Groyal stood atop the battlements, watching in disbelief as his disciplined ranks were thrown into disarray. The explosion at the gate had shattered their defenses, and now the enemy was pouring in like a raging tide.