NOVEL NEXT 76. Defense Of The Bastion
Tucker gazed at the stone golems that rushed towards the wall. Their bodies were flailing erratically as they drew closer. The ground shook with each step, and a single droplet of sweat trickled down the side of Tucker's head. Brian had already sprinted back to his side, and everywhere along the walls, the men were preparing themselves.
He knew of their existence, but to see them utilized to such an extent was unbelievable. Thousands rushed to the front of the bastion, and Tucker knew their side would soon be hit the hardest. He steadied his racing heart as the tremors shook his entire body. He raised one arm out and bent it ninety degrees towards the sky. "Man the cannons!"
"Yes, sir!"
The men armed the cannons, sliding the shatter rounds down the barrel. Once enough force was transferred to the metallic sphere, it would break into fragments and tear through the golems' limbs. But after seeing such a sight, would a tactic like that even work? Tucker clenched his jaw and glared at the Empire. The cannons on the seventh bastion aimed towards the encroaching enemies. His eyes fixated on the remaining distance.
At fifteen hundred meters, the men stood firm while watching the cloud of terror approach.
At twelve hundred meters, their hearts beat as one with purpose filling their minds.
At nine hundred meters, they knew that not all of them would make it, but with brothers like these, it felt like they could take on the world.
Tucker took a deep breath as they approached the cannon's effective range. He glanced at Luka, whose gaze remained firm, and with all his might, Tucker swung his hand forward and roared at the top of his lungs. "Fire!"
At his command, a deafening explosion erupted all along the walls of the seventh bastion as the first volley soared through the air. Smoke and ash lingered as a silence followed right after. The rounds collided into the golems, releasing a barrage of fragments in a wide area that tore through their arms and legs. Craters emerged one after another as the shrapnel met their mark and soon the cannons on the adjacent bastions began their symphony of destruction.
Yet they continued moving.
The creatures scaled over the broken corpses of their comrades and kept running. Tucker gritted his teeth, swinging his arm forth as the second volley erupted from the cannons, but their unrelenting assault continued. The stampede didn't lose momentum from their current firepower, and seeing this, Tucker looked over his shoulder at Ray and nodded.
"Prepare firing support!" Ray ordered as the second group took aim from the ground floor.
"Yes, sir!"
The men angled the cannons, with the barrels pointing towards the sky. It was a waste to have all these rounds and not use them, so Tucker devised an idea. Any extra cannons they had were on the ground floor and acted as a second line of fire. Their effective range was only three hundred meters, but it was good enough to prove a point.
One that would make the Empire's forces bleed for every inch of ground they crossed.
A second line of eruptions cried out from behind the walls, sending the shatter rounds hurling high into the sky. The rounds blocked out the sun and arced down from the heavens, slamming into the Empire's forces as explosions shook the stone bricks beneath their feet.
Brian raised a brow and glanced over at the seventh bastion in awe. When the Captain of the Thirty-First platoon explained this idea to him, he thought it was a waste because of how poor the accuracy was. However, he was severely wrong after seeing the efficiency behind the barrage. His lips curled up as he stared at his men.
"Are you going to let the Thirty-First outpace us?" Brian shouted at his men.
"No, sir!"
"Then I want the air to be thick with smoke and the fear of death in the hearts of our foes!"
The men shouted in unison as his soldiers on the ground floor began their barrage. Rounds hurled through the air one after another as hundreds of golems met their demise. Bodies littered the battlefield, and the earth trembled with every inch of soil the golems gained. The men fired at will, releasing every round they had in their arsenal.
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Cannons roared all along the southern wall, filling the air with the scent of ash. But no matter how many rounds fell, the golems didn't lose momentum. If jagged rocks blocked their way, they would claw through them until their hands shattered. If their legs were no more, they would crawl with whatever means they could. Even with their figures disfigured and battered, they advanced with only one goal in their minds.
To take the walls.
Tucker's fingers dug into his leather gloves as he watched the volley fail to stop their advance. "Archers!"
The bowmen moved to the front beside the cannons and drew their bowstrings. Aura shrouded their bodies, covering their arrows as they steadied their aim.
"Fire!"
At his command, the arrows crossed the horizon, leaving only a trail of light that vanished into the thick clouds of dust. Each found its mark as it carved a newly sculpted hole through the enemy's ranks. Yet the golems forced their bodies forward. They stomped on the ground, shattering the floors like glass. Fallen bodies were crushed beneath the next wave, the sickening crunch drowned out only by cannon fire.
Tucker swallowed his saliva. He knew this wasn't the solution. Aura was a fleeting resource, one that could be quickly depleted but slow to replenish. He needed to figure something out. A way to deal with them efficiently. His eyes scanned the enemies for a sign, a way to destroy their foes in one hit. It seemed hopeless, but then, a glimmer caught his attention.
A subtle light that was hardly noticeable in the rubble and dirt. One that was so easily missed, but as the Empire's forces drew closer, it came into sight. There was a grey mana crystal embedded into the back of every golem.
"Aim for the center of their chest! There's a mana crystal hidden in the back!" Tucker ran down the bastion, notifying everyone he could. While Luka did the same on the other side. The soldiers were quick to respond, their eyes lingering on the center of the golem's chest.
One by one, the archers adjusted their aim, and with each shot, a golem fell. Their stone bodies were crumbling on the spot like puppets with their strings cut, but it was too late.
The walls violently shook as the creatures collided with the stone barriers. Even with reinforcement engravings etched into the cold, rigid surfaces, the force was too strong. Tucker held onto the stone bricks as several of his men fell to their knees. He peered over the ledge, watching as the creatures dug their fingers into the surface and pulled their limbs up.
They clawed and gnawed at the bricks like starving rats that had been trapped in a cage. The ones without limbs piled their bodies on top of each other in a mindless frenzy. Tucker grabbed a javelin from a nearby soldier and infused it with his aura. Wind blew fiercely against his face as he stepped over the ledge with one arm pulled back and the other steadying his aim. Then, with every ounce of strength in his body, he hurled the weapon down. The javelin fell like a shooting star, piercing through several golems as they scrambled desperately to hold on.
Their arms remained clenching onto the walls as they fell one by one. The archers moved closer and aimed towards the base of the wall. Letting loose a volley of arrows one after another, but it didn't seem to matter as the golems formed a mountain of corpses.
"There's too many of them!" Luka's eyes trembled as fear gripped his heart, but when he looked at Tucker, he saw his friend's gaze sharpen.
"We need to hold!" Tucker glanced to the side where the other forces were stationed in hopes of help, but soon clicked his tongue. They were about to be overrun as the golems made their way to the top. If the curtains fell, the seventh bastion was as good as done. "Cannons! Aim towards the base of the curtains!"
"But sir, if we do that, we'll be overrun!" Liam protested.
"We lose those curtains, then it doesn't matter if we're overrun!" Tucker grabbed Liam by his shoulder and made him watch as the other platoons fought tooth and nail against the golems. "We're not fighting this battle alone! If they fall, then your friends down there will die next!"
"Let's go!" Jones grabbed Liam and shoved him forward. He nodded at his captain before immediately sprinting down the walls, directing each cannon to the side. They shifted one by one, and soon a barrage rained down at the base of the curtains.
Tremors rattled the walls once more, but Tucker could tell from a glance that the curtains were stabilizing. The only problem now was the golems scaling the bastions. He stared at Luka, who shook his head, and then at the buildings behind them.
The archers had run out of arrows.
"Archers! Fall back to the rooftops of the buildings." Tucker drew his sword and stood at the front of the bastion. He could tell that the golems were near the top. The cannons at the front were now disabled, while the ones further back still had a few rounds left.
"Men! Assemble around the flag!" Tucker raised his blade as it gleamed in the dust-choked sun. The silver edge cut through the smoke and chaos, drawing everyone's attention. The soldiers gazed at the sword, their beacon, and followed through. Gathering around their captain without a shred of hesitation.
They stood before the azure flag that fluttered in the winds of battle. The four silver stars surrounding a single crown. By Tucker's side were the Thirty-First, and before him were the bastards of the Empire. A stone hand gripped onto the ledge of the walls before hauling itself to meet the defenders. Its red eyes stared into the very souls of the men it sought to destroy.
A soldier whispered a prayer while another kissed a silver locket they brought to their lips. They were outnumbered, and Tucker knew this. He knew that this was just the beginning of a long and grueling battle. But this time, he didn't fight for glory. Or for fame. Tucker fought for the men beside him. The Empire sent monsters to tear down their walls, but little did they know that the men defending the walls would make them pay for as long as they stood their ground. And by the gods, they stood.