The Homecoming 51.

Battle Town...

"I think they've spotted us" says Tamric Drubine as they move forward through the pre dawn light "Right Dorc?" asks the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Druvic.
"Fucken yep" replies Dorc da Orc who can clearly see the soldiers in baron Harkonin's army moving around on this side, the north side of the border town of Falshire.
"Keep moving" says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, who then adds "And keep low" even though he knows both Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle Lé Dic will pretty much ignore that last bit of advice.
They've moved out from the woods north of Falshire, going before any of the soldiers in the army of Lé Dic, under the command of sir Galmot having move out, with the exception of the scouts. Who like them are crossing the open ground to the north of the border town.
Though the group of Riley Hait, Tamric Drubine, sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Dorc da Orc, are more to the east. Going across the more uneven ground that the rest of the group, went across earlier, when they left the woods for Falshire.
That, the ranger Hait thinks to himself as they traverse the uneven ground, who then silently adds in dry tone, is a bloody catapult. As he can just make out the shape of a war machine, behind a building, turning in this direction.
The enemy definitely know that the border town is about to be attacked from the north.
The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen wonders how they know. As sir Galmot and the bulk of the force have yet to make their way out of the woods.
He figures baron Harkonin's forces in Falshire either have non humans with them, who can see clearly in the dim light of pre dawn. Or they've got a spellcaster with them.
Riley Hait hopes it isn't the latter, as those that they've come with from castle Lé Dic haven't got a practitioner of magic with them. And even one spellcaster amongst the enemy from across the border to the east, could make all the difference in the battle.
"They're off" says Tam who looks back and is able to make out soldiers, both on foot, and on horseback, making their way out of the woods, and head towards the town of Falshire that's been taken over by the forces of baron Harkonin.
As they go down a slight incline, then back up, Tamric Drubine who is in the lead, looks ahead again, then slows, and frowns as he spots something "Dorc what's that?" asks the son of the former Knight of Castle Drubine.
The large ork grunts as he looks to where Tam points to and says "On those wagons" followed by "What is it?".
"Ballista?" asks the ranger Hait who can see a bit more clearly now that the first rays of sunshine are poking through the cloud cover low in the horizon to the east as the new day dawns.
"Yeah cunt" says Dorkindle as all four of them slow, and come to a stop on the top of the small incline "Two of them" murmurs the mercenary ranger from Envadarlen, who then adds "On each one" as they can make out some of baron Harkonin's soldiers scrambling around the weapons that are on the back of the two wagons.
Silent until now, a frowning sir Percavelle Lé Dic says "What are those base born, inbred men of Harkonin's doing there?" as they can see soldiers loading the ballistas.
There's two of them on each wagon, side by side, the war machines on each wagon are close together. And they're being loaded at the moment in the faint light of dawn by a small squad of soldiers.
At the back of them, other soldiers are doing something. What exactly, Riley Hait, Tamric Drubine and sir Percavelle Lé Dic aren't entirely sure. As they can't see too clearly, as the light is still dim, as dawn has just arrived. On what feels like it will be a mild day. Especially compared to the cool day it was yesterday in this part of the kingdom of Druvic.
Though there's one of them who can clearly see what's happening. And he stands there with a frown upon his broad, green, feral looking face as he watches what's happening.
While further to their right, and stil behind them. The force led by sir Galmot and others on horseback, are making good progress across the ground that's more even, between the woods and the town of Falshire.
"A fucken chain?" mutters the ork weaponsmith, who after a few moments blinks in surprise as he realises what he's looking at. It's only due to extensive understanding of weapons, that he realises what it is baron Harkonin's soldiers are doing, and more importantly, what they've got.
"Down cunts" growls the ork warleader, Tamric Drubine looks at the large ork, then scrambles back down the incline, as Dorkindle drops to a knee. Next to the son of the former matriarch of the wolf tribe of orks, the mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson, who just happens to inhabit the body of Riley Hait. Drops down to the ground as well.
The large ork, who really doesn't want to do it. Though if he doesn't, someone will tell on him. And he's likely to receive a beating if he doesn't. Or something worse. Like getting thrown into a river or a lake. Getting a smashing is preferable to getting a bath in the opinion of Dorc da Orc.
Grabs sir Percavelle Lé Dic and pulls him down to the ground, saying in a growl "Down you dumb fucken knight cunt".
"Who are calling dumb you filthy beast" says the former earl of Lé Dic who tries to struggle and get up, and away from Dorkindle. But he's no match in strength with the big, burly ork, who easily holds him down with just the one hand.
Right then, on one of the wagons on the northern edge of town. The two ballista, move in unison. They're mounted on a circular, wooden turntable in the back of the wagon.
And both weapons are shot off in unison too. By a single soldier who pulls back on a rope that's connected to both levers.
In each ballista is a missile. A ten foot long heavy spear. And they go flying side by side through the air, northwards from the edge of town in the dim early morning light of dawn.
The thunk of the war machines firing can easily be heard, even with the sound of the charging horses nearby, and the foot soldiers running further behind them.
"What?" murmurs Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman "The fuck?" murmurs Tamric Drubine, who like the ranger Hait, blinks in surprise at what they're able to see.
Lifting his head up off the ground, a disgruntled knight in the order of Saint Mar-che is just about to say something disparaging to the large ork who is holding him down. When he too catches sight of what the others are looking at.
"Golly gee, would you look at that" murmurs the former earl of Lé Dic in a tone of disbelief.
It passes away to the right, to the west of them. They all quickly turn their heads and look that way. Looking back at the forces led by sir Galmot the commander of the Lé Dic army.
It hits the left edge of the charging horsemen. It's two heavy long spears, shot from the twin ballista's.
The missiles must of been shot from a couple of powerful war machines.
Because connecting them is a metal chain. Joined at the base of the missiles. The bases of which have a fin like quarreling. Something you see on some crossbow bolts. But hardly ever on a ballista missile.
The heavy long spears are a dozen feet apart. One of them slams into the chest of a mount, sending it almost flipping backwards when it hits.
The chain between the two missiles, which is a chain of iron links. Takes out the legs of another horse, sending it tumbling, screaming in pain. Throwing it's rider, an officer in the army of the Lé Dic fief, cartwheeling through the air, until he slams into the ground with a thud.
The other heavy spear continues on it's way, it's momentum rips the other missile out of the chest of the downed horse. And though that heavy spear is in the air again briefly. It's soon on the ground, being dragged by the airborne one, as is most of he iron linked chain still connecting the two of them.
The chain and the missile dragged along the ground slashes into a group of foot soldiers following those who are mounted. Shattering legs and arms, and taking the head off one of the soldiers who has come from castle Duc de Laér.
It finally comes to a stop when the heavy long spear still flying. Slams into a foot soldier in the army of the Lé Dic fief. Picking him off the ground, and flinging him backwards.
The missile hits the ground, pinning the soldier at a slight up right angle. The other heavy long spear and chain whips around. Taking out two other soldiers.
One who losses an arm as the spear point slices it off. And the other whose skull is shattered apart when the chain slams across the top of his head as he tried to duck out of the way.
The heavy spear and chain swings around once, twice then a third time. Wrapping around the pinned soldier who is slightly standing in an upright position. It wraps around with so much speed and force. That when it's completely around the pinned soldier. It basically cuts his body in half.
"Damn" murmurs Riley Hait the mercenary ranger "Fuck" murmurs Tamric Drubine after witnessing what the twin ballista shot just did.
"That wasn't very sporting wot" mutters sir Percavelle Lé Dic, while Dorc da Orc, who has a grin upon his broad, green, brutish looking face, murmurs "That was pretty fucken sweet".
The large ork, who realised what was happening. As he had seen it plenty of times before onboard ships. Both sailing and airships. Though on them, it's a single ballista, with a single heavy spear shot from it. That has a chain affixed to it, trailing behind it,. That's shot at an enemy vessel, where it's to foul the sails and rigging. Not necessarily to shoot at the enemy themselves.
He looks at the other wagon, and says "There goes the other fucken one". An instant later and the other two ballista's on the second wagon, is shot off with a resounding thunk.
As the two, ten foot long spears go flying through the early morning light. The warleader of the ork race says "Damn, that's fucken nasty as" as he sees the chain that's between the two missiles. Two heavy spears, like the first two shot from the other wagon. Are shot upwards at a slight angle,to compensate for the weight of the chain that connects the two of them.
The chain between these two missiles is slightly different. It's an iron link chain again. Though each link, has thick, serrated edges sticking out from them.
And the two heavy spears at first completely miss the mounted soldiers they're aim at. But not the chain.
As the missiles go to either side of one of the horses, the serrated chain between the two of them hits the rider. It's Mercent, the squire to sir Barid.
And though the young noble is wearing a steel breast plate, he's torn completely in two, about half way up the chest, as the jagged looking chain cuts through his armour, then him.
The missiles and the chain between the two of them continue on, narrowly missing another rider. Until they, and the chain, all of which are dropping in height. Hit a group of following foot soldiers, with predictable results.
Soldiers are cut in half, others have limbs sliced, and ripped off. One of the heavy spears hits the ground point first, it flips and cartwheels a number of times. Whipping the other spear and the chain end over end in the air, numerous times.
That's more deadly than when it first struck those soldiers on the ground. Other soldiers from the castles Lé Dic and Duc de Laér are struck by the wildly swinging chain and heavy spear.
One soldier is hit with so much force by the haft of the out control missile, that he's flung up into the air a good twenty feet. In one piece until the following chain slices him apart in mid air.
"Damn" murmurs the ranger Hait "Fuck" murmurs the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Druvic when the wildly out of control missiles, and the serrated chain between the two of them, finally comes to a stop.
"I say, that's definitely not sporting, not at all" says a disapproving knight in the order of Saint Mar-che. While the large ork, chuckles then says "Damn, nasties all over the fucken place there" followed by "Cunts got fucked up".
"Get moving while they reload" says Riley Hait, who hopes because they're crossing the more uneven ground than the others who have come from the woods to the north of Falshire. And that there's only four of them, even though Dorc da Orc and sir Percavelle are big, especially the large ork. They won't make too much of a target for the enemy and their war machines.
As they set off again, going over the slight incline, and heading for the border town. Though the northeast side of town, not directly north as the now depleted force under the command of sir Galmot are doing.
One of the nearby scouts further to their right, who like the other scouts all dropped and hugged the ground as the missiles and their connecting chains flew overhead. Calls out that another wagon is coming around from the west side of the border town.
Looking in that direction, the four of them spot the third wagon in the dim light of dawn. It has a large, rectangular wooden box like structure on the back of the wagon.
All four of them immediately recognise what it is "Scorpion" says Tam "Scorpion" says the ranger Hait "Tis a scorpion" says the former paladin "Fucken sweet" says the ork weaponsmith.
As the wagon with the scorpion is lined up to fire upon the oncoming soldiers in the army of the Lé Dic fief. And as the twin ballistas on one of the other wagons is shot off again. The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen who has spotted the arm of the catapult going back and disappear behind a building, says to the other three with him "Well, so much for the surprise attack".
Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson then follows that with "There is something though". "Oh, what would that be my good fellow?" asks sir Percavelle Lé Dic. As the second twin ballista is shot off again, followed an instant later by more than thirty heavy, and long crossbow bolts, near simultaneously, from the scorpion.
Riley Hait says "I'm pretty certain that engineer we're looking for is in the baron's army" followed by "More than certain really" he then adds "He fucking is" as they all see the catapult arm and cup shoot up from behind a building, slinging away a load of burning barrels through the early morning light towards those attacking the town of Falshire.
The naphtha in the burning barrels explode about twenty feet above the spot it's about to hit. A spray of flames splash across a couple of horsemen and foot soldiers right behind them. Who have just plucked up the courage to continue on, as others nearby were just hit by two of the latest missiles and connecting chains shot from one of the twin ballistas. As the battle for the border town of Falshire, gets underway . . . . . .