Winter.
The trebuchets down on the streets behind the south wall of the city of Kuradum start firing.
Shots of boulders, as well as rocks and burning barrels in loose nets go flying over the wall, and head for the enemy army.
They land towards the rear of the rebel army that's just to the south of the capital of Kuradum.
Aiming for the enemy siege engines, such as towers and catapults, that are yet to be moved forward towards the front.
Some hit, striking siege towers. One of which shatters apart when it's squarely hit by a large boulder.
And another goes up in flames when a number of burning barrels full of a mix of pitch and naphtha strikes it.
While others miss their exact targets. And instead hit the nearby enemy who are close to the siege engines at the rear of the rebel army.
The worst example of this is rocks flung from one of the trebuchets just behind the city's south wall.
Rip out of the loose netting they're contained in. And rain down upon a number of the enemy infront of one of the catapults.
Those that are killed instantly are the fortune ones. As rocks hit the ground, and bounce for a bit. Hitting legs, arms, sternums, heads. Badly injuring more than those killed outright.
As trebuchet load after trebuchet load is flung over the south wall of the city at the rear of the enemy army.
It creates the inevitable, and the southern rebel army of the so called duke of Kuradum, councilman Hirrye.
Charges forward to attack the capital city on this cold, winter's morning in this part of the city-state of Kuradum.
Zam the ex mercenary watches the path of a load of burning barrels launched from one of the trebuchets go flying up and over the south wall of the city.
And head out through the early morning sky, and land amongst the rear of the enemy army. The enemy army that's now charging towards the capital city of Kuradum.
Archers with longbows start shooting at the enemy. While a nearby Farqian officer calls out to the other archers and crossbowmen to wait until the enemy get within range.
The teenager who grew up in the neighbourhoods just behind the south wall of the city.
Looks away to his left, here on the top of the wall. And he sees the ruling council of the city-state of Kuradum, and their assistants.
Being ushered towards the nearest set of steps, and down off the south wall of the capital city.
The ex mercenary goes back to looking at the enemy army who are rushing towards the city of Kuradum this cold winter's morning.
The front ranks of whom, are now in range of the rest of the archers and the crossbowmen.
Zam sees scores of the enemy drop, some are killed instantly. While others are wounded, and fall to the ground.
Where most of them are killed, as they're trampled to death by the ranks behind them.
A lucky few, are picked up and hauled away before they're trampled to death by those ranks following the ones in the lead.
As the catapults upon the top of the city's south wall, start firing at the rebel army.
Zam sees what's predicted, the enemy fracturing as they advance. Which is the only thing they really can do.
Their advance turns into three clear points, as they head towards the three bridges here on the south side of the city.
The teenager from here in the capital city of Kuradum, slightly turns his head, and nods in response to Mira Reinholt the mage walking by and saying to him "Keep low when they get closer Zam".
The spellcaster all in black, heads to the nearby catapult here above the middle of three gates in the south wall.
There, Dorc da Orc as well as Lisell Maera the scout, and sir Percavelle Lé Dic are standing watching the advancing enemy on this cold winter's morning.
The youngest member of the group, not to mention the newest member of the group.
Goes back to watching the rebel army who have come up from southern Kuradum to attack the capital city.
The ex mercenary winces when he sees a boulder flung from one of the trebuchets. Land in the midst of the advancing army.
It doesn't exactly land, it smashes into some of the enemy soldiers. And it's momentum carries it onwards. Where it rolls into others who unsuccessfully try to avoid the boulder.
Then Zam ducks down as enemy arrows start heading up to the top of the wall.
The Kuradian teenager looks along the wall in both directions, and sees others have ducked down beneath the crenalations on the top of the wall.
The ex mercenary also sees lord Farque, along with Tamric Drubine the field commander, Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy. As well as Jarjin Littlefoot the hobbit, and Shur Kee the monk heading this way. They're followed by Saanea the witch, and Beldane the cleric.
Zam sees no sign of Helbe the elven thief anywhere. Though he's not surprised at that. As the elven magic user is often invisible. Or just somewhere else.
As he passes the ex mercenary crouching behind a crenalation, lord Farque says "Come along Zam".
The teenager who was born and grew up here in the poor quarter of the city of Kuradum.
Nods and gets up, and gets inline next to Shur Kee the monk. As they head towards the rest of the group beside the nearby catapult.
"Did you tell them?" asks lord Farque once the group minus Helbe the elven thief gather next to one of the two catapults above the middle gate in the city's south wall.
"I did" is the reply of Mira Reinholt the mage, as he moves to stand beside the undead warlord.
"Mira and myself will be elsewhere in a little bit" says the large, heavily armoured deathlord, who continues with "Tam will be in command as we discussed earlier".
The others with the exception of Dorc da Orc who isn't paying attention, nod to that.
Then the lord and ruler of the lands Farque steps over to the ork warleader, who is watching the crew manning the catapult.
The lord of the death realm, who has the name of Draugadrottin that the people of his lands of Farque also know him by. Starts speaking to Dorc da Orc in orkish.
The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world frowns as he listens to the undead warlord.
The large ork who is a general in the armies of Farque, occasionally grunts in response to what the lord of the death realm is telling him.
Not knowing all that's going on, Zam the ex mercenary asks Mira Reinholt the mage "When are you actually going?".
The spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil, his homeland that he's in exile from.
Glances at the enemy, many of whom have reached the edge of the river that flows along the south wall of the city of Kuradum.
"In a little bit" replies the mage who is also a highly skilled swordmaster.
The Kuradian teenager goes to ask him something else, but the mage Reinholt shakes his hooded head.
The ex mercenary can only stand there behind the catapult, wondering what's about to happen.
As he knows that lord Farque had Mira Reinholt along with Helbe the elven thief leave some nasty surprises for the enemy. What exactly, he's not sure.
"They've reached the bridges" says Tamric Drubine the field commander, who follows that with "They're bringing up battering rams".
Lord Farque who is still talking to Dorc da Orc in orkish about something.
Just nods his full helmed head in response to what the young noble from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin just said.
While Mira Reinholt, slightly nods his hooded head when the young field commander in the armies of Farque looks his way,
Then the spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation.
Until he was stripped of most of his powers when he went offworld through a rift/void spell that he accidentally cast a number of years ago.
Quietly says to Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by the others in the group "We'll wait until as many as them, are able to get onto them".
Zam looks out at the enemy, and spots those with scaling ladders coming through advancing ranks.
As scores and scores of them continue to drop dead, or severely injured.
By trebuchet and catapults shots, as well as the archers and crossbowmen on top of the south wall of the capital of Kuradum.
On what's a cold, though fairly clear and sunny winter's morning here in the area of the city-state of Kuradum. After the city experienced a light snowfall during the night.
Zam sees that Dorc da Orc is now speaking in his native language to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
As they do, both Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy and Lisell Maera the scout, shoot bolts from their crossbows down at the enemy soldiers.
"Any reason you haven't cast anything at them yet?" quietly asks Zam the ex mercenary, who looks at Beldane the cleric, then Saanea the witch and finally Mira Reinholt the mage.
"A number of reasons" replies Beldane the cleric, who then along with his fellow spellcasters, the Vexilian mage in exile, and the attractive witch from the Maldin Hills.
Quickly look over at lord Farque, who says to them "Spell" followed by "Coming this way".
The practitioners of magic all sense it at the same time, a fireball that shoots up from the middle of the rebel army, heading towards the pair of catapults above the middle gate in the south wall of the city.
Beldane the cleric, and Saanea slam up wards, both barrier spells. Along the top of the wall, above the middle gate.
While Mira Reinholt, being a mage, a naturally aggressive spellcaster. Is more combative than the witch and the cleric.
So he quickly casts an attacking spell, and not a defensive one like his fellow practitioners of magic.
"That's why" dryly says Beldane the cleric to Zam the ex mercenary, after a bolt of lightning shoots down out the clear morning sky.
A bolt of lightning accompanied by a crack of thunder that reverberates not only across the battle, but across the entire city.
A bolt of lightning that strikes in the center of the enemy army, right where the fireball came from.
A fireball that splatters liquid fire harmlessly across the wards that Saanea the witch and Beldane the cleric have erected.
Harmlessly to the defenders, not so much for some of the rebels down on the bridge, that goes directly to the middle gates in the wall.
As liquid fire rains down upon some of them on the bridge, at the gates, waiting for one of the battering rams to be brought forward.
"Battle magic is fraught with danger" explains the fighting cleric from the kingdom of Nastell, who continues with "If you cast first, you immediately become a target".
"So i see" says the Kuradian teenager who figures the enemy spellcaster didn't survive the direct hit from the bolt of lightning.
Then lord Farque, who has finished speaking with Dorc da Orc, looks down at the enemy, then over to the mage Reinholt, and says "Mira".
The spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, looks down at the enemy too.
And sees that though they're continually dropping. They've packed the bridge down below.
The once powerful mage looks away to the east and the west, and sees the two other bridges are in a similar state.
Infact the one to the east, the gates are already being hit with a battering ram they've brought forward.
The once powerful mage looks over at the undead warlord, and nods his hooded head.
"Give the order Tam" says Draugadrottin to the young noble originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
"Yes my lord" says field commander Drubine, who then starts shouting out orders, which are relayed and repeated along the length of the south wall of the city of Kuradum.
Everyone on top of the wall start ducking down beneath the crenalations.
As they do, the spellcaster originally from the city-state of Vexil, who is a member of the personal council to the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, creates a mageglobe.
"Surprise" quietly says Mira Reinholt as he crouches there, and closes his hand over the mageglobe he's holding.
Essentially squeezing it, until it disappears as it comes to the end of it's existence.
When it does, it activates the mageglobes the mage Reinholt created yesterday morning, and with the help of Helbe the elven thief.
Hid in the three bridges that cross the river that runs along the south side of the capital city.
Mageglobes that basically wake up, and quickly end their own existence. In doing so, they explode. A half a dozen of them in each of the bridges.
So eighteen of the living pieces of magic come to the end of their existence in spectacular fashion.
The three bridges that cross the river explode in typical mage fashion. Ripping apart all upon them, sending debris flying everywhere, predominantly straight upwards.
There must be a couple hundred, nearly three hundred enemy soldiers on each bridge.
They're all decimated as the explosions rip them, and the bridges apart.
Explosions so powerful, that even the bases of the bridges are ripped up and out from the devastation wrought by the living pieces of magic coming to the end of their lives.
And debris clouds mushroom up into the fairly clear morning sky this winter's day, mixed with a fair bit of water too.
As the three bridges on the south side of the city of Kuradum, are utterly destroyed forever . . . . . .
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