Chapter 87: Tale 8, Ch 10: The Unbreakable Siege Tower

Nege took a deep breath. He swallowed the emotions swirling in his gut and told the emperor, and the others assembled beneath the dome of Infinity’s Wisdom, “We won’t help you, but that means we’re not going to help Hemend either. If you ask me, that’s more of a fighting chance than even the Sept would give you.”

“But you can’t deny what happened today!” the Patriarch exclaimed, his face red with outrage that Nege could make such an apparently off-handed conclusion about the fate of the Truscan Empire. “Infinity intervened to save the Eternal City. Save the lives of the faithless under the morning star in the name of Infinity or else It will surely destroy them all.”

The Patriarch’s words might as well have been the mumblings of a buzzard for all Sono and the emperor paid them mind. The two stayed locked in wide-eyed glares, disdain passing from one to the other like a swirling river.

“The will of Infinity will not matter after another attack like today. You only have the one legion. And its numbers shrank today,” Murel noted.

“Won’t matter? Won’t matter? Infinity’s will is the only thing that matters!” the Patriarch shouted, his voice echoing off the black dome as if Infinity were repeating the Patriarch’s claim.

“And the Teljuks lost many more,” Eternine said to the Gold Prophet, still ignoring the hot words of his religious leader. “I ask you again, Murel. It doesn’t matter if you extend the same offer to the Teljuks, but I must ask that you heal my wounded soldiers. It’s not a benefit. It benefits both sides — Hemend even more. He has much more wounded than I do.”

Sono scoffed at the idea. “Don’t think we can be so easily fooled. We’re not a tribe of Estians that you can conquer with words and force. We’re the Prophets. We know how the morale of a battle works. Don’t we, Nege?” the White explained, smiling wickedly at her Red compatriot.

“What?” Nege asked.

“What you don’t know, Emperor, is that the Prophets have a wide range of abilities. Nege is unique, possessing an empathic awareness that occurs only in those from his land of birth.”

Nege looked back and forth from the emperor to the White, betrayal covering all other thoughts in his mind. “I… the legion is in high spirits.”

“Yes, and how about the Teljuks? How is their morale?”

“It’s… not very good.”

“Go on.”

Nege bit his lip.

“Nege, you will not withhold information from the emperor. You must tell him what you sense in exact words or I will personally inform the Sept of your disloyalty to the Prophets,” Sono commanded in Nege’s mind, smiling at him as she did.

“They’re afraid,” Nege blurted out. “Their spirits are low. They thought this would be easy and are surprised and weary that they haven’t even stepped foot in the city yet.”

“You see, Emperor,” Sono explained, smiling at Nege like the proud owner of a prized horse. “We know that it is not just tactics and numbers that win battles. If we were to aide either side in any way, it would tip the scales in your favor. To see your legion unharmed from today’s battle would strengthen the Teljuks’ already growing fears. No. We will not offer aide.”

“And my offer?” Eternine asked. “I won’t harm a Teljuk soul. They can live here. They can—”

“No.” Sono held up her hand and shook her head. “We cannot favor either side here. We must allow evolutionary forces to take hold in Triumph. That means the dissolution of your empire.”

“You’re signing my death warrant. How can you call yourself a peacekeeper if you’re just going to stand by while my people die?”

“Because they chose to die for a hateful, backward, rotted corpse of an empire. I can’t change hearts, only minds. Only you can convince them not to die needlessly.”

“I will never give up my city.”

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“I assumed you would. It has your name on it after all.”

Sono’s sneer would have made a weaker-willed man reach for a weapon. As it was, Eternine composed his face and gave her a slight nod.

“I can see this is pointless,” the emperor said, and turned his attention to the Patriarch. “Patriarch, pray to Infinity that the Prophets be forgiven for allowing so many Teljuks to die at my walls.”

It blocked out the sun.

Against the backdrop of the morning sky, Nege shielded his eyes to try and get a full view of the silhouetted structure. The constant bombardment battered at the walls and forced him to turn away so he could stay upright as the walls shook with each impact.

“So what’s your brilliant strategy this time?” Nege asked.

“You’ll see soon enough,” the emperor replied as he steadied his stance, crossing his arms as if defiantly resisting the shudder of the cannon fire. “What do you care anyway?”

“Call it a constant curiosity.”

“I’m curious why you’re here.”

Nege leaned on his red-tipped staff as another iron ball slammed into the second wall. The tower he’d been in the day before had already collapsed into the gap between the second and third walls.

“If Sono had her way, I’d be guarding her and Murel right now at Infinity’s Wisdom. Like I said, I’m curious,” Nege said. He once again put his hand over his brow to get a better look at the structure in front of the rising sun. Rusted metal rocked back and forth. The few marksmen on the third wall skilled enough to hit the thing from so far away cursed when their shots tinged off the structure’s iron skin. Ignoring these scratches, it rumbled toward the walls.

“I doubt the White needs guarding,” Eternine noted.

“So why are you here? You don’t think you can stop them at the third walls again, do you?” Nege asked.

“I’m here because my people need me here. And I need to quickly give orders.” Unsheathing his sword, Eternine shouted to the legion gathered below and around him. “Here they come, my friends. Let them know once more that we are no mere city. We are eternal! We are Truscans! Never forget what you fight for and what you are!”

The gathered few defending the city cheered their emperor. Nege could feel the link between his soldiers and Eternine. They trusted him, loved him, were more than willing to die for him because they knew he would do the same. Nege had to turn away so he could try to ignore such fierce passion burning in the hearts of these readied men.

“I will not sheathe this sword till the day is won!” Eternine shouted, raising the sword’s black pommel as a sign that Infinity was with them.

A burst of gunfire from the structure rumbling forward came as if in defiance to the emperor’s words. Muskets poked out from slits in the iron tower, firing as it approached the third wall’s gates.

Sixty feet tall, half again as wide, and covered in sheets of metal that baked and shielded the occupants, the Teljuks had constructed the greatest siege tower Nege and Triumph had ever seen. Pushed forward by oxen and whip-cracking men, it rocked back and forth in the wind as the sun finally rose over the tower, giving the Truscans their first full view of this unstoppable war machine.

Nothing could penetrate it. Even the small shot of the city’s few cannons could not cause significant damage. Wide enough for two doors side by side, tall enough for two levels of doors, and housing enough ladders and soldiers to easily swarm the first and move on to the second wall, only the power of Eternine, and the thousand-year history of the city he defended, emboldened the Truscan soldiers against this monstrosity.

The legion had posted its four dwindling regiments at varying spots, the first and the second once again occupying the gate at the third wall. The fourth regiment, fresh and strong-willed from their charge the previous day, took position at the northern gap. The third division was placed at the southern gap.

Behind the demon of a tower, the main force of the Teljuks walked, thousands cheering on the hundreds in the tower. Another force of thousands made their way once more to the southern and northern gaps. This made up three quarters of the Teljuk army. Though Nege couldn’t see them, he could feel the effects in the men as Hemend inspired his troops and led them forward.

The sun rose high enough to cast a shadow over the gates as the tower neared. And as the Teljuks charged, Nege’s hand shook, squeezing his blessed weapon.

Once more into the wall of pikes the Teljuks charged. Once more Eternine shouted calls and orders to his men as they held their ground in the narrow gaps, the Teljuk numbers meaning nothing till they could step into the city. But they looked up at that monster of a tower and felt stronger, more ready to die knowing their sacrifice would win the day with the help of this tower of wood and iron.

The blast-pow of the little cannon and muskets shooting uselessly into the tower’s sides overwhelmed the cries of the men huddling inside. From there they fired, for once having a superior aim over the men on the walls. Nege almost got worried. The defenders shooting from the walls were easy shots for those aiming from the mobile tower. The Truscans attempted to hide behind the parapets, but too many backs and thin helmets were exposed and struck from their defenses.

Screams of defiance shot forth as the tower neared. The men on the northern and southern gaps stepped back. Nege could barely see a morning star flag push in then out, in then out of the northern gap.

“Hold!” Eternine shouted. “Remember your fathers and hold!”

The men on the walls shuddered with each Truscan that fell. The men in the tower grew restless as their doors neared the walls. Nege, for the first time, put his hand to the top of his staff as he realized he might have to defend himself when that tower broke the defenses and the thousands marching behind it charged through.

Then the gates opened.