Partly dressed, Vai flinched and instinctively covered her bare breasts with her arms. When she recognized Asher, she breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her arms.
Vai paused a moment to catch her breath. “Oh, Asher. What’s happening? I heard the horns, so I started changing into the battledress—”
“That was just a false alarm. Gorman’s army is here,” said Asher.
“Excellent!” Vai said excitedly. She slipped into the torso of her battledress. When Asher offered to help, she humbly turned him away, eager to dress herself.
Asher took a moment to admire Vai’s beauty as she dressed herself. She’s truly not like most other women, noble or common, he reflected. Never had he met a woman in his life who had such high feminine grace blend with a fierce tomboyish aura that could kick in whenever needed. She is a better archer than most men, from what I’ve heard. She fought in the battle with those men too.
Vai looked up to see him admiring her, and she met his gaze with a smile. “You haven’t looked at me like that since our wedding night.”
“It’s just been… Well, you know how it’s been.” Asher walked up to Vai, standing right in front of her.
“It won’t always be so terrible,” Vai reassured.
“I’ve no doubt in my mind,” said Asher. He leaned forward and kissed her as tenderly as he had on their wedding night.
Vai spoke in sputtered bursts between kisses. “Time to—see Gorman?”
Asher pulled back, still smiling. “Let’s go.”
They walked out of the tent side-by-side, his armor clanking with each step. While they navigated through the forest, every soldier, Rockland or Emberland, bowed his head and acknowledged them. Asher felt as if he and Vai were truly one entity: unified. After walking out of the forest, they were greeted by Lord Archard, Colonel Schafer, Andy, and a contingent of Royal Guardsmen.
“Your Majesty,” the men said together.
Asher and Vai returned the acknowledgments while looking beyond at the rest of Gorman’s army. It was vast, covering the entire horizon. The ground rumbled even more apparently as Gorman’s host continued to approach them.
“I don’t see how Howell can fight that,” Asher remarked confidently.
“That is barely the surface of what Gorman’s host contains. The rest of the army is still miles behind,” Lord Archard boasted.
Asher continued to gaze at the sea of bodies that bore down on them. Thousands of soldiers filled out the horizon, and even more continued to occupy the ranks behind. His only thought while observing the vast ocean of men was how glad he was that they were friendly. I can only imagine how Howell will feel when sees that plus my army at his gates, he reflected, smiling.
Asher and Vai walked up towards the head of the party, with everyone shortly behind. All they could do was stand and wait for Gorman’s host to get closer and closer. When the front line of the army was fifty yards away, a commander among them bellowed out a halt-order, and the entire army stopped marching, their hearty grunts echoing down the length of the army in a wave, their ferocity filling the air.
A relatively small segment of the army parted, making way for who could only be Lord Gorman and his detachment of guards. Asher observed a late-middle-aged man wearing the fanciest armor among his men. As his detachment drew closer, he took note of Gorman’s face, which seemed harder than stone, and gray eyes that cut like steel: just as a man commanding a five-year-long war against the Midlands should look.
Lord Gorman approached them with a polite smile on his face. “Your Majesty. I’ve not been fortunate enough to have met my new Empress up until now.”
“You were sent to the front by Peter shortly after I was married to him, if I recall correctly?” Vai inquired.
“That’s true. Shortly after he left for the armistice, you were gracious enough to send me the reinforcements I had requested. By granting that request, you undoubtedly saved my life. For that, I’m eternally grateful,” said Lord Gorman.
“I simply did my duty as the acting head of state,” Vai said humbly.
“Now the true head of state. I offer my condolences, on account of Peter’s tragic loss of life.”
“Yeah…” Vai said with subtle distaste only Asher seemed to pick up on.
“I was very pleased to learn that you avenged him, destroying King Hiroshi’s army along with half of the Headland fleet at Robinsport,” said Lord Gorman.
“I couldn’t have done so without our Lord of War,” said Vai, gesturing to Lord Archard to come forward.
“Gavin… It’s been too long, old friend,” said Gorman.
“A few years now, it’s good to see you,” said Lord Archard, fiercely shaking Gorman’s hand.
“Yeah, you too.” Gorman released Lord Archard’s hand, turning towards Asher with a face of admiration and curiosity.
“My Emperor. I’ve heard my men call you the Firelord. I’m very honored to meet you,” Gorman said, approaching Asher with his hand held out.
Asher shook Gorman’s hand, both men’s grips as fierce as their eyes. “Likewise, my Lord.”
“I almost couldn’t believe the stories of how you took the Furakuhold. It’s truly astonishing,” said Gorman.
“You’re too kind, my Lord. I have many barrels of firedust and capable men to thank for that,” said Asher.
“Few men have ever earned my praise, your Majesty. If there’s anyone Howell isn’t stubborn enough to fear, it would be you.” Gorman turned to Vai. “And you as well. Howell would be a fool to underestimate you. Either of you.”
Asher and Vai both thanked Gorman.
Gorman continued. “Now, our next order of business. I’ve been in contact with Lord Archard. He’s told me there is a plan for the siege? He has not disclosed it in the notes left by his messengers, for obvious reasons.”
“His Imperial Majesty has an ambitious, yet feasible, idea for how we can bypass Habwaken’s defenses,” said Schafer.
“I’m very curious,” said Gorman.
Asher stepped close to Gorman and spoke so only he could hear. “We will attack from under the city, hiding tunnel-digging operations behind dummy siege towers that we will construct. This will all be done from outside bombardment range, of course.” He stepped back to where he’d stood before.
“That is very ambitious,” Gorman said, nodding. His face was harder to read than that of most men Asher had met.
“It’s a bit unorthodox, but we couldn’t think of anything else,” said Asher.
“Unorthodox plans are often better. Less predictable.” Gorman looked down at his feet a moment before looking back up at Asher. “My men still feel the wounds from Mercy. Howell is far from traditional on the battlefield. He prefers unpredictability, and I’m ashamed to admit that I never successfully adapted to it in my efforts over the years. Based on how you captured the Furakuhold, I think a planner like you is exactly what we’ll need.”
Asher nodded, appreciative of Gorman’s praise. I’ve been anxious to end this war, but I can’t comprehend how Gorman and his men must feel after five years of fighting that asshole, Asher thought.
“I’m sure you’re as anxious as I am to march on Habwaken and end the war, yes?” Asher asked.
“Certainly,” said Gorman.
“Good to hear. My men are in the process of harvesting the wood from that forest. Your men could help expedite the process. Sooner it’s done, the sooner we march.”
“Of course.” Gorman turned around to face his men. “Get the men to start assisting with the foraging process here.”
“Aye, my Lord,” the Guardsmen said together. They turned around and ran back towards the army.
“There’s much to discuss, tactically and logistically,” said Lord Archard.
“Time for us to meet in the War Council tent, so no eavesdroppers may hear,” said Vai.
“Of course. No need to waste time,” said Gorman.
Asher, Vai, Lord Archard, Schafer, and Gorman proceeded towards the War Coun
cil tent. The sound of countless orders being given out accompanied by countless affirmations roared from the Rockland Army. Then, they enthusiastically went towards the forest to expedite the preparations. Everyone was eager to end the war.
CH 58 – Vaishalla XIII
After the forest’s wood reserves were completely exhausted and Lord Gorman was fully clued in to the exact details of the plan, the gargantuan Emberland-Rockland Army, over 130,000 men strong, marched towards Habwaken, shaking the ground beneath them. For the entire three-mile-long march, the soldiers’ tensions were at their all-time high: they sang songs of triumph, such as Dawn’s Glory and The Fury of the Stars. The loud and eager voices of 130,000 men dominated the air, and the city of Habwaken could inevitably hear them. Vai could only imagine how anxious Howell would be.
Vai sat atop her horse with Asher on his own horse beside her. Asher leaned in really close to Vai, speaking directly into her ear. “Once we encircle the city and organize our siege, there’ll be nothing Howell can do to stop us,” he reassured.
“I hope that’s the case,” said Vai.
The city of Habwaken emerged from the horizon. Just as intended, the army began to part, protected by the line of armored cavalry as they maneuvered to begin enveloping the city. The city’s war horns were faint but could be heard through the fierce marching of the soldiers.
The army and the city were still over a mile apart, seeming so distant yet so close. From atop her horse, Vai could not see anything but the city, her army, and the vast open plains surrounding it all. For the next several minutes, the army continued gaining ground on the city, whose war horns continued to bellow. OOOUUUUUHHHHHHHHH! They were much louder now, matching the volume of the army’s songs and chants.
For the Stars shall bury you…
Under the heel of my boot!
The men marched on, the city getting larger, and its war horns refusing to stop blaring. Various commanders shouted out commands, and thus they began the maneuver: the army split into two, each half fully encircled by Emberland cavalry, advancing on either side of the circular city only half a mile out from them. The pace of the soldiers and horses began to pick up, creating thunderous footsteps, usurping the war horns for loudest noise.
The army, still thousands of feet outside the outer walls, was out of range of the city’s defenses. A few hundred arrows soared in the air beginning from the wall, landing pathetically far from the army’s front line. Vai continued her panicked glances on the outskirts, keeping her eye out for danger, but the open plains were unsettlingly empty.
Closer now, the other half of the army began to disappear around the bend of the wall. The half that Vai rode with continued creeping along its own side. The soldiers lightly jogged and the horses barely began to gallop. They continued along their trajectory, the incoming arrows getting less frequent. The supply trains continued to maintain pace with the soldiers, well-guarded and reinforced.
With the army moving cohesively, like a single entity, Asher and Vai remained by each other’s side throughout the entire maneuver. While Vai was too entrenched in the moment to look to her side, she could feel Asher’s presence. Why did he seem so confident in how this siege would turn out? He lost half his empire’s forces to Howell at Thebeskar: has he forgotten?
The maneuver persisted, and Vai felt a moment of panic as she saw an army begin to emerge around the bend of the wall. Howell? Why wasn’t there a warning? Her panic subsided when she saw the red armor of the cavalry, and the brown armor of the Rockmen. The encirclement of the city was nearly complete. The army began to slow as the two halves were soon to become whole yet again.
All the chaotic noise in the air subsided as silence took its turn. The army was whole again, the city was encircled, and the incoming arrows had completely stopped. All time seemed to suspend as Vai looked around at her army and the city: countless men stood so still and without noise.
“Form up! Begin digging the trenches!” Asher yelled.
The commanders all around echoed the command down the length of the army. Every man out of 130,000 roared approvingly and fiercely. The army immediately began to shift positions, marching inward towards the city, stopping only a few feet short of bow range. The army then organized into several different segments and hurriedly began carrying out the various tasks they had been assigned: the armored cavalrymen shifted their position according to the rest, while many infantrymen and archers began digging trenches along their flanks, and others got to work assembling the countless logs they had acquired into workable parts. A dozen of Vai’s and Asher’s guards prepared their tent: once it was finished, Vai and Asher took up residence inside.
All that Vai could do over the next couple of days was wait while the preparations were finished. Trenches had been completed all along the outer flanks, along with more on the inner flanks. The siege towers had been built to roughly half the height of Habwaken’s walls, which Asher had deemed tall enough to properly disguise the real plans.
Vai and Asher observed the digging operation. One man would work intensely for an hour, then be cycled in with a fresh body. The diggers only had to work for an hour a day, routinely being cycled in for others, making it the most coveted job throughout the siege. The digging continued every hour of the day and night, the dirt they retrieved being repurposed as further barriers to potential attack. Most of the wood was used for the siege towers, but the rest had been worked into spikes to be placed within the trenches: Vai thought they were just as effective at keeping the men inside as they would be at keeping Howell’s men out.
The ramparts atop Habwaken’s walls were sparsely occupied. Vai would have expected to see more, but perhaps Howell did not think the city was under real threat just yet: the siege towers had not been finished, the army was still out of their range, and no one had yet attempted to charge the walls. Does he know of the plan? The real plan? Four siege towers would be instantly destroyed by Habwaken’s defenses, and Howell would be aware of that fact. Does Howell think we’re stupid enough to think only siege towers would work? His victory at Thebeskar against the other half of Asher’s army and against a formidable part of Gorman’s army at Mercy could not be discounted: If anyone could see through their deception, it would be him.
Vai remembered hearing of Howell’s victory at the Battle of Mercy: Peter had never been so furious, and he had vented his rage like he always did. She had grown so used to the schedule of Peter’s abuses that she’d almost stopped blaming him: the fool can’t even control himself, she thought. It was Howell’s antics on the battlefield that had pushed him over the edge, and for that she could not forgive him. The dread in her gut persisted while everyone around her was remarkably calm in comparison. One evening, Asher hugged her from behind, concerned about her mood.
“Vai, you seem more concerned than ever…” He kissed her neck, gently holding her.
“I think we’re underestimating Howell… Your plan is good, but I’m not convinced it’s good enough for Howell not to see through it,” said Vai.
“If he figures out that we’re digging beneath him? The plan will work because it’s not something any commander has ever done.” Asher spun Vai around and kissed her comfortingly.
“I wish I could be as certain as you…” said Vai.
Asher hugged Vai, gently running his fingers through her hair. Yamamoto underestimated me, and General Nobunaga underestimated Asher… Underestimation is a fatal error, isn’t it?
For weeks, Vai’s apprehension never wavered. All she did was wait around the tent, fearing every moment. The diggers made tremendous progress, apparently reaching ground just beneath the wall. Greater numbers of men took part in the underground operations, quickly removing the dirt they dug, handing it off to the forces above ground, several wagons at a time. The plan is almost complete, she realized, tenser than ever. She stepped outside, looking beyond the fully constructed and idle siege tower at the Habwaken ramparts: the movement was still as sparse as ever. Is that a bad sign?
When Asher heard the update on the developments beneath ground, he was giddy with a child-like excitement that Vai had never seen on him. He ordered a War Council meeting to take place right away.
Asher, Vai, Lord Gorman, Archard, and Colonel Schafer sat around the table, reexamining Archard’s map of Habwaken. For minutes they argued about where specifically they were to emerge. “Closer to the gate! They need to get those gates open right away!” Schafer argued. “No. It’s too vulnerable, and Howell will have too many men inside waiting to pounce on an army coming up from underground. They should emerge from farther in, behind a collection of buildings, where they are less likely to be seen,” Lord Gorman countered.
“If the men can emerge in a secluded spot, then they can start a fire inside, which will distract Howell’s forces. Then they’ll slip past the gates undetected, open them, and then our forces will pour in,” said Vai.
“Definitely, but it would take our best men. It’s a risky operation, and anything less than the best will likely fail,” said Archard.
“So, a distraction is in order, but is a fire inside the right choice? What if we burn down the entire city? If we can order our armies above ground to storm the walls, it would force Howell to deploy all his men to initiate a worthy defense. The forces will be too preoccupied with our main force to pay attention to a small contingent of men running to a gate,” said Asher.
“How many of our men would die?” Vai questioned.
Asher looked at Vai, surprised by her disagreement. The other officers looked at the two of them as they almost glared at each other, the tension almost tangible.
“How many of our men have already died? I already lost half of my army to Howell. Don’t think I don’t know the stakes,” Asher retorted, a small bite to his voice.
“Storming the walls of Habwaken now would kill most of our men. Why not avoid those deaths when there’s an alternative?” Vai fired back.
“Your Majesties!” Lord Archard shot up from his chair, mildly startling everyone. “We are at the pivotal moment of this war. The only way we can see ourselves through it successfully is by keeping our heads clear. Now, you both have feasible ideas about it.” Archard turned to look at Vai. “A fire inside the walls would certainly distract the men inside, but fire is unpredictable. It could be put out too soon to be a worthy distraction, or it could spiral out of control and destroy the city.” He turned to Asher. “Storming the walls with our entire army would certainly guarantee the attention of every soldier inside the walls, but Habwaken’s defenses are likely better than we know. We’d be lucky if anyone survived at all.”
The Darkness of Dawn Page 56
