Rumbling thunder strikes piped behind the cloudy atmosphere that cast a misty shadow all over the land of Gurliva as thousands of her archers crouched on the topmost path of its wall with torch arrows nooked and ready for command. A deep brave baritone voice echoed from the walls into the distant fields;
"Brothers, once again, the beast has come. He has come to snatch our land from us with his armies of doom. I know we all are still grieving. I know our eyes still haven't dried from such a sorrowful reality, the passing away of our beloved father. He never failed to regard us as his sons. Even before he gassed out his last breath on his sickbed, he regarded us as his sons. We could cry our eyes out for him. We could weep for such a great loss for eternity, but still reality remains, he's gone and there's nothing we can do to bring him back. He's gone, and as his sons it is our duty to defend his legacy. Yes, brothers, it is our duty and we can either fight with courage as he would want us to, or allow this beast to pluck out our eyes and feed them to his vultures.
The archers listened, their grips tightening on their bows. Beyond the kingdom walls, the intruder armies halted - large fleets of armies comprising armored giants, knighted fearsome horsemen and eager foot-soldiers.
"Be courageous my beloved brothers and stand with me. Don't let their numbers trouble you. We have defeated them in battles before. We will defeat them again" The archers commander said as he moved with a hastened pace while checking on his soldiers. The thunder strikes had dwindled, and likewise a long bellowing horn sound stopped beyond the kingdom walls. Warhorses neighed.
"Take a look at these great walls. The noble lives there, the knights, and the buildings. Magnificent, isn't it? Now, I offered them water, but they asked for fire. I offered them food, but they demanded for stones. I offered them peace, but they want restlessness. Worst, I offered them a chance to live, but they begged for death. Their total annihilation! All for what? Their ego. They see themselves as immortals, as if they could cheat death itself. I'm that which they try to cheat. And today, it's the day of their reckoning. Today I will put an end to their madness by crumbling this kingdom to the dust until they beg for mercy and swear fealty to me." A deep male voice as dark as sinister roared. Beside the speaker, a young lad on a horse just like him. As the voice turned toward the Gurliva's gate, it revealed the face of the Northern Lands, Emperor, Arle Craig. He was wholly armored except he didn't have a helmet on.
"Ciruks, pull down the damn gate"
"And send their souls to Hades till the kingdom is mine" Arle Craig roared. Four of his giants left the fleets and rallied trebuchets to Gurliva's gate. They drew the triggers and it hit the wild gate heavily with very huge steel edges. As they were on it, the spot they stood suddenly opened and took all four of them along with their trebuchets in then closed. The young lad took it personal, and he bent from his horse toward Arle Craig and whispered into his ear.
"Bring Buxon" The young lad demanded from the fleet of armies. Drumming followed with shouts of Buxon from the armies as Ciruks rallied out a very huge trebuchet that has a vulture edge.
"What in the good gods name is that?" An archer muttered.
"Courage brother. Be courageous. Don't lose yourself, but be prepared for whatever that thing is. Every arrow that goes out from your bow will be why that thing won't matter"
"Archers, on my command"
"Hold!" The archers commander charged his men.
"Free the vultures out" The young lad ordered and vultures were released from their cages. They flew upward at first with terrifying sounds, and then turned toward the Gurliva's walls while the Ciruks began rallying the trebuchet to the wild gate.
"Hold fast!" The archers commander ordered from the top of the kingdom walls as he walked about touching some of the archers in a courageous manner.
"Hold fast!"
"Release arrows!"
"Release arrows!" He shouted and the archers released their arrows on the vultures as they approached the walls. The arrows caught many of them, and they fell.
"Loose arrows!"
"Loose arrows!"
Repeatedly, the arrows flew so high and caught the vultures. The archers had a setback as they failed to reset their arrows on time and some of the vultures got into the kingdom walls. The vultures began ravaging whatever was on their paths. On the other hand, the giants had managed to reach the wild gate. As they triggered the trebuchets, they released heavy hits on the gate that caused the walls and ground to shake.
"Ciruks, it seems like your brothers will need a little help. Go and help them in bringing the gate down, for it's your day to feast on human flesh. Make it a nice meal." The young lad said to the giants that stood beside him, and then he turned back to face the fleets signaling only the foot-soldiers out.
"And to you all, foot-soldiers show them how menacing you can be. March forth!"
The foot-soldiers roared as they marched toward Gurliva's gate. With the giants ahead of them, they slowly rallied extra trebuchets and ravagers towards Gurliva.
"Don't let them get close to our walls"
"Aim for the trolls. Kill the trolls"
"Kill the fucking trolls"
"Bring them down"
"Soldier, go tell the knights commander of the Kings watch, the gate is almost breached by trolls. He should seal the second gate immediately"
He swung his sword to defend the soldier from a ferocious vulture that nearly caught him with its mouth. Then another came from behind and he quickly went down with his sword straight at its chest.
"Hurry lad. Don't stand there and watch"
On his knees, he screamed at the soldier who just stood there in shock watching him struggle with the vulture that tried catching his face with its claws. His scream brought the soldier from his shock and he awkwardly ran to the exit door from the top wall, while the vultures crashed against the walls on his path. Some archers quickly reacted by setting them ablaze with their arrows. Finally stood up on his feet.
"Archers, fire at will"
There was a sporadic spray of arrows into the air that blunt out the cloud and fell upon the foot-soldiers and the giants. The foot-soldiers shield themselves but thousands were killed, likewise the giants.
Sadly, Gurliva's gate has been partially destroyed. Inside the kingdom, in front of the wild gate stood thousands of knights battle ready.
"Many of you here stood with me the last time we faced this enemy. No matter what comes through that gate, you must stand your ground" The Lord commander said, and the wild gate has been torn down. The giants roared beastly as they burst into the kingdom clattering their weapons. Inhabitants began screaming as they fled for safety, except for the knights.
"Defend yourself! Defend yourself!"
The knights on the front row were the first to feel the giants wrath as they swung their arms smashing them to bits.
"Fight!"
"Fight!"
"Defend yourself"
The knights started fighting back trying to force the giants back, but many of them had already entered the kingdom. Also, foot-soldiers started entering the kingdom while the vultures engaged the archers on the top of the kingdom walls.
"Move, boy!"
The archers commander said as he kicked an archer out of the reach of a vulture claws, unsheathed his sword and thrust it toward the vulture's chest which pierced so deep. The vulture screamed aggressively. The archers commander moved backward, while the vulture flew upward then came down on him, and tried to grab him but missed. He swung his sword at it in reaction and missed, but a misfired arrow directed it pierced the vulture on one of its wings. The vulture roared before picking the shooter with its mouth, reaped him apart. The archers commander was kicked towards a wall, and he landed badly with his back. Women and children swallowed the atmosphere with their cry as they fled for their life. The knights under the command of their Lord commander had retracted back from the fury of the giants.
"Knights regroup"
"Regroup. Regroup"
"Death comes for all but in moments like this, one only dies if he chooses to. The choice is yours. May the good gods cause you to make a good choice"
"We fight back on my command. Let's send these beasts into the abyss"
The Lord commander charged his knights and they aggressively engaged the giants. Steels crinkled, metals crashed, fists collided with armors, painful screams, triumphant roars and pitiable grunting filled the air.