Post by jkk326 on Jul 27, 2017 12:41:44 GMT
I sat, lonely in a dark room lit only by a dim torch. The light danced with the shadows created off my now cold food, and sang it's red reflection in my cup of now cold tea. I watched the licking of the flames as my mind wondered through my thoughts and sifted the recent past.
Uniorh. It has sat in my brain since it happened, prominent in my thoughts like a prince in court. Yet again I find myself thinking back onto it, what was it that made it unable to leave my mind? Bragaoss added to House Burians forces for an assault on the town of Uniorh, this is what I can't stop thinking about, the sight of Damascus steel clad desert warriors joining rank with northern house levies. The sight of the militia just down the hill, it seemed only their leaders were finely armor with the rest dressed as one would expect with militia, padded or the rare chain armor. Even from this away I could feel the aura of fear, and the aura of defeat.
I can remember when the catapults started. The siege teams launching an explosive shot into town, the first shots may have been too short but the fear that the realization of what was coming was palpable to our enemy. I knew. My men knew it. They knew it. So when the catapults were readjusted and they started to connect with the buildings in town it was not a surprise that when the screams rang out, and it was not a surprise that our archers had opened into an exchanged hail of arrows, one to stop the catapults, one to defend them.
We had our orders to march in front of the catapults as they slowly advanced, the Bragaossi broad shields absorbed most of the arrow fire, but it wasn't too long before we had eliminated most of the enemy's ranged abilities, all that stood now were a frightened outnumbered militia. and when I led my men as a captain of Bragaoss and a Bragaossi elite toward the enemy. It was slaughter. During the first engagement we had mostly decimated the Uniorh's main force, pushing back their leader into a temporary withdraw to regroup. With only a few casualties we pushed into the town center. It was barely a fight if one could even give it that much credit. Their troops were equipped to a lesser standard, less trained, and demoralized. It was a continuing of earlier butchering. Even in their leader's attempt to rejoin the fight, he was put down with ease. I personally didn't see his final fall, nor the stroke that dealt it. For that much I am grateful his defeat won't further haunt my memories.
The men began to loot, I saw them drag out any valuable they could find, metals, diamonds, family swords, and fine bows. They slaughtered everyone who got in the way and put down the town's beasts and hounds without hesitation. It was only when one of the town's captains were discovered using a charm to hide from sight as she picked us off one by one. We were called to regroup and keep a tight formation in the town square. Even with her ability to remain invisible and strike unseen she could not stop the town's capture. Our presence forced the remaining defenders to abandon their posts and flee into the fields. We didn't pursue them, no we had grislier work than that. The men finished their looting and loaded it onto their beasts of labor. Filled carts, donkey, mule, and sack alike, then we were ordered to set the town ablaze. Not unlike this torch, the town went out and brightened the sky with it's morbid light. If any thought to try and hide in their homes, we did not hear their screams over the cracking of burning wood, and the roar of the fire itself.
It wasn't the killing that gave me pause, nor the looting of the town. It was the burning, the finality of fire over the wood gave me pause. If we had left the buildings standing, eventually someone if not the survivors would come back, they could rebuild from familiar homes. Now no one would be able to accurate describe the town that once was Uniorh, they will never have the buildings to refresh their memory, or to prove them wrong in their memories. That's why I remember that day.
Finally looking away from the torch, the only thing I desired was sleep to let my unconscious sort through what I can not in my right mind. It was too late for further thought, tomorrow would be a different day to remember.
Uniorh. It has sat in my brain since it happened, prominent in my thoughts like a prince in court. Yet again I find myself thinking back onto it, what was it that made it unable to leave my mind? Bragaoss added to House Burians forces for an assault on the town of Uniorh, this is what I can't stop thinking about, the sight of Damascus steel clad desert warriors joining rank with northern house levies. The sight of the militia just down the hill, it seemed only their leaders were finely armor with the rest dressed as one would expect with militia, padded or the rare chain armor. Even from this away I could feel the aura of fear, and the aura of defeat.
I can remember when the catapults started. The siege teams launching an explosive shot into town, the first shots may have been too short but the fear that the realization of what was coming was palpable to our enemy. I knew. My men knew it. They knew it. So when the catapults were readjusted and they started to connect with the buildings in town it was not a surprise that when the screams rang out, and it was not a surprise that our archers had opened into an exchanged hail of arrows, one to stop the catapults, one to defend them.
We had our orders to march in front of the catapults as they slowly advanced, the Bragaossi broad shields absorbed most of the arrow fire, but it wasn't too long before we had eliminated most of the enemy's ranged abilities, all that stood now were a frightened outnumbered militia. and when I led my men as a captain of Bragaoss and a Bragaossi elite toward the enemy. It was slaughter. During the first engagement we had mostly decimated the Uniorh's main force, pushing back their leader into a temporary withdraw to regroup. With only a few casualties we pushed into the town center. It was barely a fight if one could even give it that much credit. Their troops were equipped to a lesser standard, less trained, and demoralized. It was a continuing of earlier butchering. Even in their leader's attempt to rejoin the fight, he was put down with ease. I personally didn't see his final fall, nor the stroke that dealt it. For that much I am grateful his defeat won't further haunt my memories.
The men began to loot, I saw them drag out any valuable they could find, metals, diamonds, family swords, and fine bows. They slaughtered everyone who got in the way and put down the town's beasts and hounds without hesitation. It was only when one of the town's captains were discovered using a charm to hide from sight as she picked us off one by one. We were called to regroup and keep a tight formation in the town square. Even with her ability to remain invisible and strike unseen she could not stop the town's capture. Our presence forced the remaining defenders to abandon their posts and flee into the fields. We didn't pursue them, no we had grislier work than that. The men finished their looting and loaded it onto their beasts of labor. Filled carts, donkey, mule, and sack alike, then we were ordered to set the town ablaze. Not unlike this torch, the town went out and brightened the sky with it's morbid light. If any thought to try and hide in their homes, we did not hear their screams over the cracking of burning wood, and the roar of the fire itself.
It wasn't the killing that gave me pause, nor the looting of the town. It was the burning, the finality of fire over the wood gave me pause. If we had left the buildings standing, eventually someone if not the survivors would come back, they could rebuild from familiar homes. Now no one would be able to accurate describe the town that once was Uniorh, they will never have the buildings to refresh their memory, or to prove them wrong in their memories. That's why I remember that day.
Finally looking away from the torch, the only thing I desired was sleep to let my unconscious sort through what I can not in my right mind. It was too late for further thought, tomorrow would be a different day to remember.
