BXBX NOVEL Chapter 309 308: Planning A Siege
Jahi PoV
Our mages hastily set up the fortifications around the camp, Anput leading the way as large pillars of earth erupted from the ground, creating a solid wall between us and them.
Situated on a hill hundreds of feet away was the city of Goron, the first major city on our path towards conquering the Western Kingdoms.
Tragon was down to the south, hugging the border of the Labyrinthian, while Romagi was to the north.
Nestled in between the two Kingdoms was the third Kingdom; the Kingdom of Slyak, which is where Goron was located.
Slyak\'s capital was a few dozen miles Westwards, and that was where we would regroup after taking both Tragon and Romagi; at least, that was the current plan, which all depended on the quality of troops found inside Goron.
Either way, Goron was our beachhead for this Crusade, and it was the obvious choice as well.
Hopefully that meant that they sent some worthy foes to man those walls, otherwise... this would be an easy, boring Crusade.
Goron\'s positioning was impeccable, since the city itself was on a large hill that was surrounded by two separate mountains that protected its western flank, while its eastern side was protected by three different rings of stone walls.
The first ring was built around the farms for the city, which were tilled into the steep hills.
The second ring had a taller wall, and the normal populace lived inside that second ring, protected by two giant walls.
Lastly, the third ring had the largest, thickest wall, as it protected the palace and nobility, who hunkered down behind their normal citizens and trained guards.
Clicking my tongue at the thought, I turned and entered the command tent with Leone, where Adelina was setting up her war table.
Glancing at me briefly, Adelina chuckled wryly as she said "Begum Sera is quite handy with her Earth Magic huh? I recall watching her set up that tower you all used before and wondering why I couldn\'t have a mage like her on my side..."
Nodding, I smirked as I leaned against the table, looking over the map and markers as I said "She sells herself short too; claims she\'s just \'adequate\' with her magics. As for not having her on your side, well... we both know why we stuck to ourselves."
The Lioness flinched slightly at that, her hand going towards her side as she gently caressed the area she had been stabbed.
Everyone was inside the tent, so Nirinia flinched as well as she watched Adelina stroke her phantom wound, while Luna and Bess - the Wolfkin and Minotaurkin respectively - grimaced at the reminder that the twins, who they considered close comrades, had betrayed them.
Mom and Lady Sker simply stared at the map, their eyes flickering around as they took in what Adelina was doing, nodding or frowning at each move.
"Well, at least this time I have access to three capable assets. Anyways, just... give me a moment. I\'ll explain this in a minute."
Nodding, I moved to stand beside Nirinia, who was at the back of the tent, her jade eyes dull as she glanced at Adelina.
"Y\'know, you couldn\'t be anymore obvious with your puppy dog eyes and constant glances. Hate to break it to you, but women are rather sensitive to those things."
My whisper made Nirinia flinch, before she let out a melancholic sigh as she smiled at me.
"I... I know. I\'ve... been around the block a few times, so to speak. It\'s just... this is new to me, being the one doing the chasing. Usually they swoon for me instantly; status, looks, and charm make most fall instantly, but..."
Smirking at her, I gestured towards the Commander, who was furrowing her brow as she slid a large chip around the map, her golden eyes filled with a deep concentration as she planned out the siege.
"That isn\'t a normal woman, Nirinia. You should know that better than I do. She\'s a warrior, a commander, and a true noble; compared to the women you used to collect for fun, she is in a whole different league..."
Sighing again, she nodded to me before approaching the table, noticing that Adelina was finished planning everything out.
Joining her, I scanned the map before following Adelina\'s finger as she tapped the map.
"Goron is here, and these three rings are the three walls of the city. Now, these three bars are the three different groups I want to split the Legion into.
This first bar is the breaching group: Lady Sker, Nirinia, and a contingent of both high powered mages and healers will join you, alongside the Third Cohort, who specialize in tower shield formations.
The purpose of this group is to charge towards the gates and get them open for the rest of us, nothing else. Move as a cohesive unit and get us into the next ring.
This second bar is the clearing group: Marquess, Lady Jahi, myself and the First, Second, and Fourth Cohorts - alongside a majority of the healers - will clear out each ring before moving to the next ring, where we repeat our subjugation of Goron until it is under our control.
Finally, this third bar is the occupation group: All the remaining Cohorts will sweep through the rings once the clearing group has progressed further, clearing out any remnants before leaving behind squads to occupy areas of importance.
The Sixth and Seventh Cohorts will be joined by the remaining mages to claim the walls, where they can provide a birds eye view of the city while also using their bows and magics to decimate any hiding forces.
Now, from what we know of Goron, they have a few hidden exits inside the mountains, which should lead out into the plains off to the west; as such, the Eleventh and Twelfth Cohorts will spread out to capture any people of interest that hope to escape.
The rings inside the city have multiple gates, but we\'ll be making a straight rush to the heart of the city, drawing most of the enemies ire towards the breaching group. Lady Sker, I trust that you can make decisions based on the fluidity of the moments presented to you; just remember to move forwards and occupy the next main gate and wait for the clearing group to join you before pushing forwards."
Everyone at the table nodded as they looked down at the map, and Adelina smiled softly as she looked around the table.
"Lady Jahi, Marquess; if both of you would form a squad of your own and take the north and south sides of the city, that would be much appreciated."
Glancing at Mom, I nodded as I said "I just need two more people, right? I can grab a healer and a mage to round out my group?", which made Mom nod back.
A smile rose to my lips as I got up from the table, only to sigh as Mom said "You can\'t take Kolia, brat. She\'ll head the mages that join Sker."
Raising a hand, I waved back at her as I muttered "Fine, fine..." before heading out, going towards the mage contingent first to pick out the first member of my own squad.