Powder fantasy ch 1

The company stood in disciplined ranks waiting for the order to move out into the greater city area. They were moving out to the outer wall that surrounded the tower of guard. Once a wide opens expanse it was now filled with the various forms of everyday life in all its various forms. It was no longer done with much pageantry, and some question why there was a guard posted on the outer wall at all but some lessons would never be unlearned. Not the armored phalanx of old but liked of old but imposing none the less with uniforms bushed, silver buttons and boots shined, and there fire locks burnished. Since the route was most likely going to be crammed with people it would be a shame to disappoint the people with a shabby marching by of the troops.

Officers cantered into position on ithere war horses, drew there sabers and waitied as the company’s commander took position at the head of the Formation. Orders given. Snap of heels and the rattle of kit as firelocks are shouldered. The March to the outer walls began.

Calvary outriders on there large war horses road ahead of the formation. Clearing the route of pedestrians. The marching soldiers looking only at the man in front of them. A long straight stretch. Courtyard walls on either side. The Calvary men didn’t take notice of several large miss colored spots in the wall. The soldiers kept to discipline eyes straight ahead and minds on their destination.

The company commander sauntered on at the head of the formation. Looking to either side of the road. All clear. Then not. A hard pull on the rains. His horse tearing up. A man was standing where he had just looked. Robed in black and grey the seemed in bothered by the Formation or the rearing horse.

‘You there,’ the office exclaimed. ‘Get out of the way’

Behind him the soldiers had come to a stop.

‘Glory to the dark lord!’ Screamed the dark robed man.

Explosions ripped through the air. One After another. The space between the walls became filled with smoke and flying metal. It cut into the column of men, shredding rank after rank.

The sound of explosions was replaced by screams of the wounded. The Captain fought to maintain control of his mount. Spinning around to see almost none of his men still standing as the smoke slowly started to clear from the road way.

***

He sat behind his desk looking over the many sheets of paper the littered its top. All of them the monotonous every day tedium of a peace time army. This all not withstanding instead of going over them the general was staring out the window. It had been explosions that he heard. He was sure of if.

“Hendrick!” He called for his orderly. The man walked in quickly. “Find out whats going on out there.”

Fires had broken out around the western side of the city. The sounds of unrest could be heard. From the upper battlements palls of smoke started to rise into the sky.

“Lock the gates.” The captain of the citadel watch said firmly. The topic had been being discussed or close to ten minutes and was turning into to much of a debate. “I will take the responsibility, but you will lock the gate to all.”

“Captain, it is the king-“

“I am the watch commander, I say lock it!” The rage building behind his voice pushed the other man the rest of the way. With a nod the command was carried out. The citadel levels of the city were sealed off. Wall gun ran from the armory into there mounting positions loaded with the mini small balls that made the canister shot, while the many ceremonial guards held there positions around the white tree others in the common woolen uniforms came filing out of the barracks firelocks in hand filling in places along the walls.

The attack on the walls relief force was only a start. Explosions had blossomed all over the expanse of the city between the walls. Some meant to maim and kill others to only cause fires, the poorer community homes build out of clap bored and timber still.

At the docks men in the tops of rigging watched the columns of smoke rising from around the city. Most had families in the main part of the city and conversation flew between the ships mored at the dock. Most were merchants of some sort but several were vessels of the navy, most of the time these would have lookouts even though they were in port. These were distracted by the chaos in the city. They didn’t notice the ships in the river that took up a new corse when the smoke came into view. Two running against the tide toward the city on the river. Another two entering the waters come into dock. Not an unusual thing. Then long pieces of cloth that had been painted to look like wooden sides fell away. Gun ports opened and the large mouths of guns pulled out.

On boded the frigate “Mal-ons bloom” the lookout in the top saw the two ships bearing down on them. As he screamed a warning to the deck the gun boats broadsides opened up. The Bloom was thrown into confusion the watch officer doing his best to try and get anything manned with part of the crew on shore as well as the captain. The two gun boats raked up and down the docks until there was no chance of getting any of the river guard force out. Then passed out of the dock and up river. The panic on the decks of the merchant mirrored on the once disciplined navel with the few officers on bored doing what they can while runners sprinted into the city for the captains.

Arsonists dressed in the same manor were scene all over the pandemonium that the fires and bombs caused making it seem like an army of them besieged the city. The staff general that had sent his aid didn’t remain behind for long. Taking only time to throw his pistol and sword on he went pounding out of his office. Calling for his horse.

“Rouse every man not on watch and lets get to the city.” He said as he pulled himself into the saddle. “The will need buckets more then firelocks so let them come however but they need to come now!”

Putting spurs into his horse he galloped down to the main gate of the citadel. Around him men ran towards gate running towards the fires.

“Buckets man buckets! We need to start getting water to these fires!” The gate stood open as streams of people ran toward the defenses in fear. He pulled the reins hard his horse rearing back. Calming it he spurred back through the towering gate house.

“Drop the portcullis,” by some miracle of discipline the gate guards had remained at there post. It ended with that order though as they looked up at the rider

“Excuse me?”

“Close the damned thing do it now,”the officer yelled at the men.

“But the people?“

“You have a greater responsibility to-“ he was cut off by the sound screaming. He turned in time to see a black robed figure. He looked to be aiming a fire lock at the general. The general swore trying to bring his horse around. He imagined that he could feel the air moving off the ball as it cane past and struck the wall just behind him. Throwing himself out of the saddle and toward the gate guards. Standing the general kicked the mechanisms holding up the portcullis. Simple locks for such an occasion. The chain rattled and sparked as the gate came slamming down. People doing there best to get in before it closed. The black robed person now trapped inside brought another pistol to bear, it was his end. Many of the troops in the yard had armed themselves and drawn shot and powder. The first shot had brought attention to the man. So before he could fire he jerked left and right as .75 caliber balls smacked into him. He crumpled into a heap.

The general looked around him. Men were visibly torn looking at the closed gate. Most of there families were out in the sprawl. If there was any doubt in his mind though about what this was the dead man in Black would have dispelled it.

Inside the citadel keep the guard captain lowered the looking glass from his eye. The ships mored on the river, the navel ones were flying signals. At nearly four miles away it was to far

for him to make out anything but something at the river ports didn’t look right.

“Sir, we are getting word that the great gate has been closed,”

“On who’s order,”

The captain of the citadels eyes went wide, while it had been the question he was going to ask it had not come from his mouth. He turned to see the King of the Reunited Kingdom, striding up to him.

“What is going on, why wasn’t I sent for!?”

“We do not yet know what is going on m’lord, it sounded like cannons then the fires spread. I have already secured the area of the citadel. I was told you were not to be disturbed.”

The king swept past him to look out into the walled lands of the Pellanor. His mouth fell open. The fires had continued to spread and another explosion ripped into the air as he watched. It almost seemed like a siege.

“And something else is happened on the great river lord,”

***

The ships that had effectively gridlocked the river port at Harlond continued to glide up the river joined by several others they sailed into the rebuilt city of Osgiliath, while not built to be the capital again it had become a hub of manufacturing and trading for the reunited kingdom.

Shipping was so common that this group of craft drew no notice. It being far enough away from Harlond dock that they there were no witnesses. Still nothing when the ships let fly an ensign from antiquity, a lidless red eye on black. Or when ports opened and guns were run out. Though it can be assumed the people of the city. Noticed what happened next.

While most cannon were destined to throw balls of metal, meant to smash everything in its path. As the first of the guns roared out its voice into the still morning air a new ball came out. A shell so to speak. Something that had yet to be screen, the shells exploded as they landed. Sending out fire and shrapnel. While cannon fired to either side, wide mouth mortars launched shells deep into the city.

On the quarterdeck of the lead ship it’s master scanned the deck. He watched as his men, chosen privateers, worked their guns and mortars. A Grimm smile came across his face. It was to easy. These soft people would learn. Learn that the darkness that they told there runts tales before bed was much more than just a story.

The bombardment went on there was nothing around that could fire back at the ships. Then with the ringing of the ships bell the guns went quite. Men climbed into the rigging of the ships. Sails were let loos and set. The corsairs sales filled and they moved out of the city. Leaving fire and destruction in there wake.

He would pay for this. Of that he had no doubt. If not in this life then in the other. On the other side of the closed gates people could be heard screaming. The fires had still been spreading. The only sad vindication of his decision was several explosions in the press of people seeking help in the tower of guard. The faces of the troops and citizens around him made him worry about the possibility that the instigators were not only on the other side of the Great Wall. He yelled for his aid.

“Ring the damned bell!”

The damned bell in question was the signal for a general stand to arms on all the ramparts of the castle. All non essentials were required and directed to homes and shelters that had there own force of guard. The pealing started and as it was taken up by others any doubt that this was anything less then a full assault was blown away on the rings echo.

Those that had just been watching ran to station picking up weapons, powder and shot. Those citizens that still lived in the citadels walls ran to their homes. Staying out of the way of the controlled chaos of the stand to.

The ringing only confirmed the word that the guard captain had just told him. The King stood looking out at the sprawl as it burned. This was unprecedented, his mind groped for answers to questions he wasn’t even sure of yet. How, why, who...who, and how would he make them pay for this.

“Gods give us strength.” The citadel Captain was looking through his glass and seeing the pillars of smoke coming from the area of “ the city of stars” it was hard to tell completely since the smoke of the sprawl was flowing heavy into the air.

The brigs that had been ambushed finally began to work there way up the anduin towards Osgilieth. Along with set sail sweep ors went out the commanders wanted to make up as as much time as possible. The men pulled with all the hate that had come with being ambushed in there home port. The thunder of the guns that had echos from the city had ceased. Pillars of smoke curled from all over the city. They would have had no way of defending themselves from the onslaught. As they came into the city shocked looked froze on the faces of the crew. The ships that attacked had plied there trade well. Fire and death was all around. The sides of the great river were popular spots on the nice temperate days. The had been turned into scenes of horror with rifle ball and swivel guns. Screams, constant screams reached out to the brigs of war.

It wasn’t clear what stopped the fire in the spral If maybe the frantic work of the people and soldiers had brought it to heel. Or it had simply tired of its task of destruction. The general looked out at it. The chared smell still hanging in the air. The people that had massed at the great gate dispersed after the signs of arsonists and bombers in the packed masses. Marksmen has done what they could from the wall top. Though having witnessed the crowd tear one of them apart when they found him he wasn’t sure if the rifle fire had been necessary or not.

Soon he would be called to task he knew. For locking the people out when they sought shelter in there time of need. His duty though was to preserve the citadel and the King. He had done that.

“Your orders sir”,

“Ready everyone not needed to keep safe the wall. We are going out. They will be armed. Weapons will be loaded. Load the cannons on the wall.”, the generals said not looking away from the charred remains of the sprawl.

Later the general swung back into his saddle. All the soldiers that could be spared from the main wall stood in a disciplined column behind weapons shouldered, bayonets gleaming in the fire light as darkness began to approach. He still hadn’t heard from the citadel and this option was all that he could think to do.

Looking over at the gate house he gave a sharp nod and the sound of groans and chains began as the gate began to pull back open. More guards pushed out of the opening yelling for people to get back and making a semi circle around the gate. No one else would be admitted yet. The gate opened just wide enough for the force to leave and with a hand motion, they set off into the burnt sprawl.