The Fireseed Wars

IV

Verkan resisted the urge to be the first through the jagged fissure that split the walls. Instead he signaled for his dragoons to move forward. The pike-men with their shorter half-pikes and halberds moved at a trot until they reached the fallen rubble and large stones from the wall's face. The defenders had created a barricade of fallen stones, rubble, broken furniture and several overturned wagons about fifty paces behind the breach. As soon as the Hostigi advanced beyond the gap, they began shooting crossbows, calivers and ancient arquebuses. Several of the dragoons were hit and the rest fell back.

After reordering the dragoons, Verkan ordered the Sharpshooters to advance through the defile. The First Company of Sharpshooters, carried as their banner a white skull on a red field, showing a black spot at the center of the temple, over two crossed rifles. The riflemen were accompanied by their shield bearers. Verkan advanced with them and when the shields, with firing holes, were seated he ordered them to fire. A volley rang out and any of the defenders who weren't hidden behind the wall of rubble were killed or wounded. After another volley, Verkan gave the order to fire as targets of opportunity presented themselves.

The Grefftscharri were hunkered down and pinned to their position and it was time to move forward. Verkan called up the pikemen and halberdiers, who moved ahead and began to flank the impromptu barrier. With the Sharpshooters keeping the Greffans behind their barricade, potshots from behind the gap quickly ceased. If nothing else, Greffa's defenders had learned to respect the Hostigi riflemen, especially the First Company of Sharpshooters.

Captain Kostran rode up on his big bay gelding. "Orders, sir?"

"Kalvan's orders are to secure the Greffan Treasury. I'll clear the gap and hold this position while you take about five squadrons of horse to the Great Square."

"What if I'm attacked?"

"Leave a squadron behind to deal with it. Your primary target will be the Treasury building. I expect, as soon as word spreads about the breach, that you won't be alone. Don't stop to take prisoners. I don't want any delays. Nor do I want anyone else to get their hands on that gold. There should still be at least a company of the King's Companions as a guard. So I don't expect the looters will have gotten far. When you get there, kill them all. The Companions consider surrender worse than death, so don't dishonor them."

"Aye aye, sir. Anything else?"

"Once the Treasury is secured, send a squadron or two over to the Palace and arrest all the government officials you can roundup. They'll be useful later, when we try to clean up this mess."

"Yes, sir," Kostran said, wheeling and riding his horse back to his command.

Unfortunately, Verkan was unable to ask for any advanced surveillance inside Greffa City, or other First Level help, without being observed by the Zarthani. He ordered his men to use horse teams and capstans to clear the rubble out of the fissure.

It took almost ten minutes before Verkan was able to order his command, about three thousand dismounted dragoons, through the cleared gap. The main group of surviving Greffan defenders, some fifteen hundred spearmen and crossbowmen, had regrouped behind the barricade. They charged just as the main force made their way through the breach.

The Sharpshooters and Mobile Force musketeers got one clean ragged volley off before the Greffans reached the front line of pikemen and halberdiers. A moment later the two lines were joined together in a melee and the handgunners had to hold their fire. He saw one Greffan arbalester fire his bolt and then use his crossbow as an improvised hatchet. A Hostigi foot soldier split his helmet and his skull with a massive strike of his halberd.

The Hostigi had the most troops, but the majority of them were stalled behind the gap. Verkan ordered the Sharpshooters to advance. His dragoons were taking casualties, but the Greffans were getting mauled by the veterans of Hostigos. The problem was that it was taking too long to get his men through the breach.

The problem was solved when Colonel Nathros rode up with one of the small six-pounders and its crew. They quickly unhooked the horse team, took the gun off its limber and turned it toward the Greffan soldiers.

When he had the gun loaded and primed, Nathros signaled Verkan.

Verkan had his bugler sound out "fall back."

For a moment, the Greffans milled in confusion as the Hostigi dragoons retired from the melee.

Nathros shouted, "Fire!," which was followed by a blast and a canister of grapeshot striking the Greffan's main body.

Two score of enemy soldiers went down in a writhing mass of blood and guts as the grapeshot tore through their ranks. While the disordered Greffan troops were trying to reform, several companies of Hostigi musketeers advanced adding their firepower to that of the Sharpshooters.

Suddenly, outnumbered and outgunned, it was a slaughter. The Hostigi reinforcements quickly overran the Greffans who turned and began to run, providing excellent targets. Less than a third were able to escape into the city streets. Verkan knew from past experience, that from here on it was a mopping-up exercise. Not that it couldn't get bloody; even a cornered rat could bite. But in this city of over a million there were very few rats left.