Chapter 6: Chapter 6 – Siege

"What's your plan for our tax policies?" Zarek asked the other advisors in the room.

Eliza sat at her desk, her quill flying across the parchment as she finished compiling a report on the proposed tax rates and sectors. After long discussions with the other advisors, she knew that the nobles would be resistant to such changes, but with the rebellion being quashed in their favor, she knew she had the leverage to push these laws through. She was determined to bring about much-needed reforms in the kingdom, even if it meant facing opposition from those in power.

"Please look at this," She replied.

Zarek skimmed over the papers quickly with the help of Alexa, his eyes scanning the lines of numbers and words with incredible speed. "This is a good start," he said, a hint of approval in his voice. "But we'll need to make some adjustments to make it more viable. I'll work on it later."

"Would everyone like to know a secret?" He asked.

After a brief pause, they nodded.

"I told you I was a traveler, but I actually come from a distant land with technologies far more advanced than yours," He replied, pressing a button on the computer. As he did so, several holographic displays emerged from the screen, encircling the circular table with information about the rebels' whereabouts, their plans to invade, and the current situation after he had captured their leader.

"This is incredible," one of the advisors whispered, her eyes wide with amazement as she reached out to touch one of the holographic displays. "I've never seen anything like this before."

The others nodded in agreement, their expressions a mixture of awe and disbelief as they took in the extent of Zarek's advanced technology. "I can't believe it," another advisor said, shaking his head in amazement. "With technology like this, there's no limit to what we could achieve."

"I want you all to document this information. I want a record of all people, places, and events within the kingdom from now on. I'll hire some historians to create a more formal version in the future, but if you need any assistance, don't hesitate to ask Alexa for help."

"Alexa?" Eliza furrowed her brow. She had never heard of someone like that before.

[I am here.]

She jumped in surprise at the noise. The strange box from which the holograms emerged could talk?

"Yes, Alexa is an advanced artificial intelligence that I've designed to make my work easier," Zarek explained, "She can handle a variety of tasks, from sorting through data to answering questions. Just tell her what you need and she'll take care of it."

Although Eliza was unfamiliar with many of the words coming from his mouth, she was captivated by this mysterious device, which seemed more advanced than any magical artifact she had encountered in her lifetime. While it was clearly not designed for combat or exploration, it seemed ideal for surveillance and collecting information.

"Alright, fantastic," Zarek replied, a sly smile crossing his face. "I'll leave you all to it. Just remember, any question you ask the computer, I will be able to see. So try to keep it PG, okay?"

"What is PG?"

"Just keep it straightforward," he responded before leaving. "No strange or inappropriate questions."

*****

Zarek stood in front of the full-length mirror, admiring the sleek black armor he had selected for the day. It was the perfect outfit for a conqueror, he thought to himself with a grin. "I mean, if I'm going to engage in this whole 'war against the rebellion' thing, I might as well look good doing it, right?" he said aloud, striking a pose. He knew that if he was going to make an impact, he needed to look intimidating - not only to scare his enemies but to make sure the other kingdoms took notice of his power. This was the first step in his plan for global domination, and he was determined to make a grand entrance.

After securing most of their outposts on the outer borders of the cities that the rebels had taken over in the past several days, it was now time for the Fioren kingdom's forces to divide and conquer. Their first target: Teravil, the closest city.

Zarek knew that he could defeat the enemy forces on his own, but he wanted to make sure his name was known across the land. That's why he had instructed the Queen to announce their upcoming siege. With the help of mercenaries and the adventurers guild, their fighting forces had significantly increased in size over the past few days. Maya had even convinced some of the nobles' forces to join in the battle for the kingdom. Zarek had also promised that anyone who aided in the war, regardless of their social status, would be rewarded with either money or plots of land for their contributions.

As Zarek approached the barracks, he found Maya waiting for him, her face set in determination.

"Are we ready to go?" he asked.

"Our battalion is ready and waiting for your orders," she replied, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"What's the situation with Teravil?"

"It's an inner city, so it has strong defenses," Maya explained. "But our scouts have identified a weak point that we can use to infiltrate the city and take down the gates. It's the perfect opportunity for a pincer maneuver."

"Do we have trebuchets?"

"We have our mages armed with mana crystals to launch fireballs on the city."

"But no trebuchets?"

"We have one or two, but they are far less efficient than utilizing our skilled mages."

"Where are these mages located in our kingdom?"

"They are based in the City of Wyrd."

"Fascinating," Zarek replied, "I'll have to make sure to visit there later."

As the battalion prepared to depart, the townspeople who had gathered to see them off erupted into cheers and applause as they marched out of the capital, their spirits high for the upcoming battles. Maya had a simple plan in mind: to bring down the city walls from the rear and wreak havoc within. Aaron had even contributed an explosive charge he had sparely crafted from the parts of a drone he had manifested just a few days prior.

After a thirty-minute journey, they arrived at a camp that had been set up with several tents surrounding the area. This makeshift base would serve as their headquarters for the upcoming siege of the city. They had brought along mages to construct protective barriers around the camp, as well as cooks, medics, and all the necessary supplies to mount a formidable defensive line outside Teravil's walls.

"They set up pretty fast," Zarek remarked, "It's only been a week since the last siege."

"The mages are highly skilled in their use of magic," Maya replied.

"Why didn't we deploy them before?" Zarek asked.

"Although we have a city specialized in magecraft, they are an independent entity, unconstrained by the rules of the kingdom. While we collect their taxes and they provide us with much magical assistance, they have struck a deal with the King to not get involved in territorial wars."

"So how did we convince them to join us this time?"

"A rebellion is a different matter. Their city will soon be under attack, and Eliza was able to persuade them to join us because of our capture of the leader of the rebels, and because you will lead the charge."

"Me?" Zarek asked, surprised.

"Your skill has already gained recognition across the other cities. They call you the hero of Fioren," Maya explained.

"I see," Zarek said, surprised at how quickly information had spread. "Well, I'll have to make sure not to disappoint them then. Has the second team set up their pincer attack?"

"They should be all set up by now," Maya replied. "The sun is still high, so we're a bit early for today."

"How are we able to communicate with the other group?" Zarek asked.

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"Telepathy," Maya explained. "They have a mage in their group."

"Why doesn't the mage use a fireball to open the gates?"

"The incantation time to create a fireball big enough to breach the city walls is quite long. They would most likely be noticed before they could conjure one large enough to blow a hole in the wall."

"So our plan is to use our mages to break open the front wall as soon as the second team sieges the rear?" Zarek asked.

"You catch on quick," Maya nodded.

"Did you come up with this plan?"

"I did," she replied.

"Not a bad one," Zarek said.

As Zarek approached the camp, he was spotted by a nearby mage, who was dressed in commanding, regal attire. The mage was tall, with light gray hair that stood out among his other features. His eyes were mismatched, one blue and one red, and his face was stern. He looked to be around his late twenties. Despite this, his face lit up slightly as he approached Zarek, who remained on guard.

"I don't think we've met before," Cyrius said, his eyes studying Zarek carefully. "I'm Cyrius."

"Zarek," he replied, his voice laced with caution.

"I've heard a lot about you," Cyrius continued, his eyes flickering towards Zarek's sidearm. "They say you took out an entire rebel camp all by yourself."

Zarek raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. "That's just an exaggeration. My guards must have spread that rumor."

"Even so, your battle tactics have impressed your allies," Cyrius said, a hint of admiration in his voice. "It's not every day that I come across someone with such a reputation as a warrior."

"What about you?" Zarek asked, his interest piqued. "I'm sure you've made a name for yourself as well."

Cyrius shook his head, a rueful smile crossing his face. "Not much excitement comes my way, unfortunately. As the commander of the Arcane Tower, most of the problems mages face are internal rather than against other kingdoms. You are welcome to visit anytime, however. Perhaps you could have an affinity for magecraft?"

"How does one go about learning magecraft?" Zarek asked, intrigued by the idea of harnessing magical powers.

"First, you'll need to find a spirit to bind to your body and circulate your mana circuits," Cyrius explained. "There are many different spirits to choose from, so it's important to take the time to find one that resonates with you. And that's just the beginning – there's much more to learn about magecraft than I can explain in a short conversation. If you're serious about learning, I'd be happy to show you more in-depth."

A mage approached them, bringing news of their current plans.

"Looks like the incantation is almost ready," Cyrius said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "I can show you a bit of how mages work their magic."

"Sounds good to me," Zarek replied, his interest piqued.

"The magic circle allows us to tap into the primal magic within ourselves and shape it into something more manageable," Cyrius explained. "The spirits that dwell within us take our raw magic and transform it into a stable form that we can channel through the circle. Without a spirit, attempting to draw magic from within our bodies would be lethal."

"So the spirits act as a kind of safeguard to prevent us from killing ourselves with our own magic," Zarek deduced.

"Exactly," Cyrius nodded. "Most mages rely on their spirits to help refine and control their mana. Only the most skilled and experienced mages can wield magic without a spirit to assist them. And even then, spirits can enhance certain aspects of mana, alter its properties, and provide conditions that can further increase the power of magic."

As Aaron approached the front lines, his eyes were drawn to a small stone tower that seemed to have been hastily built. It was clear that the mages had constructed it only the day before, and its rough, rudimentary appearance indicated their lack of experience in stonemasonry. However, the large glowing circle underneath the tower caught Aaron's attention – it was clear that this was some sort of magical conduit, through which the mages were channeling their spell. A number of mages were standing around the circle, their hands outstretched as they poured their magic into it, while one lone mage stood atop the tower, poised and ready to unleash the spell at any moment.

"Who have we identified as the occupants of the city?" Zarek inquired, his eyes narrowed in interest.

"It's Israr the Bold," Cyrius nodded, snapping his fingers as a parchment of paper materialized in his hand. "He's a mercenary turned commander with ties to Ironar. I heard they fought in the Battle of Comidor together, and then went their separate ways. But it's possible that Ironar promised Israr a city if the rebellion had succeeded."

"What can you tell me about Israr the Bold?" Zarek asked.

"He's a formidable warrior with a reputation for being ruthless in battle," Cyrius replied. "Various kingdoms have hired him as a mercenary, and he can be bought for the right price. However, he's also known for being a man of his word. So if Ironar made a promise to him, he'll do everything in his power to see it through."

"I see..." Zarek pondered. 

As Zarek continued to watch the mages at work, the magic circle changed several colors before finally settling on blue. Several minutes had passed as the preparations were completed. "It looks like everyone is ready," Cyrius replied, his eyes flickering with excitement. "We can begin the siege of the city as soon as you give the signal to sound the horn for battle."

Zarek nodded and swung up onto a nearby horse, while Maya stood beside him, her armor gleaming in the evening light. After giving the signal for everyone to group up and get ready, Maya nodded to the war banner scout and he blew into the horn. The sound echoed through the camp, signaling the start of the attack. "For Fioren!" Maya yelled triumphantly, her sword held high above her head as she led the charge into the fray.

As the battle commenced, a small explosion sounded from the other side of the city. Then, their camp was filled with intense heat as the fireball that the mages had channeled grew larger and larger. The heat was so intense that it felt like the air was going to catch fire at any moment. The mages were sweating profusely as they struggled to maintain control over the powerful magic they had conjured. The air was filled with the sound of crackling and popping as the fireball grew in size and intensity, casting a bright glow over the entire camp.

Boom!

As the mage released the massive fireball, it struck the city walls with devastating force, sending waves of heat and energy rippling through the air. Despite being built to withstand magical attacks, the walls were no match for the sheer power of the fireball, and they cracked and crumbled under the impact. The fireball did enough damage to break open the drawbridge, which was the main entry point into the city. With the drawbridge now open, the attackers had a clear path to storm into the city and wreak havoc. 

Zarek and Maya rode through the city streets, the hooves of their horses pounding against the cobblestones as they charged toward their target. Zarek's hand was a blur as he drew his Hyperion Sidearm and flipped it into a semi-automatic mode, ready to take on any rebels that dared to stand in their way.

They had to be careful not to harm any civilians, but fortunately, Alexa was there to assist them.

The drone he had summoned was flying high overhead, providing them with a bird's eye view of the city and allowing Zarek to keep track of the exact numbers of rebels and civilians in the area. With this intel at their fingertips, they were ready to take down their enemies and restore order to the city.

As they approached the city hall, which was their target, Zarek could see that it was laboriously guarded by a group of heavily armed rebels. He signaled to Maya, and she knew exactly what he wanted. She was to prevent anyone from entering the city hall besides Zarek himself. With a nod, Maya began taking out the rebels with her sword, disabling them one by one. Zarek, meanwhile, ascended the steps of the city hall, his Hyperion Sidearm at the ready. His drone was already showing him that the rebel commander was trying to make a break for it, but Zarek wasn't about to let him escape.

"Alexa, go into sniper mode," Zarek ordered.

[Got it.]

"Take out one of his legs, but make sure he lives," Zarek continued.

With a precision shot, Alexa punctured the rebel leader's leg, causing him to collapse to the ground. In only a few moments, Zarek approached the wounded man, his sidearm trained on him. The rebel leader struggled to move, limping away as Zarek's steps approached him. His face was filled with fear, as he had no idea where the attack had come from. He was completely caught off guard and couldn't react in time to defend himself.

"Filthy scum," He spat, his voice dripping with disgust. "You have no honor as a leader."

"Yeah, yeah," Zarek said with a sigh, switching his sidearm into taser mode. "Now, just take a good long nap."

With a well-aimed shot, Zarek sent a jolt of electricity through the rebel leader's body, causing him to slump unconscious to the ground with a satisfying thud. "City recaptured!" Zarek declared, pumping his fist in the air. "Score!"

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