City Under Siege: Part 3a – Barbarians at the Gate

A battered, bloody member of the watched rushed towards Beldin, collapsing into his arms.

“We are under attack!” He coughed. “The barbarians are at Drac’s gate. We closed the gate in time, but they must have planted soldiers within the city.” He spat up blood. “They surprised us! Commander Stern…” he wheezed, “cannot hold out for long. That gate must remain closed. Please, help us…”

The man let out a long, rattling cough and died.

Beldin gently laid the man down on the ground and stumped towards Drac’s gate.

The scene at the gate was bloody. Two wounded Guardsmen stood amidst their comrades’ dead bodies and attempted to defend the inside of the gate from ten attackers. They were doing their best to keep themselves between the barbarians and the mechanisms that would raise the portcullis and open the wooden gates, but they would not last much longer on their own.

One of the Guardsmen went down as Beldin reached the gate.

“Keep that gate closed!” shouted Commander Stern, the lone guardsmen left. He blocked an axe swing with his shield.

One barbarian began churning the winch to open the gates. more