Four years later
The night was ablaze with fire even as arrows rained down all around. Despite the stiffness of the continued aerial defense, I could tell that the city was weakening in the face of our siege against it. Still, I held off from commencing the final assault.
The longer the fire had to work on the enemy's defenses, the weaker their defense against us would be. I was for anything that conserved the lives of the men under my command.
My hand rose to grasp at my armor encrusted chest. Beneath the armor lay the necklace that Susori had given me. It had been over five months since I had last seen her and my daughter Lavaya. Even now Susori was pregnant and would soon deliver what we both felt sure would be a son.
There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think of them or wish that I was with them. Once this city fell then I would be free to go to them.
The last of my obligations to the peoples of Ayenathurim would be complete, when this last city of the giants of Sapan fell. At least that's what I told myself. Without fail, some new crisis would rise to clamor for the attention of me and my men.
I didn't care. I'd been too long from my family. I was going to them no matter what.
It was time for this city to fall!
I turned from the glittering lights of the city on fire to mount up onto Phalon. Once in the saddle I drew my sword and pointed to the East, "Tell the King of Smirnaz to begin his assault on the city and we will do the same from here!"
The aide to the King saluted and galloped off into the night. Pointing again I yelled out, "Advance the ramps!"
At my command, large elongated ramps began to trundle out toward the battered walls of the city that had been under siege for close to four months. Tonight was the night it would finally fall.
Arrows rained down upon the siege ramps, but to no avail. Even though the arrows had rags soaked in a combination of oil and pitch and flamed brightly, the ramps did not catch fire. I had utilized an old trick to keep wood from burning. Although the smell almost made me regret using it, except for the fact that it was working.
The seven ponderous ramps were well saturated with sewage water. I wasn't quite sure of the science behind it, but the sewage waste was better at repelling flame than water alone.