Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 231: Explaining the way

As the week passed , the air around Arduronaven had transformed. Where there was once open land, now stood four well-organized camps surrounding the fortified city, each positioned to lock down one side of Arduronaven, forming a complete blockade. Tents were set in orderly rows, with barriers and defensive ditches encircling each camp . Soldiers, numbering around 2,200 in total, had worked tirelessly alongside various laborers brought by Egil, under the direction of Alpheo's engineers to secure their positions, carving trenches and reinforcing embankments, each camp becoming its own miniature fortress.

Around the camps, fires burned steadily as the soldiers settled into a rhythm of watch rotations, readying themselves for the siege ahead.

At last, five days after the works started the onagers arrived—a full complement of ten, soon brought into the southern camp where more than half of Alpheo's "White Army" was stationed. The engineers worked swiftly, securing the machines on sturdy, level ground just within range of the city walls. Once in place, the siege engines stood ready, their massive arms and loaded slings like poised fists preparing to hammer Arduronaven into submission.

Alpheo wasted no time. As soon as the onagers were positioned, he ordered a relentless bombardment, eager to announce their arrival with force. At dawn, the first stones were loosed, flying through the air with a deadly whistle before crashing into the city walls with resounding impacts. Each hit sent a shudder through the stones of the city's defenses and stirred dust into the air. The onagers kept a steady pace, hurling stone after stone until the morning light gave way to the heat of midday. Then, with during the afternoon they stopped in order to bring more projectiles , before resuming late into evening ,when everyone inside the city was asleep@@novelbin@@

 The defenders, under this continuous barrage, found no respite. Even in the darkest hours, the constant echo of stone smashing against their walls kept them from rest, fraying their nerves and leaving them tense, sleep-deprived, and worn.