flstandardbreds Chapter 415: Shrinking
Chapter 415: Shrinking
The humid sea breeze, carrying a salty smell, blew suddenly on John's face, and he had to hold down his cloak that was fluttering in the wind.
The telescope in my hand gradually focused through the sea fog, and what came into view was an increasingly clear sea horizon.
On the distant beach, the Kusha warships were constantly firing cannonballs at the fort, and even John could hear the cannon fire from a distance. However, the small boats full of Kusha soldiers were quietly approaching the beach.
"I was wondering why there were so few Kushan ships attacking the East Port. It turned out to be a feint attack."
John adjusted the telescope slightly and locked his sights on a huge warship.
"When the island's troops are all focused on the east and west ports, Galixiga will send the main fleet to land at the North Fort. Once his Kusha army successfully captures the North Fort, his army can invade from the north without interference, and the various forts and fortresses on the island will have to hold on to their own, making it difficult to form an effective defense."
John gradually realized that the twenty-odd guns on the North Battery were not enough to resist the bombardment of the Kusha Fleet at sea. At this moment, the most urgent problem facing him was how to rescue the soldiers in the battery and Chief Hashim.
The island's garrison was mainly divided into three parts: the troops led by John, the troops stationed in the former city of Acre by Reynard, and the soldiers from the Murcia region led by Chief Hashim. However, once Chief Hashim was killed or captured, the Murcia soldiers who lost their commander would inevitably fall into chaos.
Worse still, due to the language barrier, they could not effectively coordinate with John or Reynald's armies, because besides them, Reynald and John were the only ones on the island who spoke Kushan, and the soldiers of Murcia would certainly prefer local leaders to pagans like them.
John turned around and scanned the troops behind him. In addition to the knights who gathered at the East Port to harvest the Kusha soldiers, there were also soldiers he had gathered from various fortresses along the way. In total, there were only about a thousand people.
"Knights!"
He shouted loudly, his voice echoing in the air.
"Disperse the Kusha soldiers near the east and west sides of the fort, and the rest of you follow me to the south gate of the fort!"
As soon as the words fell, the knights rushed towards the distant artillery position like wild horses.
As the knights approached, they also noticed the Kushan soldiers trying to remove the barricades. The fort was under heavy bombardment from the Kushans at sea. The walls of the fort were constantly shaking, and the smoke and dust caused by the impact of the shells were filled with gravel and wood chips. The soldiers inside were unable to fight back and could only helplessly aim and shoot at the incoming enemies with their crossbows. The sporadic arrows were like weak starlight, unable to stop the enemy from charging towards the fort.
The knights galloped from behind the Kushan soldiers like a storm, the sound of horse hooves was like thunder, the panting of war horses was mixed with war cries, they held their lances tightly and aimed at the unsuspecting enemies.
The lance flashed with a cold luster in the sun, and pierced the back of a Kusha soldier accurately. The soldier didn't even have time to react before he let out a scream of pain, and blood gushed out like a fountain, spilling on the stirrup of the warhorse.
The Kusha soldiers who managed to escape the charge also did not escape their fate. The knights in the rear swung their swords, the flashing sword light cut through the air, and with each swing, a Kusha soldier was cut down in fear, blood splattered, accompanied by screams, and it turned into a harvest.
As the Kusha soldiers on both sides of the fort were quickly cleared out, the infantrymen raised their shields and lined up neatly on both sides of the fort, away from the beach, ready to welcome the landing of the Kusha soldiers at any time.
John led the team across the deep trench from the south side and came to the south side of the fort. Although the shells hit the north wall, John also felt the vibration of the fort and the smell of gunpowder and smoke in the air.
After verifying his identity, the gate was immediately opened by the soldiers inside. John stepped into the fort, and was greeted by a dark space with a few glimmers of light.
Sunlight shone through several gaps above, illuminating the surroundings. Some of the wounded leaning against the wall were groaning, while others were resting with their eyes closed, seemingly unable to fight again, their pale faces revealing endless pain and despair.
His eyes wandered over the north wall and he found that the cracks there had gradually widened, as if fear was spreading relentlessly and it seemed like it could collapse at any time.
At this moment, John saw a figure walking towards him. John squinted his eyes and took a closer look. It was Chief Hashim. At this moment, the chief's face was covered with thick dust, his eyes were full of bloodshot, and he looked dazed. He was no longer as majestic as before, like a farmer who had experienced hardships.
"Lord John, you are finally here!"
Chief Hashim said excitedly, with a tremor in his voice.
"There are too many Kusha warships on the opposite side. After a few rounds of bombardment, more than half of the few artillery pieces on our fort were destroyed. Only a few artillery pieces are still usable."
His voice revealed endless anxiety, like a wild beast trapped in a desperate situation. Occasionally he lowered his head to look at the sweat oozing from his forehead, his face full of fatigue.
John's heart tightened. He wanted to say something to comfort her, but the current situation did not allow any hesitation. He took a deep breath and said directly:
"The Kushans have many cannons on their ships. Soon, the entire fort may become a ruin. Now quickly evacuate all the wounded and supplies in the fort, and make plans later."
At this moment, the fort suddenly shook, and the entire space seemed to be trembling. For a moment, before everyone could react, they saw the structure above the fort collapse with a loud bang, and huge rocks and soil pressed straight down, like a sudden disaster.
"Protect your lord!"
The knights reacted quickly, raising their shields without hesitation to protect John. But he was instantly crushed to the ground by the knights, and it was difficult for him to breathe. Then, sand and small stones fell and hit his face, as if the whole world was collapsing like raindrops.
As the thick smoke and dust cleared, John desperately pushed away the knights who were pressing on him, and he was extremely shocked. If the knights hadn't protected him from the blow just now, he would have been buried in the ruins.
He struggled to open his eyes, and was greeted by the sun above. However, when he looked around, he saw a mess, dust and devastation all around, as if the entire fort was destroyed by the impact just now.
"Help~"
Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard Chief Hashim's desperate cry for help. John was shocked and immediately followed the sound without thinking. After a few steps, he found Chief Hashim in a pile of rocks. He was half buried under the rocks, with wounds all over his face and hands.
"Hurry up and save people!"
John shouted as the knights and soldiers who rushed up from below searched among the ruins for survivors.
At this moment, a soldier rushed up from below, covered in dust, his voice hoarse and nervous:
"Sir, the Kushans are coming!"
John's heart suddenly tightened, and he quickly put down the chieftain who had just been dragged out, ran to the north side of the fort, and looked through the narrow gap. In his field of vision, the Kusha warships that had originally exposed the side artillery fire turned their bows and rushed towards the beach. The Kusha ships that were docked were constantly jumping off the Kusha soldiers.
The officers of Kusha learned from the previous lesson and first formed a battle line on the spot and then launched a charge towards the artillery position.
"It's too late. Take the wounded and the supplies that can be carried away and leave."
As John was speaking, he turned around and prepared to leave the fort. Suddenly, his eyes swept across Chief Hashim leaning against the ruins in the distance, and he immediately walked towards him and helped him up.
But Hashim shook his head and said weakly:
"I feel like I'm floating all over. I'm afraid I'm not far from seeing God."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
John put Hashim on his back, turned around and continued running towards the exit of the fort. He said as he ran:
"You are going to die. Who will lead your men? And don't you have to take you and your brothers home?"
At this time, the Kusha soldiers on the east and west sides of the fort formed neat formations and launched a fierce charge towards the enemy troops on both sides. However, the explosions of muskets and the rain of arrows from crossbows instantly tore through the sound field. Under the attack of lead bullets and arrows, the Kusha soldiers hurried their steps and became corpses on the road of charge.
John quickly placed Hashim on the carriage at the back. After all the carriages were loaded with the wounded and supplies and left, John immediately shouted loudly:
"The whole army retreats!"
The soldiers who received the order moved swiftly, fighting and retreating at the same time. Finally, the sounds on the battlefield gradually died down, and all that was left in Galilee was a ruin filled with the corpses of Kushan soldiers.