(The next day, Bernabeu)
Next day outside the Western Capital City Of Bernabeu, the WhiteSaber guild's decisive war for their future finally began.
Early in the morning, the guild's beast tamers ordered their load carrying pets to mobilize the siege machines, while the guild's mages and tanks protected the convoy from being hit from range.
Oxes, Donkeys and Horses were mobilized in large numbers, dragging the massive war machines like trebuchets and mortars ahead, as the DarkSky defenders watching from the city walls raised the alarms.
"The enemy is moving…. The enemy has made a move! Everyone get to your battle stations. Focus! Focus! Focus!" A DarkSky guild team captain shouted, as he prepared his team for war.
Following the order, the guild members scrambled to their positions atop the high stone walls, each armed with bows, crossbows, and staffs that glowed faintly with magical energy.
Archers within the group in particular, formed tight ranks, their group captains shouting orders to notch arrows and hold fire until the enemy came within range, while behind them, shield-bearers braced massive iron-reinforced barriers against the parapets, ready to deflect the inevitable onslaught.
Meanwhile, from the siege lines below, the beast tamers barked sharp commands, and their beasts of burden heaved with renewed vigor.
Trebuchets groaned as their armatures were loaded with boulders, while mortars were carefully aligned by teams of engineers sweating under their heavy armor.
"Turn it two more degrees to the left…"
"The wind speed is changing irregularly, put a 5% margin of error in your calculations…"
"Faster, Faster, Faster… This is just the first volley"
"You're not coiling the spring hard enough, Push! Push! Push! We need maximum range–"
Said the engineers as talked amongst one another, getting their war machines ready for action.
*HONKKK*
At that point, a distant sharp piercing horn cut through the morning haze—and the WhiteSaber army ground to a halt.
Silence followed, broken only by the creaking of wood and the distant rustle of wind over the battlefield, as the engineers made the final adjustments to their war machines.
"Fire!"
Then came the orders, carried down the ranks by messengers weaving through the crowd, as the trebuchets loomed into motion, their great arms pulled back and locked into place, as on the command of the guild master, the first volley was launched.
Massive stones sailed through the air with a low, guttural roar, arcing toward the city walls.
Watching the volley come, the DarkSky defenders shouted warnings as the projectiles closed the distance.
*BOOM*
A few of them hit against the wall, crashing against the fortifications with deafening force, as chunks of stone and dust rained down on those below, but the walls held firm... At Least for now.
"COUNTER FIRE!" A DarkSky captain said, as the defenders retaliated almost immediately.
Arrows and thunderbolts rained down from the walls and sky in a deadly barrage, their sharp whistling growing louder as they pierced the ranks below.
*KABOOOM*
*SHUA*
WhiteSaber's mages raised shimmering barriers of light to protect their forces, while healers scrambled to treat the wounded.
In response, the trebuchets and mortars fired again, joined by the crackling energy of offensive spells launched from WhiteSaber's battle-mages.
Overall, fiery explosions began to erupt in every square inch of the walls, forcing the DarkSky members to operate under maximum focus.
The siege was underway, and what had initially started as the measured movements of armies was rapidly descending into chaos.
The smell of smoke and burning wood mixed with the metallic tang of blood, signalled the beginning of a long, brutal battle, as the WhiteSaber army slowly but surely forged ahead.
********
(Meanwhile the Whitesaber guildmaster)
The WhiteSaber guild master observed the progress of his guild from the backlines, as he orchestrated the march ahead to the best of his abilities.
The plan today was not to push all the way in, unless the city wall crumbled, but just to keep the siege machines safe and damage the walls enough to hopefully break them in the coming days.
The guildmaster knew that the most important asset of the guild right now was not the expensive war machines, but the morale and manpower they had, which was why he prioritized saving lives over conserving ammunition.
He understood that if the guild lost too many people on the first day, the morale would plunge to unprecedented lows, which was why he had instructed all captain's to prioritise survival.
All guild members were given the freedom to fire as many arms and drink as many potions as they needed, ensuring that no one hesitated in the heat of battle.
"Keep fighting," he muttered under his breath as he observed the battlefield, as the eastern wall of Bernabeu, battered by constant volleys, began to show faint cracks, though it still held firm.
The WhiteSabers plan was simple, which was to not waste manpower until the city walls crumbled and they had a clear point of entry, as the guildmaster understood that trying to fight hard before that was just plain stupid.
With the enemy having the advantage of a walls protection and elevation, a reckless charge was bound to fail, which was why he remained patient.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the freedom to act as needed kept the WhiteSaber forces agile.
Archers launched arrow after arrow with no concern for reserves, while mages hurled fireballs and drank replenishing potions at a relentless pace.
Healers too worked in tandem, using their restorative spells and potions to ensure the frontline remained intact, as the guild focused on keeping their losses to a minimum.
Overall, the start of the war was pretty evenly matched with the Duke and DarkSky defending forces not losing much men and the city wall still holding.
While the WhiteSabers also did not lose too many men, while accomplishing their goal to somewhat weaken the city walls structure.
The momentum of this war now hung by a narrow thread, and it seemed like whichever side made the first breakthrough, would now control the momentum of this fight.