The Leper King's Healer

Chapter 59

When he returned, Al-Ashraf convened an urgent war council to strategize their next move. "I will take that fort in the same way I did with others," he replied, his certainty palpable in his voice. "Use the trebuchets to knock off the walls if it must. And tell my cavalry to encircle around and find a way to get through."

And with that, the Saracens launched an attack against the fortified walls. Their trebuchets, tremendous war machines, fired large flaming rocks from distance, seeking to penetrate their opponents' defences. Initially, some of the shots bounced harmlessly off the walls, but the trebuchet operators quickly identified their target.

As the enormous stones struck the susceptible upper parts of the walls, the battlefield fell silent. The crash resonated through the air, and numerous knights stationed atop the walls were immediately slaughtered, their lives wiped out in a single, horrible moment.

The fort's defenders were taken aback by the trebuchets' tremendous force and hurried to reorganise their defences. Arrows shot through the air, aiming to destroy the lethal machines that threatened their fortress.

The trebuchet continued to fire until the momentum began to rock the walls, similar to a hurricane blowing a tiny tree. The situation worsened when the Saracens began throwing incendiary objects at the fort, which detonated and destroyed granaries, tents, and knights as they hit.

These were enough to scare the knights into submission, so they fled and hid behind various covers. With the defenders temporarily neutralised, the Saracens began attacking the fort with shields and horses.

The knights began to scramble as The knights scrambled as Hell showered down and knocked them out. But King Baldwin, wielding a sword, urged them back to action. He then orders the knights to flee behind the walls, where they may fire the approaching Saracens with their crossbows. The latter returned fire with their own recurve bows, and the brief battle resulted in only minor deaths for both sides. However, the saracens were already getting close to scaling the walls.

The knights quickly unleashed their springals and fired incendiaries loaded with Greek fire at them. The Saracen shields, which were sufficient to block crossbow bolts, proved ineffective against the springalds. And the knights torched a large number of Saracens before returning them to their camps like wusses. The Muslims fled, and the knights cheered. However, Al-ashraf reacted by firing projectiles from his trebuchet, forcing the knights to retreat once more for cover.

Baldwin surveyed the imposing trebuchets that stood like silent sentinels, casting ominous shadows across the battlefield. The knights gathered around him, their faces etched with a mix of determination and uncertainty.

"Is there any way to take out those damn things?" Baldwin inquired, his eyes focused on the distant war machines that posed a significant threat to the city's defenses.

"Nothin' sire," one of his knights hastily replied, shifting nervously. "Our bows and springalds don't have the range to take it from afar."

Baldwin's gaze remained fixed on the trebuchets as he contemplated the situation. The rhythmic thuds of their projectiles hitting the city walls echoed in the air. His mind worked swiftly, assessing the options available.

"Well then," Baldwin said with a spark of confidence. "It seems the only way is to take it out up close."

His knights exchanged glances, absorbing the gravity of their king's words. Baldwin, undeterred by the daunting challenge, began formulating a plan. "We'll need a small, agile group. Fast horses and skilled riders. We ride and get close enough to disable those trebuchets."

The knights nodded, recognizing the audacity of the plan but also acknowledging the necessity of such a bold move. Baldwin's determination ignited a spark of courage among them.