Chapter 9 - The Siege of Aurelion
Three days later, the horizon to the north darkened with the marching columns of Vorn’s mercenary army. Thousands of heavily armored warriors poured over the hills, siege engines creaking under the weight of massive boulders, while dark banners fluttered in the biting wind.
Inside the high walls of Aurelion, the bells rang out—not in celebration this time, but in a solemn, urgent call to arms.
King Aldric stood upon the massive stone battlements alongside Queen Helena and Elara, looking down at the sea of steel gathering below. At the front of the enemy horde rode Selene, mounted on a massive warhorse, clad in crude leather armor with a dark iron circlet lashed crudely to her brow.
"Sister!" Selene’s amplified voice echoed magically across the valley, sharp and filled with venom. "Open your gates and crawl into the dirt where you belong! You cannot hold this fortress against the wrath of the north!"
Elara stepped forward onto the parapet, her ivory gown catching the wind. Beside her, the Astraea let out a piercing, melodic cry that echoed across the entire battlefield, silencing the jeering mercenaries.
"You fight for vengeance, Selene!" Elara called out, her voice carrying effortlessly across the expanse. "You burn for a crown that never belonged to you! But Aurelion is not built on stone or steel—it is built on the hearts of its people, and they will never bow to a tyrant!"
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"Charge!" Selene screamed, dropping her arm in a fury.
The earth trembled as thousands of mercenaries surged forward, battering rams slamming against the outer gates, while scaling ladders rose against the ancient stone walls.
