Freydron had been staring at the walls of Yunkai for several tense moments.
It had not been long since the burning barrels, the signal for the last nudge, had been launched into the city.
Though he could not see beyond the walls, the visible commotion among the masters on the pyramids and the disarray among the archers and the masters stationed on the walls told him all he needed to know. Chaos had erupted inside the city, just as planned. The last Nudge was underway.
Whether the plan would ultimately succeed remained to be seen. Even though he was confident enough, a flicker of anxiety stirred in him as his eyes remained fixed on the gates.
Then he spotted it, a brief movement at the gate. The slight vibration when one tries to pull or push such a large gate. That was all the confirmation he needed. He no longer hesitated.
"Charge!" he roared, spurring his horse into motion.
Behind him, the cavalry regiment thundered forward. 2,500 soldiers surged toward Yunkai like a wave of steel and fury.
The archers on the walls had been disoriented, distracted by the fires and the confusion below. Many were helping the soldiers on the ground, while the masters who had been commanding them were now panicking, some already contemplating retreat to their manors.
Still, a volley of arrows was released toward the approaching cavalry. But the horses did not falter. Neither did the riders seated atop them.
Shields were raised, intercepting the arrows mid-flight. Only a couple of riders sustained shallow leg injuries. Nothing serious.
By the time Freydron lowered his shield after the first volley, a small gap had appeared in the city gates. From that narrow opening, he could see a fierce struggle underway. One side was pushing the gates open further, while the other was trying desperately to force them shut. A group of soldiers were engaged in an intense struggle as they tried to kill each other.
But the gap was wide enough for one determined horse to charge through.
Freydron was the first to cross the threshold. His spear immediately pierced the neck of a Yunkai soldier even before he had stepped inside the city.
The horse continued to move for some distance inside the city giving some space to the incoming horse before without hesitation, he leapt from his horse and plunged into the fray.
Though he had become a skilled horseman in recent months, he still preferred fighting on foot, especially with a spear. Ground combat suited him better.
One by one, more riders followed him through the gate. The battle, which had been slightly tilted in favour of the Yunkish just moments before, now began to turn. The common populace was making things even difficult for the Yunkish army. The arrival of Freydron and his men had been greeted by a very loud chorus and their energy and their courage had been boosted even further.
Freydron continued cutting down enemy soldiers as he rallied his men and reclaimed command. The gate fell into their control swiftly, and Astapori cavalry began pouring into the city en masse.
With the gate secured, Freydron immediately turned his focus to the walls. Many archers were still stationed there, some firing outward, others turning their attention inward.
"On the walls!" he shouted, charging toward the staircase leading up.
Controlling the walls was vital. Only then could the Astapori infantry march into the city without being cut down.
His soldiers followed without hesitation. Several were wounded by incoming arrows as they ascended the stairs, but none faltered.
Freydron himself took an arrow to the right shoulder, but it did not matter. He pressed on, undeterred.
Soon they reached the top and after a brief but fierce skirmish, the walls were theirs.
The masters had retreated under the cover of their army, and the army itself had pulled back with them, abandoning the walls entirely.
The gates were open. The walls secured.
Yunkai had been breached.
Freydron did not give chase to the fleeing Masters. Most likely, they would try to regroup and reorganize in one of the pyramids, but he was not worried. Once his men were fully inside the city, Yunkai would be theirs to take.
He also understood that the more time the Masters were given, the greater their fear would grow and the more of them would begin to lean toward surrender.
With their presence, the common folks would be more energised than over and a lot of bloodshed would be avoided if the masters were forced to surrender.
.
.
.
In Meereen, a similar scene was unfolding. Jon had been the one leading the charge, but he was not truly commanding the army. That responsibility had been left to Asmund. He was fighting as a warrior. Only as a warrior.
It had been only a few seconds since his horse crossed into the city, yet he had already beheaded over a dozen warriors.
Slyvia, riding beside him, was the only one keeping pace. She too had killed more than half a dozen men.
His presence, combined with how effortlessly the Meereenese army was being cut down, sent a wave of panic through enemy ranks.
Loud chants of "Lord Aeos!" echoed through the streets, raised by the common folk who were now more charged and emboldened than ever.
The lines of the Meereenese army had completely collapsed. And then, it happened.
Jon was about to behead another master when, suddenly, the man dropped to his knees. His sword fell from his hands.
"Lord Aeos," the master pleaded, voice trembling. "Mercy. I surrender."
Jon's sword halted just inches from the man's neck.
Mercy was granted. A Great Master had been spared.
And it was only the beginning. More and more soldiers and masters alike, began to drop their weapons and surrender.
By afternoon, Meereen was under their control. Many of the Great Masters had refused to surrender and it went without saying that all of them had been beheaded. Taking over a city, from afraid and panic stricken rulers, where the common folk had rebelled and when his own army was superior both in quantity and quality was an easy task.
Several others great masters had surrendered and were spared, but for now, they had all been placed in custody. Until order was fully established in the city, the masters would remain detained.
Amidst the roaring cheers of the smallfolk, Jon, soaked in the blood of those he had slain, appeared at the highest point in the city: the Great Pyramid.
His empire had finally expanded. He was no longer just the monarch of a single city.
He stood there overlooking, the massive crowd that gathered throughout the entire city. He could see the entirety of the city from this vantage point. Meeren, the new addition to his empire
[I do not know how much good, I have been able to describe the sequence of the events. Some may feel, that once the wall were breached, it ended very shortly. But I did not see that I could have made a lot of meaningful addition. It would have sounded repetitive with men clashing against men.
Although, there would be few things that would come in light in future chapters, this is all about the victory.]
[Are you wondering that the story will go into another slumber? No. The next 2 or 3 chapters are going to be more peak than this. What to expect? Dragons. And now, since, I have given spoilers about dragons, there are elements, new elements which will be introduced in the story. And dragons were not really spoilers.]
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