266 SNEAK ATTACK !!!!
Lady Dassa didn't answer immediately.
Her eyes remained fixed on the flares, her lips moving silently as she translated the message. Finally, she turned to him, her expression unreadable.
"The north gates," she said. "They've been breached. My operatives have done their part. It's time to move."
The General's eyes widened. "The north gates? That path takes us through the ruins—through the demons' gates of Heaven's Cage. You can't be serious."
"Yes, that route is dangerous," another commander added.
Dassa's gaze hardened. "The demons' gates were destroyed long ago. There's nothing left but rubble and ash. The path is clear."
Eoshomon shook his head, his voice rising. "You don't understand. Those ruins are cursed. Even if the gates are gone, the darkness there—it lingers. My men won't march into that place willingly."
Dassa stepped closer, her presence commanding. "Your men will march where I tell them, "She said, her voice cold and unyielding.
"This is our only chance to take the city. If we delay, the enemy might fight back against our agents and reinforce the gates, and all our good work will have been for nothing," she added.
The General clenched his fists, his mind racing. He wanted to argue, to demand more time, more information—but he knew it was futile.
"Fine," he said at last, his voice tight. "We'll move on your order. But if anything goes wrong—if my men are lost because of this—I'll hold you responsible."
Lady Dassa's lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "Noted, General. Now, ready your troops. We march at dawn."
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The armies of Koresh marched steadily across the vast plains of Heaven's Cage, their banners fluttering in the breeze as they approached the fractured remnants of the gate.
Beyond it lay Sodom City, a prize ripe for conquest.
"The city gates are open!" a scout reported breathlessly, his words carrying an urgency that ignited murmurs of anticipation among the troops.
"Excellent. Charge into the city!" General Eoshomon bellowed, his voice cutting through the din as he raised his sword high.
Suddenly, a captain stepped forward, his voice edged with concern. "Sir, we haven't prepared siege machines or shields. Without them, our soldiers will be exposed to the city's defenses."
General Eoshomon remained unfazed. "The city's forces have already been neutralized by our agents. There will be no resistance. We move swiftly and lightly—our priority is to seize the gates before the enemy has a chance to regroup."
The captain hesitated but nodded. The logic was sound.
With their orders clear, the soldiers tightened their formations and began their march toward Sodom City, their footsteps quick and determined.
Lady Dassa watched from a distance, a faint smile playing on her lips. Everything was going as planned—or so it seemed.
The Koresh army advanced swiftly, its focus on speed rather than defense. Confidence surged through their ranks. Reports had confirmed the city's defenses had been sabotaged from within; the gates would remain open, welcoming them into the city for an uncontested victory.
But just as the soldiers reached within a few feet of the entrance, the unthinkable happened.
"Rooonnggg"
With a deafening groan, the gates slammed shut, trapping the vanguard within the killing zone. From atop the walls, arrows rained down, merciless and unrelenting, cutting down the unsuspecting soldiers closest to the gate.
"What in hell is going on?" Dassa hissed, her composure slipping as she turned toward Eoshomon.
"Weren't your operatives supposed to secure the gates?" the general demanded, his tone tinged with both anger and panic.
"Yes!" Dassa snapped. "That's the report I received. The gates were supposed to be ours."
As if in mockery of their confusion, another volley of arrows descended, followed by bursts of searing flames and destructive magic. Sodom's defenders were far from disorganized or weakened, they unleashed their full might against the advancing Koresh forces.
"Argghhh," the soldiers screamed.
The army had come unprepared for a full-scale siege. Without heavy shields or siege equipment, the soldiers scrambled in disarray, trying to evade the relentless assault from above.
What should have been an effortless victory had turned into a slaughter.
"This is impossible," Eoshomon muttered, clutching his sword tightly. "Lady Dassa, you promised this city would be defenseless. What now, what is happening?"
Dassa's face darkened as she fought to suppress her growing unease.
"Something is wrong," she murmured, half to herself.
"The Deghad and Toledo families were supposed to neutralize the governor's forces. My shadow minions confirmed their loyalty. They should have opened the gate or at least ensured it stayed open," she added.
The weight of her failed plan pressed heavily upon her.
Lady Dassa orchestrated the infiltration of Sodom City with an evil plan. Her shadow minions secured the support of the Deghad and Toledo families, sowing discord among the city's elite.
The plan was simple: chaos would erupt in the city, the populace would riot, and the governor's forces forced to suppress them.
In the end, the governor's forces would diminish and falter, and the gates would be captured by the Deghad family or remain unguarded, allowing the Koresh army to march unopposed.
But none of it had gone according to plan. Her shadow minions had yet to return, and now the gates were closed, the defenders stronger than ever.
Something went very wrong.
"Where are the Deghad and Toledo's armies? Did they fail their missions?" General Eoshomon asked worriedly.
While they were undecided on the next course of action, more soldiers fell to the attacks from the city walls. The defenders were unexpectedly ready for the invasion and without siege equipment, it was futile to continue charging into the city.
"General," Dassa said through gritted teeth, "fall back. We need to regroup. This fight is not over."
General Eoshomon hesitated for a moment but finally nodded. "Retreat!" he called out, his voice strained but commanding.
As the Koresh army began its reluctant withdrawal under a storm of arrows and flames, Dassa's mind raced. This was no mere failure of communication.
Somewhere in Sodom, her carefully laid plans had been undone, and the consequences would reverberate far beyond this battlefield.
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