“Now, that’s quite an interesting contraption the organics brought,” Exarchi remarked as he studied the trebuchets through the video feeds. From afar, he could already tell that the siege machine was simpler than a catapult, but better in a lot of ways.

Of course, there were similar designs in the works back at Mount Varangia, but if the drones could get a trebuchet from the undead, it would speed research tremendously. Finding new weapons and innovations was something of a priority to Custodian and its forces as the A.I. wasn’t meant for extensive military research development, no matter how smart it was.

“But how would the humans respond to this?” Exarchi pondered as he looked down upon the defenders.

Several mages had gathered at the courtyard in a circle, though whatever they were trying to attempt was obviously not working. A frustrated Agrianos asked, “What’s going on? We need to hit the undead first before they do!”

“Your Lordship,” one of the mages answered with a nervous cough, “the presence of mana is too thin. We can’t conjure a strong enough spell to hit the trebuchets.”

Worried, Agrianos looked back onto the ramparts, then towards the three great towers. “We’ve no time to lose! Get back on the ramparts and try to slow down the stones!”

After a full day’s non-stop work, the undead had managed to create three trebuchets, with more coming in the way once they find the materials for them. If they need to, they could just sacrifice their undead brethren and use them as substitute material. The trebuchets loaded their ammunition and launched as soon as they were ready.

The human mages attempted to slow, or even stop, the stones mid-air but it was proving to be much more difficult than anticipated. Groups of humans combined their powers, yet they were only able to create a weak barrier.

“It’s coming! Brace for impact!” one of the head mages warned loudly.

The humans jumped and hit the dirt, expecting the fort’s wall to shatter. Yet, after a quick ‘thump’, nothing happened.

The liches almost thought their eyes had finally failed and ordered the trebuchets to let loose another volley. The result remained the same, and the walls stood defiantly as if it looked down upon the puny rocks thrown against it.

“The mortals! They defy us with magic!” a lich cursed.

“Impossible! The barrier they created was too weak to stop the full impact of the volleys! Surely, the walls would’ve at least received some damage.”

“Keep launching! Even the sturdiest walls would fall eventually!”

Amidst the ongoing fight for control over the battlefield, the undead ceaselessly operated the trebuchets and even made new ones to bolster their numbers. Yet, the effects seemed… miniscule.

Other than the damage done upon the defenders, the fort walls looked almost as good as new! It was like trying to throw mud balls at a marble wall!

“You imbeciles! What kind of stones are you loading?! You nobles can’t even get siegecraft right?!” At last, some liches over the Clergy’s side lashed out at the Nobility’s lack of progress.

“Perhaps your brain has long since entered The Endless Heavens, but the stones were provided by the witless minions of the Clergy!”

The divide between the Clergy and Nobility were clear as the clergy wore clean and whole gray robes while the nobles all looked decrepit and ancient. However, between them stood Brother Farold.

“Silence! The Church will not tolerate a defeat due to the internal squabbling between you petty manchildren!” Farold commanded, and both sides immediately backed down. It was hard enough to control normal, mortal lords, but to control ancient necromantic beings of power was on another level. “Strategoi, please, I implore you to send your men to the front.”

“This is unorthodox! The Clergy’s force hasn’t reached the walls and you think we will fare any better?” a nobleman complained. “While it only takes an hour for a horde of mindless animals to be raised, it takes decades for us to make a handful of retainers!”

“Cowards!”

“Show your backbone, faithless dogs!”

“No courage, no piety!”

“Enough!” Farold held his hand up high, silencing the squabbling liches. “You will be appropriately compensated, lords and ladies. The loss of an army or two is nothing when compared to losing an entire region to the heathens.”

“Brother Farold, forgive my rudeness, but wouldn’t it be wiser to simply wait for the Weapon?” a noble lich asked to which his fellows agreed in conjunction. “Reports indicate that they shall arrive in a week.”

Farold went silent, pondering for a solution when a horseman and a handful of nobles approached him. “Lord Tanne?” he called out.

The ancient lich held his own throat as if air was leaking through it. Despite the thin veil covering his dried-out face, Farold could still make out a confident smile. After a hiss, Tanne offered, “My forces shall-... volunteer to take the front.”

Tanne’s armored zombies marched up behind him and held their weapons in a salute; spears pointed proudly towards the air and oval shields covered their bodies. The noblemen following Tanne didn’t look as enthusiastic, but were still determined.

Farold bowed his head low. “My lord, I am thankful for your courage. I shall note your heroism to the Pontiff.”

“It is-... of no consequence on my part. I need no-... reward.” Tanne didn’t even wait for Farold’s reply as he rode forward with his army. Some other minor nobles joined Tanne, perhaps out of selfishness or bravery. Soon, a quarter of the Nobility’s undead moved to the front.

Between the small gaps in the ocean of skeletons and zombies, battering rams were pushed forward. Their sides were protected by undead soldiers in ‘turtle’ formations which protected them from the feeble hail of arrows and stones. Once they were close to the castle walls, the mages tried to fling the undead upwards, but their effects were so weak that most of the armored undead were barely affected at all.

As the undead climbed over their fallen brethren, their formations were torn apart as Exarchi’s ballistas wreaked havoc without warning. Within minutes, the battering rams became part of the wrecked landscape. The undead infantry, on the other hand, scattered and led the mindless horde towards the walls. The humans responded with volley after volley of javelins, tearing even the most armored undead down.

These weren’t enough to stop the dead, of course. But what did stop them was the layers of minefields placed in front of the castle. Thunderous rage turned the lifeless corpse-men into cinders and ash. Waves of undead tossed themselves into the meat grinder as day turned into night, but the minefield was almost as limitless as the Church's horde.

When it was clear that they were about to be wiped out, Tanne and his army pulled out. By the end of the third day since the nobles began their attack, Tanne’s forces went from thousands to just mere dozens. Tanne and his entourage came back to the safety of his siege line, battered and broken. Both sides of the Church couldn’t help but feel pity for his group.

“Look at Lord Tanne’s sacrifice! If only more nobles were like him, but nay! They are all cowards!”

“Tanne’s army was wiped out! Do you think we are as insane to do the same?!”

“We don’t know what kind of devilry the humans have hidden up their sleeves! We mustn’t act until the Weapon arrives!”

Amidst the arguing, Tanne approached Farold and fell off his horse. He knelt against the ground and said, “Brother Farold. I have failed… I must apologize deeply…”

“Lord Tanne, arise. You have done your part.”

“If-... your Holiness would permit. We-... need to replenish our numbers…” Tanne struggled to talk between bouts of coughs.

“Very well. I will allow you and your men to be excused from the siege. No honor or glory is lost upon you all. I shall note this to the Pontiff.”

“Your Holiness is very merciful,” Tanne thanked before leaving with his men. The noblemen that joined Tanne but weren’t part of his entourage also scattered like grain in the wind.

As the castle disappeared from their sight, Tanne’s men sighed. They had not felt exhausted for a very long time, but the same goes for relief.

“My lord, will this plan of yours really work?” a lich asked. “This has cost us dearly, and if you’re wrong, we will never be able to recover from this.”

“You dare question Lord Tanne?” Tanne’s twin bodyguards hissed simultaneously, but Tanne silenced them with the wave of his hand.

“We shall see if-... our gamble pays off. If it does-... it will pay us back tremendously.” Tanne laughed with confidence smeared all over his tone.