Chapter 2: James and his Companions

            James awoke inside his hut, he sat up and stretched his arms, then he put on his gear and started walking out of his hut. James had built up a formidable army of roughly 76 men that ranged from highly trained soldiers to peasants from the local villages. He knew that he had the strength to conquer a nearby fort that he had been scouting out for weeks on end. The garrison of the fort only consisted of 118 poorly trained soldiers. The fort was owned by a vassal of the Grerith Kingdom. He started to lay out siege plans for the fort. He would build ladders to climb the walls and he would build a few fortifications for archers who would stay back on the ground while the infantry would storm the fort.

            James took a walk around his encampment around the fort. He gathered his closest companions who were more special than the regular peasant. The men had some special traits that set them apart from the rest of the men. There was only 4 of them but each one had something new to offer to the army that James seemed to like. Helfricus Grignon, a master of blades, he had a strong, custom two handed sword that he could use to crush any enemy that stood in his way. Alein Ramos, a master of polearms, she used a long, heavy spear that was always kept in pristine condition. Hosebert Langen, a master of archery, he used an elite bow from the finest bow crafter in the entire world. Bodolev Kins, a master of defense, he used a standard sword, but his power came from his abilities with a shield and how he could block any attack coming his way.

            James talked to each of the men with a different speech to encourage them to help the other soldiers stay confident in the upcoming battle. After telling each of the men to rally the forces and prepare the building for the siege, he walked towards the fort and requested to meet with the fort leader. The fort leader was a smaller man, who mostly resembled a regular villager. James met with the man and told him to surrender his fort and he can leave with his and his soldiers’ lives. The fort leader laughed and refused the offer whilst saying that James had as much chance of winning as a fisherman versus a fleet of pirates. And with that, James turned around and walked back to his camp, holding a large grin the whole walk.