Tryst with Destiny: The End of the Beginning

131: The Battle of Bassir: The Gambit

"Silence!" Emanuel shouts as all the bickering generals immediately come to a stop.

"Dragon Emperor, we have fired on their wall for almost a month. Not only is the artillery ammunition running low but the damage their walls have taken is next to nothing," one of the generals speaks.

"Yes, I can see that. I am not blind," Emanuel snarls, causing the general to bow his head.

After a few moments of silence, Emanuel speaks up, "We have no choice. Time is running out. We must attack the wall with ladders and towers."

"What about battering rams to assault the gates?" another general asks.

"If their walls are this well designed that they can take so much of our bombardment without getting damaged, their gates will surely be strong enough to be able to withstand all the battering rams we can throw at them. The soldiers operating the battering rams will be sitting Psyducks for their archers to target and kill. We should look to conserve our soldiers wherever possible. Besides attacking the wall with towers and ladders will not be an inexpensive proposition," Arthur counters. 

"I agree with Arthur's assessment of the situation. We need to spend our resources and our men in the most effective way possible," the lead general speaks up.

"Agreed. But where do we concentrate our assault?" Emanuel speaks up.

"Father, I have isolated 3 spots. Here, here and here," Arthur says while pointing them out in the map of the wall placed on the table.

"Hmmm. There are only two towers adjacent to the spots. Thus, the casualties due to artillery and archers will be lesser compared to the other spots where at least three towers can attack our soldiers. Very well," Emanuel assesses the plan of attack before rising up.

"Then it is settled," he pulls out a dagger.

Everyone watches as he tosses it a couple of times before launching it right at the middle of the map, at the heart of the fortress, "We attack at dawn."

On hearing that all generals bow their heads and leave, to ready their troops for the battle which will be fought at the first light, tomorrow.

"You think we'll be able to break through their defenses?" Arthur asks.

"Maybe not at the first attempt. But we have no choice. Time is running out. The spell can't be allowed to be completed no matter the cost. I don't care if I have to sacrifice the entire army, if it means razing the fortress to the ground and destroying the spell, it'll be worth it," Emanuel replies.

Diantha and others are stunned at the response, while the Dragon Emperor stands silently observing their reactions.

"How can he say that, so lightly?" Cynthia asks.

"There's no other way to say it. The fate of the Pokemon world rests on his shoulders. Nothing, I repeat nothing, matters when the fate of the Pokemon world is concerned. No matter the stakes, no matter the sacrifice all is acceptable when it comes to the conservation of the Pokemon world is concerned," Dragon Emperor replies.

"I see," Oak replies.

"Now let us fast forward four months into the siege," Dragon Emperor says as he snaps his fingers and the scenery changes once again.

Everyone sees that the generals are back in Dragon Emperor's tent appearing to be deep in discussion. 

"The situation is not looking good," one of the generals speaks up.

"We have assaulted the fortress numerous times, using numerous tactics. We have taken countless losses and most of our siege towers and ladders have been destroyed," Arthur fumes as his fingers impatiently tap the table.