239 Usage on Enviro 18/Limits 9

Hearing this, Sigurrós began to shake as she made her incantations, her speech lilting and stuttering as a large green dome began to form over the city walls.

Jaelen kept his eyes on her as the Cardinal made his speech. “Sigurrós…” he said.

“I am fine, Jaelen.” She replied in between incantations.

Asser put his hand to his ear, mockingly gesturing as if he was willing to listen.

Then he put his hand down, turning to the trebuchets behind him as he raised his other arm in a held signal.

“Ready,” He shouted.

Sigurrós finally finished her incantation, solidifying the transparent dome on top of the walls with a light green surge of energy.

The councilors on either side of her began to brace, anticipating the first volley of the siege weapons.
The Doctor Cardinal swung his hand down. “LOOSE!”

At his command, the four trebuchets assembled outside were cut and loosed, sending the large boulders flying through the air towards the walls and the dome.

Only Maera noticed the pulsing that accompanied each rock, forcing a long-forgotten memory to the surface of her mind.

“Oh Saints, no.” she whispered.

The first rock crashed through the dome with a sickening crunch, punching through it almost effortlessly. A crimson explosion accompanied its breach of the transparent dome- the only other indication of what the deadly crimson metal truly was.

Instantly, the dome began to weaken, the green energy that made it slowly growing fainter and fainter.

Sigurrós suddenly felt her knees buckle under her as her mind began to falter and weaken- yet she stretched her arms out in front of her, maintaining the magical dome with what willpower she had left.
As what was left of the first boulder penetrated the dome, its pieces crashed into the homes of the Altostown, killing a dozen people.

The second and third boulders crashed through the dome at once with a large crash, breaking into tiny pieces as the same crimson explosion lit up the air around the dome. Those pieces, like the first, crashed into the interior of the city, destroying many more houses and buildings within the River Quarter and Spirit Quarter.

Then, the fourth and final boulder made its entry, destroying what was left of the dome and connecting with the Shrine of St. Alto, ruining its beautiful marble columns and causing it to collapse under its own weight.

Sigurrós fell to the ground as it did, her body seizing and shaking as her councilors gathered around her.

Maera could only watch in horror as the name of the substance came to her mind.

“Bright’s mercy, they never sa…” She said, taking a step back. “How did they get ahold of Scrantonum?”

_____

On and on the siege went, going for eleven days and ten nights.
On and on the city burnt, tightening the noose around the city.
On and on Sigurrós slept, her fever burning hot as she rested within the Brightshome.

***
The Siege Looms Heavy (Part One)