The council chamber was abuzz with voices. Angry, Disheartened, Fearful, Reasoning, Determined and Desperate all raised in a cacophony of noise in the main chamber. General Cassia stood to one side, red in the face as she argued with a contingent of the priesthood, equally red of face. General Germanus sat slumped with his head in his hands as a quartermaster tonelessly recited a list of diminishing supplies. General Lucius stood before a map pushing pieces around it and barking orders to a contingent of runners who would take note and then run from the room, headed to a multitude of destinations. A queue had formed with reports coming in from each of the three main fronts. Suddenly there was a massive explosion outside that rocked the room. General Lucius swore as his map was knocked askew. General Germanus casually reached out a hand and lifted his drink from the table before it could be knocked over.
Taking opportunity of the quiet that briefly followed, General Germanus called the room to order.
“This council is now in session. Generals to me and all others quiet down and await your turn to speak”
The three generals gathered at the high table and shared a few words before calling the first of the messengers to speak.
“Generals, the second legion holds the Southern positions firm. The continued pressure from the Castanni and Waster forces are grinding the Scourge forces down. The wall holds strong and there is a likelihood of victory on this front within the week”
The generals nodded and thanked the messenger. The Southern front had been proclaiming a likelihood of victory for some time now…
They called the representative of the Fourth Legion next
“The West wall holds for now. Last night there was a small incursion broke through the main gates. The incursion lasted approximately one hour before being driven back and the main gates have been reinforced from the nearby rubble. The Fourth is being hit hard, should the incursion have been larger we may have faced dire consequences. As it is, we persevere for another day.”
And now the difficult report thought Germanus, the tenth holding the Northern wall.
“The tenth report three new breeches in the Northern wall. Little of the main outer wall now remains but the secondary line along the Temple District holds firm. The tenth reckon on holding the outer wall for another day or two before full withdrawal to secondary positions.”
General Germanus grimaced, the North was a slaughterhouse and the tenth Legion under his command were suffering for it. He would have to push for General Cassia to allocate some of her troops up there again.
The generals were about to call for another report when there was a commotion outside the door, the sound of raised voices and then the doors were thrown open. A bedraggled messenger stood there, his livery torn and blood weeping out from between fingers pressed to his side. The generals did not waste time, it was clear he had something important to say before he would accept medical help. They bid him speak.
“Generals, we have lost the temple of Mars Invictus”
There was a rumble amongst the gathered soldiers before Germanus once again called for order.
“A small unit of Scourge and others punched through the lines. They headed directly for the temple and slaughtered those we had set to guard it. They then proceeded to barricade themselves inside. Generals… they have the ritual site there.”
The generals paled visibly. None of them knew exactly what the Scourge could do with a ritual node inside the city limits, but it couldn’t be good.
“The tenth cannot afford to leave the walls up there, there is too much pressure on that front” stated Germanus
“The second can send a contingent but it will take time for them to gather and cross the city” responded Cassia
Lucius glanced back at the muddled figured on the map table for a few moments before speaking quietly and decisively
” That leaves us the thirteenth. Send a runner immediately, the Thirteenth must retake the temple of Mars Invictus at all costs. Whatever the Scourge plan to do with that ritual site cannot be allowed to happen. They are the only ones close enough to respond with speed. May Elder be with the Thirteenth today!”