"Ready"Aim"Fire!" Said Cross as his arm fell down from its upward point to aim toward the enemy soldiers marching down the road. Smoke filled the air with the first volley of shots, horses neighing in fear as men shouted and yelped in pain. Several thumps followed the gunshots as bodies fell to the ground. Cross heard the enemy soldiers organizing under the orders of their leaders and narrowed his eyes.
"Second wave!" He shouted. His order was followed by another round of gunshots as the second rank of soldiers fired while the first reloaded their weapons. This continued for several minutes, the two ranks of riflemen taking turns in firing at the enemy. Twigs snapped behind them, and the general whirled about and flicked his wrist. All at once, the trees around them lit ablaze, the fire coursing toward the sneaking soldiers to engulf them in their blazing tendrils.
First there were screams of pain, then the cracking of wood, popping of flesh, and finally, the splintering of bone under the intense heat. With a wave of his hand, Cross had the fires cease, dying out within seconds so he could survey the scene. Several charred corpses and skeletons lay amongst the ashes of fallen trees.
"Move out." Cross said to his soldiers as he turned his back on the scene and started toward the small group of wagons that the enemy soldiers had been escorting through the forest. "Take the weapons, money, rations, and anything else of value. Kill any survivors."
"Second wave!" He shouted. His order was followed by another round of gunshots as the second rank of soldiers fired while the first reloaded their weapons. This continued for several minutes, the two ranks of riflemen taking turns in firing at the enemy. Twigs snapped behind them, and the general whirled about and flicked his wrist. All at once, the trees around them lit ablaze, the fire coursing toward the sneaking soldiers to engulf them in their blazing tendrils.
First there were screams of pain, then the cracking of wood, popping of flesh, and finally, the splintering of bone under the intense heat. With a wave of his hand, Cross had the fires cease, dying out within seconds so he could survey the scene. Several charred corpses and skeletons lay amongst the ashes of fallen trees.
"Move out." Cross said to his soldiers as he turned his back on the scene and started toward the small group of wagons that the enemy soldiers had been escorting through the forest. "Take the weapons, money, rations, and anything else of value. Kill any survivors."