The Union 100 Sappers

Benedict doesn't have an appetite though. Food taste dull and even the saltiest dried beef taste like gruel. For the past week, this had been the case. Who in the world would still have an appetite with the Tulosans busy finding ways to take the castle.

"I'm not hungry. Eat it yourself." he said, still looking at the Tulosans from the walls.

"But sire you haven't eaten anything for the past days."

He ignored Bernie's insistence. He was too focused on the Tulosans to care for food. "Hey Bernie, how do you think we should call this battle? This year alone, Knightsend had been the location of two battles already. This will be the third battle although this is technically a siege. The names are getting confusing."

Bernie shrugged. "I don't know. Third Battle of Knighstend I guess. Or fourth if we include that battle fifteen years ago. I really don't know sire. You'll decide the name anyway because you will win this one with your skills."

He couldn't help but laugh to that. His squire's servility was legendary. "I don't need your greasy words Bernie. I know my limit. I don't have top-notch soldiers like General Marvin. I also don't have the famous wits of Timothy. I'm simply an old warrior. Plus the Tulosans are serious this time. We need all the help we could get"

He then remembered something. "By the way, any news of the mercenaries? They should have arrived today."

"No, not a letter reached us. Maybe King Timothy recalled those mercenaries sire?"

"Possible but not probable. Timothy will not forsake us. Also he understands the importance of Knightsend. I think the mercenaries will arrive soon to reinforce us."

He leaned forward and rested his chin on the wall. "But I hope they make it in time. We need those mercenaries Bernie." He pointed at the busy Tulosans. "Do you know what the rascals are doing?"

"Uh… various things?"

"Exactly, various things" He paused and blasted some air through his mouth. He wanted to express his worries to somebody. Even though Bernie might not understand him, he decided to confide his thoughts to his squire.

"We've defended against this General Rickard back in Greenwater. He's good. Oh so good. Greenwater almost fell remember? But he outdid himself with the way he's handling this siege now. It's like he's desperate or something. I mean he's doing everything. First he hunted our scouts and shot down the pigeons we sent. Now I bet nobody in Castonia knows that the Tulosans have arrived. And now he's building everything. Siege towers, ladders, battering rams, catapults, you name it. It's just a matter of time before they assault us Bernie. Fighting will soon start. Maybe in two days."

"No sire, I think fighting will start sooner than that"

Benedict looked at his squire and demanded clarification.

Bernie just smiled and pointed at the Tulosan camp. "Have you forgotten those sire? You were so frantic when you discovered that they might just finish constructing those things."

Benedict looked at the direction Bernie was pointing to. There were seven mounds made of newly excavated earth. He then mocked himself for forgetting the Tulosan tunnels.

When the Tulosans arrived, the first thing they did was to dig. They dug seven holes near their camp. Of course the holes were the start of tunnels which, when finished, will lead to the surface inside the castle. If these tunnels were completed, the Tulosans could just attack the castle from the inside and they don't need to worry about the taking the walls anymore.

At first he thought that the Tulosans would fail. Digging tunnels was a hard task which required precision and luck. But the tunnels grew closer to the walls each day. When he realized that General Rickard might just succeed in this bold plan, he quickly ordered his own soldiers to dig their own tunnels and intercept the Tulosan tunnels.

"Well Prefect Kristof is doing his best with our own tunnels. There's nothing to worry about" He said and tried to downplay the danger of the Tulosan tunnels.

But the truth is, he was anxious. Those tunnels might just be their end. If the Tulosans managed to enter the castle through the tunnels, then they were doomed. His anxiousness won in the end and he blamed Bernie for reminding him of the tunnels.

"Dammit Bernie. You really want me to die of worry don't you?"

"That would be better compared to dying to Tulosan swords." Bernie smirked.

He clicked his tongue and shook his head in resignation. "Fine. Now that you have reminded me of the Tulosan tunnels, I'll have no choice but to pester Prefect Kristof below. Let's go."

**********

Kristof's clothes were dirtier than rags. He was holding a sack of dirt in one hand and a pickaxe in the other. He looked more like a miner than a soldier.

He had just resurfaced from one of the tunnels and he was breathing heavily from the lack of air below. He sat on ground and even had the urge to lie down. He was truly exhausted. Digging tunnels wasn't an easy task.

"How's the work going Prefect" the Marquis' voice sounded. He looked for the Marquis and saw him walking toward his direction.

"Not good Sire." He forced an answer despite being short of breath. "We haven't hit a single one of their tunnels. But don't worry sire. I think we're close. We wouldn't let those tunnels get close to our walls."

"Good" the Marquis nodded. "Do you need anything to expedite the task?"

Kristof thought for things that he need. Building tunnels was complicated and he wasn't really an expert. He volunteered to lead the sapping team because he thought that just because his father taught him the basics of mining, he was already qualified to build tunnels. When they started breaking the ground many days ago, the first problem they encountered was the growing sizes of rocks. Since the number of pickaxes in the castle was limited, they were forced to convert the tips of old halberds into makeshift pickaxes. Another problem they encountered was the sudden collapses of portion of the tunnels. Eight of his men had already been buried alive by these accidents.

But lately, they had encountered another major problem. Since the tunnels had grown, it had become harder for air to reach the sappers below. Although they built vents, these weren't enough and his men were forced to work on shorter duration.

"Men sire. I need more men. I know you had already allotted me nearly a thousand but I need more. The air below had become thin and my men now work with shorter shifts lest they suffocate."

"Okay then" the Marquis replied. "I will give you three more Centuries of men to work with. But no more Prefect. Our forces had already been spread thin."

Although he was hoping of getting at least half a thousand, he understood that the Marquis was already putting the safety of the other parts of the castle in danger by giving him another three centuries of men.

"Thank you sire. I shall use em' effectively."

Suddenly, a soldier crawled out of one of the tunnels. "Prefect!" he called while gasping for air. The soldier then noticed the Marquis and showed signs of embarrassment. "I'm… I'm sorry sire. I didn't notice you."

"It's alright soldier." Marquis Benedict said. "Catch your breath first before reporting"

The soldier nodded and took some heavy breaths. He then started. "We did it sire. We hit one of their tunnels. Of course we only intercepted one but we finally did it."

Kristof was delighted. He was actually worried that they wouldn't hit a single Tulosan tunnel. He smiled and looked at the Marquis only to discover that Marquis Benedict's smile was wider than his.

"Great job!" the Marquis almost shouted. He then looked at Kristof. "I know you're tired but you know the tunnels more than anyone in the castle. I want you to be the one leading our men below. Collapse their tunnel at all cost alright?"

He happily nodded. He would have still volunteered even if the Marquis didn't request his assistance. "I understand sire. Leave it to me"

It took Kristof an hour to assemble the men he needed for the assault. He handpicked these men for their stamina. In the world of tunnels, air is a valuable resource that would mean life or death.

Tunnel five, the one which hit a part of the Tulosan tunnel was vacated and work was suspended. Kristof took a deep breath and engraved in his mind the taste of fresh air. He wouldn't breathe air as fresh as this for a while.

He looked at the entrance of tunnel five. The rocks and soil was visible for a few meters. But after that was utter darkness. With daggers and torches in hand, he and fifty of his men went inside tunnel five.

Chapter end