The Garrison: Excerpt Chapter 6: The Strovnik Army Arrives

Below is a small part of my novel, The Garrison, a fantasy epic about a small castle struggling to hold out against a huge invasion force.  If you like what you see here, buy the entire book on Amazon!
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    Seth, Ghorman, Fastblade, and Leon were at the gatehouse, observing [the Strovnik army's] activity.  Seth had a torch ready at the gatehouse. He hoped that the oil he laid on the grass earlier in the week had not evaporated completely.  As the sky grew darker with gray clouds, he also hoped that it would not rain.
    Seth noticed Harmony standing at the walls.  He wondered if she could she command the skies and hold back the rain.
    His thoughts were interrupted by General Grumman’s approach. Reaching the base of the gatehouse, he shouted, “Defenders of Myriam! I am General Grumman of Strovnik! King Dorrel has sent us to claim what is rightfully ours, and if you hand it over now and surrender everything to us now, you will all be spared!”
    “You shall never have the greater half of the Dark Stone!” Seth taunted. “Nor will you ever see any of us surrender to you! This castle is the final line of defense for Tennence, and it will stand against your entire army!”
    “This is folly! Do you not understand that if you hand over a simple little rock, you will keep your lives, and ensure that you are treated well in Dorrel’s new kingdom! Do you all have a death wish?”
    “There shall be no new kingdom! This is where we draw the line!” Seth shouted back.
    “Be aware that this is your final chance–”
    “No! This is your final chance!”
    “So be it, defenders of Myriam! This castle shall fall!”
    Retreating to the ranks of his men, he raised the Strovnik flag.  As he did so, the entire Strovnik army erupted, clamoring for blood.
    The catapults were set into place, each one loaded with a giant boulder.  Seth knew that it would take many boulders to take down the walls of Myriam, but they were still the biggest concern.  He withdrew his longbow and nocked an arrow on the string.  Fastblade, Ghorman, and Leon did the same, all four of them dipping their arrowheads in oil and setting them ablaze.
    Seth sent an arrow soaring into the air, and it landed on the army below.  It fell on the oiled grass as he had planned, but failed to ignite the grass.
    Seth was perplexed.  Ghorman, Fastblade, and Leon followed suit, with perfect landings on the oil-soaked grass.  The flaming arrows lay burning on the ground, but the grass still failed to ignite.
    “This plan of yours is not working,” Ghorman complained.
    Without a response, Seth nocked another arrow, lit it afire, and released it.  As it plummeted to the ground, it was intercepted by the arm of an enemy soldier, setting him ablaze.  The Strovnik footman tried to flee from the flames, only making the burning worse.  He was forced to the ground by another soldier, who helped him extinguish his burning flesh.
    By that time, the two enemy catapults had fired their first rounds.  Their huge slings hurled the boulders soaring in the air like rockets.  The first boulder hit the base of the castle’s wall, producing an earsplitting crack, but the wall still held together.  The second boulder soared over the wall, clipping it and sending rock chips crashing down its side.
    Seth reloaded his longbow, lit it afire, and attempted to ignite the grass again.  The arrow flew wildly into the enemy formations and hit one of the catapults, lodging itself in the wooden frame.
    Fastblade and Leon unleashed a torrent of arrows onto a group of enemy footmen as they were lugging a battering ram towards the castle’s gates.  Two of were killed, but more men took their places and picked up the ram.
    Seth fired another arrow towards the catapults, killing one of the workers who was loading a boulder into the machine’s giant sling.  Crashing to the ground, it pinned another worker beneath it, killing him instantly.
    The boulder started to roll.  A few nearby footmen stood fast against the giant rock to keep it from rolling.  The stone gained momentum and flattened them as it sped through enemy lines.
    Most of the footmen were able to dodge it, clearing a path for the rolling boulder.  Several of them were still crushed by it.  Those carrying the battering ram were directly in the rock’s path.  Abandoning the ram, they darted out of the way as the boulder snapped it in half like a twig.
    The impact made the boulder stop.  Several footmen tried to salvage either the rock or the ram, but with the ram broken and the boulder so far away from the catapult, they didn’t bother to move them.
    Seth fired a flaming arrow at the fallen battering ram.  The arrow soared towards the log, but instead it ricocheted off of the boulder and it landed at an enemy soldier’s foot.  The Strovnik soldier stamped on the arrow, trying to beat out its flames.
    Suddenly, an explosion of flames burst from the arrow.  The oil had finally ignited.  Fire spread across the grass, encircling the castle.  Dozens of Strovniks were caught in the blaze.  Chaos ensued, as entire squadrons of soldiers were burned alive.
    Several footmen were trapped between the flames and the castle.  Fastblade and Leon showered them with arrows.  The rest of the Strovnik army retreated away from the fire, to their encampment nearby.
    Seth, Leon, Ghorman, and Fastblade joined the rest of the garrison on the wall walk.  A cry of victory resounded through the air as they witnessed their enemy’s demise.
    Seth’s victory cry was brief, however.  The dark sky threatened rain.  How long could the fires last, if dampened by a summer rain?