"What do you mean it's empty?"
The scout dragon shrugged. "There are no griffons in the city," he repeated. "But… there are lots of civilian bodies… lots."
Draco sighed, rubbing his temple. "Are there any survivors?"
"We didn't find any." Draco snorted angrily, slamming his fist into a nearby tree.
"What do we do now?" General Inferno asked.
With the city of Gearhead abandoned, it left an opportunity to attack Windawn early. But, it also meant there would only be one force to attack. It wasn't large by any means, but the lack of griffons in Gearhead meant that they were either positioned there or in Gryphos. He hoped for the second, but knew it was the first. Still, if Ember and Moon were to make it after him, they'd have an easier time taking the city.
Draco fiddled with the necklace from his cousin, then sighed. "We're moving on to Windawn."
"But the-"
"I know," Draco interrupted. "But if we take on the city ourselves, we can stop them from assembling a bigger force and act as a distraction. Once Commander Moon and Ember reach the city, we'll be able to take it and finally be in range of Gryphos."
His general glanced nervously at each other, but it was General Charred that spoke up. "And what if we all perish?"
"Then we've weakened the griffons and opened the path for our other forces," Draco snorted. "We're moving out, now. Let's go."
The generals hesitated, but they roared loudly to signal the army to move. For a whole day they hauled scale to the city, which was closer to them than Ember and Moon. Draco stayed up all night going over strategic advantages and possibly tactics they could use. The scouts were asleep, which meant he had to rely on the telescope his mother had sent to him when he was nine. He avoided getting within range of their patrols, but at the cost of more information. From what he could tell, though, they had over 8,000 in the city and hundreds of chariots. They had 9,697 dragons, so it would be a very challenging fight.
At the crack of dawn, Draco ordered the dragons into three platoons. The largest would charge down the hill, into the upper class city, while the other two circled around from the northeast and southeast. General Charred and Inferno would join the second team, Blaze and Blunt would lead the third, and Draco and Flicker would lead the main force. After another hour of planning, Draco stood with his general atop the hill, thousands of dragons behind him. Draco drew his black sword and adjusted his shield.
"ATTAAAAAAACK!"
A ground shaking roar echoed as they sprinted down the hill and towards the large city. Draco put his shield up as dozens of arrows hailed down on them. When he lowered his arm, his eyes widened under his helmet.
"Catapults and Crosslaun-GAH!"
Flicker tumbled to the ground with an enormous wooden pike piercing his chest. Draco ducked under another, the dragons behind him suffering. A few more arrows bolted towards them, lodging themselves in his shield. They pushed on, many of their dragons being cut down by the crossbow turrets and catapults. Their forces were scattered as they entered the city, only to be met with more crossbow turrets in the buildings.
"Burn the buildings down!"
Unlike Ember's army, they had a small amount of firebreathers, most of which being killed in the initial charge. Even so, they lit up the bottom floors of the buildings, and other dragons grabbed burning pieces of wood to toss into other homes. Draco bashed his shield into a griffons face then slashed his sword through his chest. He braced for a wooden pike being shot at him, and his shield bent as it deflected the beam. Draco grabbed a bomb from his pouch and tossed it into the barrel. Splinters were sent flying all around from the explosion, and Draco pushed on.
The chariots came barreling down the streets, reinforced with metal spears mounted to the fronts. Even the dragons scales couldn't keep the steel from puncturing their bodies. Draco jumped out of the way of a chariot after slashing its wheels. He sheathed his sword and placed it on his back then drew his bow. Draco climbed the building, tossing a griffon off, then dispatched the other griffons with quick thrums of his bow. He fired endless streams of arrows to the griffons below and some up high. He was tackled off of the roof from behind and slammed into the floor.
He stabbed his dagger into the griffon's side then twisted his neck before he could scream. Draco forced himself back up and wielded his sword and dagger. He heard the pained roars and shrieks of his dragon forces slowly being wiped out, and the griffons screaming in just as much agony. The muffled yell of a griffon charging at him was barely noticed by him, but General Blaze body slammed him with his axe dug into his heart. He pulled the dazed prince up, yelling over the fighting.
"…Inferno and Charred are down!" He shouted. "Our groups are being wiped out! What now?!"
Draco shook his head and took in the scene. Motioning for the general to follow, he climbed to the roof he had fallen off and knocked a griffon off.
"KEEP FIGHTING! DON'T GIVE THEM A MINUTE TO BREATHE!" Draco yelled. "FIIIIIIIIIIGHT!"
As useless as it was, the dragons fought harder, slashing and hacking through the griffons. A trio of chariots crashed through the lines of the dragons, and Draco jumped onto the leading one. He socked the driver in the face, tossing him under the chariot to his left then throwing a spear into the other chariot. The weapon tore apart the wooden wheel and toppled it onto the occupants. Draco went to drive the cart into another group of griffons, but an arrow made its way between the plates of his armor and into his shoulder.
Screaming in pain, Draco fell off of the chariot and tumbled to the ground. Another chariot passed over him, breaking the arrow in half and running over his arm. He stabbed the chariot's bottom, allowing it to drag him with his feet slowing it down. Draco sawed through the floor of it and broke it in half, causing it to crash and send pieces of broken wood into the riders. Draco crawled away from the wreckage and into a doorway, watching as the dragons were pierced with large arrows and some being overpowered by the number of griffons.
A sharp pain in his leg drew his attention. A spear had actually pierced the armor and was lodged in his thigh. He pulled it out and beamed it into a griffon's head, just as he slipped into darkness.