Fingers of weak morning sunlight crept through the streets and across the rooftops of Karpella as across the city its inhabitants stirred from their nervous, restless night. As the sunlight grew in strength, thousands of people held their breath, hoping beyond hope that the threat to the city and to their lives had slipped away in the night. It did not take long for the Sharisian army, which lurked within the rapidly shortening shadows beyond the city’s wall, to make their presence felt once again on the inhabitants of Karpella.
Just as it had been every day for the last two weeks, the morning barrage of the walls was preceded by an ominous swish and snap of catapult arms flicking their deadly cargo into the air, shortly followed by the resounding crash as the missiles slammed into the
