Chapter 99 - Torture
John dragged the chief outside the log cabin, not minding the sun. Original Vampires and non-Original vampires cannot walk in sun without being burned by the Sun as a consequence of their vampirism. However, they can gain protection from the Sun with lapis lazuli stones enchanted by a witch, thus being able to walk in the sunlight without adverse effects.
In the case of the chief, he was just turned and definitely has not come across a witch that can enchant lapis lazuli stone for his protection. John knew this could be a better way of finding out where Bonnie is or what happened to her. As the chief was exposed to the sun, he got red blotches and blisters on his exposed skin. His skin started sounding like sizzling meat, and smoke started coming out of it. If he doesn't take cover within an hour, he will die. As he attempted to run inside the log cabin, John knocked him down and held his foot against his shoulder's blade. "Your ass is going nowhere until you tell me where she is and what you have done to her."
Though he struggled with John to get his foot off his shoulder's blade. But who can overpower the one with the strength of a god? It's either he starts talking or gets ready to be fried under the sun. ...Warlocks' Castle...
Onzezo fixes his eyes at the siege tower from the round tower. He patiently waited for the siege tower to get closer. He was waiting patiently as if he wants to conjure something. In combat, warlocks mostly either spam 'Eldritch Blast' or take the Hexblade patron and fight using weapons. In Ozenzo's case, he prefers using a daemon sword but seeing the siege tower approach the warlocks' castle, he changed his mind and put away his daemon sword.
He wants to go for the 'Eldritch Blast' which is a beam of crackling energy that streaks toward a creature within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d10 force damage.
Most warlocks do not cast spells, but instead, use spell-like abilities called 'invocations' which represent the tapping of the power granted to the warlock. The most important of these abilities is the 'eldritch blast' which is the warlock's main offensive ability, firing a blast of magical energy at the target.
Locking on his target which is the siege tower, Ozenzo fired a blast of Eldritch Blast. On a hit, the siege tower was destroyed with some of the gods in it sustaining serious physical damage.
"Just like old times," Ozenzo smiled. He was excited about what he had just accomplished.
However, someone else wasn't. Ares was enraged as he saw how Ozenzo destroyed the only siege tower they were able to build. He grabbed one of the gods beside him and roared, "Get every catapult we have at our disposal. If we don't breach this castle, no one is going anywhere!" He then releases the god from his grip and pushed him away.
"Roll in the catapults," yelled the god to the other lesser gods.
Hastily catapults were rolled in and assembled some paces away from their siege camp. These catapults are heavy crossbow like-weapon known as 'ballista' and are used to shoot arrows and darts as well as stones at enemy soldiers. A variety of catapults or siege engines were developed during the 'great war' to fire stones, fireballs, or other objects such as dead sheep, cattle, or plague victims, at the castle walls or into the castle itself, this invention was closely observed by Ares when the gods were in the sky. These type of catapults works by twisting rope as tightly as possible so that it acts like elastic when the arm is released.
Ares has witnessed multiple battles of the various human kingdom and has learned greatly their skills. During his observations, he noticed that catapults were used as siege weapons and designed to launch objects over castle walls. They used their siege machines to fling diseased corpses or other forms of pestilence over castle walls.
Ares took note of every detail and because he knew this will pay off someday and he believes that day is now. He needs to do what he has seen the humans do during their battle.
Positioning twelve catapults, they lit the stones on fire and gets ready to launch the stones towards the castle.
On Ares' command, a few flaming stones were fired at the castle. He was pleased they were able to hit the towers, the merlons, and the crenel of the castle.
Another set of stones was loaded into the catapults as the gods lit it on fire and patiently waits for Ares' command.
Ares glances at them in excitement as he yelled, "Loose!"
On hearing Ares' command, they launched another set of stones towards the castle. This time, the round towers and the arrow loops were hit.
The unbreakable walls of the castle began to shake as it became weakened by the gigantic stones about 350 pounds fired at it.
Ares' moments of observing the battles of mortals are already paying off. He clearly paid close attention to man's use of catapults during their battles. He observed from the sky how catapults could hurl heavy objects or shoot arrows with great force and for considerable distances. Some of the catapults he saw men use during their war could throw stones weighing as much as 350 pounds for distances greater than 300 feet. Some of the catapults he has seen man use were projectiles of large arrows or darts made from wood with an iron tip. These arrows were then shot along a flat trajectory at a target.
"The walls are shaking lord Ares," said one of the gods as he glances at Ares with a smile.
"Don't stop firing. Let the walls fall and then we shall slay them all."