The thunder of four thousand charging warhorses shook the walls of the Burgundian fortress.
Down in the fields, the elite Frankish vanguard was rapidly closing the distance.
They held their lances forward, screaming their war cries into the misty night sky.
Up on the high stone battlements, King Rudolf slowly turned his head to look at Hakon who was standing right next to the largest cannon.
"Do it, Hakon!" King Rudolf roared over the deafening noise of the galloping horses. "Fire the cannons!"
"With pleasure, your Grace!" Hakon grinned wickedly, a bloodthirsty spark lighting up his eyes.
Down the line, the other Viking engineers did the exact same thing to the remaining nine guns.
Rudolf braced his legs, expecting a deafening explosion of destruction to wipe the Franks off the map.
Sizzle... hiss...
The steel cannon let out a tiny puff of gray smoke from the touchhole, and then went silent...
