The Twelve Kingdoms: A Thousand Leagues of Wind

Suzu heard Youshi mutter to herself. When she turned to her, Youshi smiled. "A little speech like that, and Koshou renews their fighting spirits. Incredible. He'd make a good general."
    "I wonder."
    "Indeed," Youshi laughed.
    At that moment, Suzu heard the sound of wings overhead.

Chapter 68
    S uzu flung back her head. There in the gray sky above, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow, the silhouette of great wings.
    A bird.
    "No, a pegasus!"
    The crowds dissolved into panic.
    "The air cavalry!"
    "Sekki!" Koshou roared.
    Suzu looked for Sekki and saw that he was already bending his bow. The arrow flew into the sky and was swallowed up by the black shadow. A second later a spear shot down at him.
    "Sekki!" They all shouted. Suzu was paralyzed with fear. Koshou and Youshi reached for him. Youshi gave him a shove and Koshou yanked him out of the way just in time. The spear planted itself in the wall walk where Sekki had been standing the moment before. The cries of relief and terror mingled together.
    "To the guard tower!"
    At the sound of Koshou's voice, they rushed to the guard tower doors. Suzu grasped the reins of the sansui. A spear pierced its neck. Suzu screamed. The sansui toppled over, its weight dragging her along, the whiplash in the reins flinging her to the side. She drew painful breaths as Koshou grabbed her by the arms and hoisted her up. Another spear plunged into the ground at their feet.
    "Yeah, those provincial guards are in a different league," Koshou grunted, pushing Suzu toward the closest guard tower. "Get in there! Look after Sekki!"
    Nodding, Suzu stared at the heavens, overcome with feelings of hopelessness. The swarm of pegasi darted to and across the breaking dawn sky. She couldn't tell how many. The spears and arrows fell like rain. The trueness of their aim made it clear they were the elite of the elite.
    "You too, Koshou. Come on!" Suzu grabbed his arm.
    They didn't have the weapons to shoot down the air cavalry. Arrows began to fly from the roof of the guard tower, but there was otherwise no defense against an airborne enemy.
    "I can't believe the air cavalry was mobilized!"
    "Please, let's go in!"
    Suzu shoved him with all her might toward the guard tower. As soon as they stepped inside the thick doors, she saw another flock of pegasi flitting through the air. She estimated fifteen. However, just as one mounted knight was the equal of eight infantrymen, one air cavalryman was a match for twenty grunts.
    Uttering a string of oaths, Koshou ducked into the guard tower. The empty room contained only the block and tackle mechanism for hoisting the portcullis. Koshou ran through the room and climbed the stairs, scrambling to the top floor of third level above the main gate.
    "Suzu!"
    Following on Koshou's heels, no sooner had Suzu reached the top floor but she found a crossbow pointed straight at her. Sekki quickly aimed it elsewhere and tossed her a bolt. "Arm it for me," he said.
    Suzu nodded. She placed her foot in the stirrup at the nose of the crossbow and pulled up on the cord with all her might. Then she laid the bolt in the groove and handed it back to Sekki. She picked up a spent crossbow and similarly loaded a bolt and passed it to one of the soldiers firing through the crenels at the air cavalry.
    Alongside them, men were shifting the platform of a crossbow-like catapult that faced the exterior of the gate. Following Koshou's shouted commands, another group of men raised shield walls to protect themselves from descending projectiles and crossfire.
    The large main room of the guard tower was made of stone. No walls faced outside or inside the gate. Instead, the room was enclosed by a ring of columns that formed the merlons and crenels, leaving the room otherwise completely open along its two lengths. They took axes and hacked away at the architectural flourishes to widen the field of view for the archers, and then set up temporary shield walls covering the gaping rectangular apertures that otherwise were protected only by the merlons and overhanging eaves. From between the gaps, the dark city of Takuhou spread out beneath their gaze. The sky was barely light enough to discern the outlines of the city.
    They were not completely without hope. They'd figured out how to aim the large catapult. Even without hitting the target, its presence drove the air cavalry away from the guard tower. Now the cavalry repeatedly charged and pulled back.
    "Damn and blast, but they're fast!" Suzu heard