When the night was darkest, the Veiled Soldiers stalked the edges of Osterbon. They skulked their way down to the beach and submerged themselves in the cold, dark water. Their sleek black uniforms blended in perfectly.
They gently swam their way closer and closer towards the harbour. Soldiers were patrolling the docks, and the bright light of torches lined the pathways. The howling wind made the flames flicker, some even being extinguished.
The soldiers patrolling the wall and the harbour did not notice the thin and long breathing tubes sticking out of the water's surface. As the Veiled Soldiers drew closer to the harbour, they began to analyse where they should infiltrate from. They had to make sure that they did not raise any alarms. If they did, their plan would go up in smoke.
They decided to infiltrate through the shipyard that had a small launching dock attached to it. It was lightly guarded, and there was an easy way to access it. Slowly, in groups of a dozen, the Veiled Soldiers snuck into the shipyard. There were only a handful of guards in the area, so the Veiled Soldiers were quick to slit their throats and hide their bodies.
Once all of them were gathered, they soon began to carry out their assignments. They split into four groups. Three of the groups consisted of 10 men, and they were tasked with sabotaging the harbour master's office, the main harbour warehouse and a few merchant ships.
The remainder would hide and wait for the right moment to assault the western gatehouse. Outside the gatehouse were 150,000 Gu soldiers; they had been marching for 4 hours during the darkness. Now they were resting under the cover of trees. They were awaiting the signal to storm the city.
With the infiltration being successful, the Veiled Soldiers commenced the next phase of the plan. It was easy to slink around in the darkness for them. They used alleyways and rooftops to manoeuvre past all the Luxenberg soldiers.
All three groups swiftly moved to their assigned targets, killing as few guards as necessary. Too many missing people and bodies to hide was not ideal for their situation. When each group arrived at their locations, they began to pull out flint and steel, as well as small pouches of gunpowder.
Starting fires on the unmanned merchant ships and the harbour master's office was easy. They were predominantly wooden, which meant they were quite flammable. The main harbour warehouse was harder to do, and in the end, the group of Veiled Soldiers abandoned the task due to how successful the other fires were becoming.
Atop the walls, guards soon began to notice orange hues appear in the sleeping dark city. Bells began to ring, alerting everyone about the fire. The Veiled Soldiers had succeeded in their distraction, even drawing General Kamensky away so that he could direct the firefighters.
While the Luxenberg defenders were distracted by the growing fires, the Veiled Soldiers waiting near the western gatehouse began their part of the plan. They slowly approached the gatehouse, which had a few dozen men guarding it. Sabres were drawn, and the Veiled Soldiers' focus was upon the throats of the Luxenberg Soldiers.
Using firearms was not an option for them; the sound of the musket fire would draw too much attention to their position. The Luxenberg soldiers manning the walls were vigilant; they noticed some movement near the houses below, yet they could not identify what the movement was.
The guard watched intently from the wall as the strange movement near the shadowed covered houses continued to creep closer and closer to the gatehouse. Concerned about the movement, the soldier atop the wall called out for some of the gatehouse soldiers to investigate.
Half a dozen Luxenberg soldiers approached the area where the Veiled Soldiers were concealing themselves. They were left in a tricky situation; their presence would soon be revealed.
Wanting to take the initiative, the Veiled Soldiers stormed out from the shadows and swiftly cut the throats of the investigating Luxenberg soldiers. Alarmed by the discovery of the enemy hidden in the shadows, the soldiers stationed at the gatehouse momentarily paused before drawing their muskets.
The Veiled Soldiers hastily dashed towards the Luxenberg soldiers, closing the distance so that the muskets could not be fired. A fierce melee ensued directly outside the gatehouse. Steel clashed upon steel, and a symphony of grunting sung out.
Blood was beginning to spill, and the bodies of Luxenberg soldiers began to decorate the cold, hard cobble street. The soldiers atop the walls found themselves stuck and unable to provide any support due to the fact that they could not guarantee sublime accuracy from so high up on the wall. They risked shooting their own comrades.
Many of the guards who were on the wall began to descend from it and reinforce their comrades who were struggling against a superior foe. The Luxenberg soldiers were at a huge disadvantage against the Veiled Soldiers; they were not as capable in melee combat as them, and were not as intensely trained as them.
It was not long before the gatehouse had completely fallen; the soldiers defending it could not withstand the powerful onslaught of the Kingdom of Gu's elite soldiers. They crushed anyone in their way and were able to take control of the gatehouse.
With the gatehouse secured, one of the Veiled Soldiers ran atop the walls and set off a flare. That was the signal for 100,000 Gu soldiers hidden outside the city to rush into the city.
From a bird's eye view, you could see thousands upon thousands of tiny figures storm across the field towards the gatehouse. Purple banners with a giant golden dragon on them fluttered as their holders charged enthusiastically towards the city. There was no disciplined manner about it. They merely swarmed as they entered the city, not taking a moment to form ranks or organise how to conquer the city.
This lack of organisation and discipline would be costly for the Gu Army.