5 The lost explorer and the summer war, part 5

In the Brighthammer, on route to the island of Koj.

In the war room there's a little blonde boy, even when he young you could see that he will be a lady killer in the future, he wearing an expensive red toga over a black brigantine armor customized for his size, looking with all his concentration to a map in the middle of the table.

Suddenly he hears a voice behind him.

"The messenger eagle came with a letter of captain Tiberius, our forces end up losing 4 ships, three were burned with arrows and the fourth when the islanders overpowered the crew of the ship, seeing that the started a fire and jump in the sea. They capture 6 of the enemy swan ships and used them to get close to the town, when they get to the coast the soldiers directly charged and defeated any kind of opposition" says Aurelius while placing the letter in the table.

"Tiberius? Then I take it that Septimus didn't survived the attack, a shame he was a great captain, but the fact that he is dead mean that he wasn't strong enough. Eve thing is in place, we are a few hours away from Koj, I thrust everything went well in your side" Maximilian tells Aurelius. When the realization of the dead of one of his captains seemed to broke his expressionless façade for a moment it returned to normal almost instantly.

"Everything's set, the poison was released a few hours ago, by the time we reach the island it would be a miracle if some of those men are left standing. From the reports I could gather there are 35 ships docked there awaiting for new owners, you could separate the crews of our warships and take the ground troops and use them, while having a lot of ground troops is good the only real opposition we are going to face comes from the sea". Aurelius says while Maximilian hearing this looks pensive for a few moments before nodding his head.

After that both of them walk to the door and go to the deck, there Maximilian takes a far-eye and see the island in the distance, with its dock full of ships, just waiting to be taken.

Later that day in the port town of Koj.

You could see transport ships unloading thousands of soldiers while they march to secure the town.

There are hundreds of islander guards unconscious in the floor while the soldiers use ropes to tie them up, but even then you could see in the middle of the town a group of three hundred men preparing to protect the plaza and drive the invaders out, they don't look fazed even seen an overwhelming force of 5 hundred soldiers marching in lines with their shields up just waiting for them to use their golden heart tree bows, after some time they stopped just outside the range of fire of the bows, hundred and seventy five meters away, then a man clad in what seems like noble clothes which is weird since they are about to fight, walks to the front of the invaders formation.

"MY NAME IS COMMANDER CASSIUS OF THE EASTERN EXPEDITION ARMY, SURRENDER YOURSELF AND WE WILL SHOW MERCY". The man yells just earning the angry gaze of the islanders.

"These man came out of nowhere, destroy our ships, kill our people, poison our water and then they expect us to bend our knees in front of them and ask for mercy, I say no, if we are going to die at least we are going to die like men, taking with us as many of these invaders as possible, men, prepare your bows and your spears, KILL THEM !!!" shouts the leader of the defenders.

"It seems they make their choice, men advance, FORWARD" says Cassius before returning to the middle of the formation and making his troops advance.

Then the red rectangular mass of shields start advancing agains the green and brown troops, taking volley after volley of arrows with their shields, sadly for them even with their shields they could not stop the arrows completely, man after man were falling dead thanks to those arrows who looked more like short spears, and when they were at 75 meters the first rain of arrows showered the islanders, they finally entered the range of the crossbows, while not dealing as much damage and being fewer in numbers, they still dwindled the number of enemy's and stop their incessant attack by forcing them to take cover behind their shield infantry.

And finally the moment began, shield met shield and spear met flesh, after being close enough for the archers to be unable of shooting them the infantry broke lines and charged directly into their counterparts, in a gruesome show of gore and death you could see soldiers being impaled by the spears with their leather armor doing little to none to stop the attacks or reduce the injuries, while Cassius took the lead and start fighting enemies one after the other, first was a man who lose his spear after getting it knocked by Cassius shield, just for a few seconds later lose his head thanks to Cassius sword,

After that he had to block and incoming arrow with his shield for a few seconds later see how the soldier who shot the arrow at him was shot with an arrow, then he go in search of the enemy leader, and found a man wearing leather armor with a few pieces of steel plates in his chest, forearms and legs, then Cassius charged at the man just to be tackle by other person, and before the one of top of him could continue his attack he took his dagger to sink it in the man's neck, then he searched for his sword and when he finally took it and was preparing to charge at the enemy leader once again he found said man in front of him slashing at him with his sword, he took the blow with the shield but the strength of the hit almost make him drop his shield to his left leaving an opening that his enemy was all too happy to exploit, he received blow after blow just waiting for the right time, and his patience paid off when in one of his blocks he throw a kick to his opponent's leg making him fall, and forcing him to receive his attack's till he kick the man's shield aside and cut his left arm and then his sword arm, and when he was about to finish him he heard the sound of hooves coming his way.

"Finally, they took their time" after saying those lines Cassius drove his sword in to the neck of the fallen enemy leader finishing him.

When look in front of him he saw the remaining of the enemies withstanding the attack of his forces but most of them were so focused that they didn't see the cavalry charging at their backs, just one devastating charge was needed to end that fight, more than hundred men died in seconds, those who survive the charge were killed by the spears while others where trampled to death.

A truly horrible sight could be seen in which was once the most important port town in the summer islands, hundreds of deads resting on the streets while in the middle of the town in what seems like the start of some sort of wooden fortification halt right after the start were even more dead, some without heads, others with their necks pierce or their chest, looking at the sky with empty eyes, while there were those without heads, either because were beheaded or because their heads were crushed.

But with this the battle of Koj town comes to an end, and the empire is a step closer from accomplish his goal.