The reserves of the Center army

The next day, the army marched all day long. The invasion's goal was an old human city, past the desert. After making it there, they would rebuild the defenses to make a fort, which would be the key to future endeavors. Of course, the Dragonborn wouldn't let them have it their way. The various clans would elect a commander in chief and raise the army before long.

Dragonborn didn't live inside stone walls like the humans. Many clans were nomads and those that weren't had at most a wooden fence and some pikes around their camp. There was not going to be a siege. The Dragonborn were going to meet the Humans in the open field.

'Or at least that's how it was 200 years ago.' Keita thought while running.

"How are you? Can you keep up?" he turned around to check on Chisa.

She nodded her head, but she was drenched in sweat.

"Why... are... we... even.... running...?" Isse asked between breaths. Even though Sword-mages were middle range warriors, they often clashed in close range, like Swordsmen. He shouldn't be out of breath with just this.

'I guess he didn't get much sleep after all.' Keita concluded.

"We need to find an advantageous location for the battle. Since we number 20000 the battle might even take days." Hyugo answered.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up." Yuna said. She had her hand over her mouth and the colour of her face was turning blue.

"Do it while running. Don't stop no matter what." Keita urged. "If you can't keep up, there will be punishment."

"What do you mean? What punishment?" Hyugo asked.

"Officers are watching for stragglers. Depending on the commander the punishment will be from some shouting and a slap on the wrist to execution." Keita's face darkened at the words.

"Execution? Isn't that extreme?"

"It is. But after the first, there won't be a second straggler."

The party gulped in his words.

Aerch Militia soldiers usually had an extend of freedom. The moment they joined the invasion though that changed. They were soldiers in an army and could not disobey orders or fight as they wished. More so, for Keita and the others who were Bronze rank. They ran in silence for the rest of the day.

The Dragonborn weren't late with their response. Just three days after the invasion begun, 9000 Dragonborn met the Human army. The battlefield was going to be in some unnamed plains, with a couple hills. Both sides, made their headquarters in opposing hills, erecting defenses in lighting speed.

Keita was returning from a debriefing of the Bronze ranked party leaders.

"So what did they say?" Isse eager as ever, asked.

"Not much. We are just reserves so we don't need to know everything." Keita answered, avoiding the subject. He wasn't willing to walk Isse through his first battle.

{So, what do reserves do?} Chisa wrote on her notebook and showed it to the others.

"Ahem... well we... Hyugo?" Isse turned to Hyugo, after failing to come up with an answer.

"We are reinforcements basically. We'll stand behind the main army, waiting to be called. In case an enemy unit is about to break through or we suffer too many loses. That kind of thing." he explained.

"Hmm." Isse put his hand on his chin, deep in thought. After a brief silence "Say, we outnumber them two to one, right? Will we even get a turn?"

"If you maintain that train of thought, you'll be sorry. Dragonborn armies value quality over quantity. The ones we'll be fighting will be the elites of every clan. Two to one might not be enough to be honest." Keita answered.

'If we had a Mage in Jona's caliber then that would be different though.' he thought but didn't say anything.

Once again, Keita slapped the party with reality. He didn't mean to but he was affecting the moral of his fellow soldiers in a very negative way.

"Anyway" Isse, reading the mood quickly changed subjects. "which army are we stationed with?"

"Center. We'll be mostly defending. Get some sleep while you can. Tomorrow will be your first battle." Keita said and everyone nodded in silence.

The night was long for Keita. The small tent he shared with Hyugo and Isse didn't leave much room for comfort. Isse was turning around in his sleep and sometimes waking up Hyugo - who wasn't asleep anyway - to talk. They were both too excited for their own good.

Dawn.

The troops took their positions. With such large numbers, the human army split into three armies and out of fear of being surrounded, the Dragonborn did the same.

The left and right army were the spear. Tasked at chipping away at the enemies numbers until they can push throw and penetrate the Dragonborn's headquarters, behind the center army. At least that's how everyone thought it was going to happen. No one could predict that the Dragonborn general would be so cunning. All but one.

"Something is weird..." Keita said.

"What is?" Hyugo asked.

The party, joined with the other Bronze rank militia soldiers, took their position behind the main forces.

"Most of the Dragonborn clans live to the North. Even if they are confident in their abilities, they shouldn't have chosen this place for the battle. We are too far South for reinforcements from the Northern tribes to come to their aid." Keita responded.

Hyugo was still green when it came to war, but a lot of times Keita found he had insights that didn't match his experience. He found it easier to talk to him about such things than the other three at least.

"That's true... Why do you think they chose this place then?"

"I'm not sure. It could be in the hopes that the human army isn't used to fighting in the desert, but it still doesn't feel right. It's too simple of a reason."

"Simplicity isn't always a bad thing. Especially when it comes to tactics. That's what my grandfather said."

"Hmm..."

The battle hasn't started yet. Keita couldn't see or hear what was happening on the other battlefields, but he saw no movement from the headquarters behind him. He could see the general, prince Edwin the 3rd, watching over the battlefield from the top of the hill.

It should have been about time he gave the signal to attack. But he seemed hesitant. Frozen even. He took a step back, as if being pushed by something. Just as Keita was beginning to question his bizarre behavior, he felt it. The desert roared, as thousands of Dragonborn were marching all at once. The army that should have been defending, attacked the humans, catching everyone off guard.