25 RETREAT

"thank you brother, for telling me that this is not really the place to break down come on men, with James as the center, make a retreat, we have to retreat in a timely and orderly fashion" sir Eric mustered his ragtag group of men, while trying to retreat into the city, as the enemy had sealed up all other escape routes and were herding them to the city.

When James saw the way, the retreat was going, he didn't like it, as they were playing into the enemies hands and that wasn't the way to go, but he didn't want to say anything, in order not to reduce the already low morale and he was wondering why the enemy would not just use one massive assault. as they were retreating they joined up, with other retreating troops, soon the buck of the army was retreating together, as James saw this, he couldn't quell, the anger that was rising in him.

"The snow empire troops are not really, taking us seriously. They are treating us like animal, this is an outrage, let us face them and fight them to the death" one of Sir Eric's lieutenant, shouted out of anger, as he shouted this statement, the other lieutenant and soldiers could be seen raising and growling with anger too, they were soldiers who have treaded through blood and blade. Although they feared death, when death came they would like to die with dignity, but the way the snow empire forces, was treating them was an insult and a breach of professional etiquette since most of them was nobility.

"men, we shouldn't get agitated and should always maintain a cool head, if we are going to get out of this alive, I know that this seems hopeless, but I believe that heavens always leave a path, so ignore them and raise your spirit men we will get out of this men, and show the men of the snow empire, that we won't be underestimated and insulted" sir Eric shouted trying, to motivate the spirit of the soldier in his unit.

Yeah!!! Yeah!!! Shouted the men channeling their fear, frustration, and rage into their voice, which made them sound like, a bunch of asuras come to harvest people's souls. Their mighty spirit could be felt from all around them. With their new bout of courage and morale they attacked, the enemy forces with more vigor and great fierceness just like the snow empire forces were like earlier but without the lifelessness in their eyes that they had.

As a result of their fierceness, which surprised the enemy forces and caused a moment of hesitation in their attack, which resulted in their is a hole in their formation, thereby giving sir Eric units and a few other unit to break out of the encirclement, another important factor which aided in their escape of the enemy was that most of the troops were deployed to hold down and kill the transcending mortality experts. But the sky empire had a reserve of three more experts at that level, which helped stabilize the fights at that level as because of the snow empire training style their experts were always, a few levels lower than experts of other empires, experts like eternal wave king was an exception.

So as soon they came although the snow empire forces still had an advantage in the ongoing battle, the addition of these experts made it hard for them to kill them. All of this added together with the fierceness of the soldiers gave sir Eric forces a chance to escape. As soon as they did so they entered into one of the mountains in the mountain range near the castle.

Sir Eric looked around, as soon as they got to the mountain although he was not that familiar with this region, he had adventured in this region in his youth. which made him have little knowledge of the area, but sir Eric calm mind should also be praised as the direction which he chose to escape was perfect, this mountain had a very thick forest with many caves and very few walkable paths,

There was also a lot of fog around here which made the visibility of the area very low. So once a group of people hid here it would be very hard to find them. "men although, we have escaped from the battlefield, this is the beginning of our troubles as most of our forces had been routed and we are right in the middle of enemy territory, so everyone start removing your armor and other paraphilias which would identify you as a soldier of the sky empire"

"Yes sir" the soldiers answered with lowered voices, the adrenaline which helped them to escape had worn off and now the severity of the situation has dawned on them. so they were trying to find a pillar to support them and Sir Eric's orders provided with that and they were thereby happy to follow his orders, as it gave them a sense of direction and he was also their commanding officer.

Soon, the men were all divested of their armor and were soon in ordinary clothes, although the aura they projected was not of peaceful loving farmer that of those that have been through the grinder that is the battlefield, as sir Eric looked at them he couldn't help but shake his head but there was nothing that he could do as things happened too fast.

Although what they did could be considered as a form of deserting, they were already being routed and Sir Eric didn't want James to be a slave. Anyway even though the war has not ended but he believed that the sky empire was over and done for. So he had no other choice as staying there will condemn him and his entire bloodline to slavery.