Chapter 56: The rise of a regional power (Part 3)

My infantry was aligned in two lines, the first line only having our Janissary pikemen, used to defend and hold off the enemy's cavalry charges that will start the battle. The second line is home to the remaining infantrymen and special units like Naphta throwers and grenadiers.

We have our cavalry spread out on the flanks, guarding both sides of our infantry core. Behind the army is a platform built to hold our smaller cannons used to combat the fast-moving cavalry and armored infantry on battlefields. In front of the platform is where I and my closest Kapikulu commanders and a few hundred guards selected from the Kapikulu and janissary forces are located.

The enemy not caring for my tight and condensed formation spread their infantry out wide in two lines, the first looking to have mostly peasant or freemen soldiers lacking heavily trained or armored soldiers but making up for it in numbers... The first line of infantry numbered nearly twenty thousand men.

The second line is also lower income members of the army being conscripted peasants and volunteered freemen, these men in the second line hold bows and crossbows and number about ten thousand. Their third line is made up of professional soldiers like men-at-arms and mercenaries, there were even many elite soldiers trained and paid by the Serbian state but all of them were infantrymen.

In the front of the army the mounted knights, mercenaries, and men-at-arms all lined up in formation... The cavalry was in two separate lines all of them being heavy shock cavalry, The first line was led by the Tsar's brother, vassal, and advisor Simeon Uroš riding upon a very large and beautifully decorated and armored black horse.

The first and second lines numbered exactly five thousand as estimated by my spies beforehand, and includes Serbian, German, Hungarian, Wallachian, and Italian knights all within its formations. The second line was led by a German mercenary hired by Tsar Stefan named Palman...

After a short while the enemies felt they were sufficiently ready to attack us, as they were already just across a short field facing us, and just outside the range of our cannons... But this was not important as their horns began to sound all out and could be heard by my soldiers who began to tense up at the idea of being directly smashed into by horsemen.

Using a Horn I designed it to look like the modern sound horns used to boost the volume of one's voice. Yelling out to my soldiers I wanted to give a small speech to boost their spirits! I said "Do the enemies believe they can scare us...? We have only one life and that belongs to god! The strength of the enemies only goes as far as to prove our own bravery and glory and nothing more... We have nothing to fear with Allah in our hearts we are bound to be victorious!"

Turning back I have a head nod to the army supporters on the drums I recruited from the many tribes under me. *DUM BUM DUM BUM DUM BUM* The loud sound of the drums offset the equally loud pounding of the horses heading our way giving my soldiers even more courage! "Fight" "FOR THE SULTAN!" "If we live we are Ghazi If we die we are Martyr" I could hear men screaming from the front line faintly...

As the enemy's cavalry came closer and within range of my cannons they were bombarded by my vast number of cannons, as I brought all the field cannons I have here to this battle. *Boom Boom Boom* Many horsemen even when running at us head-on, making them a slimmer target many of these mounted soldiers were still smashed and exploded by the explosive cannonballs sent into their charging formation.

At least two hundred horsemen were unable to continue forwards after the first volley, and then as the horsemen continued forwards inching closer to our position but not close enough to run full speed just yet, they were surprised by another shower of projectiles this time coming from their sides.

*boom boom boom* My first trap is now in action on both sides of the charging enemies my musketeers and crossbowmen popped out of their hidden trenches firing upon the enemy causing heavy casualties to the unaware enemies... And before any reaction or command could be given to deal with the unknown enemy in their eyes, another group of musketeers and bowmen began firing upon them this time from directly in front of them. *Boom boom boom*

Just before the cavalry arrives at the previous location where they were just shot at from, the commander manages to stop his cavalry from heading into this trap that acts as a double trap. They quickly scouted the trench and spread out around it avoiding any more useless casualties by falling into the trench with their horses.

Now their charge was interrupted giving them a less-than-ideal charging distance, not allowing them to crush our frontline pikes at full speed as they would like, but still, the enemy commander gave the command "Charge!" But before they could move forward another step another cannon volley again hit them *BOOM BOOM BOOM* and this time the commander himself was blown off his horse by an explosion...

With the commander separated from the cavalry force who was given the order to charge, they continued forwards whilst the men closest to the commander scooped the man off the ground and fled back to their army. In this short burst charge, the enemies finally crashed into our frontline pike formations.

*Crash crush Bam* While some of our pikemen were crushed, even more, managed to hold their ground and even push the enemies back in some cases. A lot of the enemies were not successful in their charge only managing to rush directly into a pike gaining no advantage whatsoever.

And once the horses were stopped in their track the small melee weapon users within the pike square acted throwing javelins and shooting crossbow bolts then rushing directly into the enemies with their swords, axes, and mace wielded in hand. Once they entered the enemy formation they began to wreak havoc letting the horses have a taste of their strength first *Bam* then stabbing the fallen rider next *squelch*.

*** Pov: Tsar Stefan Dusan

What in Jesus's name did I just witness, was that a military tactic... Are these Turks? Where in the heavens is the horse archers... Is this not their specialty, I believed that when we were able to charge them like this in an open field we would finally force them to show their trump card the horse archer!

But not only did they not bring out a single horse archer, they even stopped our charge dead in its tracks and even dealt a counter-attacking blow. Who is the mastermind behind these new Turkmen? No way is the sixteen-year-old boy they are calling the sultan leading this tactical revolution, how can a boy who has not even become a man out wit me an experienced military leader who has won countless victories against far more powerful foes than these Turks?

There must be someone working from the shadows, a man who has taken over the entire sultanate that was in Ottoman control and is using this boy as the figurehead that must be it! No way I, a saint candidate and the first emperor of my people, am being outwitted by a boy who has yet to even see twenty years of life.

But either way shadow leader or not, it does not change the fact that they have figured out what tactics I would be using, and I am still nervous that the horse archers have yet to show their faces on the battlefield just yet... And these what did Palman call cannons? Yes, these cannons are terrible, what alchemist or inventor came up with this demonic cannon this is the biggest problem I face in winning this battle.

If the Turks have the devil on their side giving them these demonic weapons, then I must ask the priest how to solve this issue before moving forward anymore... Oh and ask my brother what they experienced to cause the charge to fail so miserably. "Bring me the priest, I need our bishop asap where is he!"

After screaming out for the bishop... Our very plump bishop came waddling over to me as fast as he could... The bishop asked, "My lord what is the issue?" Looking at this man as he dripped sweat down his face from a short walk I somehow found it rather hard to believe he would be able to stop the demonic workings of the Turkmen.

I replied to him "My bishop do you not see our predicament? Is it not obvious that we have been under attack by the devil and his lackeys the Turks ever since the beginning? Now we finally battle with them and what do they do, they call upon the devil himself to summon these magical demonic weapons raining death balls down upon my holy warriors... And what are our priests doing... Twittling their thumbs letting the devil do whatever he wants to good Christian men just trying to drive out the infidels!"

The bishop begin sweating profusely and looking left and right for any signs of support from my advisors surrounding us but obviously to no avail... He then tentatively replied "My lord Tsar, I will pray on this issue that had been plaguing the men of god! I will pray and pray until I have an answer that will fix this issue... God will not leave his children to face the devil alone!" As he said this he slowly backed away further and further until he was out of sight disappearing in a sea of priests.

Damn! Damn! He has no idea what I even meant and believed I was using this opportunity for a power play involving the church! *Sigh* Without the help of god on our side how can we possibly destroy these Turkmen and their demonic weapons. No, I shall not despair I have always come out on top no matter the odds stacked against me, no matter what everyone said I would always prove them wrong, leaving them slack-jawed at my success.

I always used adversity to my advantage rising higher and higher with each problem in my way, and this battle is no different! I have raised this army over all these years, and they have grown as I have grown plus with the Catholic nations sending their support we have another advantage as well... Yeah I can do it, no need for any priest to pray on my behalf I will succeed by using my blood, sweat, and tears.

I ordered everyone "Gather the retreating horsemen and all those that have yet to charge and align them on the flanks of the army their job is to defend and counter any enemy attack on our flanks. All men in the army move forwards, ignore the demonic cannons firing upon us, this is the devil trying to stop us from winning against the infidels! Fight men fight! Never forget this is a HOLY WAR! These Turks will steal your children and wives and turn them into their own slaves! Force your mothers, sisters, and wives to serve them in bed! Fight Men Fight!"