Chapter 45: The battle of Summervalley
The edge of Bear Forest.
We see a huge military camp with the banners of the Church flying on top of the tents. Outside the camp, There are nearly 90000 people carry different types of goods, mostly food. Inside the biggest tent of the camp, a holy knight is reporting:
- My Lord Bishop, that's our current situation. Varnasiga has been burned, I doubt we'll find any living soul there now.
- Are the Seer safe, can I meet her?
- I don't think so, Bishop Richard, she hasn't recovered from her father's death. She hasn't shown up to people for several days.
- Good, the citizens can get inside our camp, but you'll have to build your own living places. I don't have any spare soldiers now.
- How is the war going? Can I help anything?
- I don't think it is in our favor, Sir Robert. Varnasiga is now burned by those pagans. My scouts reported that Bear Castle of house Crayton has been taken by the Lyrions. Our deal with King Ivar is we cross Bear Forest and then he supports us with supplies. Now the supply lines are blocked and new mouths to feed, I doubt our food is enough for the winter.
- Then why don't you attack Bear Castle, my Lord Bishop, it is only several days match from here.
- The problem is that we don't know their exact number. They have more than 200000 men in total, and if there are more than 50000 men in that castle, we'll be slaughtered and there will be no hope left.
- But if we continue to stay here, winter will kill us before the enemy does.
- Then talk to the Seer, ask her to see if attack Bear Castle, we will win or lose. After having her predictions, I and my men will march. We can't risk losing more men now.
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Summervalley.
Ultred is frustrated. He is about to take the city of Veronica, he and his men even broke the city's gate down. However, a fleet appears and men from the ships fire rocks and arrows, these ships held the banners of house Fortuna, which is the Royal House in this kingdom. They are damaged heavily and have to retreat toward this desert since they have no archers to repel the ships' attack.
5500 marauders and 24000 cavalries are what he has under his command now, and he is pursued by a Fortunian Army with an unknown number. Luckily, most of them are infantries so outrun them is not a big problem for Ultred. He sees the landscapes of desert mountains ahead and decides to let his troop rest for a while.
After getting in the shade of the rocks, he orders:
- Send scouts to investigate the enemies, I want to know about their number, types of equipment, and commander.
- As you command, your mighty.
The scouts of the Lyrion army ride to the west to investigate the army chasing them. While waiting for his scouts, Ultred investigates the surrounding, realize that the rocks around have created a natural landscape suitable for an ambush. The Lyrions marauders are ordered to hide behind the rocks while the cavalries form wedge formation behind Ultred.
The scouts come back and bring good news for the commander of the Lyrion Army:
- Lord Ultred, there are only about 20000 infantries and archers chasing us, they must not have known about our exact number.
- Good, join the ranks, we'll destroy them here.
About one hour later, the Lyrions see the Fortunian army, wearing blue armors with blue banners and large shields, they march in the same pace as if they are an individual. The Fortunian men quickly notice the Lyrion Army and slowly, they raise their shield and match toward the rocks.
Ultra raises his hand, to keep his men still. The Fortunian soldiers start to get inside the valley of the rocks.
- Hold fast.
Half of the Fortunian army gets inside the valley.
- Hold fast.
The Fortunian army gets inside the valley completely.
- NOW.
The Lyrion marauders jump out from the rocks and charge against the Fortunian ranks while Ultred leads the cavalries charging straight toward the Fortunian formation. Impetus notices the ambushing enemies, he shouts:
- LEGIONARIES! SQUARE FORMATION. PIKEMEN, PHALANX! TO THE FRONTLINE.
The marauders utilize their surprising element to harass the Fortunian legionaries. However, these soldiers are the battle-harden veterans, they quickly gain back their ground and fight equally with the marauders? With Ultred lead, the wedge formation of the cavalries, the legionaries in the front are brutally killed. However, when the riders break through the first lines, they face a forest of spears from the Fortunian pikemen. The riders fall one by one to the ground and are killed by reinforced legionaries from the backline.
The marauders attack at the back of the pikemen formation, which creates a gap for the cavalries and let them through, the Lyrions cheer in happy and fill in the gap with the intention of completely break the Fortunian soldiers' formation.
But everything is not as we expected, from behind the Lyrion cavalries, suddenly a horde of riders appear. The newly arrive 10000 Grasslanders fire toward the back of the Lyrion lines, which cause havoc in their ranks. And then the riders of the Grasslands take out their spears and charge. Ultred is too focus on fighting in the front and completely forgets about possible threats from behind.
The battle turns into a bloody sandwich in which the Lyrions play the role of the sausages. Ultred keeps charging and charging, kill every Fortunian soldier that gets in his way. However, before he realizes what is happening, he has been surrounded by the Fortunian soldiers. The archers from the back lines of the Fortunian army aim their bows at Ultred. Hundreds of arrows are sent flying, they pierce Ultred's and his horse's bodies.
The Lyrions' morale drops dramatically after their commander falls, they throw their weapons and try to run away just for being killed by the Grasslander riders. The smarter ones form groups and repel the Grasslanders while trying to run away, some yield and be knocked down by the Fortunian legionaries.
And after this battle, the existence of the Lyrion raiders has disappeared in Summervalley.