Running Turtle

"Arrows incoming!" Ashley warned. 

I raised my eyes to the sky. Thanks to Fool's Insight, I had an almost 4K view of the hundreds of gray feathered arrows about to rain down on us. 

"Raise shields!" I yelled.

My orders were quickly followed by the soldiers who'd been assigned this duty. Shields were raised at the front and sides of our formation.

At the same time, two round shield constructs formed from molten lines of fire appeared across the center and back positions of our hastily formed three-hundred-man unit.

The flame shields cast by Aura and Donar were like nets that covered the heads of the soldiers who weren't carrying shields. Though this made us glaringly obvious to any enemy in the surrounding area, it wasn't really a problem as there was no longer any need for lying low. The arrows in the sky were proof that the enemy had already noticed us, after all. Now it was a time for haste and ensuring all our soldiers made it across the field and within range of our target.

The sound of arrowheads breaking on bronze shields reverberated all around me. This was accompanied by the taunts my fellow Foolhardies made against the enemy's failure to hit us.

Farther back, many arrow shafts burned as they made contact with the flame shields cast by our magicians, their remains falling harmlessly over my soldiers. Even from all the way at the front, I could smell burning wood and embers.

But, as Aura and Donar had cast their shields to take up wider space than normal, the effects of their magic dwindled in places. Arrows that flew into these spots were able to pass through and kill some of our soldiers.

I could hear the cries and grunts that accompanied an arrow finding its mark, and I shut my eyes in frustration. If only I had a better plan to move forward. No. I couldn't think that way. Shortcuts and convenient power-ups belonged in the realm of fantasy. This was reality. I had to make do with what I had.

Despite these cries of pain, I knew we had to push forward or we'd eventually become pincushions to the continuous rain of arrow fire. 

"Tortoise formation!" I yelled. 

This command was repeated by Ashley at the front. Then Qwipps and Edo. Then by the veterans of each group.

If you haven't heard of the Tortoise formation yet then you're certainly missing out. This is one of the top formations that made the Romans almost godlike in their many conquests.

As my command was cascaded down to the rank and file, the soldiers who bore the responsibility of carrying shields rose to their feet as one. Then, with a single step, we closed ranks and tightened formation from the front to the back. Our soldiers at the front raised their shields forward. While those right behind us packed their shields over ours. Those behind them kept their shields facing upward. The soldiers to the side held their shields to left and right. Thus, our Tortoise formation was complete.

Now that we were covered from front to back with a turtle-like shell, it was time to continue onward.

"Move forward!" I ordered.

Slowly but surely, our formation continued its march despite the hail of arrows that came to greet us. And each step we took brought us closer and closer to our prey.

It would have been different if the Magesong cavalry was still around, but they'd been sent off to fight our own cavalry that General Thors was nice enough to send out as a distraction.

Don't get me wrong. Some arrows did penetrate our shell and there were deaths among my soldiers. But not enough. No. There was nothing to impede our progress as we shuffled quickly through the grassy plain.

"Ashley, make a peephole," I whispered in her ear.

Ashley moved her shield an inch away from mine so that a small window opened up and allowed me a view of what lay ahead.

It seemed our shuffle was a little faster than even I anticipated as we'd trekked past the halfway point of the open field. There were less than fifty yards between us and our enemy now.

"Keep going, Foolhardies!" I yelled in encouragement.

Forty yards between us and the enemy. This would have been enough to stop but I didn't want to slow our momentum. So we kept going.

Arrows slammed into our shields from the front. They continued to rain down on us as well. Still, we held.

Thirty yards distance now.

"Thom!" I roared.

My roar was met with a resounding, "Take aim!"

Then, just like we practiced, holes opened up along our frontline shield wall. These were quickly filled with notched bows.

"Anyone who misses gets a beating later!" Thom threatened. "fire!"

Arrows flew across the thirty-yard distance and into the Magesong line of soldiers. Some bounced off their shields. most hit the unprotected heads and necks of our enemies. Drow sharpshooters were extremely good like that.

As soon as their volley was complete, the drow archers under Thom's command pulled away and the hole they left was quickly plugged by our shields.

It might seem to some like too much effort just to kill a few enemy soldiers but that's only if you didn't consider the psychological effects of our actions. An unstoppable enemy who could attack with impunity, how could that thought not affect the Magesong soldiers negatively. Even these elites who were positioned at the back to defend their leader. Even they must have felt chills running down their spine as we drew closer.

Twenty yards away now.

Once more we opened holes in our defense. Once more our arrows flew fast and true, killing more of our enemies. Once more their own arrows failed to stop us.

Fifteen yards.

Then the enemy made their mistake and sent their front line charging forward to repel us. Thus, breaking their formation of their own accord.

I was reminded of another quote from the Art of War. If you are far from the enemy, make him believe that you are near.

"Edo! Shaqs!" I yelled the names of the two biggest bruisers among the Foolhardies, and when I saw them making their way through the line toward me, I grinned. "Your turn."

"Let's make a hole," Ashley ordered.

Soldiers moved to the side to give Edo and Shaqs room to run. Shieldmen pulled back to make a hole wide enough for them to cross through. 

Once they were past the protection of our Tortoise formation, the Magesong soldiers, probably thinking they were now easy pickings, made a bee-line for Edo and Shaqs. It wasn't until they were close enough to notice the two hulking figures and their weapons of death that these soldiers stopped in their tracks. Too little, too late. 

Shaqs' war ax split in half the first enemy soldier he reached while Edo cleaved through one, two, and then three hobgoblin heads in rapid succession.

I spared a moment to watch in awe at my two death machines before rousing myself to join them.

Glancing toward Ashley, I said, "You with me?"

Ashley shrugged. "Beats hiding in here for one more minute." 

I nodded. I too felt the tension continue to build up while we waited for our chance behind our shields.

"Let's do this," I said right before I dropped my shield. It just wasn't my style to carry one. Then I glanced forward and yelled, "Break!"

Our shield wall broke apart, and the soldiers in front followed me and Ashley as we charged forward in pursuit of Edo and Shaqs who were continuing to bring carnage to the foes who met them.

As I ran, I silently prayed to whoever deity would listen to help us complete our mission.