Battle of Aster Conclusion Pt.1

Andrew Allister, Month 11, Day 21, Year A.F 652. City of Aster, Kingdom of Rosalia.

The inner city has fallen. I should've known it would reach this point. Even with all the delays and tricks, I could only hold the city in two days.

Especially with an army with no mages nor the amount of soldiers to hold it. It would never have been possible.

A melancholic smile was all I could give as I look out from the castle. The inner city drowned in blood and corpses as my soldiers retreat from the gates.

"Sir, the men have retreated." Adrian salutes behind me.

With the inner city gone, is there even any reason left for me to fight? I've burned the outer city, the houses of peasants and the industry that burned within.

Then came the inner city, the houses of the most influential men and women, one that would be more than happy to rebuild a city broken by war. But with it being held by our enemies, a raid and destruction is more than possible.

I put my hand behind my back and sighed with disappointment before I asked, "How many more men do we have?"

Adrian replies, "Six hundred longbowmen and a thousand shield bearers."

I look down before the sounds of marching greeted the morning sun. The thousands of enemy troops in the inner city were mobilizing, one not pointed against us but pointed at the clearing.

"Have all men ready for mobilization. We'll be retaking the city, if the opportunity arrives."

Adrian salutes before exiting the room and I look back to the window, with the excited smile staring back.

Vincent Dunsten

We were too late. The army of Aster has arrived. I intertwine my finger as the tent opens, revealing new messages coming from our scouts.

Unfortunately, the messages remain unheard as the boys in front of me fight.

"Theres not enough time! We should exit this city and take down their army before we tey surround us and crush us in between them!" Viller slams his fist to the table as he exclaims.

"We have come so far! You want us to waste what our forces died for? The hundreds of soldiers we had to lose just to take these walls!" Athan shouts back as he gestures at the soldiers outside.

"So what! We'll be risking the entire army just staying in here!" He points to the table with a map of our vicinity before shouting, "We must take the battle to them! To a place far enough that we won't fight in a two front battle."

Athan raises his arm in exasperation as he shows, "A two front battle would mean these soldiers are a threat." He points to the city. "They're not! They are a small force, with no mages in its arsenal. The only reason we have been losing was because of the built defenses this city had. With it destroyed we could easily retake any lost ground/"

The two continued to bicker as I thought up ways about how to get out of this, thinking of the fastest way to get out of this predicament.

I ask the messenger a question, "How far are they?"

The messenger straightens his back before replying, "Two hours away sir"

With that information, moving now should be enough. I stood up, taking the attention of the two children. "I have made my decision. We move out today."

Athan was about to question me before I raise my hand, stopping him. "We shall leave two thousand men, enough to hold back any incursion from the city."

Their nods hesitant but accepting. I look at Ansen, who remained uninterested. I look at him before speaking, "I assign you to lead the defenses of the city."

He looks back at me with an uninterested nod, his blue eyes uncaring of my decision. A fact that fills me with anxiety? Does he know something I don't?"

Ansen Rivider

I exit the tent as their meeting ends, the putrid stench overwhelmed the smell of morning, a putrid stench an army of a thousand tend to leave.

Father has already decided the end of this battle. No, he decided the end of this war. Doing anything unnecessary would just get me killed.

I look at the letter in my hand, reminded of its contents. There's nothing else I could do but wait for the inevitable end of this war.

As I walk, the soldiers have started organizing themselves, reminding me of my role in the upcoming battle. I have to defend the inner city.

A smirk comes out of my expression, knowing that would be hard once their invasion force arrives.

It doesn't matter to me anyway, since I'll be travelling back by myself.

Viller Dunsten

We are now exiting the city we once did all we could to conquer. The green clearing comes into view as we exit the burnt city.

I take a deep breath to smell the wondrous smell of the morning and the feeling of the sun touching my skin, it all felt wondrous and a good time for a battle.

The army behind marched with a synchronous force, the knights their weapons at the ready as they start to mobilize behind me.

Through the horizon coming from the trees an army approaches, with an approximate of six thousand men. We should be more than capable of taking it out.

Yet with the casualties through this siege, along with the two thousand force we have to leave behind, the battle will become a bit harder than it has to be.

The thought makes me glare at Ansen. If he wasn't my prince then Im sure our argument would have gotten heated, he looks back at me with a smirk, his blue eyes seemingly mocking me of Uncle's decision.

I still believe it would've been best if we immediately crushed their troops with overwhelming numerical superiority and besides with their defenses down and burned, our troops would've breezed easily against them.

The ground trembles as a thousand knights ride in front of us. It doesn't matter now, since the enemy army is arriving in full.

Bernard Allister

Once we reach the clearing, what I have dreaded came true. The city has fallen along with the battlements. The troops behind me whisper in shock, their house and family falling to enemy hands.

It filled their expressions with vengeance and anger, vengeance against the enemy before us and against the men that dared to step on their family.

From here we can see glances of smoke and ash, one filling me with dread. The inner city meanwhile, can be seen occupied as the ships disappear from our ports.

"Dammit!" I shout to the sky in anger, anger in my weakness and anger at my decisions.

"Sire! The castle remains standing!" A man shouts as he points up to the castle. The sigil of House Allister flying above it. I give a sigh of relief as the men erupt in cheer.

Brother would've evacuated the citizen to spaces within the confines of the castle. I'm sure we have enough space for that. The only problem now is if their forces are enough to pincer the army before us. No, I shouldn't hope for that, the siege has exhausted them, hopefully in the same way our enemies have.

A tremble takes me off of my thoughts as the enemies rearrange their formation.

Their army has mobilized in front of the gates. With their lines stretched, they show their numerical superiority in both infantry and knights. One which we'll have to take care of.

With their knights at the side, their battle plan is simple. They wish to win our flanks to crush us through their knights. But how could I do that if they're outnumbered?

They won't be! All I have to do is make sure that at least one flank shall fall. Then, I'll have to choose which flank I'm willing to sacrifice.

"Officers to me!" I order my men as they ride in my direction.

They salute before I tell them of my plan. One ask, "Sir, wouldn't that be risky?"

"A much better choice than the obvious loss once we fight their numerically superior knights." one replies back to the officer.

They nod their head in understanding, their apprehension fading as they watch their city rise up in smoke.

I sigh at their expression before I spoke, "I can understand you apprehension but we cannot wait for reinforcement since we do not know if they do not have one of their own."

I point to the city, "The city as it is could be burned under enemy hands. If we wait any longer we might lose any chance of returning to our city."

They nod, their eyes filled with determination as they dismissed themselves back to their troops.

Their thousands of soldier standing before us. I shout to the officers behind me, "Ready your forces!"

I raise my sword with a shout, "Advance!"