Chapter 22 - The Clash -
As the bright white orb in the sky sunk into oblivion. A bright yellow orb began to rise from the east. The dark skies now beginning to brighten, as the night's cold atmosphere slowly turned warm.
In the open field outside the settlement of Numberg. Two armies face on another. Both children of the Hawk of Zalbaag, their liege Lord.
Now they face one another.
The army of the pale gold hawk and the red hawk met in Numberg. Both armies face each other with banners raised and men ready.
Barnabeth's army composed of a vanguard infantry to the front. Two reserve infantry located on both sides behind the vanguard infantry.
Two bowmen contingency forming two rectangular formations just behind the vanguard infantry.
A mercenary men-at-arms company to the left of Barnabeth and his personnel guard.
Barnabeth and his personnel guard located just behind the two bowmen formation.
On the other hand, Larg's army composed of numerically superior vanguard infantry at the front. Two reserve infantry at both sides behind the vanguard infantry.
A single bowmen contingency behind the reserve infantry.
A company of merchant cavalry and the remainder of house Duponts mounted loyalist.
The bloody dance is about to begin. As both side advanced, vanguard infantry of both sides rushed to one another. No words were spoken nor no further complex tactics were given. Just a single command, charge.
*Swooosh!* *Swooosh!*
Whistling arrows descended on both side's vanguard soldiers. Their shields raised to block the incoming waves of arrows.
*Thud* *Thud*
Arrows hitting the shields sounded through the battlefield.
In Larg's vanguard infantry formation, a few unlucky men were hit as their shields proved ineffective against an arrow landing from high velocity.
But alas, their casualties were nothing compared to Barnabeth's vanguard.
"AHHHHHH!" "It hurts, help!" "My arm! My arm!"
Cries of pain echoed. As the shields which the men trusted with their lives were pierced by the specially designed arrows of Larg's bowmen.
A bodkin tipped arrow covered in small red cloth, specifically made for such occasions. Its tip made from iron doused in the blood of a wingless earth wyvern. Its blood once exposed to the air made those it contacts more attracted to the Earth.
The higher it is, the higher its attraction to Earth becomes. Like a stone thrown from a high place, once it landed… either it or its target will be shattered.
As Larg's men shot the arrows into the sky, the cloth cover which was not tied to the arrow tip subsequently got removed due to the inertia. The blood then started to show its effect as it then comes plunging to the earth with greater speed and deadly penetration.
Barnabeth's men fall as they receive the brunt of the bodkin tipped arrows.
With raised shields, the Vanguard Infantry under Larg, gradually approached Barnabeth's vanguard troops.
Every time the sky darkened, they raised their shields. Then after the arrows landed, they lowered it to approach the pinned infantry.
Just as his troops were suffering from the rain of arrows. A loud horn sounded as Barnabeth's line of bow men parted open. Shirtless men with chains upon their necks pushed a contraption forward.
The men around Larg felt a chill go down their spine at the sight of such contraption.
A Ballista, a heavy siege equipment which fires a massive bolt at its target. A nasty surprise for those on the open field.
As the Ballistas halted in their position, the men wearing chains on their neck carried wooden crates and placed it just beside the ballistas.
Barnabeth, watching the battlefield, signalled to the man beside him.
Soon another horn sounded, and the chain wearing men opened the crates made of wood. Soon, a giant bolt flashing with light blue light was taken out.
Words of magic covered the giant bolt. An enchanted projectile, one which brings magical damage around the place it landed.
Barnabeth raised his hand as the men loaded the giant bolts onto the ballistas. Then he waited for Larg's men to once again raise their shields. To cover their sight and allow the enchanted bolt to land on its target without Largs men avoiding the area where the projectile will land.
Placing the arrows in their bows, raising their bows at an angle, knocking the around as they pull their hand. Then loose.
*Swoooosh* *Swooosh*
The sky darkened once more as Larg's men raised their shields.
Then the raised hand fell.
At Barnabeth's wave of hand, the ballistas fired its enchanted bolt.
*Thud* *Thud*
Barnabeth's Bow men's arrow landed for one more time.
Due to the chaos brought by the rain of arrows, the infantry of both sides were unaware of what was going on the rest of the battlefield.
Just as the men adorned in red hawk sigil thought, it was over and were about to charge their numerically insufficient foes.
It landed.
Then a loud banging sound hit their formation.
*Swooosh* *Bang* *Swoosh* *Bang*
Larg's infantry was thrown away as the impact from the explosion blasted the area where it landed.
The once tightly interlocked formation of infantry now turned into a fragmented mess.
Groaning of men and screams of pain sounded from what remained of Larg's infantry.
*Swoooosh* *Bang* Swooosh* *Bang*
Continues fire of giant bolts and arrows rain upon the numerically superior infantry of Larg.
The battlefield now covered in dust as the enchanted giant bolts pierced through Larg's infantry's formation.
With the dust cloud causing low visibility in the field, the men were unable to regroup, and soon the numerically superior troops were disorganized.
Then *Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh* barrage of arrows rained upon the soldiers.
Both army's infantry are now pinned in their location.
Larg's numerically superior infantry now fragmented as a rain of enchanted bolts landed in their location. Barnabeth's infantry pinned to the ground as their shields were unable to provide protection against the armor-piercing arrows of Larg's bowmen.
Just as this was happening, Larg raised his lance as he circled it above him. A signal for the cavalry to gather to him.
The merchant cavalry, guards of the wealthy friends he made before. Their armor composed of the best pieces of protection they can get.
The mounted loyalist of house Dupont. Men from the maternal family of Larg and Delita. Equipped with proper plate armor and armed with long lances.
These men gathered around Larg as he observed the battlefield. Feeling that the right moment had arrived.
He took a hawk-beaked horn from his attendant, as the last of his cavalry finally reached their position around him, he blew the horn as hard as he can.
A shrill squawked echoed across the battlefield. As the ground trembled and in the nearby trees, short men wearing chain mails and holding a wooden lance with an iron tip now emerged.
They sat atop horned goats adorned in thick padding. Their steeds chained upon one another. Their formation tight, and their speed swift.
A mercenary company composed of half men, 'The company of Mas'.
Seeing this, Larg shouted to his attendant to signal the infantry to regroup and for the cavalry composed of his wealthy friend's soldiers to begin their charge.
As he rode his horse towards the front line, he raised his hand to the bowmen.
"LOOSE!" With a wave of his hand, he shouted as the command was issued for the bow men to lay fire towards Barnabeth's Infantry.
His men will die, but so will Barnabeth's. As for the explosive bolts from before, it's a relic from the past when house Zalbaag still served in the crusades.
Judging from the amount of enchanted bolt stored in the armory of Lotr in the past. There's only a round or two remaining before the ballistas stop firing.
Barnabeth's reserved infantry formed a spear wall at the incoming mercenary cavalry company.
Just as they were planning to block the incoming mercenary cavalry, Larg's cavalry maneuvered to launch an attack on their rear.
At the sight of this, Barnabeth waves his hand once more and the ballistas halted their reign of terror.
The chained men, rushed to turn the ballistas towards the rushing cavalry.
Barnabeth grinned…
"Use the altered enchanted bolt!" He yelled at the chained men as they hurried to open another wooden crate. A giant bolt constantly flashing dark blue light was taken out and loaded into the ballista.
*Crash!*
As the chained men loaded the bolt into the ballista, the mercenary cavalry with their long lances crashed on to Barnabeth's spear wall.
Militia, Barnabeth's reserve infantry is composed of militias, forcefully recruited from the settlement of Lorat.
Their agonized screams soon echoed. Unprepared and unwilling, they were dragged into this war against their will. These men dying under the long lances of the mercenaries neither wished for glory nor wealth, at this moment they only wished to survive.
As the mercenary cavalry is in an onslaught with the reserve infantry, Larg signal for the cavalry to be divided.
His group heads for the ballistas while the rest help by completing a hammer and anvil maneuver.
The pinned reserve infantry will be attacked from their front and their rear.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a fast-moving projectile arrives right in front of Larg's cavalry.
Then a cracking sound echoed from it as the projectile cracked into pieces then burst in various directions.
*Swooosh* *Crack* *Burst*