Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 397: The battle of arleans (3)

To withstand the charge of the Arial horsemen, Harald clave to the national tactics, but he chose for the place of battle a spot where those tactics would have the advantage. 

Fenced in a hill where undoubtedly Arial horsemen will be showered by Vanguans javelins and the shooting of arrows, and to meet the axes as soon as they reached the barricade. 

But the war is not yet determined and Arial knew he could not last long and neither could his soldiers.

He needs Harald to come down. He knew what Harald is thinking. A draw. It is the same as losing for Arial.

The gayety and joyousness of the initial fervor of Arial army soon disappeared, as corps after corps got fairly engaged in the awful work of the day.

For hours there reigned on the over the whole battlefield one wide-spread scene of havoc and death, every soul among all those countless thousands delivered up to the supreme dominion of the most dreadful passions, excited to a perfect frenzy of hatred, rage, and revenge, and all either mercilessly killing others, or dying themselves in agony and despair by both sides.josei

The battle is turning longer and longer and even Arial feel a little tired. 

It seems Harald has gained reinforcement as his army is trying to overwhelm Arial forces with numbers.

Arial could not let Harald gains the upper hand.

He needs to think a way to made Harald and his armies to leave their camp on top of the hills to fully utilize his cavalry. 

More men are coming every second to aid the Vangua King, and he could see it with his eyes focusing it with his internal energy, standards from noble houses. 

Harald has brought all the great lords and knights of southern Vangua. 

A large army Arial could sense is approaching the King camp and Arial could imagine the scene, thousands of soldiers a-glitter with spears and axes. 

On the other hand, Kyle is also providing aid to Arial reckless charge. 

The archers that Kyle is controlling marched forward in an attempt to throw Vangua army into confusion. 

While West is eager to help the lord and forcefully made his unit ride faster to the Duke aid, Kyle advised caution and urged the other lords to protect the missiles corps.

Kyle understands that Arial wanted to seize the Hill. 

The mounted men of the other lords aren't ready so Kyle hoped that the archers could delay the Vanguan vanguard until the other unit knights is ready to charge and seize the hill. 

'SHOOT' Kyle yelled. 

The grim-faced archers advanced, crossbowmen in the middle, and fired a fusillade at the enemy's faces that clouds the open sky. 

'SHOOT' Kyle yelled again. 

Their orders are to harass the Vanguans in hopes of throwing them into confusion, but not to be sucked into premature combat.

If too hard pressed, they are ordered to fall back where they would be supported by the knights, who should by that time have donned their armour and mounted their horses. 

Arial did a good job in attacking head on because a man of his strength is capable enough to do that and Kyle understands that. 

But he also hopes that Arial would fall back and then regrouped. And he is disappointed. The duke had no intention of turning back as he keep advancing. 

If, the archers succeeded according to Kyle best hopes, surely Arial and his horsemen unit would then charge and take the hill.

Harald may have won the hill, but not before being badly disconcerted by a cloud of arrows launched towards them. 

'SHOOT!' Kyle yelled again. 

Kyle missile corps is one of the most accurate marksmen in the continent and Arial unit is one of the strongest cavalry.

The wounds from the terrifying crossbow quarrels sustained by some of the foot soldiers of Vangua shattered their morale, convinced them, that they are up against some new miracle weapon, and this made some of them desert the King cause running to the nearest forest or village near the battle site.

But some of them remain steadfast and Vanguan archers climb back up as ordered to the hill.

Kyle archers could make no impact on the enemy as shooting from a lower level, their arrows either struck the soldiers shields or passed over their heads.

Arial on the other hand is worried. He wanted to settle this fast without inflicting too much damage to his armies.

Then some of the lords broke through and joined Arial passing the blockade behind Arial. Lord Sothern also able to break through and re-joins Arial.

'Shield wall!' Sothern yelled when he looks at the hill.

Arial nodded solemnly.

'Let us charge then' Arial said. Sothern smiled bitterly. There is no other way but up.

These men and lords, their soldiers and knights ride up the hill and charge the shield wall. However, Harald is prepared for it.

Arial and Sothern could see the Crowned Sword standard in one of the slopes. 

Harald knights and soldiers wear full armour, helmets and coats of mail, with round shields and javelins to hurl at the beginning of the action, and swords and axes as the follow-up weapons.

To stiffen his weak spot, Harald combined his foot soldiers and his elite bodyguard in tight packed formation.

His army is now in close formation, protected in the front and at the flanks by the shield-wall.

Harald had an ideal defensive position for his soldiers to fight off the Arrandians knights and archers, though the location is not without disadvantages. 

The ranks would have to stand in close order so that the dead would scarcely be able to fall, and the wounded could not detach themselves from the action. 

Also, the shield-wall would have to part to allow the elite bodyguard to wield their dreaded two-handed axes. 

Even though a warrior is momentarily (and dangerously) exposed while wielding it, his warriors had practised this manoeuvre time after time, and Harald felt confident not to mention his extensive experience during subjugation of Freya and the battle at Venicia 

The Shield Wall corps as they are now called by the King is more of a worry, for some is frightened by the initial fusillade from the crossbows and others deserted when they saw the narrow space in which they would have to fight. 

This did not trouble Harald, for he knew he had only to hold out until nightfall when reinforcements are certain to arrive; he could play for a draw but Arial had to have a win. 

None the less, he was always alert to the issue of morale and decided to exhort his men, stressing their invincibility if they stood firm.

However, that if they broke rank, they will certainly lose to the Arrandians invaders. So when Arial broke rank and charge head first into the battle, Harald is gleeful. 

But then he sees that the Duke did not charge because he is impulsive. It is because he is confident. 

And now he and his lord is riding up the hill. 

Harald just smiles.

'Let see whether your army could stand my shield wall. You might be powerful but are your army as powerful as you? Would you sacrifice them?'

Arial and his army reached the hill only to be stabbed from all directions. His army is skewered, impaled and scythed down in dozens. 

'Assist us Light and grant us victory!' this yells can be heard sometimes from the Arrandian knights but could make little impression to the Vanguan as they keep their slaughter.

Arial and Sothern on the other hand deftly avoided being stabbed. 

Arial even broke three of the shield wall before realizing that there is still thousand that he needs to mow through before he reached to Harald and his army is being decimated right now.

Is this Harald plan? To let him the only one that survived this Hill? And then overwhelmed him with numbers?

Vanguan soldiers on the other side of the hill worked out a kind of land shanty as they go about their grisly work; anyone gaining a toehold anywhere near the adamantine barrier of shields is run through and the corpse thrown back with an exultant cry of 'GET OUT, INVADERS!'

The advantages of height and the sheer physical strength of the terrifying axe men break up the infantry and mounted attack in turn. 

Arial is now stuck at a hard place. And then he got an idea. And he smiles as he rides down from the hill.

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