Brutiark, the Sunshine lord rode on a normal brown stag. They were a bit smaller and weaker than their white cousins. Only the nobles of the Sunshine family rode one, because they didn't need a cavalry till now, since the Moonshine family had that covered.
"Vilcet Moonshine, from this day on, you and your family, as well as your subordinates are no longer accepted in Treetops City. For collaborating with the Goblins, even mixing with them. We all, the Sunshine family and the richer merchants of Treetops City decided to exterminate the Moonshine family for good. ", Burtiark said heroically. His people shouting in support.
" Good, your acting is on point, like always. You may say that we are the traitors or the evil ones. But we are the ones, who always fought for the people, always being fair and never taking advantage of our people. I want to see how the commoners will react with their new situation. ", Vilcet said completely ignoring the statement of them collaborating with the Goblins, because they couldn't win and go back to Treetops City anyway, why would he need to justify himself then. They had to regroup and find allies for an attack on Treetops City, if he wanted to change anything. They only way to win today, would be to survive without losing to many soldiers.
While both of them talked, the civilians dropped huge shields they were caring for the silver soldiers.
Burtiark didn't even see the civilians, just looking and smiling at Vilcet. He looked into Vilcet's eyes, talking without needing words.
"If you guys are dead, the commoners have no one else to turn to besides us. They will stay obedient."
Burtiark raised his hand after some time, wanting to finish this war fast.
"Rosch take the left flank, Luchs you protect the right. No civilians are getting hurt, today. You understand me, right? I will take the back. ALL UNITS, TAKE THE SHIELDS UP!", Vilcet ordered his troops.
Rosch and Luchs immediately went to their positions.
Burtiarks hand dropped down, while arrows went down without end at his command. The civilians were already far away again, because the Moonshine soldiers stood there for a while to let the civilians, who carried the huge shields leave the danger zone. Only the flanks stayed closer to the civilians, if a surprise attacked from the woods would come.
Burtiark raised his hand again and dropped it immediately. Showering them with arrows again.
"Tzz those Moonshine soldiers aren't done with that. Everyone ready to attack. Ranged attacks won't work on them, only doing minor wounds.
Get in line. Ready. ATTACK.", Burtiark screamed after seeing only a handful of silver soldiers dropping to the ground from their arrows. And even those soldiers got healed in an instant.
Wave over wave of golden soldiers clashed into the silver wall of soldiers. Huge shields carried by one person blocked the in coming golden soldiers, while another person thrusts a spear through the small holes in their defense, killing golden soldiers efficiently. With every thrust of a silver spear they took a step back, to not get to far away from the civilians.
Sometimes, one of the silver soldiers opened the wall a bit and a hand would grab a golden soldier that was to close to the silver wall. The golden soldier was pulled behind the silver wall, where he would get massacred from almost all sides.
"Good, our iron wall is standing. Keep up the good work.", Vilcet shouted at his soldiers. They were all trained for decades and handpicked by Lumen. It showed the difference between the Moonshine family known for their military strength and the Sunshine family, who were known for their healers. They complemented each other perfectly, but greed and standing in the shadow of the other person were always reasons for war. Burtiark was conceited, since the day he became the new Sunshine leader and hated the younger and more outstanding Vilcet. Now he finally could have it all. All that, which he thought he never had before.
"Good, till now no casualties on our side, but those shields aren't made to be carried around in a retreating battle like this. Our soldiers will get tired after a while. Even with the tactics of Luchs, were we switch the spear wielding ones slowly with the shield carrying ones. They won't hold on for more than one or two hours.", Vilcet thought getting nervous how to proceed further.
The clashes in the back went on for an hour, as Roschar's side got attacked, too. They jumped out of shrubs, but Rosch's side was prepared. He felt them. They didn't have any shields and had to fight with swords, which makes sense. They had to move more.
Rosch was fighting on the front, cutting down one golden soldier after the other, but had a bit of problems with his left arm. He lost all his bone blades on this arm, making it harder to fight against many opponents.
What surprised him the most was that in the flanks seemed to be more soldiers that could use magic. They fought making shields of water or air swords to attack. Seems that the better fighters are positioned on the flanks, since they are less soldiers and have to move more it made sense, too. Luchs and Vilcet had thought everything through. Rosch knew he could learn from them.
After five minutes of fighting, Rosch was attacked from the side almost getting beheaded.
"Good, that is my little crossbreed, who was the first one to ever escape from me.", Karler said, after missing his surprise attack against Rosch. He had his smile back, after the shock he had, when he saw what Rosch truly was capable to do or better said will be capable to do in the future.
Rosch was shocked and angered.
"We met again so soon. Seems I have to kill you this time for sure.", Rosch said bluffing, because he didn't have another surprise attack like the last time they fought.
Rosch did the only think he could do and think of. He defend as good as possible, that the others didn't have to fight against Karler. On the other side Luchs started to fight, too. He fought against the second son of Burtiark. But it seemed Rosch didn't have to worry, because Luchs was the better tactician and fighter.
"Good that I chose you, as my opponent. If that useless son of Burtiark was here, you would have cut him down, not even realizing that you just fought the leader, right. Just like the younger brother of Burtiark in Treetops City. I saw the massacre you left behind. It was wonderful.", Karler praised Rosch for his brutality.
Rosch didn't listen and just concentrated on defending.
The attacks were heavily in favor of the Moonshine family. The back almost didn't lose anyone, while the silver soldiers in the flanks backed up, when getting hurt to get healed. They still had some casualties. But with the Sunshine soldiers, who had more than 50 dead already and countless heavy wounded, it couldn't be compared. Most didn't even die on the battlefield, more died because the healers were overburdened and were to late to heal them.
But, just like Vilcet had predicted, after almost 2 and a half hours the silver soldiers in the back became tired. Some had to drop their huge shields, fighting with a sword and a buckler from now. It looked like the turning point for the golden soldiers.
"Shit, seems there is no other way.", Vilcet thought.
He suddenly jumped on his white stag. Riding into the front line.
"All soldiers drop your shields and take your swords. This fight isn't going to end till we have the head of Burtiark. LET'S GET HIM.", his shout awoke new energy reserves in his soldiers. Seeing their lord fighting besides them encouraged them greatly.
Burtiark didn't think that they would go for an all out war and react a bit late, but accepted, throwing all his soldiers into the front.
Casualties rose on both sides and a winner seemed to be uncertain now.
"Stupid lord, he should have just let them clash against our Sunshine soldiers, we had the upper hand now. Who accepts an all out war against better trained soldiers. Now it will become a slugfest. This Lumen, if he just died without taking the General down with him, we would have easily won by now. But even in death he gets on my nerves. ", Karler said hatefully and annoyed.
Rosch was surprised. He didn't know that the enemy General was killed before the war, Lumen truly was defending them till the end. This means they would probably have lost already, if someone else was leading the Sunshine troops.
" Why didn't you lead? Only attacking this flank?", Rosch asked confused. Karler was the Vice-General and different than Luchs, he was already a veteran with much more experience, leading should be his right.
"That stupid Burtiark doesn't trust me. Thinking that I am only acting on instinct and desires. A stupid lord, like I said. The former General wouldn't haven give me the position I am in without a good reason. But I don't care. Me and my man just need to survive. The rest I do not care about. I will find work somewhere else, even if Treetops City would burn to the ground one day with that idiot as leader, I wouldn't care. ", Karler said without emotion.
" He truly is someone, who only acts when he sees that he can win. His failed mission bugs him, but he still isn't attacking with all his power. If I look closely now, my side has the least casualties. He is truly just fighting for show, trying to lose as few of his soldiers as possible. ", Rosch thought seeing him in another light. While he is crazy and evil to his enemies. He cares about his subordinates, even disregarding his own hometown for them.
The full blown war went on for a while now. The civilians had a great margin now to the Moonshine troops. They started to walk slower, since many husband's of the civilians were fighting for their own lives and of their families.
"Go, faster we can't stop. Or the deaths of our husbands, will have been for nothing.", Milisiana's words shocked many, waking them up. Many started to cry, but became faster.
Milisiana standing in the back of this long elven refuge caravan, looked back putting some magic into her eyes to see clearer and further. She saw her husband, Vilcet, on the white stag in the front, cutting down enemies.
Vilcet was fighting good and hard. He was even standing in front of Burtiark now.
"The final moment has come.", Vilcet said to Burtiark.
Burtiark just looked annoyed. He hated Vilcet, as he went forward with his brown stag. They clashed multiple times, making Burtiark see his own incompetence. He never went to war, while Vilcet like every leader of his family, started as normal soldier to hone their skills in combat and leadership.
"I hate you piece of shit.", Burtiark suddenly said.
"You and our ancestors are dumb. Why would we need two leaders. One is more than enough. We were almost like kings, but being restricted by another in the same kingdom they live in. What a joke.", Burtiark said further.
"That is why our people are so happy. We could restrict each other if we went to far on some policies or rules.", Vilcet said scoffing at Burtiark for being stupid. It was a ruling system that had more positive aspects than negative. But he got greedy wanting to rule alone. Vilcet saw on opening and slashed Burtiark deeply in the chest region.
" You fucking bastard. Why do you always have to be better. This time my plan will work and you will die. It won't fail like the plans I had for your daughters and grandchildren Lydiana, Lunara, Yvonna or Luschila. This time I do it myself and kill you." Burtiark said raising his hand again.
Vilcet was surprised. It sounded like Burtiark had even something to do with the death of his first daughter. But that negligence costed him dearly. He didn't see the arrow coming and was shot straight into his chest getting thrown of the white stag.
"Gaaahh. Shit you bastard. What did you do to my Lydiana?" , Vilcet asked, while bleeding profusely.
"Nothing much. She needed to die, because my stupid first son fell in love with her. The plan was to take your family over, with him manipulating your daughter. But he fell in love and didn't want to do it anymore. I waited till she finally got pregnant and gave birth. After that I killed those two useless pieces in my plan. Afterwards I raised Yvonna, as the new leader and puppet, but you decided to make Lunara your successor. I searched long for a silver haired male that wasn't happy with you ruling. That was Luthor and finally I thought with Lunara out of the way and Yvonna, as perfect puppet my plan would bear fruits, but that dumb grandchild had to eavesdrop on my entire plan. I wanted to get rid of her and use Luschila, but your daughter had to come back turning all my plans to nothingness. I had enough of that all. Only failure came over me every time I tried to manipulate your shitty bloodline, so I decided to take everything into my own hands, killing you for good. Wonderful right. To have so much luck surviving so many plans of mine with sheer luck and stupidity of my own subordinates and even family. ", Burtiark said with a crazed gaze. He truly hated Vilcet to the core and wanted to see his pained face before he dies. He even killed his own son for his goals, shocking Vilcet even more.
" You are turly a venomous piece of shit. I may die here, but I hope that you will die slowly and cruelly. ", Vilcet said still shocked.
But Silvana jumped in front, trying to stop Burtiark.
"Stand up, my lord. If you die now we will lose.", Silvana said trying to shield Vilcet with her body, while starting to heal him.
"What are you doing? We are to deep into the enemy lines. We will get killed in an instant even if you heal me.", Vilcet said shocked.
"Even if we only have a small chance, it is still better than trying nothing.", Silvana said trying to help him up.
While a sword slash come down on her. Burtiark aimed directly at her head, wanting to kill her.
But before even the slash could come, only blood splashed on them. Rosch stood in front of them cutting the hand off of Burtiark. He dropped from the stag shouting and crying. As arrows were shot against Rosch. He stood tall trying to block every arrow.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO.", Silvana screamed with tears in her eyes and while further in the back Milisiana screamed, too, as she was still watching how things were going in the back.