The morning was foggy, the wind was loud. In the opening rays of the sun, a dozen rocks fall down the fort's walls as it was finally brought down. The Arcadians, anticipating a charge from these broken down walls, were quick to mobilize troops on them. But nothing came.
The soldiers breathe slowly as the cold slowly got to them. Yet, as they watched the foggy lands across the river, it seemed as though there was no army. The soldiers turned to their commander, but the commander, shivering amidst the cold. Gave no orders for a charge.
Instead, the commander formed up his units slowly in front of the castle, where they think the shots were coming from. They felt safe in front of the river, waiting for the rival army. But there was no rival army. There was only the howling winds of the Larrowans.
The fort's commander sent a scout across the river to check whether or not the enemy is still there. But, as it crossed the river, the rider yelled incoherently, loud enough to be heard, before being silenced. Leaving only the horse galloping away from the fog.
Then, they appeared. Across the river, surrounded on the east and west flank with thick foliage, Tisus' army. The front rank, a group of combined shieldmen and crossbowmen went and open fired across the river. Killing hundreds in a single volley of homing arrows.
The commander charged his army across the river, aiming to destroy Tisus' ranged advantage. As they attempted to cross the shallow, yet frozen river. They are bombarded by thousands of arrows, piercing their thick skin magic and armor. Some piercing them so hard that it hit the person behind them.
The ranged bombardment was further supplemented by the usage of catapults far behind the lines, though inaccurate, they were numerous, and it was enough. As the rocks fall down across the heart of the river, it destroyed the frozen ice. The rivers ran red. And the Arcadians advance was further delayed.
Bombarded by masses of arrows, the Arcadians stood up and continued their slow charge across the river. The Arcadians had archers, yes. But ultimately they were ineffective against the far superior Sicilian crossbowmen.
Eventually, the first line made its way across the shallow river into the Sicilian's line, where the crossbowmen slipped behind the infantry of Tisus where they held their line tightly. Using hardness magic on their shields for added protection.
The Arcadians pushed mightily against the ankle-deep snow. With each push, another dead body would fall against the white snow. The Sicilians on the other hand, keep getting pushed back, their numbers slowly dwindling as the Arcadian infantry continue their advance.
Hiding from the impenetrable forests, the Sicilian crossbowmen appear from the wings, moving back along with the infantry as they remain opening fire against the advancing Arcadians. Slowly dividing down the Arcadian's numbers.
The forest acted as the perfect defense, with the soldiers that decide to charge them being stopped by the thick foliage. But at the cost of the crossbowmen cutting their numbers to a fourth before being able to enter the forest. But nevertheless, their open fire proved fatal to the thousands of Arcadians in the open field.
But nevertheless, they pushed. The weight of their numbers significantly affecting the frontlines. The Sicilians remain back, slowly they pull back from their position. But they kept their defenses up. Hours of intense fighting from both sides continue, and before long, both sides realized that the entire Arcadian force is now inside the depths of the roadway, beset by forests.
The ground trembles in the Arcadian in the loud march. Yet it may not be their march that causes it. Suddenly, the surrounding trees are bought down by a thousand Rhinoceroses as they charged through all sides of the Arcadian line. Rapidly decimating their forces.
This is followed by the sudden push forward of the Sicilian infantry. The frontlines of the Arcadians were entirely unaware of the attack happening from the back. So it's a surprise to them when all of a sudden the Sicilians pushed with unbridled execution. From behind them, they see the crossbowmen atop platforms, firing at them from atop. Some of the soldiers even see several soldiers sneaking through the forests. Deserting? Perhaps a more complicated flanking manoeuver.
The frontline's questions were answered easily when from all sides, came Tisus' elite infantry, in a short second they were gone. Dissolved. The Sicilian frontline charged harder forward, and from there it simply snowballed as the armored Rhinos destroy the Arcadian line. Killing everyone it charged towards.
It wasn't long before all the Arcadians are dead, or are retreating. To die in the harsh snowy conditions of the Larrowans.
The Sicilians emerged victorious against a foolish commander. And it wasn't long before they raided the fort and used it as their temporary base of operations. At least, before they start moving. It was in the intuition of Tisus that he was not safe in the fort.
He would leave early, taking all supplies he can, and marching his army down the mountains and into the villages north of the Peninsula. Pillaging and raiding each and everyone he spots. Lighting a torch all over the north. All the while taking recruits and warriors from villages that proved themselves not loyal to the Arcadians.
From the other side of the peninsula, the 160,000 conscript continues their march. Having learned recently the victories of Tisus. Disappointed, of course. But they had hoped that the battle would weaken his forces enough for a decisive battle.
In Astrian's office in Arcadia, he grips at a page from the book. For the words written there are what he reads here. And there are the words that make him weep. For this is the first, yet hopefully the last time Arcadia is defeated.