As dawn approached, i began waking the conscripts assigned to me, after I'd gotten them to start waking the others, I'd moved to awaken Cordell and Nelwynn. As I'd approached Nelwynn's tent, I stumbled acriss a sleeping Cordell, lying flat in front of her tent. I shook him awake and had asked when he'd fell asleep.
Cordell: "Yawn, about 2 hours after you woke me, why?"
I'd motioned towards Nelwynn's tent before asking him if he'd at least waited for the reamining troops to slumber before taking his nap.
Cordell: "Of course! You think i'd trust a bunch of conscripts?"
Landyn: "I suppose not, but enough chatting, you and Nelwynn need to assemble with the others."
Cordell began frantically looking around, seeing most of the army still lie dormant. With a puzzled look he'd asked why we were preparing so early.
Landyn: "We must move to the enemy army's flanks before they awaken."
Cordell: "Do the commanders know of your plan?"
Landyn: "Why would I risk an information breach and risk jeopradizing our mission?"
Cordell smirked and got up from the ground, dusting off his now dirtstained robes. Following, we'd entered Nelwynn's tent to find her sleeping soundly. Cordell and I looked at each other and nodded, afterwards I'd lightly shook her and instructed her that we were assembling.
Nelwynn: "It's too early Landyn, let me sleep more."
Landyn: "Cordell can you see about finding me a bucket if water?"
Hearing my motion to Cordell, Nelwynn snapped awake and shouted.
Nelwynn: "I'm up! I'm up!"
Landyn: "Good, let's move, we need to get into our positions before the Grand Duchy's army awakens."
Kotesh could not afford to send any of their cavalry out for scouting missions following yesterday's battle. of what remained, they were left mostly with only their heavier cavalry, while their light cavalry was almost entirely devastated after their charge. Knowing this, I'd had the conscripts split it two, with 200 being led by me, and the remaining 50 being led by Nelwynn.
I'd explained to Nelwynn that her force was to engage the mages after mine had drawn the ire of the archers and mages. My force would be center of their attention, leaving her force the opportunity to strike at the mages from their unguarded flanks.
With the conscrupts barely awake, I'd told them that they may take extra rest once our destination was reached. I'd grabbed 50 of the more trained skirmishers and melee conscripts to escort Nelwynn to her destination, though not before relaying to them that if she dies, the entire attack fails, thus they must ensure their attack succeeds without the loss of her.
After Nelwynn had set off to the left flank, I had the remaining 200 and Cordell march along to the further right flank. By the time we'd reached the halfway point the two armies were beginning to assemble their forces. While Nelwynn and her force had the benefit of sneaking within the forest, my force had open plains to walk on, with only a small hill between us and the Kotesh army. I'd then instructed the conscripts to march at double pace, and to hastily remain hidden behind the hill. Thankfully, we'd reached our positions even before the armies had begun assembling into their battle lines.
Cordell: "This better work, or I'll kill you Landyn."
Landyn: "If it fails, then Kotesh will have killed me for you Cordell. Kendall, how's everyone looking?"
Kendall: "We're all here Landyn, though we still have no idea the status of the others."
Landyn: "That's fine, we need to trust in them to move when the time is right. We'll need to wait for the two armies to initiate their clashes before we advance."
Kendall: "We can't just move in and do that weird square formation yesterday?"
Landyn: "We can if we want to be blown to bits by their mages. At current we are still unaware of how powerful their mages are in battle."
Cordell: "Seems you understand that outright attacks would be suicide at least, I suppose it will be entertaining finding out how we'll survive at least."
Landyn: "Ah, before we march, I've something to show you all."
In the free time I had while the troops assembled, I'd taken some red cloth and one of the longer spears we had to spare. With these I'd made a makeshift flag, what woyld be the current flag of our brigade.
Landyn: "This is our flag. The flag, the banner of our brigade. It may appear rather plain, being only red, but I assure you it holds a powerful message."
The troops looked at me in confusion, wondering what I was on about. Cordell too appeared confused, going so far as to ask me what the purpose of a flag was at a time like this. Ignoring him I'd carried on.
Landyn: "Our red banner here, represents not only our blood, but the blood of all Sarellians, of those who'd died in the field of battle before us, of those after us. It represents the workers, the labourers whose blood has been spilled for our nation. This flag is ours, and is the first and greatest step in our history. Remember, that the capital is behind us my friends. Remember our battle with Kotesh yesterday, and we shall overcome all struggles that meet us!"
The conscripts were tense, but they were very inspired, more firmly gripping their weapons. They were now prepared for what would in later dates be referred to as the miracle of the Aturian Plains.
Kotesh had assembled their armies in a way similar to yesterday, though this time leaving their cavalry as their rearguard. The Sarellian royal army had assembled a more aggressive formation, with the cavalry at the flanks, infantry at the front, and this time had the mages in the right rear flank.
Once the battle horns for both armies were called, we could hear the Kotesh commanders ordering the charge. Once the sounds of combat had ignited, we'd begun to prepare our march.
Landyn: "Cordell, I did not hear their cavalry charge forwards, we'll need you to assist in covering our fkank should they begin to move. utilize your Lightning magic against them first, since they'll need to be in a tighter formation fir an effective charge."
Cordell: "I know what to do Landyn, I don't need your instruction.
Once we'd made our way over the hill, we began a steady march, with our red banner raised high.
By the time we were halfway between the hill and the enemy archers and mages, the cavalry had taken notice of us, beginning to move to intercept us.
Landyn: "Shit, we're still too far. Get ready to form a square!"
The cavalry were slower than yesterday, but these were the heavy cavalry, I'd still no idea how fruitful square would be against them, but it was either find out, or die in a stamoede of hooves and steel. The troops had assembled into a square, with what few skirmishers we had packed in the center along with our banner. All we could do now was hope for our success, and that Nelwynn could move her troops in time to cripple the ebemy mages and archers.
The conscripts trembled, hearing the thunderous sounds of the heavy cavalry, the clanging of steel armor, but still they'd steeled themselves. Before they'd clashed, Cordell fired off his Lightning magic, bringing down about 40 of them.
The cavalry like yesterday charged straight into the wall of spears, thoigh unlike yesterday, a handful ended up breaking through. The conscripts armed with shorter weapons began attacking those that had fallen of their horses, while those from the flank were swiftly pulled over to intercept those that broke through the line. Our skirmishers rained their shoddy arrows on the horses, causing some of the armored horsemen to fall forward off their now wounded or dead horses.
Like yesterday, the charge was devastating for the attacking cavalry, however less so due to their heavier armor. in the initial clash with the remaining 100 or so cavalry, about 30 immediately died, with 20 or so more being unhorsed and met with axes, swords, and clubs. the few that had managed to break through were swiftly pulled off their horse and beaten to death by the conscripts. They did not relent however, with the remaining 50 cavalry resuming the charge to attack. At the same time, some of the enemy mages and archers began preparing to attack us shoukd the second charge fail.
It was at this point that Nelwynn and her troops made their move, rushing towards the enemy mages, meeting the first handful within minutes, as Kotesh positioned their mages closer towards the forest, perhaps out of fear of them being the target of a cavalry attack on their other flank. Of course this ultimately proved to be their undoing as Nelwynn and the others began tearing through the mages.
Upon seeing their mages being slaughtered, Kotesh's archers were in disarray, as they could not risk firing on such a small unit, at risk of hitting their own mages. In Kotesh, mages were valued even more than in Sarellia, so valued that injuring or attacking one is reason enough for execution. With that knowledge, though ill equipped for melee combat, even compared to a conscript, many of the archers began to charge towards Nelwynn and her troop.
As we'd defeated the last few cavalry, we immediately broke formation and made a dash for Kotesh's archers and mages. We'd received one volley from them, all while continuing our charge, and while Cordell began burning through his firebolts. With his firebolts, about 18 archers were now either dead kr seriously wounded, all while our troops, still weathered from combat with heavy cavalry pushed on towards the archers. After Cordell fired his fina firebolt, he'd announced, "That's it, I'm out!" upon which I'd thanked him and told him ti make a hasty retreat, taking a handfull of conscripts with him.
As the rest of us had clashed with the archers, the ones that had not yet engaged in melee with Nelwynn's forces were now stuck, choosing between helping their mage allies, or holding us off to buy more time. By this point, or the 48 mages in Kotesh's ranks, only 20 remained. They had begun to make a retreat, with only a handful remaining to fight.