"The master level tactics, Master Suppression."
"A tactical formation which can only be done if an army is commanded by a master-level strategist like Lucius Aurellion who has taught it to a subordinate."
"It surrounds a master fighter with many expert level fighters working together to trap and kill the unfortunate soul trapped inside."
"While it may not work on a veteran fighter and is prone to being attacked from the outside, leading to it falling apart."
"But if it is used on those who are not experienced or on new master-level fighters."
"Its effects can be devastating!"
"And forced me for the future of my kingdom."
"To gain the suspicion of the orcs leading to disaster."
Bardornus Asharm General in the Kingdom of Pluerus
…..
"General, are we not going to make a move?"
Alden asked Bardornus while watching the orcish heavy infantry begin to move forward and attack the Chavarians on the hill.
"Alden, what's yer opinion on the strength of our current cavalry compared to the Chavarians?"
Bardornus asked calmly, a small sigh escaping from his mouth.
"Equal General!"
Alden replied without hesitation, confident in their ability to gain victory.
"Is that so…."
Bardornus said, a little disappointed in his vice general's answer, his eyes becoming sharper than a sword as he analysed the difference between the two forces.
"There is no contest the Chavarians will win without a doubt."
Bardornus said matter of factly, surprising Alden.
"General, even if we are outnumbered by 1000 men, don't we have us two together? Surely we can work together, kill the enemy general, break their cavalry's morale, then go and attack the main Chavarian line."
Alden said with vigour laying out the plan Bardornus would most likely take due to the Chavarians having an advantage in the cavalry battle.
"First off, do not underestimate Leon Mantelon, the flaming spear he is the best fighter in the Chavarian army we are currently and one of the best cavalry vanguard generals in Chavaria. He can fight me to a standstill and may even be able to best me in single combat.
"Second, their army is built better than ours! If we don't go into melee, their horse archers will turn us into hedgehogs! But if we engage them in melee, then their knights, which outnumber ours by nearly 3-1, will cut us down. Even if our light cavalry can get close enough to use their javelins to kill a few of their horse archers, by the time this happens, the knights will either charge at us, forcing us to retreat out of javelin range, or their arrow rain will kill us I don't think I need to remind ye of how accurate and deadly the Chavarian horse archers are."
"As ye can see, no matter what we do, whether it is a ranged fight or a melee, either way…."
"We still lose."
Bardornus said, giving the cold hard truth and outlining the bleak situation that the allied armies cavalry is in right now. By the time Bardornus had finished his sentence, a completive look had appeared on Alden's face as the young man tried to devise a plan to deal with the problematic situation in front of them.
"Worse, not only does Leon know about this, but Lucius does too."
"So why would we rely on our weakest force instead of our strongest?"
Bardornus said, a smile beginning to creep onto his face.
"Our strongest force, general?"
Alden asked, still confused until his eyes brightened with understanding as he realised what force Bardornus was talking about.
"So ye finally realised it. We will not rely on our cavalry, which can be bested by the Chavarian's cavalry instead. We will rely on our strongest force and the weakest point of the Chavarian army."
"Their heavy infantry, which is no match for the physically stronger orcs who are our allies."
Bardornus said, his white teeth shining in the sunlight as he waited to see how the battle would unfold.
"As long as we stay where we are and can keep the Chavarian cavalry from doing anything…."
"Then we will win!"
"And if they send reinforcements, then we will have a chance to fight the Chavarian cavalry on more equal terms."
"So, what will ye do…. "
"Vice General Leon.
Bardornus said, seeing that the orc skirmishers had begun to attack the Chavarians on both the left and right side of their defensive shield wall-like formation with heavy infantry in the front and archers protected by them in the rear.
"General! They seem to have sent about 5,000 cavalry to engage the skirmishers trying to flank the left side of the Chavarian formation."
Bardornus's eyes shined with a predatory light seeing some of the Chavarian cavalry split off and raised his curved glaive into the sky.
"Now our chance!"
"Oh, ye predators of our prime plain!"
"CHARGE!" Kill the Chavarian bastards."
Bardornus roared a refined Plurian horn resounding throughout the battlefield, heralding their charge and the beginning of the vicious cavalry battle which would claim the lives of both man and beast.
Bardornus rode at the front of the Plurian cavalry, which formed lines behind him. Just behind him was Alden, the tip of his steel halberd glinting in the sunlight, following his general into the abyss of the battlefield with no trace of fear.
The Plurian cavalry were like beasts as they charged towards the Chavarians so fast it looked as if they were flying across the steppe.
….
After sending Lucius' aid, Leon looked on calmly at the horde of Plurian cavalry who were fast approaching. Noticing that the heavy cavalry was in the centre of their formation and the light cavalry were on the sides. He began giving orders to his men.
"Horatius! Lead the horse archers, aim for the light cavalry on the sides and skirmish them if you run out of arrows, have those better at fighting in close combat enter melee and occupy the light cavalry while your comrades shoot them from the side or behind."
"I want our centre to have the same number of knights as they do. Try to hold them down and win if you can! Kleos, I trust you with this important task! Captain Justinius, take 2000 knights to take on the orc wolf riders! Once you have defeated them, go around and help the horse archers to attack the Plurian light cavalry."
"Yes, general!"
The two men called out, taking up their positions.
"Captain Aldorus"
Leon called out for a specific person after giving his orders to his two other subordinates in the Chavarian army. Every general has four vice generals, and each vice general has four captains under them capable of leading troops and holding positions, allowing the Chavarian armies to be as flexible as possible.
"My lord taught you the master-level tactics, Master Suppression, correct?"
Leon asked the 6-foot-tall, well-built, unshaven man who approached Leon after having his name called out.
"Yes, General, you have a specific target in mind for it?"
Aldorus asked in his gruff voice, knowing that Leon had left 500 knights out of his previous deployment for them to be used in this master-level tactical formation.
The Master suppression is a master-level tactical formation made up of 500 expert-level fighters who work together to surround, suppress, and eventually kill a master-level fighter who is trapped in it, which is why Leon has used all his other assets to ensure that no one can interfere with it because if they do, there is a chance for the master level fighter to escape.
"I do! Leave Bardornus to me! Use it on their young vice general! If our information is correct, his name should be Alden. I have always wanted to fight with one of Pluerus' best, and that old man probably has the experience to break through a formation such as that anyway, so it would just be a waste."
"That's just how terrifying veteran master fighters like him are."
Leon said, looking over at the enemy's formation to search for Bardornus and quickly found him at the front of the Plurian formation and saw how the Plurian light cavalry went to the right side of his cavalry while the orc wolf riders who followed quickly after the Plurians took the left side in an attempt to envelop and crush the Chavarian cavalry using superior positioning to help win the day.
As the two sides got closer together, it was the 8,000 Chavarian horse archers, the survivors of the previous battles and troops not chosen to help Lucius, and the Chavarian heavy infantry who opened the battle as a rain of arrows fell on the Plurian light cavalry their light leather armour being of little use as the steel arrows pierced through it and into the soft flesh below a few accurate shots from the veteran horse archers streaking past the small round steel shields held by the light cavalry hitting vital points killing the Plurians either instantly or within a few minutes from the blood loss.
It was then that amongst the Plurians, a young captain's voice sounded out.
"Form a mobile screen."
In response to the command, the Plurians formed an interconnected wall with their shields as they rode forward to protect themselves from the arrows better; however, their speed dropped considerably as all the cavalry had to maintain the same pace for the formation to work effectively the smaller shields allowing the cavalry to still see what was going on in front of them.
Horatius, his long hair blowing in the wind, watched the shield screen appear in front of him and raised his eyes slightly at the unexpected formation firing an arrow which quickly hit a man in the head, the arrowhead piercing through a man's mouth as he fell to the crusty ground blood pouring out from the open wound.
"Oh, so they know how to defend themselves! Shame they're still a bit too green!"
The 33-year-old Chavarian captain said to himself.
"Split into two parts, surround them. Let's see how they will protect themselves from all sides! Make sure to stay 150 yards away from the enemies! I don't want any of our stray arrows hitting our allies!"
The range of a Chavarian bow was between 250 and 350 yards; however, were most effective at about 150-200 as this would give it the power to go through armour, making sure that his cavalry was 150 yards away from the enemies allowed a 300-yard gap between them so even if there was a misfire the laminar armour worn by the Chavarian horse archers would protect them.
Like clockwork, the Chavarians horse archers split up and surrounded the Plurian light cavalry. Unable to protect themselves from all sides, the light cavalry, who had to form a tight formation, were shot like fish in a barrel, taking a large number of casualties until they were given the order to split up and pursue the horse archers individually arrow filled corpses dotting the steppe. However, the Chavarian horse archers just ran away from them while shooting behind them, frustrating the Plurians to no end.
While Horatius was running rings around the Plurian light cavalry, the Chavarian and Plurian knights clashed, lances crashing through plate armour and breaking, the steel lance tips piercing through their chests, their armour giving a final clank as their lifeless bodies thudded to the floor.
At the front of the Plurian cavalry, Bardornus expertly dodged a lance heading for his chest before swinging his curved glaive in a sweeping motion cutting down 3 Chavarian knights in one swing, the curved blade dripping with the blood of its victims as he broke through the Chavarian knights in an instant heading for Leon whose silvery crimson armour acted like a beacon as it shined in the sunlight.
Not far behind him, Alden broke through a knight's body which had been pierced by the sharp pointed end of his trident halberd, sliding off and hitting the ground with a thud. A Plume which dangled from the tip of his helmet and his pretty-looking armour donated his captain rank.
"Cleos!"
Leon shouted in surprise, pausing for a moment which Bardornus used to aim a swing for his head which Leon barely blocked after coming out of his stupor and surprised at seeing one of his most trusted subordinates skewered like a beast roasting over a fire and held in the air like a trophy.
After breaking through the Chavarian knights, Alden charged towards Leon, who was in a tough battle with Bardornus. Both men were of equal skill as they exchanged blows, the fight looking like a work of art as they circled each other on their horses, endlessly throwing blow after blow at each other. The young man intended to kill Leon with Bardornus and break the Chavarian cavalry before flanking the main army and finally taking Lucius' head.
It was then that a group of knights surrounded him, and he heard an angry cold voice enter his ears.
"Master-level tactics! Master Suppression!"
Aldorus said, his voice ice cold, his angry, enflamed eyes threatening to burn Alden from the inside out for killing his friend whom he had joined the army with and fought beside for nearly a decade.
The group of knights surrounded Alden, giving him no way out as wherever he went, tens of knights blocked him working together to block his skilful attacks as the box which surrounded him got smaller and smaller, the knights mercilessly thrusting their lances at the young man.
This time it was Bardornus' turn to be surprised and worried as his protégé was trapped in the Chavarian's formation, seemingly having no way out.
"So, he taught ye master-level tactics, did he?"
Bardornus said, barely blocking a spear thrust which nearly stabbed his heart, his muscle memory and battle instincts saving the Plurian general's life, which had come so close to ending.
'This is why master strategists are so problematic.'
'They can teach these sorts of formations to their subordinates.'
Bardornus thought to himself, annoyed that he was not trapped in the formation, for he may at least be able to get out of it, but Alden, who had only recently become a master-level fighter, would have no chance of escape.
"Yes, before the battle about one week ago, my lord taught some tactics like this to the captains in our army."
"To be used in situations like these where we have to fight annoying master-level fighters like Alden to deal with. But you could break out, right?"
It only took one look at Bardornus' face, which had turned dark and serious, for Leon to know that his assumption was correct and that Alden was in a bad situation right now, fighting for his life against the merciless Chavarian knights.
"But your protégé…."
"He has no choice but to die!"
Leon said loudly, increasing the pace of the fight, so Bardornus was forced to focus purely on the skilled Chavarian vice general unable to save Alden, who only managed to kill a few knights but was already sporting a few cuts from where the Chavarian lances had grazed him. The trident in the young vice general's hands was swung madly around him to defend himself from the lances which came from each side like he was a wild beast trapped in a cage.
"So General Bardornus…."
"I think it is time for a conversation, so please negotiate like a close friend of yours life hangs in the balance because it just so happens that in this case….
"It does."