I stood atop the camp palisade, as a steady stream of martial might constantly flooded into the mist covered plains. The men quickly and efficiently took their positions in a very odd battle formation.
I turn to my greatest and most loyal commanders, and generals, and confidently say "Today we reap the results of our sowed effort, and I expect a perfect harvest, understand?"
The men all raised their weapons high above their heads, as they roared enthusiastically, except for Abraham who remained silent before calmly approaching me and saying respectfully "I do not doubt the genius of your plan my liege, but I am your guardian shield and I can't help but worry about your safety as I command the right wing, especially since the center is so weakened."
I couldn't help the smile that emerged on my face as I listened to his heartfelt words and jokingly replied "Then you better defeat your foes as fast as possible."
But unexpectedly Abraham took my words extremally seriously, as he calmly nodded and said with impenetrable resoluteness "I will completely exterminate them as fast as possible, my emperor!" I helplessly nod to him, as all the officers and generals head to their men, leaving me alone with Hamilcar, and my palace guard.
Hamilcar takes a deep breathe and releases it a few seconds later with a content, yet terrifying smile on his face that would petrify any sane man who saw it, thankfully I lost that title along time ago.
After a few seconds of silence between us I casually ask "You seem happy, Grand Marshal."
Hamilcar peacefully nods his head as he says "Indeed, my liege. For the longest time, I thought that the insatiable pyre that brightly blazed in the depths of my soul had been extinguished after a millennium of peace, but that all changed the day you called the war council. Hearing your speech that day reignited that forgotten flame, and for that, my emperor, I thank you. I thank you for reminding me of how my heart used to beat from expectation, of how my muscles used to ich from excitement, and of how my blood used to rush from exhilaration! I thank you my liege, for allowing me to return to where I truly belong; to my true home."
Hearing his words I say nothing in return, and simply smile as I stand by his side awaiting for the battle to begin.
***Scene Change***
Georgios calmly stood as he stared at the pesky white mist, that barred him from gazing at his enemies formation. After a few seconds Lucas arrived and reported dutifully "My lord, general Heinrich's right flank, general Luthor's left flank, and the center are ready and in formation."
Georgios asks emotionlessly "And Leonid and the Gryphon Knights?"
Lucas quickly responded "They tried to scout the enemy army, but they were repulsed by the Chimera Knights."
Georgios nodded in acknowledgement and took a deep breathe as he thought 'It's finally time.'
He gathered his power and said in a booming voice that sounded across the entire plains "Men, you toiled and struggled! You fought and bled! You defended and withstood the onslaught of those southern barbarians, who have come to destroy our glorious empire, but not anymore! It's time to skewer them with our spears! It's time to smash them with our shields, and run them through with our swords! It's time to flush away the yoke of the Eclipse Empire!" The Luminous soldiers loudly cheered as they beat their shields and stomped their feat.
***Scene Change***
Hearing Georgios's powerful speech, and the soldiers' blaring cheer, many of my men began to worry, and fret over facing our formidable foe.
Seeing this my body began to be covered with strange tattoos, my hair grew longer as my sclera turned to abyssal black, while my black colored eyes turned to a haunting silverish white, as I laughed loudly and thunderously said "You dare say this after spending weeks hiding in your camp like a trembling maiden? I guess it's true when they say that a dog only knows how to bark." The men loudly laughed as they heard my words, completely forgetting their earlier worries.
I continue saying "A proud lion never asks permission to feast upon his prey, and neither shall we! Shatter their shields, smash their spears, break their swords, and devour them my valiant wolves! Nigh is the time for the crimson banquette to begin, so feast my beasts of war! Feast until you can no more! Bare your fangs, and sharpen your claws, for death has come to claim his due!"
The men roar like frenzied beasts, loudly chanting "DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!" As their fighting spirit soars to new heights.
And at the same time both me and Georgios loudly order "Attack."
***
The Luminous Empire's army was deployed in a very common style, with the center being the thickest part of the formation, while the two flanks having slightly less men.
The Luminous center consisted of nearly 57,000 elite infantrymen, and supported with 2,000 battle mages, while the flanks each had 24,000 infantrymen, and 1,500 battle mages. The army looked like an unstoppable flood of spears and shields ready to descend on the numerically lesser Eclipse soldiers. But what the Eclipse Empire lacked in man power, they substituted it with ingenuity and a near suicidal battle plan!
Unlike the traditional formation of the Luminous army, the Eclipse army had a near non-existent center, that was only formed from 10,000 infantry, but it was reinforced with all the Eclipse battle mages, that numbered around 3,000, as well as their greatest trump card for this battle. Meanwhile the Eclipse wings each contained 5,000 Diomedes Knights, and 24,000 infantrymen.
While both the chimera Knights, and the Gryphon Knights faced each other in the azure skies above the armies, with no significant advantage in either side.
If the Luminous army represented martial tradition, then the Eclipse army embodied the meaning of martial chaos. If the Luminous army looked like a tsunami of cold steel, then the Eclipse army looked like the fanged filled maw of a starving beast ready to rip out it's opponents throat!
The first clash of the battle occurred on the right wing of the Eclipse army, that was led by Abraham and the Luminous army's left wing, under Luthor Vanar. But the Luminous left wing was quickly surprised when instead of facing the Eclipse right wing, they faced one man!
Abraham calmly walked across the plains, while wearing his iconic golden armor, and his massive war glaive until he reached the Luminous line and quietly muttered "You're in the way."
The Luminous soldiers didn't even have time to react when he violently swung his glaive and instantly bisected almost fifty men in half, but he was far from done! He nimbly entered their ranks and began to mercilessly butcher them, with emotionless eyes, as he coldly thought 'These irritating flies need to be eliminated to ensure the safety of his majesty!'
Meanwhile Luthor was nervously sweating as he thought 'The Golden Guardian Abraham! Damn it! We knew he was here, since the Eclipse emperor is here, but we never thought that he would be on the front lines instead of defending their emperor! And more importantly, where in the name of the Gods is their right wing? Don't tell me that he's only the first wave, intent to weaken our frontline, and then charge and completely crush us?!'
Thinking like this he immediately ordered loudly "Quickly send a message to the high command asking for reinforcements! Order all our battle mages to focus fire on Abraham, and deploy all our reserves! Now!"
Upon hearing his command, many of his officers slightly hesitated as they cautioned him seriously "But my lord, we'd be sending all these men to their deaths! It's impossible for them to stop him!"
Frustrated by their slow and cautious stance in this perilous situation he angrily roared "Of course I know that, you brick headed fools! But they will at least slow him down, even if slightly! Besides if they're army charges now, they won't be able to stop them! So send everything we have, NOW!" Luthor finished his words as he released his blood lust which petrified the complaining officers, and they no longer dared to criticize his orders.
As Abraham stood in the middle of an ever expanding pool of blood and viscera, he began to notice the movements of the enemy forces, and seeing this his emotionless eyes showed a trace of ridicule as he empowered his voice and authoritatively bellows "CHARGE!"
Hearing this Luthor empowered his own voice and loudly ordered "Shield wall! Shield wall! Hold your ground! Fight for your country! FIIIIGHT!" The Luminous soldiers tensed their muscles as they locked shields, and extended their spears, like a bristling porcupine, ready to impale anyone foolish enough to face them head on.
The area was quickly covered by the sounds of storming steps, and stampeding hooves, as the earth began to fearfully shake! Seconds later the sound of the rushing Eclipse soldiers was replaced by the deafening screech of steel striking steel, the grotesque squelch of blades mercilessly plunging into tender flesh, and of course the demonic neigh of the Diomedes Warhorses as they reveled and celebrated in the debauchery of war, and slaughter! But what truly horrified the Luminous soldiers was that these sounds didn't originate from their unbreakable front, but to their unprotected flank!
Luthor's face turned into a ghostly white as he thought 'Abraham wasn't the first wave, he was the bait! These bastards! Do they never run out of despicable ploys?!'
Seeing that the plan perfectly worked, Abraham smiled slightly, and no longer bothered with the small fries, preferring to leave them to his men, and finally turned his attention toward Luthor.
Abraham barreled toward him like a loose bull, and all the Luminous soldiers who were unfortunate enough to stand before him met the same fate as a helpless cat before a speeding car. And even through this, Abraham's exquisite golden armor remained as impeccable as ever, with not even a single blemish on it.
Luthor briefly contemplated fleeing for his life, but then he quickly discarded that thought as he saw Abraham's speed, and calmly turned toward his officers and solemnly said "Retreat with whatever men you can, and warn general Georgios of the current disaster, I will remain to buy you however much time I can. And if you see my brother tell him..."
But before Luthor could continue Abraham finally reached them and said mockingly "Do you think that you can do that with me here? You underestimate me too much general Luthor Vanar."
Abraham's deriding voice sounded no different than an executioner unsheathing his blade to them, as they began to pathetically tremble. But Luthor quickly woke them as he powerfully roared "GOOOO!"
Hearing their general's roar they turned around, as they felt their courage quickly grow, like a tenacious flower defying a cruel blizzard's chill. But before it could completely sprout, it was brutally stomped on, as Abraham swung his glaive creating an ark shaped aura slash, that not only split from the waist, but also decapitated their horses.
As half of the officers died, Luthor once again roared for them to leave already, as he lunged at Abraham, and this time instead of turning around with bravery in their hearts, they fled while being consumed with panic, and sheer fucking horror! But Abraham had no interest in allowing anyone to escape him, even if they're spirits and minds have been completely crushed.
Abraham calmly sidestepped Luthor's wild and desperate swing, and nonchalantly kicked him away as he once again slaughtered the remaining officers with an ark shaped aura slash.
Seeing his final hope ruthlessly extinguished right before his eyes, he glared at Abraham and empowered his voice, so that all his men could hear, and thunderously roared "FOR THE EMPIRE, AND THE GLORIOUS SUN!"
"It's a shame you were born in the Luminous Empire." Abraham quietly said, as he nodded in acknowledgement of Luthor's character and warrior spirit. After that he also empowered his voice and roared even louder than Luthor saying "FOR OUR GREAT EMPEROR, AND THE EMPIRE!"
But as the right flank was in it's final clash, the left wing that was commanded by Hasdrubal was facing the exact opposite situation!