War 3: Bloodbath (Bonus Chapter)
Jason vont Ballard, first son of James and Helen vont Ballard, and heir to the Ballard barony surveyed the battlefield.
Three months had passed since Jason saw his youngest brother, Little Will. Jason wondered how Will was getting along back at base?
Jason sat inside his drab tent, praying Will was okay. Jason was happy that Will wasn't here. Will had never cared for fighting like Marcus and him. Little Will had always been more studious.
Will preferred to read books than spar with swords, yet still, his little brother was here helping out with the war effort. Jason could not have been prouder.
Jason couldn't help but be proud of his little brother. Will had brought honor to the Ballard family. Moreover, he had done so much for his family. Jason received regular letters from his parents, his father told him what Will had done for the barony.
In truth, Jason thought Will was more deserving to be barony's heir, that was until his peerage bestowment. Jason enjoyed the military, he enjoyed fighting and upholding the law.
The thought of sitting inside a stuffy old manor in the rural fringe felt lackluster. Maybe one day Jason would go tired of the military, but now Jason hoped his day would stay Baron for much longer. Jason prepared the barracks to the manor.
Hearing the 6th bell, Jason left his tent for his morning meeting. On the battlefield, most nobles slept in square tents with amenities and servants. Jason's tent was empty, except the bare essentials. Jason enjoyed the Spartan decor, it reminded him of the poor barony where he grew up.
Every morning at 6th bell 200 captains, 20 colonels met with General Brash. Before that meeting, General Brash met with the colonels. Before he met with the colonels, General Brash met with the king.
Jason's commanding officer was Colonel vont Smith. As a captain, Jason was in command of 200 soldiers.
However, his company was one of 10 in Colonel vont Smith's brigade. Colonel vont Smith commanded 2,000 soldiers. Colonel vont Smith's brigade was one of 20 that General Brash supervised on the battlefield.
40,000 soldiers were a considerable number of soldiers in the medieval era. That number of soldiers displayed Fermion's passion to topple Albania.
After the command meeting, Jason and nine other captains met with Colonel vont Smith.
Around the 10th bell, the armies would meet for battle.
Jason thought back to the last three months. For the war waged on, never-ending day or night. At his commander meeting, Jason heard detailed reports of the death count, desertion rate, and strategy for that day.
On this particular day, Jason looked about the battlefield littered with suits, gore, and blood. Red, brown, and blue are the new colors of what was once a tranquil, luscious field, which has now become the stage of a full-blown invasion.
The air which was normally peacefully filled with the call of birds, the roars of beasts, and the music of insects, were now deafening loud. The sounds of explosions drowned any other sound in the area.
The two countries fought each other over a belief that Albania once belong to Fermion, yet; this battle had no winning side. The dead and wounded were scattered across the field. The faces of the once egotistical fighters were now tense and anxious and hoped in their hearts, that they might live.
With the uncertainty of battle coursing through their minds both sides did whatever they could to stay alive, to try to defeat their enemies. Survival, living until tomorrow, that's the dream.
Some soldiers succumbed to rage and madness, rampaging against anybody standing in their way, while others fought merely for the sake of survival.
The toll on both nature and humanity was tremendous. It'll likely take a lifetime before the field will recover. The ground was saturated with blood, pools of blood pool on the grass. Nature soaked in blood, gore, debris, and explosion holes took the place of grass, bushes, and trees.
Today at the 10th bell, a bugler sounded the horn, and King Remus Albus Fermion IX raised his sword. The Light Brigade of 2,000 soldiers began to move in columns of two.
The 3rd and 7th Spear Brigade, the 5th Lancer Brigade, the 2nd, and 8th Cavalry Brigade, formed ranks in the valley. Mages on both sides stood in full readiness. In the rear healers waited.
The silence of the battlefield was eerie. As both armies faced each other down, for what felt like the hundredth time in three months.
Jason took his place on the battlefield. As the Captain of the Heavy Armored Company, he prepared to precede the king into the battle. The Heavy Armored Company was always the first to the lines.
On the command of Colonel vont Smith, Jason spurred his horse and went into a gallop. His company galloped in front of the king. His company advanced as a column, pointing with his sword in the direction of the Albanians frontline.
Albanian arrows, fireballs, ice balls, a meteor whizzed over the heads of the galloping Heavy Armored Brigade. Jason encouraged his soldiers by yelling and shouting Albanian slurs. While missiles whizzed overhead.
Protection arrays blocked the early onslaught of aerial weapons. But the constant battering slowly dispersed the array, before dealing substantial damage to the Heavy Armored Brigade. Large craters formed on either side of Jason. His soldiers exploding body parts covered him in blood.
Today was another bloodbath. Still, the mages and heals did the best they could to protect their kingdom's soldiers. Despite the spells and arrows Jason and his brigade continued to advance, passing under a hail of spells at a gallop.
Soon the Albanian frontline was less than a distance of 500 meters. The closer, Jason's brigade came to the Albanians, the more spells and arrows hissed through the air.
When the two sides finally clashed swords, Jason's 200 soldier bridge was reduced by half. Wounded horses without riders darted across the valley. Men and women wailed in pain, asking for death rather than healing.
It was not just Jason's company, the entire Cavalry Brigade also came under heavy fire. Even Prince Roland who rode with Calvary Brigade was wounded in the leg. Colonel vont Smith's aide-de-camp, Captain Peterson, was killed.
In war, time slowed, Jason surveyed the indescribable carnage in a fiery storm of fire, water, earth, and air. And only one thought came to mind, 'I'm glad Will's not here,' Jason thought.
The spells punched holes in the battle formations of the Calvary Brigade. The brigade was decimated and closed ranks when their comrades died. Colonel vont Smith did his best to issue commands to his captains, but a quarter of his perished in the fighting.
General Brash watched the battle from behind. Seeing how his battle formations were thinning, General Brash issued a command to the Signal Commander.
The Signal Commander had one of his knights raised a flag signaling Colonel vont Smith's brigade to pause and hold its ground.
At the time, the remnants of the Heavy Armored Brigade were joined by the 3rd, 5th, and 7th Brigade. Foot soldiers, farmers with swords and spears raised joined the fray.
The Fermion foot soldiers charged and screamed like madmen. The Fermion mages fired volleys of spells. The Albanian frontline was push back. Sensing defeat, Albania's calvary left the front lines and regrouped else were.
A long and fierce battle began to unfold. Soldiers hacked each other to death. Fermion soldiers cheered. Many thought this would be the year, they defeat the Albanian dogs.
The King's Light Armor Calvary Brigade broke through the Albanian's frontline defenses. Clouds of dust and smoke hid the true forces of the attackers from them. Suddenly the Albanians, seeing the lancers flying out, panicked and began to retreat, crushing their light regiments.
The Fermion soldiers cheered triumphantly.
The Albanians retreated to a small hill, luring their enemy to follow. When the king, prince, and Colonel vont Smith's 2nd and 8th cavalry brigades raced up the hill.
When General Brash, who saw the development of events, wanted to deliver victory for Fermion. He ordered the remaining bridges to attack.
As Fermion calvary and foot-soldiers fought up the hill, the Albanian mages at the same moment attacked.
Jason's Heavy Armored brigade was instantly routed. In minutes, Jason and Prince Roland were both injured by arrows.
Just as the King raced up the hill to provide reinforcements, the Albanian reinforcements arrived and Fermion was forced to retreat against the overwhelming odds.
Sometimes false hope could be the greatest pain. The once boastful Fermion soldiers retreated.
Hours later, when the battle ended, soldiers cleared the dead and healers treated the wounded. Jason and the prince were healed.
Wounded soldiers and tired horses, slowly went walked back to camp. In the end, all the territory Fermion gained today was lost. In the end, the battle lines did not change.
In total, the battle lasted under eight hours, but the battlefield was littered with the corpses of people and horses, more than almost a thousand Fermion soldiers were killed or injured. In just less than eight hours, the king's Light Calvary brigade practically ceased to exist.
The King himself remained alive in this attack, eyewitnesses reports alleged there was not even a scratch on him, which led many to believe that the king was a fearsome warrior in battle.
After a failed attack, Prince Roland, who rode up to General Brash admonished him for his failed strategy.
The Prince yelled, "You lost a brigade!" The general tried to protest, citing own the King's written order. To which the prince protested.
Of the five hundred killed, were nine officers. One hundred and seventy were wounded, of which eleven were officers. Sixty wounded Albanian prisoners were closely guarded.
The healers were not able to save everyone, many of the crippled people later died. More than three hundred and fifty horses were also lost. In total, later estimates would write the death toll reached a thousand soldiers on both sides.
The losses hung heavy around everyone that night, like heavyweight on people's hearts. The first moon was already high in the sky. Clouds drifting by blocked out many of its silvery rays of light.
The encampment had a scattering of bonfires surrounded by a cluster of tents and temporary wooden structures. The slow-moving river's calming sound was drowned out by the howl of wind and the crying voices.
The distant rumbling of storms sounded, their booming thunder reminded soldiers of the day's bloodshed.
"Men, hold your head up high, you've survived past the first test. Today our countrymen died, let's honor their sacrifice by not moping," a colonel said.
The soldiers in camp, found it hard to sleep knowing tomorrow began another battle.
Meanwhile, back at the base outside Death Valley, Will spent the last three months turning the dysfunctional warehouse into an efficient organization. Will made sure the supply line to and from the frontlines operated like clockwork.
Bubba did an excellent job, he alone was responsible for helping to eliminate theft and waste. Miles, likewise did a tremendous job. His constant monitoring of supplies enabled Will to stay on top of the army's needs.
Will's platoon refilled supplies without waiting for a request. Some people joked the Quartermaster Command knew when something needed to replacing before they did.
Moreover, it didn't take people long to notice Will's achievements. As the number of officers was killed or taken prisoner, field promotions became a regular occurrence.
After the deadly battle that morning, Will was called to Major Valdez's office in the basement.
"Good Afternoon Second Lieutenant Ballard. I summoned you here to inform you, I've been moved from Quartermaster to lead an infantry brigade. I've been stuck in this role for so long, I'm finally going to war!" Major Valdez said excitedly.
"Since I'm moving out of this office, you're promoted to First Lieutenant effective immediately. General Brash himself signed off on our paperwork. This basement office is now yours, you may do as you please Lieutenant," Major Valdez said shaking Will's hand.
"Thank you, sir" Will saluted as Major Valdez replaced his second lieutenant badge for a first lieutenant badge.
The Major ran upstairs, grab a horse, and galloped into the Valley.
Will gathered his platoon and informed them of the news. His men were more excited than Will felt.
Will had his men collect the Major's paperwork from the basement. The higher the rank the more middle management paperwork was required.
The Major was responsible for the Quartermaster Command budget. He filed the paperwork to pay the wagon drivers and warehouse workers. Will learned, the construction work Will did on the warehouse cost 158 gold to build.
Will looked at the basement office, in disgust. He would keep his second-floor office in the warehouse.
For three months, Will practice his Tai Chi, conjuring, transfiguration, formations, and arcane blacksmithing.
Every day Will practiced his training He successfully created an Earth Gathering Formation around the warehouse. Will also made significant progress on his Mantle Array.