War Begins
Five days later, the demonic army reached the western Yangtze River bank. Thousands upon thousands of demons, orcs, goblins, and trolls arrived in mass.
Seeing the army was enough to relapse some soldiers' battle fatigue. On shaky knees, the humans faced the same army that tormented them weeks earlier.
The bravado and arrogance they once were long gone. Now, they stood in formation like school children awaiting corporal punishment.
"Have courage men!" shouted the halfhearted captains.
"Countrymen, give me your ears," shouted Emperor Gaozong of Song riding to the front of the line on horseback.
"This is where we make our stand. We cannot allow these foul beasts to get by us. Behind us lays out capital and our families. We must hold the line!
Spear shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered, and the sword broke. Let us fight until the sea is dyed in their blood and these wretched beast are ruined.
We fight for mankind and the world's saving! Death to our enemies so our families may live to tell our tales!" shouted Emperor Gaozong rallying his troops.
Soldiers cried out in support and rhythmically banged their weapons against their shields.
Yet no matter how loud the banging sounded, it did not drown out the sound of the demons roaring and howling in glee.
The juxtaposition in troops was visible. The humans looked scared to death, and the demons were deathly scary. The humans were hungry, the demons looked hungry.
While both sides were lined up for battle, it was clear who had the advantage. Therefore, it was imperative his men did not step out of formation before the enemy breaks ranks.
At midday, the demons sounded their large war horn. The Qhosnir soldiers stiffen as the brassy note signaled volley, they knew from experience the next horn sound would signal the charge.
On cue the demonic army began attacking, sending spells, boulders, and javelins at the Qhosnir Army's water array.
The Yangtze River was 800 meters wide, except for spells, nothing made it across the river.
As long as the array held and the demons didn't cross the river, the Qhosnir Army knew they'd be safe.
Not waiting, General Yue of Fei ordered his magicians to defend the array. The generals knew if they did not defend the array, the constant battering would overwhelm the array and cause crumble within the hour.
The Qhosnir Army exhausted themselves but they kept the array half operational.
"Lord Bilal, we're unable to break through their array. My lord, what do you suggest?" asked Lord Bilal's subordinate.
"Sound the war horn again. The mages shall decide to either save the array or attack our soldiers, but they won't be able to do both," Lord Bilal smiled.
In a minute the second born blew. The low bass sends shivers down the human soldier's spine. A few men even tried to flee in terror. They knew the demonic frontal was about to begin.
At once a division of demons began felling trees, and a second division began leveling the river bank.
While a third division began digging a trench and excavating the sill perpendicular to that of the bridge. They dug 27 meters trestle to anchor the first pontoon.
Finally, the fourth division constructed a raft of two pontons and attached it to the trestles.
The Qhosnir Army stood rooted in fear, watching the demons build a makeshift bridge six meters at a time, while simultaneously their mages attacked the array.
"Damn it! Your majesty, the demons are forcing us to choose between defense and offense. If our mages attack, that leaves our array exposed.
We cannot attack with our archers until the bridge is halfway across the river. What are your orders, my liege?" cursed General Han of Shizhong.
"Continue to support the array. We'll continue with our defensive posture. May the gods be on our side and the reinforcements get here before the demons do!" prayed Emperor Gaozong.
"As you command!" saluted General Han of Shizhong.
After several hours, the pontoon bridge passed the halfway point.
"Archers to the front!" General Yue of Fei shouted.
"Ready, aim, loose," the general instructed.
Thousands of arrows fell on the bridge builders only to be blocked by a demon's [Ice Wall].
"Tsk, such a waste," General Yue of Fei said regrettably.
Helplessness. That's how Emperor Gaozong felt watching thousands of arrows being blocked and falling into the water.
All his army and empire could do was helplessly wait for their destruction. The emperor felt like a caged beast waiting to be slit, gutted, and cooked.
The inevitability of losing, all caused Emperor Gaozong to panic. His heart rate started being uncomfortably fast, his palms were wet and clammy, and he started sweating. He vomited before collapsing into dizziness. And in despair, he fainted.
"Your majesty," repeated Chancellor Lü of Yihao trying to wake his majesty. It was no use, the obese emperor was unconscious.
"Until his imperial majesty wakes, I shall assume command. His majesty wanted a defensive war, that's what we'll do. General Yue of Fei continue to attack the demons until that caster runs out of mana!" commanded the old general Han of Shizhong.
Hours ticked by as the demonic army approached closer and closer. As soon as the first bridge was nearly done, a second pontoon bridge was being built. The demons worked with great efficiency, working shifts within their divisions.
As the demons got closer to the shore, the army converged into one point. General Han of Shizhong arranged his army in a spear-like formation. With the tip pointed to the pontoon bridge.
Just before nightfall, the last pontoon was placed two meters away from the Eastern riverbank where the army stood ready.
Four by four, the demons hoped off the bridge and into the icy cold river. With the water up to their necks, they marched on the Qhosnir Army. Like a drill, the demons forcefully tried to spiral through the human soldiers.
"Attack!" General Han of Shizhong shouted. The whole army moved roughly as one. Even with the higher ground, the Qhosnir soldiers suffered major causalities. At the cost of three lives for every demon, Qhosnir was successfully able to prevent the demons from coming onto the river bank.
"Goro lead the trolls across the bridge," Lord Bilal decreed.
The demon General very much enjoyed the show. Watching humans fight with all their might only to realize it's not enough was pure entertainment. He relished the moment despair crept onto their face at the realization they were going to die.
"Understood, my lord," said the monster picking up four axes, one for each hand.
Goro at once carried out his liege's orders. He summoned the mountain trolls and began to run across the bridge.
Seeing the smiling mountain trolls and four-armed monstrosity running across the bridge sent the Qhosnir Army into a panic.
The men at the front tried to flee onto get pushed further into the melee. Soldiers stampeded over their fellow men to escape the coming onslaught.
The trolls swung their two-meter clubs battering soldiers and breaking them like twigs.
"This was not his battle, it was a massacre," Chancellor Lü of Yihao screamed in anguish.
Secretly, he was happy that his friend Emperor Gaozong was not able to see such destruction. The trolls swung their two-meter clubs battering soldiers and breaking them like twigs.
"This was not his battle, it was a massacre," Chancellor Lü of Yihao screamed in anguish.
Secretly, he was happy that his friend Emperor Gaozong was not able to see such destruction.
The Qhosnir Army, along with the Kingdom of Icer, Dukedom of Kro, and Kingdom of Zhekid's remnant armies, as well as the Theocracy of Ionic's clerics and the Principality of Seyuet's army, were being decimated.
All night the Qhosnir Army, until daylight peaked over the horizon.
"Hold the line!" General Han of Shizhong shouted as loud as he could, unphased by the attack.
"Shields up men!" the old general instructed.
Raising his own and unsheathing his sword, General Han of Shizhong attacked the nearest trolls.
"General Yue of Fei order the archers to fire!" yelled General Han of Shizhong.
"But our are in the way? General Yue of Fei yelled back tearfully understanding what his friend asked him to do.
"Do it now!" General Han of Shizhong demanded.
"Archers, hold position and prepare to shoot!" General Yue of Fei commanded.
He took the chance to look around and felt pained seeing how much damage his archers had taken. The archers did have shields, but they were smaller and affixed to their arms for ease of use. But that came at the cost of coverage, and it showed.
Aim!" General Yue of Fei called for a second time that evening.
"Loose!" shouted General Yue of Fei as hundreds of arrows sailed toward the trolls impelling them and humans nearby.
Six arrows struck General Han of Shizhong's back. He flinched, but only for a moment, as he continued battling a troll.
"Infantry advance!" commanded General Han of Shizhong forcefully. His display of bravery inspired the men around him.
With renewed effort, arrows, spears, and swords nicked the trolls. Death by a thousand cuts rang out as the battle cry. At a significant loss, the humans slew the last troll.
Yet, Goro remained alive. Like a one-man army, he kept the beachfront open for more demons to arrive across the bridge.
Suddenly a loud boom sounded, deafening the riverbank.
General Han of Shizhong looked to where the noise came from. There he saw the Kingdom of Fermion flag waving triumphantly. Long metal tubes smoked as boulders were shot towards the demon base camp on the western riverbank. Boulders and spells rained down on the demonic army like a torrential thunderstorm.
"Keep at it men! The reinforcements have arrived!" said General Han of Shizhong gleefully smiling as blood seeped out from his mouth and bodily wounds. The veteran general gracefully slouched against a Boulder and gently closed his eyes forever.