The Battle for Bahoz (12)

Corvus rode galloping through the darkness. He aimed to reach the Black Plains, keeping his eyes on the uncertain path ahead. Behind him, the sound of cavalry horseshoes pierced the silence of the night, heralding an approaching storm. The warnings of warriors who knew the area well echoed in his ears: "We don't have much time." That is why both Corvus and the cavalry never slowed their pace. Their aim was to reach the Black Plains before the enemy and catch them unprepared.

Meanwhile, the soldiers left behind were not idle. Defensive lines were being set up on the hills, trenches were being dug and arrangements were being made to be ready for a counterattack. Everyone was aware of the seriousness of the coming battle.

Corvus was barely controlling his horse when he noticed someone approaching him silently, like a shadow. It was Ilyada. Ilyada looked relaxed, as if she was on a daily ride. She was not holding the reins, guiding her horse with a grace that was purely instinctive. Her posture was very relaxed, despite her horse's breakneck speed. Corvus interjected before Ilyada could speak.

"Thank you, Ilyada."

There was gratitude in his voice, but also surprise. He had never expected Ilyada to lend a helping hand. However, her unexpected move had played an important role in helping Corvus achieve his goal. A slight smile appeared on Ilyada's lips. She replied in a relaxed but confident tone:

"No problem. I don't know why you've been badmouthing your family, but..." she paused for a moment, then continued with a slight shrug. "After all, you are my fiancée. I should help you when necessary, right?"

Corvus nodded. He spoke without taking his eyes off the road for a moment:

"Why haven't your scouts arrived yet? Is this normal?"

His voice carried both curiosity and a slight uneasiness. Corvus was alert for any unexpected situation and the silence of the scouts was gnawing at him. Ilyada had already sent her best men to locate the enemy. Ilyada smiled confidently at Corvus' question. Her confidence was written all over her face.

"They will be here soon. Don't worry." he said, as if he was not the least bit worried. Soon after these words, it became clear that Ilyada was right. The sound of hoofbeats echoed in the distance, and two scouts, approaching fast, joined the group like lightning. The sweat on their horses and the serious expression on their faces made it clear that they had returned from an urgent mission. The scouts made a sharp turn and reached Ilyada's side and immediately began to report.

The enemy had just entered the Black Plains, as Corvus had predicted. The scouts' information showed that the enemy was much smaller in number than Corvus had estimated. The unexpected events at Bahoz had taken the enemy forces by surprise, forcing them to move before they could muster their full strength. Nevertheless, it was certain that the enemy army numbered no less than sixty thousand.

But this was not the only good news. The enemy forces had set out in a hurry and had been marching for hours without stopping. They were tired and disorganized. This was the opportunity Corvus had been looking for. If a cavalry army of ten thousand men were to meet them, they could be thrown into chaos, despite their superior numbers. It was almost impossible for a tired and disorganized army to stand against a disciplined cavalry attack.

The two young warriors, relieved that they had accomplished their mission, stayed behind and rested. They had done their scouting duty well. After all, they were not the only scouts Ilyada had sent; Ilyada's warriors were watching the enemy army at every moment, following their steps. In addition to these warriors reporting on the movements of the enemy army, a group of them were scouting the terrain to find the most strategic point where Corvus' army could meet the enemy.

As Corvus and his cavalry continued to advance across the Black Plains, Ilyada's scouts appeared on the horizon one by one, bringing new information. Each report further clarified the enemy's location and situation, helping Corvus to refine his plan. Finally, they reached their staging point. This point was slightly elevated compared to the rest of the plain, covered with tall grass. Looking down from the elevation, it was possible to notice how the rolling plains made any movement across this vast expanse of land clearly visible. It was the perfect vantage point both for observing the surroundings and for catching the enemy off guard.

Ilyada quickly mobilized a few of her men. She had her warriors spread out across the plain and take up strategic positions. These men, like Ilyada, had grown up on these vast plains and had mastered the art of concealing themselves without even the slightest cover. Using the darkness of the night and the limited cover provided by the tall grass in the area, each of them lay in ambush to catch the enemy scouts off guard.

Even though time was short, the soldiers and horses needed to rest. Ilyada, however, gave a strict order that no one was to go a step farther than the horses. Not letting go of the horses' reins and being ready to move at any moment was the main condition for this irregular rest. The silence of the night was broken by the breathing of the soldiers and the occasional thud of the horses' hooves on the ground. Everyone was alert in case the enemy appeared in the dark.

Soon, several horsemen approached the plain. These riders were tired and careless scouts of the enemy. Cautiously moving through the darkness of the night, they did not realize that they were in the grass, where the Iskat warriors were hidden. Before they knew what was happening, they were knocked down one by one by the sound of arrows piercing the silence. The arrows were aimed precisely; none of them had a chance to escape or call for help.

After making sure the enemy was dead, the Iskat warriors quickly checked the bodies on the ground. Then they slapped the enemy horses away from the plain to remove unnecessary attention. The hoofbeats of fleeing horses briefly filled the night, but even these sounds were soon silenced. The plain was silent again, only the howl of a gentle breeze rustling the grass.

The silence did not last long. Soon, a single owl hoot was heard, breaking the night. Then several more hoots echoed, one after the other. It sounded like a real owl hoot, but in fact it was a special alarm system used by the Iskat warriors to warn of the approach of the enemy. Ilyada listened carefully to the alarm and, quickly grasping its meaning, gave the order: All the warriors must get into a ready position.

The plain was now filled only with patience and tension. Out of the darkness came first the faint vibrations of footsteps striking the ground. Then the first ranks of the enemy army appeared on the horizon. The pale light reflected by their armor and swords shone menacingly in the darkness of the night. One by one, the emotions Corvus had been suppressing for so long began to surface. His eyes grew redder, as if responding to the enemy's presence.

Corvus fixed his gaze on the enemy ranks. His gaze scanned for weak spots like a hunter. Small irregularities, visible even in the darkness, the slackened lines of tired soldiers and scattered groups provided him with the clues he was looking for. He shared each detection with Kaelyra and Ilyada at his side and sought their opinions.

There were many horses in the enemy forces, but they were used to carry the burden of the journey, not the cavalry. The armor, weapons and other equipment of the soldiers were loaded onto the horses, speeding up the enemy's advance. But it also made it clear that the enemy forces had no cavalry at all. There were only a few men on horseback in the enemy army, and it was immediately obvious that they were the leaders by their posture and the way they stood out from the other soldiers. Corvus fixed his eyes on these men and spoke, pointing at them.

"If you can't take these three alive, make sure they are dead."

Kaelyra gave a short and clear answer with a stoic expression on her face. "Leave it to me." Her voice was determined; this mission was more of an opportunity than a challenge. Corvus knew very well what the neutralization of these three leaders would mean for the enemy. With the enemy's leadership removed, the army's ability to organize would be greatly weakened. This alone would be enough to slow or even halt the enemy advance.

When the final orders were given, Ilyada impatiently approached her horse. "We must attack now." she said, her voice full of both excitement and certainty. Corvus knew it would be a mistake to ignore the intuition and experience of an Iskat in cavalry action. He agreed with Ilyada and without hesitation gave the order.

"Charge!"

Corvus' words were enough to mobilize the army. Within seconds, ten thousand cavalrymen mounted their horses and took up ready positions. The sharpest eyes of the enemy forces began to notice the movement. But before they could get this information to their leaders, the Rhazgord cavalry charged at full speed.

The horses' hoofbeats thundered across the black plain, and clouds of dust, carried by the wind, swept over the enemy. The determination of the cavalry was evident enough to strike fear into the enemy. The power of the charge that tore through the silence of the night was a testament to Rhazgord's overwhelming fighting prowess. The enemy had neither the time nor the preparation to withstand the oncoming wave of fury.

In an instant, the enemy forces were overwhelmed by the chaos created by the approaching Rhazgord cavalry. They hurriedly scrambled to take their weapons from the horses and fall into line, but each hurried movement only added to the confusion. What brought the chaos to a peak was the terrifying battle cry of the Rhazgord warriors.

The brutality of the 'barbarians of Rhazgord' , which the enemy soldiers had heard in stories for years, was now a bloody reality. The nightmares of young soldiers whose parents had frightened them on the nights when they did not sleep, telling them, "If you don't be a good boy and stay awake, the Rhazgordian barbarians will kidnap you." had become a reality. These accounts reinforced the fabled horror of the Rhazgord warriors, and the fear became deeply ingrained.

Corvus' army attacked from many different points, unexpected by the enemy. The lines of the Three Kingdoms Alliance crumbled as if made of paper. The cavalry's steady and relentless blows opened huge gaps in the enemy's lines. Especially where the Iskat cavalry attacked, the scene was even more horrific. Pools of blood, severed limbs and soldiers screaming in terror were testimony to the striking power of the Rhazgord.

The cavalry never slowed their pace as they broke through the enemy lines. Instead of standing and fighting in the enemy ranks after the attack, they kept moving forward. This tactic was central to Corvus' plan. The plain offered the cavalry a clear advantage; it was Corvus' strategy to use the horses' combat power to disperse the enemy, if only for a moment, and then organize for the second wave.

Now the cavalry had completely disorganized the enemy and, if only for a short time, taken control. Under Corvus' leadership, Rhazgord's cavalry began to assemble for the second wave. The chaos they left behind was great enough to make it difficult for the army of the Three Kingdoms to recover.

This second wave was perfectly timed to completely frustrate the enemy's attempts to regroup. While the enemy soldiers were still recovering from the shock of the first attack, the Rhazgord cavalry's second assault was even more devastating. Corvus advanced to the front of his army, holding Kragan's massive axe in one hand. The rage burning in his eyes not only terrified his enemies, but also inspired courage in the warriors behind him.

Corvus' imposing figure, with his red eyes glowing in the dark and his giant axe, resembled a mythical god of war. Every time he raised his axe, his enemies were at a loss, raising their shields in fear. But shields, armor or bodies were no match for Corvus' attacks. When he swung his axe, it not only killed enemies, but also shattered the formation of the enemy lines.

One of the enemies tried to block Corvus' attack by raising his heavy shield with trembling hands. But Corvus' axe, as if shattering a paper barrier, sliced the shield and the soldier behind it in half. No one could stand against this force. With every step, with every blow of his axe on the ground, fear echoed through the enemy ranks.

The cavalry behind him moved swiftly along the path Corvus had opened, cutting deep into the enemy lines. With every move, the cavalry further demoralized the enemy, causing them to wallow in the mire of despair. The cavalry's steel hoofbeats echoed across the plain, ringing in the enemy's ears like a death march.

Some of the enemy soldiers, watching what was happening, remained pinned to the ground in terror, unable to even think of fleeing. Others were looking for ways to escape in the chaos, causing even more disorder. This attack, led by Corvus, was not just physical destruction, but a blow to the enemy's soul.

It was a picture of the Rhazgord's ruthlessness and determination in battle. With this attack, the enemy realized once again that the force they faced was no ordinary army, it was the monsters of Rhazgord, the monsters of the stories.