Chapter 1: Alva (Part 1)
Chapter 1: Alva (Part 1)
Summer of 1082
"Father, the legion led by Patir has captured Tamnu Fortress, and now Razih has lost its last line of defense," Alva told Adram about the current situation.
"I have already sent men out to recruit soldiers. The villages within the domain can still muster a few hundred men. Additionally, Sultan Wengid has ordered all the emirs to lead their troops to the northeastern border. We should be able to reclaim the lost territory within about half a month."
"Lagaya won't let the newly captured castle fall easily. The cavalry of the Southern Empire must be hiding in the forests along the border. Patir's legion might just be a decoy."
"How could that be? Who would use an 800-man legion as a decoy? A country, excluding the soldiers stationed to defend its cities, has no more than three or four thousand combat-ready troops. Those from the Southern Empire wielding short swords and wooden shields aren't true soldiers; they're merely straw men beneath the Mamluk heavy cavalry.
Lagaya lacks her husband's resolve; the late Emperor Arenix has become history. This empress likely hasn't even secured her throne yet. Once Wengide arrives with his legion, Patir will collapse at the first sign of resistance." Adram Emir sat in the hall, holding a wine glass. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. Take your troops out to patrol the city. If you encounter the Southern Empire's forces, show no mercy."
Alva turned and walked out of the hall, thinking to herself, "When have I ever shown mercy to my enemies? If I weren't born a woman, perhaps my words would be taken as a warning."
Alva left the main building and headed for the barracks.
The narrow, winding streets were bustling with people. There were noble youths dressed in silk and brocade, riding arrogantly on horses, looking down on the poor as they passed by; there were ragged peasants, huddling against the walls, their faces filled with caution and timidity.
The shops lining both sides of the street were filled with an array of goods, from jewelry to everyday items, but the air was thick with the stench of rot and sewage.
"Assemble the troops. How many men do we have?"
"85 armored soldiers and 40 newly recruited militia," the guard replied.
Alva stood out in the crowd, towering above the others. This young woman, who had grown up riding horses and fighting alongside the army, often led her troops deep into enemy territory, intimidating the enemy even when the odds were against them.
Her black hair flowed over her armor, the tips brushing against the scars on the armor.
"Prepare to assemble and exit the city. Go to the Emir's stables and bring out all the horses to distribute among the armored soldiers."
"Isn't that inappropriate? What if the Emir holds us accountable..."
"These horses are only valuable on the battlefield," Alva replied. The Southern Empire had already advanced to the eastern shore of the Narrow Sea, and this time it wouldn't be a minor skirmish like before. If they were allowed to advance south beyond the forests of the eastern shore of the Narrow Sea, the entire region of Asele would be exposed to the enemy's legions.
The Karad Empire has always been reluctant to send its legions to the barren wasteland of Nahasa, instead projecting its influence into this border region by supporting tribal proxies, allowing them to dance in the endless power struggles. Those tribes that could control the oases received imperial funding, protected passing caravans, and thus grew wealthy. Those unable to control the oases were driven into the desert, surviving by herding sheep and raiding passing caravans, until they could rise again.
Now, the Karad Empire has fragmented into three nations. As the empire declines, the Asele people have agreed to form an alliance under the rule of a sultan, selected from the wealthiest family—the Banu Hulayn. But everyone knows that the dance of power is only temporarily suspended; once the time is right, it will begin anew. And now, perhaps, is the beginning.
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The narrow, elongated Strait of Ascalon separates Ascalon from the northern and southern parts of the empire. The northern border of Aserai borders the Southern Empire. The eastern shore of the narrow sea is one of the few forested areas in Aserai, serving as the eastern gateway to the Southern Empire and the corridor through which the Southern Empire's cavalry advances southward.
In the forest northeast of Tamnu Fortress on the eastern shore of the narrow sea.
As night falls, visibility grows dim. Spots of light filter through the branches, casting patches of light on the forest floor.
The soldiers hid in the grass behind the slope. The horses' mouths were tied with hemp rope, and their legs were wrapped in hemp cloth. The Asele tribal riders pulled hard on the horses' bridles, forcing them to lower their heads.
Forty militia members were positioned in the center of the formation, arranged in two rows, followed by ten Mamluk axe soldiers, with the remaining soldiers scattered and crawling on the ground. The militia carried a variety of weapons: some held short swords, others bent over with iron forks, and still others wielded axes and hammers. A dozen Mamluk axe-wielding soldiers were interspersed among the militia ranks.
This forest marked the eastern gateway to Asele. To the east lay a north-south mountain range, which local farmers referred to as Dongxia Mountain. At dawn, before the sun had risen, the slopes were bathed in golden light, resembling dawn's glow descending to earth or mountains piercing the heavens. The northernmost tip of the Dongxia Mountains borders Asele and is also close to the Southern Empire.
Housen Fugler City is located at the eastern foot of the northern section of the Dongxia Mountains and is the town closest to the Southern Empire. The Patir Legion first attacked Tamnu Fortress but did not besiege Housen Fugler City, clearly aiming to block Asele's northern forces to gain time for the siege of Housen Fugler City. Alva speculated on the situation.
Or perhaps Housen Fugler City had already been besieged, as no caravans had been seen coming from the north for a long time, and no letters had been exchanged with this area.
"Release the arrows!" Alva shouted.
The Assele light archers and militia archers drew their bows to the fullest, firing arrows that pierced the air with a constant whistling sound. The arrows sliced through leaves and grass, heading straight for the Southern Empire soldiers below the slope.
"Disperse, disperse! There's something on the slope..." Before he could finish, the empire's infantrymen were pierced through the chest by arrows.
The arrowheads glinted coldly as they fell like rain, each piercing the air accompanied by spurting blood.
Everyone panicked at the sight, chaos erupting. Those near the rocks quickly crouched down; those near the trees pressed their backs against the trunks, daring not to peek out; those hiding behind the weeds prayed to the heavens. Soldiers who couldn't dodge in time fell to the ground.
"Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!" Nifeng shouted as he pressed himself against the tree trunk, while his bodyguards drew their swords and spears from behind the large rock beside him.
The trumpets sounded. Tribal riders charged down the slope on their warhorses, thrusting their spears at the panicking crowd, disrupting the imperial soldiers' formation. Asele's warriors shouted as they charged toward the enemy, the air filled with the smell of blood and the clanging of metal.
The empire's skilled infantrymen threw their javelins, aiming at the swaying grass in the dim light. In their panic, they hoped their javelins would strike their enemies. The double-bladed spearmen swung their long spears, engaging in a chaotic battle with Asele's ambush troops. The empire's warhorses had suffered heavy losses from the arrows.
Soldiers from both sides fought in the darkness, swords clashing and sparks flying.
Alva, clad in heavy armor, rode a gray-white warhorse, wielding a Mamluk battleaxe as she charged into the enemy ranks. Wherever her battleaxe struck, it was unstoppable, and Imperial soldiers fell one after another.
However, the imperial soldiers refused to accept defeat on foreign soil. They shouted, "The Karad Empire will prevail!" and fought fiercely with their weapons against the Asele soldiers.
In the chaotic battlefield, soldiers from both sides were entangled in fierce combat. The Asele militia fought with reckless abandon, discarding their broken weapons at the slightest opportunity and swiftly picking up swords and shields from nearby corpses. With no other choice, they charged toward the enemy's center.
The Mamluk axe troops formed a包围ing formation, mowing down enemy troops on the periphery and their own militia who retreated without fighting. The empire's infantry wielded their swords, using their shields to block the axe blows, engaging in close combat with the Asele soldiers. Both sides hacked at each other in the darkness, their blood staining the ground.
Alva's warhorse was struck in the abdomen by a spear, and she fell from the horse, but quickly got back up and continued to swing her battle axe. Her personal guards surrounded her, protecting her.
Nifeng commanded his troops, shouting orders to inspire the soldiers to charge. Both sides fought in the darkness, and the battle lasted for several minutes.
The forest was littered with corpses. The sounds of battle gradually faded until they vanished. In the darkness, the forest returned to its nocturnal tranquility, occasionally interrupted by cries of pain, sobs, and heavy breathing. Yet these sounds only made the forest seem even more eerily quiet.
"Everyone remain in position and tend to the wounded."
(Sultan. Ruler of the Asele Kingdom; Emir. Tribal chieftain within the Asele Kingdom.)