The strike was expeditious. King Tafketg instantly rallied all of his partisans and held a meeting, most of them was exhausted, the assault was much further from their furthest expectation, Gods were on their side that night, if they weren’t, Ufnetean’s forces’s fate could have been marked. The whole forum was quiet so such a long time before king Tafketg initiated:
“That’s just the beginning, mates, there will be many more nights to come, you need to wake up, my friends.”
“But brother, don’t you see it’s strange, how did they know that we were planning to attack them, it’s couldn’t be that polymeric, they must have been told by uhh, someone, maybe a……………spy!!!!!!??????” said Baron Jiqgit, he is close cousin of king Tafketg, a very old general and he is also the one who took the regency after the death of Tafketg’s father.
“I think so, my lord, I doubt we’re having a hidden spy in our court”
Count Endutx stated.
“Ah, look, a spy is detecting himself, how….how interesting is that” Archduke Enepe laughed out loud.
“I’m sorry sir, but……..” the Archduke interrupted him:
“If you’re a no spy so who? It’s you who suggested not to attack first and then we got attacked!”
Count Endutx couldn’t hold his calm, he stood up, directed his fury sapphire blue dragon eyes toward the old archduke, the Ufneteans’s eyes become dragon eyes when they are angry, overwhelming depress or when their bloodlust is high in battles, the color of their eyes based on their characters. However, he tried to keep his cool head as much as he can and said with sarcasm:
“Why is it couldn’t be you, almighty archduke, is it you who want to lead our men to death, is it you who sent a henchman to the enemy and reported entire our plan, IS THAT YOU!!!!!!!!???????”
No one knows since when, Archduke Enepe has lost control with a glowing red dragon eyes burning with thousands of angers, he leaped to the young count with a powerful punch, Count Endutx, as swift as a fox, dodged the punch, and two gentlemen fight each other with maximum strength. No one dared to stop the two ferocious men, except the king, he threw his giant body into the two generals with a bright orange dragon eyes and grabbed their neck. The fighting men feel the earth and the sky spinning when they realized they’ve lied on the floor, they managed to stand up, king Tafketg roared at them:
“IS THIS A PERFECT TIME TO FIGHT???!!! OUR ENEMY IS RIGHT OUT THERE! THIS IS ECXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT!
AS I SAID, WE CAN NOT BATTLE AGAINTS OUR ENEMY WHILTS FIGHTING EACH OTHER!” then he slowly calmed down and continued:
“It’s still too soon to say there is a spy, maybe it’s just a coincidence, let’s wait for tonight, and remember to reinforce our defense system, build more anti-cavalry spikes, improve night patrol and scout, make sure that we will know prior to their arrival.”
Archduke Enepe declared:
“I’m out right now, I’m so out now.”
“If it’s your desire, you’re free to go, but make sure not to let me see you again!”
Archduke Enepe quickly got out of the forum tent, Baron Jiqgit ran after him to persuade him to stay. Jiqgit asked:
“Why? Enepe, why? You can’t just leave, we need you to be here!”
“It’s useless Jiqgit, even the king is against me now, why should I stay, furthermore, I don’t want to stand with that bastard like him.” Archduke Enepe had never stop criticizing Endutx’s background, he was once a normal soldier of an infantry division, one time when they were fighting against the Heretics, Endutx bravely broke the surrounding enemy and successfully save king Tafketg from death, it’s said that his sapphire eyes glowed like a diamond, he fought like a tiger as well as commanding his mates to save the king. Then the king discovered his family’s story, his father and grandfather were honor soldiers under the rule of king Enob the great, the father of Tafketg and Lepiv, both of them were killed by the Heretics so he decided to take part in the army to revenge, king Tafketg also found his courage and talent so he promoted him to be a count as reward, along with responsibilities. Back to the problem, Baron Jiqgit convinced Enepe to stay but he decided to leave no matter what, he left at afternoon.
That night was an intense night, unlike the previous night, they’ve prepared everything to deal with their enemy, everyone anxiously waited for enemy, sweating and trembling, and what has to come has come, a scout rushed to the camp and exclaimed:
“They are coming! They are coming! In a number of thousands, mainly cavalry, with crossbow supporter.”
“Children of Ufnetea, the glory is right in front of you, do not loosen your hands, even a second!!!!!!”- shouted king Tafketg.
They altogether unleashed a fearsome war cry, then torches were lit up, it revealed the biggest enemy, fears, which were distinctly marked in every soldier’s face. And from dreary darkness, the Heretics stormed out from overcast darkness like a demon from hell, they charged straight on Ufnetean’s infantry rank like a rampant tiger, caused a terrible shock among the king’s division, king Tafketg rearranged his formation and shouted:
“HOOOOOOOOLD!!!!!!!!!!”
His troops managed to lift themselves up from the ground while Heretic’s cavalrymen preparing their second charge, the second charge was even much worse than the first one because many of Ufnetean infantrymen did not regain their consciousness. The chaos continued to disorder the once peaceful land. Yelling of two armies, cries for the fallen, sounds of clashing weapons, sounds of waiting vultures,… all of those sounds made up a mournful scenario for the battle. Heretic Magni were the worst nightmare for anyone who unluckily encounter them, their great helmets brought a significant psychological effect to those unexperienced levies. First charge, a Heretic Magnus impaled a footman like a meatball. Second charge, he used their sword to thrust another footman in his mouth, ripped it across his throat, crushed his windpipe, scarlet blood splashed out all over the ground and even on his mates’s face, that poor one took advantage of his very weak last strength to hold the Magnus’s sword and counter attack but that was useless, he fell down like many others. Third charge, he slashed through another footman’s head and ripped it to two, the poor man staggered and broke down, his brain fell out of his half-ripped head, as flaccid as tofu. King Tafketg’s tactic is easy to recognize, he tried to hold his infantry lines as long as possible for his archers can fire at will, his archers were well protected by three sides of thick oak forest so the enemy can’t approach from rear, an infantry division in front of them to make sure that enemy cavalries can’t reach them, and that tactic worked well enough to save his day. Although three lines of infantry were broken through, they successfully defended the attack. Once again, the Heretics retreated by dawn, but the it’s also when the Sun show the real havoc of the bloodshed, stinky smell of blood and corpses possessed the atmostphere, vultures squealed their creepy shrieks and dived into the dead bodys for their breakfast, here and there, reeling soldiers were searching for their survivor mates, a young man drooped over his friend’s body and sobbed, his friend was stomped by heavy stanllion, the head of this guy was smashed up and covered in crimson blood, it’s very hard to recognize him, king Tafketg took part in this as well, in the waves of corpses, he heard a bitter cry, he approach the source of that cry and saw a very young man lying under a black horse, he suffered a long deep cut right under his chest and he was dripped with blood, that damage can easily kill a man if he wasn’t an Ufnetean due to blood lost, his hand was holding a crossbow bolt with his left eyeball mounted on it, he was crying with only one eye, a brown eye, his tears were sanguine, king Tafketg removed the horse from his body and sit down, put the young soldier’s head to his thigh, as tender as a father, the poor soldier whispered:
“Wa…water…I’m thir…thirsty!”
King Tafketg asked prince Yannap to give him a canteen, then he lifted the soldier’s head and let him drink from his holding canteen, then asked:
“What is your name, son?”
“L….up, Lup, my lord”
“What is your age?”
“I…I’m 16”
“Pretty young, you are better than me boy, at your age, I was busy pursuing my brother.” King Tafketg smiled.
Lup kept on:
“I…. ca…..can’t see, it is…..it is becoming darker and darker. I…..I’m s….so cold, I can’t mo……move my body, I’m scare.” He started to shiver.
The king embraced him like a kind father:
“I’m here, young man, I’m being here with you, the king is here with you, don’t be scare my boy.” King Tafketg couldn’t repress his tears from falling, he remembered of his father Enob again, his brave father, he regreted that he didn’t dare to hug his father for the last time because he was too little that time, he didn’t dare to even look at his heroic father who was covered in blood, that was overwhelming for a child. Tafketg tried to hold his emotions and continued to ask:
“How about your family?”
“I have my mother back home, and……my sweetheart Rina.” He bursted into sobbing hiccoughs, blood from his eye once again poured out.
“I guess she is the most adorable girl in the world, isn’t she?”
“You…..are right, sir.” For the first time, a smiled appeared on that dry bloody lips again.
“That is Rina who is two years older than me, she got long blonde hairs and innocent green eyes, she is a brewer working on a tavern near my home.” His eye was alight with pride.
“Just before we left, she came to me and brought me good news, we are having a baby, we were going to get marry when I returned but now I’m…I’m…I’m… and who will take care of my mother?!” He bursted into tears again, king Tafketg eased him:
“Don’t worry my boy, we will take care of them for you, and I will tell your children about you. It was my pleasure to have a courageous soldier like you on my side, you sacrificed your life, youth, your personal happiness for this city, your name will be remember not a hundred years nor a thousand but forever, so….rest in peace!”
“Tha…thank you….” He took his last breath with a smile of satisfaction, then his soul soared into the air and flew away, after that, his set of armors and weapons melted down into dust. He’s only one of many who died for loftier values, they were once a father, a son, a husband, a sweet lover or just a playful teenager.
They buried the dead and provided medical aid to the injured, the corpses, of both Heretics and Ufneteans stacked up as high as huge bale of hays and straws, king Tafketg found a high place and urged his men:
“Be strong, brothers, that was just the second night, there might be a hundred nights to come, so do not falter, if we fall, Ufnetea will fall, and once Ufnetea has fallen, your kin will be massacred, your woman and children will be enslaved. But, that will not happen, I can’t do anything, that is obvious if I do alone. However, you’re all here with me, you are all my sons and my brothers. IF THEY WANT TO, ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE THEM A HUNDRED MORE NIGHTS, AND ARE YOU READY TO LET THEM TASTE THE FLAVOUR OF FAILURE LIKE OUR ANCESTORS HAVE DONE!!!!!!!!!!” He said sharply.
The army temporarily forgot their pains, tiredness, sufferings to bury their mates, reassemble their divisions, rebuild traps, clean their weapons for the night. That day’s night was a full-moon night, a dove flew over their camp, that made a stir among Ufnetean army, soldiers discussed that was a sign of peace. And what they expected was right, their enemy didn’t attack that night, at about 4:00 AM they shouted out with glee, blood didn’t shed. They spent the next day practicing anti-cavalry tactic. But one night, two nights, three nights, they didn’t suffer any assault. However, no one can image the darker conspiracy happening behind their back.
It’s happened that a large number of soldiers got a sickness that damaged their strength heavily, they couldn’t find the reason, if they got attacked that time, that would be a slaughter, and the worse actually came to them, they got attack at midnight again, it would have been a massacre, but their experience and bravery through two nights of terror and from veterans compensated their weakened strength, even though the casualties were still too big. Medics had to work at full capacity in field hospitals to cure injured and patients. King Tafketg called Jiqgit to find a solution, Jiqgit used to be an excellent student of Ufnetean National University in chemistry and herbalism before he became a military general, he told Tafketg:
“My lord, this sickness caused by an extremely poisonous toxic, a mixture of ebony tree sap, blood of bat, saliva of fox and piss of toad. Despite of its toxicant, it must be loaded into body in a decent period of time to trigger, this will not kill them, only weaken them, I reckon because the Heretics want our soldiers to live so they can do their evil sacrifice ceremony. There is no antidote for it yet, but I’m going to try my best to make it up.”
King Tafketg hung his head in his shoulders, cramped up his brows and mumbled:
“God! Isn’t it harsh enough?!” head to Jiqgit, he asked:
“Do you have any idea about the way that evil thing infected our men?”
“A continuous transmission, if it’s not from food, it’s from nowhere, water is also an easy way for the enemy to poison us.”
“But the enemy can not reach our supplies route.”
“I guess it from our own rank, that matter again, there must be a spy ruining us from inside.”
“I still think it’s too soon to say anything, but if it is, do you have any idea who he is?”
Jiqgit hesitated:
“This is just my point of view, do you remember the one who escorted the last soldier food caravan?”
“Do you….do you mean Enepe?”
“You got it. I believe that we were the primal target but we consume separated food and they were surveyed before we eat. I reckon he engaged with Endutx willingly and leave to create an innocent evidence”
“But he’s a veteran general, he has served and contributed a whole life, how can he betray us?!”
Jiqgit slightly smiled:
“Human nature, ha, is hard to change, but it’s not impossible, I was the one met him when our caravan arrived, I took a quick look at wheat crates, I saw they were opened before despite of their careful rewrap, after that he has tried to find a fair reason to leave so he intentionally picked a quarrel with Endutx. But, it’s just my thoughts nonetheless, don’t mind that.”
King Tafkegt really didn’t want to believe in that, although hot-tempered, arrogant and sometime impatient, Enepe is extremely loyal and chivalric, the reality of being betrayed by him like a great hammer hit his head, he didn’t want believe that but he couldn’t avoid controversial thoughts which kept coming to his mind. The next four days were pathetic for them, the Heretics came every night, faced them were exhausted and sick soldiers. Day five, the king’s army was put into a fatal circumstance, many soldiers were starved and drained by the sickness, many others were killed while fighting with the Heretics, if he got strike again, they will collapse for sure. By afternoon, Jiqgit came to Tafketg’s tent and reported to the king:
“My lord, the antidote is much harder to make and much more time-consuming than I expected, I need about three more days, I know what situation we’re currently on but I have a temporary solution, now you declare we have found the antidote and I will give them some steroid, this drug is simply painkiller and sensation deceiver, this is more like a psychological treatment but I believe it helps in this critical situation, I’m waiting for your permission.”
“We have no option, brother, just do what you want, make sure our men are ready for tonight.”
“As you wish, brother.”
As he commenced to dispense the medicine for the army, they cheered like a child, they quickly regain their energy and above all their spirit, it felt like they can move a mountain, no one can stop them, but the one who pleased the most was Tafketg. That night their enemy, again, let them wait in disappointment. The next day was terrible, since what they had were fake medicine, their sickness came back to persecute them, they moved toward the tent of Jiqgit to find an explanation for it, the situation was intense before the arrival of king Tafketg, when he came, he explain that Jiqgit just wanted to boost their morale, the soldiers, although extremely angry, they accepted to trust in their leader and returned to their positions, the sickness seemed to be worse than the earlier days. The Heretics came, and the king’s army have no strength resist that, their infantry formation was ripped apart, the moment when everything was almost come to an end for them, a person have saved their day, an old cavalryman mounted on a colorful steed lead his men, cavalry also, trucked heavily on the right flank of the Heretics, they were wearing the same equipment as king’s army. When he came closer, they recognized him, he is, no one else, Enepe, still that style, that bad-tempered, as he charged and butchered a Magnus’s head, his mouth swore at them:
“Die, dogs!!!!!!”
The Heretics army was totally surprised about that, they managed to fight back but Enepe’s cavalry successfully crushed their crossbowmen formation, after defeating them the rear, Enepe led his men to charge toward the cavalries in front multiple of times , along with it, Ufnetean infantries sallied out to help, Enepe’s cavalry played the role of a hammer and Tafketg’s infantry played the role of an anvil, the Heretics, who were the patient of that synergy, suffered heavy losses, in high morale, the Ufnetean was boosted their strength, despite of serious sickness, they released all of their anger, vengeance of their fallen mates, their eyes shined like stars, war cries were as fierce as they would shook the earth and the sky. For the first time of the war, the Heretics army was defeated and suffered heavy casualties, they routed in terror by late night. The day after was the happiest day since they left the city, soldiers hold hands and sang triumphant chants, Archduke Enepe rushed to king Tafketg’s tent, Tafketg embraced him and gave a strong clap on his shoulders:
“I know that, I’m sure about that, I’m sure that you will return no matter what, you will not leave your king and above all, you will not miss any “party”, won’t you!”
Enepe responded with a big laugh:
“Yeah, yeah, how can I miss a big “party” like that!!!!”
They both laughed, Enepe kept on:
“Ohhhhh, I’m also sorry my lord, I shouldn’t have been impatient and childish like that, I shouldn’t have left”
“Why should you care about that right now, the important thing is that you are back, don’t mind that anymore. Ah, where are all that awesome cavalrymen?”
“Ah, how did I forget that, I did a supplementary gathering and I got them”
“How did you know to take a roundabout route and surprisingly flank the enemy”
“It’s a genius thought by Lepiv the Wizard, after hearing I illustrate their tactic, he suggested me to come from the flank and he was right”
“That was him who saved the day again”
“I have heard of a strange sickness rampaging our camp, it is right?”
King Tafketg pointed his sight at the space, breathed a sigh and said with a low voice:
“Yes, Jiqgit is making antidote but it’s way too hard and he even doesn’t know when is it completed”
“How about…telling Lepiv so he can call his friends for help, he has a good relationship with some of the best medical scholars”
“Jiqgit is still working on it and I can’t disturb Lepiv because he has a lot of other matters to care about especially when I’m not there”
“So…I guess I should leave now, I will reorganize our rank and give our men some additional training”
“Ok, go for it”
Just after Enepe left a few moments, Jiqgit came to Tafketg’s camp, Taketg couldn’t hide his please and told Jiqgit:
“Did you see that, he returned for me, he is not a spy, I know that”
“Glad to hear that. I bring good news for you, the antidote is ready”
Tafketg lifted his face to the sun and pray:
“This is the best day of my life”
Turned his head toward Jiqgit:
“Hurry up, hurry up, give it to my soldiers, in the will of the sun goddess, our suffering ends here!!!”
“Consider it done, sir”
Jiqgit sent it out among the army, the triumph and the antidote made up a significant moral boost for them, feel like they would storm the earth. Because of high spirit, generals gathered to ask Tafketg to attack, the king answered them:
“It’s time to show them we no coward!”
They marched to Heretics’ camp at noon, there was a heavy rain so they decided to wait and wait for the rain to stop, by late noon the rain finally stopped, they launched a surprise attack on front camp of the Heretics, after the rain, due to poor protection because they never expected any attack from Ufnetean, their crossbow strings were wet and couldn’t be used, their cavalry couldn’t reach their mounts, a bloodbath was predicted. Like a hungry beast, Ufnetean troops butchered everything they encountered, with power of a dragon, they ripped their enemy apart with all of vengeance which being hoarded for too long, their eyes were as blazing as stars every time they nailed a blow on them. Despite of bloodlust spirit, Tafketg knew when to stop, he ordered his men to retreat at late dusk when the enemy is empowered by darkness. Wet path made it more difficult for them to go back, but it didn’t matter because they’ve just got a glorious victory, that night was the most peaceful night they got, the best sleep they had since the beginning of the war.
The effect of the glorious battle helped them to gain confidence, they’ve won many battles later on, the soldiers became seasoned as time went by, in a battle they even ambushed the enemy on their path and killed huge number of enemies. The joy of sequence of victories spread among the city of Ufnetea led to more and more soldiers join the king’s crusade, but they were still be outnumbered heavily. Cunning Heretics found out a new filthy way to destroy the king’s high morale forces, they’ve planned to burn down the outskirt forests and attack when their enemy is still in chaos, the tactic seemed perfect, at exact 0:00 their arsonists altogether lit up the forests and ran away, the Heretics army ferociously charged straight to the burning camp, not even a single resistance from Ufnetean, the Magni laid waste to everything on their sight, slashed remaining men like butter, while in blood rage, they realized something uncommon, the Ufnetean armors didn’t disappear as they’ve since before, the leader Magnus came down and took a look at the corpse he just killed, he shivered to see the corpse was nothing than a puppet made from leaves and tree branches, he frightened and hastily ordered his men to retreat. But that was too late, from afar, resounded war horns and drums was like a requiem for those Magni and minions, the legion of justice approach from the flanks in colorful armors and horses, every horse carried three men, an archer, an infantryman and a cavalryman. The Heretics cavalry tried their best to get out of the camp Ufneteans were faster. Infantrymen and archers of Ufnetea jumped down from their horse and formed a shield wall in front of enemy cavalry. Prince Yannap himself led the cavalry force successfully teared the enemy formation into two and massacre their crossbow user behind, who were poorly equipped with light armor and pathetic melee weapons and have no chance to fight back. Prince Eqgusviq-The Infantry Marshal-commanded his troops to move forward and locked their enemy up to the burning camp and woods, in the peak of feud, they slowly approached like a predator and a wounded prey. King Tafketg took control of archer lines and he, himself, rode line to line to lit up arrows then rose his torch
“AS MY SIGNAL, UNLEASH HELL!!!!”
They waited until their infantry wall move to a suitable place where they wouldn’t not get shot from archers and not enough space for the stuck cavalry can’t organize any charge toward them. At the moment infantry stopped, king Tafketg gave a cry:
“FIREEEEEEEEEEE!!!! GIVE IT ALL BACK TO THEM!!!!!!!”
Turn by turn, line by line, hails of flamed arrow rained down like mini meteors, quenchless flame rose up to tens of metres, swallowed everything inside, as bright as daytime, the smell of burning flesh took over the air, it’s good steroid for those who are lusting for blood. When the Heretics were mortally weakened, with last strength they tried to assemble and made up a turtle formation but it didn’t seem to work well, Tafketg decided to give them a coup d’grâce, prince Eqgusviq ordered to split infantry formation into two, they altogether turned side way and stepped back, behind them, thousands of horsemen in a wedge formation like a giant drill led by prince Yannap, when he roared:
“Charge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
They neighed their horse and began to charge straight on in, their sharp swords and lances shined garishly in flame, fragile Magni couldn’t stand even a single charge, their formation was brutally teared apart, they were smacked, stomped and one by one was stroke down, the last of them fell by early morning. The sound of triumph spread among Ufnetean, they spent the next day cleaning up the battlefield, sunlight unveiled coal black corpses which were totally cremated and curled. They had to find a new place to set camp since their camp was completely burnt down, they camped in a flater and clearer place near a lake, this put them into a more critical situation if they get charged, but they know that a build a multilayer defend system with pike fences and deep trenches
Even Eyegrim couldn’t imagine how his men fail, they planned everything perfectly before the battle. The fact was, three days ago when a group of Ufnetean went to the jungle to load water from a stream, they caught one of the arsonists who was navigating the landscape and knew their dirty trick, they end up killing the scout and one of them bravely disguised into a minion and stay in their camp for the whole time while the remaining men went back to camp and told king Tafketg. One the detail the Heretics didn’t notice that when they stepped into their own trap, that spy was the one who set fire in the entrance and totally block their way back, and when everything was in chaos, he also put out the fire for his mates to charge.
That was an unbearable shame for Eyegrim, he swore and oath to Erida Occisor to revenge. Two days later Ufnetean camp was frightened by a piercing howl from their foe, then a black cloud soared up to the sky and cover a large area. None of them knows what happened there, and also no one how horrible is the creature they are going to cope with.
vorador
