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Sigmarzeit -23-2493
The sound of a skull being crushed filled my ears after I brought my mace down with all my strength on the head of one of Styratia's knights.
The lord of the city had decided not to despair and be next on my list of conquests; instead, he struck first, thinking I might be weakened after the siege of Akendorf—perhaps misinformed about what had truly happened there.
What followed was a clash of cavalry, lance meeting armor again and again; the field was filled with splinters as we were swallowed by the melee.
There was little I could do: the magic of Chamon had no effect on my men's armor, for their runes blocked or dispelled the arcane winds. All I could manage was to blunt the edges of enemy weapons in the heat of the fight, to weaken their armor, even turn it temporarily into lead. Yet I could not reveal my gift publicly, not until my training with the Colleges of Magic was complete.
Two lances shattered against my runic armor as my griffon tore apart two knights already fallen beneath its claws; the beast's talons sliced through them as though they were butter, steel and all.
Dozens of my men, clad in their rune-forged armor, pierced their foes with ease. Steel without runes or enchantment is rarely a match for dwarfen craft: when the runes flared, enemy weapons struck only to rebound, useless.
Unhorsing another rider with a swing of my mace, I saw long lines of my musketeers forming for a volley—they would soon unleash their fire into the mass still entangled with Styratia's riders.
I spurred my griffon to leap, crushing two horses and their riders beneath us as we landed; my beast's talons sheared through everything in its path.
"Come on… retreat, retreat!" I shouted, and my men quickly followed as we pulled back from the first clash. The enemy cavalry tried to form up and give chase.
Then came the thunder of muskets behind us, the metallic crack of lead slamming into steel. Looking back, I saw dozens of enemy riders strewn across the ground, the survivors falling from their saddles as their mounts collapsed or stumbled over corpses.
Another thunderclap rolled across the field as the second line fired, then the third. Nearly all of the enemy cavalry we had just fought lay dead; the rest began to retreat toward their camp.
"Let's go, let's go! They struck by surprise, but we mustn't give them time for a counterattack. If we strike now, we'll catch them with their trousers down!" I shouted as my griffon took flight, giving me a vantage point over the battlefield. Seeing with my arcane gift was one thing; seeing with my own eyes was another.
The enemy army was large for what one would expect of a cattle city. They fielded a great deal of cavalry and a strange system of war: hundreds of crossbowmen and archers sheltered within war wagons, forming a defensive line.
At once I noticed the tactics—Hussite-style war: many wagons, little infantry. After their failed ambush, they were preparing for that tedious, grinding defense.
I landed my griffon and ordered: "Halt! Halt! Do not advance further—they're waiting for us, and a cavalry charge would be wasted. Let the infantry advance and bring up some cannon. The only way to break their formation is with shot." My men stopped, waiting for the foot soldiers, while others rode back to Akendorf to see if artillery could be rushed to the field.
As we advanced toward the enemy forces, we saw reinforcements from their camp arriving. Their wagon-defense became an improvised fortress, reinforced by dozens of knights and riders who had escaped their failed ambush.
"Let them wait… if they stay here watching our moves, they'll be easy prey for our guns. Do we have word from the engineers yet?" I asked the riders near me.
"Yes, my lord. They should arrive shortly," one replied.
"Good. Have the infantry spread out and place the pikemen at the front—ready for any cavalry charge. No one is to move without orders. We'll wait for the cannon and strike only once victory is certain." My men obeyed, forming their lines as more reinforcements marched in from the rear.
Battle lines stretched across the field; soldiers took their places while reserves filled the gaps. Minutes dragged by until at last the cannon arrived—drawn by horses, engineers swiftly deploying them on the crest of a nearby hill. At the sight of the guns, the enemy began pulling back toward their camp.
"Damn it… we'll have no choice but to harry them all the way back to their city. They won't fight in the open unless the ground favors them," I muttered, drawing one of my pistols from its holster.
I loaded the weapon and rose slightly on my griffon, my men following close behind, as we soared over the contested ground. I stretched my senses with magic, probing the field. At once I felt it—more cavalry hidden behind hills to our right, and other forces waiting to the left.
"It seems their commander is no fool… Fire a few shots, then fall back to the right. I see horses there—it must be their hidden force," I ordered as my griffon climbed higher.
My men pressed on, pursuing the retreating army. I flew above with the griffon, arrows raining up toward me—but with my magic I bent their flight, sending them back down upon their own archers, who fell screaming among their ranks. Then I dove, aiming for one of the wagons bristling with crossbowmen and bowmen.
My griffon landed with talons spread, wings beating furiously. Its claws tore through several men in the wagon; their attempts to reach the beast with lances, arrows, or bolts failed, as I diverted every projectile aimed at her. Together we ripped apart those mounted on that cart while the horses panicked at the griffon's presence.
While chaos erupted in the area, my men arrived and opened fire as they split into two groups, shooting at anything within range. Several enemies tried to use their crossbows, but I had already ruined their mechanisms with Chamon, and those who still had functioning weapons found themselves unable to defend properly with a giant griffon at their side. When my men finally emptied their pistols, I rose into the air again, firing both of mine before returning to reload alongside them, performing the slow, tedious process of charging muzzle-loaders.
With pistols reloaded, we charged the cavalry forces hidden on the flanks. The moment they realized we were upon them, the other forces across the field began to flee, as did the horsemen—seeing that their ambush had failed.
Our infantry advanced after the enemy troops, who fled en masse, abandoning their camp to be plundered. Meanwhile, my men and I pursued a sizeable group of knights in heavy armor fleeing at full speed toward the river. Time and again I swooped down with my griffon, crushing riders beneath us, their bodies trapped in Princess's talons, until we had cut many down. Even so, I forced myself to halt the pursuit; their commander showed too much tactical knowledge, and I would not have been surprised if he tried to spring some stratagem learned from the books of war to trap me.
Back at the enemy camp, my men had already begun the looting and gathered a multitude of prisoners. Most of the forces hidden on the far side had surrendered. Just by the clothes they wore, I knew they were mercenaries.
''Signore Generale… surrender yes. want no more blood, capisce? Fortune not with company. But… I and my ragazzi, skilled swordsmen, soldiers of fortune. If you, Generale, need men fight for gold, lend you my sword. Not free, …'' said one of the captains, mixing Reikspiel with Tilean
"No… I don't speak Tilean. Don't you have anyone with you who speaks Reikspiel or Bretonnian?" I asked the mercenary captain.
The man looked at me, then argued with his subordinates and other captains who had also surrendered.
"Does anyone speak Bretonnian?" I asked.
"Yes. I do. I'll explain what our captain wants," said one of them, stepping forward.
"Work. We were hired to strike at your rear, but it never happened. He asks if you are interested in hiring mercenaries for your army," the man explained in Bretonnian.
"I'm not sure. Mercenaries are always quick to change sides," I replied, watching the group of captains.
The captain spoke again in Tilean to his men, gesturing broadly.
"We are men of honor, as you can see. We did not surrender until all was lost. The cavalry of the lord of Styratia was meant to deliver the killing blow, but once their hiding place was discovered, the battle was already lost. We would have fought until our contract was fulfilled, but now that is no longer possible… The gold owed us is there," said the mercenary in Bretonnian, pointing to a large tent my men had already secured.
"Well, what does it matter," I said in Reikspiel. "Tell them to give me a written estimate of their yearly wages—every captain." I then made my way to the tent that radiated a faint sensation of Chamon.
Inside, my men received me while some dwarfs of my host patiently counted coins, recording the details of the captured treasure.
"How much gold and silver is here?" I asked, glancing over the chests.
"Hard to tell, my lord. I fear the coins are of poor quality… tin coated in silver, or bronze gilded. They're worth little. We'd need to separate the metals to make them useful; I wouldn't recommend spending them as they are," one of the Imperial dawi answered.
"Damn it… and what about the coinage of Akendorf and Munzig? I've already paid for things with it," I said, startled that the treasure was almost worthless.
"Those were Imperial coins, my lord. Crowns from Reikland, Averland, Nuln, mostly. Those are safe to use," replied the dawi.
"Oh… a relief," I murmured, staring at the coffers.
For more than an hour I examined the spoils: weapons, armor, supplies. Most of it held little value for me, but it could equip local militias until shipments from my own factories arrived—factories which, for now, barely managed to replace battlefield losses.
Afterward, I reviewed the mercenary captains' offers. Each demanded different sums, in silver or gold, according to the coinage of their princes—many of which I did not even recognize. I would have to speak with them again and make it clear that, if accepted, their pay would be in golden crowns.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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