The Vale Eyrie, Allied Camp
Around 20,000 troops had gathered in the Vale, all under the command of Lord Yohn Royce. They had established a temporary camp near the Iron Anchor River.
This temporary camp was built along the water to minimize damage from dragonfire. There were noticeable gaps between each tent, and upon closer inspection, one would notice water tanks and wooden barrels placed around them.
The Vale's allied soldiers had been stationed here for a long time. Lord Yohn Royce had gathered intelligence on the Valyrian Empire's forces beforehand, so he had been training the soldiers and temporarily conscripted farmers to prevent them from being terrified on the battlefield by the dragons.
Lord Yohn Royce and the Seven Star Church monks of the Vale had been spreading the tales of the Valyrian Empire's terror and the greatness of The Seven. Furthermore, Lord Yohn Royce had prepared a "secret weapon" for the dragons.
In the center of the allied camp, inside an extraordinarily luxurious tent, a group of Vale nobles stood, discussing their battle strategy for the day. A simplified map of the Vale was laid out on the table before them.
Knights and lords, wearing their respective family crests, were quietly discussing the battle plan, occasionally pointing at the map with their hands, some cautiously eyeing the chess piece marked with a dragon's head.
"My lords," said Lord Edmund Wekly to the assembled company, "I believe the enemy will likely attack from the front. Therefore, we must also attack them head-on, engaging in close combat as quickly as possible, giving the dragons no time to unleash their dragonflame.
My family's maester once told me that dragons attack in a manner similar to a hawk. A large number of archers should still be somewhat effective. Besides, those heretic king's dragons don't seem to be fully grown yet, which is a good opportunity for us."
Lord Edmund Wekly, a battle-hardened knight who had fought alongside Jon Arryn during Robert's Rebellion, addressed the others.
He then outlined his plan to the gathered nobles, even going so far as to arrange the battle formations.
After hearing Lord Edmund Wekly's plan, the assembled nobles nodded in agreement. They largely approved of his proposal. The reason they abandoned the easily defensible Eyrie to fight here was precisely because of their fear of dragonflame.
Fortunately, they knew that the Valyrian Empire's three dragons weren't as large as House Targaryen's Conquest Dragons. Otherwise, the Vale nobles would likely have surrendered long ago.
Each of them was unwilling to relinquish their current power and status. They still hoped to struggle, ideally scaring House Targaryen as they had during the Conquest, so they could have a chance to bring Marco to the negotiating table.
Most of the Vale nobles were followers of The Seven, and this was also the first territory occupied by the Andals, a place of significance. Therefore, they had their own reasons for pride.
So, after learning about Marco's conditions and system, most of the Vale nobles didn't even consider surrendering, even though their opponent possessed dragons.
With their plans finalized, these Vale nobles began deploying troops and making arrangements for the upcoming battle, preparing to fight Marco's Valyrian Empire forces to the bitter end.
Time passed, and it was noon before the two armies faced off at an unnamed lake in the central region of the Vale. The Vale coalition deployed five infantry formations, with cavalry units on both flanks.
Marco's Valyrian Empire army mirrored the formation, but with Bronze Golems as the "focal point" of their formation.
Although the Bronze Golems were few in number, their strength surpassed even that of the Guardians. Most importantly, they didn't bleed, and would continue fighting even if they lost limbs.
"Whoosh..."
With the sound of the horns, the infantry formations on both sides began to advance. Then, Marco and Brynden drove the dragons into the sky, preparing to unleash dragonfire attacks on the enemy formations.
Watching the dragons soar into the sky, many Vale soldiers instinctively swallowed, knowing what they were about to face. But in this situation, they could only grit their teeth and endure.
"Roar..."
"Load the crossbows! Prepare! Adjust your angles! Fire!"
Lord Jeywood Hunter, the Earl of Longbow Hall, shouted the orders in a panic as he watched the giant dragon diving rapidly from the sky.
The noble knights and lords of the Vale were also stunned, staring at the scene. This was completely different from what they had imagined. They had never thought that dragons could fly in such a manner.
Ever since Marco had acquired the dragons, he had always remembered the fates of "Mother of Dragons" Daenerys Targaryen and "Little Queen" Rhaenys Targaryen. No matter how difficult it was, he had been working hard to train the dragons to dive, ensuring they wouldn't be "close-ranged" by the enemy's crossbow bolts.
After the dragons learned this attack method, Marco would have the dragon riders ride them in the same way. Currently, besides Mofford Valerion, Marco and his two companions had basically mastered this ability.
Very quickly, the arrows shot towards the dragons diving from the sky at an extremely fast speed. The dragons, under the guidance of Marco and the others, suddenly spread their wings, using the resistance to stop.
Then, they used their dragon breath to attack the oncoming arrows. The three streams of dragon breath directly scattered the dense rain of arrows. Afterwards, the dragons dove down once more, and three streams of dragon breath plowed through the infantry formations of the Vale's allied soldiers.
For a time, the allied soldiers of the Vale suffered heavy casualties, and many soldiers began to think of fleeing, but they were quickly suppressed by their officers and the enforcement teams.
Helpless, the surviving soldiers could only continue to advance, filling the positions left by the dead soldiers, while the officers shouted loudly to encourage the soldiers.
After a successful strike, Marco and his companions rode the dragons towards the high sky. This wasn't because Marco had softened, but because the enemy's Dragon-Slaying Crossbows had been brought up.
These Dragon-Slaying Crossbows were mounted on carriages, and the moment Marco ordered the dragons to ascend, more than 200 crossbow bolts quickly swept past the height they had just occupied.
These Dragon-Slaying Crossbows were placed on the rear seats of the carriages, the same type of Dragon-Slaying Crossbows Marco had encountered before, which could flexibly adjust their attack direction.
On these special carriages, there were three warriors: one responsible for driving the carriage, and the other two responsible for loading the crossbow bolts and launching attacks.
Those crossbow bolts that missed their targets slammed into the rear of the Valyrian Empire's army formation, and at this moment, the long-range soldiers of both sides, who were already in position, began to exchange fire. The crossbowmen, relying on their terrifying weapons, repeatedly harvested the lives of the allied soldiers of the Vale.
The crossbows of the crossbowmen were much better than those on the continent of Westeros. Only the two-man crossbows encountered in the North could possibly achieve this rate of fire and range.
"Screech..."
Just as the soldiers on both sides were getting closer, a series of eagle screeches echoed from the sky. Forty-three Griffins, using saddles to carry the first batch of iron darts, arrived directly above the Valley Alliance soldiers, flying at a high altitude.
With Swan's command, the Griffins used their massive beaks to detach the mechanisms on the saddles. Then, the darts, each about the size and length of a regular egg roll, fell from the sky.
Some of the Valley Alliance soldiers, sensing something was wrong, looked up. Naturally, they saw the Griffins soaring through the air. Once they got a clear look at those things, many soldiers with good eyesight were frightened and stood frozen in place.
Then, these soldiers saw a dense swarm of black dots falling from above. Before the officers could even issue a warning, everyone was stunned by this sudden and terrifying "black rain."
"Ah...cough...wheeze..."
Screams and cries spread across the battlefield. Two formations were directly hit by the attack, and many soldiers were killed by this "iron rain."
Some soldiers were directly riddled with holes; their bodies were horrific, like a honeycomb. Fragments of organs and limbs were scattered everywhere, and the entire area looked like a scene from hell.
Those soldiers who didn't die instantly were in an even worse state. After the darts pierced their bodies, their blood gushed out as if it were free.
For a moment, the battlefield was filled with wails, cries, and calls for help, making many of the surviving soldiers feel incredibly heavy-hearted. Their eyes shifted as they looked at the Valyrian Empire soldiers.
If they had thought they could compete with them just moments before, the soldiers of the Vale Alliance now looked at the Valyrian Empire soldiers with fear and terror.
They had no idea what other horrors they might face and could only silently pray, hoping that their Seven would protect them and allow them to survive.
The Griffins, after completing their attack, showed no intention of lingering and immediately returned to the rear of the Valyrian Empire army.
They would reload here. Soldiers brought up the sorted darts and attached the boxes containing them to the saddles.
In addition, these soldiers would also inspect the Griffins, checking for injuries. Griffins were fearless creatures; they wouldn't retreat unless they were completely dead.
Behind the main force, Marco's Winter Wolf Riders stood quietly, waiting to seize the moment. They would provide assistance to the main force when the Vale knights attacked.
Very quickly, with the help of the human soldiers, the Griffins ascended again, while Marco and his forces seized the opportunity to descend from the sky.
After enduring another round of dragonfire and obsidian darts, the soldiers of the Vale coalition finally "got their wish" and engaged in battle with Marco's Valyrian Empire soldiers.
They were now on the verge of collapse, with the morale of many having plummeted. The conscripted civilians were even worse, with many seemingly contemplating how to escape.
The first to meet them were the Bronze Golem units. These humanoid golems, roughly the size of adult men, were wielding their weapons to attack the human soldiers before them.
They were immensely strong and tireless. Their longswords, when swung, inflicted terrible damage on the surrounding Vale coalition soldiers. Even when injured, they continued their attacks as programmed.
They were, in a sense, the perfect war machines. If not for the lack of suitable weapons, materials, and manufacturing limitations, Marco would likely have built tanks long ago.
"Boom..."
Watching the two armies locked in combat, Lord Yohn Royce decisively ordered an attack. The Vale cavalry on both flanks charged towards Marco's flanks with an unstoppable momentum.
The Knights of the Vale were among the strongest in the Seven Kingdoms, and their cavalry was a force to be reckoned with. At the beginning of Robert's Rebellion, the Vale knights were a mainstay of the conflict.
At the same time, Marco's Winter Wolf Riders launched their own charge, targeting the Vale's cavalry.
Behind the Valyrian Empire's forces, the Griffins had already loaded their iron darts and ascended into the sky. After a shrill cry, the third wave of attacks rained down. The Griffins split into two groups, attacking the charging Vale knights from the left and right.
The Vale knights charged with incredible speed, and most of the iron darts landed behind their lines. However, they still inflicted significant damage on the cavalry. The impact was even more devastating when the charging knights were hit.
A moment of inattention could lead to a "chain reaction." When one or several knights fell, a large number of riders often followed, resulting in a wave of casualties.
Many knights and their horses were riddled with holes, as the high-speed charge exposed them to more attacks, as if they were passing through a metal storm.
Because the Griffins flew so high, the Dragon-Slaying Crossbows couldn't reach them. Soon, the two cavalry forces collided head-on.
The fearless Winter Wolf Riders bravely charged towards the Vale knights, who were even better equipped than them. This single unit managed to withstand the full brunt of the Vale cavalry's charge.
After completing their "bombing" runs, the griffins seized the opportunity to attack the Dragon-Slaying Crossbows that were preparing to fire. These crossbows were originally set up for a ranged attack, but the griffins' harassment forced them to stop.
Furthermore, the griffins only needed to target the draft horses pulling the crossbows. Once startled, these horses would run amok, preventing the soldiers from operating the weapons.
To make matters worse, soldiers were even thrown from the carriages. In an instant, the entire Dragon-Slaying Crossbow unit was completely disrupted and unable to attack.
Lord Yohn Royce quickly realized the situation. With no other choice, he had to detach a portion of his cavalry to provide support.
Seeing the cavalry reinforcements arrive, Swan, the griffin, led the other griffins away from the rear of the Valley Alliance forces. They had nearly exhausted all their stamina and could no longer continue the attack.
After Swan and the other griffins disrupted the Dragon-Slaying Crossbow unit, Marco led three giant dragons down from the sky. The Crystal Flying Dragon, leveraging its massive size, crushed a Dragon-Slaying Crossbow carriage.
The dragons then initiated an attack on the remaining troops. The advantage of having an air force was that Marco could constantly strike at the enemy's vulnerable rear, and then immediately retreat after the attack.
After eliminating the threatening Dragon-Slaying Crossbows, the dragons ascended again and unleashed dragon breath on the rear of the Valley Alliance forces. Caught between the Valyrian Empire's front and rear attacks, the infantry formations were the first to collapse.
Some hastily conscripted civilians broke through the officers' supervising troops, either running backward or directly kneeling to surrender.
In some serious areas, infighting even broke out, with their own people attacking each other first. For a time, the entire scene was chaotic, with a strong tendency towards complete collapse.
The collapse of the formation caught Lord Yohn Royce off guard. He hadn't expected the enemy to possess such a terrifying weapon that fell from the sky, its power even identical to dragonfire.
Or rather, it was even more vicious than dragonfire. Lord Yohn Royce swore that he had never encountered such a malicious weapon, a complete one-sided slaughter.
When facing dragons, Lord Yohn Royce and his men could still use Dragon-Slaying Crossbows to deter them. He never imagined that there would be such a terrifying method of attack in this world.
They were wrong from the very beginning of this battle. They hadn't anticipated the dragons would attack in this manner, nor had they anticipated the existence of Obsidian Darts, a terrifying weapon that fell from the sky. One misstep, and then more.
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