Early morning, the plains outside Myr Fortress.
The sky was clear blue, and the plains beyond Myr stretched endlessly. The sunlight at this time was not harsh, but gentle, making one feel refreshed and joyful.
However, a scent of blood always permeated the plains of Myr. The tragically deceased Dothraki and their warhorses were visible everywhere in front of Myr Fortress.
Gendry gazed from atop Myr Fortress, with Anguy, The Red Viper, Jorah, and Grey Wolf beside him.
The Dothraki had attacked fiercely for several days but were still unable to approach Myr Fortress, let alone the city of Myr behind it. Moreover, the Myrish people conducted small-scale night raids, which made the Dothraki even more miserable.
The opportunity for battle lay in an instant. Gendry perceived that the Dothraki were exhausted at this point, their morale slowly becoming unstable, only choosing to persist out of fear of Khal Drogo.
"The defenses of Myr Fortress are extraordinary, and I have entrusted them all to you, Ser Jorah."
"Please rest assured, Your Highness," Jorah replied crisply. Ser Jorah was not handsome; he had a bull-like neck and shoulders, thick black hair on his arms and chest, but was bald on his head. However, on the battlefield, Jorah was reassuring.
"How are the preparations?" Gendry asked Grey Wolf again.
Grey Wolf, the Commander-in-Chief of the Free Army, had very short brown hair. He had a stern face, resolute expression, and a sturdy build, being of average height and waist. Although only in his twenties, Grey Wolf was already a very loyal and excellent Unsullied.
"Ready, my lord," Grey Wolf replied, the neat and orderly infantry phalanx of the Two Cities already in position.
Although Grey Wolf still wore a spiked helmet, he had changed into exquisite black scale plate armor and a quartered cape. The Longspear Grey Wolf held was sharp and gleaming with a cold light.
"Now we have one thousand five hundred Unsullied, and two thousand heavy infantry from Lord Steel Fist."
"Very good." Gendry was very satisfied. These more than a thousand Unsullied were hard-won, comprising Unsullied who had defected to him, Dothraki Unsullied, and those sent by the Qohor and Pentos people.
"Since Khal Drogo wants to duel with us head-on, I will grant his wish, but it will be on my terms."
After requesting permission, Grey Wolf and Steel Fist descended Myr Fortress. Moments later, the gates of Myr Fortress slowly opened, and three thousand five hundred infantry slowly marched to the front of Myr Fortress, along with their prepared rectangular formation.
The soldiers wore uniform black scale plate armor and black-based quartered capes, though their helmets differed. The Unsullied at the very front wore spiked helmets, while the other heavy armored soldiers wore flat-topped helmets.
Gendry overlooked the situation below. For Khal Drogo, seeing the Unsullied shield wall signified a huge challenge. Khal Drogo could not possibly be unaware of what happened in the past. Under the city of Qohor, Khal Temo was never able to break through the Unsullied shield wall, ultimately leading to his death and the extinction of his tribe.
"If Khal Drogo personally leads the charge, do not activate the trebuchets again. Completely draw them into the battlefield."
"Yes," Jorah replied.
After a moment of silence in the Dothraki camp, a roar like a mountain-shaking tsunami finally erupted. Khal Drogo ultimately could not resist the temptation and could not bear the loss of reputation from a hasty retreat; instead, he chose to go all out.
Khal Drogo rode a blood-red steed, pacing before the dothraki Knights, and the roar of the dothraki grew louder and louder.
Drogo was indeed the strongest Khal; his stature was taller than other Dothraki. As soon as he appeared, the Dothraki's morale strengthened. Drogo's hair braid was black and shiny like the midnight sky, oiled with fragrant oil, appearing heavy, and adorned with many small metal bells that jingled with his movements. His long hair reached his waist, past his hips, and its ends lightly brushed his thighs.
"Kill, kill these cowards!" Drogo brandished his arakh, and then the charging dothraki Knights began to charge, rushing towards that rock-solid shield wall.
Drogo saw through Gendry's deployment and was willing to confront the Unsullied again. Because at Myr Fortress, Drogo had already spent a great deal of time, suffering heavy losses, yet had not even seen the gates of Myr. Leaving now would completely ruin his reputation.
"Let's go, Prince, our battlefield is not here yet," Gendry said to The Red Viper. Seeing Khal Drogo charge recklessly with his cavalry like a brute, Gendry's heart also settled.
The Red Viper was somewhat bewildered. He had thought Gendry would still follow the tactics of the Battle of Qohor, with the Unsullied shield wall wearing down the Dothraki. He hadn't expected Gendry to have new tricks.
The Red Viper moved with Gendry and Anguy. The group descended Myr Fortress, where more cavalry awaited them below.
"So many Knights." The Red Viper first saw a forest of Knights; these were the hidden killers. First were the Knights clad in heavy black armor, their armor gleaming in the sun, appearing like iron-clad Steel Fist, heavily armored. This company was commanded by Longspear. The standard-bearer unfurled the banner, on which four different emblems blossomed on a black background.
The Red Viper also saw some light cavalry, numbering around four thousand, commanded by Gilo Reha, the former commander of the Spear Company. There was also a group of dothraki savages, who were Khal Jhezkahn's subordinates, now loyal to Gendry.
"These Knights combined make over ten thousand people." The Red Viper roughly calculated an astonishing number, a very formidable force.
Just the seven thousand heavy Knights in front of him must have cost an unknown amount, and from Gendry's meaning, it seemed he still had reserves as support. If he could maximally raise over ten thousand heavy Knights, that would be an incredibly terrifying number, or perhaps he didn't lack armor, but merely lacked training.
"Commander-in-Chief," Longspear, Gilo, and others had been waiting for a moment.
"Khal!" "Khal!" There were also shouts from a large group of dothraki savages, who still wore no armor, which was quite a headache to deal with.
"You must obey Lord Gilo's commands," Gendry ordered.
"Yes." "Yes." Those Dothraki feared him like a tiger and were now very obedient to orders.
"Gilo, you lead one thousand light cavalry and one thousand heavy cavalry here. These Dothraki will also be under your command, serving as a reserve unit. After we encircle them from both flanks, you will then break out."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Depart."
The remaining Knights followed Gendry along the long Myr Fortress, to a temporary pier north of Myr Fortress by the sea, far from the Dothraki's sight.
The Dothraki had always feared the sea, and with ships coming and going daily, Dothraki scouts gradually lost interest. Moreover, this was a critical moment for the dothraki to attack the Unsullied shield wall, so they naturally would not expect a fleet to appear.
The Red Viper saw a beautiful fleet of warships, large and small, like a cluster of stars. The quartered banners on the warships fluttered, and the warships slowly approached the temporary pier.
"Is this the gift you prepared for the Dothraki?" The Red Viper looked at the very intimidating fleet and understood the plan for the counterattack: a combined land and sea assault.
"Yes, the fruits of victory from the Battle of Qohor are sweet, but I want to do even better," Gendry replied.
The Unsullied shield wall was at best a static formation, unmoving like a mountain. Its mobility and lethality still relied on cavalry charges.
To be orthodox in defense and surprise in attack—this was Gendry's well-thought-out strategy. The fleet would transport cavalry in two close-range routes, circling behind Khal Drogo and the Khalasar.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you're having fun with the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone for me!