3rd Era, 845, 14th of Last Nightingale
Sepheran Kingdom
Province of Storm Coast, 202nd Storm Coast Cavalry Regiment
Ilia Wolfbane’s Regiment crossed over the hilly landscape like a great carpet of 1,000 men on horseback.
While most of the Kingdom was a pretty mundane place to live in, but to remember that the world wasn’t made up of only humans the Storm Coast was a great province to visit. A large part of the province’s population was made up on the fellow striding beside her. A Centaur. The almost three meters tall male Centaur beside her was a member of the Provincial army, just like her entire Regiment. They were all from the Storm Coast and they felt deeply for the raids. It was pretty common for Centaurs here to join the army at the Knight level as cavalry.
The Centaur’s name was Califaro and on his back was a mounted Knight by the name Edmund. Many would instantly assume that a Centaur would never allow himself to be ridden by anyone because of pride. However many would be wrong. Having a knight of his back, allowed Califaro to have a turret on his back. Another man that would fight and had a mind of his own.
“How are you doing, Edmund?” Ilia asked the knight on Califaro’s back.
“I’m good Legate,” the man quickly answered.
Califaro smirked.
“Do you think we will run into Orcs Legate?” Edmund asked nervously.
“Possibly. Not to worry. Califaro will ensure you got get cut down.”
“I don’t want to lose my archer,” he chuckled.
“Sir!” An Adjutant out of Ilia’s personal entourage of officers, Adjutants and bodyguards called.
The man gestured forward.
“A scout has returned!”
“Follow Captain,” Ilia ordered Califaro.
They rode up to meet the approaching forward scout. Her entourage followed.
“Legate!” The Cavalier exclaimed.
“Report soldier.”
“We scouted the village a good kilometer. They were under attack of Orcs,” he quickly told her. “Most of the people were already dead when we saw what was happening, Sir Phaedrus sent me back to inform you.”
Ilia nodded.
“Good work. Captain Ivory.”
“Yes Legate,” a Captain answered.
“I want you to take your men south of the village and wait the horn. Once we blow it, charge in.”
“Yes Legate!”
“Captain Weston, Jaynes. Take your men north and await the horn.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes milady!”
“Everyone else, we go ahead and position ourselves on a hilltop west of the village,” she declared.
“Yes Legate,” Califaro nodded.
“Yes, sir,” another Captain affirmed.
The Regiment quickly divided in three groups and rode off towards the village as quickly as they could. The horn was blown to increase speed significantly and ensure they would reach the village within minutes. If they couldn’t save the farmers, they were hell-bent on killing the Orc scum.
Ilia couldn’t help but think that the King’s decision to decrease military presence throughout the border provinces was part of increasing the successes of raids. The Storm Coast didn’t have the wealth to keep all their castles up to date and keep a large standing provincial army too. It was a problem many provinces suffered. All because an education program. She simply shook her head at that. She was a Legate in the Kingdoms army and she hadn’t gone to school, hadn’t learned to read or write from a private teacher-like noble Houses did-and she did fine. Her parents didn’t require her to learn it since she wasn’t going to be the head of her House and they planned to dump her into the army for prestige for their House. However, Ilia had managed to learn to read and write mostly on her own. Some help from her siblings.
When they approached the village Ilia stopped on a hill 100 meters from the burning village. By the looks of it the Orcs had finished sacking it because it was too quiet. A report from the forward scouts cooperated with Ilia’s assumption.
“They have spotted us, sir,” Califaro pointed out.
“We counted two hundred of the filthy bastards Legate,” Sir Phaedrus-the scout groups leader-told her. “We outnumber them by 800 men.”
“Indeed,” Ilia muttered. She looked to a man with a horn at the ready.
The Orcs had started moving into a half-ass formation at the edge of the burning village. They had little to no armor as far as Ilia could tell from this distance. Their weapons ranged from bows, axes and polearms, with a handful of swords. They roared at the top of their lungs, trying to scare her cavalry before slaughter commenced. With most of her cavalry divided and the rest mostly behind the hill the Orcs probably saw an easy fight.
“Prepare to blow the horn!”
She was sitting in the center of the first line of mounted knights. She clenched her left hand around the Kite shield and drew a javelin from her back. Like every Storm Coast soldier, they were all equipped with three throw javelins.
A large Orc with a cuirass, a cape with House Ambrose’s Coat of Arms symbol and a large two handed hammer in his hands, stepped up front. Seeing him wearing equipment from a knight he had killed angered Ilia. When he roared, the Orcs charged the hill. They ignored the fact they would fight cavalry in an uphill battle. They quickly started shrinking the hundred meter spanning between them.
“Javelins!” Ilia shouted.
The first two lines of cavalrymen drew a javelin each and prepared to throw them.
The Orcs was within fifty meters when she gave her next order.
“Blow the horn!”
An order for the flanking forces to make their maneuvers.
Almost thirty meters away, at the bottom of the hill.
“Now!”
Over 100 javelins was thrown down into the Orc ranks. Although all didn’t hit, at this range it was easy to hit a big green Orc. Over seventy Orcs crumbled to the ground. Without a word the knights drew another javelin and threw them into the advancing Orcs.
“Spears!”
The left their last javelins and on their backs and leveled their spear towards the advancing brutes and kept their Kite shields tightly in their left hand.
“Blow the horn for charge!” Ilia barked.
On hearing her voice and the second signal, the one for charge.
With Ilia leading the way they rode down the hill, spears leveled against the Orcs. A number of Orcs on the flanks and rear of the blob halted when they saw cavalry appearing from north and south.
“Warchief!” An Orc screamed.
The next second Ilia and her cavalry slammed into the mob of Orcs and jabbed their spears into them. They drew their blades and cut into the Orcs green flesh, spraying blood everywhere. The other groups both smacked into the orcs from the rear and started slaughtering them. The tightly packed scum was cut down to a man. The slaughter lasted for a mere few minutes. Than only humans remained alive and they scoured the blood soaked field for survivors. If they found a breathing Orc, they pierced them with a spear and ended their life.
Ilia and her men had had their revenge. But Ilia didn’t think these Orcs had been the ones rampaging the borders in the last weeks. Survivors had mentioned a horde of Goblins, Orcs and Minotaurs. But this pack was only made up of Orcs.
Seeing the butchered farmers, her countrymen, seeing the burning farms, it almost brought tears to Ilia’s eyes. But because of the Kingdoms diminished military presence this was the starting to become an almost daily event. People were slaughtered almost every day by savage beasts from the Forsaken Lands. If the King wouldn’t protect them, maybe they needed someone else.
“Ilia,” Califaro called to her as he approached.
Ilia looked at him and Edmund through the T shaped visor in her helmet.
“How is it going?” She asked plainly.
“No survivors. All the villagers was slaughtered,” Califaro said somberly. “Light news is that seven of our men was injured. No fatalities.”
Ilia nodded distantly. They were lucky. Usually they lost a lot more men. She was certain the next engagement would be different from this one.
Gods damn the King, she thought.787Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡitopsJn5ER
