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Chapter IV: The War Begins
Shadimar looked out upon the trap he had set up as he rode toward his command post. His men were positioned in dikes that were just barely over the crest of the hills that made up most of the valley that the Mongols had just entered. He had sent a raiding party to attack the horde while it was on the move. The Mongols, of course, pursued. The plan was to get them to rush over the hillcrests and fall upon the pikes set up just out of sight. After that, the archers would let fire from the adjacent hilltops while Talion Cavalry came around and charge the barbarians from behind. So, far everything was going fine. “So far”, the king thought as he nudged his mount towards the Memkar Cavalry division. He could only hope that his men would do as ordered. He wanted a quick war with few casualties, not an honorable war in which he would be killed and Talianna would fall to the Mongol Horde. He could only hope…
Colby waited impatiently. He felt uncomfortable in his chain mail and helmet, especially in the blistering heat of midday in the Fertile Crescent. He could see the Euphrates River about a mile to the west, and he envied the pikemen stationed near it. Ever since the war began and he had become a pikeman in the Kings Army, he had wished he had never been enrolled in the Acadamy. For the last eighteen months, there had been nothing but war for Colby. War with the Mongols, war with the Persians, war with rebels, it didn’t matter who he was fighting with as long as there were men to kill. Each death made him sick to the stomach, and the only reason he slept after a battle was purely exhaustion. Why Shadimar decided to fight three wars at once, he did not know, but he had faith in his Commander, and in his King.
Over the course of the last eighteen months, much had happened. Shortly after the discovery of gunpowder, the Persians and the Mongols took the only two sources of saltpeter in the Kingdom. Because of this, the King decided to use any means necessary to not only recover the stolen resources, but to bring Persia and Mongolia under Talion rule. So far, only one battle had been lost, and that was because of an ambush. Not all was looking well, though. Unhappy landholders who protested the war had convinced some “bandits” to revolt against Kingdom rule. The rebellion, which mainly took place in the African Provinces, was put down swiftly, though it was costly. Because Africa was far from the frontlines, Shadimar was reluctant to spare troops for the six months it would take to stop the rebellion. After the rebel force was crushed, all the traitors were hung, and not one peasant dared to defy the Sovereignty of Shadimar Illidrad, King and Protector of The Kingdom of Talianna.
Back in the Fertile Crescent, the battle had gone well. The Mongolians had fallen into the trap and now twenty score Mongols were spitted on pikes, turned into pincushions, or obliterated by the Talion Cavalry. An added bonus was that the horse archers were the first to fall on the pikes, as they had moved to the front of the horde to shoot at the raiders. Shadimar smiled grimly as he turned to Knight-General Jevin. “Well,” he said while he cleaned his blade, “that’s one less group of bloodthirsty savages. Now all we have to do is route out the Persian dogs, and we will be ready to take the war to foreign fronts.”
Shadimar looked out upon the trap he had set up as he rode toward his command post. His men were positioned in dikes that were just barely over the crest of the hills that made up most of the valley that the Mongols had just entered. He had sent a raiding party to attack the horde while it was on the move. The Mongols, of course, pursued. The plan was to get them to rush over the hillcrests and fall upon the pikes set up just out of sight. After that, the archers would let fire from the adjacent hilltops while Talion Cavalry came around and charge the barbarians from behind. So, far everything was going fine. “So far”, the king thought as he nudged his mount towards the Memkar Cavalry division. He could only hope that his men would do as ordered. He wanted a quick war with few casualties, not an honorable war in which he would be killed and Talianna would fall to the Mongol Horde. He could only hope…
Colby waited impatiently. He felt uncomfortable in his chain mail and helmet, especially in the blistering heat of midday in the Fertile Crescent. He could see the Euphrates River about a mile to the west, and he envied the pikemen stationed near it. Ever since the war began and he had become a pikeman in the Kings Army, he had wished he had never been enrolled in the Acadamy. For the last eighteen months, there had been nothing but war for Colby. War with the Mongols, war with the Persians, war with rebels, it didn’t matter who he was fighting with as long as there were men to kill. Each death made him sick to the stomach, and the only reason he slept after a battle was purely exhaustion. Why Shadimar decided to fight three wars at once, he did not know, but he had faith in his Commander, and in his King.
Over the course of the last eighteen months, much had happened. Shortly after the discovery of gunpowder, the Persians and the Mongols took the only two sources of saltpeter in the Kingdom. Because of this, the King decided to use any means necessary to not only recover the stolen resources, but to bring Persia and Mongolia under Talion rule. So far, only one battle had been lost, and that was because of an ambush. Not all was looking well, though. Unhappy landholders who protested the war had convinced some “bandits” to revolt against Kingdom rule. The rebellion, which mainly took place in the African Provinces, was put down swiftly, though it was costly. Because Africa was far from the frontlines, Shadimar was reluctant to spare troops for the six months it would take to stop the rebellion. After the rebel force was crushed, all the traitors were hung, and not one peasant dared to defy the Sovereignty of Shadimar Illidrad, King and Protector of The Kingdom of Talianna.
Back in the Fertile Crescent, the battle had gone well. The Mongolians had fallen into the trap and now twenty score Mongols were spitted on pikes, turned into pincushions, or obliterated by the Talion Cavalry. An added bonus was that the horse archers were the first to fall on the pikes, as they had moved to the front of the horde to shoot at the raiders. Shadimar smiled grimly as he turned to Knight-General Jevin. “Well,” he said while he cleaned his blade, “that’s one less group of bloodthirsty savages. Now all we have to do is route out the Persian dogs, and we will be ready to take the war to foreign fronts.”
good stuff 
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