In Kara, nothing was going as planned.
Leon Fireborne, son of Lucius and Pavetta, was given the task of eliminating the barbarians that had fled to the mountains. However, he did not realize he had marched into a trap. The retreating cavalry of Shunka's forces had lured them into an ambush. The Karakas had kept reserve men on the summit of a mountain with loads of ammunition supplies. As soon as the Fireborne army were vulnerable, they started to rain death on them with arrows, stones and heads of their previous victims. On the other hand, the Karakan cavalry regrouped and charged straight at Leon with an echoing war cry.
Leon's forces consisted of 742 heavy cavalries compared to the 342 Karakan light cavalries. His main issue was the 1000 archers and slingers. The continuous volleys were thinning his forces. Leon felt a severed head smash on his right shoulder with a painful thud. He shuddered and looked at his bodyguards engaged in battle. Velpole was stabbed in the eye but he continued to fight. Remus was lying prostrate on the ground pinned by arrows. Rudolph, Vera and Theo struggled in holding back the charging cavalry. The 18-year-old Leon stared in disbelief. He knew he was in a lost position. He knew he had messed up. He knew that the hunters had become the hunted.
"CHAAAAAAARGE!"
The familiar voice escalated the hopes Leon. Fortune had come to rescue him in the form of General Ironheart. Ironheart's reinforcements, consisting of 1500 armoured Chosen cavalry, charged towards the enemy. The experienced general took charge of the troops from Leon. Rather he started ordering the men without wasting any time. A bloody battle ensued!
Ironheart threw a spear at an enemy's throat. He unsheathed his sword. His stallion, Fury, rammed a Karakan's horse and struck it down. Its rider gave a look of horror before his face was squashed by Fury's hooves. Ironheart ducked. A lethal arrow that was aimed for his eye whisked past him. He raised his silver shield, the words "Vae Victus" glimmered on its edges and blocked a barrage of heads and stones. Ironheart tilted to the right. A sword was thrust at him but it did not find its target. Instead, Ironheart chopped the arm of the Karakan in a swift slash, sending it flying. He continued to slash and stab with his falchion, killing effortlessly with the Chosen cavalry at his side.
In a separate area, secluded from the ongoing chaos of cavalry clashes and arrow showers, Leon faced the commander of the Karakan attack. The commander just wore a sheepskin with a belt holding flint knives. On his bare back hung a war hammer, its length the size of Leon. He dismounted his mustang and threw a knife at Leon at lightning speed.
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Leon flinched but the knife was not meant for him. Instead, the knife struck his horse on its chest. It gave a sharp whine and crashed, sending its rider flying on the ground. The Karakan commander ran towards the dazed Leon. Upon reaching him, he raised the huge war hammer, its head the size of an anvil, and plunged it down. Leon rolled over, barely evading it. The commander aimed again. Leon reached for his scabbard but it was too late. With a loud thwack, the hammer came down. Leon was not so lucky at that time. Even though he managed to save his chest, the hammer smashed his left shoulder, sending a wave of pain in his body. He heard a crack and felt his shoulder throb and burst blood. He screamed in agony. The commander gave a menacing, blood-curdling laugh and aimed for a final strike.
Leon closed his eyes. His right hand clutched the sword tightly but he did not have the strength to raise it. Rather, he lacked the will to defend himself. He braced himself for the strike, hoping to an everlasting end to the pain that wracked his body. But it never came. On opening his eyes, he saw an arrow poking out of the barbarian's eye socket. He fell next to Leon with a visage of shock. Leon clutched his shoulder, stood up and looked around to find Velpole, breathing heavily, bloodied on the ground, with a bow in his hand.
Meanwhile, Ironheart, having finished the enemy cavalries, focused on the archers and slingers on the summit of the mountain. They mocked and gestured rudely at him but he did not take notice. He understood it was tough to defeat them as they had the higher ground combined with large quantities of ammunition. Instead of engaging directly with them, he ordered the troops to retreat.
"Disengage! All units. Move away from their line of fire. March towards the Pakoret bridge. Make haste!"
The Karakas understood their plan. The Pako bridge connected their homeland Kara with the continent of Pelseum. With the bridge destroyed, they would be stranded in the mountains with no food supply. Plundering or looting was out of the question because there were no villages or towns nearby. They took Ironheart's bluff. After descending the mountain as quickly as possible, they ran North-East. However, the Fireborne army was waiting for them. Disorganized and without their commander, they fell into panic. A single charge by the Chosen cavalry ended their misery.
The result of wars is casualties and mourning. The dead were buried by the troops. Remus was buried separately under an oak tree with his unique sword: it had the emblem of a wolf on its hilt. Leon, Rudolph, Velpole and Theo took a moment to grieve and remembered their days with Remus. "Gone too soon Rem", Theo said sadly. Vera and Ironheart remained unfazed. Their stony gaze unsettled some of the troops. After everyone had gathered themselves, Ironheart resumed his mission of destroying the Pako. He wanted to put an end to the Karakas' offences.
His plan was interrupted, however, by the arrival of a messenger. Gasping for breath, he blurted out the words 'King'...'suddenly'...'Gods have mercy', as soon as they were in earshot. Ironheart took him by the collar and forced him down the horse. "Speak properly" he stated coldly.
"Our noble King Lucius, the scion of Temhir, is dead. He has been poisoned."