> ‘A ladder is a tool. You talk of schemes and lofty positions, but life is right here right now and while particular in its tastes, stands also blind. The future ever uncertain. You either act and win something not expected or stand idle wallowing in misery thinking of past long gone glories whilst remaining within your tight confines. I can’t do that. Better live with enthusiasm I say and milk thy chances to the fullest like a maiden’s tit. I’ll repair the ladder, care for it and use it to scale a wall. Take a castle or burn an enemy’s camp. Use a fresh horse to charge on an opponent’s flank. A turn of fate gives you a pair of foreign boots below yer legion’s greaves. Well, use them to take you further and tempt the Fates themselves. The contents of a half-empty purse to chase a pile of gold on a table. And a host of displeased men to win an unwinnable war. What does this worth in the grand scheme of things?’
>
>
>
> Marcus-Antonius Merenda
>
> Winter of 195 NC during the battles fought around Kaltha’s Great Lakes
>
> Responding to Caius-Mellitus Plautus now well-known remark that the Legatus had ‘climbed as far up the proverbial social ladder as he could realistically expect.’
>
> From Plautus’ famed ‘Par Ocreis’
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
Marcus-Antonius Merenda
Die twice in a week
Part I
-The optimism of younger men-
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----------------------------------------
> First Legion
>
> Abbreviated | ‘The Legion’, ‘First’, ‘the Army’, ‘Primo de Brutis’, RCEMR-I
>
>
>
>
>
> Dictum | ‘Odio Patiantur Dum Timent’*. ‘Semper Deinceps’ (archaic Lorian for ‘Ever onwards’, an expression attributed to Marcus-Antonius Merenda.)
>
> Panthera Tigris | Reddish bronze, silver and gold standard representing the head of a soberly contemplating Blacktiger, very similar to Regia’s gold non-snarling banner, the royal Aldenus family crest and the 3rd Legion’s roaring Blacktiger emblem used in banners and armour. Legatus Merenda added a rectangular metal plaque containing in large gold letters the phrase Per Virtutem followed by the abbreviation RCEMR (Rex, Consul et Exercitus de Magna Regia) under the sculpted head in 194 NC, a now famed acronym in archaic Lorian that translates ‘By virtue of the King, Consul & Army of Greater Regia’ which all other Regia Legions adopted soon after.
>
>
>
>
>
> Organizational chart*
>
> During the series of battles fought between the lakes (fall of 194 NC – Spring 195 NC)
>
> Overall strength ~3450? **
>
>
>
> -Legio general staff not included, supply train personnel not included.
>
> -2800 legionnaires. (Almost 2000 of them taken from the first Cohort. The First had a mixture of a good number of veterans in their second twenty-five year term –mainly in 1st and 2nd Cohorts, another big portion of experienced soldiers trained by Ligur in their four or fifth year – with the 3rd Cohort and two fifths of fresh recruits ranging from a year to a couple of months serving with the 4th or the auxiliaries.)
>
> ~200 engineers and apprentices (mostly local Issirs) + 500 or 1000 workers temporarily attached. 48 Scorpios, 40 mounted. 15 catapults. 3 heavy trebuchets. 8 Scorpios and the 3 trebuchets were permanently installed inside or near Eagle’s Nest as part of the fortifications.
>
> ~ 250 heavy Rangers. (The unit was formed in Eagle’s Nest.)
>
> ~ 30 medium Cavalry led by the Legatus (At least forty mounted Scorpios –ten per Cohort- absorbed the majority of the usable local horses)
>
> ~ 20 medics under Dottore Galerius Bulla (Cartagen)
>
> ~ 150 animal-drawn wagons (Merenda confiscated over 400 horses but they were of poor quality or unsuitable for warfare)
>
>
>
> Legatus | Marcus-Antonius Merenda (One of Sir Seleucid’s many legitimized bastards. Received classical education in Cartagen. The youngest Legatus ever in the history of the Legions. He was five years younger from Caesar Lucius I and seven from King Lucius III who were the other two at the time that he got promoted in 194 NC. A Quadrumvir, the ‘most skilled but also unpredictable of the bunch’ according to Sirio Veturius’ description of him and the ‘handsomest officer that ever donned the Lorica Segmentata after Tribune Trupo’ according to Tribune’s Trupo’s autobiography, who considered Merenda’s lack of a prominent mustache a big minus.)
>
> Aide de Legatus | Prefect (of general’s staff) ‘the Legatus half-arm’ Domus (Gold Phalera recipient. Maimed and disfigured left arm. Transferred from the 2nd Cohort of the 3rd Legion. Promoted twice in a few months by Merenda. A self-educated lowborn, his family worked the Merenda household lands historically and the Legatus childhood friend.)
>
> 1st Prefect | ‘the Brute’ Memon, (Legatus Ligur’s old aide du Camp. Promoted to Prefect by Ligur just before he ‘committed’ suicide. Represented the old guard of the First Legion. A lowborn.)
>
> Optio | Damian ‘milord’ Holt (Asturia, Regia. His father Robart Holt, former director in the Bank of Trust’s main office in Cediorum, was third cousin to the Duke of Asturia and a financial advisor to King Lucius. A political appointment. Optio Holt wasn’t present in Eagle’s Nest but had stayed in Sabretooth Castle with most of First Legion’s supply train.)
>
> 2nd Prefect Damascus (Sabretooth Castle, Regia. A young member of the old guard. His family associated with Baron Scylla. In command of 1st spear Auxilia in the field.)
>
> 3rd Prefect (of engineers) | Servius Celsus (Cartagen. Legendary engineer. Wealthy family of builders. Started studying architecture in Cartagen’s Academy of Arts before switching to Anorum’s Military School. The inventor of ‘mounted artillery’. Injured in the battle for the Lorian Plains but recovered. Rebuilt First Legion’s artillery in record time during the fall of 194 and laid down the plans for roads, fortifications and utility buildings –finishing a number of them himself- of what was later to become Celsus Industrial District of Eagle’s Nest.)
>
> Optio (of engineers) | William ‘Niger’ Nak (Originally Issir’s Eagle. An Issir of a good family. Captain of the Guards Emil Nak’s son that served under his father. Skilled engineer and deeply religious having studied in Midlanor’s Military Academy. The first Issir with a high officer’s position in the Legions.)
>
> Optio (of engineers) | Decius Polybius
>
> Quartermaster | Ninius Arminus. Legion’s Recruiter, scribe and Keeper of the Purse.
>
> Scribe de Legionis | Caius-Metilus Plautus (Studied under Di Cresta in Cartagen. A military historian, polymath and biographer. Famously Marcus-Antonius admitted that ‘our good Plautus is over-qualified for the job which is as rare as a pretty maiden walking through the Castrum’s gates on the morrow. Take note now mirthful gentlemen that I’ve used both pretty and maiden in my words.’)
>
> Centurion of LID | Cornelius Pilatus (Alden)
>
> Decanus of LID | Furius Tasius, ‘the second’. Also ‘Furious, the Tenor’ (Vinterfort)
>
> Panthera Tigris Signifer | Centurion (Honoraris) Sextus Crassus (Aldenfort. Member of the old guard. Famously stepped forward and surrendered the trapped First Legion’s defenders to King Lucius at the waning stages of the Lorian Plains battle.)
>
> Centurion Primus Pilus, ‘Retired’ Glycia (1st Cohort. Serving for 2nd twenty-five year term. The unit’s moniker ‘Old Mother’ also attributed to him, an affectionate term as it basically birthed all other Cohorts after the 194 NC reorganization. Very influential member of the old guard in the First Legion and Ligur’s favorite field officer.)
>
> Centurion ‘Ravenous’ Indus (2nd Cohort. Transferred from the 3rd Legion. He had also served under Merenda there. Several soldiers had petitioned the King to follow the Legatus in his new command but Lucius ordered Trupo to stop accepting the transfers after a while.)
>
> Legionnaires (attached) Vegetius and Cucan. (The ‘Praetorians’. Hailing from Cartagen, decorated legionnaires and members of the Legatus inner circle. Transferred from the 3rd Legion but while in the 2nd Cohort they stayed near the Legatus acting as his personal bodyguards.)
>
> Centurion Reganus (3rd Cohort. Sabretooth. Promoted in fall 194 NC.)
>
> Centurion Andronicus (4th Cohort. Anorum. Took over as trainer of recruits in the summer of 194 NC. Promoted to first centurion of 4th Cohort in fall of 194 NC.)
>
> Centurion of Rangers Aulus Cita (Vinterfort. Unit formed from scratch in Eagle’s Nest using locals and volunteers or Cohort dropouts for various misconducts that had been stuck with the main group.)
>
> Decanus Noud Kost. (Legion Rangers. Badum, had retired in Moeras. An Issir hunter/tracker and former First Foot ranger. The First Legion’s rangers were a mixture of Lorian and Issir volunteers from Moeras and Eagle’s Nest. The only unit in the legions that was armed with the Castalor-type crossbow.)
>
> Dottore, Centurion of Medics, Galerius Bulla (Cartagen)
>
> Dottore, Optio of Medics, Ninius Campanus (Cartagen)
>
> Dottore, Optio of Medics, Brucius Megellus (Aegium)
>
>
>
> 1st Auxilia (spears) Centurion Dall.
>
> Tesserarius (1st Sergeant) Jan Volker
>
> Decanus Dorm (KIA, near Sugarcanes Grove, Moeras, 2nd month of 195 NC)
>
> 2nd Auxilia (spears) Centurion Lambert
>
> Centurion Pier Estes
>
> Decanus Lentulus (Memon’s aide)
>
> 3rd Auxilia -temporarily attached (Eagle’s Nest Guards) Captain Emil Nak.
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------
>
> *Archaic expression attributed to Magnus Lucius I that translates -‘let them suffer in hate, so long as they fear us.’
>
> *Archaic Lorian -‘First of the Brutes.’
>
> ** At least six hundred young Issir volunteers in two spear infantry formations serving as auxiliaries. (The first Legion using spears at such numbers although they had been used in the past). The first and second spear Auxilia cohorts were usually led by Prefects Memon (the 2nd) and Damascus (the 1st) and were first deployed at the battle of the Canes (Eagle’s Nest campaign). Other units consisted of about three hundred of Nak’s and Baron Eman’s guards that formed an independent allied formation (or 3rd Auxilia Cohort). Over five hundred civilians (sources give a number as high as one thousand) stayed back and worked under Celsus in various projects during the months preceding the start of hostilities.
>
> It must be noted here that by the time the long campaign at Eagle’s Nest ended the First Legion’s two supply trains (one in the field and one back at Sabretooth Castle) numbered over four thousand civilian artisans, crafters etc. bringing the overall roster of the First, when on the move, to almost the size of the bloated 2nd Issir Foot (around eight thousand people). Thus it had attained yet again the unofficial honor of being the largest in size Legion of Magna Regia albeit only in auxiliary/civilian personnel.
>
> Sometime later Legatus Merenda commented in jest, when the matter was brought up at a dinner, ‘we are a social bunch us legionnaires. Um, we are indeed. The good people of Jelin just can’t bear the thought of parting ways with us, so they follow along. I find it rather heartening, my fellow late night confidants. This way, even when we make camp in the realm’s most distant, barren deserts, we get to dine in a small friendly city.’
>
>
image [https://i.postimg.cc/BQJrL996/eagles-nest-3rd-week.jpg]
> The ‘Master of Slaves’, leader of slavers Bedas joined the landing party that had been delayed for two weeks in the lake port of Meertje at the end of Primus 195 NC. Hamadi, his subordinate and member of Dhin-Awal’s Reserve Army, had asked for Bedas’ presence to galvanize the mercenary troops. Bedas arrived just as Pourem, who had in turn been stonewalled by Centurion Indus’ 2nd Cohort that was all but cut off inside Moeras, took advantage of Umi’s arriving catapults to oust Aulus Cita’s and Noud Cost’s heavy rangers out of the woods –situated to the northwest between Meertje and Moeras. Pourem positioned a unit of archers in the flattened copse and with the help of Umi’s machines they started shelling Indus from that flank as well.
>
> Cita was ordered to retreat towards the smaller lake near Moeras and guard Indus’ rear but the now freed up Slavers at the docks under Bedas and Hamadi moved out first. They marched up the north flanking road (running parallel to one of Serpent Tongue’s tributaries) leading to the Sugarcanes Grove where they fell upon the young recruits of the 1st Issir Auxilia under Prefect Damascus.
>
> The latter had fortified parts of the road and a nearby sugar farmstead’s warehouses and in a brutal engagement pushed the slavers back. He had help from elements of horse-drawn artillery dispatched by Celsus, the officer of engineers had been given carte blanche from Legatus Merenda on how to use his machines, and this forced Bedas’ troops to fall back almost a kilometer. Celsus had constructed a narrow but over fifteen meters tall watchtower near the Fish Market at a spot that had a natural elevation and it had given him a commanding view of the rear roads up to the small lake.
>
> On one flank, Birka and Kontar were busy trying to cut off Glycia’s 1st Cohort defending Visserhaven near Granlake’s shores. The siege had raged for almost a month and they had made small progress through flooded or mostly muddy, inhospitable terrain.
>
> On the other, Pourem had surrounded Moeras with Umi’s help and Bedas’ slavers (with Hamadi) had taken Meertje, but their advance had been stopped at the Canes battle.
>
> Dhin-Awal, who had waited patiently for the weather to clear at Satemi’s instruction (the chief engineer wanted time either way to bring larger machines to the front in order to nullify Celsus’ terrain advantage in the center) decided to commit Masud-Rum’s unit of Cataphracts, Cephas Mirpur’s second in command had been dispatched to reinforce Prince Radin’s army marching towards Boar’s Horn but had paused to visit Dhin-Awal as they shared an ancestor, to a second attack at the Canes junction. Dhin-Awal wanted to thin-out Merenda’s entrenched in higher terrain center and managed it partially.
>
> Prefect Memon, ordered to break out Indus or reestablish a supply corridor with Moeras, marched his 2nd Auxilia (held as reserve) towards Damascus upon receiving report of the new developments. The latter’s unit had suffered a devastating attack by Masud-Rum’s redeployed Cataphracts that had caught them on the move, as they had pushed out as well to close with the Slavers.
>
> Damascus miraculously managed to withstand the charges and retreated with heavy casualties towards safety and the cover of his machines stationed at the fortifications, but the relieved Bedas could now move after him again.
>
> And he did later that same day, as Dhin-Awal was hell-bent on threatening Merenda’s rear and opening the road for a frontal advance on the flats towards Eagle’s Nest proper.
>
> The third week of month Secundus, the year of the New Calendar 195, found the two sides engaged in a savage struggle, as despite the Legatus’ wishes the bad, mostly raining, weather cleared out and the machines started firing from both sides with everything they had available.
>
> And alas after months of building up, they had plenty.
>
>
-
22nd Secundus 195 NC
Eagle’s Nest
The gentle hill overlooking the hemp fields
First Legion’s fortifications
The boulder crashed through the rooftop of a house, blew its side walls outwards and exploded out of the back, eventually stopping at an adjoined barn’s brick wall that collapsed with a tremendous roaring sound. Two more bounced off of the rocky ground and were stopped by the two meter stone rampart, one of several spread about between houses or setup to block the road leading to the fort.
Marcus-Antonius watched through a spyglass their own projectiles landing in the fields below, propelling earth and stones in a series of uneven eruptions that left visible holes behind. The morning haze dissipating somewhat but still keeping most details hidden.
“INCREASE RANGE!” The engineers working the trebuchets yelled to their crews. “CHANGE COUNTERWEIGHTS!”
“Incoming,” Plautus warned and he retreated a couple of steps as another volley of large rocks were hurled their way by the persistent Horselords. “Better we find cover Legatus,” the scribe added.
“Just stay behind the small rampart,” Merenda counseled trying to discern the number of machines Satemi was using against them. “The projectiles shall strike the wall and fall into the earth ditch bellow it!”
No sooner had he said that, one such boulder hit the center of a five meter long rampart, blustered through it and pulverized the three men Issir crew that waited on the other side. Plautus who had started running stooped that way, pivoted sharply and sprinted near the frowned Legatus again.
“The commander’s suggestion was thoroughly discredited sir,” the academic commented sarcastically and Merenda pursed his mouth afore offering Plautus the spyglass.
“MEDIC!” An engineer yelled trying to dig through the rubble for any survivors.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Their machines are a bit bigger than ours,” he noted stiffly as more rocks landed on the plateau. Marcus-Antonius turned around and marched towards the lead engineer that was giving orders to the crews whilst urging them to reload the machines faster.
“Add some more long nails Ronald,” Optio William Nak said. “Just hammer them into the rock.”
“It might crack it sir!”
“Uher shines his light upon us,” Nak assured him. “It shall not.”
I rather that he didn’t, Merenda thought sourly. I would have preferred a rainstorm.
“Optio Nak… oh my,” Merenda started and then ducked abruptly along with everyone else when another rock flew over their heads. They watched it land four meters away narrowly missing a medic that performed an impressive somersault in his panic and then Merenda turned to face Captain Emil Nak’s son and Celsus’ protégé. “That came pretty close William,” he told the young Issir engineer austerely. The man nodded in agreement.
“Our next volley is aimed at it Legatus,” Nak added.
“You’ll hit it you think?”
“I just need to scrape it sir,” Nak replied. “Their crews are bunched up.”
“Good then.” Merenda paused to watch their volley land near the Khanate machines. “They are creeping ever closer…”
“That’s as far as they can risk it,” Nak assured him.
“Prefect Celsus?” Merenda asked spotting the LID officers Cornelius Pilatus and Furius Tasius sprinting towards them from the fort’s gates. He signaled Plautus to take their report while Nak answered his query.
“He’s with Captain Nak at the Watchtower sir.” The younger Nak replied.
“Keep up the good work,” a grinning Merenda said tapping the Issir officer’s shoulder. A member of the crew cried out to get Nak’s attention at that moment.
“Optio Niger sir!”
“Yes?” Nak snapped turning to face the local engineer.
“They have lit the braziers’ sir!”
Merenda, who had turned around to receive Pilatus’ report, paused in alarm.
“It’s too wet to make a difference,” Nak replied with the tone of someone who knew what he was doing and pushed the man back towards the trebuchet. “Get back to work!”
“Right then,” Merenda said and used his opened arms to guide the small group some meters towards the rear. “Plautus you look terrible my friend,” he commented and took the scroll from the scribe’s hands to read it.
“Legatus, this is from Prefect Memon,” Centurion of LID, Pilatus explained. “He’s moving to support Damascus.”
Merenda nodded and waved his arm for the men to follow him towards their horses. The loud sound of bombardment, exploding earth and rocks, coming right behind them made the earth shake under their boots. Despite the ungodly ruckus the Legatus had to whistle twice for Vegetius and Cucan to snap out of their ‘standing’ stupor. The ‘praetorians’ had the uncanny ability to catch a quick nap even standing upright and were jolted awake throwing comical expletives at one another.
“How bad was Damascus hit?” Merenda asked shaking his head at the two hurriedly running after him legionnaires, whilst trying to read the missive he held en route to the horses.
“We don’t know yet sir, but he still controls the road,” Pilatus replied. “The tower has the best vantage point and is where the birds from Memon will arrive.”
“Good,” Merenda replied and turned his horse to the north. “I was heading there myself.”
----------------------------------------
Twenty minutes later Servius Celsus came down the ladder of the narrow tower to meet with Merenda’s entourage. He immediately directed the dismounted officers towards a table set in the tower’s shade, where Baron Eman was sitting.
“Nak is marching towards Moeras,” Celsus informed Marcus-Antonius and used a flat brick to secure a map on the table. “Or close to it. There’s a corn field there.”
“Mm. What about Memon?”
“Damascus was hit by heavy cavalry,” Celsus explained. “They have casualties.”
“Terrible news,” the Baron commented sourly.
“You think Dhin-Awal brought them from the center?” Merenda asked not minding the Baron.
“Via Meertje,” Celsus replied. “Else we’d have seen them moving down there. Indus is in a horrible position Legatus. It’s one thing to expect him to hold for a while, another to survive trapped and bombarded for weeks.”
“I’m aware Mister Celsus,” Merenda grimaced. He tried to understand the Khanate general’s plan looking at the map and picturing the various units in the field. “Memon will add three hundred spears to Damascus’ force. There’s no way Dhin-Awal has the horses to punch through that. Nor expect to face such numbers.”
“We used all the reserves we had sir,” Celsus pointed out.
“It’s why we had them Servius. Satemi is moving the big boys near the slopes.”
Celsus shook his head. “He’ll gain nothing but random hits. Those machines will be destroyed or turn inoperable from the strain.”
“Random hits affect morale,” Merenda noted.
“It works both ways Legatus.”
“I need Cita’s crossbows to move near the road,” Merenda decided. “Assist Memon and Damascus. Nullify the Khanate’s sneaky effort to flank us, even push them back towards Meertje.”
“What about Indus? You wish for Captain Nak to attempt an attack at Moeras?” Celsus probed and drew dotted lines of movement on the map with a thin stick of graphite.
“No. I just want him to secure that front,” Merenda replied. “He doesn’t have the strength to push against Pourem. We’ll need to coordinate this better or wait for Memon to clear out the Canes road.”
“If the weather holds for forty eight hours, the ground will be solid enough for an advance through the hemp fields,” Celsus noted. “The timing isn’t auspicious.”
“They shall move because of the weather. We shall see who the timing favors eventually,” Merenda replied. “These things are connected I won’t argue, but if they jam our center then they’ll be locked up as well. We’ll win the flanks, then deal with the center. ”
“Not if Indus retreats from Moeras.”
“Indus won’t retreat without orders.”
“Sir,” Pilatus said. “Glycia reported scouts in the Granlake’s woods, they followed the gorge to keep out of sight.”
“Domus is heading there to push the extra Scorpios forward,” Merenda said. “Message him to fire into the woods and expel the scouts. Then bring the machines inside Visserhaven to reinforce what Glycia has there, the rest is up to him. If the Primus Pilus wants to push, then he might find a window of opportunity south of the main road. Not near the marshes though, let the Horselords get themselves stuck in there.”
-
> Near Moeras Lake
>
> Northeast of Sugarcanes Woods
>
> Legion widened road
>
> First Legion’s 2nd Auxiliary Cohort,
>
> Night of 22nd to 23rd of Secundus
>
>
>
>
>
> These fortifications need to be expanded, Memon thought and gestured for Decanus Lentulus to call the closest officer of engineers to approach them. The engineers had found lodging inside the plantation’s warehouses near the north side of the road about a hundred meters from their eight pieces of light artillery.
>
> “Lambert notify Estes as well,” Memon barked gruffly at the Centurion bringing up the Auxilia. The men had parked in the middle of the road just before the illuminated in moonlight barricades. “I want this bullshit repaired out to the sides and the ground worked on!”
>
> “Prefect sir!” Lambert saluted and went to relay his orders, while Decanus Lentulus returned with a familiar face, the Optio of Engineers Decius Polybius, Servius Celsus pupil. Decius, now close to his thirties, looked tired and had bandaged his left hand.
>
> “Prefect Memon,” Polybius nodded. “Good to see you here.”
>
> “Caught your fingers in the torsions?”
>
> “Lost half the ring finger Prefect. At the knuckle.”
>
> “Good thing yer not married,” Memon noted with a grimace.
>
> “I’ve an Issir lass in the city.” Polybius retorted icily.
>
> “She’ll understand. They are a gods-fearing bunch. Where’s Damascus?” The unwilling to waste more time in small talk Memon asked and took the Optio by the shoulder. They moved some meters away to speak in private.
>
> “He’s fine.” Polybius reassured him. “They got hit hard on the road to Meertje. Lots of casualties.”
>
> “How many?”
>
> “Over a hundred. Close to one thirty. Forty injured. We’re still cleaning them up and sort out the dead at the warehouse,” Polybius explained. Memon furrowed his greying brows. “Damascus made two trips to bring those left behind back.”
>
> “Why take the risk?”
>
> “The Cataphracts lost some of their own and retreated,” Polybius explained. “Ah, there’s Volker. Jan, come here lad. He was there.”
>
> “I want the barricades expanded and the road littered with caltrops Polybius,” Memon ordered the engineer while Volker marched near them.
>
> “It’s a vital communication artery,” the engineer argued. “We might need it.”
>
> “I rather keep it and not use it,” Memon grunted and narrowed his eyes spotting Volker’s rank. “Tesserarius?”
>
> “1st Sergeant Jan Volker sir,” the Issir saluted.
>
> “You’re in the Legion now Volker!” Memon blasted him. “Why are you in charge of the Auxilia?”
>
> “We lost a lot of officers’ sir and Centurion Dall is injured,” Volker replied stiffly. “The Prefect will be here shortly with those that survived.”
>
> Memon pursed his mouth. He glanced at Lentulus and then grimaced some more. “How bad was it?”
>
> “Pretty bad sir, but we managed to form a solid line of spears and stopped them,” Volker replied. “They didn’t have the numbers and were forced to retreat.”
>
> “How many?”
>
> “About a hundred. Less than a hundred,” Volker replied.
>
> “Other Cavalry?”
>
> “Some lancers the day before this,” Volker reported. “Actually a good number of them but we were setup well and they lost about sixty in the attempt.”
>
> “How large is the Slavers force?” Memon probed.
>
> “Around four hundred men according to the Prefect,” Volker replied. “Give or take some. Minus their losses. They were eager to retreat sir.”
>
> “Mmm,” Memon nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll talk with Damascus the moment he gets back."
>
>
>
> -
>
>
>
> Two hours later Memon was inspecting the nearby woods to the northeast and the thick sugarcane grove to the northwest, when Prefect Damascus finally arrived. The grove extended all the way to the small lake near Moeras.
>
> “Memon,” Damascus saluted instinctively and Memon grabbed his forearm in greeting.
>
> “Good to see you lad,” he told the officer.
>
> “Thank you sir.” Damascus replied tiredly. He was covered in dirt from marching up and down the road.
>
> “What’s the situation here Damascus?”
>
> “They brought Cataphracts to stop us from advancing to Meertje,” Damascus reported. “I spotted them early but they went through our screen. They just won’t fall from the saddle Memon.”
>
> “Kill their horses,” Memon grunted. “We are not here to win decency awards Prefect.”
>
> “That’s a lot of armour on the animals as well,” Damascus countered.
>
> “You think they’ll stay around?”
>
> “I don’t know, they retreated pretty easily but Bedas might regroup and come again. He thinks he has the numbers now.”
>
> “Bedas?”
>
> “The Khan’s Master of Slaves,” Damascus replied. “We caught some prisoners. He came from Issir’s Eagle to help Hamadi.”
>
> “What did they say exactly?”
>
> “They have more lancers gathering in Meertje,” Damascus informed him. “Indus lost control of the woods around Moeras.”
>
> “Indus is cut off,” Memon replied. “There are enemy archers and infantry beyond the lake towards Eagle’s Nest. Where the hell is Cita?”
>
> “Tries to keep one side of the lake open to resupply Indus,” Damascus said with a grimace.
>
> “With boats? That’s a waste of recourses. Who is his man here?” Memon grunted rigidly.
>
> “Decanus Noud Kost. An Issir from Badum. Older fellow.”
>
> “Let me talk to him,” Memon ordered and rubbed at his tired eyes. The burning torches produced a lot of smoke but not much light. “The sky is clear Damascus,” he said after the Prefect ordered a soldier to find the Ranger’s officer. “If it holds they’ll attack towards the fort and try to take control of the high ground.”
>
> “Celsus stopped the Third, he’ll stop the Khan’s lackeys,” Damascus replied and Memon stared in his young face soberly.
>
> “Dhin-Awal will try to break through here first,” Memon said. “Force the Legatus to invest more manpower. The thing is, we have no more men to spare.”
>
> “He won’t succeed.”
>
> “Why march towards Meertje?”
>
> “I wanted to take the port from them, destabilize their frontline. It was an opportunity,” Damascus replied. “We can win sir.”
>
> Memon sighed and then worked his tongue over his teeth in silence. “Merenda is a bad influence Damascus. This is a long shot and not a good one. We can’t push them back. There are thousands of them waiting in Issir’s Eagle. We need to grind it out here.”
>
> “It’s better to maneuver Memon, just try to be more forward-thinking,” Damascus teased with a tired smile.
>
> Memon shook his head and then turned to speak with a gaunt Issir of about forty years that had approached and was speaking with Lentulus.
>
> “Decanus Kost?” Memon asked and the dressed in mismatched leather Issir nodded.
>
> “That’s right.”
>
> “Kost, I want Cita’s rangers parked in them sugarcanes when Bedas and Hamadi arrive to try this dance all over again. Put all those fancy crossbows to good use.”
>
> Noud Kost furrowed his white brows. “What about the 2nd Cohort?”
>
> “Trying to save Indus will lose us the battle,” Memon explained. “It was an order Decanus. Are we clear?”
>
> “I’ll need that in writing sir,” Kost retorted pursing his mouth.
>
> “Decanus we need to win one battle at a time,” Memon rustled but then paused and tried in a soother manner. “You’re a veteran Kost. Indus can hold the village but we can’t afford to lose the road. Our rear will be in danger.”
>
> “If the weather holds,” Kost warned raspingly. “By morrow afternoon the Khan’s engineers will fire incendiaries and Moeras will burn. Is the Legatus aware?”
>
> “The Legatus has decided to keep the other three Cohorts out of it,” Memon replied without mincing his words. “Glycia is jammed up in Visserhaven for months, but I don’t worry about that old junkyard dog. The other two Cohorts are waiting fresh but they won’t move also, do you want to know why?”
>
> Kost adjusted the strap of his harness with a grimace. “Merenda wants to counter attack.”
>
> Memon stared at the grinning Damascus, then at the nearby officers and suddenly felt really old amidst them. “The Legatus wants to kick Dhin-Awal back into the sea.”
>
> “Granlake?” Kost probed a little perturbed.
>
> “No Decanus,” Memon replied pensively. “The Shallow Sea.”
>
> Merenda wanted to win the war outright, but the Prefect knew that even if everything went in their favor, this was outright impossible. The most difficult lesson to teach a young man is that some things are just beyond his reach.
>
> Some men would figure that lesson out eventually.
>
> Others wouldn’t.
>
> Of course there were always the rare exceptions that went on to realize their massive ambitions and thirst for vainglory, or convince other people that they could do it through sheer limitless optimism.
>
> The latter bundle of talents, pretty significant to have.
>
> Kost’s weathered face nodded, his reply coming a little hoarse.
>
> “I can stand behind that Prefect,” the veteran ranger had replied with a rare smirk.
>
> Yeah, Memon thought. It is also contagious.
>
> And can get a lot of men killed fast.
>
>
-
> With the bombardment causing damage to the crews of both armies, the second day of that week went by without any changes. On the 23rd Umi’s machines started firing incendiaries against Indus’ trapped legionnaires of the 2nd Cohort and soon Satemi’s artillery did the same in the center. While Celsus responded to the bombardment vehemently, Indus didn’t have anything to counter the approaching catapults and Moeras was engulfed in flames soon.
>
> With the large village slowly getting demolished and burning, the center of the battlefield didn’t fare that better. Fires started in Eagle’s Nest but the remaining civilians managed to keep them under control throughout the day. In Visserhaven, the forgotten south flank, a similar bombardment took place but Satemi didn’t have as many machines there. Kontar had a lot of archers though and had managed to all but surround the large lake port. Despite the small success Birka wouldn’t commit to an assault, fearing a fight in the narrow streets and with his force bogged down in the west marshes outside Visserhaven Birka couldn’t move fast enough to surprise Glycia.
>
> During the night -23rd to 24th- Prefect Domus brought six Scorpios and fired inside the woods between Visserhaven and the heights of Eagle’s Nest driving the scouts and archers away. He then proceeded to reinforce Glycia, who found himself with enough artillery (ten Scorpios and a catapult) to balance out Birka’s and Kontar’s. Having the advantage of fortified positions, Glycia amassed his machines on the west side of Visserhaven facing the marshes.
>
> That same night, with Moeras burning ominously for hours, Bedas with Hamadi marched down the road towards Memon’s and Damascus’ positions. The two officers had almost five hundred spear infantry there and despite Bedas getting reinforcements (around five hundred Lancers), Dhin-Awal had to pull the remaining Cataphracts back (around eighty) as Masud-Rum had orders to join Prince Radin and they couldn’t justify wasting them completely in a flanking maneuver that could be done by less valuable troops. Even so Bedas had now most of Dhin-Awal’s cavalry with him, a conscious decision as the Khanate general didn’t want to risk his horses traversing the booby-trapped hemp-fields under artillery shelling.
>
> Bedas and Hamadi attacked on the morning of the 24th but faced stiff resistance from Damascus’ and Memon’s mostly Issir soldiers. Bedas found success around noon, ordering two huge charges with the lancers but despite scattering 2nd Auxilia’s fresher troops, the horses and their riders found themselves trotting over a treacherous terrain in their attempt to hit the flanks of the defenders. Animals got maimed and the cavalry leaders ordered their men to pull back. Aulus Cita’s heavy rangers that had arrived during the night at the edges of the sugarcanes grove, fired two devastating volleys that decimated men and horses.
>
> Hamadi led a large group of slavers inside the grove to drive the rangers back and Bedas briefly contemplated a retreat to regroup again but given the casualties he had suffered already, the slaver had no other option but to stay the course and make another attempt.
>
> Pourem attacked Moeras from all sides that same day and managed to enter the bombarded large village. He engaged in close quarters battle with Indus 2nd Cohort fought in smoke-covered, debris littered streets and inside collapsed houses. Mereb who was leading the scouts and archers on the west side of the lake couldn’t assist Pourem, as Captain Nak’s guards’ presence (they had advanced from Eagle’s Nest) had forced him into a defensive stance. This gave the trapped Indus a little breathing room and he managed to hold on to the part of Moeras facing the lake (and the Sugarcanes Grove) with night coming, but the battered 2nd Cohort was in critical danger of getting wiped out.
>
> On the 25th of Secundus, after a full two days of warm (for the time of year) weather and friendly sunshine, following three days of heavy shelling and with Merenda theoretically stretched thin in many fronts, Dhin-Awal ordered his rested infantry to advance through the hemp-fields and down the main road, climb the gentle slopes and reach Eagle’s Nest proper. The idea was to engage with Merenda’s center and even if they couldn’t push them back inside the fort’s walls, lock them in a desperate fight and give time for Pourem (who was expected to finish off the 2nd Cohort that day) and either Bedas (engaged at the Sugarcanes Grove) or Birka (busy sieging Visserhaven) to advance and strike the First legion’s flanks.
>
> The two attacking prongs had the same destination almost, but they were about three hundred meters apart. What Dhin-Awal couldn’t fathom was the number of concealed smaller machines Celsus (and the people of Eagle’s Nest) had constructed in what later was to be known (and named after the famed military engineer) Industrial District.
>
> Thirty eight fast-firing Scorpios (eight permanently installed in small towers around the walls), fifteen shrapnel-loaded catapults and three trebuchets. As Celsus himself commented during the fierce, hours-long brutal slog, ‘there is no army heavy attrition can’t eventually reduce to rubble, given enough shells and bolts. Courage is fine to have and makes for a better story, but I’ll place my bets any time on that mountain of finely-cut rocks and iron bolts back there.’