We wait at the crossing overlooking the swampy plains for our foes. To the North of us is the Golden River, to the south the Spring River, making this crossing the only patch of land, the bridge between the east and the west. Even from the hill overlooking my battlefield, I can barely see the two rivers.

Beyond the plains is an untouched forest. I’ve heard the wood from there is poisonous and rotten to the touch, but that could be a rumour. The reality could just be that the wood is simply unusable and prone to decay.

But here, here is a perfect place to make a stand.

Hannah is right, the ground is too soft and slippery for anyone wearing heavy armour, and if all of their armour is as thick and heavy as that helmet I examined a few weeks ago, their armour will be a hindrance, not extra protection. Therefore, I can tire out the Dogs and pick them off.

So far, they have nothing that can pose a danger to my cavalry. Their archers could become a problem, however, if I can keep their heads down and force them into a position that drawing a bow would be difficult, it will keep my men safe while they encircle and break their formation.

I have a hundred and twenty men with me. All of them can use a bow while riding a horse. They will be perfect to force the Dogs into a position where they have to make a shield wall.

I also have Handcock and his forty knights. They will be perfect to charge into their formation and break it up. I think their heavy armour and shock tactics will serve me well against the Dogs. They can charge through the Dogs line, while my men keeps the beasts pinned down. That is if the humans can do their job right, but I think they’ll be better than nothing.

‘Are your men ready, Volas?’ Handcock walks up to me wearing his heavy armour.

I’m surprised a human of his age can even wear that. I thought the weight would’ve broken his back by now.

‘They are, and I suspect yours should be, too?’

Handcock smiles. ‘Of course we are. I’m just seeing what plan you have for us?’

I explain to him my plan in detail, with potential outcomes and alternatives. He seems impressed with my decision-making skills, nodding and agreeing with what his men have to do.

‘So far, so good. I guess you are worthy of your rank.’

‘I didn’t join the army to bring shame,’ I reply.

‘But many others did. Let’s just hope you are different.’

‘Why do you care? You don’t have any reason to fight for or with us.’

Handcock points at Husan as he rides his horse towards us. ‘Maybe I’ll tell you later.’

‘The Dogs have been spotted. They will be here in twenty minutes,’ Huson says to me as he gets off his horse.

‘Divide our force up into six groups. Have one group get onto their horses and have the last two groups line up and prepare their bows. The rest will be on reserves.’ I order.

Huson salutes to me as he rushes off to my soldiers, barking orders and commands to get them ready.

‘What use do you have for me, Commander?’ Handcock politely asks with his second in command by his side.

‘Have your men go north and wait on the hill near the river. When I give you the signal, charge into their formation and try to break them up.’

‘Understood,’ Handcock’s second-in-command replies as he marches off to his men.

Smoke rises from the forest, the loud footsteps of Dogs coming ever closer. If they are anything, they are unsubtle.

They emerge from the forest, rushing into a sloppy battle line at the sight of us. They cheer and bark in their barbaric tongue at the prospect of battle.

As more of them line up into their formation, it is clear there aren’t three hundred Dogs. There have to be around six hundred of them, all wearing their thick and crude black armour.

The tallest of them walks along his battle line at the front. It seems he might be giving some primitive speech to prepare his men.

‘You are sure that are three hundred Dogs we are facing?’ Handcock says as he sits on the rock next to me.

‘I thought you would be fighting with your knights?’

‘Later, young Commander. First you need to plan what to do.’

He’s right. I need to focus on the battlefield. It seems that the humans haven’t arrived at their spots yet, and it seems I might need to use them earlier than expected.

The Dogs have no archer units or formations. It seems the Dogs that came to battle are wielding a mishmash of weaponry and equipment. Some don’t even have shields.

Some Dogs struggle to keep themselves upright as they slowly sink into the mud, their heavy armour weighing them down. Already, the plan is working.

However, I need the knights in position now. If I attack early, I will be in trouble. I believe that more Dogs will be on the way. We can’t engage just yet.

‘Huson! Get over here.’

Huson rushes to me. ‘What do you need, sir?’

I point towards the Dogs. ‘We are facing more Dogs than we expected. I need you to send a scout out in case they have reinforcements coming towards us.’

‘Sure thing.’ Huson heads over to his Outriders.

‘And what will you do, Volas? It doesn’t look like your army is ready yet.’ Handcock comments.

‘I’ll buy us time.’

I mount my horse to make my way to the Dogs while waving my handkerchief to them. I need to give my army time.

The largest one looks at me. It laughs and points at me like an immature child.

He heads towards me, chuckling with every step he takes.

By the Gods, he is huge. He is almost as tall as me while I sit on my horse. His face is flat with his nose sunken into his face. His cheeks are large and hanging down his face, with saliva drooling out of his maw.

Such a dirty animal, but a terrifying one. He has his birth brand on his forehead. I don’t know if Dogs choose where they want to be branded, but if it was a choice, he is a strange one.

‘What brings you here, Cinari?’ He speaks to me, drooling his words as if he is choking on water.

‘I came to speak to your army’s leader. I will assume you’re in charge?’

The beast chuckles. ‘You’re damn right I am. And who are you?’

I straighten my back. I can’t show any fear near him, even if his presence is making me anxious.

‘Commander Volas Regali of the Tundo Garrison. I came to ask for your surrender.’

The beast laughs, slapping his knee as if it was the funniest joke he has ever heard.

‘You want me to surrender? Why would I surrender when we are winning this war? Perhaps you should surrender Cinari. I can tell we out number you from here. You can’t win this battle.’

‘That is where you are wrong, Dog. Either you surrender, or you run back to where you came from.’

The beast rests his hands on his two axes. ‘My king sent his best to take the crossing. I will make sure it happens.’

King? This would mean they do have some sort of hierarchal structure. The rumours are true, after all.

‘And who is this king of yours?’

‘His name is Marak.’ The beast smiles. ‘Make sure you spread the word of his name.’

My heart races. So he is alive. This is not good, but it makes sense. If he is popular and a favoured leader within his mine. He would have an easier time uniting his people compared to someone like the beast in front of me.

But why now? What made him attack the Empire now? This sparks more questions than it answers.

I straighten myself up. I can think about the implications later.

‘If you will not surrender, then I’ll see you on the battlefield. And know I will make sure your kind will suffer at this crossing.’

The beast grins. ‘I’ll have fun with this.’

We part ways, heading back to our respected armies.

‘What are your orders, Commander?’ Huson says, standing near the first group.

I check the hill where the knights should be. Buggers are late. But we have to make up for it with what we’ve got.

The section leader of the first group walks up to me to see what he needs to do.

‘The first group will go around them. Launch your arrows into their position, but don’t go near them. Surround them until further orders or you ran out of arrows.’

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‘Understood sir!’ He rides off to his men to the front line.

‘Are the archers in their positions?’ I ask Huson.

He nods. ‘Yes sir, all of them are ready on your command.’

Good, my soldiers are in their place and prepared. But so are the Dogs, as they line up in their crude formation, barking and snarling at our general direction. They want blood.

‘Archers!’ The archers load their arrow into their bow.

‘Draw!’ They aim their bows while they draw their bows.

‘First group advance!’ The leader of the first group leads his men to the Dogs. The Dogs took this as an invitation as they slowly prowl to my men like predators on a hunt.

‘Loose!’ The archers launch their arrows at the Dogs.

In a panic, the few that have shields raise them to protect themselves from their demise. Our arrows strikes down those who are unlucky to show any form of weakness in their armour.

As my cavalry ride closer to the Dogs, they release their own arrows into the Dog formation.

The leader of the Dogs bark orders to keep in position and come closer to form a defensive circle. The soft ground makes the Dogs easy targets for my horse archers as their heavy armour bogs them down, while my horses glide across. However, some get too close to the Dogs, causing them to be taken off their horses and ripped them apart.

To my relief, the knights appear on the hill waiting for my command. As group one retreats back to me, I shout for the second group to be ready and that the archers load their arrows. So far, minimal casualties.

The Dogs notice the Knights on the hill and promptly set up a defensive position to prevent their charge, but they leave me open.

‘Loose!’ I say to my archers as they rain hell upon the Dogs.

I need the Dogs to break up their defensive line and shift their focus to my men if the humans are going to have a successful charge.

‘Second group, false charge!’ My men charge towards the Dogs, launching their arrows at them to shift their attention.

Their leader, visibly frustrated, sends most of his force to brace for my men.

‘Signal your men to charge, Handcock.’ The old man grins as he blows his war horn.

As my men hear the horn, they break off their charge to continue their encirclement. The Dogs have no time to react to the actual charge as the human knights break through their defences. Some Dogs run to the forest, shouting that the battle is already lost.

Their large leader cleaves some human riders apart, his large axes able to split a horse in half.

His army scatters, picked off one by one by human and Cinari soldiers. The Dogs that stay fight on, as if their lives depend on it.

The hulking beast faces the leader of the humans as he notices that his armour is slightly different from the rest of his kind.

‘Come fight me, coward!’ He shouts at the knight while throwing his axes to the ground.

The human lines his horse and lance at the beast, accepting the brute’s invitation.

As the human charges, the Dog runs to it with its bare knuckles. As they collide, the lance snaps on its bulky armour.

Time slows as I watch the large beast knock the horse down with a single punch, its neck snapping into an unnatural position. The human rider to fly off his steed and lands on his head.

The monster looms over him, grinning at his prize as he picks up the knight by the leg. One of his human comrades rushes to his rescue.

The beast uses the knight in his hand to smack the other knight off his horse when they get too close. Blood oozes from the knight’s helmet and gaps between his armour. It is clear he is dead.

The beast plays with the corpse, mocking the other knights and baiting them to him. His armour proves to be near invincible, as nothing can get past it. Without anyone to lead them, the humans fight on their own. Refusing to retreat or work together.

Handcock sits and watches as his fellow men fight to the last, emotionless as he smokes from his pipe.

The second group retreats to me, their arrows depleted.

‘Get the third group into battle,’ I order Huson.

He hops onto his horse, whistling his Outriders to go to him. ‘Already on it, sir.’

He charges into battle with his fellow Outriders without support from the archers, as that would risk the lives of the humans, and I can’t waste their usefulness. The Outriders fight alongside the knights while keeping their distance, slaughtering any Dog that gets near them.

We can win this battle. The Dogs have taken too many casualties. More of them run to the forest, while their stubborn leader and his devoted soldiers stay behind to continue to fight. Even when their formation is broken and in chaos, they fight bravely and valiantly.

‘More Dogs are coming Commander.’ One scout says as he approaches me.

‘How many?’

‘A thousand, maybe more! There are too many of them.’

That is not good news; if they arrive, we will sustain too many casualties. We have to leave the crossing before I lose any more men.

‘Everyone listen up! Prepare to retreat. More are coming!’

My men dismantle their gear as they start to load them into their packs.

Handcock doesn’t move from his spot. He just stares out on the battlefield while tapping his knee impatiently.

‘We have to leave. Call your men in,’ I order Handcock.

‘No.’ He replies.

‘What? More will come. We have to leave or more of us will die.’

‘Then leave. But my men and I are staying to fight. We’ll buy you some time.’

The man walks to his horse and pulls out his great sword.

Why is he doing this? There has to be a motive behind this.

‘I won’t let you die here Handcock, you are too useful to me.’

‘I am not your soldier, Volas! I was a knight of Van Dimers Land, if you knew what we are, you would know we never retreat. We choose our graves, and this field will be ours.’

‘Why? Why are you doing this?’

‘Because we are the last of our kind. You wouldn’t understand.’

There is no use to convince him to retreat with me. This is idiotic, even for a human, but I respect him. They would die for me on a land that is alien to them. May the Gods guide their souls to greatness, for this battle is their collective suicide ritual.

I blow my war horn to signal the Outriders to retreat, but none of them heard it.

I blow it again, but still no signs they have heard it. This isn’t good. No! I can’t let this happen!

Without a second thought, I ride my horse into the battlefield. Blowing my horn so they can hear me.

Some hear my horn, breaking away from the fight to regroup with the main force.

Huson turn his horse too hard, causing it to slip on the mud and knocking Huson into the ground.

With no hesitation, I kick my steed to make it as run as fast as it ever could to him. I won’t let my Scout Master die here.

A Dog approaches him with a spear. It grins as he raises his weapon above his head, ready to kill Huson. Before he can end him, I smash my horse into the Dog. Knocking the beast over. I take Huson by the hand to place him on my horse.

‘Thank you, heval.’ Huson mumbles.

I blow my horn one more time as we retreat to the safety of my army. I can only hope the rest of the Outriders got out in time.

Handcock walks to the Dogs, dragging his great sword behind him.

‘You don’t have to do this, Handcock. You can fight another day.’

The old man frowns. ‘That’s the thing. This is our day that we fight one more time.’

Foolish bastard, you could live for a bit longer. But I don’t have time to talk about your culture. I guess… I suppose the only thing they can do is fight on.

‘Good luck, human. It is an honour to have you here.’

Handcock shrugs as he continues his death march. ‘I don’t need luck, elf. I have years of experience on my side.’

Without turning back, I leave the humans to their fate. By the Gods, let them kill as many Dogs as possible.

As I ride my horse back to my army, we all dash in formation back to the city. The crossing is lost, but we made sure their victory was paid in blood.

I can only hope it is enough.