46. An Obstacle

Spendius and Hereward had established a front taking as much of Peria as Yerek had allowed, which was everything north of the cities of Palga and Portus of Peria, Nova had apparently stayed with their Perian lord. In the east everything had gotten crazy. Proxenus, Robert and Clearchus were in Hitara battling Nichomachus and Mardonius, with Oxyartes and Symachus in the south of Uruq. The battle lines were intensifying with more and more of the fighting going on in the east. Proxenus and Clearchus marched 15,000 armies down southwards toward the city of Wahatan hoping to catch the garrison off guard. Instead they were stopped by numerous well fortified and supplied villages.

“What in tarnation…” Proxenus said squinting as he looked at the sight before him, “they put stakes up and everything.”

“Sir, should we march around the village or besiege it?” A lieutenant said.

“We need to clear any obstacles, prepare the elites. I’ve dealt with this kind of nonsense in Hitara.”

The difference was that the villagers were armed with heavier crossbows, when Proxenus’s men came to charge the village defences the heavy shots took out some men clean, causing the rest to duck and some to even run.

“Get them back sieging the village!” Proxenus screamed, “morons…” he seethed.

The village was fortified on all cardinal directions, and the locals were on roofs shooting down at Proxenus’s army.

“Oh these people really want to party huh?” Proxenus said.

Proxenus led the way into the village, hopping over stakes and speeding along the main village, jumping up onto the rooftops.

“Hello Proxenus,” Nichomachus said, “I was expecting you.”

“You Republic fucker!”

The black man taunted the dark haired paler man throughout the village, while Proxenus’s army waited outside of missile range for the signal the the village had been sufficiently weakened. Proxenus swiped and swiped, Nichomachus appearing behind throwing knives and even rocks at the Mendek general.

“Your tyranny ends here!” Nichomachus proclaimed, “I will have your army turning and running.”

He teleported just in time to not get decapitated for Proxenus came close to ending the evangel’s life. Nichomachus teleported and assassinated one of the Mendek lieutenants, causing confused shouts. In retaliation Proxenus gutted the crossbowmen on the roof.

“Our general is fighting one of their evangels!” A soldier said, “for Mendek! The God of Battle will conquer the world!”

“For our rightful land!”

The Mendek army charged and Nichomachus turned, almost getting stabbed in the chest. Nichomachus blipped away throwing knives at a few cavalry lieutenants enraging Proxenus to no end. Doors were bolted shut, but he nonetheless killed a few reckless militiamen, swooping into buildings, Nichomachus saving a few of the crossbowmen before again engaging the swift and annoying evangel.

“Do you not getting tired of running?” Proxenus said, “your Republic will fall and all you will do is run.”

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“You sure run your mouth,” Nichomachus retorted.

“The Republic is weak, and I will hang the lot of you!”

Again they went from fighting inside the houses to fighting on a house roof. A sandstorm blew sand around the village, swirling and blinding all sides. In the meantime Clearchus’s army marched parallel to the village heading straight to Wahatan. Salutius was supplying already existing villages in Yerek with Ethra, meanwhile Mardonius sat on the battlements of Wahatan.

“We fight for the Republic! Against the tyranny of Mendek! And against the oppressive Church of Light!” Mardonius shouted, “my fellow God of Trade evangels will make sure this city is properly supplied!”

It was getting hotter and Proxenus’s men were being peppered and shot at, officers shot in the face by Nichomachus and disorder coming into the army. Proxenus began slicing peoples’ jugulars. Clearchus’s scouts saw the commotion at the village, their eyes widening in surprise and shock.

Is Mendek not invincible?

Proxenus wanted to take the village as it blocked the road leading deeper into Amoreb. The locals shot his cavalry and infantry alike. Nichomachus teleporting around to cause the maximum amount of chaos. A Mendek elite soldier ran into the centre of the city with the sword and axe banner; the war cries were obnoxiously loud, deliberately trying to intimidate the militia crossbowmen.

They will crack if I do not help. They would have cracked already had I not been here.

Nichomachus wanted to assassinate the flag carrier but someone else had beaten him to it. The man fell over and the garrison much to his surprise began cheering.

“Go back and terrorise someone else!” Someone screamed.

Both sides were now shouting, a series of insults flying back and forth. Proxenus danced around, slicing villagers being peppered by crossbow bolts and Nichomachus’s knives. Noon hit and the dead littered the village streets. Mendek soldiers had attempted to breach many buildings to no avail, while Clearchus journeyed to Wahatan, Mardonius assisted in taking out Proxenus's army, he took out an officer before returning to Wahatan. The villagers switched crossbows for ultimate rate of fire, firing in volleys that had the Mendek army totally bereft of initiative. Proxenus was exasperated, desperately flailing around trying to kill anyone and everyone, but being stopped by an annoying evangel. Nichomachus got hit on the face, teleporting away from Proxenus to kill his officers in revenge. Blood tricking down his black face, his afro hair being shaved off by missile fire and blades. Proxenus had more free rein but noticed his army shot into flight. 6000 were already dead with only a measly 300 villagers dead in return. Proxenus went berserk and Nichomachus had to shadow him to prevent him from slaughtering too much of the garrison. Some 400 defenders still shot at Proxenus’s troops making them collapse. Caltrops and needles had horses and regular infantry hopping around in pain. Proxenus stared at Nichomachus with absolute awe and consternation. Nichomachus took Proxenus in the back, shooting a knife into the back of the evangel of Mendek. The God of Battle winced and the God of Trade rejoiced in this moment. Ending the Mendek general, Nichomachus stared over the tired defenders. Salutius was asked to supply crossbow shots to the beleaguered village while Nichomachus shot knives into the backs of the besieging army. With the death of their evangel the Mendek army was made mincemeat of, local villagers kept shooting the soldiers. 3000 cavalry were dead, 8000 infantry were shot, the 4000 routing troops fled into the hinterlands, leaving Yerek victors over a village.

“Are you ok?” Salutius asked Nichomachus, “you took out of one of them, but even so, the madness will not end.”

Nichomachus was not okay, he was dehydrated and covered in blood, nicks and cuts from close calls and panting from the adrenaline of battling such a formidable foe; Salutius in his short stature looked up to his fellow commander, bowed and nodded.

“I will take my leave, I am hopping around Yerek, helping villages, I hope I was of valuable assistance,” he said humbly, clasping his hands in a bow, and left.

“You were,” Nichomachus said quietly, Salutius having already left.

The war between Mendek and Yerek had only begun. Nichomachus only had survived by a close margin, and so he fell on his rear exhausted by battle; he stared at the carnage that had washed on the village. Dead everywhere, mangled bodies, rotting in the afternoon sun, vultures pecking at people, blood staining the buildings, flies buzzing for a feast, many more meals would be ready for them.