“A whole army may be robbed of it’s spirits; a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind.”

-Sun Tzu

The battles had been hard and drawn out, with each one requiring a new level of willpower, strategy, and endurance. When Mengus and his soldiers encountered an enemy positioned in a valley, it was one of the most difficult encounters. Nestled between precipitous ridges and protected by natural barriers, their location offered a major advantage. There was strong opposition to early attempts to eliminate them. A barrage of spears and a hail of arrows met the men at the top of the narrow defile after each charge was brutally repelled. Things were getting bad, and people's spirits were starting to drop.

Mengus gathered a council of war with his commanders as the sun began to set, creating lengthy shadows across the camp. The faces of worn-out warriors filled the command tent, which was illuminated by flickering candles. There were charts and maps all over the table, showing the locations of the enemy's strongholds. They had already made multiple attempts at frontal attacks, but the enemy's high vantage point allowed them to drop death from the sky on them. A new plan was obviously required.

The first to speak was Captain Adrian, a weathered warrior with battle wounds to match. "We are unable to continue throwing our men in their direction. Before we even get to their outer defenses, they'll bleed us dry."

Lieutenant Lysa, renowned for both her military skill and her sharp intellect, bent over the map. She gestured, "Here, here, and here are their campfires." "We need to blind them."

Mengus gave a quiet nod. "We'll launch our attack during the night," he declared, his voice firm. "Their campfires and torches will be the target of our archers, bringing them completely dark. After that, we'll move in during the night."

Sergeant Isaak replied, "But, General, the darkness could just as easily work against us. Our men might become disoriented or, worse, turn against one another."

Mengus answered, "We'll need to be organized." "Small units, every one having a distinct goal. We will move in accordance with signal fires and horns. If we can keep the chaos under control, it will benefit us."

There was no moon that night, and the sky was a broad blanket of blackness broken up by far-off stars. Only the enemy's campfires, tiny points of light in the stifling darkness, lit up the valley below. The smell of earth and pine filled the air, along with a sense of anticipation. The soft ground muffled the soldiers' footsteps as they moved silently through the night.

The archers drew their bows and nocked arrows at Mengus's order to take up positions. "Steady," Lysa murmured, her gaze riveted to the far-off flicker of campfires. "On my mark… loose!"

A barrage of arrows flew through the air, their tips flaming with cloth drenched in pitch. As the arrows struck, the enemy's campfires and torches flared brightly for a brief moment before flickering out and leaving the valley in complete darkness. The enemy camp, now in disarray, let out cries of alarm and confusion.

"Move!" As soon as Mengus gave the order, the allied soldiers started to move down into the valley. Precisely formed small units under the command of seasoned captains moved forward. The darkness was a friend and an enemy in equal measure, making it hard to tell who was who. The only source of light was the sporadic torch flare or the harsh, short-lived glow of a signal fire.

One of the first units to engage the enemy was Captain Adrian's. He yelled, "Stay close!" "Keep in mind your instruction. Have faith in your allies."

The first fight was vicious. The sounds of steel on steel blended with the cries of the injured as swords flashed in the darkness. The enemy was thrown into confusion, blinded and disoriented. Their attempt to organize an orderly defense failed, causing their tightly held formation to collapse.

Lysa's unit moved stealthily in the shadows, approaching from the flank. Cursing, "Take out their guards," she said. "We need to secure the ridge."

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The soldiers advanced silently and quickly, stabbing the gullible sentries in the throats with their daggers. After securing the elevated area, Lysa gave Mengus a flare-up signal. The main force broke through the enemy lines as they advanced with great momentum.

Mengus led a contingent right into the thick of the fighting in the middle of the valley. He yelled, "For victory!" as his sword tore through the ranks of the opposition. Despite the overwhelming chaos, his presence inspired the troops and gave them the will to advance.

Tasked with leading the rear guard, Sergeant Isaak managed to hold the line against a furious counterattack. He roared, "Hold your ground!" "We can't let them regroup."

The valley was a treacherous place, filled with rocks and hidden pitfalls. There were sounds of battle all around, and it was hard to find your way around in the darkness. The danger made the soldiers move warily, their senses sharpened.

A young soldier named Eryk got separated from his unit during the fighting. He was filled with fear, but he recalled what Mengus had said. "Remain concentrated. Have faith in your training." With cautious steps, he strained to hear voices he recognized.

He was suddenly faced with an enemy soldier who had his sword raised. Eryk deflected the blow, causing his arm to jar. He struck back with a quick thrust, his blade striking home.

After the enemy fell, Eryk paused to catch his breath. Even though the darkness was disorienting, he steeled himself and continued, eventually joining his allies.

The battle's tide started to shift as the night went on. The enemy was steadily driven back because it was unable to adjust to the darkness. Mengus and his army advanced inch by inch, propelled by tenacity and the element of surprise.

Captain Adrian's sword was a blur as he battled with unrelenting rage. As he dispatched his opponents, his voice could be heard over the commotion. "Don't give up! They are running away from us!"

With her unit now occupying the ridge, Lieutenant Lysa unleashed a barrage of arrows on the fleeing adversary. "Keep going! They're shattering."

Mengus faced the commander of the enemy in the middle of the valley. Their swords slamming into the darkness as the two engaged in a furious duel. Though the commander of the enemy was a skilled fighter, Mengus fought with the might of a thousand men. He vanquished his opponent with a final, crushing blow that forced the opposing forces to retreat completely.

The enemy was forced out of the valley by the allied soldiers as they maintained their advantage. Although the battle was won, a great price was paid. The valley, which had once been an astonishing location, was now the scene of bloodshed. The fallen's bodies lay strewn across the ground, and the smell of death and blood filled the air.

The extent of the victory became evident as dawn broke. Their camp was abandoned and the enemy routed. Despite being exhausted and beaten, the allied forces triumphed. Mengus gathered his commanders again, a look of weariness mixed with a sense of well-earned victory on their faces.

"We did it," Mengus said quietly, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and sorrow. "We took the valley."

Captain Adrian nodded, his expression grim. "But at what cost?"

Lysa, her gaze distant, spoke softly. "We survived. And we live to fight another day. That is all we can ask for."

The soldiers set about the grim task of tending to the wounded and honoring the dead. Fires were lit to burn the bodies of the fallen, a somber ritual that marked the end of the battle.

Mengus peered out over the valley as the sun rose higher, illuminating the bloodstained earth. Declaring, "This was not just a victory," he spoke with the gravity of the situation in his voice. "It served as evidence of our determination, unity, and resolve. The enemy has seen that we are a formidable foe."

At his words, the soldiers, tired though they were, stood a little taller. They were put to the test in ways they could never have predicted during the battle, but they had prevailed.

As a monument to their strategic genius and unwavering resolve, the night attack in the valley would go down in history as one of their greatest victories. And as they marched forward, they carried with them the lessons learned and the bonds forged in the heat of battle, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.