Author's Note: I use to play a play-by-mail game called Hyborian War. War Gaming in the Age of Conan. During one of the games I got caught short handed (not enough armies) in defending my homeland. In the game we recieve over-views of battle scenes and combat outcomes. I felt that this one battle needed more depth so I wrote the battle experience from the General's view point.
Command Imperial Army to (M)ove_to (P)rovince ( 204 )
Banaric Thespides looked eastward to the newly glowing sky. The evil Eastern Shemite forces had advanced again under the cover of darkness near to the disputed border. Time is running out, he thought to himself. I plead God's mercy, but are we ready to die today?
A shout went up from a far off sentry post that riders aproached. A commotion soon rose behind Banaric and cresendoed with waves of anguish rolling quickly through the too small encampment. Banaric stiffened, awaiting his name.
"General Thespides!"
The general slowly turned to face his men. A lieutenant broke ranks and stumbled towards him. Behind him were the bloody remains of the last patrol. The General shuddered, three troops had been reduced to twenty men.
"General Thespides, I beg your forgiveness. We were set up behind our own lines!! They outnumbered us 10 to 1. Kirkos Altai and his men attempted to break their lines, so that we could pass through, but they were all cut down before our eyes." The lieutenant's eyes fill with tears. " I'm afraid word will not get back to the court."
The General's battle-hardened eyes glazed over, "It is not me you need forgiveness from. Ask it from those behind you." The General turned crisply away from the soldier and strode into his tent.
The sun hung high in the sky and the desert glared back mightily, as if it was a source of light all its own. The stillness that had overcome the Khorajan camp after the lieutenant's report was slowly replaced with the throbbing war drums of the invading army. Banaric had just completed the division of goods amongst his ungrateful children when word came from the advanced posts that the Eastern Shemite Army was on the move.
Banaric quickly gathered his weapons and knelt before the wood cutting of Her Majesty Lady Khosala.
"My Queen, today I defend your country's honor. My men are few, but our hearts are strong. I pray that the Gods have not forsaken us. I will not forsake you. Even if I go to die, I hope your people will not forget the sacrifice we make today and remember us in song."
Banaric strode out to the waiting throng of men and mounted his horse. He quickly surveyed the advancing army. The only thing the scouts have seemed to get right is their army's size, he thought acidly.
The Eastern Shemite army rode like a cloud of locusts across the border. The desert dust and sand swirled around them, cloaking them, but not hiding the sheer numbers of riders and infantry that lay in wait beneath.
Banaric turned to address his troops. Too few, he sighed, too few. "Today we ride against the foulish forces of the Eastern Shemites. They have invaded your land and despoiled it just with their presence. Land that your brother's blood returned to your country after decades of Shemite rule. And we are all that stand in the way of this now freed land from returning to tyranny.
"Today, I ask you to fight not for yourselves, but for your countrymen who will surely perish if this land once again returns to Shemite Rule. Today, I ask you to fight not for yourselves, but for those whose blood has run to return this land to us. Let not their sacrifice be given up so quickly. Today, I ask you to fight and prove to your country that one Khorajan is worth more than 20 Shemites!!"
A rancorous cheer filled the encampment. Swords beat on shields and voices sang high. Banaric swelled with pride as the pre-fight adrenaline surged through him. Blood lust began to fill the eyes of those he could see around him.
"Follow me warriors! Follow me to honor, and victory!!" Banaric finished with his fist upraised and he led the charge out into the open flats of the desert.
Banaric pulled his horse to a stop when he reached the center of Khorajan side of the battle field. His troops swarmed around him, taking up battle positions and fortifying the flanks. Banaric's heart pumped with adrenaline, causing a pounding in his ears. Quickly he scanned his troops and measured the attacker's formations. They are over confident, he mused. Why else would they use the Ebon's March Formation? They will quickly find out we are not the local militia.
The General quickly barked some orders to his messengers and the Khorajan front line shimmered and transformed into a standard Venom Picket Line as the word spread towards the out most flanks. The Shemites made no move to counter.
Their size slows them down, and the dust hides their own eyes as well as ours, Banaric smiled.
Slowly the front formations of the Eastern Shemite army coalesced into a sloppy version of the Cardinal's Advance. Banaric laughed out loud. His mirth was shared by his immediate corps and the Khorajan front line. Someone had misread the Khorajan formation!! And so early in the game. Thank you my inept and totally Shemite friend, your have given even more hope and fighting spirit to my men.
The game played on until the sun began its first slide towards the far-off sea. Counter and reaction, by each force. Banaric felt good, the Shemites were now reacting to him!! Today, death will be honorable to all.
Word soon came back to Banaric that the Shemites were attempting to draw the far flanks into combat. Banaric sent stern messages back to hold off until commanded. The games of the last hour had increased moral, but the time was not yet ripe. They were out-numbered and could not control the place; but for now, at least he could control the time.
Time passed slowly for the Shemite front line. Banaric could see the Shemite men fidgeting, too eager for the apparent slaughter of Khorajan forces. They are ready to be plucked from this world, Banaric thought coldly, and put back in the cold darkness that the hell-spawn of Eastern Shem are birthed from. Banaric signaled his Captains to the ready.
As if on Banaric's command, the Shemite front line broke, and the invaders rushed towards the Khorajan line of death. As soon as the Shemites troops reached the halfway point between the two fronts, scores of Khorajan arrows darkened the sky. The Shemite archers let fly too late with their own return fire and were quickly over whelmed. Banaric smiled again, the advancing forces now had no cover. But what happened next, removed his fear and solidified his courage.
Startled by the breakdown of the formations, and uncovered from the comfort and protection it provided, the second and third lines of the Shemite army were cut down under a hail of lethality brought by the Khorajan archers. Now is the time to strike, thought Banaric. With a cry that was echoed promptly up and down the lines, Banaric flashed his sword in the afternoon light and signaled the charge of his Khorajan forces.
The first hour was indeed grim for the invaders; losses were high. But, so too were their initial numbers. Banaric felt pride as his men valiantly fought off numbers that would make a Hyperborian Undead Army quail. But the numbers soon caught up with the technique.
No matter how crude they are, thought Banaric, they simply outweigh us. Could I have been such a fool to think we could be victorious? I hope there is a place in heaven for foolish generals.
"General!! There is an army marching to our rear!!"
Banaric spun his horse around and gazed with a squint into the setting sun. The sun glinted off moving armor and the setting sky began to turn red with the dust of another advancing army.
The Gods have forsaken us! The Shemite National's come to aid their Eastern Brothers!! Banaric shivered siliently. The Peace Treaty failed, and they come. Alkhaku, my friend, I told you the Shemite Court was no place for diplomancy.
Banaric turned to his messengers and instructed his captains regarding the new threat. The wail of a Khorajan War Horn stopped his commands. The sound cut through the din of the fighting and even caused the center of the desert melee to slacken. Tears began to flow from Banaric's eyes. The sound of home never sounded so sweet. He hoped that to the opposing commander the sound tasted like the poison that rode behind it.
The battle was over in hours. The Eastern Shemites were shattered with the addition of the Second Khorajan Imperial Army and driven back into depths of Akbitana. The late evening was spent crushing the slowest fleeing troops. Banaric allowed the frivolous actions so that the Shemites would feel more fear towards the defenders. Banaric knew that to complete the old empire and return Khoraja to its imperial status, Akbitana must soon fall.
Over the victory camp fire Banaric was told by General Anshan Almivas of the extrodinary vision of the newest Mage in the court; the Wizard Altaku, who could see Banaric's need from the castle's towering spire!
The Gods bode well for us, Banaric thought; Today's test made many a man, but sent too many men to heaven.
