Chapter 1: Blood in the mud
Thunder roared and rain poured as soldiers lined up, packed tight together, shoulder to shoulder, shields aligned at front and overhead as two armies seek to clash before A hill strewn land.
Hard thumping of the ground was heard, as off at the distance, men wearing multitudes of colored shirts decked in gambeson with flags of differing heraldry embossed with the differing merchant house's emblems waving overhead, as the wind cascaded. More and more of them appeared over the hills overlooking the planes, as they marched forward until they finally stopped. Planting their overbearing shield strap to their backs and into the ground standing upright. They retrieved their crossbows and start to emplace their bolt into the contraption and align it overhead.
The sky is filled with quarrels as it starts to pour into the ground , it seeks to water the fields with both the blood of men and the rain from the sky. The other army composed mainly men of Shield and Spear with not much in the way of armor, holds onto their shields for dear life as they turtle up, packing their shields together tight trying to survive the onslaught of bolts. Men without haste and proper aptitude fall one by one as they fail to hold up properly and are peppered with bolts.
It is here that a young man in his twenties by the name of Julien clings onto his shield, while clutching his spear at his side. He looks to his flanks as other poor unlucky fools like him fall. He thinks back to the time when he was a naïve farmer boy, dreaming of glory and gold, to save the damsel in distress like in oh so many knightly stories. Then war was announced between their kingdoms of Equitane and the Merchant Republic of Velucia.
The kingdom started to press peasants for service in the army, Oh the poor fool that he was, he did not see the look of the other older farmers and neighbors in his village who have served their time before, and he, being the naïve young boy immediately entered the kings army, and was sent to camp to be trained for 6 months and sent to the field to fight the professional army of Velucia. It is here now that he faces the predicament of facing death or walking out of this battlefield and into the living.
"Julien! We are going to die! We're sitting ducks out here. Easy shots for the enemies, what is our commander doing!?" " Shouted your comrade Rene as he too clings to his shield in desperation.
This brings Julien back to the present as he surveys his surroundings once more. More bodies littered the ground now as you are being picked off one by one by the Velucian crossbowmen.
"I don't know what he's doing but I sure as hell am not dying here!" Roared Olivier, your captain
Then off to the distance as the peltering of rain, bolts and wind grows stronger, you hear a large cacophony of trumpet, and the thundering of lightly armored men as from Julien's vantage points he sees a commotion in the distance, battle is being drawn in the enemies position. Soon the bolts stop showering you and you hear another sound, the roar of the horn is heard from your backs and flags are waved.
"That's a Signal! We advance unto the enemy with haste! Come Equitanians! Glory and honor!" Shouted your captain as he runs to the enemy positioned at the bottom of the hills and blocking the path upwards to their crossbowmen.
Soon enough more and more men are charging upon the Velucian forces as well they are yet to be touched and face combat during this whole battle. Julien too runs with a steady pace as he doesn't want to tire himself out before the clash of bodies.
It takes about 5 minutes but soon enough the gap between the two armies are closed down and a large clash is to be had. Bodies storm to the front as Spear and shield face against the Velucian forces. It is a storm of attrition, men flail about with their spear and block strikes with their shields.
Here the difference between The Kingdom of Equitane and Velucia's forces are shown as while they have the same arms and armor, The kingdoms' men are drafted farmers, peasants, and miners, while the Velucian men are well payed professionals drilled for war and conflict.
Julien gasped as he faces a Velucian soldier before him trying to find opportunities to go on the offensive. They have been dueling now for 3 minutes ,and though it hasn't been that long, They were still fighting after running, and not to mention the adrenaline and nervousness were wearing on his nerves. Furthering the toll on his body. He now sported some slices and small wounds on his arms and shoulders showing the difference in experience between him and his opponent. To his sides were his comrades who were in a ragged state as well and showing signs of wear and tear with gashes and wounds visible on their arms, almost the same as him.
The enemy soldiers to his front are still undaunted, and weren't showing a bit of exhaustion, they were focused, with the poking and prodding of their spears.
The enemy sensing an opening, thrusts at Julien's right shoulder. Julien trying to react tries to deflect it with his shield but he is too slow, and it slices him. Julien cursed in his mind, that being a peasant infantry they were never afforded armor, not even a gambeson. Only the captain had proper gambeson protection signifying his rank within them.
"FUUUU!!!—" Julien Roared as he was cut off again by another thrust to the abdomen this time he deflected with his rounded shield.
"Damn these Velucian mongrels! I'm getting chewed up here!" You hear from your battle brother at your side
"We can't do shit against them, their way too tightly packed and too good to just charge in, that's a one way road to hell!" responds another.
"Well, they best start dying! Because I'm getting fucking tired"
"Yeah?! No shii--!!!"
You hear a gurgle as the person near you was saying got cut off, as his throat gets stabbed by the opposing sides spear. He clutches his throat as he lies dying to the ground. Blood mixing with the mud. Soon enough another guy tries to take his place, though not before the enemy starts advancing quickly and being aggressive with their thrusts.
The enemy line closes in quickly and starts thrusting at the men where a gap was opened up. You can soon hear men screaming in pain as they are soon speared and fall by the wayside, and are impaled by the enemy forces.
"Close the ranks quickly!" screamed the captain
Julien walks quickly trying to tighten the formation to his side before he is forced to stop and defend himself from an incoming spear strike.
"Damn it! These dogs are stopping us and trying to widen the gap" Julien screams
"If we don't close up that gap soon it'll widen and the formation will collapse! Plug that hole quickly!!! Run if you must!" roared your captain as he deflects a spear point coming to his face with his shield
Julien's company tries to plug the opening while the opposing side forces it to widen. Here both sides desperately tries to stifle each other's attempts but soon enough it is the Velucian forces who wins this contest. Thus the company is split into two and are starting to be surrounded by the Velucian forces.
"This is the end. This place is where I die" Julien thinks to himself grimly as they were slowly being encircled by The Velucians. Yet all hope was not lost. Soon a trumpet was heard and the galloping and neighing of horses are heard as they thunder the ground with their hooves.
"Glory and honour!! Velucia!!! For the kingdom!!"
A chorus of shouts and calls are heard as bodies of man and beast hit each other and collide. Men are flung, as the armored bodies of Knights and horses crash into the unguarded backside and flanks of the spearmen line. Bodies are flung up high in the air and some are trampled beneath their hooves.
"what the hell are you fools waiting for? Charge and Engage them!" The Captain roared as he runs forward and enters the chaotic melee, soon enough Julien and his comrades run to follow and enter the general melee.
Men screaming, roaring, wailing and pleading are heard in a bombastic chant of an unforgiving storm of steel and blood, as the ground stains red from all the violence and bloodshed.
Soon enough the chaos dies down and men from both sides lay on the wayside dying from injury, yet Julien and the Kingdom of Equitane lies victorious and reigns supreme. Screams of victory are heard as an almost annihilation is turned around into a general victory and a rout is forced upon the Velucians.
Julien and his comrades sat on the ground, not minding the dead bodies nor the churned mud, they were breathing hard and are almost collapsing from the exhaustion, before a knight comes striding in atop his horse. His coat, shield, weapons and his beast of burden were covered in blood. A testament to the violence that were invoked moments just before.
"Soldier! Where is your captain?"
"He is right over there my lord. I could take you to him my lord if you want" Julian responds pointing to his captain with no vigor and clearly hoping against what he just said after all that exhausting battle they have just been through.
"Unnecessary, instead see to it that the dead bodies are piled up and the prisoners be taken in after you've all recovered" He grunts and soon enough leaves to go talk to the captain of the Company.
Julien simply nods and could hardly care what the order was after that grueling battle, so did the others in the group as they all continue to sit on the ground. The rain stops readily and sunshine beams down upon the world as it shows the horror and carnage of the war which has only just begun.
