Hanne
patreon
Chapter 56 Nicopolan Pursuit
🕑 Added 2023-07-02 08:30:00 +0000 UTCCoalition Side
The morning sun blazed upon the battlefield. North of the Korelia plains, two cavalry units made a beeline into the forest. The Coalition was chasing after the Korelians, ready to punish them for their daring surprise attack. Every move by the Korelian cavalry was quickly mirrored by the Coalition.
With their lords present, both sides gave their all in this chase. Even as they entered the outskirts of the forest, dense vegetation did little to dissuade them from slowing down. The sunny scenery around them rapidly changed into brown and dark green foliage as both sides rode single file deeper into the woods.
The Korelians slowed down as the terrain became harder to traverse. Their horses were tired, and some were injured. At that moment, the foremost riders from the Coalition finally caught the Korelians’ rear guard.
They weren’t the famed Black Knights, but the Nicopolan mercenaries. With their lighter cavalry, they began to attack.
The Korelian horseman tried to fight, but it was simply too hard. One finally tumbled from his horse and was subsequently taken hostage. Another, already injured, was grabbed from behind and captured without much resistance.
At this point, the Korelian cavalry seemed destined to be captured. However, the mercenary’s hunger for ransom was a double-edged sword. Each enemy they captured slowed down the entire pursuit.
And they did it with such impunity because their commanding officer and the Black Knights lagged due to their heavier armor. Their success, ironically, was aiding the Korelians. After five were captured, the Korelians managed to gain a considerable distance from their pursuers.
In the narrowness of the forest path, the pursuit began to bog down until Daniella showed up. She took control and ordered her most loyal group to continue the pursuit. Despite being one herself, she was often frustrated by the mercenaries under her. Their lack of discipline and their penchant for looting at any chance was hard to control.
With Daniella in the lead, the Nicopolans nimbly navigated the treacherous forest terrain. They almost caught the Korelians’ rear guard when suddenly the Korelians led them into a large glade in the middle of the forest.
Daniella thought little of it, but the Korelians split in two directions. Tens of her riders blindly gave chase, but Daniella finally sensed a trap. “Halt, halt!” she shouted, while her eyes darted into the glade and the two narrow paths.
Despite her order, several riders stubbornly chased after their comrades. Many more would have followed if Sir Morton hadn’t arrived and blocked the path. He too had sensed that something was off.
Daniella rode up to Sir Morton. “I don’t trust narrow paths, not on horses. We should send men on foot.”
The knight captain mulled over her advice. He thought that they had ventured too far from the battlefield.
Following Daniella, the rest of the ranking officers gathered around Sir Morton, trying to decide whether to make a pursuit or not. Meanwhile, behind them, the sudden halt of their advance caused a bottleneck.
Though the glade was quite large, space was still limited. There was barely enough room for thirty horses, and now many more were flooding in.
Friction quickly ensued as the rest of the cavalry pushed forward. Many horsemen jostled against each other, unable to turn or secure a spot to rest. The mercenaries, feeling deprived of ransom and loot - their main sources of income, started to become agitated.
“Why aren’t we giving chase? Are the men from Three Hills afraid of the woods?” they grumbled.
“You dare to mock us, sellsword?” The Three Hills knights shouted back angrily. And just like that, curses filled the air. Several needed to be restrained before drawing blood.
Despite being allies for several years, there was little love between the Three Hills knights and the Korimor’s Nicopolan mercenaries.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Lord Jorge addressed the situation as he arrived, flanked by his retinue. The Lord had unlatched his visor, fully revealing his handsome face.
Nobody uttered a word. They knew a Viscount could throw them in a dungeon and forget them for good.
“Morton, why are we stopping--”
Fssshh!!
Jorge was abruptly interrupted as bolts rained down on them with deadly accuracy.
“Crossbowmen!” several cried in panic.
“Ambush,” others shouted in warning.
Horses collided as their riders tried to hide or evade the attack. Crossbow bolts landed indiscriminately. Often the shaft burst on impact as they struck plate armor. Each near-miss drove the riders into a greater panic.
With no place to run, the riders frantically dismounted and scrambled for cover. Many who tried to ride back were trapped in a jam. The return path was still filled with the rest of their cavalry.
Unable to advance or withdraw, they were mercilessly targeted. Each salvo wounded more horses and incited a deadly rampage. More and more wounded warhorses galloped wildly, without care for their riders.
These once proud mounts became a menace as they stampeded through everything in their path. Under their mighty hooves, unlucky men were trampled into a bloody pulp.
One large steed, a bolt embedded in its neck, trampled a knight and slipped on the fallen man’s cuirass. The warhorse fell onto two other men, crushing them to death.
Despite the carnage, the crossbow attack didn’t cease. The dry leaves on the forest floor were stained red. The smell of blood and other fouler stenches permeated the air.
All those who stubbornly clung to their horses eventually met their death. The last one who persisted was now being dragged deeper into the forest by his maddened horse. What remained of him was the dull, muffled sound of his plate armor being thrashed around.
Amid this madness, Morton stood unfazed, Daniella at his side.
Both had dismounted and with their backs to some of their frightened men. Morton had been reciting a verse that corresponded to the barrier of wind protecting Lord Jorge. Due to their distance, the barrier didn’t extend to Morton himself.
This is where Daniella’s support became invaluable. She had grabbed a kite shield lying around and protected Morton as best as she could. Another Black Knight did the same, but Morton was a big man, and several bolts found its mark.
Fortunately, Lord Jorge didn’t skimp on equipping Morton with high-tier plate armor. The Centuria Steel deflected the bolts, leaving only superficial scratches.
The attack finally ebbed, as most had successfully hidden. There was a pause as everyone looked around, trying to make sense of the situation.
Morton finally stopped his verses and withdraw his barrier over his Lord. He then looked at the Coalition men hiding haphazardly so far behind. “Where’re your balls, cowards?” he roared. “Regroup, you’re wearing plate armor. Act like it.”
A few bolts stormed toward Morton’s location, but his scathing rebuke had reached its intended recipients. The Black Knights began to regroup on foot and the other knights clustered behind them.
Morton grabbed Daniella by the arm and guided her to a safer spot. “We need to make a stand. You lead the way out. I’ll hold the rear.”
“We can fight them back on foot,” protested Daniella.
“Not against an ambush like this.”
Daniella sighed, her face full of sweat, and her long, brown hair disheveled. “You want me to lead our way out?”
“Wait for my signal,” said Morton and left for his Lord’s hideout. Daniella whistled to call her lieutenant and signaled them to approach.
The attack became fiercer again as the Korelian crossbowmen detected movement while the Coalition was busy reorganizing. Despite the renewed attacks, the knights were persistent. They weren’t fearless; they were simply experienced and trusted their gear well.
The trained knights knew that potshots from such a distance rarely penetrated steel plate. While some spots were vulnerable, they were small and well hidden. After Morton’s arrival, with some effort, Lord Jorge was escorted to a large pile of fallen trees.
Things were almost in order when two mercenary groups suddenly sortied out, determined to flank the attacker’s position.
Daniella and her lieutenant dashed to Morton and Lord Jorge’s side. “Those fools wanted to die, but they’ll buy us some time. I suggest we make our move.”
Morton looked at his Lord, who was still surprised by the turn of events. “My Lord, you need to return to the open field. The best of my Black Knight and Lady Daniella’s finest shall escort you,” he laid out his plan to his Lord.
Jorge said nothing, but his face was sour from this failure.
Morton continued, “I’ll retain twenty with me and act as your rear guard.”
“Do as you wish,” Jorge said harshly.
Morton was unbothered. With his Lord’s permission, he picked his lieutenant to spearhead the escort duty.
Daniella then stood up, raising her shield above her head. “Korimors, Nicopolans!” she shouted. “Listen to me, follow my lead and fight your way back, or face death, there is no other way!” her voice echoed throughout the woods.
Daniella’s speech galvanized even the weak-willed mercenaries to make their move.
Under Morton’s gaze, the column led by his lieutenant and Daniella began to navigate their way out.
⠀
***
⠀
Contrary to their expectations, the column faced heavy opposition on its way out. As fate would have it, the enemy had repositioned themselves. Morton, at the rear, was dealing with light attacks, while the newly formed vanguard was braving a hailstorm of bolts.
Daniella led the Coalition men as they trudged through the dense underbrush, no one daring to venture onto the exposed path.
Even surrounded by bushes, they offered almost no protection from steel bolt heads. Just moments ago, a knight had been struck in the backplate. The bolt hadn’t penetrated but was deflected into the man behind him. With their visors raised due to exhaustion and heat, the unfortunate man’s upper lip and everything behind it was torn.
A similar fate loomed over everyone as they made their slow escape through the forest.
After a series of relentless attacks, the mercenaries were blinded by anger. Daniella knew better than to hold them back, so she directed their anger towards the silhouettes of crossbowmen that had appeared. Just like that, the Nicopolans launched another assault.
The initial stages of the counterattack seemed promising, with the mercenaries’ rallying cries echoing through the forest. Some of the Three Hills knights and their squires even joined in.
However, within a few minutes, the counterattack bogged down. Soon, they were brutally crushed, leaving only cries of agony as the mercenaries writhed with bolts embedded deeply in their limbs and bodies.
For the Korelians, their windlass and cranequin proved their worth in gold. In combination with spears and polearms, they were a lethal force.
The devastating defeat finally drained the mercenaries of their appetite for battle, causing them to shy away from danger. The dwindling number of Three Hills knights followed suit. In a desperate move, the remaining nobles used their squires, clad only in ringmail, as body shields.
Many of these squires fell, struck by direct hits or stray shots, their tight groups providing an ideal target for the crossbowmen.
It was only through sheer tenacity that the Black Knights, together with Daniella’s elite, were finally able to lead the survivors through the thickest of the attacks. Eventually, they reached larger openings in the woods.
They had passed this spot before while chasing the Korelian cavalry. It was previously empty, but now the place had been barricaded. Dozens of wooden frames bristling with spikes were aimed toward the approaching Coalition forces.
The Korelian crossbowmen who had haunted them now revealed themselves. Scores poured from the forest, reinforcing the footmen from behind. They were completely protected by the barricade. Blue and Bronze Chevron banners marked their allegiance.
The blockade wasn’t just on the road. Men with polearms and swords were also spotted waiting in the woods.
Now, it was obvious to everyone there that the Korelians were well prepared. This wasn’t a half-hearted trap.
Fear was on everyone’s mind. Without knowing the opponent’s numbers, dismounted, and exhausted, the once-mighty Coalition knights hesitated. Their situation was dire. Many simply hid away, waiting for someone to take action.
Even the Black Knight’s lieutenant was having second thoughts. Only Daniella was smiling. She had just conceded defeat to the Lord of Korelia’s strategy.
Defeating this many knights and cavalry... Turning the famed Black Knights into target practice, how ridiculous...
With their superiors either dead or lost, the mercenaries wanted none of this and split up to find another escape route. Daniella was left behind with just her trusted retinues, but she couldn’t care less.
Fewer souls to save...
The battle in the forest came to a standstill. Defeated as they were, if forced to a showdown the Black Knights and Three Hills nobles still had their numbers and armor. In a fight to the death, every man would readily show their mettle.
Even Lord Jorge understood this; he had been outwitted but wasn’t scared. With a sword in his hand, the Big Fool of One Hill calmly and gracefully embraced the slow coming of his fate.
⠀
***
⠀
PS: Sorry for the late update, there's a ton of action in this scene so I need to do several extra steps to keep the quality up. I hope I don't let you down, and I hope you like the chapter as much as I do.
The picture is of Lady Daniella, an ex Nicopolan noble's daughter turned mercenary.
As always, thank you for your patience and great support! ❤️
Comments
Hanne
yes, the man's not evil. let's wish him luck
Robby Cahyadi
Man i have respect for jorge, hope he can be lans retainer later
Megabadman
After reading this all i can say is Thank you for your service.
