My Gentle Alpha

Chapter 15: The First Engagement

Alea has been counting down the days until her day off, just mindlessly getting through the day to day happenings of the barracks. That was until she heard a sound that let her feel the impending crisis.

Long, loud drumming spread throughout Kaesan. Raya who happened to be looking at the market felt her heart seize up at the sound. She looked around to see the panic on the faces around her. Perhaps they had been through this situation enough that they weren't screaming and running, but she could clearly see that their actions became much quicker. She followed the trend and hurried back to her house, easily noticing the increase in soldiers on the streets as she went.

The soldiers were not much different. They rushed back to their tents at a full sprint. After putting on their armour and grabbing their weapons, the soldiers were moving uniformly to their posts. Alea as a member of the medium infantry followed her regiment to the Northern gates. She watched as the archers were hurrying up the ladders, and taking up their positions on the walls. Feeling the mood of the surroundings, she was filled with both a sense of fear and anticipation. This is her first ancient battle, she never knew what the experience was like. She didn't much want to know, but now that she's here, she still has this idiotic sense of anticipation for the unknown.

Alea was more worried than anything though. She looked down at herself. Apart from the sword hanging on her waist, and the spear and shield in her hands. What stood out most was the meager armour that she had been given. It consisted only of a set of chain mail that covered the heavy cotton clothing, and a breast plate full of dents and scratches that shrouded her heart. It was not an exaggeration to say she was flabbergasted when receiving the armour. She wondered what this could even protect? However when the infantry general led their regiment outside the wall she put her attention on the slowly advancing force in the distance.

North of the Treiss Empire, is a vast grassland full of nomadic tribes. These tribes up until about a hundred years ago showed no intention of allying together. Not until a certain alpha was born to the leader of one of the strongest tribes. When this alpha grew up, he quickly became dissatisfied with just being "one" of the strongest tribes. He felt that he could do something greater. So after his father passed away he took control of the tribe. In the next two decades he would lead his tribe to assimilate, expel or simply eradicate every tribe that once belonged to that grassland. He would then spend the last few decades completely stabilising the grassland, proclaiming himself as king in the process.

He only fathered one alpha in his lifetime who unfortunately for his legacy, only managed to maintain the most basic control over the grassland. However his grandson, was much like him. This grandson was named Akridel. He was also dissatisfied with the status quo. Akridel saw that surrounding the grassland were many countries. He wondered why he should settle for the grassland, when he can just conquer these countries and become the emperor of all these countries together. This has led to him sending armies in every direction. He has won many victories against weaker countries, and suffered many defeats against the stronger ones.

The Treiss Empire belongs to one of the stronger countries. Akridel has become dissatisfied with the constant losses against these countries, so he decided to focus his attacks on a single country instead of spreading them so thinly when attacking many. This has unfortunately led to the current situation of Treiss. They have been chosen as the country that will incur the focused attack of Akridel's armies.

The Treiss Empire relies on its superiority in agriculture to keep its massive population well fed. This allows them to continually conscript forces to fight against the barbarians of the grassland time and time again. However after Akridel began to prioritise attacking Treiss, the situation became more unmanageable. Large numbers of casualties over the recent years have started to cause problems for the Empire. They have started to see a shortage in alphas. Civilians may not be able to see the problem, but those officials in charge of the country are becoming aware of the gradually increasing difference. This has led to heavy discussions on how to solve the problem.

Knowing that the problem was caused by the constant warfare with the barbarians, a solution was finalised. Years ago, they began sending scouts into the grassland, mapping out the locations of the various tribes, how large their military force was, and any weaknesses that they could exploit. Then a country wide conscription would take place. They would then be sent to the north and undergo heavy training. The best soldiers they found among the Northern army would be sent to a specialised heavy cavalry division that they have been training and then sent to the grassland. The cavalry would work as the forward army, while the huge Northern army would slowly advance behind them cleaning up the weakened remnants of those tribes, intending to annihilate the threat once and for all.

Alea just happened to crossover at the point of time where the conscription took place. Now standing in front of the gates of Kaesan, she looked at the barbarian cavalry that was approaching. Alea's regiment got into formation. Lining up shoulder to shoulder lifting their shields and lowering their spears as they had been trained. She could see that many were trembling as the enemy approached. The new soldiers that came with her were darting their eyes around, and she heard cursing towards them, saying if they dared to try to run, then they'd make sure their lives were worse then any death they'd see in battle.

The frontal cavalry soldiers pulled out their scimitars, charging directly towards the infantry. The rear units raising their bows towards the walls. The infantry in front of the wall lowered their stance trying to keep as steady as possible and then....

Chaos!

Arrows were fired from the tops of the wall onto the cavalry. The barbarians were not to be outdone. Volleys from both sides ripping through the air hitting each other indifferently. The cavalry smashed straight into the ranks of the infantry causing both horse and man to become entangled in this horribly unsettling picture.

Alea could only keep thrusting her spear at the cavalry that had come to a standstill after pushing the front lines in. She held the shield to block those blows from their scimitars. Arrows passing by her, the screams of the people around her, both friend and foe. She only felt afraid. She has never felt more helpless than she does right now. The brutality that she sees in front of her, is incomparable to anything she has ever seen.

She only hopes that this battle can be over quickly. She doesn't want to die like this.