The Legarthan Saga

Chapter 9

Axton took one last quick glance at his two swords, checking to make sure that they're both still in their sheathes. Satisfied that they were in battle condition, Axton looked at some of the troops that were close to him, most of them looking nervous as they hid behind trees. Calming his nerves, Axton gave them a reassuring nod. Everything begins now...as soon as the battle begins...the civil war officially starts.

Almost immediately, Axton could hear the footsteps and sounds from the approaching enemy. Quietly unsheathing his swords, he firmly gripped them and peeked around the tree. A few seconds later, the forward troops were in view, trudging along in the snow, but seemingly unprepared for a sudden ambush.

Taking some deep breaths, Axton waited just a little bit longer before more troops became visible. Taking one last glance, he nodded at the soldiers near him and stepped to the left, revealing himself to the enemy.

Kailyn immediately raised her hand in the air as she saw a brown haired man step out from behind a tree that was directly in front of her, holding two swords that were reflecting the light from the early evening sun. "Hold!" The troops around her stopped, some grabbing for their weapons out of nervousness. The man stepped forward.

"People of Eshal, I stand before you today to implore you to turn back! We are all citizens of Eshal. We've sworn an oath to protect it from threats external and internal. I do not want to kill my fellow countrymen who have taken the same oath as I have. However, should you continue with your advance, and threaten the peace of this land, I will not hesitate to defend this land to the death!"

Kailyn sighed, steeling her resolve, and shook her head. "Everyone, get into formation!" The troops began to form up, forming an organized line of troops, shields out in the front to protect themselves from any possible archer attack. Behind them were the archers, who had bows in hand, ready to fire at any moment. Kailyn walked to the front, sword in hand. "I assume you're Axton, correct?"

Axton nodded. "I am."

"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. That was quite the mini-speech you just said. Yes, we all made that oath that you speak of, and I firmly believe that we are upholding that oath! Acray has threatened our borders multiple times, and yet our government has failed to show adequate force against those outside threats to maintain the safety and security of our citizens. If our own government won't protect our citizens, then it's the military's job to pick up the slack." Kailyn pointed her sword at Axton. "I give you this one chance, Axton Riley. Surrender now, and I promise that not only will your troops be treated well, but I'll help make sure that you are treated honorably, and when the war ends, keep your current rank."

Axton sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I cannot do that." Bringing his swords forward, he got into a fighting position before shouting out, "You know what to do everyone! Forward!"

Immediately, several of Axton's troops revealed themselves from behind the trees, several close to Axton in front of the troops, however, the bulk of his forces were on both sides of Kailyn's forces, putting the archers in immediate danger. Axton's forces ran forward, with Axton leading the charge from the front.

Kailyn's forces wavered, with some abandoning the line to try to quickly reinforce the flanks. However, they were too slow as the Axton's troops were able to make it to the archers before any infantry could protect them. The archers fired several arrows at the charging men, but in their haste, missed. One archer, quickly pulling the bow back on the string to fire at the quickly approaching soldier, was too late to release. A sword pierced through his stomach as drops of blood from the blade dripped onto the snow below, staining it red. He had become the first casualty of the war.

The calm of the forest had been dashed by the now chaotic sounds of battle. Despite being outnumbered by several hundred, the two hundred troops under Axton's command used the chaos caused by the ambush to their advantage, causing massive confusion among Kailyn's ranks. The archers, after experiencing heavy casualties, made a hasty and unorganized retreat from the battle. Axton, who had slashed the throat of the soldier in front of him, pushed the man away from him and surveyed the battle. A loud, commanding voice, penetrated the chaos of the battle. "Squad one, form up on the left! Squads two and three, press forward! Pressure their flanks! We outnumber them! Press our advantage!"

Almost instantaneously, several troops, despite the chaos, moved about. As several troops disengaged from the fight, on the flanks, an organized counterattack began. Forming a triangular pattern, the troops surged forward, overwhelming the few troops that were assigned to the flanks.

Once the first squad had formed up and formed a shield line, they began to march forward, creating an unstoppable force, with the flanks being completely unable to give any support.

Realizing that the battle was quickly turning against them, Axton whistled loudly, the signal for them to make their retreat towards the outpost. Immediately, the troops began running into the woods, quickly disappearing almost as quickly as they had appeared. Kailyn took a deep breath and looked around her. Littered around the area were dozens of bodies, with a few men, still clinging to life, groaning from the pain of their injuries. "Tend to the wounded quickly, but we have to press our advantage. As soon as the wounded are tended to, we march towards their outpost. Keep an eye out though for any signs of enemy movement. Considering the number of troops used for their ambush, I wouldn't be surprised if they had more surprises in store for us. This small skirmish is only the beginning."

The troops acknowledged her commands and started preparing for their continued march. Kailyn took a look in the direction where Axton had been standing. "Just what exactly are you planning?"