Glacier & Lights

Chapter 6

It was nice, beautiful morning, like any other in this time in the year. The sun started to shine on the Imperius army camp located in the former border of Imperius and Luxidoor. It's been here since when one farmer spotted the Luxidoor army few days ago. The army camp was defending a gateway through the massive forests that were making a natural border for the Imperius and Luxidoor territories. It was a narrow line of green plains surrounded by trees from both sides. Besides quondam trade route, it was also the best place to observe how the forest is smoothly changing from tall but thin cypress trees of Imperius to Luxidoor strangely cubical pine trees.

It was a beautiful morning like any other, except for one thing. The air was different. Colder and quieter. However, the Imperius army camp was silent and sleeping. On the other side, Luxidoor army camp on the opposite edge of the plains started to move. Tents were torn down to make space for the army. Luxidoor knights and riders were lining up, getting ready for attack. Behind them were gathering swordsmen and all other soldiers who were minority compared to knights.

When the Luxidoor mounted forces set off, the morning silence and peace was finally interrupted by Imperius war horn. The Imperius camp got suddenly up and soldiers quickly started to prepare for fight. Most of Imperius soldiers were shieldmen and archers, then there were some swordsmen and two catapults. Imperius army was designed to defend the corridor, not to attack, and so was the camp. It was surrounded by stakes, specially carved so the shieldmen's shields were perfectly fitting between the stakes to make them strong enough to withstand collision with phantrixes at full speed. That was exactly what the Imperius shieldmen did, made almost impenetrable wall for the enemy riders and the rest of the shieldmen made second line, if the first one was breached. The archers had lined up on an elevated ground right behind the second line of shieldmen, meanwhile the swordmen have left the camp and, hidden in  edge of the nearby forest on the left from the camp, were getting position to ambush the enemy from behind. The army was so automated that Imperius general's only worry was, if to ask for reinforcements, but he believed in his men and chose to send only a standart report.

When Luxidoor knights and riders got in the range, Imperius archers and catapults started shooting, but the amount of enemies shot down was insignificant, there were still so many of them. And then they crushed into the shield wall of Imperius. It was a massacre, the wall remained impenetrated, but a lot of Luxidoor phantrixes got stunned and their riders fell on the ground, where they got smashed by their comrades-in-arms. The Luxidoor riders attempted to regroup and attack the wall again, while Imperius swordsmen got on the same position, as were Luxidoor swordsmen, and they stopped here.

On third attemp the riders finally managed to break the wall, but they got stopped by the second line of shieldmen of Imperius. The shieldmen broke the rest the wall and started to push the riders back. Meanwhile the Luxidoor swordsmen merged with the riders, making the opportunity for Imperius swordsmen to leave their position in the woods and strike them from behind, but the Imperius shieldmen were still waiting. And then, Imperius war horn blew again and this time, it was signal for the swordsmen to attack. And so did they. In no time, Imperius was crushing Luxidoor from both sides with no mercy. The battle seemed to finish in a few minutes, Imperius being the victorious. Archers were shooting luxidorians down while shieldmen and swordmen were pushing them against each other.

But then, arrows started to Pierce the air from direction opposite Imperius army camp and another knights appeared on the horizon. Another Hoodrick archers seemed to be hiding in the forest on right from the Imperius camp. Along with the amount of arrows, there must have been about thousand of them. They finished the battle in a few moments, no matter if the soldiers were under blue or purple color, they killed them all. It was all over before the knights could get on  battlefield.

The Hoodrick army searched Imperius army camp and then set off forward on the plains, into the land of Imperius.