Age of Heroes

ARIAL CAMP

Harald had occupied himself on the opposite hill, when they move their camp last night without Arial knowledge.

They moved stealthily and swiftly during the night after their great feast. 

Seeing that the camp is in feast when Arial heard the report he let down his guard and did not send any other scouts to check the situations after that.

It was a big mistake. One that he is eager to redeem by winning.

Arial look at his soldiers and then look at the mass of people in front of him. A battle on the low ground would have been favourable to cavalry; and Harald know this.

So Harald occupied and fenced in a hill, one of the hill of Arleans, and there Harald awaited Arial attack. 

Arial knew that his horseman had thus to make their way up the hill under the shower of the Vanguan javelins, and to meet the axes as soon as they reached the barricade. 

Then Arial speak.

'SOLDIERS' he yelled. And his soldier all straightened their posture ready to listen the Duke speech before going to battle.

Words that will ignite their passion. 

And what motivation is as tempting as eternal glory? That is what Arial had promised and it is what he intends to delivers.

'YOU ALL KNOW WHY WE ARE HERE!' Arial said, his voice is clear and loud.

The soldiers nodded in solemn manner, their eyes looking at the majestic presence of the Duke riding on top of his flame coloured horse, circling the area, looking at the faces of the soldiers, while their ears are listening to the Duke words, one by one. 

They all listen in silence, waiting to hear what the Duke would say.

'No speeches, no words that I can say to express my gratitude and none left unspoken. I thank God, and thank you from the bottom of my hearts for believing in me. I will not speak long today. I only want to say a few things before we march into battle.'

'TODAY!' He yelled and his voice reverberated around the open space.

'Today, we will either, be glorious and carve our name in history, or fail and forgotten! If we win, history…and the world will remember us, and our deeds here. If we fail, we will be forgotten if not blamed as loser always is.'

The soldiers echoed their approvals, by offering agreement on the matter

'TRUE!' some of them yelled. Arial smiled and continue his speech.

'I have no other charge to charge you with, but this one last reminder before we undertake this momentous task before us. REMEMBER THIS! ASK YOURSELF, MY FELLOW SOLDIERS! MY FELLOW LORDS! KNIGHTS! ARCHERS! Will our actions today echo across the centuries? Will strangers hear our names long after we gone? Wonder who we were? How fiercely we fought? How brave WE fought? Will we be remembered? I ask of you my soldiers to bring honor to your name and your might. Let our names be distinguished! Let our names echoes across the centuries, let them wonder who we are, let them marvel of our fierceness, let them admire our bravery, let them sing songs and told tales of our exploits! Let our descendant be proud of their ancestors, telling our story in the cold winter season, huddled up near the fireplace, rejoicing in our stories and pride in their hearts for our deeds. LET US TODAY ACHIEVE A TASK IN WHICH OUR NAME WILL FOREVER LIVE IN HISTORY!'

'HARRR'

'YARRR' 

'LET THEM REMEMBER!' the soldiers screamed with their lungs, tapping their shields with their swords, sound of clanging shields and cheer erupted from Arial army and Arial turned his horse to face his enemy, knowing that his army is full with fighting spirits and their morale surged up.

And then with one loud shout he yelled.

'CHARGE! AND BRING FORTH OUR MIGHT!'

And Arial sped off to the front while his army follows behind, riding to battles, like the descent of Shield Lady from the Feasting Halls of the Horned Gods, riding in their flame steed.

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HARALD CAMP

The battle, is more than a trial of skill and courage between two captains and two armies. 

It is a trial between two modes of warfare. The Vanguan clave to the old Anglais Raxons tactics. 

They fought on foot in the close array of the shield-wall. Those who rode to the field dismounted when the fight began. 

But Harald is waiting and he is waiting that his judgement would lead to a draw, a conclusion that he desperately wanted. 

He will not charge. 

Not until Arial is close enough to him, not until he has used every measures to slow down Arial army from coming to the fenced and well protected hill, while waiting from the southern lords to decide whether to join Harald in his battle or sit this one out, resting or maybe hoping for a secession

Cori certainly isn't sending any help. 

Not when Great Renasia has attacked their eastern port as Great Renasia wanted the sole right of trading on what they called Great Sun Waters, declaring that they wanted to take the entrepot and trading post near the western port of Cori and Cori could not send help, not when at the same time they are dealing with the powerful Empress of an empire.

So for now they are waiting…and enduring. 

From the hill Harald missile corps move out and began taking positions and then the battle will shortly begin between these two great armies.

But like Arial himself Harald too has his own words to speak out to his soldiers for this act of aggression by a Duke of a foreign nation.

By a claim that Harald and the rest of Vangua lords and nobility find absurd.

Of course, some nobility find Arial claim to be reasonable but even so, they have their own prejudice. 

Like the Caelum hated the Anglais, the Anglais hated the Caelum. 

Caelum may suffer persecution before the time of Levitia, but Anglais also suffer discrimination during the Vern Empire Era. 

It was only until Emperor George the Wise that Anglais discrimination lessen and they created a power base in many of the kingdoms, in Vanguan and Dostov primarily migrating there during the secession.

Harald is standing in a podium hastily made by his soldiers last night after they finished their feast.

And then he yelled.

'HEAR MY WORDS!' The soldier all watch their King standing on the top of the podium with a bearing of a noble king, a countenance of openness and kindness.

'MY PEOPLE. GREAT AND BRAVE PEOPLE OF VANGUA!' He thundered aloud.

'The Duke of Arrandy and his forces have attacked our great country, killing and pillaging, razing and burning. In their wakes, villages destroyed, cities turned to ash. The Duke claim the throne is his! 

'FALSE CLAIMS!' The lords yelled out.

The soldiers nodded in agreement and hurl insults to the Duke. If the Duke could hear the insults surely the Duke would have flipped out in anger and kill all of them. 

Harald is satisfied and continued his speech.

'I say where the proof in that claim of his is? On what authority did he have to make such claims? The throne belongs to the people of Vangua is it not?'

'YES!' The soldiers applaud, thankful that they had such a generous King. Harald drive his point more convincingly when he mentioned the council of lords.

'I have been approved by a great assembly of lords who entrusted to me the heavy responsibilities of governing the nation, and protecting its people. But today that trust is in danger of being broken. Today we are met with a great threat that is threatening our freedom and possibly the Kingdom itself. Entire responsibility for this predatory attack falls onto the Duke. This war is forced upon us by the duke selfish claims, his greediness and vices which threatened hundreds of thousands of people, exposing this country to great calamity. He meant to destroy us! To conquer us! These Caelum lords! They, who have once enslaved Anglais, Raxons, Loth, Visiroth and countless of other races. Have we once benefited from their rule? Have we not suffered during the Empire rule? Have we forgotten the toils, sweat and blood of our predecessors who have given their utmost devotion to liberate our country from the Caelum rule?' 

'WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN' some noble lords yelled.

'YEAH. WE WILL NEVER FORGET!' Soldiers yelled.

'My people. My brave people! Do not despair. Do not be discouraged by their numbers. This is not the first time that our people had to deal with an attack of an arrogant foe. At the time of the Empire, Alexander the Divider try to conquer us back with his mighty army. What does our people reply to this arrogant foe?'

'WAR!' The soldiers yelled. Harald smiles.

'Yes. Our reply was war for our motherland, and he suffered defeat and met his doom. It will be the same for the Duke, who in his arrogance has proclaimed a crusade against our country. Our army and our whole people will again wage victorious war for the country, for honour, for liberty. I call upon you, people of Vangua. Rally around me, your King. OURS IS A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE. THE ENEMY SHALL BE DEFEATED. VICTORY WILL BE OURS!'

'HAAAAR' the soldiers erupted to cheers and deafening sound fill the hill.

And moving down the podium, the battle begins.

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