Chapter 109: The First Duel of Dragons 4
The second day started as the first, we went to the Stone Tables where Maximillian and Zadkiel awaited, but this time none of us said anything, merely anticipating this day’s result, which was quickly laid bare, as Maximillian swiftly flipped the coin to reveal the same result as yesterday; heads.
I click my tongue in annoyance, but before I could take my leave Maximillian said in a knowing tone, that grated on my ears harder than if he was openly mocking me "Why do you seem so annoyed lord of the Eclipse Empire? Are you so eager to try your hand on the offense? Or was yesterday’s exchange not to your advantage enough? Because if so I must warn you of the dangers of excessive greed, the death of my eighth rank general for the wounding of your measly seventh rank guard should’ve been more than satisfactory enough."
’Clear provocation.’ I thought through the deafening wails of the tyrant in my head. Oh, how I wished I could return to my peak at this moment, so that I could do away with all this nonsense and simply do what I wish with pure power alone. But alas I couldn’t, for I was still far too weak to do much of anything in a field such as this for now.
I turn around without saying anything in reply, but I knew my eyes had betrayed me before him, as the madness I had once concealed within them was began to leak the instant I saw him there, with his usual confident smile, plastered on his self-satisfied face.
I and Abraham quickly return to the tower fortress, before much like yesterday I order the final preparations be done, and then issue the defense doctrine be implemented; but unlike yesterday, when we had to wait for hours for Maximillian’s blow to arrive, this time it started immediately.
Messages carrying word of enemy attack were launched from the northern, central and this time southern passes all at the same time.
"Their numbers?" I calmly asked, as my eyes seemed to swirl in obsidian depravity.
The men scrambled to decipher the incoming messages, before one of them rushed to my side, urgently saying "The north reports ten thousand men have attacked through the blue and yellow paths, while completely avoiding the green paths. The center claims a similar number of encroaching foes, but mainly through the green paths, while some small divisions have trickled into a few blue and yellow one. But the south describes at least forty to fifty five thousand have assaulted their positions with all of them attacking the green paths!" The man finished anxiety bleeding into his words.
But instead of concern I felt confusion at this battle line up Maximillian had concocted. ’Yesterday he completely ignored the south, while focusing on the north and center, but now he sends two minimal forces to harass us, while striking us hardest in the place he seemed the least interested in? What? Did he feel bad for depriving our southern forces from yesterday’s action and now wanted to make up for that?!’ I thought sarcastically, which little to lighten my growing bewilderment.
The reason for my seemingly extreme scepticism was the topography of the Anazoi Canyon. The central passes were dominated by a clear majority of green paths, with few blue and yellow paths and even fewer red paths, making them the most suitable terrain for offensive tactics, which is why I invested so heavily on building the arterial forts there, and why the linchpin strategy for these paths was to bait the enemy to the forts before flanking them from all sides and killing as many as we could in those wide causeways.
The northern paths on the other hand had fewer green paths, but far more blue and yellow paths, making that stretch of the battle ground ideal for defensive and ambush tactics, which is why I handed the region’s responsibility to Isaac, since who else in the whole of the empire held as much experience in catching their opponent unawares as much as the head of the Shade Corps.
Meanwhile the southern sector was a land of death, with hundreds of red paths scattered all across it, with a few stranded green, blue and yellow paths within it, like a pinch of small, remote islands among an infinite expanse of bottomless oceans. Honestly, the southern paths were not ideal for any form of tactical operations, whether it be defensive, offensive or any other form; the place was barely qualified for human habitation let alone much else.
’So what is he thinking?’ I continued to ponder ’After last year’s battle he must have realized the strengths and weaknesses of each one of my positions, so why would he do this now? Did he just want to test my southern flank? No, that doesn’t make any sense, if he wanted to do that then why not just do it yesterday? Why waste a whole other day on just testing the southern front? Or maybe he just assumed that I would leave a skeleton garrison in the south, because he thought I wouldn’t bother with defending the south after yesterday’ battle and the impossibility of the terrain there?’ I momentarily questioned, but then I answered my own inquiry ’No, such half baked gambles are not his style, and besides if he wanted to lull me into a false sense of security in the south he would’ve waited several days with never attacking the south even once to do something like that.’
Maximillian’s move unnerved me greatly, with the more I thought about it the more I felt a sinister scheme hidden in it’s shadow, but then Abraham’s voice roused me from my thoughts "My liege, the men are waiting your orders."
Glancing around me I saw my men staring at me, eagerly awaiting my orders. ’Let’s deal with the present first and then the rest.’ I concluded, for now shelving my eerie feeling.
"Have his wives made an appearance yet?" I asked.
"No, sire." They answered.
"And any more eighth rank generals?" I made sure, wanting to avoid a repeat of yesterday’s surprise.
"None in the north and center, but we have some scattered sightings of an armoured carrying a falchion like weapon in the south, though he seems reluctant to join the battle personally for now." One of the men quickly skimmed through the various reports he held in his hand, before replying.
’He seems unwilling to lose anymore of his strong pieces.’ I concluded, after hearing the report.
Today’s plan was to launch a massive counter offensive after the initial clash, but I am now hesitant to do this, so making up my mind, even though it delay Horus’ vengeance, I ordered one of the men "Cancel the counter strike and order both my uncle and Isaac to deal with the enemy before them, before they hold their positions until further orders."
"Understood." He saluted, before rushing to inform the drummers and horn blowers of my command.
"Have twenty thousand men be brought up from the rear to reinforce Leonid in the south." I said to another, who much like the first rushed to inform the signalling corps.
"Tell Leonid that he must keep them hidden for the time being, while slowly beginning a controlled retreat from the green paths." I tell a third, who momentarily hesitates before hastening to join the others.
"Feigned retreat, sire?" Abraham asked with a cocked eyebrow.
I nod while saying "Indeed."
"He will never fall for that." He cautioned.
"I’m not so sure about that." I smirkingly reply.
"What do you mean, my liege?" Abraham quickly questioned.
"He’s struck the south harder than he’d done for both the north and center combined, after utterly neglecting it yesterday. Why?" I ask in return.
Abraham’s ancient eyes gleamed with the wisdom only centuries of existence can bear, as he coolly answered, with a hint of realization in his voice "He wants something from the south."
I nod in agreement, before saying "Exactly. This assault of his isn’t some test, or anything of the like of yesterday’s prodding attacks. There is something in the southern paths he needs and I’m willing to bet that he values it more than the lives of thousands of his men."
"Brother, can I say something?" Nizam’s hesitant voice called out to me at that moment.
Turning my head to half face him, knowing the ever sensible Nizam would never barge into a talk without a sound reason, I reply "Of course. What is it brother?"
Swallowing to moisten his suddenly dry throat, he asks "If what you say is true, then won’t it be wiser to forbid them from entering the southern path all together? To stop him from claiming what he wants entirely?"
Hearing his words brought a large smile emerged upon my lips, as I thought ’He’s learning quickly.’ before I answered him with a question of my own, designed to better teach him and the rest of the gathered attendants in this vital moment "Tell me brother, what would you do if you came up with a plan, no matter what it may be or for what situation, and you realize that there is no hope of your plan succeeding, with one difficult obstacle appearing after another to thwart your attempts?"
Nizam paused for a moment to think, before confidently answering "I would change it."
"Exactly!" I happily exclaimed, before continuing to guide him down the rode of understanding "And what would Maximillian do if we implemented your plan?"
"He would change it!" Cyrus shouted, his face the epitome of excitement as his eyes blazed with the light of understanding.
"Correct. He would revise his plan, and then we would be in the blind yet again to what his next moves might be, as compared to now, where if he does indeed jump into my obvious trap, we will know for sure that his plans depends at least partially on the south, and we can better prepare to counter it; whatever it might be." I concluded with a cunning glint in my mad filled eyes.
"But... what if he doesn’t take the bait?" A brave officer from among the ones sitting to my brothers hesitatingly asked.
Turning my head to the one who asked, making him flinch at the focus of my eyes, I indifferently shrug my shoulders before turning back around to gaze at the unfolding battle before me, then said coldly, in seeming apathy "That would simply mean that I was wrong and we’ll have to think of other possibilities until we are right, or we’re too late and we lose."
They all stared at me in shock for a few seconds, before a deeply pondering look took it’s place, trying to absorb all that I had said, but knowing the value of striking while the iron is hot I decided to teach them one last thing today, something that took me years to fully understand in my past life "Wars, my dear little brothers, are competitions between rival countries in the foundations of their national strength, which means a bloody contest in everything that is what makes a nation itself; such as the durability of it’s economic might, the tenacity of it’s political ambitions, the fanatic morale and expertise of it’s soldiers, the sheer size of it’s population and so on. But the building blocks of wars, the battles that are fought on often times unmarked and unimportant fields and hills, are a completely different beast. They are not so grand or expansive, with so many working elements to decide the victor. When you look closely at it’s core; it’s heart of hearts; the most basic of components that make battles what they are, it is mostly a duel of wits between two men, each trying to out manoeuvre and many times out gamble the other with tens of thousands of lives on the line."