“Lord Hyllos, a message from my master.” The veiled figure kneeled low with its head close to the ground. Opposite the figure were two men, both sitting around a low wooden table which rested upon the grassy floor. Both men stopped what they were doing, moving aside the wooden block fashioned in the shape of spearmen and horses from the strewn-out map.

“Hurry and give it to me… then leave my sight.” It was not the more imposing of the two men who answered with a king’s authority, the muscular sun burnt man maintained his distance. However, there was little doubt that should he choose to do so, he could easily swing down his two-handed great sword and slice the veiled figure in two.

Acknowledging the order, the figure slinked forward, keeping its head down and placing the scroll on the ground within arm’s reach of the slim blonde man. Then just as quickly as the unknown messenger arrived, they vanished, slipping away through the flaps of the command tent.

“What message do your agents deliver my Lord? Does your father require anything other than the task he has deployed you here for?” remaining in place the young lord ignored his large companion, his eyes drifting across the surface of the paper. Rather than a smile, his lips tilted downward slightly. “No, it’s not from my father. It appears the Scholar has been seen along the highland road. That old man has made it to the Capital… Our time here has come to an end it would seem. Let us deal with the rats and then return home, the hawk cannot be left without supervision.” Hyllos allowed the massive warrior to place the bronze helm upon his head, then the two exited the tent to the sight of the open plain before them.

On the opposite end lay a city, it had been built at the base of the mountain and much of the surrounding area to the right and left were thick forests packed with trees of all shapes and sizes. The city itself was currently in a tattered state, smoke could be seen rising randomly within, parts of the thick palisade walls were in shambles, and numerous furred tents could be seen surrounding it on all sides.

Between the city and the forces commanded by Hyllos stood an army, men clad in animal hide and patchwork leather, some with bronze helms and others with none. It was a patchwork of equipment and weapons, however they possessed at least double the number of the force that stood in opposition to them.

“Antidoros, tell me do our subjects still hold Sidene?” The massive warrior glanced down at his lord and master, then back towards the besieged city. “I believe they do my Lord, I have yet to see enemy flags flying from the walls. Although the palisade walls may appear destroyed, the enemy will still have trouble marching up the berm and over the rubble, they are likely facing stiff resistance from the defenders. Lord Melegros has done well to hold out for this long, but I fear they are on their last legs now.” Hyllos nodded in affirmation, his eyes drifting over his organized lines of phalangites. As opposed to the normal League forces his were outfitted with a spear around double the length of a normal spear. There shields were slightly smaller and lighter, so as not to interfere with the soldiers two handed grasp of their weapon.

Soon the order was given, and the drums began to beat, with the orderly blocks of phalangites moving in unison with each beat. Their weapons held aloft, the shaft resting against their right side as they marched forward. On both wings were lighter armed units who ran ahead of the main force exchanging missile fire with the enemy slingers. The barbarian slingers could easily launch two stones before the League archers were able to enter their range, yet as soon as the archers were in position, their missiles were devastating to the unarmored enemy.

This initial exchange of projectiles favored the better equipped and professional Mercanians. The losses forced the barbarian army to tighten the engagement zone, to bring the fighting into close proximity where their larger frames and superior strength would favor them. However, the result of this was unlike anything the enemy leader could have expected.

Before the two opposing forces clashed, the Mercanians halted their march, the first row crouched, lowering their body, and planting the butt of their spear into the ground before holding steady. The second row then lowered their spears and rested it above the shoulder of the line in front. Next was the third row who slightly lowered their spear, maintaining vigilance and waiting for their opportunity to strike. Soon enough a glinting wall of spears ran from one end to the other, a wall that the enemy unable to halt their charge delivered themselves upon.

Blood flowed like a river as hundreds were killed in the first exchange, their skewered bodies obscuring the vision of those behind. Following this initial impact, the compact formation of Mercanian phalangites thrust their spears forward skewering anyone unlucky enough to be caught in their path. The unarmored tribal warriors were unable to move forward due to the wall of death in front and could not move to the rear due to the sheer weight of their allies pressing on.

Some bands of tribal warriors attempted to break away and curve around the flanks, to smash the static formations where they were weakest. Yet they were met with the reserve force and light infantry, the skirmishers within their ranks unleashing a devastating barrage of javelins which left the barbarians reeling.

However, the true crushing blow came not from the infantry or the ranged soldiers, but from the Hyllos’s final hidden card. His vaunted Mercanian shock cavalry, the cavalry squadrons slowly emerged from the shadows of the surrounding forest. Having been deployed the previous evening, the men and their horses moved in tandem, shadowing the main army and moving past the enemy rear through the forests on either side of Sidene.

Now, as the enemy force was engaged with the main lines of phalangites and unable to break away from the engagement, the cavalry quickly routed the token force left behind to continue the siege and then came upon the rear of the enemy’s main host. The large Syroneikan war horses used their massive bulk to crush and break, while their riders thrust their spears into the unprotected backs of their enemies.

Surrounded, terrified, and unable to fight back the tribal force was slowly ground down. The plains outside the city of Sidene ran red with the blood of the raiders, their forces decimated to almost a man. Their women and children in the baggage train were subjected to the horrors of war, after the soldiers were done, they would be slapped in irons and bound for the slave markets.

Hyllos observed the carnage with a hint of a smile upon his handsome face.