Chapter 86: Chapter 74 – Clash at the Border

"War is probably the oldest of man's past time, as from long before recorded history, conflicts large and small had been fought aplenty. At first it was just small conflicts, between rival tribes, perhaps when their hunting grounds coincided with one another's, or over more petty matters like a stolen sheep.

 

Later tribes coalesced into towns. Towns grew into cities, and cities into nations, yet their predilection for conflicts remained the same, and more often than not, force could dictate who has the right of way, for ideals and rethorics often pale away when a sword is placed right by your throat.

 

Being what I am, naturally acceptance was not what I received no matter where I went. So instead, I carved out a place to call my own, with my own hands, and an overwhelming show of force that ensured others dared not try me since.

 

After all, speaking softly is a good habit, but it is rarely that effective, unless backed up with a truly big stick." - Nec Aarin, the Bone Lord.

Near old Vitalica border, Lichdom of Ptolodecca, third day of the third week of the fourth month, year 68 VA.

 

The first sign of resistance was the horde of zombies arrayed within the Vitalican border. Aideen counted around twenty thousand there, clearly intended to serve merely as a speed bump to buy time for their enemies to consolidate their forces, as reports had stated that the army that invaded Vitalica was close to five times that number.

 

Amongst the undead types favored by the three nations, zombies like what Antemeia favored were in general stronger and sturdier than a typical skeleton, owing to the mass of flesh and muscle on them, but simultaneously also needed more maintenance to upkeep and were more sluggish.

 

Thralls like those used by Junora had the highest combat efficiency, but also needed the most upkeep, and were the hardest to mass produce quickly. The Bone Lord's skeletons usually have a disproportionate amount of higher types of undead amongst them however, which more than evened the odds.

 

Ptolodeccan battle doctrine also dictated that a necromancer should only control as many as they could command effectively, and no more, which leads to Ptolodeccan necromancers often bringing less undead than usual, but those they brought, fought like a unit of soldiers under their command.

 

As a case in point, there were approximately one necromancer for every two hundred and fifty undead in the Ptolodeccan army, whereas arrayed against them, were closer to one necromancer per thousand zombies.

 

Even so, the Fiachnas had requested the Ptolodeccan army to leave this first battle to them, both to whet their newer members, as well as to take a symbolic first step in reclaiming their homeland. The Ptolodeccan army acquiesced to the request without any complaints.

 

That said, Clovis, Kestera, and Mimia joined the smaller group that marched forth, along with the death knights they brought. They were part of the family after all, and it would be unfair to deny them from joining the fight.

 

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Overall, it was merely a force of six thousand that marched to face the twenty thousand strong zombie horde, which when considering that half the force were elites, many of which were trained specifically to fight against undead, was more than plenty.

 

Even bringing along the five hundred death knights lent by the Bone Lord was total overkill as it is, as those could tear apart the horde on their own.

 

The horde advanced at them as they approached, while the Templars and Death Guards dismounted. It would not do to lose many mounts so early in the expedition, much less on a fight just meant to whet the blades of their newer members.

 

Rather than wait for the zombie horde to come to them, the eager Vitalicans, and even the new members they recruited in Ptolodecca, charged at the horde. Leading the charge were the bony figures of Haon, Trí, and Ceathair, while Dó was sent to hunt down the enemy necromancers.

 

The zombie horde's orderly front line was soon dismantled when the three undead constructs charged in and began their slaughter. Aideen, along with the Templars and Death Guards followed behind them.

 

Elite soldiers went to work, and mowed down undead as if they were mowing down wheat. Aideen was in the midst of it, her new, far heftier staff obliterating bones and skulls whenever she struck, while Maebh and Diarmuid were nearby, so she could come to their aid should it be needed.

 

She had not needed to help them, as before long parts of the zombie horde lost control and began attacking each other, evidence that Dó had found a victim. Not a minute after that another part of the horde lost control, and with the cohesion amongst the zombies unraveling, Maebh shines a bright light skyward, a signal they had agreed on beforehand.

 

Five hundred death knights on their skeletal mounts struck the zombie horde from its flanks, carnage and destruction being all that was left in their wake. the zombie horde fully unraveled by then - they later found out from Mimia that the remaining necromancers had fled - which left them with around fifteen thousand rabid walking dead that needed to be put down.

 

It took a good while before the remaining zombies were cleaned up, and the armies chose to rest there for the day, with the scattered remains of zombies stacked into massive piles to be burned. There were a few injuries, but fortunately none of their soldiers were stupid enough to get themselves killed today. The happy mood over the victory turned solemn, however, when they remembered that when the enemy consolidated, the fight would likely be a much harder one.

 

For the night though, they rested, and relaxed for the moment, as they had won their first battle. The blades of the new members were whetted on the field of battle, and they were fortunate enough to have lost none of them in the process. What will come in the next battle, can wait until then.

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