Breaking an Empire by James Tallett

Author:James Tallett [James Tallett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Deepwood Publishing
Published: 2011-09-26T14:00:00+00:00

***

It was late in the afternoon when the Lianese reached the foot of the hill. There they paused, letting the wings circle round until the hill was engulfed in troops. The eastern side of the hill faced ill-armed conscripts, and a thin screen of skirmishers, while the western flank looked upon the heavy infantry of Niam Liad, each swathed in glistening layers of metal and wood. With just a glance Gwyth could tell the armour would take many a direct blow, and so he told his comrades to go for the joins, where it would be weakest. Rhyfelwyr and the others nodded; it was likewise with the insectoid Veryan suits.

Both armies waited in silence, until the call sounded within the Lianese lines.

Rhyfelwyr thought for a moment, then shouted. “Tip the heavies into the trench! They won’t get up!” Indeed, it looked as if the armour weighed enough that would be the case. As the front line of the Lianese soldiers moved up the hill, the skirmishers released javelins and arrows. Firing uphill robbed the projectiles of strength, and the Veryan soldiers were able to catch most on their shields. Some few struck true, leaving gaps in the Veryan line that were filled from behind, the wounded dragged to the cutters.

The Lianese forces closed, and a horn sounded. The Veryan lines took two steps backwards, contracting. Rhyfelwyr looked to his left and his right, nodding at Gwyth and Locsyn, and each withdrew a glass sphere from the pouches hanging at their belts. Each soldier had been issued two spheres today, the last from the army’s supplies. The Lianese lines had sped to a slow jog, and had all but reached the shallow trench.

A strident note flew overhead, followed by arcing spheres. The glass containers crashed into Lianese faces, showering the soldiers with shards and glass dust, leaving them in milling confusion. The Veryan soldiers hung back, for the glass dust took no notice of friend or foe, and could blind the Veryans if they charged too soon. The front lines of the Lianese stumbled down the hill, bleeding and barely able to see, taking with them some of the heavy infantry. Gathering themselves, the Lianese stepped into the trench and over, and as they did the Veryan soldiers charged, slamming into their foe with all the momentum two extra steps up the hill had given them. They used their shields as battering rams, knocking the Lianese backwards. Most of the Veryan front rank launched themselves fully into their foes, falling from the impact, but into the chaos stepped the second rank, and their swords played havoc with the befuddled Lianese soldiers.

On the eastern side of the hill, the skirmishers were unable to stand the force of the Veryan charge, and they broke, leaving conscripts to face the might of the Veryan veterans. The conscripts held for a time, the sheer numbers providing a counter to the skill of the Veryan soldiers. A single warrior might kill three or four conscripts, but

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