STEEL AND FLESH

"I will be on the Frontline." Said king Lauihnio.

His commanders including Lord Garthine Polion gasped in surprise. "Are you sure you listen to yourself clearly your majesty." Garthine Polion asked.

King Lauihnio rested his arms on the desk were the map with which they were to draw out their battle strategy laid, for the Quanian army was close and having lost the war against the joint force of the Mocinians, Zimbians and the Bauthinians, what stood between their leader King Brothlander and escape using the docks was King Lauihnio's army.

"But my King your life would be at risk when you are on the Frontline, you need no telling how fierce the battle is going to be at the front line, you are our -"

"And so are the lives of my men." King Lauihnio interrupted.

"The Quanians wish to transfer every bit of aggression on us and King Brothlander would surely want to set an example of us - he knows he has lost the war and I swear by Oridon's mace that beast of a man is going to fight like a wounded lion." Lord Garthine Polion protested.

"We are safe in these walls my King, we should wait for the Mocinians." Lord Garhabal another commander said.

"Yes my king, we have lost so many men at the course of this war and going out there toe to toe with an already angry and vanquished army is extremely risky." Lord Garthine Polion insisted.

"You have no idea do you?" King Lauihnio stood up and put up a sad smile towards Lord Garthine Polion. He then turned and looked among his commanders.

"You have no idea that if King Brothlander flees with his remaining men using this docks and crossing this waters he would be upon our lands?" He bellowed.

"But your life is important to us your majesty." Lord Garhabal said.

"My life is for my people, my life is for my military as well as my civilians. The Mocinians may not be here at the moment but they sure are counting on us to finish this war by landing the final blow on King Brothlander and his army."

"But why the front line?" Lord Garthine Polion frowned.

"Because I am sick of staying on my chariot dishing out orders while watching as my men are cut down, putting their lives on the line for our kingdom while I am heavily and safely guarded for nothing - I want to fight, I want their blood to drip down from my battle axe."

"But there is a big chance you will die." Lord Garthine Polion said.

"Then I die with honor, then I die knowing that I did what neither my father or grand father ever did, laying down my life for Bauthinia." King Lauihnio replied. There was silence for a time.

"Our scouts say King Brothlander marches with twenty two thousand men. That is including five thousand dark Wazaj elves." Lord Garthine Polion said. "We are just fifteen thousand with over three thousand wounded."

"Yes my King and no doubt King Brothlander hired the dark Wazaj elves to ensure he flees to safety. These elves are the quickest and fiercest warriors I have ever set my eyes on." Lord Barthine Loust said.

"Then it will be up to us to stop them, we will kill as many as we can." King Lauihnio said confidently.

"My King if things go wrong then we risk being victims of a one sided massacare."

King Lauihnio smiled. "You are afraid Lord Garhabal."

"Of course not my Lord!" Lord Garhabal replied hesitantly.

"Don't be - let non of you five commanders be afraid of King Brothlander's numbers or the dark elves which I know are certainly born warriors who are swift in movement and with the sword. They may be numerous, but they are losers and they will fight as losers with fear and uncertainty." King Lauihnio said looking at his commanders.

"What if word reaches the Quanian camp of your plan to fight in the front line and you become a main target of their assault." Lord Wemblewin asked.

King Lauihnio let out a confident grin. "I know I will be a target - however I will command the army from the front line."

All of his commanders looked uncomfortable and were however not happy with his decision to fight and command from the front line. Lord Garthine Polion and Lord Garhabal thought that the king was insane.

"I know you all are not happy with my decision however I want to let you all know that I would not go back on my decision. I am a leader and not a coward so I will lead my army from the front!" He said confidently. King Lauihnio then set his strategy for the battle and directed the commanders on how the men were to be positioned.

"We March by Dawn on the morrow. Our scouts say he is very close and I am sure he would waste no time trying to get out of Quania as soon as possible - but when he is on the run we would block him and his army, however I am not certain the Mocinians will join the battle, but I do not wish to wait for them."

"My King if you choose to fight on the front line I will fight with you." Lord Garthine Polion requested.

"No you would take charge of the veterans who will be positioned at the rear while I would command the infantry at the vanguard together with all swordsmen and archers at the primary position - the rest of you commanders Know your positions."

"But-"

"Am I clear on that?"

"Yes your majesty." All commanders echoed.

After about eight hours the crack of dawn was upon the fortress and the battle standard in front of the fortress gates signalled to the Bauthinian troops to array for battle.

As the gust of the wind moved the waves of the Baratium river, it raised clouds of fine dust across the dry Quanian soil.

For the next several hours the Bauthinian military captains supervised the complex deployment to ensure that the Bauthinian army would form in correct order.

King Lauihnio's commanders had no choice than to accept and deal with the fact that their king was going to put his life at great risk fighting and and commanding the army from the front line.

Not withstanding, the five commanders decided to hide their gloominess by showing their willingness to fight in order not to affect negatively the morale of the army, however they were not sure how long it would take before King Brothlander showed up with his army for they awaited reports from the scouts that were sent to monitor the movements of the Quanian army.

With King Lauihnio sophistically dressed for battle, he lead his army through the gates on his beautifully decorated stallion. He wore a golden chest plate armour with strappings that were decorated with precious stones. He wore golden arm maniacs on both arms and golden greaves while he held his dual blade battle axe which was made with a golden handle. However he looked quite colourful with his golden armor covering the torso area of his silver knee length tunic and a golden plume on his helmet that ran from the front to the back.

"I have doubts the King would survive this." Lord Garhabal whispered to Lord Garthine Polion while riding by his side.

"The King might seem insane but let us avoid underestimating him, it is his decision so let him have what he wants." Lord Garthine Polion said maintaining his front view hereby refusing to turn to Lord Garhabal.

The Bauthinian army marched into the dust blown flat plain below the town of Harenia were King Lauihnio ordered his army to halt for he decided to wait at that spot for King Brothlander and his army.

Unsure if King Brothlander might have cooked a secret plan King Lauihnio left some hundred men to guard the severely wounded soldiers who were receiving treatment there at the fortress, while those who could carry on marched with the army to battle.

The Bauthinian army was made up of ten thousand and nine hundred infantry and three thousand Calvary. According to the battle strategy he laid out, four thousand nine hundred swordsmen were stationed at the primary position. King Lauihnio made sure the gaps between his infantry were tight in order to bring the full weight of the soldiers to bear aiming to overwhelm the enemy when the skirmish started.

He knew that while his army were ambushed at the Caluban plains his infantry using that tight formation held off the Quanians for hours inflicting significant loses despite being in an unfavorable position and the battle after that at the siege of the Harenia fortress which the Bauthinian army came to occupy, his swordsmen precisely his veterans hacked their way through their center while he had positioned them at the vanguard line when the siege reached it's climax.

However King Lauihnio was aware that this tight manipule formation would restrict the tactical flexibility but it however eased the coordination of the army and it produced longer endurance in a direct confrontation.

However King Lauihnio was confident his army would be able to prevent King Brothlander and his army from reaching the docks of the Baratium river.

King Lauihnio positioned his calvary at the right and left flanks, his archers at the middle and his veterans at the rear.

He placed his veterans on the reserve position so that they could still be fresh for battle when it was time to face the dark Wazaj elves of whom he was sure would surround King Brothlander at the rear position of his army.

The swordsmen (apart from the veterans and commanders.) and archers wore their bronze chest plate armour covering their torso region of the white knee length tunic they put on. They also wore bronze bracers and greaves while holding their long xiphos swords in their scabbard coupled with the rectangular shields they held which had the design of a white winged stallion.

After waiting for about an hour two Bauthinian horse men rode quickly towards the Bauthinian lines. "They are here! They are here! King Brothlander and his army approaches! prepare for batt - ugh."

An arrow caught one of the scouts who was yelling at the troops signalling them of King Brothlander's presence. Holding the arrow that ran through his back and came out of his left chest he tumbled down from his horse hereby crashing to the ground giving up the ghost immediately.

At last the Quanian army was visible as they marched in unison to cover the long distance between them and the Bauthinians. They were hideous looking men with overgrown beards that looked very untidy. Coupled with their hideous looks some of them painted their faces with chalk.

Their calvary took the vanguard position. However the whole Quanian army were dress on a brown jerkin armour, black tunics and a bronze helmet with curved horns at the tip. Suddenly they halted and the loud sound of their hissing swords showed that they drew their weapons from their sheaths and scabbard.

King Lauihnio climbed down from his horse leaving it for one of the soldiers to pull it from the front line using it's reins. He pulled his golden double bladed battle axe and took his position among his men at the front line. The men at the front line were shocked together with all the soldiers that saw or heard of this development. However instead of being afraid they cheered at their King which meant that instead of being afraid for the king's life their morale was boosted. "Draw your swords!" King Lauihnio bellowed at the army and what followed was the mass unsheathing of the Bauthinian swords.

King Lauihnio could see that the Quanian calvary was made up specifically of chariots and with each of the chariots heavily loaded with javelins he became aware of their plans to begin assault. However his intellect did not fail him as King Brothlander ordered the calvary with the heavily packed javelins to harass the Bauthinian primary position and with the chariots commencing movement the battle horn of the Quanians sounded.

King Lauihnio was taken aback for a moment but he did well to comport himself then he gave his signal for the Bauthinian war horn to be sounded.

"This is where we hold them! This is where we fight! This is where they die! Commence shield wall!" He bellowed. "Supporting units help the front line form a tescudo formation and archers get ready to fire at my signal!" All men at the primary position formed a tescudo or tortoise formation so they would shield themselves from the incoming attack of the Quanian calvary with the archers who were without shield taking refuge with some of the infantry that had one.

When the Bauthinian army was within range the Quanian calvary hurled their javelins at them.

The impact of the numerous javelins that were hurled at the Bauthinians was very severe which made some of the defensive lines to break but showing persistence the Bauthinian soldiers regained formation. However King Lauihnio and the Bauthinian soldiers knew it was wise and necessary to remain still in a defensive formation against the onslaught of the javelins being thrown at them from the charioteers as breaking formation to try and pursue the chariots would be suicide.

With the Bauthinians trying to stand their ground with the tescudo formation some of the soldiers who were not careful to maintain a tight formation slumped to the ground as they were struck down by the rain of javelins that rattled down on their shields and pierced their unprotected skins.