Chapter 256: Battle of Susar
The next morning, there was a hint of desolation.
When the morning light dyes the thin clouds in the sky blown by the strong wind, in the dense jungle outside Susar City, the war horses neigh softly and stretch out their hooves to dig up the soft ground covered with fallen leaves.
The soldiers lowered their voices and joked nervously.
Iron Regent Hesiah heard the collision of spears and the faint sound of armor from time to time. Even though her hearing was sharp, her voice seemed hazy.
"The war is about to start, we'd better leave here as soon as possible." Royal Mage Sandra Cote's old voice, mixed with a trace of sigh, sounded behind Hesiah.
Hesiah looked back at the old wizard and found again that he looked more tired and thinner than he looked yesterday.
This made her realize that the heavy damage suffered by the Royal Mage in the battle with Felin Demon Kui was probably not as simple as imagined.
Otherwise, as a wizard with a medium-level legendary strength, he would not be placed here.
Indeed, he did not participate in this war.
Although he stood his ground and tried to play a part in the defense of Susal City, Brian still insisted that he be responsible for protecting her and the little king's safety.
“Memories will slowly fade over time, just like your favorite forest path, gradually becoming deserted.”
“Aren’t people just a bunch of memories? And What is more precious than this that can make an old man feel a little warm and happy when searching for his memory pocket?”
Xiseya recalled that the Royal Mage left Brian’s room yesterday? At that time, he said almost helpless words.
These words made her feel inexplicably sad and bitter.
After all, if the war goes against her, she will abandon the Millennium Imperial Capital of the Kingdom of Cormyr, and even abandon the entire southern part of the kingdom. Under the protection of the Royal Mage, she will take the young king to the city of Arabe in the north.
Beside Hesiah, in addition to the royal mage Sandra Cote, there are also his student Teresa and the priest Kalina of the Earth Mother Church, as well as ten purple dragon knights.
"I can't leave at this time, otherwise the soldiers in front will mistakenly think that we have abandoned them." Hesiah stared at the ghostly knights through the gaps in the dense forest. Speeding through her line of sight, she stood her ground.
“I want the warriors of the Kingdom of Cormyr to know that their king is right behind them, witnessing them fighting bloody battles for the kingdom.”
“After all, it was time to come… It will come naturally, and no one can escape it." She glanced at the little king who was held in Karina's arms, and whispered helplessly, "Just like the thousand-year curse of the kingdom... the evil spirit of disaster."
< br>
When the war came, Hesiah knew that it would mean death, perhaps the death of the old wizard...perhaps she and the little king, or even Brian, who was responsible for commanding the war.
No one is safe in war, and everyone's life is in danger.
So Hesaya did not want to choose to escape. Since she could not personally participate in this war, she chose to wait here.
No matter victory, failure, or death, she will face it calmly.
This was what she and Brian had promised him personally, and he did not strongly object.
"It'll be okay, Hesiah." Brian smiled softly and said softly, "It's just a battle, don't be afraid."
Hesiah also gave him a smile, "I You have to become a fool first to not be afraid, Brian."
Her voice was equally gentle, "I have participated in countless battles. Personally, those battles in the past are far more... Difficult. So don’t worry, I will do everything I can to protect the Kingdom of Cormyr without any fear.”
Admiration filled his deep black eyes, and he said with a smile. Please forgive me, you may seem more battle-hardened than me, Madam Regent."
She knew these were his words of comfort to her, but they were still of great use to her.
She put away the smile on her face and said to him, "I pray that war will not make you and me cruel and ruthless, but I will never be unfamiliar with war. Regardless of victory or defeat, I will always be here waiting for you. "
"I have not forgotten the responsibility I bear," he said to her, "I will fight until the last moment. However, if it is really hard to save Hesiah Obaiszil. situation, I will give priority to my own safety. After all, there are more upcoming crises waiting for me."
The gratitude and emerging hope made Hesayah feel a little weak.
She looked up at Brian, his side face facing her, and the lines of his face seemed to be outlined by an artist, clean and straight.
But his gaze into the distance and his furrowed eyebrows betrayed his pretense of calmness and calmness.
Even in the Underdark, even when facing the incarnation of the Demon Lord, he had never shown such a solemn expression.
When Brian left, Hesiah watched him go away, her fingers tremblingly bent, and she slowly covered her palm, as if she wanted to protect the parting kiss.
War songs sounded, war drums sounded, and the march of the orc troops formed a unique movement.
When the Purple Dragons were ravaging the imperial capital, they took down all the towns in the Forest of Kings area with lightning speed, and are now heading towards the next target.
At today's scale, their confidence is already overwhelming, almost roaring all the way south, as if they are worried that others will not feel their presence.
In addition to carrying many improvised and captured war equipment, many of them also carried some more terrifying trophies to remember this war of aggression, such as trolls and ogres, who seemed to be happy to use their fingers and ears to Decorate yourself.
Suzal has been preparing for this attack for many days, and the residents have also spent countless sleepless nights. They have had countless nightmares of orcs breaking through the city gates like a tide.
Fear is also a weapon.
The beasts in the Stormhorn Mountains stayed away from them. The hungry army was never picky about food. Those bison and gazelles that dared to approach had their heads cut off and were dealt with on the spot.
To the west of Suthar, armies composed of many large tribes such as ogres, trolls, and hill giants lined up in a long and narrow line through the winding paths of Dustwallow Marsh.
Even though there are tall mossy woods on both sides, the hot sunlight still shines through the gaps.
The two attacking forces from the Forest of Kings and the Stormhorn Mountains will meet in Susar City. They hope to join forces victoriously and completely crush Susar, who is caught in the middle.
Hisaya waited patiently, quietly listening to the soft sounds in the forest and feeling the cold wind blowing through her hair.
Unconsciously, it was approaching noon, and the armies of both sides had not yet collided. Hesiah couldn't help but worry secretly.
She was worried about which link had gone wrong.
Before Suzar's army set off, Brian arranged for Ranger Commander Bethrina to take 300 elite rangers out of the city first, responsible for attracting the attention of the orc scouts placed around Suzar City and covering the whereabouts of the main force.
"By the grace of the Seldarine gods, I dare to guarantee with my life that the orcs will never discover our whereabouts. My ranger did not let any crows fly back to the Forest of Kings. My priest also used The magic intercepted all magic transmissions, and I personally used the magic to avoid detection, temporarily blocking all detection around me."
The ranger leader Bethrina, who was holding the war bow, showed a gentle expression. The smile, the blue eyes dotted with golden light spots were cold, making her feel so familiar.
“We met nearly a hundred orc scouts who came to check for abnormalities, but unfortunately they could never go back to report the situation. The orcs' Great Sage should send more people to deal with it instead of hiding in the forest He made a useless catapult. All in all, he didn't know the whereabouts of our main force out of the city."
"What is the size of the orc troops stationed in the Forest of Kings?" Brian asked.
"There are more than expected, about 25,000, living in three camps, scattered around the edge of the Forest of Kings." The ranger said confidently:
"I want to cut off Susar City from the north. Contact is their only way. It seems that the great sage is not stupid, but this will also be their fatal weakness. Their wolf cavalry is about 2,000."
"The situation has changed. "The orc army is nearly three times ours." War Lord Auglas said: "It is obvious that they are coming out in full force." They lack two things, two things that are fatal."
"What are they lacking?" Everyone looked at him.
"Discipline and patience," Brian responded.
After the main force left the city, they quickly joined the more than 4,000 people brought by Brian from the north.
And during the march, other new forces also joined one after another, including several large mercenary groups, small lords and skirmishers who had lost their masters, as well as many adventurers who volunteered to join the battle.
What surprised Hesiah the most was that Brian actually persuaded the Goliaths in Skull Rock Town to join the expulsion war. They brought nearly a thousand Goliath warriors and druids.
At this moment, before the orcs’ ‘Great Sage’ noticed something strange, the armies of the Kingdom of Cormyr had already completed their rendezvous and were ready to prepare.
The decisive moment comes.
Hesiah took the little king and watched Brian mount a war horse summoned from the outer plane.
As a spell caster, he naturally has many guards around him to ensure that he can cast spells with peace of mind.
In addition to the dragon-veined warlock Salo and the ghost-like warlock in Mokou Town, there is also the consul from Tifanton, a tall and burly tiger man Kuteg.
She is very familiar with the governor of Tifanton.
She can still vividly remember the slogan that this funny and humorous tiger man often shouted with a sad face every time he came to Arabe City to report on the situation: Brave tigers are not afraid of difficulties.
This time, there are still no exceptions.
At that time, she would also add a mischievous sentence: The brave tiger is full of difficulties.
This time, she chose to remain silent.
As for the tiefling warlock hiding in the shadows, wearing a black robe, whose face cannot be seen clearly.
Not only did she feel strange, but every time she looked into his prismatic eyes, she felt as if she was being stared at by a poisonous snake that could show its fangs at any time.
In this regard, she could only pray secretly, so that the orcs would also be afraid of the sorcerer's eyes.
Moglan, the paladin leader of the Gauntlet Order, also volunteered to follow Brian.
What surprised Hesaya the most was the spiritual leader sitting in Skull Rock Town, a soul shaman whose strength reached the legendary realm.
But he looked too old, with a long white beard that reached his knees, and a shrunken and thin body, just like an old human being in his twilight years.
If it weren't for those bright sapphire eyes, she even doubted whether the old shaman would be able to lift his feet and walk.
Even so, Hesiah knew very well in his heart how much power these people had to fight back against a war shaman, ancient green dragon, and the eight orc demon generals whose strength reached a medium level of legend.
If it really comes to a life or death moment, will these people be enough? Can these tens of thousands of people really defeat the orc army?
“Chirp——”
A faint bird song from the distance interrupted Hesiah’s inner worries.
The originally clear and sweet chirping felt like a cold sharp blade across the back of her neck in her ears, making her whole body run cold and she couldn't help but shiver.
Time seemed to stop at the second when the birds were singing. The air around her was frozen, allowing her to clearly hear her heartbeat.
"The orcs are coming." Kalena, who was holding the little king, whispered to her, and prayed in a pious whisper, "May the Mother Earth be with us."
Hope Seiya nodded slightly, just in time to see her brother, the little king of Cormyr, asleep.
He slept so soundly, with a crooked smile on his lips, his breathing sounded like the sigh of leaves, and his smooth face was rosy.
The surrounding woods fell silent, and in the silence she could hear the sounds of the army.
Although the distance is far, it is approaching quickly. There is the sound of thousands of horses galloping, guns, swords and armors clashing. Soldiers mutter to themselves, and laughter and curses rise one after another.
The orcs also began to march.
The anxious soldiers quickly packed up the tents they had lived in for a long time.
In order to kill time and suppress irritability, the weapons in hand have been sharpened over and over again. Now these things are put into scabbards, quivers or simply carried on the back, ready to taste the blood of the Cormyrs.
And the armor that was stained red by the rising sun and the oil paint was also put on.
The orc army began to advance.
They were like bloodthirsty beasts being pulled hard by their masters, with different troops vying for a more forward vantage point.
The 'Great Sage' of the orcs seems to have anticipated this desire.
The Eight Demons of the Orcs will lead their respective elite warriors, riding their huge black wargs to shuttle between the troops.
Behind them were orc drummers beating the marching rhythm.
Gradually, the expected chaos temporarily subsided.
All the troops began to move in unison: the orcs were at the front, followed by the ogres, then the trolls and hill giants, and the many weak slaves of the goblin kobolds were scattered around. All parts of the force.
The soldiers, like the vast ocean, marched to the rhythm of drums, and even the earth trembled.
In past battles, these war drums have frightened the civilians of Cormyr even before they saw the orcs appear.
The Cormyrians almost always think of primitives when they think of orcs, and they pride themselves on being civilized.
But which dwarf, safe in the Stone Hall, would know the pleasure of having an enemy's corpse feasted on by orcs?
Which arrogant human being can have the opportunity to experience being lost in the desire to fight, and a few minutes later find himself with red eyes, standing on the corpse of the enemy and roaring hoarsely?
Which elf would taste the joy of listening to the echoes of souls and fighting side by side with the spirits of ancestors in a real battle?
No.
This is the orcs, and this is their glory.
Some of them were barefoot, some wore shoes, some had hooves, and some had two big toes. As they marched, the earth yielded to them.
Underneath the green, blue, brown, pale and pink skin or fur are tight muscles.
They roared loudly at the top of their lungs, their spears and swords, crossbows and blades all ready to unsheath and attack.
Thousands of strong soldiers, with the same purpose, gathered into a rolling torrent and headed straight for Susar in the south.
Billions of years seemed to come and go, and the sounds became louder and louder. Hesiah heard more laughter, someone giving orders, and water splashing when crossing the stream.
A horse was snorting and a man was cursing.
Finally she saw him... Although it was only for a moment, and although she was only looking at the valley bottom through the narrow cracks in the forest, she knew that it must be him. Even at such a long distance, Brian's figure was still clearly distinguishable.
As soon as he appeared, he disappeared again and was once again obscured by the trees.
"We are conducting such a large-scale operation. According to the character of the orcs, they will never stay in a tent full of mosquitoes and rotting stench." Bethrina, the leader of the moon elf ranger, is still so confident and full of self-confidence. "They 'Great Sages' are eager for us to go out of the city and fight them to the death."
Brian nodded slightly, carefully studied the map on the table, and said to Count Silverhorn, "You are leading three hundred cavalry. Attack them here, under the banner of the royal family, don't be reluctant to fight."
"When they chase us, we will separate..." His hand kept moving on the small map, issuing orders. The order, "Here, here, and here...set up an ambush and wait for them."
"Here!"
Sixteen meteorites the size of washbasins, burning with hot flames, Dragging a slender tail flame, it fell from the sky.
"Boom!!!..."
The hot fireball exploded, and the violent impact was accompanied by a loud noise, making the earth tremble.
The open valley where the orc army gathered was ignited in an instant, just like the sun suddenly rising and setting in the valley.
Countless orcs, ogres, and trolls flew high into the sky in the violent impact, flying higher than the ignited flames, and higher than the onlookers who were deeply shocked could see. Everything comes high.
Countless enemies were blown to pieces, and their debris fell everywhere.
"Here!"
The warm sunlight was torn apart by the shade of the trees and mercilessly thrown to the ground. Threads covered the passing dark purple armor, shining with a crystal light orange luster.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"
"Rumble!..."
The sound of galloping horse hooves, the sound of three thousand purple dragon knights trampling past, was as heavy as thousands of curious horses, and even the earth was trembling slightly.
The purple purple dragon flag fluttered in the wind. The heavy cavalry led by the War Lord crashed down from the east side of the orc army with the force of a landslide, smashing into their flank, as if to notify their army. , have all fallen into the trap.
As the speed became faster and faster, they finally turned into an unstoppable torrent of steel, tearing apart the formation of the orc army in an instant.
“Here!”
The stream flows in the valley, winding through the cliffs, and the sun sparkles on the water.
"Bang!"
The moment a firework rose into the sky and exploded on the opposite ridge, more than 500 spellcasters, mainly war mages, poured out their magic and scrolls in one go.
In an instant, many spells such as ice, flames, lightning, strong acid, etc., intertwined with the orcs' rear army into violent arcane storms, blocking their retreat, as if to tell them that they must not be ignored. The power of magic, otherwise your life will soon end in a gorgeous way.
The sound of magic is deafening, shocking, and never stops.
In the valley below, Hesiah heard the orcs shouting loudly, screaming one after another, chaos, trampling on each other, and countless casualties.
As Brian said, one of their fatal weaknesses is: discipline!
In the chaos, the orc horns and war drums sounded at the same time, rapid and sharp, as if shouting: Run! Run! Run!
"Go forward! Go forward!"
The commanders of the orc army shouted, which shook the valley.
Countless orcs swarmed towards the front of the valley like a tide.
"There's still this place!"
There was a soft sound in the forest, lingering in my ears.
A horn sounded, the sound was soft and quiet, like music.
This is the horn of the elves. On Brian's order, the elven rangers and archers hiding among the branches rained down arrows.
A sharp arrow flew out from the dark forest, drawing a long and slow arc.
They seemed to be gliding slowly in the air, their arrow feathers swaying in the wind. Until the moment they hit, their speed and strength did not increase at all, but each arrow hit the target accurately, and the evil humanoid creatures fell one after another. Like leaves falling on a sandy road, or like wheat swept by a sharp sickle.
The orcs ran quickly in the rain of arrows, roaring as they ran.
The bows and arrows of the Elf Rangers greeted them like hailstones, hundreds, thousands, countless in an instant.
Many people fell to the ground after being hit by arrows, and their shouts turned into howls.
At this time, the second wave of attacks fell from the sky, and the archers put the third arrow on the bowstring.
Immediately afterwards, in the forest around the valley, the breath that had been suppressed for a long time was breathed out forcefully, and the entire valley was suddenly filled with continuous wailing sounds.
Hisiah looked around and saw Cormyr's soldiers raising their spears one after another, removing the mud and leaves used to cover the reflection, revealing the extremely sharp and cruel sword blades.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu""
When the arrow rain comes again After falling, the dwarves of the Strong Shield clan took the lead in blowing the horn of revenge, their voices violent and passionate.
Directly in front of the valley, the war horn belonging to Susar City came from there. The sound was deep and deep, full of mourning.
At the same time, Thunderstone Castle, Goliath Mountain Men, Mokou Town, Tiffanytown, and other various urgent, vigorous, or passionate war horns joined the chorus of charge and launched a full-scale counterattack against the orc army. .
Hisaya stood quietly in the forest, motionless, surrounded by the Royal Mage, Kalina, Theresa and others.
They were on a high ridge, but the woods almost completely obscured the battle below.
Listening to the fierce battle below, her fingers began to lose control and kept trembling, her heart was beating rapidly, and cold sweat continued to ooze from her palms.
Sure enough, she suddenly noticed something out of the corner of her eye.
Many large tribes, including ogres, trolls, and hill giants, came to support from the Stormhorn Mountains west of Susar and were about to join this chaotic fight.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!..."
The sound of the drum was getting closer and closer, sneaking under her skin and making her whole body tremble.
In an instant, the enemy appeared in front, emerging from the top of the hills all over the mountains and fields, rushing toward the battlefield below the valley in chaos.
At this moment, an oval portal with a diameter of about 5 meters suddenly opened above this group of fresh troops.
She saw from a distance a constructed creature the size of a mosquito within her line of sight, hovering and flying above the ogres, trolls and hill giants amidst the buzzing sounds.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."
The clear and sweet sound of shattering glass suddenly started, and seas of scorching fire rose up in this humanoid army.
The sounds of wailing, cries of pain, curses, and trampling on each other... made the already chaotic army even more chaotic like ants on a hot pot.
The most painful thing in the sea of fire is the trolls. Their rubbery skin is defenseless against the hot flames that are like maggots attached to their bones.
A series of spells flashed.
A huge mechanical puppet, like a steel boulder, smashed into the chaotic group of enemies.
A torrent of constructs composed of various mechanical puppets such as Crusher, Hammerer, Shield Guardian, and even gargoyles and a few steel golems, among the ogres, giants, etc. Among the crowd of demons and hill giants, there was a steel storm with broken skulls and splattered flesh and blood.
"Roar!..."
The terrifying roar of the dragon came from the sky, raging across the entire battlefield in an instant, causing both the enemy and our soldiers on the battlefield to tremble in their steps, with fear in their eyes. .
The howling wind came.
A huge figure swooped down from the sky, but this was just the beginning. After the first huge green dragon appeared, two more adult green dragons appeared immediately after.
The dragon wings rolled up the wind, sand and blood rain all over the sky, and the terrifying pressure enveloped all the mortal things on the ground.
The ancient green dragon headed by it opened its wings and looked like a huge shadow.
The figures of the three giant dragons flew over the Cormyr military formation in an instant, and the terrifying dragon's breath was forced into the army's square formation, clearing out lines of death like plows.
The sound of the dragon's roar seemed to penetrate straight through Hesiah. She found that her whole body was shaking, and her heart seemed to be tightly grasped, and she could not take any breath.
She couldn't help but begin to pray for the Cormyrian warriors fighting below, because it was a terrifying, terrifying sound, and it was also the sound of death.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!..."
The ancient sacrificial war drums sounded, and groups of orcs, with red eyes, raised their heads and roared into a violent state, launching crazy attacks.
This group of crazy orcs rushed towards the half-moon spear formation composed of rows of enemy troops without hesitation, like steel hedgehogs with thorns on both sides.
The new moon is in the sky, sharp and light as a knife, time passes like water, the days shorten and the nights lengthen.
During this battle, the sun could not reach the valley below, the moonlight could not reach it, and even the stars seemed to have become indifferent spectators.
The night has fallen, and although Hesiah cannot witness the battlefield, it can at least allow her to hear the whole process.
The valley was filled with echoes, including the crackle of broken spears, the sound of swords clashing, the roar of dragons, the roar of magic, and countless hoarse shouts and prayers.
When she realized that opening her eyes was useless, she closed her eyes and listened attentively.
She heard horses' hooves galloping, iron boots splashing into the shallow water, the dull sound of swords chopping oak shields, the friction of steel colliding, fireballs exploding, lightning leaping, bows and arrows whistling, war drums thundering, and countless war horses and wargs screaming at the same time.
The valley seemed to disturb hearing. Once, she seemed to hear Brian's voice, as clear as if he was standing next to her, shouting: "Agottus! Agottus!"
Then she heard the roar of the red dragon, its sharp teeth tearing at pieces of flesh, and the other giant dragon let out a painful wail full of fear.
She could not tell how many dragons were involved in this battle.
A few wisps of red dawn appeared in the east, and dawn broke out.
The distant sky condensed into colorful ponds, and a deep purple light pillar pierced the mist-filled valley like a sharp sword.
Accompanied by a deafening wail, the sound gradually weakened and finally subsided.
The first cavalryman passed through the dense forest and appeared in Hesiah's sight.
He was not wearing armor, only ordinary clothes stained with mud and blood, undoubtedly to save some energy on the horse underneath him.
But even so, the horse was already panting and foaming at the mouth when it arrived.
The Purple Dragon Knights quickly supported the trembling warrior. He was about to fall off his horse, and the mount beneath him seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
The knights helped him down as gently as possible.
At this time, his cloak fell aside, and everyone realized that all the blood belonged to this dark-haired, bearded warrior.
He struggled to speak: "We...have..."
He died before he finished speaking.
Not long after, Hesiah saw Brian and his party appear in her sight.
He was riding on a chestnut war horse that he found somewhere. His face was pale and he looked tired. His right hand was holding the reins, and his left arm was hanging weakly, but he seemed to be unharmed.
This made her sigh in relief.
When he walked in, she discovered that his cloak and coat were covered with coagulated black blood, and his drooping left arm was still oozing stinky pus and blood.
“It’s nothing serious, it’s just that I was hit by the war shaman’s disease spell.” Brian shook his arm and gasped, “At worst, I’ll cut it off and regrow it.”< br>
He turned over and dismounted, almost falling to the ground. The priest Kalena on the side quickly supported him, released magical spells, and treated his wounds.
After a while, a large group of people followed.
Although she had long expected that casualties would be unavoidable on the battlefield, it was still a little hard for her to accept the detailed battle losses.
Because there were too many people staying in the valley where they fought the orcs.
The ranger commander of the Moon Elf, Bethrina Singing Arrow, the Legion Master of the Shield Dwarves, Barend Stonebreaker, the paladin leader of the Gauntlet Order, Mogran, and the spiritual leader of Goliath, Soul Shaman...
War Lord Auglas had an arm bitten off by a green dragon, and the supreme commander of the East lost his two sons...
Even though she learned from Brian that the Eight Orc Demons were about to die. There was only one left. The legendary orc swordmaster of the Glaive Clan died in battle, and the two adult green dragons brought by the ancient dragon were killed. He still couldn't hide his sadness.
“Although we won the battle to defend Susar.”
Brian said calmly, “But it’s not the entire war. As long as the orcs’ ‘Great Sage’ doesn’t die for a day, they will always One day, it will come back again.”
………………
(End of this chapter)