Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 531: Grand strategy i

The winds rustle bringing a serenity sound to the ground, swaying the tall grass and the leaves of the trees and the man snow white hair was blowing elegantly, his gaze was determined and his expression was calm.

He smiles with confidence before looking back, fifty thousand men ready to follow him into battle.

Looking upwards, he saw the clouds moving in haste.

Arial looked in front of him and his blue eyes gleamed. He was sitting on horseback like most of his soldiers.

He has fifty thousand men on his back, the banner of his House proudly stand there on the air fluttering. 

A dragon sitting on a mountain while it's left hand is holding a shining pearl. 

The tribes have no bannermen so he created his own bannermen. In the Empire to hold the banner of the Emperor was considered an honor.

There is also the sense in instilling unity. They are not Saranites. Not of Ragran. Not of Arakian, not of Negevians, not of the Thirteen Tribes. 

They are his men, his soldiers. Their tribe leader is Arial and their banners are the Dragon.

The Thirteen Tribes people have always been divided but under him they were united. 

Wind blows by Arial face as he closes his eyes before opening them back. In front of him he could see Balhae, a walled city.

Beside him is Ragar eagerly looking at the city wall that is afar with anticipation and excitement.

Behind his back is a bow. Ragar always follows Arial into battle using his bow to support Arial rear when he went charging.

The winds blow again.

They are waiting. Waiting for all their armies to assemble upon this hill. The rear on the other hand is protecting their animals. 

The rear consisted mainly of noncombatant units but people who follow Arial lead.

There are camels, oxen and cows, sheep, goats, and horses, resources and livestock of the people. 

Saranites on the other hand were very proud of their horses, and they rode them with great courage and spirit through the land.

Vernium, one of the Three Kingdoms was unlike the other Three Kingdoms. It has large mountain, thick forest, deep abyss and city encased in stone mountains.

It was only on Wyld region that there is a large Plain where the use of the riding beast Saranites tribesmen ability could be effectively shown.

The other three Kingdoms are mostly Plains with some Hills but nothing is as hard to conquer as Vernium. 

With Mountains acting as natural barrier and city high on a Mountain, Vernium Capital City Arqua boasts a strong defensibility. 

But it is also because of this their Kingdom ability to fight in an open battle diminished since they were used to fight in a defensive battle.

It was because of that Arial cavalry who were already mounted and excited to start war was put in the back.

Arial looted and robbed many caravans and forced them under him and as such he got sufficient weapons and horses.

His blacksmiths, fletcher's and armorer produces bows, arrows, pikes, spears, sword and sabre.

But iron is scarce and Arial army is not all armed in perfect condition. 

If this was the Empire, Arial would have fitted them all with armors and when they ride through the Plains, the Plains itself will shake with the trampling of his cavalry.

The moment when Arial went out of the forest, he takes over Leavenhill the closest town to Balhae.

He attacks with precise and lightning speed.

Then he took over the many towns surrounding Leavenhill, the village and its people put under his command. 

The young were recruited, the old, woman and children were left alone and were to produce resources.

With fifty thousand bloodthirsty warriors behind his back what could these small towns and village do other than bend their knee and swear fealty.

Arial noted the confusion and bewilderment of the natives of the Thirteen Tribe when they were to kneel and speak the Oath of Fealty.

This is because the Thirteen Tribe usual act of conduct in the war is to conquer and turn the defeated to slave but this did not sit well with Arial belief. 

To him as a Caelum race, Levitia has broken the bondage of slaves a long time ago in the Human Continent and as such he will not turn people to slave.

'My lord' Ragar words make Arial focus on his current situation. The wind is blowing westward and it created a cool atmosphere.

'What?'

'The scouts of Balhae have spotted us. One of the scouts we send has been found out. Should I organize a squad to protect my lord?'

'There will be no need' Arial said waving his hand. 

'Send a message to the back to hasten their moves. When about ten thousand of our troops are ready, we will take the city. The other forty thousand will act as reinforcement and could support us from the back. Protect the rear. I heard there is a group of fifty thousand soldier led by two men is on our back and are approaching.'

Ragar nodded. And he notices something when his lord talks about protecting the rear remembering that unconscious woman in the back

When they were at the forest Lord Arial after finding a woman in a forests send a scout to search the forest for any reason why the woman could fall down there and was wary of enemies hiding in the forest preparing for an ambush.

Lord Arial treated this woman extremely well, and there is a moving tent reserved primarily for her with a Healer taking care over her and armed guard posted around her.

But Ragar always noted the complicated expression of Lord Arial whenever he exited the tent of that woman.

On the other hand, the scouts did not find anything in the forest but the scouts did found something else. 

One night when the scouts was resting on a nearby Hill he noticed large fires from afar, smoke billowing. 

With the moon shining bright the scouts could see the smokes and the scout believes the amount of smokes indicates a large amount of people congregating in that area. 

The scout noticed the fire comes from the west a bit farther from Arial army location but is slowly approaching their group. 

Sending this intelligence to Ragar, Arial dispatched scouts to his rear and found out there is a group of fifty thousand men armed to the teeth and is marching the same route that Arial is marching towards.

It is why Arial had to hasten his move and to take Balhae as fast as possible. The worst case scenario would be them fighting in the forest.

Arial had many experiences in fighting pitched battle and even in the Plains but fighting in a forest with his army, this is something new for him.

Pitched battle was usually the kinds of battle in Human Continent. 

He even familiarizes himself with siege battle during his Conquest of the Human Continent. 

In Anvali he worked under the Orc King as his General and was gifted the glaive of the Orc King and is learned in the art of fighting in a large open areas

Even now, he remains a good friend of the King Koer Vor, the King of the Orcs and Arrandians trading with them is in a strong and the relationship between the Orchish land and Eden is extremely amiable with the King sending gifts and Arial reciprocated every New Year.

But forest battle? 

He never led his army into a battle in a forest, in fact he usually avoids fighting battle in the forest if he is leading an army.

Arial empire possessed a large cavalry even more so after he conquered Vangua and brought the other kingdoms to heels. 

His infantry is also the largest. 

In an open field his cavalry would crush any enemy of the Empire underfoot. 

In a large pitched battle his foot soldiers could overwhelm the enemy with just simple quantity.

But Arial never fought in a large forest and as such he knew that he had to hasten his soldiers. 

He went out of the forest to avoid falling into battle with that group in a forest. 

He takes Leavenhill and the towns surrounding it because he fears the fifty thousand armed men on his rear would take it and cut his supplies. 

Arial of all commanders understood the importance of supply lines and resources. His enemies are not only external enemies but also internal enemies. 

An external enemy is like the other tribes and enemies that wanted to absorb his army. His internal threat is his own army. 

Fifty thousand men under his command also mean fifty thousand stomachs to fill. Without food how could they march? 

Without food how could they wage war and fought battles?

This is why Arial take over those towns and gifted noble status to those that bend their knees. 

The Thirteen Tribes outside of the Shadowlands is not accustomed to swearing Oath of Fealty and bending the knee but the people inside the Shadowlands is familiar since they themselves have a nobility system.

Arial also noticed that their name is different in that they have Asterosi sounded names and even Eastian sounded name.