Anug 8th, 3329 A.G
The lake of Aises was nearly a day's journey across, but most of her army was suspicious still- and she couldn't blame them. Ebon's air had cooled again, but to the Dedori- people who'd spent most of their lives on the hottest continent, this meant nothing. Such a lake struck fear in them- as the scout in the distance made Nara's eyes narrow. They'd just started to go around the lake, where the land was so flat they could see much further than in Kroba- but were still obscured by tree coverings and lake boulders.
Nara wasn't sure if the scout'd seen her looking- until he smiled at her and turned his horse around.
Nara's heart sunk.
"My queen?" Andre frowned.
"Something is wrong. Get your breastplates on- now!" She shouted. "And ready your weapons."
Her people did what they were told, feeling something in the air too. In the past, any armor would've taken a few hundred moments to don- but theirs was different. They'd given the iron mines a design, and they'd certainly delivered.
Instead of being sewn into a doublet each time, their breastplates could be fastened at the sides and tightened- making it far more confident than what those of the Great War had to deal with.
Some were slower than others, but Maude and Andre were some of the first to get theirs on- Nara a few moments later. They wouldn't keep the entire sets with their horses- just the piece that would protect their organs and heart. Nara drew her sword as the last of her men fastened their plates, gesturing for a few to come forward.
"Take them far away from here." She commanded. "Protect them with your lives."
"And if any harm comes to my wife- I'll stab you all." Andre added. "That is a promise."
He leaned sideways just enough to kiss Imania, mumbling something under his breathe that made her smile. Nara looked away as they turned their horses around, back in the direction they'd come from.
She tried to peer through the distant trees and boulders for something- yet there were no people she could see. The giants shifted behind her as if they felt that something, yet Nara gave no command. How could she- when she didn't know just how many they'd be fighting?
"Train all you want, but nothing can ever truly prepare you for fighting five men at once." Her father'd told her. "Whether that's during an assassination attempt or..... battle."
"I will never be in a battle-" she'd started to reply, but then an eating knife was at her throat.
"And never let yourself be caught off guard either." He continued. "Two hundred years is far too long for a world to go without war. It may only take one Assasin- but by the gods the five who tried to take me at twelve were determined."
"Of course they were." Nara'd shrugged. "From their eyes, you represented everything the Ashhand's were at the height of our power so many hundreds of years ago. Brothers marrying sisters, spending however much coin they wanted while their people starved.... your own parents being twins made them think of whatever it was they read in old books. They believed they were stopping a cycle-"
"And yet they failed." Drue poured more wine. "Why is that?"
"They didn't plan it very well-" Nara'd started, only to earn an eyebrow raise. "They.... didn't learn much from Johanna Harsent. Their faces were known enough that the two who escaped you.... were found that day or a few later."
"Precisely-" he'd finally removed the knife from Nara's neck then. "Johanna Harsent murdered the last king, but at least she were smart about it. Before posing as a servant to murder King Jesper and Queen Nolis- she'd only killed commoners for other commoners. No one knew her face while she lived- as she'd go nowhere without a hooded fur, and would only meet clients with her face covered. She was a favorite secret of commoners for a while, until one of the first commanding lords or ladies caught wind- and brought her talents to the attention of the others. After that job was done- people knew her face, but no one ever saw it again. She'd disappeared in the chaos of the feast, and-"
"People don't just disappear." Nara'd shook her head. "Someone killed her. Some Ashhand loyalist found her, and they killed her without telling-"
"Wouldn't surprise me." Drue replied. "In any case she certainly would've deserved it."
Just out of sight, Lord Raaf's scout returned to camp. He dismounted his horse and ran for the Lord's tent so quickly that his words were difficult to understand.
"Commander-" He forced out, trying to catch his breath. "Commander she.... They are here I.... didn't see her king or....."
Lord Raaf gripped the young scout's shoulders. "Slow down. What are you telling me?"
"The.... Queen....." he said. "I saw... Nara Ashhand and.... about four thousand men just a few thousand paces.... northwest of here."
Raaf saw the faces of his children first- and then his wife. It was this moment he'd thought of for months- this moment that would determine what the history books said about him. He could be called the first to defeat Nara Ashhand- or the Emeric who lost Valia.
He would not let the second option happen without a fight- no matter how many men lord Torcull could lose. There were just over seven thousand of them. The usurper would not win so long as he stood, and if she were truly only a few thousand paces northwest- they didn't have much time.
"What are you waiting for then?" He calmly asked. "Alert the men."
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His camp descended into chaos. None had true battle experience, so even though they'd assembled by the time Nara's armies were in sight- it'd almost been too late. The flatlands made it so that, once they passed the boulders and sparse trees- Lord Raaf's camp was visible.
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By then, his men stood in formation- while Nara's did not. This would be the first battle she hadn't been given a chance to plan- and it could go very wrong very quickly if she weren't careful.
"Archers- behind the rest of us!" She yelled. It took only moments to scan over Lord Raaf's army- and see that they were outnumbered. "When you fight, remember how many of them there are. Most of you will fight three or four men at a time at least once- no matter how incredible our archers are. Never forget that most of you have been in battle before- and they have not. Show them how an Ashhand soldier fights. Show no mercy to those who refuse to surrender."
Nara's eyes lingered over the Lord Raaf as she slowly climbed down from her horse. Some others did the same, though most would fight mounted. "No one is to kill the Emeric. Make him bleed if you must- but his death is mine."
"My Queen?" Maude raised an eyebrow. "What will be done with the surrenders?"
Nara didn't answer. Her lip turned up as she screamed just loud enough for some of Lord Raaf's men to hear. "Aoq Ydas adafa ygeoz. Cooooq eez wosow epez."! (Rough Translation: Kill all of my enemies- but leave the pale man.)
They wouldn't understand her words- if anything those who did would be at the temple of Fenthos, but her tone got it across well enough.
The giants moved before Nara did. Lord Raaf gulped. Eight. How had his scout failed to mention so many?
In rage, he turned to the boy and plunged his sword into his chest. His horse bucked- but after he stabbed it too, it was no longer an issue.
"For Valia-" he shifted on his own. "And for Posan."
The scream that came out of him then was almost inhuman. The horses followed their rider's commands- forced into a gallop that Lord Raaf led.
"My Queen should you not get back on your horse-"
"I will do no such thing." Nara rubbed a thumb over the handle of her blade, looking back for only a second. "Let them come to us. All carts have been left back?"
"Yes, but I don't understand why you-" Andre started.
"You don't have to understand anything." Nara interrupted. "All you have to do is follow orders, and right now I am ordering you to let them approach."
Reluctantly, Andre listened- each of the soldiers growing more and more tense as the Posani neared and giants went to meet them.
They reached eachother just as the first arrow hit a Posani solider to Raaf's left. Blood stained the snow faster than the giant's survivors reached them.
As many around her fought and fell off horseback- Nara focused on lord Raaf. She would have gone straight for him, but a sword went right over her head. She plunged hers into the underside of her attacker's horse. When they fell- it landed on top of the soldier and broke too many bones to count. Nara watched for only a moment as three Posani worked together- one trying to remove Ceaw's eye armor as two stood ready with swords.
The first never got closer than arm's length before being picked up at the neck and crushed like a boiled potato. The two tried- but they never had any hope of escaping her monsters. Ceaw was only her second largest, but it and Wiloow had been with her the longest- and were the closest to having their own personalities. Ceaw grabbed one by the foot, unphased as he hit it's arm over and over again with an axe. In one motion, Ceaw swung the man's body like it were an axe and hit the other with it so hard both became one with the soil- one or two arm length's deep.
Nara laughed as another tried to make his horse trample her- and both he and his mount got arrows to their eyes and chest. Nara removed his head as a kindness, swinging around when she felt the presence of another over her shoulder.
Her sword found his chest just as his sliced her back. She grimaced, reminded of the scar on her side- but this one was not so deep. Even as blood seeped through her tunic, she pushed the man over.
He was blocking her view of the lord Emeric- and that she could not have. An arrow whizzed by her head- but then there was another, taking care of the man who'd shot at her.
There were plenty of Posani Archers- but hers were far more skilled.
Nara head butted a soldier who got too close, turning the giant's attention on him while she stabbed another horse and pushed it over onto it's rider.
Nothing would stop her from getting to a man who'd helped burn her home.
He was just a few dozen paces away then, sword locked with one of her's- and his horse dead a few paces to his right. All around her- she heard screams as Posani after Posani were crushed- thrown so far their bodies could no longer be seen, or stabbed though various parts of their bodies. She smiled. He thought he'd come prepared- but they were still winning and he appeared to know it.
For a long while- as Nara's man followed her order, Lord Emeric appeared to give up. Then- the lord smiled. With one hand still on his sword, the other dropped to his pocket so fast her man didn't have a chance. His dagger found itself in the man's neck, dragged down enough to create an opening. An arrow found the lord's shoulder- but he just grunted and continued on.
He looked straight towards Nara then, knowing she'd been watching the entire time. Not a moment later- the man's heart was thrown at her feet.
A few around saw what'd happened- but true to Nara's command, they did not let themselves be distracted. They fought on while Nara screamed, heading straight for Raaf.
He pushed her man's body aside like it were nothing, calm as the usurper ran.
Two tried to block her path- but they did not live long. Then- it was just them. Nothing mattered but his death.
When she were finally close enough, Nara lifted her sword over her head. Lord Raaf blocked it at the last moment, kicking Nara in the stomach so hard she grunted and nearly stumbled back. Instead, she stepped away and thrusted.
Anyone looking on would've thought she had it that time- yet he moved out of the way just in time.
"It must be frustrating-" Lord Raaf said. "Knowing I gave Pusel bushes to Voryn that helped them burn thousands of your people alive, and you- the apparent greatest swordswoman alive, cannot even get a sword through me."
Nara laughed. "Yes- quite frustrating. Think you could do me a favor and come closer?"
"If I do, my sword will go first."
"As you insist, then-" Nara ducked as he did what was promised, slicing a chunk off his right leg. "I do enjoy a grown man's screams."
Lord Raaf's eyes widened as he stared down at the wound. A small cut was one thing- but the sight of so much blood flowing from one's own body, a bone, and a piece of you not being attached to you would make anyone forget where they were. He dropped his sword, trying to stop the bleeding. As Nara bent down, three of her archers focused on them- picking off anyone who got too close.
"It must be terrifying-" Nara mocked him. "To know you will die and leave four children without a father. Now I have no intention of harming them if they behave- but having you as a father? I wouldn't be surprised if I was forced to execute them too."
Lord Raaf could just barely hear her speaking over the ringing in his ears. She was right about one thing- he would die, but his children? That was a new low even for her-
He didn't have the energy to scream again when a golden-handled dagger was plunged into his stomach.
"That was for Terricus." She said, plunging it again into a different spot. "Lillian. Rosamund Rachillis- and every other innocent who died without reason. Know this: I am not done with Valia yet."
Raaf Emeric died faster than she would've liked because of the blood draining from his leg. Regardless, it was satisfying to watch the life leave his eyes. She made a note to save the body as a special gift for his family- and turned back to the fight. Every sword was needed, and she could celebrate his death later.
Somehow, Maude and Andre had ended up back to back- dozens of paces away despite starting near Nara. They'd been sorrounded by a group of Posani who recognized them- but neither were worried.
Archers picked some of those around them off- and together they were two of the best warriors in Nara's army.
A few of Andre's men saw what was happening and came to help, but in the end it was still them who killed the most. Andre sliced a man's head off at the same time another came to help- and though Maude's fight was more intense, she too was covered in blood by the end.
At the same time, another went for Andre- and found an arrow sticking through one cheek and out the other instead.
Maude thrusted her blade upwards, through the neck of one- watched as an arrow hit another she fought, and cut the arm off a man who'd raised his sword over Andre's head. Another went for her face- only for a sword's tip to protrude through his mouth instead.
None would ever be able to say if the battle had lasted half an- or a few hours, but by the end- more blood was visible than snow. History books would call it the first Valian battle- but those who'd lived through it would call the flatlands A field of death until their own deathbeds.
The bones of each soldier ached- and stepping over so many bodies only made it worse, but eventually Nara could see that it was over.
"Cooooq adoq eez!" Nara screamed over the sounds of the dying. Her giants stopped what they were doing almost immediately, and what remained of the Posani army nearly collapsed in surrender. Nara'd never seen such intense defeat in so many people's eyes- and it was beautiful. Even more beautiful- was watching her men round the soldiers up in a line and patrol the edges as she brought her giants before them. Andre and Maude moved to stand beside her- exhausted and out of breathe.
Their people stood wherever they could while some went out to count the deceased, and that felt like it took longer than the battle- though it didn't. When it was over, one soldier was sent to Nara with the numbers.
"Six thousand, eight hundred and seventy three of theirs- my queen." He said. "There's around three hundred and thirty something who live- without injuries certain to kill them before the night's over."
"And ours?" Nara raised an eyebrow.
"My queen?"
"How many of ours are dead?"
"Seven... my queen." He gulped. "Three of House Tomhend. One Narenian man. Three Kroban-"
Nara sighed, looking out at the faces of those three hundred and thirty something survivors. Then- she spoke loud enough for them to hear. "Take seven more of those who've surrendered. Cut their heads off for examples- and find the lord Emeric's body to send to his family when they pass through there."
In the same breath, the survivors all kneeled- caring not for who got picked- so long as it wasn't them.
After those seven had been picked, their heads removed form their bodies- Nara continued. "Tell anyone who will listen what has happened here. You may all leave- but without your weapons, and with only the clothes on your back. Use this mercy to go home to your families, but know that I will treat all of you the way a queen dies traitors should you ever fight against me again. Tell your lord this, and make sure he understands: He is next."