Chapter 60

Coup de Grace

 

Drunken with Sir Arius’ recent victory on the fields of Korelia, the Coalition gave little thought to Viscount Jorge’s and the cavalry’s whereabouts. Many assumed that the news of another victory was just around the corner. Things were looking promising, and discipline was relaxed.

When dozens of cavalrymen emerged from the forest, the South Hill column cheered for them, believing this to be Lord Jorge’s triumphant return. But their hearts fell when they saw the dreadful Blue and Bronze Chevron heraldry on the battle standard.

Panic set in as the captains flocked to their commander, asking for instructions. Meanwhile, riders were dispatched to the other columns, warning them of the unsettling development.

As for the South Hill men, still shaken by the previous two charges, they could hardly stomach another round. In a flash of inspiration, one of the nobles shouted that the Korelian cavalry was simply evading pursuit, and the Black Knights were hot on their tails.

This gave them a semblance of hope and allowed the column to function. However, that illusion was shattered when the Korelians paraded black helmets and pieces of black armor atop their lances.

This was the Lord of Korelia's magic trick: to make two-hundred cavalrymen disappear after entering the forest.

Now, the parading Korelians threw fresh taunts and mockery at their opponents, further demoralizing the column.

Yet, the South Hill men persisted. Another charge was probably needed to break them, yet Lansius didn’t see the need to do so. A parade was all he had instructed his knights to do.

After all, what Lansius wanted now was the Coalition’s undivided attention to him. That way, Audrey in the south could roam free.

For Lansius, after the ambush and the elimination of the Coalition’s cavalry, the war was largely over. What was left was simply cleanup and tying up loose ends.

While close to six thousand men were still standing in the field, to him, the best they could do was make noise before their eventual defeat.

 

***

 

Audrey, Korelia Town, Southern Gate

Lady Felis knotted three strands of her golden hair into Audrey’s headband. “I wish you the greatest of luck,” said the lady as she completed the knot.

“Gratitude, Lady Felis,” Audrey replied with a smile. She then donned her helmet, looked at her men, and gave her command. “Open the gates!”

“OPEN THE GATES!” the men echoed her order and swung the sturdy southern gate open.

The two friends exchanged a glance, conveying much without words. They had only met several times before Korelia but had quickly become fast friends.

Felis’ naturally bubbly, happy-go-lucky, and largely carefree personality matched well with Audrey’s daredevil style. More than that, Audrey’s sharp instincts told her subconsciously that Felis was someone she could trust, even more so than Hannei who had saved her life.

“Be safe,” the blonde said.

“I’ll see you soon,” the brunette replied, and then gallantly rode her horse toward the southern gate.

Cheering erupted from the townsfolk as the twenty cavalrymen rode out.

Once outside the city, Audrey led her cavalry westward. This late in the fight, their presence and intentions were hidden from the enemy, and they aimed to capitalize on that aspect.

Even if someone spotted them, there was a little risk at this point. The Lord was holding a parade to the north to draw the attention of the Western Lords. It was also Audrey’s cue to sortie.

With only twenty riders, they certainly weren’t going to charge into a column of two-thousand men. Clad in only their brigandines, or ringmails, they couldn’t even come close to replicating what Lansius had done with his knights.

Among them, only Audrey was furnished in her black gothic plate armor. However, this arrangement wasn’t accidental. Speed was commanded to them.

Lord Lansius had purposely instructed them to ride light. Only two riders carried lances. Everyone else carried torches.

Led by an experienced scout with a dog in his lap, these twenty riders weren’t interested in charging a column.

Audrey and her riders slowed down as they reached the first spot, confirmed by the scout’s dog.

The lady in black smiled at the cute little creature before turning to her men, her expression turning serious. “Burn all the caches. Let’s make a big pyre for this wretched Western Lords’ army!”

Every battle is won before it is ever fought.

Even if Lansius' cavalry charge had failed, even if he hadn't been able to bait Lord Jorge, he would have won this battle through fire tactics alone. Failure would only have meant more casualties on the opposing side and not a complete victory for Korelia.

 

***

 

Baron Omin

Facing the city to the south, Baron Omin commanded a fresh column of two-thousand men. Because of the distances, he was unaware of Lansius’ parade to the north and thus content to play his part in the siege.

A veteran of several battles, Omin held command under a large umbrella, offering protection from the summer heat. From there, he periodically sent out scouts, rotated his troops, and listened to reports.

Nothing had piqued his interest until a scout reported movement to the south.

“Cavalry to the south, you say?” Baron Omin craned his neck in that direction, frowning when he saw nothing from his seat.

“Yes, My Lord. A small group, galloping without a banner or colors.”

“How the hell-“ one of his staff began, grimacing. No one had assumed that Lansius still had another cavalry at his disposal, and they were the closest to this new threat.

“Not now! Get the captains and form a square formation,” Omin ordered his staff, who sprang into action.

Omin, too, was surprised but concealed it well.

What are these Korelians thinking? They’ve launched reckless charges against the northern column. Surely, they put all their cavalry on that charge to even have a chance of success?

Despite pondering further, Omin couldn’t fathom why the Korelians had split their cavalry. He put that thought aside as he watched his troops assume a square formation.

Though this formation was naturally slower to move and lacked concentrated strength, it offered protection on all flanks.

“So, where are they?” Omin asked the returning scout from atop his horse.

“My Lord, the Korelian cavalry doesn’t seem to be heading here,” the scout reported, doubt evident on his face.

Omin sensed something was wrong. In a spur of the moment, he pulled on his horse’s reins and rode southward, willing to take more risks to learn the Korelians’ intentions.

Eleven riders followed Omin. They had no more horsemen available. They had barely traversed two hundred meters through the yellowing wild grass when Omin noticed something.

Smoke. White puffs billowed from multiple spots on the southern horizon.

Unsure if he was seeing things correctly, Omin reined in his horse and came to a stop.

His accompanying riders noticed it too and reported, “My Lord, look. Fires, the Korelians are burning the wild grass.”

Something bothered him, so Omin dismounted. Once on the ground, he found himself surrounded by grass taller than his knee, almost reaching his waist. He drew his knife and cut the closest bunch of grass.

The husks in his palm were yellowing from the summer sun. As he ripped it out, he found it was sturdier and thicker than usual, but not old enough to be harvested for hay. He discarded the grass and started looking around, noticing an odd uniformity in the grass.

“Scouts,” Omin suddenly yelled.

A man quickly dismounted and approached him.

“Haven’t the Korelians been grazing their livestock here? Why is all this grass full-grown?” His shock was apparent.

The scout looked perplexed but quickly knelt to inspect the roots of the grass. His wide eyes confirmed Omin’s suspicions.

“My lord, the fire is spreading,” one of the riders reported with some urgency.

With haste, Omin mounted his horse again. His gaze swept across the plains, now filled with smoke. A gust of dry wind swept past his face. The heavy scent of burning grass filled his nostrils, and in that moment, he realized something: The Southern Wind, the wind that blew from the south to the north.

“Lansius, Lansius, Lansius!” he cursed, full of rage, slamming his fist into his armored thigh three times. He had just realized that the opponent had outmaneuvered him, trapping him in a precarious position.

Perplexed by the Baron’s behavior, his captain queried, “My Lord, why is the small fire angering you? They tried it before against Sir Arius with little effect.”

Omin had no time to explain. Biting his lips, he calculated his next move.

“Should we move the column to the south and try to put out the flame?” his captain suggested.

“There’s no time,” Omin snapped. “Don’t you fools get it? The Korelians are trying to burn the whole plains!”

Omin’s outburst failed to sway his staff. The thought of someone attempting to burn the vast Korelia plains was easily dismissed as a joke. Even at the height of summer, it wasn’t easy to burn wild grasses. If it were, their attempt at cooking the previous night would’ve burnt down their entire campsite.

“Go now! Ride to the column and get them back to the encampment immediately. Sound a retreat if you have to,” Omin ordered.

His staff nodded, albeit with skepticism. They probably thought the fire was a distraction at best. However, they welcomed the chance for an early rest. Standing in armor under the summer sun was far from comfortable.

“My Lord, where are you going?” asked one of his staff as Omin steered his horse away from them.

“I’ll head to the encampment and alert them. We need to start packing before the fire reaches them,” Omin said as he rode away.

Accompanied by only his Nicopolan bodyguard and four horsemen, he raced westward toward the encampment.

 

***

 

Last winter, Lansius had consulted various records and eyewitnesses in Korelia. He learned that in summer, the wind consistently blew to the north. At the time, he gave it little thought, as nature was unpredictable.

Still, as early as spring, out of caution, Lansius began to stockpile flammable materials of mostly locally available animal fat, thinking they might prove useful. Furthermore, he persuaded local shepherds to graze only on the eastern side of town.

Even when he wasn’t certain that the plan would ever see the light of day, Lansius went so far as to prevent Batu’s tribesmen from grazing on the west side of Korelia town. Because of his orders, the western plains were left wild and untouched.

When news of the Western Lords’ invasion reached him, bringing with them a massive number of troops, Lansius knew his fire strategy was the only way out. However, he disliked the idea. Scorched earth was generally frowned upon by anyone, so he tried his best to mitigate the effects.

After all, his aim was not to create more enemies, but to strike a favorable deal. War isn’t just a matter of killing and spilling enough blood but also, ironically, a means to resolve issues. Thus, the plan underwent several changes and revisions.

When Lansius revealed his plan to the small council, many were surprised. Despite the Lord’s remarkably open and chatty attitude with his closest peers, he had managed to maintain a secretive side. Only Audrey and Calub suspected something.

The reason why Lansius had visited the forest many times since spring was to study its layout, memorize paths, and familiarize himself with the details. His seemingly casual forest excursions were, in fact, careful preparations for the upcoming ambush. Finding the costard fruit tree was just a bonus.

Despite Lansius’ clumsiness and unassuming looks, he was ready for war. His hesitation was merely coming from his fear of failure, and the fear that he may inflict too many casualties, practically burning the bridge to a favorable end.

As capable as he was as a warlord, he didn’t wish to wage war on the entire Lowlandia. Above all else, he yearned for peace. For that very reason, he needed a decisive victory.

Aside from bloodline, the Lowlandians respected might. Thus, Lansius aimed for a knockout punch so severe, a victory so complete, that the Lowlandians couldn’t ignore and would remember for a long time.

To achieve this, he devised a four-stage plan:

1. Sir Justin’s challenge, which was a distraction.

2. Lansius’ surprise charge, which turned out to be bait.

3. The forest ambush, which was his killing blow, neutralizing the Coalition cavalry and securing Lord Jorge’s neutrality.

4. The final strike: setting the plains ablaze, to rout the entire Coalition.

Right now, the plan had reached the final stage. This strike was kept hidden from everyone except his most trusted retainers. For this, Lansius trusted Audrey to carry it out.

For this reason, Audrey and her twenty horsemen rode with pride. This was their hour of glory. The sea of yellowing grass greeted them with open arms while the dry wind clamored for their success.

Accompanied by the scout and the dog, they dashed across the western plains, seeking and burning the caches of flammable materials they had hidden - mats of hay soaked in animal fat and covered with dried grass.

On their own, the cache wouldn’t be able to cause a significant fire. The real threat lay in the untouched, full-grown, ungrazed pastures of the western plains. The wild yellowing grass, almost completely dried from the summer heat, was perfect for a wildfire.

Lansius’ strategy required them to do more than just start a series of fires. They needed to turn the entire western plains into an inferno.

Audrey and her men set fire to every cache they found. The dried hay and animal fat flared up, blazing hot and brightly. Propelled by the dry wind, it grew so hot that the wild grass caught fire almost instantly. What started as hundreds of isolated fires rapidly transformed into an uncontrollable wildfire.

Like riders of hell, Audrey’s cavalry raced across the plains, leaving a blazing trail in their wake. They had no one to challenge them, as the Coalition cavalry was neutralized and Lansius’ parade in the north kept them in check. Even if they realized the intention, it was far too late by now.

Fanned by the strong southern wind, the fire spread across the entire western plains. The once serene fields of Korelia had transformed into a roiling inferno. The Coalition could only watch helplessly as the inferno advanced northward toward their formation and encampment.

 

***