Chapter 316: Bruttiis retreat and Eleas invasion
Fortunately, there is a sentry tower more than one metre taller than the wall. With the support of the light infantries’ arrow and javelins launched by the freemen led by Cid, the wall in the southern section remain relatively safe.
Cid fired an arrow piercing through the enemy’s chest that it even penetrated the thick leather armour, and the enemy fell towards the ground.
He then tried to reach for another arrow but found out that his quiver was empty.
“Fetch me a new quiver!” Cid shook his right hand and ordered the guard next to him.
A moment later, the guard hurried back. He handed him a quiver with ten arrows and said, “Strategos, the quartermaster requested that you save your arrows as there are not many arrows left.”
“How did it get used so fast?!” Cid said with some dissatisfaction.
“I asked him that as well. He said that the light infantry and the freemen have more than two thousand archers, and a quiver has ten arrows, so that is around twenty thousand arrows, and now, almost all the archers have used up their quivers…he also said…also said that ‘the arrows are all bought with money, and the price is not low. This time, due to their prior plan, our second legion needed it for defence, so Mersis had distributed 30,000 arrows to us. Otherwise, they would never have let us waste them like this!’” The guard said with some grievance.
Although Cid was a bit angry, the quartermaster of the logistics brigade was now under Mersis. Thinking of that stingy fatty, Cid felt some headache. He then said in a loud voice, “Brothers, even if we run out of arrows, there’s nothing to worry about as we still have our rhomphaia and javelins, right?!”
“Yes!!!”
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Pian was anxious with the situation at a deadlock. He looked back at the warriors resting in the rear and hesitated whether to send his last 5,000 men. However, the narrow battlefield made it too crowded under the wall that no matter how many people there, it would not change anything.
Just then, he heard a “boom…” behind him, followed by cheers.
“The wall has collapsed! The enemy’s wall has collapsed!!…” As the warriors at his side cheered, Pian turned back in excitement: A large opening had appeared in the middle of the southern section of the wall, and the Bruttian warriors rushed in…
“Don’t panic! Don’t panic!” Burim shouted to appease the panicking Besidisian warriors. With Baripiri being too old, his nephew was the one leading the warriors in his tribes. Thus among the three chieftains in Besidice, Burim was the oldest, the most qualified and the most prestigious. Although he did not want to fight the Consentians, he had to work hard for the survival of his people on the battlefield.
“Hold your position. The wall will not collapse again!…” Shouted Burim. He knew full well that the hole on the other side was caused by the warriors’ negligence, causing the wall to be burned with oil and hit by a ramming ram.
“Hold on! Don’t worry about the enemies rushing in. The Theonians will deal with them!…” He said that because he had already seen fully armed Theonian soldiers lining up behind the collapsed section of the wall. He was surprised by the rapid and orderly movement of Theonian troops.
For the soldiers of the third and fourth brigades of the second legion, the collapse of the wall was a good thing as they could finally make up for their lament of not being able to go up the wall to kill the enemy…
When the Bruttian warriors stepped on the collapsed soil and kicked open the broken wall, and rushed inside, they were surprised to find that they were facing an iron wall surrounded by countless copper shields and sharp spears. At the rhythmic sound of the war drums, the Theonian soldier steadily struck and retracted their spears, with each jab potentially taking a life…
The Bruttian warriors who rushed in could not form a formation with their companions, nor were they organised by their officers. And with only their bravery, not only they could not resist the group attack of the Theonian army, but they also had to guard against the arrows from the towers and the javelins of the Besidisian warriors.
Within a short time after they stepped into the wall, the casualties of the Bruttian warriors increased sharply. Although they want to retreat, their way back was blocked by the excited oncoming warriors.
The third and fourth brigades of the second legion advanced steadily, shrinking the encirclement, causing the Bruttian warriors to huddle together, making it harder for them to even wield their weapons.
Pian was delighted at the sight of many Bruttian warriors rushing into the gap, but their advance suddenly halted, with the warriors lingering around the opening unable to enter. Then he became shocked at watching the Bruttian warriors who suddenly fled in disarray. Soon after, a team of brightly armoured Theonian soldiers came out of the wall’s opening, who then took advantage of the situation to attack the flank of the other Bruttians who were still attacking the walls. After a while, the disorder retreat was no longer just the point of the gap but evolved into the entire Bruttian offensive line…
Witnessing this, Pian’s heart sank with disappointment, as he could see that the Theonian army occupying Besidice was not just a minor force of Theonia with only a few thousand soldiers as judged by the chieftains. But it is most like that whatever legion that Theonia claimed!
“Retreat…” He shouted with pain.
However, after gathering the defeated warriors and returning to the camp in frustration, he received a piece of even worse news.
“What did you say?! There’s a revolt in Consentia?!”
“Yes, grand chieftain. In the early morning of the following day, several tribes suddenly led their people to attack the inner city after you left. If not for chieftain Kaduk leading his troops in time, I am afraid that they would have succeeded! Currently, they are occupying the western side of the outer city, and the high priest sent me to inform you quickly and hope that you can quickly quench these rebels and restore peace to the city of Consentia!” Said the messenger anxiously.
“I understand. Go back and tell the high priest that I will immediately return with my army and to not panic and defend the inner city first with Kaduk!” Pian made a quick decision. In the first place, in order for the ‘Council of Seven Elder’ to monitor and rule those disobedient tribes, they have decided to force them to move to the outer part of Consentia. Now, this revolt was a wake-up call to Pian that the Theonians has had an impact on the tribes in the Bruttian area, especially those who were forced to submit to the union. So he had to act quickly to avoid worsening the situation.
He then asks Petaru to carry out the order to pull out of the camp.
Shortly after, Bodiam broke in and exclaimed with agitation, “Did I hear it wrong? Pian, you want to go back to Consentia?! And just let the Theonians continue to construct their fortress here?!”
“Elder Bodiam, what else can we do? Continue attacking the fortress?!” Pian was no longer anxious as when he had just heard the news. He then asked calmly, “I am afraid that there are more than six thousand highly trained Theonian soldiers behind the fortress wall and more than two thousand traitors from Besidice who had taken refuge with them. Besides, with the fortress being well-defended, do you think that we can capture this fortress just by ourselves?! You should know that we have lost nearly two thousand men in today’s battle! TWO THOUSAND MEN!! That’s half the number of Anbanian warriors you have brought!”
After hearing this, Bodiam sat down with disappointment…after a while, he raised his head and murmured, “Do we just watch as the Theonian army breaks into our home through Besidice…”
“Then let them come!” With a loud shout, Pian looked at Bodiam, stepped forward and gave him a strong hug, and said in a firm tone, “We are going to go back and recruit all the Bruttians! We are going to fight the Theonians to the death on the Consentia Plateau! This war will determine the rise and fall of the Bruttians! And Amara, will protet us!”
“Plateau…” Through the reminder of Pian, Bodiam strengthened his morale, “Yes, Amara will bless us! We also have the Consentia Plateau!…”
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The highly energetic Cincinnag welcomed the help of many tribes in the north of Grumentum, advancing smoothly to the south and only encounter an obstacle after arriving at the south.
Those tribes that had previously migrated from Nerulum and were the first to submit to Theonia drove out the messengers sent by Cincinnag and united to prepare against Pyxous as they identified more as a Theonian, and trusted Theonia more than Pyxous, who was far to the west of Grumentum.
Cincinnag became furious. When he finally started to prepare to lead the army to attack these disobedient tribes, a report came that there was a movement in the city of Grumentum on the north, and about two thousand Theonian soldiers came out of the city.
This has made Cincinnag worry that if he were to attack the Lucanian tribes in the south, he would be suddenly attacked by the Theonians from the flank, prompting him to withdraw his army.
As soon as Pyxous’s army withdrew, the Theonians also withdraw into the city as well.
This happened for two days in a row, making Cincinnag judge that the Theonians were just acting and had neither the courage nor the gut to attack him.
Thus he asked Genat and two thousand warriors to keep an eye on the city of Grumentum while he himself lead the rest of his troops to conquer the tribes in the south.
At this time, Pyxous sent a messenger to tell him the bad news, ‘A thousand Eleans’ invaded Pyxous’ territory, destroying their farms and burning their settlements. But due to their limited strength, they do not dare to attack rashly, so they asked Cincinnag for emergency assistance!’
After hearing this, Cincinnag stamp with rage.