Some of his boats were fitted with floating wooden platforms, should his archers require a change in position. There was some protection for those in it, with four foot wooden walls. Elis too had accomplished a commendable feat.
Elis says to companions “Allan has to be killed today, if he dies, the unified resistance against us will be crippled. Leave him to me if you see him” Elis then orders “attack! Archers draw and fire!” The battle had begun. Allan commands “archers ready! Fire at will!” Both sides were now in range of one another and were now drawing back their arrows to fire. The front ranks of both sides were now engaging each other, exchanging rounds of arrows at one another. Both sides opening and closing ranks to prevent losses as the archers took aim and fired. Nothing decisive was happening until catapult from the coast fires at one of Elis’s ships at the rear of Elis’s own, it is a direct hit. The ship catches fire and starts to sink. Only a few beasts make it as most get set on fire and get trapped underneath the large pieces of wooden, those who died first died on impact while the survivors swam to other ships. Realising his vulnerable position and angered Elis orders an all-out attack, sending his ships straight at Allan’s front line. Elis first move proves decisive as one of his ships has smashed into the flank of another, breaking it in two. From there the beasts picked the survivors off with arrows. Angered Allan orders the same general advance. His fleet goes straight for Elis’s now. Both sides begin up close sea warfare. They pelt each other with deadly rock, javelins, and arrows. The causalities are mounting in this close quarter fighting.
Boats start colliding with one another and the battle turns chaotic. Allan orders his boat forward and into the chaotic mess that no longer resembled a battle. Formations were broken and close combat ensued when opposing ships were side by side with one another. The battle could now go either way, the casualties are stalemated. Allan then orders his ship into battle. As he approaches the chaotic centre a boat slams into his. Not splitting in two but embedding itself into the side, both boat was out of action. The beasts then leaped onto Allan’s boat, aimed at killing him. Allan, Capurnicus and the other soldiers on that ship put up fight and a bloody fight breaks out as the soldiers desperately try to defend Allan, who is himself trying to protect the soldiers. Elis pot Allan’s ship that has only just managed to fight off an attack. His ship too has dead and dying beasts from ship battles he has just overcome. Without hesitation Elis rams into Allan’s ship. This time it breaks but Allan a couple of soldiers and Capurnicus jump onto Elis’s boat which at this point had one Orc, two of his companions and Elis. Allan is on the floating platform that Elis’s ship was moving. He watches Elis slowly approach where he is. “Brother” Allan says as he sees Elis stand on the side of the boat amidst the fighting behind his and Allan soldiers. The two of them lock eyes, like many times before, this time with the intent to kill one another.
Elis jumps onto the platform, armed with the royal longsword he was given. Allan was armed with the same weapon, receiving it when Elis did many years earlier. “Do not call me brother. Father never saw me as a son. Who am I?” Elis says, frighteningly staring at Allan with the urge to kill. “You’re right. No brother of mine would ever do something like this” Allan says. Elis thrusts his sword at Allan who slashes with his, deflecting it. Elis then thrusts his sword up at Allan’s face who then dodges and out flanks Elis by grabbing his thrusting arm and rapidly turning to put his sword on Elis’s neck. Elis responds quickly by using his free arm to grab onto Allan’s incoming hand which wields the incoming sword. Elis then frantically kicks Allan’s leg with his heel, making him lose balance. Elis is freed and throws Allan to the ground, who then drops his sword. Allan then gets on his knees and looks at Elis straight in the eye and says “this is how it ends huh? Kill me then and have your glory, have your destiny. What are you waiting for, Elis?” Suddenly something holds Elis ack from finishing Allan off. He does not what. He somehow just could not bring himself to kill Allan. “Think about it Elis. What will you achieve anyway? Stop this madness and come to your senses” Allan says. Suddenly Capurnicus leaps out of nowhere and grabs Allan who then cries “no. leave me”. Capurnicus brushes it off, more concerned about Allan’s safety and then thrusts him into a small fishing boat. The boat starts being rowed in the opposite direction by a few oarsmen. Allan turns to Capurnicus and says “you should have left me”. “He could have killed you. I had to get you out of there. And we need to stick to the plan” Capurnicus says. Allan then looks back, Elis was not there. He wonders what had happened. He saw something in his brother. Something he knew was still good.
Elis was on his ship and he starts watching the entire Human army start to retreat. Without even giving orders, Elis’s warriors start chasing after them in their ships. “There is something not right about this” Elis says. “You fool, you had him but you didn’t kill him. Why?” asked one of Elis’s companions. “I don’t know but it won’t happen again” says Elis. “Again? Because of you not killing him here there will be an again” says his companion in anger. Elis kept quiet. “What Elis? Have things suddenly changed?” his companion says into his face. Elis turns around socks this companion right in the face, a strong punch, that makes his would be enemy fall on his side. His other two companions and the beasts are shocked to see this. Elis kept quiet and stared at his beasts who were chasing Allan’s remaining ships, which is still a sizeable force. The Humans crossed into the sea borders of Unodos where the chain was stretched across. The Humans crossed the threshold and the beasts were soon to follow. Until a long and large metal chain rose from the water and the first boat crashed into it, breaking its hull, and slicing its front in two, a boat from behind smashed into it and this was happening across the threshold. The Humans then turned around and frantically fired their arrows into the tightly pack ranks of the boats at sea. The catapults on the coast began to fire as well. Bloody holes were smashed into the ranks of the beasts. The boats were on fire and the beasts were dying by the many. Elis then commands “sound the retreat”, shocked at what had just happened. Only a few ships managed to escape, the rest would perish in a hail of arrows, drown, or be set on fire.
The full sun shines it rays on the battlefield shortly after, revealing a sea stained with blood and covered with heaps of wood and the lifeless bodies of Humans and beasts. The Humans have won this battle and most of Elis’s warriors have been lost. This is not the end, however. So far people have suffered for nothing. There is no conclusion yet. This battle has crippled Elis’s army battle and so has the combined army of the Human kingdoms as a large percentage of their soldiers were killed at the wall. Both sides have exhausted their armies but everything that has happened has been for nothing, the war will still rage on. The two sides are down not out.
Diamonheim and Hetheil have sustained more losses but less in percentage compared to Koros and Unodos as per their civilian populations. Whatever soldiers Koros and Unodos had thrown into the battle of the Stunt Sea were mostly lost, these two kingdoms have been put out of action. They served the cause well and plan to continue to serve it in the form of what they do best, above warfare, Koros and its medical practices as well as Unodos and its uncanny skills in the art of forgery.
Over the course of the next few weeks Elis prepares what is left of his army for the siege of Ohith after he learns that the people of Koros and Unodos have fled their kingdoms, unable to defend themselves. Elis is going straight for Ohith and he plans to capture it and hold, waiting for his Goblin recruiters to come back with new troops from Doomenheim. But if the battle fails there will be no need. There is still a reason for war it seems.
Disaster strikes when Allan learns that the kingdom of Diamonheim will not be supporting him and his kingdom in the next battle but offers Hetheil’s people refuge in Diamonheim. They just could not fight any longer but are still willing to help the cause. Whatever this war has suddenly become, has trickled down to a standoff at Ohith between the troops that have stood by Allan all this time and Elis with his three
companions and the remaining beasts of Elis’s army.
Chapter 9 Part III: The siege of Ohith
It is noon and Elis’s troops have marched past Maredos and have made their way into southern Hetheil, destroying nothing as they travel, they were only there for conquest. Nero is amid the ranks of the Goblins that man the catapults, he had not seen action yet, having been recovering from an injury over the course of the two battles prior. He was still the same Nero, the same Goblin from Stunt Village and friend of Trolgar’s. He has formulated plans to secretly sabotage the siege of Ohith, aiding his true friends inside the city.
The city walls were large and tall, far taller than the Great Wall in the north. Allan’s father and the people of Ohith are not in the city, they are safe in Diamonheim. The only entities present in the defence of Ohith is Allan, Capurnicus, the Hetheilian militia, the palace guards, and the remainder of the Hetheilian land forces.
At mid-afternoon, Elis’s army is within catapult range of Ohith’s walls.