Deafeat

Defeat

By Gia Watson

Author of Deanna – The Chosen One

The massive gates slammed on the heels of the last Skirmishers, a bloody staggering group of men with a look of loss in their eyes. The city would soon be surrounded. A massive invasion force was heading this way, far faster than Deanna had ever thought possible. She was not nearly prepared enough.

High upon the wall she stood, long black hair billowing in the wind. Hazel eyes looked out upon the valley surrounding the huge city. Once a vast, fertile place, now filled with a billowing blackness that was the invading army. How in hell did she always get caught up in war? She thought quietly to herself. This had been nothing more than a quick visit with friends while looking for clues to the whereabouts of her lost people.

Mere hours after arriving on Varnon, rumors of war had reached her in the quiet inn she had chosen for the very fact it was located in a distant village far from major cities. A long time this world had been at peace, all of the large Kingdoms having formed an alliance, not dissimilar to what she knew about the history of Llamda and her own ancestors. Once again world wide peace seemed to attract the attention of darkness.

Curious about what was going on, Deanna had made her way to the capital city to see King Macon. Varnon was the largest Kingdom on this world, hence the name of the planet, and while the population was mostly nomadic, they were a fierce race. Deanna wondered who would be crazy enough to go to war with these people.

Macon had received her gratefully, rumor of her tactical genius and prowess in battle having come before her. Without a moments hesitation he asked her to lead his armies. He may not have had any hesitation, but Deanna did, for one thing, she still had no idea what the hell was going on. What had started war, who were they fighting?

“King Drag of Avalone” Macon had replied, albeit slowly

“What” she exploded “you two have been at peace for generations, what the hell happened?”

“He just started vying for leadership of the entire world” and Macon shrugged helplessly “I had no desire to fight him, but neither do I think there should be one King for this world.”

“No indeed” agreed Deanna vehemently “I wonder what could have changed him. Drag was always brusque, but he was honorable. Perhaps I should pay him a visit.”

“I don’t think it would do any good Deanna. I have sent envoy after envoy and they came back in pieces. Besides he has already landed. I am gathering my people to fight him off as we speak.”

Realizing the situation had already escalated out of control and there could be no peace as long as Drag remained on Varnon, Deanna had reluctantly agreed to help. Acting decisively Deanna led his armies out to meet Drag, before he could gain too much of a foothold. That had been her first mistake, but certainly not her last.

“All units to their forward positions” shouted Deanna, watching the massive invading army move in to take up siege positions.

“It looks as if we have not hurt them at all” and Deanna turned in surprise at the quiet voice coming from behind “Your Majesty, you should not be here.”

Macon smiled sadly, saying “I wanted to see for myself what we were facing.” And he sighed bitterly at the black roiling mass of men arrayed before his city “I needed to see the monsters responsible for destroying my Kingdom.”

“Your Kingdom is not destroyed yet” it was a gentle rebuke, but also a reminder for him to remain strong

“Isn’t it?” and the bittereness was evident in his voice and pale face. Macon normally a robust man, dark complexion, black hair, atleast six feet tall. Now he appeared shrunken, almost wasted, his dark skin, looking almost grey. Deanna saw wrinkles and grey hair where none had been before. He continued speaking, his voice thick with anger and sadness “can we possibly hold this city? We are outnumbered atleast 30 to 1. Time and again we have been beaten and driven back. This year has been one of nothing but loss. My mens morale is at an all time low. No Deanna we are lost, we cannot possibly survive.”

“Such an attitude assures victory to the enemy Your Majesty” Deanna gently chided him.

With a sad smile he said “I thank you Deanna, but I know we are doomed. Even with your centuries of experience he could not be defeated.”

Deanna bristled, but truthfully she knew he was right. All last summer she had led the Kings armies and had been defeated at every turn. Her every move countered, brillian strategies wasted and her every use of power had been neutralized.

Months ago, she had rode out of the Capital and only city at the head of 300,000 soldiers. Oh she had expected to be outnumbered, but had no plan to engage in pitched battles. But on reaching the coast, Deanna had been astounded to see more than three million enemy in the process of landing.

Knowing she had to rethink her entire strategy, Deanna pulled back, with the intent of building traps and fortresses all the way from the coast to the Capital. But what she had not counted on, was Drag being insane enough to throw 100,000 troops away, and before she could organize a retreat, they were ambushed by an advance force.

The Avalone force was outnumbered, Deanna quickly rallied her troops, and using their horsemanship to good advantage had switched from defensive to offensive in the blink of an eye. Bringing up the light calvalry she used them to engage the smaller force, and give the heavy horse time to regroup. When ready, they had lowered lances and charged. The light horse had stayed engaged until the last instant, peeling away to the left and right just as the heavy lances lowered and struck the enemy with a resounding clash.

The battle had not been protracted and Deanna had easily wiped out the 100,000 sent against her, but it had served its purpose. She had been held up long enough for a larger force to catch up and engage them. She found herself surrounded. It had been touch and go for an hour, but Deanna managed to arrange her forces and punch out to the rear, but her army had been badly decimated in the process. Ever since that day Varnons army had been driven back time and again. There had been little time to set up traps and none at all to build even the most rudimentary of forts to slow the enemy advance. It had been all on her and the soldiers, and they simply did not have enough numbers. So all summer had been a bitter defeat and now, at the onset of winter, she had retreated to the city for that most distressing of situations. A last stand.

#battle #defeat #magic #war #fantasy