Arthur; The Legend and Myth Chapter 120

120.

Lancelot rode to meet Tristam and the knights. He was told during one of his rests that the knights were on route to form the flankers but he held some dire news. He was also told that the Saracen riders were headed for the valley where Arthur was camping.

Meanwhile at the valley, Procurator Lucius had to begin the battle when he was advised that the legionnaires were getting uneasy at the waiting game. He called on the Centurions and told them to prepare for war. He offered himself to lead the legion without their Prime who died earlier. He massed the two legions into two columns. The legionnaires were formed into the wedge position; with the sides to come forth and surround the enemy. They were to march when they saw the hordes of horses stampeded towards them. He saw then the wagons that were pulled by some of the horses.

“By Jupiter, what madness?” Lucius called out when he saw madness that the enemy had done to the animals and wagons. On the animals’ tails were the torch with the fire lighted which was making the animals reacted in rage. There was more to that when he saw next were the wagons which were stored with lighted tree branches. The wagons were also pulled by the horses but without riders. Procurator called for a ‘tortoise’ formation which was to form a huge square but the other Prime had called for his legionnaires to break up and formed a series of smaller square.

It would have worked but they were not prepared for the second wave of attackers from the flank. It was not any horses or wagons but screaming warriors in fur coats and armed with battle axes. They were mercenaries hired from among the Visgoths who were enemies of the Romans. The legionnaires at the flank taken by surprise there formed up in the phalanx formation to challenge the mercenaries. The three thousand mercenaries held no formation but ferocity in their attack. They screamed out their battle cries and swung their axes above their heads.

“Form the defensive line.” The Centurions there called out and the Roman Legionnaires were trained with full discipline to react to the orders. Meanwhile in the other side, the Romans were swamped by the raging animals which charged into the formations. It was blunt force against the discipline of the Romans. The animals which were twice or thrice the mass of a man clashed and thrashed against the steel weapons and square shields. The force of the charging animals was alike to massive force against the wall. The legionnaires tried to maintain their strength by thrusts at the animals but it was the fires that were dislodged from the wagons that broke their formation. Once that was done, the raging animals were rampaging through the formations.

That was not all.

The next waves were the knights.

The knights rode in with their horses and armed with the heavy spears rammed into the Roman Legionnaires. They were alike the raging animals but with a more determined killing skills. Their rage was in their weapons. The horses were armoured with metal scales that covered their main body prevented them from mortal wounds.

“Form the Tetsudo!”The Centurions commands the legionnaires who were then in chaos. The legionnaires heard the command and some of them took to it. The knights rode at them and thrust the long handle spears that cut into the legionnaires.

Then the third waves came from Arthur’s side.

It was the foot soldiers and mercenaries. They were like the Visgoths; free of formations but blood curling calls of theirs were driving them forward. They charged into the legionnaires and picked on the stragglers.

It was a battle of blunt force against a disciplined enemy but the element of surprise and diversity in forms unnerved the discipline.

In any battle, casualties cannot be avoided. 

“Form with me!” Lamorak rushed forth with his axes swinging. The axes were coated with blood and on its blades there were chips where it blunted against the harder surfaces. The knight from Arthur’s side rushed into the three legionnaires which formed a trio there. He saw the foot soldier fell to the trio but the raging knight rushed at them despite the numbers. He deflected the pilus thrust at him with the left axe while his right axe chopped at the extended arm to sever the elbow from the forearm. He then swung his left axe in a wide arc to cut at the other legionnaire before he rushed in on the last one. He was swinging his other axe at the last legionnaire. The later repay the deadly blow with the pilus thrust into Lamorak’s left thigh. The knight screamed out in pain but his rage was making move on then for another legionnaire. He dragged his wounded leg to attack another legionnaire engaged in a one to one fight with a foot soldier.

 Lamorak swung both his axes from the side into the legionnaire’s waist killing the later but his move exposed his back to a Centurion who thrust the gladius ito his back. The blade cut in deep from the back into the liver and then it was twisted to cut across the waist.

Lamorak was screaming out in pain just before his heart ruptured from the deadly cut.

Gawain saw the death of Lamorak but he was soon confronted with his own mortality. He deflected the gladius swung at his left side with his shield, and then he went in with his blade in a direct thrust. He felt the blade cut past the armour and into the flesh. The bloods spurted out like a burst water bag before the Roman centurion dropped to the knees. He took a pause to look at the dead knight whom he had sworn to kill but that task was taken by another. For a while Gawain questioned his action.

Questions may raised doubts and it led to his death.

Gawain felt the same pain as Lamorak but his wound made him unable to scream when the pilus blade thrust into his neck from the side. The legionnaire held the pilus with both his hands held high.

It was then the call for retreat was made.

Arthur looked to his regrouped warriors. They had battled an enemy twice their numbers but his strategy worked. He had kept the presence of the Visgoths from his own knights for he was unsure of how many spies there were in his army. He had won the battle but the war was from over.

Arthur lost almost half his army and some good knights including Sir Kay and Gawain.

Procurator Lucius sat back on the seat he was provided. He lost almost one legion to the battle. He was still recoiling from the defeat when the other Prime stepped in.

“You committed a grave error, Procurator. They almost wiped out your command.” The Prime was without hesitation voicing his anger.

“Do I detect a revolt here?” The Procurator looked at the other. “I saw the battle from here. The animals were directed towards my legion. All your side did was pushing until the Visgoths arrived. Then you move to get them into my side too.”

“Are you a Legionnaire or a barbarian?” Procurator asked the Prime.

“Rome will hear of my report.” The Prime took to leave but the Procurator stopped him.

“You may leave but the Legion stays with me. I hold the command of them as what was stated on this scroll.” Procurator Lucius produced the scroll from inside his tunic. “Defy this and you defy Rome.”

Procurator turned to the Centurions assembled there.

“We have a war to win. Rome will not lose the second time to this barbarian. Rome must triumph.”

That was what Lancelot told Tristam.

“We cannot lose this war. We must triumph. It will be the end of Arthur.” Lancelot whispered to the other knight while they remained hidden in the tree line. They were watching the Saracen riders which were twice their numbers. The Saracen’s were far from their homeland of acrid sands and strong winds. Then at the forest of the Gaul, the scenes were different with the dark forest and mists that stayed below the canopies of leaves. The mists offered little visibility at certain stretches.

“This is infidels land, Mahmud.” The second in command to the Saracen riders whispered to his leader. The rider was a tall man dressed in the loose dark tunic and matching balloon pants covered with the thick cloak to shelter him from the cold winds. He had a cloak over his head and the red scarf to cover his face below the eyes. His mount was not of the lands there but the breed of his land. The Arabian breed trod on the command of its rider pressure on its torso and neck to free the figure to fight with both arms. He was armed with a curved blade that was named the scimitar and his weapon of distance was the bow and arrows. He also held the curved dagger on his waist belt. Mahmud and himself rode with three thousand warriors then.

“No, this is not the land of infidels but of the Satan.” The chieftain of the Saracen replied. He was dressed in the similar dark garbs but he held a green scarab amulet on the chain draped over his chest.

“If I was not obliged to the Procurator, I would not have offered my service to him for this mad task. We are truly riding into the darkness of the underworld.” The Chieftain sighed. “We are at their service like slaves to the master who took their lands. They stopped our rides on the nomadic trails with the sun on our back and the springs that will quench our thirst.”

“I cursed the day we kill for gold.” The Chieftain cursed out. “Satan’s gold.”